recouered after his fall and perseuered vnto the end Our Sauiour said not to him thou shalt not deny mee but That thy faith fayle not and that his faith did not eternally fayle it was out of his speciall fauour vnto him and care of him saith Chrysostome hom 83. in Math. This is the prime true and literall meaning of the Text euen in the opinion of your owne Partiaries that Christs prayer was personall for Saint Peter restrained vnto Saint Peter alone which being so first setled and acknowledged Peter may be said in a secondary sense to sustaine the person of the whole Catholique Church in which sense many and they no Protestants doe vnderstand it And so his Faith that is the Faith of the Church fayled not either totally or finally no not in the greatest eclipse that euer was because Christ was euer heard in that which he prayed for and he prayed for the Church The refiners of Popery the quintessense of villany the Iesuites haue inuented a third sense to fit the purpose more than the former This promise was made say they to Peter not personally but as Pope And therein was inferred thereby assurance made that the Pope neuer did neuer should neuer could maintaine decide hold belieue any thing against Faith A thing not heard of but out of such mouthes a late dayes False in euent for their faith hath failed totally finally vtterly for euer False according to themselues and their other resolutions For Peter was not Bishop much lesse Pope when our Sauiour Christ prayed for him insomuch as by inchoation when hee denied Christ saith Bellarmine And good reason for his saying so lest his successours might fall into the same predicament His principality in and ouer the Church was not inuested in him vntill after our Sauiours Resurrection Thus hee de Rom. Pontif. 4. 8. therefore hee did not pray for him as Pope Therefore Bellarmine contradicteth himselfe and is contrary to his companions Therefore this prater gagleth hee knoweth not what against his owne rules and against his Masters As also out of Matth. 16. 18. The gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it It What Saint Peters Faith Was the Church therefore built vpon Saint Peters Faith Take heede of that It is the Church not his Faith nor his Person nor his Papacy But let it for once be his Faith I answere there is a twofold preuayling against First to ouercome So Iosua in fight preuayled against Amalec by the signe of the Crosse rather than the sword Secondly a preuayling against to destroy So did Saul preuaile against the same Amalec The Gates of Hell did not preuayle against Peters Faith to vndoe it For being lapsed hee recouered and mightily preuayled against them They did preuaile against it to ouercome him For he forswore and denyed his Master The Faith of Marcellinus and Liberius fayled but they recouered as Saint Peter did The Faith of Honorius and Iohn 12 fayled happely hee recanted before his death and so his Faith did not fayle finally But Iohn 12. liued and dyed in his Faith that is in his Sinne and so Body and Soule went to the Diuell Saint Peters Faith fayled onely for a time Of this speake the Protestants His Faith fayled Saint Peters faith did not finally or irrecouerably fall Thus intended our Sauiour in that saying I haue prayed that thy Faith fayle not But Sir it mattereth not much what became of his Faith His Person is the thing to be stood vpon his Power Principality Papall Prerogatiues seated therein this I trow is so cleare in holy Scriptures no great neede to fortifie it by or from the Fathers and yet I maruaile why if so cleare there wee haue so few Texts of holy Scriptures for it onely two Texts nay scarcely that For one of these is cleare for another thing And againe whatsoeuer you vaunt of Fathers needelesse to be brought it is more than presumption you had not one Father to fling at this Faith not fayling For when you haue them you spare them not IX That a Woman may be supreame Gouernesse of the Church in all Causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall as Queene Elizabeth was QVeene Elizabeth was With lye and all No Protestant euer saide so of Queene Elizabeth No Protestant euer thought so of any Woman You shamelesse pennes and brazen faces You haue often vouched Caluin against such Gouernement whom you make the Patriarch fondly of our Profession and yet you impute it to our Doctrine Lyers in this or in that needes Can you of your knowledge say this title was giuen vnto Queene Elizabeth Did shee euer practise it actually or challenge it habituall to her Person or her State And if it had beene challenged or giuen in Her time seeing that it is not at present but disclaimed by him that best may and seeing it dyed if yet it euer liued together with her what meaneth this quarreller to stirre vp a new allayed strife and trouble things setled and well disposed of The truth is Queene Elizabeths stile was no other then than King Iames is now mutatis mutandis Ouer all persons in all Causes not and all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuil in these her Maiesties Realmes and Dominions next vnder God supreame Gouernour Can your small vnderstanding put no difference betwixt Ouer all and In all betwixt Persons and Causes ouer all Persons in all Causes is one thing Ouer all Persons and all Causes is farre another thing Ouer Each or ouer Causes without Persons looketh your way But Causes with Persons ouer the Parties in their proceedings is no such exorbitances no Scripture expresse none inferred against it to any purpose We doe not professe much lesse propose or propugne that Princes are Heads or Gouernours to any such intent as to coyne or set abroad new Formes of Faith to determine what is defide what not as your side belyeth vs and beareth your Proselites in hand we doe Wee giue no such authority to any humane Power They were of you that did it at Trent that cast it vpon your Lord God the Pope He was one of you none of our side Stephen Gardner by name who to flatter the Prince in state and keepe himselfe in those hurring times in his fauour openly auouched as Cardinal Poole relateth That the King might take away the Cup from the Laity Potestas enim summe est penes regem For the King hath supreamest Power Such aphorismes neuer came out of our mouthes We say Princes haue supreame Power in Earth vnder God ouer all Persons in all Causes whatsouer within their Dominions euen in Causes meerely Ecclesiasticall to compell them to doe their duties by the Ciuil Sword Not ouer all Causes to doe as they will to command or change beliefe or Faith Will it rellish better with you in Saint Augustines words Then this is our profession in his words Kings serue God as Kings if in their owne Realmes they command good things not alone which concerne the
ciuill state of men but which doe also touch Religion and Piety Thus he so we in our Profession ouer all persons in all causes Not In all Causes alone and singular as you traduce vs. Hoc posito Now see wee your Texts of Scripture contrary to this in our owne Bibles 1 Tim. 2. 11. Let the woman learne in silence with all subiection Therefore a woman heire or otherwise cannot be Gouernour in her Realmes Doe you thinke that the Lady Infanta no Protestant Princesse will be so confinde because shee may not say Masse nor speake in the Congregation therefore as Dutchesse of Burgundy or Countesse of Flaunders may shee not meddle with the State Marke your owne words But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to vsurpe authority ouer the man Therefore shee cannot be supreame Gouernesse Let Catholicke Ladies looke to this Such Fellowes if they had their due would haue their mouthes gag'd with an halter I their tongues cut out and cast to Dogges If this were intended by Saint Paul I maruell why the Eunuch returning home into Ethiopla did not put downe Candace from being Queene If you take it not as you speake it for Equiuocators say one thing and meane another generally of all authority nor yet of any subiection but as Saint Paul restraineth it onely to Teaching and speaking in the Church we subscribe vnto you wee are of the same minde with you we say the same thing that you doe but then wee call your honesty into question and affirme you deale perfidiously with vs in belying vs and falsly with your Proselites in seducing them Did euer any Allen or Saunders or Parsons or Kellison heare Queene Elizabeth Preach Did euer any see her administer the Sacraments take vpon her to expound Scripture appoint Faith or denounce Excommunication Shee claimed and might and had authority commanding coerciue coactiue ouer Church-men Did shee euer challenge or vse it or was it giuen her in Church-seruice as Saint Tecla did and Saint Katherine of Siena in your Legends as Pope Ioane did if there sate such a strumpet in Saint Peters Chayre as Prioresses and Abbesses haue and exercise by your Canon Law or with Dispensations An Abbatesse may command the Priests that are subiect to her to excommunicate her rebelling Nunnes and the Priests are bound to obey her So Tabiena Armilla Panormitane Astensis The Canonists are of this minde saith Stephanus de Aluin that the dignity of Prelacy and excellency of Office may giue to Ecclesiasticall women therefore howsoeuer to women spirituall and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction which they may enioy not onely by right delegated and committed vnto them but by ordinary also Now good Sir Gagger how digest you this good Catholicke Doctrine gaue wee euer so much to Queene Elizabeth Is this according to your Bibles or are your Bibles and ours not the same That of 1 Cor. 14. 34. is not cited according to our Bibles of the last Transation which you yet pretend to follow and howsoeuer cited it is not to purpose onely it discloseth your leud demeanor Saint Paul forbiddeth women to speake or teach in Churches so doe we And in conuenticles also you may see it inquirable presentable punishable in our visitations if any such presume to expound or interpret Scripture in priuate Houses You may sooner heare Pope Vrban preach then any Woman with vs to execute any function Ecclesiasticall who with you doe ordinarily baptize For satisfaction to poore misled Catholikes in this point if yet they will be satisfied take the resolution of our Church Art 37. The Queenes Maiesty it was made you know in Queene Elizabeths time hath the chiefe power in this Realme of England and other her Dominions vnto whom the chiefe gouernement of all Estates of this Realme whether they be Ecclesiasticall or ciuill in all causes doth appertaine and is not nor ought to be subiect to any forraigne iurisdiction 2. Where wee attribute to the Queenes Maiestie the chiefe gouernment by which titles wee vnderstand the mindes of some slanderous folke to be offended wee giue not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods Word or of the Sacraments The which iniunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queene doe most plainly testifie But that onely prerogatiue which wee see to haue beene giuen alwayes to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed vnto their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or temporall and restraine with the Ciuill Sword the stubborne and euill doers This is all that Queene Elizabeth had or challenged Publike Records publike notice publike testimony of the State and all that then liued are of greater credit I hope with all moderate and honest Romish Catholikes then the leud lying aspersions of a partiall Factionist such as this Fellow is and many of his companions are who haue taken vp this course as of inheritance and kinde to dare say any thing in despight of honesty and truth in ordine ad Deum for the Catholicke cause X. That Antichrist shall not be a particular man and that the Pope is Antichrist THat Antichrist was to come and so prophecied of that he is called That man of sinne is in my Creed and an Article of my Beliefe as being plainly and directly expressed such in Scripture And this I know no Protestant but beleeueth But whether he was to be One particular man or a State a succession opposite to Christ I know no Article Canon or Iniunction that tyeth mee to beleeue The Church of England leaueth me to my opinion Euery man may abound in his owne sence and beleeue it or not beleeue it as he will For who dareth peremptorily define what God himselfe hath not but left at liberty The Fathers I grant runne most vpon one man So doe your Masters of the Roman Church The Protestant Writers doe most of them encline rather to a Succession and a state of men but not all Not all so peremptorily as not to encline notwithstanding vnto one man who more then any of his rank shall oppose himselfe to Christ in that state and Succession Antichristian vnto whom all those markes and descriptions set downe in holy Scripture shall perfectly agree as Zanchius and many others doe hold For in point of Prophecie and that so obscure as this vntill plaine euent doe make it manifest iudgements doe and may well sauing the peace of the Church vary nor should wee condemne or censure Dissenters any way from our priuate opinions Whether the Pope bee that Antichrist or not the Church resolueth not tendreth it not to be beleeued any way Some I grant are very peremptory too peremptory indeed that he is He for instance that wrote and printed it I am as sure that the Pope is Antichrist that Antichrist spoken of in Scripture as that Iesus Christ is God But they that are so resolute peremptory and certaine let them answere for themselues they
It is possible to keepe this Commaundement saith Bellarmine through assistance of Grace and so not to couet at all Which thing if St. Cyryl said hee said not onely more than hee can make good but more also than is required More than Bellarmine would haue him say or doth desire at his hands Nay more than he would approue in him or make good if he should say it For Non concupiscec thou shalt not couet goeth on so farre as to exclude euen veniall sins Which needeth not For our Masters yeelde vnto them and exclude no more but mortall sinnes It is possible to fulfill the Law Why Because the Law forbiddeth and condemneth onely mortall sinnes But a man cannot possibly auoide veniall sinnes Those therefore the Law forbiddeth not They may be Praeter beside the intent of the Law They are not contra against the Law Againe Non concupisces pricketh vp to that fomes peccati the sourse nurse and fomentation of sinne which our Masters confesse is not extinct cannot cease in the Regenerate If Saint Cyril saide that Non concupisces may be performed that is that the sustentation of Sinne may cease he said that which Bellarmine will not defend And you Sir Puny what are you For in this life that fomes peccati ceaseth not which your men maintaine against Prosper Dysâ—deus or Faustus Socinus and such impes of Sathan But indeede nor so nor so Cyril restrayneth Non concupisces thou shalt not couet or desire vnto one particular Act obiectiuely the not-lusting after or desiring of a Woman This Christ forbâ—d beyond the Law which at least was taken by them to inhibite no more but the outward act And this may be done many haue done it I make no question As for Concupiscence in generall it is apparant hee held it not as is imagined and held it altogether vnmasterable for hee saith Res est vt opinor ad quam pertingi nequeat It is in my opinion of that condition as no man can attaine vnto vtpote incomprehensibilis quodam modo supra naturam as being out of mans reach and compasse altogether and in a sort aboue the assise of Nature Thus Cyril albeit hee nameth Concupiscence yet taketh it not so as the aduersary pretendeth for any Concupiscence in large extent but onely in specie for that kinde of Concupiscence and no more which is in carnall affection to a Woman Many haue attained vnto this perfection neuer any vnto that but Iesus Christ in one flesh without sinne Saint Hilary vpon Psalm 118. saith somewhat it seemeth but not that which you would haue him say It is not hard are his words if our will be but present to fulfill the Commaundement of God Thus your Master C W. B. out of Bellarmine jugler as hee was and thus you as false a Traytour as hee As if it had beene Saint Hilaries minde A man that will may easily keepe the Commaundements and whole Law of God who nor said it nor yet thought it For hee vpon these words of the 119. Psalm Thy Commandement is exceeding large expoundeth large in a two fold sence First because the knowledge of Gods Law doth infinitely extend and aduance the vnderstanding of mans Ignorance that is Make ignorant men to vnderstand and know very much Or else because there are many parts of it many dueties required in it so that hee which cannot keepe one may keepe another and please God in one as hee may displease him in another It neither being required of any man to performe all nor possible for any man to performe all How like you this Doctrine Sir This is Hilaries resolution thus and no other way he concludeth that it iâ— possible to keepe the Law You shall haue his words at large not as they are curtailed by false knaues to deceiue men Latum plauè est siue quod in infinitum cognitionem humanae ignorantiae extendit Siue quod multa sunt in quib us Dei praecept is obtemperatur atque placetur secundum diuisiones munera gratiarum Non enim abomnibus omnia expectantur neque vniuersi vniuersa ad summam placendi implere possunt Alius 〈…〉 nio placet Simplicitate fidei promeretur alius alius vitia eleemosynis redimit c. Latum igitur mandatum Dei est in omnia spei nostrae genera diffunditur vt non difficile sit praecepto Domini obtemperare cum latum diffusum sit ad placendum officiosae religionis varietate It is then particular obedience which he speaketh of to any one point or precept of the Law Hilary to that purpose sets it downe praecepto not praeceptis not vnto the whole Law as is pretended So that much collusion hath been in this Testimony First by Bellarmine who taketh it by halfes for his aduantage Then by our English Succedor who geldeth it more to make it serue as an Eunuch the Babylonian turnes Next Saint Basil pronounceth it an impiety to say Impossibilia esse spiritus sancti praecepta Our English Iugler representeth it That the Commandements of God are impossible Of God For of the Spirit Why what materiall difference The Spirit is God and God is a Spirit Yet a difference betwixt the Commandements of God and Commandements of the Spirit For marke Saint Basil explaining those words Attende tibi saith they may be conceiued of two wayes Corporally looke to thy Body and the things thereof Spiritually and that which appertaineth vnto the state of thy Soule And he addeth they must be taken for the things of the soule because that which God commandeth as you will haue it or as he speaketh The Commandements of the Spirit are not impossible But to attend a mans body corporally is impossible For it cannot be that euery part of a mans body should be so perpetually in his Eye as that attendance be still vpon it The Eye cannot discerne it selfe nor yet any part of the head the backe or inward parts This is impossible therefore this is not the meaning For the Spirit would not command things impossible that is impossible in themselues where there is an impossibility betwixt the termes So that in Saint Basil impossibility is that impossibility which is not actionis susceptiua For as Halensis obserueth the Irrefragable Doctor Possibility is of two kinds Actiua and Actionis susceptiua Par. 3. memb 5. art 1. Now no man saith it is impossible to keepe any or all Gods Commandements because in and of themselues they are not keepeable The Eye is not susceptiua actionis to behold or see the things behind But that which the Spirit there commandeth is in it selfe possible to be done So Basil saith as little to the purpose as any other Writer doth whatsoeuer being arightly vnderstood and not peruerted in his meaning See Basil and if this be not his meaning let me be held as honest as this Gagger that peruerteth his sence a contrary way that is a false knaue Hierome lastly in his third
Booke against the Pelagians who pleaded then as our Romane Catholiques doe now hath these words God hath commanded things possible No man doubteth Possible in themselues absolutely though not to vs as the Case now standeth respectiuely Possible vnto vs when they were first commanded though not so possible since the commandement For God made man right and gaue him a Law Since that hee hath intangled himselfe many wayes Possible now in part though not in all to some men albeit not generally vnto all It plainly appeareth what Hierome meant for he addeth Sed quia homines possibilia non faciunt idcircò omnis mundus subditus est Deo indiget misericordiâ eius But because men doe not that which of it selfe is possible therefore all the World is subiected vnto God and standeth in neede of his mercy So that hee explaineth his owne meaning They were possible in themselues though not possible vnto man Secondly some things possible at some time to some men though not to all men at all times And so is that to be vnderstood which Bellarmine hath out of the same Hierome in Mat. 5. omitted by this Collector because not found in his good Founder C. W. B. Multi praecepta Dei imbecillitate suâ non Sanctorum viribus aestimantes putant esse impossibilia quae praecepta sunt to wit those Precepts explained vpon the Law Loue your enemies Doe good to those that hate you Et dicunt sufficere virtutibus non edisse inimicos Caeterum Diligere plus praecipi quam humana Natura patiatur Sciendum est ergo Christum non impossibilia praecipere sed perfecta Quae fecit Dauid in Saul Absolon Stephanus quoque Martyr pro inimicis lapidantibus deprecatus est Many men measuring the Commandements of God not by the performings of Saints but their owne weaknesse account things impossible by God commanded and account it enough for a vertuous man not to hate his enemies As for that To loue them it is a Precept beyond humane possibility But wee must know Christ commanded not impossible but perfect things Such as Dauid did in Saul and towards Absolon And that blessed Martyr Stephen prayed for them that stoned him So it is not obscure what the Fathers meant by that It is possible to keepe the Lâ—w. In it selfe not impossible At some times not impossible In part not impossible they neuer came to this presumption Any man at any time All the Law Therefore Iustine Martyr against Tryphon saith vpon that Text Cursed is euery one that doth not obserue all the Precepts of the Law to doe them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Your selues dare not say it and what the Iewes durst not say you dare sweare that any man hath perfectly kept them all But there are that haue obserued some more some lesse in those things that were commanded I grant with Hierome Lib. 2. c. Pelagian That many men haue liued iust and righteous But I doe not grant that euer any man was without sinne Sine omni autem peccato fuisse omnino non assentior If any man imagine hee hath obtained that perfection Aut superbus aut stultus est He is no letter then a proud foole All that I can challenge in the height of my perfection is but onely that of Saint Augustine Meritum meum misericordia Domini The mercies of the most high are my merits Therefore wee professe with earnest deprecation Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord For in thy sight shall no flesh be iustified And If thou shalt be seuere to marke what is done amisse who O Lord shall endure it Iob neuer aduanced his perfection to the fulfilling of all that God commanded though 27. 6. he vseth those words in your Translation Non reprehendit me Cor meum My heart hath not reproued me all my dayes For his meaning is As long as I liue I will maintaine my Innocency that I haue not dissembled in my heart This I will stand to euerlastingly and not betray my owne Cause Otherwise as Saint Gregory hath obserued here Se peâ—cesse superius accusat He hath formerly accused himselfe of sinne Nor doth God excuse him from all breach of the Commandement who giueth him that Testimony 1. 22. Ioh did not sinne For it is limited In all this and yet not sinne in that sort as to Charge God with iniustice Sciendum est We are to know saith Gregory that there are some kinde of sinnes which the righteous men canauoid and there are sinnes which the most righteous cannot auoid If sins then needs against some Commandement For no Sinne but is a Transgression of the Law If against the Law then the Law is not kept in doing them and if the most Righteous cannot but doe them surely the most Righteous cannot keepe the Law This was once the Doctrine of the Romane Church For Gregory hath it that was Bishop of Rome in his Morals Lib. 27. and 7 Chapter vpon Iob. Hath that Church then left her ancient Faith XVII That onely Faith iustifieth and that good workes are not absolutely necessary to Saluation COntrouersies are sometime multiplied vnnecessarily by these Romance Catholiques to iangle the more and sometime hudled vp by confounding many to deceiue the more as in this present Question of Faith iustifying a great Controuersie And workes concurring as maine a diuersity vnto Saluation Though distinction of parts be fit to teach and giueth life and lustre vnto discourse yet seeing it hath pleased this fellow to confound these two we must goe on with him in his wild-goose race vp and downe To iustifie is a word of Christian learning onely yet taken and deriued from externall Courts and iudiciary proceedings in Cases of Accusation and Defence In which regard it hath a three-fold extent vpon a three-fold seuerall act First to make iust and righteous Secondly to make more iust and righteous Thirdly to declare and pronounce iust and righteous Not exactly obserued in humane Courts I grant For no Iudge can make a man what he is not he can finde him what he is and make him appeare so more and more by euidence and at last declare him and pronounce him so by publike sentence of absolution But for those three seuerall acts in the iustification of a Sinner the Scripture plainely it cannot be denied doth distinguish them thus Rom. 4. 5. He that belieueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly Augustine vpon the 30. Psalme expoundeth it thus Who is it that iustifieth the Wicked Hee that of a wicked man maketh a righteous So Rom. 3. 20. 24. and 1 Cor. 6. 11. For there is a two-fold state of man in this world The one Originall as he is conceiued and borne in sinne and accordingly produceth in life and actions the cursed workes of a bitter roote The other Acquisite renewed according to the Spirit vnto the state of perfection with God Of Nature wherein Of Grace whereto In Nature there is nothing cleane or pure that