will bee plaine Saint Peter said that it was not good for a man to marrie Christ refutes his saying by this syllogisme whosoeuer is such a one as that he is no Eunuch neither by nature nor by necessity nor by the gift of God that he be able to abstaine frō mariage with quietunes and with peace of conscience it is not good for such a one for the saluation of his soule to be without a wise but contrariwise it is expedient for him to marrie for there are but these three sorts of men that can commodiously liue out of the state of marriage but it is not giuen to all to be wiuelesse Now if it bee not expedient for them not to marry it is expedient for them to marrie and they ought and must marrie if they desire to bee saued Saint Paul who had in him Gods Spirit expounds the Lord◠words after this manner y 1. Cor. 7.8 I say to the vnmarried and widdowes It is good for them if they abide euen as I. This is that which our Sauiour saith He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it and that which our Apostle said in the verse going before z 1. Cor. 7.7.9 Euery man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner and another after that He adds But if they cannot containe let them marry for it is better to marrie then to burne This is that which our Sauiour saith All men cannot receiue this saying It is expedient and good for them that are such to marrie VI. This therefore is a precept and no counsell but because there are two sorts of precepts the one common to all as to loue God practise righteousnesse c. the other particular to some onely according to the gift and particular calling of God as to sell all that we haue and to giue it to the poore to follow Christ The ancient Doctors doe call a precept a commandement giuen to all and a Counsell a particular Commandement made particularly vnto some according to Gods gift and calling which also they call sometimes Precept So the ordinary glosse calls this our Lords exhortation a Glossa in Mat. 19. vers 10. Non omnes capiunt id est non omnes implere possunt praeceptum continentiae A precept of continenci◠So Saint Austin calls a Commandement the words of our Lord to the rich man Goe and sell that thou hast c. b August epist 89. quaest 4 cui dominus haec praecepit to whom saith he hath the Lord commanded these things and he repeates the same thing often in 89. Epistle the fourth question In like manner Saint Ierome c Hieron aduers Pelag. lib. 1. In qua praecipitur we must seeke the Euangelical perfection wherein this is commanded If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast c. It is an easie matter then to vnderstand Saint Austins words He distinguisheth betweene a precept and a counsell that is to say betweene precepts giuen to all and precepts giuen to some all they which will not keepe those shal be punished because they are directed and giuen vnto all but all they that do not these shall not be punished because they are not giuen to all but as concerning those to whō they are giuen how can they escape the iudgement of God if they doe not that which he commands which he counsels and requires them to doe and whereunto he exhorts them Let them call it what they wil that man which doth not the counsell of his God cannot be innocent nor guiltlesse as wee haue seene heretofore Moreouer Saint Austin puts among Counsels the abstinence from flesh and wine Chap. 11. §. 12. and how few are there among the orders of Friers that doe abstaine from flesh the Iesuites that are the most exact sect of them all doe they abstaine from it and is there any of them all that valew so much that greater glory that aureola in illâ parte that for it they would forgoe their wine d Psal 104.15 that maketh glad the heart of man let them tell me therefore if Christ hauing giuen this counsell with many others according to Saint Austin a counsell easier to be obserued then the rest they shall obtaine the greatest reward in doing the others and not intending to do this Lastly it appeares by this place that S. Augustine held that a Counsell is of things indifferent that is to say which are neither good nor bad but in as much as they are vsed well or ill to eate flesh and drink wine being a thing in it selfe wholly indifferent But Counsels saith c Bellar. de monach c. 8. §. vlt. Bellarmine are not things indifferent but acceptable to God and recommended by him which abstinence from flesh and wine is not because f Rom. 14.17 that the Kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost It is therfore little to the purpose that they produce and alleage this place of Saint Austin which is not to the purpose VII But it is worse to the purpose that they tell vs that for a man to make himselfe an Eunuch for the kingdome of heauens sake is to abstaine from marriage thereby to merit a reward in heauen These good men would not bee debtors to God for God must needes remaine their debtor and must giue them alwaies some returne as hauing paid to God more then was due for the which hee is beholding to them Hirelings that would doe no seruice to God if they did not hope for a reward that keepe not the Commandements but to merit the reward of eternall life that keepe not the Counsels but to merit a greater glory in the life to come hirelings indeed who in doing seruice to God haue no other aime then themselues and if God giue them not the reward which they beleeue is due to them they will repent that they haue serued him and will blaspheme him before his face as vniust Not children who in seruing God haue no other scope nor ende then the glory of God who would bee contented to bee blotted out of his booke of life to be accursed and separated from Christ their deare Sauiour if it could bee possible if that could aduance his glory Hirelings worthy to be expelled out of the house of God as enemies of his grace who will reckon with God and binde him to giue them as a reward iustly due to them that which hee declares to be a free gift of his grace vnworthie that Christ should aduow and take them for his owne seeing that they depriue him of his glorie and attribute to themselues the reward which is not due which is not giuen but to his merit Let them not cry out The ancient Fathers The ancient Fathers The Ancient of dayes hath told me by Saint Paul more ancient then them all g Rom. 6.23 that the gift of God
way of exclusion by that which hee comprehends not and positiuely by that which he comprehends he retaines not the things of the Spirit of God the mysterie of the Crosse of Christ the great things which God hath done to vs the things which God will haue vs to doe i Mat. 16.17 Flesh and bloud reueale not these things but the Father which is in heauen k 2. Cor. 3.5 And we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God He comprehends the things of God as things which are not of God l 1. Cor. 1.23 We preach saith the Apostle Christ crucified vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke and vnto the Greekes foolishnesse Behold the distribution and diuision of a man that hath no excellencie in himselfe but his soule either he is a Iew and Christ is a stumbling block vnto him or elsen Greeke and Christ is foolishnesse vnto him He vnderstands the things which are displeasing vnto God vnderstands not those things which are pleasing vnto him God said of his people m Ierem. 4.22 My people is foolish they haue not knowne me they are sottish children and they haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe good they haue no knowledge VVhat would he then say or what would not he say of them which are not his people Before the Floud n Gen. 6.5 God saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and that euerie imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely euill continually After the Floud he said * Gen. 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Heere is no place for cauilling hee saith not some imagination of the thoughts but euery imagination of the thoughts hee sayes not that this imagination of the thoughts is for the most part euill but that it is altogether euil yea more plainely that it is onely euill and that not by respits and pauses but continually The reason is the naturall man is onely flesh the Scripture saies that he is flesh that he is in the flesh that is to say that he is corrupted yea drowned in corruption euen vnto the very highest part of his soule which is his vnderstanding as the Apostle speaketh of Infidels that o Tit. 1.15 their minde and conscience is defiled p Col. 2.18 and vainely puft vp by their fleshly mindes This is all that their good wit and spirit serues vnto to make them swel and puffe vp with presumption as Toades do with venome for as for God q Rom. 8.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The carnall minde is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can be Christ Iesus speaking of these things saith r Mat. 6.22.23 The light of the body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light but if thine eye be euill thy whole body shall be full of darkenesse If therfore the light that is in thee be darkenes how great is that darknesse The Lord teaching vs by these words that if the minde and vnderstanding which is the light of the soule be darkenes man cannot thinke will say doe any thing which is good and iust for the will to will well must be ruled by the minde vnderstanding well and the bodie to doe well must bee gouerned by the will willing well that which is good Now the Scripture saith of the vnregenerated man that ſ Esay 48.4 his neck is as an iron sinew and his brow brasse VVhat is harder then iron or brasse such is the will of man but the iron is tractable and plyant to the hammer the fire can mollifie it and make it pliant it can bee framed and fashioned in diuers formes by the hammer It is not so with mans will it cannot bee softned wherefore the Scripture compares it vnto a stone and by such a comparison declares that it is inflexible vnto good as a stone that breakes but neuer bowes t Ezech. 36.26 A new heart will I giue you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stonie heart out of your flesh and I will giue you an heart of flesh Our heart is naturally so inflexible to godlinesse that God promiseth not to correct it or strengthen it but to take it away and to giue vs in stead of that an heart of flesh a pliable heart a heart framed and fashioned to the obedience of his commandments He promises to change the whole nature not in regard of the substance of it but in respec of the euill qualities thereof which are ours and make vs saplesse and without life when question is of the things of God in stead of which he will put in vs holy qualities by the which hee will fashion vs and transforme vs to his will After this sort our will is described priuatiuely and exclusiuely God hath described it also positiuely saying u Ier. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked In a word all they that are out of Christ Iesus are termed by the holy Ghost x Ephes 2.1 dead in trespasses and sinnes and by consequent destitute of all principle of mouing and of spirituall life what knowledge soeuer they haue of this life and what dexterity industrie and addresse soeuer they shew in the things of this world and therefore wee must not thinke it strange if the Apostle calls all of vs y Ephes 2.3 children of wrath Let a man iudge now if those that are such naturally vnapt vnto all good inclined naturally vnto all euill they that are the obiect of Gods anger can bee called good to begin nay to think any good thing To be good trees we must be taken away from our stock and stemme plucked out from the old Adam transported and transplanted in a new soile grafted into the free Oliue tree in corporated in Christ Iesus who hath pronounced this sentence z John 15.5 I am the Vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can doe nothing They that are not regenerated are not grafted into Christ the meanes of the vnion of the Elect with Christ is his Spirit and these are a Iude 19. sensuall hauing not the Spirit Some of them may haue and haue the Spirit bridling and restraining them staying and repressing the boyling and surging of their flesh as it is happened vnto many Heathen which haue been esteemed vertuous men because God willing to preserue the states and families of this world by good order and ciuill gouernement gaue them the gift to hide their vices but none of them euer had the sanctifying spirit to mortifie their flesh It is the priuiledge of the members of Christ Iesus of those that in him are made by grace the childrē of God
that of God reuealed in the Scripture so the priuate iudgment is inferior to the ministerial for it comes not out in publike with a publike calling and authoritie but keepes and containes it selfe in the conscience for her rest and peace and doth not extend or spread her selfe further then the calling of him which hath receiued this gift of God This is common to all true Christians who being all spirituall man haue receiued and had of God the eyes eares taste heart and iudgement of the spirituall man to see heare taste know iudge loue and affect the things of God z 1. Cor. 2.15 The spirituall man faith the Apostle discerneth and iudgeth all things euery Christian is spirituall he which is not spirituall is no Christian for to be a Christian is nothing else then to be spirituall euery Christian therefore knoweth and discerneth the things of his saluation Christians are the sheepe of our Lord Iesus As therefore a naturall sheepe can by the principle of nature make choise of that herbe which is the most wholesome to her and in feeding passe by that which is contrary to her nature so the spirituall sheepe by the principle of grace can iudge betweene the true passages and places vnto the which she is brought and led by her true shepheard and the bad pasture wherewith the stronger would infect and poyson her This doctrine is of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles Christ hath said that a Iohn 10.4.5 the good shepheard putteth forth his owne sheepe and goeth before them and the sheepe follow him for they know his voice and a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voyce of strangers The Apostle requires of all men that b Heb. 5.14 they haue their senses exercised to discerne both good and euill he exhorts them saying c 1. Cor. 14.20 Brethren be not children in vnderstanding howbeit in malice be ye children but in vnderstanding be men d 1. Thess 5.20 Proue all things hold fast that which is good Saint Iohn tells them that it is their dutie e 1. Iohn 4.1 Beloued beleeue not euerie spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world They will not place the particulars in the pulpit to preach but they place them at the chaires foote to heare with iudgement and discerne between the true Doctor and the false seducer to follow that man and to take heed of this man according to Christs admonition f Matth. 7.15 Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wâ—lues yee shall know them by their fruits He presupposeth therefore that they shall haue iudgement to know them but this iudgement being a gift of God a gift grace not of nature a gift proper vnto the spirituall man vnknowne to the naturall the Apostle prayes to God to giue it vs g Phil. 1.9.10 I pray that your loâ—â— may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that yee may approue things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ VII Iudge we then of what spirit are they which of spirituall sheepe would deforme vs and transforme vs into brutish sheepe and destituted of reason doe prohibit vs to speake of the things of our God Creator Father and Sauiour but as they list Let vs compare their spirit with that of Christ and of the Apostles Christ would that we should iudge of him by the Scriptures and not simply by his saying said vnto the people h Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures And these would haue vs to iudge of them by their bare saying and not by the Scriptures do blame and condemne vs for the diligent search of the Scriptures The Apostle said to the Corinthians i 1. Cor. 10.15 I speake as to wise men iudge yee what I say These feare nothing so much as vnderstanding men to keepe and deteine the world in ignorance they crie out it is not for you to iudge of what we say If the spirit wherewith Christ and the Apostles were guided â—â—d led was the holy Ghost what manner of spirit can this be which leader these men A spirit which would make vs like to painted clouds in a Church or like vnto those little court-cupbord gods of whom it is written k Ps â—15 5 â— They haue months but speake not eyes haue they but they see not they haue eares but they heare not noses haue they but they smell not they haue hands but they handle not feete haue they but they walke not neither speake thâ—y through their throat they that make them are like vnto them so is euery one that trusteth in them And therefore the spirit of darkenesse who detaines the Christians in darkenesse to the ende he may draw and bring them to the gulfe of outward darknesse with himselfe as it is written l Io. 3.19 20. 21 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darkenesse rather then light because their deeds were euill for euery one that doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproued but he that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Let him therefore that will walke in darknesse As for vs that m Ephes 5.8.11 were sometimes darknesse but now we are light in the Lord we will walke as children of light and will haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but rather reproue them reioycing and taking pleasure in the light of the Scriptures without and in the direction and conduct of the holy Spirit within vs vntill n Iames 1.17 the father of lights who by his grace o Col. 1.13 hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne p Phil. 1.6 finishing that good worke which he hath begun in vs q Col. 1.12 make vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light r 1. Iohn 3.2 where wee shall bee like to him and shall see him as he is Amen The ende of the first Booke OF EVANGELICALL COVNSELS The second Booke CHAP. I. I. The Iewish Church hath been of old troubled by false prophets who pretended the name of the word of God and laid claime to it in their false lies II. Saint Peter prophesied that the like should happen vnto the Christian Church by false doctors III. Of this number are they which exalt with puffing words the Monasticall life IIII. Making the people beleeue that it is grounded vpon Euangelicall Counsels whereas there is no such Counsell in the whole Scripture THe Church of the Iewes was very much troubled abused and seduced in her time by the false prophets They saith God
b Rom. 8.14 for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God but c Rom. 8. â— if any man haue not the Spirit of God he is none of his Therefore the infidels the hypocrites and all vnregenerated Christians of what religion soeuer they be being destitute of the first qualitie and condition required in a good worke wee may say of them that which our Sauiour Christ said of the Pharisees their companions d Mat. 12.34 O generation of Vipers how can yee being euill speake good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh V. The second condition of a good worke is that it be wel done whereunto is required first that it be conformable vnto the word of God in all things so that he which hath done it may protest with Dauid e Psal 119.105 Thy word is a lampe vnto my feet and a light vnto my path If it declines or swarues neuer so little the workeman of the same is accursed by this sentence and decree f Deut. 27.26 Gal. â— 10 Cursed bee hee that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them Now as God is a Spirit g Rom. 7.14 so the Law is spirituall and is giuen first and principally to the Spirit and is the rule not onely of outward actions but also of the most hidden and secret thoughts of the heart It is not enough that a man lay not violent and bloudy hands on his brother h Mat. 5.22 If he be angrâ—e with his brother without a cause i 1. Ioh. 3.15 if he hate his brother the Scripture sayes he is a murtherer Hee that hath not actually coÌ„mitted adulterie with his brothers wife if he looks on her to lust after her Christ Iesus sayth k Mat. 5.28 he hath committed adulterie with her already in his heart Which of the Heathen knowes that the Law hath beene written in his heart to the ende it might rule his thoughts which of them hath thought that hidden lust was a vice which of them hath emptied and purged his heart of it what doe wee speake of Infidels How great is the number of our Christians that know not the ten Commandements although there are but ten how few are there of them that know them which thinke on them to conforme their liues according to them To tell them of lust or concupiscence and to condemne it as a sinne is so strange a paâ—â—doxe vnto them that if God himselfe should come downe from heauen to tell them of it they would not beleeue it so ignorant are they in the knowledge of the true and lawful vses of the Law how then can they order and square their actions by the same This is also the priuiledge of the regenerate to make a benefit of the Law for the direction of his life because God hath ingrauen it in his heart by his holy Spirit which the vnregenerate man knoweth not l Ier. 31.33 I will saith the Lord put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts m Ezech. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes and yee shall keepe my Indgements and doe them This hath made Lombard to write after Saint Austin Prosper and other Fathers that n Lombard lib. 2. dist 41. â—t A. where the knowledge of the eternall truth is wanting there vertue is false although the manners and fashions are very good VI. In the next place A worke to bee a good worke well done must be done in faith o Rom. 14.23 for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne They which are not renued in the spirit of their mind may be enlightned so farre that they may know the truth and make profession of it and take pleasure in it for a time as Simon Magus and Iudas who beleeued by a temporarie faith but they haue not the iustifying faith p Ephes 3.17 by the which Christ dwelleth in their hearts q Joh. 1.12 Iohn 3.16 which receiue the Lord Iesus r Gal. 3.14 and all the blossing of Abraham through Christ and the promise of the Spirit through faith applying and appropriating it vnto themselues as Thomas which said vnto him Å¿ Ioh. 20.28.29 My Lord and my God That this is the true faith without equiuocation it appeareth for that the Lord answereth him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou hast beleeued blessed are they that haue not seene and yet haue beleeued And by the words of the Aposile t Gal. 2.20 I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who LOVED ME and gaue himselfe for ME. A man shall know by her effects if hee haue this faith u Acts 15.9 Faith purifies the heart x Gal. 5.20 workes by loue y 1. Tim. 1.5 for charitie proceedes out of a pure heart and from a good conscience and of faith vnfained They that are not renewed can seele that they haue not this faith for they feele z Tit. 1.15 that their minde and conscience is defiled and therefore they may resolue and conclude with themselues that God detests and abhorrs them and all that they doe because a Heb. 11.6 it is impossible to please him without faith Witnesse among others Cain who offered sacrifice vnto God and was reiected not because the sacrifice was naught but because hee offered it without faith as it is written b Heb. 11.4 By faith Abel offered vnto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain The Fathers haue acknowledged the same when they said that c Prosper in lib. Epigram epigrammate 81. Lombard lib. 2. dist 41. lit A. The whole life of Infidels is sinne For that also though a man d 1. Co. 13.1.2.3 could speake with the tongues of Angels and had the gift of prophecie and vnderstood all mysteries and all knowledge and though he had all faith so that he could remoue mountaines and though he bestowed all his goods to feede the poore and though he gaue his body to bee burned and hath not charitie he is as sounding brasse or a tinckling cimball he is nothing and all that profiteth him nothing VII The last condition of a good work is that it be done for a good ende e Aug cont Iulian lib. 2. c. 3. The vertues are discerned from the vices non officijs sed finibus not by the outward duties but by their ends saith Saint Austin The ende of euery worke must bee the glory of God who hath giuen vs vertue wifedome and direction for to doe it It ought to be the end of naturall works also f 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether saith the Apostle ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God How much more ought it to bee the ende of our
morall and spirituall workes g Mat. 5.16 Let your light sosh â—e before men saith Iesus Christ that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen It is a thing out of all doubt that the Infidels haue neuer done any thing for this end what could they haue done for the glory of God which was vnknowne to them What haue they euer done but for themselues but h Chrys in opere imperfecto in Mat. hom 33. to aduance themselues in honour reputation and credit It was ambition to lade himselfe with thicke clay as the Prophet saith that is great store of riches to ioyne house to house and lay field to field till there be no place It was brokage and couetousnesse To what other ende doe now adaies the best and honestest of our politicians aime at They haue no other ende of their prudence and other vertues or rather images of vertues then themselues If we consider the religious as they terme them they giue almes they pray in publick they vse many repetitions they march with a sad countenance they disfigure their faces and destroy the bodie with much fasting some of them that they may appeare vnto men that they are charitable deuout mortified so did the Pharisees and other hypocrites in Christs time i Mat. 6.2 Verily saith Christ I say vnto you they haue their reward The world hath them in great estimation they haue that which they sought for It is their reward they serue God with hope of reward condigne as they say and well worthie of their meries were it not for this hope they would not bee so feruent and zealous towards God that they would be blotted out of his booke k Exod. 32.32 as Moses or l Rom. 9.3 separated and accursed from Christ for his glorie as Saint Paul To bee short wee are in a time whereof wee may iustly and truely say as Saint Paul said of his time m Phil. 2.21 All seeke their owne not the things which are Iesus Christs Wee are in the last daies and the perillous and trouble some times are come whereof the same Apostle hath prophesied n 2. Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. that men shall be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Of which kinde of men God in his great mercy deliuer quickly the world VIII All these keepe not the Law and cannot doe any good worke Some of them will haue many faire and goodly parts as we say the which being examined will be found to be nothing else then o Ambros de vo cat gentium lib. 2. c. 3. splendida peccata glistering and beautifull sinnes by the which they haue barrenly adorned the life of this age saith Saint Ambrose Wee doe not condemne them for that they are ciuilly sober iust moderate and doe leade an outward life without reproch But the Scripture condemnes them for that they liue without faith without charity and propound vnto themselues no other scope of their actions then themselues and so doe ill and doe good things to a bad ende Christ Iesus condemnes them p Iohn 5.44 How can ye beleeue which receiue honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God onely We doe not condemne them in that they fast austerely pray feruently giue almes largely and doe as they say many pious workes but because doing nothing but that which a Turke and a Iew doth we bewaile them because they runne so fast out of the way seeing they runne not by Christ who is the way to God who is the end of the race and so they labour and toile much yet aduance and goe forward but little As hee that makes haste and runneth a stray out of the Kings high way takes more paines and toiles more then if he were in the right way and notwithstanding he neuer comes where he would I exhort them to turne backe and returne the same way they came towards the Commandements of God to doe according vnto God and for God that which they doe vnder him for themselues and to the ende they may doe it to pray vnto God with Dauid q Psal 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good leade me into the land of vprightnes For as Saint Austin saith It is better to goe softly or to halt in the right way then to march streightly and runne out of the way CHAP. V. I. The vnregenerate man is altogether wicked II. The regenerate man is imperfect and defectiue in his most holy actions and cannot keepe the Law which is proued by foure arguments III. The first argument He hath in him the flesh lusting against the Spirit IIII. The second argument Our imperfect knowledge brings forth imperfect workes V. Bellarmines opinion concerning a double perfection commaunded in the Law confuted VI. That perfection which Bellarmine saith is possible to man in this life hath neuer been found in any man VII The third argument If the regenerate man could keepe the Law he should not neede a Mediatour THe a Psal 14.2 3. Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that did vnderstand and seeke God They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthie there is none that doth good no not one b Ro. 3.13 c. Their throate is an open sepulcher with their tongues they haue vsed deceit the poison of Aspes is vnder their lipps whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feete are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in their waies and the way of peace haue they not knowne The reason of all this is There is no feare of God before their eyes He that feares God feares to doe that which displeaseth God as Ioseph that would not defile his masters bed with held and kept-in with the feare of God c Genes 39.9 How can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God In like manner comforting and assuring his brethren that he would doe them no hurt he tells them d Genes 42.18 I feare God On the other side he which feares not God giues himselfe libertie vnto all wickednesse whensoeuer any occasion is offered That made Abraham say of Gerar e Genes 20.11 Surely the feare of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wines sake They which haue not the feare of God in their hearts are ordinarie adulterers lyars f Ephes 4.17.18.19 walking in the vanitie of their minde hauing the vnderstanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their hearts who
being past feeling haue giuen themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse This is the description of a man not regenerated and renewed of the Iew as well as of the Gentill of him that is vnder the Law as well as of him which is without the Law of the Christian who is in the Church as of the Infidell which is out of the Church II. g Isai 64.6 New we are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthie raggs This is the description of the regenerate and renewed the confession of the greatest Saints which say h Dan. 9.5 c. we haue sinned and committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly and haue rebelled 〈◊〉 by departing from thy precepts and front thy iudgements neither haue we hearkened vnto thy seruants the Prophets which spake in thy name O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs confusion of faâ—et to our Kings our Princet and our Fathers because wee haue trespassed against thee As the prayer of euery one is Forgiue wâ—â—â—â— trespasseâ— Those can doe no good they haue neither the will nor the power These say with Saint Paul i Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I findâ—â—â—t Therefore these also cannot keepe the Law in that perfection which it requires of men in this life they aime and make towards the perfection and doe aduance and draw neere vnto it more and more but they shall not attaine vnot it vntill that being vnclothed of this body of sinne which doth beset them they bee clothed vpon with their house which is from heauen and that will we proue by fiue arguments III. First the most regenerate and holy are not more renewed more holy then the holy Apostle who said of himselfe and of all the Saints k Rom. 8.23 We haue the first fruits of the Spirit The first fruites are as it were an handfull taken from the whole heape our sanctification therefore in this life is little in comparison of the full haruest which wee shall rape in the life to come for we are regenerated and renewed but in part successiuely and by degrees much of the old infirmitie remaining in vs and drawing vs to sinne with such vigor and force that the Apostle himselfe complaines saying l Rom. 7.21 I finde a law that when I would doe good euill is with me He had that from the originall malice which remained as yet in him and m August in Ioan trac 41. Minuitur in vita proficientium quod in vita consumitur perfectorum which diminisheth onely in the life of those which profit and goe on as it is fully consumed in the life of those which haue attained vnto perfection whence else-where he saith of himselfe n 2. Cor. 4.16 Though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day Which words Saint Austin hath well peised and pondered and from whence he bath drawne this doctrine o Aug. de peccat merit lib. 2. c. 7. Prefectâ— qui de die in diem â—dbuc renouatur nondum totus est renouatus in quantum nondum est renouatus in tantum adbuc in ve tustate est He which is renewed day by day is not as yet wholly renewed and in as much as he is not altogether renewed so much is hee in his old nature And by consequent a child of this world euen as in so much as he is renewed he is the childe of God and such are all the regenerate of whom the Apostle saith that in them p Gal. 5.17 The flesh Insteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that yee cannot do the things that ye would The flesh is that which is not as yet renewed in the minde in the will in the affections as it appeares by this that the Apostle attributes to the flesh a certaine q Rom. 8.7 wisedome r Col. 2.18 reason and vnderstanding and placeth among the works of the flesh Å¿ Gal. 5.20.21 Idolatrie and the heresies that are conceiued and borne in the minde and exhorts vs t Ephes 4.23 to be renewed in the Spirit of our minde In which respect he saies of himself * Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing vnderstanding by his flesh not his body for if he said vnto the Corinthians u 1. Cor. 6.19 Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost did hee not know that his was but this infirmitie or rather peruersitie which did as yet dwel in al the parts of his soule although it did not rule there was indeede mortified but not as yet dead The Spirit therefore is that which is renewed in the minde in the will in the affections and in all the parts of the soule and of the body The flesh is the old man the Spirit is the new man these two men are in euery true Christian they are both together at one time in one and the same subiect of the minde of the will of the affections in the minde and vnderstanding knowledge and ignorance of the same thing faith and vnbeleefe in the will confidence and distrust in the affections loue and hate c witnesse the father of the lunatick who confessed saying x Mark 9.24 I beleeue and thereupon presently prayde to Christ saying helpe thou mine vnbeliefe It is with the regenerate man Similitude 1 who is flesh and spirit as with a man raised vp from a long and grieuous maladie who makes a few turnes in his chamber but trailing his leggs after him and will stand vpright but it will be in leaning on his staffe hauing in him as yet by reason of the reliques of his sicknesse an vniuersall indisposition in all the parts of his body Or else it fareth with such a man Similitude 2 as with the aire in the dawning or breake of day which is not altogether cleare and light as it is at noone it is not partly light partly darke as the Moone is in the increase and waine but is in all her parts cleare and blacke obscure and enlightned Wee may also compare it vnto luke-warme water Similitude 3 which in all her parts is mixed with heate and cold Similitude 4 or vnto a liquor mingled with water and wine wherein is neither pure wine nor pure water but the whole is wine and water together euen vnto her most insensible parts although such a liquor will sauour somtimes more of water then of the wine and again somtimes more of wine then of water as the regenerate man in the beginning of his regeneration is more carnall then spirituall and in the progresse of the same is more spirituall then carnall These two men therefore doe fight in vs in lusting the one against the other the flesh lusteth two waies First it
ingenders and begets in vs all manner of euill thoughts and desires of which Saint Iames faith x 〈◊〉 1.14 Euery man is tempted when hee is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed Secondly withdrawes vs from good and doth what he can to smother the good and holy motions of the Spirit in vs as Saint Paul saith y Rom. 7.22.23 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captiuitie of the law of sin which is in my members The Spirit also â—usteth against the flesh two manner of waies First hee creates in vs all sorts of good thoughts motions and desires Dauid felt it thus when he said z Psal 16.7 I will blesse the Lord who hath giuen me counfell my reines also instruct me in the night-season a Psal 27.8 When thou saidest Seeke ye my face my hart said vnto thee Thy face O Lord will I seeke Secondly he stops and stayes the bad motions of the flesh to the ende they take not effect or at the least blunts their point that they doe not sinne excessiuely in which fense Saint Iohn saith b 1. Ioh. 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seede remaineth in him To commit sinne is to make a trade and occupation of sinning and to giue himself ouer to euil with an entire and whole consent of the will the which a man renewed cannot doe because with the feede of sinne which is his naturall corruption he hath in him the feede of God which is the gift of sanctification and is mixed in all the qualities of his soule and in all the workes that flow thence The supernaturall knowledge wherein the minde is enlightned is mingled with ignorance and naturall blindnesse which remaines in him so that he hath neede to aske euery day new enlightning of God as Dauid did who said c Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things out of thy Law His faith is mingled with vnbeleefe his confidence with diffidence his hope with despaire witnesse the lunaticks father as wee haue seene before witnesse Iob who complaining of God said vnto him d Iob 13.24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemie And at the same time he cried our e Iob 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him His will purified and corrected is incessantly crossed by a contrary wil which hinders him to doe the good he would doe For as our Sauiour said f Mat. 26.41 The Spirit is willing but the fleshes weak The will in as much as it is sanctified hath a maruellous affection and desire to obey God but the flesh with the which she is chained weakens it and makes her slacke and remisse to doe that shee would doe The affections are neuer so well squared and ordered but there is disorder they can neuer shake off so wel this dust and durt but as g 1. King 18.21 the Israelites did halt on both sides following at one time God and Baal so do they halt betweene heauen and earth betwixt the heauenly goods which cannot bee defiled nor wither and the perishing goods of this world whhose figure passeth away as swift as a weauers shittle I write nothing but that which all the children of God feele in themselues otherwise they should not appertaine vnto the Church Militant Which hath no enemies so cruel vigilaÌ„t pressing hard and difficult to ouercome as those which euery member of the same nourisheth within himselfe and carrieth continually in his bosome as namely lust which saith Saint Iames h Iam. 1.14.15 draweth enticeth conceiueth and bringeth forth sinne and therefore is a sinne like a Serpent that engenders conceiues and brings forth a Viper is a Viper as all that which is conceiued is of the nature of that whereof it is conceiued as the tree that bringeth forth bad and rotten fruit is corrupt and rotten according to Christs saying k Matth. 7.18 A good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruite This naturall contagion doth infect all the good workes of the regenerate with so great a blemish that the Church it selfe confesseth l Isai 64.6 All our righteousnesse are as filthie rags what can we then say yea what ought we to say we I say who as Bernard saith m Bernard de verb. Esaiae serm 5. are not better then our forefathers which haue no lesse truly them humbly spoken so This is the first argument grounded on the great and general deprauation of our nature wherby the workes of the most holiest are so blemished and distained that they can in no wise answere vnto the righteousnesse holinesse and perfection of the Law IIII. The second argument is taken from our knowledge for such as is our knowledge such is our obedience such are all our workes that proceede from it Now our knowledge is verie imperfect n 1. Cor. 13.9.12 For as the Apostle saith of himselfe and of all we know in part and we prophesie in part we see now through a glasse darkely the perfect knowledge being reserued for the Kingdome of heauen which our Lord hath represented by giuing to the blinde man his sight o Mark 8.22 of whom Saint Marke saith that Christ Iesus hauing put his hands vpon him the first time he saw men walking but not as men but as trees but hauing put his hands vpon his eies the second time he saw euery man clearely euen so fareth it with vs we receiue here but the first imposition of hands we often take one thing for another and see the things of God but by halues whence wee must not find it strange if we do them but by halfe and do remaine and stand a farre off from the perfection and righteousnesse of the Law whose first and last Commandement cannot be fulfilled by any man liuing here on earth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy mind and with all thy strength It will haue the soule and the whole soule the heart and the whole heart the thoughts and all the thoughts the strength of the hart of the soule of the thoughts and the whole strength of the same p Aug. lib. 1. de doct Christ c. 22. It leaues no part of our life that may be voide of charitie It commaunds all the degrees of charitie for he that saith All excepts nothing If thou canst adde any thing thereunto there is not all If thou takest away any thing there will not bee all More charitie can bee added day by day vnto our charitie otherwise Saint Iude would not haue praied q Iude 2. Mercie vnto you and peace and loue be multiplied Let Saint Austin speake for vs r Aug. epist 29. Charitie is a
kept it perfectly or else he accuseth the most Iust of great malice That cannot he doe for he which keepes perfectly that which God commands him in this life is without sinne sinne being no other thing then the transgression of Gods commandements all which doe meete at one ende and abut vpon charitie b Hieron ad Rusticum epist 44. c. 4. Now there is none that is pure from sinne though his life had been but for a day saith Saint Ierome The Apostle himselfe doth openly confesse that he and all the Saints are tied to this vnauoidable necessitie of c Aug. de tempore serm 47. sinne saith Saint Austin and that doth hee confesse in the seuenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans as wee shall see in the fourth argument There is none then that keepes perfectly that which God commands him yea that can keepe himselfe all being tied to this necessitie of sinning by the flesh lusting against the Spirit and by the Law of their members warring incessantly against the Law of their minde and bringing them into captiuitie to the Law of sinne which is in their members d Rom. 7.23 Gal. 5.17 as the Apostle speaks This is more perspicuously set before our eyes by death which is saith the Scriptures e Ioshua 23.14 the way of all the earth f Heb. 9.27 it being appointed vnto men once to die It is therefore a manifest conclusion that all are sinners and by consequent all transgressours of the Commandements of God g Rom. 6.23 for the wages of sinne is death and the effect of death in the faithfull is the death of sinne h Rom. 6.7 for he that is dead is freed from sinne which made the holy Apostle to sigh and call after death i Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Now Bellarmine not being able to name any one Saint who hath been in his life pure from sinne and saying notwithstanding that they can perfectly keepe Gods Commandements hee accuseth and chargeth them with a notorious malice for what is the cause that they haue not kept the Commandements was it ignorance that was in them Noe for they knew the Commandements was it impotencie that was in them No for Bellarmine saith that they could keepe the Commandements The salt was then only in their will for three things concurre together in the reasonable creature to the producing and bringing forth of a good worke knowledge will power Now to know and to be able to doe good and not to will the doing of it is the propertie of a malicious and peruerse spirit it is a malice altogether condemned as it is written k Iames 4.17 To him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sinne Let this be farre from Saints And therefore we will correct the saying of Bellarmine and say that the Saints and faithfull haue the wil to keepe perfectly the Commandements of God but they haue not the power and strength to doe them and that will we verifie by Saint Paul saying of himselfe l Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not And of vs all m Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie the one to the other so that ye cannot doe the things that ye would Lastly because that all which Bellarmine writes touching the diuers degrees of perfection commanded in the Law is maintained by him for the cause and defence of the Monkish state and life which he termes n Bellar. de monach c. 2. the state of perfection I would willingly aske Bellarmine himselfe or the most holiest Monke or Frier if seeing he thinkes he can keepe the Commandements of God he hath euer kept them If he saies that he hath kept them he is a lyar For hee that keepes the Commandements hath no sinne o 1. Iohn 1. â— Now if we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. If he confesseth that he hath not kept them he confesseth himselfe to be a wicked and malicious man in that hee would not doe that which he could and by his owne confession is doubly the childe of hell p Luk. 12.47 For that seruant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes VII The third argument is this If a man could keepe the Law he should haue no neede of a Mediatour q Gal. 2.21 For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine They answere that Christ indeede should haue died in vaine if man could keepe the Law by his naturall strength and power but it is by grace that Christians keepe it and this grace hath been giuen them through the merit of the obedience and death of Christ which for this cause is not frustrate nor in vaine An answere iniurious to Christ and altogether false For if it were so our righteousnesse and saluation should be immediately of the Law and not of Christ and Christ should not be our Sauiour but onely an instrument by the which we are ayded and enabled to keepe the Law and by the obseruation of the same made our owne sauiours What blasphemie against the Sonne of God r 1. Cor. 1.30 Who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption In as much as Å¿ 2. Cor. 5.21 God hath made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him We are then righteousnesse as he is sinne he is sinne t August Encherid cap. 41. not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs euen so are wee righteousnesse not our owne but that of God not in our selues but in him And marke he hath beene made vnto vs righteousnesse by God it is not written that we are made righteousnesse by him Againe we are the righteousnesse of God in him it is not said that we are the righteousnesse of God by him as by an instrument So doth the same Apostle write that u Col. 2.10 we are complete in him and not complete in our selues by him he felt it so when being as then renewed hauing been alreadie yea a long time an Apostle and neere vnto death when hauing fought a good fight kept the faith and finished his course he writes from prison vnto his Philippians that x Phil. 3.8.9 he counted all things but lesse and dung that he might winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ to wit the righteousnesse which is of God by faith He would haue vs to thinke and feele it so when he wrote to vs in the person of the
nescit non probat ratio non commendat antiquâ— traditio the custome of the Church is ignorant of it reason approues it not neither doth ancient Tradition recommend it Å¿ Origen in Luc. homil 17. Origen goes further euen to her actuall sinnes and saith that she was scandalizd in the death and passion of our Lord that if she had not suffered scandall Christ should not be dead for her sinnes Saint Chrysostome accuseth her of ambition of ostentation and of vaine glorie in that when our Sauiour taught the people she with his brethren stood without and interrupted him t Mat. 12.46 desiring to speake with him u Chrys in Mat. homil 45. Consider saith hee the importunitie both of the mother and of the brethren for in stead that they should haue entred within and heard with the people or staied without vntill the end of the Sermon and then should haue resorted vnto him stirred vp with ambition and ostentation they call him forth in the presence of all the people to the ende they might seeme to commaund Christ easily and with great power and authoritie whence it appeareth that they were moued by some vaine glorie not making as then any great reckoning or estimation of him x Chrysost in Joan. homil 20. As much saith he expounding the miracle done by our Sauiour at the marriage in Cana of Galilee and surely when shee adrest her selfe to Christ saying vnto him y Iohn 2.3 4. They haue no wine If she had not done amisse nor had failed either in that she would prescribe vnto him a time to work miracles or in desiring by human affection and infirmity to be in more esteeme for his sake Christ had neuer answered her so Woman what haue I to doe with thee z Tertul. de Carne Christi c. 7. Tertullian saith no lesse and a Salmer comment in epist ad Rom. c. 5. disput 51. Salmeron the Iesuit tells vs that some haue proued and verified by two hundred Fathers some by three hundred Caâ—etan by fifteene and they saith he irrefragable that the holy Virgin hath not beene preserued from all sinne VI. I write not these things to dishonour or disgrace the holy Virgin nor to match or equall any man with her in holinesse I render her all the honour can be giuen to a creature without transporting to her the honour due to the Creator I honour her remembrande I esteeme her I beleeue I say that b Luke 1.48 she is blessed according as she her selfe hath foretold I giue God thankes for the grace he hath done to her for the grace he hath done to the Church by her in making her the Mother of him who is the head the Spouse and Sauiour I striue and endeuour to â—mitate her humilitie her faith her meekenesse and other Christian vertues wherewith God had adorned and graced her and pray to God to giue mee grace to doe it This is all the honour which is due vnto Saints he which giues them more is an idolater he honours them not but dishonors them I reserue vnto Christ Iesus my onely Sauiour my onely Head my onely Redeemer my onely All the honour which the Scripture giues him and giues to none but him c Tertul. de prâ—sâ—r c. 3. Soli enim Dei filio seruabatur sine delicto permanere For it was reserued to the onely Sonne of God to liue to be and abide without sinne Of all others it is written d Rom. 3.22 That all haue sinned and come short of the glory of God that is to say of the honour which God had giuen them creating them after his image in knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse that e Rom. 11.32 God hath concluded all in vnbeliefe that he might haue mercie vpon all VII In the second ranck after the Virgin I place the Apostles and I behold them acknowledging confessing bewailing their sinnes Saint Paul Saint Paul some twentie yeeres after his conuersion alreadie an Apostle and so farre yea so much aduanst in sanctification that he is not afraid to protest f Gal. 2.20 I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me g Rom. 7. describes vnto vs an horrible warre that he felt in himselfe a perpetuall warfare of the flesh and the spirit by the which he was so diuided and distracted betweene euill and good that he cries out h Vers 14. I am carnall sold vnder sinne He had his minde enlightened and knowing the good he had also his will inclined to follow the direction of the minde and vnderstanding and to obey the Law and that had he as touching the inward man and as touching that that was renewed in him but he complaines that he had also in himselfe his flesh impugning and thwarting his good will and repugning his vnderstanding and the Law of God and haling him wil he â—ill he to commit the sinne he hates i Vers 15. for saith he that which I do I allow not behold the minde and vnderstanding enlightened condemning the euill for what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. Loe the sanctified will abhorring the euill and notwithstanding he feeles in himselfe so great a peruerâ—itie that he doth the euill which he hates and condemnes and this peruersenesse is sinne the corruption of his nature withdrawing him from good and drawing him to euill k Vers 16. If then I doe that which I would not I consent vnto the Law that it is good l Vers 17. now then it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me And this sinne is his flesh his naturall corruption spred ouer all the parts of the soule and body which hinders him to doe the good hee would and forceth him to doe the euill hee hates as hee addes m Vers 18.19 For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not for the good that I would I doe not but the euill which I would not that I doe c. And so continues his complaint and declares that not onely hee knowes approues wills the good but also loues it and takes delight in it n Vers 22. For saith he I delight in the Law of God after the inward man what was the cause then that he did it not or rather that he found not the meanes to perfect it The outward man his flesh which he termes o Vers 23. the Law of his members as he termes the inward man the Law of his minde as it followeth But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captiuitie to the law of sinne which is in my members And surely those members are all the parts of the soule and body infected with sinne and this combat is so sharpe and harsh and the euent thereof so heauie
there should be no difference betweene me and the Creator that I should be aduanced higher then the Angels and that I should haue that which the Angels haue not Of him namely of Christ it is written as a thing proper to himselfe he did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth If this bee common to me and Christ what had hee proper to himself And so he makes the Law possible to none but to Christ alone and attributes vnto Christ as a thing proper to him the perfect keeping of the Law But these answeres satisfie and pacifie not the conscience and therefore hee addes a third answere Thou sayest the Commandements of God are possible he speakes to the Pelagian and answeres him saying and who denieth it but how this is to bee vnderstood the chosen vessell sheweth plainely for saith he d Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh IIII. The sense and meaning is that the impossibilitie of the Law proceedes not from the Law for if a man could keepe the whole Law it would iustifie him but it comes from the flesh that is to say from the corruption of the humane nature which makes man vncapable to fulfill the Law and consequently makes the Law vnable to iustifie man But God in his mercie hath prouided and hath sent his owne Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh that is to say in the human nature altogether like vnto ours sinne excepted and in this flesh of the Sonne in our human nature which hee hath put on God hath condemned sinne surely in that he hath punisht it in the humanitie of the Sonne being made a curse for vs. And that the e Rom. 8.4 Righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs questionlesse in as much as that in our nature and in our name Christ hath satisfied the curse thereof by the curse of his crosse which is allowed of God as if we had satisfied in our owne persons as also in as much as wee being iustified by faith in Christ wee are sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and by the same guided and fashioned to the willing obedience of the Law which begins here in the place of our pilgrimage and proceedes on daily from good to better and shall be consummated perfected in our countrie the place of our rest For that none hath euer fulfilled and cannot fulfill the Law during the dayes of this life f Hieron ad Ctesiphontem Saint Ierome proues it by the Apostles example lamenting g Ro. 7.14.24 25 that he was carnall sold vnder sinne so that he cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death and then he comforts himselfe with his answer The grace of God through Iesus Christ our Lord What say I the example of the Apostle alone when he proues h Hieron aduers Pelagia lib. 1. lib. 2. by a great number of places of the old and new testament and by the example of all the Saints that none euer hath fulfilled the Law but Iesus Christ alone who said i Mat. 5.17 I am not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill V. But to answere plainely to this obiection we will confider man in a fourefold differing state and condition in the state of his innocencie in the state of his rebellion and of his fall in the state of his regeneration and in the state of his glorification In the state of innocencie man was vpright perfectly holy perfectly righteous God gaue to this vpright holy and righteous man his iust and righteous Law possible in it selfe and possible to him which had receiued grace to be able to keepe it to be able not to transgresse it remaining in this state it did direct him vnto all perfection and he kept it in all perfection VI. But hauing allied himselfe with Satan the Prince of darkenesse and alienated himselfe from God who dwelleth in the light which no man can approch vnto he fell into darknes and hauing withdrawne himselfe from the obedience of his Creator k Psal 36.10 with whom is the fountaine of life and inthralled himselfe to his enemie l Heb. 2.14 to him that had the power of death that is the deuill he became m Ephes 2.2 Impossible to the corrupt nature dead in trespasses and sinnes and in such wise the slaue of sinne that he cannot but sinne In this state God giues him his Law which he cannot keepe not through the default of the Law but through the fault n Rom. 8.7 of the wisdome of the flesh which is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can be yea it will not bee subiect to it and will not obserue it but applies her selfe with all her power to the transgression thereof Now it is not crueltie nor tyranny to require of this man the slaue of sinne the bondman of the deuill that which he cannot pay as it is not cruelty to aske of a bankrupt paiment of his debts A Tyrant exacts of his subiects that which they owe him not God exacts nothing of man but that which man had receiued of him all the heart all the soule all the thoughts the whole body and all the strength of that all What is the cause that man cleares not this debt T' is not long of God who o Eccles 7.29 hath made man vpright enriching him with all spirituall blessings but it is long of man who being an vnthrift a prodigall spend-all hath wasted and consumed the goods which he had receiued and by his owne fault is become vnable and vnapt to pay VII Furthermore a Tyrant demaunds vniustly of his subiect that which is not his due nor in the power of his subiect hath no other end then the ruine of his subiect In respect whereof notwithstanding it hath some vses 1. The Law accuseth him of sinne But God demaunding iustly of man that which man owes him iustly and whereof he cannot acquit himselfe by reason of his voluntary vnrighteousnesse seekes but mans saluation for he giues him his Law to make him see his owne debt as it is written p Rom. 3.20 2. It condemnes him of sinne By the Law is the knowledge of sinne And to make him shun and auoide Gods anger and wrath which is reuealed from heauen against him because of his debt as againe it is written q Rom. 4.15 3. In condemning him it leades him vnto Christ The Law worketh wrath that he knowing and acknowledging his infinite debt and feeling himselfe bound by the same vnto an infinite punishment hee may seeke out him who would and could answere for him as a pledge and suretie and who hath paied for him that which he owed
we are as new borne babes hauing neede of the milke of the word that we may grow thereby and then we grow i Rom. 1.17 from faith to faith we aduance and go on from age to age k Ephes 4.13 Till we all come in the vnitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ IIII. Thirdly all the workes that God makes alone and without the co-working of the creature are perfect in their kinde but in our regeneration our will workes together with God the flesh that is in vs by nature resists the Spirit which he puts in vs by grace whence it is impossible but that the good workes which we doe haue a smacke of the corruption that is in vs. An expert Scriuener handling alone his pen will write neately and perfectly but if he holdes his young Schollers hand and guides his pen in his hand the writing will not be so neate and will manifest it selfe by her imperfection that it is not the Masters hand alone as it will appeare also by reason of the straightnesse measure and neatnesse that it is not the Schollers hand alone Euen so is it with vs all the good workes we doe doe issue and proceede from two contrarie principles in vs from Gods Spirit and from our flesh God doth them in vs and by vs as by young ignorant prentises and nouices which cannot follow the perfect direction of the Spirit by reason of our flesh vnprofitable and vnseruiceable to good and strong vnto euill whence it followeth that as they are defectiue and vicious they belong to vs as our owne so as they are good and holy God claimes and challenges them himselfe as his owne V. Now followeth the answere to the last obiection Obiection 8 Bellar. de iustif lib. 4. §. 5. seq If our good works are thus vicious and corrupt then are they sinnes and if sinnes then worthie of death and therefore are not to be done but are to be left vndone yea auoided It would also follow that God should bee the author of sinne for hee is the author of euery good worke in vs l Phil. 2.13 working in vs both to will and to doe of his good pleasure VI. This is a subtill cauill to shift of the truth and to cast a miste before the eyes of the ignorant we ought we ought and must doe good workes m 1. Sam. 15.22 to obey God n Mat. 6.33 to seeke and aeduance the Kingdome of God o Mat. 5.16 1. Pet. 3.1 to winne by our holy conuersation those which obey not the Word p 1. Pet. 2.12 3.16 to stoppe the mouthes of the enemies of the Gospel when they speake against vs as euil doors q Ephes 4.1 to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called and r Phil. 1 27. Col. 1.10 as it becommeth the Gospel of Christ Å¿ 1. Thes 2.12 who hath called vs vnto his Kingdom and glory by grace who gaue t Tit. 2.14 himselfe for vs that he might bee our head to whom the Father hath giuen vs to be members of his bodie and a peculiar people zealous of good workes u Iames 2.18 1. Pet. 3.15 to testifie of our life and the truth of our faith before the Church to testifie it to our selues and to x 2. Pet. 1.10 make our calling and election sure that wee may y Rom. 8.5 Gal. 5 16.22.2â— learne and know by the works of the Spirit if we walke after the Spirit and that we may z Mat. 6.16 know the tree by his fruit VII He which doth good workes to these endes sinnes not and tho workes which hee doth in this manner are not sinnes They are good in their principle for they proceede from God they are good in their manner of doing them for they are done in faith in obedience in charitie they are good in their matter and substance for they are conformable to the Law they are good also in their ende for they tend and extend to the glory of God to our neighbours good to our strengthening and setting in the feare of God in the assurance of the grace of God towards vs. Sinne is no such matter it proceedes from the stinking sinke of the flesh it is contrarie to the Law contrarie to faith and charitie sinne is committed in vnbelieâ—â— and disobedience and hath for his faith and beliefe the world and the things that are in the world so that it is as vnpleasant and displeasing vnto God as the good works are pleasing and acceptable vnto him VIII But man being composed of flesh and spirit it falleth out that when the spirit makes his good workes the flesh steps in vnlooked for and taints them with the stench of his corruption to the great griefe and displeasure of the spirit of the new man who â—urceaseth not to proceede and goe on to doe the best he can being assured that God who hath already accepted of his person in Iesus Christ will also accept approue and receiue in good part the little good he doth forgiuing him for Christ Iesus sake the euill that the flesh hath foisted in and accepting for the loue of Christ that good which remains as being the worke of his Spirit IX Euen so hath he promised it saying a Mal. 3.17 I will spare them at a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him so doth God b Psal 103.13.14 like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that feare him for he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust He accepts first our persons he adopts vs to himselfe and makes vs his children in Iesus Christ and afterwards he accepts our workes because of our persons If once we are his children and heires in Christ he handles and intertaines vs as father and no more as a Iudge he accepts the holy endeuour which our new man brings and yeeldes to his seruice and supports the opposition and impugning of our old man against him In a word when he viewes and beholds in our good workes the euill which is ours he forgiues vs it for Christ his sake c Jsai 53.5 who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and when he beholds and considers the good which is his he crownes it for the same Christ Iesus sake d Ephes 1.6 in whom hee hath made vs accepted X. Not therefore for our merits but according to his mercie whereof he saith e Exod. 20.6 I will shew mercie vnto thousands of them that loue me and keepe my Commandements that his sentence remaine for euer f Tit. 3.4 Vers 5. After that the kindnesse and loue of God our Sauiour toward man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of regeneration and renewing
ser 50. Nec latuit praeceptorem praecepti pondus hominum excedere vires sed iudicauit vtile ex hoc ipso suo illes insufficieâ—tiae admoneri vt scirent sanè ad quem iustitiae finem niti pro viribus oporteret Ergo mandando impossibilia non praeuaricatores homines fecit sed humiles c. The Master was not ignorant saith Saint Bernard that the burden of the Commandement did surpasse the strength of man but hee thought it good and necessarie that by the very same they should be warned of their insufficiencie that they might know to what ende and marke of righteousnesse they ought to make towards with all their strength and power commanding therefore things impossible he hath not made men preuaricators but humble that euery mouth may be stopped and all the world may become subiect to the iudgement of God because that by the workes of the Law there shall be no flesh iustified in his sight for receiuing the CoÌ„mandements and feeling our defect and want wee will crie vp to heauen and God will haue mercy vpon vs and wee shall know in that day that hee hath saued vs not by the workes of righteousnesse that wee haue done but according to his mercie Secondly because he vnderstands not the language of the Scripture hee restraines the choice to voluntarie and free things to the obseruation of the which man is not bound and compelled by any Law Hee might haue read the words of the Prophet Moses saying to the people of Israel touching the Law x Deut. 30.19 I call heauen and earth to record this day against you that I haue set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both then and thy seede may liue As also Ioshuahs words to the same people y Ioshua 24.15 If it seeme euill vnto you to serue the Lord chuse you this day whom ye will serue Conformably to this Dauid saith z Psal 119.30 I haue chosen the way of truth thy iudgements haue I laid before me And Saint Cyrill expounds the Prophets words of them which chuse and retaine Christs Testament as Lyrinensis of those that liue righteously and vprightly with their neighbour VII He expounds as falsely these words I will giue vnto them a name better then of sons and of daughters a Bellar. de monach c. 9. parag 3. 9. maintaining that by sons and daughters God meanes those good and godly persons that are married which are Gods sons and daughters and that God promiseth to those which are virgins a greater good and a greater glory then to these What could he say more impertinently then this For to be a sonne and a daughter of God is the common name of all the faithfull and their highest and most excellent title and degree of honour from whence depends all their prerogatiue glory ioy and consolation both in life and death and it is not a name of an inferiour qualitie appertaining onely to some lesse priuiledge Witnesse our Sauiour Christ when he saith To as many as receiued him to them b Iohn 1.12 gaue he power to become the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Witnesse God himselfe saying by his Prophets and by his Apostle c Isa 52.11 Ierem. 31.1.9 2. Cor. 6.17.18 Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the vncleane thing and I will receiue you and will be a Father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie d Rom. 8.17 And if children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ saith the Apostle What may we What can we hope desire wish more It is that which is giuen to honest and good men married persons by Bellarmines confession what remaines then to the Monkes what haue the Friers else a name saith he more excellent then of sonnes of God why then they are not sonnes of God And to maiden Virgins a name better then of daughters of God why then they are not Gods daughters what other name shall we giue them for he which is not the childe and sonne of God is the sonne of rebellion the childe of wrath whose father is the Deuill a name saith he better then of sonnes What greater or better name I pray you can wee haue on earth then to bee sonnes and heires of a King except we were Kings And what better or greater name in heauen then to bee Gods sonne and heire without being God The Angels are called e Iob 1.6 2.1 the sonnes of God The Saints are called the sonnes of God he which is the Sonne of God by nature was manifest in the flesh that we might be made the sonnes of God by grace The holy Ghost is sent into our hearts to assure vs that wee are the sonnes of God f Rom. 8.15.16 Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father The Spirit it selfe bearâ—th witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God And there is no name in the Scripture so expresse so significatiue and of so large extent for it comprehends in it all the good that God bestowes on his elect and chosen people vnto whom he giues all his blessings in the name title and state of children and out of this state and condition he giue them no spirituall wholesome and sauing blessing VIII Now we shall finde the true sense and meaning of this place if wee adde thereunto that which goes before and that which followes after which hath been industriously and wittingly omitted by Bellarmine lest it should haue hindred hiâ— bad cause The words going before are Let not the sonne of the stranger that hath ioyned himselfe to the Lord speake saying The Lord hath vtterly separated me from his people neither let the Eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree Here then the stranger and the Eunuch fearing God are ioyned together both of them bewailing their miserie The one because he was separated from Gods people The other because he was a drie tree The Eunuch is first comforted by the wordes of this place whereupon Bellarmine grounds his Counsels The stranger is comforted in the verses following in these words Also the sonnes of the stranger that ioyne themselues to the Lord to serue him and to loue the name of the Lord c. euen them will I bring to my holy mountaine and make them ioyfull in my house of prayer c. The Gentils called by the Prophet the sonnes of the stranger g Ephes 2.12 were at that time without Christ being aliens from the Common-weale of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and without God in the world As for the Iewes God made a promise to Abraham their father saying h Gens 22.17 In blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand
and filled with violence then when m Genes 6.2 the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men and tooke them wiues of all which they chose To proue this we neede but enter into great Cities and may iustly cry against them as in old time the Prophet cried against Ierusalem n 〈◊〉 3.1 Wee to her that is gluttenous fi lt his and polluted to the oppressing Citie The strong are within her roaring Lions they are night-wolues which leaue no bones to gnaw vpon in the morning of whom the Prophet Micah prophesied o Mica 2.1.2 Wee to them that deuise iniquitie and worke euill vpon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hand and they couet fieldes and take them by vilence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house euen a man and his heritage The women and maides do paint their faces and tire their heads like p 2. King 9.30 Iezabel They dance as the daughter q Mat. 14.6 of Herodias did They go abroad with a Mercers shop on their shoulders of whom it is written as otherwhiles of the daughters of Sion r Isai 3.16.17 Because the daughters of Sion are haughtie and walke with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they goe and making a tinckling with their feete The Lord will smite with a scabbe the crowne of the head of the daughters of Zion and the Lord will discouer their secret parts There are but few that can say with this young Lord that they haue not committed adulterie that they haue kept the Commandement in regard of the outward righteousnesse of the Law yea few that know the Commandements yea that will heare speake of them few therefore whom our Lord Iesus Christ loueth as he loued this young man although he loued him not with that speciall loue wherof S. Iohn witnesseth that hauing ſ John 13.1 loued his owne which were in the world he loued them vnto the ende Hee loued him because he saw in him a desire to profit but he loued him not as hauing profited much He loued him to conuince him of sin but he loued him not to conuert him from his sinne He loued him to warne and admonish him of that which he should doe but he loued him not to make him to doe it He loued him to instruct him he loued him not to saue him He loued him with that measure of loue wherewith he loued the Doctor of Law who although he asked him which is the great Commandement in the Law in tempting him t Mat. 22.35 hee omitted not to approue the good he found in him and to say vnto him u Mark 12.34 Thou art not farre from the kingdome of heauen But he loued him not with that loue wherewith he loued his disciples x Iohn 15.9.13 As my Father hath loued me so haue I loued you greater loue hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends In a word he loued him with a common loue of a Doctor teaching with mildnesse those which came to him but he loued him not with that speciall loue of a Sauiour wherewith he hath loued none but his Church as it is written y Ephes 5.25.26.27 He loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Louing him therefore with that common loue of a Doctor and Teacher he proceedes to instruct him and saith vnto him X. a Mat. 19.21 If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me What is that to say If thou wilt be perfect It is as much as to say saith Bellarmine b Bellar. de monach c. 9. §. 18. Si nones contentus vita aeterna sed aspiras ad excellentem gradum in ipsa vita aeterna as if thou art not content with eternall life but doest aspire vnto an excellent degree in eternall life O man wherewith can he content himselfe that is not contented with eternall life which is the gaine of the death of the Sonne of God and of all that which God promiseth which God giueth vnto those he loues all that the Saints sigh after the Abstract and epitome of all that which they beleeue all which they desire and indeuour to apprehend all that which they obtaine apprehēd Where hath Christ Iesus taught any not to content himselfe with eternall life Where is it written that to be perfect is as much as not to be content with eternall life as much as to aspire vnto a more excellent degree in eternall life How can such a glosse agree with the Text For let them tell me if this young man had already merited eternall life or no If hee had merited it then it would follow that hee that is no Christian that is not iustified in the bloud of Christ that is not sanctified by the Spirit of Christ that hath not acknowledged Christ but a good Master and Doctor and not for his good Sauiour that neuer followed Christ that refused to follow Christ can merit eternall life Now if eternall life can be gotten without Christ Christ came into the world in vaine in vaine is he dead and hath fully finished the worke of our redemption in vaine If he had merited it how went hee away sorrowfull when Christ counselled him to sell all that he◠had and to follow him How came it to passe that he went not rather away altogether ioyfull and content For hee enquired onely of eternall life and Christ gaue him this testimonie if we beleeue Bellarmine that hee had already merited eternall life there was then great occasion of great ioy And as touching the words Goe and sell that thou hast it was saith Bellarmine but a Counsell which Christ left to his choice either to doe it or to leaue it vndone without danger There was then no subiect no cause of sorrow except they will affirme that the Saints which neuer wore a Monkes Cowle nor euer haunted a Cloister shall haue wherewith to bee sorrowfull in heauen seeing themselues depriued of that more excellent degree of glory which is nothing else but the Aureola in that part there to the end the holy Ghost may be condemned of falsehood in the description of the eternall happinesse which hee setteth downe saying that there shall be no more sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine And if he hath not fulfilled the Law he hath not deserued eternall life as his owne conscience witnessed against him when he went away sorrowfull as our Sauiour Christ declared after he was gone saying d Mark
marriage doth well but he that giueth her not in marriage doth better Item the widdow is happier if she so abide IF therefore these Counsels are giuen by God 7 7. Obiection Pag. 10. who will make difficultie to ioyne his Counsell with that of the eternall wisdome saith the Pastorall Letter grounding a false conclusion vpon a false exposition of Christs words a Mat. 19.12 There hee Eunuches which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it b Mat. 19.21 Goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore We will therefore correct this conclusion and say If these Counsels are not giuen by God as it appeares sufficiently by the exposition of the foresaid places A Bishop one that esteemes himselfe Gods Ambassadour who therefore should counsell nothing say nothing but that which he hath heard of God should haue made difficultie yea should haue abstained from giuing Counsell in a matter that is not of his Commission Moses being asked touching things that God had not reuealed vnto him c Leuit. 24.11 as the punishment of the blasphemer d Numb 27.5 the succession of daughters in their fathers goods and possession where no male children are and such like things would neuer giue his iudgement and aduice much lesse giue any Counsell yea and much lesse ordaine any thing before he had asked Counsell of the Lord. The Prophets lesson is e Ezech. 3.17 Heare the Word at my mouth f Ierem. 1.7 whatsoeuer I command that thou shalt speake and their prophecying was nothing else but a repetition of the lesson of their God word by word to the people The Apostles lesson was g Mat. 28.19.20 Goe and teach all Nations teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you Their practice was h 1. Cor. 11.23 I haue receiued of the Lord that which also I deliuered vnto you Their instruction to others was i 1. Pet. 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the Oracles of God and these words say wee are wholly contained in the holy Scripture wherein there is no mention at al of Monkish Counsels and notwithstanding they that are not Prophets nor Apostles vsurping more then hath been permitted euen to the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists doe counsell vs to follow their Counsels doe exhort vs yea vrge vs to the obseruation thereof without God without Christ without Scripture pretending therein notwithstanding the Scripture and the name of eternall wisedome surely not without infolding themselues in impietie in cloaking with the name and title of eternall wisedome a doctrine which is altogether sensuall and earthly and calling the Counsell of God an intollerable yoke wherewith men haue charged the consciences of Saints set at liberty by our Lord Iesus Christ A Counsell notwithstanding that our Cardinal ioyneth with that of God and that if we beleeue him after the imitation of Saint Paul who speaking of virginitie saith II. 1 1. Cor. 7.25 Consilium autem do Pag. 10. tanquam misericordiam consecutus Yet giue I counsell as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord. But Saint Paul confesseth that he hath not ioyned his Counsell vnto any counsell comming from the Lord writing these words which goe immediatly before Now concerning virgins I haue no commandement of the Lord. Wherefore hee ioyneth not his Counsell to Gods Counsell according to Saint Pauls imitation Hee will say that it sufficeth that he imitates Saint Paul and that Saint Paul saith I giue Counsell c. But I answere him that Saint Paul hath written in Greeke and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say I giue my iudgement and not I giue Counsell His iudgement which he authorizeth by his fidelitie in the seruice of God by the mercy he hath obtained of the Lord to be faithfull by the Maiestie of the holy Ghost by whose inspiration he giues it l 1. Cor. 7.25 I giue my iudgement saith he as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull III. An aduice therefore that he giues not as a priuat man neither also as one of the troupe of Pastors but as he that hath obtained mercy of God to be an Apostle and very faithfull in his charge as he who was according to the Lords promise guided by the holy Ghost into all truth to bee not able to erre in his aduice and iudgement m 1. Cor. 7.40 Now saith he I thinke also that I haue the Spirit of God n Arist ethic ad Nicomach lib. 6. c. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aduice is a right iudgement of that which is seemely and right is that which is of a true man Among men who more true and vpright then an Apostle guided and inspired by the holy Ghost which is the Spirit of truth yea the truth it selfe Let them now shew me if a good and vpright aduice and iudgement giuen by an Apostle faithfull in his charge and office hauing authoritie of the Lord Iesus to bee heard without replying as guided by the holy Ghost into all truth can be reiected without punishment I argue therefore after this manner That which can not be reiected with impunitie is no Euangelicall Counsell according to that we haue heard heretofore that A Counsell not obserued hath no punishment Now the iudgement of the holy Ghost giuen by the mouth of a faithfull Apostle is such a one as that it cannot bee refused without punishment therefore such a iudgement is no Euangelicall Counsell But let it bee a Counsell it is a good Counsell giuen by the good Spirit of God to man to his creature to the work of his hands by the heauenly Father to his childe that is earthly IIII. A Counsell properly is of the inferiour to his superiour or of a man to his equall the superiour armed with power and authoritie counselleth not but commandeth that which hee iudgeth to bee right and good and if he vseth words of Counsell his meaning is that they take and keepe them as Commandements yea all the world knoweth that the prayers and intreaties of great men are commandements to all them that are vnder their power and authoritie Now God is the great of great ones the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings o Isa 40.22.23 It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie It is he that is our Father and we are his children p Jsa 64.8 wee are the clay and thou our potter saith the Church vnto him and we all are the worke of thine hand He is our Lord and we his seruants our Shepheard and wee his sheepe our Redeemer and wee are q 1. Pe. 1.18.19 those whom he hath redeemed from our vaine conuersation receiued
by tradition from our fathers not with corruptible things as siluer and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish and without spot As many titles and names of God so many arguments for God against vs. r Isai 66.2 To whom will I look to him that trembleth at my word His Counsell is his word He is our Lord and Father ſ Mal. 1.6 A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his master If then I bee a Father where is mine honor and if I be a Master where is my feare This honor and feare consists principally in that we obey his voice that we say vnto him with Samuel t 1. Sam. 3.10 Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth He is our shepheard and we are his sheepe and this is the marke of his sheepe u John 10.27 My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me Hee that heareth him not is none of his x Iohn 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods words yee therefore heare them not because ye are not of God said Christ vnto the Iewes y 1. Pet. 2.9 We are a chosen generation a peculiar people saith Saint Peter and Saint Paul z 1. Cor. 6.19.20 Yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price And therefore we ought not to haue any will but his whose wee are to follow it in all things If these Counsels depended on our wil we should be our owne against the Apostle and against the right whereby the slaue is subiect in all things to him that hath purchased him and is despoiled of all libertie and disposing of his owne will I appeale now vnto the conscience of the Author of the Pastorall Letter that he tell me vpon his soule if he thinke that God can Counsell a thing vnto man whereunto man is not bound to yeelde and render quicke and speedie obedience which hee may reiect without putting his soule in danger The clause of his conclusion sheweth euidently that he thinketh so For if he esteemes not his pretended Counsels to be Commandements If he beleeues that they may bee reiected without offending God with what equitie conscience hath he stormed and thundered against those yea made a seisure of the possessions of those that haue reiected them V. But whatsoeuer hee thinkes the truth shall bee alwaies one and the same and if hee will denie it shee will defend her selfe and will get her selfe credit against his credit Hee saith that Saint Pauls aduice and iudgement is a Counsell She saith euen by the mouth of Saint Paul that it is a Commandement for the Apostle hauing said both touching marriage and single life a 1. Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to euery man as the Lord hath called euery one so let him walke Which is an expresse Commandement and altogether necessarie in a Common-wealth and in the Church b 1. Cor. 7.25 he addes and so ordaine I in all Churches where he vseth a Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to ordaine and commaund precisely as it appeares by the 25 verse where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning virgins I haue no Commandement of the Lord. This will more euidently appeare by a like manner of speech which the Apostle vseth in this very same Chapter vers 12. where being asked if the partie that beleeueth ought to remaine with the party that beleeueth not who is ioyned to him by mariage he saith but to the rest speake I not the Lord. For God had set downe nothing thereof in the old Testament and the Lord had not giuen any Commandement thereof to his Disciples because the religion was yet limited within the borders of Iudea there was not then any diuersitie nor difference of religion betweene the husband and the wife But the Gospell hauing been carried vnto the Gentiles it happened that one while the husband did imbrace it another while the wife the one or the other remaining an Infidell Now the aduice that the Apostle giues them is a formall and flat Commandement * 1. Cor. 7.12 If saith he any brother hath a wife that beleeueth not and shee bee pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away c. They are words of command the reasons which hee addes to his aduice doe witnesse it First The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife Vers 14. and the vnbeleeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband So that their mutuall coniunction and conuersation cannot defile the partie which beleeueth Vers 15. Secondly But if the vnbeleeuing depart let him depart a brother or a sister is not vnder bondage in such a case And then if the vnbeleeuing remaine and consents to dwell with the beleeuing the beleeuing is bound in such a case Thirdly God hath called vs to peace wherefore he that beleeueth ought not to disturbe the peace of the house Fourthly For what knowest thou Vers 16. O wife whether thou shalt saue thy husband Or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt saue thy wife Now all are bound by Gods Commandement to doe all that which can saue a soule from death Vers 17. But as God hath distributed to euery man as the Lord hath called euery one so let him walke And who can denie but that euery one is bound to follow the gift and calling of God Behold how impertinent it is to conclude that the Apostles iudgement is a Counsell left to a mans deuotion and will and not a Commandement because it is he that hath giuen it first and that the Lord had said nothing thereof before him VI. Notwithstanding let vs see what this pretended Counsell is The Apostle saith d 1. Cor. 7.39.40 Cui vult nubat Beatior autem si sic permanserit secundum meum consilium puto autem quod ego spiritum Deihabeam The virgin is a◠liberty to be maried to whom she will but she is happier if she so abide after my counsell I thinke also that I haue the Spirit of God This translation is the Authors of the Pastorall Letters translation wherein there is a notable falsehood for the Apostle speaketh here of a widdow The wife is bound by the Law as long as her husband liueth but if her husband be dead she is at liberty to be maried to whom she wil c. And the Author of the pastoral letter expoūds these words of a virgin that hath not the right and power to marrie her selfe to whom she will being vnder the fathers authoritie and power vnto whom alone the liberty of giuing her in marriage appertaineth as the Apostle declareth e 1. Cor. 7.38 Qui iungit virginem suam benè facit qui non iungit melius facit He that giueth her in marriage namely his virgin doth well but he that giueth her not in marriage doth better A Text alleaged by the Author of the Pastorall Letter against himselfe for