greatest Saint onely hee hath perhaps better laid hold of this treasure that is hath stronger faith than I. Now what is heere as touching equalitie of glory in the world to come Heere is a common brotherhood in this life wherein none can challenge more than other but this hindreth not but that who in this brotherhood doth the greater worke shall heereafter receiue the greater reward Albeit if Luther doe affirme equalitie of glorie what is that to the impeachment of the article of life euerlasting when as by the common iudgement of the fathers life euerlasting is that u Matt. 20.2.12.13 Aug. de Sanct. Virgin cap. 26. Hiero. cont Iouinian lib. 2. Gregor Moral lib. 4. cap. 31. penny mentioned in the Gospell which in howsoeuer great difference of worke and labour yet is indeed equall and alike to all Now albeit M. Bishop haue heere said whatsoeuer his malice could deuise and more than truth and honesty would haue said yet he would make his Reader beleeue that he hath omitted many other particularities that he might not be ouer tedious but what his other particularities are may be esteemed by those that he hath heere set downe consisting more in lies and cauils than in any matters of moment and trueth Nothing hath he said whereby it may in any sort be conceiued that either our doctrine tendeth to infidelitie or that it is without cause that we cry out against the Antichrist of Rome for corrupting the puritie of the Gospel 16. W. BISHOP First saith Master PER. it is a rule in expounding the seuerall Commandements that all vertues of the same kind are reduced to that Commandement Hence it followeth that counsels of perfection are inioined in the law and therfore prescribe no state of perfection beyond the scope of the Law Answ None of the counsels of perfection are enioyned in the tenne Commandements though for some affinitie they may be reduced to some of them For example It is commanded that I shall not steale that is to take any of my neighbours goods against his will but to giue away all my own to the poore is beyond the compasse of the law so likewise it is commanded not to commit adulterie but wee are not commanded to vow perpetuall chastitie and obedience Such offices only that are necessarily required to the performance of any Commandement are comprehended within the same but no others though some men take occasion of the Commandement to treat of the counsels of perfection R. ABBOT a Psal 19.7 The law of the Lord is a perfect law All works of perfection prescribed by the lavv and therefore prescribeth whatsoeuer is necessary to perfection It requireth b Deut. 6.5 Luk. 10.27 all the heart all the minde all the soule all the strength and because beyond all there can bee nothing more therefore there is no vertue no righteousnesse no perfection that is not commanded therby It is commanded saith M. Bishop that I shall not steale but to giue all mine owne to the poore is beyond the compasse of the law But I answer him that where it is beyond the compasse of the law there it is not a work of perfection but an act of superstition If God command it then not to do it is sin if God cōmand it not there is no piety but folly in the doing of it because God casteth it off with that reprofe c Esa 1.12 Who required these things at your hands Let M. Bishop tell vs when Christ said to the rich man in the Gospell d Luk. 18.22 Goe sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen come and follow me did hee sinne or not in refusing to doe as Christ aduised him If not why doth our Sauiour except against his entring into the kingdome of heauen If he did sinne then he brake the law for e Rom. 4.15 where there is no law there is no sinne and therefore the giuing of all his goods to the poore was within the compasse of the law Hee boasted that hee had kept the law but our Sauiour Christ would discouer how farre he was from louing the Lord with all his hart which the law requireth who had so tied his heart to his worldly wealth as that hee could not finde in his heart God so requiring for the reliefe of his neighbour whom hee should loue as himselfe to void himselfe of the possession thereof To giue all that a man hath to the poore is then a worke of righteousnesse when the calling of God and the following of Christ requireth it and then it is commanded by the law To doe it when dutie to God requireth it not may wel be called a worke of supererogation but work of perfection it is none We are not commanded saith he again to vow pertuall chastitie and obedience It is true and therefore those vowes are no matters of true deuotion and religion but of rash errour and presumption Such offices onely saith he as are necessarily required to the performance of any commandement are comprehended within the same and I answer him that no offices are at all required but what are necessarie to the performance of some commandement For notwithstanding all that can be said or alleaged for aduices and counsels and howsoeuer it may be pleaded that they may seeme in some particulars rightly so called yet circumstance and occasion alwaies maketh them necessary duties and the omitting of them is either the violation of the briefe of the first table Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. or of the second Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe there being reason of the doing of them either for the glory of God or for the edification of our brethren of which neither can be neglected without trespasse of the law 17. W. BISHOP Secondly saith M. PER. the Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. hath two seuerall parts the first forbiddeth the making of Images the second the adoration of them Hee concludeth out of Deuteronomy that the Images of the true Iehoua are forbidden in the Commandement and consequently the adoration of such Images Hence he will haue it to follow that to worship God in or at Images with religious worship is abominable Idolatrie Answ First if the Images of God onely be there prohibited and then worship done to them according to his owne exposition then it followeth most cleerely that there is no probibition for either making or worshipping the Images of any Saints and therefore with a very euill conscience doth he wrest the commandement against them Secondly I say though God had forbidden vs to worship Images yet doth it not follow therof that we must not worship God in or at Images For as God is euery where so may he be worshipped in all places and as wel at or before an Image as in the Church and before the communion table
now stand to contend thereabout But wheras Watson the Proctor for the Priests against the Iesuits hath particularly set downe great value of goods gotten by the Iesuits through meere collusion and fraud let him acquaint vs that they haue made restitution hereof and then I will giue him further answer 31. W. BISHOP 8. The eight prohibiteth vs to beare false witnesse against our neighbour and yet do Ministers the master Procestants in their pulpit where truth should onely be taught most commonly beare such false witnesse against Catholikes that the very stones may be astonished at their most impudent slanders to wit that Papists beleeue in stockes and stones that they will not be saued by Christ and his passion but by their owne works that they rob God of his honour and giue it to Saints and a hundreth such like most notorious and palpable lies Wherefore as the Preachers bee guilty of bearing false witnesse so the auditors deserue to be seduced by them who hearing them to lie so shamelesly in some things will neuerthelesse beleeue them in others R. ABBOT Papists beleeue in stocks and stones The very stones if they could speake would iustifie the Protestants in this behalfe and cry out against the idolatry and abomination of the Papists Whether Papists beleeue in stockes and stones and teach men so to do let it appeare by Thomas Aquinas who propounding the question a Tho. Aquin. sum p. 3 q. 25. art 4. See before of Images sect 14 whether the crosse of Christ be to be worshipped with the worship of Latria determineth the matter in this sort We giue the worship of Latria to that wherein we put the hope of our saluation But we put the hope of our saluation in the Crosse for the Church singeth All-haile O Crosse our only hope at this time of the passion To the godly increase righteousnesse and to the guilty grant forgiuenesse Therefore the Crosse is to bâ—e worshipped with Latria Let M. Bishop now tell vs whether they trust in stocks and stones who place the hope of their saluation in that Crosse to which they say All-haile O Crosse c. that is in a Crosse of wood or stone Yea and Polydore Virgil acknowledgeth of their rude people that b Polyd. Virgil. de inuent rerum l. 6. c. 13. his imaginibus magis fidunt quam Christe vel alijs diuis quibus dicatae sunt Papists wil be saued by their own works not by the passion of Christ they put more trust in their images than they doe in Christ or in the Saints whose images they are He spake gently of it being loth to touch the sore too hard for feare of offence but it is well known how the common people haue been affected with these delusions and still are where their abominable idolatry holdeth still it former strenth The second point that Papists will not be saued by the passion of Christ but by their own workes is made plaine to vs by the Spanish Inquisitours in their c Index Expur Hispan Ex libro qui inscribitur Ordo baptizandi cum Modo visitandi impresso venetijs ann 1575. Index Expurgatorius who finding in an Order for visiting the sicke imprinted at Venice these questions to be asked of the sicke man d Deieantur illa verba Credis non proprijs meritis sed passionis domini nostri Iesu Christi virtute ac merito ad gloriam peruenire Credis quòd dominus noster Iesus Christus pro nestra salute mortuus sit quòd ex proprijs meritis vel alio modo nullus possit saluari nisi in merito passionis ipsius Beleeuest thou not by thine own merits but by the power and merit of the passion of Christ to come to glory Beleeuest thou that our Lord Iesus Christ died for our saluation and that none can be saued by his own merits or by any other meanes but by the merit of his passion with comfort giuen that e Deleantur illa verba Non erit desperandum vel dubitandum de salute illius qui suprapositas petitiones corde crediderit ore confessus fuerit there is no doubt to be made of the saluation of him who thus beleeueth with the heart and confesseth with the mouth haue defaced all these words and appointed them in new impressions to be wholly left out The third point also is manifest for sith worship and deuotion of religion belongeth to God only as hath been f Supra sect 17 before shewed surely the Papists in giuing religious worship to Saints doe rob God of his honour and giue it vnto the Saints These things M. Bishop are cleere and plaine they are not our notorious and palpable and shamelesse lies but they are your notorious and palpable and shamelesse heresies We know you daube these things and set colours vpon them as heretiques haue been wont to doe vpon their false and wicked opinions but your colours with vs are soone washed off and where you are in your owne kingdome there we know how you appeare in your own likenesse As for our auditors thanks be to God they are not like yours Yours are like g 1. Cor. 12.2 the Gentiles of old caried away to dumbe Idols euen as they are led They must follow you blindfolded without seeing which way they go They must search nothing they must know nothing but take what you tell them But our hearers thanks be to God haue the liberty of Gods word wherin they see with their own eies and whereby they plainly vnderstand that wee seduce them not because we teach them nothing but what they find there that God hath taught And you they therby learne to hate and detest as seducers and deceiuers because you go about to teach them those things which they see God hath not taught you 32. W. BISHOP 9. and 10. Of the ninth and tenth I haue spoken already wherein they erre grieuously in teaching euery man to sinne damnably by hauing any euill motion cast into his minde by the Diuell albeit he resisteth it presently and foorthwith chase it away In which conflict and ouercomming of temptation the grace and power of God is perfited as S. Paul witnesseth and S. Iames calleth the allurement of concupiscence temptation only and then first sinne when it conceiueth that is getteth some liking of the party R. ABBOT Where the mind is free from sinne the Diuell can cast no euill motion into the minde Euery euill motion is sin If the Diuell cast euill motions into the mind it is a token that hee findeth there a mould wherein he casteth them and a mine whence hee diggeth the matter of them From the habitual corruption of our nature all euill motions flow which both in the spring and in the streame both in the roote and in the branch is before iustified to bee sinne Wee resist it he saith and chase it away but therefore we resist it and chase it away because it
consequence but both parts fully agree that there is such an authority left by Christ in his Church They agree in deed but it is like Herod and Pilate against Christ Accordingly as they carrie themselues in this point so they deserue to be credited in all the rest But M. Bishop telleth vs that Christ might haue giuen him that authoritie without degrading himselfe And I answer him that the question is not what Christ might haue done but what he hath done Therefore his instance of a King substituting a Viceroy will not serue his turne for hee that without any commission from the King taketh vpon him to be a Viceroy and vnder pretence thereof impugneth his Princes lawes and maketh construction of them at his owne pleasure and to serue his owne turne howsoeuer he seeme to doe all in his Princes name yet is indeed a traitour and a rebell to his Prince This is the Popes case and therefore vnder the name of the Vicar of Christ he is no other but a traitour and a rebell against Iesus Christ As for those faculties of greater authoritie and vertue because wee reade nothing thereof in the Gospell no not in S. Peter himselfe thove faculties which they attribute to the Pope therefore we hold them and that iustly to bee the Popes owne presumptions the flatteries of Parasites the deuises of ill disposed men k Tit. 1.11 who speake things which they ought not for filthy lucers sake The Popish Priesthood is not true and reall but meerely fantasticall for a true and reall Priesthood such as they boast of requireth a true and reall sacrifice for sinne which they haue not For after the sacrifice which purchaseth forgiuenesse of sinnes l Heb. 10.18 there is no more offering for sinne But in the death of Christ is a full purchase of the forgiuenesse of sinnes Therefore after Christs death there is no more offering for sinne We say then of Priesthood as Cyrill hath taught vs to say m Cyril epist. 10 ad Nestor Nec praeter ipsum alteri cuipiam homini siue sacerdotij nomen siue rem ipsam ascribimus We ascribe not the name of Priesthood or the thing it selfe to any other but to Christ only See that question saith M. Bishop But where for hee himselfe hath said nothing of it and whatsoeuer he would say it is already preuented in n Sect. 27. answer of his Epistle to the King To the last obiection that for one Iesus the all-sufficient Mediatour of intercession they haue made as many as be in the Popes Kalendar he answereth yea and many more to What M. Bishop so many Mediatours when the Apostle saith plainly o 1. Tim. 2.5 There is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and man euen the man Iesus Christ We hold saith hee that any of the faithfull yet liuing may bee also requested to pray for vs. True M. Bishop yet not as Mediatours as if we may plead any thing that they haue done or can do for vs for our owne accesse to God but onely as fellow-members of one body affected in compassion one towards an other pleading for our selues and ech for other that which Christ hath done for all Wherefore as the greater praieth for the lesse so doth the lesse also for the greater not onely S. Paul for the Romans the Ephesians the Collossians but also the p Rom. 15.30 Romans the q Eph. 6.19 Ephesians the r Col. 4.3 Colossians for S. Paul And although we thus request the praiers one of another yet doe we not pray to God that he will heare vs for their sakes whom we request to pray for vs but all expect mercy onely for Christs sake But Popish praiers are of a farre other nature Å¿ The golden Letany By the holy name of Marie haue mercy vpon vs by the intercession and merits of S. Peter S. Paul S. Iohn the Euangelist and other of thine Apostles haue mercy vpon vs by the vertues and merits of the holy fathers S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose and all other haue mercy vpon vs. This is one of the abhominations of Popery that they do not onely idlely intreat the Saints to pray for them but do also alleage to God their merits and intercessions by vertue thereof to obteine mercy at Gods hands But hee saith it shall be hard for vs to prooue that Christ onely maketh intercession for vs. Yea M. Bishop but why then doth S. Austen say that t Aug. in Psal 64. solus ibi ex his qui carnem gustauerunt interpellat pro nobis in heauen of all that haue beene partakers of flesh Christ onely maketh intercession for vs Did hee speake more then hee could prooue Deceiue not your selfe M. Bishop hee could prooue this matter well enough but you cannot prooue that which so iniuriously to Christ the onely Mediatour you affirme and teach that Mediation of intercession belongeth to the Saints it being a thing vnreasonable and absurd to thinke that Mediatours for vs stand in need of a Mediatour for themselues 4. W. BISHOP Lastly saith M. PERKINS for the only merits of Christ in whom alone the Father is well pleased what was he not well pleased with his Apostles they haue deuised a treasury of the Churches containing besides the merits of Christ the ouerplus of the merits of Saints to be dispensed to men at the discretion of the Pope and thus wee see that Christ and his merits be abolished Answer The good man is somewhat mistaken for we hold not any ouerplus of merits in Saints the which we acknowledge to be by God fully rewarded in heauen but we affirme that some Saints and blessed Martyrs haue suffered more paines in this life then the temporall punishment of their own sins deserued Who therefore might truely say with that iust man Iob Iob. 6.1 would to God my sinnes whereby I haue deserued wrath were weighed with the calamitie that I suffer euen as the sands of the sea this should be the heauier Now part of these sufferings of Gods Saints as being needlesse for their owne satisfaction are reserued in the Churches storehouse and may by the high steward of the Church to whom the dispensation of her treasure belongeth be communicated to others as verie reason teacheth vs for who is fitter to dispose of any mans goods then he to whom the charge thereof is giuen by his testament And thus I hope euery reasonable man doth finde vs Catholikes to be farre off from transforming Christ into an Idoll of mans conceit as M. PERKINS dreameth onely we see a misconceited man labouring in vaine to deface Christs benefits towards vs to calumniate his chiefe seruants and to skirmish against his owne phantasies then against any doctrine of â—â—rs R. ABBOT Whether M. Bishop or M. Perkins doe mistake The Popes storehouse merits lately built let the Reader iudge The Pope saith that a Extrauag de poenit remiss cap.
Vnigenitus Ad cutus thesauri cumulum beata dei genetricis omnium electorum à primo vsque ad vltimum merita adminiculum praestare noscuntur the merits of the holy Virgin and of all the elect from the first to the last are knowen to yeeld supply or help to the store of his treasury M. Bishop saith that they doe not hold any ouerplus of merits in Saints and therefore denieth any merits to be laied vp in that storehouse If M. Bishop say true then the Pope lieth If the Pope say true then M. Bishop lieth And if there be no ouerplus of merits in Saints we desire to know what reason they haue then to craue mercy of God by the merits of the Saints as we haue already seene in the former section But M. Bishop doth not loue to be demanded a reason of all matters he will haue vs to take his time though it be without reason Well though there be no merits yet what els may we thinke is laied vp in that storehouse of the Pope forsooth some Saints and Martyrs haue suffered more paines then the temporall punishment of their sinnes deserued Full wisely spoken the temporall punishment of their sinnes deserued paines But let that passe and what I pray of those paines forsooth the sufferings of the Saints which were needlesse for their owne satisfaction are reserued in the Churches storehouse and are to be dispensed by the Pope And therefore Iob is brought vs for an example who complaineth that b Iob 6.3 his calamity was heauier then his sinnes Indeed the holy man Iob considering the course of Gods iudgements in this world and knowing the cleerenesse of his conscience and the vprightnesse and innocency of his life might well and truely answer his friends that his strange fall and so vnspeakeable calamity was more grieuous then could be expected out of that condition of life which he had liued God had another end in the afflicting of Iob which Iob himselfe vnderstood not and therefore wondered at that which befell vnto him Whatsoeuer he suffered he is therein set before vs for an example of patience but as touching matter of satisfaction we read nothing Nay as Paul in that respect said of himselfe so must it be said of Iob also c 1. Cor. 1.13 Was Iob crucified for you Albeit we would gladly know of M. Bishop what became of the ouerplus of Iobs satisfactions for so long a time for the storehouse of which M. Bishop speaketh was of farre later time The matter of it was prepared by Heretikes the Pope gaue it ground and the Scholemen built it Where then was the superabundance of Iobs sufferings and of others all that while reserued to the Popes vse yea or how may it appeare that the disposing thereof is committed to the Pope Who is fitter saith M. Bishop to dispose of any mans goods then he to whom the charge thereof is committed by his testament Alas good man and doe ye now appeale to the Testament of Christ Bring vs foorth the Testament M. Bishop and shew vs where it is that Christ hath made the Pope supervisour of any such goods He is a lewd man that belieth and falsifieth the Testament of another man what are you then that thus belie the Testament of Christ Of this blasphemous fancy enough hath beene said before in the question of d Sect. 4. 7. satisfaction His parenthesis what was not the father well pleased with his Apostles such a wise one as it is is answered also e Of Merits sect 2. before He was well pleased with his Apostles but it was Christ alone in whom he was well pleased towards his apostles and is well pleased towards vs. f Greg. in Ezechiel hom 8. In solo sibi redemptore nostro complacuit pater quia in solo non inuenit cuâ—pam c. In Christ only saith Gregory the father was well pleased because in him only he found no sinne 5. W. BISHOP He laieth lastly a third kinde of Atheisme against vs for worshipping of God not with such respect as is sutable to his nature For saith he our worship is meere will worship for the most part without any allowance or commandement of God as Durand in his Rationale in effect acknowledgeth it is a carnall seruice standing of innumerable bodily rites and ceremonies borrowed partly from the Iewes and partly from the Heathens it is deuided betweene God and some of his creatures in that they are worshipped both with one kinde of worship let them paint it as they can c. Answer Ipse dixit Pythagoras hath pronounced his sentence yet you need not beleeue him vnlesse you list because he fableth so formally doth Durand acknowledge that all our worship is meere will worship and that it hath no allowance of God O egregious and impudent deceiuer For that learned deuout Author Durand doth nothing else in al that Booke then set out the Maiestie and declared the meaning of the worship of God vsed daily in our seruice throughout the whole yeare And therefore doth entitle his booke Rationale Diuinorum the reasons of diuine seruice And as for bodily rites wee vse but few and those very decent full of reuerence and most fit to stirre vp and cherish deuotion We bee not spirits and therefore must serue God by bodily ceremonies although the life and vertue of them proceed from the spirit employing all parts of the body in his worship and to his honour that made it neither be they borrowed of Iewes nor of the Heathens albeit they might perhaps the one by the commandement of God the other by the light of nature vse some such like but ours were deuised by the inspiration of the holy Ghost the heauenly guide and directer of the Catholike Church to mooue vs to serue God more deuoutly and with greater reuerence Now to say that we giue the same worship to any Saint that we giue to God is a stale iest that hath long sithence lost al his grace being found to be nothing els but a notorious vntruth very often confuted as by others else where so by me more then once in this booke where also these other slanders here cast vpon vs are more at large in their seuerall places discussed this therefore may serue in this place for an answer to those imputations of Atheismes which Master PERKINS obiecteth against vs. R. ABBOT It is not the maiestie of Gods worship that Durand setteth forth but the foolery and absurdity of Popish superstition Popish worship of God is but carnall seruice Of how many idle ceremonies doth he imforme vs and what great mysteries doth he make of them for which when he bringeth no allowance or commandement of God doth he not acknowledge in effect that they are a Col. 2.22.23 wilworships according to the doctrines and commandements of men Which being so God asketh thereof b Esay 1.12 who required these things at your hands and by
the Prophet complaineth c Esa 29.13 Their feare towards me is taught by the precepts of men His excuse of these carnall rites and ceremonies is false for contrary to that that he saith they are infinite in number and a great number of them apish and rediculous in vse not fit to stirre vp and cherish deuotion but rather to busie and intangle the senses of the body and thereby to sequester and extinguish the deuotion of the mind S. Austine complained in his time that d Aug. ep 119. Tam multis praesumptionib sic plena sunt omnia c. Quamuis nequâ— hoc inueniri possit quomodo contra fidem veniant ipsam tamen religionem quam paucissimis manifestissimis celebrationum sacramentis miserecordia dei liberam esse voluit seruilibus oneribus premunt vt tolerabilior sit conditio Iudaeorum qui etiamsi tempus libertatis non agnouerint tamen legalibus sarcinis non humanis praesumptionibus subijciuntur all was so full of humane presumptions and that albeit it could not be found how they were against the faith yet the religion which the mercy of God would haue free with a very few and those most manifest mysteries and Sacraments was thereby clogged with seruile burdens so that the condition of the Iewes was more tolerable who though they knew not the time of liberty yet were subiect not to the presumptions of men but to the burdens of Gods law What would he say if he were now aliue to see Durands Rationale diuinorum and those infinite presumptions wherewith Popish superstition hath clogged and oppressed the Church Of which some are preposterous imitations of the Leuiticall and Iewish ceremonies other taken from the abhominations of heathenish Idoll-seruice a thing so plaine as that M. Bishop denieth not but that they vsed some such like indeed the same onely he setteth vpon them a false colour of being deuised by the inspiration of the holy Ghost not knowing Chrysostomes rule that e Chrysost de sanct orando spiritu Ex quo non legit haec scripta sed ex se ipso loquitur manifestum est quòd non habet sp sanct because they read not these things written but speake of themselues it is manifest that they haue not the holy Ghost We be no spirits he saith but yet he should know that the true worshippers leauing f Gal. 4.9 beggerly rudiments g Heb 9.10 carnall rites should h Ioh. 4.24 worship the Father inspirit and truth Whereas he alleageth that the life and vertue of bodily ceremonies proceedeth from the spirit he saith nothing but what was true and necessarily required in the Iewish seruice and therefore may as well be pleaded for the continuance of their ceremonies as for the excusing of others deuised in steed of them To that that M. Perkins saith that they giue the same worship to Saints that they doe to God he answereth that that is a stale iest which long since hath lost all his grace but he should haue told vs that they themselues haue long since lost all grace by mainteining such filtherie and abhomination in the Church Bodin telleth vs that i Bodin method h. c. 5. A plerisque in Italia Gallia Narbonensi ardentiore voto certe maiore metu colitur D. Antonius quà m deus immortâ—lis in Italy and a part of France that which is called Narbonensis S. Antony is commonly worshipped with greater deuotion and feare then almighty God Lud. Viâ—es saith that k Lud. Viues in Aug. de ciu dei l. 8. ca. 27. Multi Christiani diuos diuasque non alitèr venerantur quà m deum nec video in multis quod sit disâ—iâ—men inter eorâ—â—opinionem de sanctis id qâ—od gentiles putabant de suis dijs many Christians he was loth to say how many doe no otherwise worship the Saints then as God himselfe and in many saith he I see not what difference there is betweene their opinion of the Saints and that which the heathens deemed of their Gods Yea Bellarmine confesseth that l Bellarm. de sanct beatitud lib. 1. cap. 12. Omnes ferè actus exteriores communes sunt omni adorationi in a maner all their outward worshippes he might haue said their inward also are common both to the one and to the other And so we see they pray to the one they pray to the other they kneele to the one they kneele to the other they offer they vow they fast they build Churches and Altars they keepe holy daies they professe trust and confidence both to the one and to the other only forsooth we must thinke that they retaine m Ibid. Latria inclinatio voluntatis cum apprehensione dei c. Dulia inclinatio voluntatis cum apprehensione excellentiae plus quam humanae minùs quà m diuinae an apprehensiue and intellectuall difference betwixt the one and the other As if aman giuing the crowne and roiall honour of the king to a subiect should thinke to discharge himselfe by saying that in his mind for al that he retained a farre higher opinion of the king then of the subiect Which if it acquit not with men surely we should know that the infinite excellency of God aboue all his creatures should be a reason to withhold vs from daring to ioine any creature in any part of communion or felowship with him Your idolatry M. Bishop in this behalfe is so stale as that it is growen extreamely sower and the time will come when you shall see it will be taken for no iest As for your confutations and your answers you should haue made them good before you had boasted of them A wise man would not haue written a latter booke before he had made it appeare that he could defend the former 6. W. BISHOP And for that this crime of Atheisme is the most heynous that can be as contrariwise the true opinion of the God-head and the sincere worship thereof is the most sweete and beautifull flower of religion let vs therefore heere to hold due correspondence with Master PERKINS examine the Protestants dostrine concerning the nature of God and their worship of him that the indifferent Reader comparing iudiciously our two opinions thereof together may embrace that for most pure and true that carrieth the most reuerent and holy conceit thereof For out of all doubt there can be no greater motiue to any deuout soule to like of a religion then to see that it doth deliuer a most sacred doctrine of the Soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and doth withall most religiously adore and serue him Whereas on the other side there is not a more forcible perswasion to forsake a religion before professed then to be giueÌ„ to vnderstand that the Masters of that religion teach many absurde things concerning the Godhead it selfe and do as coldly and as slightly worship God almightie as may be Marke therfore I beseech thee gentle Reader for thy owne soules
ait si autem volens deus estendere iram c. when men are said to be deliuered ouer to their owne lusts they must be vnderstood to be left by Gods sufferance and permission not by his power to be forced into sinne Saint Austin answereth As though the Apostle had not set downe both these together both Gods sufferance and his power where he saith If God would to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction But he goeth yet further r Idid Quid tamen horum dicis esse quod scriptum est Et prophetasi errauerit c. patientia est an potentia An hic dicturus es quòd Ego dominus seduxi Prophetam illuÌ„ intelligendum est deserui vt pro eius meritâ—s seductus erraret Whether of these wilt thou say it is which is written Å¿ Ezec. 14 9. If that Prophet be deceiued when hee hath spoken a thing I the Lord haue deceiued that Prophet and I will stretch out my hand vpon him and I will destroy him out of the middest of my people Israel is this Gods permission or his power Wilt thou heere say that I the Lord haue deceiued that Prophet must be vnderstood I haue forsaken him that according to his deserts being deceiued he might erre Saint Austin thinketh it strange that where God saith I The Lord haue deceiued that Prophet Iulian should construe it I haue forsaken that Prophet and suffered him to be deceiued and why then doth M. Bishop taxe Caluin for reiecting the same construction Caluins words fully accord with the words of Austin t Caluin Instutut lib. 1. cap. 18. sect 2. Haee etiam ad permissionem multi reijciunt atsi dâ—screndo reprobes à satana excaecari sincret sed cum disertè exprimat spiritus iusto dei iudicio iâ—fligi caecitatem amentiam nimis friuola est illa solutio These things many refer to sufferance as if by forsaking the reprobate he suffered them to be blinded of Satan but seeing the holy Ghost plainly expresseth that blindnesse and madnesse is inflicted by the iust iudgement of God that solution is too fond In the censuring of which words M. Bishop through Caluins side woundeth Saint Austin and the whole Church which tooke part with him against the Pelagian heretikes But heere it is to be noted how guilefully Master Bishop suppresseth the reason which M. Caluin alleageth for the reiecting of that solution and whereby he maketh good that it is to be reiected For Gods iudgements are not matters of permission left to the diuell or to men to doe if they will but passe from God by sentence and decree that thus or thus it shal be And therefore Saint Austin expresseth this iudgement by such termes as goe far beyond the words of permission or desertion As where the Apostle saith of idolaters u Rom. 1.27 They receiued in themselues such recompence of their errour as was meet x Aug. cont Iulian lib. 5. ca. 3. Dicit vtique damnatos vt tanta operarentur mala tamen ista damnatio reatus est quo grauius implicantur he meaneth saith he that they were condemned to the working of so great sinnes and this damnation notwithstanding is a guilt wherewith they are more grieuously intangled Surely to be condemned to the committing of sinne is a far greater matter euen in all mens cies then to be only permitted and suffered to sinne But he noteth it as a thing y Ibid. Et quod est mirabilius etiam oportuisse dicit eos istam mutuam mercedem recipere more strange that the Apostle saith it was behoouefull or meet that they should receiue this recompence one of them by another This is much against Master Bishops minde that God did not only condemne them to sin but therein did that that was meet and behoueful to be done Yea he saith afterwards of Ahab z Ibid IniusÌ„tuÌ„ erat qui non crediderat deo vero deciperetur à falso It stood not with iustice but that he who beleeued not the true God should be deceiued by a false diuell Againe sundry places he alleageth to such purpose as haue beene before cited and saith thereof a Ibid. In quibus liquidò apparet occulto dei iudicio fieri peruersitatem cordis â—t non audiatur verum quod dicitur inde peâ—cetur sit ipsum peccatum praecedentis etiam poena peccati Nam credere mendacio now credere veritati vtique peccatum est venit tamen ab ea caecitate cordis quae occulto iudicio dei sed tamen iusto etiam peccati paena monstratur By these manifestly it appeareth that by the secret iudgment of God there is wrought a peruersnes of heart not to heare the truth and thereby to sinne and this sinne is the punishment of former sinne For it is sinne saith he to beleeue lies and not to beleeue the truth and yet this commeth of that blindnesse of heart which by the secret but iust iudgement of God is declared to be the punishment of sinne So againe elswhere he saith that b Idem de grat lib. arbitr c. 21. Quis non ista iudicia diuina contremiscat quibus agit deus in cordibus etiam malorum hominum quicquid vult reddens eis tamen secundum merita ipsorum Et Paulò post Agit omnipotens in cordibus hominum etiam motum voluntatu ecrum vt per eos agat quod per eos agere ipse voluerit qui omnino iniustè aliquid velle non nouit God worketh in the hearts of euill men whatsoeuer he will rendring to them notwithstanding according to their deserts that hee stirreth in their hearts the motion of their will to doe by them what he will doe by them who vniustly can will nothing He goeth on and for proofe heereof alleageth sundry texts of scripture and in the end concludeth c Ibid. His talibus testimonijs satis quantum opinor manifestatur operari deum in cordibus hominum ad inclinandas eorum voluntates quocunque voluerit siue ad bona pre sea misericordia siue ad mala pro meritis eorum iudicio vtique suo aliquando aperto aliquando occulto semper autemiusto It is heereby manifest enough as I suppose that God worketh in the hearts of men to incline their wills whithersoeuer he will either to good for his owne mercy sake or to euill for mens owne merits and that by his iudgement sometimes manifest and apparant sometimes secret but alwaies iust And thus had he said before of that it is said that the Lord spake to Shimei to curse Dauid that d Ibid. cap. 20. Non iubendo dixit vbi obedientia laudaretur sed quòd voluntatem eius proprio suo vitio malam in hoc peccatum iudicio suo iusto occultâ— inclinauit ideò dictum est Dixit ci
Thirdly we make no Images to expresse the nature of God which is a spirit and cannot be represented by lines and colours but onely allow of some such pictures as set out some apparitions of God recorded in the Bible not doubting but that such workes of God may aswell be expressed in colours to our eies as they are by words to our eares and vnderstanding Lastly touching religious worship to bee done to Saints or pictures Analogâ—n the Heretikes cauilling consisteth principally in the diuers taking of the word religious For it is ambiguous and principally signifieth the worship onely due to God in which sense to giue it to any creature were Idolatrie but it is also with the best authors taken some other time to signifie a worship due to creatures for some supernaturall vertue or quality in them and in this sense to tearme it detestable Idolatry is either detestable malice or damnable ignorance And whereas he saith that common reason teacheth that they who adore God in Images do binde God his hearing of vs to certaine things and places I say the contrarie that God may be worshipped in all places but we rather chuse to worship him in Churches and before Images than in other places because the sight of such holy things doe breed more reuerence and deuotion in vs and better keepe our mindes from wandring vpon vaine matters If we taught that God could bee worshipped no where els or by no other meanes then he had not lied so loudly R. ABBOT M. All Images generally forbidden to be worshipped Perkins concludeth indeed that the images of God are forbidden in the commandement but neither saith nor meaneth that only the Images of God are there forbidden and therefore hee vseth no euill conscience in vrging the commandement against the images of Saints but M. Bishop with euill conscience defendeth the images of Saints against the commandement And whereas hee saith that thogh God do forbid to worship images yet he doth not therfore forbid vs to worship God in or at Images hee doth but frame himselfe to the guise and woont of all the masters of idolatry it being the common pretence of them al as hath been a Of Images sect 5. before shewed that they doe not worship the Image it selfe which they know to be but mettall or wood or stone but that in the Image or at the Image they worship the diuine essence which they beleeue to bee immateriall and immortall Yea and by what reason M. Bishop heere defendeth the worshipping of God in or at Images for at God is euery where so may he be worshipped in all places and as well at or before an Image as in the Church or before the communion table by the same did Ieroboam perswade the Israelites to worship God at or before or in his golden Calues at Dan and Bethel b Ioseph Ant. Iudaic. l. 8. c. 3. See of Images sect 5. because no place is void of God neither is he included any where and therefore they might as wel worship him neerer hand before those calues as in the temple and before the sanctuary at Ierusalem But as Ieroboam committed damnable idolatrie in worshipping God before the Calues so doth M. Bishop also in worshipping God in or before an image commit idolatry against God who will not be mocked nor can abide to haue honour done to an idoll by pretence of his name His third exception that they make no Images to expresse the nature of God but onely to set foorth some apparitions of God recorded in the Bible how vaine it is hath beene also fully declared in c Of Images sect 4. 7. the handling of that question And very strange it is that M. Bishop should make those apparitions a colour for their idoll-images of God when God himselfe affirmeth that therefore hee did forbeare in the day when hee gaue the Law d Deu. 4.12.15 to appeere in any image or likenesse because he would not haue them to make any image of him Whereas he saith that such works of God may aswell be expressed in colours to our eies as they are by words to our eares and vnderstanding he should vnderstand that it is one thing to speake of the works of God another thing to speake of the person of God Wee question not the expressing of the workes of God but wee condemne the expressing of the person of God And if the expressing of those apparitions by words to our eares and vnderstanding be a reason why we may expresse the same by pictures to our eies then nothing hindereth but that the nature of God also may bee expressed by colours and pictures to our eies because the same is by words according to our capacitie expressed to our eares and vnderstanding But God hath commanded himselfe to be preached to the eare and vnderstanding he hath not commanded nay hee hath forbidden himselfe to be painted to the eie and therefore the one is lawfull and godly the other wicked and vnlawfull His distinction of religious worship is most ridiculous and absurd The verie name of religion as Austin and Lactantius do deriue it impotteth the e Aug. de vera relig ca. 55. Ad vnum deum tendentes eâ— vni religantes animas nostras vnde religio dicta creditur Lactant. Instit li. 4 cap. 28. Hoc vinculo pietatis obstricti deo religati sumus vnde ipsa religio nomen accepit obliging and tying of our soules to God onely and if to God onely then it cannot be truely called religion that is performed to any other Therefore Lactantius saith againe that f Lactan. Instit l. 1. c. 20. Religio ac veneratio nulla alia nisi vnius dei tenenda est there is no other religion to be holden but towards God onely So saith Austin that g Aug. cont 2. ep Pelag. lib. 3. c. 4. Debent obseruari Christiani vt vni deo religionis obsequio seruiatur Christians are with dutie of religion to serue God only and that h Idem cont Faust Manich. lib. 14. cap. 11. Apostolus creaturam laudat ei tamen cultum religionis exhiberi vetat the Apostle forbiddeth worship of religion to be giuen to any creature Hee telleth vs that l IdeÌ„ de eiu dei l. 5. c. 15. Pietas vera non exhibet seruitutem religionis quam latriam Graeci vocant nisi vni vero deo seruice of religion is that which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which true piety yeeldeth to God onely Therefore hee saith that k Idem de vera relig cap. 55. Non sit nobis religio cultus hominum mortuorum Honorandi sunt propter imitationem non adorandipropter religionem we are not to make a religion of the worship of dead men and that wee are to honour them for imitation not to worship them for religion Now all these so expresse and peremptorie resolutions M. Bishop at once
doth cease But yet hee saith that Gelasius in that place signifieth so much in that he affirmeth that by the operation of the holy Ghost the bread and wine doe passe into a diuine substance And it is true indeed that Gelasius so saith But M. Bishop did your eies serue you to looke no further n Gelas vt supra Indiuiuam transennt sancto spiritu perficiente substantiam permanent tamen in suae proprietate naturae They passe saith he into a diuine substance but yet they remaine in the propriety of their owne nature euen as to the same purpose Theodoret saith o Theodoret. dial 1. Symbola signa quae videntur appellatione corporis sanguinis honorauit non naturam quidem mutans sed naturae gratiam adijciens Christ honoured the visible signes with the name of his body and bloud not changing their nature but adding grace vnto nature Now if they still continue in their owne nature as before then they doe not so passe into a diuine substance but that there is still the substance of bread and wine The thing whereto Gelasius driueth that speech is to shew against Eutyches that as in the Sacrament the bread and wine become vnto vs the body and bloud of Christ and yet retaine the same nature and substance as before so the manhood of Christ being ioined into one person with the Godhead is not thereby drowned or swallowed vp but continueth in substance the same that it was from the beginning This he imagined to be very direct against the heresy of Eutyches but by M. Bishps transubstantiation it proueth wholly to the aduantage thereof for that it may bee said that as in the Sacrament the substance of bread and wine are extinguished though there remaine the shew and likenes and taste therof so in the vnion of the man-hood with the god-head there coÌ„tinued the semblance and likenes and outward appearance of a man but the substance thereof was swallowed vp and continued not And this M. Bishop helpeth to strengthen by expounding nature to be vnderstood of naturall qualities whereas Gelasius as he speaketh of the bread and wine there ceaseth not to be the substance or nature of bread and wine so saith of Christ p Gelas ibid. Dicimus proprietatem vniuscuiusque substantiae vel naturae in Christo manere perpetuam We say that the propriety of ech substance or nature abideth continually in Christ vnderstanding still by nature the same that he doth by substance as hee hath said before q Ibi. Substantia nulla est quae non natura dicatur There is no substance but it is called nature euen as Austin saith r August cont Iulian. li. 1. ca. 3. Natura est ipsa substantia cont serm Arianor c. 36. Vnius eiusdemque substantiae vel vt expressiùs dicamus essentiae quod plantùs dicitur vnius eiusdemque naturae The nature is the very substance and Of one and the same substance or essence is more plainly said of one and the same nature which made the Euty chians that they could not endure to name Å¿ Gelas ibid. Quis ferat eos dedignari vocabula promere naturarum two natures in Christ because thereby should be imported two entire and perfect substances And albeit it be true that sometimes the name of nature is vsed to signifie some intrinsecall properties issuing immediately from the essence of the thing yet he that shall say that the nature of bread and wine is the forme and taste and sauor thereof may be thought to speake like a naturall rather than like a learned man His exception that this Gelasius was not Bishop of Rome is vaine It hath beene still and is printed by themselues vnder his name The conclusion doth giue token that it was his t Ibid. in fine Hanc regulam Catholicae fidei c. cùm sedem Apostolicam vestram dilectio vnanimitèr teneat coÌ„staÌ„tèr praedicet sapieÌ„ tèrque defendat seeing you beloued doe with one minde hold fast the Apostolike sea therefore constantly preach and wisely defend this rule of the Catholike faith yea and that very fragment which wee now haue is cited by u Bibliot sanct Patr. edit 2. Iom 4. pa. 557. Iohn the first his successour soone after to the same very purpose whereto he wrot it which alone is sufficient for approbation thereof Againe I cited x Pag. 35.35 Theodoret making mention that the Councell of Laodicea did forbid to pray to Angels or to worship them and I alleaged Austin noting them for heretikes that did so To S. Austin M. Bishop answereth nothing at all with whom as I cited they are recorded for heretikes and termed y August ad Quod vultd haer 39 Angeliciin Angelorum cultu inclinati Angelici who were bowed downe in the worship of Angels How trimly he answereth to Theodoret and the Councell of Laodicea shall be the better discerned if I first set downe the words of Theodoret himselfe Who handling the words of the Apostle z Col 2.18 Let no man at his pleasure be are rule ouer you by humblenes of minde and worshipping of Angels saith thus r Theodoret. in Col. 2. Qui leâ— gâ—m defendebant eos etiam ad angelos â—olendos inducebant dicentes fuisse legem per eos datam MaÌ„sit autem diu hoc vitium in Phrygia Pisidia Quocircae Synodus quoque quae conuenit Laodiceae quae est Phrygiae metropolis lege prohibuit ne precaerentur Angelos Et in hodiernuÌ„ vsque diem licet videre apud illos eorum finitimos oratoria sancti Michaelis Illi ergò hos consulebant humilitate vtentes diceÌ„tes vniuersorum deum nec cerni nec comprehendâ— nec perueniri ad eum posse oportere per Angelos diuinam sibi heneuolentiam conciliare Hoc antem dixit Apostolus In humilitate cultu Angelorum They who defended the law did induce them the Colossians to worship Angels saying that the Law was giuen by them And this corruption continued long in Phrygia and Pisidia Wherefore the Councell of Laodicea the chiefe City of Phrygia did by decree forbid to pray to Angels And euen to this day we may see amongst them and others neere to them Chapels of S. Michael And this they perswaded pretending humility saying that the Lord of all might not be seene nor comprehended nor come vnto and that by the Angels we must procure or obtaine the good will or fauour of God And this saith he the Apostle meant by humility and worship of Angels And what doth M. Bishop now say to this The Councell forsooth meant it Å¿ Reproofe pag. 238. of leauing our Sauiour Iesus Christ to commit idolatry to the Angels preferring the Angels before him But Theoderet knew well the meaning of the Councell Theodoret knew the occasion of that decree namely a superstition brought in by the false Apostles to worship Angels and to pray to them
and that vnder the same pretence by which the Papists excuse their praying to Saints and Angels that we may not presume immediately to goe to God himselfe but must by them procure fauour and make way to him This superstition continued he saith in Phrygia and Pisidia They builded Oratories and Chapels in the names of the Angels whither they assembled themselues for the exercise of this deuotion This saith Theodoret was the thing which the Councell condemned Yea but see the Canon saith M. Bishop and you shall finde M. Abbots legerdemaine But why did not hee himselfe set downe the Canon Hee knew well that he wrot to them that would neuer see the Canon and doth he thus let the matter slip with See the Canon Be well assured gentle Rreader that he would neuer haue omitted to set downe the Canon if there had beene any thing in it either to helpe himselfe or to crosse me The Canon is this t Concil Lao. dicen c. 35. Quod non oportet Christianos relicta Dei ecclesia abire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 angelos compellare vel congregationes facere quod est prohibitum Siquis ergò inuentus fuerit huie occultae idoloatriae vacare sit anathema quia reliquit dominum nostrum Iesum Christum accessit ad idoloiatriam That it behoueth not Christians forsaking Gods Church to goe and call to the Angels or to make assemblies which is forbidden if any man therefore be found to giue himselfe to this secret idolatry accursed be he because he hath forsaken our Lord Iesus Christ and hath resorted to idolatry Marke well the Canon I pray thee and see whether thou canst finde that I haue committed any legerdemaine or whether it be not rather one of M. Bishops trickes of legerdemaine thus to obiect the same to me that he in the meane time may be thought to be free from it with whom indeed is no other but legerdemaine The Councell plainly instructeth vs that to pray to angels is idolatry that the assemblies of those superstitious people to pray to Angels were assemblies of idolatry and that to forsake the Church to goe to pray to Angels is to forsake Christ and to repaire to idolatry leauing vs thereby consequently to vnderstand that to bring inuocation of Angels into the Church as the Papists haue done is to bring idolatry thereinto M. Bishop would make vs beleeue that the Councell meaneth not that it is vnlawfull to pray to Angels but so to pray to them as to forsake Christ and to prefer them before Christ whereas the Councell saieth not a word of preferring the Angels before Christ nor speaketh of forsaking Christ but it saith that to forsake the church to goe to pray to angels is to forsake our Lord Iesus Christ to runne to idolatry plainely resoluing that to pray to angels is idolatry and in no sort to be receiued in the Church of Christ We conclude therefore against M. Bishop that the Church of Rome in praying to angels doth commit idolatry and is not now all one with the ancient Church of Rome that did condemne the same This then is the aduantage that M. Bishop hath gotten by referring his Reader to the Canon that we are to account his talke of legerdemaine but as the preaching of the fox crying out vpon falsehood that he himselfe may the more securely practise it as I might further shew but that for a taste I haue said enough already by his answers concerning Carpocrates and Marcellina and concerning a Canon of the Councell of Gangra in the very same place 31. To shew his treacherie in citing antiquities one or two examples shall suffice To attribute vnto the Bishop of Rome a soueraigne power for the assembling of Councels he allegeth certaine words written by some Easterne bishops as to Damasus bishop of Rome u Reproofe pag. 176. By the commandement of letters sent the last yeere by your reuerence vnto the most roiall Emperour Theodosius we vndertooke the iourney euen to Constantinople whereas those words were not written to Damasus onely but also to Ambrose Britto Valerian Acholius Anemius Basil and other holy Bishops assembled in the citie of Rome neither are as he citeth By the commandement of letters c. but x Theodoret. hist. lib. 5. cap. 9. Concurreramus Constantinopolim ad vestrae reuerentiae literas post conciliū Aquileiēse missas Theodosio summa pietate Imperatori Vpon the letters of your reuerence sent after the councell of Aquileia to Theodosius the most religious Emperour we assembled together at Constantinople Did he heere meane any truth that would bring that as proper to the Bishop of Rome which was common to a whole Synod of Bishops and would translate letters of commandement where there appeareth nothing at all but that they were letters of request In the very next words he committeth the same fraud alleaging that in the Councell of Chalcedon the Bishops of Maesia writing vnto the Emperour Leo doe say that many holy bishops met together in the citie of Chalcedon by the commandement of Leo bishop of Rome who truely is the head of bishops whereas it is not there onely y Concil Chal. ced epist episcop Maesiae ad Leonem Imperat per iussionem Leonis Romani pontificis qui vere caput est episcoporum venerabilis sacerdotis patrairchae Anatolij concilio celebrato by the commandement of Leo bishop of Rome but it is added and of the reuerend Bishop and Patriach Anatolius so that Anatolius the Patriarch of Constantinople is made heere a commander as well as the bishop of Rome ech of them of those bishops which within their seuerall precincts and bounds were subiect vnto them and both by vertue of the Emperours writ as appeareth plainly for that z Ibid. Act. 1. Facta est synodus ex decreto fidelissimorum Imperatorum c. in Epist Concil act 3. Synodus secundum Dei gratiam sanctionem vestrae pietatu congregata the Councell is said to haue beene assembled by the Decree of the Emperours Valentinianus and Martianus and so in an Epistle to the said Emperours professeth it selfe by the grace of God and by their commandement to be there gathered together It were woorth the while but that I am loth heere to be ouer-long to declare how notably he abuseth his Reader concerning Tertullian and the Montanists I will for the time only note first that whereas I set downe Tertullians relation of the arguments vsed by the Catholike Church against him and the rest of his sect the knowledge whereof is very effectuall to giue light of iudgement concerning the point in hand he vnder a lying pretence that I haue * Reproofe pag. 222. 224. mangled them and peeced them together at my pleasure very trecherously suppresseth them as before I shewed he did in the very same sort the words of Methodius concerning originall sinne and secondly that he saith that a Ibid. pag. 223.