is affected towards the will of God which is the onely rule of righteousnesse that none can decide better then God himselfe who knoweth man throughly what he is what is in him who testifieth saying The imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are onely euill continually Gen. 6. Rom. 8. And Paul accordeth hereunto saying The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither in déed can be And therefore Ambrose sayth right well Ambros li. de vocation Gentium cap. 2. 3 Homo à Diabolo non voluntate priuatus est sed voluntatis sanitate that is Man was robbed of Satan not of his will but of the integritie or soundnesse of his will So that there remaineth in man by nature a will but in respect of God and goodnesse crooked peruerse and péeuish vnles by the spirit through the grace of Christ it be made straight reformed and reduced againe to his originall And this is the third state of man called the state of regeneration In the which state man hath obteined that in Christ which he lost in Adam namely a power not onely to will but also to performe that is good And therefore as it is said without me ye can doe nothing so likewise is it said I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ that strengtheneth me For it is God that worketh in vs to wil and also to performe according to good wil. If the son make you frée then are ye frée as who should say it is but folly to glory in any other fréedom For so August teacheth saying What can be the fréedome I pray ye of a bondseruant except it be when he taketh delight to sin for he serueth fréely that willingly doth the pleasure of his master And hereupon he is frée to sinne that is the seruant of sinne and hee cannot be frée to liue righteously vnles being fréed from sin he begin to be the seruant of righteousnesse c. And a little after But whence shall a man that is bound and sold haue this fréedome of working well vnlesse qe redéeme him who hath saide if the sonne make you frée Iohn 8. then shall ye bee frée in déede Which thing before it begin to take place in man how shall any man which yet is not made frée to worke well glory of frée will in respect of good vnlesse being puffed vp with vain pride he exalt himself which pride the Apostle restraineth saying by grace ye are saued through faith Thus was the originall Church of the auncient Romanes at the first instructed by the Apostles and afterward by Augustine and others From the which Sea now howe farre this later Church of Rome hath degenerated which holdeth and affirmeth that men without grace that is the gift of Gods grace may performe the obedience of the lawe and prepare themselues to receyue grace by working so that those workes may be meritorious Congrue Condigne and of congrue as they say obteine grace that is of good right and equall congruence and agréeance As if one should say they haue beene good seruiceable and profitable vnto God and therfore it is méete reasonable and cōuenient that he should requite them againe with grace and fauour otherwise he should faile in the rule of good congruitie wherein one part ought to be answerable to another Which grace being thus obteined men may as they say perfectly performe the full obedience of the lawe and accomplish those spirituall actions and workes which God requireth and so those workes of condigne that is by iust law equall merit deserue eternall life As for that infirmitie which still remaineth in our nature against the which we are not onely continually to striue but also to pray for mercie they do not regard it so much as once to speake of it The xiiii Chapter Of inuocation and adoration BEsides the former vncatholike and almost vnchristian absurdities and defections from the Apostolicall fayth touching inuocation also they dissent much not onely from others but also from themselues in respect of their originall For wheras in old time the godly in all perils were wont by seruent prayer to flie vnto God onely who ac-according to his promise is able and willing to helpe all such as call vpon him faithfully as it is written Psal 145. Psal 50. call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thée Contrarie to the comdement of God and example of all the godly from time to time they haue erected and set vp Saints departed to be prayed vnto and called vpon as mediatours of intercession affirming that Christ is a mediator of saluation and that onely in the time of his passion Which assertion of theirs how well it agréeth either with the ancient doctrine that S. Paul and the residue of the Apostles taught as well the old Romans as other Gentiles or els standeth with reason and commō sense may appeare by that which followeth And first whereas they denie Christ to be a mediatour of intercession howe accordeth that with the saying of Paul to the old Romanes where he speaking of the intercession of Christ saith Rom. 8. He sitteth on the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. Likewise in his first Epistle to Timothie After his exhortation to prayer for all estates 1. Tim. 2. and degrées of men he sheweth not onely to whō we should pray but also in whose name saying There is one God and one mediator betwéene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus 1 Iohn 2. Saint Iohn also saith If any man sinne wee haue an aduocat with the father Iesus Christ who is the propiciation for our sinnes And our sauiour himselfe saith whatsoeuer you shall aske the father in my name Iohn 14. not in the name of Saints he will giue it you Touching prayer therfore to be made vnto Saints that they might be intercessors to God for vs we neither haue commandement that we should do so nor promise to spéede in so doing nor example of the Patriarches Prophets Apostles or Apostolical men that euer they did so Which of the olde fathers vnder or befor the lawe did pray to Noe Exod. 32. Abraham or Moses after they were departed For whereas they obiect the words of Moses in his prayer saying remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy seruants to whom thou swarest by thine owne selfe c. The Prophet in that place doeth not call vpon those saints that they might make intercession for him for then he woulde haue said O holy Abraham Isaac Israel pray to God for vs but by their names he remembreth the promises of God made to them Which of the godly vnder the new testament did pray vnto the holy martyrs Iohn Baptist Stephē Iames or any other after their departure Yea they were obedient to the cōmandement which saith Cal vpon me and regarded the promise
testimonies of these ancient fathers Ambros li. 5. de orat Ambrose sayth it is not the lawe but the faith of Christ that congregateth the Church for the lawe is not of faith but the iust by fayth shall liue It is fayth therefore and not the law that iustifieth for righteousnesse commeth not by the law but by the fayth of Christ and he that refuseth fayth and prescribeth the workes of the law Ambros de vita beata lib. 1. cap. 6. declareth himselfe to be vnrighteous for the iust by fayth doth liue And the same father in another place sayth This is that which profiteth me namely that we are not iustified by the works of the law therefore I haue not wherein I may glorie or boast in my workes and for this cause I will glory in Christ I will glory not for that I am iust but for that I am redéemed not for that I am without sin but for that my sinnes are forgiuen me not for that I haue profited any or any hath profited me but for that I haue an Aduocate with the father euen Christ that shed his blood for mée Cyprian de passione domini Saint Cyprian writing vpon the passion of Christ sayth The gift could doe more than the transgresson and grace more then sinne for grace through the benefite of loue hath fréely without any merite absolued vs that were bound with the debt of condemnation Origen lib. 3 in epist ad Romanos Origen also vpon these words of the Apostle We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the lawe sayth The iustification of faith onely is sufficient so that if a man beléeue onely he is iustified albeit no worke as yet hath bene fulfilled by him and so hee alledgeth the example of the théefe August super Psal 70. Augustine vpon the 70. Psalme sayth The grace of God wherby we are fréely saued with out any our merits is commended in this Psalme And a little after Séeing then we are deliuered not by our merits but by his grace let vs praise him vnto whom we owe our selues wholy whatsoeuer we be Hiero. ad Galat. 4. Hier. writing vpon the Epistle to the Galatians saith that neither Moses nor any other famous man amōg the ancient fathers could be iustified before God by the law Gregor super Ezech. Hom 7. Gregorie vpō Ezechiel sayth Let vs not trust in our wéepings nor in our workes but in the allegation of our Aduocate who liueth and reigneth with the father in the vnitie of the holy spirite Fulgentius Fulgentius saith the God crowneth in his saints that righteousnesse which he gaue thē fréely and wil preserue fréely and will fréely make perfect Maxentius saith Maxentius we verely beléeue that from Adam to this day none hath bene saued by the strength of nature but through the gift of the grace of the holy spirite in the fayth of the name of Iesus for there is no other name giuen vnto men vnder heauen c. Item all the faithfull from Abel vnto Christ as many as haue beene saued haue béene saued by the same grace whereby we are saued Chrysost in serm de fide lege naturae Chrysostome fayth I can shew thée a faithfull man who without his good déedes both liued and obteyned the kingdome of heauen but none without faith hath had life c. And least here thou shouldest say hee wanted time c. I will not contende with thée herein but this one thing I dare boldly say that fayth onely by it selfe did saue him Basil in cōtione de humilitate Basile likewise saith this is perfect true glorying in God when any is extolled not for his owne righteousnesse but acknowledging him selfe to be void of true righteousnesse is iustified by fayth onely in Christ Bernard orat prim omnium sanctorum And finally Bernard sayth What can all our righteousnesse be before God Shal it not bee as the Prophet sayth like a menstruous cloth And if it should bée strictly iudged all our righteousnesse should bée found vnrighteous What then shall become of our sinnes séeing our righteousnes is not able to answer for it selfe Therefore let vs earnestly cry with the prophet O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant and with all humilitie let vs flée vnto that mercie which onely is able to saue our soules By these testimonies gentle reader thou maist soone perceiue what was the iudgemēt of the godly learned in old time touching iustification And in this faith the Bishops of Rome with their Romanists should still remaine if they were such ancient Catholiks as they pretend and if they would follow the olde mother Church of Rome and hold the first liquour wherewith they were first seasoned But the sweete verdor sent of that liquor is now cleane put out through other vnsauerie infusions of the Popes thrusting in so that almost no taste nor péece remaineth of al that primitiue doctrine which Saint Paul and other Apostles planted among the Gentiles The ninth Chapter Of good workes ALbeit the godly fathers in auncient dayes as hath beene in the former Chapter sufficiently declared nowhere could find any sure cōfort for the soule or rest peace of conscience with God the Lord but through grace and swéete promises of God giuen to mankind in Christ Iesus his sonne Yet notwithstanding they were not only abundātly fruitfull in good workes themselues but also most vehement and earnest in calling vpon all true faithfull people to serue the Lord in true holinesse righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life as by their liues and sermons may sufficiently appeare For to this end are we elected created called and fréely iustified to do all such good works as God hath prepared for vs to walke in Hereunto tend many exhortations both of Christ and his Apostles and also of the Apostolicall fathers which succéeded them not onely by order of place but also veritie of doctrine The like example of whose teaching if we doe not now folow let our sermōs preachings writings exhortations and liues also beare record For although we exclude good works from the office of iustifying yet we exclude them not from the practise and conuersation of Christian life but most earnestly call vpō all the faithful in Christ to walke worthie their vocation to lay downe their old conuersation to giue their members seruants of righteousnesse to offer their bodies to God a liuely sacrifice c. In déed we do not after the maner of our new found Romanes set foorth for good works the deuices of men as prayer for the dead going of pilgrimage to dumbe idoles reckoning vp of a certaine number of prayers to some certaine Saints giuing of rewards or building of Monasteries for to pull soules out of Purgatorie and such like which because they neitheir haue commandement nor promise in the worde of God Matt. 15. our
which saieth whoso calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued Iohn 4. Thus Christ hath taught vs saying when you pray say Our father which art in heauen and not our Lady which art in heauen Ephe. 3. Thus Paul bowed his knées to God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ not to any of the Saints Thus the congregation in the primitiue church prayed for the deliuerance of Peter out of prison Acts. 12. not to any of the Saints but to God himselfe and not through the mediation or intercession of any other then Christ For in those days long after the godly neither knew nor taught any other mediatour then the man Christ Iesus August de vera religi cap. vlt. As for the Saints departed Augustine sheweth what is to be done to them saying they are to bee honoured for imitation and not to be worshipped for religion And Epiphanius Epiph. con Collyridia lib. 3. tom 2. hae 79. speaking of the virgin Marie sayth In déede the body of the virgin was holy yet not God she was in déede a virgine and honourable yet not to be worshipped but shee did worship him that was borne of her according to the flesh They were wont to vse a poore reason taken from the similitude of an earthly king vnto whom men cannot haue accesse but by officers in their degrées As though God were like to a mortall man and had néede of a gard to saue him or of officers to informe him When the scripture saieth he knoweth all things yea euen the very thoughts of men and is more readie to heare our praiers then we are to make them Nowe whereas they make Christ the mediatour of saluation how agréeth it with commō sense and reason that they appoynt other intercessors séeing saluation is in Christ For saluation being once had what can wee require more or what lacketh he more to bee obteined of the saints which is sure to be saued only by Christ And yet in their Catholike denotations they teach men thus to pray to the blessed virgin Saue all them that glorifie thée What maruell though they agrée not with vs when they are contrary to themselues Here vnto also apperteineth the worshipping of reliques and the false adoration of Sacraments that is the outwarde signes for the things signified contrarie to the worde of God Deut. 4. Luke 6. which saith God onely is to be worshipped The xv Chapter Of the Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper THe corruptions and errours of this later Church of Rome as touching the Sacraments are neither small nor yet a few For first by the institution of Christ and ancient obseruation of the godly there are but two Sacraments of the new testamēt to wit Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue added vnto thē fiue other sacraments And for better profe hereof the Apostle Paul in all his Epistles maketh mention of no sacraments besides the sacramental Supper Baptisme or washing of regeneration August ad Ianuarium Epist 118. And August speaking of Christ saith He hath bound the societie of the new people together with sacraments in number the fewest in obseruation the easiest in signification the most excellent as baptisme which is consecrated in the name of the Trinitie the cōmunication of his bodie blood And in another place he saith August de doct christiana lib. 3 cap. 9. At this time since by the resurrection of our Lorde there hath appeared a manifest token of our deliuerie we are not ouerladen with the burden no not of those signes which we nowe vnderstand but the Lord and Apostolicall discipline hath deliuered a certaine few in stéed of many and the same most easie to be done noble to be vnderstoode and pure to be obserued as the sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the bodie and blood of the Lord. Ambrose Ambrose also in his booke of Sacraments if it bee his maketh mention onely of Baptisme the Eucharist Secondly where as the worde of God hath ordeined these Sacraments not that wee should séeke our saluation in them but that by them we might be admonished of our saluation purchased by Christ that the promises of God might bee firme in vs through faith and we againe not onely consecrated to God but also discerned from all other people Rom. 8. As God gaue vnto Abraham the sacrament of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which hee had when he was yet vncircumcised And also whereas by holy scripture we are taught that neither the Sacraments do nor yet the worde it selfe doeth profite vs without faith as appeareth not onely by the testimonie of the author to the Hebrews Heb. 4. where it is saide the worde which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in thē which heard it 1. cor 10. 11. But also by the example of the vnbeléeuing Iewes vnder the old Testament and of Iudas Simon Magus Ananias and Saphira his wife with others Iohn 13. Acts 5. who notwithstanding they both had vsed the Sacraments yet were they neuer the nearer to be saued because they wanted faith They contrariwise teach that the Sacraments doe not onely stir vp and confirme our faith in vs but also that they auaile and are effectuall without faith by the verie doing of the action without any good motion of the doer As is to be found in Thomas Aquine Scotus Catharinus others Thirdly beside manifold abuses which they commit in the sacrament of Baptisme by adding to the simple words of Christs institution diuerse other newe found rites fantasies of men where the old Church of Rome was wont to baptize men onely this later Church of Rome hath baptized Bels and haue applied the words of baptisme to water fire candels stockes and stones Finally as concerning the Lords Supper in the primitiue Church as appeareth by the example of Christ and testimonie of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. the vse then amongst them was to haue the participation of the bread called the Lords bodie and of the cup called the Lords blood administred not at an altar as now it must needes if it please the Pope but at a plain boord or table where not the minister alone did receiue and the other looked on but the whole congregation together did communicat with reuerence thankesgiuing Yea Chrysost ad Eph. ser 3. cap. 1. if any did absteine from the holy Cōmunion and would be but a beholder onely the old fathers and bishops of Rome in the primitiue church when as yet the priuate Masse was not hatched did excommunicate him as a wicked person an Ethnicke De cōsecra dist 2. cap. secularis De cōsecra dist 2. cap. peracta And therefore in old time Calixtus decréed that after consecration all should communicate vnlesse they had rather depart out of the Church for so haue the Apostles saith he