mention God taketh mercy sayth he on whom he taketh mercy and hardeneth whom he will harden As who neither reiecteth of Mercy nor yet taketh coÌ„passion of Iustice but executeth both accordyng to the absolute good pleasure of his will Let vs make this more manifest by exaÌ„ples Whenas God is sayd to hate Esau to loue Iacob beyng not yet borne both which had done as yet nothyng worthy to be loued or to be hated what kynde of mercy can you shew in the hatred of that one whiche may defende his Iustice or what kynde of Iustice in the loue of the other which Mercy as you say may deliuer cleare from all reproche It followeth hereupon therefore that the whole defence of Iustice consisteth not in mercy alone but that the onely will of God rather doth acquite not onely the mercy of God but his Iustice also withall froÌ„ all accusatioÌ„ of vnrighteous dealyng Be the same spoken likewise touchyng the hardenyng of the hart of Pharao Which beyng decreéd vpon in the secrete counsell of God long before any droppe of mercy was extended vnto him how then doe you referre the Iustice of his induration to Mercy onely But you will say God did call Pharao to fayth and obedience but when as he did despite that so great bountie and lyke a wilde Colte would licentiously raunge out of all order it was agreable not onely with Gods seueritie but with his mercy also to scourge him with most iuste plagues accordyng to his deserte that so by his exaÌ„ple othersmight be reclaymed to do their duety I do know the suÌ„dry singular Presidentes of Gods clemency and callyng were ministred vnto him in deéde but as all those tokens of Mercye be outward meanes which God vseth in the outward calling of men so the same do appertayne to calling onely and touch Election and Reiection nothing at all nor do in this respect expresse any defence of his Iustice for to admit that the hardning of Pharao and the casting away of Esau did happen most righteously yet this Iustice is not therefore defended agaynst the quarelling aduersary because they did abuse the lemty of God afterwardes And why so because they were first reiected from God before any Mercy which they did abuse was powred out vpoÌ„ theÌ„ And these things thus alleadged by me doo not tend to this end as though I were of opinion that this Iustice of their reiectioÌ„ were boyd of all defeÌ„ce for it hath her certeine peculiar most iust defence but not that wherof Osorius doth dreame If we seéke for the right defence of Gods Iustice what can beé more Iust the Gods will which apperteining to God as hys owne properly and effectually as the Deuines do tearme it can do nothing of her owne nature but that which standeth with equitie and Iustice neither standeth in neéde of an other defence For what soeuer God doth decreé vpon though it be neuer so farre hidde from our vnderstanding yet is it of it self defensible and absolutely perfect enough And therfore S. Paule seéketh no place of refuge els where agaynst the most terrible assaults of the aduersary then the will of God which he accompteth the strongest surest fort of defence Where he sayth God taketh mercy on whom he hath mercye and will haâ—den whom he will He doth not say he doth harden that person on whom he taketh no mercy but he doth harden whom he will And agayne he that hath predestinated vs through Iesus Christ according to the purpose of his will He sayth not of his Iustice. Ephes. 1. hauiÌ„g in deéd no one thing of greater maiestie to alleadge for hys defence agaynst the aduersary then the onely will of God wherewith alone the Aduersary might be throughly satisfied But Osorius will take exception and say that this will ought to be vpright and agreable to it selfe Who is eyther ignoraunt hereof or who can deny thys But I demaund likewise of Osorius whereas weé confesse that this will is moste righteous and lawfull whether in Reiection Mercy do sufficiently acquite this Iustice of Gods will agaynst the quarelling Cauiller or Gods will rather As for example If a vayne babling Sophister or some capciouse busibody do demaund of you what the cause should be that Esau was forsaken without all desert of euill fact committed and why also Paraoes hart was hardened before that Moses was sent vnto him why the eares of the Iewes were stopped that they might not heare before the Prophet opened his mouth vnto them All which thinges considering you cannot deny were wrought by Gods most righteous Iustice by what meanes will you defeÌ„d his Iustice herein you will say perhaps that God did therefore forsake and cast them off because he forknew by their wickednes that would ensue what they should work in after tyme. But he will tell you here that this proceéded not here of Mercye but of Iustice wh doth reÌ„der to euery man according to his desert so that now the defence of Iustice may not seeme to depend vpon mercy by this meanes but vpon Iustice it selfe Not so say you but I do affirme that the defence of Iustice hangeth wholy vpoÌ„ mercy which will acquite it cleare from all Reproche I do see what you do affirme but I do not seé yet how this will stop the mouth of the cauiller for in this wise will this wrangler replye if so be that God were pleased with Iacob of his owne meere mercy how could it be then that he should be displeased with Esau by meane of the same mercy for it hys wickednes that was yet to come were layd vnto his charge then did this reiection now belong to hys Iustice not to his mercy but if the same hys offences not yet done were pardoned through mercy by what meanes then is he sayd to be reiected Certes how this manner of defence delighteth you Osorius I know not sure I am that S. Paule tooke a farre other manner of course treating of Induration and reiection alleadging none other argument in the defence of Gods Iustice against the Aduersary then the onely decreé of Gods deuyne will what art thou o man sayth he that doest contend agaynst God Doest thou not heare the Lord himselfe declaring the reason of his Election in the propheticall scriptures I will haue mercy on whom I haue mercy And to make the same more euident S. Paule debateth the matter after this manner Therefore sayth he God doth take mercy on whom he taketh mercy doth hardeÌ„ whom he will hardeÌ„ As though he might say God in choosing or refusing hys own creatures is tyed to no Necessitie neyther is there any law to the contrary but that he may according to his good pleasure do therin what himself liketh lusteth If he dochoose thee thou hast great cause to be thaÌ„kfull vnto him for it If he cast theé of thou hast no iust cause to quarrell with hym therfore for
vaunt your selfe so much yet this discent in geÌ„try was not valued of Paule amongest the vertues qualities which he assigned to a Christian Byshop But other ornamentes where with I wishe you were better acquainted perhaps ye would then seéme somewhat a woorse Rhetorician but sure I am you would bee farre better Byshop But now you haue enured your selfe so much to vnmeasurable raylyng that ye seéme rather a coÌ„mon brauling Thersites theÌ„ a meéke Prelate You thinke that I yelde to much to the authoritie of kynges because I affirmed that the kynges of Israell dyd rule the Priestes in matters of Religion And this you say is not true Why so I pray you is it false bycause you say that it is false O notable Pithagoras the credite of your naked affirmatiues beyng bolstered vp with no reason nor witnesse bee not crept so farre on high benche as yet to be takeÌ„ for Iudges I did alledge a litle before Dauid Salomon Iosias Ezechias Peruse who so list the Chronicles of them and theÌ„ let him decide this controuersie betwixt vs. The sentences of Paule and Peter in the new Testament are very manifest as I haue sayd before For Paule Commaundeth prayers to be made for kinges and for all other set in authoritie In which sentence you may discerne a distinct degreé of Power and Nobilitie vnlesse you will bee blinded with malice conceaued agaynst the truth you may also seé the kyng to be placed first and highest In the same wise Peter Submit your selues to euery humune creature for the Lord whether to the king as most excellent or to the Magistrates as beyng appointed by him Loe here the lyke degreés loe here also the kyng placed chief and most excellent Here you cry out exclame Comically or rather tragically O heaueÌ„ O earth O the Seas of Neptune When as it had bene better for you to stoppe that lauishe foule mouth with the euident testimonies of the Apostles But you proceéde on rather Saying if kynges obteine the highest authoritie the whole world would be turned vpsidowne as ye thinke for that kynges would bee subiect to flatterers and so nothyng could bee executed in due order and truth but all thyngs would be gouerned after the lust of flatterers First of all kings of this our age are much beholdyng vnto you surely and amongest the rest your owne kyng especially For if it bee true that you stampe out so boldly that all Counsels of kyngs are corrupted by flatterers what one thyng do ye leaue vpright in their gouernement Beholde my good Lord and behold earnestly how trecherously and perillously you beguile your selfe with rashnesse and ignoraunce that blemish all regiment of kynges with so coÌ„mon an infamie But admit vnto you for this time that your saying is true in this respect that to to great store of flatterers swarme in Princes Courtes What then doth this let that in the Palaces of your holy Monarchies this kynde of vermine that we call a flatterer is not fostered is not dallied with all yea nâ—urished had in high price I will passe ouer myne owne neighbours and will referre you to all that new puddle of Schoolemen amongest whom you shall not finde any one sounde Exposition of Diuinitie but whole Commentaries of flatteries and Parasiticall poyson For they beautifie the Pope with these Titles videl They call him the Sunne of the worlde they ascribe vnto him both swordes Temporall Spirituall They create him the Lord of Purgatory They aduaunce him aboue the authoritie of the Canon Lawes They deny that hee is to be directed by any other person They affirme in their writynges that the Pope hath all lawes engrauen or rather lockt fast in the closet of his hart They say that the Pope can be guilty of no fault though hee throw many thousandes Soules into hell they make the Pope high Steward of PardoÌ„s as though they were the treasurie of the Churche so that hee may forgeue infinite sinnes both past already and sinnes not yet committed Furthermore they haue enthronized him chief Uicare of Christ vpon earth who can neither erre him selfe nor bryng others into errours vnto whom onely all generall Councels must be in subiection at whose feéte Emperours and Kyngs ought to prostrate them selues last of all whom all Christendome must honor and worship as an earthly God These blasphemous flatteries detestable and horrible blaunchyngs are not vttered onely by mouth at all aduenture but are extaunt in the monuments and bookes of the Romish patrones written by them aduisedly and in earnest Can you charge any kynges Courtes with the lyke Ye name Henry the eight a most excellent kyng endued with all kyngly ornaments who ye say tooke vnto him absolute authoritie ouer his subiectes through the enticemeÌ„ts of flatterers loue that he bare vnto theÌ„ boylyng also with malice agaynst the Byshop of Rome froÌ„ out whiche fountaine forsooth I know not how many floudes of wickednes and mischief did issue These be no proofes of a sober Byshop my good Lord but droÌ„keÌ„ dreames of a drousie Sophister For the noble kyng of most famous memory attempted nothyng either of loue or of hatred or by procurement of flatterours But wheÌ„ he perceaued that it was most euideÌ„t by the Gospell that generally all England was committed vnto him as his proper peculiar charge aswell by the authoritie of Gods law as mans law he banished out of his Realme that foreine authoritie and resumed his owne lawfull gouernement wholy into his owne handes studying to reserue the same inuiolable to him selfe as meéte was wherein he performed the duetie of a wise and perfect kyng and easing so his subiectes of great and importable trauailes and charges he left vnto his successours a very riche and florishyng kyngdome But touchyng the Iustice executed vpon More and Roffensis was not without much sorow of his Royall hart in respect of their witte and learnyng But after that they were publickly attainted of high treason and would by no persuasion be reclaymed from their wilfull errours hee must neédes suffer the law to proceéde agaynst them left wynking at their treachery he might haue opened a greater gappe of obstinacie and rebellion to others At the length you are come to Peters wordes but by the way spurnyng at me and calling me a most filthy person Wherin you do me no small iniurie like a wicked Sophister You demauÌ„de of me out of what wordes of Peter I framed my sentence which I vouched before touchyng the superioritie of kynges whether that enduced me bycause Peter doth name the kyng to be most excellent Not that onely graue Gentleman but the whole processe of Peters communication You doe argue in this wise That men are many tymes called excellent either in nobilitie or learnyng bycause they be very notable therein not bycause they are set in authoritie aboue all men and here a Gods name it pleaseth you to produce me for example
cause it to shieuer in peéces to the grounde Osorius doth preferre vnmaryed lyfe before wedlocke alleadgyng hereunto Paule to the Corinthes We also confesse euen as much as Paule sayth yea very gladly so that ye alledge Paule whole and vnmangled It is good sayth Paule for a man not to touche a wife but hee addeth a correction yet for auoyding fornication let euery man haue his owne wife I would sayth Paule euery man were as I am hereunto hee knitteth fast a correction likewise But euery man hath his proper gift of God one after this maner an other after that I might rehearse more to the same effect out of the same Chapter But Paules meanyng is conceaued sufficiently in these few sentences And yet to confesse the truth this your disputation of single lyfe auayleth not properly to mainteine your Monckerie for vnmaried life extendeth it selfe to all estates of Christians generally and is not restrained to Monckes onely But you oppresse vs with exāples partly auncient as of Basile Paule Ierome Nazianzene Partly of these later yeares as Dominicke Bruno Fraūcisce Here I might take lawfull exception to your testimonies if I would for Frauncisce was no Moncke besides that also vnlearned altogether a forger of friuolous superstitions as appeareth by those durtie dregges whiche you call Golden Legendes And who that Bruno was must be enquired amongest the Friers for els where is no mētion made of him neither yet of Dominicke The residue of the Fathers except Gregory professed a solitarie lyfe but enduced hereunto partly through desire of learnyng partly for vprightnesse of lyfe yelded more commoditie to the Christian profession then may easily be expressed whose dayly conuersatiou rules of maners did as farre differre from the rules of our Mōckes as the heauens are distant from the earth and good from euill But let vs graunt all that you will and admit those Monckes whom you speake of to bee godly and commendable persons for in deéde some were such may they therfore be compared in equabilitie of estimatiō to those men who were conuersaunt amongest the fellowshyp and common societte of men will you know whom I will name I will first of all name Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour then some that were before him Abrahā Isaac Iacob the Patriarches Esay Ieremie notable Prophetes next after the commyng of Christ the glorious cōpany of the Apostles All these almost except Christ alone were maryed and euery of them adioyned them selues to the commō societie of men that they might profite the generall felowshyp of mankynd What say you M. Ierome May your Monckes though neuer so commendable be compared to this felowshyp of so excellent and famous personages May any equabilitie seéme to bee betwixt them either in the excellencie of the holy Ghost or in sinceritie of lyfe or in antiquitie of tyme There can be no comparison betwixt them my Lord neither was any neéde at all to rehearse these examples if you had well ordered your talke herein for this generall company beyng the floure of the auncient primitiue Church standyng in the face of your drowsie lozelles will so dazell their sight that they shall not be able to lift vp their eyelyddes for the inaccessible brightnesse of them And yet do not I condemne vnmaried lyfe or that kynde of sole lyfe I condemne your false and wicked argument whereby you would persuade the vnmaried Christian to be better and more holy then the maried and the solitarie better then the Citizen S. Paule is of a contrary iudgement But the righteousnesse of God by the Faith of Iesus Christ is with all men and vpon all men that beleue for there is no differēce We haue all sinned and haue neede of the glorie of God but we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesu. Paul doth speake here playnly There is no difference Osorius doth make a difference whom shall we beleue Agayne The same Paule Glorie honor and peace to euery person that worketh good to the Iewe first then to the Gentile for there is no respect of persons before God If God doe not respect the person where is then the singularitie of your Mōckes if he regard not the place as appeareth by the wordes of Christ to the womā of Samarie The tyme shall come and now is c. whereunto tendeth your solitarines wherof you dispute so idlely All persons sayth Paule which are Baptized haue put on Christ here is nother Iewe nor Gentile bonde nor free man nor womā for we are all one in Christ Iesu. If Christians bee all one in Christ Iesu as S. Paule witnesseth what shall become of your differēces of tymes and professions But we will leaue the scriptures whiche euery where do confute your vayne superstitions and false forged distinction How shall we satisfie the auncient fathers who do prayse Monckery wonderfully They doe commende men excellent in learnyng and vertue which doe employ their quyet leysures to the commoditie of the Church Such men will I aboundaūtly prayse as well as they For Iohn Baptist liued in the deserte then whom arose not a greater amōgest the childrē of women But what will ye conclude hereof Was Iohn Baptist a more perfect Christian liuyng in the wildernes then our Lord Iesus Christ that was cōuersaunt amongest men Truly your wicked distinction doth emplye this doctrine in effect but the auncient Fathers say not so of whō you rehearse nothyng besides bare names although they would iustifie your wordes I would not beleue them agaynst the Scriptures neither do they desire to be credited otherwise And to this point forsooth your gay defence of Monckerie so stoutly trauailed garnished with such a trimme Coape of paynted wordes wherew̄t whole leaues are beblotted is come at the last as to be adiudged either altogether superstitious or wicked or nothyng necessary At the last you departe from men and come to women and with a flat deniall affirme that virgines were not forced into Nunneries I neéde not to make any great proofe hereof for all mē that do know any thyng at all are well acquainted herewith I will therfore for this tyme content me with your own wordes For you say that it was forbidden by the Tridentine Councell that frō thence forth they should do so any more How say you fine man He that forebyddeth a thyng to be done in after tyme doth hee not couertly emplye that the same was done before Write more circumspectly my Lord if you can and if you can not you were better speake nothyng at all But our reuerend father is now at very good leysure for he now begynnes to Fable with vs. He sayth that he had much conference with an idiot or simple Moncke who was often as any mention is made of the loue of God so often he falleth grouelyng on the grounde as if his senses were rauished and yet the mā is prettie witted
haue sucked this geare rather from Aristotle theÌ„ out of Christes Testament who teacheth in his 3. booke of Ethickes that Election which he calleth vnderstandyng Appetite is euer occupyed about good or euill And because in humaine actioÌ„s where choyse is made betwixt two or moe thinges preéminence is graunted to one of theÌ„ according to the difference of good and euill like as in coÌ„mon musters the Souldier that is most valiaunt in Maioralities and Baylywicks the richest Citizen in choyse of wyues the most beautifull in schooles of learning the most expert in sciences are vsually more esteémed and preferred formost the same surmyseth our Osorius to be betide with the Election of God and hys sacred decrees But here a distinction ought to haue bene made betwixt Gods choyse and mans choyse and the causes thereof likewise ought to be distinguished And therefore in this place especially Osorius doth notably bewray his singuler ignoraunce disputing of those thinges whiche lyke an vnskilfull Sophister he can neyther rightly deuide nor duely define But here perhaps some question will be moued whereas God and nature do nothing without cause what other cause els could there be here if God did not make choyse of the faythfull and of the Reprobates accordyng to the proportion of their workes foreseéne before But this reason can no man discusse better then Paule himselfe who after many his blasphemous persecutioÌ„s of Christ obtayning mercy at the length and yealding the reason of this great mercy doth franckly confesse that it was the onely clemency of God not any workes foreseéne in him before to the end that he might be a president to others of Gods mercy stretched out towardes them which would beleéue To be short if the naturall cause must be throughly searched out which are the very foundacion of Gods predestinatâ—on the Apostle Paule doth knit them vp altogether into iiij chiefe places first GODS POWER hath not the potter power of the clay 2. GODS PVRPOSE or GODS GOOD PLEASVRE for he doth vse both these speaches 3. GODS WILL. He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden whom he listeth 4. GODS MERCY OR LOVE It is not of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. So that you seé playnely that here is no mention made of works at all but that there be other much more weightie causes which will deliuer God cleare of all Rashnesse and vnaduizednes though foreseéne workes haue neuer anye place in the counsell of God I come now to the other argumentes of Osor. For after this sort doth this lumpish logician cauill agaynst Haddon that beautifull blossome of Bucer out of the 2. of Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessel of honor vnto the Lorde that is to say predestinated vnto honour and sanctified Euery man is of power of his own Freewill to purge him selfe Ergo Euery man is of power of his owne Freewill to be predestinate and made a vessell to honour The Maior must be vnderstanded that Paule treated not of the cause of predestination but of the execution and effect of predestination Neyther doth the wordes of the Apostle tend to this end to expresse the cause of predestination but to admonish vs by the effecte of predestination how weé ought to esteéme of the worthines and vnworthiness of persons in the congregation according to the saying of Christ by the fruites you shall know them c. Then the Minor is false for that which they inferre vpon these wordes of Paule as though it were in the power of our owne will to make our selues vessels of honour is not well concluded for it lyeth not in the will of the doer but of the caller not in the clay but in the potter who is of power to fashion the â—lay whereunto him listeth into a vessell of honor or of dishonor Furthermore neyther is our abilitie to be decyded by any hypotheticall proposition no more then if a man would conclude vp on thys hipotheticall proposition If you doe this or that or if you beleeue you shall bee saued Ergo to do this or that or to beleue we are of our selues sufficient inough And why then doth the Scriptures vse thys phrase of speech that men purge themselues if we haue no power of our own selues to purge our selues forsooth because God doth worke in men not as in stockes and stoanes whiche are not moued of any their own feéling or will WheÌ„ God worketh in men he doth so temper their mindes and willes whom himself doth regenerate that they willingly vndertake whatsoeuer they are commaunded After this mauner therefore are they sayde to to purge themselues by this very will not whiche is proper and peculiar to their owne nature but whiche is poured into them by grace And by this meanes at the length such as are regenerate are made afterwardes Gods together workemen and of their own accord leade a vertuous and holy life Finally God in his Scriptures commaundeth to purge our selues when notwithstanding it is he alone that purgeth So doth he commaund the people of Israell by the mouth of his Prophet Moses to sanctifie themselues whereas hee witnesseth of himselfe in an other place that it was he that doth sanctifie the people So also hee commaundeth vs to beleéue when as notwithstanding Fayth is the gift of God and not our owne nor is the cause of our predestination but the effect But let vs proceéde farther to your challenge Osor. wh challenge you haue vndertakeÌ„ to iustifie out of the depth of Diuinitie namely that there is nothing in gods eternall electioÌ„ but is accoÌ„plished vpon certeine conditions of reason and iudgement And yee suppose that the reason of Election is not to be sought els where but from the foreseene workes of the faythfull and reprobate And that if wee graunt not this that then ye think that our assertion of predestination cannot be iustified but that many thinges will ensue thereupon not onely erroneously false but also absurde to bee spoken incredible to be beleued First because Gods iustice cannot be acquired of iust reproche of parcialitie nor his mercy which is retched to all meÌ„ indifferently cleared of vnrighteous dealing You crye out afterwardes that it is both agaynst right reason that he should saue a very few in number and condeÌ„ne an innumerable company besides to destruction Moreouer euen in this choyse it selfe when coÌ„sideration is had why he should chuse these and why he should reiect the others the thyng it selfe doth seeme not to bee cleare of speciall acceptyng of persons nor of a certeyne extreme crueltie c. All which with others the lyke sithence be but weake sproughtes budding out of the sauadge woodbyne of the aduersary not issues of the true stocke will be so much the more easily cut of with the Razour and
doth geue nothing of set purpose but that he pursueth his owne worke to an end in a certeine perpetuall order and course 9. That man doth not so worke together with God as bringing or adding any thing of his owne but doth worke by measure onely in spirituall thinges by how much he is forced by the cause agent So doth the minde see but being enlightened Iudgement doth discerne and chuse but guided by the direction of the holy Ghost The will is obedient but being first regenerated The hart is willing but being renewed man doth endeuour doth will and doth bring to passe but accordyng to the measure that he hath receaued 10. Moreouer where as it is declared that man hath a will aswell in good thinges as in euill thinges then if question be moued what kinde of thing will is of it selfe they do aunswere with Augustine That will is alwayes naturally euill that of it selfe it can do nothing but frowardly bende it selfe against the Iustice of God and that it is made good through grace onely and so made good that it may then of necessitie loue and sollow righteousnes which it abhorred before 11. They doe confesse with Augustine that men when they sinne do neuer sinne but of their owne accorde and by the proper motion of will and that they doe vaynely that do post ouer the fault therof to any others but to them selues 12. Agayne when they are directed to good thinges by the Spirite of God yet that their will is not excluded here for as much as euen this is the very grace of God namely that their will is enclined to desire good 13. That euen from the first creation nature is so weakened that sinne must cleane thereunto of very Necessitie Whiche Necessitie neuerthelesse proceedeth not from God nor from nature simplie neither from any destinie nor yet any forreine coaction but from the corruption of nature and from euery mans proper and peculiar inclination and is to be ascribed thereunto to which inclinatiō is annexed vnauoydeable Necessitie of sinning as Augustine recordeth 14. Luther Caluine and the others when they seeme to take away Freewill the same is so to be construed as that they doe not wholy take the same away but in that sense onely in the whiche that aduersaries doe establishe the same That is to say wherewith they do establish merite and preuētiō in Freewill 15. Last of all whereas the whole difficultie of this controuersie doth cōsist in three wordes chiefly to witte Will Freedome and Necessitie Our Deuines do distinguishe the same after this maner The will of God is takē ij maner of wayes sometymes for his secret counsell wherwith all things are necessaryly carried to the end whereunto God hath directed them before And so do we say that nothing is done besides this will It is also sometyme taken for that which God approueth and maketh acceptable vnto him selfe And in this sense we do see many things done now and then cōtrary to his will discouered in the scriptures And therfore according to his will God is sayd that he willeth all men to be saued whereas yet not all nay rather but a very few are saued 16. Freedome also which is peculiar to man is discerned by two maner of wayes either as it is set opposite to bondage and this Freedome Luther doth vtterly deny as he may well doe or as it is set contrary to coaction or fatall necessitie And this Freedome Luther neuer gaynesayd For as much as there is no will which can endeuour any thing against her will or the thing which she will not or which will may sinne at any tyme except she will her selfe 17. Likewise Necessitie is to be taken two maner of wayes the one of certeintie and vnchaungeablenesse as hath bene declared before which Osorius cā not deny The other of violent coaction which doth offer force vnto will And the same is imputed to Luther falsely 18. But now that former Necessitie which is called vnchaūgeable albeit it take her beginnyng from the cause of Gods Predestination yet this Predestination doth not cast such a Necessitie vpon thinges which may remoue Freewill no more doth it take away the Iustice of God wherewith he doth render to euery one according to his workes These thinges beyng thus set downe and duly considered it shal be an easie matter not onely to withstand the cauillations and subtelties of Osorius but to confounde the residue of the Sophisticall brables of all other aduersaries also wherewith they practize busily enough but all in vayne to oppresse Luthers cause weuyng their Cobbwebbes as I may tearme them for the more part after this maner hereafter following ¶ The Argumentes of the aduersaries agaynst the foresayd Assertions propounded and confuted If our actions be first determined and decreed vpon two inconueniences doe ensue vpon this Assertion .1 that the Freedome of mans will must vtterly perish .2 that men shal be constrayned by Necessitie as if they were bounde in bondes c. There are so many so manifest testimonies in the Scriptures concernyng the truth of Predestinatiō and the foreknowledge of thyngs to come that they can by no meanes be denyed As to the Obiection of inconueniēces it is vntrue For the Freédome of mans will doth not so perish but that men do alwayes chuse the thyng that they will of their owne accorde and willyngly Then also neither is any such Necessitie layed vpon any man which by force of coaction may driue him to do that which he would not Moreouer although it rest not in our Freédome that we may be chosen or forsaken it followeth not therfore that we haue no Freédome to any other thynges This is therfore a captious Argument falsely concludyng from the proposition Secundum quid ad Simpliciter As if a man would argue in this sort A fleshly man doth not conceaue the thynges that are of God Ergo The force of mans witte doth conceaue nothyng at all in any matter whatsoeuer Osorius maketh Luther worse thē Diagoras and Pighius maketh him worse then the Manichees Pighius Argument is framed in this maner The Manichees bycause they would ascribe wickednes to God did imagine two begynnynges Luther ascribyng wickednes and mischieuousnes to God maketh vs lyke vnto a Sawe whom God doth draw and driue forth and backe whether him lysteth Manichee did appoynt two natures in man th one good the other euill whereof that one could not sinne this other coulde not do well Luther doth neyther affirme two natures in man neyther doth so condēne the same nature of man wholy of it self but as it is corrupted after the fall hee doth affirme that of Necessitie and alwayes it doth resiste Gods Spirite yea euen in the very Saincts thēselues being euen from their very childdhoode enclined to euill Then that wicked men are as Sawes in the hand of God not onely Luther but Esay also doth confesse And agayne
is no redemption at all but by the Popes Pardons Although the last part of this doctrine by monstruously absurde yet yf they would graunt the former part throughly and wholy the matter were somewhat more tollerable But now they are in this their partition so parciall and vneuen dealers that they will not leaue to Christ the whole cleansing of the guilt but will herein also ioyne a topemate with him that Romish vicar For this is their assertion to witte That the Pope of Rome being the vicar of Christ doth by power of his keyes bring to passe both that he may release from guilte and punishment both at once with his Bulles of PardoÌ„s That is to say From guylt through the Sacrament of Penaunce and from punishment by the Popes satisfactions and pardons If this be true lett vs bidd the bookes of the Euangelistes and Apostles adiew Farewell also Gods promises lett fayth and the Church pack vpp their trunckes and gett them to Cattai and lett vs with solemne procession receaue into the Church of Christ most holy Pardons and Indulgences and tourne Christ out at the Belfrye Sithence these pardons alone without Christ doe dispatch all matters cleare through the authoritye of the Pope No say they not so without Christ but partly by the superabouÌ„daunce of Christes merites partly by the bloud of Martyrs partly by the merites of Sayntes partly by charitable almes workes of supererogacion by the obeying the couÌ„celles and partly by seueritye and straight keéping the charge of holy orders or Indulgences doe stand in force and are auaylable The fourme of which absolucions forged by the Mounckes and Fryers to the behoofe of the common people followeth on this wise God be mercifull vnto thee good Brother THe merite of our Lord Iesus Christ and of the blessed Mary the perpetuall virgine and of all Saintes the merite of holy orders the heauy burdeine of Religion the humblenes of confession the contrytion of harte and the good workes that thou hast done and shalt doe for the loue of our Lord Iesu Christ grauÌ„t vnto theé remissioÌ„ of sinnes to the increase of merit grace and to the reward of lyfe euerlasting Amen There be also other formes of absolution extant which others graunted by the Popes Bulles as when hospitalls and brotherhoodes doe communicate with others the participation of all good workes on this wise We doe testifye that we haue receaued into the Beaderoll of the holy Brotherhood of S. Aâ—â—â—â—ny those persons graunting vnto them full partaking of all the good workes that haue bene done are to be done by our brethren from the beginning of our foundation euen to the end the foresayd order day and night in threé hundreth sixty iiii Monasteries and hospitalls c. Lyke as Apothecaries doe compound their Tryacle of many simples and drugges mixt together Euen so the Popes by gathering together the merites of Christ of the blessed virgine of the Martyrs of Saincts Mounckes as it were speciall spices and herbes do make vppe their hochepott of Pardons of which Pardous they do make portesale as parcell of the treasory of the Church to hospitalls Churches Chappell 's Brotherhoodes Monasteries Selles not for shillings or crownes but geue theÌ„ vnto euery of them gratis very hountifully If we may credit Osorius herein But in the meane space I would very fayne learne this of Osorius how we are sayd to be made perfect and for euer sanctified if the onely oblation of Christ once offred be not sufficient to saue vs without the merits of Saints and heapes of good workes Moreouer whereas out of this vnmeasurable treasory of the Church there is such an ouerflowing plenty of gracious Pardons I would also know this by what reason the Pope of Rome doth chalenge himselfe to be onely Porter keybearer of this precious Treasory excluding all other ministers and Byshoppes of the Church but such onely as whom by his power Apostolique he hath authorized to playe fast and loose what now Are not the merites of Christ open to all and singuler indifferently without exception or otherwise then as they be receaued by euery ones perticular fayth Or what kinde of power is that of one Byshop in the Church which is not also generall and common to all other Byshopps together with him Doe ye not seé Osorius how filthy and how absurde these reasons of yours be what an horrible deceite to the people what a great iniury is this to all other Byshoppes and how full of sacriledge what a monstruous reproche it is agaynst Christ him selfe And yet for all this you can not but maruell in the meane tyme what moued vs to abandone this prowd prelate with all his pelfe as a pestilent viper of the Church of Christ and why we cutt our selues away from him as farre as we may whome your selfe Osorius yf you were endued with any dropp of Christian bloud would neuer take vpon you to defend with such a prophane targett of Tullies Paganisme But would rather geue an onset vpoÌ„ him as the generall Enemie of all mankinde yf your hart were as well enlightned with the true and sincere knowledge of Christ as your fickle braynes are lewdely incensed with the bayne and heathenish admiration of Ciceroes eloquence And to say the truth I know not by what mishappe this happ hath happened that all these vntimely sproughtes of Ciceroes plants are by a certeine secrett yet most iust iudgement of God infected with this generall lurcking cancker and coÌ„tinually pestered as it were with a falling sicknes Which I haue specially noted in very many If question be moued of the proportion and qualitye of framing the speéch delicately If matter must be debated of the most excellent and finest phrases of Eloquence of the dignitye and chiefe ornament of an exquisite Orator that is to say of playne humaine toyes and earthly trifles good Lord what a glorious maiestie of wordes what hawty loftines of speéch what a childishe and foolishe stroaking and flattering of themselues diriding and skorning all others besides themselues perking ouer theÌ„ froÌ„ aloofe as it were vpon poore abiect shrimpes But yf they be requyred to shewe their conning to declame of Christ of the statelynes of his mighty Kingdome of the greatnesse of sinne of manâ—es forlorne nature of the power of fayth of iustification by grace of the naturall imperfection of mankinde of mans reconciliation a man can not but wonder how colde how astonied how voyd of reasoÌ„ how cowardly without any spirite at all almost Colourlesse huÌ„gry barrayne mute wretched hartlesse barbarous speachlesse senselesse they be vnable almost to vtter theyr mindes or open theyr mouthes Moreouer if these matters must be decided with the penne they behaue themselues therein as though they were raking after the Moone forreners straungers and altogether vnacquaynted with the cause As not long sithence a certayne person taking vpon him in Rome before the Pope and his Cardinalles
know not But in my conceipt it appeareth none otherwise then if some Poet would rayse vp some Furyes of hell as Megera or Alecto out of that fiery lake to lye and to rayle he could not haue imagined any other speaches more apt appropried to all reprochefullnesse then this your Epistle seémeth to be Wherefore as you can not make your Epistle excusable of most haynous slaunderyng without a most manyfest lye so is that also in no respect more true wherein you doe accuse Haddon of the same cryme Who being as you say neuer knowen to you nor euer prouoked by you with any euill word yet doth gnawe your Epistle with slaunderous teeth and doth rushe ragingly vpon you as it were a wilde Boare deadly wounded with the hunters speare In good sooth Osorius you doe very lyuely represent vnto vs a singuler patterne of that olde Phariseé in the Gospell who very briefly beholding a very small moate in his brothers eye was not able to discerne a monstruous beame in his own eye so forcible is the dazeled blindenes of selfe Loue. For euen with lyke insensibiltye doth Osorius beyng himselfe a very cursed speaker expostulate with Haddon about cursed speaking You say he was neuer prouoked by you In deéde neuer by name I confesse But when as that your beastly Epistle and mōstruous Antithesis then the which I neuer sawe any more foolishely talkatiue did rayle agaynst so many godly personages he being one of the same noumber and vnder the same predicamēt of them that were slaundered could not but acknowledge the common quarrell and iniurye of others to be stretched out also vnto himselfe And therefore made aunswere in his owne and their behalfe though not without his owne furniture and pollicye yet much more modestly I will not say then became him surely more quietly a great deale then such an Importunate aduersary deserued for so was it requisite according to your desert Osorius that you should not haue hadd a more entreatable aunswerer but a farre other maner of aunswere that might haue blazed out your armes in their right colours and haue paynted you out altogether according to your due deseruings But Haddon thought it better to haue cōsideration of publique humanity then of his owne priuate griefe And yet as though he attempted all the force sharpenesse of his penne agaynst you it is a wonder to seé what mounteynes you rend abroade because he was not impeached as you saye nor teazed with any iniurious word of yours Go to then And howe had the people and Natiō of England displeased you that you must neédes rage so rudely agaynst them rather then Haddon might agaynst you For so you proceade And yet he runneth furiously agaynst me as though it were say you a wylde Boare deadly wounded with some boarspeare c. How furiously I pray you I would fayne learne what Because he doth commend your witt prayse your dexteritye of nature aduaunce your Eloquence and highly esteéme your bookes and especially that which you wrate of Nobilitye as your selfe cōfesse no lesse is this the part of a madd man or the courteous commendation of a frendly wellwiller And here I beseéch theé gentle Reader Iudge with me herein indifferently what difference there is betwixt the disposition of these two Haddon and Osorius wherof the one doth with frendly prayses aduaunce the style the Eloquence and artificiall disposition of wordes in Osorius thother a most vngratefull creature of man and beast blynded with selfe loue drowned in malice swallowed vpp with his owne conceipt doth so not vouchsafe a man in all mens Iudgements graue wise and excellently learned one ynche so much of commendable place emongest the learned that he shameth not to condemne him euen of most base ignoraunce extreame childishnes as one that is not able to expres by mouth his owne meaning and can vtter nothing purely nothing fully nothing playnely Wherein I doe now appeale to the Readers iudgemēt whether Haddon doth rage more agaynst Osorius lyke a furyous Boare or whether Osorius doe more impudently lye agaynst Haddon lyke a shamelesse Goate But because these meadowes haue bene reasonably well ouerflowed alreadye I thinke it not amisse to shutt vpp the hatches here This Enterlude is at the length come now to the last cast wherein this tourne coate getting a new Coape vpon his back and putting on an other visor vpon his face doth chaunge himselfe as it were into an Angell of light A man would veryly thinke that some one of the superexcellent Seraphycall sort of the ix orders of Aungells were flowen downe frō heauen speaking with whotte burning zeale of Charitye Where calling God himselfe to be his wittnes and Iudge he doth binde himselfe with a most holy protestatiō that we should firmely beleeue that he vndertooke not this trauaile of wryting agaynst Haddō as vrged thereūto for any other cause then of a very earnest desire and zealous affection vnto pure and most sincere Religiō We haue heard of his affection Now let vs harken to the dutyfull loue of Christian Charity more thē brotherly compassion of his and lett vs weépe with him for ioy For on this wise he doth proceéde If you did know sayth he how great compassion I take of you with what deepe desire I am rauished for your sauetye that as it is the part of a good Christian man I would willingly suffer losse of lyfe for you and for your Countrymens sake Surely you would become frendes with me c. If the duetyes and partes of true Loue and charitye may be valued by wordes and not by matter what can be found more vertuous then this minde what may seéme more louing or more fully replenished with charitable zeale of our sauety For what loue can be greater thē for a man to yeald ouer his owne lyfe for an other mans safety But if you will vouchsafe to compare these wordes written here with the slaunders Tauntes and Reproches which are skattered euery where before and will examine Osorius thoroughly within and without I am afrayd a man shall not finde him the man in proofe that appeareth before in wordes but a cleane contrary conditioned man nor very much differing from the shape of those whom Cicero doth not vnfittly decypher vnto vs. Of all the kindes of fraude and vnrighteous dealing there is none more pestilent sayth he then the craft of those men which when they doe deceaue most will so handle the matter that they may be taken for very honest men Not much vnlyke hereunto seémeth to haue happened in Osorius at this present For after that he hath slaundered and rayled lyke a common skold in a Cage in backbyting and reuyling the names and cōuersations of men whose lyfe he neuer knew nor vnderstandeth their doctrine yea and with such an insolent kinde of sawcynesse nypping and skoffing that no common Barretor could haue more fiercely exclaymed agaynst the most Rascall in
newe What was the chiefe cause and meanes of the Restoring the trueth of the Gospell The Arte of Imprinting was a singuler gift of God The yeare of Antichrist 666. Osori pag. 212. 213. Osorius exhortation to Queene Elizabeth Osor. pag. 211. Pestiferous Councell The Troiane horse Osori pag. 214. In matters of Religion it is more meete to deale with mens cōsciences rather then with Princes only Osor. quarrell for the Popes Chayre Osori pag. 214. Osori pag. 214. A slaunderous cauillation agaynst Haddon Why Oso bookes treating of Religion haue no force to perswade The constācye of Queene Elizabeth in defending Christian Religion Osor. pag. 214. Osorius reproch against the Lutherans The wonderful prouidence of God in the preseruation of Elizabeth our Queene The tēpest of Queene Maries persecution Apoca. 18. Horace ser. lib. 2. satir. 3 The circumcision of the crowne amōgest the Papistes Osor. pag. 215. Osor. pag. 216. The knowledge of the Scriptures doth apperteigne to all men indifferently 1. Tim. 5. Osor. doth build Memphyticall Steeples In fewe wordes much matter In many wordes nothing at all Osor. wrytinges discussed A recapitulation of all Osorius Epistle to the Queene What doth want in Osorius bookes Osori pag. 216. Osori but a greene souldiour God doth auenge him of the persecution of his Gospell Pag. 216. English Papistes Osori pag. 216. Osori pag. 117. Ausonius Tit. 3. Osori pag. 217. Osorius Epistle to Queene Elizabeth how full it is of slaunderous reproches Osori pag. 217. Antithesis a figure whereby one contrary is ioyned for an other A Comparison betwixt Haddon and Osorius Osor. pag. 217. Osor. charity for our sauety Cicero in his 1. Booke of duetyes Psal. 140. Osori carefull of our sauety The way to saluatiō after Osorius Rule Osor. diuinity is Philosophicall Cicero in the dreame of Scipio Iohn 14. Faith is not coupled with Charitie in the Article of Iustificatiō Iohn 6. Actes 10. Actes 16. Galath The Triden tyne Counsayle Ses. 6. Cap. 7. The fallax from the Diuision to the Coniunction Onely faith worketh Iustificatiō but is not alone In what respectes Fayth hope and Charitie be coupled What fayth doth worke through loue A new kynde of obediēce but vnperfect The formall cause of Iustification accordyng to the Tridentynes The Councell of Trident Canō 11. Canon 12. Math. 13. Rom. 4. How much the merite of Christes death and passion may auayle vnto vs according to the Tridentyne Councell An Argument agaynst the Trydentines deriued from Abraham An Argumēt against the Tridentines deriued from the Type of Adam An Argumēt agaynst the Tridentines deriued from the Type of the Brasen Serpent An Argumēt against the Tridentines deriued from S. Paule 2. Cor. 5. An Argument of the Tridentine Councell agaynst righteousnesse of fayth An Aunswere out of Augustin◠New obedience is not the cause but the fruite of Iustification The Assertion of the Tridentines confuted It is proued that Iustification in the sight of God is nothing els then the Remission of Sinnes agaynst the Tridentines The state of the questiō Two kindes of questions Rom. 3. Galath 2. To lyue Through fayth When good workes be necessary Wherefore fayth onely doth iustify Fayth worketh by loue but not as effectuall to eternall life Apoca. 3. A Collect. for the kingdome of England Onely Christ is to be called vpon as a Mediatour The death of the body the soule swallowed by Christ onely The Conquest ouer the Empire of Sathan 2. Thes. 2. The Childe of Perditiō Apoc. 18. Apocal. 14. Be not light of beliefe Osor. lib. 2. de iustitia Pag. 31. Thou onely art holy