them with him being a more honorable thing vnto God to endow second causes with force to cooperate in some things with him then to leaue them without all action in his productions as though they were altogether incapable of the same Howbeit the ratio or essence of merit which is found in the actioÌ„s of men proceeds not from the substaÌ„ce of their worke but from the grace alone which they receaue by the metit of Iesus Christ as S. Augustin obserues saying that the merits of the iust are merits because they are iust that is for that they proceed from persoÌ„s iustified and gratefull vnto God by meanes of his grace which is in them who will thinke that our merits which are the effectes of the grace of Christ alone doe disparage the glorie of the merits of Christ yea who will not planely discouer that the merits of men doe redound to the glorie of Christ his merits No otherwise then the splendour of rich gemmes and the brightnes of the moone and starrs which are effectes of the sunn's Light doe augment his glorie so far are they from diminishing it Vvhich moued Brentius to say In Apologia Confess Vvitemberg cap. de contritione that wee extolled Christ with too great prayses while wee auerre that he merited that our workes should be meritorious And another Authour Ericcius l. 4. de Eccles c. 4. of no smale note confesseth that in this thing we make Christ his glorie wonderfull illustrious Vvhence it is manifest that our merits are so far from iniuring tho merits of Christ that they euen turne to his greater glorie And indeede since the operations of the members belong to the head because this commands them and imparts vertue towards their productioÌ„ how should the dignitie of the workes of the members of Iesus Christ our Heade become rather contumelious then honorable vnto him By euery one of our actions saith a In cap 6. Zachariae Saluator in singulis coronaÌ„ acci S. Hierome our heade is crovvned Our good workes being giftes of God the Father effectes of the Holy Ghost the principale Agent fruites of the passion of Iesus Christ the end for which he suffered the act of the children of God and those who are participant of his diuine nature in conclusion being rather workes of God then of men as the b Matth. 20. 1. Cor. 15. Gaelaet 2. holy scripture doth teach vs who will repute the dignitie of such workes contumelious to God Yea who will not rather iudge those contumelious to God the Father the Holy Ghost to IesuÌ„s Christ his sufferances who like to your selues impugne the merits of good workes since by impugning them they doe truly impugne the giftes of God the operations of the H. Ghost the fruites of our sauiours passion the effectes of grace in fine the dignitie of good workes which proceed rather from God then from men Vvho will not in contemplation herof iudge your religion worthy of hatred yea euen of horrour and ours for the contrarie praise worthy And therfore it is apparent that if your doctrine be hated in respect of that which it teacheth touching merit you cannot as you pretend draw any aduantage from it but contrariwise it turnes to your disaduantage since it is hated not for sustayning a thing which is aduantagious but preiudiciall to Gods glorie Vvhich happens not onely in this point but in all the rest of the points of this Chapter It is truly hated for sustayning things preiudiciall to God not onely in that you deney as I haue alreadie shewen the workes of Saints to be meritoriours but which is more and indeede a thing causing horrour because your Prime Authours whose doctrine you imbrace as distending downe from heauen deney that the workes of Iesus Christ are meritorious I confesse saith Caluine 2. Instit c. 17. §. 1. Equidem fateor si quis simpliciter per se ChristuÌ„ opponere vellet iudicio Dei noÌ„ fore merito locum quiae non reperiretur in homine dignitas quae posset Deum promereri that if any would oppose Iesus Christ simply and nakedly considered in himselfe to God's iudgement there were no place for merit because there is no dignitie found in man which can merit God Vvhence is planely gathered that you repute not the workes of Iesus Christ meritorious before God for their owne dignitie and worth but onely by meanes of God's fauorable acceptance therof There rests no more to be done in this Chapter but to beseech the Reader as I instantly doe to note by the way that though you would be thought to haue no other ayme in these Articles but God's honour and glorie yet is it but a cloake you take vnder which your end is to seeke your selues freeing your selues in this world from all the paine and difficultie which is found in doing well For why doe you establish the Scripture the onely rule of your saluation but to deliuer your selues from obedience to the Church and from subiection to Traditions which are manifestly contrarie vnto you imitating herin that Tertul. praescript c. 17. Necessario â—â—lunt agnosâ—â—â— ea per quae reuincuntur which Tertullian notes in the Heretiques of his tyme when he saith that they will in no sort accnovvledge that wherby they are conuinced To what end doe you deney that S. Peter was the Heade of the vniuersall Church vnder Iesus Christ but onely to cast off the subiection to his Successours authoritie euen as Rebells to be freed from the Vice-Roys authoritie would deney that any other but the king had power ouer him Vvhy will you haue the blood of Christ onely to purge you but onely to auoyd paine and trouble and to be subiect to no satisfaction Vvhat reason haue you to deney the merit of good workes but onely to flatter your owne sloyth and to be obliged to no paines-taking for the obtayning of Paradice shewing your selues herin Epicures shollers who for loue of ease l. 8. Conf. c. 16. Negauit tractus meritorum as S. Augustine notes denyed the course of merits Vvhy doe you reiect the propitiation of the sacryfice of the Masse but by banishing all other propitiation saue that of the sacryfice of the Crosse to take a way all conceipt that we ought to indeuour to make God propitious You haue Gods honour in your mouth but your priuate interest in your hart two specious wayes by which you draw poore sooles to your beleife but to their owne perditioÌ„ which is indeed that which you will purchace to you and yours who cannot dy in your errours but withall they perish eternally CHAP. IIII. Section I. MINISTERS Your Maiestie should also see that we are hated because we would haue the people themselues to know the wayes of saluation in lieu of referring themselues totally to others by an affected scrupule and voluntarie ignoronce which is couered with a cloake of obedience and docilitie and to this effect we would haue
c Philip. 2. v 7. he did for vs exinaniee himselfe taking the forme of a seruant That of the greater or lesse honour which doth accrue vnto God is but a bad way to establish one article of Faith and destroy another Vvher vpon d Hil. l. 1. de Trinit Religiese impius l. 4. irreisgiosam de Deo selt â—tudinem S. Hilarie tearmes the Arians who vse that way of proceeding Religiously vvicked people who doe irreligiously serue God Other grounds are necessaire Vve must know what the Church teacheth vs and those that are so carefull of Gods honour ought to be verie carefull to be in structed in it least they iniure him in deedes whom they honour in words which they doe in expressing things otherwise then they are indeede it being certaine as saith a Cassian l. 1. de Incarnat Quod non dicitur it ae vt est etiamsi honor videatur contumelia est Cassian disciple of S. Chrysostome that that vvhich is not exprest as it is though it seeme honourable is indeede a true contumelie That which is true be it of what kinde it will honours God because he would haue it so and that all his wills are to his owne aduantage But what is false though in apparance aduantagious turnes to disaduantage And though many things beare no proportion with the greatnes of the Almightie yet haue they connection with the infinite perfectioÌ„ of his loue and Charitie which appeares somuch the more perfect and accomphished by how much in vertue therof he descends to things more lowe and abiect And therfore it is an abuse to alledge gods honour to dazle and blinde the people Yet this you doe while you represent your Religion hated for fiue points which you esteeme honorable for him as being honorable in your opinion to Iesus Christ which is but yet so in apparance onely Hereupon I am forced to tell you with a Tertul. l. de pudic c. 2. talia tantae sparsilia eoruÌ„ quious Deo adulentur sibi lenocinantur effoeminantia magis quam vigoraÌ„tia disciplinaÌ„ Tertullian that those litle shiftes by vvhich you become flatterers of God and your selues doe rather vveaken then strengthen discipline So considering Religion in the shape you represent it me thinks I see not a chaste wife but a strumpet set out with sundrie adulterate colours to seduce the world and kill you come from you and become mistresse of your life which moues me to the end I may deliuer the people from errour to vndertake to wash her face vnmaske her and discouer her deformitie following the example and foot stepps of the Prophete who speaking of an Idolatrous b Nahu 3. Propter mu. titudinem fornicationuÌ„ meretricis speciosa gratae habeutis maleficiae quae veÌ„didit gentes in fornicationibus suis faemiliaes in maeleficiis suis Reuelabo pudenda tua in facie tua ostendam gentibus nuditaetem tuam regnis ignominiam tuam nation vseth these words For the abundance of the fornications of a faire charmeing and mischieuous strumpet vvho hath sold nations in her formcations families in her diuelish prankes I vvil discouer thy shame in thy face and vvill shevv thy nakednes to all nations and thy ignominie to kingdomes Which I will doe so much the more willingly because I haue learnt of b Concil in psal 36. Tanto magis debemus commemorare vanitatem haereticorum quanto magis quaerimus salutem eorum S. Augustine that by how much more we desire the saluation of Heretikes by so much more we ought to indeuour to make the vanitie of their errour appeare SECTION II. VVe vvould make it clearely appeare vnto him that our religion is hated because it admitts no other rule of saluation then the vvord of God contayned in holy scripture ANSWERE IT is false that your Religion is hated for that it admitts no other rule of saluation then the scripture but true it is that it is worthy of hatred for the diuers abuses which it committs in Scripture That we teach no other rule of saluation then scripture will be manifest to any that knowes that these words an other rule doe importe in proper speach a Rule of a diuers kind as I will hereafter proue in the ensuing Section and withall an intire rule as I will presently make appeare following your owne tenets who will not admitte the Ghospell of S. Mathew to be an other rule then that of S. Marke considering they are but two parts of the same Rule and that this word rule simply taken signifies a compleate rule for as S. Basile saith a Rule admitts no addition but things that are imperfect are neuer rightly instiled by the name of Rule Now we nether admitt Rule of any other king then the scripture nor yet any compleate rule other then it yea we call it the compleate rule of our saluation for two reason both because it contaynes immediatly and formally the substance of our Faith all the articles necessarie necessitate Medij for mans saluation and also because it doth mediately comprehend all that we are to beleeue in that it doth remitt vs to the Church to learne the same which it assures vs is infallible Hence it followes that we draw that truth out of the scriptures which we receaue by the mouth of the Church if reason may preuayle which teacheth that whoso euer deputes another to speake for him speakes mediatly by his mouth and if a Aug. lib. 1. cont Cresco c. 33. Quamuis huius rei certè de scripturis Catholicis non proferatur exemplum earundem tameÌ„ scripturarum etiam in hacre à nobis tenetur veritas cum hoc facimus quod vniuersae placuit Ecclesiae quam ipsarum scripturarum commeÌ„dat authoritas Etsimi lia lib. de vnit Eccles c. 22. S. Augustine who deliuers it in expresse termes may gaine beleife Albeit saith he one can produce no example of scripture concerning this matter yet hold vve in it the truth of the same scripture since vve doe that vvhich is conformable to the vniuersall Church vvhom the authoritie of the selfe same scripture doth commend vnto vs. Behold in what esteeme the Scripture is with vs for which cause we also are to be esteemed Now we will see whether by reason of it you deserue not hatred though not in that sense in which you say you are hated for it But before we come to that point permit me I beseech you to extenuate a litle the glorie you hunt after in establishing the Scripture the onely rule of your saluation by making you share it onely with diuers Here tikes who before your tyme sustayned the same opinion So said the Manichies I can in no sorte saith Fortunatus in a Aug. l. cont Fortunatum Nullo genere rectè me credere ostendere pessum nisieaÌ„dem sideÌ„ scripturarum authoritate firmauerim S. Augustine make appeare that I rightly beleeue vnlesse I confirme my Faith
by the authoritie of Scripture So saith the b August l. de natura grat c. 39. Credamus quod legimus quod non legimus nefas credamus ad struere quod de cunctis etiā dixisse sufficiut Pelagians in the same Authour Let vs beleeue saith Pelagius vvhat vve reade and vvhat vve reade not let vs beleeue it vnlavvfull to be established Let this suffice in all other matters So the c Aug l. post Collationem Nos sola portamus Euig lia Item concio 1. in Psal 32. Nos sola offerimus Euangelia Donatists in the same Authour saying vve bring vvith vs and present the Ghospells onely This was that which Eranistes aymed at whom a Apud Theod. in Dialog immutabilis Ego enim soli diuinae scripturae fidem habeo Theodoret brings in in his Dialogues where condemning all reasons he saith For I beleeue in the Ghospell onely So b Lib. 2. cont ipsum cap. 1. Fratribus nobiscum constitutisin sancto Euangelio Petilianus writing to his brethren vnder this title to our brethren constituted together vvith vs in the holy Ghospell So the Maximianists expressing them selues in these termes fighting with vs in the truth of the Ghospell Finally so the Arians Apud S. Aug. In veritate Euangelij nobiscum militantibus who were so wedded to the Scripture that they would not onely admit no sense but euen no word which was not comprised therin reiecting this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was not found there Concil Nicenum All these auncient Heresiarkes condemned by the Church and by your selues had the Scripture as frequently in their mouthes as you They tearmed themselues Euangelicall men like you They made the Scripture the onely rule of their Faith as you doe yet wheras they did it in words not in deede as was fitting but in publishing its name they abused the authoritie therof they were cōdemned by the Church their doctrine was iudged worthy of hatred as yours also is and will be I am confident by the iudgement of the whole world when I shall haue made manifest that you abuse the scriptutes to your owne ends It is truly worthy of hatred because vnder pretext of scripture the writen word of God almightie 1. it doth reiect his word not written 2. a great part of the written word 3. it clearely contradicts in many passages that which it doth admitt 4. corrupts it in diuers parts 5. and lastly it makes the word of men passe for the word of God yea euen the word of euery Idiot establishing vpon them the principall articles of your Faith 1. Vvorthy of hatred because it reiecteth the vvord of God not vvritten If he be worthy of hatred who in establishing a thinge destroyes that without which it cannot subsiste and which is also commanded by it your doctrine is by a iust title hatefull for the Scripture which whilsts it extolls it destroyes the Traditions commanded by the same Scripture and without which it can in no sort subsiste That holy writ cānot subsiste without Traditions it is most cleare since by them onely we know that the bookes of Scripture which we haue came vnto our hands pure and intire such as they proceeded from the mouth of the holy Ghost You beleeue as an article of Faith that you haue those bookes pure and intire wherfore ether the written word affirmethit which indeede is not so or not affirming it it followes that some other word not written doth teach it vs or els we beleeue that with a diuine Faith which God neuer spoke a thing most absurde seeing that the word of God is the onely fundation of our Faith That Traditions are commanded by the Scripture the second to the a Cap. 2. Tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermonem siue per Epistolam nostram Thessalonians makes manifest where the Apostle speakes so clearely of Traditions of Faith not written that euen b Vvhitat controu 1. q. 6. c. 10. Respondeo Noui Testamenti Canonē non fuisse tune editū at que constitutū cum Paulus hanc Epistolā scriberet .... nō sequitut ergo quando Apostolus scripsit ad Thessalon tum omnia necessaria non sunt scriptae ergo nec postea your owne men confesse that at he tyme when S. Paule wrote there were such like traditions which since are inserted in holy Vvrite A thing indeede easily said but hardly persuaded especially to such as consider that it is not to be found in all holy scripture that those things which were not yet written while S. Paule wrote that Epistle were afterwards put downe in writing 2. Vvorthy of hadted because it reiects part of the Vvrittē vvorde of God Conc. Carthag 3. Can. 47. Trullan can 2. Rom. sub Gelaesio Trident By what authoritie doe you reiect many of the bookes of Scripture which the Church at diuerse tymes in diuerse Councells in diuers parts of the world in Greece Italie Afrique and Germanie defines to be canonicall and diuine Vvhat a senselesse thing is it that you of your owne head should establish canons hauing nether Father who doth declare nor Councell that doth define which is to be noted the Canon of the bookes of holy scripture according to your way The presumption which you vse in opposing your iudgement against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers and the authoritie of the Church is truly worthy to be hated 3. Vvorthy of hatted because it contradicts the scripture He that opposeth what he ought religiously to follow is he not worthy of hatred And ought not all men to follow the scripture You make profession of doing so and yet directly to deney what it affirmes and beleeue the contrarie to that which it teacheth in expresse termes as I haue proued in the precedent Chapter is not this to contradict it If a man can be said to esteeme him whom he often belyes you esteeme the scripture and if one can hold that for a Rule to which he frequently opposeth his iudgement you doe vndoutedly hold the scripture for the rule of your saluation For plainely to affirme that a thingis not wheras the scripture saith it is what other thing is it then to giue the lye to the scripture and to haue a iudgement opposite to the iudgement therof 4 Your corruptions in the scripture are so perfp cuous Vvorthy of hatred because it corrupis the Scripture that euen your owne men doe reprehend them Did not Charles du Mullin who is famous amongst you for this cause say that a Molinaesus in suatranslatione Noni Testaementi Caluinus in sua Harmonia textum Euangelicum desutare facit sursum versum vt res ipsaindicat vim infert literae Euangelicae illam multis in locis transponit in super additlitterae Caluin in his Harmonie puts the text of the Ghospell topsie turuie as the thing it selfe makes manifest violates the letter of
the Ghospell transposeth it in many places addes to it And speaking of Beza his translation saith he not b Idem Molinae ibidem de facto mutat textum that indeede he changeth the text And doth not c Castalio in defensione suarum translationum ait Quo omnes eius Bezae errores noiarentur magno volumine opus esse Castalion going on in the same sense affirme that it would require a great volume to put downe all his errour To conclude that Great kinge whose witt did as far surpasse yours as his person did indignitie all his subiects the king of great Britaignie whose iudgement ought to be taken for the whole Church of England both because you esteeme him the heade therof and for that it is not credible that he would publish opinions which that Church holds not Saith not this Prince in the conferēce at Hampton Court that the verie worst version of the Bible was that of Geneua and further that he found the notes of the Geneua Bible vvonderfull partiall false seditious and too much smelling of the designes of a most dangerous and peruerse mynde 5 That you haue the true canon of scripture Vvorthy of hatred because it makes the vvord of men passe for scripture That the bookes which you allow of are not corrupted That the body of Iesus-Christ is onely figuratiuely in the Euchariste are not these the principall articles of your Faith And that your onely and absolute Faith that is the Faith by which euery one of the Faithfull beleeues to be iustifyed by the apprehension of the iustice of Iesus Christ doth iustifie you is it not the ground worke and soule of your Religiō And yet whereate these tenets found in the holy Scripture Formall and expresse passages such notwithstanding the ratification of your confession doth oblige you to produce there are none Toutes lesdites Eglises Françoises approuuēt ratifient la susescrite confession on tous ses chefs articles comme estant entieremēt fondee sur la pure expresse parole de Dieu You haue recourse to consequences which yet are not grounded vpon two diuine Principles contayned in the Scriptures but vpon two Principles wherof of the one is drawen from your owne braine which doth clearely demonstrate vnlesse I deceaue my selfe that you propose the word of men for the word of God which is found in holy Vvritt since that according to your owne tenet your faith can haue no other fundation then scripture Le ts see whether I be a Liar In the third Article of your Conf. you put downe for an article of Faith that the canon of scriptures is the onely rule of Faith you further accnowledge that all the bookes contayned in the said Canon proceeded from the mouth of the holy Ghost and are conserued in their originall puritie besides those you accnowledge none But by what syllogisme conclude you this in the margent of the next Article you cite sundrie passages of this nature The pure and vnspotted vvord of God Psal 12. v. 7. Psal 19. v. 8. The Lavv of God immaculate The Testimonie of God Faithfull giuing vvisdome to litle ones The Precept of our Lord cleare enlightening the eyes Out of these passages which doe not affirme in expresse tearmes that the bookes you admit of are canonicall you would by consequence inferre it you forme the maior of your argument as followeth The Law of God say you is immaculate pure and vnspotted But all the bookes which we hold for Canonicall and no others are immaculate pure and vnspotted Ergo They alone and no others are the Law of God Whence I pray you doe you draw your Minor Doth the Scripture affirme that these bookes and no other are pure and immaculate verily no. Vvho doth auerre it then You of your owne brayne This proposition therfore is humane and withall false which yet I will not now prosequute being sufficient for my present purpose to shew that this principle is but the words of men Vvhence it followes that ether your word passeth for Gods word or that your Faith in this point which vertually compriseth all the rest since now the question is touching the Scripture which you will haue to be the onely fundation of Faith is not diuine but onely humane whence it clearly followes that it is of no other kind euery conclusion being of the same nature with the more imperfect part of its cause But now let vs speake of the Euchariste You hold as an article of Faith that the words of consecration ought to be vnderstoode figuratiuely so that the body of Iesus Christ is not really vnder the species of bread as we sustayne it is The proofes that you bring of your Faith are diuers passages of holy Scripture which teaching as you dreame things that are incompatible with the reall presence of Christ in the Eucharist doe clearely shew that the words of consecration are figuratiue Let vs see some of your Arguments One body cannot be in two places by Gods omnipotencie to witt in heauen and in the Eucharist which is in earth But the scripture teacheth that the body of Christ is in heauen till the day of Iudgement Ergo it is not in the Euchariste The Maior not being found in all the scripture it is the word of men and consequently it is cleare ether that you make it passe for the word of God or els that your conclusion cannot be diuine and infallible for the reason I haue touched aboue Now let vs examine what your Faith is You beleeue that euery one of the faithfull is iustified by that faith wherby he certanely persuades him selfe that he is iustified in Christ Iesus Paraeus l. 3. de iustif c. 1. l. 1. c. 10. One of your moderne Authours formes this syllogisme Vvho so euer beleeues in the sonne of God shall be saued But I beleeue in the sonne of God Ego I shall be saued Not to dispute of the Maior suppose that it were in the scripture though in deede in your sense it is not The Minor can in no sort be found therin for it is not said in any place that Luther for example Caluin Beza Pereus and others beleeued whence it is euident euen according to your selues that it is the word of men and not of God whose whole word you will haue to be written Now hauing made manifest how you vse the scriptures all men I dare assure my selfe will greatly wonder with what face you dare so highly magnifie the scripture in words which in deedes you so horribly wronge But they will cease this admiration if they call to mynd how ordinarie a thing it is for heretikes to serue them selues of the scripture and to wrong it withall nay which is worse they are in some sort necessarily constrayned to doe both To serue them selues of the scripture because the true religiō being grounded vpon the word of God it is necessarie for euery sect that pretends a true religion
that since God doth promisse remission of sinns to conuerted sinners such as feele no remorse of conscience which may make them esteeme their repentance defectiue ought to haue peace of mynd and are morally certaine of their saluation And therfore it is not true simply to affirme that your doctrine is hated for teaching men to die with peace of conscience and assurance of saluation well might you auerre that it is worthy of hate for teaching that this certaintie of saluation which the faithfull may haue is not onely morall but euen infallible as proceeding from diuine faith which is the doctrine that the Church condemneth and you sustayne None can know saith the a Sess 6. c. 9. Councell of Trent by certaintie of Divine faith which is not subiect to deceiâ—t that he hath obtayned the grace of God Behold sirs I pray the true reason for which we may say vnto you with b In Ezech. 11. Vae his haeresibus hisque doctrints quae requiem pollicentes omnem aetatem sexumque deci piuni S. Hierome accursed be the heresies and doctrine which promiseng repose deceaue all ages and sexes Aud with the c Ierem. 4. scripture that which it affirmes of false Prophetes that hauing peace in their mouth in effect they haue it not Peace Peace and there is no peace For one may truly say that you deceaue the people seeing you doe assure them that this certaintie is of Faith and yet following your owne principles it hath not in scripture sufficient groundes For tell me ô Miristers I beseech you to you Ispeake in your owne particular where doe you find in scripture in expresse termes that one of you for example Peter du Moulin is assured of his saluation If you find it not how doe you beleeue it as an article of faith since you doe not hold the word of God barely but the expresse word of God to be the fundation of Faith as appeares by the testimonies of many a Calu. Epist contra Prâ—centorem Lugd. Nihil eredendum est quod non expressum sit in scripturiâ— Vvhital controu 1. quaest 4. c. 1. Omntae quae sunt ad salutem necessaria apertis verbis in scripturis pro. poni nostrum axioma est Luth. lib. cont Reg. Ang Nullum articulum sciat a me admitti nisi apertis scripturae verbis munitum The King of Eugland in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First Assure your conscience vpon the faundation of the most expressevuord of God Sadol desacrif c. â— Nos expressa seripturae sacrae testimonia efflagita mus of yours and particularly by the b The Ratification of the ffrench Confession All the ffrench harches approoue and ratifie the aboue mentioned Confession in all these heads and articles as being vuholy grounded vpon the pure and expresse vuord of God ratification of your confession of faith signed by the most famous men of your religion and the most learned Ministers that were then amongst you wherin you say that your faith is grounded intirly vpon the pure and expresse word of God You will easily grant that this which I demand is not expressy contayned in scripture but that you draw it thence by consequence This answere will appeare friuolous for diuers reasons First I aske you out of what passages of the scripture you proue that it is sufficient to make a thing to be beleeued by diuine faith that it be inferred out of scripture by discours and consequence as though forsoth faith were discursiue and not a simple habit like to that of Principles becausé as it giues present consent to its obiect by reason of the euidence therof so faith without reasoning doth forthwith imbrace the word of God which is its obiect by reason of infallible authotihe of him who doth reveale it If you find this supposition in scripture we are in the wrong if not you are ill grounded in your faith for it is euident that this Principle to witt that it is sufficient to make a proposition to be an Article of faith that it be inferred out of seripture is purely humaine and noâ— diuine Further put case it weretrue and made good by scripture that an inference were a valide fundation of faith yet according to your selues this would onely haue place in consequences drawen out of two diuine Principles which are both contayned in the scripture seeing it is euident that one of them being humane the certaintie of the coÌ„clusion cannot be diuine seeing that euery conclusion is of the same nature with the more imperfect part of its cause and that that wherby a thing is knowen ought to be better knowen then the thing it selfe So that if the Principle wherby a conclusion is knowen be onely knowen by a humane knowledge the conclusion cannot be knowen by a more perfect knowledge Wherfore albeit that euen an inference of this nature and kind might serue for a valide fundation of our faith yet were it nothing to your pourpose since in the sillogisme by which you conclude the assurance of your saluation euen admitting of your owne ac count there is but one of the Premises diuine contayned in the scripture that who soeuer beleeues is iustified the other which affirmes that you beleeue being meerly humane as not being mentioned in all the scripture nether in expresse termes nor yet by consequence I adde that though it were granted which yet is false that a conclusion drawen out of two principles the one diuine the other humane might be a sufficient motiue to oblige vs to beleeue yet should not that be but in regarde it were drawen by a companie of wise and learned men no man being of so weake a discourse as to thinke a conclusion drawen by an ignorant person or an Idiote who knowes not what belonges to a good inference drawen I say from a Principle which he alone tinowes is a sufficient and valide fundakon of diuine and infallible faith And yet in these termes are you A poore plough man vpon his death-bed can not be sure of his saluation vnlesse he inferre it by consequence on t of a Principle knowen to himselfe alone sith none but himselfe knowes whether he haue truly faith Nor doth it suffice to say that in this behalfe he is interiourly guided by the holy Ghost who assures him of faith Because in that case we were to admitt of another word of God not written and giuen not to the Church but onely to euery particular man whoÌ„ by that meanes you make solewittnes and Iudg in his owne cause Which you cannot with any appearance sustayne since contrarie to your owne principles you should admitt of another rule of saluation besids the scripture wheras also there is none but will confesse that though the expresse words of scripture were not necessarie to ground an article of faith yet in all reason should they be requisite to ground that by which you beleeue you haue faith since that is the onely fundation
of your saluation the end and scope of all those articles which are expressed in holy scripture which doe onely ayme at the iustification of man Is it likely that God who made the scripture to teach vs therby the meanes to become iust in his sight would expressly haue put downe an hundred articles for example the beliefe wherof iustifies vs not and which according to you might be beleeued by the Diuells and by Hypocrites and yet would not expresly put downe that by the beliefe her of walone you teach that we are iustified and that wherin you place the essence and fundation of your religion and which is the crooke the a Calu. 3. instit c. 2. §. 16. Hicpraecipuus fidei cardo vertitur sterne and b Vvhitaâ— contro 2. q. 6. c. 3. Articulus iustificationis nostra vide tur omnium praecipuus maxime fundamentalis vipote in quo salutis nostrae prorae puppis consist it Caluinus respons ad Sadolet pag. 125. sublatae eius fidei iustificantis cognitione Christi gloria extincta est abolita religio spes salutis penitus euersa dogma ergo istud quod in religione suÌ„mum erat dicimus a vobis fuisse deletum puppe therof to vse your owne words but left it to the discourse and inference of euery man be he learned or ignorant be he an I diote or such an one as hath no knowledge of the rules which he is to follow to make a good consequence Let vs see your arguments Who euer doth seriously repent conuert himselfe to God and beleeues in Iesus-Christ is iustified and shall not perish I Peter doe seriously repent and beleeue in Iesus-Christ Ergo I am iustified and shall not perish Suppose the Maior to be in scripture yet the Minor is not found in it since no mention is made of Peter in it since no mention is made of Peter in thew scripture hobeit it is onely knowen to Peter sole wittnes in his owne cause And therfore the certaintie of the conclusion which imports that Peter is saued for two reasons cannot be in fallible both because it depends of a medium which is humane and fallible of its owne nature and againe because this medium depends vpon the knowledge of an ignorant fellow Nay further it followes by this argument that euery one beleeues by diuine faith that he is iuste before he knowes that God doth say so which cannot possibly be Gods ' word which is the onely obiect of Faith That this followes I shew it Peter for example knowes not that God calls him iuste but onely by meanes of a syllogisme drawen out of scripture now the Minor of this syllogisme supposeth Peter both to repent and to haue saith which faith consistes in beleeuing that he is iustified by the apprehension of Christ his iustice true therfore it is that Peter beleeues that he is iust before he knowes that God saith so It is therfore manifest out of your owne principles that your faith is not infallible but humaine and vaine too Nor haue you any thing by whâ—h you may distinguith it from the faith of a reprobate for though according to you he can haue no faith yet he beleeues as well as you that saith is in him and that therby he is iustified Let vs now see what the scriptures and Fathers say vpon this subiect a 〈◊〉 Rom. 11. Tâ—â—â—â—tem fiae stasâ— sed 〈◊〉 force 〈◊〉 tibi parâ—as Thost standest by faith saith the Apostle be not too wise but feare least God may not spare euen thee b Câ—m meru tremâ—re 〈…〉 And againe with feare and trembling worke your saluation Which doth plainly shew that we are not sure by assurance of diuine faith of our saluation for otherwise the Apostle should incite vs to infidelitie in exhorting vs to feare least that might not happen of which we were certaine as though he should say seare that there may be no resurrection or that there is no life euerlasting which yet diuine faith doth oblige vs to beleeue Now as for the Fathers since that in diuers places and diuers formes of speach they doe clearly deliuer what we sustayne against you if your doctrine be true you must needes accuse them of errour Thou oughtest not be secure that thy sins are remitted saith S. a Greg. l â— Ep. 22. Secura esse non debes deâ—peccatis demissis Gregorie We know not saith S. b Amb. serm 5. in Psal 118. nescimus v. trum peceata nostra maneant Ambrose whether our sinns remayne We doe greatly offend through ignorance saith c In Constiâ— Monast c. â— Muâ—â— peccamus quandâ— nescimus S. Basile We know not our owne workes saith d Cheysost Hom. 11. in 1. Corinth Non scimus operae nostra S. Christome We know not whether our iustice remayne e Aug. in Psal 48. Quod non iustitia nostra maneat aut an habeamus bonam conscientiam saith S. Augustine or whether we haue a good conscience The iust are vncertaine of perseuerance f Aug. 11. de ciuit c. 12. Iusts sunt iucertide perseuerentia as the same Doctor affirmes in diners places and with him S. Ambrose Who of the faith full dare presume that he is of the number of the predestinate g De Correp gratias 13. Quis fidelium praesumaise esse in numero praedestinatoruÌ„ saith the same in another place The opinions of all these fathers condemne you Yet if all these suffice you not giue care to h Bernard serm 1. de 70. Scriptura reâ—lamat vt quis dicat Ego de electis sum quod Deus praestet fiduciam neget certitudinem quod impossibile sit nosse quales futuri sumus Epist. 107. Quod habeamus spem de beatitudine non securitatem Et serm 2. de Oct. Pasâ—â— nemâ— scit vtrum sit dignus amore certitudo omnino nobis negatur S. Bernard who you i Illyric in Catalo uest verit l. 14. Bernardus fuit a Deo exs itatus say was raysed by God The scripture saith he will haue no man to say I am one of the elect He addes further that God giues vs confidence but denyes vs assurance And that it is impossibile to know what shall become of vs that we hope for Beatitude but are not sure to attayne vnto it in fine that none knowes to vse the Apostles words whether he is worthy of loue and that certaintie is altogether denyed vs. What more expresse words can be produced to establith our Beliefe and to ouerthrow yours then those which that great sainte and glorie of France vseth We will now onely make your owne condemnation proceede from your owne mouth by shewing you to your aduantage that you haue certaine lucide interualles which argue you to be true Heretikes that is following a Ad Tit. 3. proprio iudicio condemnatos S. Paules phrase condemned by your owne
nor are good for any thing but to giue a false alarme and content such as please themselues to heare calumnies cast out against the Church This moues you to cry out that Catholike religion is made a traffike and that Prelates intrench vpon the liuing and the deade Is it to intrench vpon the deade to doe that which we see hath bene practised in the primitiue Church in the tyme of a Tert. â—l de cer mil. c. 3. Oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitiis annua die faci mus Item l de Monoga pro anima eius offerat annuis diebus Tertul. b Cyprian ep 66. refert vt si quis frater clericum tutorem nominas set non offeretur pro eo nec saecrificium pro dormitatione eius celebraretur S. Cyprian and others and the contrarie to which is condeÌ„ned for heresie in the persoÌ„ of Aerius by the relation of a Aug haec 53. Epiphan har 75. S. Augustine and S. Epiphanius As your beliefe resembles that of the auncient Heresiarkes condemned by the Church so your manner of proceeding is not vnlike to theirs for the Manichees did vpbraide S. Augustine Vigilantius and S. Hierome that for their owne profit and interest they defeÌ„ded the doctrine of the Church which is the verie same which now you obiect against vs. The Prelates nether intrench vpon the liuing nor the deade but doe greatly assiste the one and the other wheras you abuse them both They assiste the liuing by instructions and Sacraments the liuing and the deade by their prayers and their sacryfices wheras you doe altogether neglect the deade and the care which you haue of the liuing hath no other effect then the death of their soules You say that the Pope for some ages past hath hindred kings to read the Scriptures Where doe you find that prohibition The Popes would alwayes exceedingly reioyce that kings who are learned and are addicted to reading should exactly reade them being confident that by the assistaÌ„ce of learned men who are able to explicate the sense vnto theÌ„ they will clearly discouer that the gouerment of the Church is not built vpon the ignorance of the word of God as you calumniate but that your religion is grounded vpon the corruptions and bad interpretations of that sacred word They will also see that the Pope makes not himselfe the supreame iudge of faith but that he was constituted such by God and the Church which is the pillar and rocke of truth seeing God did constitute Peter a Petra or rocke vpon which it is built And indeede S. Hierome though most conuersant in all holy Scripture did yet beseech Pope Damasus that he would decree whether we ought to say one or thee hypostases professing that he would hold as an article of faith what he defined Had not S. Bernard also the Scripture before his eyes when he wrote to Pope Innocent the II. that all the dangers and scandalls which rise in the kingdome of God ought to be referred to his Apostleshippe especially things concerning faith Vvas the Scripture vnknowen to IustiniaÌ„ the Emperour when he saith in his Epistle to Pope Iohn the II. we suffer nothing to passe which belongs to the state of the Church vnknowen to your Holines who is the heade of all the holy Churches Vvhy did the Ecumenicall Councells held in the primitiue Church demand the confirmation of their Decrees of the Pope if they knew not by holy write that they were obliged therunto Vvas not the Scripture both in the east and west Church when as S. Hâ—erome relates the Synodicall consultations of both those parts of the world were sent to Pope Damasus to be confirmed Kings meete with nothing in Scripture but your condemnatioÌ„ And if they daigne to cast an eye vpon historie they shall find that the Popes whose greatnes is represented as preiudiciall to this our France hath not bene a litle aduantagious vnto it But if any haue raysed themselues to the detriment of France alwayes most Catholike and with the diminution of the most Christians kings dignitie you are the men who being enemyes to the Catholike Church and Christian religion like true children of darknes had your birth and groth by meanes of their obscuritie CHAP. XIV MINISTERS THe neglect of these things hath for the space of many yrares drawen great inconueniencies vpon France and hath made it a Theater wherupon bloodie Tragedies haue bene acted while God punisheth the contempt of his word and the oppression of his children The ripenes of your witt dread Soueraigne euen in the spring of your yeares and the tymelynes in princelike and Christian vertues which discouer themselues in your Maiestie makes vs hope for a more happie age vnder your raigne God who besto wed your Maiestie on France in his benediction will by his prouidence conserue you and will settle and confirme your scepter in your hands making vse of it to the establishment of his sonns kingdome who is king of kings so that God raigning by you may raigne also in you to the end that you may raigne with him for euer But if contrarie suggestions hinder our humble supplications from being receaued of your Maiestie with wished successe yet will we neuer cease while God grants life to instruct your people in obedience and loyallie to Wards your Maiestie and we will pray to God for the conseruation of your person and the prosperitie of your Kingdome as it becomes such as are c. ANSWERE IT is not at this present onely that the professours of a false beliefe impute the calamities which happen in their tymes to the contempt of their errours for euen Tertull. Arnobius S. Cyprian S. August and diuers others doe witnesse that the Pagans ascribed all the disasters of their tymes to the honour in which Christian religion was held and to the contempt of theirs In this you imitate these old PagaÌ„s and indeede since the end doth crowne the worke it was fitting that your writing which is full of the imitations of ancient heretiques condemned by the Church should be crowned with the imitation of Pagans condemned by all christian societies If the calamities of France did proceede from the contempt of your religion it had not so much florished in the tyme oâ— the Albigeois whom you accnowledge to be your brothers seeing it did persequute them in open warre And without doubt it had bene oppressed with miseries vnder the raigne of Pepin Charlemagne who religiously honored the Popes and the Roman Church wheras it was neuer more florishing then in their raigne Againe Italie and spayne where your errours are not currant whence those that professe them are banished and where the holy sea is as much honored as in any place of the world should be most miserable contries But your assertions haue no grounde of reason It is true indeede as the Fathers doe obserue that temporall felicitie doth follow religion marrie not yours but that onely