for no other but a madde and frantike dreame and yet perforce must vse it because hee knew no better shift therefore he thought good to colour it the best he could by curtolling the wordes alleaged naming only imputation of righteousnesse whereas the Apostle nameth imputation of righteousnesse without workes But let him take the wordes as the Apostle setteth them downe and then giue vs his answere and we shall apparantly see him to be a most impudent man making no conscience of that he saith but studying only to blinde the Reader from seeing that truth which he himselfe knoweth not how with any probable shew to contradict Yet he telleth vs for conclusion that there is only a bare sound of wordes for the Protestants the true substance of the text making wholly for the Papists So then the sound of the wordes by his confession is for vs but inasmuch as the wordes are very plaine and cleare how may we be informed that the true substance and meaning of them is wholly for the Papists when as they containe in shew a flat contradiction to the doctrine of the Papists Wee see here the vse of that caueat which the Rhemists haue giuen to their Reader aduertising him o Rhem. Testam ArgumeÌ„t of the Epistles in generall to assure himselfe that if any thing in Pauls Epistles sound to him contrary to the doctrine of their Catholike Church he faileth of the right sense By this meanes if Saint Paul say it is white yet we must not thinke that he meaneth it to be white if it please their Church to call it blacke And therefore though here he speake of imputation of righteousnesse without works and bring testimony of ancient Scripture for confirmation thereof yet he must not be taken to meane that there is any such or any other but the imputation of the righteousnesse of workes because there is no other approued by the Roman Church Well may we thinke the iudgement of God to be fearefull vpon them who are so blinde as to be led with such fopperies and grosse deceipts CHAP. X. That eternall life is meerely and wholly the gift of God and cannot be purchased by merit or desert ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE PAul teacheth that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ c. to Hee telleth vs againe and againe c. W. BISHOP IN the same place you had a large solution of this obiection but he that hath made a couenant with hell will not looke vpon that which might helpe him to heauen We teach with the Apostle and with his faithfull interpreter Saint Augustine That eternall life is the gift of God both originally because we must receiue grace by the free gift of God before we can doe any thing that doth deserue the ioyes of heauen and also principally the whole vertue and value of our merits doe proceede of the dignity of Gods grace in vs which doth eleuate and giue such worth to our workes that they thereby deserue life euerlasting Notwithstanding if we take not hold on Gods grace when it is freely offered vs and doe not concurre with it to the effecting of good workes we shall neuer be saued and this our working with the grace of God deserues heauen both which are prouedly this sentence of the same Apostle God will render to euery man according to Rom. 2. vers 6. 7. 8. his workes to them truly that according to patience in good workes seeke glory and honour and incorruption life eternall to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but giue credit to iniquity wrath and indignation where you may see in expresse termes eternall life to be rendered and repaid for good workes to such men as diligently seeke to doe them and to others who refuse to obey the truth and rather choose to beleeue lies and to liue wickedly eternall death and damnation R. ABBOT WHether M. Bishop or I may bee thought more likely to flatter himselfe in an opinion of hauing made a couenant with hell I leaue it to be esteemed by the whole processe of this worke and the God of heauen shall make it one day more fully to appeare Against his solution of the obiection here propounded he knoweth well that I a Of Merits sect 8. haue returned a replication which sheweth the same to be infirme and vaine and seeing he can fortifie it no further the bare repeating of it is no other but womanish and idle talking The Apostle telleth vs that b Rom. 6. 23. eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free grace or gift of God through Iâ—su Christ our Lord. We teach saith M. Bishop that eternall life is the gift of God originally and principally Thus by his shifting termes of originally and principally he limiteth the Apostles wordes and deludeth a maine Theoreme and Canon of Christian faith leauing it to be vnderstood that though eternall life be originally and principally the gift of God yet totally and absolutely it is not so Which iâ— it be true it must necessarily follow that as the Apostle saith truly that eternall life is the gift of God because in part it iâ— so so a man may truly say against the Apostle that eternall life is not the free gift of God because in part and in some sort it is not so And if no man may dare in this wise to gainsay the Apostle then wee must acknowledge that which Origen saith that c Origen in Rom. 4. Stipendia inquit peccati mors Et non addidâ—â— similitèr vt dicâ— et stâ—pendia aâ—â—â— iustitiae vita aterna sed ait Gratia autem Deâ— vâ—â—a aetâ—rna vt stâ—pend â—m quod vtique debiâ—o mercedi similé est retributionem poenâ— esse docâ—â—â—t mortis vâ—tam verâ— aternam soli gratiae consignareâ— the Apostle hauing said that the stipend of sinne is death did not adde in the like sort that the stipend of righteousnesse is eternall life but eternall life is the grace of God that he might teach that the retribution of punishment and death is a stipend which is like to a debt or wages but might assigne life eternall to grace only And thus the Apostle himselfe teacheth vs to conceiue when he saith d Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace then it is not of workes otherwise grace is no grace For e August coÌ„t Pelag. Celest lib. 2. c 24. Gratia Dei non eriâ— gratâ—â— vllâ— modo nisigratâ—ita fuerâ—t omni modo grace saith Austin shall not be grace in any respect except it be free in euery respect f Idem Epist 120. c. 19. Haec est gratia quae gratis datur non meritâ—s operantis sed miseratione donantis That is grace saith he which is freely giuen not for the merits of the worker but by the mercy of the giuer Thus Hierome saith g Hieron Epist ad Demâ—trâ—ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non opâ—ruâ— retributio sed donamis est
is therein approued by the Councell of Ephesus n Cyril Epist 10. ad Nestor Nec praeter ipsum alteri cuipid homini siue sacerdotij nomen siue rem ipsam ascribimus We ascribe not the name of Priesthood or the thing it selfe to any other but to Christ only o August coÌ„t Faust l. 22. c. 17 Vnus verus Sacerdos Mediator Dei hominum c. The only true Priest as St. Austin calleth him p Ibid. l. 20. c. 18. Verum sacrificium c. quo eius Altare solus Christus impleuit Who only saith he hath filled Gods Altar with true sacrifice Whilest he limiteth the sacrifice of Christ to his q Heb. 7. 27. 10. 10. once offering of himselfe r Heb. 9. 12. by the shedding of his bloud and denyeth plainly his Å¿ Heb. 7. 27. 9. 1. 25. often offering he disclaimeth the Popish sacrifice which is often offered not from yeare to yeare only but from day to day after the manner of the Leuiticall sacrifice which is therefore argued not to haue taken away sinnes t Heb. 10. 1. 2. because it was often offered For u Vers 18. where there is remission of sinnes there is no more offering for sinne Where there is therefore still offering for sinne there is a deniall of the purchase of remission of sinnes But in the x Mat. 26. 28. shedding of the bloud of Christ who doubteth but that there is remission of sinnes Who then can doubt but that after the shedding of the bloud of Christ there is no more offering or sacrifice for sinne Therefore St. Austin saith y Aug. cont aduersar leg proph lib. 1. cap. 18. Singulari solo vero sacrificio Christi pro nobis sanguis effususest For the soueraigne and only true sacrifice the bloud of Christ was shed for vs. If the shedding of the bloud of Christ be the only true sacrifice then is there no true sacrifice in the Popish Masse and therefore St. Austin neuer vnderstood the Apostles words of any Popish sacrifice Well though the Apostle say nothing for the sacrifice yet he saith somewhat M. Bishop telleth vs for the principall part of the Masse which is the Reall presence But what is the Reall presence now the principall part of the Masse They will haue vs by the Masse to vnderstand a sacrifice and the Reall presence may stand without any sacrifice and so by this meanes wee shall haue a Masse without a Masse But what saith the Apostle for the Reall presence Forsooth he deliuereth it in as expresse termes as may be euen as he had receiued it from our Lord This is my body which shall be deliuered for you c. and addeth that he that eateth and drinketh it vnworthily eateth and drinketh iudgement to himselfe not discerning the body of our Lord. Wee see the wordes we reade them daylie but we cannot see in them the Reall presence Christ saith there This is my body but he doth not say This is my body really present He telleth vs that the vnworthy receiuer incurreth iudgement for not discerning the Lords body but he doth not tell vs that this is for not discerning his body really present M. Bishop should here haue giuen vs a sound reason that these wordes doe necessarily enforce a reall presence and cannot be verified but by the granting thereof For if there may be another interpretation of these wordes standing well with Scriptures approued by Fathers confonant and agreeable to the nature of all Sacraments then how childishly how vainly doth he deale only to set downe the place and to say it is a proofe for the reall presence Nay see how by alleaging places in this sort he circumuenteth himselfe and destroyeth by one place that which he seeketh to fortifie by another For whereas Transubstantiation is the foundation and ground of Reall presence the latter place which he citeth is the bane of Transubstantiation and giueth vs a conuenient and true exposition of the former wordes without any necessity of Reall presence For how can it stand which the Apostle saith z 1. Cor. 10. 16. The bread which we breake is the coÌ„munion of the body of Christ if the Popish doctrine of transubstantiation be true that there is no bread to breake It is true which St. Paul saith that it is bread which we breake therefore it is false which the Papists say that the bread by consecration is substantially turned into the body of Christ and ceaseth thenceforth to be bread And this the Apostle inculcateth againe and againe in the former place a 1. Cor. 11. 26. 27. 28. As oft as yee shall eate of this bread c. Whosoeuer shall eate of this bread c. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread c. and yet notwithstanding all this it must be denyed to be bread But of this bread he telleth vs that it is the communion or participation of the body of Christ and thereby giueth vs a true and certaine exposition of the wordes of Christ This is my body that is this bread is the communion or participation of my body signifying that though in naturall substance and being it be but bread yet by sacramentall vnderstanding and effect it is to the due and faithfull receiuer the communion of the body of Christ. For by Gods institution and ordinance b Cypr. serm de Resurrect Christi Quod videtur nomine virtute Christi corpus censetur the visible element as Cyprian saith is accounted both in name and power the body of Christ and therefore in the due receiuing of the Sacrament is the participating of Christs body as on the other side the not discerning of the Sacrament is the not discerning of the body of Christ which to vs the Sacrament is though in it selfe it be not so Now the body of Christ is here vnderstood as giuen for vs and his bloud as shedde for vs and therefore the communion of the body and bloud of Christ is the participation of his Passion Death and Resurrection so that the Sacrament is to vs as Optatus saith c Optat. cont Parmen lib. 6. Pignus salutis aeternae tutela sidei spes resurrectionis the pledge of eternall life the protection of our faith the hope of our resurrection There was cause therefore why our Sauiour Christ should say of the Sacrament This is my body because to vs it is in effect the body of Christ though really it be not so but d Tertuâ—l coÌ„t Marc. lib. 4 Hoc est corpus mâ—um id est figura corporis mei the figure of his body as Tertullian expoundeth e August coÌ„t Adima â—t c. 12. Non dubitauit Dominus dicere Hoc est corpus meum cum daret signum corporis sui the signe of his body as St. Austin speaketh f Hieron in Mat 16. Vt veritatem corporis sangâ—â—is sui
and godly Fathers Nay it is a certaine demonstration that they had this knowledge of the God-head because out of those Scriptures wherein their knowledge and faith is set forth vnto vs wee haue testimony and proofe thereof though not so formall and cleare as in some few places of the new Testament is expressed yet such as from whence this point of faith is most certainly and vndoubtedly to be conceiued For when we finde on the one side h Deut. 6. 4. The Lord our God is one Lord and on the other side doe reade i Psal 2. 7. The Lord hath said vnto me Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee and againe k Psal 110. 1. The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand c. and againe l Esa 48. 16. The Lord and his spirit hath sent me m Esa 61. 1. The spirit of the Lord God is vpon me with infinite other places to like effect how can we doubt but that in vnity of the God-head they saw distinctly three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And thus Gregory resolueth that n Gregor in Ezech. hom 16. Siâ—e hi qui elects in testameÌ„to veteri fuerunt siue hi qui in nouo testamento secuti sunt â—imirum constat quia omnes ex amore Trinitatis accensi sunt c. Ad veram speciem ex Trinitatis sunt cognitione decorats whether the elect in the old Testament or they that followed in the new they were all enkindled with the loue and adorned to true beauty with the knowledge of the holy Trinity As touching the last point which he mentioneth of Christ in vnity of person being both God and Man I answer him by St. Austin that they did so beleeue for o Aug. Epist 157. Cuius hominis eiusdemque Dei saluberrima fide â—tiam illi iusti salui facti sunt qui priusquam in carne vemret crediderunt illâ—m in carne centurum by the most wholsome beleefe saith he of Christ both God and Man euen those iust were saued who beleeued that hee should come in the flesh before that hee did come And in another place hee saith yet more expresly concerning Abraham p Idem cont Pelag. Celest lib. 2. c. 27. Nunquid il lud quod iubet Abraham ponere mark seruum suum sub semore suo iurare per Deum coeli alitèr quisquam rectè intellecturus est nisi Abraham scisse in qua vâ—ntuâ—us esset Deus coeli carnem de illo semore propagari When Abraham bid his seruant put his hand vnder his thigh and sweare by the God of heauen can any man otherwise vnderstand it aright but that Abraham knew that from that thigh should be deriued that flesh wherein the God of heauen should come If Abrah 〈…〉 knew that the God of heauen should come in flesh taken of his flesh hee could not bee ignorant I trow that when hee should bee come hee should bee in the flesh both God and Man To be short the same St. Austin presently after saith q Ibid. cap. 28. Nondum factum sed adhuc futurum eadem tamen ipsa patrum quae nostra est sides vna caÌ„tabal Tues Sacerdos in aternum c. The faith of the Fathers all one with our faith did sing that which then was not done but was as yet to come Thou art a Priest fâ—r euer after the order of Melchisedec Where we cannot doubt but their faith obserued as ours doth from the beginning of the Psalme that it was Dauids Lord to whom this was said and therefore that he was very God and because he could not be a Priest after the order of Melchisedec except he were man therefore that he was truly man and because God notwithstanding speaketh vnto him as only one therefore that in vnity of person he should be both God and man For conclusion M. Bishop granteth that they beleeued some few points of faith in particular and had a certaine confuse and darke conceipt by figures and types of most of the rest but inasmuch as he instanceth against me the most high mysteries of our Christian faith and yet it appeareth that they had the beleefe and knowledge thereof we doe not doubt but that they had likewise knowledge though not so easily as we but with more labour attained vnto yet they had knowledge not only of the most but also of all the rest W. BISHOP §. 3. TOuching these very points whereof M. Abbot would haue them wholly ignorant if his bare word without any manner of proofe were so powerfull I affirme that they held the most of them which I will not stand here to proue at large for that were Protestant-like to runne from one question to another without order but I will only giue a touch to euery one of his instances referâ—ing the Reader for more full satisfaction to the proper place of those head controuersies First no Catholike euer taught any man to worship Idols let that then passe as a Protestant slander but that Images are to be placed in Churches the examples recorded in the old Testament of hauing them both in their Tabernacle and in the Exod. 25. v. 18. Temple of Salomon and this sentence of the Psalmist 3. Reg 6. v. 23. Adore his foote-stole and many such like places and Psalm 98. v. 5. resemblances doe argue very strongly that Images are to be worshipped Secondly inuocation of Angels is most plainly practised by the holy Patriarke Iacob the Father of all Israelites God c. and the Angell that hath Genes 48. v. 16. deliuered me from all euill blesse these children The example of so religious a person is our sufficient warrant to pray to Angels and Saints for Saints in heauen are equall Luc. 22. to Angels as our Sauiour himselfe assureth vs and Iob was counsailed to pray and call for aide vnto some of the Saints Ad aliquem Sanctorum conuerte Thirdly Iob 5. vers 1. they of the old Testament knew good workes to merit life euerlasting and had by Gods grace free-will to doe them which I adde because by the same sentences I will proue both togither God said vnto Cain If thou doe Genes 4. v. 7. well shalt thou not receiue if euill thy sinne will be at the dore but the appetite or pange of it shall be vnder thee and thou shalt haue dominion ouer it see both power giuen to the wicked to doe well if they will and recompence promised therefore Againe in the law Moyses hauing propounded to the Israelites Gods Commandements exhorting them thereunto saith Consider Deut. 30. v. 15. that I set before you life and good and contrariwise death and euill if you loue God and will walke in his Commandemens life or else death c. choose therefore life c. Must they not be very dull Vers 19. that hence cannot gather the keeping of Gods
in his former life without which God is not wont to lay his hand so heauily vpon any o Job 4. 7. Remember I pray thee saith he who euer perished being an innocent or where were the vpright destroyed This hee amplifieth and prosecuteth vnto the end of that Chapter and then saith to the same effect againe Call now if any will answere thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne thereby willing him to aske and enquire whether there were any that could tell that euer any of the Saints any iust and vpright man had tasted of that misery that was now lying vpon him To the same purpose Bildad also afterwards saith p Cap. 8. 8. Enquire I pray thee of the former age and prepare thy selfe to search of their Fathers shall not they teach thee and tell thee and vtter the words of their heart c. Behold God will not cast away an vpright man This being manifestly the drift and purpose of these wordes and nothing appearing whereby to draw them to inuocation of Saints wee must thinke M. Bishop to be very destitute of proofe that would apply them to that end neither can they serue thereto because of all the Saints departed we must conceiue the same then that expresly we reade of some p Esa 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not The words are somewhat otherwise expounded by Gregory Bâ—shop of Rome but yet so as that for inuocation of Saints he findeth nothing in them He referreth the first part to God the other part to liuing Saints such as Dauid speaketh of q Psal 16. 3. My delight is vpon the Saints that are in the earth as if Eliphaz had told Iob that he neglected their company in his prosperity and therefore that now in his affliction they yeelded no helpe or comfort to him r Greg. Moral l. 5. cap 31. Ac si apertè dicat Quaâ— tumlibet afflictus clames Deum tibi respondentem non habes quia vox cum in tribulatione non inuenit quem mens in tranquillitate contempsit Vbi adhuc deridenâ—o subiungit Et ad aliquem Sanctorum conuertere acsi despiciens dicat Sanctos quoque inuenire in afflictione adiutores noÌ„ vales quos habere socios in â—ilaritaâ—e roluisti He saith Call if there be any to answere thee as if he plainly said Howsoeuer in thy affliction thou crie yet thou findest not God to answere thee because the prayer findeth not him in trouble whom the minde in tranquillity hath despised Where yet further in derision hee addeth saith he And turne thee to any of the Saints as if by way of despight he said Thou canst not finde the Saints thy helpers in affliction whom thou wouldest not haue for thy companions in thy mirth and welfare In a word we finde not in the words that Iob was counsailed to pray to Saints neither doe we finde it any where else that Iob followed any such counsell neither is there any example of any other of those Fathers that they did so and therefore neither in this can M. Bishop finde their religion in the Fathers The next matter is concerning Merit and Free-will for which he bringeth two texts which are already wrested from him being by himselfe Å¿ Of Free-will Sect. 10. 11. before alleaged and by me fully answered But yet obserue briesly how well they make for that for which he alleageth them If thou doe well saith God to Cain shalt thou not receiue His argument hence must be this He that doth well shall receiue therefore he meriteth that which he shall receiue It followeth not because that which he receiueth is of the bountifulnesse of the giuer not of the merit or desert of workes as through the whole question of merits I haue declared at large Such is his other argument from those wordes of Moses t Deut. 30. 19. I haue set before you life and death choose life that thou maiest liue by louing the Lord thy God c. For God thus setting life before vs doth not tell vs what we by right deserue but what it is his pleasure to giue to those that loue and obey him We choose life by louing the Lord our God and obeying him and cleauing vnto him but in all this wee doe but our duty and cannot presume to merit any thing thereby No better successe hath he for Free-will albeit in that manner as he propoundeth it we deny it not for wee grant that man hath by Gods grace free-will to doe good works we deny only that free-will which they hold as a power of nature and not the effect of the grace of God whereby man himselfe doth something for himselfe beside that which God doth We doe well who denyeth it but it is only of the grace of God that we doe well We choose life it is true but it is of the gift of God that we choose life u August de Praedest sanct cap. 10. Ipse sacit vt illi saciant quae praecepit Who maketh vs to doe those things saith St. Austin which he hath commanded to be done As for that which M. Bishop saith that power is giuen to the wicked to doe well if they will it is an absurd speech because they cannot will till God worke in them to will neither can they haue any power to doe well vntill they haue the will For the forbearing of outward hainous acts we deny not but that God hath left in man euen in the wicked some power of free-will else in vaine were all lawes and admonitions neither could there continue any society amongst men Be it that the wordes cited by M. Bishop doe yeeld so much to Cain but to the conuerting of the heart to the inward renewing of the soule to the embracing of the loue of righteousnesse to true repentance faith obedience the will of man hath nothing at all but what is wrought in it by the grace of God But of all these things I haue spoken so fully before that it is not fit here to stand vpon them any more For workes of supererogation he is faine to betake himselfe to the ceremoniall law of Moses thereby leauing vs to take it as of his owne confession that before that time which was the space of two thousand and almost fiue hundred yeares the Church of God knew no such and hereuppon to conclude that because they stood only in ceremonies which were not meerely for themselues to bee reckoned in the number of good workes therefore the ceremoniall law being abolished in Christ those workes of supererogation must therein haue an end But the workes of supererogation which they maintaine and whereof I spake are workes of the morall law the precepts and righteousnesse whereof hath concerned the whole Church from the beginning and before the written law and therefore which must needes haue beene found in the Church from the beginning if there were in them that righteousnesse
himselfe notable in his art he telleth his Reader that that vow was not much vnlike to the vow of religious persons and biddeth him thereof to see the sixt Chapter of the booke of Numbers as if looking there he should finde it so to be Now for their pupils and scholers who must yeeld to enlarge their throats to swallow all their Masters googeons hee knew well enough that they would neuer nay they dare not looke the Chapter and as for others though they finde him a lyar what cares he for that He that looketh into that Chapter or any other what shall he finde that may giue him cause to thinke the vow of the Nazarites like to the vow of religious persons The vow of religious persons is a vow of perpetual pouerty chastity and obedience and what is there in the vow of the Nazarites that carryeth any semblance of these things h Num. 6. 2. 3. c. He was to forbeare wine and strong drinke and all things of the grape to suffer no razour to come vpon his head but to let the locks of his haire to grow to come at no dead body not his father his mother his brother or sister and by these ceremonies to separate himselfe to the Lord but of giuing away all his goods to liue in pouerty of forbearing marriage or the company of a wife of liuing vnder obedience to any mans rules or lawes there is nothing I say nothing to bee found Now who can thinke it safe to trust M. Bishop that is not ashamed thus wilfully to falsifie that which is so plainly reported by the holy Ghost As for Saint Pauls taking vpon him that vow of a Nazarite which Saint Luke recordeth it was but a yeelding for the time to the infirmity of the Iewes becomming i 1. Cor. 9. 20. 21 to the Iewes a Iew that he might winne the Iewes as he professeth otherwhere For although in the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ the ceremoniall law of Moses were at an end and now to be abolished yet there was a time to be yeelded for instruction and teaching of the Iewes thereby to withdraw them from the opinion of those things which so long and by so great authority euen from God himselfe both they and their fathers had obserued that the sodaine relinquishing thereof might be no scandall or offence vnto them St. Austin saith notably hereof that k Aug. Epist 19. Cum venisset fides qua priùs illis obseruationibus praenunciata post morte resurrectione Domini reuelata est amiserant tanquam vitam officij sui veruntamen sicut defuncta corpora necessarioruÌ„ officijs deducendae â—â—ant quodammodo ad sepuituram nec simulatè sed religiosâ— non autem deserenda continuò vel inimicorum obtrectationibus tanquam canum morsibus proijcienda when the faith fore-shewed by those ceremonies was after the death and resurrection of Christ reueiled they lost as it were the life of their office or vse but yet as the dead bodies of friends they were by the office or seruice of friends religiously to be brought to their buriall and not to be presently forsaken or cast to the slanders of enemies as to the bitings or gnawings of dogs But though l Ibid. Illo teÌ„pore quo primùm gratia fidei reuelata est hoc noÌ„ crat pernicioâ—â— progressu verò temporis perniciosum erat nisi obseruationes illae ab omnibus Christ aniâ— desererentur it were not hurtfull as he there saith againe that these ceremonies at the first preaching of the faith were for a while obserued yet in processe of time it had beene pernicious that they should not haue beene forsaken of all Christians yea it should haue been impious to retaine them And hath not M. Bishop then for proofe of their vowes made good choise of an example which it were pernicious and impious to retaine in the Church of Christ But hee found there the name of vow and that he thought was enough to soppe them who he knew would take any thing that he should tell them From vowes he â—larteth to praier for the dead and saith that it is not true that in St. Paul there is nothing for prayer for the dead And what is there I pray for it He teacheth saith he that some of the faithfull who haue m 1. Cor. 3. 13. built vpon the right foundation hay stubble and such like trash shall notwithstanding at the day of the Lord be saued yet so as through fire But what is this to prayer for the dead Marry the ancient Doctors doe take this to be the fire of Purgatory and if many while the drosse of their works is purged do lie in fire it will easily follow that euery good soule will pray for the release of them Thus he telleth vs what some Doctors doe thinke and what he himselfe gathereth thereof but otherwise of St. Paul himselfe he can tell vs nothing It appeareth not by St. Paul himselfe that that fire is Purgatory fire it appeareth not by St. Paul himselfe that we are to pray for the dead therfore in all this M. Bishop hath said nothing because it is not the question what some haue gathered of an obscure sentence of St. Paul but what St. Paul himselfe hath deliuered and that in the Epistle to the Romans where Theodoret witnesseth as I haue said all doctrines of faith to be contained But he dealeth here after the very manner of Heretikes who are wont to make choise of some figuratiue and allegoricall and darke speeches of Scripture which they may construe at their owne pleasure and alleage them according to their owne construction to proue their falshoods and heresies by them when as notwithstanding the plaine and euident testimonies of Scripture doe make against them St. Paul speaketh of purpose to giue instruction of our carriage towards the dead where of Purgatory or praier for the dead he teacheth nothing n 1. Thess 4. 13. I would not brâ—thren haue you ignorant saith he concerning them which are asleepe that yee sorrow not as other which haue no hope for if we beleeue that Iesus is dead and is risen euen so them which sleep in Iesus wil God bring with him And then shewing in what sort God will bring them with Iesus he concludeth Wherefore comfort your selues one another with these words Is it possible that the Apostle should here omit to giue charge of praying for the dead if it were religion to pray for them Nay he telleth vs of the faithfull departed that they sleepe in Iesus and of them that sleepe in Iesus o Apoc. 14. 13. the spirit saith Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord which sleepe in Iesus for they rest from their labours and if they be blessed and at rest then they are not labouring in the restlesse fire of Purgatory and therefore neede none of our prayers for release Albeit if vve grant M. Bishop his Purgatory yet
the soule going from the body he shall hold it with him for euer without any change that neither being exalted it can come downe to punishment nor being drowned in eternall punishments can thence forth rise to any remedy of saluation If after death there be no deliuerance if there be no change but as the Angell either good or badde receiueth the soule out of the body so it continueth for euer either exalted to ioy or drowned in punishment then there can be no Purgatory then there can be nothing but either heauen or hell where they that come shall abide for euer Hee citeth for this the same wordes of Salomon that we doe and of which Olympiodorus a writer of the same time saith k Olympiodor in Ecclesi asâ— cap. 11. In quocunque loco seu illustri seu tene 〈◊〉 depreâ—edatur â—omo cum moritur mâ—ode gradu atque ordine poriâ—â—net in aeternum nam vel requieseâ—â— in lumine foelicitatis aeterae cum iustis Christo Domino vel in tenebris cruciatur cum iniquis huius mundi principâ— Diabolo In whatsoeuer place either lightsome or darke a man is taken when he dyeth in the same degree and order he abideth for euer for either he resteth in the light of eternall felicity with the iust and with Christ our Lord or else he is tormented in darkenesse with the wicked and with the Prince of this world the Diuell But Gregory againe writeth an Epistle to his friend Aregius a Bishop to comfort him concerning the death of some belonging to him wherin it is worthy to be obserued how consonantly he carrieth himselfe to the doctrine of the Scriptures Amongst other wordes wee reade these l Gregor lib. 7. indict 2. Epist 111. Indecens est de illis taedio afflictionis addâ—ci quos credendum est ad veram vitam moriendo perue nisse HabeÌ„t for sitan illi iustam longi doloris excusationem qui vitam alteram nesciunt qui de hoc seculo ad mâ—lius transitiâ— esse non confidunt nos autem qui nouimus qui hoc credimus docemus coÌ„tristarinimium de obâ—â—ntibus no debemus ne quod apud alios tenet pietatis speciem hoc magis nobis in culpa sit Nam dissidetâ—c quodamodâ— genus est cotra hoc quod quisque pradicat torqueri moestitia dicente Apostolo Nolumus autem vos ignorare fratres c. Hac itaque ratione perspecta studendum nobis est vt sicut dixâ—mus de mortâ—â—â— non esslâ—gamur sed affectuÌ„ viuentibus impendamus quibus pictas ad 〈◊〉 sit ad sâ—uct◠〈◊〉 It is vndecent for vs to giue our selues to long affliction of sorrow for them whom wee are to beleeue to haue come by death vnto the true life They haue haply iust excuse of long sorrow who know not any other life who doe not beleeue the passage from this world to be to a better world but wee who know who beleeue and teach this are not to be too heauy for the dead least that which with others carryeth a shew of piety be to vs rather a matter of blame For it is in a manner a kinde of distrâ—st to be tormented with heauinesse contrary to that which he himselfe doth teach Hereof he citeth the wordes of Saint Paul to the Thestalonians which I haue before set downe and then addeth This therefore seeing we know wee are to haue care as I haue said not to be afflicted for the dead but to bestow our affection vpon the liuing to whom our piety or denotion may be profitable and our loue may yeeld fruit Surely he leaueth no place for Purgatory that teacheth to beleeue that the faithfull in death doe attaine vnto true life and that their passage from this world is to a better neither doth he acknowledge any vse of Prayers of Masses and Trentals and other Offices and Obsequies for the dead who saith that our deuotion and loue yeeldeth no fruit or profit to them He would not haue bidden Aregius not to be afflicted for the dead but to bestow his affection vpon the liuing if hee had thought the dead to be in a Purgatory where they should and might be releeued by the deuotions of the liuing Thus he beleeued and taught where he taught aduisedly according to the Scriptures and thus wee beleeue accordingly and what hee casually taught otherwise wee reckon it for wood and straw and stubble which hee built vpon the true foundation which now the day-light of the Gospell hath reueiled and the fire of Gods word consumeth though hee himselfe by the faith of the said foundation hath attained peace And this wee hold to be the only true application of the Apostles wordes and most fitting to the processe of the text the Apostle making himselfe a builder by his preaching laying Christ for the foundation of his doctrine and therefore consequently vnderstanding gold siluer pearles wood hay stubble to be the rest of the doctrine that is preached concerning Christ either true signified by gold and siluer and pearles or false signified by wood and hay and stubble So did Tertullian of old vnderstand it m Tertul. coÌ„t Marc. l. 5. Super quod prout quisque superstruxerit dignam scilicet vel indignam doctrinam opus â—ius per ignem probabitur merces â—iâ—s per ignem rependetur As euery man saith he buildeth vpon the foundation doctrine worthy or vnworthy his worke shall be tryed by fire his reward shall be repaied him by fire In the like sort doth Ambrose expound it n Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. Tria genera posuit praeclara in mundo in quibus bonam doctrinam significauit c. Tria alia genera posuit sedfriuola In his corrupta vana doctrina designata di nâ—scitur He setteth downe three kinds of things that are excellent in the world gold siluer pearles by which he signifieth good doctrine three other things he setteth downe which are but base wood hay stubble and by these corrupt and vaine doctrine is designed Now if by these things doctrine bee designed then the fire whereby triall must be made of these things must be vnderstood accordingly That cannot be of the Popish Purgatory fire for it cannot in this sense bee fitted to Purgatory fire which the Apostle saith Euery mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declareâ— because it shall bee reueiled by fire for it is not declared or manifested by Purgatory fire whether doctrine bee true or false sith it selfe is so obscure and darke as that no man knoweth where it is Is it made manifest to vs by Purgatory fire whether ours or the Popish doctrine bee the more true Nay but by the word of God this triall is made and thereby it appeareth what is truth and what is falshood what is right and what is wrong and the truth as the gold and siluer is approued and iustified thereby but errour and false doctrine as wood and
Christs mediation hee held it needfull to request other farre meaner then himselfe to pray for him All this is good saith a good Protestant for to instruct vs to request the helpe of other mens prayers that are liuing with vs but not of Saints who are departed this world Yes say we because the Saints in heauen are more charitable and desirous of Gods honour and of our spirituall good then any friend we haue liuing and therefore more forward to assist vs with their prayers They are also more gracious in the sight of God and thereby better able to obtayne our requests All which may easily be gathered out of S. Paul who saith that charity neuer faileth but is maruailously encreased 1. Cor. 13. ver 8. Ephes 2. ver 19. in that heauenly Country Also that we are not strangers and forraigners to the Saints but their fellow Cittizens and the houshold seruants of God with them yea we are members of the same body wherefore they cannot choose but tender most dearely all our sutes that appertaine vnto the glory of God and our owne saluation They therefore haue finally no other shift to auoide praying to Saints but to say that though all other circumstances doe greatly moue vs thereto yet considering that they cannot heare vs it is labour lost to pray to them To which we reply and that out of S. Paul that the Saints can heare vs and doe perfectly know our prayers made vnto them For the Apostle comparing the knowledge of this life with that of the life to come saith In part wee know and in part wee prophesie but 1. Cor. 13. ver 9. â—0 12. when that shall come which is perfect that shall be made voide which is in part And a little after VVe see now by a glasse in a darke sort but then face to face Whence not I but that Eagle-eyed Doctor S. Augustine De Ciuitat Dei lib. 22. cap. 29. doth deduce that the knowledge of the heauenly Cittizens is without comparison farre more perfect and clearer then euer any mortall mans was of things absent and to come yea that the Prophets who were indued with surpassing and extraordinary light did not reach any thing neare vnto the ordinary knowledge of the Saints in heauen grounding himselfe vpon these expresse wordes of the Apostle We prophesie in part that is imperfectly in this life which shall be perfect in heauen If then saith he the Prophets being mortall men had particular vnderstanding of things farre distant from them and done in other Countries much more doe those immortall soules replenished with the glorious light of heauen perfectly know that which is done on earth though neuer so farre from them thus much of praying to Saints R. ABBOT WE collect saith he as though it were any thing to vs what they collect when the question is what the Apostle teacheth It is true that the Apostle heartily craueth the Romans a Rom. 15. 30. to helpe him in their prayers and hopeth by the helpe b 2. Cor. 1. 11. of the Corinthians prayers to be deliuered from great dangers but what of that Marry saith he hence we reason thus If such a holy man as Paul was stoode in neede of other mens prayers much more neede haue we poore wretches of the prayers of Saints But doth not the wise man see that he here maketh a rodde to whip himselfe for if such a holy man as Paul was standing in neede of other mens prayers yet craued not any prayers of the Saints that were dead but only of the brethren that were aliue doth he not teach vs to doe the like that though we be to begge the helpe of other mens prayers yet we begge the same of the liuing only not of them that are dead Yea but the Saints in heauen saith he are more charitable and desirous of Gods honour and our spirituall good more forward to pray for vs and more gracious in Gods sight to obtaine our requests But why then say I did not St. Paul rather seeke to the Saints in heauen then to men liuing vpon the earth Why did he not say O Abraham Isaac Iacob pray for vs Why did he not desire God that by the merits and intercession of the holy Virgin of Saint Stephen St. Iames St. Ioseph and such others he would haue mercy vpon him Why did he seeke to them that were farre meaner then himselfe when hee might haue gone to those that were superiors to himselfe and more gracious in Gods sight Did not he know that charity is maruelously increased in that heauenly Countrey that they tender dearely all our sutes that they can heare vs and doe perfectly know our praiers made vnto them Why did he omit then rather to craue their prayers then the prayers of the Romans the Corinthiaus and others to whom he wrote M. Bishop cannot here answere any thing to giue satisfaction to any reasonable man yea it plainly appeareth by the Apostles example that all his collections are but vaine and phantasticall speculations Against which we oppose briefly that it is c Iam. 5. 15. the prayer of faith which saueth and true faith hath it seate d Rom. 10. 10. in the heart and God heareth euery mans prayer e 1. Kings 8. 39. as he knoweth his heart and f Ibid. he only knoweth the hearts of all the children of men and therefore the Saints know not our prayers because they know not our hearts And thus the Prophet Esay saith g Esay 63. 16. Abraham knoweth vs not and Israel is ignorant of vs. Wherupon St. Austin concludeth h August de cura pro mort gerenda c. 13. Si tanti Patriarchâ— quid erga populum ex his procreatum ageretur ignoraâ—erunt quibus Deo credentibus populus ipse de illorum stirpe promissus est quomodomortui suorum rebus atque actibus cognoscendis adiuâ—aÌ„disque miscentur Quomodo dicimus cis fuisse consultum qui obierunt antequam venirent mala quae illoruÌ„ obitum consecuta sunt si post mortem sentiunt quaecunque in vita humanae calamitate contingunt Et paulò pòst Ibi sunt ergò spiritus defunctor um vbi non vident quaecunque agâ—tur aut euenâ—â—nt in ista vita hominibus If so worthy Patriarches did not know what was done as touching the people that was descended of them to whom beleeuing God the same people was promised to come of their stocke how haue the dead to doe with the knowledge or helping of the state and doings of theirs and how doe we say that they were prouided for who died before those euils came which ensued after their death if after death they vnderstand what euils befall in the calamity of this life He concludeth The soules of the dead are there where they see not what things are done or happen to men in this life This M. Bishop cannot abide to heare of from St. Austin because he thinketh