vtter Haeb. 5. 22. Ioan. 16. v. 12. And heerein they traced the footsteps of their Lord and Maister Iesus Christ who sayd to his Disciples Many thinges I haue to say to you but you cannot beare them now Whereupon S. Gregory Nazianzen affirmeth the Diuinity of the holy Ghost to be one of the misteryes Christ reuealed Greg. de theol orat â— not to his Disciples at that tyme. Which moued the Eunomians to tearme him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The vnwritten God Yea S. Paul himselfe referreth exhorteth recommendeth vnto vs besides his written word many vnwritten 1. ad Tim. c. vltimo 1. Cor. 11. 2. 2 Thes c. 2. 14. Bâ—sil de Spir. Sancto c. 29. Basil ibid. cap. 27. verityes To Timothy O Timothy keep the Depositum To the Corinthians I praise you brethren that in all thinges you be mindfull of me and as I haue deliuered vnto you keep my precepts or Traditions according to the Greeke To the Tessalonians Hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or epistle Vpon which wordes S. Basil accounteth it Apostolike to perseuere firmely euen in vnwritten Traditions And a little before Of such articles of Religion as are kept and preached in the Church some were taught by the written word other some we haue receaued by the tradition of the Apostles deliuered vnto vs as it were from hand to hand in misteryes both which be of one force to godlines and these things no man wil deny S. Epiphanius cyting the forenamed place of S. Epiphan har 61. Chrysost in 2. ad Thess â—om 4. Hieron aduers Lucifer Orig. in proem l. â— de Prin. Aug ep 86. ad Casulan Paul sayth We must vse traditions for the Scripture conteyneth not all thinges and therefore the Apostles deliuered certaine things by writing certaine by Tradition S. Chrysostome vpon the same text The Apostles did not deliuer all thinges by writing but many thinges without and these be as worthy of credit as the other S. Hierome Although there were no authority oâ— proofe out of Scripture the consent of the whole world in this behalfe should stand in lieu of a precept For many other thinges also which by tradition are obserued in the Church haue gotten the force and strength of a written law Origen That truth is only to be belieued which in nothing swarueth from Ecclesiasticall tradition S. Augustine Concerning those thinges of which the Scripture maketh no mention the custome of Gods people or the constitutions of our Ancestours are to be held in place of a law 6. Some of these Fathers M. Reynoldes faythfully Reyn. conclus 1. p. 689. Reyn. ibid. pag. 620. cyteth yet for that they vtterly exclude his fond and fayned glosse of the Apostles wordes aboue mentioned he one while answereth I tooke not vpon me to controle them but let the Church iudge if they considered with aduice inough c. And some few leaues before of S. Basil and S. Epiphanins he malepartly protesteth They were deceaued But if they were deceaued S. Cyprian Tertullian S. Chrysostome S. Fulke against purgatory p. 362. 303. c. Vvhâ—tak de sacra Scriptura p. 678. 68â— 683. 685. Tertul. l. de cor mil. Chrys ho. 1. in Acta Hier l. coÌ„â— Lucif c. 4. ep 28. ad Licâ— Aug. de Ge ad lit l 20. cap. 23 â— Cor. 3. 20 lere 31. 33. Euseb l. r. de demâ—n cap. 8. Tull. l. de lâ—g Isocra ep ad Philip. Maced Hierome S. Augustine S. Leo whome M. Fulke and Whitaker reproue for affirming the like were likewise deceaued S. Paul himselfe was deceaued who for this cause tearmeth the Corinthians the Epistleof Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the tables carnall of the hart The holy Ghost also was deceaued who prophesing of the new Testament by the mouth of Ieremy sayth I will put my law into their bowels and in their harts will I write it The reasons are manifest because our harts are farre surer Registers of Gods word farre lesse subiect to destruction then leaues of paper Because it is not meet that the perfect documents of the new law of the law of spirit life and truth should be wholy figured in dead and senseles Characters Because the infinite knowledge of the holy Ghost daily teaching instructing his Church was not to be restrained to any limited volumes Because as new doubtes new cloudes of diffiâ—â—ltyes arise amongst vs so new beames of light new instructions or explications are needfull to cleare those mists Because precepts of manners as Tully obserueth are more sweetly sowed and engrafted in a Commonwealth by obseruation and custome then by restraint of Iawes Because as Isocrates teacheth the liuely voice oracles of the mind are more forcible to perswade of greater account and estimation then the records of writing 7. And therfore as the Romans locked vp in the Capitoll the Oracles of the Sybils and permitted them not Fenestella l. 1. cap 13. de magist Clemens Alex. strom 5. Dion Bas Eus vs infra 1. Cor. cap. 2. 6. Bils 2. part pag. 265. Reyn. conclus 1. Dyon Eccles hier cap. 1. Basil locis citatis Leo. ep 8. ad Flauia Euseb l. 1. de demonst euang c. 8. 1. Cor. 11. v. 2. 2. Thess 2. 14. 1. Tim. vlt. v. 20. 1. Cor. 2. 6. 1. Cor. 11. v. 34. Ad Tit. 1. v. 5. Haeb. 5. v. 11. Aug. l. â—onâ— epist Fund c. 4 5. to the view of any but only their Priests as the Aegyptians according to Clemens Alexandrinus report did not publish the knowledge of their diuine secretes but only to them as were to be aduanced either to Royall or Priestly dignity so S. Dionyse S. Basil and Eusebius witnesse that the Apostles thought meete to couer some hidden misteryes of our fayth from the contempt of the vulgar and by secret Tradition to deliuer them onely to such as were more fit and capable Of whome S. Paul sayd We speake wisedome among the perfect Notwithstanding M. Bilson cauelleth That albeit the Church had some Rites and Ceremonyes yet no matter of fayth sayth he Nothing necessary to saluation sayth M. Reynolds vnwritten Meere cauils For S. Dionyse calleth the concealed misteryes Chiefe and supersubstantiall S. Basil Principall parts of our Faith S. Leo Constitutions which appertaine to the pith and substance of fayth Eusebius All the precepts which Christ gaue as it were to the wiser and most spirituall sort of men which the testimonyes themselues seeme to pronounce For can we thinke the Traditions which S. Paul equally ballanced with his own Epistle the Depositum he so earnestly recommended to Timothy the wisedome he vttered among the perfect only and among such as were fit to teach others can we thinke the thinges he had to prescribe concerning the vse and administration of the Blessed Sacrament the forme he appointed about the ordering of Priests the speach
touching Christ so high so inexplicable so farre aboue the reach of the Iews were not necessary if not for euery particuler member yet for the saluation of the body of the Church 8. Moreouer to draw to some particuler issue First to belieue the Scriptures themselues the Ghospell of S. Iohn the Epstls of S. Paul al the books of holy Writ is necessary to saluation which notwithstanding we only know as S. Augustine teacheth by the Tradition of the Church Secondly to belieue imbrace the true sense of Scripture is necessarie to saluation which as S. Ambrose S. Ambser 25. 34. Iero Epist ad Mar. Cyp. lib. 1. Epist 12. Ierome S. Cyprian accord we are vndoubtedly taught by the Traditions of the Church Thirdly to beleeue the baptisme of Infants Fourthly the pepetuall virginity of our Blessed Lady Fistly the procession of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Son Sixtly The celebration of the Feast of Easter vpon a Sunday Seauenthly the Father to be vnbegotten Eightly the Sonne to be consubstantiall is necessary to saluation and yet where do we learne them but from the Traditions of the Church For although the substance of some of these points be Rein. c. 2. diuis 2. p. 51. 52. darkly insinuated in Holy Writ as M. Reynolds answereth to the latter instances and others reply to the former yet the precise termes and cleare explication the Aug. Ep. 174 â—â—n Max. Ari subuersion of errour and light of our profession we read not expressed as S. Augustine argueth in the diuine Scriptures 9. Lastly to be able to conuince heretikes is necessary to the saluation of the Church yet Tertullian and Vincentius Field l. citato Euseb l. 5. histor Lirinensis with whom D. Field also closeth herein shew that they cannot be refuted but by Tradition By which the same Tertullian repressed the Marcionists Irenaeus the Valentinians S. Cyprian the Nouatians Epiphanius the Apostolikes S. Hierome the Heluidians S. Augustine the Donatists and S. Athanasius which other Doctours of his Epiphani haer â—1 Beza con Trinitar Vvhitgift cont Cart. Barlow in the conference p. 10 13. p. 68. Beza epist Theol 8â— p. 334. 335. tyme the Arians Yea the Sectaries themselues at this day to refell their Aduersaries runne to the supply of vnwritten Traditions Beza against the Trinitaries Whitgift against Cartwight our Protestant ministers in the conference before the Kings Maiesty against the Puritans where by Tradition they proue Confirmation Absolution the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme and the like Beza addeth that without the tearmes of Essence Person Nature Property c. borrowed from men the blasphemous Arian Nestorian and Eutichian heresies cannot sufficiently be reproued In fine all you who professe the exact following of the written word against the same written word imbrace the Tradition and practise of the Church The word of God commaundeth vs to abstaine from bloud and strangled meates which all Christians obserued fot some hundred yeares togeather you contrary to the word of God contrary to the primitiue Church Act. 15. v. 20. Exod. 31. v. 17. Iere. 17. v. 24. Field l. 4. cap. 20. presume to feed on these forbidden meates only warranted by our Tradition The word of God commaundeth Saturday to be the Saboath-day of our Lord and to be kept holy as an euerlasting couenant you without any precept of Scripture to vse D. Fields owne words chaunge it into Sunday only authorized by our Tradition 10. Diuers English Puritans oppose against this point that the obseruation of Sunday is proued out of Scripture Act. â—0 vers 7. Out of the acts of the Apostles where it is said In the first of the Saboath when we were assembled to breake bread out of the first to the Corinthians In the Saboath let euery one of you put apart with himselfe out the Apocalips I was in spirit â— Cor. 16. v. 2. in the Dominicall day Haue they not spon a faire thrid in quoting these places If we should produce no better for Purgatory prayer for the dead inuocation of Saints the like they might haue good cause indeed to laugh Apoc. cap. â— v. 10. vs to scorne for where is it written that these were festiuall dayes in which those meetings were kept Or where is it ordayned they should be alwayes hereafter obserued Or which is the summe of all where is it decreed that the obseruation of our Lords day or of the first of the Saboath should abrogate abolish the sanctifying of the Saboath which God coÌ„manded euerlastingly to be kept Not one of these is expressed in the written word Notwithstanding such stuffe as this others bring to proue the Baptisme of infants also out of Scripture to wit Circumcision was ministred to infants but Baptisme succedeth in the place of Circumcision therefore Baptisme ought to be ministred vnto them Sure a subtile kind of reasoning Calu. l. 4. instis c. 16. §. 16. §. 6. 7. by which it followeth that women ought not to be baptized nor children neyther before nor after the eight day But women sayth Caluin are of the sanctified seed of Israel they are comprehended in the couenant made to Abraham They are so And are now in the new law conteyned therein as much as they were in the old How chaunceth it then they may not in these dayes be made heires of Gods promise without the Sacrament of Baptisme as well as in those without the seale of Circumcision if you haue no better auctority for baptizing female infants then the abrogated precept of Circumcision which neuer could oblige their sexe at all 11. M. Field wisely coÌ„sidering the force of these replyes Field l. 4. cap. 20. weake oppositions of his fellow-Ghospellers leauing them coÌ„plyeth with vs so far in this point as if the dregs of their foule ingredients had not filled his Pen he might haue beene graced with the name of a Catholike writer We admit sayth he first the bookes of Scripture Canonicall as deliuered by Tradition secondly the chiefe heads of Christian doctrine contained in the Creed thirdly the forme of Christian dostrine and distinct explication of many thinges somewhat obscurely contained in Scripture c. fourthly the continued practise of such thinges as are not expressed in Scripture fifthly such obseruations as are not particulerly commanded in Scripture Among these and the former he reckoneth the fast of Lent the Baptisme of Infants and Obseruation of our Lords day he addeth also some few leaues after That many other thinges there are which the Apostles doubtles deliuered by Tradition Such is the force of truth as is often breaketh forth out of the mouths of her enemyes 12. Well then if the sense and explication of many obscure places of Scripture if these chiefe heads and articles of our beliefe if diuers practices obseruations and sundry other things not decreed in Scripture are to be learned by Tradition euen by the testimony of
Traditions Both false depositions both wrongfully imposed crimes A wrongfull crime it is that we traduce the Scriptures as vnperfect We graunt with Vincentius Lyrinensis Vincen. Lyâ—â—nen cap. 2. that the Canon of Scripture is perfect a perfect light and lanterne to our feet a perfect rule and direction of sayth if as he noteth the line of Propheticall and Apostolical interpretation be leuelled according to the square of the Ecclesiastical and Catholike sense As great a wrong that we cleaue to humane and vncertaine Traditions We anker on such as are diuine certaine and infallible authentically warranted by the rules himselfe approueth to descend from Christ or the Church his holy and vndoubted Spouse 17. A like wrongfull crime M. Sparkes fastneth vpon Sparks p. 82. 83. vs when he sayth That we preferre the authority of the Church the wife before Christ the husband that we make the written word of God inferiour in authority to the Church and to haue his Canonicall credit from thence Sure you are as Salomon censureth a guilfull witnesse who furnish your cause Prouerb cap. 14. Testis fidelis non mentitur Profert mendaciâ—â— dolosus testis Io. 4 3. Reg. 3. with such shamefull lyes When many belieued in Christ induced by the speach of the Samaritan woman was her authority prefeâ—â—ed before Christ When King Salomon decreed the infant for which the two harlots contended to belong to her whose bowells were moued at the sentence of his death did he make her therby the mother of the child or declare her to be the mother who was the mother indeed So when we imbrace Gods written word by the externall approbation and testimony of the Church answerable to that of S. Augustine Ego Euangelio non crederem c. I would not belieue the Ghospell vnles the authority of the Church moued me thereunto we extoll not the Aug con ep Fund cap. 5. voice of the Spouse before the voyce of Christ. Nor the Church when it defyneth any booke to be Canonicall Scripture doth giue it thereby diuine and Canonicall credit Bils part 4. pag â—81 Rem cont 1. pag. 619 6â—9 Field l. 4 Stapleton cont 5. de poâ— Eccles quaest â— but commaundeth that to be receaued by others as Canonicall which hath in itselfe Canonicall authority 18. Lastly our Aduersaryes arme themselues with the weapons of the Fathers and M. Bilson marshalleth six togeather in a rancke S. Athanasius S. Chrysostome S. Cyrill S. Ambrose S. Augustine and Vincentius who conformably mantaine the sufficiency of Scripture in all necessary points of fayth Many other to the like purpose are alleadged by M. Reynolds and M. Field To all which I answere First that the Scripture is taught to containe all things necessary to saluation as the vniuersal ground Cyril l. 12. c. vltimo Chrys ho. 3. in 2. Thes 2. Vincent aduersus prophan hae nouit c. 2. Bafil ep 80 Cyril de rect fide ad Regi Hieron in Psal 86. Aug. l 3. con lit Petil Tert. lib. cont haer Athan. l. cont Gent. Aug. l. 2. cap. 9. Rein in his conf c. 2. diuis 2. Aug. l. 10. de Gen. ad lit c. 23. Bils 4. par p. 582. 583. Field in appen 2. p. §. 8. Aug. l. 4. c. 24. Dio. l. Eâ—c bier c. vlt. Orig. in 12. Leuit. bom 8. in cap. 6. epist ad Rom. seed or roote from which whatsoeuer we belieue may either mediately or immediatly be gatheted as S. Cyril and S. Chrysostome auouch Secondly as it teacheth and directeth vs to the authority of the Church and doctrine of her Pastours by which euery point is of may be particulerly and clearely explained Thus Vincentius and others are to be interpreted Thirdly it is affirmed to containe all thinges and that nothing besides the Scripture is to be admitted to wit no priuate customes or particuler Traditions not agreeable or repugnant to the writen word as S. Basil S. Cyrill S. Hierome S. Augustines meaning is in his booke against Petilian Fourthly the Fathers often acknowledge the sufficiency of Scripture to conclude euen in plaine and expresse wordes certaine maine principles of our fayth as that God created all thinges of nothing of which Tertullian against Hermogenes That Christ is the true God That Idolls are not God of which Athanasius writeth Or they teach it clearely comprehends the chiefe articles of our Creed and ten Commandments of which S. Augustine only speaketh in his booke of Christian doctrine so often quoted by M. Reynolds 19. Besides which many other things are necessary to be imbraced as by Fathers Reason and Scripture I haue already conuinced and therfore will close vp my whole discourse with one or two sentences of S. Augustine and Origen S. Augustine sayth The custome of the Church in baptizing Infants is not at all to be belieued vnles it were an Apostolicall Tradition M. Bilson and M. Field haue no other shift to trauerse the euidence of this place then by accusing it of some secret corruption But what was he corrupted also in his booke of Baptisme against the Donatists where he repeateth it againe Was Dionysius was Origen corrupted too who sayth The Church receaued a Tradition from the Apostles to minister Baptisme also to Infants Was this other passage of S. Augustine corrupted likewise Aug. de Bap. con Donat. l. 5â— c. 23. It is an article of faith to belieue this Baptisme to be valide Orig. in c. 3. ad Tit. teste Pamphilo in Apol. prâ— Orig. of the validity of Baptisme ministred by Heretikes The Apostles commanded nothing hereof yet the custome which was opposed herein against Cyprian is to bebelieued to proceed from their Tradition euen as many things be which the whole Church holdeth and are therfore well belieued to be commanded of the Apostles although they be not written I may then conclude with Origen He is an Heretike who professeth himself to beleiue in Christ yet belieueth otherwise of the truth of Christian fayth then the definition of Ecclesiastic all Tradition containeth 20. Notwithstanding to reproue our Aduersaries and satisfy all indifferent Readers that we fly not to the succour of Traditions for want of proofes out of holy writ I will vphold the right of our cause in euery ensuing Controuersy as I promised in my Preface by the irreprouable testimonies of Gods written word THE THIRD CONTROVERSY WHEREIN The Reall Presence is maintayned against D. Bilson and D. Sparkes CHAP. I. AS the vnspeakable riches of Gods infinite loue in no mystery of our fayth appeareth more bountâ—full then in the true and reall Fresence of Christs sacred Body conteyned in the holy Eucharist so the vnsatiable malice of our deadly enemy no where more hatefully bewrayeth it selfe then in seeking to abolish this most blessed dreadfull and admirable Sacrament For besids the Armenians Messalians Grecians and Aquarians Althons de Cast l. 9. adu haer v Eucharist Aug. de haer Epiph haer 26. whose errours
S. Luke confirmed by S. Paul And yet our Sacramentaries reiecting the agrement approbation of them al endeauour to interpret it by far more hard hidden passages Others do not only misconster but vtterly deny most apparent places vndeniable testimonyes For is there any thing more often inculcated or more largly amplifyed by the Prophets then the glory of the Messias and benefites we were to receaue by the comming of Christ Is there any thing more euidently expressed by the EuaÌ„gelists then his genealogy his natiuity his humane pedegree from the line of Dauid Yet Faustus the Manichee had his eyes darkned as S. Augustine testifyeth with presumptuous arrogancy that he sayd Searching the Scrippures Aug. lib. 16. con Paust cap. 2. 14. lib. 12. c. 2. lib. 2. cap. 2. I find there no Prophesyes of Christ The Prophets fortel nothing of him the Ghospell mentioneth not his temporall birth or procreation from man Howbeit sayth S. Augustine he euery where auoucheth himselfe the sonne of man But as Faustus was thus blinded and would not see a mistery so cleare what if Protestants be blinded in an article of Faith no lesse cleare and perspicuous We found not in Scripture the predictions of Christ neither do they discerne the Aug. ep 165. ad Donat Church of Christ as plainely described as Christ himself For in the Scriptures sayth S. Augustine we learne Christ in the Scriptures we learne the Church And then How doe we belieue we haue receaued out of the diuin writings Christ manifest Aug. epist 48 ad vinâ—eÌ„t Rogat â— vnles we haae also receaued from thence the Church manifest Truly we haue receaued it so manifest as all Nations see it all nations flocke vnto it all reuerence and obey it by the direction of Scripture only they see it not who would be ignoraÌ„t of nothing by their search of Scripture They see not I say the Catholike vniuersall Church visibly dispersed thoughout all the world lineally descended from the Apostles infallibly assisted by the spirit of God c. often recommended in holy Write vnto vs. 16. Secondly I might alleadge the copiousnes of Gods sacred word how some one 〈…〉 is often tymes so fruitfully impregned that as it is deliuered by the diuine Math. 7. v. 18. Interpreters of many true litterall senses so it is brought forth by priuate expositors with the vntimely birth of sundry heresyes Let that sole text of S. Matthew serue for an example A good â—ee cannot yeild euill fruits c. For by this a Hier. l. 2. aduers Iouin Iouinian vnderpropped his fornamed fancy That a good and iust man could not produce the fruits of sinne The Pelagians b Aug. l. 2. de nup. concup cap. 26. from thence concluded That the good sacred tree of Marriage that the pure and faithfull married couple cannot â—ngender euill Children infected with the contagiou of originall sin Others c Aug. l. 1. de grat Christ c. 18 of that crew by the force of the same wordes and those that follow Nor an euill tree yeild good fruits peruersly inferred That the good tree of Free-will might of it selfe without Gods grace procreate the fruits of goods works as the euill tree blossometh the fruits of euill Others d Aug. l. 3. cont lit Petil. capâ—â— 44. either Pelagians or Donatists picked from thence That a good Priest could not minister wrongfully the Sacrament of Baptisme nor an euill Priest rightly Out of the same clause e Hier. â—â— coÌ„ment ad hunc loc Aug. in disp 2. cont Fortunat the Manichees strained their impious dotage That some men were good by nature could not be euill some euill by nature and could not be good From whence also the Caluinists gathered two pernicious heresyes The * See both these obiections proposed answered in the 21. 27. Controuersy one That man being an euill tree hath no freewill to be conuerted to God ayded by his grace nor to cooperate thereunto before he be iustifyed The other That as the fruits do only declare the goodnes of the tree and do not make it good or bad so the vertuous and pious workes of the iust are meere signes and remonstrances but no true causes of their inherent iustice If this short heauenly saying through the rashnes of willfulmen hath bred so many false constructiours alâ— which notwithstanding were bolstened with other the like misapplyed passages how can Protestants presume to ayme aright at the marke of Truth in all questions controuerâ—ed by this vncertaine rule of expounding Scripture by Scripture alone 17. Thirdly I might produce the diuersity not only of the literall but of the literall and figuratiue speaches and demand of our Aduersaryes how the Collatours should discerne the one from the other when the words should be literally when figuratiuely vnderstood Origen was more skillfull in tongues more diligent in reading more wise in obseruing the course and connexion Basil hom 3. in Hex stâ—â— in Gonesim of Scripture then euer any Protestantâ— and yet S. Basil noteth him of grosse ouersight in imagining figures and Allegoryes in the first of Genesis in lieu of the letter â—estorius on the contrary side was dazelled with the letter instead of the figure in that speach of S. Iohn Dissolue Ioan. 2. v. 19. yee this Temple and after three dayes I will rayse it againe Whereby he contended that the Sonne of God only dwelled in Christ as in his Temple Marcions stroue for Rom. 5. v. 20. Ioan. 1. v. 14. Philip. 2. v. 7. Haeb. 4. v. 15. Rom. 8. v. 3. Matth. 3. v. â—â— the pure letter where S. Paul writeth The law hath entred that sinne may abound Munichaeus dreamed of a figure where S. Iohn sayd The word is made flesh that is as he proued by conference of sundry places in the habit likenes and similitude of flesh The Iacobits were illuded with the grossnes of the letter when they baptized or rather seared with burning yrons their sect-mates in their foreheads because it is written in the 3. of S. Matthew He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire Eutychius the Patriarcke of Constantinople was beguiled with the inanity of a figure when impugning the corporall resurrection of our flesh he expounded of a subtile spirituall and ethereall body that which S. Paul spake of a true naturall 18. And the matter is the harder not to be mistaken heerein because some tyme in the selfe same sentence one and the selfe same word ought here properly there metaphorically be expounded as learned Maldonate wisely obserueth Mald. in eum loc Matth. 8. v. 22. Ioan. 3. v. 13. in that saying of Christ Let the dead bury their dead or not to depart from the chiefest articles of fayth of which I haue hitherto spokeÌ„ The like is shewed in S. Iohn No man hath ascended into heauen but he that descended from heauen the Sonne of man who is
hier cap. 4. Concil Agâ—â—hens can 14. Aug. ser 19. de Sanctis Optatus lib. cont Parm. Peter Mart. in his com places in English pag. 227. Cartwrig in his 2. reply p. 264. Centurist Centur. 4. col 409. Centur. 3. cap. 4. colum 83. Greg. Nazi in ep 8. ad Simplician Fulke in his reioynder to Bristowes reply p. 28. Calu. in Haeb. c. 7. v. 9. pag. 9. 4. in tract theolog pag. 389. Neither M. Higgons nor any Catholike writer euer maintained any such intention of helping all The Patriarches Prophets and Martyrs are remembred and not desired to be holpen the damned who dye in mortall sin are neither holpen nor remeÌ„bred as you may often read in S. Augustine and generally in all the rest howbeit you guilfully misconstrue some of their sayings to be meant of the mitigation of their paines But there are some of a middle sort who depart this life neither deadlywounded nor perfectly recouered of the infirmityes of sinne these only they intended to relieue as M. Higgons proueth and you without iugling should haue laboured to disproue 15. Your answeres to his former two differences are as full fraught with vntruth as this with fraudulency and deceit For you reply to the first We haue Altars in the same sort the Fathers had c. To the second We admit the Eucharist to be rightly named a Sacrifice Both cunning escheats You haue spirituall Altars only they had corporall and externall By nature common stones by blessing Holy and immaculate S. Gregory Nissen On which we Sacrifice vnto one God which were consecrated with Chrisme and the signe of the Crosse S. Augustine S. Dionyse and the Councell of Agatho Which were seats and receptacles of the body bloud of Christ Optatus Sayings disliked by Peter Martyr M. Cartwright and the Centurists who also affirme That the Altars erected within the first 400. yeares after Christ from Iewish obseruation crept into the Church 16. Secondly they had true and proper Sacrifices vnbloudy victimes propitiatory Hosts as I haue largely demonstrated in the Controuersy of the Masse They had A Sacrifice offered to God the Father wherin the Priest supplyeth as S. Cyprian according to the Centurists superstitiously writeth the roome of Christ. They had a Sacrifice The name whereof as M. Fulke affirmeth they tooke of Iewes and Gentils and not from Scripture They as Caluin sayth forged a Sacrifice in the Lords supper without his Commandment and so adulterated the supper with adding of Sacrifice And in another treatise The ancients quoth he are not to be excused for it is apparent they haue heerein swarued from the pure and proper institution of Christ. 17. Now M. Field haue you I pray such Altars such Sacrifices as these Such Altars as Crept into your Church from the Iewish custome Such Sacrifices as were forged without our Lords Commandment Such as adulterated his supper Such as swarued from the pure and proper institution of Christ If you haue let your hart abhorre these villanous inuectlues pronounced against them by the principal Captaines of your sect If not let your Pen retract your former asseueratioÌ„ Let it disclaime from the Altars and Sacrifices of the Fathers and be content to haue no society with them in these as your men account Superstitious abuses 18. In fine the chiefe Ring-leaders of the Protestants Centu. loc citat profession do not only reiect the Altars condemne the Sacrifices but they controle also the very manner of prayer the Fathers vsed for the Dead Therefore they practised some other kind then those foure which M. Calu. l. 3. Inst c. 5. §. 10. Bulling Decad. 4. serm 10. Field his consortes allow Caluin sayth About one thousand three hundred years ago it was receaued as a coÌ„mon custom to vse Prayers for the dead c. But they were all I confesse beguiled with errour Bullinger writeth I know â—he Ancients prayed for the dead I know the excellent Doctour S. Augustine the eloquent S. Chrysostome and many other old and renowned men what they haue left written of this matter I know the Fathers affirme prayer for the dead to be a TraditioÌ„ of the Apostls And S. Augustine Aug. ser 32. de verb. Aposto Centu. 3. c. 5. col 138. Osiand Cent. 3. l. 1. c. 5. p. 10 Hosp in hist Sacr. pag. 167. Spark p. 371. 372. Fulke in c. 10. 1. ep ad Cor. sect 8. prope finem Fulke in his Confutation of Purgatory pag. 262. writeth It is obserued in the vniuersal Church that Sacrifice be offered for the dead I know Aerius was condemned because he disauowed these Prayers But I aske whether the Fathers did well heerin or no The Centurists and Osiander blame Tertullian because he approued Oblations for the Dead and Anniuersary-prayers in their Obite-dayes Hospinian affirmeth of S. Cyril He sayd indeed according to the preuailing custome of his tyme that the Sacrifice of the Altar is a great help to soules Of S. Augustine D. Sparkes He was both greatly carryed by the sway and opinions of the multitude in determining the auaylablenes of prayers for the dead Whereupon in the very next page he sayth I may lawfully discent from him in that case M. Fulke auerreth Prayer for the dead was the drosse of Augustine and Chrysostome Tertullian sayth he S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierome and a great many more do witnesse That Sacrifice for the dead is the Tradition of the Apostles 19. Another where he sayth But of memories of the Dead and prayers for the dead also we will not striue but that they were vsed before the tyme of Bede Ephrem Ambrose but without warrant of Gods word or authorityes of Scripture Indeed Is this the cause you reproue a custome so general supported by the greatest Pillers both of the Greeke Latine Church because they want the testimonyes of holy Writ for such is your common excuse repeated in another place We must not belieue Chrysostome without Scripture affirming that mention of the dead in the celebration of the Lords supper was ordained by the Apostles Would not a man thinke this Ghospeller meant to imbrace S. Chrysostome and admit those ancient Writers if they countenanced their assertions with the authority of the Ghospell Would not a man thinke he would then submit his iudgement vnto theirs No other sense I wis can be picked from his wordes notwithstanding farre other is his meaning this is a veile to couer his shame a disguised glosse of speach to pretend the awe and reuerence of Gods word when as neither God nor man neither humane writing nor heauenly Oracles doth he regard vnles they sound very tuneable to his straine Which that you may not condemne as a forgery deuised by me read the sayings of these Fathers and confront with them his answeres 20. S. Augustine first proueth that prayer for the dead disagreeth not from Scripture Not from that of S. Paul We ought all to be summoned before the tribunall
of Christ that euery Ibid. pag. 304. 2. ad Cor. cap. 5. Fulke in c. 5. 2. ad Cor sect 1. Matth. 12. S. Chrys in c. 15. 1. ad Cor. ho. 14. Fulke â—-Purg pag. 251. Iob. cap. 1. 4. Reg. 19. Chrys in Ep. ad Philip hom 3. Fulke ibid. p. 236. 237. one may receaue the proper thinges of his body c. M. Fulke answereth Augustine holding that errour without authority of Scripture that prayers were profitable to the dead is driuen to inuent a distinction how they may seeme to stand with this text not be contrary to the Scriptures S. Gregory and Venerable Bede conuinceth prayers for the Dead out of the place of S. Matthew cited aboue M. Fulke Gregory and Bede sought not the true meaning of Christ in this Scripture but the confirmation of their plausible errours S. Chrysostome produceth two seuerall places in confirmation thereof one out of Iob the other out of the booke of Kings M. Fulke to the former replyeth I deny not but that Chrysostome doth alleadge this example of Iob sacrificing for his children for prayers to profit the dead c. Those good men in that declyning state of the Church to superstition c. are driuen to such simple shifts to vphould their plausible errours as it is great pitty to see To the later Chrysostome alleadgeth Scripture but he applyeth it madly and yet he often applyeth it to the same purpose Then cyting the text out of the booke of Kings which S. Chrysostome bringeth he bemoaneth him in this sort Alas good man what manner of reason is this So he O Chrysostome ô Augustine ô Gregorie haue your prayers watchings trauels industry al your naturall tallents and supernaturall guifts in searching the true sense of Scripture beene so meanly imployed as they deserue to be controlled pittyed bemoaned now by the new Ghospellers new Apostles new Peters new Pauls of this our vnhappy age 21. But to pursue this matter against my Aduersaryes could a more shrewd Inditement be drawne to conuict M. Fulke of desperate audacity then this which is Idem in his confut of Purg. pag. 362. c. 303. 393. taken out of his owne wordes In challenging to himselfe the supreme Censour-ship of iudging reiecting and condemning Fathers Scriptures Traditions or whatsoeuer els doth distast his humour Or could a more indifferent Iury be impanelled to giue verdict of M. Fields hypocrisy then these his owne fellow-sectaryes who would neuer haue darkened the foresayd lights of the Church had they taught the same kind of Commemorating the dead which M. Field mentioneth and all Protestants defend For that would Sparkes haue renounced S. Augustine Spark p. 371. 372. Fulke in his confut of Purg. p. 349. in cap. 5. 1. ad Cor. sect 1. Calu. l. 3. Inst cap. 5. §. 10. Zuing. tom 1. Epicheresis de Can. Missae fol. 185. Field in oppend 1. par pag. 13. and deliuer of him He was greatly carryed by the sway and opinions of the multitude He went further then either he had warrant for out of the Canonicall Scriptures or out of any vnforged and vncounterfeited president Of that would M. Fulke haue sayd Augustine blindly defended it Augustine held it without authority of Scripture Of that would M. Caluin write The old Fathers wanted both commandment of God and authenticall example They were carryed away into errour euen as vnaduised lightnes of beliefe is wont to rob mens wits of Iudgement Of that would Zuinglius affirme If it be so as Augustine and Chrysostome say I do not thinke the Apostles for any other cause then to yield to their infirmity permitted some to pray for the Dead Would the fornamed and many other Protestants reprehend the Fathers disgrace the Apostles resist the current of all Antiquity for countenancing a point of Protestants profession No M. Field no man of sense can thinke your men so senslesse as to condemne in their Predecessours which themselues vphold 22. Neither can it be defended that this Prayer for the Dead reproued by your Ghospellers in the ancient Fathers was made by them as you seeke another way to escape Either for the mititagion of the paines of men in hell or for the admittance of the Iust into the Heauenly Pallace and presence of God out of some wrong conceit that no iudgment passed on them vntill the generall day of Resurrection For both these were particuler fancies of priuate men as you M. Field your selfe seem to auoch and it is euident to all that are Field in appen 1. part fol. 4. 12. 13. 16. Bulling Decad. 4. serm â—0 Fulke in his confut of Purg. p. 78. 310. acquainted with antiquity But the ancient Commemoration of the Dead reprehended by our new Reformers was generally receaued by all the Fathers It was as Bullinger writeth obserued in the vniuersall Church It was as M. Fulke sayth the common errour in S. Augustines and S. Ambroses dayes The preuailing custome as * Hospin in hist Sacra p. 167. Vrbanus Regius in 1. par operum in loc Commun c. 18. de Missae negotio f. 7â— Fulke in his answer to a counterfeit Cathol p. 44 Aug. l. 21. de ciu Dei c. 23. 24. de cura pro mort c. 1. another testifyeth in the tyme of S. Cyril The vniuersall obseruation as Vrbanus Rhegius reporteth and ancient custome of the whole Catholike Church Againe this is affirmed by the Fathers to be a Tradition of the Apostles which those errours neuer were 23. For gainesaying this as vnprofitable for the Dead Aerius was condemned as M. Fulke witnesseth yet neuer any was censured by the Church for deniall of those To mantaine this S. Augustine and others distinguish three sorts of men departed and make the middle only as I specifyed aboue partakers of benefit To allow those no such distinction is necessary for none are so euill whose paines may not be mitigated none so good whose ioyes may not be increased or felicity hastned Lastly this is confessed by our * Fulke in his confut of Purgat in the places before cited Kemnitius 3. p. exam pag. 93. 107. Vrbanus Regius part 1. operum in loc Commun cap. Casaubon in the answere to the epist of Card. Peron to the 3. instance fol. 33. in English Aduersaryes to haue beene defended by S. Dionyse S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Basil S. Athanasius S. Cyril S. Gregory Nissen S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostome S. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Augustine and many more who neuer dreamed but some of them stoutly impugned the former errours of which M. Field could not be ignorant 24. Therefore as I cannot but iudge him both a deep dissembler and deceitfull iugler in seeking these grosse and palpable euasions so I truely honour his Maiestyes plaine and sincere dealing who freely protesteth That it was a very ancient custome in the publike prayers of the Church to make commemoration of the deceased to desire of God rest for their soules
senteÌ„ce is or ought to be guided therfore not the Iudge himselfe that pronounceth sentence For in all Courts Common-wealths or publique Tribunals besides the written Law or outward euidence by which verdict is giuen some speaking-Iudge or other Magistrate is requisite who as the liuely rule or square of Iustice to vse Aristotles words ought to expound and deliuer the true meaning of the law so much more in the Church of God which is a Kingdom a Citty a Campe well ordred Arist l. 5. Etb. l. 4. Polit. Plat. l. de repub de lege Read Philo Iud. l. de legat ad CaiuÌ„ prope finem the like must needs be graunted especially seeing Plato writeth That good Gouernours are more to be regarded accounted of then good lawes because a good law without a good Iudge which may execute it is a dead law but a good Iudge without a written law is both to himselfe and others a liuely law The reason heereof is manifest because it belongeth to the Iudge who may decide and end debates 1. To heare vnderstand and compare togeather the arguments of the parties in strife 2. By explayning the true sense and meaning of the law to deliuer a definitiue sentence agreable therunto 3. To compell and inforce the contentious to accept and obey his censure But this neyther Scripture nor any written law can performe Therefore some other intelligent authenticall publike Arbiter is likewise necessary 5. M. Whitaker our Protestant-writer and Hunnius a Lutheran Doctor both agree That the holy Ghost as speaking VVhitak cont 1. q. 5. cap. 8. Hunnius in act Col. Ratis sâ—sâ— 9. in Scripture or the voice of God as vttered therin is this publike and soueraygne Iudge Very vainely very idly The voyce of God as speaking in Scripture is no way distinguished from the Scripture no more then the commaundement of the King promulgated in his law is any way different from the law Therfore as besides the King speaking in his law eyther himselfe speaking in a more liuely manner or some other Iudge is requisite to satisfy the doubts which arise of the law so besids the holy Ghost speaking precisely by Scripture eyther himselfe speaking in a more distinct and publicke fashion or some other infallible Iudge is necessary to end the controuersies which arise Hunnius ibidem Reyn. c. 2. diuis 2. p. 63. 64. out of Scripture Hunnius addeth That the Scripture it selfe or the voyce of God deliuered by learned Ministers and expounders of the word By them sayth Reynoldes who haue in vnder Christ committed vnto them is at least a sufficient and competent Iudge As vainely as idly as before 6. For who are they to whom Christ hath giuen this commissioÌ„ of Iudgmet They are as M Reynolds subnecteth Reyn. loâ—o citato of two sorts The one priuate the other publike Priuate all the faythfull and Spirituall Publike the assemblies of Pastours and Elders Of these I reason thus Eyther he alloweth both or one of these sortes supreme soueraigne infallible authority to decide debates and expound the word without further appeale and so admitteth another Iudge besids Scripture or he assigneth them not the Soueraignty of Iudgment as himselfe and all other Protestants define but the ministery of interpreting the written will and sentence of the Iudge And so maketh the Church a maymed wauoring imperfect Common-wealth without any iudiciall visible and publike Tribunall without any profitable meanes of setling peace in tyme of discord For seeing these Ministers neyther in priuate nor publike are as they confesse so assisted alwayes by the holy Ghost but that they may being men subiect to errour sometymes propound their owne dreames insteed of Gods vndoubted truthes who shall determine whether the voyce of Christ or sentence of our Iudge be truly deliuered by them or no a Rein. c. 2. diuis â— pag. 64. The written will or letter of Scripture It cannot speake or declare her Iudgment b VVhitaker cont 5. q. 5. c. 9. 13. The diligent Reader and conferrer of places He may both read conferre amisse c Hunn in act Col. Ratis ses 9 The pious Magistrate and executioner of Iustice May not he both execute and commaund an errour d Sutclif in his answere to the sixth c. of his Suruey A Generall Councell proceding according to Gods word And who shall iudge when it proceedeth according to his word The parties who contend and stand in debate Then they must be plaintiffs and Iudges both And whilest ech of them swayeth on his owne side what end of strife What decision of truth Such as Lawyers such as Attournyes make in behalf of their clients who would neuer end their Plea vnlesse some vmpire were appointed to arbitrate the cause Now to go forward 7. The Iudge of Controuersyes ought to be infallible because it must breed a certaine and infallible assurance as M. Whitaker agreeth with vs in doubts of VVhitak cont 1 q. 5. cap. 8. â— 3. c. 11. fayth but albeit the Scriptures be so in themselues yet in respect of vs they are fallible they may be erroneously printed corruptly translated falsly suborned not well expounded not rightly vnderstood And although the voice and doctrine of the Church may be somety me fallible in respect of vs as one obiected against this argument An obiectioÌ„ made against the Church solued because a particular pastour may deliuer vnto the people his own phantasies for the Churches decrees he may perswade them and they may giue credit vnto him that his priuat assertions are the generall and Catholike doctrines that they were taught by the auncient church and that many miracles haue bin wrought in confirmatioÌ„ of them yet here is a notable disparity between this and that fallibility for this proceedeth not from the repaire to our iudge either true or so taken but from a falsifier and wrong relatour of the iudges sentence that immediatly commeth from appealing to their true reputed iudge This happeneth to the ignorant only or Catecumens who begin to belieue to others the Catholike tenent in necessary poynts is so generally known as they cannot be deluded That to the learned also and most expect in matters of religion for such they are who often misconster wrongfully expound the holy scriptures This may easily be discouered and auoided by conference with other pastours by perusing the Churches decrees or hearing the oracle of her voice which can manifestly explaine herself and disproue those forged relations That can hardly be espied more hardly be auoyded because priuat interpreters by conferring reasoning and disputing the case without submission to the Church are often tymes more confirmed strengthned in their erroneous expositions neither can the Scripture open her own meaning and condemne their false constructions Our danger therfore of being deceaned is litle or nothing to be feared their 's very pernicious and irremediable 8. The Iudge of Controuersies
stirreth vp his appâ—â—â—â— to rauenous gluttony the Iust man heareth this and he is sensed from * Note that Catbolikes abstaine not from meat of any superstition as the Iewes Manichees but for the chastisment of concupisâ—â—ce or exercise of vertue Aug. hom 8. tract 18. in Ioan. the superstition of discerning 〈◊〉 And in another place S. Augustine writeth Neither haue heresies or certaine doctrines 〈◊〉 the mind strong from other hâ—â—d then from good Scriptures not well vnderstood To specifie some particulers 12. a Aug. contra aduers lig et Prophet l. 1. 2. c. 4. Ioan 10. Marcian despised Moyses the Prophets their liues and writings what pretended he Scripture How many soeuer haue come before me are theeues and robbers The b Guido dâ— error ib a Armen Ephes 4. ver 11. Armenians taught we should all rise in the day of Iudgment in the state of mankind and that the femal sexe of women should be wholy extinct What ground had they Scripture Vntill we all meete in a perfect man What was cited by the c Iraen l. 2. cap. 14. Tertul. lib. de anima cap 35. Matth. 5. Carpocratians contending the soule of man to be vnited to the body to perpetrate sinne and not to be diuorced from it vntill it achieue all kind of wickednes Scripture Thou shalt not depart from thence vntill thou defray the last farthing The d Aug. tract 34. in Ioan. Ioan. 8. Manichees affirmed our Sauiour Christ to be this materiall sinne which compasseth the earth and affoardeth light to our corporall eyes What colour had they Scripture I am the light of the world By Scripture the e Alphonsus de Castr. 110 aduer haer verbo Occidere Exod. 20. Waldenses taught that no maÌ„ could be put to death no not by the lawfull authoritie of a Iudge Thou shall not kill By Scripture the f August tract 53. in Ioan. Ioan. 12. v. 25. Mat. 16. v. 25 Luth. con Art Louanien Thes 27. l. de Caena dom To. 2 Ger. fol. 17. 4. VVhitak in his answere to Campians 8. reason pag. 259. Vincent Lyr. c. 35. Genna in catalogo Eccl. Scri. Circumcellians held that euery Christian might not only murther his fellow but lay violent hands also on himself He that hateth his soule in this life preserueth it to euerlasting life And not to be ouer tedions in a matter perspicuous by Scripture Luther excommunicateth all Sacramentaries as arrant Heretikes and already damned to the pit of hell By the same Scripture our Protestants make both Lutherans and Sacramentaries faithfull Christians and if they once beleeue sure of saluation What hath Scripture bene in this sort the origine of these foule Contradictions horrible Blasphemies and a thousand more and yet must it be the soueraigne and only meanes to end and suppresse them When they who are silenced by it make greatest shew and ostentation of it When you shall see sayth Vincentius Heretikes so abound with Scripture as they fly through all the volumes of the holy Law through Moyses the bookes of the Kings the Psalmes and Prophets c. Read the workes of Paulus Samosatenus Priscillian Eunomius c. You shall not find a page which is not coloured painted with the sentences of old and new Testament Nestorius to support his priuat heresy gloried as Gennadius reporteth in the euideÌ„ce of threescore testimonies which he produced 13. Arius likewise boasted of the patronage of Scripture yea of the collation of places our Sectaries chiesest refuge And when the Prelates of the first Councell of Nice proued the Essentiall Equality of the Sonne of God with his Father which he denied out of those words of S. Iohn I and my Father am all one he answered They were all one in the vnity of wlll and affection not in the vnity Io. ca. 10 vers 30. of nature and essence which by Conference of places he bolstered in this manner Christ prayed for his disciples Ioh. 17. v. 21. that they might be one with him as he and his Father were one But he demaunded not neither was it possible for them to be one in substance with God the Father Therfore the Sonne himself was not the same in substance but only in will loue and obedience as he desired his Disciples to be In so much as the Fathers could neuer haue vanquished that wicked heresie if they had not beaten it downe by the authority of the Church more then by testimony of Scripture as appeareth by S. Athanasius a chiefe Atha ep decres con Arian haer impugner of that impious heresy 14. Yet because our new Ghospellers build the tower of their Babell will climbe to the knowledge of all heauenly truth by this collation of places and diligent recourse to the originall fountaines let them tell me when the Reader doubteth of any particular passage of Scripture how the Collatour knoweth by what other sentence that ought to be interpreted The darke and obscure places as Whitaker and Reynolds instruct vs are to VVhitak contro 1. q. 5. ca. 23. Rein. c. 1. diuis 2. p. 60. be lightned by the plaine and perspicuous Graunt it be so How shall I be certaine whether the hard place I doubt of ought to be explained by the cleare and euident text I choose to that purpose or by some other What certaine rule set you downe I may not erre in my choyce Eutiches doubted of the meaning of those words Verbum caro factum The word was made flesh which you suppose I Ioan. 1. v. 14. See Suarez in 3 p. d. 7. ses 2. fol. 132. Ioan 2. v. 9. 1. 10. 3. v. 9. Aug l. de haer ad Quoduult haer 82. doubt not a point requisite to be beleeued And by reason of the propinquity and alliance of speach he expounded them by those of S. Iohn Aquam vinum factum The water was made wine and fell into his detestable blasphemie that the Deity of God was changed into the flesh of man as the water was turned and conuerted into wine Iouinian doubted of the intelligence of an hard saying he read in the first epistle of S. Iohn to wit He that is borne of God doth not sinne Where by the connexion of the text by the conference of other places he framed this desperate and hatefull exposition That a Christian once regenerated and purified by the water of Baptisme cannot after receaue any tainture of sin or offend God any more althogh he would neuer so faine A thousand such errours in matters of importance necessary to saluation haue enemies sucked out of the cleare brooks of holy writ by the deceauable search weighing of places 15. I might vrge That the sentences which are plaine and open to some seeme darke and obscure to others What text more cleare then that of S. Matthew Mat. 26 Mark 14. Luc. â—2 1. Cor. 11. This is my Body repeated againe by S. Marke recorded by
Church are certain publik notes and known signes by which the spouse of Christ is euidently marked and discribed vnto vs. Then it is true that we also acknowledg a supernaturall help or inward working of the holy ghost to belieue the Catholik Church and all the articles she proposeth yet in a farre different manner from that which our sectaries pretend for we require the interiour working to moue our will and eleuate our vnderstanding to belieue the mysteries already reuealed our sectaries require it to reueale the very mysteries which are to be belieued we to receaue the expositions of Scripture publikly and vniformily made by the diuine interpreters they priuatly to expound and particularly to interpret the scriptures themselues We haue moreouer prudentiall motiues or arguments of credibility prudently to induce vs to those acts of faith they haue no such arguments but of the contrary side many reasons to distrust their priuat spirits We besides the inward vnction and outward letter haue the safe-conduct of a common publike and inerrable directour they haue no other publik and outward guide then the bare letter subiect to a thousand false constructions Ours is the spirit of peace and vnion vniting vs all in the same belief theirs of strife and dissention making them infinitely to vary in poynts of faith Ours of submission theirs of presumption Ours inclineth vs to obey and humbly imbrace theirs proudly to iudge and peremptorily to conrroule the true preachers doctrine So that the heauenly inspiration which we allow hath not any linke of affinity with their priuate spirit THE SECOND CHAPTER WHEREIN All that which D. Reynolds D. Sparkes and M. Whitaker deuise to bolster their former Position is refuted BECAVSE so many windinges crosse-wayes occur in this wild desert of scanning words vnfolding texts and searching originall fountaynes our Aduersaries striue to assigne some lines to lead vs aright in this maze of difficulties D. Reynolds and D. Sparkes prescribe not only search but deligent Rein c. 2. diuis 2. p. 60. 62. Sparks pa. 246. c. Ioan. 5. v. 36. Mart. 7. v. 7. Iac. 1. v. 5. search and earnest prayer to God Of the one it is sayd Search the scriptures c. and they shall be opened vnto you Of the other If any of you want Wisdome let him aske it of God c. and it shall be giuen him Soueraygne helpes I graunt but no assured rules For how many haue troden these pathes who wandered and miserably perished amongst the briars of errour Pelagius Photinus Eunomius prayed earnestly and most diligently searched the Canon of Scripture who vented notwithstanding infamous heresies 2. M. Reynolds replyeth that the fault of these and others â—rring must be Not in conferring places most diligently but not in conferring them dâ—ligently inough In not praying as they Rein. c. 2. diuis 2. p. 60. p 45 1. Ioan c. 5. v. 14. Rom. c. 12. v. 13. should and searching as they ought in the spirit of fayth and modesty But you that carpe so often at the Schoolemens Quiddiâ—es what meane you now by this nice distinction betweene most diligently diligently inough Or what degree of diligence attribute you to that which is inough aboue the superlatiue exactnes of that which is most Further what do you vnderstand by searching as they ought in the spirit of Faith and modesty Doe you thinke it necessary the Collatour should belieue the thing he searcheth before he beginneth to search To what end then doth he search And what shall he do who belieneth not or doubteth of the matter But not to demure in these deep subtiltyes or meere fooleryes rather who can tell I beseech you when he prayeth in fayth and modesty as he should When he vseth diligeÌ„ce inough in searching as he ought Or how can others be warranted who they be that performe these thinges Is not this as hidden as intricate as inscrutable as the truth of Gods word for which we labour I thinke you suppose S. Iraeneus S. Cyprian S Ambrose S. Chrysostom S. Hierome S. Augustine prayed to God weighed his word in fayth modesty as they ought By what meanes then swarued they so farre from the true sense of Scripture as to be spotted with so many The Centurie writers Cen. 2. 4. 5. wennes and warts as you call them of superstitious Popery to wit the Sacrifice of the Masse Inuocation of Saints Free-will Merit Purgatory Prayer for the dead c You will answere againe They fayled in their prayers slacked of their diligence when out of the pure fountaines of holy Write they deriued these Romish dregs Well let it be they failed at least your late reformers Luther Caluin Beza c. failed not They prayed in fayth and modesty they marked they examined Scripture as they ought How commeth it then to passe they haue not obtained so much wisedome from God as to agree in their exposition How do they who follow the right rules of interpreting Scripture vary so infinitly as to dissent in aboue 80. seuerall expositions of these foure wordes This is my body which Claudius de Xainctes reckoneth Xainct repet 1. cap. vltimo vp besides innumerable other most irreconciliable iarres 3. I know not with what brasen face or steeled conscience D. Field and M. Sparkes depose That these their diuisions are imaginary and meerly accidentall not in points fundamentall Field in his appendix 1. par pag. 23. 24. Sparkes in his answere to M. Iohn Albins not in matters necessary to saluation Wheras they differ in number of Sacraments nature of the Church essentiall manner of her gouernement in the article of Christs descension into hell of his Passion Mediation of his equality with his Father our regeneration by Baptisme Iustification by fayth as I shall by Gods grace discouer heereafter And if these be not fundamentall points what points will you make fundamentall Or if your diligence your prayer with other helpes may mislead you in these why not in others Why define you not what articles they be in which yee are freed from errour Are you all priuiledged not to faile in fundamentall points can no man tell nor your selues accord in what points your priuiledge consisteth 4. For answere O thou Protestant are they fundamentall points which make men forfait their saluatioÌ„ which carry millions of millions to eternall flames Then whosoeuer BroughtoÌ„ vbâ— supra imbraceth your English translation of the Bible differeth as I haue proued from his owne companions in pointes fundamentall Are they fundamentall pointes which are necessary to be belieued And All points necessary to be belieued as M. Whitaker strayneth out of S. Augustines VVhitak c. 1 q. 4. c. 4 pa 29â— wordes so cleare in Scripture as they cannot be mistaken You square among your selues in pointes fundamentall some assigning these some others to be essentiall capital and necessary to be belieued Nay you vary in so plaine and perspicuous points
things spoken if to Luc. 10. v. 16. Matth. 18. v. 17. all be graunted the spirit of Prophesy If members must iudge of their heades and people examine their Pastours doctrine 10. In fine to rippe vp the bowells and breake the very sinewes of this answere in pieces the inward Spirit which moueth the Collatour in the exposition of Gods word may be caused three seuerall wayes 1. God may inspire it 2. The Diuell suggest it 3. The discourse of reason gather and collect it Now aread me this doubt you that ground your fayth hereon how do you know the perswasion you follow to be an inspiratioÌ„ 2. Cor. 1â— vers 14 from God a suggestion of Satan or a discourse of reason The Diuell may transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light many falshoods as the Philosopher teacheth may seeme more probable then truthes Diuers haue beene vndoubtedly perswaded that the spirit of God guided them aright when they were ignorantly missed by the spirit of deceit wherein if you belieue not me belieue a iudicious learned ProtestaÌ„t belieue M. Hooker a famous writer of your owne who hath published these wordes in print Such as are readiest to cite for one thing fiue hundred Hook in his 2. Book sess 7. fol â—18 sentences of holy Scriptur what warrant haue they that any one of theÌ„ doth meane the thing for which it is alleadged Is not their surest ground most commonly eyther some probable coniecture of their owne or the iudgment of others taking those Scriptures as they do which notwithstanding to meane otherwise then they take them it is not still altogeather impossible So that now and then they ground themselues on humane authority euen when they most pretend diuine Who could say more against the vanity of our Sectaries against their obstinate arrogancy in expounding the word by their owne priuate sense and iudgmeÌ„t for if amongst fiue hundred sentences they haue no warrant for one to meane the thing for which it is alledged Yf now and then they ground themselues on humane authority euen when they most pretend diuine by the pretence no doubt and direction of the spirit what notes doth he or his mates assigne what marks do they propose to discerne the Diuine spirit of God from the humane spirit of man or illusion of the Diuell 11. Marrie some Protestants prescribe the Analogie of Scripture That the spirit ought to be tried by Canon of holy writ which is nothing els then to allow the circle so often hissed out of schooles by the spirit to interpret the Scripture and by the Scripture to discerne the spirit Nothing els then to make a faire shew where no hope can be had of escape For either I vnderstand before the sense of the Scripture to which I iudge my spirit agreable or vnderstand it not Suppose I vnderstand it in vaine is the instruction of the spirit Suppose I know it not how shall I iudge of the conformity of my spirit to that which I do not my selfe conceaue Others therfore teach That the spirit needeth not the touch stone of Scripture but may by it self be descried as black from white light from darknesse If this be so why are we commaunded Not to trust euery Spirit when none can deceaue vs Why is it â— Ioan. 4. v. 1. IbideÌ„ sayd Trie the Spirits when they need no triall How falleth it out so many mistake the spirit of truth How is our sight so dimmed that we cannot perceaue the distinction of spirits the darke night from the clearest day 12. We for example beleeue with Protestants the Councell of Nice we beleeue the mystery of the holy Trinity the Incarnation of Christ and with the same spirit which they count erroneous we beleeue the CouÌ„cell of Lateran of Florence the Reall presence the Sacrifice of the masse neither can we see any difference in this our spirit Not we perchance but you the sharp-sighted eagles who soare so high as to gaze on the sunne you no doubt can bewray the different markes Aske then the Lutheran what cloudes of darknesse he discouereth in the spirit of defiance he hath with the Caluinist from the bright beames of light which ioyntly shine in poynts of their agreement he answereth None at all Aske the Caluinist what foggie mist he espieth in his spirit of variance from the Lutheran he answereth none at all Aske the diuine spirited Protestant Aske the Puritan the like question The Protestant contendeth that the spirit which causeth him to dissent from the Puritan is the spirit of light the illustration of the Holy Ghost The Puritan protesteth the same of his And wheras the one must needs be a Satanicall illusion sith it wholy crosseth and contradicteth the other who seeth not that the spirit of truth cannot by it self be discerned from the spirit of deceit no not by the grand-maisters themselues and boasters of the spirit 13. When our Ghospellers are thus beaten out of all their forts or strong holds of succour when they are conuinced that neither Scripture alone nor perusall of places nor examination of Greeke Hebrew fountains nor prayer to God with the direction of the priuate spirit can safely conduct them to the true knowledge and Rein. â— 2. diuis 2. p. 62. 〈◊〉 in act Col. Ratis ses 14. p. 1â—2 Vvhâ—taker desa Scrip. Controu 1. q 4. c 4. q. 5. â— 8. Ioan. â—o v. 17. 1. Cor. 2. v. 15. sense of Scripture will you heare their last and most desperate refuge Listen and learne to detest their fraud Albeit say they these former helpes be not alwayes effectuall to the reprobate or wicked sinner yet they are sufficient inough to the elect of God If the Lord sayth Reynolds take delight in vs he will bring vs to the food of life he will giue vs the bread of our soules and make vs learned in the Scriptures For it is written quoth Hunnius Whitaker My sheep heare my voyce and The spirituall man iudgeth all things O yee children of darknesse O yee enemyes of light How long will yee seeke these cloudy euasions How long will yee runne from one maze of obscurity into another As from search of Scripture to secret prayer from secret prayer to priuate spirit from priuate spirit to hidden grace And how shall I learne who is endued with this celestiall grace in whome God is pleased How shall I know the spirituall man or sheep of Christ Eccles 9. v. â— Salomon sayd No man can tell whether he be worthy of loue or hatred S. Paul I am guilty of nothing yet in this I am not iustified But thou more wise then Salomon more illuminated then 1. Cor. 4. v. 4. S. Paul describe me the markes shew me the badge and cognizance of Christ that I may see whether I am a sheep of his flocke or no. Thou sayst if I had a strong feruent fayth if I belieued aright I should be infallibly acertainted of
his seruants from Adam euen vntyll Moyses for the space of 2000. yeares without recording any one precept or instruction he gaue And when Iesus Christ his only Sonne came into this world he called his Apostles planted his Church Mar. 16. v. 15. Luc. 10. 16. Math. 18 v. 7. Matth. 23. v. 3. see S. Aug. ep 165. preached his heauenly doctrine yet neuer penned or so much as commaunded any one mystery to be written He gaue his Apostles commisson to preach the Ghospell to euery creature He charged vs to heare them as himself to giue eare to whatsoeuer they should teach or say But to giue credit only to what they should write he neuer gaue charge And therfore they preached many yeares conuerted thousands and deliuered vnto them the food of life before they compiled the bookes of Scripture as all our Aduersaries will confesse Yet sayth D. Reynolds after these bookes were once penned and published abroad all Reyn in his first Conclusion p. 616. things requisite to saluation are there conteyned which thus he laboureth to proue The Prophets taught the old Church the way of Saluation the Apostles with the Prophets togeather teach the new more plenteously fully The Doctrine of the Prophets Apostles is comprized in the holy Scripture the Scripture therfore teacheth the Church whatsoeuer is behoofull to Saluation Oh deceiptfull disputant who in so weighty a matter vseth such Sophistry How creepeth the Pronoune whatsoeuer into your conclusion not auouched in the premisses But if you will haue it vnderstood I denie your Minor I denie that the whole doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is comprized in holy Scripture 2. To begin with the doctrine of the Prophets Moyses the first Scribe and chiefe Secretary of the holy Ghost was so farre from setting downe all thinges he receaued Orig ho. 5. in Num. Hilar. in Ps 2. from the mouth of God that whereas he was taught by him the law and true sense which is the life soule of the law the law he engrossed in writing but the sense and exposition thereof as Origen and S. Hilary affirme he secretly deliuered by inuiolable tradition to his Successours euen by the expresse will commandment of God as he seemed by Esdras whose testimony Esd â— 4. c. 14. v. 5. 6. as a most holy and learned man must needes beare sway in these plaine tearms to declare I haue disclosed vnto Moyses many meruailous things c. And I haue charged him saying These words shalt thou lay open and these shalt thou conceale Among which he concealed what meanes God prouided for the sauing and purging of women from originall infection what for children before the eight day of circumcision thinges not mentioned in Scripture as D. Field with Andradius willingly confesseth and proueth by Field l. 4. pag. 236. Andrad defen l. 2. the authority of S. Gregory That children then were saued by the faith of their parents Yet when Andradius inferreth that this at least could not be knowne but by Tradition D. Field reiecteth his inference as friuolous and sayth most fondly and contrary to himselfe That it was knowne and concluded out of the generall and common rules of reason and equity Field pag. 237. Most fondly For what necessary sequele haue the incomprehensible secrets of Gods hidden election in things supernatural with the common rules of naturall reason Are his wayes and meanes of saluation any way tyed to the discourse of man S. Paul who was rapt into the third heauen amiddest all his reuelations thought them farre aboue the reach of humane wit when he cryed out O alt tudo c. O the depth of the riches of Gods wisedome and knowledge how inscrutable are his iudgments and his wayes vnsearchable And were they made plaine before to Rom. 11. v. 33. the Iewes by the common rules of reason and equity Most contrary to himselfe because if the soueraigne and necessary meanes of sauing the aforesaid partyes not specifyed in holy writ be deduced from these general grouÌ„ds some behoofull thing necessary to saluation against Bilson against Reynoldes against himselfe is not conteined in Scripture 3. To these and such like close and hidden Traditions Eccles 8. v. 11. 12. King Salomon referred the Children of Israël when he sayd Let not passe the narration of thy elders for they haue beene taught by their fathers and of them thou shalt learne vnderstanding Of these King Dauid spake How many things hath Psal 77. â— he commanded our Fathers to make knowne to their children Of these the whole Scripture is so full as M. Reynolds and M. Bilson languishing in this Controuersy for want of proofs are faine to alleadge such texts to warrant their assertion as their aduersaryes might produce to diswarrant Rein. Con. â— p. 616. Bils 2. p. pag. 267. the same M. Reynolds obiecteth that saying of Moyses Giue eare O Israël to the ordinances which I teach Bilson that of Deutronomy Whatsoeuer I command that shall yee do Do not these places make for me What Rein pag. 616. 617. I teach what I command sayth God not what I write Reynoldes vrgeth out of Ieremy How Idolators are condemned for doing in their Sacrifices things which our Lord commanded Bils 2. paâ—â— pag. 206. Mala. 2. Bils 2. par p. 289. peruâ—â—ts this place translating the Priests lips should preserue wheras it is expresly in Hâ—brew jjâ—hmeru in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine custodieÌ„t shall preserue Ioan. ep 2. v 12. 1. Cor. cap. 11. â—4 not Which he commanded not I grant neither by word nor writing D. Bilson alleadgeth King Dauid How the word of God is a lanterne to our feete Reynolds cyteth Malachy Willing the people to remember the law of Moyses The word the law I confesse as well recorded in harts as printed in bookes which Malachy himselfe witnesseth The lipes of the Priests not the leaues of paper only shall keep or preserue knowledge and thou shalt require the law from his mouth Could they haue chosen better weapons for my aduantage then these they bring forth in their owne defence Perchance they reserue their forces to mantaine at least that after the Apostles and Euangelists penned their preaching nothing auailable to saluation is left vnwritten But their weaknes also heerein shall openly appeare as soon as I haue proued that the Apostles thought it not expedient to set downe all things in writing that they often referre vs to vnwritten Traditions that reason conuinceth the necessity of them and the Fathers mention many which we must needs imbrace 5. S. Iohn sayth Hauing more things to write vnto you I would not impart them by paper and inke S. Paul left some holy decrees and ordinances vnpenned of which he spake to the Corinthians The rest I will dispose when I come some deep points of Christs Priesthood insinuated to the Hebrewes Of whome I haue great speach and inexplicable to
so great a maister in Israel why blame you vs for approuing what your selues allow Why appeale you to Scripture alone and yet subscribe to such and so many points of fayth not comprised in Scripture Or if these Traditions be necessary to be imbraced what meane you M. Field to renounce others as ancient as behoofull as warrantable as these euen by the rules your selfe prescribe which are Field l. 4. cap. 19. pa. 242 Iran lib. 4. c. 32. â—ulke in his confut of Purgat p. 362. 303. 393. August tract 84. in Ioan. Chrys bo 21. in act Concil Nicen. 2. Damas lib. 4. c. 17. Hiero. con Vigil c. 2. Middlâ—ton Papis pag. â—34 Bils part 2. pag 265. Rom. 10. 17. Basil de spir Sanct. c. 27. Chris ho. 4. in â— Thes 5. Aug. Ep. 119 86. Field l. 4. cap. 20. Rein. conclus 1. pag. â—17 The authority and custome of the Church Consent of Fathers or testimony of an Apostolicall Church By these Irenaeus alloweth the new oblation of Christs body and bloud as a Tradition from the Apostles Why reiect you this Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Chrysostome S. Hierome S. Augustine approue as M. Fulke your great Golias granteth the Sacrifice and prayer for the dead as an Apostolicall traditioÌ„ Why disproue it you S. Augustiue S. Chrysostome admit a memory or Inuocation of Saints in the selfe same sacrifice Three hundred Fathers of the second Councell of Nice defend with S. Iohn Damascen the adoration of Images as a Tradition from the Apostles S. Hierome by the custome of the Church and consent of Fathers D. Fields rules for true Traditions mantaineth against Vigilantius the religious worship of holy Reliques By the same Tradition of the Church and consent of the Fathers M. Middleton auerreth vowes of Chastity to be obserued What meane you to make no reckoning of these Are you only priuiledged to admit or discard what Traditions you please to countenance or deface whatsoeuer you list But an ill cause without cosenage cannot be vpholden I acknowledge the shifts of pouerty and falshood 13. Against these vnanswerable grounds M. Bilson opposeth in this weake and impertinent manner Fayth is by hearing and hearing by the word of God therefore S. Paul alloweth not matters of faith vnwritten How often shall I repeate inculcate a truth that the word of God is partly written partly vnwritten and this as S. Basil S. Chrysostome S. Augustine affirme is as worthy to be credited as the other Which speach albeit M. Whitaker noteth in S Chrysostome as inconsiderate and vnworthy so great a Father yet M. Field approueth it and reason perswadeth it vnles you belieue that letters figured with inke and paper add awe of reuerence to Gods hidden verityes M. Reynolds obiecteth out of S. Iohn These thinges are written that yee may belieue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God and that belieuing you may haue life in his name Heereupon M. Reynolds inferreth Ioan. 20. v. vlt. that S. Iohns Ghospell alone is sufficient to faith and saluation What may not be proued where such illations go currant S. Iohn speaketh of signes and miracles M. Reynoldes extendeth himselfe to many other matters S. Iohn writeth there of one principall point of fayth he concludeth all necessary to saluation S. Iohn disputing against Cerinthus who denyed the diuinity of Christ affirmeth that he hath written sufficient to proue that Christ is the sonne of God M. Reynoldes arguing against vs forceth him to say that he hath written inough concerning that and all other necessary articles of our beliefe Againe if S. Iohns Ghospell alone haue sufficient to saluation needlesse are the rest of the Euangelists the Epistles of S. Paul of S. Peter of S. Iude the Reuelations of S. Iohn wholy needlesse If S. Iohns Ghospell alone haue sufficient the Natiuity and birth of Christ his Circumcision Apparition the Institution of our Lords supper and many other thinges of which S. Iohn writeth nothing are not necessary to saluation Which to confesse is vtterly to subuert all Christian Religion to deny is plainely to ouerthwart M. Reynoldes assertion Rein. con â— 1. p. 618 â— 619. 2. Cor. 3. 16. 14. Secondly he alleadgeth out of S. Paul That all Scripture inspired by God is profitable to teach argue c. That the man of God may be perfect instructed to euery good worke Our Aduersaryes boast much of the pregnancy of this place and yet if it made any thing in their behalfe it would conuince that all and euery Scripture euery Epistle euery Chapter euery sentence which is some Scripture were The Greek hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latin Omnis Al or euery auailable to these foresayd effects Which they perceauing resolue rather to abuse the word of God then loose the force of their argument when insteed of all or euery Scripture they most fraudulently translate the whole Scripture contrary both to the Greeke and Latin text But no deceite will serue to betray the truth The whole Scripture was not finished when S. Paul wrote that Epistle the Ghospell of S. Iohn which by it selfe alone as M. Reynolds auerreth â— sufficient to saluation the Apocalips and other bookes of Scripture were wanting at that tyme he could Rein. loc citat not then speake of the whole Scripture before the whole was extant or if he meant of the whole that was written it maketh nothing against vs. For S. Paul speaketh of the profitablenes of Scripture to instruct argue c. and not of 1. Tim. 4. v. 8. the sufficiency thereof Many thinges are profitable to promote vs to perfection which are not sufficient to atchieue the same Piety as S. Paul writeth is profitable to all thinges yet not alone sufficient nor only profitable You cannot deny but that rayne is profitable for the fruits of the earth yet without the labour of men fertility of soile heate of the sunne not sufficient to make them increase So as when M. Reynolds disgraceth this as a mincing distinction he discrediteth not vs but S. Paul for mincing in this manner 15. Fourthly others obiect That Christ reprehendeth the Traditions of men S. Paul condemneth them and S. Peter exempteth all Christians from them They mistake Christ Mat. 15. v. 9. Colos 2. v. 22. only reprehendeth the fond and friuolous Pharisaicall traditions or deprauations of the law called Deuteroses Of which also S. Peter speaketh or of the superstitious errours of the Gentils from which we are redeemed by the bloud of Christ S. Paul forewarneth vs of the vaine Sophismes 1. Pet. 1. â— 18. and fallacyes of the Philosophers which impaireth not the authority of our soueraigne and holy Traditions deriued from the Apostles and their successours inspired by the holy Ghost 16. Yet M. Field will needs endite vs of two hainous faults 1. That we charge the Scriptures with imperfection 2. Field l. 4. c. 15. That therfore we rely vpon humane interpretations and vncertaine
who dyed in the peace of the Church few Field in the places cited aboue Casaubon in the page fornamed are ignorant c. This custome although the Church of England condemneth not in the first ages yet she thinketh not good to retaine it now c. Marke this opposition betwixt the Prince and his subiects writing M. Field denyeth that The Church generally intended to relieue soules c. King Iames auoucheth The Church did desire of God rest for the departed M. Field with his Sinagogue imbraceth all the common and lawful kinds of commemorating the dead the Ancients obserued excepting only two priuate and particuler errours K. Iames with his English Congregation Retaineth not an ancient custome the Church vsed in her publike prayers a custome which spronge from a vehement affect of Charity c. whereby she gaue testimony of the Resurrection to come a custome which he reserreth to the head of thinges profitable or lawfull c. So cleerely is M. Field condemned by the sentence of his Soueraigne who Bucer in his Script a Auglican pag. 450. Vrba Regius in par 1. operum in formula cauâ—â— loquendi f. 8. Ibidem in loc commu c. 8. de Purgat Idem part 1. de missae negotio f. 71. Idem in 1. par oper in loc commun c. 19. vbi supra Aug. ep 1â— Field in ap pend 1. p. pag. 2. was cast before by the iudgment of his Peeres 25. Next after K. Iames I must needes giue praise to some other of his sect who flatly coÌ„fesse with vs the same manner of Prayer for the dead which we require As Bucer once a Cambrigian Professour and Vrbanus Regius Luthers scholler who affirmeth the like of his Maister and proueth it by the testimony of al the most learned Fathers of credit and authority in the Church of God whose names I rehearsed aboue Who appointed also in his reformed Churches of Sueuia a prescript Prayer for the departed brother To the end that God of his mercy would pardon the faults and infirmity of his flesh Who concludeth at length To be sollicitous and carefull for the dead is both a worke of Charity fruit of fayth testifying our beliefe of the glorious Resurrection which no man contemneth but Epicureans and Sadduceans They because they deny the immortality of the soule these because they belieue not the resurrection of the flesh Wherefore if our English Protestants had any regard I will not say to the plaine texts of Scripture whose squire they preteÌ„d in all thinges to follow nor to the prescription of the Church whose vniuersall practise S. Augustine counteth Most insolent madnesse to call in question nor to the ancient Fathers whose generall doctrine M. Field iudgeth no lesse theÌ„ Barbarisme to attach of errour but if they had respect to their owne illuminated Ghospellers to the Scriptures they interprete to the reasons they alleadge they would neuer reiect as superstitious trumpery that which Bucer A man by the censure of the * See this in the letter of the Vniuersity extant in Bucers scipt Ang. p. 944. Fox in his Act. c. pag. 416. English Apolog par 4. c. 4. 2. Cor. 2. Fulke vpoÌ„ that chap. sect 1. 1. Cor. 3. Gal. 6. Rom. â— Apoc. 14. Fulke in enÌ„ loc ser 5 Eccl. 9. 5. 6 Eccl. c. 9. 10 Hier. in c. 6 ad Galat. Fulke obiecteth this place against prayer for the Dead in his confut of Parg. and prayer for soules departed pag 44â— Vniuersity of Cambridge most holy and plainly diuine which Luther Their Elias sent from God to lighten the world which Vrbanus Regius his faythfull and royall scholler constantly maintaine for Euangelical doctrine Nay which King Iames their supreme head and chiefest gouernour in causes Ecclesiasticall placeth in the ranke of thinges lawfull and profitable 26. Now let vs see what coulour they haue to contradict so cleare and manifest a truth M. Fulke and his confederates assemble many sentences out of Scripture which seeme to carry against it som shew of repugnance Out of S. Paul We must all be conuented before the tribunall seat of Christ that euery one may receaue the proper thinges of his body according as he hath done good or euill Then Euery one of vs shall giue an account for himselfe to God The thinges which euery one hath sowed those shall he reape Thou restorest to euery one according to his workes And not according to the works of others Againe Their workes follow them And not the workes of their friends who remaine behind Therefore they cannot be relieued by them Which is confirmed by King Salomon The dead know no more nor haue any further reward they haue no part in this world nor in the worke that is achieued vnder the heauens For which cause he counselleth vs heere Diligently to performe whatsoeuer our hand can worke Likewise by the authority of S. Hierome saying In this present world we know we may help one another either by our prayers or counsells but when we shall come before the tribunall of Christ neither Iob nor Daniel nor Noë can make suite for any but euery one must beare his owne burden These be the skarcrowes which terrify our Reformers from exercising their charity towardes the dead which notwithstanding we easily auoid three seuerall wayes 27. First I say most of the former places may be expounded of the Iudgment in which no help can be expected either from the workes or suffrages of others of this S. Hierome expresly meaneth But King Salomon in the first place seemeth to speake only of the temporall goods left behind them in this world of the benefits of this life in which the Dead haue no society with vs and not of the spirituall workes of Charity of Prayer Almes-deeds c. whereby their soules are benefitted Secondly they may be all interpreted as S. Augustine doth the first testimony cited out of the Apostle which he obiecteth 2. Cor. 5. vers 10. to himselfe That euery one may receaue according to his deserts in the body c. that is according as he merited heere he shall truly enioy in the next life both comfort to himselfe and profit by the charity of others For as S. Augustin profouÌ„dly Aug. in Enchir. c. 110. answereth heerunto In this life and before death he deserued this that these workes after his death might be profitable vnto him Thus his workes are sayd to follow him Or the workes of the liuing may be tearmed his that is dead because he deserued in this life the benefite of them and because they are applyed vnto him eyther by the intention of the worker or by the mercifull dispensation of the Treasurer of Gods Church Thirdly all these places may be vnderstood of the workes of merit not of satisfaction that is euery one shall giue an account for himselfe in the way of merit not in the way of satisfaction The works of one cannot auaile another in the way
interpretation then that which I haue mentioned vnles a man would bend his wits and force his quill of purpose to misconstrue his meaning THE NINTEENTH CONTROVERSY DECLARETH How Fayth alone doth not iustify against D. Whitaker D. Feild D. Abbot and all Sectaryes CHAP. I. THAT we may not stumble at the beginning Châ—nitiuâ— in 1. part examinaâ— Con iâ— Trid. Calu. l. 30 instit c. ◠§. 9. Fulk in c. 13. 1. ad Cor. sect 5 Perkins in his reform Cath. f. 7â— nor post away in vaine before I go further I will truly lay down the state of this question as it is controuerted defended on both sides Protestants distinguish three sorts of fayth 1. The historicall fayth as they tearm it by which they belieue the history of the Bible 2. The guift of fayth to worke miracles of which S. Paul If I should haue all fayth so as I could remoue mountaines c. 3. The sayth and affiance in the diuine promises of God So that the truth and veracity of God is the proper obiect of the first his power of the second his mercy and goodnes of the third Which later fayth they subdeuide againe into Abbot inhis defence cap 4. fol. 453. VVhitak l. 1. aduers Duraeum two members or branches into a generall beliefe that God will faythfully accomplish all his promises will graunt remission of sinnes to all true beleeuers and into a particuler and speciall fayth whereby euery Protestant perswadeth and assureth himselfe that his sinnes by the mercy of God in Christ be forgiuen him And in this speciall affiance and firme perswasion all Sectaryes place their iustifying fayth from whence Charity and good workes according to them only flow as fruits and necessary sequels accompanying their beliefe Thus they 2. We on the other side defend that Charity and good workes are not only fruits or signes but the life or Ephes 4. v. 5. Cyril ca Greg. Nazian or at â—ltim in sanctum lauacrum Aug. in Enchirid. c. 2. 5. 7. 8. l. 2. conduas epist Pelag. c. 5. Leo serm â—1 de Epiphan Fulg. l. de side ad Petrum in prolog Hebr. â—1 v. â— Gaâ— Vâ—s â—â— 1. â— disp â—10 â— 7. substance of iustification Likewise we deny that counterfeit diuision of seuerall fayths which they deuise and imbrace with holy Scriptures one dogmaticall and Catholik Fayth by which we belieue the Ghospell of Christ the articles of our Creed and whatsoeuer in this kind the vniuersall Church proposeth vnto vs. For as there is but one formall motiue or subiect of beliefe to wit the prime verity or diuine auctority obscurely reueiling the histories of the Bible the power of working miracles the promises of God and whatsoeuer els So there is but one true and Theologicall vertue of fayth which with most constant assent beleeueth them all one Lord one Fayth one Baptisme And to this one sole fayth not to the peculiar perswasion of Sectaryes is ascrybed by S. Cyrill Patriarch of Hierusalem by S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Augustine S. Leo and S. Fulgentius the whole force of iustification which in any part of sacred Writ is attributed vnto Fayth Wherefore although we hold that this Theological Fayth be the beginning foundation of our spiritual building for be that commeth to God must beleeue that he is Though it be also the roote from whence the life of grace doth somtyme spring by stirring vp and exciting the affections of the will to loue good and detest sinne yet it doth not fully engender that sparke of life it doth neither wholy dispose to the fauour of God as I haue already proued nor intierely sanctify and make vs iust as I shall now demonstrate Math. 25. v. 11. Matth. 7. v. 22. Ioan. 12. v. 42. 43. Matth. 22. v. 11. 3. The foolish Virgins who cryed Lord Lord open vnto vs had fayth and beleeued in him whome they inuocated The false Prophets beleeued who wrought miracles in the name of Christ. The Princes of the Iewes who loued the glory of men more then the glory of God yet as the Scripture sayth they belieued in Christ The guest who was found at the marriage feast without his wedding garment he belieued also for by fayth he yielded to the calling came into the house VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum in his aÌ„swere to 1. reason of M. Campian Abbot in his defence c. 4. Orig. tract 32. in Matth. Hilar. can 27. Hier. ep ad Demetr Theoph. Euthy in cum locuÌ„ August tract 54. in Ioan. August tract 53. in Ioan. Beliar. de iustif l. 1. c. 15. of God and yet none of these were iustifyed therefore Fayth alone is not sufficient to iuftification M. Whitaker M. Abbot and the rest will answere that These had not a true but a faygned dead and idle fayth dead and idle we coÌ„fesse it was yet true and vnfaygned in respect of the essence and nature of Fayth for the Euangelist speaking of the Iewish Princes vseth the same word crediderunt they beleeued in Christ as he doth when he discourseth of them who beleeued indeed which would breed intollerable ambiguity doubtfullnes in expounding of holy Scripture if he were not to be vnderstood of true beliefe Secondly the ancieÌ„t Fathers interprete al these places of true and vnfaygned Fayth Origen S. Hilary S. Hierome the first affirming the foolish Virgins to be excluded from their bride-grome not for want of true fayth but for want of good workes S. Hierome Theophilact and Euthymius the second of the false Prophets attributing to their fayth the inuocation they made Lord Lord haue not we prophefied in thy name and intimating thereby that fayth alone is not inough to saluation S. Augustine expoundeth the third place likwise of true fayth comparing the fayth of those Princes with the true Fayth of such as openly confessed the name of Christ Affirming that if they also had proceeded and gone forward in that entrance of beliefe they might by profiting haue ouercome the loue of humane glory But that Fayth as Cardinal Bellarmine wel argueth which by profiting could vanquish the affection of vaine glory was true fayth otherwise that Fayth had Tertul. l. de resurrec carnis Orig. Chryso in hunc loc Ambr. ser 14. de naâ—ali Hieron Gregor Theoph. Euthy in â—um locuÌ„ Maldon in cap. 22. Matth. Iacob ep cap. 2. v. 14. 17. 14. Augu. de â—â—de opâ—rib c. 14. VVhitak l. 1. aduers Duraeum in his aÌ„swere to 1. reason of M. Ca â—pian VVitak vbi supra Fulk in c. 2. Ioan. sect 9. Abbot c. 4. f. 476. 477. not profited but another arriuing to perfection that had fayled Lastly that he who wanted his wedding garment beleeued also aright is insinuated by Tertullian Origen S. Hierome S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose S. Gregory Theophilact and Euthymius who conformably teach that he was cast into outward darknes not for any defect of fayth but for want of
reserued vncertaine for the tyme to come For that cannot be absolutly auerred to be vncertaine to man which he certainly knoweth by any meanes whatsoeuer much lesse which he certainly knoweth although not by the outward euent and sequel of things yet by the inward light and perswasion of his hart as the mysteryes of our beliefe which we only know by fayth cannot be sayd to be vncertaine hidden and vnknowne to vs. Therefore M. Abbot seeketh another Abbot in his defence c. 3. euasion to wit that the Text is corrupted and not faythfully translated word by word out of the Hebrew And therein he appeacheth S. Hierome whose translation it is he maketh him a corrupter and deprauer of holy Lorin in his coÌ„ment vpon that place Bellar. l. 2. de verb. Dei c. 12. Hieron in in cum loc 1. Cor. 4. vers 4. Psal 18. v. 13. Writ therein he accuseth the whole current of the Latin Church which from his tyme to ours hath receaued that translation wherein the true and perfect sense of the hebrew vvordes is punctually and elegantly expressed as Lorinus and Bellarmine declare euen by the exposition of S. Hierome himselfe who commenting vpon that place sayth I haue found the workes of the iust men to be in the hand of God and yet themselues not to know whether they be loued of God or no. I omit how S. Paul sayth I am guilty of nothing yet in this I am not iustifyed How King Dauid seeming not to know his owne estate cryed out Sinnes who vnderstandeth From my secret sinnes cleanse me How Iob notwithstanding his innocency durst not challenge to himselfe the certainty Iob. 9. v. 20. 21. Basil de constitut Monast c. 2. Theod. in illum loc S. Pauli Bernard epist 42. Ambr. ser 5. in psal 118. Hier. 1. 2. dialog con Pelag. Augu. in psal 18. c. 9. de contri cordis Chrys hom 11. in 1 ad Cor. Greg. 9. moral 17. 19. Dan. 4. v. 24. loel 2. v. 13. 14. â—onas 3. v. 9. Act. 8. v. 22. Hieron in â— lonae Hieron in 4. Dan. Beatus Daniel praescius futurorum de sententia Dei dubitat remtemerariam faciunt qui audacter veniam pollicentur peccantibus of grace saying If I will iustify my self my owne mouth shal condemne me If I will shew my selfe innocent he shall proue me wicked although I shal be simple the selfe same shall my soule be ignorant of I omit also S. Basil S. Bernard Theodoret S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Chrysostome and S. Gregory confirming our doctrine by these former Texts 2. I passe to the doubtfull phrases and tearmes of hesitation as perhaps who knoweth peraduenture vsed by Daniel Ioel Ionas and S. Peter by which they intimate the vncertainty of Gods fauour euen to the faythfull and repentant in respect of some want of disposition which may be required on their sides Daniel sayth to Nabuchodonozor Redeeme thou thy sinnes with almes and thyne iniquityes with the mercyes of the poore perhaps he will forgiue thyne offences Ioel Turne to the Lord your God c. who knoweth if he will conuert Ionas Who knoweth if God will conuert and forgiue S. Peter Do pennance c. and pray to God if peraduenture this cogitation of thy hart may be remitted Loe the Prince of Apostles the Prophets of God presume not to assure their penitents of the remission of their sinnes as our iolly Ministers now adayes but left them in feare or suspense That whilest men as S. Hierome commenteth vpon the former Text of Ionas are doubtfull of their saluation they may do pennance more feruently and more studiously prouoke God vnto mercy And expounding the forecyted place of Daniel he writeth thus Blessed Daniel foreknowing thinges to come doubteth of the iudgment of God they take a rash and temerarious thing in hand who boldly promise pardon to sinners Which saying of his pinched Melancthon so much that he reprehendeth S. Hierome First for adding that doubtfull particle perhaps to the Text then for teaching more imprudently the remission of sinnes to be vncertaine Yet I belieue S. Hieroms assertion warranted by such euident Scripture will be sooner imbraced then the snarling reprehension of a thousand Melanct. in Apol. confess Aug. Andr. Ve. gal 9. c. 11. Melancthons or the whole kennel of LutheraÌ„ whelps And as for the Aduerbe forsitan it was not intruded by him but read and conteyned in most authenticall copyes and translations as Andreas Vega professour Salamanca diligently openeth sheweth first that the Hebrew Chaldean Text hath the particle Hen equiualent vnto it then that the 70. Interpreters that Sanctius Pagninus that the Tigurine edition haue all the Aduerbe it selfe fortasse perhaps or peraduenture So innocent and inculpable was S. Hierome from inserting it as Melancthon traduceth him besides the purpose 3. Moreouer we are often counsailed in holy Writ so to striue for the garland of our feliciry as we also stand in feare of loosing the same To the Philippians Worke your saluation with seare trembling In the Apocalyps Hold that which thou hast that no man take thy crowne To the Hebrewes Philip. 2. v. 12. Apoc. 3. v. 11. Heb. 4. v. 1. Rom. 11. v. 20. 21. Psal 2. v. 11. 12. Let vs feare therefore least perhaps forsaking the promise of entring into his rest some of you be thought to be wanting To the Romans Thou by fayth dost stand be not too highly wise but feare if God hath not spared the naturall boughes least perhaps he will not spare thee neither In the Psalmes Serue our Lord in feare reioyce to him with trembling Apprehend diseipline least sometyme our Lord be wrath and you perish out of the iust way Now this feare cannot consist with infallible assurance of saluation for he that is assured by the light of Fayth that there is a God that there is an eternity of life to come cannot withall feare the contrary howsoeuer Abbot c. 3. sect 10. fol. 328. 329. Matt. 8. v 26. c. 14. v. 31. M. Abbot talketh that he may and that little fayth is subiect to feare and doubt and for proofe thereof he referreth vs to these Texts of Scripture Why are you fearefull o yee of little fayth which Christ spake to his Disciples and to Peter O thou of little fayth wherefore dost thou doubt which no way fit his purpose For the Disciples were not warranted by fayth that they should not be cast away in that boysterous tempest nor S. Peter that he should not sincke walking on the water his doubt did not shake the stedfastnes of his fayth nor any way belong to any article thereof but the assurance of saluatioÌ„ is to euery Protestant an article of Fayth therefore no feare no doubt can comply with that by the foree of these Texts nor by the vertue of that example which he ilfauouredly applyeth to Abbot c. 3 sect 10. f. 326. the
humane iudgment more then of any other mystery of our redemption to which notwithstanding they are equally vnknowne 6. Further you teach M. Abbot that by ordinary fayth euery man is made priuy to his election and yet that no See Abbot cap. 3 and VVhitak vt infra man can be certaine of his fayth vnles he be sure he be one of the elect For true fayth in your fancyes is only graunted to the elect but by fayth to know election and by election fayth is to wheele about without end of knowing and neuer come to the full point of knowledg It is to run the circle you reprehend in others Notwithstanding what entrance I pray doe you make which is primò cogniâ—um the first knowne in this circled round Do you first ascend into the Counsails of God there see your names written in the booke of life and from thence discouer the beames of your beliefe or first see your true beliefe and thereby mount vnto the knowledge of your election A question which much perplexeth the learned Protestants For Whitaker clymeth the former way and VVhiâ—â—k l. 8. aduers Duraeum fol. 620. by assurance of election receaueth the certificate of saluation and beliefe saying Whosoeuer do certainely know themselues to be elect and predestinate they are certaine of the remission of â—heir sinnes and of their saluation c. Therfore the Protestant must first know that he is enrolled in the number of Calu. l. 3. instit c. 24. § 4. reproueth VVhitakâ—â—â— answere His Maiesty with the Bishops at Hampton Court reproue the same f. 29. 30. the predestinate before he can know that he is incorporated by remission of sinnes wrought by Fayth in the coÌ„gregation of the faythfull which clyming of Whitakers Caluin condemneth as a dangerous tentation and peruerse desire of seeking to know election out of the way I call iâ— seeking out of â—he way sayth he when a wreâ—ched man enterpriseâ—h to breake into the hidden secrets of the wisedome of God and to pierce euen to the highest Eternity to vnderstand what is determined of himselfe at the iudgment seate of God for then he throweth himself headlong to be swallowed vp in the depth of the vâ—measurable deuouring piâ— then he wrappeth himselfe with iâ—â—â—merable snares such as he cannot wind out of then he ouerwhelmeth hâ—mselfe with the bottomles gulfe of blind darcknesse 7. Therefore Caluin and M. Abbot compasse about Calu. l. 3. instit c. 24. §. 4. 5 6. Abbot cap. 3. sect 12. fol. â—â—7 the second way and by ordinary fayth trauaile to ascend into the bosome of Gods secrets and assure themselues of their election but this is already refuted by S. Paul S. Augustine and S. Bernard that God by fayth reuealeth other mysteryes but sealeth vp this and reserueth it still vnknowne concealeth it to himselfe as a depth vnsearchable Likewise your speciall fayth is nothing els but an assured affiance of your hart which certifyeth you of the remission of your sinnes of your adoption in Christ of your election and predestination But as the obiect according Aug. 4. de Gen. ad lit cap. 32. to S. Augustine goeth before the knowledge thereof so your predestination mouing you to beleeue precedeth euen in respect of you the affiance of your hart by which you belieue Howbeit if you ignorantly suppose that true fayth is knowne by it selfe and leadeth you to the obiect of election which thereby is knowne although it be a foolery vnworthy to be refuted yet I shall cast so much tyme away by and by as to disproue that foolery August de dono perse l. 2. c. 22. Chrys ho. 11 in â— 3. ad Philip. 1. Cor. 10. v 12. Ibidem c. 9. Greg. ep â—8â— quae est l. 6. ad Gâ—â—g Cubiâ—ul Aug. Bernar ser 2. in octau Pen. ser 1. in Sept. Hier. l. 2. cont Pâ—lâ— 8. My custome is after the authorityes of holy Scriptures to alleadge by themselues the testimonyes of Fathers but now besides those I haue heere interlaced shall add heereafter I will content my selfe with these few First with S. Augustine Serue our Lord with feare and reioyce to him with trembling because of euerlasting life which God not lying hath promised to the children of promise c. No man can be secure vntil this life be finished Then with S. Chrysostome Of resurrection we cannot be confident and secure to which purpose he bringeâ—h in S. Paul speaking thus I acknowledge my selfe to haue beleeued in Christ in the power of his resurrection that I haue byâ— mâ—de partaker of his sufferings conformable to his deaâ—h notwithstanding after all these things I am noâ— secure In proofe whereof he alleadgeth these two sentences He that seemeth to stand let him looke he do not fall and I feare so S. Chrysostome readeth least whilest I haue preached to others I become a reprobate my selfe With him S. Gregory S. Bernard and S. Hierome agree who excellently corroborate and confirme the same Moreouer S. Hierome sayth I contaminated with the filth of all kind of sins Hier. ep ad Florent citatur ep 5. in Gloss Hieron in vita â—ius day and night expect with trembling to render the Last farthing the tyme in which it shal be sayd to me Hierome come forth So S. Hilarion and the rest of the Saints stood in feare and dread not presuming to challenge the security of Protestants against which I also wage warre by the strength of reasons THE SECOND CHAPTER WHEREIN The former Presumption is refuted by Reason and whatsoeuer the Aduersary obiecteth against vs is remoued FIRST al Sectaries teach that nothing is to be beleeued as an article of fayth VVhitak l. 8. aduer Duraeum fol. 618. 619. Abbot c. 3. sect 2. f. 262. 263. 264. 265. loan 3. v. 15. Mar. 1. v. 15. Mar. 16. v. 15. 16. but what is either coÌ„teyned in Scripture or by manifest deduction is gathered from thence But where is it written in Scripture that Richard Field Doctour of Diuinity or Robert Abbot Titulary Bishop of Salisbury haue their sins remitted shall infallibly be saued Whitaker Abbot make answere that in these generall propositioÌ„s Whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued repent and belieue the Ghospell and yee shal be saued is inuolued Richard Field belieue thou shalt be saued Robert Abbot repent and beleeue and thou shalt be saued Therefore although the Scripture nameth not any in particuler yet it affoardeâ—h euery one a sufficient warrant that by his repenting and beleeuing he shal be saued But this warrant is conditionall as M. Abbot there confesseth and this condition is if he rightly repent if he righly belieue which Abbot ibiâ—â—â— are acts depending of Gods grace and his freewill no way comprehended in that generall assurance nor by any infallible meanes deduced from thence therefore his certainty still wauereth in respect of these conditionall workes For although it be so that a man may
to no other is the guilt to be imputed especially he being as you maintaine the principall agent and they his instruments in atchieuing wickednes which if you rightly beleeued in the true God of heauen were so great an impiety as hell it self cannot breath forth a greater Neither need I alledge places of scripture they are so infinite or other testimonies the light of reason is manifest and cleere that our soueraigne God cannot sinne And that the reprobate in generall haue their wills free from the thraldom of sinne the very lawes and commandements of God and man the rewards and punishments of all common wealths the threats and persuasions so often proposed vnto them in holy Scripture do abundantly witnesse as I haue els where largly demonstrated Therfore I heere passe theÌ„ ouer with this saying of S. Augustine vvho discoursing of those reprobate who refused to come to the heauenly supper Aug. li. 83. qq q. 63. prepared for them sayth Those that wold not come ought not to attribute it to any other but only to themselues Exod. 8. 2. because vt venirent vâ—cati erat in libera voluntate being called it was in their freewill to come The scripture likewise Exod 9. 1. 2. speaking of Pharao in particular declareth his absolute freedome saying dismisse my people c. but if thou wilt not Exod. 10. 3. 4. And in the next chapter dismisse my people to sacrifice vnto me and if thou refuse and holdest them And again til when wilt thou not be subiect vnto me Dismisse my people but if thou resist wilt not c. Wherefore vnlesse a man vvill be as obstinate as Pharao was he must needs graunt that his will was free Aug. lib. de praed gr cap. 15. and not necessarily deteyned in the captiuity of sinne els as Origen vrgeth why doth god blame him saying but thou because thou wilt not dismisse my people behold I will strike all the first borne in Aegypt And S. Augustin expressely teacheth that he was not thrall to sinne but that he did freely of his owne accord rebell against the hand of God comparing him thus with Nabuchodonozor Touching their nature they were both men touching their dignity both Kings touching their cause both deteyned the captiued people of God touching their punishment both with chastisements were benignly admonished what therfore made their ends so different but that one feeling the hand of God groaned and lamented with the remembrance of his owne iniquity the other warred with his freewill against the mercifull truth of God 3. The seauenth heresie auerreth that the liberty of free-will Fulk in ca. 8. ad Rom. sect 8. is not only captiue in the reprobate but abolished also in Gods elect for these be Fulkes owne words The eternall predestination of God excludeth the merits of man and the power of his will therby to attayne to eternall life But S. Thomas S. Thom. 1. p. q. 23. â—rt 2. our Angelicall Doctour teacheth that predestination putteth nothing in the predestinate nor any way altereth the faculty of his will for it is nothing els according to him and all other Deuines but the eternal purpose and decree wherby God ordeineth and directeth some by supernaturall meanes to the attayning of euerlasting blisse which he sweetâ—ly bringeth to passe not by any phisicall motion or necessarie determination but by certaine moral inspirations callings and persuasions c. setting before them such forcible reasons and motiues so effectuall in tyme and pâ—lace so fitt with such apparant shew of honest profitable and delightsome good as he mildly draweth them without any let or hinderance to the liberty of their will leauing it to worke with the same connaturall choice and indifferency as if there were no such decree or purpose at all otherwise how are the elect counsayled exhorted encouraged and commanded in holy writ to purchase their heauenly blisse How is the kingdome of heauen proposed as a crowne as a goale as a reward to be wonne bought and gayned by their labours if they haue no power to gayne it How are they honoured and praysed who valiantly striue in this behalfe they blamed rebuked who are idle lazy vnlesse they haue free power to work attayne their saluation But of maÌ„s freedom euen in things supernaturall I haue sayd inough in the 24. 25. Controuersyes Now I follow on my way 4. From those latter heads of heresy other heretiÌ„call Fulk in ca. 8. ad Rom. sect 9. Caluin l â— institut §. 7. 28. 29. 43. l. 4 in sâ—it cap. â—7 §. 2. Fox Act and Monâ— Tom. 2. where hâ— reâ—itethand approueth these words of Tindaiiâ— positions take their beginning to wit that the elect do what they will cannot possibly be damned nor the reprobate be saued that they can neuer vtterly loose the fauour of God nor these truly enioy it For thus saith Fulke Euery christian man which is indued with faith and hope may and ought to be infallibly assured that he is iustified and shall be saued Caluin Let all the faithfull be bold safely to assure themselues that they can no more faile of the kingdome of heauen into which Christ is already entred then Christ himselfe Fox also We haue as much right to heauen as Christ hath we cannot be damned vnlesse Christ be damned nor can Christ be saued vnlesse we he saued But as touching the reprobate they according to Fulke are antecedently ordeyned to destruction by Gods immutable counsaile they are necessarily tyed to the slauery of sinne they cannot repent or beleeue therfore they haue no power at all to gayne their saluation or 2. Timoth. 2. 20. purchase the fauour of God A most pernicions and damnable assertion cleane crosse to the saying of the Apostle In a great house there are not only vessells of gold and siluer but of wood and earth and some truly vnto honour and some vnto contumelie if any therfore shall cleanse himselfe from these he shal be a vessell for honour sanctified and profitable for our Lord prepared for euery good worke Therfore the reprobate which are vessels of wrath and contumelie may purge themselues become vessels of honour vessels of election Then Cain Gen. 4. 6. was a reprobate yet he might haue returned if he would into the state of grace and fauour of the highest as appeareth by the expostulation God vsed vnto him Why art thou angry and why is thy countenance fallen By the condition he proposeth If thou do well By the promise he maketh shalt thou not receaue again By the commination or threat he addeth but if thou doest ill shall not thy sinne forthwith be present Esau was a reprobate and yet S. Augustin Aug. l. â— ad Simplic q. 2. sayth of him Esau was not willing and runned not but if he had bin willing and had runned he had arriued at the goale by the help of God who also by calling wold