washed but not purifyed exorcised and breathed on but not infranchised from the power of the Diuell Say also that bloud is shed for them in remission of sinnes but they are cleansed with the remission of no sinne these be strang thinges which you teach new thinges which you teach false thinges which you teach we wonder at the strang beware of the new reproue the false If he thus canuased them for denying the VVhitaker l. 8. aduersus Duraeum and in his answere to 8. reason of M. Campain f. 22â— in English In his marginall â—ots added out of his defence purgation of infants soules who acknowledged in them nothing to be purged how would he haue ratled you who acknowledg them defiled yet not purifyed from their ordure You say I confesse their persons are accepted through the mercy of God their faults are not imputed they are outwardly couered with the veile of grace but within within lurketh the venome which infecteth the whole man within in themselues in the secret bowells of their soule they are as deeply tainted poysoned and corrupted as when they were first borne the children of wrath the sonnes of darknes and of vtter perdition 18. O Diuellish facriledge O hatefull barbarisme which Whitaker himselfe would seeme to abhorre for being charged therewith first by M. Campian after by Duraeus he answereth That channell of sinne doth remaine not within them that haue attayned true righteousnes as you slaunder vs to teach but by the power of the Holy Ghost it is dayly purged out You see he would fayne wash his handes and plead not guilty of this hideous blasphemy but examine him vpon the former interrogatoryes and you shall find him as innocent as Pilate was from the bloud of Christ Aske him or any of his followers what is purged by renouation from the soules of the righteous Is the whole staine of Originall infection cleansed forth and do the scarres the infirmityes only abide We desire no more you recant your heresy and ioyne handes with vs. Or is any part of the contagion although it be essentially a priuation and consist not of parts scoured out by infusion of grace Not so for this liquor is so pretious as it cannot endure the spot of mortall crime the bed of our soules is too narrow to lodge any part of the one with the presence of the other And the Holy Ghost too full of purity might and goodnes to create a worke so imperfect a monster so deformed as I haue partly already and shall more fully demonstrate in the next Controuersy which followeth This is more largly proued in the next coÌ„trouersy of inherent iustice Notwithstanding let vs graunt that some part is purged out heerof it must needs ensue that that which by parts is taken away may at length be wholy destroyed for euery finite thing by subtraction of finite parts must of necessity be exhausted in the end Therefore if we be often renewed by the power of the Holy Ghost we may in this life at least in long processe of tyme and dayly increase of vertue be perfectly cleansed from all spotes of sinne Which Whitaker neuerthelesse and all his complices VVhitak vbi supra Feild Abbots loc citais account impossible obstinatly persisting that as long as we dwell in this world sinne must needs dwell in vs and such of it owne nature is mortall and damnable for veniall they deny What glosse then what exposition can they make of the wordes before cyted But that the chaÌ„nell of sinne is sayd to be purged out because it is resisted kept in and restrained from breaking forth into workes of iniquity wrought with full consent for iniquity still worketh as themselues confesse not much vnlike the wickednes of him who by sleep is hindred from voluntary mischiefe or rather like a hidden impostume or poysoned canker which cannot be cured but is stopped by Physicke from further infection And this is the abhomination of which we condemne them an abhomination not fit to be proposed to Christian eares or further refuted if necessity did not presse vs with pens of Christians THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH Concupiscence is more particularly proued to be no sinne Other obiections to the contrary answered against Doctour Whitaker Doctour Feild and Maister Abbots MERVAILE not Courteous Reader that after so large a discourse and full confutatioÌ„ premised I shold notwithstanding Originall sinne in habiting as ProtestaÌ„ts hold in the regenerat is the only ground of many other their impious paradoxâ— more exactly refell this dangerous paradox of our home-bâ—ed fin irremediably lurking in the bowells of nature The reason is because I find it the generall head-spring or poysoned source from whence sundry puddles of other venemous errours are drawn For from hence our Protestants sucke that deadly baâ—â— that all the actions of man euen his deuoutest prayers best workes and desires are stayned with the aspersion of mortall crime because they passe through the stincâ—ing channell of human corruption Hence they deny the merit of our good deedes wrought by grace because there is no goodâ—es in vs pleasing to God from which they should proceed hence their impossibility of fullfilling Gods Commandments for that euery action of the iust is of it owne nature a transgression of his law hence no inherent but a vaine imputatiue righteousnes for ech one in all his facultyes pestered with this capitall vice no inward iustice no inherent grace but a meere outward imputation belongeth vnto him hence their iustification by fayth alone and apprehension of Christs promises applyed vnto them and not through the dignity of their workes enhaunced by Christ hence no difference betweene the workes of the misbeleiuing Infidel Bell in his down-fall p. 49. Abbot in his defence c. cap. â— p. 176. faithfull Christian but that they both damnably offend in whatsoeuer they do only the misdeedes of the faythfull are not imputed vnto them the faults of the Infidels are hence no freedome of will to performe any morall good no liberty in man to cooperate with God when he first moueth awaketh and calleth him out of the state of sin hence I say from this Cancker of concupiscence as from the sincke of mischiefe in our Sectaryes conceit creepeth the infection of all the fornamed heresyes which pernicious conceit that they may more plausibly maintayne they distinguish following the doctrine of our Deuines concupiscence into two sorts actuall habituall habituall is the habit the inward corrupt quality or powers of the inferiour portion to exorbitant motioÌ„s actuall in the immediat act the vntoward motion or affection it selfe both which they account not only to vndergo the name but to partake the essence and nature of sinne in so much as they hold the vnuoluntary motions of concupiscence although they preuent the vse of reasoÌ„ although they be resisted and suppressed yet to be truely sinnefull in themselues and transgressions of the law Thus they 2.
pride or any other then loue so it is impossible the staynes of those sinnefull actions should be intermixed in the act it selfe of loue Doth it proceed from some other fleshly motion or rebellious inclination But the The corrupt motions of the flesh infect not the work e of the spirit motions of the flesh do not a whit defile the operations of the spirit they are distinct and seuerall actions and these without consent do not partake of their infection What is the spot then of vncleanes what is the muddy water this christall riuer of loue hath drawen from our foule attainted nature Is it nothing els then the defect and want of greater perfection which might be in that act But thus the loue of many Saints and Angells in heauen should be stayned with impurity because none of the inferiour or lower orders arriue to the burning flames or loue of the highest Thus the sinnefull spots should not grow from any casuall and accidentall necessity but from the substance it selfe of the act and make the act of loue as it is substantially lesse perfect so substātially euill substantially naught both which M. Abbot notwithstanding stoutly gainesayeth 6. Besides these spots which destayne our good workes what be they sinnes you graunt but what sins veniall or mortall Veniall you vtterly reiect in so much VVhitak cont ◠q. 6. c. 3. fol. 582. 583. as M. Whitaker sayth that they who allow them do not only euert a true but endeauour to set vp a false fundamentall point Mortall then they are deadly crymes howsoeuer you seeke to extenuate them with diminitiue words they be transgressions of the precepts preuarications of the law of God or Nature for euery deadly sinne is a breach of the Law Then I pose you whether these transgressions be actions distinct from the good workes which they defile or not distinct Say they be distinct and you cannot say they be spots intermixed with our good actions you cannot say our pious workes are besprinkled with them seeing their morall bonity is good and commendable deuided both in nature obiect quality and action from the deformity of these transgressions Say they be not distinct but that the same worke which is good is spotted with deadly trespasses then all good workes be the neuer so excellent are deadly sinnes al formal breaches transgressions of the law From whence that manifestly followeth with which many heertofore haue rightly attached and endited your Synagogue That euery one is bouud to auoyd all good workes vnder payne of damnation Secondly Protestāts are bound to eschew all good works because they are damnable crimes by the force of their doctrine it followeth that M. Abbot hath wronged his Reader and abused Doctour Bishop in disgracing his Syllogisme concerning this matter as consisting of foure termes wheras it consisteth only of three For a worke to be a mortal sinne and stayned with mortal sinne is one the same terme How beit least he should cauill with me as he hath done with him I will frame my argument in the same mood and figure he himselfe requireth thus No mortal sinne is to be done vnder payne ofdānation But all good workes are mortall sinnes Therefore no good worke is to be done vnder paine of damnation M. Abbot denyeth the Minor proposition and answereth Though good workes haue some aspersion or touch of our Abbot c. 4. sect 46. corruption yet do not thereby become sinnes But I proue the contrary for either that aspersion is a deadly offence morally separable from the good action as with our infirmity in this life it is acheiued or altogeather inseparable if morally separable we may sometyme exercise good workes pure and vnspotted without that sinnefull aspersion if altogeather inseparable the action which is done stayned as you to soften the fault daintily speake with the touch of corruption defiled as I demonstrate with the contagion of deadly guilt must needes be a mortall and deadly crime For if the actions of stealing killing many others which may be done sometyme without default as by fooles or madmen are notwithstanding alwayes grieuous and horrible offences when to their positiue Entity or Physicall substance which is good and to which God himselfe concurreth any mortall deformity or deadly infection is adioyned by what forrain circumstance or casuall accident soeuer it be how much more those actions which can neuer be wrought without mortall foule and deadly default as all our good workes according to Protestants how much more are they mortall foule and deadly trespasses 7. In fine D. Whitaker D. Abbot and all my adsaryes Abbot in his defence c. 4. c. 2. Feild in his 3. booke of the Church c. 26. VVhitak l. 8. aduer Duraum acknowledge that our good works sprinkled with the spot of impurity haue not all things necessary vnder sinne to satisfy the law but by reason of our weaknes and infirmity swarue and decline from the fullnes thereof Secondly they acknowledge that all swaruings all declinings from the full prescript of the law are of their owne nature damnable and mortall crimes Therefore by their owne acknowledgment all our good workes are heynous and damnable sinnes But all men are obliged vnder forfeite of saluation to fly and detest all grieuous sinnes therefore all men are obliged by this hellish doctrine to fly and detest al good workes Yea euery one is bound to auoyd the very duties thēselues he is bound to do For we al bound to performe our duties in obseruing the lawes cōmandments of the Decalogue but euery duety we accomplish is weake raw defectiue euery defectiue and imperfect duty a deuiation Abbot c. 4 sect 46. fol. 588. falling away from the perfectiō of the law euery falling away euery deuiation a mortall sinne euery mortal sinne we are bound to auoyde therfore we are bound to auoyde euery duty which we are bound to performe M. Abbot agayne denyeth my consequence because the VVbitak Abbot vbi supra sinne is not implyed in the duety but ariseth by casuall and accidentall necessity from the condition of the man I perceaue the dint of this weapon pricketh you to the quicke it draweth bloud and forceth you to giue ground at euery blow First all our actions were sinnes if seuerely scanned then our good workes are not sinnefull but sinne is intermixed in them And Abbot in his defence c. 4. sect 43. 44. Fulke in c. 1. Luc. sect 7. in 14. Ioan. sect 1. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum are they now neyther sinnes nor sinnefull nor is any sin implyed in our duty Well I am glad to see you recant so it be sincerely done and from your hart For if sinne be not infolded in this duety then the duety no doubt is conformable to the law it satisfyeth the tye and obligation thereof whereinsoeuer it bindeth vnder the penalty of any blamable default yea quoth he Fulke and Whitaker
of his owne consciencâ— as Sozomenus sayth to make choyce of a secret Confessour Against which publike Confession S. Chrysostome also his successour wrote when he sayd as Sparkes alledgeth Take heed thou tell not thy sinnes to man least he 〈…〉 thee with them neyther confesse them to thy fellow-seruans that he may publish them c. In which sense Cassianus is likewise to be interpreted S. Augustine whom our Aduersaries also obiect saying What haue I to doe with men that they heare my Confession c. speaketh only of the discouery of sinnes committed before baptisme which he himselfe voluntarily made not to giue notice of them to men but to giue praise and honour to God who so mercifully pardoned him 14. Their last and chiefest obiection is That men Fulke in cap. 9. Mitth sect 5. 6. 8. Cyril l. 12. c. 50. in 10. cannot forgive sinnes and that it is a proper prerogatiue due to God that none can be remitted but only by him I answere first with S. Cyrill It is no inconuenience for them to forgiue sinnes who haue the holy Ghost Men of themselues cannot pardon sinnes but by the power of the holy Ghost who is giuen them to this end they may Secondly I answere with S. Ambrose refuting the same obiection made by the NouatiaÌ„s Amb. lib. 1. de Pâ—â—iâ—â—â— c. 7. By the Sacrament of Baptisme Priests forgiue sinnes why may they not doe it as well by the Sacrament of Penance May God attribute to the dead element of water power and force to cleanse vs from sinnes and can he not impart the same to a man endued with reason to his Priest substitute and vicegerent vpon earth Thirdly I answere with our Sauiour Christ euen as Almighty God hath giuen power to men to worke miracles to rayse the dead cure the blind lame c. so he may also giue authority to remit Math. 9. v. 2. Mar. 2. 5. Fulke in c. 9. Math sect 7. 8. in cap. 2. Mar. sect 2. 3. Matth. 9. V6 Mar. 2. V. 10. and pardon sinnes Which argument he himselfe vsed For when he sayd to the sicke man whom he cured of the palsy Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee the Scribes murmured against him as Fulke and other Protestants do now against vs saying who can forgiue sinnes but only God And our Sauiour argued and rebuked them in this manner That yee may know the Sonne of man hath power vpon earth to forgiue sinnes I say vnto thee Arise take up thy couch and goe into thyhouse Where by the gift of working miracles he demonstrateth vnto the Iewes that not only as God but also as man he had power giuen him to pardon sinnes Which illation presseth in like sort the Sectaries of our S. Cyrill 12. c. â—6 in 10. Amb. Pacia Aug. locis citatis age For as it pleased God to communicate vnto men to S. Peter and S. Paul and others that rare prerogatiue of working miracles proper to himself so he might also bequeath vnto them this diuine commission of forgiuing sinnes as I haue already declared he did out of the words of Christ and sundry other texts of Scripture out of S. Cyril S. Ambrose Pacianus S. Augustine and the whole Senate of Fathers Yea this doctrine was so generally receaued Sorcrat l. bist triparâ— c. 23. in the tyme of Constantine the great that when Acesius the Nouatian deliuered in his presence how such as fell in tyme of persecution should be inuited to repentance Sarcer in loc com de consâ—s 289. Lobec in disput Theol pag. 295. sect 4. Melanct. l. l. ep p. 234 Harmonie of Conf. p. 250 357. 358. yet might not expect absolution from the Priest but from God himselfe who only had power to loose the chaines of such grieuous Apostasy the Emperour deemed it so strange a Paradoxe as he answered vnto him Then rayse thou a ladder O Acesius and climbe if thou canst alone into heauen 15. In sine sundry of our Aduersaryes mouded no doubt by some secret force of truth either ioyne heerein with vs or adiudge the Fathers on our syde Sarcerius a learned Protestant sayth It is false that Confession made to God abolisheth priuate Confession The same priuate Confession is earnestly defended by Lobecius by Melancthon by the Confessions of Saxony and Bohemia in their Harmony of Confessions Osiander and the Cencurists auouch that Gregory grosly Osiand in epit histo Eccles Centur. 6. p. 183. Magdeb. Centur 6. Simondes vpon the Reuelations p. 57. Fulke in c. 20. loan sect 3. erred concerning Pennance and Confession Simondes affirmeth Leo the first brought in auricular Confession M. Fulke sayth That Ambrose heard secret Confessions kept them secret we giue credit to Paulinus And it is a world to read the variety of cousening sleights he there vseth to auoyd the pressure of this and many other authorityes of Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Cyrill S. Basil S. Hierome S. Augustine Victor and S. Leo. For notwithstanding they all write most plaine in behalfe of our Confession yet he cauilleth with some That they speake not of the necessity therof With others That they speake not of the necessity of priuate but of publike Confession Or if of priuate not to obcame remission of sinnes Or not by the Sacrament of Reconciliation Or not of Confession to be made to a Priest Or if they name Priests as he granteth Leo doth and secret Confession too yet he sayth not quoth he that Confession to the Priests of all sinnes is alwayes necessary 16. Behold the silly steights which falshood inforceth her followers vnto that they may find at length some holes to escape For we graunt that neither veniall Luther l. de Captiu Babylon Melanctb in Apolog. Conf. Augustanae c. de num vsu Sacr. Calu l. 3. c. 46. 7. Calau in his answer to the ep of Card. Pâ—ron f. 16. sinnes at any tyme nor mortall at all houres and seasons or in all places are necessary to be confessed As when without publike notice or notable preiudice to our neighbour they cannot be vttered But we contend that Confession of grieuous and deadly sinnes was instituted by Christ in due tyme and place to be obserued which besides the Fathers and Scriptures the chiefe promoters of Protestancy seem to confirme Luther alloweth Pennance for a Sacrament And Melancthon calleth Absolution the Sacrament of Pennance in such proper sense as he sayth It was instituted by Gods commandment with the promise of gracâ— thereunto annexed To say nothing of Caluin who graunteth the vse heereof to haue beene very ancient nothing of King Iames of whome Casaubon testifyeth his Maiesty grants that the Fathers who did first ordaine auricular Confession had their reasons why they thought that such manner of Confession would further easier attaining to saluation Nothing of the Centurists who write It appeareth out of the workes of Tertullian and Centur. 3. col 227. Confessionem magnoperâ—
Councell expoundeth it should not be â—roden on and defiled by mens feet With the like cosenage they quote a Canon of the Elibertine Councell as though it discharged all Churches of the vse of Images whereas the Councell allowing all Tables and portable Pictures commanded only by reason of the incursions of the Gothes which often happened at that tyme no Image should be painted and engrauen on the wals and windowes of the Church least that which is adored by Christians should be dishonoured and abused by sauage enemyes in their common ransackes and rifling of the Temples 31. Then they produce certaine wordes out of a Conc. Nic. 2 act 6. Bils 4. par pag. 601. proscript of S. Epiphanius Epistle Disswading images to be brought into Churches or erected in Church-yardes or tolerated in priuate houses conuinced in the 7. Synod to be inserted by heretikes where the fable of the painted veile is proued also to be fabulous which the fornamed Epiphanius Baron an Christ 392. caused as they pretend to be cast out of the Church Or he commanded that veile to be remoued and torne in peeces because it was the Picture of a prophane man seeming to be the Image of Christ or some Saint as the wordes themselues import and Baronius in his Ecclesiasticall History diligently vnfoldeth 32. Notorious is the Centurists and Caluins fraud in alleadging to this purpose two vnlawfull Councells tumultuously assembled at Constantinople the one vnder Leo Isaurus the other vnder Constantine Copronimus two pernicious Cent. 8. c. 9 Calu. l. 1. Inst c. 11. Abbas Vrs pâ—â—g in Chron. Bils 4. par pag. 547. Heretikes and as a graue Historiographer chronicleth them Fore-runners of Antichrist Lesse notable yet no lesse dangerous is M. Bilsons legier-de-main in crazing the 2. Nicen and extolling the credit of the Councell of Franckeford where the Churches sayth he of England France Italy Germany c. condemned the former Nicen in behalfe of Images A mighty condemnation if iuridically pronounced as crafty a Collusion if wickedly procured if guilfully extorted The guile lurked in the Authour of the bastardly bookes ascribed to Charles who perswaded the Councell of Franckeford first that the Bishops assembled in the 7. Synod at Nice decreed Images to be worshiped Epist Adri. act 2. subscrip in omnibus actionib Confes act 7. Recant act 1. 3. Centu. 8. cap. 9. Paul Dia. l. 23. ReruÌ„ Rom. Cedr in comp hist Iuo 4. p. c. 147. Bils 4. p. pag. 551. 565. Rein. de dol Rom. Ec. l. 1. c. 2. with the Diuine honour of Latria secondly that this Councell was celebrated without the authority of the Pope of Rome Both false depositions as the Epistle of Adrian the Pope the subscription of his Legates the confession of the Councell it selfe the recantation of Basil the Bishop of Ancyra of Constantine the Bishop of Cyprus can testify who abiuring their Heresyes allowed the Religious yet not the godly worship of Images The Deuines notwithstanding of Franckeford mistaken in this matter of fact by that faythlesse deponent disanulled the second Councel of Nice accursed them who assigned to Pictures the worship of Latria and those withall who should seeke to abolish them Which point M. Bilson concealed as little fauouring his cause Or if this CouÌ„cell had fauoured it could not haue steeded him against the former A priuate Councell cannot impeach a publike a latter a more ancient a Councell from which if the Centurists deceiue vs not the Pope and his Legats dissented a Councell approued by the supreme authority of Pope and Prelate as the 2. Nicen was first by AdriaÌ„ then by Leo the third of that name as Paulus Diaconus Cedrenus and Iuo accord 33. Lastly for the vpshoot and conclusion of their perfidious dealing M. Bilson and M. Reynoldes oppose certaine passages of the Fathers The fact of Ezechias the Idolatry Epiph. haeres 27. Aug. haer 7. Greg. l. 7. ep 109. l. 9. ep 9. Ambr. de Obitu Theodo Aug. de moribuâ— Eccl. Cath. l. 1. c. 34. Caiet in 3â— part q. 25. art 3 of Marcellina Carpocrates the Gnostikes detested by S. Augustine Irenaeus c. detested also by vs. For they as S. Epiphanius and S. Augustine teach had the Pictures of Heathens Homer Plato Pythagoras in equall esteeme and reuerence with the pictures of Christ of Paul c. They burned incense and offered Sacrifices to their Images worshiping them as Gods which we renounce King Ezechias abhorred when he brake the Brasen Serpent in peeces for the like crime committed by the Iewes S. Gregory S. Ambrose S. Augustine with the rest condemne in such places as they speake against the worshiping of Images For as Caietan very learnedly obserueth The Fathers sometime say Picturs ought not to be adored Sometyme they write that they ought They ought not to be worshiped absolutly for themselues not with Sacrifices or Godly homage but they ought to be honoured respectiuely with reference to the Originalls with a deuout and Religious kind of worship as by Scriptures Fathers Councels and vnanswerable proofes I haue manifestly declared to such as will not shut their eyes against the light of truth THE FIFTEENTH CONTROVERSY MAINTAINETH Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead agaynst D. Field and D. Fulke CHAP. I. HAVING mantained the honour of Aug. l. de baer c. 35. Epiph. haer 75. Guido in summa de haeres Field l. 3. c. 17. in append 1. part p. 42. 43. c. Fulke in c. 12. Matth. sect 6. in 1. 10. 1. sect 5. our noble Patrons the glorious and triumphant Saintes in Heauen the worship of their Images the veneration of their Reliques now I come to defend the cause of our humble suppliantes the poore afflicted soules in Purgatory the place of their punishment the reliefe they receaue by our prayers suffrages The later whereof was first gainesayd by Aerius as S. Augustine and Epiphanius the former by the Waldenses as Guido reporteth and both are now denyed by D. Field D. Fulke and all Protestants vpon these three groundes First for that they suppose after the guilt of sinne remitted no punishment remaineth to be expiated either heer by our satisfactory workes or heerafter by the paines of Purgatory Secondly for that they allow no distinction betwixt mortall and veniall sinnes Thirdly because no mention is made in Scripture or in the Primitiue Church either of Purgatory or Praier for the Dead Their former grouÌ„d I haue ouerthrowen in the treatise of Satisfaction now to refute the second Some Protestams imitating the old Heretikes Iran l. 1. adu haeres of whom Iraeneus writeth who spake like Catholikes and meant farre otherwise admit with vs the names of Veniall and Mortall sinnes but in a farre different sense Calu. lib. 2. Inst c. 8. in Antido 2 to Concil Trident. sect 6. c. 12. Eulke in c. 1. 1. ep 10. sect 5. Caluin will haue all sinnes Veniall to the Elect because they
are not imputed but pardoned in Christ all Mortall in the Reprobate M. Fulke conformably deliuereth Allsinnes are pardonable to the Penitent and faythfull and without fayth and repentance euen the least and ligh est sinne are damnable and deadly Against whom I reason thus 2. If there be any sinnes which euen then wheÌ„ they are voluntarily committed without repentance can stand with grace and Iustice the life of our soules they are of their owne nature neyther damnable nor deadly but there are some suchsinnes Therefore there are some sinnes which neyther of their owne nature Prou. 24. v. 16. cause the spirituall death of our soules in this life nor damnation in the next That there are some such sinnes I proue out of Scripture out of the Prouerbes Seauen tymes doth the Iust man fall and rise againe If he be Iust how falleth he into sinne If a sinner how is he called Iust vnlesse some sinne may consist with Iustice Out of Ecclesiast There is not a Iust man vpon earth who doth good and doth not sinne Out of S. Iohn If we shall say we haue no sinne we seduce Eccles 7. v. 21. 1. Iohn 1. Aug. l. dâ— natu gra c. 36. Haeb. 5. our selues and the truth is not in vs. Where S. Augustine expoundeth S. Iohn of the sinnes of the Iust and speaking of our Blessed Lady absolutly pronounceth This Virgin excepted if all holy Persons whilest heere they liued were assembled togeather with how great sanctity soeuer they shined c. they would all crie out If we say we haue no sinne we seduceour selues Out of S. Paul Euery Bishop ought as for the people so also for himselfe to offer for sinnes Whence S. Hierome collecteth He Hier. apud Panigarol part 2. lect 12. Iaco. 3. v. 2. lacob 1. v. 14 Hier. in CoÌ„menta c. 5. Mat. Psal 31. Math. 5. 1. Cor. 3. Orig. bo 5. In Leuit. Amb. in Psalm 118. Naz. or at 2. Iulia. in Cbrys bo 24. in Mat. Hier. l. 2. con Pelag. Aug. l. de natura gra ca. 38. in Enchir c. 22. 71. ser 41. de Sanct. Fulke in c. 1. Iaco. sect 6. Ezech. 18. 4. Rom. 6. 23. Iacob 2. 10. Aug. Ep 29. Cbrys bo 35. in Mat. should neuer be commanded to offer for others vnlesse he were Iust nor for himselfe if he wanted sinnes Out of S. Iames In many things we all offend And in his first Chapter Euery one is tempted of his owne concupiscence abstracted and allured afterward concupiscence when it hath conceaued bringeth forth sin but sinne when it is consummate engendreth death Behold three things in man Concupiscence the ground or entisement to sinne Conception the first and imperfect motion which yeeldeth therunto ConsuÌ„mation the absolute deliberate consent Concupiscence is no sinne Conception is a sinne but not damnable not deadly ConsuÌ„mation or full consent is only that which engendreth death S. Hierom agreable heereunto maketh a great difference betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Desire with Consent and withous Consent Many other places I omit cited out of King Dauid S. Mathew and S. Paul I omit the Fathers who acknowledge this diuersity of Veniall and Mortall sinnes Origen S. Ambrose S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chrysostome S. Hierome S. Augustine c. 3. M. Fulke obiecteth by Ezechiel and S. Paul Of all sinnes in generall it is sayd The soule which sinneth shal die And The wages of sinne is death I answere They speake of haynous sinnes not of euery small offence For God were too seuere his leagne of friendship intollerable if for the least idle word or sleight default he would depriue his Friends of grace and persecute them to death S. Iames also writeth of grieuous sinne the breach of Gods Commandment in the place you commonly alleadg against vs He that offeudeth in one is made guilty of all For S. Augustine teacheth that he is made guilty of all because he breaketh the band of Charity which is the totall summe and perfection of the law Or can no lesse escape the sentence of death and damnation who transgresseth one commandement then if he were guilty of all as the Authour vpon the imperfect worke vpon S. Matthew singularly well expoundeth S. Basil and S. Augustine I grant make great account of Veniall sinnes in that they diminish the feruour of Charity are somewhat contrary to the Easil in quaest q. 4. q. 293. Aug. Con. 3. super Ps 118. tract 12. in Ioan. law and now and then dispose to the transgreslion of it in that they truly offend the infinite maiesty of God yet in a matter so light and with such imperfect apprehension as it diminisheth the indignity and wholy altereth the quality of the fault For if the want of all knowledge and all consent in children and mad men vtterly taketh away the guilt of sinne then imperfect knowledge imperfect consent must needs cause imperfect sinnes Not such as absolutly violate the law of God or throughly incurre his high displeasure but such as are to be shunned notwithstanding as dangerous infirmities and diseases of our soule Which is all that S. Augustine and the rest of the Fathers intend when they exaggerate the enormity of small offences Thus much in confutation of our Aduersaries second ground Concerning the third 4. We stand not vpon the name but vphold the thing that is a certaine penall estate or cleansing of some soules after this life which cleansing we call as Suarez Tom. 4. in 3. par disp 45. sect 1. Esay 4. Malach. 3. Suarez well noteth Purgation and the place where it is made Purgatory which the ancient Fathers themselues haue constantly gathered out of sundry texts of holy Write In the old Testament S. Augustine teacheth it from the mouth of Isay Our Lord shall purge the dregs of the daughters of Syon and shall wash the bloud of Hierusalem out of the middest therof in the Spirit of iudgment and in the Spirit of Aug. l. 20. de â—iuit Dei c. 25. Hiero. in hunc locuÌ„ Amb. in Psalm 36. Orig. ho. 6. in Exod. combustion or as the English Protestant translation readeth By the spirit of burning He teacheth it likewise from the mouth of Malachy Our Lord is like a purging fire and like fullers sope he shall sit downe to trye and fine the siluer he shall euen fine the Sonnes of Leui and purify them as gold and siluer Where S. Augustine addeth That these wordes cannot signify a separation only of the polluted from the pure in the last penall iudgment c. but must intimate a purgation of the good who haue need thereof With whome S. Hierome S. Ambrose Origen consent in the interpretation of that place The same S. Augustine and Venerable Bede deduce out of that passage of Aug. in Ps 7. Beda in Psal 37. Psalm 65. Amb. in Psal 36. ser in Psal 118. Orig. hom 25. in Numer the
made Before Iudgment after Iudgment or at the tyme of Iudgment You cannot say before IudgmeÌ„t For such as we are found in the last moment of this life such are we summoned before the tribunall seate of God according to many passages of holy Scripture which S. Gregory in his dialogues gathereth togeather according to Greg. l. 4. dial c. 39. 1. Cor. 3. 2. Cor. 5. ad Rom. 2. ad Gala. 6. Marc. 13. v. 36. v. 17. the expresse words of S. Paul which I shall quote in the next Chapter And according to that of S. Marke where God sayth he shall find in the houre of death some sleepy some breeding and beginning to do well Woe be vnto them Neither can this Purgation be either at or after IudgmeÌ„t For the Iudgment of God is according to truth therfore such as Protestants are presented before his throne such are they iudged They are presented before him not wholy purged but tainted with the corruption the last actions of life draw as they faine from the poisoned fountaine of Nature Therfore they must be iudged guilty of sinne defiled with those filthy dregs And whereas you obstinatly also defend that the wages of all sin without Fayth Fulk in c. 1. Ep. 1. â—â— sect 5. and Repentance is eternall death no sentence of remission but the irreuocable doom of euerlasting damnatioÌ„ ought to be pronounced against all that dye of your profession vnles you repeale the Law of God recorded by Salomon Eccles c. 11. vers 3. Where the tree falleth there it shal be or coÌ„trary to the decree of our inexorable Iudge allot tyme to belieue and place to repent after the warfarre of this life is ended to them Field vbi supra that haue their sinnes as M. Field sayth remitted in the first moment of the next Cypr. l 4. Ep. 2. Orig. hom 6. in Eâ—â—â—d Aug. in â—0 hom hom 16. Dan. 7. vers 10. 28. Lastly the Fathers do not only require an instant but longer space of punishment after this life according to the remaines of sinne S. Cyprian sayth One thing it is a long tyme punished for trespasses to be amended and purged by fire another to abolish all faults by suffering for Christ Origen All must come vnto the fire all to the forge c. If any one bring a little iniquity that little like lead ought to be consumed with fire and if more heauy or leady metall he is more burned that more may be wasted and melted forth S. Augustine discoursing Amb. in c. 12. Luc. Tertul. â— de anima c. 17. Greg. Nazian orat in S. lumina Lactan. l. 7. cap. â—1 Eus Emis hom 3. de Epipha Hilar. in Psal 118. of that propheticall speach mentioned by Daniel A fiery and violent floud ranne before the face of our Lord Some sayth he in the next life shall passe throâ—gh a fiery lake and horrible shallowes full of burning flames as much as shall remaine of the drosse of sinne so long shall the delay of passage be S. Ambrose So long is euery one exercised with noysome paynes vntill he pay the punishment of his faulty errour Tertullian S. Gregory Nazianzen Lactantius Eusebius Emissenus and S. Hilary haue many worthy sentences to this purpose which cannot be interpreted of M. Fields momentary Purgation nor of the guilt of sinne which without repentance deserueth damnation but either of the punishment due to former faults or of the saultines of lesser sinnes which are of their owne nature veniall or pardonable the chiefest points I intended to proue in this Chapter the confutation of Obiections I referre to the next THE SECOND CHAPTER WHEREIN Praier for the Dead is defended against the foresaid Doctors M. Field and M. Fulke PVRGATORY Praier for the Dead are lincked together in such mutuall dependency the one with the other as S. Isidore teacheth by the proofe of the latter by necessary consequence the former ensueth Because if our praiers releeue the soules departed they caÌ„not be in state of happinesse for then they should not need Isido l. de diuin offi c. de Sacrif them nor in the state of damnation for then our indeauours could not auaile them Therefore in the state of Purgatory they suffer punishment for their former misdeeds from which they be freed by the Praiers Almsdeeds and other charitable workes of the faithfull vpon earth as the Holy Ghost witnesseth in the booke of Machabees 2. Machab c. 12. v. vltimo 1. It is a holy and behoouefull cogitation to pray for the Dead that they may be released of their sinnes Which although our Aduersaries discard as no Canonicall Scripture yet they ought to credit it as much at least as Liuie the Roman or Thucidides the Grecian Historiographer they ought to reuerence it as the allowed testimony of a graue ancient and most worthy writer worthy to out-countenance all the base vpstarts of our latter age worthy to be accounted Cyp. de exhorta Martyrij Ambr. l. 2. de Iacob c. 10. 11. 12. Hier. in prolog in Machab. Aug. l. 18. de ciu Dei cap. 36. Concil Carth. can 47. Field in appen 1. p. fol. 69. Eccles c. 7. Eccles 38. Cyp. ser de Eleemosy Amb. in l. de Tobia cap. 1. Basil in orat de auaritia Aug. in Speâ—ul Tob. 4. Beda in fine Comment in l. 1. Reg. Gen. 50. by S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Augustine and by the third Councell of Carthage One of the Diuine Secretaries and Pen-men of the holy Ghost In so much as S. Augustine inclineth not only as M. Field writeth to this opinion but expresly resolueth The bookes of Machabees not the Iewes but the Church esteemeth Canonicall Likewise it is written Mortuo ne prohibcas gratiam Restraine not thy fauour from the Dead Moreouer My Sonne power forth thy teares vpon the Dead c. And In his departure make his memory rest in peace Tobie also whose booke S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Basill S. Augustine admit into the Canon of Scripture counsaileth Place thy bread and thy wine on the Sepulcher of the Iust and do thou neither eat nor drinke thereof with sinners 2. Hence it appeareth it was an ancient custome amongst the Iewes to make a feast at the funeralls of their friends to inuite the poore and faithfull persons thereunto who by the charity and Almesdeeds bestowed vpon them might pray for their soules And it is most likely the ancient Patriarkes and Prophets intended this reliefe to their deceased friends whom they with Praier with Fasting with griefe and sorrow so many daies lamented as was otherwise vnfitting vnlesse it had beene addressed as Venerable Bede well noteth to the benefit of their soules 3. The Patriarch Ioseph 77. daies mourned the death of his father Iacob The men of Iabes Galaad 7. daies continued a fast at the solemne buriall of Saul Ionathas Of whose death when King Dauid the Royall Prophet heard he wept fasted and
psal 130. and others obiected by you when they affirme This is to beleeue in Christ euen to loue Christ c. And which is also the only roote and cause of your errour who partially attribute that to fayth which is the chiefest priuiledge of Charity and function of other vertues not essentially coÌ„pounded but mutually conioyned in friendship togeather The principall obiection M. Abbot and other Protestants vrge against vs is that if fayth be not compounded of an act of Loue c. it is nothing els but the bare assent of the vnderstanding that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God But this is the fayth of the Diuells for they sayth M. Abbots professe so much O Iesus of Nazareth Abbot c. 4. sect 18. fol. 456. I know who thou art euen the holy one of God I answere there are sundry differences betweene the fayth of Christians and the fayth of the Diuells first because that if it be liuely and formed it is alwayes vnited with Charity Marc. 1. v. 24. Hope and other vertues which in the Diuels are neuer If dead and formeles as in wicked beleeuers yet in them it is a supernaturall and theologicall act in Diuells naturall and not so much as a morall vertue in them voluntary and free in Diuells forced and coacted in them it proceedeth from the pious affection of the will mouing the vnderstanding to that theologicall assent in Diuells it is wrested from them by the powerfullnes of miracles or euidence of things appearing vnto them Whereupon S. Augustine fayth That the Diuells knew Christ not by the light Aug. l. 9. de ciuit Dei c. 21. which illuminateth the pious who belieue by fayth but by other effects and most hidden signes of the diuine power And as they differ in these so they agree in some other points they Aug. tom â—0 l. 50. Hom. hom 17. tract 10. in epist Iaâ—n agree in that both giue assent to the misteryes of our faith both are fruitles and wholy insufficient to iustify vs before God In which respect S. Iames in his Catholike Epistle and S. Augustine often compareth the fayth of Diuels with the vnprofitable fayth of vngodly Christians not thaâ— this is not true and supernaturall fayth but that without Charity and good works it no more auayleth to purchase saluation then the naturall knowledge or beliefe of Diuells 18. When M. Whitaker insisteth that Charity and VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum in his aÌ„swere to 8. reason of M. Campian good Workes are inseparable companions of true fayth and that it neither is nor can be without them besides the arguments already made by which this fancy is reproued I aske how Charity is inseparable from true fayth is it a fruit which springeth from it as the apple from the tree then as the tree remayneth a true and perfect tree although it be sometym barren and voyd of fruit so fayth â—hay haue all things requisite to the essence thereof howsoeuer it be somety me depriued of Charity Is it an aceidental quality of inseparable passion which floweth from fayth as the power of laughing from the nature of man It should follow that Charity could not be in heauen separated from fayth no more then risibility can be deuided from man Is it an essentiall forme which is required to the integrity of fayth Then fayth alone doth not iustify but Charity also which is essentially conioyned and worketh with it Finally who taught you thus to enterfeite and wound your selues that fayth is the fountaine of spirituall life the roote which sprouteth from branches of Charity Hope and all good Workes and yet that all the works which proceed from the faythful be all of their owne nature damnable and deadly sinnes all stayned with the infection of mortall sinnes I would you were once constant in your absurdityes and mindfull of your leasings that we might know where to haue you and what to refute 19. Thus hauing stopped the gappe by which the wily aduersary thought to escape hauing compassed him with reasons hemmed him in with Scriptures I am Cyril l. 10. in Ioan. cap. 10. now to put him to open confusion with the testimony of Fathers S. Cyrill affirmeth The faythful by sincere fayth to be sâ—â—ps or branches inocculated in the Vine And yet he sayth a little after It is not inough to perfection that is to sanctification Chrys l. â— cont vitu monast vitae Basil in Psalter psal 110. Greg. l. 6. ep 15. August tract 10. in ep Ioan. Aug. l. defide operi c. 14. 15. l. 21. de ciuit Dei c. 16. â—n â—â—chir c. â—8 de octo dupl quaest q. 1. Augu. in praef Psal 31. Cent. 2. c. 4. Colum. â—0 61. Cent. 3. c. 4. Colum. 79. 80. Cent. 4. c. 4. Colum. 292. 293. Cent. 5. c. 4. Colum. 504. 505. 506. 507. 508. 509. 510. which by Christ is wrought in spirit to be admitted into the number of branches S. Chrysostome What profit will fayth affoard vs if our life be not sincere and pure S. Basil Fayth alone is not sufficient vntes there be added conuersation of life agreeable thereunto S. Gregory It is manifest that since the Incarnation of our Lord none euen of them can be saued who haue fayth in him and haue not the life of fayth S. Augustine Many quoth he say I belieue but fayth without workes saueth not And he vvriteth a vvhole booke of purpose besides many other inuectiues against this dangerous persvvasioÌ„ of only fayth to be sufficient to saluation he likevvise shevveth many sayings of the Apostle to be false that saying of Christ If thou vvilt enter into life keep the Commandments to haue beene in vaine vnles other thinges vvere necessary besides fayth yea besides true fayth for discoursing of the fayth of Abraham vvhich you cannot deny to be true he pronounceth that euen that Fayth of his had beene dead vvithout vvorkes and like a stocke vvithout fruit dry vvithered and barren But vvhat should I recyte particuler authorityes of this or that Father We haue on our side by voluntary confession and iudgment of our Aduersaryes the Magdeburgian Protestants the generall consent of all most ancient and illustrious vvriters vvhich liued vvithin the first fiue hundred yeares after Christ for in the second hundred they accuse by name S. Clemens Alexandrinus and Theophilus for approuing in this point the truth of our doctrine cyting their vvords and quoting the places vvherin they approue it They attach of the same fault Origen Methodius Tertullian S. Cyprian in the third Lactantius Nilus Chromatius Ephrem S. Hierome S. Gregory Nissen S. Hilary S. Gregory Nazianzen and S. Ambrose in the fourth In the fifth S. Chrysostome S. Augustine S. Cyrill S. Leo Prosper Sedulius Theodulus Saluianus Salonius Eucherius 20. Wherefore to conclude for the obiections which belong to this and the next I shall ioyntly make answere in the Controuersy of good workes if all these renowned
When soeuer such proportion is kept in recompensing the labours we achieue as to greater labours greater crownes to lesser lesser rewards are alloted Thē the crownes and rewards are giuen in respect of the workes done not as signes and conditions but truly according to the merit of our labours as causes of the rewardes But this proportion is obserued by our Soueraigne Iudge in remunerating the good deedes of the Iust which flow from his grace Therefore he rewardeth them not as signes but as causes of our heauenly blisse according to the worthines of their merit The maior is cleere for what other then the dignity of the worke doth God regard in ballancing the measure of them The worthines of Christs merits imputed by faith that is not our owne labour not the thinges we do in our body for which we must receaue eyther good or euill as the Apostle writeth that doth not dignify one aboue another but equally as hath beene sayd is referred to al. The promise which God maketh vnto vs If God had his eye leuelled at that alone it were as much broken in a little as in a greater as faythfully kept in recōpensing a small as in a weighty matter Therein he looketh not to the greatnes of our endeauours but to the fidelity of his owne word in fulfilling whereof the equality of recompensation the proportion of workes the repayment of seruice the reward of labours cannot be as the Scriptures so often insinuate the principall markes aymed at by God Further our vertues are rewarded as worthy of their hire but the promise of God begetteth not any worthines or dignity in our workes more then of themselues belong vnto them For as our Schoolemen teach He that shall Gab. Vasq in 1. 2. tom 2. disp 214 cap. 5. others ibid. in q. 114. D. Tho. promise a Lordship or Dukedome in behalfe of some meane seruice or peece of money of small value doth not thereby enhaunce the price of the coyne or estimate of his obsequious seruice but the estate which is giuen in lieu of that plighted faith although it require the performance of the seruice or payment of the money as conditions necessary to oblige him that promised yet it doth as much exceed the rate of the one and desert of the other as if no promise had beene no couenaunt made at all Moreouer the Deuines proue that if God should threaten to punish with eternall paine an officious lye or other light offence that sinne should not mount thereby to the heynousnes of a mortall crime nor be worthy of more punishment then of his owne nature it deserueth wherefore if the commination and threatning of greater torments then sinnes of themselues require doth not augment the guiltines of their default or change a small sinne into the enormity of a greater neither can the promise of aboundant remuneration increase the dignity of our workes to which it is promised nor the remuneration it selfe be called a reward weighed forth as S. Gregory Greg. Na. orat in san Bap. extrema Nazianzen affirmeth in the iust and euen ballance of God nor equally imparted according to our labours as the Holy Ghost often pronounceth but a free gift liberally giuen through the gratefulnes and fidelity of the giuer vnles besides the promise some worthines or value in our works be acknowledged to which an agreable reward be correspondently assigned 6. The Minor that God obserueth due proportion in 2. ad Cor. 9. v. 6. Clem. Alex. l. 4. strom Matth. 10. v. 4. recompensing our seruice more or lesse conformably to the diligence or slacknes thereof is also manifest by the sundry textes already quoted That euery one shall receaue accordinge to his owne labour And by this of Saint Paul He that soweth sparingly sparingly also shall reape and he that soweth in blessinges of blessinges also shall reape Which Clemens Alexandrinus also gathereth out of these wordes of S. Matthew He that receaueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receaue the reward of a Prophet and he that receaueth a iust man in the name of a iust man shall receaue the rewards of a iust man both receaue rewards yet not both the same but seuerall and vnequall according to the seuerall sanctity of their persons and inequality of their merits whome they receaue Hence the conclusion of my Syllogisme without checke or controle is ineuitably inferred That seeing Almighty God portioneth forth a greater or lesser share of glory answerable to the greatnes or slendernes of our workes as the hire wages or reward of them he truly remunerateth our pious endeauours not as sequells of faith not as meere gifts of grace but as precedent causes or condigne desertes of eternall life Which when our aduersaries gainsay they make our soueraigne God an accept our of persons and not a iust and vpright iudge quit contrary to these texts of holy writ 2. ad Timoth. 4. v. 8. ad Rom. 2. v. 11. 1. Pet. 1. v. 17. Act. 10. v. 34. For acception of persons is a vice directly opposite to distributiue iustice as when a Iudge bestoweth a reward where there is no precedent merit or when he giueth a more large reward then the dignity of the merit in any sort deserueth But God truly recompenseth the labours of his seruants and recompenseth them with due proportion of greater and lesser reward therefore he either presupposeth in thē the diuersity of merits or he violateth Aug. ep 46. ad Valent the lawes of distributiue iustice In so much as S. Augustin◠might well say If there be no merits how shall God iudge the world For take away them and take away Iustice take away iudgement take away that article of our Creed that Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead 7. Another Argument or Enthymeme I frame in this sort The sinnes and euill workes of the reprobate are not eternally punished eyther because they are signes of their infidelity or by reason of Gods commination and threates which he promulgateth of punishing them with euerlasting torments But for that they be of themselues the true cause of damnation merit Gods wrath be iniurious and offensiue to his infinite goodnes Therefore the vertuous actes and good deedes of the elect which flow from the streames of heauenly grace are not only recompensed as fruites of faith or in regard of Gods promise made to reward them but because they be true and proper causes thereof because they be pleasing and acceptable in his sight and do deseruedly purchase and merit his fauour The consequence is inferred out of the words of Christ who attributeth after the same manner and with the same causall propositions the crowne of heauen to the pious workes of the iust as he doth the punishment of hell to the hard and vnmercifull hartes of sinners saying Come yee blessed of my Father possesse yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I
Euch. Saâ— lib. 3. c. 5. tops of mountaines Rabi Achilas There shal be substantiall Bread in the earth in the heads of Mountaines And Rabbi Ionathas The Cake of Bread shal be made a sacrifice on the heades of Priests which are in the Church A plaine description of our sacred Host which vnder the formes of bread our Priests reuerently lift aboue their heades to shew vnto the people 15. Malachy also most plainly prophesyeth of this vnspotted sacrifice saying From the rysing of the sunne euen to the setting my name is great amongst Gentils In euery place there is sacrifyced and offered vnto my name a cleane Oblation This testimony so cleare M. Reynoldes and M. Bilson hide and ouercast with the misty construction of spirituall sacrifices which cloud Cardinall Allen our famous Country-man with many reasons vnanswerable and authorityes of Fathers irrefragable strongly repâ—â—â—â—th and dissolueth wholy First because spirituall sacrifices are many this one Secondly they succeeded not the offerings of the old Law this doth Thirdly they common to the Iewes this proper to the Gentils Fourthly they are named in Scripture with addition or limitation as the Sacrifice of Prayse of Iustice of Contrition c. this without any abridging tearme is sayd to be sacrifyced to be offered in true and proper sense as the Hebrew word in that place manifestly proueth where insteed of Oblatio it is Minchah which alwayes signifyeth a proper Sacrifice or guift of homage and is neuer taken in Scripture for an improper Oblation such as prayers and other spirituall good deeds are Fifthly they euen our best and purest works in the erroneous perswasion of our Aduersaryes are soule and defiled in the sight of God tainted with the corruption of our sinnefull Natures this so faire as the Prophet honoureth it with the Epitheâ—e of A cleane Oblation so pleasing to God as he glorifyeth in it aboue all the Hosts and Holocausts of the Leuiticall Law 16. M. Reynolds albeit he ouerflorish the former reasons Reyn. c. 8. diuis 4. p. 527. with some shew of answer yet heere in this last he sticketh so pittifully grauelled as one while he auoucheth our best deeds not to be vncleane things but vnperfectâ—y cleane defiled with the staynes of vncleanes uillingly yet weakly done lesse perfect not absolutly vnpersect And in the page notwithstanding immediatly before he granteth them so faulty as they transgresse the Commandements of God so muddy as they make vs guilty of the whole breach of the law What Reyn. Ibid. 526. strang Paradoxes What positions be these Who did euer heare of a worke in it selfe vncleane taught to be stayned with the remnant of vncleanes A dy wholy black said to be coloured with the spots of blacknesse For of what vncleanes do we speake but of that spirituall vncleanes which is displeasing vnto God Wherefore if the spots with which our holiest actions are infected be not veniall as your selues say but mortall and deadly crimes if they be such deepe transgressions As they make vs guilty of the whole breach of the law They are not weakly but wickedly done not imperfectly fayre but absolutely soule not partly festered but wholly cankered with the contagion of sinne worthy to be hated vnworthy to be practised farre vnworthy M. Reynolds to betoken that cleane Oblation which cannot receiue the least taint of Chrys in com Ps 95. Eus de demons l. 1. c. 9. prop. fin c. 6. circa medium Calu. l. de ver Eccles refor â—irca medium habetur ille liber inter eius tract theo Iren. Athan Ambros Augu. Arnobius proue out of Scripture the Sacrifice of the Masse as Caluin confesseth See Baron in Annal. an Christi 44 nu 28. Bed l. 4. bist c. 14. Abdias in bist eius Philact ex lit Praesb Acha. S. Athan S. Basil S. Chrysost in their litur Cyp Ep ... extat haec S. Cornel. Ep. com 1. â—ibl Sanct. Conc. Vas 2. cap. 3. Plin. l. 3 c 4. Ptol. lib. 2. cap. 10. In eodem Concil Vasens 2. c. 4. corruption not from it selfe not from the impurity of the vngracious Minister Such is the diuine dreadfull most holy Sacrifice of the Masse to which only the Prophet alludeth as the Fathersteach 17. S. Chrysostome citing these wordes of Malachy saith Behold how excellently how perspicuously he hath set forth describeth the Mysticall Table which is the vnbloudy Host Eusebius alleadging the same place addeth We sacrifice after a new mammer according to the new Testament a pure Host for which he declareth there a new law to be ueedfull Altars to be erected not in Iury only but in euery Country S. Irenaeus I need not produce because Caluin the chiefe Patriarke and piller of Protestancy acknowledgeth him to expound this passage of the Sacrifice of the Masse as S. Athanasius S. Ambrose S. Augustine Arnobius likewise doe according to him the former of Melchisedech by his words you may gesse of his intemperate spirit therefore I heer insert them It is vsuall with these knaues so the foule-mouthed Runnegate miscalleth our Catholike writers to scrape togeather whatsoeuer is vnsound or corrupted in the Fathers c. Wherefore when they obiect the place of Malachie to be expounded of the Sacrifice of the Masse by Irenaeus the oblation of Melchisedech to be so handled by Athanasius Ambrose Augustine Arnobius it is briefly answered those selfe same writers otherwhere also interprete the bread to be the body of Christ but so ridiculously that both reason and truth maketh me dissent If this be to refute not confirme our doctrine let the Reader iudge when such and so many substantial witnesses some within the 3. some within the 4. all within the 5. hundred yeares after Christ are confessed by one of the chiefest Protosectaries of our time to mantain in two fundameÌ„tal points the same which we defend with whom the Apostles themselues and Pastours of the Church in all ages haue agreed 18. For did not S. Peter as the ancient authenticall tradition deliuereth say Masse as Naples Did not he and S. Paul both appeering to an holy man of our Country command Masses to be sayd in the feast of S. Oswald our vertuous King as venerable Bede reporteth Was not S. Mathew barbarously slaine Sacrificing at the Altar Did not S. Andrew say Masse S. Iames did not he write a Liâ—urgy or Masse S. Athanasius S. Basil S. Chrysostome did they not compose the like Did not the Priests in S. Cyprians tyme say Masse in prison Doth not Cornelius Bishop of Rome complaine the presecution was so cruell in his tyme aboue 254. yeares after Chist that they could not say Masses neyther in publike nor in the priuate grottes caues vnder groud Was it not decreed in the second prouinciall Councell of Vase a towne in France wherof Plinie and Ptolemy make mention celebrated the yeare of our Lord 444. that Kyrie eleison should be sayd at Masse in the Churches of France as
vrget Tertul lianus lib. de poenit vsitatâ—s fuisse priuatam confessionem qua delicta cogitata quoque prauâ— confesst sunt ex aliquot Cyp. locis apparet vt exsâ—ron 5. de lapsi l. 3. ep 14. 16. vbi disertè ait in minoribus etiam peccatis c. necesse esse ad exomologesin venire Deuter. 32. v. 31. Exod 8. v. 19. Cyprian that priuate Confession was vsed of deeds thoughts and lesser sinnes that Satisfaction was enjoyned c. and the penitents were absolued with the ceremony of imposing hands 17. Thus thou seest Gentle Reader according to the prediction of the Prophet Moyses in al Controuersyes our enemyes are judges in our behalfe Thou seest how strange our Aduersaryes pretenses against Priests absolution haue seemed to antiquity thou hast heard both Fathers and Councells maintaine our Confession thou hast heard all Christian people imbrace and practise it And can it sinke into the mind of any Iudicious man a thing so hard and difficult so cumbersome vnto sinners and repugnant to nature could be so vniuersally receaued by Greekes Latins Kings Emperours Princes and Subiects vnles it had beene instituted and ordained by God 18. But if thou couldest passe a little further and discouer the manifold fruits and singuler commodityes which plentifully flow from the obseruation thereof thou shouldest be forced to cry out with the Magicians of Pharao Digitus Deiest hic The finger of God is heere Thou shouldst behold a sinner before he repaire to his Ghostly Father sorrowfull pensiue vexed and grieued with the cumbersome load of sinne and yet so soone as he hath receaued the benefite of absolution depart so cheerefull so full of in ward comfort as if some heauenly ioy dilated his hart Thou shouldest behould another who reuiled and iniured his Neighbour come from the Sacrament of Confession go reconcile himselfe vnto him and craue pardon for the wrong he offered Thou shouldst behould by this meaÌ„es him that robbed restore the goods he embezeled away him that cosened leaue his cheating thou shouldest see the proud man humbled the dissolute reclaimed the lasciuious become chast a thousand such Psal 76. v. 11. alterations thou shouldst be wray in the harts of sinners of which thou must needs pronounce This is the mutation of the right hand of God whose instice goodnes mercy could no way be more manifestly shewed then by this humble Confession 19. His instice chiefly â—â—â—â—eth in making the guilty sinner both plaintiffe witnesse and accuser of himselfe making him who by sin rebelled against God his Lord Bern tract de instabili cordis buma c. 6. and maister by sorrowfull repentance humble his hart to his fellow-seruant which S. Bernard pithily denoteth saying It is conuenient that be who by contumacy sinned against God should by Pennance become suppliant to the Priestes his Ministers and that the man who to preserue his grace needed no Mediatour should for the recouery of it once lost implore of necessity the mediation of man Gods mercy like wise and goodnes are heere apparent in that he wresteth not from vs after the fashion of earthly Iudges this secret accusation as a testimony to punish but as an acquitance to pardon vs and therefore S. Angustine most excellently writeth To this end he exacteth Confesion to free and release the humble to Aug in Psal 66. this end he condemneth the sinner not confessing to chastise the proud 20. What shal I say of infinite other benefits which the discreet Confessour and humble Penitent gleaneth from hence The wife and prudent Confessour sayling in this sea of Conscience discouereth the wonderfull Psal 106. vers 230 workes of God as the Prophet sayth In aquis multis In the Psal 106. vers 23. ebbe and sloate of sundry waters In the calmes of prosperity and stormes of aduersity in the admirable change and alterations of minds And in respect of his ghostly children where could he haue fitter meanes to know their diseases then when they open and disclose them vnto him Where could he more fruitfully correct and rebuke their faults then when they repent and plead guilty of Greg. ho. 26. in Euang. quae est de Octa. Pascha them From whence could the Penitent receaue better aduise and sweerer comfort then from them whom God electeth the Church consecrateth the holy Ghost instructeth to be the spiritual Surgeons heauenly Physitians as S. Gregory calleth them Iudges of our soules 21. I can not stand to dilate vpon the generall coÌ„modityes which by this holsome discipline redoundeth to the whole Common-wealth Many publike abuses which neither by seuerity of Lawes nor vigilancy of Magistrates can be hindred are often redressed by help of ConfessioÌ„ In this Court of Conscience many vnlawfull bargaines are dissolued many wronges satisfyed wicked designements stopped good purposes furthered much vertue aduanced much vice suppressed Which the famous Citty of Norinberge in Germany after the abolishing of this holy Sacrament to her griefe acknowledged Dominicus Sotus l. 4. sent dist 18. q. 1. art 1. sent an Embassage as Dominicus Sotus recordeth to Charles the fifth to haue auriculer Confossion by his Imperiall decree restored againe Because they saw by experience their Common-wealth swarme with sundry vices against iustice and other vertues which were vnknowne vnto them before O England England Happy wert thou if God would giue thee like grace to discerne what an inundatioÌ„ of sin ouerwhelmeth thy Land for want of this law Happy if not forced by Princes Statutes but moued by Gods Commandment thou wouldest returne againe to the discipline of Confession which is as thou seest the Hedge of vertue the Bridle of iniquity the Key of iustice and Locke of good life THE SEAVENTH CONTROVERSY Establisheth Satisfaction against D. Field and D. Fulke CHAP. 1. IT sufficeth not we disburden our harts by true Confession to a lawfull Priest of which I spake in the precedent Chapter but to returne into the fauour of God by the benefite of Absolution Contrition also and Satisfaction are necessary Contrition whereby we vtterly detest the offence commited in forsaking God our chiefe and soueraigne good Satisfaction whereby we seeke to recompence the wrong we offered in placing our last end and finall delight in the loue of that we preferred before him For first it is a generall principle amongst all the learned that two thinges are included in the enoâ—mity of mortall sinne a disloyall Scotus in 4 sent dist 46. guaest 4. auersion from Gods vnchangeable goodnes and an inordinate conuersion to his transitory creatures to which a double punishment correspondently belongeth to the auersion that which is called poena damni the paine or penalty of dammage or losle of our chiefest good to the coÌ„uersion paena sensus the paine or punishment of sense By the Tho. 1. 2. q. 76. 87. Gabâ—â—â—l Vasquez ibidem disput 139. 140. former euery sinner incurreth disgrace of God is banished
all kind of sinne another guilty of mortall the third only spotted with some veniall fault The first whither goeth he To Heauen immediatly The second whither goeth lie To Hell no doubt The third whither goeth he Not to Hell because he is departed in the grace and fauour of God Not to heauen immediatly Apoc. 21. v. vlt. because Nothing defiled can enter that kingdome Therfore to some purging place where his soule may be cleansed froÌ„ the staines of infection 22. No such place is necessary sayth M. Field for Field in appen 1. p. fo 65. 66. by the dolours of death at the moment of dissolution all impurity of sinne is purged forth But how can this be so Death is the punishment of Originall and not any remedy against actuall sinne It is the state and condition of our corruptible nature inflicted on the Reprobate as well as on the Elect. And so neither by it selfe nor by the ordinance of God hath force and vertue to scoure out of our souls all the rust of sinne a prerogatiue denyed by you to the holy Sacraments of God And such a prerogatiue as is proper indeed to the excellency of Martyrdome and not common to the departure of euery faythful sinner whose panges are often more short and farre lesse painefull then the grieuous dolours of the cleane and vnspotted 23. Besides to procure this abolishment of sinne Field ibid. fol. 60. M. Field requireth Charity and sorrow in such perfection as may worke our perfect reconciliation to God And may not thousands or some at least with the spot of veniall or remainder of mortall crime be taken out of this world either in their sleep or vnawares before they arriue to that depth of sorrow It being so hard a thing in perfect health much harder in the agony of death impossible in tyme of sleep to attaine vnto it Or if you pretend the prouidence of God to be so carefull of his elect as they cannot be surprised vpon a sudden to what effect I pray are those exhortations of Christ so often repeated in Scripture Matt. 24. Matt. 25. That we pray and be watchfull least death preuent vs before we are aware To what effect the Parable of the foolish Virgins the Parable of Death stealing vpon vs like a thiefe To what effect are the labours and works of Pennance many zealous followers of Christ vndertake to expiate the faults of their former life when euery faythfull belieuer let him be neuer so slouthfull in this behalfe shal be sure in the last houre to haue grace inough to redeeme the debt and cancell the obligation of his sinnes This is a doctrine I graunt sutable to Protestant professioÌ„ it tendeth to the restraint of vertue it tendeth to all vitious and Epicurean liberty it ministreth occasion of slouth to Christian people and maketh God tooto indulgent to their idle sluggishnes But they that make him authour of the horrible iniquityes of the Reprobate what meruaile though they would haue him a fauourer of the smal imperfections and negligences of his Elect And rather then they will iniury as they fondly surmise the bloud of Christ they iniuriously blaspheme and truly wrong heerin the Iustice of God 24. To be briefe Caluin and Plessy Mornay affirme The hereditary naughtines and corruption of Originall sinne drowneth Calu. lib. 2. Iâ—st cap. 1. §. 8. 9. l. 3. inst cap. 15. §. â— Plessy l. 3. de Eucbar cap. 2â— as it were with a deluge the whole nature of man so that no part remayneth free from this filthy contagion Secondly they auouch No worke proceedeth from man be he neuer so perfect but is defiled with the staines of sinne Graunt these assertions true which commonly all Protestants defend how can there be either charity or sorrow in such perfection as is able to purge out all impurity of sinne When the most perfect Charity it selfe is impure and stayned how shall these staynes be taken forth By some other act of charity or worke of repentance But this worke also issuing from the inward rottenes of mans corrupted nature shall still be putrifyed with Originall infection 25. For this cause D. Field is so vnconstant in resoluing Field in append 1. part p. 66. p. 65. ibid. in appeâ— 1. par p. 4. p. â—4 65. how or when the whole vncleanes of sinne is washed from the soule as he wauereth and reeleth vp and downe not knowing where to take hold One while he sayth It is purged out by Charity and sorrow of sinning otherwhile by the dolours of death then by the very separation of soule and body wrought by death but when he dareth not auouch and therefore stammeringly vttereth It is in or immediatly vpon the dissolution of soule and body in the first entraÌ„ce of the soule into the state of the other world What giddines is heere If by the dolours of death al sinnefullnes be expelled how in the moment of dissolution If in that moment how immediatly vpon it How in the first entrance into the next life Or if in that entrance how doth Charity then worke or sorrow procure it Read his wordes Field in append 1. part p. 4. 26. The vtter deletion and full remission of their sinnes the perfect purging out of sinne being in or immediatly vpon the dissolution in the last instant of this life and first of the next and not while the body and soule remaine conioyned Pitty it is great pitty to see vnto what distresse a man of wit and learning may be driuen by the weaknesse of his cause For heere M. Field in these few wordes maketh either two instances immediatly togeather the last of this life and first of the next and so composeth diuisible tymes of indiuisible moments against the principles of Philosophy or he supposeth the instant in which sinne is remitted to be intrinsecall to this life and extrinsecall to the next and so crosseth himselfe in his owne speach affirming this full remission of sinne both to be and not to be while the body and soule remaine conioyned Or he taketh the instant of Purgation to be extrinsecall to this life and intrinsecall to the next And contrary to the whole stream of Sectaryes he alloweth with vs a remission or Purgation of sinne and Purgatory-place after this life at least for a moment For that which is done must be done in some place or els it is not done at all To which of these inconueniences he will yield I know not to one he is constrained And if I may gesse at the meaning of his variable and vnconstant speaches seeing he will not haue the perfect purging out of sinne c. while the body and soule remaine conioyned he alloweth it after the dissolution and so admitteth a remission and purgation of sinne in the next life which his fellowes renounce he himselfe would seeme to impugne 27. But when I pray is this perfect purging out of of sinne
cut his garments with the rest of his company which he likewise did for Abner 4. Yea this praier for the Dead hath beene a thing so generally receaued so inuiolaby practised amongst the Iewes euen then when they were Gods chosen people as when Iudas Machabaeus appointed publique Sacrifices 1. Reg. 3. 2. Reg. 1. 2. Reg. 1. 2. Machab. cap. 12. Ioseph de Bello Iudaic c. 19. Baruch c. 3. vers 5. Vrbanus Regius baec verba Baruch to be offered for them not one was found amongst the huge number of souldiers not one amongst the Priests and Leuits of Hierusalem not one amongst the Patriarches and Prophets of God most vigilant alwaies in checking Superstuion who euer reprehended that charitable deed But Iosephus the Historiographer plainly alloweth it And Baruch the Prophet as Vrbanus Regius a Protestant of no small account beareth witnesse made supplication himselfe for his Predecessours soules saying O Lord omnipotent remember not the iniquities of our forefathers And now at this present time the Iewes aboue all other Nations peculiarly wedded to the Traditions of their ancestours obserue by prescription a solemne praier for the Dead called * Paulus Fagius in c. 14. Deut. Genebrard in fine Chronol VVbitak cont Duraeum p. 85. See Caluino-turcis l. 4. c. 8. and Hilalar deca 4. feria 5. post dominicam 4. Quadrag Luc. 16. Haskaba pronounced by their Hazan or publike Minister of which M. Wnitaker auerreth I know the Iewes haue Rituall books which they read in their Synagogues and I am not ignorant that euen now they are wont to vse certaine praiers for the Dead 5. Neither was it any Ceremoniall Rite proper to the Iewes but a generall law or print of nature stamped in the hearts of all both sauage ciuill Nations In Grecians Indians Moscouites Aethiopians Turkes Persians Mores Arabians c. Who with a dissonant and disagreeing manner yet with one and the same hope of relieuing the departed offered their Praiers and Sacrifices vnto God To leaue Iewes and Gentiles and come to Christians 6. Our blessed Sauiour seemeth to exhort hereuÌ„to saying Make your selues friends of the Mammon of iniquity that when you faile they may receiue you into the eternall tabernacles Where by friendes S. Augustine and S. Gregory vnderstand the Saints in heauen whose necessities we once succoured heer vpon earth and who when we faile that is depart this life not so pure from the reliques of sinne as we may by our good deeds presently enter the kindgdome of heauen then they supplying our wants as we once relieued theirs receaue vs by their praiers and merits into the Mansions of euerlasting rest By their merit saith S. Austen charitable men obtaine mercy and pardon and Aug. ser 35. de verb. Domini l. 21. de ciuit Dei cap. 27. Greg. l. 21. moral c. 14. 1. Cor. 15 S. Gregory If by their friendship we gaine eternall Tabernacles we ought to consider when we bestow vpon them that we rather offer presents to Patrons then giue almes to the Poore 7. Secondly S. Paul sayth What shall they do that are Baptized for the dead if the Dead rise not againe at all Heere the Apostle argueth not from the erroneous practise which long after his tyme was broached by the Montanists Marcionists and Cerinthians who ministred true Baptisme to the liuing as profiting the departed for whose sake it was receaued but he taketh Baptisme heere Metaphorically for punishment and affliction as Christ vseth Luc. 12. Marc. 10. the word I haue a Baptisme to be baptized withall And Can you drinke the Chalice which I drinke or be baptized with the Baptisme wherewith I am baptized After which manner S. Nazian orat in SS lumina Cypr. ser de Coena Domini Gregory Nazianzen acknowledgeth a Baptisme of teares and Pennance And S. Cyprian sayth He baptizeth himselfe in tears Therefore the force of S. Pauls argument is to this effect What doth it auaile the faythfull people to punnish fast pray and afflict themselues for the soules departed if the Dead rise not againe and receaue the fruit and benefite of their prayers 8. Thirdly S. Iohn writeth There is a sinne to death 1. Ioan. 5. for that I say not that any man aske This sinne to death is not euery mortall sinne which killeth the soule but that Aug. v infra Aug. l. 21. de ciu Dei cap. 24. 1. Ioan. c. 5. v. 16. only as S. Augustine teacheth In which a man dyeth without repentance because the Apostle dehorteth not to pray for remission of any mans sin during life And the customâ— of the Church is to pray for Heretikes Schismatikes Apostataes or whosoeuer while they liue But If there be any sayth S. Augustine that persist till death in impenitency of hart doth the Church now pray for them that is for the soules of them that are so departed For these the Apostle exhorteth vs not to pray but if we know our Brother to sinne a sinne not to death that is in which he dyeth not with finall impenitence for him he perswadeth and willeth vs after his departure To aske with confidence to obtaine pardon saying And life shall be giuen him sinning not to death Which Burchar l. 19. de poenit decret Vas c. 2. 4. Carth. vide Burchard Cabilon cap. 39. Florâ—â— in initio Dionys Areo. de Eccl. hier cap. 7. Cypr. l. 1. epist 9. Tertul. l. de Corona militis Greg. Nazian orat in CaesariuÌ„ reliq Field in append x. part p. 13 Ibid. p. 4. Chrys hom 69. ad Populâ—um Fulke against Purg. pag. 303. Fulke in c. 21. â— ad Cor sect 22. is a most forcible argument and a great encouragement vnto vs to pray for such as depart not this life in state of deadly sinne Agreeable heereunto it was defined in the Councell of Brachara as the learned Bishop Burchardus who liued about 600. yeares ago recordeth that for such as should cast violent hands vpon themselues no mention should be made in the oblation for them yet for others oblations and prayers were offered as the Councel of Vase of Carthage of Cabilo of Florence and many more haue decreed 9. All our forefathers with vniforme consent absolutly teach and confirme this doctrine their wordes I need not rehearse because the Protestants freely graunt they taught defended and commonly vsed Prayer for the dead Only D. Field to file their sayings to his purpose affirmeth first That the ancients commemorated the departed by rehearsing their names Secondly They offered the Sacrifice of the Eucharist that is of prayse and thankesgiuing for them Thirdly They prayed for men in their passage hence entrance into the other world Fourthly They prayed for the ResurrectioÌ„ publike acquitall in the day of Iudgment and perfect consumation of the departed All which customes obseruations I allow sayth M. Field and approue But he vtterly denyeth That the ancient Catholike Church did generally intend in her prayers and
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
day of generall resurrection after which tyme no Purgatory remayneth but all the elect shall presently raigne in peace Thirdly that saying is specially directed to those rare and constant persons that shall endure the brunt and withstand the fury of Antichrists persecutions who though they be not all crowned with Martyrdome yet they departe this life as Ribera like himselfe iudiciously noteth with most singular and eminent sanctity consequently with freedom immunity from all the mulcts and penaltyes of sinne Or if any sinnefull drosse remaine from which they must be purged after death they are sayd notwithstanding to cease from their labours and rest in peace because they are discharged from the troubles calamityes and persecutions of this life are ranged amongst the number of them who shall partake of eternall rest are secure from the danger of sinne and feare of damnation and are infallibly certain of the fauour of God and their future felicity which affoardeth vnspeakable ioy peace and comfort to their mindes The words of S. Cyprian obiected by M. Fulke Fulke against Purgat pag. 140. Cyp. trct 1. cont a Demetr ianum Ambros l. debono mortis e. 2 Chrys bo 2. de Lazaro Fulke in his confut of Purg. in c. 2. 2. ad Cor. sect 1. After our departure hence there is no place of Pennance no effect of Satisfaction The wordes of S. Ambrose No remission of sinnes can there be made which hath not beene heere procured The like of S. Chrysostome are all vnderstood of no remission or satisfaction to be made in the next life of mortall deadly sinnes of which we haue not had in this detestation and sorrow 33. The iniury to Christ the euacuation of his Passion which M. Fulke often inculcateth to ensue of Purgatory is largely refuted in the Treatise of Satisfaction to which I referre the Reader for his full satisfaction heer conclude in a word That as the prayers we make vnto God do not lessen or extenuate the feruent prayers of Christ once offered earnest intercessioÌ„ he now maketh in our behalfe so neither the dolorous griefes which in this life we suffer or Purgatory-paines we indure in the next do anyway euacuate but rather enrich the treasure of his manifold sufferings sith they depend and borrow their whole fruit vertue and efficacy from the inexhausted Mine of his incomparable merits Sith they are enhaunced by his Passion and dipped in the liquour of his pretious bloud in which I humbly beseech the diuine piety to soake these my labours and steep the paines of all such as peruse them that it may so fully auaile to wash away the lees and cleanse forth the staines of our soules as we may neuer need heerafter either the scouring soape or raging fire of Purgatory flames The end of the third Booke An aduertisement GENTIL Reader wheras M. D. Bilson hath printed his booke Of Christian Subiection both in quarto and in octauo these are to aduertise thee that most commonly I doe cite that in quarto as also the other of M. Whitaker de Scriptura Ecclesia as they were printed before they were last compiled togeather in one volume for that the quotations of page leafe do otherwise disagree FINIS Faultes escaped in the printing to be corrected In the first Part. IN the Epist to the Reader pag. 3. line 3. ferrret euery one out reade ferret them out of euery c. Ibid. Epist pag. 4. l. 14. occosion reade occasion Pag. 7. l. 24. on reade of pag 34. l. 5. Canon the Canon pag. 40 l. 29. one another to one another pag. 49. l. 25. which with pag. 50 l. 17. out the. reade out of the. pag. 51. l. 13. their other Ibid. l. 28. is it pag. 74. l 6. depth the depth pag 80. l. 1. waiteth writeth pag. 82. l. 30. in the. pag. 84. l. 6. same substance same in substance pag. 91. l. 9. corruption incorruption pag. 95 l. 11. euen euer pag. 104. l. penult glorifieth glorieth pag. 110. l. 18 purchased purchase pag. 11o l. 18. cruell a â—â—â—ell pag 15. l. 15. of to Ibid. line 28 clamous clamorous pag 136. l. 1. refragable irrefragable pag. 115. 11. glorifieth glorify pag. 188. l. 5. Not. Nor. pag. 190. l. 1. out these out of these pag. 201. l. 25. others other pag 207. l. 19. Carninall Cardinall pag. 221. l. 14. But. By. pag. 227. 9. Leo. of Leo. pag. 229. l. 5. makes markes Ibid. l. 29. Paul not bad Paul had not had pag. 233. l. 9. stying styrring Ibid. l. vlt. Crinthus Cerinthus pag. 237. l. 29. sinne signe pag. 238. l. 1. partes are partes pag. 239. l. 3. far and far pag. 240 l. 15. worships worship Ibid. l. 24. Abias Abdias pag. 241. l 15. lawfull awfull pag. 242. l. 4. as curteous as a courteous Ibid. l. 20. nuture nurture pag. 245. l. 16. sonne sonnes Ibid l 29. no. not pag 246. l. 27 honour I honour pag 252. Image Christ Image of Christ pag. 263. l. 20. expect from expect it from pag. 277. l. 3. and. of pag. 278. l. 19. a as as a. pag. 275. l. 15. deleatur the. pag. 285. l. 8. some solemne pag. 331 l. 3. of the Iudgement of the day of Iudgement pag. 333. l. 26. prayers prayers pag. 335. l. 21. deleatur of Other lesse faultes by reason of the obsoure Copy in many places absence of the Authour the Reader himselfe will easily obserue and courleously correct as he readeth AN ANTIDOTE OR TREATISE OF THIRTY CONTROVERSIES VVith a large Discourse of the Church IN WHICH The soueraigne truth of Catholike doctrine is faythfully deliuered against the pestiferous writinges of all English Sectaryes AND In particuler against D. WHITAKER D. FVLKE D. REYNOLDS D. BILSON D. ROBERT ABBOT D. SPARKES and D. FIELD the chiefe vpholders some of Protestancy some of Puritanisme some of both Deuided into three Partes By S. N. Doctour of Diuinity THE SECOND PART Deut. 32. vers 30. How should one be able to pursue a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight Is it not therefore because their God hath sold them and our Lord hath inclosed and made them thrall Permissu Superiorum M. DC XXII THE principall maintainers of Protestancy of whome I spake in the former page are D. BILSON and D. FIELD THE pillars of Puritanisme are D. REYNOLDS and D. SPARKE who where chosen Proctours for the Precisian Faction in the Conference before his Maiesty at Hampton-Court THE Abbettours of both are D. WHITAKER D. FVLKE and D. ROBERT ABBOT who sometimes defend the articles of the one sometimes of the other THE TABLE Shevving all the Controuersies discussed and maintayned in this Second Part. THE FOVRTH BOOKE The Sixteenth Controuersy MAintayneth Originall sinne to be abolished by Baptisme and Concupiscence remaining to be no â—nne against D. Whitaker D. Field D. Abbot pag. 1. The second Chapter of this Controuersy IN which Concupiscence is more particularly proued to be no sinne Other
We contrary wise teach that actual concupiscence much lesse habituall is no sin at all vnles the allowance and approbation of our will concurre thereunto which S. Iames auoucheth in his Catholike Epistle Euery one is tempted of his owne concupiscence abstracted and allured afterward concupiscence when it hath conceaued bringeth forth sinne Iac. 1. v. 14. 15. Lo heere the act of concupiscence first tempting to sinne before it be formally sinne therefore of it selfe it is no sinne neither are the suddayne motions and suggestions therof culpable except we some way yield vnto them which our thrice learned and euer worthy admired S. Augustine of set purpose inculcateth in diuers places in his Aug. l. 5. cont Iul. c. 5. fift booke against Iulian and cyting that very text of S. Iames he sayth Truly in these wordes the brood is distinguished from that which breedeth or bringeth forth for concupiscence is that which breedeth the brood is sinne but concupiscence begetteth not vnles is conceaue it conceaueth not vnles it induce that is gayneth the assent of the willer to perpetuall euill When therefore it is striuen against this commeth to passe that it may not conceaue Augu. de ciuit Dei l. 1. c. 25. Idem ep 200. ad Asel Iâ—em l 2. de Gen cont Maâ—i c. 4. Cyril l. 4. c. 5â— Chrys ho. 13. in ep ad Rom. Basil l. de virg l. const Monast c. 2. Ambr. l. de Sacram. regen Hier. ep ad Ocea or trauell with sinne In his booke of the Citty of God That rebellion of concupiscence which dwelleth in our dying members c. how much lesse is it without fault in the body of him that consenteth not if it be without fault in the body of him that sleepeth In his epistles If we consent not to those disordered motions we need not say to our Father which is in heauen forgiue vs our trespasses In his second booke of Genesis against the Manichees Sometyme reason doth stoutly resist and bridle concupiscence euen stirred vp which when it is performed we fall not into sinne but with some wrastling are crowned With S. Augustine accord S. Cyrill S. Chrysostome S. Basil S. Ambrose S. Hierome and all the ornaments both of the Greeke and Latin Church as Caluin the Proto-sectary of this our vnfortunate age fully witnesseth writing of Concupiscence in these wordes Neither is it needfull to labour much in searching what old writers haue thought heerein for as much as only Augustine may be sufficient for it who hath faythfully and with great diligence gathered all their iudgments therefore let the Readers gather out of him such certainty as they shall desire to learne of the opinion of antiquity And then immediatly setting downe what S. Augustine taught of this matter and wherein he dissented from him There may seeme sayth he to be this difference betweene him and vs that he when he graunteth that the faythfull so long as they dwell in a mortall body are so holden bound with lusts Calu. l. 3. instit c. 3. §. 10. that they cannot but lust yet dareth not call that disease sinne but being content to expresse it by the name of weaknes he teacheth that then only it becommeth sinne when either worke or consent is added to corruption or apprehension that is when will yieldeth to the first desire but we account the very same for sinne that man is tickled with any desire at all against the law of God I need no more The opinion and iudgment of all antiquity touching concupiscence by Caluins confession is to be taken out of Augustine Augustine auoucheth it no sinne without the consent of the will as himselfe also confesseth Augustine therefore and all antiquity agree with vs in this point against himselfe and his confederates by Caluins owne confession 3. But I will not only beare downe my aduersaryes by Caluins testimony and authority of Ancient Fathers Concupiscence without consent proued by reason to be no sin I will wage also reasons with them I aske what sinne the instigation of coÌ„cupiscence is if it vnwillingly inuade vs or be checked and restrained by vs Originall or Actuall Not Originall because that equally infecteth all this is more violent more exorbitaÌ„t in some theÌ„ others according to the various coÌ„plexion disposition of the persoÌ„s that is of one essence and nature in euery sinner this of diuers one of wrath another of lust the third of reueng c. that neither is nor can be any act but a defect or priuatioÌ„ only this is a personall act in him that coueteth therfore it is not Original sinne distilled from another Nor Actuall Aug. l. 3 de lib. arb c. 18. for we cannot sinne actually against our will No man as S. Augustine teacheth is sayd to sinne in that which he cannot auoyd Therfore the vnuoluntary motions which maugre our will often assault vs cannot be truly sins Our opponents reply it is sufficient they were once voluntary in their origen that is in Adam But it is false that Adam euer voluntarily consented to the personal motions of coÌ„cupiscence which arise in vs neither was our will coÌ„prehended in him as head of his posterity in any other thing then in keeping or casting of the armour of original iustice from himselfe and vs therin only his will was our assent his perseuerance our crown his reuolt our fall his transgressioÌ„ our sin in other acts or desirs of ours which are not of their owne nature faulty though free his voluntary disobedience cannot make them faulty And although I should graunt that they willingly proceed from him as the voluntary cause of all our euills yet that is not inough to make vs now guilty of the outrage committed to say we once sinned in the cause wheron it depended for you may be faulty in the cause and yet incurre no sin when the effect falleth out For example the Maister commandeth his seruant or solliciteth his friend to murder his enemy without doubt he grieuously offendeth when he giueth that charge or vseth such wicked perswasions yet if after he hartily repent before it be atchieued and do his vttermost to recall and hinder the effect although the Lesâ—â—â—â— l. 2. de iure iust c. 13. â—ub 3. Molits de Restit tract 2. disp 73â— censure of excommunication and irregularity sometyme may yet the guilt of sinne neuer can be incurred when the slaughter is committed contrary to his mind the reason is because he hauing recouered the grace and fauour of God by his sorrow and repentance cannot be depriued of it against his will If this be true in the effectes once caused by our owne counsayle or aduise how true is it in the motions caused in vs by the consent of another And if actuall coÌ„cupiscence may be without sinne much more habituall which is nothing so ill as that for the euill habits of mortall and deadly sinne may comply with grace the euill acts can neuer
out remitted taken away separated from vs. How do they then abide Orabiding not how do they destaine the brightnes of succeeding grace Can the banished darknes ouercome the conquering and preuailing light The oldnes cast off defile the newnesse brought in by Christ The destroyed guilt Ezech. 30. v. 25. Rom 6. v. 6. Act. 3. v. 19. â— Luc. 7. v. 48. Ioan. 1. v 29. Psal 102. v. 12. or death of sinne infect the beauty of restored life Let S. Paul be iudge who speeking of some sanctifyed persons who before had beene fornicatours drunkards idolatours affirmeth These thinges some of you were but you are awashed you are sanctifyed you are iustifyed 3. Now if these faythfull Corinthians were not such as they had beene before if the spots of their fornication drunkenesse idolatry and all other sinnes were cleansed and washed away by the guift of sanctification or true iustification created in theÌ„ how durst you giue the checke 1. Cor. 6. v. â—â— to so great an Apostle and say their sanctification is tainted with the loath some touch of their abyding puddles Salomon auerreth Wisedome will not enter into the malicious soule nor dwell in a body subiect to sinne much lesse will ioyn league and be corrupted with the filthines of sinne Christ Sap. 1 v. 4. cannot accord with Belial nor the Arke of our Lord with the Idoll Dagon no more can sanctifying grace stand togeather 2. Cor. 6. v. 15. with mortall sinne for what participation hath Iustice with iniquity What society is there betweene light and darknesse Marry M. Abbot will contract a society between them at least 1. Reg. 5. in some low degree to which purpose he sayth Doth not Philosophy teach that contraryes are incompatible only in their 2. Cor. 6. v. 14. extremes But hath he quite forgotten or did he not rightly vnderstand of what contraryes that was meant The Philosophers speake of some positiue not of priuatiue coÌ„traryes Abbot in his defence c. 2. f. 171. whereof the one is the habit the other the priuation of these no Logicke or Philosophy euer taught they could reside togeather in the same subiect in any remisse degree as one cannot be both dead and aliue bereft of sight and enioy it also at the same instant such contraryes are infused grace and mortall sinne therefore they cannot comply in any measure the one with the other for a deadly crime howsoeuer it be resisted and curbed of his raigne which is al you pretend to linke it with grace yet so long as it formally dwelleth soiourneth in man it must needes denominate and make him a sinner for euery forme giueth the formal effect to the subiect it informeth If a sinner a slaue to sinne starcke dead to God wholy bereft of his fauour truly hated and abhorred of him throughly vncleane and deseruedly guilty of eternal damnation therefore he cannot possibly at the same tyme by any sparke of grace be aliue to God enioy his fauour be accepted and beloued of him be truely cleane and Medina iâ— 1. 2. q. 113. art 2. Caiet ibid Vasq in 1. 2. disp 10. 4. c. 4. 51 worthy of his kingdome The soule which by sinne is the aduoutresse of the Diuell and thrall of Sathan cannot be also the spouse of Christ and the adopted child of God vnles it be by such vnequall shares as that which is the Diuells by true possession of inherent sinne you will account to be Gods by outward clayme of imputatioÌ„ only and make the Prince of darcknes too strong an armed man to be presently cast forth by the King of heauen 4. The Fathers likewise so much abhorre this diabolicall Luc. 11. v. 21. Phrensy that the Diuell should haue any part in vs who are renewed in Christ or that the tainture of our contagion should staine the sanctification wrought by Chrys ho. 40. in â—5 â— ad Cor. S. Basil in psal 23. August tract 9. in ep Ioan Hier. l. 3. cont Pela Euseb de corp sang Dei Niss l. de perfec homin forma Macar l. de lib. arbit VVhitaker in his answere to Campians 8. reason Fulk in c. 4 ad Ephes sect 2. Abbot in â—is 4. c. sect 10. VVhitaâ— vbi supra Aug. l. 6. 〈◊〉 Iul. â— â— him as they contrarywise teach that our inward renouation euer expelleth the dregs of mortall and sometyms also venial default which I inuincibly proued in the precedent Controuersy and maketh our soules as S. Chrysostome sayth more pure then the beames of the Sunne so amyable to God as he sitteth according to S. Basil in the shining soule making it as it were his throne for which cause S. Augustine calleth that internall sanctification the beauty of our soule S. Hierome The purity of our soule Eusebius Hidden purity Macarius A certaine hidden or mysticall garment of heauenly beauty But Protestants do answere how beautifull soeuer that grace may seeme it only declareth quoth Whitaker the good will clemency of God towards vs it is the effect not the cause of our Iustification This renouation sayth Fulke is only begun in this life and not perfected These beames quoth M. Abbot are too dimme and darke to iustify vs in the sight of God for that righteousnes that iustifying grace they place with Whitaker in the free mercy and fauour of God who reconciled vs to himselfe in Christ that according to them is in God only and not in vs vnles it be by meere imputation but I will manifestly proue first that our inward renouation is perfect and pure from the staine of sinne though not from the defects and infirmityes which haue sprong vp from sinne secondly that grace by which we are iustifyed is inherent in vs and not in Christ thirdly that that inherent grace or inward iustice doth truly instify vs before the face of God 5. The first is testifyed by S. Augustine saying Grace doth now perfectly renew man so far forth as it appertayneth to the dâ—â—â—â—erance wholy from all sinnes not so farre as it belongeth to the freedome from all euills Againe In Christian baptisme perfect newnes and perfect health is attayned from those euills by which we were guilty not from these with which we must yet combate least Ibid. c. 7. Augu. de nat gra c. 42. Augu. de gra Christ l. â— c. 30. De sprit literae cap. 32. Lib. de nat grat cap. 63. we become guilty speaking of charity by which this renouation is made he sayth Charity it selfe is most true most plenteous most perfect iustice The second is also warranted by the same S. Augustine who expresly affirmeth The grace by which we are iustifyed not to be Gods gracious and extrinsecall fauour but his charity diffused into our harts by the Holy Ghost who is giuen vs and this charity not to be that by which he loueth vs but that by which he maketh vs louers of him Likewise by this only charity
Ioan. 2. v. 5. Ibid. c. 4. v. 11. Charity whereof you haue the rash verdict of Protestants that it can neuer be perfect wil you now heare the iudgmeÌ„t of S. Iohn He that keepeth his word to wit the commaÌ„dment of our Lord in him in very deed the Charity of God is perfected If we loue one another God abydeth in vs and his Charity in vs is perfected Will you heare the sentence of Christ Greater loue then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friendes But this hath beene acomplished by innumerable Martyrs Ioan. 15. v. 13. of our Roman Church they then haue arriued to the highest pich or degree of Charity After this sort S. Augustine teacheth that not only the Charity of Christ but the Charity also August tract 5. 6. in 1. IoaÌ„ c. 3. Item l. de perf iust tom 3. ex sent sent 311. despir lit c. 5. vlt. l. de doct Chri. cap. 39. l. 1. de pec mer 23. remis c. Hiero. l. 2. comm in lament Ierem haec de Hier. Cent. 4. c. 10. col 1250. of S. Steuen the charity of S. Paul was perfect in this life accordingly in his booke of the perfection of Iustice and els where very often But most perspicuously S. Hierom He is truly and not in part perfect who disgesteth in the wildernes the discomfort of solitude and in the Couent or Monastery the infirmities of the brethren with equall magnanimity Which sentence because the Madgeburgian Protestants could not with any dawbing besmeare but that the beauty thereof would discouer it selfe they sprinkle it with the aspersion of an vnâ—itting or bastardly kind of speach and so cassiere it amoÌ„g other of his errours But these reproachfull censures of such an eminently learned Saint rebound back with disgrace of the censurers honour of the censured and our acknowledged triumph with which I go on to establish it further with a Theologicall proofe 4. It is a strong grounded opinion among Deuines that the actuall and supernaturall loue of some feruent zealous persons heere vpon earth exceedeth in essentiall perfection the burning charity of sundry inferiour Saints in heauen whose Charity notwithstanding Protestants graunt to be perfect for as the habituall grace and Charity of such as haue exercised many acts of loue often receaued the sacraments and augmented their inward habit surpasseth the grace and renouation of Baptisme which infants dying before the vse of reason haue only obtayned So their actuall charity which is often answerable to the habituall and by the help and supply of Gods speciall concurrence may sometyme be greater surmounteth also the actuall loue of young children who now reioyce and triumph in the Court of blisse such was the loue of our B. Lady of S. Iohn Baptist S. Peter and S. Paul 5. To this Argument of the Schoolemen I find no reply in any of our Reformers writings but to the aforesayd passages of Scripture they commonly answere that VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Campiâ— fol. 251. VVher in are the marginall nots out of his reply so Duraeus the workes of the faythfull are perfect and pleasing to God by acceptation They please him quoth Whitaker as if they were entiere and pure because he looketh vpon our persons he doth not make search into the worth and merit of the worke Verily in this later clause you say most truly he maketh not search into the worth merit of your workes whch you denounce to haue no merit in them which you proclayme to be mingled with the corruption of sinne yet your persons perdy because you are Protestants are so amiable in the eyes of that supreme Monarch that the things you do delight and content him as entiere and pure howsoeuer they be in themselues impure And whereas the Publicans humility Mary Magdelens teares the Chananeans fayth S. Peters sorrow endeared them to Act. c. 10 v. 35. God wheras all other good persons are accepted to him by reason of their workes He that feareth God and worketh iustice is acceptable vnto him only Protestants are such darlings as their works are not regarded by reason of their persons He that sayd to Abraham Because thou hast done Gen. 21. v. 16. 17. Sophon 1. v. 12. this things and hast not spared c. I will blesse thee blesseth them without reference to their doings He that searcheth Hierusalem with lamps that is diligently sifteth his holyest Saints maketh no such narrow scrutiny into his Protetestant fauourites he with whome there is no acception of persons accepteth the persons of Protestants without any exception Go you and vaunt of this extraordinary fauour and passe yee without search or examination to your peculiar heauen God grant that we and our workes being weighed in the ballance of Gods iust triall be not found too light as Baltassars were or fayling in any duty Abbot c. 4. sect 45. August de spir lit c. 35. Aug. de temp serm 49. Hier. l. 1. aduers Peâ—ag l. 3. de Fulg. l. 1. ad Mon. Orig. ad Rom. c. 6. we are bound to accomplish Against which M. Abbot declameth as a thing impossible because S. Augustine telleth vs That there is no example of perfect righteousnes among men That this is the perfection of man to find himselfe not to be perfect To whome he also addeth the authorityes of S. Hierome of Origen calling our righteousnes in this life vnperfect wanting of perfection and an image or shadow of vertuâ— Likewise of the Apostles tearming himselfe according to S. Augustine vnperfect a trauailler to perfection not as one that was come vnto it Thus he not vnlike the Stoickes whome S. Hierome and S. Augustine reprehend for their doting phrenzy in cauilling that he who profiteth in wisedome cannot be sayd to haue any wisedome vntill he come to be perfect therein 6. But as concerning the matter in hand I briefly reply with our Angelicall Doctour S. Thomas and with August coâ—t â— ep Pelag. l. 3. 6. 7. Augu. de spir lit c. 36. Hier. l. â— cont Pela Aug. ep 26. S. Thom. q. 24. art 8. Baâ—nes Lor. â—lij in eum articul all other Deuines commenting vpon him That there is a threefold degree of perfection The first is of them who are so firmely rooted in charity as they detest all thinges contrary repugnant to the law of God that is al mortall and deadly crymes by which charity is extinguished this degree all the iust who are in the fauour of God attayne vnto The second is that which excludeth not only euery grieuous sinne but as much as our humane frailty with Gods grace can do euery little imperfection euery superfluous care let or impediment which diuerteth our minds or withdraweth our harts from the loue of soueraigne goodnes to this not all the iust but some religious and zealous persons by continuall mortification and abnegation of
with him it doth so inded yet imperfectly rawly in part only Answere directly for shame Is that raw imperfect duety such as it fulfilleth the law so far forth as it obligeth vnder sinne or no What say you Are you mute dare you not speake TheÌ„ iudgemeÌ„t passeth against you that eyther it fulfilleth not the obligation sinne is inuolued in the duety and that so deeply as the dutifull action is of it owne nature according to you a true deuiation breach of the Commandment or it satisfieth the whole baÌ„d of the law and so it is coÌ„taminated with no touch of sinne in respect of that obligatioÌ„ It is a pure good vndefiled action it is the full accomplishment of whatsoeuer the law in that kind exacted the only sentence we expect from your mouth Againe though sinne be not implyed in the duty yet the duety in their phantasticall iudgment is stayned with the sinne but euery action which is stayned with sinne is necessarily sinneful Basil serm 2 de Bapâ—â— 7. 8. Chrys or the author vpon the imperfect work of 8. Matthew S Thom. 1. 2. q. 18. art 4 ad â— q 19. art 7. ad 3. whence soeuer the sinne proceedeth as S. Basil S. Chrysostome S. Thomas with all the Schoole-men conformably teach For as that which is endewed with whitenes must needs be white from what cause soeuer the whitenes coÌ„meth whether from the naturall propriety and conditioÌ„ of the thing as in a Swan or from the outward act and industry of man as in a white-limed wall So if the duety we performe be polluted with sinne our dutye is sinfull from whence soeuer the sinne ariseth whether from the inward hart or outward obiect casuall necessity or accidentall condition of man 8. I may weary my selfe in skirmishing so long with such feeble aduersaries and wounding them thus in so many places Therefore I retire inflicting for a farewell this last and deadly stroake in true Syllogisticall Dionys de diuin nom c. 4. par 4. Greg. Niss hom 2. in Cant. orat cated c. 5. Basil bom 9. â—oan Damas l. 2. de fiâ—e c. 4. Aug. l. 2. de lib arbr c. vlt. l. 12 de ciuit â— 1 3. 7. Fuig de fide ad Peter c. 21. Auselm o. per. de praese praed c. â— manner Euery action euery duety which is deficient and bereaued eyther of due conuersion to God conformity to reason or of such moral rectitude as by precept binding vnder mortall sinne ought to be in it is a mortall crime and true preuarication of the Law But euery action euery duty we acheiue is according to Protestants deficient and bereaued of that conuersion rectitude or conformity as by precept binding vnder mortall sinne ought to be in it Therefore euery action euery duty we accomplish is according to them a deadly cryme a true bâ—each and preuarication of the law The Maior proposition is the ruled definition of sinne agreed vpon by the best Deuines who either affi me it to be a priuation of good with S. Dionysius Areopagita S. Gregory Nissen S. Basil and S. Iohn Damascene oâ—an alienation an auersion from the law of God with S. Augustine Fulgen us or a want absence and defect of rectitude with S. Anselme or a desertion a straying from vertue with S. Basil againe Nicetus or lastly a deflection a deuiation from the square of Basil in coÌ„stit Mon. Nicet in orat 40. Nazian q. insanct Baptism â— Thom â— 2. q. 71. art 1. â— â— con Gent. c. 7. reason or supreme rule of all actions with S. Thomas and the whole troupe of his followers 9. The Minor that our duety is deficient bereaued of the good fayling of that rectitude or perfection of vertue which ought to be in it is auowed by our Aduersaryes when they contend that it is not answerable and correspondent to the whole taske or amercement the Law exacteth vnder the fine of sinne or forfeiture of disobedience therefore the forementioned conclusion rightly inferred from these two premises is vndeniable And wheras some thinke to get away with their loose reply that although the dutyes they performe be in themselues breaches of the law yet those breaches are pardoned Another obiection vnansweâ—ed not imputed to the elect these men by seeking to get out lap themselues faster in their owne inextricabe neâ—s for no sinne is to be attempted no breach of the law can be lawfully incurred that God may after pardon forgiue the fault that he may not impute the transgression of his law Murder is pardoned Adultery is not imputed in their conceit to the beleeuing Protestant may they therefore be committed because they shal be forgiuen O malicious presumption O presumptuous malice For beare then yee Sectaryes forbeare your duetyes to God your alleagiance to your Prince forbeare your raw and imperfect obseruations of al diuine and human laws or els reuoke your calumnyes abiure your heresies that all vertuous deeds are bespotted with the staynes of vice THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The same is warranted by the Fathers the obiections answered the vnuoluntary motions of Concupiscence discharged of sinne FOVRE notable thinges are deliuered by the Doctors of the Church to shew the falsity of the former calumniation First they auouch our good Hier. l. â— aduers Pelag Augu. de spir lit c. vlti Greg. l. 2. moral c. 8. works to be free from the spots of defilement S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Gregory and S. Bernard in the places heere quoted in the margent SecoÌ„dly they affirme them to iustfy vs before God by true increase and augmentation of inherent iustice to which purpose I haue alleadged many in the controuersy of iustification by workes Thirdly they inculcate that some heroicall Bern. l. de praecep dispens acts are so pure and acceptable to God as they purge clense vs from al dregs from all remaynes of former defaults yea they are so worthy and meritorious as they do not only purchase an increase of grace in this life but a great crowne of glory in the next as Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Origen and S. Cyprian affirme of the dignity of Martyrdom whose sentences are set downe in the question of merit Fourthly they teach that not only the workes of some holy men but that they also themselues Hier. l â—3 cont Pela August de pec mer. remis l. 2 c. 6. Ambr. de na gra c. 3. In eodem l. c. 67. Orig. l. 1. in Iob. Cent. 3. c. 4. col 78. Lact. l. 6. cap. 25. Cent. 4. c. 4. col 192. In eodem l. c 25. Theod. q 19. in Gen Cent. 5 c. 10. col 1008. Hier. l. 4. comm in Ezech. Cent. 4. â— 10. col 1249. may befor a tyme innocent and cleane from all impurity We teach that a man may if he will not sinne c. S. Hierome A man may if he will be without
ep 29. iudged be found vniust and scant For vniust it is meted with the iustice which is wholy infinit scant in comparison of that Likewise when he sayth That our iustice is right but not pure c. for how can it be pure iustice where fault as yet cannot be wanting he denyeth it to be pure he sayth fault cannot be wanting because it is most commonly conioyned with veniall defaults which although they hinder not the true nature and perfection of iustice yet they darken the luster and brightnes thereof and are lyable to the seuerity of Gods heauy punishment Whereupon S. Augustine Wo be to the laudable life of a man if it be examined without mercy To the other passage of this renowned Doctour where he affirmeth most perfect charity which cannot be increased is to be found in no man in this life we grant it to be true This clause which followeth And as long as it may be increased that which is lesse then it tought to be is of vice of which vice it proceedeth that there is no man who doth good and doth not sinne is to be vnderstood not of formall vice or faulty sinne but of that which is an infirmity weaknes and defect of nature from whence it groweth that there is no man who doth alwayes good and neuer sinneth at least venially sometyme Thus S. Augustine interpreteth August ibid. himselfe a litle before saying Who therefore is without some vice that is without some fomite or as it were root of sinne After which manner I haue shewed aboue in the second Chapter of Concupiscence that not only he but Vlpianus Aug. in l. de perfect iusti◠c. 15. Pliny and Cicero vse the name vitium vice for any defect either in nature or act In the same sense S. Augustine taketh the word peccatum in his booke of the perfection of iustice where he hath these wordes It is a sinne when eyther that Charity is not which ought to be or lesse then it ought to be Otherwise August de spir lit c. vlt. he would haue crossed and contradicted what he auouched before in his booke de spiritu litera That if our loue of God in this life be not so great as is due to his full and perfect knowledg it is not culpae deputandum to be imputed to any fault By sinne then in the former place S. Augustine meaneth a defect only or falling from the brimme of perfection yet no culpable sin So also many prophane writers vse the Plautus in Baceb Si vnam peccauisses syllabam Tull. 2. Tusc Quod in eo ipso peccet cuius profitetur scientiam 1. Ioan. 1. v. 8. Iac. 3. v. 3. August tract 1. epist Ioan. l. de nat gra a. c. 36 38. word peccare to sin for erring and doing amisse in any act or faculty as Plautus sayth If thou hadst fayled in one sillable and Tully If a Grammarian shall speake rudely or he that would be counted a Musitiā sing out of tune he is the more to be blamed quod in eo ipso peccet that he erreth or cōmitteth a banger in the thing it selfe whereof he professeth the skill To Origen to S. Hierome and to the rest of S. Augustine and S. Bernard which Protestants obiect I neede not frame any particuler reply The three last generall answers to the Texts of Scripture sweep all the dust away which they deceiptfully gather out of these or any other of the Fathers writings 4. Lastly it is obiected If we shall say that we haue no sinne we seduce our selues and the truth is not in vs. Likewise In many things we offend all I answere both these places are vnderstood of veniall sinnes as S. Augustine expoundeth them which often creep into the purest actions we do and from which we are seldome or neuer wholy free yet they distayne not the purity of our vertuous actions they are not intermingled with the morall bonity therof but extrinsecally accompany it abating the cleare beames of our soule without defyling the pure action whose adherents they are an assertion manifest amongst Deuines August ep 29. 50. l. de virg cap. 48. 49. l. 4. cont 2. ep Pelag. c. 10. Bonau 3. distinct 3. part dub 1. which Protestants conceauing not run into diuers and those pernicious absurdityes Secondly S. Iohn is interpreted also by S. Augustine of the fomite of sinne which euery man hath how perfect soeuer he be yet he doth not meane that that fomite is properly sinne but materially or the effect or cause of sinne which interpretation of S. Iohns words S. Bonauenture imbraceth and addeth a third exposition that S. Iohn doth not teach no man to be at any tyme without sinne but that no man can say to wit assuredly affirme without reuelatiō that he hath no sinne wherein Lyranus and Hugo Cardinalis agree with him but Caietam vnderstandeth S. Iohn of no sinne neyther actually committed nor originally contracted heertofore This no man the Virgin Mary only excepted as hath beene els where declared can auouch without seduction of his hart without he make God a lyar who sent his beloued Sonne into the world to cleanse vs from our sinnes 5. I proceed therefore to the third Caluinian dotage that all first motions or prouocations to euill are truly sinnes albeit we vanquish them which I haue heere refuted in the Controuersy and second Chapter of Originall sinne and somewhat touched in the Controuersy of Free-wil where I haue shewed that S. Augustine accounteth it a meere madnes and such a barbarical phrensy Seneca l. de mor. Aug. tom 7. l. de na gra ◠67. that man assaulted with temptations should sinne against his will as he sayth the very Poets sheepheards learned and vnlearned yea al the world doth witnes it to be false Seneca a heathen could write Away with all excuse no man sinneth against his will And It deserueth no prayse not to do which do thou caust not But S. Augustine agayne shal decide this matter with a sentence able to seale vp the mouths of Protestant Ministers and quyet the harts of all faythful Christians Whatsoeuer cause quoth he there be of the will impelling it to offend if it cannot be resisted it is yielded vnto Idem tom 4. in expos quarun propos prop. 17. Tom. 7. cont Pela l. 2. circa finem Chry. cited by S. Iohn Damas q. 2. phrall c. 27. Eccles 5. v. 2. c. 18. v. 30. without sin but if it may let it not be yielded vnto there shal be no sinnne committed What doth it perchance deceaue a man vnawars Let him therefore be wary that he may not be deceaued or is the deceit so great as it cannot be auoyded If it be so the sinnes therefore are none for who doth sinne in that which can by no meanes be escaped Likewise not in the euill desire it selfe but in our consent do we sinne Moreouer In as
my whole hart I in al my hart will search thy commmandments Howbeit he busied also Iudith â— 17. 2. Reg. 5. v. 1â— himselfe in the affayres of the common wealth and was often distracted with temporall cares And the priestes and people prayed God with al their hart although they were sometyme interrupted with other cogitations All Israell is sayd 4. Reg. 23. v. 25. to follow Absalom with al their hart albeyt they managed some other affayres no doubt and affected some other thing besides him Of Iosias God himselfe witnesseth There was no king before him like to him that returned to our Lord in all his hart and in all his soule and in all his power according to the law of Moyses neyther after him did there arise the like to him 6. In fine Protestantes obserue the precept of Faith by which they are likewise commaunded to beleeue withall their hart Yf thou beleeue with all thy hart thou maiest Act. 8. v. 3â— notwithstanding they giue humane credit to many other authentical histories or probable reportes without hinderance thereof so they may accomplish the commandment of louing God with all the powers of their soule when this loue ouerswayeth the loue of all other thinges when they make him the principall obiect of their hart and summe of their desires when they neyther imbrace nor execute any thing oppofite or disagreable with his frendiship which diuers haue and euery one may by the prerogatiue of Grace atteyne vnto Thirdly S. Paul professeth I can all thinges in him that strengthneth me therfore he could by the strenght of grace fulfil the commaundments or els you derogate both from the authority of the Apostle who affirmeth it and from the power of grace by vertue whereof he many accomplish whatsoeuer Moreouer Philip. 4. v. 13. God maketh this promise vnto vs I will put my spirit in the middest of you and I will make that you walke in my preceptes and keepe my iudgements and doe them Christ testifieth the performance I haue manifested thy name to the men whome thou Ezech. 36. v. 27. gauest me c. and they haue kept thy word Yet notwithstanding the possibility S. Paul speaketh of notwithstanding the promise of God the Father notwithstanding the accomplishment the Sonne mentioneth do they breath vpon Ioh. 17. v. 6 the earth and vaunt of Christianity who depose against them that neuer any fulfilled the law That it is not possible for man to accomplish it 7. Thus much for the mayntenance of our doctrine Now to the obiections of aduersaries First they vrge out S. Paul Cursed be euery one that abideth not in all things that be Gal. 3. v. 10. written in the booke of the law to do them But no man can obserue euery iote of the law without some litle or veniall default therefore he is obnoxious to that damnable curse Iac. 2. v. 10. For whosoeuer shall keep the whole law and offendeth but in one is made guiltie of all Truly they haue framed an excellent Argument to proue themselues accursed who freely confesse they cannot keep any one precept of the law much lesse the whole But we to whome the coÌ„mandments by Gods Hier. Ep. ad Pâ—efiph 1. Iob. 3. v. 6. 9. grace are possible according to S. Hierome we who by the seed of God dwelling in vs do not sinne but arriue to the full accomplishment of the law and of all thinges written and conteyned therein we I say are free from that malediction for veniall sinnes do not in that sense breake or violate the law neyther doth S. Paul pronounce that curse of them as appeareth by the playne text of Deuteronomy whence he reciteth those words but of mortal and deadly crimes of Idolatry incest murder c. which are indeed grieuous breaches traÌ„nsgressions of the Law Therfore Deuâ— 17â— v. 26. he that obserueth the rest and coÌ„mitteth any one of those is liable to the curse of the law he is made guilty as S. Iames witnesseth of the whole not that he who stealeth should be guilty of adultery or he who is an adulterer is therein a murderer or that he who traÌ„sgresseth one coÌ„maundement shal be as seuerely punished tormented in hell as if he had brokeÌ„ al but the sense is that he who offeÌ„deth in one eyther incurreth the wrath and indignation of God the vniuersal authour enacter of them al or caÌ„ haue no more Aug. ep 26 hope of obtayning saluatioÌ„ then if he were guilty of al or that he sinneth as S. Augustine interpreteth against the general great coÌ„mandment of loue Charity the summe the band the plenitude and perfection of them all for the breaking of the band is the dissoluing of the whole 8. I answere agayne that S. Pauls argument here alleadged inferreth the possibility of keeping the law for which we dispute he reasoneth to this effect Whosoeuer wil be iustified by the workes of the law must fullfill the whole taske of the law But without faith in Christ no man can by the force of nature vndergo or do the whole taske of the Law Therfore without faith through the strength of nature no man can be iustified by the workes of the law Hence he inferreth Christ hath deliuereth vs froÌ„ the eurse of the law he doth not meane as Protestants falsify him that he hath discharged vs from the obseruation of the law as from a thing vnpossible but that he inspireth fayth and affordeth grace from the Storehouse of of his merites whereby we may keepe the law and so eschewthe malediction or curse of transgression which the delinquentes incurre 9. Secondly it is opposed Now therefore why tempt you God to put a yoake vpon the neckes of the disciples which neyther our Fathers nor we haue beene able to beare I answere that S. Act. 15. v. 10. Peter there calleth not the obseruation of the decalogue but the ceremoniall law of the Iewes a yoake insupportable because it was very hard and difficult as S. Thomas S. Thom. in 2. dist 28. q. 1. at 4. ad 3. Lyran. in bunolocuÌ„ Rab. Moy. 3. duct dub cap. 56. 57. Abulen in c. 1. Ruth q. 24. Ios 11. v. 15. and Lyranus note to be fulfilled For all their precepts were as Rabby Moyses and Abulensis recount them 600. or there about amongst which were 218. that were affirmatiue and 365. negatiue commandements then the obligation of them was strictly and punctually to be obserued the transgression capitall and punished with all seuerity yet King Dauid Zachary Elizabeth Moyses Iosue c. fulfilled them for of Iosue the Scripture giueth testimony He accomplished all thinges he omitted not of all the commandementes not so much as one worde which our Lord had commanded Moyses Now Christ hath exempted vs from that combersome yoke from that Burthen as S. Augustine calleth it of innumerable Ceremonies yet not which Libertines pretend from the * Aug.
sect 2. sect 7. In. cap. 28. Act. sect 2. affirmeth that sinne proceedeth from Gods direction purpose counsell commaundement that he draweth moueth boweth and necessitateth thereunto Then Fulke addeth that God reprobateth whome he wil c. not vpon the foresight of any demerits And the reprobate haue their will free but from coaction for to sinne it is thrall and slaue Moreouer Gods election and reprobation dependeth no more of mans will then the forme which the potter giueth to the clay dependeth vpon the will of the clay which it hath not In another place The execation of the Iewes is to be attributed to themselues that obstinately refused to see and to God who iustly punished them with that blindnes that they could not see Many heresies are heere inuolued which I will particulerly vnfould manifesting withall our Catholike doctrine 2. First it is the heresy of Symon Magus of Marcion of Vinc. Lyr. cōtra pro. haer nou cap. 34. Iren. l. c. 20. Euseb l. 5. cap. 19. Aug. ber 46. Florinus and the Manichies that God is the authour of sinne It is true that God concurreth to the meteriall entity or act of sinne although not any way at all to the formality of sinne to the deformity of the fault For these meerely proceed from the defectuous operation of mans free-will not from Gods generall influence which S. Thomas exemplifieth and declareth by the vertue of the soule in man or mouing power which enableth the Cripple S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 79. ars 2. in corpore Sap. 11. v. 25. Sapien. 14. v. 9. Haba 1. v. 13. Ier. 19. c. 5. to stirre and moue vp downe yet it causeth not him to moue lamely or haltingly but that wholy ariseth from the defect of his limmes hence it is that God can neuer be sayd to be the willer or worker of sinne much lesse to purpose or intend it For the scripture teacheth that he hateth noting of that which he doth And yet of sinne and the sinner it deliuereth The impious is odious to God and his impiety Thine eies are cleane from seeing euill and thou canst not looke towards iniquity They haue built the high places of Baalim c. which I commanded not nor haue spoken of neyther haue they ascended into my hart Thou art not a God that wilt iniquity Thou hatest all who worke iniquity God is no tempter of euill he tempteth no man All this our Sectaries will admit but how that he tempteth no Ier. 19. v. 9 man willeth not iniquity as an euill authour but as a righteous Iudge God worketh not quoth Fulke as an euill authour of sinne but as a iust iudge The same one thing sayth Caluin but not for the same one cause not for the same purpose or end Psal 5. v. 5. ibid. v. 7. Iac. 1. v. 13. Fulke in c. 11. ad Row sect 5. Caluin l. 1. instit cap. 18. §. 4. l. 2. c. 4. §. 21 ad Rom. 3. v. 8. Aug. in Enchirid c. 22. 3. God I wis is much beholding vnto you whom after you haue coupled with the Diuell in determining causing sinne you excuse his and condemne the others intention but how will you excuse S. Paul who forbiddeth euill to be done that good may come therby els a man might lawfully steale to relieue the poore or forsweare himselfe to saue anothers soule which the whole Church of God vtterly condemneth because that which is in it selfe naught and euill as sinne is cannot be vested with any good circumstance to become thereby honest and good for so S. Augustine teacheth that a lie cannot therfore be at any time commended because we lie sometimes for the safety of others It is then a sinne but veniall c. And to the like purpose Tully sayth It is no excuse of sinne if in thy friends behalfe thou sinne although the obligatiō of friendship and purpose of pleasuring a friend be good Therfore you cannot iustify Cicero lib. de Amicit. Gods intention supposing he actually cooperateth vnto sinne Or let vs yield you may let it be he worketh not as an euill authour of sinne but as a iust Iudge Let it be his counsaile his end his purpose be holy good yet thence we haue that Fulke in c. 11 ad Rom. sect 5. Caluin lo. citato he is authour and worker of sinne c. For he must of necessity be authour of that which he determineth purposeth effectually worketh Cease then those ourcries those exclamations of yours That we belye we slaunder your professours in appeaching them of making God the authour of sinne for we neuer attached them in those termes That Ecclesias 49. v. 25. he should be the authour or worker of sinne with a sinfull intention or mischieous purpose Of this diabolicall phrase neither Marcion nor Simon Magus nor Florinus was euer accused the enemy knoweth how to couer his poysoned cup with more pleasant spices he teacheth you to guild your Creatours intention that you may graunt his fact for which you are condemned A fact so repugnāt Plat. dial 2. de repub to infinite Goodnes as not only the wiseman auerreth inspired by the holy Ghost Al the workes of our Lord are exceeceeding good but Plato by the glimse of naturall light God only is to be called the cause of good thinges but of euill thinges it Mercurius Trismeg in Poem ◠cap. vlt. S. Basil hom 2 in exam bom 9. Quod Deus non fit author malorum Tertul lib. 2. contra Mar. cap. 14. S. Grego l. 19. mora c. 31. Dion cap. 4. de diui nom Aug. cap. 105. Amb. l. exam cap. 8. becometh vs to seeke out another cause besides God And Mercurius Trismegistus From God the maker no vncleane no euill thing can proceed Our Catholique writers auncient moderne more closely pursue and vrge the same S. Basill Tertullian S. Ambrose S. Gregory Neither is there in God sayth S. Dionyse nor from God any euill Iniquity sayth S. Augustine which most vpright or inflexible Verity reproueth he knoweth how to condemne not how to do Malice sayth S. Ambrose riseth from our selues not from God our creator c. he desireth it shold be rooted out of the mindes of all men how can he thē ingender it 4. For it were a very preposterous yf not tyrannicall course to punish in others that which himselfe by thē performeth An impotent and deceiptfull proceeding to intend iustice and accomplish wickednes as Protetestantes feigne their God to do who ayming at vertue worketh vice proposing truth venteth heresies either because he cannot fashion his worke answerable to his purpose which is impotency or purposeth one thing and worketh another which is deceipt or will haue the same formall worke which is of it owne nature euill sinful and eternally punished in others to be good holy laudable as achieued by him which is no lesse then inhumanity and fiercenes in any other then a
therfore to Fulke in c. 3. 1. ad Cor. sect 6. Basil in c. 9. Isa Niss orat ad Dornicent Theod in 3. 1. ad Cor. Oecum in eum locū S. Dionys de Eccles Hier. c. 7. Athan. q. 34. ad Antio S. Basil vbi supra S. Cyr. Cat. Mystag 5 Chrys bo 41 in c. 15. 2. ad Cor. Fulke in his confutation of Purgitory p. 237. 260. 371. 313. Bellar. l. 1. de Purgat cap. 11. the Grecians whome M. Fulke hath the face to belye in this manner The opinion of Purgatory was neuer receaued in the Greeke Church S. Gregory Nissen Theodoret and Oecumenius who receaued beleeued and taught it beare witnes against him in behalfe of their Church S. Gregory Nissen his wordes not to be ouer tedious in repeating the rest are these Man after sinne in many toylsome labours ought to be exercised that taught by experience he might return to his first happynes all vitious affections being purged forth either in this world by a sober course of life c. or after our departure hence by the fornace of Purgatory fire S. Dionyse S. Athanasius S. Cyril S. Chrysostome S. Ephrem S. Basil and Epiphanius all Grecians were al of the same mind holding with vs prayer for the dead as M. Fulke much forgetting himselfe confesseth of most of them by name in his confutation of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead where also he hath these wordes In the buriall of Constantine there is mention of Prayer for his soule according to the errour of the tyme. Which was notwithstanding but 300. years after Christ about the time of the first Nicen Councell and he buryed in the Greeke Church of Constantinople 18. Finally that no proofes might be wanting to fortify a truth so generally impugned by our new-refined Ghospellers Cardinall Bellarmine deriueth the opinion of some purging place after this life from the commō consent of all sorts of people of Iewes Gentils Philosophers Poets and Turkes As from Iosephus Plato Cicero Virgil Claudian and Mahomet whose testimonyes he alleadgeth Iosephus l. de bello ludaic c. 19. Plato in Gorg. Phaedone Cic. in som Scip. in fine Virg. 6. Aeneid Claudian l. 2. in Ruffi circ finem Mahum in Alcorano Petr. Gal. de arca Catho verit l. 6. c. 9. 10. The Authour of the Protest Apol tract 1. sect 4. subdi 2. Fulke in c. 8. Luc. sect 5. in 5. Apoc. sect 1. Rabby Haccados l. qui inscri bitur Reuelator arcanorum Rab. Simeon apud Rab. Haccados Oecolamp in l. ep Zuing Oecolam l. 1. p. 19. Zuing l. 3. p. 560. 561. Peter Mart. in locis commun Anglitè pag. 2. c. 18. D. Barlow in his defence of the Protestant Religion pag. 173. M. Iacob in M. Bilsons booke of the full Redēption p. 188. Bils ibidem pag. 189. c. Danaeus ad Rob. Bellar. disp par 1. p. 176. VVhitaker contra Duraeum l. 8. pag. 567. Rubb Symeon in l. Zoar in cap. 18. Gen. Rabbi Dauid in psal 32. Rabbi Isaac in Lucer lucis con 1. p. 2. c. 2. Fox in his acts and monu 1313. 1315. Luch in disput Lipsia not to credit their authorityes any furthet then to shew that this doctrine sprang out of the bowels of nature and not from the priuate policy or inuention of man Petrus Galatinus the Author of the Protestāts Apology for the Romā Church learnedly gather it from the old Rabbines and from the late Reformers themselues from some who grant a third place of Limbus Patrum which M. Fulke and our English Sectaryes stoutly deny Rabby Haccados who liued before Christ writeth in his person I haue decreed to descend into hell to redeeme the soules of the iust which my Father did abandone thither in the rod of his indignation Rabby Simeō agreeth with him heerein So doth Oecolampadius Zuinglius and Peter Martyr who expresly allow Limbus Patrum 19. And touching the ancient writers D. Barlow auoucheth This passeth most rife amongst the Fathers who taking Inferi for Abrahams bosome expound it that Christ went thither ad liberandum liberandos to conueigh the Fathers deceased before his Resurrection vnto the place where now they are Which doctrine M. Iacob confesseth All the Fathers with one consent affirme Neither doth M. Bilson Danaeus or Whitaker deny it but he discardeth it as their errours From others it is deduced who directly acknowledge Purgatory it selfe Rabbi Simeon auerreth of such as are temporally punished in the next life After they are purged from the filth of their sinnes then doth God cause them to ascend out of that place See Rabbi Dauid Rabbi Isaac and others confirming the same Which Latymer also an earnest Protestant and Foxian Martyr confesseth And Luther his fore-runner sayth I strongly beleeue yea I dare boldly say I know there is a Purgatory Concerning the Fathers M. Sutcliffe graunteth of S. Gregory the Great He allowed Purgatory D. Humfrey sayth He and Austen brought it into England Nay long before S. Gregory or this Augustine our Apostles dayes the Magdeburgians recite and reiect the sayings of Lactantius and S. Hierome appertaining to Purgatory They write of Origen Sutcl subtler c. 4. Doctor Humfrey par 2. lesuit rat 5. pag. 5. 627. Magdeb. Centu. 4. col 304. Cent. 3. col 265. col 87. Fulke in his Confu of Purgat p. 78. He appointed Purgatory as a punishment of sinnes Besides The seeds of Purgatory are heere and there scattered in Origens workes M. Fulke acknowledgeth of S. Angustine the Doctour of the Church Augustine speaketh of the amending fire in the place by M. Allen alleadged He doth so indeed but Augustine had no ground of that fire but in the common errour of his tyme. O too to pittious answere Hath M. Fulke sense to deny and had Augustine no ground to affirme Was it cōmon in Augustines tymes and defended by him and shall it be repealed and condemned in vs 20. I will stand no longer in gathering the suffrages of these our enemyes reason it selfe giueth sentence on our side Two depart this life one who hath laboured in the schoole of vertue many yeares togeather is free from the guilt and hath fully satisfyed for his offences past another who hath runne a wicked race al the dayes of his life yet through the mercy of God repenteth in the end is pardoned of his sinnes but hath no leasure to accomplish any satisfaction at all If this second person dying Deut. 25. v. 2. at the same instāt with the former partake the ioyes of heauen as soone as he God were vniust to reward him equally with the other who performed before condigne satisfaction Therefore he must be delayed for a season of his felicity vntill the penalty of sinne be discharged because it is an inuiolable decree of our vpright Iudge According to the measure of the sinne shall the measure also of the stripes be 21. Againe I suppose three seuerall persons the one dyeth pure from