that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled Christ our Sauiour saith Doe men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles and a corrupt tree bringeth forth euill fruite Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God Here of we conclude that euen those workes which God hath commaunded and commended to vs in his word being done by the vngodly and reprobate be so corrupted by their infidelitie and wickednes that they bee not acceptable but rather abominable before God So saith Saint Augustine Sine qua fide quae videntur bona opera in peccata vertuntur that is Without faith those workes which seeme to be good are turned into sinne Saint Ambrose saith Sine cultu veri dei etiam quod virtus videtur esse peccatum est nec placere vllus deo sine deo potest that is Without the worship of the true God euen that which seemeth to be vertue is sinne neither can any please God without God Anselme saith Omnis vita infidelium peccatum est nihil bonum sine summo bono i. The whole life of the vnfaithfull is sinne and there is nothing good without the chiefest good which is God By this the Christian reader may sufficiently see how false the doctrine of the Papists and namely of our fine and delicate Iesuites is who teach as their proctor Andradius one of that coate blusheth not to auouch that all actions of those which bee voyde of the true knowledge of God bee not sinne yea that they may doe workes defiled with no fault but worthie of great praise and that we are not to thinke that all the workes of them which be voyd of faith do so displease God that they be crimes worthie eternall punishments Let the godly reader compare these sayings of this Iebusite with those alledged before out of the Scriptures and ancient Fathers and discerne which is more sound and agreeable not to the blinde reason of man but to the will of God reueiled in his word Secondly concerning the workes of there generate that belong to Gods election and mercie we say that although they be done with imperfection and not so fully with their whole soule hart and minde as they should be but carrie the touch of mans corruption and are not able to abide the strict streight iudgement of God yet because they proceede from harts purified by faith and sanctified in some measure with Gods holy spirit they please God and the imperfections of them being pardoned in Iesus Christ they bee accepted for pure and holy Christ saith A good tree bringeth forth good fruite to the pure are all things pure The prayer of the righteous is alwayes acceptable to God The faithfull be an holy priesthoode to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased This therefore is a falsely which this man with a brasen brow affirmeth that fasting praying and almes deedes according to our religion be deadly sinnes These workes be commaunded of God who commaundeth no sinnes We say that the corruption of our nature which is but in part and imperfectly regenerate in this life doth creepe into them and therefore they be not so purely perfectly done of vs as God requireth whereby we acknowledge that euen the best workes we doe had neede of Gods mercie So Saint Augustine saith Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam that is Wo be to the laudable life of man if thou O God examine it without mercie Now what reasonable man will reason or imagine vs to reason thus that because we doe good workes not so purely and perfectly as Gods righteousnesse requireth and deserueth that therefore good workes as prayer almes deedes c. be deadly sinnes or are to be auoyded of vs. But let vs come to examine the proofe of your Minor or second proposition You say that according to our religion and common exposition of this text of Scripture we are made all as vncleane and all our iustices are like a stained cloth the best workes we can doe are infected with deadly sinne and deserue eternall damnation and therefore to be auoided We indeed expound this place not only of wicked hypocrites but also of the regenerate and faithfull and say that all our owne righteousnesse of works is so stained with the corruption of our sinfull nature that it is not able to stand before Gods iudgement seate nor abide his seuere triall and examination For when wee haue done all those things which are commaunded vs we must say that we are vnprofitable seruants And if thou O Lord streightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand and therfore we must pray and say Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shal none that liueth be iustified And with Daniel we say O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our Kings to our Princes to our Fathers because we haue sinned against thee yet compassion and forgiuenes is in the Lord our God Whereupon we acknowledge that our Iustice and righteousnesse consisteth not in the perfection of our vertues but in the forgiuenes of our sinnes Bernard thus expoundeth and applieth the place of Esay Nostra si qua est humilis iustitia recta for sitan sed non pura nisi forte meliores nos esse credimus quà m patres nostros qui non minus veraciter quà m humiliter aiebant omnes iustitiae nostrae tanquam pannus menstruatae mulieris Quomodo enim pura iustitia vbi adhuc non potest culpa deesse i. Our humble or base iustice if it be any is peraduenture right but not pure vnles we beleeue our selues to be better than our Fathers who no lesse truly then humbly said all our righteousnesse is as the cloth of a menstruous woman for how can righteousnesse be pure where sinne as yet wanteth not And againe Sed quid potest esse omnis iustitia nostra coram Deo Nonne iuxta Prophetam velut pannus menstruata reputabitur si districtè iudicetur iniusta inuenietur omnis iustitia nostra i. What can all our iustice be before God Shall it not according to the Prophet be reputed like the cloth of a menstruous woman and if it be streightly iudged all our iustice shall be found to be vniust How you expound this place I know not belike you satisfying Gods iustice so fully with your owne pure workes that he can aske no more of you as I alleaged before out of Bishop Fisher thinke that this place is not to be vnderstood of you and your iustice which is pure and perfit but of the iustice of Lutherans Caluinists and such other prophane persons Wherein take you heede that you shew not
quod bonum rectum est in oculis vestris facite mihi Nota quod dum aliquis dux propter suos captiuus tenetur non dimittitur nisidet magnam pecuniam Sic nec nos Christum captiuum dimittere debemus nisi remissionem peccatorum nobis tribuat regnum coeleste ab eo accipiamus Eleuat ergo sacerdos Corpus Christi in altari q. d. Ecce quem totus mundus capere non potest captiuus noster est Ergo eum non dimittamus nisi quod petimus prius obtineamus that is Seuenthly the body of Christ is lifted vp to shew the goodnesse of Christ for what greater goodnesse is there then that Christ vouchsafeth to be prisoner vpon the Aultar whereupon he saith in the person of Hieremie the Prophet Behold I am in your hands that which is good and right in your eyes doe yee vnt me Note that when any captaine is kept prisoner for his people he is held prisoner and not let goe vnlesse he giue a great summe of money So also we ought not to let Christ our prisoner goe vnlesse he giue vnto vs forgiuenesse of sinnes and that we receiue of him the kingdome of Heauen Therefore the priest doth lift vp the body of Christ vpon the Aultar as though he should say behold hee whom the whole world is not able to containe is our prisoner therefore let vs not let him goe vnlesse we doe first obtaine of him that which we require This place I thought good the more largely to lay downe that the reader may see what diuine doctrine these Romish Saints haue deliuered and how finely they haue applied the Scriptures By this doctrine Christ is prisoner in the Masse and he must not be let goe vntill he haue paied his ransome And this is substantially proued out of Ieremie chap. 26. where Ieremie hauing preached the word of God and denounced his fearefull plagues against Iuda and Ierusalem the priests and people tooke him and went about to kill him to whom Ieremie spake saying The Lord hath sent me to prophecie against this House and against this Citie all the things that yee haue heard therefore now amend your wayes and your workes and heare the voyce of the Lord your God that the Lord may repent him of the plague that he hath pronounced against you As for me behold I am in your hands doe with me as you thinke good and right But know yee for certaintie that if yee put me to death yee shall bring innocent bloud vpon your selues and vpon this Citie and vpon the inhabitants thereof For of a truth the Lord hath sent me vnto you to speake all these words in your cares Is not this place finely expounded and applyed and doth it not substantially proue that Christ is in the priests hands at Masse when he holdeth him ouer his head and belike goeth about to kill him as they did Hieremie In deede by their doctrine they teare him with their teeth and deuoure him Thus we see how these Romish diuines and Saints haue handled and expounded the word of God of whom that may be well said and verified which Polidore Virgil fauorer of the Romish religion writeth of the popish lawyers and canonists videl Non secus isti iurisconsulti aliquoties detorquent sacras scripturas quo volunt ac sutores sordidas solent dentibus extendere pelles that is See how these lawyers we may say diuines yea and Saints doe sometimes no otherwayes wrest the holy Scriptures then coblers vse to stretch out with their teeth their filthie leather or skinnes And that also which Theophylactus saith Ita exponere scripturas manifestè delirare est that is So to expound the Scriptures is to dote or be madde I might shew infinit other places which they haue most falsely expounded and applyed yea and also which they haue corrupted mangled and altered which I mind hereafter somwhat to doe but this shall suffice at this present to let the reader see who they be which follow priuate and false expositions of the Scriptures and consequently be infidels And if the author of this pamphlet or his companions can charge vs with the like then they may truely say that we haue followed priuate expositions and be Infidels But it is the vsuall manner of these men to make many vehement accusations and to bring few sound proofes Where you say that we reiect Saint Augustine and other Fathers who bring Scripture to proue prayer for the dead I answere that we refuse not the alledging of Scriptures by any but vpon good and sound reason which we will be readie to iustifie and maintaine If you thinke either Augustine in that booke de cura pro mortuis which you quote which is more full of doubtes then of sound proofes out of the Scripture or other Fathers haue any plaine places of Scripture to prooue prayer for the dead you may produce them vrge them and make syllogismes of them and we will answere them But you speake many things generally and proue few particularly and pithily For vs to proue and examine by the Scriptures the expositions of the Fathers is no fault For if the spirit of God commend that good people of Berea for examining Pauls preaching by the Scriptures we cannot be worthily blamed for examining the writings and expositions of the Fathers by the Scriptures as long as it cannot be proued that we doe otherwayes then accept the good and reiect the euill So Saint Augustine speaking of the writings of godly Fathers saith Hoc genus literarum ab autoritate canonis distinguendum est c. This kinde of writing is to be distinguished from the authoritie of the canon of the Scriptures For they be not so read as though a testimonie were so alleaged out of them that we may not thinke or iudge otherwise if they haue any where otherwayes thought then the truth required For we are of the number of them which doe not disdaine to accept to our selues that which was said of the Apostle If you be otherwise minded God shall reueale the same vnto you The like he writeth in his 111. epistle to Fortunatianus and in his 112. epist and in his second booke against Cresconius cap. 31. 32. which I forbeare to alledge To conclude if you can produce any expositions of the ancient Fathers whom we reuerence and whose workes we reade as diligently as you doe which we reiect if we doe not shew good reason for the same let vs beare the blame and shame of it Neuerthelesse we doe not allow euery paltrie companion as you terme them either to be an expositor of Christs word or to preferre his exposition there of before all ancient fathers Neither doe I know any man so to doe but we allow all men to reade and heare Gods holy word and as they may be much edified and comforted by the things that be plaine so if they vnderstand not some places we exhort them
of truth concerning religion and saluation We haue learned and godly Bishops and Pastors to teach the truth of Gods word to confute both by preaching and writing errors and heresies And we haue Synodes although not generall yet prouinciall wherein controuersies may be decided and heresies condemned as heretofore the truth hath beene maintained and heresies confuted and confounded in some prouinciall Councels as that called Gangrense and some other Africane Councels as well as they haue beene in some generall I would faine know of you what other and better meanes the Church of God had for the space of three hundred yeeres after Christs in carnation then these to determine controuersies and abolish heresies Generall Councels they had not before Constantines time which therefore your fellow Papist Fighius counteth to haue been an inuention of his but your great Rabbin Rob. Bellarmine therein controlleth him and saith it is false So well these men be setled in vnitie of beleefe And to your great Master of Rome whom you now would make the Oracle of the world there was before that time but small respect and regard had as your owne Pope Pius 2. in these words confesseth Ante Concilium Nicenum sibi quisque viuebat ad Romanam Ecclesiam paruus habebatur respectus i. Before the Councel of Nice euery one liued to himselfe and there was small regard had to the Church of Rome Shew vs therefore what meanes the Churches of God then had for maintenance of vnitie of faith which we want You say that Christ willed vs to heare his Church if we would not be accounted for Ethnicks and Publicanes The which place your said Rob. Bellarmine Reader full wisely alleageth to proue the Pope and his Councel to be the supreme Iudge of controuersies As though our Sauiour Christ there spake of deciding of controuersies in doctrine or of expounding the Scriptures or by the Church meant the Pope and his Councel and that euery man against whom his brother trespasseth must goe to the Pope and his Councel to make his complaint These be vanities and follies which nullo impellente ruunt and neede no confutation You further alleage out of Ioh. 14. 17. that Christ promised vnto the Church the assistance of the holy Ghost where by the Church you meane the Pope and his Councell as your Master Bellarmine hath taught you who writeth vs Sed hîc in genere dicimus iudicem veri sensus Scripturae omnium controuersiarum esse ecclesiam id est Pontificem cum concilio in quo omnes Catholici conueniunt that is Wee generally say that the Church is the iudge of the true sense of the Scripture and of all controuersies that is to say The Pope with the Councel wherein all Catholikes doe assemble or rather dissemble together But our Sauiour Christ made this promise to his disciples saying I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another Comforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you This promise pertaineth not to all the successors of the Apostles but to all them that truly feare God and beleeue and obey the holy doctrine which Christ deliuered to his Disciples and which they preached the which when you shall soundly proue that your Popes Councels do then we wil grant that this promise of Christ belongeth to them In the meane time wee will follow Chrysostomes good counsell Si videris aliquem Euangelica repetentem profecto spiritum sanctum habet Venidt enins spiritus sanctus vt recordari vos faciat eorum quae docui Si quis igitur corum qui dicuntur habere spiritum sanctum dicat aliquid a scipso non ex Euangeliji non crodite meam doctrinam sequimini that is If thou see any man speaking out of the Gospell surely he hath the holy Ghost For the holy Ghost shal come to put you in remembrance of those things which I haue taught you If therefore any of them which are said to haue the holy Ghost doe speake any thing of himselfe and not out of the Gospels beleeue him not but follow my doctrine Whereas you say that you beleeue certainly that the Church cannot erre that the generall Councels cannot deliuer false doctrine c. I answere that you foolishly begge that which is in question For as wee acknowledge Councels assembled of godlie learned and modest men which simply seeke the glorie of God and the profit of his Church are good meanes to suppresse errors and heresies and to abolish abuses and enormities so to affirme that generall Councels cannot erre or deliuer false doctrine is most false absurd as by many both reasons and examples might be prooued But for shortnes sake I will touch but a few examples The councell of foure hundred Priests of Israel erred and Santan was a false spirit in the mouth of them all to the destruction of Achab that cursed king of Israel The councell of the Priests of Iuda erred in cōdemning Iesus Christ to death The Councell of the high Priest and other Priests Rulers Elders and Scribes erred in forbidding Christs disciples to speake or teach in the name of Iesus The councel of Neocaesarea erred in iudging hardly falsly of second marriages which Gods word alloweth Rom. 7. 3. 1. Cor. 7. 39. the words of the Councell be these Presbyterum conuiuio secundarum nuptiarum interesse non debere maxime cum praecipiatur secundis nuptijs poenitentiam tribuere that is A priest ought not to be present at the feast of second mariages especially because he is commanded to appoint penance to second mariages This Councell although it were prouinciall was confirmed by Pope Leo the fourth as appeareth by Gratian and the Papists hold that prouinciall councels confirmed by the Pope cannot erre The Councell of Ariminum wherein were assembled aboue foure hundred Bishops horribly erred in maintaining the blasphemous doctrine of Arius The like did the Councels of Millaine Seleucia and of Tyrus The second Councell of Ephesus erred and maintained the false doctrine of Eutyches These Councels the Papists confesse to haue erred and why because they were not allowed and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome A simple and shamelesse shift as though the Bishop of Rome had in those daies power either to call or confirme Councels any more then the other Patriarks had In that second Councel of Nice most vnlike vnto the first not only the wicked worshipping of Images was allowed and the Scriptures for the confirmation thereof most shamefully abused and detorted as appeareth by the said corrupt councell and Caluin and Mart. Chemnicius haue largely shewed but also in the same was decreed that the Angels haue bodies and that the soule of man is corporall and therefore they may bee
painted the which he foule errors If you will not allow the worshipping of Images to be an errour then you cannot say but that the Councell of Constantinople vnder Leo the Emperour where were present 338. Bishops and another of Frankford vnder Charles the Great in which the worshipping of images was condemned did erre Some of these Councels erred To omit for breuitie sake manie other Councels a Councell at Rome vnder Stephanus the sixth or as some reckon seuenth condemned Pope Formosus and his doings Another Councell at Rauenna vnder Pope Iohn the tenth restored Formosus and condemned Stephen and the actes of his Councell I hope you will not or cannot say but that one of these Councels erred Another Councell at Rome vnder Pope Nicholas the second caused that excellent learned and godly man Berengarius to recant and to confesse that the verie true bodie of Christ is indeed handled and broken by the priests hands and torne with the teeth of faithfull people The which is a grosse false and blasphemous doctrine The Councell of Constance erred most wickedly in taking away the cup of the Lord from the lay people contrarie to the word of God and the testimonie of all antiquitie And that their last Councell of Trident hath fouly erred and confirmed false doctrine repugnant to the truth of Gods word and the Canons of ancient Councels both these excellent learned men Martinus Chemnicius and Innocentius Gentilletus haue shewed and we do and will proue to the consciences of all those whom the God of this world hath not blinded I am not ignorant what colours that Iesuite Bellarmine seeketh to cast vpon the foresaid errours of these Councels and such others and what simple shifts he seeketh to elude and auoid them the which I wil not stand here to answer but I will referre the reader to the answers of Lamb. Danaeus and to that excellent man of blessed memory D. Whitakers where he may find the weaknesse and nakednesse of Bellarmines said shifts plainly discouered and the same fully confuted the which I thinke will stand as other of his works haue done long vndefended Whereas you note in your margent the ancient Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon wherin old heretikes were confuted and condemned and thereby claime them to appertaine to your Church I answer that as it is most certaine that those Councels were not called not gouerned and directed by the Bishops of Rome as now by vsurpation they are so you shall neuer proue that those godly and learned fathers agreed with you in manie great and principall points of Christian doctrine It were easie to shew that sundry things were condemned by them which be receiued and vsed by you And therefore you vainly brag of their names whose doctrine and proceedings you haue forsaken neither haue you so much by disputation in Councels as by cruel persecution through fire and fagot suppressed such as in all ages haue complained of your idolatry and abominations as plainly appeareth by histories As it is true that we admit the holy Scripture or rather the holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture to bee the supreme vmpier and Iudge in matters of controuersies and acknowledge him to be the onely infallible interpreter of his own words so is it false that we admit no other iudge but remit al to euery mans priuate spirit and singular exposition We say that as the holy Ghost in the Scriptures is the high infallible iudge and interpreter of the Scriptures so we acknowledge inferiour Iudges and interpreters both priuate and publike Euerie man is a priuate iudge to discerne and iudge of the doctrine which he heareth or readeth in the Scriptures So Saint Paul saith I speake as vnto wise men iudge ye what I say Let the Prophet speake two or three and let the other iudge Despise not prophecying Try all things and keep that which is good Abstain frō all appearance of euill Beloued beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God The spirituall man iudgeth all things Good Christians ought to haue their wits exercised to discerne both good and euill The true sheepe of Christ heare and know his voice and they will not follow a stranger but they flie frō him for they know not the voice of strangers whereby our Sauiour Christ sheweth that those which be his sheepe and be truely gathered into his fold can iudge and discerne betweene his voyce sounding in the Scriptures and the voyce of strangers deliuering a strange doctrine differing and dissenting from the same such as is the false doctrine of the Church of Rome We also admit publike iudges of controuersies both seuerally as learned Bishops pastors and doctors who may giue their sentences and iudgements in matters in question and coniunctly when they be assembled in Synodes and Councels to examine questions of greater difficultie and to decide the same How beit their iudgements be not infallible for all men be lyars and subiect to ignorance and errour neither haue they any absolute power and authoritie to iudge after their own spirit or mind but according to the canonicall Scriptures from the which if they bee found to decline and swarue their iudgements are not to be followed But your meaning is that the Pope with his Councell is the supreme vmpire and iudge in matters of controuersie and the infallible interpreter thereof How they haue most falsly interpreted the Scriptures I haue in some part shewed before and that he who is a partie and whom a great part of Christendome doth accuse to bee Antichrist and guilty of most grieuous crimes as of impietie idolatrie tyrannie ouer the Church sacrilege treason c. should be iudge in this his owne cause is against all law and reason It is written in your owne Canon lawe Si Papa cum aliquo causam habet non debet ipse esse iudex i. If the Pope haue matter with any other he ought not himselfe to be iudge And againe Quando Papa est in statu qui plerisque est offendiculo scandalizat Ecclesiā noc est corrigibilis tunc non potest esse iudex quia videtur male sentire de fide i. When the Pope is in that state that he is an offence to manie and scandalizeth the Church and is incorrigible then he canot be Iudge because he seemeth to be of an euill faith And euen so not only we do but also manie of his owne fauourers haue iustly accused the Pope to be You vainly and falsly exaggerate controuersies and irreconciliable iarres as you terme them among vs in essentiall points of faith But why do you not particularly expresle some of those essentiall points of faith Surely because you cannot I cōfesse there hath been in our Church some controuersie concerning externall ceremonies and forme of gouernment as there hath beene heretofore betweene good men as betweene Peter and Paul betweene Paul and
spirit for why will ye dye O house of Israel saith also I will put a new spirit within their bowels and I will take the stonie heart out of their bodies and will giue them an heart of flesh And againe Create in me a cleane heart O Lord and renew aright spirit within me The same spirit that saith Wash you make you cleane saith also Purge me with Hyssope and I shall be cleane Wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow And againe I will power cleane water vpon you and a new spirit will I put within you and ye shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I cleanse you The same spirit that saith Be ye holy for I am holy saith also the God of peace make you holy And so we must come to that saying of Saint Augustine Da quod iubes iube quod vis Giue vs O Lord that which thou commaundest vs and then commaund vs what thou wilt And therefore they reason like doltish Asses which inferre vpon the exhortations to grace and godlines which be in the Scriptures that there is a power and abilitie in vs to performe those things whereunto God in his word exhorteth vs. Exhortations be Gods instruments and meanes which he vseth to worke his heauenly graces in vs. I would here end this matter but that I must tell you that you write improperly and falsely in charging vs that we say all goodnes proceedeth so farre from grace that it lieth not in mans power neither to haue it nor to refuse it but of necessitie it must haue effect Improperly you write in putting hauing Gods grace in steede of obtaining and getting it We say it is in man to haue it when God doth giue it without which gift it is not in mans power to get it But it is in man to resist it For the grace of God offereth saluation to all but it is resisted and reiected of many in that their hard and stony hearts will not admit it The grace of God is offered to men when his word is preached and they be called to repentance but it is with many and namely you as Zacharie saith They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Law and words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets I know no man that denieth but such men doe resist the grace of God which yet is receiued of them that are written in the booke of life whose wils it reformeth and of euill wils maketh good wils willing and couering those things which be acceptable in Gods sight Finally I thought good for the better satisfying of the reader in this matter to let him vnderstand that wheras Erasmus a man as all men must needs confesse of great learning was had in ielousie of the Papists as too much leaning to Luther and his doctrine he was at the last prouoked and set on by them to write against him who chusing this matter of free will and writing in defence thereof yet afterward he retracted and reuoked his former opinion and writing and was not abashed to confesse the truth as appeareth by these his words Verum vt ingenuè dicam perdidimus liberum arbitrium illic mihi aliud dictabat animus aliud scribebat calamus that is But simply to speake my minde We haue lost our free will in that matter my minde did indite to me one thing and my hand did write another I come now to the second doctrine of ours which you vntruely charge and falsely slander to tend to loosenes of life and carnall libertie that men be iustified by faith alone which you scornefully call a solifidian portion and falsely say but doe not proue that it flatly ouerthroweth true repentance sorrow for sinnes mortification of passions and all other vertues which tend to the perfect reconciliation of the soule with God c. Where first I would exhort you if the same might any thing preuaile with you to take heed that by scorning in this manner at Gods truth you shew not your selfe to be one of them that sit in the seate of the scornefull Salomon saith that iudgements are prepared for the scorners and stripes for the backe of fooles Secondly as this doctrine which you deride is true godly and comfortable confirmed by the word of God and ancient Fathers so doth it not exclude much lesse ouerthrowe repentance or any other good worke but sheweth the true and right vse of them Saint Paul saith We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law And in the fourth chapter he reasoneth thus from Abraham the father of the faithfull If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce or glory But Abraham hath not wherein to reioyce or glorie before God Ergo Abraham was not iustified by workes And after saith To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse We know that a man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen we haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe because that by the workes of the lawe no flesh shall be iustified This doctrine was neither scorned nor denied by the auncient godly Fathers of some of whom I will set downe a few sayings Origene speaking of the theefe that was hanged with Christ saith Pro hac sola fide ait ei Iesus Amen dico tibi Hodie mecum eris in paradiso that is For this his onely faith Iesus said vnto him Verely I say vnto thee this day shalt thou be with me in paradise And of the woman that had the issue of bloud Ex nullo legis opere sed pro sola fide ait ad tam. Remittuntur tibi peccata that is For no worke of the law but for faith onely he said vnto her Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Hilarie saith Solafides iustificat that is Only faith doth iustifie Ambrose saith Iustificati sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono Dei that is They are iustified freely because working nothing nor rendring any recompence they are iustified by faith onely through the gift of God The like he writeth in Rom. 4. and 10. and vpon the 1. Cor. 1. Praefat. ad Galat. and vpon chap. 3. Saint Hierome saith Conuertentem impium per solam fidem iustificat Deus non opera bona quae non habuit God doth by faith only iustifie the wicked man conuerting not by good workes which he had not Many such other sayings I might alleage out of Hierome
Hereof S. Paul speaketh Refuse the younger widowes for when they haue begun to waxe wanton against Christ they will marrie hauing damnation because they haue broken the first faith The which is to be vnderstood of the first profession of faith in Baptisme and not of the latter vow of single life as the Papists falsely and foolishly expound it From this faith all they doe fall which turne either on the right hand to false doctrine or on the left hand to wicked life Many other waies faith is taken but this question is of that true liuely and iustifying faith which is the faith of Gods elect whereby Christ dwelleth in their hearts and they receiue nourishment and life from him This faith may be couered by temptations and falles as fire in the night with ashes but neuer vtterly extinguished For they in whom this true faith is are like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that will bring forth her fruite in due season whose leafe shall not fade And they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot bee moued but remaineth for euer They that by this faith are built vpō the rocki Iesus Christ hell gates shall neuer ouercome them Christ saith He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life He that heareth my word beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Saint Paul saith Wherein after ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance for the redemption of that libertie purchased vnto the praise of his glorie These places sufficiently shew that that faith which is common to all Gods elect and proper onely to the elect can neuer perish nor be vtterly lost in them And this true comfortable doctrine bringeth no vaine securitie nor openeth the gap to any libertine sensualitie For they that by this faith haue tasted how sweete the Lord is cannot but loue and feare God and greatly delight in his commaundements And that faith which swimmeth in mens lips but is not printed in their hearts nor shineth by godlines and good workes in their liues is a dead faith and is no more that true faith whereby we liue vnto God then a dead man is a man To conclude this matter although we distinguish betweene iustification and sanctification yet we acknowledge that they be inseparable and the one doth necessarily follow the other For whosoeuer are iustified by Gods grace and mercie through faith in Christ Iesus be also sanctified with Gods holy spirit to abhorre that which is euill and to cleaue to that which is good and to serue God in true holines and righteousnes all the daies of their life And therefore we teach that they which without repentance persist in sinne wallow in wickednes and commit vngodlines with greedines haue no faith nor haue any assurance of the remission of their sins but may be assured that the wrath of God hangeth ouer them and if they doe not truly repent and bring foorth fruites worthie amendement of life will fearefully fall vpon them So that you might haue spared your vaine and foolish exclamations concerning Epicures Heliogabalus Bacchus and Venus which are more honoured in Rome as hereafter I will shew then allowed of vs. For of whom did Mantuan the Italian Carmelite Frier an 100. yeeres past write this but of your Popes and his fauourers Neglecto superum cultu spretoque tonantis imperio Baccho indulgent Venerique ministrant that is Neglecting the worship of God they serue Bacchus and Venus Concerning the fourth point of doctrine of keeping Gods commaundements I haue spoken sufficiently before Onely now I say that our doctrine tendeth hereunto to shew vs our miserie by transgressing of them that wee may thereby bee moued to hunger for Gods mercie in Christ and although we cannot perfectly fulfill them for in many things wee sinne all yet wee ought according to the measure of Gods grace giuen to vs haue a care and conscience to walke in them and to frame our liues to the obedience of them Whereas fiftly you charge vs that wee deny the Sacrament of Penance thereby to make men careles how they liue I answer that although we deny your penance to be a Sacrament because it hath no outward visible signe and reiect your clancular confession your absurd absolution and your superstitious or rather blasphemous satisfaction thereby to answere Gods iustice and discharge your sins yet we truly teach y e doctrine of repentance as it is deliuered vnto vs in the word of God We teach men to come to the knowledge of their sins by y e law of God which is the glasse to shew vs our spots and the first step to repentance then to lament their sinnes whereby they haue offended their gracious God and mercifull father to confesse their sinnes with remorse of conscience both to God and men whom they haue offended and especially wee call vpon men for amendement of life in bringing forth fruits worthie of repentance without the which there is no repentance One part of which amendement is satisfaction to our brethren for iniuries committed and restitution of goods vnlawfully and vngodly gotten As touching our iniuries against God we plead not our owne satisfaction but craue Gods mercie in Christ Iesus who is our only satisfaction and by whom only we seeke to haue remission of them Whereas you say that your confession rubbeth the sores of sinne and causeth remembrance of them I say that this more truly and effectually is wrought by the preaching of Gods word whereby sinne is more shewed and the wrath and iudgements of God against sinne are more threatned and thereby the conscience more pricked and wounded then by your confession So Dauid was brought to repentance for his foule sinnes of adulterie and murther by Nathans preaching and thundring Gods iudgements against him and not by his secret confessing So the people hauing heard Peter preach the word of God were pricked in their hearts and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe This is Gods holy ordinance the other a plant which God hath neuer planted but an inuention of man as euen your own Canonists against your Schoolemen do confesse And what wickednes hath come of it the ecclesiasticall historie partly sheweth and God who seeth al secrets knoweth To your sixt accusation I answer that we exclude and banish our Sauiour Christ neither from the Sacrament of his supper nor from the hearts of the faithfull but acknowledge that as by faith he dwelleth in the one so by the same he is receiued of the godly in the other Your false and grosse doctrine of Transsubstantiation which the Greeke Church neuer beleeued and the Latine Church lately defined as
quenched but there remained sparkes of Gods spirit which afterwards being stirred vp and blowne by Nathans bellowes kindled and flamed to Gods glorie and Dauids eternall comfort and saluation Shall we thinke that Dauid had lost all loue of God of his law and of man was he cleane depriued of Gods spirit it appeareth by his owne words that he was not Who vpon Nathans preaching and reprouing of his sinne prayed and said Take not thy holy spirit from me Whereupon I reason thus He that was not cleane depriued of Gods spirit had not wholy lost faith and charitie But Dauid was not cleane depriued of Gods spirit therefore he had not wholy lost faith and charitie The first proposition is euident by the words of Dauid the second is manifest For it is absurd to say that the spirit of God should continue in him that hath lost all graces and gifts of the spirit It is with Gods elect and chosen children as it is with fire which in the night is so hid and couered that none appeareth and yet in the morning is stirred vp and is made to burne and to flame and as with a tree which in the winter hath neither fruite nor leafe vpon it yet it hath a sappe fallen into the roote which in the spring springeth and bringeth forth both leafe and fruite So is it with Gods holy Saints they be sometimes so ouertaken and ouercome with temptations that they seeme to be as trees without fruite withered and perished yet there remaineth a sappe of Gods spirit and grace in them which afterward riseth and buddeth forth good fruite And therefore to the second proposition of your secoÌ„d Syllogisme I say that although Dauid by those foule and fearefull offences deserued eternall death yet he did not remaine in death and although God hated those sinnes yet hee neuer hated Dauid For whom God loueth he loueth to the end and the giâ—ts and calling of God are without repentance If we loue a man and yet hate some sinne that he committeth might not God who is loue it selfe hate Dauids sinne and yet loue him and keepe some sparkes of his spirit and grace in him and so preserue as the externall life of the body so the internall life of the soule in him So that neither Dauid remained in death neither was his loue no not to Vrias altogether extinguished in him No doubt but he did loue him as his true and faithfull subiect and might loue him as the seruant of God yet in that temptation his owne selfe loue and desire to couer his owne sinne and shame did preuaile against his loue to Vrias and did draw him to doe an act which was no fruite nor effect of loue and charitie and yet did not wholy quench loue in him The Maior of your latter Syllogisme which needeth no proofe you seeke to proue by a false assertion in barely saying According to your manner but not by any place of Scripture prouing that charitie is the life of the â—oule I say that faith is the life of the soule the which I proue by these two sayings of the Scripture The Prophet Habacuk saith The iust shall liue by his faith Saint Paul saith In that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Let this man shew two such plaine places of Scripture to proue charitie to be the life of the soule Properly Christ is the life of our soules Saint Paul in the place before alledged saith Christ liued in me And when Christ which is our life shall appeare And our Sauiour himselfe saith I am the way the truth and the life For when wee were dead in sinnes hee hath quickned vs and at he hath restored life vnto vs so hee doth continually nourish and preserue life in vs. But this is attributed to faith because by it Christ dwelleth in vs and we by it be put into the possession of Christ and of all the benefits of his passion Concerning the place of Ezechiel because you doe not vrge it I will not stand vpon it We doubt not but men may and doe fall from God and iust actions vnto wicked and vngodly deedes and may haue a temporall faith and fall away from the grace of God But this we say that true faith in Gods elect which are sealed with the spirit of adoption and to whose spirit Gods spirit doth beare witnes that they are the sonnes of God is neuer wholy lust in them and the same spirit worketh by charitie which in them may bee cooled but neuer cleane quenched But of the losing of faith and of the coniunction thereof with charitie I haue before intreated Now to returne this argument in some sort vpon you whereas the Papists auerre that the Popes faith cannot faile I reason thus He that loseth his charitie may lose his faith the Pope may lose his charitie Ergo the Pope may lose his faith The first proposition I haue proued alreadie and haue shewed that true faith is not separated from charitie but worketh by it And most manifest it is by Saint Iames that the faith which is without charitie and good workes is dead So that if the Pope be without Charitie then hee hath but a dead faith And a dead faith is as much faith as a dead man is a man That the Pope may bee without charitie I thinke they will not deny and if they doe it may be proued by many examples Pope Iohn the twelft or as Platina reckoneth the thirteenth tooke two of his Cardinals and cut off the nose of the one and the hand of the other as witnes Platina Blondus and many others Stephanus the sixt did take the bodie of Formosus his predecessor out of the graue after he was dead put him out of his pontificall habite and put on him a lay mans attire cut off the two fingers of his right hand where with he did consecrate and threw them into Tiber. Pope Sergius the third tooke vp againe the body of the same Formosus did cut off his head as if hee had been a liue and threw the bodie into Tiber as vn worthie of buriall Boniface the seuenth tooke Iohn a Cardinall and put out his eyes Vrban the sixt of seuen of his Cardinals which hee apprehended at Nuceria tooke fiue of them put them in sackes and cast them into the Sea Innocentius the seuenth caused by Lewes his nephew certaine citizens of Rome which sought the restitution of their ancient liberties and the reformation of the Common-wealth decayed by his euill gouernment to be throwne out of windowes and so killed Alexander the sixt caused both the right hand and tongue of Antonius Mancinellus to bee cut out because hee had written an eloquent oration against his wicked and filthie life Many such other pranckes of Popes might bee alleadged which were no more fruites of