your selues to be of them whom Christ came not to call who saith I am not come to call the righteous that is to say them that be puffed vp with a vaine and false perswasion of their owne righteousnesse but sinners to repentance And that they whom you disdaine and despise as Publicanes and harlots goe not before you into the kingdome of God We take vpon vs the person of the Publican in acknowledging our owne vilenes and vnworthines and in respect thereof are abashed to lift vp our eyes to heauen but flee in all our workes to Gods mercie and are content that you with the Pharisce glory of your owne workes merits and righteousnes Salomon saith as I haue before alleaged There is a generation that are pure in their owne conceite and yet are not washed from their filthines Now briefly to answere your syllogisme I reason thus No good workes are to be auoyded but fasting prayer and almes deedes being commanded of God and proceeding from faithfull hearts are by our doctrine good works Ergo they are not to be auoyded but diligently in the feare of God to be vsed of vs but the corruptions of our sinfull nature which creepe into them are to be auoided and resisted and we are to pray vnto God in mercy to pardon them And so we may be assured that as in mercy through Christ he hath accepted of vs so he will in like mercie accept our workes as pure and perfit in Christ Iesus Now I will retort your reason vpon your owne head in this sort Euery man is bound vpon paine of eternall damnation to auoide all sinne but fasting praying and almes deedes as they be vsed by Papists to make satisfaction to God for their sinnes and to merite and purchase heauen be sinnes Ergo fasting prayer and almes deedes done in such sort are to be auoided The Minor or second proposition I proue thus He that attributeth that to his workes which is proper and peculiar to Iesus Christ sinneth grieuously but to make satisfaction for our sinnes appertaineth onely to Iesus Christ Ergo he that attributeth the same to his workes grieuously sinneth But I shall haue occasion hereafter more largely to handle this matter therefore now I omit it and so I will also the quotations of Luther Caluine and Melanchthon set in the margent for that they deliuer no other doctrine but that which I haue before declared the which I nothing doubt but it is so sound that it will indure and abide this mans hammer The Pamphlet The Protestants either haue no faith at all or ly most damnably in denying that a man assisted by Gods grace can keepe the commaundements 3. Article WHosoeuer knoweth God keepeth his commaundements But all true Protestants know God Ergo all true Protestants keepe his commaundements The Maior is expresse Scripture qui dicit se nosse deum mandata eius non custodit mendax est in eo veritas non est He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyer and truth is not in him The Minor no Protestant doubteth of for this knowledge of God is nothing else but a liuely faith wherewith all zealous Protestants as they say are indewed Hence from manifestly it followeth that either the most zealous Protestants lacke a liuely faith and so are Infidels or if they haue a liuely faith and deny that they keepe or can keepe Gods commaundements they are damnable lyars if they chuse the first they are Pagans Heretikes or Iewes if they take the second they are damnable seducers and impostors in religion and consequently their faith is false Answere THis syllogisme according to Saint Iohns meaning is wholy true The Apostles purpose is to shew that the knowledge of God in the faithfull ought not to be idle but effectuall and fruitfull in godlinesse and holy obedience working a care and conscience in them to keepe Gods holy commaundements by diligent endeuouring both to auoyd all wickednesse which he forbiddeth and to yeelde that holy obedience which he requireth The which they that doe not but liue prophanely wallowing in wickednesse and committing vngodlinesse with greedinesse and yet make a profession of the knowledge of God as too many do their profession and knowledge is in vaine For as Saint Iames saith if any seeme religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne hart that mans religion is in vaine So if any seeme to haue the knowledge of God and liueth loosely and wickedly hauing no care to frame his life to the obedience of Gods commandements his religion profession and knowledge is in vaine For not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth my fathers will which is in heauen But your meaning is that by keeping of Gods commandements is vnderstood an absolute and perfit fulfilling of them in yeelding without any transgression at all that full and perfect righteousnes which God commaundeth The which neuer did any man yeeld but only the man Iesus Christ who neuer did sinne and in whose mouth was neuer guile This your doctrine of the perfect fulfilling of Gods law in this life is false and you in maintaining of it shew your selues to be blind and proud Pharisies not knowing either the perfect righteousnes of God nor the corruption of our nature against the which I reason thus Whosoeuer sinneth transgresseth and breaketh Gods law and commaundements but all men doe sinne therefore all men transgresse and breake Gods lawes and commaundements The first proposition is manifest for S. Iohn saith Sinne is the transgression of the law The second proposition cannot with any face be denied Salomon saith There is no man that sinneth not Saint Paul saith All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God Saint Iames saith In many things we sinne all Saint Iohn saith If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Moreouer S. Paul saith As many as are of the workes of the law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to doc them Where Saint Paul doth reason after this sort Whosoeuer doth not continue to doe all that is written in the booke of the law are vnder the curse but there is none that continueth to doe all that is written in the booke of the law Ergo there is none but is vnder the curse The first proposition Saint Paul proueth by a place of the law Deut. 27. The second Saint Paul taketh as a thing graunted and not to be denied that there is no man which continueth to doe all that is written in the booke of the law to doe it the which if it be not graunted Saint Paules argument is nothing worth for it might be said that some doe fulfill the law of
God and therefore are not vnder the curse So that which seemed to Saint Paul absurd to be denied is now denied by these absurd and blind Pharisies Furthermore Saint Paul saith That which was impossible to the law in as much as it was made weake because of the flesh God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne hath condemned sinne in the flesh Doth not S. Paul here shew that whereas wee could not be saued by the law God hath sent his sonne in the flesh to saue vs And he declareth why wee could not be saued by the law because the weakenes of our sinfull flesh is not able to yeeld that perfect righteousnes which the law of God requireth the which if we could doe wee should liue thereby For God saith which if a man do he shall liue in them And that euen they that are regenerate with Gods spirit doe not perfectly fulfill the law and keepe Gods commaundements it is most euident by Saint Pauls confession of himselfe I am carnall sold vnder sinne I allow not that which I doe for that I would I doe not but what I hate that I doe It is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me But I finde no meanes to performe that which is good For I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I I finde that when I would doe good euill is present with me I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death If S. Paul that elect vessell of God which was taken vp into the third heauen and into paradise and heard words which cannot be spoken did not fulfill the law and fully without transgression keep Gods commandements who but a blind hypocrite and proud Pharisie will arrogate to himselfe the same Bernard saith well Aut te ergo si audes praefer Apostolo nempe ipsius ista vox est aut fatere cum illo te quoque vitijs non carere that is Either if thou darest preferre thy selfe before the Apostle whose saying this is or els confesse with him that thou also art not void of vices I will adde hereunto a few testimonies out of the auncient Fathers to prooue that none in this life is assisted so fully with Gods grace that he perfectly fulfilleth the law and keepeth Gods commaundements without any transgression or breach of them Iustinus Martyr saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And that none hath exactly done all things you your selues dare not denie but there be which haue kept the things commaunded some more and some lesse then others S. Hierome saith Facilia dicis esse Dei mandata tamen nullum proferre potes qui vniuersa compleuerit Responde mihi facilia sunt an difficilia Si facilia profer quis ea impleuerit Thou saist Gods commaundements be easie and yet thou canst not bring forth any that hath fulfilled all Answere me be they easie or hard If they be easie shew any that hath fulfilled them Again Haec hominibus sola perfectio si imperfectos se esse nouerint that is This is the onely perfection of men to acknowledge themselues to be imperfect Againe Tunc ergo iusti sumus quando nos esse peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex Dei consistit misericordia that is Then wee be iust when wee confesse our selues to be sinners and our iustice consisteth not in our owne merits but in Gods mercie Saint Augustine saith Ipsa iustitia nostra tanta est in hac vita vt petius peccatorum remissione constet quam perfectione virtuium that is Our iustice is so great in this life that it consisteth rather in the remission of our sinnes then in the perfection of our vertues And againe Omnia mandata facta deput antur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur that is All the commaundements are then reputed to be done when whatsoeuer is not done is pardoned Againe Gratia Dei tribuit in hac vita studium praecepta seruandi eadem si quid etiam in illis praeceptis minus seruatur ignoscit that is The grace of God doth giue in this life a desire to keepe his commaundements and the same grace if any thing in them be not obserued forgiueth it The like I might alleage out of many other places of his workes As De natura gratia cap. 36. Contra Iulianum lib. 4. cap. 3. De libero Arbitrio cap. 16. and such others but for shortnes sake I omit them Chrysostome saith Neque enim alios licet in lege iustificari nisi eum qui cuncta adimpleuerit Id verò nemini dum possibile factum est that is None can be iustified by the law but he that hath fulfilled all And that hath beene as yet possible to no man Bernard saith Quomodo ergo iubenda fuit quae implenda nullo modo erat c. How was the law to be commaunded which can by no meanes be fulfilled or if thou rather thinke that the commaundement was giuen for the ruling of our affections I will not hereupon striue so that thou also doe yeeld vnto me that in this life it neither can or euer could be fulfilled of any man For who dare arrogate that to himselfe which Paul himselfe confesseth that he had not comprehended Neither was the commaunder ignorant that the weight of the commandement exceeded mans strength but he iudged it to be profitable that thereby they might be put in mind of their owne insufficiencie and so might know that they ought according to their power labour to the end of righteousnes Therefore by commaunding things impossible he made men not transgressors but humble that euery mouth might be stopped and all the world made subiect vnto God because that by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified before him for wee receiuing the commaundement and feeling our owne want will crie vnto heauen and God will haue mercie vpon vs. Again Quantumlibet in hoc corpore manens profeceris erras vitia si putas emortuae non magis suppressa velis nolis intra fines tuos habitat Iebusaeus subiugari potest sed non exterminari scio inquit quod non habitat in me bonum that is How much soeuer thou doest profit whilest thou abidest in this bodie thou art deceiued if thou thinke vices to be dead in thee and not rather suppressed whether thou wilt or no the Iebusite will dwell within thy coasts he may be subdued but not vtterly banished I know saith Paul that no goodnes dwelleth in me This
was Bernards iudgement concerning our keeping of Gods commandements and fulfilling of the law Ferus also a late Frier but yet a man of better iudgement in many matters then many others were or be hereof writeth thus Per Christum implenda erat omnis iustitia per quem solum lex poterat impleri nam maledicta erat natura humana legemque implere non potuit iuxta illud neque nos neque patres onus hoc portare potuimus that is All righteousnes was to be fulfilled by Christ by whom onely the law could be fulfilled For mans nature was accursed and could not fulfill the law according to that saying neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare this burden Againe the same Ferus saith Si nemo potest gloriari se á peccato immunem nec quisquam gloriari potest se legem seruasse cum peccatum nihil aliud sit quà m transgressio legis that is If no man can glorie that hee is free from sinne neither can any man glorie that he hath fulfilled the law seeing that sinne is nothing else but the transgression of the law Hence from it followeth that zealous Protestants want neither a liuely faith in Gods mercies nor true obedience to Gods commaundements although they vnfainedly confesse their manifold imperfections and sinnes by which they bee farre from perfectly fulfilling the law of God And now pro coronide I will requite you with another Syllogisme They that thinke they can fulfill the law of God be proud Hypocrits and Pharisees but the Papists thinke that they can fulfill the law of God yea can doe superarrogant workes I should say workes of Supererogation aboue them that the law requireth Ergo the Papists be proud Hypocrites and Pharisees The Pamphlet The most points wherein the Protestants dissent from the Catholikes tend to loosenes of life and carnall libertie 4. Article His article may be proued by a generall induction in all such matters as now the Protestants call in question First say they that man hath not free will to doe good but all goodnesse proceedeth so from grace that it lyeth not in his power neither to haue it nor resist it but of necessitie it must haue effect To what other ende tendeth this senceles doctrine and fatall fancie but to make men negligent in disposing and preparing their soules to receiue Gods grace and to rouse it vp and put it in execution after they haue it making man not much vnlike a sicke asse who neither can dispose nor prepare himselfe to seeke for his medicine but of necessitis must expect till his master thrusteth it into his throate neither after hee hath drunke it can cause it cure his disease but carelesly letteth it worke as it will Secondly they defend that men be iustified by faith alone the which solifidian portion ouerthroweth flatly true repentance sorrow for sinnes mortification of passions and all other vertues which tend to perfect reconciliation of the soule with God causing men only to procure a certaine false fantastical apprehension of Christs death and passion the which faith although they erroniously auerre cannot be seuered from charitis vertues and good workes yet both experience teacheth that it may for also few or none haue faith because few or none of them haue these workes and the Scriptures plainely proue that all faith yea and the most noble faith which hath force to remoue mountaines may be without charitie Thirdly they assure vs that faith once had can neuer be lost the which vaine securitie openeth the gap to all libertine sensualitie for if a man be certaine that he hath true faith if it be impossible he should lose it if he be secured that by it alone he shall be saued why may be not wallow in all licencious pleasures in this life and neuer doubt of glorie in the other could euer Epicurus haue found a better ground to plant his Epicurisme could euer Heliogabalus haue better patronized his sensualitie could Bacchus or Venus euer haue forged better reasons to enlarge their dominion Fourthly they say a man cannot keepe all the commaundements for what other cause I pray you but thereby to make men negligent in keeping of them to pretend an excuse of impossibilitie whensoeuer they transgresse them Fiftly why deny they the Sacrament of penance but to make men careles how they liue and neuer regard the auoyding of sinnes as though they were neuer to render an account of them to hinder that shame and blushing which men conceiue in discouering their sinnes the which are most excellent meanes to deter them from sinning another time to shuffle vp restitution and satisfaction of iniuries committed against our neighbours to draw men from remorse of conscience by burying their sinnes in eternall obliuion the sores whereof confession rubbeth and causeth Sixtly why exclude they the true and reall body of Christ from the blessed Sacrament of the altar but for that they perceiued how by the presence thereof they were deterred from sinne and wickednes for they knew well that sinfull liues consorted not with those sacred mysteries and therefore they rather resolued to banish Christ from the Sacrament then sinnes from their soules Finally for what other cause haue they ioyned a new negatiue religion wholy standing vpon negation of Sacraments ceremonies rites lawes customes and other practicall points of the catholike Church but for fasting to bring in feasting for praying playing for deuotion dissolution for religious feare of God vaine securitie for zeale and mortification a number of vaine verball sermons and to conclude for a positiue working a flat deniall almost of all points of faith and religion Answere COncerning this article I will first answere these cauils which this cauiller obiecteth to the slaundering of our doctrine as tending to loosenes of life and carnall libertie Secondly I will shew to what loosenes and wickednes of life the doctrine of the Church of Rome tendeth and what fruites or rather weeds of wickednes it hath brought fourth euen in Popes their clergie and namely in Rome that holy Citie where that holy Father resideth and whereupon he especially breatheth and blesseth He beginneth with free will wherein he neither setteth downe truely our doctrine nor the state of the controuersie which is a vsuall customewith his companions to peruert and alter the state of the question as Doctor Whitakers sheweth that Bellarmine vseth to do I wil therefore lay downe our doctrine truely as we teach concerning this matter wee beleeue that although in worldly matters concerning this life man haue wit reason and vnderstanding to know and will for the choise of good and euill iust and vniust yet in spirituall matters pertayning to eternall life and the worship of God we beleeue that mans reason is so darkened and will so corrupted that he can neither truely know loue nor couet much lesse doe and performe those things which be agreeable to Gods will and acceptable vnto his Maiestie vntill God
so plentifully that God can aske no more of them And in his Latin booke against Luther he hath these words Secundo supponimus quod quanquam nemo sit cui non cumulatius praemium in coelis Deus largiatur quà m hic in terris ipse meruit innumeri tamen sunt qui longè grauiores aerumnas pertulerunt quà m adsuorum suffecissent delictorum expiationem that is Secondly wee make this supposition that although there is none to whom God doth not giue a greater reward in heauen then hee hath merited and deserued yet there be many which haue suffered farre more grieuous griefes and punishments then would haue sufficed to the expiation and purging away of their sinnes This is their doctrine and is this to beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes or is it not rather to denie the Lord Iesus that hath bought vs For I may say with S. Paul that if righteousnes come by the law or by our satisfaction then Christ died in vaine And with what face can these men accuse vs of denying this article The forgiuenes of sinnes themselues teaching such blasphemous doctrine so manifestly opposite and contrarie vnto it Againe they denie the forgiuenes of the punishment due for sinne saying that Christ hath deliuered vs à culpa from the fault or offence but not à poena from the punishment or at leastwise he hath deliuered vs from eternall punishment but not from temporall which must be sustained in Purgatorie whereby our sinnes or soules must be purged and Gods iustice satisfied And yet the Popes Pardons Masses and Dirges may discharge and deliuer from it Wherein first what doe they but extenuate and greatly diminish the vertue and power of Christs death For if our Sauiour Christ haue not deliuered vs from the punishment due to our sinnes what great good hath hee done vs And if he haue discharged vs from eternall punishment in hell but not from the temporall in Purgatorie then is he not a full and perfect Sauiour but an halfe Sauiour Haue you the testimonie of all Antiquitie for this doctrine Tertullian saith Exempto scilicet reatu eximitur poena that is The guiltines of sinne being taken away the punishment is also taken away And Chrysostome saith Vbi enim gratia ibi venia vbi verò venia illic nulla erit poena that is Where grace is there is forgiuenes where forgiuenes is there shall be no punishment S. Augustine saith Ablato ergo peccato auferetur poena peccati The sin being taken away the punishment of sinne shall also be taken away By this let it be discerned who they be that denie this article of the forgiuenes of sinne Moreouer let the Christian reader consider how they attribute first that to their Purgatorie which is proper to the blood of Christ which as S. Iohn saith clenseth vs from all sinne and secondly more to their Dirges Masses Pardons and such paltries then they doe to the death and passion of Iesus Christ For they may deliuer from the paines of Purgatorie but Christs death doth not O coelum non sudas ô terra non tremes c. But now let vs come to your proofe of this your accusation of our denying of this article Your first reason is that wee acknowledge no such effect in the Sacrament of Baptisme c. We acknowledge that baptisme is a Sacrament of the forgiuenes of our sinnes by the death and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ whereby our faith is confirmed and wee assured that as water washeth away the filth of the bodie so all the filth and guiltines of our sinnes is so purged in the blood of Christ that wee be accepted for iust and righteous before God But we do not acknowledge that Baptisme or any other Sacrament do conferre grace of themselues or haue grace included in them as in a vessell but wee affirme that they be seales of Gods promises and instruments whereby God worketh in his elect and chosen people those graces which he hath in his word promised and Iesus Christ hath purchased for them But all that be outwardly baptized be not inwardly clensed as Simon Magus who being baptized was yet still in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquitie For the spirit of God worketh by them in whom when and how much it pleaseth him Neither doe we beleeue that Baptisme serueth onely for the remission of sinnes committed before it as you say here but that the vse and benefit of it pertaineth to our whole life continually to assure vs and confirme our faith in the forgiuenes of al our sinnes by Iesus Christ And whereas you say that this our doctrine is contrarie to the expresse word of God which calleth this Sacrament the lauer of regeneration for that in it the soule dead by sinne is newly regenerate by grace I answere that Baptisme is so farre from being in this place of S. Paul expressed that it is not mentioned neither necessarily to be vnderstanded Saint Pauls sweet words be these When the bountifulnes and loue of God our Sauiour towards man appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which wee had done but according to his mercie he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Where is baptisme here mentioned or expressed to be the lauer of regeneration Saint Paul doth here attribute this washing whereby wee be regenerate and renewed to the holie Ghost alluding as it were to the words of God by the Prophet Ezechiel Then will I powre cleane water vpon you and ye shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I clense you By this cleane water is vnderstood the spirit of God as it is expounded in the two next verses following I confesse that Baptisme is a Sacrament and pledge vnto vs of this washing and clensing of the holie Ghost to whom this washing is to be attributed and not to baptisme as though it were included in it or affixed to it for as I said many be outwardly baptized which be not inwardly clensed but only the faithfull children of God in whom Gods spirit inwardly worketh that which by the word of God is promised and in baptisme sealed and confirmed And therefore this lauer is the spirit of God by whom we be regenerated and renewed Saint Augustine saith well Ea demum miserabilis est seruitus signa prorebus accipere supra creaturam corpoream oculum mentis ad hauriendum aeternū lumen leuare non posse that is This is miserable seruitude to take the signes for the things signified and not to be able to lift vp the eye of the minde aboue the corporeall creature to receiue eternall light Your second proofe is that we allow not the sacrament Penance wherin all actuall sins committed after Baptisme are cancelled Your popish
himselfe and not God of God So that he receiueth not his diuinitie from his father I answere that if we consider of Christ absolutely in respect of the essence he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe to whom all things doe agree which are spoken of the diuine essence by it selfe but if we consider of him in respect of his person he is not of himselfe but sonne of the father yet coëternall and coëssentiall So saith Saint Augustine Christus ad se deus dicitur ad patrem filius dicitur that is Christ in respect of himselfe is called God and in respect of the Father is called sonne Saint Basil saith that it was an vndoubted principle of diuinitie in all ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The godhead to be begotten neither of it himselfe nor of any other but to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnbegotten And that Christ is God of himselfe I proue it thus He that is Iehoua is God of himselfe Christ is Iehoua ergo Christ is God of himselfe The first proposition cannot be denyed for God is called Iehoua because he hath his being of himselfe and all others haue their being of him And that Christ is Iehoua I thinke you will not deny and if you doe it may easily be proued For he that appeared to Esaias the Prophet cap. 6. and is there called Iehoua vers 3. is said of Saint Iohn to be Christ in these words These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him That which Esaias cap. 18. 13. 14. speaketh of Iehoua Saint Paul Rom. 9. 33. expoundeth of Christ The Angel that appeared to Moses in the bush is called Iehoua but Christ who is called the Angel of the couenant and the Angel of the great counsell was that Angel ergo Christ is Iâ—houa And so consequently is God of himselfe And therefore Epiphanius whom I trust you will not terme a Puritane calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe The Fathers of the Nicene councell in calling Christ God of God did thereby signifie that he is coëssentiall and of the same substance with the Father and not as you falsely affirme that he receiued his diuinitie of his Father which is in effect to make Christ no God For it is proper to God to be of himselfe The deitie is the diuine essence which is one and singular and the same wholy in the Father in the sonne and in the holy Ghost And so we acknowledge a Trinitie of persons and a vnitie of essence that is one only God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Basil c. it is manifest that the names of Father and sonne doe not signifie the essence but the proprieties of the persons So Damascene saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The deitie signifieth the nature or essence the word Father the person And the essence is wholy in the Father wholy in the sonne and wholy in the holy Ghost as euen your great Master of the sentences Peter Lumbard confesseth so that the Father is God of himselfe the Sonne God of himselfe the holy Ghost God of himselfe and yet not three Gods but one true and immortall God And therefore with Athanasius wee worship a vnitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in vnitie The fift article which you say those whom you disdainfully call Puritaines doe deny is the descension of Christ into Hell Can you shew and name any such puritanes which omit this article either in rehearsing it or in expounding it as you haue done the second commaundement of God I am sure you cannot Why doe you then say that they deny it forsooth because they receiue not your exposition of it to wit that Christ descended in soule to Hell and was there as long as his body was in the graue and there harrowed Hell and deliuered thence the patriarkes and all iust men there houlden in bondage vnto his death as your Rhemists write And doe all that receiue not this exposition deny this article Then did your owne Doctor Durand deny this article who held and published in writing that Christs soule did not in respect of the substance and essence thereof but by effect efficacy and operation descend into Hell Then did Iohn Picus that learned Earle of Mirandula and Cardinall Caietane whom the Pope sent into Germanie to suppresse Luther deny this article who concurre and agree with Durand yea I might say that then either Saint Cyprian or Ruffin denyed this article who expoundeth it of Christs buriall But you say that these nameles Puritans defend that Christ suffered the paines of Hell vpon the crosse whereby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie as if Christ had despaired of his saluation as if God had hated him and he had hated God c. I answere that this doctrine of Christs suffering the paines of Hell vpon the crosse is not so desperate as your collections thereof are false and blasphemous What desperatnes or absurditie is this that Christ our Sauior not in respect of himselfe but in that he became our suretie and tooke vpon him our debts and bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the wood as Saint Peter saith did beare and indure in his humanitie the wrath of God and the paines and torments which our sinnes had deserued to deliuer vs from the wrath of God which we by our sinnes had prouoked and from the said paines and torments which we had merited We are not to thinke that Christ did suffer onely an externall and corpoÌ„ral death for then he had shewed greater weakenes then many meere natural men haue done who with great courage and cheerefulnesse haue gone vnto death but Christ our Sauiour was in such an Agonie that his sweate was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground so that an Angel appeared from heauen comforting him He cryed and said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Whereby it doth euidently appeare that he suffered not onely an outward death of the body but did in his soule wrastle with the paines of Hell and beare the burden of Gods wrath dewe to our sinnes to deliuer vs from the same and to purchase the loue and mercie of God vnto vs. And when the prophet saith of him He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was laid vpoÌ„ him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all Did not our Sauiour Christ heerein suffer the punishment which was due to our sinnes Saint Paul saith that Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law being made a curse for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree yet Iesus Christ
Hereof S. Paul speaketh Refuse the younger widowes for when they haue begun to waxe wanton against Christ they will marrie hauing damnation because they haue broken the first faith The which is to be vnderstood of the first profession of faith in Baptisme and not of the latter vow of single life as the Papists falsely and foolishly expound it From this faith all they doe fall which turne either on the right hand to false doctrine or on the left hand to wicked life Many other waies faith is taken but this question is of that true liuely and iustifying faith which is the faith of Gods elect whereby Christ dwelleth in their hearts and they receiue nourishment and life from him This faith may be couered by temptations and falles as fire in the night with ashes but neuer vtterly extinguished For they in whom this true faith is are like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that will bring forth her fruite in due season whose leafe shall not fade And they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot bee moued but remaineth for euer They that by this faith are built vpō the rocki Iesus Christ hell gates shall neuer ouercome them Christ saith He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life He that heareth my word beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Saint Paul saith Wherein after ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance for the redemption of that libertie purchased vnto the praise of his glorie These places sufficiently shew that that faith which is common to all Gods elect and proper onely to the elect can neuer perish nor be vtterly lost in them And this true comfortable doctrine bringeth no vaine securitie nor openeth the gap to any libertine sensualitie For they that by this faith haue tasted how sweete the Lord is cannot but loue and feare God and greatly delight in his commaundements And that faith which swimmeth in mens lips but is not printed in their hearts nor shineth by godlines and good workes in their liues is a dead faith and is no more that true faith whereby we liue vnto God then a dead man is a man To conclude this matter although we distinguish betweene iustification and sanctification yet we acknowledge that they be inseparable and the one doth necessarily follow the other For whosoeuer are iustified by Gods grace and mercie through faith in Christ Iesus be also sanctified with Gods holy spirit to abhorre that which is euill and to cleaue to that which is good and to serue God in true holines and righteousnes all the daies of their life And therefore we teach that they which without repentance persist in sinne wallow in wickednes and commit vngodlines with greedines haue no faith nor haue any assurance of the remission of their sins but may be assured that the wrath of God hangeth ouer them and if they doe not truly repent and bring foorth fruites worthie amendement of life will fearefully fall vpon them So that you might haue spared your vaine and foolish exclamations concerning Epicures Heliogabalus Bacchus and Venus which are more honoured in Rome as hereafter I will shew then allowed of vs. For of whom did Mantuan the Italian Carmelite Frier an 100. yeeres past write this but of your Popes and his fauourers Neglecto superum cultu spretoque tonantis imperio Baccho indulgent Venerique ministrant that is Neglecting the worship of God they serue Bacchus and Venus Concerning the fourth point of doctrine of keeping Gods commaundements I haue spoken sufficiently before Onely now I say that our doctrine tendeth hereunto to shew vs our miserie by transgressing of them that wee may thereby bee moued to hunger for Gods mercie in Christ and although we cannot perfectly fulfill them for in many things wee sinne all yet wee ought according to the measure of Gods grace giuen to vs haue a care and conscience to walke in them and to frame our liues to the obedience of them Whereas fiftly you charge vs that wee deny the Sacrament of Penance thereby to make men careles how they liue I answer that although we deny your penance to be a Sacrament because it hath no outward visible signe and reiect your clancular confession your absurd absolution and your superstitious or rather blasphemous satisfaction thereby to answere Gods iustice and discharge your sins yet we truly teach y e doctrine of repentance as it is deliuered vnto vs in the word of God We teach men to come to the knowledge of their sins by y e law of God which is the glasse to shew vs our spots and the first step to repentance then to lament their sinnes whereby they haue offended their gracious God and mercifull father to confesse their sinnes with remorse of conscience both to God and men whom they haue offended and especially wee call vpon men for amendement of life in bringing forth fruits worthie of repentance without the which there is no repentance One part of which amendement is satisfaction to our brethren for iniuries committed and restitution of goods vnlawfully and vngodly gotten As touching our iniuries against God we plead not our owne satisfaction but craue Gods mercie in Christ Iesus who is our only satisfaction and by whom only we seeke to haue remission of them Whereas you say that your confession rubbeth the sores of sinne and causeth remembrance of them I say that this more truly and effectually is wrought by the preaching of Gods word whereby sinne is more shewed and the wrath and iudgements of God against sinne are more threatned and thereby the conscience more pricked and wounded then by your confession So Dauid was brought to repentance for his foule sinnes of adulterie and murther by Nathans preaching and thundring Gods iudgements against him and not by his secret confessing So the people hauing heard Peter preach the word of God were pricked in their hearts and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe This is Gods holy ordinance the other a plant which God hath neuer planted but an inuention of man as euen your own Canonists against your Schoolemen do confesse And what wickednes hath come of it the ecclesiasticall historie partly sheweth and God who seeth al secrets knoweth To your sixt accusation I answer that we exclude and banish our Sauiour Christ neither from the Sacrament of his supper nor from the hearts of the faithfull but acknowledge that as by faith he dwelleth in the one so by the same he is receiued of the godly in the other Your false and grosse doctrine of Transsubstantiation which the Greeke Church neuer beleeued and the Latine Church lately defined as
prosecute the particularities that here you name I will say vnto you as Tullie said to Tubero Habes Tubero quod est accusatori maxime optandum confitentem reum c. Thou hast O Tubero that which an accuser would most wish for the partie accused confessing himselfe guiltie yet so confessing that hee was on the same side that thou Tubero and thy Father were So we say and confesse that there is lesse deuotion and more dissolution lesse religious feare and more vaine securitie lesse zeale and mortification then there ought to be but I trust hereafter to shew that these vertues haue as much or more wanted these vices abounded among Papists as they doe with vs. Now I will come to the second part of my answere promised to this article To shew to what loosenes wickednes of life the popish doctrine doth tend and what weedes of wickednes it hath brought forth First their doctrine of keeping Gods word in a strange tongue and restrayning Gods people from reading and hearing of it hath been and is a great cause both of error in doctrine and wickednes in life Our Sauiour Christ saith You erre not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God Dauid saith That the law of God giueth wisedome to the simple it lightneth the eyes it maketh Gods seruant circumspect and that it is a light vnto our feete and a lanterne vnto our steppes He sheweth also that it is a meane to preserue men from sinne For speaking of the righteous man hee saith The law of his God is in his heart and his steppes shall not slide And againe I haue hid thy words in my heart that I might not sinne against thee That good Father Chrysostome who was a most earnest exhorter of all men to the reading of the Scriptures saith Magna aduersus peccatum munitio Scripturarum lectio magnum praecipitium profundum barathrum Scripturarum ignoratio Haec haereses peperit haec vitam corruptam inuexit haec sursum deorsum omnia miscuit that is The reading of the Scriptures is a great sauegard against sinne the ignorance of the Scripture is a slipperie meanes to fall into sinne and a deepe gulfe of sinne This hath bred Heresies this hath brought in corruption of life this hath turned all things vpside downe Againe Hoc omnium malorum causa est quod Scripturae ignorantur that is This is the cause of all euils that men be ignorant of the Scriptures Saint Hierome who exhorteth Ladies to bring vp their young daughters being but seuen yeares old in the reading of the holy Scriptures saith Ama scientiam Scripturarum cartis vitia non amabis that is Loue the knowledge of the Scriptures and thou shalt not loue the vices of the flesh Many such other sayings might bee alledged out of the Fathers which plainely shew that the keeping of the holy Scriptures in an vnknowne tongue and the restrayning of Gods people from reading hearing of them is a doctrine tending to loosenes and great wickednes of life Their doctrine of vowing chastitie and single life and prohibiting matrimonie what an occasion it hath been of horrible filthines and wickednes of life I will briefly declare Chrysostome of some women in his time which vnder a profession of virginitie liued wickedly saith thus Virginitas ista cum viris plus ab ominibus argultur quà m stuprum ipsum that is This virginitie of women with men is more reproued of all men then whoredome it selfe Saint Hierome in his time complained of the like women Sanctum virginum propositum c. that is The euill name of some which behaue not themselues well doth slander the holy purpose of virgines Saluianus the Bishop of Massalia who liued in the yeare of our Lord 480. writeth thus Nouum est prorsus religionis genus Licita nō faciunt illicita committunt Temperant à concubitu quamuis nec hoc faciunt nisi à licito non temperant à rapina c. i. This is a new kinde of religion They do not things lawful and commit things vnlawfull They abstaìne from copulation although they abstaine not from that neither but frō that which is lawfull and refraine not from rape What doest thou O foolish perswasion God hath forbidden sinne and not mariage your deeds agree not with your studies or profession You ought not to bee fauorets of vices There is extant an epistle of Huldricus Bishop of Augusta who liued about the yeare of our Lord 860. vnto Pope Nicholas the first concerning the forbidding of Priests marriage wherein is declared that Gregorie the Pope hauing giuen forth a decree for the single life of Priests vpon the finding of 6000. childrens heads in ponds of water where they had been drowned did reuoke the same decree and commended the saying of the Apostle It is better to marrie then to burne adding thereunto that it was better to marrie then to giue occasion of murther Of this epistle Pope Pius the second maketh mention intreating of Germanie and it was found in a librarie in Holland before Luthers time Bernard the Abbot who liued Anno domini 1150. complaineth of the wicked life of the clergie in these words Episcopi sacerdotes huius temporis castitatis sanctimoniam sine qua nemo videbit deum tam in corde quam in corpore quomodo student obseruare traditi in reprobum sensum facrunt quae non conueniunt Quae enim in occulto fiunt ab episcapis turpe est dicere that is How doe the Bishops and Priests of this time keepe holy chastitie both in heart and bodie without which no man shall see God Being giuen vp into a reprobate minde they doe the things that are not conuenient for what things bee done of Bishops in secret it is a shame for to speake Againe Tolle de ecclesia honorabile connubium c. Take from the Church honorable marriage and the bed vndefiled and thou shalt fill it full of whoremongers incestuous persons buggerers and all kinde of vncleane ones Againe hee sheweth that there were very many who abstayning from the remedie of marriage fell afterwards into all kinde of wickednes About that time the Pope sent a Cardinall called Ioannes Cremensis into England to dissolue Priests marriages who in a synod hauing inueyed against their marriage saying that it was a shamefull thing that a Priest should rise from his wife to consecrate the body of Christ was the same night after taken with a whore as Fabian and other writers doe witnes And I reade the same storie in an ould written booke which I thinke was the storie of Henrie Huntington where these words were added Celari non potuit taceri non debuit .i. It could not bee kept secret and it ought not to be suppressed in silence In the glosse vpon Gratians decrees it is said that a Priest for simple fornication is not to be
righteousnes by whose stripes we are healed The blood of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne Hee hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his father As these places attribute our iustification and saluation onely to Iesus Christ and his merits so others doe detract and take the same from our workes and deseruings To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke By grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues It is the gift of God not of workes least any man should glorie Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purspose and grace c. Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs. Although this which I haue said may seeme sufficient to answere this article yet I will say something to this syllogisme To the Maior or first proposition I answere that with men wages is giuen for workes but with God whose thoughts are not as our thoughts nor waies as our waies it is otherwaies Man may do labour and seruice to man which may merit and deserue by equitie and iustice wages and reward For that there may be a proportion betweene the seruice and reward and also a benefit and commoditie commeth to him to whom the seruice is done As in this example here alleaged the Lord Deputie or some other may doe some such singular seruice in Ireland that if her Maiestie should bestow vpon him 1000. pound a yeere he might in some proportion deserue it and her Maiestie may receiue double benefit by it But can wee doe any workes that can either merit and deserue the kingdome of God or bring any benefit vnto God Dauid saith My weldoing extendeth not to thee And as S. Paul saith that all the afflictions of this present life are not worthie of the glorie that shall be shewed vnto vs so may I say that all our imperfect and stained workes are not worthie of the kingdome of God which we haue not deserued but Iesus Christ by his death and passion hath purchased for vs. Can a bond seruant by any seruices looke to deserue an earthly kingdome and can we which are bond seruants to God in respect both of creation and of redemption looke to deserue the kingdome of God Christ our Sauiour saith Doth he thanke that seruant because hee did that which was commaunded vnto him I trow not So likewise ye when ye haue done all things which are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our dutie to doe If he that hath done all things which were commaunded must confesse himselfe to be an vnprofitable seruant how much more must wee confesse our selues to be vnprofitable seruants who haue both omitted many things commaunded and committed many great and grieuous sinnes prohibited So saith Hierome Si inutilis est qui fecit omnia quid de illo dicendum est qui explere non potuit .i. If hee be vnprofitable that hath done all what is to be said of him that could not fulfill all Therefore wee are not to trust in our owne merits but in Gods mercie which importeth our miserie and not worthines But for the proofe of your Minor you alleage the saying of our Sauiour Christ Call the labourers and giue them their wages I graunt that God doth giue to them that labour in his vineyard a reward which is called wages because it followeth pietie and good workes as outward wages followeth labour But that this heauenly wages is not deserued by our workes as that other is by our labour it euidently appeareth by that parable where they that had wrought but one houre receiued as much as they did which had borne the burden and heate of the day Which sheweth that this reward came of grace and not of merit and so S. Ambrose doth expound it Non labori praemium soluens sed diuitias bonitatis suae in eos quos sine operibus eligit effundens vt etiam hij qui in multo labore sudarunt nec amplius quam nouissimi acceperunt intelligant donum se gratiae non operum accepisse mercedem i. Not paying a reward vnto our labour but powring foorth the riches of his goodnes vpō them whom he hath chosen without works that they also which in great labour haue toyled and haue receiued no more then the last may know that they haue receiued a gift of grace and not a wages of workes To your other places Apocal. 20. 12. and 1. Cor. 3. 8. I say with S. Paul that God will reward euery man according to his workes but not for the merite and desert of their workes To them that continuing in well doing seeke glorie honour and immortalitie hee will giue euerlasting life and vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill But you will say why is not euerlasting life the wages of good workes as euerlasting death is of euill workes and sinnes I answere that our euill workes be simply euill and being transgressions of Gods righteous law offend his infinit maiestie prouoke his infinit wrath and deserue infinit paine and punishment But our workes are not simply and perfectly good but be imperfect and are stained with the corruption of our finfull nature as I haue before declared and therefore cannot satisfie Gods infinit iustice nor pacifie his infinit anger nor deserue his infinit glorie but rather require Gods great mercie as hath been shewed And therefore Saint Paul in the sixt to the Romanes hauing said that the wages of sinne is death doth not say which had been most meete to haue been said if this pharisaicall doctrine were true the wages of good workes is eternall life but hee saith the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord as also Oecumenius doth wel obserue You confidently affirme that the Protestants who are enemies to merits shall neuer attaine to the kingdome of Heauen which is purchased by good workes and merits Where first I would aduise you to take heede that you be not brethren to those old heretikes called Hieraclitae to whom Saint Augustine doth ascribe this as an heresie that they denied infants to appertaine to the kingdome of Heauen because they had no merits His words bee these Hieraclitae ad regnum coelorum non pertinere paruulos dicunt quia non sunt eis vlla merita certaminis quo vitia superentur i. The Hieraclites say that infants