a time because the end of his sitting is for the subduing of his enemies which thencefoorth shall be none and for the bringing of vs to God who then shal perfectly and immediately be ioyned vnto God f 1. Cor. 13.12 to see face to face and to know euen as we are knowen g August de Trin. lib. 1. ca. 10. Vt iam non interpellet pro nobis Mediator Sacerdos noster filius Dei filius hominis sed ipse in quantum Sacerin est assumpta propter nos serui forma subiectus sit ei qui illi subiecit omnia vt in quant is Deus â—â—t cum illo nos subiectos habeat in quantum Sacerdos nobiscum illi subiectus sit so as that our Mediatour and Priest the sonne of God and the sonne of man shall no further make intercession for vs saith S. Austin but he also as our Priest hauing taken for vs the forme of a seruant shall be subiect to him who hath subdued to him all things that as he is God he may haue vs subiect together with himselfe as man and as our Priest may with vs be subiect to himselfe as God the kingdome thencefoorth to abide not in the manhood of Christ as now it doth but in the Godhead that God as the Apostle saith may be all in all For conclusion of this section M. Bishop addeth That God shall then render vnto euery man according to his workes all the packe of them doth vtterly deny But M. Bishop you should for example haue named one you should haue quoted some place where either in common or priuate iudgement this deniall is set downe Gods rendring according to works prooueth no merit If you can bring none what a shame is it for a man of your degree and profession thus wilfully to lie and to wrong them that haue done no wrong to you The Scripture indeed hath taught it as he alleageth and we beleeue and so preach to all men that h Rom. 2.6 God shall render vnto euery man according to his workes We giue warning with the Apostle i Gal. 6.7 that no man deceiue himselfe for whatsoeuer a man soweth the same shall he reape He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reâ—pe euerlasting life We teach by the word of Christ that k Iohn 5.28 the houre shall come when all that are in their graues shall heare his voice and shall come foorth they that haue done good to the resurrection of life and they that haue done euill to the resurrection of condemnation And yet we teach withall that we are l Rom. 3.24.25 iustified freely by the grace of God throuh faith in the blood of Christ and that God doth saue vs not for any merits of ours but onely for his mercies sake Can he not tel how these two may stand to gether Let him learne then of Gregory Bishop of Rome who propoundeth the question and answereth it m Gregor in Psal paenitent 7. Si illa sanctorum foelicitas misericordia est non meritis acquiritur vbi erit quod scriptum est Et tu reddes vnicuique secundum opera sua si secundum opera redditur quomodo misericordia aestimabitur sed aliud est secundum opera reddere aliud propter ipsa opera reddere In eo enim quod secundum opera dicitur ipsa operum qualitas intelligitur vt cuius apparuerint hona opâ—râ— eius sit retributio gloriâ—saiâ—â— namque heatae vitae in qua cum deo de deo vâ—â—i ur nullus potest aequari labor nulla opera comparaâ—i praesertim cum Apostolus dicat Non sunt condignae passiones c. If the blisse of the Saints be mercy and be not purchased or gotten by merits how shall that stand which is written Thou shalt render vnto euery one according to his workes If it be rendred according to workes how shall it be esteemed mercy But it is one thing saith he to render according to workes another thing to render for the workes sake For when it is said according to workes the quality it selfe of the works is considered that whose workes appeare good his reward may be glorious For to that blessed life where we are to liue with God and of God himselfe no labour or paines can be equalled no workes may be compared for that the Apostle saith that the sufferings of this time are not worthy of the glory that shall be reuealed vpon vs. Notwithstanding then that God doe render to euery many cccording to his workes yet the doctrine of merits which M. Bishop would build thereupon is excluded because our good workes though they be sufficient as markes to distinguish vs from others yet they are not sufficient to obtaine saluation for vs yea as n Of Iustification sect 49. elsewhere hath beene declared out of Gregory if God should in strict iudgement examine the defects and blemishes of them they should therein be sufficient to condemne vs. Whatsoeuer they are they are not our owne but Gods workes in vs and o August de grat lib arbit cap 7. Si dei dona sunt bona merita tua non deus cororat merita tua tanquam merita tua sed tanquaÌ„ dona sua when he shall crowne them he shall crowne them not as our merits but as his owne gifts as S. Austin saith 11. W. BISHOP 8. I beleeue in the holy Ghost First Caluin and his followers who hold the holy Ghost to haue the God-head of himselfe and not to haue receiued it from the Father and the Sonne must consequently deny the holy Ghost to proceede from the Father and the Sonne In the Preface In cap. 6. 17. Isa in 16. Marc. as hath beene elsewhere prooued Secondly they make him much inferiour vnto the other persons for they teach in their French Catechismes that the Father alone is to be adored in the name of the Sonne And Caluin against Gentil saith that the title of creatour belongeth onely to the Father and elsewhere that the Father is the first degree and cause of life and the Sonne the second And that the * In 26. Math. v. 64. Father holdeth the first rancke of honour and gouernement and the Sonne the second where the holy Ghost is either quite excluded from part with the Father and the Sonne or at most must be content with the third degree of honour R. ABBOT As touching the Frst point he referreth his Reader to the Preface and there it is already answered That which Caluin saith is namely concerning the second person in Trinity the Sonne of God M. Bishop by consequence draweth it to the third person the holy Ghost The obiection then or rather the slander being cleered as touching the Sonne is consequently cleered concerning the holy Ghost His second cauill is The holy Ghost not made inferior
one that walketh before him and therefore that of him and his fellowes that deride them the words following haue their iust construction But you witches children come hither the seede of the adulterer and of the whoore On whom haue yee iested vpon whom haue yee gaped and thrust out your tongues are yee not all rebellious children and a false seed But from these he goeth to some of the learnedst amongst vs citing Caluin and Beza Christ truely and properly merited for vs by Caluins doctrine I truely confesse saith Caluin that if a man will set Christ singly by himselfe against the iudgement of God there will be roome for merit Where that thou maiest see gentle Reader that it was not without cause that I suspected him for the former citation I pray thee first to obserue that the very argument of the chapter whence he alleageth these words is thus set dowee h Caluin Instit. l. 2. c. 2. Rectè et proprtè dici Christum nobis promeritum esse gratiam dei salutem That it is rightly and properly said that Christ hath deserued for vs the grace of God and saluation which he purposely disputeth against some i Sect. 1. sunt quidam perperam arguti qui etsi fatentur salutem nos per Christum consequi nomen tamen meriti audire non sustinent quo putant obscurari deâ— gratiam who although they confesse that we attaine saluation by Christ yet cannot endure to heare the name of merit because they thinke the grace of God to be obscured thereby Secondly albeit he set downe Caluins tearmes of qualification k Ibid. EquideÌ„ fateor siquis Christum simpliciter per se opponere vellet iudicio dei non fore merito locum quia non reperietur in homine dignitas quae possit deum promereri simply and by himselfe yet very treacherously he leaueth out the end of the sentence whereby those tearmes are to be vnderstood which is this because there can bee found no worthinesse in man that can deserue at Gods handes For heereby it is manifest that Caluin in those wordes respecteth Christ as man and onely in that respect denieth merit if Christ meerely as man be opposed against the iudgement of God And this further appeareth by that which he addeth to his purpose out of Austin which M. Bishop dissembleth because hee thought he could not so honestly cauill against Austin as he might against Caluin l August de praedest sanct cap. 15. Est etraÌ„ praeclarissimum lumen praedestinationis gratiae ipse saluator ipse mediator dei hominâ—â— homo Christus Iesus qui vt hoc esset quibus tandem suis vel operum vel fidei praecedentibus meritis natura humana quae in illo est comparauit Respendeatur quaeso ille honâ—oâ—t à verbe patri coaeterno in vnitatem personae assumptus filius dei vnigenitus esset vnde hee meruerit There is saith Austin a most notable and cleere light of Predestination and grace euen the man Christ Iesus the Sauiour the Mediatour betwixt God and men who to bee so by what former merits of his either of workes or of faith did the nature of man in him atteine vnto Tell mee I pray saith he that that man taken into vnitie of person with the word coeternall to the Father should be the onely begotten Sonne of God whereby did he merit or deserue it By which words S. Austin giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that the man Christ Iesus did not by merits atteine to become our Sauiour to become the Mediatour betwixt God and man but it was by Gods predestination and grace by his decree and ordinance that it so came to passe Heereupon then Caluin inferreth that m Calu. vt supr Cùm ergò de Christi merito agitur non statuitur in eo principium sed conscendimus ad dei ordinationeÌ„ quae prima causa est quia mero beneplacito modiatorem statuit qui nobis salutem acquireret when we speake of the merit of Christ we are not to place it as the first beginning but we ascend to the ordinance of God which is the first cause because he meerely of his owne good pleasure appointed him the Mediatour to purchase saluation for vs. In which words he acknowledgeth that Christ did verily and indeed purchase saluation for vs but yet that it came of the good pleasure of God and his meere grace and mercy to giue him vnto vs for a Mediatour to merit and purchase our saluation His drift is not in any sort to impeach the merit of Christ but onely to shew that the merit of Christ is no impeachment of the free mercy of God because of that free mercy it is that we haue him to merit for vs. And to that purpose it is that he saith n Ibid. Nam Christus nonnisi ex dei beneplacito quicquam mereri potuit sed quia ad hoc destinatus erat vt iram dei sacrificio suo placaret suaque obedientia deleret transgressiones nostras that Christ could not merit any thing but by the good pleasure of God because but by the good pleasure of God he could not be Christ he could not be man he could not bee the Mediatour betwixt God and man In a word hence it came that he merited for vs as it is added in the next words because hee was destinated and appointed that by his sacrifie he should appease the wrath of God and blot out our transgressions by his obedience To the same effect it is also added which M. Bishop thirdly mentioneth o Ibid. Ex sola dei gratia quae hunc nobis constituit salutis modum dependet meritum Christi that the merit of Christ dependeth vpon the onely grace of God which saith he hath appointed for vs this means of saluation Not so then but that Christ did indeed merit saluation for vs but it was the grace of God that gaue him to merit for vs and so to bee the meanes of our saluation which is the thing that Beza also defendeth against Heshushius And what is there in all this for M. Bishop to dislike He will not say that Christ as a meere man could haue merited at Gods hands because he hath before confessed that the value and dignitie of Christs works arose from the dignitie of his person in that hee was the Sonne of God Hee will not denie that it was the good pleasure and grace of God that gaue Christ to merit in our behalfe for that the texts of Scripture cited by Caluin for proofe thereof doe manifestly shew p Ioh 3.16 God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne to the end that euery one that beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life q 1. Ioh. 4.10 Not that we loued God but that hee loued vs first and sent his Sonne to be the attonement for our sinnes by which it
feare him Is not this M. Bishop a most gracious and glorious effect of the bloud of Christ Can you say any thing to magnifie the power of Christs death further then we do If you will say truth M. Bishop you can say nothing for as for that which you do say that the bloud of Christ doth now in baptisme fully clense our soules from al the filth of originall sinne your owne heart telleth you that it is a verie lie And because that is a lie therefore for iustice and rigteousnesse before God you must betake your selfe to that which now in mockery you call because you know it not the rare instrument of a new deuised faith and to the reall imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ who really communicateth vnto vs whatsoeuer he hath done for vs. And impious it is to thinke Å¿ Rom. 4.3.5.6 the imputation of righteousnesse which the Scripture expresly teacheth to be as you seeme to imagine it only mentall and phantasticall But of all these points heere girded at by M. Bishop t Answer to D. Bishops Epistle sect 7.17 Of originall sinne per tot of the remainder of originall sinne u Answer to the Epistle sect 19. Of Iustification sect 44. of the staine and imperfection of our workes x Of the certaintie of Saluation sect 2.3 c. Of Iustification s 15.16 c. of the nature of faith y Of Iustification sect 3.4 c. Luther affirmeth not equalitie of grace of the imputation of righteousnesse so much hath beene said before as that it shall be but tedious both to the Reader and me to goe ouer the same againe And surely we can take all this speech of his to be no other but wild and carelesse babling so long as we see him vnable to defend that which to the same purpose he wrote before But vpon that mention of faith and imputed iustice he quarelleth at Luther for saying as he reporteth that whosoeuer is borne againe of this Euangelicall faith is equall in grace both to Peter and Paul and to the Virgin Mary But he therein belieth Luther who in the very place confesseth difference of faith and therefore cannot be said to affirme equality of grace His words are z Luther in 1. Pet. c. 1. vnam Christiani omnes fraternitatem babemus c. See the vvhole place Answer to the Aduertisement sect 15. All we that are christians haue one brotherhood which we haue attained in baptisme of which no saint hath more then thou I. For with what price he was redeemed with the same was I redeemed also It cost God no lesse for my sake then for any the greatest saint saue that he hath perhaps better embraced this treasure that is hath stronger faith then I. This Luther spake rightly of the common condition and calling of Christianity wherein no man hath more interest then other which yet hindereth not but that in particular gifts of grace according to diuers measures of faith one man may farre excell another But what conscience he vseth in these citations it may easily appeare for that whereas heere he citeth this place of Luther to charge him with affirming equality of grace in this world he alleageth the very same in a Sect 15. Hod God is said to fauour vs no lesse then his Son Christ the treatise following to charge him with affirming equality of glorie in the world to come From Luther he goeth to Zwinglius albeit the words which he biteth at be not the words of Zwinglius but of Conradus Fabritius another Minister of that Church which yet containe nothing amisse but that a venemous spider hath the sucking of them b Act. Disput 2. Tigur apud Zwinglium Deus pater omnibus Christianis qui vera spe fide charitate Christo nituntur non minus sauet necminus propitius est quam Christo filio suo proprio fidelem huiusmodi non minus quà m filium suum tuebitur nec minus quà m filium suum ab aeterna morte eundem liberabit non minùs ab aeterno incendio illum eripiet non minùs caelum illi patere faciet c. Quid nâ—u t is aeternam vitam non minus illi quà m filio suo largietur Testimonium nobis huius certitudinis est locupletissimâ—m quod est ipse Christus aeterna veritas c. God the Father saith Fabritius no lesse fauoureth all Christians who rest vpon Christ by true faith hope and charitie nor is lesse gracious to them then to Christ his owne Sonne No lesse will hee defend such a faithfull man then his owne Sonne no lesse will hee saue him from euerlasting death no lesse will hee deliuer him from euerlasting fire no lesse will hee cause heauen to bee open vnvnto him then to his onely begotten sonne What should I vse many words He will no lesse giue him euerlasting life then he will to his sonne He addeth further We haue a most abundant testimony of this assurance which is Christ himselfe the eternall truth c. By which words it plainely appeareth that that which he saith no lesse no lesse is not referred to intension and quantity but to assurance and certainty He no lesse fauoureth the one then he doth the other that is he as certainely fauoureth the one as he doth the other no lesse will he giue eternal life to the one then to the other that is he will giue it as certainly to the one as to the other And what is this other in effect then that which Christ himselfe saith of the elect to his father c Iohn 17.23 Thou hast loued them as thou hast loued me which manner of speech as Saint Austin noteth d August in â—an tract 110. Neque enim semper aequalitatem significat qui dicit siâ—ut illud ita illud sed aliquando tantum quia est illud est et illud aut quia est illud vt fit et illud doth not alwaies signifie equality but sometimes signifieth onely because the one is the other also is or that the one is that the other also may be In the same sort and no otherwise are the words of Fabritius to be vnderstood as M. Bishop himselfe knoweth but shift he must to say somewhat The words which he citeth as of some of our Martyrs out of M. Foxe I cannot finde by his quotation I remember that long since I haue red some such kinde of words but he is so false that I dare not presume that he hath reported them altogether truely as they are The meaning of him that spake the words was this that we haue the same right to heauen that Christ hath because Christ hath giuen vs his right It is written of Saint Bernard that being in a time of sicknes much vrged with Satans accusations he answered for himselfe e Vita Beâ—nardi l. 1. cap. 12. fateor non sum dignus ego nec proprijs possum meritis
church that is assembling themselues together to performe religion and seruice to their God This was the state of the church in the captiuity of Babylon when Ierusalem was burnt to the ground the temple destroied the people of God carried away into strange lands and heere and there dispersed amongst the heathen nations The like befell them by the tyranny of Antiochus euen in their owne land their temple being defiled their religion interdicted and euery one commanded to be slaine that would not renounce the law of God Now to apply all these things to the state of the church of Christ it was first oppugned by professed enemies who sought wholly to root out the name of Christians and to abandon the faith of Christ vtterly out of the world Thus did the Iewes first and after them the Heathens persecute the whole profession of Christianity and by the importunity of their cruelty did many times so obscure and darken the face of the church as that for the most part it was hardly to be seene Whosoeuer were found to giue open testimony to the name of Christ were martyred and slaine the rest for feare of the like danger either fled into wildernesses and solitary places or else had their meetings very couertly and secretly that they might not be espied Yea their sauage and barbarous fury so far preuailed as that they seemed to themselues to haue gotten a perpetuall victory ouer the name of Christ and did set vp pillars of marble as trophees thereof whereof it is said that some monuments are yet remaining vntill this day Thus albeit many thousands there were who heere and there dispersed and scattered continued steadfast in the faith of Christ and in many places couertly gathered themselues together for the exercise of their faith yet the Church to the sight of the enemies therof was inuisible neither could they in a manner take knowledge of any against whom their malice might any further proceed But when by the prouidence and mercy of God the sword of those tyrants was wrested out of their hands this inuisible church soone came to light againe and began to enioie outward state and honour and the Saints who seemed to haue beene dead and buried in euerlasting reproch and shame became renowmed and glorious in the world and as they were indeed so began they in the opinion of men to be exalted vnto heauen From thencefoorth we affirme that the church hath neuer ceased to be eminently and apparantly visibly to al the world so far are we from saying that which Bellarmine as the master and M. Bishop here as the scholar do impute vnto vs Å¿ Bâ—llarm de notis eccl cap 9. Ecclesiam visibilem a multis seculis perijsse c. docent omnes that the visible church for many ages was quite perished out of the world How can we be taken to say that the church was perished for many ages who doe hold that for those many ages whereof we speake Antichrist according to that that was prophecied of him did t 2. Thess 2.4 sit as God in the Temple that is to say the church of God If we say that Antichrist sate that is dominated and tyrannized in the church the visible church then surely we deny it not to be the visible church wherein Antichrist did sit We confesse that the church in all that time hath beene apparant to the eies of all men the whole world saw it Turkes and Saracens fought against it and did their vttermost to root it out that the name of Christians might no more haue beene heard of amongst men But we say withall that the visible church by the vsurpation of Antichrist was become for the most part as the temple of God in the daies of u 2. King 2â— 4.7 Manasses replenished with idolatries and abhominations or as the church of the Iewes at the comming of Christ euen x Mat. 9.36 like sheepe without a shepheard burdened with humane traditions and wanting the free aire of the word of God whereby hee ministreth the breath of euerlasting life As y Ierem. 3.20 the wife that is rebellious and vnfaithfull to her husband z Prou. 2.17 which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the couenant of her God so was the state of the Church shamefully polluting her selfe with manifold fornications whiles she proftituted herselfe to the embracings of the Romane adulterer and yeelded to him the obedience and seruice which she should haue reserued vnto Iesus Christ Shee was the mother indeed by whom God through baptisme brought foorth children to himselfe but being though by nature a mother yet by affection a step-mother when she had brought them foorth shee poisoned them or else hated and put them from her if any refused to drinke of her cup and to approoue those adulteries and sorceries wherewith their father her husband and Lord was dishonoured by her And many such were there through the whole decourse of the desolations of Antichrist whose eies God opened some more some lesse to see the filthinesse of their mother who though happily by education they were not wholly without some aspersion of the errors and superstitions of their times yet abhorred those Idolatries and abhominations whereby the Church had broken her faith to God and made way so much as in her lay for her full diuorce and separation from him For God forbid that we should thinke that the spirit of trueth was wholly departed from the Church or that the couenant of Baptisme was voide on Gods behalfe sealing none vnto him but that amidst those ruines he had still his remnant which not in name onely but in trueth were the Church of Christ For as in a common pestilence though it rage neuer so sore yet it infecteth not all and many whom it doth infect yet are not deadly infected but many by preseruatiues escape and others by strength of nature expel the venime in botches and sores so as that life is still preserued euen so in that generall pestilence and infection which the breath of Antichrist had blowen abroad through the church howsoeuer it were vniuersally dispersed yet it tainted not all and many that were touched with it yet drunke not so deepe of the whore of Babylons cup as to surfet and die thereof and albeit they might seeme in a maner to bee drowned in common errours yet reteined that fundamentall doctrine of true faith in Christ whereby they keept the head aboue water to receiue the breath of life and through the fire of repentance by harty praier vnto God for remission of all their sinnes and ignorances whether knowen to them in their end or remaining vnknowen passed vnto eternall life a See Simon Goulart Catalog test veritatis Many such there were in the bosome of their church euen in their monasteries and religious houses to whom God reuealed the light of his truth Who b Ezech. 9.4 mourned and cried for all the abhominations that were
cannot bring so much as one man within the compasse of eleuen hundred yeeres after Christ that euer reduced the Sacraments to that number And shall not we well deserue to bee written vpon the backe-side of the booke of Wisedome if we shal take that for a principle of Christian religion which came first out of their schoole for the space of more then a 1000. yeres was neuer so knoweÌ„ in the church of Christ The Apostle m 1. Cor. 10.1.2 c. when he wil shew the Church of the Israelites to haue beene equall to vs in grace of Sacraments instanceth the same only in our two sacraments because he knew no more And no more did the ancient Fathers know who vniuersally holding the same mysterie of the creation of the woman out of the side of Adam being asleepe namely that n Aug. in Psal 56. Dormienti Christo in cruce facta est coniux de latere percussum est enim latus pendent is de lancea et prâ—fluxerunt Ecclesiae Sacramenta in Ioan. tract 15. thereby was figured the framing of the Church by Sacraments out of the side of Christ being dead when being pearced there issued out of it o Ioh. 19.34 1. Ioh. 5.6 water and bloud doe name those Sacraments as we doe p Aug. de symbol ad CatechuÌ„ lib. 2. c. 6. Sanguis aqua quae sunt Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta Chrysost in Ioan. hom 84. Theophy in Ioan. 19. Cyprian de passione Christi Of the effects of the Sacraments two onely and no more Whereas he saith that we extinguish the vertue and efficacy of those two sacraments it is only his blinde conceit We deny not but that the Sacraments are instruments of grace and of remission of sinnes and yet we deny them to bee so in that sort as is affirmed by the church of Rome namely as to giue grace ex opere operato for the very worke wrought as the Schoolemen speake It is worthily obserued by Saint Austin that q Aug. in Ioan. tract 80. Aâ—cedat verbum ad elementum fit Sacramentum etiam ipsum tanquam visibile verbuÌ„ a Sacrament is as it were a visible word because by it in way of signification God as it were speaketh the same to the eie other senses which by the word he soundeth to the eare Yea hee affirmeth that the outward element of it selfe is nothing but it is by the word that it hath whatsoeuer power it hath r Ibid. Quare non ait Nunc mundi estis propter baptismum quo loti estis sed ait propter verbum quod locutus sum vobis nisi quia in aqua verbum mundat Detrahe verbum quid est aqua nisi aqua moxâ— Vnde ista tanta virtus aquae vt corpus tangat cor abluat nifi saciente verbo Non quia dicitur sed quia creditur Why doth not Christ say Now are yee cleane by the baptisme wherewith yea are washed but by the word which I haue speken to you but because in the water it is the word that clenseth Take away the word and what is water but water Whence is it that the water hath so great power to touch the body and to wash the heart but that the word doth it and that not because it is spoken but because it is beleeued Now if the Sacrament haue all his vertue and efficacy from the word and the word haue his power not for that it is spoken but for that it is beleeued we must conceiue the same of the Sacrament also that the effect thereof standeth not in being applied by the hand of the minister but in being beleeued by the faith of the receiuer God both by the one and by the other ministring and increasing faith and the holy Ghost accompanying both the one and the other to doe that that is beleeued Thus is baptisme a signe of representation to the vnderstanding and seale of confirmation to faith effectuallie deliuering to the beleeuer through the holy Ghost the grace of God and the remission of all his sinnes And why doth it trouble M. Bishop that wee make baptisme in this sort onely a signe and a seale when as though signes and seales be not the things themselues yet by signes and seales men are woont to be entitled and inuested to the things signified and sealed And hath not the Apostle himselfe taught vs thus to speake Gregory Bishop of Rome saith that Å¿ Greg. Moral lib. 4. c. 3. Quod apud nos vales aqua Baptismatis hoc egit apud veteres vel pro paruulis sola fides vel pro maioribus virtus Sacrificij vel pro his qui ex stirpe Abrahae prodierant mysterium circumcisionis what the water of baptisme doth with vs the same did the mystery of circumcision with the seed of Abraham But of circumcision the Apostle saith thus * Rom. 4.11 The reall eating of Christ a grosse fancie Abraham receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of faith Baptisme therefore must be to vs the signe and seale of the righteousnesse of faith Their doctrine of reall eating the body of Christ importeth no matter of comfort and dignitie but a carnall rude and profane fancy t Cyril ad Euopt cont reprehens Theodor anath 11. Num hominis comestionem nostrum hoâ— sacramentuÌ„ pronuntias irreligiose ad crassas cogitationes vrges eorum qui crediderunt mentem attentas humanis cogitationibus tractare quae sola pura inexquisita fide accipiuntur Doest thou saith Cyril pronounce our Sacrament to be the eating of a man and irreligiously vrge the minds of them that beleeue to grosse imaginations and assay to handle by humane conceits those things which are to bee receiued by only pure and vndoubted faith Christ indeed is not the foode of the belly but of the minde and therefore u Cyprian de caena dom Haec quoties agimus non dentes ad mordendum acuimus sed fide syncerae panem sanctum frangim us partimur we doe not whet our teeth to bite but with syncere faith we breake and diuide the sacred bread saith Cyprian because x August in Ioan. tract 26. Credere in Christum hoc est menducare paenem viuum to beleeue in Christ saith Austin that is to eate the bread of life and y Iohn 6.54.56 he that thus eateth the flesh of Christ and eternall life and Christ shall raise him vp at the last day And because we thus teach that spritually and by faith we eate the very body of Christ and drinke his blood as alwaies so specially in that speciall helpe of faith which God hath ministred vnto vs in the supper of the Lord and that thereby we grow more and more into communion and fellowship with him to become partakers of the riches of his grace to immortality and euerlasting life therefore we doe not take
Rom. 8 11. quickened by his spirit h Rom 5.19 iustified by his obedience i 2 Cor. 1.22 Ehâ— 1.13.14 2. Tim. 2.19 sealed to the remssion of sinnes and euerlasting life That God hath such a people we beleeue it we see it not neither can our eies discerne who they are that appertaine to this number it being one of the proper emblemes of Gods honour j The Lord knoweth who are his In this sort doe we in the articles of our Creede professe to beleeue the holy Catholike church That there is a church also visible no man denieth no man doubteth nay we affirme that it is amidst that church which wee see that God gathereth vnto himselfe that church which we cannot see And to speake of this visible church also we cannot see it to be Gods church or that it is Gods word that there is preached or that they are the Sacraments of Christ which are there administred or that there is any fruit or benefite to be reaped thereby We see these things done but the estimation of them is a matter of faith and not of fight we see the persons but we do not by our eies perceiue them to be that that they take vpon them to be But being by faith instructed that these things are of God or professing so to be beleeue we discerue by hearing and seeing who they are to whom we are to adioine our selues for the exercise of our faith So then the church is both visible and inuisible visible as touching the persons visible as touching open assemblies and exercises but not visible to bee the church of God for then Iewes and heathens would see so much and would leaue to persecute which now they doe not because they haue no faith and the church is no otherwise knowen so to be but onely by faith Now what saith M. Bishop to hurt any thing that we say The persons saith he in the Catholike church are visible but their indowments are inuisible Well and men are not true members of the true church by being such and such persons but by hauing such and such inward indowments and therfore though they bee visible as touching their persons yet they are not visible as true members of the church The church therefore which wee professe to beleeue which consisteth in them that are the true members of the visible church must needs be granted to be inuisible Yea I say further that men are not at all members of the visible church by being such and such persons but by profession of the faith and name of Christ and participation of his Sacraments And therfore M. Bishop doth much amisse to compare visible persons and inward qualities with the body the soule because to be a visible person is not to be in part a member of the church as the body is part of a man for then euery Turke and Infidell might be said to be in part a member of the church because he is a man but outward acceptance of the faith and visible communion with the church maketh a man outwardly a member thereof and is as it were the body the life and soule wherof is the inward grace of the spirit whereby he is indeed to the eies of God that which outwarly he seemeth to bee to the eies of men But a further difference also there is for that the soule though in it selfe it be inuisible yet is certainly perceiued and discerned by the actions and motions of the body and therefore well may a man be said to be visible as a man though as touching the soule it selfe he be inuisible whereas there are no such actions or motions of a member of the visible church whereby the eie of man can certainely see that hee hath life within or is spiritually the same to God that outwardly he giueth semblance to men to be Because therefore the true members of the church are not to be discerned with the eie it followeth that the church properly so called consisting of those true members is visible to God onely 7. W. BISHOP His last obiection against vs out of the Creed is That the articles of remission of sinnes resurrection of the body and life euerlasting containe a confession of speciall faith For the meaning of them is thus much I beleeue the remission of mine owne sinnes and the resurrectition of mine owne body to life euerlasting Answer That is not the meaning vnlesse you adde some conditions to wit I beleeue the remission of my sinnes if I haue duly vsed the meanes ordained by our Sauiour for the remission of them which is after Baptisme the Sacrament of Penance Item I beleeue I shall haue life euerlasting if I keepe as Christ willed the yong-man to keepe Gods commandements or at the least if I doe die with true repentance Now whether I haue done or shall doe these things required of me I am not so well assured as that I can beleue it for I may be deceiued therein but I haue or may haue a very goood hope by the grace of God to performe them Neither is there any more to be gathered out of Saint Augustine as some of the words by himselfe heere alleaged doe conuince For he requireth besides faith that we turne from our sinnes conforme our will to Gods will and abide in the lap of the Catholike church and so at length we shall be healed See the question of certainty of saluation Note also by the way the vncertainty of of M. PER. doctrine concerning this point for he holdeth that it is not necessary to haue a certaine perswasion of our owne saluation Pag. 2â—0 275. but that it is sufficient to haue a desire to haue it and that doctrine he putteth there as he saith himselfe to expound the Chatechismes that propound faith at so high reach as few can attaine vnto yet heere and elsewhere the goodman forgetting himselfe chargeth vs to crosse the Creed because we doe not wrest faith vp to so high a straine and so in heate of quarelling often expoundeth this contrary to his owne rule Now for proofe of S. Augustines opinion heerein whom he onely citeth take these two sentences for the two points be speaketh of For the first that we be certaine by ordinary faith of our saluation let this serue Of life euerlasting which God that cannot lie hath promised to his children De bono perseuer cap. 22. De correct grat cap. 13. no man can be secure and out of danger before his life be ended which is a tentation vpon earth Secondly that a man once truely iustified may afterward fall We must beleeue saith this holy father that certaine of the children of perdition doe liue in faith that worketh by charity and so doe for a time liue faithfully and iustly they were then truly iustified and yet afterward doe fall and that finally because be calleth them the children of perdition Thus much in answere vnto that which M. PER. obiecteth
against our religion out of the Creed which as you haue seene consisteth wholly vpon his owne forced exposition and vaine illations R. ABBOT That our profession of saith in the Creed importeth a particular application of those things which we beleeue Romission of sinnes is beleeued not wrought hath beene sufficiently declared a Sect. 3. before in the question of the certainty of saluation M. Bishop referreth his Reader to that question as hauing there iustified what he saith heere but with what face can he so doe before he hath made it appeare that he is able to defend what he hath said there What exceptions he hath vsed there the same he vseth heere he giueth them no further strength he cleereth them not from those answers whereby hath beene shewed the inualidity of them but goeth on with his cuckowes note saying ouer and ouer still one and the same thing But his adding of conditions is the destroying of the nature of true faith which when it professeth to beleeue the remission of sinnes doth therby disclaime the working of it resting vpon Gods promise b Agust in Psal 88. Non sâ—cundiâ—m merita nostra sed secundùm miserecordiam eius firma est promissio which as S. Austin saith is sure not according to our merits but according to his owne mercy c Iere. 31.34 I will forgiue their iniquities and their sinnes wil I remember no more His sacrament of penance we know not because Christ hath not taught it but the true Sacraments which Christ hath ordained are to the faithfull repentant not workes of merit whereby they purchase but seales and confirmations of Gods gift whereby hee freely bestoweth the remission of sinnes As for the keeping of Gods commandements we say with S. Iohn He that saith he knoweth him that is as Gregory Bishop of Rome expoundeth it d Gregor in Ezechiel hom 22. De fide operatione Ioannes fatetur dicens Qui dicit se nosse deum c. he that saith he beleeueth in him keepeth not his commandements is a liar and there is no truth in him e Rom. 7.12 The commandement is holy and iust and good and f Heb. 12.14 without holinesse no man shall see God But the keeping of Gods commandements is one thing according to the condition of the law another according to the precept and exhortation of the Gospell The Gospell fauourably commendeth vnto vs the keeping thereof as a fruit of faith the law strictly requireth it as the condition of eternall life The Gospell admitteth forgiuenesse of that that by humane frailty is left vndone the law is neuer satisfied vnlesse g Gal. 3.10 all be done Therefore if the beleefe of out obteining eternall life must rest vpon our workes according to the law we can neuer haue assurance of faith because we can neuer finde sufficiency and contentment in our owne works It followeth therefore that to build the faith of the Gospell vpon the workes of the Law is to confound the Law and the Gospell and to destroy the truth of faith h Rom. 4.14 If they which are of the law be heires saith the Apostle then faith is made voide and the promise is made of none effect But i v. 16. therefore it is of faith that it may be of grace and therefore k Rom. 11.6 not of workes and the promise may be sure to all the seed that is to all that beleeue according to the example of Abrahams faith Now then whereas M. Bishop saith that he beleeueth to haue life euerlasting if hee keepe the commandements that is no beleefe at all because he cannot keepe the commandements as is required for couenant of eternal life Whereas he telleth vs that he may haue a very good hope by Gods grace to performe them his owne heart telleth him that he saith vntruely because he knoweth himselfe debarred from that hope by God himselfe by whose words we are taught that l Eccles 7.22 there is not a man iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not and that m Iames 3.2 in many things we offend all and that n Psal 143.2 in Gods sight no man liuing shall bee found righteous Therefore amidst all our keeping of Gods commandements amidst all our fightings and wrastlings against sinne we stil hold fast that confession that the iust euen the iust shall liue by faith because all our iustice in this life is maimed and halting and o August de ciu det lib. 19. cap. 27. Ipsa iustitia nostra tanta est in hac vita vt potiùs remissione peccatoruÌ„ constet quà m prefectione virtutum consisteth rather in forgiuenesse of sinnes than in perfection of vertues It remaineth therefore that true faith is the apprehension and particular application of the promise of God expecting the effect and participation thereof not for any workes of ours but for his owne mercies sake Of which faith it followeth indeed that we turne from our sinnes and conforme our will to Gods will and abide in the lap of the Catholike church but these are effects and not causes of that state of saluation which we attaine by faith onely Saint Austin therefore requiring these things doth not shake his owne assertion of particular faith whereby he teacheth a man as M. Perkins sheweth to beleeue as touching himselfe the remission of sinnes the resurrection of the body and euerlasting life As for the contradiction which M. Bishop noteth in M. PER. words it is more in his conceit than it is indeed He saith heere that the act of faith is particularly to apply he saith elsewhere that faith notwithstanding doth not alwaies attaine to a distinct application by formall proposition but that it is sometimes inuolued and inlapped in sighes and grones in desires and praiers to God which cannot be without an expectance of Gods goodnesse and mercy and yet a perplexed and trouled minde by questioning it selfe cannot see so much in it selfe He saith againe that some define faith generally to be a certaine and full perswasion which he calleth so high a reach as few can attaine vnto because as there is strong faith to perswade certainely and fully so there is also weake faith which apprehendeth and perswadeth comfortably but yet not with fulnesse and vndoubted certainty He saith nothing heere contrary to this because whether it be strong faith to apply strongly or weake faith to apply weakely yet both serue in their degree particularly to apply It is then M. Bishops want of vnderstanding heere that maketh him to mistake not M. PER. heate of quarrelling that maketh him to forget But now to shew what Saint Austins opinioÌ„ is concerning these matters of beleefe he bringeth vs two sentences the one to shew that by ordinary faith a man cannot bee certaine of his saluation the other that a man once truely iustified may afterwards finally fal away both tending to this that a man cannot be said by the
articles of the Creed to beleeue the remission of his owne sinnes vnto euerlasting life The first as he alleageth is thus p August de bono perseuer cap. 22. De vita aeterna quam filijs promissionu promi sit non mendax deus ante tempora a terna nemo potest esse secuâ—usmisicum â—oÌ„summata fuerit ista vita quae tentatio est super terram sed faciet nos perseuerare in se vsque in huius vitae â—nem cui quotidie dicin us Ne nos inferas in tentationem Of life euerlasting which God that cannot lie hath from euerlasting promised to the children of promise no man can be secure before his life be ended which is a temptation vpon earth But what M. Bishop did your breath faile you that you could goe no further did you not thinke the end of the sentence as woorthy to be repeated as the beginning Goe on man tell out your tale for Saint Austin addeth further But he wil make vs to perseuere in him vnto the end of this life to whom we daily say Lead vs not into temptation What could Saint Austin deuise to speake more agreable to our assertion than this is We say that respecting our selues we haue no security wee are continually beset with danger and feare many occasions we haue of distrust and despaire and with these temptations we haue to wrastle the whole course of this life but amidst all our distractions and feares this is stil the support of our faith that he wil make vs to perseuere in him to the end of our life to whom we daily say Lead vs not into temptation q 1. Thess 5.24 Faithfull is he saith the Apostle who hath called you who will also doe it In the other place Saint Austin saith that r â—e corrept gratia cap 13. CredenauÌ„ est quâ—sdam de filijs perditionis non accepto do no perseuerantiae vsque in finem in fide quae per dilectionem operatur incipe re viuere aliquandiu fideliter aciustè viuere postea cadere c. we are to beleeue that some of the children of perdition not hauing receiued the gift of perseuering to the end doe begin to liue in faith that worketh by loue and for a while doe liue faithfully and iustly and afterwards doefall away But this Saint Austin speaketh according to men and as seemeth to the eies of men and of that profession of faith which by outward fruits carieth for the time the semblance of true faith For to the eies of God I haue Å¿ Of the certainty of saluation sect 10. before shewed out of Austin that reprobates are neuer effectually called neuer iustified neuer partakers of that healthfull and spirituall repentance whereby man in Christ is reconciled vnto God Therefore Gregory Bishop of Rome faith that t Gregor Moral l. 25. c. 8. Specie tenus credunt quotquot certum est electorum numerum summamque transire Ad fidem specie tenus regni veniunt qui a numero regnicaelestis excluduntur they who are not of the number of the elect doe beleeue but only in shew do in shew onely come to the faith of the kingdome u Ibid. lib. 34. cap. 13. Aurum quod prauis eius persuasionibus quasi lutum sternipotuerit aurum ante dei oculos nunquam fuâ—t Qui enim seduci quandoque non reuersuri possunt quasi habitam sanctitatem ante oculos hominum videntor amittere sed eam ante oculos dei nunquam habuerunt that the gold which by Satans wicked suggestions commeth to be troden vnder feete like dirt was neuer gold in Gods sight that they who can be seduced neuer to returne againe seeme to lose the holinesse which they had after a sort before the eies of men but indeed they neuer had it in the sight of God Behold heere M. Bishop one of your owne Bishops of Rome either a correctour if you will so haue it or as we will rather say an expounder of Saint Austins words but wholly aduerse and contrary to you denying vnto reprobates that faith and holinesse which you so confidently attribute vnto them So that in fine we see that M. PERK not by forced exposition or vaine illations but directly and according to truth hath charged you with impious violation of the first principles of the faith 8. W. BISHOP Hence he proceedeth to the tenne Commandements But before I follow him thither I may not omit heere to declare how the Protestant Doctors doe foully mangle and in manner ouerturne the greatest part of the Creed Obserue first that according to their common doctrine it is not necessary to beleeue this Creed at all because it is no part of the written word secondly that Caluin doubteth whether it were made by the Apostles or no being then no part of the written word Cal. lib. 2. Instit cap. 16. sess 18. not made by the Apostles it must by their doctrine be wholly reiected Now to the particulars 1. Concerning the first article I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth they doe erre many waies First they doe destroy the most simple vnity of the God-head Confess fidei gener by teaching the diuine essence to be really distinguished into three persons If the diuine nature be really distinguished into three there must needes be three diuine essences or natures ergo three Gods Caluin also saith In actis Serueti pag. 872. that the Sonne of God hath a distinct substance from his Father Melancthon that there be aswell three diuine natures as three persons in locis de Christo Secondly they ouerthrow the Father in the God-head by denying the Sonne of God to haue receiued the diuine nature from his Father as Caluin Beza and Whitakers doe See the Preface Thirdly how is God almighty if he cannot do all things that haue no manifest repugnance in them But he cannot after the opinion of diuers of them make a body to be without locall circumscription or to bee in two places at once which notwithstanding some others of them hold to be possible In colloq Marpurg art 29. Li. 1. cont Scargum cap. 14. Dialog de corpore Christi pag. 94. De consil part 2.276 as Zwinglius Oecolampadius Andreas Volanus c. Fourthly though we beleeue God to be maker of heauen and earth yet neuer none but blasphemous Heretikes held him to be true authour and proper worker of all euill done vpon earth by men Such neuerthelesse bee Bucer Zwinglius Caluin and others of greatest estimation among the Protestants See the Preface 2. And in IESVS Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. They must needes hold Christ not to be Gods true naturall Son which denie him to haue receiued the diuine nature from the Father againe thy make him according to his God-head inferiour to his Father See the Preface 3. Borne of the Virgin MARY Many of them teach that Christ was borne as
therefore we may not doubt but that the fellowship of the grace of God as God himselfe hath ordeined is to be imparted vnto them We know that many things by the law were called holy which yet were not capable of inward and spirituall holinesse and therefore albeit wee say by the Apostles phrase that the children of the faithful are holy vnto God euen from their mothers wombe yet is there no necessitie to vnderstand this holinesse of any grace of inward regeneration as they wilfully vnderstand it it being sufficient both to the Apostles words and to our meaning that they be reckoned as belonging to Gods houshold partakers of his vocation and calling designed to his vse and in case to be made partakers of his holinesse That the remainder of originall sin is properly sinne in the regenerate and that it infecteth and staineth all our good works so as that it should preuaile against vs to condemnation saue onely that God imputeth not the same vnto vs it hath beene at large before declared and M. Bishop for shame should no more gainesay it till he haue made good that that there he hath said against it As for his Sacrament of penance we know it not Repentance Christ hath taught vs but Sacrament of penance he hath taught none and therefore iustly may wee leaue it to them that haue beene the deuisers of it For remission of sinnes which wee commit after baptisme wee looke backe alwaies in our repentance to baptisme it selfe where it was sealed vnto vs not for the present onely but for euer that h 1. Ioh. 2.2 if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiation for our sinnes 14. W. BISHOP 11 The resurrection of the bodies Whether Farel the first Apostle of the Geneuian Gospel doubted thereof or no let his successor Caluin tell you who answereth Farels letter thus Epist ad Farellum That the resurrection of this our flesh doth seeme to thee incredible no maruell c. Againe many of them teach that Christ tooke not his bloud againe which he shed vpon the crosse yea some of them are so gracelesse as to say that his pretious bloud wherewith wee were redeemed Vide Conradum lib. 1. art 20. rotted away on the earth 1600. yeeres agoe If then it bee not necessarie to a true resurrection to rise againe with the same bloud why is it necessarie to rise againe with the same bones and flesh the one being as perfect a part of a mans body as the other R. ABBOT The epistle wherein are the words mentioned by M. Bishop importing a doubt of the resurrection of the bodie was not written to Farel as he falsely quoteth but to one a Caluin epist. 103. Quòd res tibi incredibilis videtur huius carnis resurrectio nihil mirū Lelius Zozimus an Italian who seemeth to haue beene but meanely perswaded of some other points of Christian doctrine After two epistles to this Zozinus in the former whereof these words are there follow two epistles to Farell But what drowsie fit was M. Bishop in to take Farels name from an epistle that followed after and by forgery to adde it to the epistle that went before But this is one of the Romish holy fraudes whether true or false it skilleth not so that it be fit to serue the turne What wee thinke of Christs resuming his bloud againe I haue b Sect. 10. before shewed As for Conrades reports of the opinions of some of our men concerning the same they little mooue vs without better testimonie because wee know what the guise of Romish Sycophants in that case is wont to be 15. W. BISHOP 12 Life euerlasting First Captaine Caluin holdeth it for very certaine that no soule doth enter into the ioyes of heauen wherin consisteth life euerlasting vntill the day of doome These be his words 3. Institu 25. sess 6. The soules of the godly hauing ended the labour of this war-fare doe goe into a blessed rest where they expect the enioying of the promised glorie And that all things are holden in suspence vntill Christ the redeemer appeare Whose opinion is yet better than was his predecessor Luthers For he teacheth in many places Enarra in Gen. cap. 26. In Ecclesi c. 9. v. 10. that the soules of the godly departing from their bodies haue no sense at all but doe lie fast asleepe vntill the latter day Take this one for a taste Another place to prooue that the dead feele or vnderstand nothing wherefore Salomon thought the dead to be wholy asleepe and to perceiue nothing at all And again The sleepe of the soule in the life to come is more profound than in this life And Luther with this one position of his as that famous historiographer Iohn Sleidan recordeth ouerthrew two points of Popery to wit Lib. 9. hist. praying to Saints for they are so fast asleepe that they cannot heare vs and praying for the dead For they in Purgatorie slept also so soundly that they felt no paines A meet foundation surely to build such false doctrine vpon In 20. Luc. hom 35. But Brentius is most plaine in this matter who ingeniously confesseth that albeit there were not many among them that did professe publikely the soules to die with the bodie yet the most vncleane life which the greatest part of their followers did lead doth clearely shew that in their hearts they thinke no life to be after this yea that many such speeches doe sometimes proceed from them Finally it is a grosse errour of theirs to thinke that euery meane godly man shall be then made equall in glory with the Apostles which Luther teacheth whereas cleane contrary S. Paul declareth In 1. c. Petri 1. 1. Cor. 15.42 that as one starre differeth from another in glory so also shall be the resurrection of the dead I omit heere many other particularities that I be not ouer tedious For these their bickerings against the very principles of our Christian faith not leauing any one article of our Creed vnskirmished with all will serue any indifferent man for a warning to beware of their prophane doctrine that leadeth the high way to Infidelitie They vse to crie out much against the Antichrist of Rome for corrupting the puritie of the Gospell as the wicked Elders did against the adulterie of Susanna but the iudicious Christian may easily espie them themselues to be the true fore-runners of Antichrist indeed by their so generall hacking and hewing at euery point of the ancient Christian faith Thus much concerning the Creede now let vs passe to the Commandements R. ABBOT Note well The soules of the faithfull affirmed by Caluin and Luther to be in heauen gentle Reader the wilfull impudencie and malice of this man He saith that Caluin denieth to soules departed the ioyes of heauen vntill the day of doome and yet in the words by him cited hee seeth that hee
greatest Saint onely hee hath perhaps better laid hold of this treasure that is hath stronger faith than I. Now what is heere as touching equalitie of glory in the world to come Heere is a common brotherhood in this life wherein none can challenge more than other but this hindreth not but that who in this brotherhood doth the greater worke shall heereafter receiue the greater reward Albeit if Luther doe affirme equalitie of glorie what is that to the impeachment of the article of life euerlasting when as by the common iudgement of the fathers life euerlasting is that u Matt. 20.2.12.13 Aug. de Sanct. Virgin cap. 26. Hiero. cont Iouinian lib. 2. Gregor Moral lib. 4. cap. 31. penny mentioned in the Gospell which in howsoeuer great difference of worke and labour yet is indeed equall and alike to all Now albeit M. Bishop haue heere said whatsoeuer his malice could deuise and more than truth and honesty would haue said yet he would make his Reader beleeue that he hath omitted many other particularities that he might not be ouer tedious but what his other particularities are may be esteemed by those that he hath heere set downe consisting more in lies and cauils than in any matters of moment and trueth Nothing hath he said whereby it may in any sort be conceiued that either our doctrine tendeth to infidelitie or that it is without cause that we cry out against the Antichrist of Rome for corrupting the puritie of the Gospel 16. W. BISHOP First saith Master PER. it is a rule in expounding the seuerall Commandements that all vertues of the same kind are reduced to that Commandement Hence it followeth that counsels of perfection are inioined in the law and therfore prescribe no state of perfection beyond the scope of the Law Answ None of the counsels of perfection are enioyned in the tenne Commandements though for some affinitie they may be reduced to some of them For example It is commanded that I shall not steale that is to take any of my neighbours goods against his will but to giue away all my own to the poore is beyond the compasse of the law so likewise it is commanded not to commit adulterie but wee are not commanded to vow perpetuall chastitie and obedience Such offices only that are necessarily required to the performance of any Commandement are comprehended within the same but no others though some men take occasion of the Commandement to treat of the counsels of perfection R. ABBOT a Psal 19.7 The law of the Lord is a perfect law All works of perfection prescribed by the lavv and therefore prescribeth whatsoeuer is necessary to perfection It requireth b Deut. 6.5 Luk. 10.27 all the heart all the minde all the soule all the strength and because beyond all there can bee nothing more therefore there is no vertue no righteousnesse no perfection that is not commanded therby It is commanded saith M. Bishop that I shall not steale but to giue all mine owne to the poore is beyond the compasse of the law But I answer him that where it is beyond the compasse of the law there it is not a work of perfection but an act of superstition If God command it then not to do it is sin if God cōmand it not there is no piety but folly in the doing of it because God casteth it off with that reprofe c Esa 1.12 Who required these things at your hands Let M. Bishop tell vs when Christ said to the rich man in the Gospell d Luk. 18.22 Goe sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen come and follow me did hee sinne or not in refusing to doe as Christ aduised him If not why doth our Sauiour except against his entring into the kingdome of heauen If he did sinne then he brake the law for e Rom. 4.15 where there is no law there is no sinne and therefore the giuing of all his goods to the poore was within the compasse of the law Hee boasted that hee had kept the law but our Sauiour Christ would discouer how farre he was from louing the Lord with all his hart which the law requireth who had so tied his heart to his worldly wealth as that hee could not finde in his heart God so requiring for the reliefe of his neighbour whom hee should loue as himselfe to void himselfe of the possession thereof To giue all that a man hath to the poore is then a worke of righteousnesse when the calling of God and the following of Christ requireth it and then it is commanded by the law To doe it when dutie to God requireth it not may wel be called a worke of supererogation but work of perfection it is none We are not commanded saith he again to vow pertuall chastitie and obedience It is true and therefore those vowes are no matters of true deuotion and religion but of rash errour and presumption Such offices onely saith he as are necessarily required to the performance of any commandement are comprehended within the same and I answer him that no offices are at all required but what are necessarie to the performance of some commandement For notwithstanding all that can be said or alleaged for aduices and counsels and howsoeuer it may be pleaded that they may seeme in some particulars rightly so called yet circumstance and occasion alwaies maketh them necessary duties and the omitting of them is either the violation of the briefe of the first table Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. or of the second Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe there being reason of the doing of them either for the glory of God or for the edification of our brethren of which neither can be neglected without trespasse of the law 17. W. BISHOP Secondly saith M. PER. the Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. hath two seuerall parts the first forbiddeth the making of Images the second the adoration of them Hee concludeth out of Deuteronomy that the Images of the true Iehoua are forbidden in the Commandement and consequently the adoration of such Images Hence he will haue it to follow that to worship God in or at Images with religious worship is abominable Idolatrie Answ First if the Images of God onely be there prohibited and then worship done to them according to his owne exposition then it followeth most cleerely that there is no probibition for either making or worshipping the Images of any Saints and therefore with a very euill conscience doth he wrest the commandement against them Secondly I say though God had forbidden vs to worship Images yet doth it not follow therof that we must not worship God in or at Images For as God is euery where so may he be worshipped in all places and as wel at or before an Image as in the Church and before the communion table
it lawfull to pray to Christ himselfe neither could it be prooued thereby that we should pray in Christs name As if any of vs doe say that that onely forme of praier is to bee vsed who doe commonly our selues vse other formes of praier and condemne them that hold it vnlawfull so to doe Wee onely say as hath beene alreadie declared that no praier is to be made the matter and substance wherof is not conteined in the Lords praier And though that onely forme were to bee vsed yet it followeth not that Christ is not to bee praied vnto because Christ is that God who is our heauenly father and therefore to Christ also wee pray when wee say Our father which art in heauen Neither doth it follow that then we shold not pray in the name of Christ because it should nothing detract from the perfection of this form of praier that we be otherwhere taught to make this praier in the name of Christ Albeit the praier it selfe though not in words yet in effect leadeth vs thereunto because God is our Father no otherwise but in Christ who hath taken vs into his communion and fellowship where he hath said e Iohn 20.17 I ascend to my father and your father to my God and your God f Cyprian de orat Domin Hoc nomen nemo nostrum in oratione auderet attingere nisi ipse nobis sic pernasisset orare Which name of father saith Cyprian none of vs might presume to vse in praier but that Christ hath giuen vs liberty so to pray Now therfore we cannot truly say vnto God Our Father but with implication of the name of Christ in whose name only it is that we vnderstand him to bee our father As for that which M. Bishop saith that God may be truly called our father in that he immediatly createth and giueth vs our soules that is nothing to the purpose because we question not how God may be called our father but in what meaning it is that we doe call him father when wee say Our father which art in heauen For sith g Catechis Roman p. 4. cap 9. sect 1. Quid iucundius est patrius nomine quod induigentiam sonat charitatem the name of father importeth kindnesse and loue as their own Romane Catechism expoundeth surely it followeth that because God is no otherwise kind and louing vnto vs but h 2. Cor. 1.20 onely in Christ therefore in Christ only it is that we can call him father 35. W. BISHOP Secondly he hoppeth to the fourth petition Giue vs our daily bread in which words we acknowledge saith he that euery morsell of bread is the meere gift of God what madnesse then is it for vs to thinke that wee should merit the kingdome of heauen that cannot merit so much as bread It is false that we cannot merit our bread Math. 10. v. 11. 1. Cor. 9. v. 14. For Christ teacheth that he who goeth to preach the Gospell is worthy of that is meriteth and deserueth his meat which S. Paul testifieth saying that our Lord ordained that those who preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell And doe not day-labourers deserue their bread before they eat it and others that buy their bread doe I hope deserue it What ignorance then is it in the very principles of our faith to auouch that we cannot merit bread which notwithstanding wee pray God to giue vs because neither could we deserue and yerne it without his helpe and as sistance neither would it do vs any good without his blessing R. ABBOT When Christ saith Our daily bread is of Gods mercy a Mat. 10.10 The workeman is worthy of his meat he maketh one man debtour to another but God is debtour to no man The preacher deserueth his liuely hood of the hearer but yet at Gods hands he can challenge nothing by desert He that setteth a day-labourer to worke is bound to pay him his hire but God is not bound to pay him bread Yea many a man laboureth most painfully and yet cannot thriue to maintaine himselfe with bread and will M. Bishop say that God doth him wrong in not giuing him his desert And if the labour of the hands be to merit at Gods hands then the wicked man meriteth as wel as the iust because the wicked often laboureth as carefully as the iust So if to buy bread be to merit bread then the vngodly also meriteth his bread because he hath mony to pay for it Would any man expect such silly and childish toies from so learned a man as M. Bishop would bee thought to be Notwithstanding all the labour and trauell of our hands notwithstanding all the vertues and righteousnesse of our life yet we beg our bread at Gods hands as the gift of his mercy M Perkins therfore rightly argueth that if by merit we cannot claime of God the bread of this life much lesse can we haue any merit whereby to lay claime to euerlasting life 36. W. BISHOP Thirdly in the next petition Forgiue vs our debts foure opinions of the Roman religion saith he are directly ouerthrowne What foure at one blow what a Hercules haue we here let vs heare which The first is humane satisfaction for the child of God is taught here to pray for the pardon of his sinnes now to pray for pardon and to make satisfaction be contrary Answ This is a silly ouerthrow for it is so farre off that praier and satisfaction are contraries that praier it selfe is one of the three works of satisfaction Fasting Praying and giuing of Almes are not contrary but the very workes of satisfaction And our Lords praier is esteemed by S. Augustine who is assoone to be beleeued as M. Lib. 1 de Symbolo cap. 6. in Enchir. cap. 69. PERKINS sufficient of it selfe to satisfie for the light dayly offences that iust men fall into besides Christ himselfe praied for pardon of these mortall sinnes for which notwithstanding Gods iustice was fully satisfied by Christ his sufferings wherefore satisfaction and to sue for pardon are not so contrary but they may well stand together R. ABBOT Christ offered himselfe to God for the sacrifice and satisfaction of our sinnes Forgiuenesse of sinnes excludeth our satisfaction that by vertue of this satisfaction he might intreat pardon for vs and we thereby also in his name might intreat pardon for our selues Therefore we doe not say that praier for forgiuenesse of sinnes is the denial of satisfaction but we say that this praier being grounded vpon a satisfaction made already in Christ is a denial of satisfaction to be made by vs. Our sinnes being satisfied for in Christ remaine vpon our faithfull praier freely for his sake to be forgiuen vs. The forgiuenesse of sinnes is noted in scripture to be a 2. Cor. 5.19 the not imputing of them If satisfaction be required for sinne it cannot be said not to be imputed and if it be not imputed because
expected or hoped for nor they cannot according to their owne rules from their heart make the said petitions being out of all hope to obtaine them R. ABBOT There is a notable picture of the regenerate man in the holy woman Rebecca when a Gen. 25 22.23 the children stroue within her and the Lord said vnto her Two nations are in thy wombe and two maner of people shall be diuided out of thy bowels and the one people shall be mightier than the other and the elder shall serue the yonger For so are there in the faithfull the old and the new man the flesh and the spirit somewhat whereby they are the children of God and somewhat wherby they are still the children of this world The originall leprosie still cleaueth vnto vs but it is begun to be clensed and the strength of it is abated already Sinne still possesseth and dwelleth in our members but we do not say as M. Bishop falsly pretendeth that it hath the commanding of them b Aug. de peecat mer. remiss l. 2. c. 7. Nunc ei similes esse tam coepimus per primitias spiritus adhuc dissimiles sumus per reliquias vetustatis proinde in quantū similes in tantum regenerante spiritu filij dei in quātum autem dissimiles in tantum si ij carnis seculi Illinc ergò peccare non possumus hinc verò si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus nosi so◠decipimus c. We are now like vnto God saith S. Austin by hauing the first fruits of the spirit and we are still vnlike vnto him by the remnants of our old state So far therefore as we are like him so far are we by the spirit of regeneration the sonnes of God and so far as we are vnlike him so far are we the children of the flesh and of the world On the one side therefore we cannot sinne but on the other side if we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. Now then semblably wee answer M. Bishop that according to that we are renued and by the spirit of God are become the sonnes of God the name of God is sanctified in vs his kingdome is begun in vs and we doe his will in earth with ready will as it is done in heauen But by the remainder of the corruption of flesh and of the old man there is a let that Gods name is not perfectly sanctified in vs his kingdome taketh not full place in vs neither doe we his will in such measure as we ought to doe Yet we pray that the old man the body of sinne may more and more be destroied that the worke of Gods kingdome may more and more be fulfilled in vs that we may more and more keep his commandements and do his will not only with ready will but without all let and hinderance fully and perfectly as they in heauen doe Herein we pray that we may increase from day to day and we beleeue that God heareth vs and granteth our request and will goe forward with his good worke till he bring vs in heauen to the perfection of it so far are the Protestants from being out of hope of the obtaining of these three first petitions as M. Bishop fondly dreameth 44. W. BISHOP In the fourth we aske aswell to be made partakers of Christs blessed body in the Sacrament which is the food of our souls as for our daily corporall sustenance For so do the ancient fathers expound that petition as namely S. Cyprian in oratione Dominica S. Hiero. in 6. Matt. S. Amb. li. 5. de Sacra c. 4. where he hath these memorable words of the blessed Sacrament that before the words of Christ it was bread but after it is the body of Christ Why then saith hee is it called heere bread he answereth that it is called bread not simply but supersubstantiall bread For so doth the Greeke word Epióusion signifie as well as daily it is saith he not such bread as passeth into our body but it is the bread of eternall life that vpholdeth the substance of our soules Now you may be well assured that Protestants who will not beleeue any such bodily presence doe not pray to God to giue it them R. ABBOT Wee wot well that sundry of the ancient Fathers haue expounded this petition Reall presence fondly collected out of the Lords praier not onely literally of corporall foode but also mystically of the participation of the blessed Sacrament wherin Christ is spiritually offered and giuen vnto vs to be vnto vs the bread of euerlasting life Of this we will not contend with the fathers onely we would know of M. Bishop if this daily bread bee vnderstood of the Sacrament how is it that the people with them are not called and vrged to the daily participation of the Sacrament that daily they may be partakers of this bread accordingly as they are taught to pray Or if without the receiuing of the Sacrament a man may be partaker of the spirituall food of the body and bloud of Christ as by their construction of this petition compared with their practise it may seem they do confesse then they must acknowledge that there is no necessitie of their reall presence to make vs partakers of the body and bloud of Christ Which although I do not see how M. Bishop should well and hansomly auoid yet he thought good here to put in one place for the same reall presence of Christs bodie his choise notwithstanding being so smal as that he hath brought vs one that saieth nothing for him yea in very truth saith altogether against him The words of Ambrose are these a Ambr. de Sacram l. 5. cap. 4. Ante verba Christi quod offertur panis est vbi Christi verba deprompta suerint iam non panis dicitur sed corpus appellatur Before the words of Christ that which is offered is bread but when the words of Christ are vttered it is not now termed bread but it is called the body M. Bishop falsifieth the words but taking them as they are what doth hee finde in them for assertion of the reall presence Is it anie proofe of reall presence to say that the Sacrament is called the body of Christ Now as it is called the body of Christ so is it also called supersubstantiall bread not for that that it is really to the mouth belly but for that that it signifieth and presenteth to our faith And this doth Ambrose himselfe immediately declare when hee addeth b Ibid. Non iste panis est qui vadit in corpus sed ille panis vitae eternae qui anima nostrae substantiam fulcit for it is not this bread which passeth into the body but that bread of eternall life that vpholdeth the substance of our soule Where when he deuideth the bread of eternall life from that which goeth into the bodie hee plainly sheweth that
Prolog Quod vtique non ad diuinitatem eius sed ad carnem relatum est quae sitientium corda populorum perenni riuo sui sanguinis inundauit Which saith Ambrose is not referred to the godhead of Christ but to the flesh which did water and refresh the hearts of the thirsty people with the euerflowing streame or riuer of his bloud And thus S. Austin saith of Manna that it signified h Aug. in Ioan. tract 16. Hunc panem significauit Manna hunc panem significauit Altare dei Sacramenta ill fuerunt in signis diuersa sunt in re quae significatur pariasunt the same bread euen the body of Christ that is signified in the table of the Lord they are both Sacraments saith he in signes they are diuers but in the thing signified they are equall and alike Now if without any reall presence the faithfull in Manna did eat the flesh of Christ and in the water of the rocke did drinke the bloud of Christ then it followeth that there is no necessitie of the reall presence to our eating the flesh of Christ and our drinking of his bloud But I would yet further aske him how the reall presence maketh our Sacrament of greater grace and perfection then the old seeing the body of Christ is thereby made subiect to bee eaten of wicked and vngodly men who receiue no grace by it yea of swine and dogs and mice as they affirme which are not capable of any grace For if the very receiuing of Christs body into our bodies doe worke effect of grace then should grace bee wrought in these also But if the effect of grace be to be attributed vnto faith then the reall presence is needlesse because faith touching the Sacrament but as the hemme of Christs garment vpon earth receiueth vertue from the body of Christ in heauen to heale to feed and strengthen vs vnto eternall life That which hee bringeth for confirmation of his argument belongeth nothing therto Christ saith he preferreth the meat that he was to giue to his disciples before that of Manna which their fathers had eaten in the wildernesse And who doubteth thereof when as our Sauiour saith i Ioh. 6.48.51 I am the bread of life The bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world for who doubteth but that Christ or the flesh of Christ is to be preferred before Manna but that this flesh of Christ is to be eaten in the Sacrament really with the mouth and into the belly this place prooueth not Christ there compareth not their sacrament with ours but he compareth their sacrament as the signe with himselfe as the thing that was signified thereby k Augu. cont Faust. Manich. li. 12 c. 29. veterem figuram carnalitèr accipâ—entes mortui sunt Which signe or figure they who vnderstood no otherwise but carnally died and perished but they who vnderstood the same aright vnderstood Christ therein they did eat the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud as before was said and obteine life by his name l Aug. in Ioan. tract 26. Visibilem cibum spiritualiter intellexerunt spiritualiter esurierunt spiritualiter gustauerunt vt spiritualitèr satiarentur The visible food saith Austin they vnderstood spiritually they spiritually hungred after it they spiritually tasted it that spiritually they might be satisfied So do we in our Sacrament and without any reall presence it is life to vs euen as it was to them 57. W. BISHOP Secondly Christ promised to giue to his Disciples his flesh to eat and his bloud to drinke and when they marueiled how that could be hee assured them Ioh. 6.55 that vnlesse they did eat his flesh they should not haue life in them and further certified them that his flesh was truely meat and his bloud truely drinke whence it is most plainely deduced that he who neuer faileth of his promise gaue them his true flesh to eate R. ABBOT We grant his conclusion that Christ gaue to his disciples and further giueth vnto vs his true flesh to eat but the question still is how or in what sort we eat it Christ indeed hath taught vs that a Iohn 6.55 his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeed but will M. Bishop say that they are meat and drinke to the body that the body is nourished and fed with the body and blood of Christ and that the same is turned by digestion into the substance of our bodies If not then it cannot be said that with the body wee eat the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood but this must necessarily be vnderstood to be an action of the minde Therefore Cyprian saith that for the doing hereof b Cyprian de caena domini Haec quoties agimus non dentes ad mordendum acu imus sed fide syncera panem sanctum frangimus we doe not sharpen our teeth to bite but with sincere faith we breake the sacred bread and Austin questioneth c Aug. Cur paras dentes ventrem crede manducasti why preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly beleeue and thou hast eaten and defineth it d Idem in Ioan. tract 26. Qui manducat intus non foris qui manducat corde non qui premit dente to be eating within not without to be eating with the heart not crushing with the teeth And otherwise to vnderstand it of eating the very flesh of Christ with the mouth what is it but the grosse error of the Capernaits literally vnderstanding the words of Christ because they were no other but carnall men e Tertul. de resurr carnis Durum intolerabilem existimauerunt sermonem eius quasi verè carneÌ„ suam illis edendam determinassâ—t They thought his speech to be hard intollerable saith Tertullian as though he had determined that they should verily eat his flesh But if they had been intelligent hearers and men spiritually minded they would haue discerned by the other words of Christ the true meaning of this speech For when he attributeth the same to beleeuing in him that he doth to the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood that f Iohn 6.47 whoso beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life he plainly giueth to vnderstand that the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood is to be expounded by beleeuing And so doth S. Austin construe it when hee saith g August in Ioan tract 26. Credere in Christum hoc est manducare panem viuum qui credit manducat To beleeue in Christ that is to eat the bread of life he that beleeueth eateth Againe when he perceiued their repining at his words he saith vnto them h ver 61.62 Doth this offend you What then if ye shall see the sonne of man ascend where he was before i Aug. vt supra ille putabant eum erogaturuÌ„ corpus suum ille autem dixit se ascensuruÌ„ in