by good workes Rhemist Rom. 2.3 Ans. This is but a late and new deuice of the first and second iustification as afterward we wil shew in the proper place The scripture teacheth vs that not onely the beginning of our righteousnes but the finishing and perfiting of it is onely by grace in Christ Ephes. 2.5.6 When we were dead in our sinnes he hath quickned vs together in Christ by whose grace yee are saued and hath raysed vs vp and made vs sit together in heauenly places We see that this saluation by grace bringeth vs vp to heauen Ergo both the first second iustification are of grace for they can bring vs no further then to heauen Rhemist 2. Workes done of nature without or before fayth cannot merite but workes done by Gods grace may and are ioyned with it as causes of saluation Ans. Not onely the workes of nature but euen of grace also are excluded Wee are saued saith the Apostle by grace through fayth not of workes And then he sheweth what workes namely good workes such as the Lord hath ordayned for vs to walke in Ephes. 2.9.10 Ergo workes also of grace wrought in vs by the spirite of God are shut out from being any causes of our saluation I conclude with Augustine vpon those wordes of the Psalme Let the Lord alway be magnified Peccatores magnificetur vt vocet consiteris magnificetur vt ignoscat iam iustè viuis magnificetur vt regat perseueras vsque ad finem magnificetur vt te glorificet Art thou a sinner let God be magnified in calling thee doest thou confesse thy sinnes let him be magnified in forgiuing them doest thou liue well let him be magnified in directing thee doest thou continue to the end let him be magnified in glorifiing thee God is as much to be praysed for all things wrought after our calâ—ing and conuersion as for mercy shewed before All then is wholly to bee ascribed to Gods grace and mercie nothing is left for our merite or desert THE FOVRTH PART OF THE distinction of merites The Papists THey make two kindes of merite Meritum de coâ—gruo merite of congruitie error 91 such are the preparatiue workes before iustification as were the prayers almes deeds of Cornelius Act. 10. which though they be not simply meritorious ex debito iustitiae by the due debt of iustice yet they deserue at Gods handes of congruitie because hee doth graciously accept them Act. 10. sect 5. The other kinde they call meritum de condigno merite of condignitie when the reward is iustly due by debt such are the workes done in the second iustification which are truely meritorious and worthy of heauen Gabriel Biel. Rhemist Rom. 2. sect 3. The Protestants FIrst wee vtterly denie any such merite of condignitie For Saint Paul sayth that the afflictions of this life are not condigne of the glory to come Rom. 8.18 Condignitie then is wholly remoued and taken away Secondly a rewarde of congruitie in some sorte we graunt but neither for any thing done before fayth or iustification for it is impossible without fayth to please God or doe any thing acceptable vnto him Hebr. 6.6 Neither is it of congruitie for the merite of our workes but it is congruum it is agreeable to the mercie and iustice of God in respect of his promise graciously made in Christ to rewarde the faithfull obedience of his seruants so then the congruitie is on Gods behalfe not in respect of our workes We are iustified sayth the Apostle Gratis per gratiam freely by grace Rom. 3.24 Ergo there is no merite either of congruitie or condignitie seeing all is done freely Augustine sayth Quid ille latro attulerat de fauce ad iudicium de iudicio ad crucem de cruce in Paradisum I pray you what merite did the theefe bring with him from the prison to iudgemeÌ„t from the iudgement place to the crosse from the crosse to Paradise Here was neither merite of congruitie nor condignitie THE FIFT PART OF THE MANner of meriting The Papists OVr workes they say are pleasing and acceptable vnto God euen after error 92 the same manner that Christ and his workes were Tapper ex Tileman loc 11. Err. 14. Christes paynes of their owne nature compared to his glorie were not any whit comparable yet they were meritorious and worthy of heauen not for the greatnes of them but for the worthines of his person So our works not of their owne nature but as they are of grace are meritorious of the ioyes of heauen Rhemist Rom. 8.18 The Protestants FIrst it is a great blasphemie to say that Christs passions in themselues deserued not that glory which he hath purchased for vs neither that there was any comparison betweene them for then how could he haue fully satisfied the wrath of God Christ hath payed the ransome for our sinnes Wee are redeemed with his precious blood as of a lambe vnspotted 1. Pet. 1.19 His blood was the price of our redemption therefore of it selfe meritorious It was not in respect of Christ of grace but of merite in him Vnto vs his redemption is of grace Rom. 3.24 Wherefore his passion being the passion of the Sonne of God was a full satisfaction and worthy desert of that glory which hee hath purchased for vs. Secondly it is another great blasphemy to match and compare in the way and maner of meriting Christs workes and ours together For first there is no merite at all in vs vnto saluation we haue no merites but Christs and are saued onely by fayth in him not by workes Ephes. 2.8 Secondly by your own confession our works are not of their nature meritorious but of grace But Christs workes were of themselues full of merite without any externall helpe or accession of grace for in himselfe did all fulnes dwell Coloss. 1.19 Augustine very well sheweth the great difference in the way of meriting betweene Christ and vs thus writing Quantum interest cum duo sint in carcere interreum visitatorem eius illum causa premit illum humanitas adduxit sic in istu mortalitate nos reatu tenebamur Christus misericordia descendit Looke what difference there is when two are in prison together betweene the prisoner and his friend that commeth to visite him the one is there of necessitie the other commeth of good will Such difference is there betweene Christ vs for when we were deteined in the prison of this mortalitie for the guilt of our sinnes Christ came in mercy to visite vs. How can there now be any proportionable or like way of meriting in the guiltie prisoner and the innocent and friendly visiter THE FOVRTH QVESTION of Iustification THe partes of this question First of the preparatiue workes to iustification Secondly of the 2. kindes of iustification the first second Thirdly of inherent iustice Fourthly of Iustification only by fayth They folow now in order THE FIRST PART OF THE PREparatiue workes The Papists
as a poore labourer fit but to carry rubbish stones and to serue other builders haue forced my selfe to do somewhat towards the building of Gods house I haue therfore may it please your Maiestie in this worke set downe the bodie and summe of all Popish opinions whatsoeuer wherein we dissent from them and they from the truth and haue endeuoured to lay open their nakednes that euery man may see their great brags and small abilitie words but no matter great promises yet little performed and why as Augustine saith Ostēdere hoc non possunt non quia ingenium deest sed quia bona causa This labour of mine was thought to be very expedient for these times and not before enterprised by any that men not learned might in one volume finde all the controuersies of religion which their leisure would not suffer them to collect them selues Many of our learned countrimen haue in some choise principal controuersies as the Lords valiant champions maintained the truth strongly against the common aduersarie but this small labour as it pleased the Lord was left for me they haue borne the heate of the day the coole euenings worke is cast vpon me They haue built with hewen stones the brick-worke is my lot they haue squared the tall cedar trees the wilde figge trees must be hewen out by my hand This simple worke I haue presumed to present to your Maiestie as a token of my dutie and seruice a poore scholers gift as a signe of my thankfulnes to God and your Maiestie by whom we haue both leisure and maintenance to follow our studies for as the Poet saith Deus nobis haecotia fecit God through you hath wrought vs this peace And I was emboldened the rather to offer this simple labor to your Highnesse remembring your Princely gracious disposition which hath bene wont to accept with great fauour and regard the meanest gifts of your subiects yea hath not refused to receiue posies and nosegaies at their hands With the same Princely countenance I beseech your grace to receiue this posie of mine Non florum sed foliorum A princely minde your Highnesse knoweth is as well seene in accepting of small giftes as giuing of great as Alexander said to a souldier vpon whom he bestowed a citie Si tu non es dignus tanta recipere ego tamen dignus tanta donare so the speech somewhat altered me thinketh I heare your Maiestie thus saying to me Licet non tu dignus tantula donare ego tamen digna tantula accipere though it be not fit for thee to offer so small a gift yet it standeth with my Princely nature to receiue it And now O noble Queene our dread Soueraigne the mother of Israel a nurse to the people of God be strong and feare not the Lord fighteth for you it is the truth the ancient Catholike Apostolike faith which we vnder your leading and protection do professe As for your enemies they shal be as the dust before the wind and as the clay in the streetes but your crowne shal flourish your horne shal be exalted In you is that saying verified as it was somtime in Dauid The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner You were somtime black with sorow and the sunne of affliction hath looked vpon you but now the Lord hath made you comely beautifull as the morning faire as the moone giuing his Church vnder on abundance of blessings so that we may now all say This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it yea we will not cease still to pray with the Church of God O Lord saue now send vs now prosperitie That the Lord would in mercy yet lengthen out these good daies and so replenish your roiall hart with his grace that you may still bring forth fruit in your age that what worke the Lord hath yet to bring to passe in his Church it may be finished by your hand that both this your Realme of England may still be strōgly fenced and hedged about with all temporall blessings as also the watch-tower and watchmen of the Church may thriue and prosper in their spirituall businesse And as the Temple of God is now built set vp aloft so the riuer of God may flow and the streames therof make glad the people of God that all the land may be filled with knowledge as the waters couer the sea and as Aarons siluer bels in the Temple so the voice of the Gospell may be heard ouer the whole land And thus shall the Lord graunt you your harts desire your sacrifice shall not only be bound to the hornes of the altar but euen turned to ashes that is the Lord will not onely encline his eare to your praier but graunt your request to the full That at length your Maiestie shall not doubt to say with the kingly Prophet Dauid Mine eye shall see my desire against mine enemies and mine eare shall heare my wish against the wicked that rise vp against me And let all the people of God say Amen euen so be it O Lord Amen Your Maiesties most humble subiect ANDREW WILLET The Preface to the Reader GOod Christian Reader thinke not the time long nor the labour lost if I shall in a few words open my mind further vnto thee and as leading thee by the hand shew thee the way entrance into this treatise following We are not ignorant how this famous Church of England the mother of vs all hath been these many yeeres molested and troubled with hollow hearted brethren sowers of corrupt doctrine deuisers of mischiefe enemies to our peace and in one word Romish Catholikes and Papists They haue been from time to time as prickes to our sides and thornes in our eyes as the Cananites were to Israel they are the Foxes that destroy the Lords vineyard the progenie of the Pharisees a generation of vipers whose propertie is to gnaw out the sides of their damme when they are brought forth euen so haue these vipers sought the destruction of their countrey They are the serpent by the way that byteth the horse heeles causeth the rider to fall backward that is subtilly do vndermine and hinder the prosperous successe of religion Of such prophecied Ezechiel They do eate the good pasture and tread downe the rest with their feete they haue drunke of the deepe waters troubled the residue with their feet They are not cōtent themselues to eate the fat drinke the sweet of the land but some of them haue laboured practised to disturbe our peace and to trouble the quiet state of the land But let not vs good brethren be offended at these things First let vs not be astonished as though some strange thing had befallen vs for S. Paul hath said That heresies must be among vs that they which are approued may be
not that vpon the miraculous workes of Christ we should build the ordinarie dueties of Christians Augustine would haue told you that Christ is not to be imitated in such workes Non hoc tibi dicit non eris discipulus meus nisi ambulaueris supra mare aut nisi suscitaueris quatriduanum mortuum He saith not vnto thee Thou shalt not be my disciple vnlesse thou walke vpon the sea raise one that hath been dead foure daies But Learne of me for I am humble and meeke Secondly if prayer for the dead be vnto vs as the raising of the dead was to Christ then as all the dead are to be praied for so Christ should haue raised againe all that went then to Purgatorie or els by your conclusion he failed in charitie as we doe now if we pray not for the dead as you beare vs in hand Thirdly though the Saints departed and the faithfull liuing are members of the same bodie and so are bound in loue one to the other yet it followeth not that one should pray for the other They with vs and we with them doe wish and long to see the redemption of the sonnes of God accomplished Reuel 6.10.22.20 But charitie bindeth vs not one to pray for another because we knowe not one the particular needes of another Nay to pray for any departed is against the rule of charitie for loue beleeueth all things and hopeth all things 1. Corinthians 13.7 Wee ought to hope the best of the dead that they are at rest but in praying for them wee presuppose they are in miserie and so neede our prayers therefore wee hope not the best of them as charitie willeth vs. Argum. 2. Iohn 5. vers 16. The Apostle sayth There is a sinne vnto death for the which a man ought not to pray that is deadly sinne wherein a man dyeth without repentance but for other sinnes not vnto death whereof men repent themselues it is lawfull to pray Ergo we may pray for those that are departed not in deadly sinne for this place is properly to be vnderstood of praying or not praying for the dead because so long as a man liueth he may be prayed for because all sinnes are pardonable in this life Rhemist ibid. Ans. First a sinne vnto death is not onely finall impenitencie but sinne also against the holy Ghost such as was the sinne of Iudas and of the Pharisees Secondly though we should vnderstand it of finall impenitencie yet it is but a soâ—y argument some of the dead ought not to be praied for Ergo the rest may Thirdly the text cannot be vnderstood of praying for the dead for the text sayth not If any man see that his brother hath sinned not vnto death but If he see him sinning but the dead doe neither sinne nor are seene to sinne Fourthly whereas you say that all sinnes are pardonable in this life our Sauiour Christ saith contrary that the sinne against the holy Ghost can neuer be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come Plura apud Fulk ibid. The Protestants TO pray for the dead is a worke neither pleasing before God because he hath no where commanded it nor auailable for them that are departed because they haue their iudgement alreadie While we liue let vs one pray for another but when we are gone the praiers of the liuing helpe vs not Argum. 1. The ground of this popish opinion of prayer for the dead is their superstitious deuise of Purgatorie for none els doe they hold it lawfull to pray for but for the soules onely in Purgatorie But there is no Purgatorie as we haue shewed before after this life our purging is onely in this life Christ hath by him selfe purged our sinnes Hebr. 1.3 Christ his bloud is the chiefe and onely purgation of our sinnes there are also other inferiour and ministeriall purgings whereby that onely soueraigne purging is made beneficiall and applied vnto vs as the inward operation and worke of the spirit is compared to fire Math. 3.11 1. Corinth 3.13 There is also a purging fire of affliction compared by the Prophet to fullers sope Malach. 3.3 There also shall be a third purging fire in the day of the Lord 1. Pet. 3.7 when as the corruption and mortalitie of our bodies shall be purged away and then shall our mortalitie put on immortalitie 1. Corinth 15.53 Other Purgatorie after this life we acknowledge none Seeing then that there are no soules in Purgatorie and for none els it is lawfull to pray but for the soules tormented in Purgatorie it followeth that we are to pray for none at all that are dead Argum. 2. No prayer is acceptable to God without faith We must pray without wauering and doubting Iames. 1.6 But so can we not pray for the dead for we cannot tell in what case they are for whom we pray whether they be in heauen hell or purgatorie and therefore we cannot assure our selues that our prayers are heard but must needes pray with great doubting and wauering of the mind Ergo such praiers are in vaine Iames 1.7 Argum. 3. Our praiers profite not the dead because there is no place after this life for repentance or remission of sinnes for this should be the end and intendment of our praier that they might be released of their sinnes and eased of their paine There is no remission of sinnes after death because there is no true repentance repentance there is none because there can be no amendment of life which alwaies followeth repentance for Iohn Baptist that was a preacher of repentance bid not onely the people to repent but to bring forth fruites worthie repentance Math. 3.2.8 So saith the Prophet Ezechiel If the wicked will returne from his sinnes and doe the thing that is lawfull he shall liue and not dye 18.21 There are two parts then of repentance as Isay sayth Cease to doe euill learne to doe well 1. Isay. 16.17 But there is no place of working out of the bodie Ergo then no repentance To this Augustine agreeth Non est apud inferos poenitentia ad salutem proficiens ecce nunc tempus est salutis nunc tempus remissionis In hac vita poenitentiae tantum patet libertas post mortem nulla correctionis est licentia De tempor serm 66. In hell or among the dead there is no repentance vnto saluation behold now is the time of saluation the time of forgiuenes In this life onely haue men libertie to repent after death there is no place for amendment What is become now I pray you of your Purgatorie repentance after this life there is no saluation to be had because there is no remission of sinnes no remission of sinnes because there is no repentance there is no repentance because there is no amendement Rhemist Our Sauiour saith Math. 12.32 that blasphemie against the spirit shal neither be forgiuen in this world nor the world to come Ergo some sinnes may be forgiuen in the world
commendable custome of the Church in ancient time as Augustine writeth thus Exposit. in Psal. 103. part 1. Pauca nos cogit dicere temporis angustia quod nouit charitas vestra debere vos exequijs fidelis corporis solenne obsequium The shortnes of the time causeth me to be briefe and you know that we are to performe a solemne dutie to the bodie of our faithfull brother The sermon seemeth to haue been made at some funerall The Iewes also the buriall being ended did comfort those that mourned and eate and dranke with them and gaue them the cup of consolation Ierem. 16.7 Iohn 11.31 Both which customes may be kept and retained without any superstition But other customes and ceremonies that doe sauour of impietie and doe any way implye prayer or commendation of the soules of the dead ought to be left and abolished 3 Another abuse in popish funerals is their superstitious and often remembrance of the dead for they haue their weekes mind for the dead the seuenth error 18 day nay their halfe weekes mind the third day their moneths mind the thirtith day and beside their anniuersarie or yeeres minde I pray you what neede all this Where doe they finde that wee should mourne for the dead a moneth thirtie dayes together much lesse a whole yeere Ioseph mourned but seuen dayes for his father Genesis 50.10 So did the Gileadites for Saul 1. Samuel 31.13 The Egyptians in deede mourned threescore and tenne daies when Ioseph mourned but seuen that we may see a manifest difference betweene the moderate mourning of the faithful and the excessiue lamentation of infidels But the popish yeeres mindes doe farre exceede the Egyptians stinted mourning there being fiue times 70. daies in a yeere Yet yeerely stipends erected for weekely monethly quarterly or yeerely sermons we mislike not being ordained for the instruction of the people without any relation to the soules of the dead otherwise then to giue God thankes for them and those good things which the Lord wrought by them error 19 4 They doe greatly erre and are deceiued in holding it to be a meritorious worke which is performed in the buriall of the dead alleadging to this purpose that place 2. Sam. 2.5 where Dauid sent messengers to the men of Iabesh Gilead saying Blessed are ye of the Lord that you haue shewed such kindnes vnto your Lord Saul and haue buried him therefore now the Lord shewe mercie and truth vnto you Bellarm. cap. 19. Answere There can be no such conclusion gathered out of these words The Lord will shewe mercie according to his truth and promise to those that are mercifull Ergo it is meritorious to be mercifull for here the reward dependeth of Gods promise and truth not vpon the worthines of the worke Indeed Dauid saith as it followeth in that place I will recompence this benefite because you haue done this thing They might deserue kindnes at the hands of Dauid because one good turne requireth another but before the Lord there is no merite or desert Secondly to burie the dead is a worke of charitie and therefore commanded as all other dueties of charitie are The things then commanded we doe of duetie we are bound to doe them Ergo they are not meritorious So saith our Sauiour Christ Doth the master thanke his seruant for doing that which he was commanded I trow not Luk. 17.9 error 20 5 In their funerals and suffrages for the dead they doe make great difference betweene the rich and the poore for they say it is possible that so many prayers and suffrages may bee made at once for the dead that their soules may at once be deliuered out of Purgatorie Et ideo in hoc solo casu melior est conditio diuitis quà m pauperis quia habet vnde suffragia fiant pro ipso And therefore in this case onely the estate of the rich is better then the poore because he hath wherewithall suffrages should be made that is able to giue great legacies and bequests to that end Albert mag de officio miss tract 3. Againe they haue greater respect vnto the Pope departed then any other for the first day there must be 200. Masses read for his soule and for nine daies after an 100. Masses euery day Tilemann de primat pontif error 86. Ans. Where doe they reade in all the scriptures that the rich in matters of the soule should be preferred before the poore nay the scripture saith plainly that God is no accepter of persons Act. 10.34 And S. Iames saith We ought not to regard a rich man that weareth goodly apparell hauing a gold ring before a poore man in vile apparell 2. vers 2. Where also doe they learne to pray for none but for those for whom they are hired to pray And if praier be a worke of charitie and if by their praiers they can deliuer mens soules out of Purgatorie why doe they not extend their charitie to all in praying for them What if the rich Glutton and poore Lazarus were aliue now or these popish Masse-mongers had liued then would they haue been bought for money to haue prayed for the rich mans soule and let Lazarus alone It is like they would But surely all their Masses should neither haue profited the one nor the want of them haue hindered the other Marke I pray you what Augustine saith Praeclaras exequias in conspectu hominum purpurato illi diuiti turba exhibuit famulorum sed multò clariores in conspectu domini vlceroso illi pauperi ministerium praebuit angelorum A goodly funerall did the friends and seruants make for the rich man arayed in skarlet in the sight of the world but a more blessed buriall had the poore man in the sight of God by the ministerie of the angels Therefore there is no respect of persons to be had among the dead neither haue the rich any greater priuiledge for the multitude of suffrages then the poore that wanteth them for no doubt the rich mans executors spared for no cost Masses Trentals Diriges they had enough if they were then to be had yet for all this stirre his soule went to Hell and Lazarus soule was by the angels caried to heauen that had none of this geere 6. Lastly if there were no other thing to be misliked in their Funerals this were sufficient to condemne them as abominable that they thinke their singing error 21 chaunting ringing giuing of dole and almes to the poore and all other their superstitious customes doe helpe and profite the dead Bellarm. ibid. Augustine giueth two reasons of this duetie to be shewed in the burying of the dead First Corpori humando quicquid impenditur non est praesidium salutis sed humanitatis officium What duetie is performed in enterring the bodie is an officious worke of humanitie not any reliefe for the health of the soule Secondly sayth he Corpori mortuo sed tamen resurrecturo impensum huiusmodi officium est quodammodo eiusdem
one for another is commaunded and requyred of God as the other is not Wherefore to run vnto saints and not vnto Christ is to doubt either of his readines or ability to helpe vs. 3 Iohn 16.26 Christ saith that after he hath by his mediation and intercession brought vs into the fauour of God In that day shall you aske the Father in my name and I say not that I will pray to the Father for you for the Father himselfe loueth you If then the prayer of Christ to God his Father shall not then be needfull what vse is there of the prayer of other creatures Fulk 1. Tim. 2. sect 4. Augustine saith Pro quo nullus interpellat ipse pro omnib hic vnus verusque Mediator est lib. 2. cont Parmenian cap. 8. He for whome no man prayeth but him selfe entreateth for all men he is the onely true Mediator Ergo saintes no mediators and therefore not to be prayed vnto THE SECOND PART WHETHER THE Saints departed do pray for vs. The Papists error 29 THat the saints in heauen do not onely pray in general but particularly for vs ready in all our needs by their prayer and mediation to assist vs thus they would proue it Argum. 1. 2. Pet. 1.15 I wil endeuour saith the Apostle that you may haue remembrance of these thinges after my departure Peter promiseth to be careful of them and to pray for them after his departure Rhemist ibid. Bellarm. cap. 18. Ans. This which here the Apostle promiseth he performeth in writing this Epistle whereby they might be put in remembrance when hee was gone And therefore he saith ver 13. I think it meete so long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you vp by putting you in remembrance he acknowledgeth now only to be the time wherein he may do them good and therefore deferreth it not There is no sillable which soundeth that way that he would pray for them after his dissolution Argum. 2 Apocal. 5.8 The 24. Elders are said to haue golden vialles ful of odors which are the prayers of the saints Rhemist in hunc locum Ergo the Saints in heauen do pray for vs. Ans. The 24 Elders do represent the Church Militant vpon earth whose conuersation is in heauen and they do continually offer vp their prayers And that the place is so to be vnderstoode it appeareth verse 10. Thou hast made vs Kinges and priests and we shall raigne vpon the earth that is their kingdome is spirituall in fighting against and ouercomming the concupiscence of the flesh and all carnall desires The Protestants THat the blessed Saintes doe sing vnto the praise of God in heauen and doe magnifie the Lord and praise him with a new song of thankesgiuing which is a kinde of prayer we deny not Apocal. 5.9 and that they haue a general desire and longing both for vs for themselues and all the elect of God that the day of our refreshing were come and that all the people of God were ioyned in one and their enemies vanquished and destroyed we learne also out of the scripture Apocal. 6.9 But that they should offer vp our speciall prayers make particular request for vs to God it no where in the scripture is found but rather the contrary Argum. 1. The scripture no where testifieth that the Saints in such manner do pray for vs Ergo we may safely be ignorant of it nay it were great presumption without scripture to beleeue it Argum. 2 The Saints departed know not our wants nor what is done in the earth The liuing know that they shall die but the dead knowe nothing at all Eccles. 9.5 But of this more shall be said in the next part See Augustine of this matter contro 8. quaest 2. part 3. THE THIRD PART WHETHER THE Saints vnderstand our prayers and be alwaies at hand to helpe vs. The Papists THey affirme 3. things which they are driuē to graunt by necessity of Argument while they stifly mantaine inuocation of Saints For first they graunt error 30 that they know our hearts and our inward repentaunce and secret thoughtes for otherwise it would not auaile to pray vnto them yet not of themselues but by the reuelation of God Bellarm. cap. 20. Ans. We deny not but that God may reueale vnto them some things at his pleasure but heereof it followeth not that they know all our affaires and heare all our prayers Againe what a preposterous order is this and superfluous God first reuealeth vnto them our prayers and then they solicite God in our behalfe I praye you what neede this seeing God knoweth our prayers First why is he not as ready of himselfe to graunt our requestes as to staye till he be entreated Secondly seeing it were in vaine to pray to Saints if they had not power to help vs they also are vrged to confesse that the saints are patrones of men and haue the gouernment of the worlde committed to them yea that they may receiue others into the kingdome of heauen Argum. 1. Apocal. 2.26 To him that ouercommeth wil I giue power ouer nations and he shall rule ouer them with a rod of Iron Ergo the saints haue the gouernment of men committed vnto them Rhemist ibid. Bellarm. cap. 18. Ans. The power which our Sauiour heere promiseth is the participation of his kingly inheritance first spiritually to ouercome the world by faith in this life and after this life they shall be set in ful possession of his royall inheritance The Rod of Iron is the worde of God which is also called a two edged sword whereby they execute vengeance vpon the heathen Psal. 149.7 It is the sword of the spirite whereby the wicked shall be destroyed Augustin expoundeth it to be the rod of Iustice whereby the good are corrected and the wicked broken in peeces Homil. 2. in Apocal. Argum. 2 Luke 16.9 Make you friends of the vnrighteous Mammon that when they need they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations see the saints may receiue their friends and benefactours into their eternal mansions Rhemist ibid. Ans. 1 Almes bestowed vpon the poore do procure their prayers but not their patronage 2 The wordes are thus parabolically to bee vnderstoode They shall receiue you that is shall giue testimony of you and your almes shall be a testimony of your charity and proceeding from a liuely faith shall euerlastingly be rewarded 3 That it is not meant of the persons but of the worke it is plaine because almes which issue from a true faith shall be rewarded at the Lords hand though bestowed vpon an hypocrite Fulk ibid. Thirdly They also hold that the saints at their pleasure can be present with their bodies and be amongst vs and so heare our praiers Bellarm. cap. 20. Argum. 1 Otherwise the saints should be fettered as it were in heauen if they remaine and be kept all in one place Ans. They are not fettered when they are limited by the Lord to a place see also what
And the apostles went vp to the Temple to pray Act. 3.1 Ergo prayers made in the Temple are more auaileable Bellarm. cap. 4. Ans. 1. See what Iewish arguments here are because the Lord gaue an especiall blessing to his Temple amongst the Iewes that was the onely place for sacrifices and so also a peculiar priuiledged place for prayer therefore hee will binde and tye himselfe to some certaine place now But our Sauiour sayth cleane contrary vnto the woman of Samaria The houre coÌ„meth when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor in Ierusalem worship my Father Iohn 4.21 The prayers and sacrifices of Christians are now no more tied and limited to places That was but a type vnto the Iewes that as then God would be onely heard in his Temple so his name is now onely truely inuocated and called vpon in his Church 2. It is falsely alleadged that the Apostles went vp only to pray to the temple they went vp at the ninth hower of prayer when the people were accustomed to go vnto the Temple that they might preach the gospell vnto them The Protestants WE preferre publique prayers made by the Congregation in the Church before priuate prayers not because of the place but in respect of the congregation whose prayers ioyntly al together are more feruent effectuall then the prayer of one man But if we compare publique prayer with publique and priuate with priuate we doubt not but that the one and the other being made in faith may as well be heard out of the Church as in it Argum. 1. The promise of our Sauiour is generall Wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together I am in the middest amongst them Math. 18.20 So S. Paul I wil that men euerie where lift vp pure handes 1. Tim. 2. Ergo they may be heard praying in faith in any place Argum. 2. So our Sauiour saith When thou prayest enter into thy chamber he sayth not go to the church Bellarm. saith he entereth into his chamber that prayeth without vaine glorie whether hee doe pray secretly or openlie Ans. Our Sauiours words are plaine without allegorie for he speaketh of shutting the dore of the chamber and there is a manifest opposition betweene the Pharisies praying in the corners of the streets and the frequencie of people and the others praying in secret Augustine saith Quid supplicaturus Deo locum sanctum requiris volenâ— in Templo orare in te ora ita age semper vt Dei TempluÌ„ sis ibi enim Deus exaudit vbi habitat When thou art about to pray what needest thou goe to any sacred place wouldest thou pray in the Temple or Church see that thou be the Temple of God and there the Lord will soonest heare where he dwelleth THE THIRD ARTICLE WHEther Churches and Temples maybe dedicate to Saintes The Papistes error 51 THey nothing doubt but as Churches may be consecrated and dedicated to the honour of God so they may be also vnto saints Argum. 1. The Temple of Salomon was not only built for sacrifices and prayer but for the Arke of God also as Dauid sayeth to Nathan Now I dwell in an house of Cedar trees and the Arke of God remaineth within curtaines 2. Sam. 7.2 But there is as great honour yea and greater due to the reliques of Saintes Ergo it is lawfull to builde Temples vnto them Bellarmine cap. quarto Ans. 1. When you haue a commandement to build Churches for reliques as they had to build a Temple for the arke ye may be bolde to do it 2. To build a Temple for the arke was all one as to build an house for the Lord for it was the Mercieseate of God it pleased the Lord to dwell betweene the Cherubims there to shewe euident tokens of his presence And whereas Dauid consulted to build an house for the arke the Lord doeth thus answere him by his Prophet Shalt thou build me an house for my dwelling verse 5. So the Temple was made in the honour of God being made for the Arke It was all one for the Arke to dwell there and the Lord him selfe to dwell there This argument therefore maketh nothing for them The Protestants TO build Churches and religious houses in the name and honour of saintes and to make them Patrones and Protectoures of those places and there to call vpon them and make prayers vnto them all which is defended by our aduersaries we holde it vtterly vnlawfull as tending to manifest impietie and idolatrie Argum. 1. No diuine worship is to be giuen to Saints therefore no Churches to be made in their names For it is part of the diuine worshippe to haue Temples Augustine saith Nos non Martyribus Templa sacerdotia aut sacra constituimus quoniam non ipsi sed Deus â—orum nobis Deus est Wee doe not ordaine Temples Priesthoodes or sacrifices for Martyres for not they but their God is both their God and ours None therefore is to haue a Temple but God But marke I pray you their distinction They say that Religious houses as they are Temples are onely consecrated to God but as they are Basilica palaces sumptuous buildinges the selfe same Churches may be dedicate to Saintes Bellarm. ibid. Ans. If one and the same Church may be consecrate both to God and to some saint beside I pray you who is the principal patrone of that church God or the saint You will say I am sure God is But I will proue the contrary because it hath the name of the faint It is called by the name of S. Peter S. Paul or some other not by the name of God Thus they are not contented to make saintes Gods fellowes but will euen thrust him out of place giuing vnto saintes the honor of Gods house 2. How names are to be giuen to places wee can not better learne then of those auncient founders of names the holy Patriarches As Abraham Gen. 22.14 calleth the mountaine Iehouah-iireh The Lord hath seene So Iacob giueth holy names to the place where he met the Angelles Gen. 32.2 and where he wrestled with the Angell ver 31. They as we see gaue holy and reuerent names vnto places not made peculiar for Gods seruice but onely for ciuil vse for the places to be called and knowen by how much more ought churches and houses of God to be called by his name We therefore conclude that Churches ought not to bee erected in Saintes names to worship them thereby and make them our Patrones mediators and presenters of our prayers for this were great Idolatrie Euen like as the Heathen called their Temples by the names of their Idolles Venus Iupiter Diana and the lyke Yet wee refuse not to call our Churches by the names of Saintes as they haue beene called of olde because wee are not inuentors of names and termes inured by continuall custome can hardly be left Wee vse them only as ciuil termes to distinguish places by if any otherwise vse them for any Religious
wracke And as their cause was not good so neither were the meanes that they vsed for they brought S. George and S. Denys into the field against the Turkes and left Christ at home If the Israelites could not be deliuered from the Philistims by the presence of the Arke but thirtie thousand fell before them and all because of their sinnes let not men thinke that popish Saints can defend them while their liues remaine vnreformed at home 2. That the heathen are not to be prouoked to warre but vpon iust cause that is when they prouoke vs it appeareth by the example of the Israelites who as they came from Aegypt sent vnto the King of Edom and Moab that they might haue leaue to walke through their land but they not granting so much yet the people of God offered them no violence but went a longer iourney about Iudg. 11.17 Augustine sayth Sapiens gesturus est iusta bella sed multo magis dolebit iustorum necessitatem extitisse bellorum A wise man will take iust warre in hand but it more grieueth him that he hath iust cause to warre And what he meaneth by iust warre he further sheweth Iniquitas partis aduersae iusta bella ingerit gerenda sapienti The iniquitie or iniuries of the aduerse part doth giue vnto a wise man occasion of iust warre Iust warre therefore ariseth when men are prouoked by iniuries THE EIGHT QVESTION CONCERNING holy and festiuall dayes THis question hath diuers parts First of holy dayes in generall Secondly of the Lords day Thirdly of the Festiuall dayes of Christ and the holy Ghost Fourthly of Saints holy dayes Fiftly of the time of Lent THE FIRST PART OF HOLY DAIES in generall The Papists error 58 FIrst they hold that holy and festiual daies are in themselues and properly and truely more sacred and holy then other daies are Bellarm. cap. 10. proposit 2. Apocalyps 1.10 I was in the spirit saith the Apostle on the Lords day God reuealeth such great things to Prophets rather vpon holy daies then prophane daies Ergo some daies holier then other Rhemist Apocal. 1. sect 6. The Protestants Ans. FIrst God giueth not his graces in respect of times but according to his owne pleasure Times of praier he chooseth often and of other godly exercises not for the worthines or holines of the times but for the better disposition of his seruants in such exercises to receiue them yet this was not perpetually obserued for God appeared to Moses keeping of sheepe Exod. 3. to Amos following his herd Amos 7. Secondly wee grant that the Lords day being commanded of God and so discerned from other daies may be said to be holier then the rest in respect of the present vse but not in the nature of the day for then could it not haue been changed from the last day in the weeke to the first as water in Baptisme is holier then other waters because of the sacred vse not in it selfe as by a qualitie of holines inherent And as for other festiuall daies which haue not the like institution they are appoynted onely of the Church for Christian policie orders sake for the exercise of religion But this now popish before time Iewish distinction of daies as being by their nature hoâ—â—er then other is flatly against the Apostles rule Rom. 14.5 One putteth difference betweene day and day and Galath 4.10 You obserue daies and moneths times and yeeres Augustine saith Nos dominicum diem pascha celebramus sed quia intelligimus quo pertineant non tempora obseruamus sed quae illis significantur temporibus Cont. Adimant cap. 16. We keepe the Lords day and the feast of Easter not obseruing the times but remembring what is signified by those times that is for what cause they were ordained Ergo obseruers of times are reproued The Papists 2. THey affirme the keeping and sanctification of holy dayes to be necessary errour 59 Rhemist annot Galath 4. sect 5. and that we are bound in conscience to keepe the holy dayes appointed of the Church although no offence or scandale might follow and ensue vpon the neglecting of them Esther 9. Mardocheus and Esther appoint a new festiuall day not instituted of God and bind euery one to the obseruing therof that none should faile to obserue it ver 27. Ergo men bound in conscience to keep festiuall daies Bellarm. ca. 10. The Protestants Ans. FIrst though we refuse not some other festiuall daies yet we acknowledge none necessary more then are of the holy Ghosts appointing in the Scripture Secondly we deny that the constitutions of the Church for holy dayes do bind Christians in respect of the dayes them selues in conscience to keepe them otherwise then they may giue offence by their contempt and disobedience to the holesome decrees of the Church for it selfe in it owne nature is indifferent neither can the Church make a thing necessary in nature which God hath left indifferent nothing bindeth absolutely in conscience but that which is necessary by nature wherefore keeping of holy dayes being not enioyned but left indifferent in the word bindeth no otherwise then we haue said Thirdly the example of Esther sheweth that the Church hath authoritie to appoint for ciuill vses dayes of reioycing that festiuall day then begun did not binde the obseruers in conscience no otherwise then they were bound in all lawfull things to obey their gouernours for their consent was required and they promised both for themselues their seede to keepe that day Esther 9.27 Whereby it appeareth that they were not bound absolutely in conscience to obserue it Augustine speaking of the Sabboth saith thus haec est dies quam fecit Dominus exultemus laetemur in ea This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad therein Psal. 118.24 This onely holy day he saith is of the Lords making and therefore of all other necessary to be kept THE SECOND PART OF THE Lords day The Papists THe seuerall pointes wherein our aduersaries and we doe differ about the errour 60 Christian Sabboth are these First the principall exercise of the Sabboth say they is for the people to come to the Church and heare Masse which their abominable and idolatrous sacrifice they make the proper worke of the Sabboth Catechism Roman pag. 649. The Protestants THe Sabboth was ordayned for the people to assemble together to heare the word read Act. 15.21 preached and to receiue the Sacramets Act. 20.7 and to offer vp their praiers these were the proper exercises of the Sabboth as for the popish sacrifice of the Masse we finde no mention at all thereof in Scripture The Papists error 61 2. WE dissent about the rest of the Sabboth they allow such workes to be done vpon the Sabboth as shal be permitted by the Prelates and Ordinaries and such as by long custome haue bene vsed Bellarm. cap. 10. The Protestants WE holde that as the Lords day was instituted of
God so the manner of celebrating and keeping it holy is to be learned out of the word and neither custome nor authority ought to giue liberty for such workes vpon the Lords day as are not warranted by the word First we graunt that we are not so necessarily tied to the rest of the Sabboth as the Iewes were for those things are abolished which appertained to the Iewish Sabboth First the prescript of the day Secondly the ceremonious exercises of the Sabboth in the sacrifices and other rites of the Law Thirdly the typicall shadowes and significations of their Sabboth as first it betokened their rest in Canaan then the rest and peace of the Church by Christ Hebre. 4.3 5. Fourthly the strickt and precise rest wherein Christians haue more liberty then the Iewes had and againe they obserued their rest as being properly and simply and in it selfe a sabboth daies duty but we doe consider it as being referred to a more principall end as making of vs more fit for spirituall exercises Secondly we allow these workes to be done First opera religiosa or pietatis the religious workes and conferring to piety as the Priestes did slaye the sacrifices vpon the Sabboth and yet brake not the rest of the Sabboth Math. 12.5 so the people may walke to their parish Church though somewhat farre off the Pastor Minister may goe forth to preach yea and preaching is of it selfe a labour of the body to study also and meditate of his Sermon to ring the bels to call the people to the Church all these are lawfull as being helpes for the exercises of religion Secondly opera charitatis the workes of mercy are permitted as to visite the sicke the Phisitian to resorte to his patient yea to shew compassion to brute beastes as to helpe the sheepe out of a pit Math. 12.11 Thirdly opera necessitatis the workes of necessitie as the dressing of meat and such like Math. 12.1.3 Our Sauiour excuseth his Apostles for plucking the eares of Corne when they were hungry As for opera voluntaria workes of pleasure and recreation we haue no other permission to vse them then as they shal be no le ts or impediments vnto spirituall exercises as the hearing of the word and meditating therein and such other Otherwise they are not to be vsed Augustine saith speaking of the Iewes who did greatly prophane their Sabboth in sporting and dalliance Melius toto die foderent quà m toto die saltarēt It were better for them to digge all day then to daunce all day euen so verily it were better for many poore ignorant people that vpon the Sabboth giue themselues to drinking and quaffing gaming if they should goe to plough or cart all the day But as for other seruile workes as to keepe Faires and Markets vpon the Lords day to trauell themselues their seruants and beastes vpon the Sabboth it is flat contrary to the commaundement of God and the practise of the Church Nehemiah 13.16 where there is no extream and vrgent necessitie so that it is not to be doubted but that as the keeping of the Lords day is a moral commaundement so also the manner of the obseruing thereof in sanctifying it and resting therein is morall the ceremonies of the rest being abolished that is the Iewish strictnes thereof and the opinion which they had of their rest as being simply a part of the sanctifying of the Sabboth But we doe consider it as referred vnto more principall duties and obserue it not as of it selfe pleasing God but as making vs more fit for spirituall exercises Contrary to these rules we acknowledge neither power in Ordinaries nor priuiledge in custome to dispence with the sanctification of the Sabboth The Papists THey affirme that the Apostles altered the sabboth day from the seaueth day to the eight counting from the creation and they did it without scripture error 62 or any commaundement of Christ such power say they hath God left to his Church This then they holde that the sabboth was changed by the ordinarie power and authoritie of the Church not by any especiall direction from Christ thereupon it followeth that the Church which they say cannot erre may also change the sabboth to any other day in the weeke Rhemist Apoca. 1. sect 6. The Protestants 1. THe Apostles did not abrogate the Iewish sabboth but Christ himselfe by his death as he did also other ceremonies of the Law and this the Apostles knew both by the scriptures the word of Christ his holy spirite 2. They did not appoint a new sabboth of their owne authoritie for first they knew by the scripture that one day of seauen was to be obserued for euer for the seruice of God and exercise of religion although the prescript day according to the Law were abrogate for the Lord before the morall law was written euen immediatly after the creation sanctified the seauenth day shewing thereby that one of the seauen must be obserued so long as the world endured Secōdly they knew there was the same reason of sanctifiyng the day of Christs resurrection and the restitution of the worlde thereby as of sanctifiyng the day of the Lords rest after the creation of the world Thirdly they did it by the direction of the spirite of God whereby they were so directed and gouerned that although they were fraile men by nature and subiect to error yet they could not decline in their writings and ordinances of the Church from the truth which assurance of Gods spirite in the like measure the Church hath not but so farre forth is promised to be led into all truth as she followeth the rule of truth expressed in the Scriptures Wherefore the Church hath no authority to change the Lords day and to keepe it vpon Munday or Tuesday or any other day seeing it is not a matter of indifferency but a necessary prescription of Christ himselfe deliuered by the Apostles for the Lords day began in the Apostles time and no doubt by their Apostolike authority directed by the spirite of Christ was instituted Act. 20.7 Apocal. 1. ver 10. Neither can there come so long as the world continueth so great a cause of changing the Sabboth as the Apostles had by the resurrection of Christ. Wherfore the law of the Sabboth as it is now kept and obserued is perpetuall The Papists errour 63 4. THey affirme that the keeping of the Lords day in stead of the Iewish Sabboth is a tradition of the Apostles and not warranted by Scripture Rhemist Math. 15. sect 3. The Protestants THe obseruation of the Lords day is not deliuered by blinde tradition but hath testimony of holy Scriptures 1. Corinth 16.2 Act. 20.7 Apocal. 1.10 and the obseruation thereof is according to Gods commaundement not after the doctrine of men Fulk ibid. The Papists errour 64 5. THey teach that the Lords day is commaunded and likewise kept for some mysticall signification not onely for the remembraunce of benefites already
accomplished as of the resurrection of Christ and the Aduent or comming downe of the holy spirite but also to betoken vnto vs things to come as our rest and glory in the kingdome of God Bellarm. de cultu sanctor li. 3. ca. 11. The Protestants 1. WE graunt that the Sabboth may be so applied both to call to remembraunce things already as vpon that day done as the resurrection of Christ and the descending of the holy Ghost Some think also that Christ vpon that day was baptized vpon that day turned water into wine fed fiue thousand with a few loaues came vnto his Apostles after his resurrection the dores being shut and that as vpon this daye he shall appeare to iudgement but vpon what ground I know not Certaine it is that vpon this daye Christ rose againe and that the holy Ghost came downe then vpon his Apostles We denye not but that the keeping of the Lords day holy may fitly bring vnto our remembrance these things yea and that it may be a type and symbole vnto vs in some sort both of things spirituall as to betoken our ceasing and resting from the workes of sinne Hebr. 4.10 and 1. Pet. 4.1 as also of things to come as the kingdome of heauen is called a Sabboth Isai. 66.23 But we dare not neither will affirme that the Sabboth was ordained constituted for any such end for the commandement of the Sabboth now to vs is onely moral not typical or ceremonial as the Iewish Sabboth was but looke wherein the Sabboth was moral to the Iewes so it is kept still As in these two poynts it was morall to them first to be a signe betweene them and the Lord and to distinguish them from other people Exod. 31.17 And so also the right keeping of the Lords day is a notable outward marke of difference betweene the Church of God all others Secondly that vpon the Sabboth they should resort together and heare the lawe read and preached Act. 15.21 And for this cause namely the exercise of religion are Christians chiefly bound to the Sabboth It may I say fitly be drawne to resemble heauenly and spirituall things but that is not any end of the institution The Iewes had two kind of types typos factos and typos destinatos types made and applied and types appoynted and ordained of God to shadowe forth some notable thing as the Paschall Lambe was typus destinatus of our Sauiour Christ as they were not to breake a bone of the Lambe so was it accordingly performed in Christ. They had also many types beside that were not destined to signifie any certaine thing of such S. Paul speaketh 1. Corinth 10 6 11. So wee say of the Sabboth that it is not typus destinatus it is not instituted for any shadowe or signification though it may be fitly applied to such an vse The Papists 6. THey say that we are not bound vpon the Sabboth by any peculiar commandement to abstaine from sinne more then vpon any other day neither error 65 that the internall act of religion appertaineth to the keeping of the Sabboth but the external that any sinne committed vpon the Sabboth is not therby the greater neither that we are more bound vpon the Sabboth to seeke for internall grace then vpon any other day Bellarm. lib. 3. cap. 10. propos 4. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we grant that all sinne as of theft adulterie and the like are in their owne nature alike at what time soeuer they are committed yet they may be made more hainous by the circumstances as of the place as sacriledge is greater then common theft so why not of the time Secondly if that which is no sinne vpon the worke-day be a sinne vpon the Sabboth as to digge to plough to cart then that which is a sinne of it selfe as to steale to coÌ„mit adulterie must needs be greater more hainous being done vpon the Sabboth for beside the sinne he also prophaneth the Sabboth which is the breach of another commandement Thirdly the internall act of religion is properly commanded in the sanctifying of the Sabboth for it cannot be sanctified by the externall act of going to Church and hearing the word vnlesse a man be inwardly in the deuotion of his heart prepared for those holy exercises So inward grace is more sought for vpon the Sabboth not in respect of that inward desire which we haue vnto them which ought alwaies to be alike feruent in vs if it were possible but because of those outward meanes of hearing the word publique prayer receiuing the Sacraments which are vpon the Sabboth for the which we ought more especially to prepare examine our selues Ecclesiast 4.17 1. Corinth 11.28 Augustine sayth speaking of the Iewish women Quanto meliùs foeminae eâ—ruÌ„ lanam facerent quà m illo die in neomenijs saltarent spiritualiter obseruat Sabbatum Christianus abstinens se ab opere seruili id est à peccato Tractat. 3. in Iohan. Their women might be better occupied in spinning at home then in dauncing vpon this day for a Christian doth spiritually keepe the Sabboth in abstaining from al seruile worke that is from sinne They then that do obserue the Sabboth onely in externall acts doe but carnally keepe it The Papists error 66 7. THey hold it a thing vnlawfull for Christians to fast vpon the Lords day Bellarm. lib. 3. de cultu sanctor cap. 11. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we grant that this opinion is very ancient that in Tertullians time it was receiued in many Churches and they thought it as vnlawfull to bow the knee vpoÌ„ the Lords day Tertul. lib. de coron Militis Die dominico ieiunare nefas ducimus de geniculis adorare We count it vnlawfull to fast vpon the Lords day and to pray kneeling But the Papists obserue not the one why then should they binde themselues to the other Ignatius maketh fasting vpon the Sabboth as great an offence as the killing of Christ himselfe Epistol ad Philipp But I trust they will not say so Secondly the reasons why fasting is not to be vsed vpon the Lords day because the Iesuite setteth downe none I will supplie out of Augustine first Sentio saith he ad significandam requiem sempiternam vbi est verum Sabbatum relaxationem quà m constrictionem ieiunij aptius conuenire I thinke that to signifie the eternall rest which is the true Sabboth libertie rather then the vrging of fasting doth most fitly agree But to this we answere that this signification of eternall rest is no essentiall part of sanctifying the Sabboth nor no end of the institution as we haue shewed afore though it may haue such an application and therefore this reason proueth not such a necessitie of not fasting vpon the Sabboth Secondly Die dominico ieiunare magnum est scandalum It is a great offence to fast on the Lords day because the Manichees made choise of that day to fast in Per quod factum
bodie to abstayne from hurtfull meates as likewise to keepe a temperate and sober dyet and to take heede of surfetting and drunkennesse These kindes of abstinence in making difference of meates wee mislike not but for pietie or religions sake to distinguish them it is to too great superstition The Papists FOurthly their religious kinde of fasting they holde not to bee a generall error 77 abstinence from all meates and drinkes but onely from some certaine kindes as from flesh and wine as Timothie refrayned from drinking of wine and in steade thereof vsed water 1. Timothie 5. verse 23. Rhemist The Protestants Ans. FIrst for chastising of the bodie it is lawfull to abstayne either wholly for a time or in respect of the quantitie or qualitie of the meates which may more prouoke carnall lusts not in the prohibition of the whole kind as the Papists doe of all flesh bee it neuer so grosse or small in quantitie Likewise it is lawfull for chastising of a mans body to abstaine from any kinde as of wine fruites spices flesh so that the vse of them be not forbidden as though in the very abstinence there were religion Fulk ibid. 2 But the true and properly religious fast of Christians is a generall abstinence from all meats and drinkes during the time of such fasting Esther 4.16 Nehemiah 9.4 Where the manner of their fast is described howe the lawe was read vnto them foure times in the day and as oft did they worship the Lord and confesse their sinnes It was the custome of the Church also in Augustines time in the dayes of fast not to abstaine onely from flesh or some certayne kinde of meate as the Papists vse but altogether to continue fasting till the eeuen Rogo vos fratres sayth he vt in isto sacratissimo tempore exceptis dieb dominicis nullus prandere praesumat I pray you brethren that in this holy time none of you presume to dine at all except it be vpon the Lords daies Ergo they that wil keepe a true religious fast if they are able ought for the time wholly to absteyne The Papists error 78 FIftly they erre in affirming fasting to be a meritorious worke Rhemist 1. Corinth 15. vers 32. Anna Tobie Iudith Esther serued and pleased God by fasting Annot. Math. 15. sect 3. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we doubt not but that fasting is a worke acceptable to God being referred to the right end as to chastise and humble the bodie 1. Corinthians 9.27 and to make our prayers more feruent 1. Corinthians 7.5 But otherwise there is no holinesse or vertue in fasting of it selfe neither is it by the worke wrought of any merite or worthines For our prayers which are a more principall worke then fasting is yet of themselues by any worthynes in them are not regarded of God for Salomon sayth When thou hearest haue mercie 1. King 8.30 It is of the Lords mercy that our prayers are heard not of any worthynes in them Augustine sayth very well Si volumus bene ieiunare à cibis ante omnia ieiunemus à vitijs Quid prodest pallidum esse ieiunijs si odio inuidia liuescas What doth it helpe to fast from meate if wee fast not from sinne What auayleth it to be pale and wan with fasting if thou frettest with hatred and enuie Ergo the externall or outward acte of fasting of it selfe is litle or nothing worth The Papists error 79 SIxtly and lastly they grieuously offend in their fastings in laying so straight and hard a yoke vppon mens shoulders as charging them vnder payne of damnation to keepe their fasting dayes making it deadly sinne yea heresie to transgresse them as one Laurence Staple was troubled and persecuted anno 1531. because in Lent hauing no fish hee did eate egges butter and cheese nay they were so cruell that hardly they suffered women in child-bed to haue flesh in their houses As anno 1532. two young Gyrles were constrayned to abiure because they were found vppon Saint Peters eeuen eating broth made of mutton their mother lying in childe-bed Howe was poore Frebarne tossed too and fro and brought into great daunger because a pigge was found in his house in Lent time for the which his wife longed The Protestants Ans. FIrst no positiue law not grounded vppon scripture can so binde any person that in the breaking of such hee shall sinne deadlie And of this sorte is the fast of Lent and other dayes for religion which were ordayned without authoritie of scripture Lambert ad articul 17. And seeing the rest of the Sabboth being the commaundement of GOD might yet vpon necessarie cause be broken as wee haue shewed how much greater libertie ought the people to haue had in the obseruation of those dayes which were onely inioyned by men for who seeth not that the rest in the Lords day being Gods owne appoyntment ought more surely to binde then fasting vpon forbidden dayes enforced by men yet was it counted an heynous sinne to eate flesh vpon a day interdict and a small offence or none to violate the rest of the Sabboth 2 Saint Paul could see no such necessitie of fasting and abstinence when hee willeth Timothie to drinke wine and no longer water for his infirmities sake 1. Timoth. 5.23 But if there were religion in fasting and abstinence it ought not to be intermitted for the bodily health for the lesse principall is to giue place to the greater In Augustines time also there was no such necessitie Qui ieiunare non praeualet in domo sua praeparet quod accipiat He that is not able to fast let him prepare in his house for his owne eating And agayne Si possibilitas non fuerit ieiunandi sufficit eleemosyna sine ieiunio If a man haue not possibilitie to fast in stead of fasting let him giue almes What is become now of your Lent and Imber fastes which you prescribe as necessary to be kept of all THE NINTH QVESTION CONcerning the Virgine Marie THis question standeth of many parts 1. Whether the B. Virgin Marie were conceiued without sin Secondly whether she vowed Virginitie before the Angel was sent vnto her Thirdly of the assumption of her body into heauen Fourthly of the dignitie and preeminence that shee hath as they affirme aboue all other Saints yea and the Angels to Fiftly of the merites of the virgin Marie and of the Aue Maria. THE FIRST PART WHETHER THE Virgin Marie were voyde of original and actuall sinne The Papists error 80 1 AL men are borne in sinne Christ onely excepted and his mother for his honor Rhemist Rom. 5. sect 9. Answ. it is no more dishonour for Christ to be borne of a sinner then to haue taken his flesh and lineally descended according to his humanity of Thamar that committed incest with Iuda and Rahab which was an harlot Math. 1.3.5 Secondly it maketh more for the honor of God that Christ was borne without sinne
will to beleeue in him and to doe that hee appointeth Secondly this place is expounded by that other of Saint Paul Ephes. 1.4 God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy vpon the which words Augustine writeth thus Elegit nos vt essemus sancti non quia futuri eramus sed vt essemus secundum bonam voluntatem suam non nostram quae bona esse non posset nisi ipse secundum bonam voluntatem suam vt bona fieret subueniret He hath chosen vs that we should be holy not because he saw we should be holy but to the end we might be holy and according to his good pleasure not after our owne will which could not bee good vnlesse he according to his good will should assist vs to make it good See then our holines and obedience is a fruite and effect of our election no cause thereof neither is there any free will or good disposition in man till God make it free and good Argum. Rom. 9.16 Our election is not of the willer nor of the runner but of God that sheweth mercie Ergo the mercie of God is the onely ground of our election for if our faith or workes should be foreseene then it were of the willer and of the runner which the Apostle here denieth And to this purpose the Apostle bringeth in the example of Iacob and Esau ouer whome the Lorde had cast his lots Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated before they were yet borne or had done either good or euill as Augustine saith Vt totum quicquid essent secundum misericordiam se esse cognoscerent And all to this ende that they should ascribe all whatsoeuer was in them to the mercie of God Yea the Rhemists confesse against themselues that Gods meere mercie is seene in the elect Rom. 9. sect 2. Ergo our election is a worke of Gods meere mercie there is then no respect at all to be had to our workes for then were it not of Gods meere and sole mercie THE THIRD QVESTION OF THE certaintie of Predestination The Papists error 57 1. THere are two partes of this question first whether Gods decree concerning the election of men be certaine and vnchangeable secondly whether a man in this life may in himselfe bee assured of his election The first our aduersaries dare not plainely affirme for it were great blasphemie openly to say that Gods decree may bee changed yet they doe in circumstance of speech affirme it as Rhemist Act. 27. sec. 3. Men cannot bee saued though they bee predestinate vnlesse they keepe Gods commaundements As though it were possible for men predestinate not to keepe the commandements of God or in the end not to be saued Likewise it was concluded in the Councell of Trent sess 6. can 23. that the grace of iustification may be lost which is as much to say that a man may lose his predestination for none are iustified but whome God before hath predestinate Rom. 8.30 They cannot therefore fall away from the grace of iustification vnles they fall away from predestination The Protestants THat the decree of God concerning such as shall bee saued remaineth sure and certaine and that it is impossible for any of the Elect to fall away the Scripture euery where proueth Argum. Whome God loueth hee loueth to the end Iohn 13.1 The giftes and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 My father is greater then all and no man is able to take them out of his hand Iohn 10.29 Ergo our election is certaine for With God there is not so much as any shadow of change Iam. 1.17 Augustine saith Horum qui electi sunt si quispiam perit fallitur Deus sed â—emo eorum perit quia non fallitur Deus Of the Elect if any perish God is deceiued but none of them can perish because God cannot bee deceiued De corrept grat cap. 7. The Papists error 58 FOr euery man to be assured infalliblie that he shall be saued without speciall reuelation is a most damnable false illusion and presumption Rom. 8. sect 9. They call it a faithlesse perswasion of saluation to bee confident of Gods grace and saluation and fides daemoniorum not Apostolorum the faith of diuels not of Apostles Rhemist 1. Corint 9. sect 9. So the Tridentine Councel call certitudinem remissionis peccatorum vanam ab omni pietate remotam fiâ—uciam the certaintie of remission of sinnes a vaine and faithlesse perswasion And therefore euery man De gratia formidare timere potest may stand in doubt and be afraide whether he be in the state of grace sess 6. cap. 9. Argum. 1. Saint Paul saith I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified Paul durst not assure himselfe whether he were iustified Rhemist Ans. Paul was most sure of Gods grace and his iustification through faith Rom. 8.30 But hee doth acknowledge that hee is not iustified by his faithfull labours in the Gospell or any other workes of his owne although hee were cleare in conscience Argum. 2. Philip. 2.12 Worke your saluation with feare and trembling Ergo men must not be secure of their saluation Ans. We doe not teach men to walke securely or presume of their election But we protest vnto them that seeing men are predestinate vnto good workes that vnlesse they be careful to lead an holy life they haue no part in predestination yet wee teach men notwithstanding assuredly to beleeue the promises of God made to all those that beleeue to be saued And this confidence doth very well agree with the feare of God The Protestants OVr securitie of saluation is no vaine presumption but an assurance vpon the word of God that through faith in God and walking in that way which God hath appointed vs we shall vndoubtedly come in the end to eternall life Argum. 1. As our election is certaine sure and vndoubted before God so it is the Lords pleasure that euery Christian while hee liueth may and ought in himselfe to be assured thereof by a liuely faith as Saint Peter teacheth vs to labour and giue our diligence to make our calling election sure 2. Pet. 1.10 Argum. 2. Rom. 8.38 S. Paul saith I am sure that neither death nor life c. shall separate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus Ergo the Apostle was certaine of his saluation Rhemist First the Apostle speaketh onely in generall as if hee should haue saide So many as are elected cannot certainely perish Ans. It is false for the Apostle pronounceth particularly of himselfe As more plainely 2. Timoth. 4 8. From henceforth there is laide vp for mee a crowne of righteousnes Rhemist Secondly Saint Paul might haue this perswasion by some especiall reuelation Ans. The ground of the Apostles perswasion is none other but that which is common to all the faithfull the loue of God in Christ. And so Augustine interpreteth this place writing
water and purge my selfe most clean yet mine owne clothes shal make me filthy Iob 9.30 that is though he should alleadge for himselfe the best workes that euer he did yet euen in those the Lord could finde out matter against him Yea S. Paul saith That he knew nothing by himselfe his owne conscience did not accuse him yet was he not thereby iustified 1. Corinth 4.4 The reason is giuen by S. Iohn that Although a mans hart condemne him not yet God is greater then our hart 1.3.20 Wherefore there is no worke of any man so perfect but before the Lord it may be found faulty for All our righteousnes is as a stained clout Augustine vpon those words of Iob. 29.14 I put on iustice as a robe Vestis ista belli magis solet esse quā pacis vbi adhuc expugnatur concupiscentia non vbi erit plena sine aliquo prorsus hoste iustitiae This garment that is a cloke or mantle is rather for warre then peace for here we doe dayly fight against concupiscence and there is no perfect righteousnes without some enemie But if so be any work of ours could be perfect without sinne righteousnes somtimes might be without an enemie which Augustine denieth The Papists 2. MOrtall sinne they say cannot consist together with the grace of God and error 69 cannot be committed by a man continuing the Sonne of God for he that is borne of God saith the Apostle sinneth not that is falleth into no mortall sinne Rhemist 1. Iohn 3. sect 5. The Protestants FIrst vnderstanding mortall sinne as they doe for euery sinne that deserueth death as are adulterie theft murder their exposition is hereticall for then Dauid should not haue beene the Sonne of God when he committed adultery and consequently should haue bene none of the predestinate he that is once the Sonne of God is alwaies euen to the end For whom God loueth he loueth to the end Iohn 13.1 Secondly the Apostles meaning when he saith He that is borne of God sinneth not is no other then that which S. Paul hath Rom. 6.12 That sinne should not raigne in our body that is the children of God though they fal into sinne continue not in it nor delight therein neither are wholly ouercome of it for it is true of them that it is not they that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in them Rom. 7.20 Augustine Quicunque in Dei prouidentiss dispositione praedestinati sunt non dico nondum renati sed etiam nondum nati filij Dei sunt perire non possunt Whosoeuer in the most wise counsell of God are predestinate to saluation not onely before they are regenerate and borne againe but euen before they are borne at all are the Children of God and cannot perish If then the elect not yet called or regenerate are the Children of God much more are they that are called and regenerate though after their calling they doe fall into some sinne for the time THE THIRD PART OF THE WORKES of Supererogation The Papists THey teach that it is not onely possible for men to keep the Lawe of God in error 70 this life but to doe more then is prescribed or commanded and that men of their abundance may allotte vnto others such workes of supererogation Rhemist 1. Cor. 9. sect 6. ex Tileman loc 3. er 16. Argu. 2. Cor. 8. sect 3. As your abundance now supplyeth their want their abundance also may supply your want that there may be equality Saints or other vertuous persons may in measure and proportion of other mens deseruings allot vnto them as well the supererogation of their spirituall works as these that abound in worldly goods may giue almes of their superfluities to them which are in necessitie Rhemist totid verbi◠Ans. 1. This place prooueth no communication of merites of one to another but that as euery one aboundeth in the gifts and graces of God so they ought to communicate the vse thereof one to anothers benefite for no man meriteth himselfe by any worke of his therefore he cannot communicate that to another which he hath not himselfe Here also mention is made of mutuall communication for one to supply anothers want but he that doth supererogate to another of the abundance of his good workes hath no need to haue his wants supplied by another mans deseruings therefore there is no mutuall communicating betwene them which is the thing whereof the Apostle speaketh in this place Argum. That no man is holpen by another mans deseruings but all that a man can doe is little enough and not sufficient for him selfe it is plaine in the Gospell where our Sauiour saith That when we haue done all that is commanded we are vnprofitable seruants and did no more thē was our dutie Luke 17.10 Ergo a man can not doe more then his dutie We may also remember the parable of the Virgins Math. 25. where the fiue wise refuse to giue of their oyle to the fiue foolish least say they there will not be enough for vs and you No man therefore hath attained to such a perfection of goodnes that he is able to spare ought for his brother but shal haue need thereof himselfe Augustine writing vpon this parable saith Vnusquisque pro se rationem reddet nec alieno testimonio quicquam adiuuatur apud Deum et vix sibi quisque sufficit vt sibi testimonium per hibeat conscientia sua Euery man shall giue account for himselfe neither is a man relieued by anothers testimonie before God the testimonie of a mans conscience is hardly sufficient for himselfe See more of this matter Controu 14. quest 7. part 4. quest 8. part 3. articul 2. THE FOVRTH PART WHETHER GOD be to be serued for hope of reward or feare of punishment The Papists error 71 1. MEn ought to doe good in respect and for reward and recompence in heauen for their good workes the Apostle saith of Moses Heb. 11. He had respect to the recompence of reward Rhemist ibid. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we deny that we ought to make account of heauen to be giuen as a iust recompence deserued by our workes for Life eternall as the Apostle saith is the free gift of God Rom. 6.23 2. We graunt that men in their wel doing ought to haue respect to the reward but not chiefely or principally but the respect of Gods glory and their owne dutie ought to moue them more Argum. Psal. 34.8 Taste and see how gratious the Lord is We ought as dutifull children to yeeld obedience to the Lord and delight in him euen because of that pleasant taste comfort and ioy which we feele in his goodnes toward vs. Augustine saith well Deus non propterea se amari vult quia dat aliquid praeter se sed quia dat se God would not be beloued of vs because he giueth or promiseth any thing beside him selfe but because he giueth himselfe The Papistes 2. EVen in right Christian
body who would haue the verie flesh of Christ present in the Sacrament for this is against the article of the Creede that Christ is ascended into heauen and there sitteth till his comming againe in iudgement Concerning these meanes thus writeth Augustine Rarissime inuenitur ambiguitas in verbis proprijs quam non aut circumstantia ipsa sermonis qua cognoscitur Scripturarum intentio aut interpretum collatio aut praecedentes soluat inspectio de doctrin Christ. lib. 3.4 There is almost no ambiguitie in any word properly vsed that is not metaphoricall or borrowed which may not either by the circumstance of the place the conference and comparing of interpreters or by looking into the originals easily be taken away Augustine we see approueth this methode though our aduersaries like it not Besides these prayer must be vsed before we enterprise any thing that the Lord would direct vs. And they which cā not so easily take this course which is prescribed shall do well to seeke helpe of learned and godly expositors or to consult with their Pastors and Ministers Ex Whitacher quaest 5. cap. 9. THE SEVENTH QVESTION CONCERNING the perfection and sufficiencie of Scripture THis question is deuided into three parts First whether the Scriptures be absolutely necessary Secōdly whether they be sufficient without vnwritten traditions Thirdly whether there be any traditions of faith and manners beside the Scriptures THE FIRST PART OF THE NEcessitie of the Scriptures The Papistes THe Iesuite laboureth to proue that the Scriptures are not simply necessarie error 11 which we denie not for meate is not simply necessarie for God may preserue man without so in respect of God nothing is simply necessarie God is not necessarily tyed to vse this or that meanes but his argumentes do tend to this end to shew that the scriptures are not necessarie at all and may be spared in the Church so saith Petrus a Soto the Scripture was not alway extant and it is not necessarie vnto faith And the Scripture it not now so necessarie since Christ as it was afore Tilman de verbo Dei error 17. 1 There was no Scripture from Adam to Moses for the space of two thousand yeares and yet true Religion was kept and continued and why might not true Religiō be as well preserued a 1500. yeare after Christ without scripture as afore We answere It foloweth not because in times past God taught his church by a liuelie voyce that the written word is not necessarie now for the Lord saw it good that his word should be left in writing that we might haue a certaine rule of our faith in this corrupt and sinfull age And what els is this but to cōtroll the wisedome of God saying it is not necessarie or needfull for the Church which the Lord saw to be needfull for if the Lord had thought it as good for vs to be taught without Scripture as in that simple and innocēt age of the world I meane innocent in respect of vs he would not haue moued and stirred vp his Apostles to write 2 After the time of Moses when the law was written yet there were many that feared God amongest the Gentiles which had not the Scriptures as Iob and the other his friends Ergo the scripture not necessarie The Iewes also them selues vsed traditions more then Scriptures as Psal. 44. v. 1.2 the fathers did report the workes of God to their children by the negligence also of the Priests the law was lost as 2. King 22. we read that the volume of the law was found which had bene missing a long time We answere First euē the faithfull amōgest the Gētiles did read the scripture as the Eunuke Act. 8. had the booke of the Prophet Isay. Secondly the Iewes declared the workes of God vnto their children but the same were also written as how the heathen were cast out before them and of their deliuerāce out of Egypt those were the things they heard of their fathers as we read Psal. 44. 78. yet all these things are recorded in the bookes of Moses Thirdly what though the Priests were negligent in preseruing the scriptures it is no good argument to proue that therefore they are not necessarie neither was the whole booke of the law lost but either Moses owne manuscript or the booke of Deuteronomie Yet he hath proued nothing 3 The Church after Christ wanted the Scriptures many yeares Ergo they are not necessarie We aunswere it is a great vntruth for the old Testamēt the Church could not be without and the new Testament was written not long after in the age of the Apostles whose liuely voyce and preachings were vnto them as their writings are now to vs. See now what strong arguments they bring the scriptures were not necessary in the time of the Patriarkes when God taught them by his owne voyce they were not necessarie in the time of the Prophetes and Apostles when they had mē inspired of God to teach them Ergo they are not now necessarie when neither God teacheth from heauen neither haue we any Prophetes or Apostles to instruct vs by heauenly reuelations nay rather because they were not necessarie then when they had other effectuall meanes notwithstanding they are necessarie now seeing there is no other way of instruction left vnto vs. The Protestantes THat the scriptures are necessarie for the people of God the reading preaching and vnderstanding whereof is the onely and ordinarie meanes to beget faith in vs we thus proue out of the Scriptures them selues 1 The scriptures conteine necessarie knowledge to saluation which can not be learned but out of the scripture Ergo they are necessarie The knowledge of the law is necessarie but that onely is deriued from the Scripture as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 7.7 he had not knowen lust to be sinne vnlesse the law had said thou shalt not lust And if the right knowledge of the law is not learned but out of the scripture much more the knowledge of the Gospel is more high and mysticall and more straunge vnto our nature 2 That whereby we are kept frō error and doubtfulnes in matters of faith is necessarie but this is performed by the scripture Ergo. First the Scripture keepeth vs from error Math. 22.29 ye erre not knowing the scriptures saith our Sauiour The ignoraunce of scripture was cause of their error Secondly if our knowledge were onely builded vpon tradition without scripture we should be doubtfull and vncertaine of the truth so S. Luke saith in his Preface to Theophilus I haue written saith he that thou mightest be certaine of those things whereof thou hast bene instructed Hence we conclude that although we might know the truth without scripture as Theophilus did yet we can not know it certainlie without 3 If the scriptures be not necessarie then we may be without them but this can not be Ergo the scriptures can not be spared for then God had done a needlesse and superfluous worke in stirring vp
the Prophets and Apostles to write S. Paule saith that what soeuer is writtē is written for our learning that through patience and cōsolation of the scriptures we might haue hope Rom. 15.4 The Lord saw in wisedome that his people could not be without the Scriptures which are necessarie for their learning for their comfort and to strengthen their hope how then dare our aduersaries say that the scriptures are not necessarie seeing these things wrought in vs by the scriptures knowledge consolation hope are most necessarie 4 Let Augustine now put in his verdict Illud credo quod etiā hinc diuinorū eloquiorum clarissima authoritas esset si homo illud sine dispendio salutis ignorare non posset de peccator merit remiss lib. 2.36 I thinke saith he that euen concerning this matter speaking of the originall or beginning of the soule the Scriptures would not haue bene silent if we might not safelie be ignoraunt of this matter without daunger of saluation Ergo whatsoeuer is necessarie to saluatiō is onely to be found in scripture for other matters there not expressed there in no daunger in not knowing them therfore the Scriptures by this Fathers iudgement are most necessary THE SECOND PART OF THE SEVENTH question of the sufficiencie of Scripture The Papistes THey do straungely affirme that the Scriptures conteine not all things necessarie error 12 to be knowen cōcerning faith and manners and that they are not sufficient without traditions Bellarm. cap. 3.4 Lindanus a Papist saith that the scriptures conteine not all things necessarie to saluation Andradius that their approued traditions are of equall authoritie with the Scripture Ex Tilman de verbo error 2. 1 First the Iesuite thus reasoneth against the sufficiencie of Scripture There are diuerse bookes of canonicall Scripture lost and perished Ergo that part of canonical scripture which remaineth is not sufficiēt that much is lost he thus proueth 1. Chron. cap. vlt. mention is made of the bookes of Nathan Gad. 2. Chron. 9. of the bookes of Ahiiah Ieedo in the new Testamēt Col. 4. of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Laodiceans all those bookes are lost We aunswere First we denie not but that some bookes are now wanting which were part of canonicall scripture yet that which remaineth is sufficiēt as some of Solomōs bookes are perished which he wrote of herbes plāts and many of his Prouerbes the Lord saw that they were not so greatly necessarie for vs to saluation Secondly there is not so much wanting as the Iesuite would beare vs in hād for the books of the Prophets which he nameth are the same with the bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings which no doubt were writtē by those Prophetes And as for the Epistle of S. Paule to the Laodiceās there was neuer any such the text is written from the Laodiceans it was the Epistle rather of the Laodiceans to S. Paule vnto the which he partly maketh aunswere in the Epistle to the Colossians and therefore he would haue it read also in their Church 2 If the Apostles had any such meaning to contriue in the scriptures the summe of faith and all necessarie knowledge it is very like Christ would haue geuen them some expresse commaundement so to do but we read not of any such strict commaundement Ergo they had no such purpose Bellarmine We aunswere First they them selues dare not denie but that the Apostles wrote by the instinct of the spirite what is that els but the commaundement of God Actes 16.6 Paule was forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and ver 10. when he had seene a vision of a man of Macedonia appearing vnto him the Apostle concludeth that they were called of God wherefore what they did by the secret mouing of the spirite was done at the cōmaundement of God Secondly Apocal. 11.1.14.13 Iohn is biddē to write that which he saw no doubt the other Apostles had the like cōmaundement 3 There are many points which we ought in no wise to be ignoraunt of which the scriptures speake either obscurelie of or not at all First these things are obscurely and doubtfully set downe in Scripture the equalitie of the persons in Trinitie the proceeding of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne the doctrine of originall sinne We aunswere First if these things be found at all in the Scriptures it is sufficient concerning the question we haue in hand Secondly the Scripture doth manifestly declare the truth in all those points the equalitie of the persons is directly proued 1. Iohn 5.7 the procession of the spirite Iohn 15.26 the spirit is there said to be sent frō the Father the Sonne And Ioh. 14.26 Original sinne is described plainly by the Apostle Rom. 5.12 though the name be not found in Scripture Secondly there are diuerse things necessarie to be knowen not at all declared in Scripture First as that Marie continued a perpetuall Virgine We answere the Scripture saith euery where she was a Virgine neither maketh mention of any children she had and therefore out of the Scripture we gather that she continued Secondly Basile saith that it is sufficient to know she was a Virgine before the birth of Christ. Secondly to know that the Pasch or Easter must be kept vpon the Lordes day is necessarie Aunswere there is no such necessiitie in it to saluation neither needed the Church so much to haue contended about it in times past these are the mightie weapons which our aduersaries vse The Protestantes WE do not affirme as our aduersaries charge vs that all things necessarie to saluation are expressely conteined in scripture that is in so many words but this we hold that all things which are necessarily to be knowen of vs are either expresly declared in Scripture or necessarily concluded out of Scripture and so conteined in them We also graunt that it was not Gospell onely which was written but all that Christ and his Apostles taught by liuely voyce the whole summe whereof and substaunce is conteined in the written word and so we conclude that nothing necessarie to saluation either concerning faith or manners is els where to be found but in the holy Scriptures 1 S. Paule saith if we or an Aungell preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached let him be accursed Ergo the Scripture conteineth all things necessarie First the Iesuite aunswereth that S. Paule speaketh not onely of his writings but also of his preachings which were not written We aunswere that the summe of all S. Paules preachings is conteined in his Epistles and other holy writings for S. Paule confirmed his doctrine out of the scriptures as Act. 17.10 the Berrheans examined his doctrine by the scriptures and found it to be consonant and to agree in all things Secondly he condēneth those which preach any thing not besides or otherwise but contrarie and therefore not any other doctrine besides Scripture is forbidden but that