that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled Christ our Sauiour saith Doe men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles and a corrupt tree bringeth forth euill fruite Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God Here of we conclude that euen those workes which God hath commaunded and commended to vs in his word being done by the vngodly and reprobate be so corrupted by their infidelitie and wickednes that they bee not acceptable but rather abominable before God So saith Saint Augustine Sine qua fide quae videntur bona opera in peccata vertuntur that is Without faith those workes which seeme to be good are turned into sinne Saint Ambrose saith Sine cultu veri dei etiam quod virtus videtur esse peccatum est nec placere vllus deo sine deo potest that is Without the worship of the true God euen that which seemeth to be vertue is sinne neither can any please God without God Anselme saith Omnis vita infidelium peccatum est nihil bonum sine summo bono i. The whole life of the vnfaithfull is sinne and there is nothing good without the chiefest good which is God By this the Christian reader may sufficiently see how false the doctrine of the Papists and namely of our fine and delicate Iesuites is who teach as their proctor Andradius one of that coate blusheth not to auouch that all actions of those which bee voyde of the true knowledge of God bee not sinne yea that they may doe workes defiled with no fault but worthie of great praise and that we are not to thinke that all the workes of them which be voyd of faith do so displease God that they be crimes worthie eternall punishments Let the godly reader compare these sayings of this Iebusite with those alledged before out of the Scriptures and ancient Fathers and discerne which is more sound and agreeable not to the blinde reason of man but to the will of God reueiled in his word Secondly concerning the workes of there generate that belong to Gods election and mercie we say that although they be done with imperfection and not so fully with their whole soule hart and minde as they should be but carrie the touch of mans corruption and are not able to abide the strict streight iudgement of God yet because they proceede from harts purified by faith and sanctified in some measure with Gods holy spirit they please God and the imperfections of them being pardoned in Iesus Christ they bee accepted for pure and holy Christ saith A good tree bringeth forth good fruite to the pure are all things pure The prayer of the righteous is alwayes acceptable to God The faithfull be an holy priesthoode to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased This therefore is a falsely which this man with a brasen brow affirmeth that fasting praying and almes deedes according to our religion be deadly sinnes These workes be commaunded of God who commaundeth no sinnes We say that the corruption of our nature which is but in part and imperfectly regenerate in this life doth creepe into them and therefore they be not so purely perfectly done of vs as God requireth whereby we acknowledge that euen the best workes we doe had neede of Gods mercie So Saint Augustine saith Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam that is Wo be to the laudable life of man if thou O God examine it without mercie Now what reasonable man will reason or imagine vs to reason thus that because we doe good workes not so purely and perfectly as Gods righteousnesse requireth and deserueth that therefore good workes as prayer almes deedes c. be deadly sinnes or are to be auoyded of vs. But let vs come to examine the proofe of your Minor or second proposition You say that according to our religion and common exposition of this text of Scripture we are made all as vncleane and all our iustices are like a stained cloth the best workes we can doe are infected with deadly sinne and deserue eternall damnation and therefore to be auoided We indeed expound this place not only of wicked hypocrites but also of the regenerate and faithfull and say that all our owne righteousnesse of works is so stained with the corruption of our sinfull nature that it is not able to stand before Gods iudgement seate nor abide his seuere triall and examination For when wee haue done all those things which are commaunded vs we must say that we are vnprofitable seruants And if thou O Lord streightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand and therfore we must pray and say Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shal none that liueth be iustified And with Daniel we say O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our Kings to our Princes to our Fathers because we haue sinned against thee yet compassion and forgiuenes is in the Lord our God Whereupon we acknowledge that our Iustice and righteousnesse consisteth not in the perfection of our vertues but in the forgiuenes of our sinnes Bernard thus expoundeth and applieth the place of Esay Nostra si qua est humilis iustitia recta for sitan sed non pura nisi forte meliores nos esse credimus quà m patres nostros qui non minus veraciter quà m humiliter aiebant omnes iustitiae nostrae tanquam pannus menstruatae mulieris Quomodo enim pura iustitia vbi adhuc non potest culpa deesse i. Our humble or base iustice if it be any is peraduenture right but not pure vnles we beleeue our selues to be better than our Fathers who no lesse truly then humbly said all our righteousnesse is as the cloth of a menstruous woman for how can righteousnesse be pure where sinne as yet wanteth not And againe Sed quid potest esse omnis iustitia nostra coram Deo Nonne iuxta Prophetam velut pannus menstruata reputabitur si districtè iudicetur iniusta inuenietur omnis iustitia nostra i. What can all our iustice be before God Shall it not according to the Prophet be reputed like the cloth of a menstruous woman and if it be streightly iudged all our iustice shall be found to be vniust How you expound this place I know not belike you satisfying Gods iustice so fully with your owne pure workes that he can aske no more of you as I alleaged before out of Bishop Fisher thinke that this place is not to be vnderstood of you and your iustice which is pure and perfit but of the iustice of Lutherans Caluinists and such other prophane persons Wherein take you heede that you shew not
Church of England did hold himselfe to the matter and how vnlike he was to Doctor Harding in his long discourses and digressions who in his booke intituled A detection of lyes c. discoursed two hundred and sixe whole sides of paper onely in preambles and prefaces before he once stept into his matter as Maister Iewel truly told him let the vpright reader indifferently iudge The like I may say of that worthie man of famous memorie Doctor Whitakers who how briefely soundly and learnedly he hath answered Campion Saunders Duree Stapleton William Reynolds and Bellarmine any man that hath an incorrupt eye may see and discerne And if T. W. be the author of this pamphlet as I nothing doubt but he is he may remember that one which had conference with him did write a briefe epistle vnto him and did therein set downe short syllogismes concerning the controuersies of prayer to Saints and the sacrifice of the Masse and required to haue the like short syllogismes set downe of him for the defence of his assertions and could not receiue one but a long tedious discourse concerning prayer to Saints which was confuted and neuer defended But whether answers be briefe or long it maketh no matter so that they be learned sound and true to the effectuall confuting of the errour and satisfying of the reader Now as touching certaintie which you say but do not shew that our religon lacketh I answere and auonch that out Religion is farre more certaine consonant and agreeable to it selfe then the doctrine of the Church of Rome is the which if I do not effectually proue hereafter in place more conuenient I will not require any man to vse your owne words to accept or affect it But with what forehead can this man charge our doctrine with want of perspicuitie seeing he cannot be ignorant how obscure darke and intricate the popish religion and doctrine is as may appeere by their manisold both turious questions and intricate distinctions which be their chiefe shifts to elude the plaine truth And if any would see how darke the doctrine and writings of Papists are let him looke into the Schoolemen Tho Aquine Io. Scotus Alexander de Hales Gabriel Biel and many such other amongst whom he may finde as much certaintie vnitie and perspicuitie of doctrine as he may in holl But how we study for perspicuitie and seeke to make all matters plaine both in our preachings and in our writings auoyding all curious questions and intricate and needles distinctions we appeale to the consciences of all that reade and heare vs. As touching your method concerning errours in doctrine and inordinate affections in maners if you can prooue that our wits be inueigled with them and our liues stained with these more then we can prooue euen your holy Fathers the Popes forsooth Peters successors and Christes vicars haue been you shall winne the victorie You seeme to attribute too much to our very naturall faculties to the iudging and discerning of truth proposed not considering the corruption of our naturall faculties by sinne how both the minde is blinded and the will peruerted Our Sauiour Christ saith The light shineth in darknes and the darkenes comprehendeth it not Saint Paul saith that animalis homo the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discorned But of this I forbeare to speake any more and also will leaue the other wait words in your letter and do come vnto your articles of faith The Pamphlet The first article concerning knowledge and faith The Protestants haue no faith nor neligion THe Protestants haue no faith no hope no charitic no repentance no justification no Church no altar no sacrefice no Priest no Religion no Christ the reason is for if they haue then the world was without them for a thousand yeeres as they themselves must needs confesse vid elicet all the time their Church was eclipsed and 1500. as we will proue by all records of antiquitie as Histories Councels monuments of ancient Fathers Whereby it plainely appeaneth that the synagogue of the Iewes was more constant in continuance and more ample for place then the Church of Christ For they haue had their sâ—nagogue visible in diâ—ers countries eâ—en since Christ's death and passion euen vntill his day which is the very path to lead man into Atheisme as though Christ were not as yet come into the world whose admirable promises are not accomplisheds whose assistance hath failed in preseruing his Church vnto the worlds end whose presence 〈◊〉 absent many hundred years before the finall consummation and consequently they open the gap to all Machiuillians who say that our Sauiour was one of the deceiuere of the world promising so much concerning his Church and performing so little Answere LOoking in this first article to haue found a syllogisme which this worthie writer vseth in some articles following but heere for want of a good medium as it may seeme to frame one by hath omitted I found a false assertion and a foolish probation The assertion that we haue no faith Haue we no faith The Deuils haue some faith Saint Iames saith The Deuils beleeue and tremble and haue we no faith we are much beholden vnto you for your charitable opinion of vs. You are by the doctrine of Saint Paule not to thinke so euill but to hope the best of them that professe Iesus Christ and his holy Gospell But to this your false and slaunderous assertion I will oppose a true affirmation and confession We beleeue all that God hath deliuered to vs by Moses the Prophets and Apostles in the old and new Testament yea we beleeue the contents of the Creeds of the Apostles Nicene and Athanasius and yet haue we no faith We hope to passe hereafter from death vnto life and to be partakers of that kingdome of glory which God hath promised and Iesus Christ hath purchased for all those that truly beleeue in him We trust that we haue charitie and loue both towards God and man although we confesse not in such full and perfect measure as we ought to haue we with Saint Iohn say He that loueth not his brother abideth in death We acknowledge repentance to be one of those chiefe heads wherein the summe of Christianitie is comprised Saint Marke setting forth the summe and substance of Christes doctrine comprehendeth it in these two Repent and beleeue the Gospell so did Saint Paule witnessing both to the Iewes and to the Grecians the repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ We beleeue to be iustified not by our owne works of righteousnes which we vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children haue done nor by the merits of any Saints in heauen or in earth but by the mercies of God purchased vnto vs by the blessed and bloudy merits of Iesus
to doe as the noble man the Queene Candaces Treasurer did to seek to a faithful Philip that is a godly and learned man by him to seeke to haue them opened and expounded so did Fabiola other godly women to Saint Hierome So Augustine saith Scripturarum expositio ab ijs petenda est qui earum doctores se esse profitentur that is The exposition of the Scriptures is to be sought of them which professe themselues to be doctors and teachers of them Yet with Saint Paul we say that as we are not to despise prophesying that is the expounding of Gods word so we are not rashly to receiue whatsoeuer is deliuered to vs but we are to proue all and to hold that which is good and to abstaine from all apparance of euill for the eare trieth the words as the mouth tasteth meate So also Saint Basil saith Quod in edulijs est sensus qualitatis vniuscuiusque edulij hoc in verbis sanctae scripturae est intellectus Gula enim inquit cibos gustat mens verba dijudicat that is That which in meates is the tast of the qualitie of euery meate the same is the vnderstanding or minde in the words of the holy Scripture For the throate saith he tasteth the meates and the minde iudgeth the words Now I will retort your argument vpon you in this manner Whosoeuer buildeth his faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the Scripture is an infidel The Papists build their faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the Scripture as I haue shewed before and can proue in many places moe ergo the Papists be infidels And thus much to your second article of faith The Pamphlet All Protestants who are ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues are Infidels 3. Article WHosoeuer relieth his faith vpon the ministers credit and fidelitie hath no faith at all But all those in England who are ignorant of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues rely their faith vpon the ministers credit Ergo. All those in England who are ignorant of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues haue no faith at all The Maior is manifest because they themselues confesse that euery man may erre and doth erre neither haue they any warrant why the ministers doe not erre since they constantly doe defend that whole generall councels yea and the vniuersall Catholike Church may erre and hath erred The Minor I proue for all such Protestants ground their faith vpon the Bible translated into English the which translation they know not whether it be true or false whether the minister Tindall for example erred or no either vpon ignorance as Broughton one of the greatest linguists among the precisians affirmeth in an epistle dedicated to the Lords of the Counsell or vpon malice to induce the people to protestancie or to cause them to leaue the Catholike Religion as Gregorie Martin in his discouerie most pregnantly prooueth These errors I say they know not and consequently cannot discerne a true translation from a false and therefore must needes rely their faith vpon the sillie ministers faithles fidelitie which conuinceth that they haue no faith at all Answere I Deny the Minor or second proposition of this Syllogisme and say that we rely not our faith vpon the Ministers credit and fidelitie but vpon the word of God translated the which we know to be true and holy not so much for that it is by publike authoritie and generall assent of men allowed as for that it containeth most holy doctrine agreeable to true faith and godly life whereby any that readeth or heareth it may behold the Maiestie of Gods spirit appearing in it As for example I beleeue these sayings to be true that Iesus Christ came into this world to saue sinners that he is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world that the grace of God which offereth saluation to all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we deny vngodlinesse and worldly lust and liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world c. not for that this or that man hath translated them but because the spirit of God doth beare witnes vnto my hart that most holy pure and diuine doctrine is contained in them And therefore to say that those which vnderstand not the Hebrew and Greeke tongues because they vse the word of God translated to them into other languages doe rely their faith vpon the Ministers credit and fidelitie and haue no faith is most foolish and absurd And let the Christian reader marke and consider how this sottish reason tendeth to the discrediting not only of vs but also of the most part of all godly and faithfull Christians in all ages yea and to the most of the godly Doctors and Fathers of the Church who were almost all ignorant of the Hebrew tongue and some of the Greeke also The holy Scriptures were translated into many tongues in the which the people of God did reade and heare them As Theodoritus writeth Hebraici verò libri non modò in Graecum idioma conuersi sunt sed in Romanam quoque linguam Aegyptiacam Persicam Indicam Armenicamque Scythicam adeoque Sauromaticam semelque vt dicam in linguas omnes quibus ad hanc diem nationes vtantur that is The Hebrew bookes be translated not onely into the Greeke tongue but also into the Romaine Aegyptian Persian Indian Armenian and Scythian and also the Sclauonian tongues to say at a word into all languages which the nations vse vnto this day Did the ancient faithfull Christians which read and heard the holy Scriptures in these sundrie languages rely their faith vpon men that did translate them or vpon the diuine doctrine and precious promises of God contained in them And let this cauiller shew sufficient reason why we are not either to be acquited with them or they condemned with vs. They could no more iudge of the truth of the translations then our people can yet they did to their great comfort and godly instruction and edification reade and heare the holy Scriptures grounding their faith not vpon the translators who might be and sometimes were euill men but vpon the sound holy and heauenly doctrine therein contained Saint Hierome exhorted ladies and gentlewomen not onely to reade the Scriptures themselues but also to bring vp their young daughters when they were but seuen yeares ould in that holy exercise They were not able to iudge of the translations otherwayes then to discerne and perceiue that the doctrine by them deliuered was pure and holy agreeable to true faith and godly life And euen so they that be godly in these dayes although they hauing not the knowledge of the Hebrew and Greeke tongues cannot iudge so exactly of translations and of the truth of them as those that vnderstand them can yet they may discerne whether the translations deliuer sound and holy doctrine consonant to true faith good manners and the generall heads and
was neuer accursed of his Father but he bare in his body and soule the curse that was due to our sinnes to deliuer vs from the curse of God and to purchase to vs the blessing of God But these men who otherwayes are so full of curious distinctions doe herein erre because they doe not with Saint Augustine put a difference betweene that which appertained to Christs owne person and that which he suffered in the person and place of vs the which if this writer or rather slaunderer had done he might haue abstained from these his blasphemous collections of his owne and not our assertions As if Christ had despaired of his Saluation or God had hated him c. Whereunto I answere that Christ was farre from such despaire which properly is a sinne in the reprobate and not a punishment of Gods iustice And we hould that our Sauiour Christ suffered in our person and for vs those torments which are righteous punishments of Gods iustice against sinne and not such as properly bee sinnes in the deuils and in wicked and reprobate men as are despaire and hatred of God And therefore we confesse with our mouthes and beleeue with our harts that Christ was neuer hated of his Father but alwayes the deerely beloued Sonne of God in whom he was alwayes well pleased But he hated sinne the which as man had committed so in mans nature Gods iustice was to be satisfied The which for that corrupt and sinfull man was not able to performe the Sonne of God as I said became our surety tooke vpon him our nature and in the same hath suffered vpon the crosse the punishment of Gods anger due to our sinnes and thereby hath satisfied Gods iustice pacified his anger and purchased his loue and mercie to all those that truly beleeue in him And so Christ was tormented with anguish of minde not for his sinnes as you falsely gather but for our sinnes which hee bare in his bodie and soule vpon the crosse and God was not enemie to God but enemie to our sinnes which were imputed to Christ that his satisfaction and righteousnes might be imputed vnto vs. To conclude we beleeue that Christ suffered vpon the crosse those punishments of sinne which proceede from Gods iustice and be no sinnes which in some sense may be called the paines of hell because that as Christ by his Deitie ouercame them and it was impossible for him to be held and ouercome of them so the diuell and the reprobate shall eternally indure them And this is no desperate doctrine but a most comfortable doctrine to assure vs that in Christ Gods iustice is satisfied our sinnes are discharged hell is conquered and wee from it be deliuered So that we may with the Apostle say O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie The Pamphlet The Protestants haue no meane to determine controuersies and abolish heresies 5. Article AS the Protestants neither know what they beleeue nor why they beleeue so haue they no meanes in their Church to settle them in vnitie of beleefe nor to determine controuersies nor to abolish heresies as hath the Catholike Church for our Sauiour Christ by his diuine prouidence did foresee that heresies were to arise in his Church as his Apostle S. Paul doth warne vs the which as plagues were to infect his flocke and therefore he not onely forewarned vs of them but also gaue vs meanes how to preuent and extinguish them He willed vs to heare his Church if we would not be accounted as Etlmicks and Publicanes He ordained Pastors and Doctors lest we should be carried away with euery blast of vaine doctrine He promised to the Church the assistance of the holy Ghost in such sort as they which would not heare her would not heare him The Catholikes therefore beleeuing certainly that the Church cannot erre that the generall Councels cannot deliuer false doctrine that the Pastors and ancient Fathers with ioynt consent cannot teach vntruths when heresies spring vp presently with the voyce of the Church plucke them vp euen by the rootes and so euer hath practized and after this manner hath ouerthrowne al encounters false opinions and errors which the diuell by his ministers euer planted or established in the world and so they haue been freed from all braules and quarrels in matters of religion But the Protestants admitting the sole Scripture as vmpire and Iudge in matters of controuersies allowing no infallible interpreter thereof but remitting all to euery mans priuate spirit singular expositioÌ„ cannot possibly without error winde themselues out of the laborynth of so many controuersies wherewith they are now inâ—â—â—gled and intricated And the irreconciliable iarres betâ—ixt them and the Puritanes in essentiall points of faith giue sufficient testimonie that they will neuer haue an end or can haue an end holding those grounds of opinion which they obstinately defend And finally they haue no argument to prooue that they haue the true Church true religion true faith which all heretakes which euer were will not bring to condemne the Church as well as they For example they alleage Scriptures so did the Arrians they contemne Councels the Arrians did not regard them they challenge to themselues the true interpretation the same did all heretikes to this day And to conclude they call themselues the little flocke of Christ to whom God hath reuealed his truth and illuminated them from aboue all which the Donatists with as good reason and better arguments did arrogate vnto themselues The same I say of Pelagians Nestorians Eutychians with all the rabble of other damned heretikes And to conclude these articles of faith I say that if the principles of the Protestants religion be true S. Paul himselfe exhorteth vs to infidelitie which I proue thus Whosoeuer exhorteth vs to doubt of that which we are bound to beleeue by faith exhorteth to infidelitie But S. Paul doth exhort vs to doubt of our saluation which we are bound to beleeue by faith according to the Protestants religion Ergo S. Paul exhorteth vs to infidelitie The Maior is plaine for to doubt of matters in faith is manifest infidelitie because whosoeuer doubteth whether God hath reuealed that which indeede he hath reuealed being sufficiently proposed as reuealed vertually doubteth whether God saith truth or lieth The Minor is proued by the testimonie of S. Paul Cum timore tremore salutem vestram operamini With fears and trembling worke your saluation All feare whether it be filiall feare or seruile feare includeth doubt the one of sinne the other of punishment Answere AS it is false that wee neither know what wee beleeue nor why wee beleeue as hath been before sufficiently shewed so is it no lesse false which is here boldly affirmed but faintly proued That we haue no meanes in our Church to settle vs in vnitie of beleefe to determine controuersies and to abolish herefies We haue the word of God which wee acknowledge to be the onely touchstone
of truth concerning religion and saluation We haue learned and godly Bishops and Pastors to teach the truth of Gods word to confute both by preaching and writing errors and heresies And we haue Synodes although not generall yet prouinciall wherein controuersies may be decided and heresies condemned as heretofore the truth hath beene maintained and heresies confuted and confounded in some prouinciall Councels as that called Gangrense and some other Africane Councels as well as they haue beene in some generall I would faine know of you what other and better meanes the Church of God had for the space of three hundred yeeres after Christs in carnation then these to determine controuersies and abolish heresies Generall Councels they had not before Constantines time which therefore your fellow Papist Fighius counteth to haue been an inuention of his but your great Rabbin Rob. Bellarmine therein controlleth him and saith it is false So well these men be setled in vnitie of beleefe And to your great Master of Rome whom you now would make the Oracle of the world there was before that time but small respect and regard had as your owne Pope Pius 2. in these words confesseth Ante Concilium Nicenum sibi quisque viuebat ad Romanam Ecclesiam paruus habebatur respectus i. Before the Councel of Nice euery one liued to himselfe and there was small regard had to the Church of Rome Shew vs therefore what meanes the Churches of God then had for maintenance of vnitie of faith which we want You say that Christ willed vs to heare his Church if we would not be accounted for Ethnicks and Publicanes The which place your said Rob. Bellarmine Reader full wisely alleageth to proue the Pope and his Councel to be the supreme Iudge of controuersies As though our Sauiour Christ there spake of deciding of controuersies in doctrine or of expounding the Scriptures or by the Church meant the Pope and his Councel and that euery man against whom his brother trespasseth must goe to the Pope and his Councel to make his complaint These be vanities and follies which nullo impellente ruunt and neede no confutation You further alleage out of Ioh. 14. 17. that Christ promised vnto the Church the assistance of the holy Ghost where by the Church you meane the Pope and his Councell as your Master Bellarmine hath taught you who writeth vs Sed hîc in genere dicimus iudicem veri sensus Scripturae omnium controuersiarum esse ecclesiam id est Pontificem cum concilio in quo omnes Catholici conueniunt that is Wee generally say that the Church is the iudge of the true sense of the Scripture and of all controuersies that is to say The Pope with the Councel wherein all Catholikes doe assemble or rather dissemble together But our Sauiour Christ made this promise to his disciples saying I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another Comforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you This promise pertaineth not to all the successors of the Apostles but to all them that truly feare God and beleeue and obey the holy doctrine which Christ deliuered to his Disciples and which they preached the which when you shall soundly proue that your Popes Councels do then we wil grant that this promise of Christ belongeth to them In the meane time wee will follow Chrysostomes good counsell Si videris aliquem Euangelica repetentem profecto spiritum sanctum habet Venidt enins spiritus sanctus vt recordari vos faciat eorum quae docui Si quis igitur corum qui dicuntur habere spiritum sanctum dicat aliquid a scipso non ex Euangeliji non crodite meam doctrinam sequimini that is If thou see any man speaking out of the Gospell surely he hath the holy Ghost For the holy Ghost shal come to put you in remembrance of those things which I haue taught you If therefore any of them which are said to haue the holy Ghost doe speake any thing of himselfe and not out of the Gospels beleeue him not but follow my doctrine Whereas you say that you beleeue certainly that the Church cannot erre that the generall Councels cannot deliuer false doctrine c. I answere that you foolishly begge that which is in question For as wee acknowledge Councels assembled of godlie learned and modest men which simply seeke the glorie of God and the profit of his Church are good meanes to suppresse errors and heresies and to abolish abuses and enormities so to affirme that generall Councels cannot erre or deliuer false doctrine is most false absurd as by many both reasons and examples might be prooued But for shortnes sake I will touch but a few examples The councell of foure hundred Priests of Israel erred and Santan was a false spirit in the mouth of them all to the destruction of Achab that cursed king of Israel The councell of the Priests of Iuda erred in cōdemning Iesus Christ to death The Councell of the high Priest and other Priests Rulers Elders and Scribes erred in forbidding Christs disciples to speake or teach in the name of Iesus The councel of Neocaesarea erred in iudging hardly falsly of second marriages which Gods word alloweth Rom. 7. 3. 1. Cor. 7. 39. the words of the Councell be these Presbyterum conuiuio secundarum nuptiarum interesse non debere maxime cum praecipiatur secundis nuptijs poenitentiam tribuere that is A priest ought not to be present at the feast of second mariages especially because he is commanded to appoint penance to second mariages This Councell although it were prouinciall was confirmed by Pope Leo the fourth as appeareth by Gratian and the Papists hold that prouinciall councels confirmed by the Pope cannot erre The Councell of Ariminum wherein were assembled aboue foure hundred Bishops horribly erred in maintaining the blasphemous doctrine of Arius The like did the Councels of Millaine Seleucia and of Tyrus The second Councell of Ephesus erred and maintained the false doctrine of Eutyches These Councels the Papists confesse to haue erred and why because they were not allowed and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome A simple and shamelesse shift as though the Bishop of Rome had in those daies power either to call or confirme Councels any more then the other Patriarks had In that second Councel of Nice most vnlike vnto the first not only the wicked worshipping of Images was allowed and the Scriptures for the confirmation thereof most shamefully abused and detorted as appeareth by the said corrupt councell and Caluin and Mart. Chemnicius haue largely shewed but also in the same was decreed that the Angels haue bodies and that the soule of man is corporall and therefore they may bee
but I leaue them Saint Augustine faith Sine bonorum operum meritis per fidem iustific atur impius that is The wicked man is iustified by faith without the merits of good works Againe Quia sola fides in Christum mundat c. that is Because onely faith in Christ doth make cleane they that do not beleeue in Christ be voide of cleanenes He hath also often this fine saying Fides impetrat quod lex imperat that is Faith obtaineth that which the law commaundeth that is to say the law commaundeth a righteousnes of workes faith obtaineth the righteousnes of Christ which onely is able to hide and discharge all our vnrighteousnes This doctrine which this disdainfull man so much disdaineth is acknowledged of the Greeke Fathers Basil saith This is perfect and sound glorying in God when a man doth not boast himselfe for his owne righteousnes but knoweth himselfe to be voide of true righteousnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. And is iustified by only faith in Christ 〈◊〉 Chrysostome saith Nobis pro cunctis sola fides sufficiat that is Onely faith is sufficient to vs for all other things Againe Illud vnum asseuerauerim quò sola fides per se saluum fecerit that is This I may affirme that only faith by it selfe saueth Againe Rursus illi dicebant qui sola fide nititur execrabilis est hic contrà demonstrat qui sola fide nititur eum benedictum esse that is They said he that leaneth only to faith is accursed but Paul on the contrarie part sheweth that he that leaneth to faith onely is blessed Many such other places out of the Latine and Greeke Fathers I might produce but I omit them I hope he will not say that these Fathers which deliuered this doctrine of solifidian faith as he disdainfully termeth it did ouerthrow repentance mortification and all other vertues Nay this true faith which neither falsely nor fantastically but truly and effectually apprehendeth Christs death and pastion and applieth the same as a most soueraigne salue to cure all the sores of our soules is that which grueth life to repentance mortification and all other vertues For as faith without workes is dead as S. Iames saith so workes without faith are dead as Cyril and Chrysostome say And we truly auerre that this true faith in Gods mercifull promises by the which Christ doth dwel in our hearts cannot be seuered from charitie vertues and good workes as he falsely affirmeth but faintly and foolishly prooueth that it may His first reason is taken from experience because few or none of vs haue faith for that few or none of vs haue these workes How many or few of vs haue faith and good workes you are no competent iudge for to determine And therefore wee appeale from your affectionate and erronious iudgement to the true and iust iudgement of God I doubt not but before I haue ended this article to proue that we be not so void of good workes so full of abominable wickednes as your Popes and spitefull spiritualtie hath been Your second proofe you will draw out of the Scripture that all faith yea and the most noble faith which hath force to remoue mountaines may be without charitie I answere that Saint Paul speaketh not there of the faith of Gods elect but of that which is a gift to worke miracles which may be in wicked reprobates such as Iudas was and so doth Oecumenius the Greeke Scholiast expound it in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. He speaketh not of the common and Catholike faith of the faithfull but of a certaine gift of faith For there was a certaine kinde of gift which by an equiuocation was called faith So that S. Paul as he had before compared charitie with the gift of tongues and with the gift of prophesying so here he compareth it with the gift of doing miracles And as those gifts may be in the wicked seuered from charitie so also may this Some writers also in the former chapter where S. Paul saith To another is giuen faith by the same spirit do expound it of the particular faith of doing miracles As Theophilactus Non fides dogmatum sed miraculorum que montes transfert that is He speaketh not of faith of doctrine but of miracles which moueth mountaines And therefore S. Paul meaneth that if the whole faith which is in doers of miracles were in him separated from charitie as it may be he were nothing But that faith by which Christ dwelleth in the hearts of his elect neither is nor can be separated from charitie but worketh by it And therefore S. Paul in his gratulations in the beginning of his Epistles doth alwaies ioy ne them together as being such graces of Gods spirit which be neuer separated asunder Hearing of the faith which ye haue in the Lord Iesus and loue towards all the Saints To conclude this point that this doctrine doth not tend to loosenes of life we teach that they which doe not follow peace and holines shall neuer see God and that good workes are the waies wherein wee must walke to the kingdome of God and eternall life to the which they that doe not walke in them shall neuer come For without the holy Citie shall be dogs and enchaunters and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies And although good fruites make not the tree good yet they be necessarie effects of a good tree so euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut downe and cast into the fire The third doctrine of ours which you vntruly charge to tend to loosenes of life is That faith once had can neuer be lost the which vaine securitie you say openeth the gap to all libertine sensualitie and hereat you make great exclamations Here I will first cleere the doctrine and afterward answere your vaine cauillations and needlesse exclamations Faith is diuers waies taken in the holie Scriptures First it is taken for the doctrine of faith or the Gospell which wee beleeue as By whom wee haue receiued grace and Apostleship to the obedience of faith among all Gentiles that is that all nations might obey the Gospell Also to the Galathians This onely would I know of you Receiued ye the spirit by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith that is by hearing the Gospell preached So wee call the Christian faith and the Apostolicall faith In this sense faith being taken for the doctrine of the Gospell we confesse that many may know it make profession of it and historically beleeue it and yet afterwards may fall from it as Iudas and many in Asia did Secondly it is taken for that promise which wee make in Baptisme whereby wee binde our selues to professe true religion and to beleeue in God in whose name we be baptized
Hereof S. Paul speaketh Refuse the younger widowes for when they haue begun to waxe wanton against Christ they will marrie hauing damnation because they haue broken the first faith The which is to be vnderstood of the first profession of faith in Baptisme and not of the latter vow of single life as the Papists falsely and foolishly expound it From this faith all they doe fall which turne either on the right hand to false doctrine or on the left hand to wicked life Many other waies faith is taken but this question is of that true liuely and iustifying faith which is the faith of Gods elect whereby Christ dwelleth in their hearts and they receiue nourishment and life from him This faith may be couered by temptations and falles as fire in the night with ashes but neuer vtterly extinguished For they in whom this true faith is are like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that will bring forth her fruite in due season whose leafe shall not fade And they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot bee moued but remaineth for euer They that by this faith are built vpō the rocki Iesus Christ hell gates shall neuer ouercome them Christ saith He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life He that heareth my word beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Saint Paul saith Wherein after ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance for the redemption of that libertie purchased vnto the praise of his glorie These places sufficiently shew that that faith which is common to all Gods elect and proper onely to the elect can neuer perish nor be vtterly lost in them And this true comfortable doctrine bringeth no vaine securitie nor openeth the gap to any libertine sensualitie For they that by this faith haue tasted how sweete the Lord is cannot but loue and feare God and greatly delight in his commaundements And that faith which swimmeth in mens lips but is not printed in their hearts nor shineth by godlines and good workes in their liues is a dead faith and is no more that true faith whereby we liue vnto God then a dead man is a man To conclude this matter although we distinguish betweene iustification and sanctification yet we acknowledge that they be inseparable and the one doth necessarily follow the other For whosoeuer are iustified by Gods grace and mercie through faith in Christ Iesus be also sanctified with Gods holy spirit to abhorre that which is euill and to cleaue to that which is good and to serue God in true holines and righteousnes all the daies of their life And therefore we teach that they which without repentance persist in sinne wallow in wickednes and commit vngodlines with greedines haue no faith nor haue any assurance of the remission of their sins but may be assured that the wrath of God hangeth ouer them and if they doe not truly repent and bring foorth fruites worthie amendement of life will fearefully fall vpon them So that you might haue spared your vaine and foolish exclamations concerning Epicures Heliogabalus Bacchus and Venus which are more honoured in Rome as hereafter I will shew then allowed of vs. For of whom did Mantuan the Italian Carmelite Frier an 100. yeeres past write this but of your Popes and his fauourers Neglecto superum cultu spretoque tonantis imperio Baccho indulgent Venerique ministrant that is Neglecting the worship of God they serue Bacchus and Venus Concerning the fourth point of doctrine of keeping Gods commaundements I haue spoken sufficiently before Onely now I say that our doctrine tendeth hereunto to shew vs our miserie by transgressing of them that wee may thereby bee moued to hunger for Gods mercie in Christ and although we cannot perfectly fulfill them for in many things wee sinne all yet wee ought according to the measure of Gods grace giuen to vs haue a care and conscience to walke in them and to frame our liues to the obedience of them Whereas fiftly you charge vs that wee deny the Sacrament of Penance thereby to make men careles how they liue I answer that although we deny your penance to be a Sacrament because it hath no outward visible signe and reiect your clancular confession your absurd absolution and your superstitious or rather blasphemous satisfaction thereby to answere Gods iustice and discharge your sins yet we truly teach y e doctrine of repentance as it is deliuered vnto vs in the word of God We teach men to come to the knowledge of their sins by y e law of God which is the glasse to shew vs our spots and the first step to repentance then to lament their sinnes whereby they haue offended their gracious God and mercifull father to confesse their sinnes with remorse of conscience both to God and men whom they haue offended and especially wee call vpon men for amendement of life in bringing forth fruits worthie of repentance without the which there is no repentance One part of which amendement is satisfaction to our brethren for iniuries committed and restitution of goods vnlawfully and vngodly gotten As touching our iniuries against God we plead not our owne satisfaction but craue Gods mercie in Christ Iesus who is our only satisfaction and by whom only we seeke to haue remission of them Whereas you say that your confession rubbeth the sores of sinne and causeth remembrance of them I say that this more truly and effectually is wrought by the preaching of Gods word whereby sinne is more shewed and the wrath and iudgements of God against sinne are more threatned and thereby the conscience more pricked and wounded then by your confession So Dauid was brought to repentance for his foule sinnes of adulterie and murther by Nathans preaching and thundring Gods iudgements against him and not by his secret confessing So the people hauing heard Peter preach the word of God were pricked in their hearts and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe This is Gods holy ordinance the other a plant which God hath neuer planted but an inuention of man as euen your own Canonists against your Schoolemen do confesse And what wickednes hath come of it the ecclesiasticall historie partly sheweth and God who seeth al secrets knoweth To your sixt accusation I answer that we exclude and banish our Sauiour Christ neither from the Sacrament of his supper nor from the hearts of the faithfull but acknowledge that as by faith he dwelleth in the one so by the same he is receiued of the godly in the other Your false and grosse doctrine of Transsubstantiation which the Greeke Church neuer beleeued and the Latine Church lately defined as
eorum mores dicitur diuinum discreuisse iudicium profectò illud euacuabitur quod praemisit Apostolus dicens c. i. But if it be said that the iudgement of God did discerne the manners of Esau and Iac̄ob which afterward would be then surely that which the Apostle said before shall be made frustrate and in vaine Not of workes but by him that calleth it was said The elder shall serue the younger For he saith not by the workes past but hauing said generally Not by workes he would thereby haue vnderstoode workes both past and to come workes past which were none to come which as yet were not Iacob was predestinate a vessell vnto honour because not by workes but by him that calleth it was said The elder shall serue the younger Againe Nam quid est quod ait Apostolus sicut elegit nos in ipso c. i. For what is that which the Apostle saith As he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world The which if it be therefore said because God did foresee that they would afterward beleeue and not that he would make them to beleeue against this foreseeing the sonne speaketh saying You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you A little after he saith Elegit ergo Deus fideles sed vt sint non quia iam erant i. God hath chosen the faithfull that they might be not because they now were Againe Vt essemus sancti immaculati Non ergo quia futuri eramus sed vt essemus i. That we might be holy and without blame therefore not because we should be but that we might be Againe Quos elegit c. i. Whom hee hath chosen before the foundation of the world by the election of grace not of workes either past or present or to come for then grace were no grace Thus Saint Augustine sheweth that Gods election is not his prescience and foreseeing of workes to come but his owne grace good pleasure and purpose Now I come to your illations which vpon these false assertions you falsely inferre To the first I answere that God impelleth no man to sinne and therefore God is not the author of sinne Secondly God inforceth not men vpon necessitie to sinne but they sinne willingly and by the instigation of the diuell who worketh in the children of disobedience therefore God is not the author of sinne In your third inference where you say that sinne is free or no sinne belike you hold with Pighius and some other Papists that originall sinne is no sinne for it is not free for vs to be without it And whereas you aske how man can sinne in conforming his will with Gods will I answere that they that sinne doe not conforme their will to Gods will but doe disobey it and oppose themselues vnto it This is the will of God saith Saint Paul your sanctification and that ye should abstaine from fornication Finally for as much as you can neuer shew that it is the Protestants confession that God moueth perswadeth and induceth men to sinne therefore you make a false and blasphemous collection for the which the Lord rebuke thee Satan Lastly whereas you thus charge vs to hold that God is the author of sinne I would desire you to shew where we doe write more hardly of this matter then Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester hath written hereof whose words be these Neutrum sane potest sine Deo nec ad bonum se parare neque malum opus facere Neque enim adulter absque generali fluxu Dei potest adulterandi facinus committere sed neque postquam ipsum admisit sine speciali auxilio Dei conari valebit vt resurgat i. Man can doe neither without God neither prepare himselfe to good nor doe that which is euill For the adulterer can neither commit adulterie without the generall influence of God nor after he hath committed it can hee endeuour to rise without the speciall helpe of God And againe Nam quantum ad substant iam actus etiam operibus malis cooperatur Deus Neque tamen recte quisquam Deo peccatum imput abit quia tametsi cooperetur Deus ad substantiam actus non tamen ipsam deficientiam operatur sed hoc agit sola voluntas i. As touching the substance of the acte euen God doth cooperate or worke with euill workes yet may not any man rightly impute sinne vnto God for although God doth cooperate to the substance of the deede yet he doth not worke the defect of the deede but onely mans will doth that Either shew where we haue written more hardly hereof or else condemne this Bishop and Martyr for the Popes cause with vs. I trust you will not say that hee taught Atheisme which is so rife in Rome as I haue before shewed c. The Pamphlet That faith once had may be lost 6. Article WHosoeuer leeseth his charitie leeseth his faith But Dauid when he killed Vrias lost his charitie Ergo Dauid when he killed Vrias lost his faith The Maior is a principle vndoubted of in the schooles of Protestants for they peremptorily affirme that true faith such as was in Dauid one of Gods elected can no more be seuered from charitie then heate from fire or light from the sunne and therefore if Dauid killing Vrias lost his charitie no doubt but therewithall he lost his faith The Minor I proue for whosoeuer remaineth in death is without charitie but Dauid when he killed Vrias remained in death Ergo Dauid when he killed Vrias was without charitie If he was without that which once he had no doubt but then he lost it for he was depriued thereof for his sinne The Maior proposition of this last Syllogisme thus I proue for charitie is the life of the soule and it is as impossible for a man to haue charitie and remaine in death as it is impossible to be dead in body and yet indued with a resonable soule The Minor cannot be denied to wit that Dauid by killing Vrias remained in death for it is the expresse word of God Qui non diligit manet in morte He that loueth not his neighbour remaineth in death but certaine it is that Dauid loued not Vrias when he killed him Ergo likewise certaine it is that Dauid remained in death The same position might easily be proued out of the eighteenth chapter of Ezech. vers twentie foure Si autem aucrterit se iustus a iustitia sua c. Answere I Deny the Minor or second proposition that Dauid in procuring Vrias to be killed lost his charitie For although in this cōbat betweene the spirit and the flesh in Dauid the spirit retired and the flesh preuailed the new man was foyled and the old man ouercame yet was not the spirit vtterly extinguished nor the new man cleane killed In deede Dauids faith fainted his charitie was cooled and his other gifts and graces couered yet not cleane
quenched but there remained sparkes of Gods spirit which afterwards being stirred vp and blowne by Nathans bellowes kindled and flamed to Gods glorie and Dauids eternall comfort and saluation Shall we thinke that Dauid had lost all loue of God of his law and of man was he cleane depriued of Gods spirit it appeareth by his owne words that he was not Who vpon Nathans preaching and reprouing of his sinne prayed and said Take not thy holy spirit from me Whereupon I reason thus He that was not cleane depriued of Gods spirit had not wholy lost faith and charitie But Dauid was not cleane depriued of Gods spirit therefore he had not wholy lost faith and charitie The first proposition is euident by the words of Dauid the second is manifest For it is absurd to say that the spirit of God should continue in him that hath lost all graces and gifts of the spirit It is with Gods elect and chosen children as it is with fire which in the night is so hid and couered that none appeareth and yet in the morning is stirred vp and is made to burne and to flame and as with a tree which in the winter hath neither fruite nor leafe vpon it yet it hath a sappe fallen into the roote which in the spring springeth and bringeth forth both leafe and fruite So is it with Gods holy Saints they be sometimes so ouertaken and ouercome with temptations that they seeme to be as trees without fruite withered and perished yet there remaineth a sappe of Gods spirit and grace in them which afterward riseth and buddeth forth good fruite And therefore to the second proposition of your secoÌ„d Syllogisme I say that although Dauid by those foule and fearefull offences deserued eternall death yet he did not remaine in death and although God hated those sinnes yet hee neuer hated Dauid For whom God loueth he loueth to the end and the giâ—ts and calling of God are without repentance If we loue a man and yet hate some sinne that he committeth might not God who is loue it selfe hate Dauids sinne and yet loue him and keepe some sparkes of his spirit and grace in him and so preserue as the externall life of the body so the internall life of the soule in him So that neither Dauid remained in death neither was his loue no not to Vrias altogether extinguished in him No doubt but he did loue him as his true and faithfull subiect and might loue him as the seruant of God yet in that temptation his owne selfe loue and desire to couer his owne sinne and shame did preuaile against his loue to Vrias and did draw him to doe an act which was no fruite nor effect of loue and charitie and yet did not wholy quench loue in him The Maior of your latter Syllogisme which needeth no proofe you seeke to proue by a false assertion in barely saying According to your manner but not by any place of Scripture prouing that charitie is the life of the â—oule I say that faith is the life of the soule the which I proue by these two sayings of the Scripture The Prophet Habacuk saith The iust shall liue by his faith Saint Paul saith In that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Let this man shew two such plaine places of Scripture to proue charitie to be the life of the soule Properly Christ is the life of our soules Saint Paul in the place before alledged saith Christ liued in me And when Christ which is our life shall appeare And our Sauiour himselfe saith I am the way the truth and the life For when wee were dead in sinnes hee hath quickned vs and at he hath restored life vnto vs so hee doth continually nourish and preserue life in vs. But this is attributed to faith because by it Christ dwelleth in vs and we by it be put into the possession of Christ and of all the benefits of his passion Concerning the place of Ezechiel because you doe not vrge it I will not stand vpon it We doubt not but men may and doe fall from God and iust actions vnto wicked and vngodly deedes and may haue a temporall faith and fall away from the grace of God But this we say that true faith in Gods elect which are sealed with the spirit of adoption and to whose spirit Gods spirit doth beare witnes that they are the sonnes of God is neuer wholy lust in them and the same spirit worketh by charitie which in them may bee cooled but neuer cleane quenched But of the losing of faith and of the coniunction thereof with charitie I haue before intreated Now to returne this argument in some sort vpon you whereas the Papists auerre that the Popes faith cannot faile I reason thus He that loseth his charitie may lose his faith the Pope may lose his charitie Ergo the Pope may lose his faith The first proposition I haue proued alreadie and haue shewed that true faith is not separated from charitie but worketh by it And most manifest it is by Saint Iames that the faith which is without charitie and good workes is dead So that if the Pope be without Charitie then hee hath but a dead faith And a dead faith is as much faith as a dead man is a man That the Pope may bee without charitie I thinke they will not deny and if they doe it may be proued by many examples Pope Iohn the twelft or as Platina reckoneth the thirteenth tooke two of his Cardinals and cut off the nose of the one and the hand of the other as witnes Platina Blondus and many others Stephanus the sixt did take the bodie of Formosus his predecessor out of the graue after he was dead put him out of his pontificall habite and put on him a lay mans attire cut off the two fingers of his right hand where with he did consecrate and threw them into Tiber. Pope Sergius the third tooke vp againe the body of the same Formosus did cut off his head as if hee had been a liue and threw the bodie into Tiber as vn worthie of buriall Boniface the seuenth tooke Iohn a Cardinall and put out his eyes Vrban the sixt of seuen of his Cardinals which hee apprehended at Nuceria tooke fiue of them put them in sackes and cast them into the Sea Innocentius the seuenth caused by Lewes his nephew certaine citizens of Rome which sought the restitution of their ancient liberties and the reformation of the Common-wealth decayed by his euill gouernment to be throwne out of windowes and so killed Alexander the sixt caused both the right hand and tongue of Antonius Mancinellus to bee cut out because hee had written an eloquent oration against his wicked and filthie life Many such other pranckes of Popes might bee alleadged which were no more fruites of