shall proue that this is not generally to bee vnderstoode of everie knovvledge but truely of one kinde of knowledge Ioh. 1.24 which is specified by Iohn vvhere hee saith if any saith I know God and keep not his commandements he is a lyar and the truth is not in him but he that keepeth his word in him is the loue of God indeed and hereby we know that we are in him So theÌ„ that knovvledge vvhich hath the loue of God ioyned with it which loue is manifested by a desire a delight of doing the wil of God is the saving knowledge before meÌ„tioned and no other knowledge which saving knowledge cannot possibly be in the vvicked or in the devil For they only know God but loue him not which is manifested in that they by loue seeke not to doe his will and please him The like general speech you haue of our Saviour where he saieth Mat. 7.7 to him that knocketh it shall be opened and to him that asketh it shall bee given vvhich vvordes if you simplie vnderstand without exception many absurdities wil follow The fiue foolish virgins knocked yet vvere they not admitted they that cast our devils in Christs name and did great and many workes thereby asked but obtained not wherefore wee must goe further seeke the true meaning of these words by confereÌ„ce of them vvith other places of the Scripture Our Saviour saith Mat. 6.14.15 if you forgiue other men their trespasses your heavenly father vvill forgiue you your trespasses but if you forgiue not other men no more will your heavenly father forgiue you your trespasses and David saith if I applie my heart to wickednes Ps 65.18 the Lord will not heare my praier and Salomon saith the praier of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 the Lord refuseth the praiers of the Iews because their hands were full of blood because they were oppresore of the poore but wash you Esay 1.16 saith the Lord learne to do well seeke iudgmeÌ„t releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse defraud not the widdowes then if thy sins were as crimsoÌ„ they shal be as whit as snow David saith Psal 33.18 19. the eies of the Lorde are over those that feare him and vpon them that trust in his mercy to deliuer their soules froÌ„ death And Peter saith the eies of the Lorde are over the righteous and his eares are open to their praiers â— Pet. 3. i2 by these places now may you see how those wordes are to be vnderstood to everie one that knocketh it shall bee opened and to everie one that asketh it shall be geven that is not every one without exception for you see other places tell you that the praier of the wicked is an abhomination vnto the Lord Ioh. 15.7 but of them â—hat loue and feare the Lord and endevour to keep his coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts if they knock or aske it shal be opened graunted to every one without exception So in like maÌ„ner in your assertion namely that if a maÌ„ hath faith it is sufficient if you absolutely vnderstand any faith many absurdities will follovv Iam. 2.19 for there is a faith of Divels vvhich if it vvere sufficient to salvation then the divils may bee saved For they acknowledge Christ to be the sonne of God There is an historical faith Mark 5.7 a faith of doing miracles which the wicked haue yet it caÌ„not saue them according to that of the Apostle if I had all faith 1. Cor. 10.2 so that I could remoue mountaines and had not loue it were nothing It must bee then such a faith which hath with it the loue of God our brethren it must be such a faith which worketh by charity Gal. 5.6 Ephe. 6.6 a working faith I saie and not an idle faith much lesse such a faith as is spotted with vngodlines Not any faith then is sufficient but such a faith which is accompanied with good workes and newnesse of life Gall. Well be it that good vvorkes be required to salvatioÌ„ yet say that I liue vngodly all the dayes of my life vntill â— see I must departe this world I thinke I haue hearde some wordes in the Scripture which import thus much that it is not then too late to repent I cannot repeat the wordes themselues but such words there are the which to tell you the truth haue made me take a little the more liberty in my delights Scholl I thinke you meane these words at what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his iniquitie I vvill put out all the remembrance of his sinnes from me Ezec. cap. 33.11 saith the Lord Gal. Yes the same theÌ„ you see it is sufficient for a man to salvation even wheÌ„ he dieth to repeÌ„t Scho. If these words haue given you an occasion of greater liberty in your delights that is in plaine tearmes an occasion of sinning more freely you are one of whoÌ„ the Apostle prophesied long since saving that in the latter times shall come certaine men Iude 4. 1. Pet. 1. 2. Tim. 3.4 who will turne the grace of God into wantonnes yea vvho will loue their pleasures more theÌ„ God Luk. 1.74 Ephes 1.4 1. Pet. 2.24 and 2. Peter 1.5 you make a cleane coÌ„trary vse of the promises of the goodnes patience of the Lorde towardes sinners to that wherefore they are promised For saith the Apostle the gooâ—nes long suffering and patience of God Ro. 2.6.7 is shewed to lead men to repentaÌ„ce amendment of life the which who so abuseth heaâ—eth vp wrath to himselfe against the day of iudgement who will reward every man according to his workes 2. Tim. 2 2â— and expounding himselfe saith that is to them who by continuance marke well vvhat he saith even as if he plainely foresaw some would vainely flatter themselues that it wil be sufficient to repente as they falsely call it at the last cast and breath therefore he addeth to theÌ„ that by coÌ„tinuance in well doing seekâ— life everlasting But lest you should flâ—â—ter your self in your sins promise vnto your selfe salvatioÌ„ without warrant of the worde of God first knowe this that these words At what time soever are not in any texte of the bible yet are they agreeable to the vvorde of God beeing rightly vnderstoode that is whensoever a sinner forsasaketh his vngodlinesse and doth that which is right and good craving pardon of God for his former ill life God will not impute his former sinnes vnto him but will pardon remit his sinnes for Christs merites But in that sence that you take them neither the words theÌ„selues At what time soever can be fouÌ„d in any place of the scripture neither are they consonant to any place of the scripture namely that though a man liue in vngodlinesse all the dayes of his life and at the very iump when he departeth this life then bee sorry for that which is
said But I pray you vvhat was that Luther you speake of Pap. Hee vvas once himselfe a Frier had vovved chastity acknowledged the supremacie of the Pope for a time as others was devout in fasting praier other devotions but having the spirit of coÌ„tradictioÌ„ he cast off all care of obedience to his superiour denied the supremacy of the Pope renounced his vow married against his oath left off al good devotion moved such sedition in the Catholike Church that yet never could be ended whatsoever impiety you see in the people he was the first maÌ„ that loosed the raines vnto it hath bin the cause of all such licentiousnes which now you see too common amongst vs preaching liberty licentiousnes and by his pleasing doctrine drew such a nuÌ„ber after him that hee had not onely many followers but also mighty defeÌ„ders so that the Pope vvas faine to call the Counsaile of Trent against him Sleydan lib. 3. had hee not hid his head he had bin punished according to his desertes It is pitty he was ever born he hath done more hurt to the catholike church then ever vvill be throughly vvell salved such a deadly wound hath he given the church But I leaue to discourse further of his behaviour life referre it till we come to our Inne in Oxforde for it vvil require a whole daies discourse to set him out in his true colours You see the scholler is now come neere vnto vs therefore wee must leaue this talke be thâ—nke vs how wee may take occasion to enter into your former talke of good vvorks that our wager may be tried Gal. Let mee alone for that I will giue you occasion enough if you vvill take it when it is offered Papist Yes I warrant you I wil take it if it bee offered but hee is come Gal. Come sir I did well hope when I parted froÌ„ you that this gentlemaÌ„ woulde haue rode faster but hee loues to spare his horse as vvell as you besides he is iumpe of your opinion all vpon a godly life and good vvorkes Papist Indeed sir when this gentleman did imparte parte of the good communication that had past betvveene you I was the willinger to stay til you should overtake vs for I am very willing to haue acquaintaunce and conference with such men â—nd the rather because you so h ghly esteem of good vvorks vvhen as the most parte of preachers contente themselues with that dry doctrin of bare faith without works little considering that they are the very causes wherby we purchase the favor of God wherby we may merit heaven Schol. Those speeches are false blasphemous speeches I caÌ„not endure to hear theÌ„ the best works that ever were done excepte the works of Christ f you vvill stande to the vvorth of them deserue eternall daÌ„nation if God iudge theÌ„ in rigour and not in mercie because they answere not to the perfection of loue toward God which is required in our duty Much lesse are they of any value in that respect to purchase heaveÌ„ Paule was a man very full of good works yet he accounted his owne righteousnes but as douÌ„g Phil. 3.8 much differing froÌ„ the conceit of good works which you haue Pap. St St my wine Gall. It is gone I yeelde Papist Pardon me sir I spoke this but only to see howe you like their opinion vvho so teach therefore I pray take not these my words as my opinioÌ„ yet I must say this I haue bin in company with those whom you cal catholiks vvho giue shrewd reasons for their opinioÌ„ such as I confesse I am not able to answere Scholl I pray vvhat are they Pap. VpoÌ„ this coÌ„ditioÌ„ I will relate what reasons I haue heard that you shal not take that which I speak to be mine opinion Scholl Be it so Pap. Wel then they proue that we can satisfie for our sins and purchase the favor of God by good works Dan. 4 24. out of Daniel where the Prophet adviseth king Nabuchadnezzar having highly displeased God for his wickednes to break off or redeeme his sins by righteousnes and his iniquitie with mercie towards the poore againe SalomoÌ„ saieth loue covereth a multitude of sinnes and againe he saith by mercie and trueth iniquitye shall bee forgiven which me thinks are very manifest places to proue their assertioÌ„ Scho. Sir you must vnderstand that there are two sorts of sinnes the one directly against the Maiestie of God himselfe which is when wee transgresse the commandement of the first table the other sort when we sinne against our brother which is the transgression of the second table as when we wrong or oppresse theÌ„ as Nabuchadnezzar did who had violently destroied oppressed many As for the wrong we do to meÌ„ Calvin instit lib. 3. cap. 4. sect 36. we may by righting theÌ„ satisfie men of which kind of satisfying men not God Daniell speaketh when he saith to the King let my counsaile bee accepted Dan 4.24 breake of thine iniquitie by righteousnesse and by mercie to the poore as if hee had saide O King thou hast heretofore oppressed and iniured many now right them novve deale mercifully vvith the poore let thy true serious repentaunce be manifested by good workes novv if you vvill here by conclude that good works and mercy to the poore doe satisfie for our former sinne vvith God you not only wrest the words of the Prophet further then they are meant but also derogate from the passion of our only Savior For if vvee vvill satisfie for our former trespasses them must wee do it by some thing of our ovvne not due vnto God but all things vvee can do whatsoever are due vnto God by the right of creatioÌ„ so that not Adam before his fall could merite any thing For al the excellency in him he had of God much lesse can any of his seede merit Christ only excepted any thing seeing the best of them come not neere him in perfection before his fal Hence is it that the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 4.7 Yee haue nothing but that you haue receiued if thou hast receaved why boastest thou as though thou hadst not received the more thou hast received the more is required at thy hands Gal. 2.16 17. Eph. 2.8.9 And in an other place the same Apostle saith by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not of vvorkes lest anie man shoulde boast if any man can merite by good vvorkes hee hath vvherein hee may boast in which wordes the Apostle vtterly denyeth that any man may boast or attribute any part of his salvation to his own desert Concerning your second place you alleadge to proue this Pâ—o. 10.12 loue covereth a multitude of sinne it is manifest that you haue taken this place vpon trust but he that lent you this place deceaved you if you had but only looked vpon
the place your selfe you would haue perceived that these wordes are not pertinent to this point whervnto you alleadge theÌ„ no more theÌ„ a poke ful of plumbs the which if you â—ome the wordes next going before you may evidently see Where Salomon sheweth the nature of hatred Pro. 10.12 and the nature of loue he saith hatred stirreth vp contention but loue covereth a multitude of sinnes by which wordes nothing els is meant but where meÌ„ hate one an other there they vvill goe aboute to discredite those they hate and speake all the evil they know of their adversary according to that of the Apostle S Iames Iam. 3.16 where envying strife is ther is sedition and ' al manner of evil works but where loue is if they whom they loue haue coÌ„mitted any thing amisse they blase it not abroad but conceale it for the loue they beare to the party so offending vvhich vve see verified in Ioseph who loving his espowsed wife Mary when hee perceived shee vvas vvith childe Mat. 1.19 would not make her a publike example draw her before the magistrate but was minded secretly to put her away Now SalomoÌ„ saying no more but affirming only that the nature of loue is such as that it wil not defame those whom it loueth you bring it as though he said loue meriteth the forgiuenesse of sinnes in the sight of God very wide from the meaning of Salomon Now coÌ„cerning your third reason Pro. 16.6 by mercy and trueth shall iniquitie bee forgiven marke well the words he doth not say for the merite of mercie and truth which you are to proue but by as by the meanes not for the merit of them The like speech hiâ— in the Prophet Ezechiell Ezech. 18. where the Lord testâ—fieth that if the vvicked wil forsake his wicked way and do that which is right and good the Lord wil not remember his former wickednesse In vvhich words hee shevveth his mercie in forgiuing them the meanes not the cause wherby they may obtaine mercy namely by a true repentaÌ„ce which consisteth in newnesse of life in doing mercy and trueth Pap. This is but your private opinion the fathers had a higher opinion of good workes they tooke them for merites of eternall life Scholl If you read them you shal find the coÌ„trary Bernard in Cant serm 22. Bernard saith of them all generally sunt via ad regnum non causa regnandi they are the vvay wherby we are brought to the kingdom of god not the causes of our obtaining heauen Origen expouÌ„ding these wordes Origin in epist ad Rom. 4 4. Ambrose de vocatione gent l. 1. cap. 5. August de spirit lit ca 17. epist 105. ad Sixt. to him that worketh he reward is not couÌ„ted for grace but of debt saith I cannot bee perswaded that there is any vvorke that can craue recompence or reward of God as a due debt It were too long to recite what Augustin what Ambrose vvhat Ierome and others of the Fathers say of this point For the Papist wil not stand now to their expositions Pap. Nay slander theÌ„ not they alway stoode highly on them Schâ—ll It is but a vaunt bâ—fore those that never read them Reynolds in Apologia Thesium sect 24. as it hath bin proved by a reverend learned maÌ„ if they saw that they made not clearly against theÌ„ they would never haue dealte so irreligiously with theÌ„ not only to blotte out whatsoeuer they say against them but also to adde vnto them and make them speake as theÌ„selues list altering the sence of their words by interposing words or sentences Pap. I cannot beleeue this this were to confesse that they rely little on them Scholl I easily beleeue that you think there is no such matter for none but the souÌ„dest frends of the Pope late king Philip of Spaine are admitted to the knowledge of this mistery who are sworne not to reveile it Hovvbeit it pleaseth God this il practise of theirs should come to light coÌ„trary to their expectation I can shewe you the booke which they cal Index expurgatorius wherein is namely set downe what they shall adde and vvhat they shall alter leaue out in what Auctors and that it is not lawful fot any to haue any booke but so corrected nor lavvfull for anie Printer to print theÌ„ but as he shall haue direction from this Index before mentioned Pap. If it be so I cannot tell vvhat to say to it but be it the fathers say nothing for their opinioÌ„ yet the scriptures are very plaine that as badde vvorks are causes of our damnation so by good works we merite heaven For the merit of good vvorkes it is evident by the vvordes of Christ vvho vvill cal some to his kingdome sheweth a cause why they shal enioy it saying for or because Matth. 25. when I was hungrie thirstie and naked yee fedde me gaue me drinke and cloathed me Now this I learned when I vvas a young scholler that quia or quoniam for or because are alwaies called causall wordes because wee never vse them but when we shew the cause of a thing and so Christ vseth it in this place come and inherite my kingdome for you haue done this shewing the cause why they shall inherite it Scholl Parte of that which you haue said is true as vvhen you say ill or vvicked vvorkes are causes of daÌ„natioÌ„ because ill works are perfectly ill but no good workes no not of the best of the Saints in this world are perfectly good therfore cannot deserue eternall life Whereas you say that vvee never vse these vvordes quia or quoniam but vvhen vvee shew the cause of a thing it is not true But stay know you him that rode by vs eveÌ„ now Pap. No I never saw him before but you maye see hee is a serving man Scholl Why say you hee is a serving man Pap. Because hee weares a blue coate Scholl So your own mouth confuteth that which you affirmed before Pap. Why so Scholl You saide before that these words for because are alvvaies causall words never vsed but when the cause of a thing is shewed herevpon you conclude because our Savior Christ vseth these words for or because I was hungry thirstie and yee refreshed me therfore those good workes must be causes of enioying the kingdome of God but it appeareth by your ovvne words that for or because do not alwaies signifie the cause but ofteÌ„times a probable or a necessary coÌ„sequution of a thing You say he is a serving man because hee weares a blue coate this because signifieth here in this speech a Probable coÌ„sequution because few weare a blue coate but serving men A blue coate makes not a serving man no more theÌ„ a hood a Monck For if it shoulde be the cause of a serving man then if a woman put it on she were a serving man in