hath called them he hath iustified scilicet remissionepeccatoruÌ„ as the Glosse expoundes that place to which agreeth Gorram in Rom. 4. and Pighius often in his controuersie de fide iustificatione But where Christes righteousnesse is imputed there is true iustification which cannot bee perfect without full remission saith Paul Roman 3. Wherefore in saying that wee denie a perfect remission is to deceiue the reader and to abusevs and to accompt this doctrine that the not imputing of sinnes is a perfect forgiuenesse as an absurditie is the disgrace of the scriptures not of vs which are so taught by the Scriptures Sinnes are debtes Math. 18. the creditor beeing satisfied the bond is cancelled the debt remitted God is reconciled to vs by his sonne the price of whose bloud hath satisfied him I. Pet. 1. the vertue thereof hath washed vs Apocal. 1. the hand-writing is fastened to the crosse Colos. 2. the sinne forgiuen vnto vs yet stil we remaine debters otherwise wee neede not dailie pray forgiue vs our debtes Mat. 6. therefore they are remitted because not exacted extreamely not beecause they are taken away radically for Dauid did not pronounce him blessed saith S. Augustine in quo non inuenta c. in whome sinne was not found at all but to whome God impuleth not sinne Who hath had what hee could require death for the transgression of the precept Gen. 3. our Sauiour hath suffered it Phil. â— a curse for the breach of the law he hath borne it Gal. 3. the hugenes of our sinnes cannot prouoke him the price hath sufficed him the lothsomnes cannot offend him his bloud hath purged them No doubt the corruption thereof exhaleth as hee speaketh of themselues a noysome sauour and stench which Dauid confesseth Psal. 38 yet the sonne of righteousnesse hath dispersed the fogge that it cannot ascend to his father and the sweet smelling sauour of his sacrifice Ephes. 5. hath taken away the sent thereof that it caÌ„not annoy him and this is that which Dauid calleth the couering of our sinnes Psal. 32. vpon which both S. Augustine diuinely descanteth If hee haue couered them noluit aduertere hee would not marke them if hee would not note theÌ„ noluit animaduertere he would not straightly examine them if not sift them narrowly noluir punire hee would not punish them noluit agnoscere maluit ignoscere he would not acknowledge them he had rather forgiue them and one of their owne Flaminius in his paraphrase vppon the Psalmes dedicated to Cardinall Farnesius excelleÌ„tly saith Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes is forgiuen it is woorth the notÃng saith he how the Prophet pronounceth them blessed not which are free from sinne cleane without all spot for there is none such liuing but them to whome Gods mercy forgiueth sinnes and them it forgiueth who coÌ„fesse and beleeue that the bloud of Christ is the perfect expiation for their sinnes and offences Who is it then which can lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen accuse them saith Paule if none can conuince them they are perfectly iustifyed if so then fully remitted so it is saith the Apostle it is God that iustifieth How one of their owne doctors shall expound it in forbearing the punishment beecause hee hath said nolo mortem peccatoris a sinner hee is but I will not that he shal die And that which the schoolemen say that formale peccati is abolished but the materiale remaineth is nothing els but that which we say the guilt is remooued because God is pacified in his beloued yet the reliques of sinne still remaine and dwell within vs euen being regenerate Rom. 7. for if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues but if we confesse theÌ„ hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue theÌ„ I. Ioh. 1. Now in their opinioÌ„ how are sinnes forgiuen by charitie infused which expelleth sin as the light doth darkenes This is the bountie of Gods larges no remissioÌ„ of the trespasse for thogh a creditor giue his debtor a stocke to set him vp this new donation cuts not off the former arrerages which when he pleaseth he may exact so that by this doctrine not the almightie recoÌ„ciled but maÌ„ qualified not Christ patient but a qualitie inherent not god by grace pardoÌ„ing but an instilled vertue expelling sinne is the cause of remission which S. Hilarie manifestly crosseth in saying that the forgiuenesse of sinnes is not probitatis meritum any desert of qualitie within vs but it consisteth in miserendo miserando in the free indulgence of Gods affection compassionating our condition and exuberans bonitas the ouerflowing of his grace abounding to the act of remission which in Iustine Martyr his glosse in Psal. 32. is the not imputing of sinne Blessed saith the Prophet is â—hee to whome the Lord imputeth not sinne that is saith Iustine to whome repenting God doth forgiue his sinne Which not imputing how meanely soeuer they esteeme thereof yet Origen makes the highest step of forgiuenesse the first being dimissio peccati God not obseruing our sin but passing by it as not regarding it the second tectio the couering thereof by his grace the third and highest non imputatio the not imputing them So that the perfect remission of sinnes by Dauid his gradation and Origen his glosse is onely the not imputing of sinne By which assertion neither these Fathers nor wee doe any way attenuate the burden of sinne as beeing thus easely remitted nor bolster it out as presuming of this indulgent fauour and therefore his flaunt of vanity which followeth might well haue beene spared especially since he laboureth to be an Epitomist For let them shift themselues as they list and scarfe their soares according to their fancies yet no veile nor mantle can couer the deformity of sinne from the piercing eies of Gods perfect vnderstanding from which nothing can be concealed Aunsweare Bullatis vt mihi nugis Pagina turgescit saith the poet these are the trappinges of Balaams beast a vaine rhetoricall flourish the displayed streamer of a dastard spirite either distrusting his cause for which hee hath entred the field or the weakenesse of his argumentes wherewith hee should maintaine it His conscience knoweth it because our writinges declare our preachinges declame that with Abacuck wee confesse that as Gods eies are pure not induring to see euill or to behold iniquitie so they are piercing searching the very hart and reines that he detesteth a sinner cane peius angue worse then a serpent for vnto the dragons he said Praise the Lord ye serpents Psal. 148 but vnto the sinner he saith Why doest thou preach my law and takest my couenant in thy mouth that the filthy leprosie of our sinnes make him loath vs and vs also loth to looke vp to him facies peccatorum as Dauid calles it Psal.
offer vp our bodies sacrifices we vse pennance or repentance as the Priestes sacrificing kniues to mortifie our earthly members Colos. 3. to kill those beastlike passions and affections which rage within vs applying it as an wholesome chastisement not vsing it as an holy sacrament it hauing neither visible signe nor diuine institution The Trentish conuenticle confesseth that it was no sacrament in the olde testamente whereby we inferre that it is no sacrament at all for Peter Act. 10 and Paul Act. 26 professe that they preach no other doctrine of repentance then that which the Fathers and rophets beefore had taught Neither was it â—ay the Trentistes a sacrament before Christes resurrection but after it was then first the repeÌ„tance which Iohn Baptist preached Math. 3. and our Sauiour published Math. 4. both which places the Rhemistes haue translated Doe pennance was no sacrament Secondly it crosseth an other assertion of their owne when they say that Pennance is no sacrameÌ„t beefore Baptisme put the case in those which beeing conuerted and hauing repented vpon Peter his sermon Act. 2. were after baptized which was after Christ was risen and ascended by the first opinion then it was a sacrament it was beefore their Baptisme by their second rule then it was no sacrament Lastly by this concession of theirs all the examples and testimonies which they inforce for satisfaction our of the olde testament either of Miriam Dauid or Manasses are friuolous and superfluous And therefore the glosse of their Canon law concludes it is better to say that it was rather an vniuersall tradition of the church then any scripture institution and one of their great schoolemen is peremptorie that the agnizing of the fault desert of punishment together with the recognizing of Gods mercie and fauour causeth remission of the sinne as for confessioÌ„ and satisfaction it is the church imposition Trueth it is loth they are to giue too much to Gods grace therefore because in Baptisme wee receiue remission of our sins freely without our worke concurring they haue inueÌ„ted for falles after Baptisme Pennance wherein temporarie satisfactioÌ„s shal be meritorious As for vs we confesse ingenuously that by reason both of that originall taint which Cyprian calleth virus paternum Adams guilt our naturall corruption which Dauid calleth virus maternum our mothers conception Psal. 51. and the reliques thereof which S. Paul clepeth the law of the emembers Rom. 7. â—eueling in our bodies rebelling against the spirite till it haue gotten from peccatum babitans to peccatum regnans Roâ— 6. as S. Iames saith in many thinges wee euery one offend euen the iustest man seauen times a day Prou. 24. the treacheries of the deuill the lustes of theflesh the allu rements of the world working vppon that corrupt inclination sometimes praeoccupate vs with slips of ignorance through infirmitie oft-times thâ—ough malice precipitate vs into hainous enormities euen those which the schoolemen call vastantia conscientiam which without repentance faith cannot be remitted And therefore we detest the Anabaptistes who establish a perfection after Baptisme more absolute then Adams was in his integritie For as Augustine noteth his was posse non peccare a libertie if hee would not to sinne but they will haue it coelestiall non posse peccare to haue no possibilitie to sinne this is Pharisaicall arrogancie much more the Nouatians who denie to those that relapse after Baptisme any hope of remissioÌ„ froÌ„ God or intromission into the church this is the gulfe of dispaire And to them we 〈◊〉 the Enthusiastes who thinke God will be reconciled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without mediatioÌ„ by prayer or ministerie of the word or assuraunce of faith or sorrow by repentance this is Epicurish securitie but in defiance of them all we preach with S. Augustine repentance to be arra pacis the earnest of our peace with God with S. Basil that it is the physicke of the soule and as in Phisicke there are three partes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surgerie by incision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by purgation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by diet so herein first contrition which is the phlebotomie yea the cutting of the very hart-stringes Act. 2. which Dauid calleth the acceptable sacrifice Ps. 51. secoÌ„d confession as the vomit casting out before God and men to our confusion and their example the filthinesse of our sinnes as the Scolopendra turneth her entrailes outward to scoure them pleading as Gregorie speaketh nostras causas apud Deum causam Domini aduersus nos acknowledging our sinnes against our selues Psal. 32. with shame of countenance with remorse of conscience priuately if we be burdened publikely if we be inioyned Thirdly fasting and weeping Ioel. 2. which is the diet to keepe the bodie vnder and tame it by subiection 1. Cor. 9. not onely as a preuention of sinne but as a punishment for sinne Psal. 69. 1â— which repentaunce or penaunce notwithstanding wee doe not say with the Pseudocatholikes to bee a second plancke to saue vs a new meanes of our remission eleuating thereby or annihilating the vigour and force of Baptisme the effect whereof I said beefore wee tied not ad momentum to the very instant of the celebration as if any sinne after ensuing might abolishit for that were too much to weaken the efficacie of so mightie a sacrament and to repeale too sodeinely the force of so strong a couenant and to deiect most basely the authoritie of so great a seale especially the holy Ghost hauing called it an aeternall mercie an vnmoueable league Esa. 54. and as a continuall current for all times saluos fecit for the time past he hath saued vs by the lâ—uer T it 3. saluos facit it doth saue vs for the present state 1. Pet. 3. and for the time to come he that beleeueth and is baptized saluabitur shall bee saued Mar. 16. And that which passeth all in absurdity is to denie that our sinnes are perfectly forgiuen but onely not imputed and as it were veyled or couered with the passion of Christ all the botches and biles the filth and abomination of sinne still remaining and as it were exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God Aunsweare Dauid seemes mad but to whome saith Austen regi Achis id est stultis ignorantibus to king Achis that is to fooles rudesbies so to Pharisaicall Catholiques destroying grace to reare vp merites the diuinitie both of the greatest Prophet and the chiefest Apostle will seme absurditie To the point Blessed he cannot bee which is not fully remitted but Dauid pronounceth him blessed to whome sinne is not imputed Psal. 32. Christes righteousnesse imputed is the perfect remission of sinnes saith Ambrose in Rom. 8. for our iustification is nothing els but our sinnes remission saith Oecumenius because whome he
A Defence of the Articles of the Protestants Religion in aunsweare to a libell lately cast abroad intituled Certaine Articles or forcible reasons discouering the palpable absurdities and most intricate errours of the Protestantes Religion Vt loquerentur calumniam transgressionem conceperunt et locuti sunt de corde verba mendacii Esa. 59. 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basilius LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe and are to bee sold in Pauls church yard by Mathew Law 1601. To the Right Reuerend Father in Christ Richard by Gods permission Bishop of London my very good Loâ—d TVVo venemous worms there are which like snakes at the Palme roote doe gaster and infect the floorishing state of a setled Church Sacrilege and Haeresie which double mischiefe to the Church is principally imputed to men of the Church ambition basely yeelding to any compact for titular prefermentes feeding the sacrilegious humour factious traducing each of other for opinions different or rather indifferent opening a gap for the haereticall inchanter This last through the despite of Rome transmitting her traiterous shauelinges to seduce good subiectes disgorging loathsome slaunders to defame our Prince and State among forreners and principally dispersing their infamous libels against our religion to make it more odious to our domesticall professors hath of late much pestered and haunted this our Church and Realme the inward cause is their inueterate malice but this outrage in multiplying their blowes thus thicke and threefold pardon my good Lord if I gesse amisse is incensed by an opinion they haue conceyued that there is among vs a generall declining to Poperie aud the ruine beginning at the very groundcelles of religion our schooles of learning which God bee thancked stande both fast and sure against the strongest battery of the Romish factioÌ„ if euer heretofore cleerly voyde of all her superstitious infections yet this hot surmise though very vaine and false hath notwithstanding receiued the flame from a wilde-fire zeale of some vniuersitie men who pronounce euery position to be Popish which is not within the verge of their paper booke common places and wanting the Towne-clarke his discretion Act. 19. 36 to do nothing rashly but to referre the determination to a lawfull assembly vers 39. proclaimed that for heresy in a solemne meeting which comming to a higher and more mature examination prooued to bee so farre from Popery that it was on the contrary conuinced by the writings verdict of the greatest authors of accompt among vs to bee most sound doctrine and orthodoxall By which offensiue clamour woorse then Cham his irrision so farre carried and sorting to so smale effect of trueth howsoeuer without seuere and condigne punishmeÌ„t it escaped yet surely the whole state of this realme the vniuersitie it selfe and the particular persons thus slaunderously abused haue receiued a wroÌ„g scarcely expiable by the diuestiture of the accusers from their places The Realme because report which getteth feathers by flying will sound it out in forreine partes that our fountaines are infected the vniuersitie in that no parent of wisedome and religion will send his sonne to a place suspected the particuler men beeing iniuried in their good name impeached in their preferment discouraged in their indeuours being as readie to confront as willing to encounter as able to ouerthrow any Papist as the most forward and whotspurred challengers of the opposite enraged faction which by your Lordship and other of authoritie Ecclesiasticall being not allayed and scattered it is no marueile if the Papist take courage like another Antaeus thus redouble his strength to the preiudice disgrace of this our famous Church An instance hereof among many other is this smal pamphlet aunsweared by mee so commaunded by his Grace wherin the author taketh euery occasion to triumph in our diuisions VVhich aunsweare I haue presumed to present to your Lordship both as a testimony publike of that reuerent regard which I euer acknowledged due from my selfe vnto you principally for that I am acquainted with that most earnest desire and care which your L. reuealed at your first inuestiture into that great dignitie to haue the common aduersarie euery wâ—y answered This if your good Lordship accept and approue it is the accoÌ„plishment of mine endeuour if not the secoÌ„d part for this is but the first may bee imposed vpoÌ„ some other who with more opportunitie for leysure sufficiencie for learning may discharge it better In the meane time I commend this to your L. fauour and your Lordship to God his protection From his Graces house in Lambeth Ianuary 11. 1601. William Barlow The fiue Articles obiected concerning knowledge and faith 1. The Protestantes haue no faith nor Religion 2. The Learned Protestantes are Infidels 3. All Protestantes ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues are Infidels 4. The Protestants know not what they beleeue 5. The ProtestaÌ„ts haue no meane to determine controuersies abolish Heresies In the aunsweare to them these pointes are fully handled occasioned by his obiections In the first the Returne of the Article in generall vpon the Papistes Antiquitie of our particular Church Inuisibilitie of the true Catholike Church Constancie and Diffusion In the second the Qualities and nature of Infidelitie Best exposition of Scripture Publike Priuate Authoritie of Fathers In the thirde the Credite of Councels and the Church Vse of tounges Bibles translation In the Fourth the Motiues to faith not subiect vnto reason True rule of faith Authoritie of the Apostles Creede Dignitie Vse and Substance Fiue Articles of the Creed examined 1. Catholike Church therein the Definition Description of the true Church 2. Communion of Saints wherein of the Nomber of Sacramentes Presence in the Eucharist Inuocation of Saintes Prayer for the dead and Purgatorie 3. Remission of sinnes wherein of Baptisme Pennance Iustification by not imputing 4. The Deitie of Christ. 5. Descent into Hell In the fifth The fittest arbiter and iudge in decision of controuersies The differences betweene Protestantes and Puritans An aunsweare to an odde extrauagant syllogisme about the Certaintie of Saluation Et me prodes nec tibi proder is nisi perlegas Hieronym To reade as the booke opens casually not from the beginning orderly is to betray my paines and thy profite The greater faults escaped thus to be corrected Blunderus lege Bunderus pag. 20. marg In quos read In quo pa. 32. lin 8. maiestlâ— for maiestie pa. 36. lin 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pa. 52. lin 9. 11 Cor for 1. Cor. pa. 53. marg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pa. 63. lin 2. abundance lege abundare pa. 64. lin vâ—t pag. 67. marg Durius for Duraeus mendatium for mendacium pa. 70. lin 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 71. lin 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pa. 72. li. 14. Ephes. 42. lege Epistol 42. pa. 73 marg ius bt foris buâ— pag. 75.
or doubt which hath as Bernard else where speaketh geminum firmissimumque amoris argumentum the twy-fold and most sure argument of Gods loue both that faithfull witnesse Apocal. 3 Iesus crucified and the pledge of the spirite iustifying him and testifieng vnto him that he is the sonne of God Rom. 8. a pledge saith Aquine yea an earnest 2. Cor. 1. for a pledge is restored when the due is paide but an earnest is giuen vpon a price non auferenduÌ„ sed complendum not to bee taken backe but to be made vp For which cause S. Augustine calles it Maries part Luc. 10 which in this life augetur is encreased in the next perficietur is fully complete nun quam auferetur shall neuer bee taken away This discourse is ful of comfort for the conscience but too full of matter for this briefe aunsweare my conclusion therefore for it is that which is an article of faith is to be certainely beleeued by faith but the assurance to our mindes of our saluation is an article of faith where we say Credo vitam aeternam I beleue the life euerlasting If I say I beleue that there is an euerlasting life after death so much do the deuils confesse and the Pagans haue testified yet there is certitudo obiecti assured vnto vs as beeing promssio Dei the promise of God but when I say I beleeue that the eternall life is prepared and belongeth to me this is certitudo subiecti this is opus fidei the worke of faith which hath both this powerfull force to tourne Dauids quorum into S. Paules ego Blessed are they saith the prophet quorum whose sinnes are forgiuen quorum ego of which I am the chiefe saith the Apostle also this skill to make a garmeÌ„t of Christ to put him on Rom. 13. For that is a great comfort a faithfull saying that Christ came into the world to saue sinners yet that is Christ in the broad-cloth in the whole peece now comes faith and cuts it out and applies it specially which loued me and gaue himselfe for me Galat. 2 here is Christ put on So then faith assuming a particular minor out of the maior generall proposition and making that present which is absent for that cause said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 1. the assuraunce which it giues is not onely spei of hope in expectation but scientie as if it were now in possession in so much that with the Apostle we may say We know that when hee shall appeare we shall also appeare like vnto him in glory VVhich assurance worketh in vs neither presumption vpon his fauour whose maiestie is dreadfull whose iealousie is a consuming fire nor carelesse securitie in our course of life whose standing is so slippery whose occasioÌ„s to sinne so many For the holy man Iob who looking vnto his euerliuing redeemer confidently proclaimed it though hee kill mee yet will I put my trust in him Iob. 14. yet viewing his owne infirmities and propensity to sinne confesseth of himselfe Iob. 9 Verebar omnia opera mea I feared all my workes which feare as also this of feare and trembling in the text cited importeth no suspence of a doubtful but a reuerent awe of a carefull mind sollicitous to please and warie to offend which both the phrase of speech elsewhere vsed implieth as in 1. Cor. 2. where the Apostle conuersed and preached among them in feare and much trembling Of what Doubted hee his calling impossible for he had it ascertained him not by mediate instruction but immediate reuelation Gal. 1. or his doctrine vnlikely hee knew it to bee the power of God vnto saluation Rom. 1. or their persons a base conceite for if hee sought to please men he could not be the seruaunt of Christ Gal. 1. but beeing an Embassadour from God and to deliuer his message as in the presence of God he carefully looked both to himselfe in the deportment of his life and to the diuine maiestie of wordes in the manner of his preaching that neither by his prolapsion into any sinne his doctrine shuld be scaÌ„dalized nor through vanitie of rhetoricall flourish the flags and rags of the false Apostles the dignitie of the Gospel should be amoindred made frustrate So the Corinthians intertainement of Titus was with feare and trembling 2. Cor. 7. if they doubted of his function they neede not feare they might haue renounced him for intrusion without iust authoritie strikes no terrour It was as a Frier expoundes it both the reuerend regard of his person beeing the dispenser of Gods mysteries aud a duetifull obedience to his doctrine being the word of life lest they should seeme vnworthy of an embassy so comfortable of a messenger so diuine As also the purport of the Apostle his counsell in this chapter Phil. 2. which sum marily is nothing els but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should be like minded to Christ vers 5. in shewing that humilitie and carefulnesse of vpright behauiour in Paul his absence as if he were present vers 12. least liuing in the midst of a froward and wicked nation vers 15. the Apostles labour by their carelesse leuitie or carnall securitie should bee deuoyded abased vers 16. this solicitous reuerence eueÌ„ in Tittleman his paraphrase hauing reference to S. Paule his person and their profession with a feare or warinesse to auoide all scandale either passiue from their aduersaries who obserued their maÌ„ners preiudicially or actiue least theÌ„selues should coÌ„mit any action offensiue to God his maiestie who had called them or derogatiue to the Apostles ministery by which they were called so that this feare and trembling to which he exhorteth is for ordering their conuersation a cautele most profitable not diffidence of saluation a motiue most discomfortable For questionlesse that mind which cannot rest ascertained of his future happinesse is most vnsetled and miserable euen in the reach of philosophy Quid 〈◊〉 refert qualis status tuus sit si tibi videtur malus what profite or comfort is it for a maÌ„ to know that theâ—e is a kingdome prepaâ—ed Math. 25 and yet he must doubt whether doome hee shall receiâ—e either ite or venite goe yee accursed or come ye blessed this beeing the very dictate of nature in the Comicall poet Non est beatus esse se qui non putat Hee is no happie man which thinkes not himselfe to be so The mindes felicitie resting not in the future expectation but in the present perswasion And thus haue you his fiue Articles of Faith obiected like fiue vials of his malice effâ—sed whereof the summe totall being if you make them the erection of their Câ—â—rch her tribunall you may conclude as S. Cyprian of the fiue schismaticall Priests Ecclesiam spondent vt qui illi credit in totum ab Ecclesia pereat they