God giueth preseuerance vnto Saluation to all them to whom he hath giuen the true faith of Saluation Å¿ Aug. de corrupt grat ca. 12 Sanctis in regnum Dei per gratiam Dei praedestinatis tale adiutorâ—um perseuâ—rantiae ditur vt eis persâ—ueraÌ„tia ipsa dâ—netur non solum vt sine isto dâ—no perseuerantes esse noâ—â—possint verumetiam vt per hoc donum non nisi persiuirantes sint sides eorum non deficies vsque insinem nec eam nisi manentâ—m vitae huta inueuit fiâ—â— such a gift of perseuerance as not onely without which they cannot perseuere but by which they do no other but perseuere or by which they do certainely perseuere so as that their faith doth neuer finally faile neither shall their end find it but continuing in them As touching this point M. Perkins answered very effectually that we pray that God would not suffer vs to be wholy ouercome of the diuell in any temptation when we say Leade vs not into temptation and that to this petition we haue a promise answerable that God with temptation will giue an issue and therefore that the diuell howsoeuer he wound the faithfull yet shall neuer be able vtterly to ouercome them Whereto M. Bishop very idlely replieth according to his maner by a fallacie of diuision that then the assurance dependeth vpon prayer and not vpon our former faith But let him take the same answer in effect againe that the assurance still dependeth vpon faith which t Aug. de verb. Dom Ser 36. Fides foâ—s orationis faith is the fountaine of prayer which prayer beggeth of God as Christ hath commaunded Leade vs not into temptation which to whomsoeuer it is graunted u Idem de bono perseuer cap. 6. Si conceâ—â—tur ei quod orat vt non inferatur in tentat oneâ— in sanctifiâ—â—tione vtiâ—ue quâ—m Deo doâ—â—nte percepit Deo donante persiâ—tit Et paâ—lo prius Nequeâ—uisquam perseuerare dâ—sistit nisi iâ— tâ—tatiâ—teÌ„ priâ—â—â—tùs inferaâ—ur he by the gift of God perseuereth in that sanctification which by the gift of God he hath receiued because no man faileth of perseuerance but by being led into temptation and concerning temptation the Apostles words import the promise of God to all the faithfull x 1. Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but together with the temptation will giue the issue that ye may be able to beare it Whereupon S. Ambrose saith most notably to the purpose we haue in hand y Amb in 1. Cor. 10. Iâ—eo fidelem dicit Deum c. quiâ— dâ—tucuâ— se promisit Deus diligâ—â—tibus se regna caelestia deâ— necesse est quia fidelis est Propterâ—a ergo tribulatis prosâ—â—â—rit 〈…〉 possit sed faciet vt autâ—stò cesset tentatio aut si prolixa fuereâ—ti◠〈…〉 promisit quia â—â—â—cetur qui patitur Homo est enim infirmitati subreâ—tu 〈…〉 promisit subuenit vt impleat quod promâ—sit c. Non plus perâ—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—tatur qui scitur vlâ—ra noc posse quà m triduâ— toâ—eâ—â— Therefore doth the Apostle say that God is faithfull and will not suffer them to be tempted aboue their strength because he hath promised to giue the kingdome of heauen to them that loue him and must needs giue the same because he is faithfull For that cause therefore he will be present to them being in trouble for his sake and will not suffer so much to be laied vpon them as is not to be suffered but either will cause the temptation to cease or if it be long will giue strength to endure it otherwise he shall not giue that which he promised because the party suffering shall be ouercome being a man subiect to infirmitie and so shall not be to receiue the promise But because God is faithfull which hath promised he helpeth him that he may fulfill his promise and no more is permitted to be laid vpon him then it is knowne to God that he is able to beare so that he is not suffered to be tempted the fourth day that is knowne not to be able to endure beyond the third day So then by this Fathers iudgement the Apostle in those words giueth to vnderstand that God hauing promised to the faithfull the kingdome of heauen doth so prouide as that he may performe vnto them his promise which he should not performe if either their owne lightnesse or any aduerse power should preuaile to make them vncapable thereof and therefore he suffereth them not by any temptation to be taken away from him but giueth them constancie and perseuerance whereby they wade out of the flouds thereof that they neuer be drowned in them This is the promise of God and this promise faith apprehendeth and accordingly praieth and beleeueth according to the promise that it shall obtaine that which it praieth for therfore shall not by any temptation be vtterly ouerthrowne But what then saith M. Bishop if we pray not so as we ought may not the enemie then not onely wound but also kill vs We answer Yes indeed M. Bishop he would so and both faith praier and all would faile if God were not the keeper and maintainer therof But it hath bene before said that faith is the fountaine of praier and therefore God in the keeping of our faith continueth our praier because the streame cannot faile so long as the fountaine faileth not Praier is the breath of faith which neuer ceaseth to breath so long as it is aliue Praiers are the beames of faith if the light of faith be not quenched it certainly sendeth forth his beames of praier z August de corrept grat ca. 12. Prohit interpellante Christo ne deficiat fidâ—s eorum sine dubio non deficies vsque in finem Christ therfore hauing praied for his that their faith may not faile it shall neuer faile finally in any of them And therfore they shal neuer vtterly giue ouer to pray vnto him that it may be fulfilled to them which is promised a Rom. 10.13 Euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued And surely God wanteth not meanes whereby to preserue continue both the one the other not only by instruction aduertisement of the word sacraments but also by correction and discipline of crosses and afflictions and many grieuances of temptations by which as occasion serueth he fretteth off the rust bloweth away the ashes of carnal security by occasion wherof as children affrighted or grieued runne to their father for succour so we are moued to go by praier vnto God according to the saying of the Prophet Esay b Esa 26.16 Lord in affliction they haue visited thee they haue powred forth a praier when thy chastisement was vpon them Albeit therefore of our selues we easily grow slack both in praier and in all other works of piety godlinesse yet God prouideth
u Percurie Ecclesias Apostolicaâ— apud quas ipsae adâ—uc Cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesideÌ„tur apud quas ipsae authenticae literae eorum recitantur c. Proxima est tibi Achaia habes Corinthum Si non longe es à Macedonia habes Philippos c. si Italiae adiaceâ— hâ—bes Romanam c. Cum Aphricanis quoque Ecclesijs contestatur vnum Deum nouit Creatorem vniuâ—sitaâ—â—â— Iesum Christum ex Virgine Maria filium Creatoris carnis resurrectionem legem Prophetâ—s cum Euangelicis Apostolicis literis miscet inde fidem portat eam c. where were still Bishops in the seates of the Apostles and their authenticall Epistles were still read as of the Corinthians the Philippians the Thessalonians the Ephesians the Romanes which together with the Aphricane Churches acknowledged one God the Creatour of the whole world and Iesus Christ of the Virgin Mary the Sonne of the Creator and the resurrection of the flesh ioyning the lawe and the Prophets with the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles and thence deriuing that faith Thus had he before set downe the doctrine and faith which in all this treatise he thus laboureth to vphold and maintaine x Regula est autem fidei illa scilicet qua creditur vâ—um omninò Deum esse nec alium quà m mundi Creatorem qui vniuersa produxerit de nihilo per verbum suum primò omnium omissum c. Superest vt demonstremus an haec nostra doctrina cuius regulam supra edidimus de Apostolerum traditione censcatur The rule of faith is this to beleeue that there is one onely God and the same no other but the Creator of the world who by his word first of all sent foorth made all things of nothing The same word called his Son was vnder the name of God diuersly seen of the Patriarkes euermore heard in the Prophets last of all by the spirit and power of the Father was brought into the Virgin Mary made flesh in her wombe and being borne of her did the part of Iesus Christ preached thencefoorth the new law and the new promise of the kingdome of heauen wrought miracles and being nailed to a crosse rose againe the third day and so forth according to the articles of Christian beleefe VpoÌ„ the assertion of this rule he inferreth that y Si haec ita se habent vt veritas nobis adiudicetur quicunque in ea regula incedimus quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis Apostoli à Christo Christus à Deo tradidit constat ratio pro positi nostri definientis non esse admittendos haereticos ad eanâ—è de Scripturis prouocationem quos sine Scripturis probamus ad Scripturas non pertiâ—ere sith the truth must be adiudged to them who walke in that rule which the Church had deliuered from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ and Christ from God it was hereby assured which he had before propounded that the heretikes were not to be admitted to disputation by the Scriptures who without the Scriptures were proued to haue no title to the Scriptures Therefore for conclusion of all this he saith that z Illic igitur ScripturaruÌ„ expositionum adulteratio deputanda est vbi diuersitas muenitur doctrinae Quibus fuit propositum aliter doceÌ„di necessitas institit aliter disponendi instrumenta doctrinae Alias enim non potuissent alitèr docere nisi alitèr haberent per quae decerent Sicut illis non potuisset succedere corrup tela doctrinae sine corruptela instrumentorum eius ita nobis integritas doctrinae non compentisset sine integritate eorum per quae doctrina tractatur Etenim quid contrarium nobis in nostris quid de proprio iâ—tulimus vt aliquid contrarium ei in Scripturis deprehensum detractione vel adiectione vel transmutatione remediaremus Quod sumus hoc suntinde Scripturae ab initio suo Ex illis sumus antequam nihil aliter fuit quà m sumus the corrupting of the Scriptures and of the meaning thereof must be reckoned to be there where there was found diuersitie of doctrine from the Scriptures For they saith he who intended to teach otherwise had need otherwise to dispose of the instruments of doctrine and teaching For they could not teach otherwise except they had somewhat otherwise whereby to teach But on the contrarie side he saith As their corrupting of doctrine could not haue successe without corrupting of the instruments thereof so neither could integritie or soundnesse of doctrine haue stood with vs without the integritie of those instrumeÌ„ts by which doctrine is handled For in our Scriptures what is there contrarie to vs What haue we brought in of our owne that somewhat being found in the Scriptures thereto contrarie we should remedie by adding or taking away or changing any thing What we are the same are the Scriptures euen from their beginning From theÌ„ we are euer since there was nothing otherwise then we are This is the briefe summe of all that Tertullian in that booke saith pertinent to the matter here in hand wherein as there is nothing in fauour of the cause which M. Bishop maintaineth so there is much to be obserued for the oppugning and conuincing thereof First it is apparent that Tertullian here saith not a word for the auouching of any doctrine beside the Scripture but onely for iustifying the doctrine that is contained in the Scripture The heretikes oppugned the maine and fundamentall grounds of Christian faith concerning the vnitie of the Godhead the creation of the world the Godhead and incarnation of Christ the resurrection of the dead the coming of the holy Ghost and sundry other such like They reiected such whole bookes and razed such testimonies of Scripture as euidently made against them affirming the same not to haue bene written by the Apostles or by any diuine inspiration a Contra Marc. lib. 4 Contraria quaeque sententiae suae erasit conspirantia cum Creatore quaesi ab assertoribus eius intexta but foisted in yea sometimes that they were to correct and reforme those things which the Apostles had written Therefore albeit the points in question were manifestly decided by cleare testimony of Scripture yet the authoritie of Scripture being reiected and refused it was necessarie for many mens satisfaction to take some other course for the conuicting of them b Ibid Haeresis sic semper emendat Euangelia dum vitiat Iren. lib. 3 cap. 1. EmeÌ„datores Apostolorum Hereupon he referred men to the consideration of the Apostolicke Churches where the doctrine of the faith of Christ was most renowmedly planted and had successiuely continued from the time of the Apostles that by the testimonie of those Churches it might appeare both that the Scriptures were authenticall and true and that the doctrine auouched against the Heretickes was no other but what the Apostles themselues by the institution of Christ had in those Scriptures
that it is both lawfull and very commendable for men and women of ripe yeares and consideration hauing well tried their owne aptnesse to vow virginity if by good inspirations they be therunto inwardly called My first reason is this that which is more pleasant and gratefull vnto God may very well be vowed to him but virginity is more acceptable to God than mariage The first proposition is manifest and hath no other exception against it but that which before is confuted to wit if we be able to performe it The second is denied by them which we prooue in expresse termes out of Saint Paul * 1. Cor. 7. He that ioyneth his virgin doth well but he that ioyneth her not doth better and againe of widowes They shall be more happy by Saint Pauls iudgement if they remaine vnmarried This may be confirmed out of Esay Isa 56. Where God promiseth the Eunuch that holdeth greatly of the thing that pleaseth him that hee will giue him in his houshold and within his walles a better heritage and name then if they had bene called sons and daughters I will saith God giue them an euerlasting name And also out of the booke of Wisedom * Cap. 3. Blessed is the Eunuch which hath wrought no vnrighteousnesse c. for vnto him shall be giuen the speciall gift of faith the most acceptable portion in our Lords temple for glorious is the fruite of God Which is also plainely taught in the Reuelations * Reu. 14. where it is said that no mā could sing that song but 144000. and the cause is set downe These be they which haue not bene defiled with women for they are Virgins To these latter places M. P. answereth pag. 241. that to the Eunuch is promised a greater reward but not because of his chastitie but because he keepeth the Lords Sabboth and couenant But this is said vnaduisedly for to all others that keepe Gods commandements shall be giuen a heauenly reward but why shall they haue a better heritage and more acceptable portion then others but because of their speciall prerogatiue of chastitie M. P. then answereth otherwise here that the single life is better more happie because it is freer from common cares of this life and yeeldeth vs more bodily ease and liberty to serue God But 1200. yeares ago S. Augustine of set purpose confuted this error in sundry places of his learned Works specially in his treatise De Virginitate in these Chapters 13. 23. 24. 25. where he accounteth him no Christian that doth cōtradict Christ promising the kingdome of heauen to Eunuchs * Mat. 19. And in the 25. Chapter more vehemently exclaiming O impious blindnesse why dost thou cauill and seeke shifts why dost thou promise temporall commoditie only to the chast and continent when God saith * Esa 16. I will giue them an euerlasting name And if thou wouldest perhaps take this euerlasting for a thing of long cōtinuance I adde inculcate often repeate that it shal neuer haue end What wouldest thou more This eternall name whatsoeuer it be signifieth a certaine peculiar and excellent glorie which shall not be common to many albeit they be placed in the same kingdome c. Which in the 29. Chapter he confirmeth out of that place of the Apocalypse cited aboue in these words The rest of the faithfull shall see you and not enuie your state but ioy in it so be partaker of that in you which they haue not in themselues for the new song which is proper vnto you they cannot sing but shall heare it and be delighted with your so excellent a blessednesse but you because you shal both sing and heare it shal more happily reioyce and raigne more pleasantly Which may be also confirmed out of the Apostle in the same place where he assureth that the single life is better for the seruice of God saying that a woman vnmarried and a virgin think of the things which belong vnto our Lord how she may please God and be holy both in body and spirit And our blessed Sauiour teacheth * Math 19. That some become Eunuches for the kingdome of heauen which to be taken there properly for the reward in heauen S. Augustine with the rest of the Fathers teacheth * De virginit cap. 23. What could be spoken more truly or more perspicuously Christ saith The truth saith the wisedome of God affirmeth them to geld thēselues for the kingdome of heauen who do of a godly determination refraine from mariage And contrarily humane vanity doth contend by impious temerity that they who do so do it to auoid the necessary troubles of matrimony and that in the kingdome of heauen they shall haue no more then other men R. ABBOT M. Bishop here taketh vpon him to proue the vow of virginity to be lawfull but yet we see it is with certaine cautions conditions to be therein obserued First he wil haue them to be of ripe yeares consideration and well to try their owne aptnesse Secondly it is lawfull if by good inspirations they be thereunto inwardly called But put the case that these cautions be not obserued that some vow rashly and vnaduisedly without triall of their own aptnesse without any good inspirations calling them to it or hauing vpon some triall iudged themselues apt yet afterwards finde it otherwise what shall they do not being now able to keep that which they haue vowed Marrie let them sinke or swim let them burne till they be consumed let them be brothels and harlots and what they wil they haue vowed and they must stand to it but marry they must not As for that which he saith of good inspirations inwardly calling them it is a meere begging of the question We deny that there are any good inspirations inwardly calling to that which we are not outwardly taught by the inspired word of God The spirit word of God go iointly together and where the word giueth vs not warrant and direction for that we do they are illusions and not inspirations by which we are led Now of vowing virginity or single life the word of God hath neither precept nor example All exercises of true righteousnesse we find amongst the people of the Iewes we find amongst them all the spirituall intendments significations of their ceremoniall vowes but of this vow of single life virginity we find nothing saue only amongst their sectaries in the corruption of their state religion as namely the Pharisees who for one of their exercises of great holinesse a Epiphan haer 16. Quidā eorū cùm se exercebant praescribehant sibi decennium aut octennium aut quadriennium virginitatis continentiae vowed continencie and virginitie sometimes for ten yeeres sometimes for sixe or for foure yeeres as Epiphanius reporteth of them But yet M. Bishops argument will put the matter wholy out of doubt That saith he which is more pleasant and gratefull to God
the reseruing of temporall satisfaction he hath shewed himselfe a most prudent redeemer as if his foolish braines were the measure of the wisedome of Christ or the selfe-will conceipts of carnall men were to determine the power and effect of the crosse of Christ Christ is z Ioh. 1.29 the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world and if he take away our sinnes then they remaine not by vs to be satisfied for The forgiuenesse of our sinnes by Christ is a 2. Cor. 5.19 the not imputing of our sinnes but how are they not imputed if satisfaction thereof be required This falsehood of theirs he gloseth with a truth We must be made b Rom 8.29 like vnto Christ as members to the head We must c 2. Tim. 2.12 suffer with Christ that we may raigne with Christ But what of this We denie not but that by suffering when God will and as he will we must be conformed to Christ our head but we deny this conformitie in suffering to be any satisfaction for our sinnes Which as it hath no shew of proofe out of those words of the Apostle so that it cannot otherwise bee proued shall be shewed God willing in the question concerning that matter In the third and last instance M. Perkins chargeth them that though they be content to acknowledge Christ to be a Mediator of intercession yet they reserue to his mother the blessed Virgin their Queene of heauen an authoritie to rule him and commaund him there This M. Bishop thinketh to be a matter of simplicitie in M. Perkins that he should thinke it a magnifying of Christ to acknowledge Christ a Mediatour of intercession whereas they make him as hee telleth vs no Mediator of intercession but a redeemer Now in this we see his honest mind that he is loth that M. Perkins should say better of them then they deserue and will haue vs to know that they bereaue Christ of one speciall part of his office and Priesthood which is to make intercession for vs. The reason is because they must haue a dignitie belonging to the Saints and therefore because they know not how to doe it otherwise they diuide the office of Christs mediation reseruing vnto Christ though not that wholy neither to be our Mediator of redemption do assigne the mediatorship of intercession to the Saints And yet the Scripture expresly telleth vs that Christ d Rom. 8. â—4 sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs that e Heb. 7.25 he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them Thus S. Austin saith that f Aug. in Psal 85. Orat pro nobis orat in nobis oratur à nobis Orat pro nobis vt sacerdâ—s nostâ—r orat in nobis vt caput nostrum oratur à nobis vt Deus noster Christ prayeth for vs and prayeth in vs and is prayed vnto of vs. He prayeth for vs as our Priest he prayeth in vs as our head he is prayed vnto of vs as our God Yea he sayth that g Jn Psal 64. Solus ibi ex his quâ— carnem gustauerunt iâ—terpellâ—â— pro nobis in heauen Christ alone of them that haue bene partakers of flesh maketh intercession for vs insomuch that h Câ—nt epist Parâ—â—en li. 2. ca 8. Si Joanâ—es â—ta diceret siquis peccauerit aduocatumâ—ne habe â—is apud patrem ego exore pro pâ—â—catâ—s vestris quis eum sicut disâ—â—pulum Câ—risti non sicut Antichristum ipsum iniueretur if S. Iohn should haue sayd If any man sinne ye haue me for an aduocate with the father I make intercession for your sinnes he should haue bene holden not for a Disciple of Christ but rather for Antichrist himselfe Thus he doth not onely make Christ our Mediator of intercession but also the onely Mediator of intercession and therefore condemneth M. Bishop of wicked sacriledge that taketh away this part of his office from him to bestow it vpon the Saints But this prayer and intercession Christ performeth not now by vocall words as in the time of his humiliation here vpon the earth neither doth he infinitely busie himself by renewing his petitions supplications to the Father when we call vpon him but his intercession for vs is his i Heb. 9.24 appearing in the sight of God for vs whereby as k Cyprian ser de bapt Christi manifestat Trâ—nit the sacrifice which he offered vpon the crosse is no lesse effectuall now then it was the day when water and bloud issued out of his wounded side still requiring our saluation as the reward of his obedience euen so the voyce of his intercession in the dayes of his flesh still soundeth aloud in the eares of God and by the power thereof both we our selues and all our prayers and requests are most effectually recommended to his mercie Therefore we do not now pray to him to pray for vs but we l Iohn 16.23 aske the father in his name as he himselfe hath taught vs presenting still the memorie of the merit and intercession that he hath performed for vs. And because m Iohn 5 27. the father hath giuen him power to execute iudgement euen as he is the sonne of man euen n Mat. 28.18 all power both in heauen and earth and o Ephes 1.22 hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and set him as head and ruler ouer all things to the behoofe of his Church therefore we do not onely pray to the Father but we pray to him also euen as he is the sonne of man we do not onely p Bernard super Misâ—us est Hom. 3. Jpsum oculâ—s patris ipsum offeramus suis offer or present him to his Fathers eyes but we present him also to his owne eyes that for that intercessions sake which q August in Psal 34. In meipso humanitas in meipso diuinitatem interpellat in himselfe as man he made to himselfe as God he will both God and man bee mercifull vnto vs. As for M. Bishops Metaphysicall or rather Nestorian-like and heretical conceipt of singling out the humanitie of Christ from his diuinitie to make it an intercessor for vs let him burie it in his owne braines where it was bred but for vs we know that to pray to Christ to be our intercessor to the Father according to that he promiseth r Iohn 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another Comforter doth no more require the singling or separating of the manhood from the Godhead then do all other his workes for our reconciliation vnto God in which the vnion of two natures doth alwayes giue force and strength to that which is properly acted but in one W. BISHOP And to come to your grieuous complaint that withall his Mother must be Queene of heauen and by right of a
mother commaund him there Who can sufficiently maruell at their vnnaturall grosse pates who take it for a disgrace to the Sonne to aduance his owne good Mother or else who well in his wits considering Christs bountie to strangers and his enemies will not be perswaded that on his best beloued mother he did bestow his most speciall fauours For hauing taken flesh of her hauing suckt her breasts and receiued his nuriture and education of her in his tender yeares and being aswell followed of her as of any other Is it possible that he should not be as good to her as to others vnto whom he was not at all beholding Againe the very place of a mother requiring preheminence before all seruants and subiects of what dignitie soeuer doth not the right-rule of reason leade vs to thinke that Christ the fountaine of all wisedome replenished the blessed Virgin Marie his deare Mother with such grace as should make her fit for that place it lying in his hands and free choise to do it And therefore is she truely tearmed of holy and learned Antiquity Our Lady and Queene exalted aboue all quiers of Angels That which you impute vnto vs farther that she must in the right of a mother commaund her Sonne it no doctrine of the Romish Church nor sayd in all her seruice We say Shew thy selfe to be a mother but it is not added by commanding thy Sonne that is your glosse which is accursed because it corrupteth the text for it followeth in that place Sumat per te preces c. Present our prayers to him that vouchsafed to be borne of thee for vs. If any priuat person by meditation piercing more profoundly into the mutuall loue and affection of such a Sonne towards so worthie a Mother doe deeme her prayers as forcible in kindnesse as if they were commandements and in that sence call them Commandements according to the French phrase Vos priers me sont des commandements that may be done without derogation to Christs supreme dignitie and with high commendation of his tender affection vnto his reuerent and best beloued mother Wherefore to conclude this Epistle if there bee no waightier cause then this by you here produced why you and your adherents do not reconcile your selues vnto the Church of Rome you may shortly by Gods grace become new men For we are so farre off from making our Sauiour Christ a Pseudochrist or from drawing one iote of excellencie from his soueraigne power merits or dignitie that we in the very points by you put downe do much more magnifie him then you do For in maintaining the authoritie by him imparted vnto his deputies our spirituall Magistrates and of their merits and satisfaction We first say that these his seruants prorogatiues be his free gifts of meere grace bestowed on whom he pleaseth which is no small praise of his great liberalitie And withall affirme that there is an infinite difference betweene his owne power merits and satisfaction and ours wherein his Soueraigne honour is preserued entire to himselfe without any comparison Now you make Christs authoritie so base his merits and satisfaction so meane that if he impart any degree of them vnto his seruants he looseth the honour of all from himselfe Whereupon it followeth inuincibly if you vnfainedly seeke Christ Iesus his true honour and will esteeme of his diuine gifts worthily you must hold out no longer but vnite your selues in these necessarie heads of Religion vnto the Catholike Church of Rome which so highly exalteth him both in his owne excellencie and in his singular gifts to his subiects R. ABBOT Here M. Bishop telleth vs a goodly and a faire tale out of their old wiues deuotions and sheweth himselfe more absurdly and grossely superstitious then were almost to be imagined in a learned man It is strange to vs that the Euangelists and Apostles were not acquainted with this high point of religion or if they were acquainted with it that none of them should haue regard to recommend it to the Church Surely if they had bene of the Romish religion that now is they would neuer haue done the Virgin Mary that exceeding great wrong but because they were not so because their care was that God onely should be aduanced according to his word therefore M. Bishop thinketh them vnnaturall grosse pates in taking it to be a disgrace to the Sonne to aduance his owne good Mother As for vs we honour the blessed Virgin so farre as God hath giuen vs warrant so to do We acknowledge her a most excellent instrument of the grace of God and most highly blessed aboue all other in that God by her would bring him into the world that should be a blessing to all other But yet we say that this was a blessing onely according to the flesh it was no spirituall and heauenly blessing and because spirituall blessings are greater then carnall we hold the Virgin Mary to haue bene greater by that that she had according to the spirit then by the honour that was done her according to the flesh Therefore S. Austin saith that a August de saâ—ct Virg. cap. 3. 〈◊〉 Mari◠〈…〉 fiâ—â— Christi quâ—â— c◠〈…〉 c. 〈…〉 Mary was more blessed by receiuing the faith of Christ then by conceiuing the flesh of Christ Her neernesse to Christ in being his mother had nothing booted her had she not more happily borne him in her heart then in her wombe This our Sauiour himselfe confirmeth in the Gospell when being told as he was preaching that his mother and brethren were desirous to speake with him answered as with indignation b Who is my mother and who are my brethren He that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen he is my brother and sister and mother c My mother and brethren are these which heare the word of God and keepe it d Tertul◠〈…〉 He maketh these other of the greater woorth saith Tertullian and sheweth that the hearing of Gods word is a thing to be preferred aboue being the mother and brethren of Christ e J◠〈…〉 c. Non vt vâ—â—â—â—res suâ—stituit sed vt digâ—â—â—â—res He transferreth the names of kindred to them whom he rather iudgeth to be most neare vnto him because of faith whom he putteth in place of the other not as more truly his mother and his brethren but as being of greater woorth So againe when a woman amidst the companie cryed out f Lâ—k 1â— 28 Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the pappes that gaue thee sucke to withdraw the minds of men from carnall fancies he answereth Yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it g Tertul. de carâ—â— Christi Non maâ—â—â—â— vâ—â—rum v◠〈…〉 Not denying the wombe and pappes of his mother saith Tertullian againe but signifying them to be more happie that do heare the word of God This happinesse and heauenly bountie Mary was also partaker of
perseuerantèr proficiat siue vt ad bonuÌ„ sempiternum peruentat The sound Catholike faith saith he neither denieth Free will vvhether to euill life or to good neither attributeth so much to it as that it auaileth any thing vvithout grace either to be conuerted from euill to good or by perseuerance to go forward in that that is good or to attaine to the euerlasting good Now we whom M. Bishop termeth new gospellers but yet out of the old Gospell do affirme according to the true meaning of S. Austin that there must be a Free will either in euill or good life For a man cannot be either good or euill against his will and if he be willingly that that he is it is by Free vvill because the vvill is alwayes Free and cannot but be Free in that that it willeth But the will of man is of it selfe Free in that that is euill to that that is good q Retract lib. 1. cap 15. IntantuÌ„ lâ—bera est 1 quatum liberata est it is so farre onely Free as it is made Free r Cont. duas ep Pelag. lib 1. ca. 3. Et De corrept grat cap 1. Liberum in bono non erit quod liberator non liberauerit In bono liber esse nullus potest nisi fuerit liberatus neither can any man in this respect be free vvhom the purchaser of freedome hath not made free We say therefore that the Free vvill of man auaileth nothing vvithout grace that is in S. Austins construction auaileth nothing but by that that grace vvorketh in it either for conuerting vnto God or perseuering in that whereunto it is conuerted And therefore as S. Austin in the epistle cited speaketh Å¿ Epist 47. Boni ipsam bonam voluntateÌ„ per Dei gratiam consecuti sunt Et post Gratia intelligitur voluntates hominum ipsus ex mala bonas facere ipsas etiam quas fecerit custodire ante Omnia quae ad mores nostros pertinent quibus rectè viuimus à patre nostro qui in coeâ—iâ— est doâ—uit esse poscenda ne de libero praesumentes arbitrio à diuina gratia decidamus It is by grace that good men haue obtained a good vvill and grace must be vnderstood to make the wils of men of euill good and to preserue the same when it hath so made them and of our Father vvhich is in heauen vve are to begge all things whereby vve liue vvell least presuming of Free vvill vve fall away from the grace of God If all things then are we to begge of him to open to yeeld to assent to receiue his grace and therefore these things cannot be attributed to the power of our owne Free will Now M. Bishop meerely abuseth Austin as if he had meant that Free will hath a power and abilitie of it owne to righteousnesse but that this power is not sufficient is not strong enough vvithout grace adioyned to it whereas S. Austins meaning is to chalenge wholy to grace whatsoeuer the will of man doth so that it doth nothing but what grace worketh in it to do t De verb Apos ser 11 Nihil ex eo quod aliquâ—d sumus si tameÌ„ in eius side aliquid sumus quantum cunque sumus â—ihâ—l nobis arrogemus ne quod accepimus perdamus sed in eo quod accepimus illi gloriam demus Of that as touching which we are somewhat in the faith of Christ how much soeuer it be we may take nothing to our selues but we must giue the glorie of all vnto God The new gospellers therfore according to the doctrine of the auncient Gospell detest the Manichees for denying Free will in sinne and euill and detest also Pelagians and Papists for attributing to Free will an abilitie and power of it owne wherby to apply it selfe to righteousnesse which whereas M. Bishop saith the Pelagians affirmed vvithout grace I haue before shewed that he saith vntruly and that the Papists do now teach in that behalfe the very same that the Pelagians did To the last place the answer is readie by that that hath bene sayd Free vvill and grace are not the one excluded by the other neither is the one denied in the affirming of the other if we make the one the cause of the other as Austin doth and teach it to be the worke of grace to make the will Free But grace is denied in the preaching of Free will if as touching saluation it be affirmed to haue any freedome which it hath not of grace or any thing at all be attributed vnto it which is not the effect of grace For u De corrept grat ca. 8. Voluntas humana non libertate coÌ„sequitur gratiam sed gratia potius libertatem man doth not by freedome of will attaine to grace but by grace obtaineth freedome of vvill and though it be in the will and by the will that we receiue grace yet x Prosper de vocat gent lib. 1. cap. 5. Omnibus hominibus percipiendae gratiae causa voluntas Dei est in all men the will of God himselfe is the cause of the receiuing of the grace of God 16. W. BISHOP Now in fevv words I will passe ouer the obiections which he frameth in our names But misapplyeth them First obiection That man can do good by nature as giue almes do iustice speake the truth c. and therefore will them vvithout the helpe of grace This argument we vse to proue libertie of vvill in ciuill and morall matters euen in the corrupted state of man and it doth demonstrate it and M. Perkins in his third conclusion doth graunt it And his answer here is farre from the purpose for albeit saith he touching the substance of the vvorke it be good yet it faileth both in the beginning because it proceeds not from a pure heart and a faith vnfained and also in the end which is not the glorie of God Answer It faileth neither in the one nor other for that almes may issue out of a true naturall compassion which is a sufficient good fountaine to make a worke morally good faith and grace do purge the heart and are necessarie onely for good and meritorious workes Againe being done to releeue the poore mans necessitie God his Creator and Maister is thereby glorified And so albeit the man thought not of God in particular yet God being the finall end of all good any good action of it selfe is directed towards him when the man putteth no other contrarie end thereunto R. ABBOT It was a caution giuen by the Pelagians a Prosper de lib. arbit Proclamat cauendum esse ne ita ad Deum omnia sanctoruÌ„ merita referamus vt nihil n si quod malum est humanae ascribaemuâ— naturae that vve may not so attribute to God all the merits or good workes of holy men as that we ascribe to the nature of man nothing but that that is euill This caution
the first proposition of his first reason following as shall be there proued R. ABBOT It was not M. Perkins intent here to set downe any exact or formall description of Originall sinne but onely so to touch it as might serue to leade him to the point that was to be disputed of But out of that which he saith it ariseth that originall sinne is a common guilt of the first sinne of man inferring as a iust punishment an vniuersall distortion and corruption of mans nature and euerlasting destruction both of bodie and soule Concerning the matter therfore he propoundeth three things in Originall sinne to be considered the sinne the guilt and the punishment Where M. Bishop being like a man of glasse afraid of being crackt where he is not touched would for more assurance giue vs a note and I warrant you it is a wise one We say not saith he that the punishment of Originall sinne is in it or any part of it but rather a due correction and as it were an expulsion of it Where he putteth me in mind of a speech that I haue heard concerning an outlandish Mathematicke Reader whose tongue hauing out-runne his wits and making a discourse of he knew not what asketh his hearers at length Intelligitisne Do ye vnderstād me they answered him No. Profectò nihil miror saith he neque enim ego intelligo meipsum Marrie I do not maruel for neither do I vnderstand my selfe Such a lecture doth M. Bishop here reade which no man else vnderstandeth nor he himselfe If he had vnderstood what Originall sinne is and that concupiscence being a part of Originall sinne is also a punishment thereof corruption of nature which is one part arising from the guilt of the first sinne which is the other part he would not so vnaduisedly haue denied that the punishment of Originall sinne is also a part thereof especially finding S. Austin in so infinite places affirming that concupiscence is in such sort a sinne as that it is also a punishment of sinne and of what sinne but that which Adam in person committed by action and is ours originally by propagation But that either this punishment of Original sinne which is the corruption of nature or the following punishment thereof which is the first and second death should be called expulsion of Originall sinne we lacke some Oedipus to resolue vs sure I am that M. Bishop vnderstood not what he said nor can giue vs anie answer to make it good Such learned men haue we to do with which are so deepe in their points that they know not what they say Now he that vttereth such riddles himselfe might easily pardon another man in a speech though distasting to him yet in it selfe verie easie to be vnderstood What a stirre doth he make at that that M. Perkins saith that in the regenerate the guiltinesse is remoued from the person but not from the sinne in the person The meaning is plaine that the sinne is pardoned to the man regenerate and therfore cannot make him guiltie but yet in it self and in it owne nature it continueth such as that setting aside the pardon it were sufficient still to make him guiltie and to condemne him as shall be afterwards auouched out of Austin to euerlasting death The pardon acquitteth the man but yet it cannot alter the nature of the sinne it setteth a barre against the effect but take away the barre the cause is as strong as it was before His idle and wast words and fighting with a shadow I let passe if he were not a senslesse man that that M. Perkins saith in the plaine meaning thereof would neuer seeme to him any senslesse imagination But he goeth further How can the fault of Originall sinne remaine in the man renewed by Gods grace although not imputed Why M. Bishop what hindereth I pray you Can there be two contraries saith he in one part of the subiect at once And why not What hath not his Philosophie taught him that contraries are incompatible onely in their extremes Did he neuer reade that contraries when they striue to expell one another do it not in a moment but by degrees and though one be stronger then then the other yet the weaker stil hath that latitude which the strōger hath not gained Thus are there in the regenerate man a Rom. 7.23 the law of sinne and the law of the mind the former rebelling against the latter b Gal. 5.17 the flesh and the spirit the one contrary to the other as the Apostle speaketh and that in one part of the subiect as shal appeare Can there be light and darknesse in the vnderstanding saith he Why did M. Bishop neuer reade of c Zephan 1.15 a darke day or will he reason therof if it be day it cannot be darke or if it be darke it cannot be day And if he can see that light and darknesse may meete together in a day can he not see that light and darknesse may also be together in the vnderstanding One where our Sauiour Christ commēdeth the light of his Disciples d Matth. 13.16 Blessed are your eyes for they see another where he condemneth their darknesse e Mark 8 18. Haue ye eyes and see not By light of vnderstanding Peter saith f Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Blessed art thou Simon saith Christ for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen The same Peter by and by also bewrayeth darknesse of vnderstanding giuing Christ occasion to say vnto him g Ibid. vers 23 Get thee behind me Satan for thou vnderstandest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men h Orig. in Mat. tract 3. Contraria sibi adhu erant in Petro veritas mendaecium De veritate dicebat Tu es Christus c. Ex mendacio dixit Propitius tibi esto c. Contraria erant adhuc in Petro There were contraries as yet in Peter saith Origen truth and falshood he spake by truth one way he spake by falshood another way In a word the Apostle telleth vs that i 1. Cor. 13.9.12 we know but in part we prophecie but in part we see through a glasse darkly or as the maisters of Rhemes translate it in a darke sort How can that be but that there is still some darknesse in the vnderstanding which yet in part hath receiued light He goeth further Can there be vertue and vice in the will at the same instant Yes M. Bishop for whatsoeuer is wanting of perfect vertue k August epist 29. Id quod minus est quà m debet ex vitro est ex vitio est saith S. Austin it is by reason of vice So long therefore as there is not perfect vertue there is vice remaining together with vertue The inner man wherein is the will of man is renewed as the Apostle telleth vs from day to day S.
the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world He speaketh of the things of the world which are of the Father because they are his creatures S. Iohn speaketh of the things of the world which are not of the Father He speaketh of the world which is the creature and frame of heauen and earth all things therein S. Iohn speaketh h August cont Iulian. lib. 4. cap. 13. Nouimus Ioannem non mundum istum id est coelum terram omnia quae in eo substātialiter sunt reprehendisse cum diceret Omnia quae in mundo sunt c. not of the world in that meaning but of the world of mākind corrupted defiled with sinne according to which the vnregenerate are called i Luk. 16.8 the children of this world and as our Sauiour Christ saith that k Iohn 7.7 the world hated him because he testified of it that the workes thereof are euill And doth he not then thinke you bring vs a good proofe that euery thing in the world tempteth vs to sinne The meaning of S. Iohn is plaine that in the world that is to say in the men of this world there is nothing but corruption the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life and the following of all these all which are not of the Father nor haue accord with him but are of men themselues perish together with themselues What is this then but profanely and lewdly to abuse the word of God thus to cite it to proue a falshood when it hath not so much as any shew of that for which it is cited If it be grosse to say that whatsoeuer allureth to sinne is sinne I am sure it is much more grosse that he hath sayd for the disprouing of it He addeth further that it is as wide from all morall wisedome to affirme that the first motions of our passions be sins But we iudge not of these things by morall wisedome which is the wisedome of this world because l 1. Cor. 1.21 the world by it owne wisdome knoweth not God in the wisdome of God we esteeme hereof as God by the foolishnesse of the Apostles preaching hath taught vs to beleeue And out of their preaching we haue learned to say as S. Austin did that m August cont Iulian. lib. 4. cap. 2 Ipsa per se ipsā libido rectissimè omnino suis ipsis motibus accusatur quibus ne excedat obsistitur lust it selfe by it selfe is very iustly accused or blamed in the very motions of it wherein it is resisted that it exceed not and that n Ibid. li 5. ca. 5. Quantumlibet in isto conflictu superiores simus c. tamen ipsis certè nostrae cogitationis motibus affectibus si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus c. howsoeuer in this conflict of the spirit against the flesh we get the better yet if in the very motions and affections of our thought we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. But saith he heathen Philosophers could distinguish betweene sudden passions of the mind and vices But what is it to vs what heathen Philosophers haue distinguished seeing Christian Philosophers haue taught vs to cal these passions o See after Sect. 9. vices inward vices vitiousnesse vitious affections vitious concupiscences or lusts Let M. Bishop follow Philosophers if he please as for vs we say in these questions of Diuinitie as Tertullian sayd that p Tertul de praescript adu haeret philosophia temeraria interpret diuinae naturae dispositionis philosophie is but a sawcie interpreter of Gods nature and disposition that Philosophers are q Idem cont Hermogen Haereticorum patriarchae philosophi the patriarches of heretikes We take our instructions out of Solomons porch not out of the porch of Zeno from Hierusalem not from Athens and there we haue learned to call it sinne whatsoeuer swarueth from the law of God as before hath bene declared Yea but M. Bishop will proue out of that very text which M. Perkins alledgeth that concupiscence is not sinne r Iam. 1.14 Euery man saith S. Iames is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is allured afterward concupiscence when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne Marke well the words saith he First concupiscence tempteth and allureth by some euill motion but that is no sinne vntill afterward it do conceiue But how doth he proue that by any argument out of S. Iames his words What is it not sin because S. Iames doth not expresly call it sin Why then neither shall the consent be sin because S. Iames expresseth the consent first and afterwards inferreth the bringing forth of sinne But though S. Iames do not call it expresly sinne yet S. Paul doth For what S. Iames speaketh of concupiscence stirring vp euill motions and thereby tempting and entising the very same S. Paul expresseth in these words ſ Rom. 7.8 Sinne wrought in me all manner of concupiscence Which is the same as if he should haue said that concupiscence which is the habite of sin did stir vp in him all maner of euill motions and affections to tempt him thereby The same Apostle saith t Cap. 6.12 Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof calling it by the name of sin where it raigneth not nor is obeyed in the lusts of it He distinctly noteth sinne and the lusts of it and the obeying that is consenting to those lusts and so plainely sheweth that in the roote and from the beginning it is sinne Thus the faithfull elsewhere are warned to take heed not to be hardened u Heb. 2.13 by the seducing or deceitfulnesse of sinne where it is also plaine that it is sinne which seduceth and enticeth euen as the Apostle saith x Rom 7.11 Sinne seduced me or deceiued me and thereby slue me giuing to vnderstand that these seducings and enticings that is the first motions of concupiscence are so farre sin as that thereby he felt himselfe in himselfe to be but a dead man Thus the Apostle S. Paule thwarteth all that M. Bishop gathereth out of S. Iames his words but yet the most deepe Doctor S. Austin sifteth out the matter very profoundly for him And indeed he sifteth well but leaueth to M. Bishop nothing but the very branne y Aug. contra Iulian. lib. 6. cap. 5. Profectò in his verbis partus à pariente distinguitur Pariens est cōcupiscentia partus peccatum Sed concupiscentia non parit nisi conceperit Nec concipit nisi illexerit hoc est ad malum perpetrādum obtinuerit volētis assensum In these words saith he the birth is distinguished from that that bringeth foorth That that bringeth foorth is concupiscence the birth is sinne But concupiscence bringeth
How can this be better knowne then if we see weigh and consider well what kind of faith that was which all they had who are sayd in Scriptures to be iustified by their faith S. Paul saith of Noe That he was instituted heire of the iustice Heb. 11.7 which is by faith What faith had he That by Christs Righteousnesse he was assured of Saluation No such matter but beleeued that God according to his word and iustice would drowne the world and made an Arke to saue himselfe and his familie as God commaunded him Abraham the Father of beleeuers and the Paterne and example of iustice by faith as the Apostle disputeth to the Romans What faith he was iustified by let S. Paul declare who of him and his faith Rom. cap. 4. hath these words He contrarie to hope beleeueth in hope that he might be made the father of manie Nations according to that which was sayd vnto him So shall thy seed be as the starres of heauen and the sands of the sea and he was not weakned in faith neither did he consider his owne bodie now quite dead whereas he was almost an hundreth yeares old nor the dead Matrice of Sara in the promise of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthened in faith giuing glorie to God most fully knowing that whatsoeuer he promised he was able also to do therefore was it reputed to him to iustice Lo because he glorified God in beleeuing that old and barren persons might haue children if God sayd the word and that whatsoeuer God promised he was able to performe he was iustified The Centurions faith was verie pleasing vnto our Sauiour who sayd in commendation of it That he had not found so great faith in Israel What faith was that Marrie that he could with a word cure his seruant absent Math. 8. Say the word only quoth he and my seruant shall be healed S. Peters faith so much magnified by the auncient Fathers and highly rewarded by our Sauiour was it any other Math. 16. Then that our Sauiour was Christ the Sonne of the liuing God And briefly let S. Iohn that great Secretarie of the holy Ghost tell vs what faith is the finall end of the whole Gospell These things Iohn 20. saith he are written that you may beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God and that beleeuing you may haue life in his name With the Euangelist the Apostle S. Paul accordeth verie well Rom. 10. saying This is the word of faith which we preach for if thou confesse with thy mouth our Lord Iesus Christ and shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from death 1. Cor. 15 thou shalt be saued And in another place I make knowne vnto you the Gospell which I haue preached and by which you shall be saued vnlesse perhaps you haue beleeued in vaine What was that Gospell I haue deliuered vnto you that which I haue receiued that Christ died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures was buried and rose againe the third day c. So by the verdite of S. Paul the beleefe of the articles of the Creed is that iustifying faith by which you must be saued And neither in Saint Paul nor any other place of holy Scriptures is it once taught that a particular faith whereby we apply Christs Righteousnesse to our selues and assure our selues of our saluation is either a iustifying or any Christian mans faith but the verie naturall act of that vgly Monster presumption which being layd as the verie corner stone of the Protestants irreligion what morall and modest conuersation what humilitie and deuotion can they build vpon it R. ABBOT What the reason was why M. Perkins here propounded no obiections of the Papists M. Bishop might haue conceiued because he had a Chap. 3. Of the Certaintie of Saluation before noted and confuted the best that are alledged by them If he had not so done yet it should not be likely that he had therefore omitted them because he knew not how to answer them because this which M. Bishop bringeth for their principall reason is but a verie weake and simple reason The thing that he would proue thereby is that iustifying faith is that Catholike faith as he calleth it whereby we beleeue all that to be true which God hath reuealed He abuseth the name of Catholike faith whereby hath bene wont to be imported the true and sound doctrine of the Catholike Church comprised in bookes taught in Pulpits and schooles professed by the mouth which a man may preach to others and himselfe be voide of iustifying faith Thus Vigilius saith hauing discoursed of some points of doctrine b Vigil cont Eutych lib. 1. Haec est fides professio Catholica quam Apostoli tradiderunt Martyres roborauerunt fideles hucusque custodiunt This is the Catholike faith and profession which the Apostles deliuered the Martyrs haue confirmed and the faithfull keepe vntill this day Iustifying faith is the priuate act of the heart and conscience of the man that is iustified which though it be grounded and built vpon it yet cannot but absurdly be termed the Catholike faith But M. Bishop perhaps by Catholike faith meaneth that iustifying faith whereby he and his fellow Catholikes must hope to be iustified By which meanes he hath matched the diuel with himselfe and his Catholikes and hath made him a Catholike For if it be the only faith of a Catholike to beleeue all that to be true which God hath reuealed what hindereth the diuell to be a Catholike seeing he beleeueth and to his griefe well knoweth that all is true that is reuealed by God This is that which we rightly call historicall faith the obiect whereof is the word of God in generall and it is no more but credere Deo to beleeue God in that which he speaketh which is incident to diuels and damned men This historicall faith is presupposed and included in iustifying faith but the proper obiect of iustifying saith is c 2. Cor. 5.19 God in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe or the promise of Gods mercie to vs in Christ Iesus whereby we do not onely beleeue the promise in generall to be true but do trust in God and expect good at his hands according to that promise for Christs sake This faith therefore is called d Rom. 3.22 Phil. 3.9 the faith of Christ that is whereby we beleeue in Christ and is further expressed to be e Act. 3.16 faith in his name f Rom. 3.25 faith in his bloud Of which S. Austin saith g August in Ioan. tract 35. Fides Christi est credere in eum qui iustificat impium credere in mediatorem sine quo interposito non reconciliamur Deâ— credere in saluatorem qui venit quod perterat quaerâ—re atque saluare c. The faith of Christ is to beleeue in him that iustifieth the vngodly to beleeue in the Mediator without
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
burthen which notwithstanding being recouered and fully cured he can beare with ease so it is not possible for vs so long as we are compassed about with corruption and frailtie to obserue and keep the law and righteousnesse thereof which yet being deliuered from all bondage of corruption and sinne we shall easily attaine vnto His second shift is as absurd as the former that though we cannot keepe our selues from veniall offences yet we may fulfill the law because it is not broken but by mortall sinnes But the law it selfe saith e Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to do them Therefore concerning all sinnes the sentence of the Apostle must stand good that f Rom. 6.23 the wages of sinne is death So our Sauiour Christ testifieth g Mat. 5.19 He that breaketh one of the least of these commandements and teacheth men so he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen that is saith S. Austin h August in Ioan. tract 122. Consequens est vt qui minimus est in regno coelâ—rum non intrâ—t in regnum coelâ—rum he shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen But we will demand of M. Bishop are those veniall sinnes forbidden by the law or not If they be not forbidden then they are no sinnes for i Rom. 4 15. where there is no law there is no trespasse and k Aug. de pece mer. rem lib. 2 cap. 16. Neque peccatum erit si quid erit si non diuiuitùs â—ubeatur vt non sit sinne shall be no sinne if God do not forbid the being of it But if they be forbidden how doth he say that to do them is no transgression of the law for what is it but a transgression of the law to do that which the law forbiddeth to be done The Apostle saith that l Rom. 3.20 by the law cometh the knowledge of sinne Veniall sinnes then by the law are knowne to be sinnes how are they knowne to be sinnes by the law but that they violate the reason and purport of the law But let S. Iohn here stop M. Bishops mouth m 1. Ioh. 3.4 Whosoeuer committeth sinne transgresseth also the law for sinne is the transgression of the law Veniall sinne as he tearmeth it is sinne therefore veniall sinne is the transgression of the law he therefore that committeth onely those which he calleth veniall sinnes cannot be said to fulfill the lawe 42. W. BISHOP Lastly it may be obiected that the way to heauen is streight and the gate narrow which is so true that it seemeth vnpossible to be kept by flesh and bloud but that which is impossible to men of themselues is made possible and easie too by the grace of God which made Saint Paule to say Phil. 4. Psal 118. I can do all things in him that strengtheneth and comforteth me and the Prophet Dauid After thou O Lord hadst dilated my heart and with thy grace set it at liberty I did runne the wayes of thy commandements that is I did readily and willingly performe them Of the louing of God with all our heart c. shall be treated in the question of the perfection of iustice R. ABBOT Here M. Bishop maketh the commandements of God not only possible but possible and easie too But I answer him againe as Hierome did the Pelagian hereticke a Hier. ad Ctefiphont Facilia dicis Dei esse mandata tamen nullum proferre potes qui vniuersa compleuerit Responde mihi facilia sunt an difficilia si facilia profer quis impleuerit cur Dominus in Euangelio Intrate inquit per angustam portam sin autem difficilia cur ausus es dicere facilia esse Dei mandata quae nullus impleuerit Thou sayest the commandements of God are easie but yet thou bringest foorth no man that hath fulfilled them all Tell me saith he are they easie or are they hard to be done If they be easie shew vs who hath fulfilled them and why our Sauiour saith in the Gospell Enter in at the straite gate But if they be hard why doest thou dare to say that the commaundements of God are easie which no man hath fulfilled Thus Hierome plainly excepteth against his answer to those words of Christ for they to whom Christ speaketh those words were and are men endued with the grace of God and yet he giueth them to vnderstand that the gate of life shall be strait and narrow vnto them Therefore S. Austine saith that b Aug. de praedest grat ca. 9 Arduum est virtutis iter quanquaÌ„ adiuuaÌ„te gratia Dei non sine labore gradiendum the way of vertue is hard and though the grace of God do helpe yet is not to be traueled without labour and paines Now if it be so hard a matter and so full of trauaile and paines to compasse that c Jdem cont 2. epist Pelag lib. 3. ca. 7. Ista parua iustitia Et epist 200. Iustitia nondum coÌ„summata small and vnperfect righteousnesse which here we haue is it an easie matter with M. Bishop to atchieue that absolute and perfect righteousnesse that is described in the law Some helpe he thinketh to haue in that the Apostle saith d Phil. 4.13 I am able to do all things in Christ or by the helpe of Christ that strengtheneth me But the Apostle himselfe excludeth him from that helpe in that he so plainly testifieth of himselfe that he could not finde how to performe the good that he would as we haue seene before yea telleth vs that though the spirit be in vs lusting against the flesh yet by reason of the e Gal. 5.17 flesh lusting against the spirit we cannot do the things that we would He that could do all things yet could not repell the f 2. Cor. 12.7 buffeting Angell of Satan by whom he was greeuously afflicted nor was thought able to withstand the temptations of pride and vaine glory vpon the abundance of his reuelations as appeareth in that this sting of Satan was occasioned to bridle him therefrom The place it selfe plainly sheweth the meaning of it selfe that he was enabled to all things that is to the enduring of all things that coÌ„cerned him in the seruice that he had in hand that neither abounding nor wanting neither fulnesse nor hunger should hinder him froÌ„ going on therein for the preaching testifying of the Gospel for enlarging coÌ„firming of the Church of Christ accordingly as elsewhere he saith g 2. Tim. 2.10 I suffer all things for the elects sake But the restraint that Bernard vseth is not to be omitted h Bernard de dilig Deo In illo omma potest quae tamen possâ— prosit He is able to do all things that is all which it is behoouefull that he be able to do Now what is behoouefull it is not for
do forbeare to impute the vices or defaults of humane passions and affections Whereupon he himselfe saith Å¿ Ibid. Confitetur etiam peccata iustorum magis eos asserens in Dei misericordia spem ponere quà m de iustitia sua fidere He confesseth the sinnes euen of iust men affirming that they rather trust to the mercie of God then haue any confidence of their owne righteousnesse It is not therefore the merit of righteousnesse that we can rest vpon but onely the pardon of Gods mercie by which as we haue obtained the gift of righteousnesse so we expect also the reward and crowne thereof that it may be verified which the Prophet saith t Psal 103 4. He crowneth thee in mercie and compassion and that of the Apostle that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Now to these collections M. Bishop addeth a caueat that this iustice though perfect in it selfe so farre as mans capacitie in this life doth permit yet in comparison of the state of iustice in heauen may be called vnperfect Which is as much as if he should say that it is perfect in it selfe so farre as it may be perfect there where it cannot be perfect For there is not in this life any capacitie of perfect righteousnesse as wherein we continue still with the Apostle u Rom. 7.14.19 carnall sold vnder sinne not doing the good that we would by reason of x Gal. 5.17 the flesh lusting against the spirit y Rom. 7.23 rebelling against the law of the minde leading vs captiue to the law of sinne which is in our members so as that to auoide the entisements of the world and to keepe our selues in our course entierly to God is as S. Ambrose saith z Ambros de suga seculi cap. 1. Res voti magis quà m effectus a matter that we do more wish and desire then we can effect and do and when we haue laboured much for it cannot but condemne our selues for being so farre from it But against this deuice of his we must note what hath bene said that our perfection here is not without some filth and that it leaueth vs still euill and therefore is not perfect in it selfe Yea and S. Hierome againe against the Pelagians distinguishing a Hieron adis Pelag lib. 1. Perspicuum est duas in scripturis sanctis esse perfectiones duasque iustitias Primam perfectionem incomparabilem veritatem perfectamque iustitiam Dei virtutibus coaptandam secundam autem quae competit nostrae fragilitati â—uxta illud quod dicitur Non iustificabitur c. ad eam iustitiam quae non comparatione sed Dei sceintia dicitur esse perfecta two sorts of perfection and righteousnesse the one to be compared to the righteousnesse of God the other belonging to the frailty of man denieth our perfection in this latter kinde and saith that in this sort it is true that no man liuing shall be iustified in Gods sight which he affirmeth to be spoken as touching a righteousnesse called perfect not by comparison but in respect of the knowledge of God The knowledge of God then which knoweth all things according to truth yet knoweth no iustice or perfection in vs whereby we are able to stand iust and perfect before him Therefore Gregory saith that b Grego Moral lib. 5. cap. 8. Ipsa nostra perfectio culpa non caret nisi haâ—c seuerus iudex in subtili lince examinis misericorditèr peâ—set our very perfection is not without fault vnlesse the seuere Iudge do with mercy weigh it in the precise ballance of his examination Neither is it to be omitted which S. Austine saith that c Aug. de Temp. ser 49. In coÌ„paratione resurrectionis illius stercus est tota ista vita quâ—m gerimus Vnusquisque metiatur se quid est modò quid erit tunc inueniet in comparatione illius ista damna esse stercora all the life which we liue here that is all the righteousnesse of this life is but dung in comparison of the resurrection that if a man measure himselfe what he is now and what he shall be then he shall finde that that which now is is but losse and doung in comparison of that Which how can it be true if that that is in this life be perfect in it selfe so perfect as that it faileth not in any duty which we are bound to performe yea as that it meriteth and deserueth the righteousnesse of heauen Can that that in comparison is but drosse and doung be truly said to deserue the righteousnesse of heauen But concerning the same he addeth further that it is sufficient to keepe vs from all formall transgression of Gods law So then thereby a man shall be free from all formall sinne and shall haue no formall trespasse for which to say forgiue vs our trespasses and of formall transgression it shall not be true which S. Iohn saith d 1. Iohn 1.8 If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues or which S. Iames saith e Iam. 3 2. In many things we offend all Is not this a formall foolery of a man that would be taken to be wise These are drunken fancies fit for no other but drunken men that neither know themselues nor others and therefore we can take M. Bishop for no other but a vile hypocrite who contrary to his owne conscience and knowledge pleadeth in this sort for the perfection of the righteousnesse of man But to fill vp the measure of his lewd dealing he falsifieth another place of Austine making him to say that it belongeth to the lesser iustice that is the iustice of this life not to sinne Wherein he goeth about to make S. Austine a promoter and vpholder of that heresie which with all his might he oppugned in the Pelagians who defended as M. Bishop here doth a righteousnesse in this life wherby a man may be free from sin And indeed the words which M. Bishop alledgeth out of Austine are the aduersaries obiection not the assertion of Austine himselfe He bringeth them in by way of supposition what may be said namely that f Aug de sp lit ca. 36 Sed dici potest quadam iustitia minor huic vitae competens qua iustus ex fide viuit c Non absurdè dicitur etiam ad istam pertinere ne peccet there is a lesser righteousnes belonging to this life wherein the iust liueth by faith to which righteousnes it pertaineth not to sinne Which obiection hauing prosecuted more at large and alledged what may be said for the maintenance thereof he at length setteth down answer whereof a part is contained in these words g Ibid. Tales iusti ex fide viuentes non opus habent Deo dicere Dimitte nobis c. Falsumque esse conuincunt quod sâ—riptuÌ„ est Non iustificabitur c. Sed quia haec falsa esse non possunt
no fained imagination but a cleare truth as hath bene before shewed The contrarietie and opposition that he conceiueth therin is his owne fond dreame no doctrine of ours We do not say that Christes merits are really in vs neither did Master Perkins giue him any word whereof to imagine it but onely that by imputation they are made really ours because they were vndertaken and done for vs euen as Christ the doer thereof is become really ours euen h Ierem. 23 6. the Lord our righteousnesse Whereas he saith that to say that Christ onely is the person in whome God is well pleased is to giue the lye to many texts of Scripture which testifie that God hath bene pleased towards Abraham Moses c. we suppose he doth not well vnderstand himselfe It is said of many that God was pleased with them or they pleased God but the question is in whome for whose sake by whose mediation God was well pleased towards them and that was onely in Christ onely for Christs sake accordingly as the Apostle Saint Paule saith of all the elect i Eph. 1.6 He hath made vs accepted in his beloued and Saint Peter that our k 1. Pet. 2.5 spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And this prerogatiue the voyce of the Father giueth him from heauen l Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased namely towards Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Dauid and all towards whom he is well pleased Which seeing it was the plaine meaning of M. Perkins and M. Bishop acknowledgeth it to be true that Christ is he for whose sake God is pleased in all others what is it but childish and idle cauilling to make a question there where by his owne confession none is to be made Now where we say that we haue no righteousnesse to iustifie vs before God but only the righteousnesse of Christ nor any merit whereby to presume of heauen but onely the merit of Christ all our owne works being blemished and stained with sinne he biddeth vs tremble at that which thereupon necessarily followeth And what is that Marry that as we haue no righteousnesse but by imputation so we must looke for no heauen but by imputation But why should we not thinke that the merit of Christs obedience and righteousnesse is of sufficient value and estimation to purchase for vs the kingdome of heauen and euerlasting glorie Is it sufficient to purchase grace for vs to merit heauen for our selues and is it not sufficient it selfe to merit heauen for vs And if we haue no merit of our owne what should hinder but that we may say with Saint Bernard m Bernard in Cant. Ser. 61. Ego fidenter quicquid ex me mihi deest vsurpo mihi ex visceribus Domini quoniam misericordia effluunt c. Meritum proinde meum miserationes Domini Non planè sum maritiinops quamdiuille miserationum non fuerit Quòd si misericordiae Domini multa multus nihilo minus ego in meritis sum Whatsoeuer is wanting to me of my selfe I boldly take it vnto me out of the bowels of the Lord for they flow out with mercy My merit is the Lords mercy I am not poore in merit so long as he is not poore in mercy and if he be rich in mercie then am I also rich in merits Yea Bellarmine M. Bishops maister after that he hath swet and trauelled mightily to auouch the righteousnesse and merit of workes in the end being quite spent is content to retire into our port and draweth to this conclusion that n Bellar. de iust lib. 5. cap. 7. Propter incertitudinē propriae iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benig nitate reponere because of the vncertaintie of our owne righteousnesse and the perill of vaine glory the safest way is to repose our whole trust in the onely mercy and goodnesse of God Now if there be no saluation no heauen without merits and a man haue no merits of his owne by what merits shall the mercy of God saue him but onely by the imputation of the merits of Christ And will M. Bishop say of him that as he hath no merits but by imputation so he shall haue no heauen but by imputation Shall this be all the comfort of that which Bellarmine commendeth for the safest course to flie to the sole and onely mercie and goodnesse of God Yea saith M. Bishop for God as a most vpright iudge will in the end repay euery man according to his woorth What and do you M. Bishop expect that God in the end should repay heauen to you according to your woorth Go foole go leaue off this talke of merit and woorth learne to know God learne to know thy selfe learne to say with Chrysostome o Chrysost in Coloss hom 2. Nemo talem vitae conuersatio nem ostendit vt regno dignus esse possit sed totum donum est ipsius D◠No man sheweth such conuersation of life as that he may be worthy of the kingdome but it is wholy the gift of God Was not p Mar. 1.7 Iohn Baptist worthie to loose the latchet of Christs shoe and dost thou thinke to be worthie to raigne with Christ But I leaue him here to be whipped with his own rod his owne conscience wil one day sting him sufficiently with the remembrance of these assertions As for the Protestants let him take no care for their worthinesse We beleeue that there is for vs in Christ a reall worthinesse for which we shall receiue a reall heauen But let him take heed lest whilest he feedeth himselfe with a conceipt of woorth where there is none he be deluded with a conceipt of heauen in his end and indeed find none nor euer attain to that which is prepared for them that maintaine the truth of the Scripture and glorie of God to their owne comfort But of worthinesse there will be further occasion to speake hereafter As for the place of Austine which he alledgeth as good to stand for him it was written by him when he was newly conuerted from the heresie of the Manichees in such words and phrases as seeme plausible to humane vnderstanding and iudgement which comparing one man with another expresseth to it selfe the difference by termes of worthie and vnworthie deseruing and hot deseruing howsoeuer to the sight and iudgement of God woorth desert are farre from all The purpose of S. Austine in that place is to shew the ordinarie course that God taketh that he will first haue vs to trauell in his seruice before we receiue the reward thereof as the Apostle declareth in saying q 2. Tim. 2.6 The husbandman must labour before he receiue the fruites But that S. Austine in maturitie and ripenesse of iudgement was very farre from M. Bishops fancie of merit may sufficiently appeare by one sentence of his where he saith
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
Christians may suffice to batter the brazen forehead of them that affirme the doctrine of merits to be a Satanicall inuention and to settle all them that haue care of their saluation in the most pure doctrine of the Catholike Church R. ABBOT Here M. Bishop will giue vs to vnderstand that not onely S. Austin but all antiquitie teacheth the doctrine of merites so that M. Perkins might blush to call it the inuention of Satan But M. Perkins had no cause to blush in that respect He knew well that antiquitie is more vanted by Papists then followed He knew well that in this doctrine of merits they wickedly bely antiquitie and the Fathers And indeede neuer any Father spake of merits as they haue done Iustly therfore did he call it as it is the inuentiō of Satan seruing only to delude men to put them in vaine hope to lift them vp in pride with opiniō of gaining heauen that they may by their pride be cast downe to hell But for the cleering of this point it is to be vnderstood that the name of merits is indeed very vsuall amongst the fathers of the Latin Church but with no such meaning as the church of Rome hath fancied therof For they only intended therby briefly and in one word to signifie good workes workes that please God that are accepted in Gods sight that find fauor with God obtain reward at his hands They dreamed not that in good workes there shold be a iust desert of heauē that they shold deserue it worthily that they shold be fully worthy of euerlasting life that good works shold as wel be the cause of saluatiō as euil works are the cause of damnatiō that good works are so far meritorious so far I say meritorious as that God should be vniust if he rendered not heauen for them as in the beginning hath bin shewed that now is the language of the church of Rome These speeches or the like were neuer heard of amongst the Fathers They vsed the word merite according to the signification wherein commonly they vsed the verbe mereri which with them imported to obtaine to find fauour for any thing to be giuen or done so as that wicked men are said sometimes mereri not surely to deserue but to receiue or to find the fauour of benefits at Gods hands yea and good men are said mereri not to deserue but to receiue or to finde euill vsage at the hands of the wicked But by examples the matter will be plainer then by words S. Austine saith a August de ciu Dei lib. 5. cap. 24 Huius vitae solatia quidam etiam cultores daemonum accipere meruerunt Some who haue bin worshippers of diuels haue merited that is haue found the fauour to receiue the comforts of this life Againe b Idem in Psal 35. Apostolià suis ciuibus occidi meruerunt The Apostles merited that is found such vsage as to be killed of their owne people c Cont. lit Petil. lib. 3. cap. 6. Pro actione gratiarum flammas meruimus odiorum In steed of thankes we haue merited that is we found at their hands the fire of hatred d De anima eius orig lib. 2. cap. 12. Caueat homo ne ab illo miserecordiam mereatur homo contra eius sententiam à quo factus est homo Let man take heed that man do not merite that is obtaine mercie of him against the sentence of him by whom man was made So doth Ambrose vse the same word e Ambr. de Cain Abel lib. 2. cap. 10. Iniquus Cain longaeuam duxit aetatem duxit vxorem hoc meruit promissione diuina Wicked Cain liued long and maried a wife and this he merited that is obtained or receiued by the permission of God f Idem ser 53. Non debemus mirari quòd Ioannes tantam gratiam nascendo meruerit We are not to wonder that Iohn in his birth merited that is obtained so great grace So Hilary speaketh g Hilar. epist apud Aug. tom 7. Libros quaeso habere mereamur I pray you let vs merit that is find the fauour to haue those bookes So Hierom h Hieron praefat in Abdiam Veniam mereri debeo I am to merite that is to obtaine pardon So Gregorie Bishop of Rome i Gregor Moral lib. 9. cap. 17. Paulus cum redemptoris nomen in terra conaretur extinguere eius verba de coelo meruit audire Paul when he went about to extinguish the name of Christ vpon earth merited that is found the mercy fauor to heare his words from heauen In another place O foelix culpa quae talem ac tantū meruit habere Redemptorem O happy sin of Adam that merited that is found the mercy to haue such and so great a Redeemer S. Austin applieth the word also to beasts and cattell k August in Psal 35. Homines habent aliquid apud Deum exceptum quod iumenta non merentur Men haue somewhat excepted with God which beasts merit not that is obtaine not Thus the word hath grown also into translations where in the originals there hath bin no occasion of it Where Cain saith Mine iniquitie is greater then can be pardoned the vulgar Latin translateth l Genes 4.13 Maior est iniquitas mea quam vt veniam mereà r Mine iniquitie is greater then that I can merit that is obtaine pardon Where S. Paul saith m 1. Tim. 1.13 I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly c. S. Austine out of some translation readeth n Aug. de Bapt. con Donat. lib. 4. cap. 5. Misericordiam merut I merited mercy but importing nothing but the obtaining thereof In an Epistle of Ignatius we haue it commonly translated o Ignat. epist ad Romanos I am in loue with none of the things that are seene vt Iesum Christum merear adipisci that I may merit to obtain Christ wheras in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Hierom translateth it p Hieron in Cat. Eccles Script vt Iesum Christū inuentam that I may find Iesus Christ Againe in the next period the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the same translator readeth as before the words being translated by Hierome q Jbid. tantum vt Christo fruar onely that I may enioy Christ. And thus in infinite places haue they made the Greeke Fathers to speake of merit where they neuer meant any such thing But to make it plainly to appear that by merit they meant not any such worthines or desert as M. Bishop speaketh of let one sentence of Ambrose fully suffice r Amb. epist. 22. Omnia quae patimur minora sunt indigna pro quorum laboribus tanta rependatur futurorum merces bonorum quae reuelabitur in nobis cùm ad Dei imaginem reformati gloriam eius facie ad faciem aspicere meruerimus All the things that we suffer are
vitam immortalitatem esse quaesitam Peter saith he suffered many things for the Church Many things also S. Paule and the rest of the Apostles suffered when they were scourged when they were stoned when they were imprisoned For by that bearing of wrongs and experience of dangers the Lords people was founded and the Church receiued increase for that other hastened to martyrdome when they saw that by those sufferings there was no impeaching of the Apostles vertues and moreouer that for this short life immortality was sought or gotten therby In the like sort doth he expound the words of the Apostle which here we speake of k Idem in Colos ca. 1. In tribulationibus quas patiebatur exultare se fatetur quia profectum suum videt in fide credentium Non est cuimâ—inants triâ—â—â—atio quando cum pro quo patitur acquirit ad vitam He professeth himselfe to reioyce in the troubles which he endured because he seeth his successe in the faith of them that beleeue for his trouble is not in vain when he gaineth him to life for whom he suffered No other thing doth Cyprian gather out of those words l Cypria de dupl Mart. Quemadmodum ille mirabili testimonio clarifi auit Patrem in ho. mundo aâ—que etiam in coelisma testimonâ—um illius quodammodo coÌ„summatur testimonio SanctoruÌ„ quasisit vna passio Domini seruorum Id nequis exiflimet parùm religiose dictum beatus Paulus nobis patrocinatur na scribens c. Quis enim nescit quam vberem prouentum effudit Ecclesiae seges Apostolorum caeterorum Martyrum sanguine irrigata Quò plus sanguinis effusum est hoc magis ac magis esstoruit muâ—titis do fidelium hoc latiùs sparsit suas propag nes illa beata vitis à Christo stirpe surgens necupans orbem vniuersum c. Euen as Christ saith he by his admirable testimonie glorified the Father in this world and also in heaueÌ„ so his testimony is after a sort consummated or made perfect in the testimonie of the Saints as if the passion of the Lord and of the seruants were all one And that no man may thinke that irreligiously spoken S. Paule warranteth the same to vs thus writing to the Colossians I now ioy in my sufferings for you and fulfill those things which are yet wanting or behind of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church For who knoweth not how plentifull increase the corne field of the Church hath yeelded being watered with the bloud of the Apostles and other Martyrs The more bloud was shed so much more more the multitude of the faithfull flourished so much the wider that blessed vine spred her branches arising from Christ her stocke and possessing the whole world Afterwards going forward to shew that m Testificatus est se esse pastorem bonum quia animam suam posuit pro euibus nobis exemplum praebens vt qui pro nostra qualicunque portione vices illius gerimus parati simus ipsi pro grege dominico sanguinem fundere nisi malumus videri mercenarij quam pastores Domini verbis congruunt verba discipulâ— Cùm enim dixisset se gaudere c. perpetiens ipse pro corpore Christi quod est Ecclesia qualia pasâ—us erat Dominus causam adiecit cur ea libenter pateretur Cuius inquit miâ—â—â—ier factus sum c. vt impeam verbuÌ„ Dei Sicut ergo mortibus Martyrum consummantur passiones Christi ita sanguine pastoruâ—â—â—â— firmantur prâ—m ssa Christâ— Nulâ—uÌ„ enim instrumentum in dubitabilius quam quod tot Martyrum sanguine signatum est Hoc â—â—mtrum si â—mpâ—ere vertum Dei hoc est replere Euangelium Christ testifying himselfe to be the good shepheard because he gaue his life for the sheepe hath therein giuen example to those that are the pastors in his stead to be ready to shed their bloud for the Lords stocke vnlesse they wil be taken for hirelings rather then for pastors he saith that thereto the words of the Apostle accord who saying that for the bodie of Christ which is the Church he suffered the like things as the Lord suffered he addeth The cause why he suffered those things willingly whereof saith he I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is giuen to me that I should fulfill the word of God For as by the deaths of the Martyrs the sufferings of Christ are perfected so by the bloud of the Pastors the promises of Christ are confirmed For there is no instrument more vndoubted then that which is sealed with the bloud of so many Martyrs This is indeed to fulfill the word of God this is to fulfill the Gospell In the like sort doth S. Austin make construction of the words of S. Iohn n 1. Ioh 3.16 He laid downe his life for vs therfore ought we also to lay downe our liues for the brethren namely o August in Ioan. tra 47. Sic nos debeâ—â—os ad aedificandam plebem ad fidem asserendam aminas pro fratribus ponere for the edifying of Gods people for the auouching of the faith Thus it was said that p Tertul. Apol. cap. 45. in fine Semen est sanguis Christianorum the bloud of Christians was like seed that q August in Psal 58. Sanguine seminata seges Ecclesiae fertilius pullulauit the field of the Church being sowed with bloud did more fruitfully spring and grow whilst r Idem Epist 50 Laudatur Dominus qui donare dignatus est vt serui eius passionibus suis lucrarentur fratres suos the Lord did grant that his seruants by their sefferings did win their brethren but that the bloud of Christian Martyrs was any satisfaction for the rest of the Church of Christ or any redemption of the punishments of their brethren it was neuer heard of in those times They knew nothing then of the Popes store-house of Supererogations and Satisfactions they knew nothing of that marting and chopping and changing of merits which these presumptuous Romish hypocrites now maintain in whom it is much more verified then it was in the Donatists which S. Austin saith Å¿ Idem Epist 51. Tantam sibi arrogant iustitiam vt cam iactent se non solúm habere sed etiam alijs hominibus dare They arrogate vnto themselues so great righteousnes as that they brag not only that they haue it theÌ„selues but also giue it vnto others But to conclude this point let M. Bishop know that both he and his fellowes are very impudent and shamelesse men thus to wrest the words of the Apostle to the defence of a doctrine which for aboue a thousand yeares was neuer heard of in the Church and which haue out of the auncient Church according to the Scriptures a very manifest and cleare exposition another way 5 W. BISHOP Now to M. Perkins second reason In
eased of the same burden The voice of Christ to the sicke of the palsie b Mat. 9.2 Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee doth it not giue him present release from the bond thereof Dauid saith c Psal 32.3 Whilest I held my tongue from acknowledging and confessing my sinnes my bones were consumed in my mourning all day for thy hand was heauie vpon me day and night and my moisture was turned into the drouth of Summer I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and did not hide mine iniquitie I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne By which wordes he giueth vs to vnderstand that the forgiuenesse of his sinnes vpon his repentance and confession thereof was the taking away of the grieuous malady wherwith he was so sore afflicted and vpon experience hereof vttereth those words in the beginning of the Psalme d Ver. 1. Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne as to note that one part of that blessing is to be released from the temporall punishments that are due to sinne Yea and to that purpose he addeth also after e Ver. 6. Aug. Pro hac Pro qua hac pro ipsa venia peccatoruÌ„ For this that is saith S. Austin for forgiuenesse of sinnes shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maist be found surely in the ouerflowing of many waters they shall not come neere him Where by many waters he vnderstandeth the manifold crosses and afflictions of this life wherwith we are tossed to and fro by reason of our sinnes and signifieth that the godly man by obtaining forgiuenesse of sinnes obtaineth deliuerance and freedome from the punishment thereof Forgiuenesse of sinnes then is not vnderstood with reseruation of temporal satisfaction neither doth any thing remaine in the nature of punishment to him that by repentance and faith becometh partaker of that mercie As for his distinction of mortall and veniall sinnes applyed to the petition of forgiuenesse of sinnes we know no such neither is any such to be approued as f Of Iustification Sect. 41. before hath bene shewed By Gods hearkening to our prayer all sinnes become veniall if God heare not our prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes all sinnes continue mortall Our Sauiour Christ knew no such difference as M. Bishop maketh that God when he heareth vs crying vnto him Forgiue vs our trespasses doth forgiue vs some sinnes wholy and othersome but in part or that our prayer should be a speciall meane in some sinnes to obtaine pardon of the fault and release of punishment and in othersome not so No neither did S. Austine euer dreame that God did forgiue sinnes with a reseruation of the punishment thereof he knew well that forgiuenesse altereth the case and nature of afflictions as hath bene before shewed Master Bishop citeth him saying that g Aug. Enchir. cap. 71. De quotidianis breuibus leuibusque peccatis sine quibus haec vita non ducitur quotidiana oratio fidelium satisfacit c. Delet omnino haec oratio minima quotidiana peccata Delet illa à quibus vita fidelium sceleratè etiam gesta sed poeniten â—â—in melius mutata discedit si quemadmodum veraciter dicitur Dimitte nobis c. ita veracitèr dicatur sicut nos c. id est si siat quod dicitur For the daily short and light offences without which this life is not led the daily prayer of the faithfull satisfieth But as he saith so of these daily and light offences so he saith of other also in the next words It blotteth out also those from which the life of the faithfull wickedly led but by repentance changed to better is departed if as it is truly said Forgiue vs our trespasses so it be truly said As we forgiue them that trespasse against vs that is if it be done which is said So then as it satisfieth for the one so it satisfieth for the other also as for the lesser so for the greater and for both obtaineth pardon at Gods hands But Master Bishop here doth meerely abuse his Reader by an equiuocation of the name of satisfaction For Satisfaction with Saint Austine as with all the auncient Ecclesiasticall Writers importeth the meanes whereby we are to intreate and obtaine of God pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes but with Master Bishop and his fellowes it importeth a punishment still remaining for sinnes past and already pardoned to be endured either in this life or after death in Purgatorie as he hath before expressed in the beginning of this Chapter Saint Austines meaning then is that the daily prayer of the faithfull sufficeth to obtaine pardon at Gods hands for our daily and common trespasses yea and for greater offences also when by repentance and amendement of life we forsake them but no meaning hath he either that the saying of the Lords prayer should be a recompence to God for our trespasse or that our trespasse being pardoned there should still remaine a satisfaction to be performed for it Now here Master Bishop further denyeth that in the Lords prayer we vse onely plea of pardon for saith he we are taught also to pardon others euen as we will looke to be pardoned And what then what because we are taught freely to pardon others shall we hereupon conceiue that God is hired by our pardoning others to giue pardon vnto vs Our Sauior Christ noteth therby the affection of them to whom it belongeth to vse the plea of pardon he saith not any thing to be construed to the impeachment and derogation of the freenesse of the pardon Meekenesse and readinesse to forgiue is h Gal. 5.22.23 a fruite of the spirit i Rom. 8.15 of adoption by which we cry Abba Father in the voyce of which spirit onely it is that God hearkeneth vnto vs. k Aug. Enchir. cap. 71. EoruÌ„ est dicere Pater noster c. qui iam tali patri regene rati sunt exaqua Spiritu sancto It is for them to say Our Father which art in heauen saith Saint Austine who now are regenerate and borne againe to such a Father of water and of the holy Ghost If we speake not by this spirit our voice is as the voice of strangers and God giueth no regard vnto it Therefore our forgiuenesse of others is not alledged as the cause for which God is moued to forgiue vs but we present it to him as the mark of his spirit which he hath set vpon vs as the token that we are his childreÌ„ to whoÌ„ he hath assigned it for a portioÌ„ to be made partakers of the forgiuenes of sins to whoÌ„ Christ hath ministred coÌ„fort boldnes so to pray His 2. exception is very vaine also for although the Lords prayer contain not all things necessary to saluatioÌ„
3.15 Whatsoeuer things haue bene committed vnto thee by me keepe as the commandements of the Lord and diminish nothing thereof Now although those words haue reference to more then is written in those two epistles yet they haue not reference absolutely to more then is written because in the latter of those Epistles the Apostle plainly telleth him that q the Scriptures are able to make him wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus As for that which M. Bishop alledgeth out of Irenaeus it is nothing at all to his purpose He saith that r Iren. lib. 3. ca 4. Apostili quasi in depositoriuÌ„ dâ—ues plenissimè in Ecclesiae contuleruÌ„t omnia quae sunt veritatis the Apostles haue layd vp in the Church as in a rich treasury all things that belong to the truth but how they haue laid the same vp in the Church he hath before expressed Å¿ Ibid. cap. 1. The Gospell which they first preached they after by the will of God deliuered to vs in the Scriptures to be the foundation and pillar of our faith Thus then the Church is the treasury of truth by hauing the Scriptures which are the oracles of all truth His last authoritie is taken from the words of S. Iohn which he vseth in his two latter Epistles Hauing many things to write vnto you I would not write with paper and inke but I trust to come vnto you and speake with you mouth to mouth We see S. Iohns words but hard it is to say how we should conclude traditions from them S. Iohn wold write no more to them in that sort or in those Epistles but doth it follow hereof that he would teach them any thing that is not contained in the Scriptures He might haue many things to write vnto them according to the Scriptures and what should leade vs to presume that he should meane it of other things whereof we are taught nothing there In a word what is there in the citing of all these authorities but impudent and shamelesse abusing of ignorant men whilest for a colour he onely setteth them downe and for shame dareth not set downe how that should be inferred that is in question betwixt vs and them But to fill vp the measure of this illusion he goeth on yet further and by way of specification asketh Where is it written that the Sonne of God is of the same substance with the Father or that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne as well as from the Father or that there is a Trinitie that is three persons really distinct in one and the very same substance or that there is in Christ the substance of God and man subsisting in one second person of the Trinitie Absurd wilful wrangler where was it written which Christ said t Luke 24.46 Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name amongst all nations Where is it written in the Prophets which S. Peter alledgeth u Acts 10.43 To him giue all the Prophets witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shall haue forgiuenesse of sinnes Where doe Moses and the Prophets say that which Saint Paul sayth x Ibid. 26.22.23 they do say that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light to the people and to the Gentiles To come nearer to him he hath told vs before that the articles of our Beleefe are contained in the Scriptures But where is it written in the Scriptures that we should beleeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth or that we should beleeue in the holy Ghost or that there is a holy Catholike Church a communion of Saints I will say as he saith here Be not all these things necessary to be beleeued and yet not one of them in expresse termes written in any part of the holy Bible He will say that though they be not there written in expresse termes yet in effect and substance they are written there and are thereby to be declared and prooued and so he will verifie the words of our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles Peter and Paul in those citations of Moses and the Prophets Wizard and are not those other articles then written in the Scriptures because they are not written in expresse termes Did not the Fathers conceiue all those points of faith from the Scriptures and by the Scriptures make proofe of them Is it not the rule of their owne schooles which I haue before mentioned out of Thomas Aquinas that y Supra sect 12. concerning God nothing is to be said but what either in words or in sence is contained in the Scriptures What are we maintainers of traditions in saying that faith onely iustifieth that Christ onely is our Mediator to the Father that Saints are not to be inuocated nor their images to be worshipped because these things are no where written in expresse termes Let it not offend thee gentle Reader that I be moued to see a lewd man labouring by vaine cauillations to sophisticate and delude those that are not able to vnderstand his cosinage and fraud It is the cause of God and who can beare it patiently that the soules which Christ hath bought should be intoxicated with such charmes We do not say that nothing is to be beleeued but what is written in the Scriptures in expresse termes but we say that nothing is to be beleeued but what either is expressed in the Scriptures or may be proued thereby and therefore in oppugning traditions we oppugne onely such doctrines of faith as neither are expressed in the Scriptures nor can be proued by the Scriptures Let M. Bishop proue their traditions by the Scriptures and we will not reiect them for vnwritten traditions but will receiue them for written truth But of this see what hath bene said before in the twelfth section of this question and in the eleuenth section of the answer to his Epistle to the King 21. W. BISHOP The sixt and last reason for traditions Sundry places of holy Scriptures be hard to be vnderstood others doubtfull whether they must be taken literally or figuratiuely if then it be put to euery Christian to take their owne exposition euery seuerall sect wil coyne interpretations in fauour of their owne opinions and so shal the word of God ordained only to teach vs the truth be abused and made an instrument to confirme all errors To auoide which inconuenience considerate men haue recourse vnto the traditions and auncient records of the Primitiue Church receiued from the Apostles and deliuered to the posteritie as the true copies of Gods word see the true exposition and sence of it and thereby confute and reiect all priuate and new glosses which agree not with those ancient and holy commentaries so that for the vnderstanding
attentent that women professing rule of continencie had men dwelling with them and affirmeth that the behauiour of virgins did cause such iests and scornes amongst the Pagans as that it were better there should be no virgins any more to attempt to sinne in the like sort How often do wee reade Hierome taxing the exceeding lightnesse licentiousnesse of the Monkes and professed virgins of Rome noting and reprouing Monkes for being in such sort with women as that h Hieroâ— aâ— Rust â— videas â—onnullos à mulieribus non posse disce lâ—re c. et praeter vocabuluÌ„ nupti truÌ„ omnia effe matrimonij saue onely the name of mariage all things were like as if they were maried reprouing virgins for becomming i IdeÌ„ ad Eustoch vnde sinc nuptijs aliudnocten vxeâ—uÌ„ Vnde noâ—â—uÌ„ concubinaruÌ„ genus Vnde meretrices vniuirae EideÌ„ domo vno cubiculo saepe vno tenentur sectulo suspiciosos nos vocant si aliquid existimamus wiues in name without any wedding yea terming them plainly concubines and harlots They will be with men saith he in the same house in the same chamber yea oftentimes in the same bed and they say we are too suspicious if we thinke any thing therof So doth Bernard report amongst the Clergie of his time k Bern. de conuer ad Cler cap. 29. Post fornicationes post adulteria post incestus nec ipsae quidem apud aliquos ignominâ—â— passiones desint fornications adulteries incests yea and the passions of reproch as he calleth their acts of Sodomiticall filthinesse Of the persons guilty he saith l Jâ—â—d Nec latere queunt prae mulitu â—ine nec prae impudencia quaerunt They cannot be hid they are so many nor care to be hid they are so impudent Yea the glosse of their Canon law before hath told vs that few of them were found free from fornication Such were euen of old the fruits of the vnmaried Clergie as that some Bishops as Hierome reporteth though after his manner he speaketh of theÌ„ with reproch would m Hieron aduer vigil Non 〈◊〉 diaâ—onos nisi prius vxores duxerint admit none into holy orders vnlesse they were first maried By the fruits therefore it appeareth that the vow of single life is no heauenly doctrine as M. Bishop calleth it but that it came first froÌ„ hell tendeth wholy thither and that the defenders therof after so great experience are such as S. Paul speaketh of who haue their consciences burned with a hot iron are thereby past feeling and therfore far from spirituall discerning As for that which he saith that more filthy lechery would be found by authentical records in ministers their wiues in this last age then in their Priests in a thousand yeares before we must take theÌ„ but as the words of an impudent shameles harlot who being notorious infamous to the world for her abhominable filthines yet doubteth not to vaunt her selfe to a chast and well reputed matrone to be honester then she Now M. Bishop perswading himself that he hath said much wheÌ„ indeed to the purpose he hath said little groweth angry here that M. Perkins should say that in two respects mariage is better then virginity yet only storming at it he letteth it passe because he hath nothing to say against it But to anger him a little more I wil say this to him that simply absolutely to speake of the things theÌ„selues mariage is better theÌ„ virginity I proue it for that God in the state of mans innocency perfection said n Gen. 2.18 It is not good that the man should be himselfe alone That which in the state of righteousnes innoceÌ„cy was good is vndoubtedly better of it self theÌ„ that that in that state was not good Mariage was good in the state of innocency single life was not good Mariage therfore is better theÌ„ single life That virginity is become better theÌ„ mariage it is casual accidental by reason of those euils distractions troubles which came into the world by sin which should not haue bin if there had bin no sin Let him take my words as they are not crosse me with speeches of the coÌ„parison of mariage single life in the now corrupted state of maÌ„ As touching Iouinian enough hath bin said before Those fathers who accounted Iouinian for an Epicure a monster as M. Bishop saith for making mariage equall to virginity wheÌ„ he himselfe liued an vnmaried a chast life if they had seen the things that haue befallen since would haue changed their mind haue learned by further experience to reforme their error and to giue the name of Epicures monsters to them whose doings by the witnesse of their owne stories haue shewed them so to be Who vnder colour of taking part with those fathers in condemning Iouinian for an heretike and carying some semblance of following them in that behalfe haue from the highest of their votaries to the lowest made the earth to stink euen as high as heauen with the abhominable corruption filthinesse of their vnmaried life Whereas M. Perkins saith that if any hauing the gift of continencie do vow single life the same gift remaining doth marry he therin sinneth M. Bishop saith that this is flat contrary to his own second rule which prohibites vs to leese our liberty to make that vnlawfull in conscience which Christian religion leaueth at liberty But the contrariety is not in M. Perkins words but in M. Bishops vnderstanding Christian liberty importeth not a being free from performing that which a man hath vowed in things indifferent but only a freedome froÌ„ any holy opinion of the thing it selfe which he hath vowed A man knoweth in this case that to marry or not to marry is all one to God but yet he will not marry because he hath vowed God maketh him able to performe his vow To be short he might haue taken his answer froÌ„ M. Perkins own words that a maÌ„ is to know that if he marry he sinneth not in marying but in causles and vnnecessary breaking his vow when he may keepe the same Which if he would not haue taken froÌ„ M. Perkins he might haue taken it froÌ„ S. Austin whoÌ„ M. Perkins citeth to that effect or whosoeuer is the author of that book o Aug de hono viduita cap. 9. Non ipsa vel talium nuptia daÌ„nandae iudicaÌ„tur sed daÌ„natur fracta voti fides The mariages of such are not to be iudged damnable but the breaking of their vow Their mariage therefore standeth good as he there disputeth though they remaine culpable for their former vow 13. W. BISHOP Now to supply M. Perkins his default who was accustomed to rehearse although many times vntowardly yet lightly alwaies some reasons for the Catholike party which in this question he hath wholy omitted I will briefely proue by an argument or two
him insomuch as it sayth nothing positiuely for the drawing and painting of the holy Ghost in the forme of a doue and doth approue those speeches which generally condemne the resembling of the godhead in any forme A relation is made of one Seuerus who at Daphne tooke away the Doues framed in gold and siluer and hanged ouer the fonts as in figure of the holy Ghost saying that they ought not to vse the name of the holy Ghost coÌ„cerning anie such forme of a Doue Hereupon Tharasius readie to apprehend euery thing that might make for their Image-idolatrie answereth thus l Nicen. 2. Act. 5 Si in nomine sancti Spiritus dedicaetas columbas sancti Patres receperunt quantò magis corpus incarnati verbi in terris in corpore visi recipiendum If the holy Fathers receiued doues dedicated in the name of the holy Ghost how much more is the body of the incarnat Word seene vpon the earth in a body to be receiued meaning the image of the body of Christ If they did he saith but he saith not that they did it lawfully if they did so A man may say if a Popish Priest may be permitted to keepe a concubine or a harlot much more should it be thought lawfull for him to marrie a wife and yet doth not therefore approue that it should be lawfull for a Popish Priest to keepe a concubine or harlot And that the Councell did not approue it as a thing lawfull it is manifest by those narrations and authorities which they do approue and alledge for the approuing of their Images They alledge a Sermon of Iohn Bishop of Thessalonica containing a disputation betwixt a Pagan and a Christian where the Pagan obiecting in defence of their Images that Christians also did make Images not onely to their Saints but also to their God the Christian answereth as touching God thus m Ibid. ex Ser. Joan. Episc Thess Dei auteÌ„ imaginem dico Seruatoris nostri Iesu Christi quemadmodum ipse super terraÌ„ eum hominibus conuersatus est pingimus non vt ipsae natura Deus est Quae enim posset esse Dei similitudâ— aut quae figura incorporei ineffigiabilisque verbi Patris Deus enim vt scriptum est spiritus est Quoniam visum est Deo Patri vnigenitum filiuÌ„ suum è coelis demittere quo pro nostra salute ex Spiritu sancto inâ—olata virgine Dâ—â—para incarnaretur nos eius humanitateÌ„ ea ratione pingimus non illius incorpoream Deitatem The image of God I meane of our Sauior Iesus Christ we make according as he was conuersant with men vpon the earth not as by nature he is God for what likenesse can there be of God or what figure of the word of the Father which is without body and not to be expressed by any shape for God as it is written is a spirit Because it seemed good to the Father to send downe from heauen his onely begotten Sonne that by the holy Ghost he might be incarnate of the pure Virgin the mother of God therefore we paint his humanitie in that sort but not his incorporall Godhead Afterwards out of Leontius there is read a disputation betwixt a Iew and a Christian the Iew professing to beleeue that Christ is the Sonne of God but that he was offended to see Christians contrarie to the commandement to fall downe before Images and the Christian thereto answering n Ibid. ex Leont Deo vt talis est Scriptura iubet non esse faciendaÌ„ similitudinem ne que aliquam imaginem adorandam esse vt Deum Imagines enim quas vides ad memoriam Iesu Christi salutaris nobis incarnationis pinguntur Personam illius humanitatis ex primentes SanctoruÌ„ auteÌ„ imagines eodem modo vniuscuiusque praelia contra diabolum mundum victoriasque significant The Scripture commandeth that to God as he is God no similitude or likenesse shall be made and that no image shall be worshipped as God but the images which thou seest are made to the remembrance of the incarnation of Iesus Christ which hath yeelded saluation to vs. But the Saints images do in like sort signifie the battels and victories of euery of them against the Diuell and the world Againe it is alledged out of the confessions of certaine Martyrs thus o Ibid. ex Const. Diacon Chartophyl Non enim diuinuÌ„ simplex existens incomprehensibile formis figuris assimilamus neque cera lignis supersubstantialeÌ„ ante principia existentem substantiam honorare decreuimus We do not by formes and shapes resemble God being simple and incomprehensible neither haue we intended by waxe and wood to honour the substance whith is aboue all substance and hath his being before beginning By al which it is euident that they wholy disclaimed the painting and picturing of the Godhead so that their whole decree throughout the Councell proceedeth onely as touching the images of Christ p Jbid Act. 7. Epist. ad ConstaÌ„ Iren. Quatenus scilicet perfectus homo suit as he was perfect man and of the Angels and Saints as appeareth also by their Synodall Epistle in the end of the Councell but of images of the Godhead they decree nothing Whereby we see that M. Bishop is a man of an euill nature and disposition who will thus make a bad matter worse then it is A good mind will make things better and not worse but whereas the Councell was bad enough in decreeing worship to the images of Christ and his Saints he maketh it worse then it was by fathering vpon it the approuing of the images of the holy Ghost We see then that he hath no proofe at all for making an image of God and therefore it was but a point of indiscretion in him to tell vs in what manner and meaning they picture and resemble God it being alledged that it is not lawfull many manner or meaning so to do As for his discourse of motiues that come by sight it sauoureth of the grosse conceipt of all idolaters who cannot endure to be without babies and puppets and no longer think they haue a God then they haue a God to looke vpon To heare of God or to reade of him in his word and to behold him in his workes it is not sufficient but by an image they must needes haue him set foorth more nearely to feed their eyes Surely if the wisedome of God had thought it fit that we should haue learned him by painting and caruing he would not haue failed to haue giuen vs instruction thereof But sith he hath not so taught vs yea sith he hath taught the contrarie and condemned them as hath bene before shewed who haue pretended to be instructed by such meanes what a simple man doth Master Bishop shew himselfe to reason against God and to say If Angels and vertues may be figured and represented why may not some propertie or action of God be in like