which cannot bee moued but remaineth for euer Being iustified by faith wee haue Psal 125. 1. Rom. 5. 1. 2. peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom al so through faith we haue had this accesse vnto his grace wherin we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receaued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom 8. 15. The same spirit beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Ibid. vers 33. Gods chosâ—â— it is Christ that iustifieth Who shall condemne c. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation vers 35. or anguish or persecutioÌ„ or famine or nakednes or perill or sword c. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Vers 38. Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come neither height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. It is God which stablisheth vs with you 2. Cor. 1. 21. in Christ and hath anointed vs who hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirit in our hearts In whome also ye haue trusted after that he heard the word of truth euen the Ephes 1. 13. Gospel of your saluation wherein also after ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. Let vs therefore goe with confidence or boldnes Heb. 4. 16. vnto the throne of grace that wee may receaue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of neede So God willing more abundantly Chap. 6. 17. to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsel bound himself by an oth that by two immutable things wherin it is impossible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to lay hold vpon that hope that is set before vs which hope we haue as an ancre of the soul both sure and stedâ—ast and it entreth into that which is within the vaile c. Let vs draw neere with a true hart in assuraÌ„ce of faith our hearts being pure from an euil conscience and washed Chap. 10 22. in our bodies with pure water let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faithful that promised Therfore by faith that by grace the promise might be sure to all the seed And he not weâ—ke in the faith considered not his owne Rom. 4. 16. Vers 19. body which was now dead being almost an hundred yeares old neither the deadnes of Saraâ—s wombe neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that hee which had promised was able to doe it and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnes Herevnto I will adde to the confuting of this doctrine of doubting two or three sayings of the Fathers Chrysostome Chrisost ad Rom. Homi. 9. saith Spes humana subinde intercidit sperantem pudore afficit Nostra verò eiusmodi non est sed firma immobilis perdurat c. The hope that is had in man sundrie times falleth away and shameth him that hopeth but our hope is not such but abideth firme and vnmoueable August praefat in Psal 123. Augustine saith Gaudium ergo nostrum fratres nondum est in re sed iam in spe Spes autem nostra tam certa est quasi iam res perfecta sit i Our ioy O brethren is not as yet in possession but in hope And our hope is so certaine as though Bernard lib. 5. de considera the thing were already done Bernard saith Ergo vt dixi fides ambiguum non habet aut si habet fides non est sed opinio Faith hath no doubting or if it haue it is not faith but an opinion Againe Non est enim fides aestimatio sed certitudo Epist 190. Anton. hist part 2. Tit. 17. cap 1 Sec. 5. fol. 217. faith is not an opinion but a certainty And Antoninus out of the same Bernard alleageth these words Clamat Apostolus Scio cui credidi et certus sum Et tu mihi sub sibilas fides est â—stimatio Tu mihi ambiguum garris quo nihil est certius c. The Apostle crieth out saying I know whom I haue beleeued and am certaine and doest thou whisper to me that faith is an opinion Poest thou bable and tell me that that is doubtful then the which there is nothing more certaine c. Hereby the indifferent reader may see both how false this desperate doctrine of doubting is against the which Ambrosius Catherinus an Archbishop a great doer in the councel of Trent did earnestly writ also that the Papists by this principle of their doctrine teach infidelity And withal let him consider whether is a more true godly comfortable doctrine to beleeue by faith our saluatioÌ„ or to be vncertaine to doubt therof as they teach But now let vs see how S. Paul exhorteth vs as this man saith to doubt of our saluation He saith Cum timore â—remore salutem vestram operamini which is thus translated With feare and trembling worke your saluation This text was alleedged by hearesay and not by sight For this worthy writer who so highly thinketh of himselfe and so greatly disdaineth others quoteth in the margent 1. Cor. 2 whereas it is not in that chapter nor in all that Epistle but it is Philip. 2. 12. But the fault hereof will be laid vpon the Printer Yet that the Printer should so much erre and set 1. Cor. 2. for Phillip 2. it is not likely And that this error is not of the Printer but of this mans fine memorie it may hereby appeare yâ— it is not in the vulgar editioÌ„ which they both do and are bound to follow cum timore but cum metu Hereby the reader may see with what care these men alleage the Scriptures not looking vpon the words nor considering the simple sense and meaning but snatching at the words and wresting them contrary to the purpose and meaning of the Apostle Whose intent is not to teach Rom 3. 28. 4 2. 5. Gal. 2. 16. Ephe. 2. 8. 9. 2. Tim. 1 9. Tit. 3. 4. the Phillippians that they be saued by their workes which is contrary to his doctrine in many other places but to disswade them from carelesse security and to exhort them to walke in good workes and to run on the race of their life in the feare of God vntil they come to attaine that saluation which God hath promised and Iesus Christ for vs hath purchased Saint Paul to the Ephesians doth as it were to the explication of
pelles See how these Lawiers wee may say Diuines yea and Saintes doe sometimes no otherwaies wrest the holie scriptures then coblers vse to stretch out with their teeth their filthie leather or skinnes And that also which Theophylactus saith Ita exponere In Iohn 14. scripturas manifestâ— delirare est So to expound the scriptures is to dote or bee madde I might shew infinit other places which they haue most falsely expounded and applied yea and also which they haue corrupted mangled and altered which I minde hereafter somewhat to doe but this shall suffice at this present to let the reader see who they bee 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 truly 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 answer that we refuse not the alledging of Scriptures by any but vpon good and sound reason which we will be ready to iustifie and maintaine If you thinke either Augustine in that booke de cura pro mortuis which you quote which is more full of doubts 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 answer 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 Act. 17. 11. for examining the writings and expositions of the Fathers by the Scriptures as long as it cannot be proued that we doe otherwaies 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 disting uendum est c. This kind of writing is to be distinguished from the authority of the canon of the August epist 48. Scriptures For they be not so read as though a testimonie were so aleaged out of them that we may not thinke or iudge other-wise if they haue any where other-waies 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 wee read as diligenty as you doe which we reiect if we do not shew good reason for the same let vs beare the blame and shame of it Neuerthelesse wee doe not allow euery paltry companion as you terme them either to be an expositor of Christs word or to preferre his exposition thereof before all ancient fathers Neither doe I know any man so to doe but we allow all men to read 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 wee exhort them to do as the nobleman the Act. 8. Hierom. in epâ—taphio Fabiolae August de mo rib us eccles Catho cap. 1. Queene Candaces Treasurer did to seek to a faithful Philip that is a godly and learned man by him to seeke to haue them opened and expounded so did Fabiola other godly women to Saint Hierome So Augustine saith Scripturarum expositio ab ijs petenda est qui earum doctores se esse profitentur that is The exposition of the Scriptures is to be sought of them which professe them-selues to be doctors and teachers of them Yet with Saint Paul we say that as 1. Thess 5. 20. 21. 22. we are not to dispise prophesying that is the expounding of Gods word so we are not rashly to receiue whatsoeuer is diliuered to vs but we are to proue all and to hold that which is good and to abstaine from all apparance of euill for the eare trieth the words as the mouth tasteth meate Job 33. 3. Basil Quaest compend exptica Quaest 279. So also Saint Basil saith Quod in edulijs est sensus qualitatis vniuscuiusque edulii hoc in verbis sanctae Scripturae est intellectus Gula enim inquit cibos gustat mens verbi diiudicat That which in meates is the tast of the qualitity of euery meate the same is the vnderstanding or minde in the words of the holy Scripture For the throate saith he tasteth the meates and the mind iudgeth the words Now I will retory your argument vpon you in this manner Whosoeuer buildeth his faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the Scripture is an insidel The Papists build their their faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the scripture as I haue shewed before and can prooue in many places moe ergo the Papists be infidels And thus much to your second article of faith The Pamphlet All Protestants who are ignorant of the Greeke and Latine In the 2 edition he putteth for Latine Hebrew tongues are Infidels 3. Article WHosoeuer relieth his faith vpon the ministers credit and fidelitie hath no faith at all But all those in England who are ignorant of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues relie their faith vpon the ministers credit Ergo. All those in England who are ignorant of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues haue no faith at all The Maior is manifest because they themselues confesse that euery man may erre and doth erre neither haue they any warrant why the ministers do not erre since they constantly doe defend that whole generall councels yea and the vniuersall Catholike Church may erre and hath erred The Minor I prooue for all such Protestants ground their faith vpon the Bible translated into English the which translation they know not whether it bee true or false whether the minister Tindall for example erred or no either vpon ignorance as Broughton one of the greatest linguists among the precisians affirmeth in an Epistle dedicated to the Lords of the Councell or vpon malice to induce the people to Protestancie or to cause them to leaue the Catholike Religion as Gregoy Martin in his discouerie most pregnantly prooueth And for that all the old translations are false and the Geneuians the worst the ministers are now in moulding a new one the which will haue as great immunitie from falsity as the former were voide of
Protestants deny three articles of our creed and the Puritanes fiue I say that you affirme much and proue little But first you might well ynough haue forborne this distinction of Protestants Puritanes for although some haue differd in some outward matters concerning ceremonies externall orders in the Church yet these all greatly agree and consent in all points of the doctrine of faith and Articles of Christian Religion Neither do I know any that deserue so well of this name of Puritanes as you who glory that you after Baptisme bee pure from all sinne and for actuall sinnes after committed can make so full satisfaction to God for them that hee can request no more of you as hereafter I will shew and therefor it is you that may well be called Puritanes of whome that saying of Sollomon may be well verified There is a generation that are pure in their owne conceit and yet are not washed from their filthines Prou 30. But let vs come to the examination of your proofe of this your absurd and slaunderous assertion The first you fay is the Catholike Church Credo Ecclesiam sanctam Catholicam doe wee deny this Article Why doe wee then not onely print it and rehearse it in our Creed but also expound it in our preachings and Catechising I haue said before that which may seeme sufficient concerning this matter andd article yet the better to satisfie the Christian Reader and to stop the mouth of this malicious accuser I say againe that by the holy Catholike Church mentioned in the Creede is ment the company of all Gods elected and faithfull people whome he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth to be vessels of his mercy and heires of his kingdome of glory which is the body of Christ and he the head the spouse of Christ and he the bridegrome the house of Christ and he the foundation the flocke of Christ and hee the shepehard And this Church wee confesse to bee Catholike that is to say vniuersall both in respect of time for that it consisteth of all them that are written in the booke of life which haue bene from the beginning of the world and shall be to the end thereof and also of place for that it is not now contained in any one country Act. â—o 35. but as S. Peter saith In euery nation be that feareth God and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him and is a true meÌ„ber of this Catholike church That this is the holy Catholike Church which we confesse and beleeue wherof the prophane wicked hypocrites and reprobates bee no part besides that which I haue said before I will further proue it by the holy Scriptures and ancient Fathers Saint Paul saith Let vs follow the truth in loue and in all things grow vp Ephes 4. 15. vnto him which is the head that is Christ by whom all the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receiueth increace of the body vnto the edifying of it sefe in loue Againe Christ loued â—he Church Chap. 5. 25. and gaue himselfe for it that be might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the word that he might make it to him selfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame These things belong onely to the elect people of God who shall raigne with him in his eternall kingdome of glory For they onely be the body of Christ knit together in him sanctified here to bee without spot or blemish hereafter The Apostle to the Hebrues saith Whose house we are if we Heb. 3. 6. hold fast that confidence and that reioycing of hope vnto the end Where he sheweth that they belong to the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God the pillar and 1. Timth 3. 15 stay of truth which vnto the end hold fast their confident faith and hope of Gods glory wherof they reioyce which belongeth onely to the faithfull and chosen children of God This is that Church whereof he speaketh after But Heb. 12. 22. ye are come vnto the mount Sion and to the citty of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the assembly and congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men To whom can these Galat. 4. things pertaine but onely to the Ierusalem which is aboue the mother of vs all which is the holy Catholike Church that we beleeue Hereunto I will adde a few sayings of the Fathers Saint Augustine saith Corpus huius capitis Ecclesiaest non quae hoc loco est sed quae hoc loco pertotum orbem terrarum nec August in Psal 81. illa quae hoc tempore sed ab ipso Abel vsque ad eos qui nascituri sunt vsque in finem credituri in ChristuÌ„ totus populus sanctorum ad vnam ciuitatem pertinentium quae ciuitas corpus est Christi cui caput est Christus The body of this head is the Church not which is in this place only but that which is in this place through the whole would neither that Church which is at this time but that of them which from Abel shall be borne vnto the end and shall beleeue in Christ eueÌ„ the whole company of Saints pertaining to one citty which city is the body of Christ wherof Christ is the head And in another place Ille caput est nos membra sumus tota ecclesia quae vbique diffusa est corpus ipsius est cuius Idem in Psa 62 est ipse caput Non solum qutem fideles quâ— modo sunt sed qui fuerunt ante nos qui post nos futuri sunt vsque in finem seculi omnes adcorpus eius pertinent cuius corporis ipse caput est qui ascendit in coelum He is the head wee are his members the whole Church which is dispersed euery where is his body whereof he is the head And not onely the faithfull which be now but also they which haue beene before vs and which shall be after vs vnto the end of the world all pertaine to his bodie of which bodie hee which hath Idem de Catech rud c. 20. ascended into heauen is the head Againe Caelestis Hierusalem ciues sunt omnes saâ—ctificati homines qui fuerunt qui sunt qui futuri sunt All sanctified men which haue beene which are and which shall bee Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Cyprian saith Ecclesia nunquam à Cyprian lib. 1. epist 3. Christo discedit ii sunt ecclesia qui in domo Dei pâ—rmanent The Church neuer departeth from Christ and they bee the Church which continue in the house of God Againe Jdem de
in Math cap. 3. can fullfill the law of GOD yea can doe superarrogant workes I should say workes of Supererogation aboue them that the law requireth Ergo the Papists bee proud Hypocrites and Phraisees The Pamphlet The most poynts wherein the Protestants dissent from the Catholikes tend to loosenes of life and carnall liberty 4. Article THis article may bee proued by a generall induction in all such matters as now the Protestants call in question First say that a man hath not free will to doe good but all goodnesse proceedeth so from grace that it lyeth not in his power neither to haue it nor resist it but of necessitie it must haue effect To what other end tendeth this senceles doctrine and fatall fancie but to make men negligent in disposing and preparing their soules to receiue Gods grace and rouse it vp and put it in execution after they haue it making man not much vnlike a sicke asse who neither can dispose nor prepare himselfe to seeke for his medicine but of necessitie must expect till his maister thrusteth it into his throate neither after hee hath drunke it can cause it cure his disease but carelesly letteth it worke as it will Secondly they defend that men be iustified by faith alone the which Solifidian position ouerthroweth flatly true repeâ—tance sorrow for sins mortification of passions al other virtues which tend to perfect reconciliation of the soule with God causing men onely to procure a certaine false fantastical apprehension of Christs death passioÌ„ the which faith although they erroniously auerre cannot be seuered from charity vertues good works yet both experience teacheth that it may for also few or none haue faith because few or none of them haue these works and the Scriptures plainely proue that all faith yea and the most noble faith which hath force to remoue Mountaines may be without charitie Thirdly they assure vs that faith once had can neuer be lost the which vain security openeth the gap to al libertine sensuâ—lity for if a man bee certain that he hath true faith if it bee impossible he should lose it if he be secured that by it alone he shal be saued why may he not wallow in al licentious pleasures in this life neuer doubt of glory in the other could euer Epicurus haue fouÌ„d a better ground to plant his Epicurisme could euer Heliogabalus haue better patronised his seÌ„suality could Bacchus or Venus euer haue forged better reasons to enlarge their dominion Fourthly they say a man cannot keep all the commaundements for what other cause I pray you but thereby to make men negligent in keeping of them to pretend an excuse of impossibilite whensoeuer they transgresse them Fiftly why deny they the Sacrament of penance but to make men careles how they liue and neuer regard the auoiding of sinnes as though they were neuer to render an account of theÌ„ to hinder that shame blushing which men conceiue in discouering their sins the which are most excellent meanes to deter them from sinning another time to shuffle vp restitution satisfaction of iniuries committed against our neighbours to draw men from remorse of conscience by burying their sins in eternal obliuion the sores whereof confession rubbeth causeth remembrance Sixtly why exclude they the true real body of Christ from the blessed Sacrament of the altar but for that they perceiue how by the presence thereof they were deterred from sinne and wickednes for they knew well that sinfull liâ—es consorted not with those sacred misteries and therefore they rather resolued to banish Christ from the Sacrament then sinnes from their soules Finally for what other cause haue they coined a new negatiue religion wholy standing vpon negation of sacraments ceremonies rites lawes customes other principal points of the catholike Church but for fasting to bring in feastâ—g for praying playing for deuotion â—issolutioÌ„ for religious fâ—are of God vain securitie for zeale and mortification a nuâ—ber of vaine verbal sermons and to conclude for a positiue working a flat deniall almost of all points of faith and religion Answere COncerning this article I will first answere these cauils which this cauiller obiecteth to the slaundering of our doctrine as tending to loosenesse of life and carnall libertie Secondly I will shew to what loosenesse and wickednesse of life the doctrine of the Church of Rome tendeth and what fruits or rather weeds of wickednes it hath brought forth euen in Popes their clergie and namely in Rome that holy Citie where that holy Father resideth and wherevpon he especially breatheth and blesseth He beginneth with free will wherein he neither setteth downe truly our doctrine nor the state of the controuersie which is a vsuall custome with his companions to peruert and alter the state of the question as Doctor Whitakers sheweth yâ— Bellarmine vseth to do I wil Epist dedica in contr 1. therefore lay downe our doctrine truly as we teach concerning this matter wee beleeue that although in worldly matters concerning this life man haue wit reason and vnderstanding to know and will for the choise of good and euill iust and vniust yet in spirituall matters pertayning to eternall life and the worship of God wee beleeue that mans reason is so darkened wil be so corrupted that he can neither truly know loue nor couet much lesse do performe those things which bee agreeable to Gods will and acceptable vnto his Maiestie vntill God in his elect and chosen people doe by his holy spirit regenerate them by lightning their blinde reason and forming their wicked wils This we proue by these places of Scripture here following The Lord saw that the wickednes Genes 6. 5. of man was so great vpon the earth al the imaginations of the thoughts of his hart were euil continually And that the Ibid. cap. 8. 21. Math. 16. 17. imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Flesh and bloud hath not reueiled it vnto thee but my Father which is in John 1. 5. Verse 1â— Iohn 3. 3. heauen That light shined iâ— the darkenes and the darkenes comprehended it not Which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh but of God Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh 13 is flesh that which is borne of the spirit is spirit A man can 27 receiue nothing except it be giuen him from heauen No man Chap. 6. 44. 65 can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Therefore I said vnto you that no man can coâ—e vnto me except it be giuen vnto him of my Father without mee ye can do nothing The wisdome of the flesh iâ— death The wisedome Cap. 15. 5. Rom. 8. 6. 1. Cer. â— 14 of the flesh is enmitie against God The natural man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes to him
neither can he know them because they are spiritually Cap 4. 7. discerned What hast thou that thou hast not receiued No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost By Cap 12. 3. Cap 15. 10. the grace of God I am that I am Not that we are sufficient of our selues to think any thing as of our selues but our sufficiâ—ncie â— Cor 3 5. Philip 2. 13. Hebr. 13. 21. is of God It is God that worketh in you both the wil the deed euen of his good will and pleasure The God of peace make you perfect in all good works to do his wil working in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ our Lord. Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne Joh 8. 34. 36 If the Sonne shall make you free ye shall bee free indeede By these sayings let the Christian reader coÌ„sider of what value and force our wit and will is in heauenly matters vntil the one belightned the other reformed by Gods grace and spirit Herevnto I will adde a few places of the auncient Fathers Saint Augustine saith Quid bâ—ni operari potest perditus nisi quantum fuerit perditione liberatus Nunquid August Enchir ad Lani cap 30. libero voluntatis â—â—â—itrio hoc absit nam libero arbitrio male vtâ—ns homo se perdidit ipsum Sicut enim qui se occidit c. What good can hee that is lost doe but in as much as he is deliuered from perdition Can he bee restored by his free will God forbid For man vsing ill his â—ree will lost both himselfe and it also For as one killing himselfe doth kill himselfe whilest hee liueth but hauing killed himselfe doth not liue nor can raise and restore himselfe beeing dead so when a man sinned by his free will sinne hauing gotten victory his free wil was lost De Natura gratia cap. 53. Againe Quid tantum de naturae possibilitate praesumis vulnerata sauciata vexata perdita est vera confessione non falsa defensione opus habet Gratia ergo dei non qua instituatur sed qua restituatur quaeratur What dost thou presume so much of the power of nature it is wounded maymed vexed and lost it hath need of a true confession not of a false defence Therefore the grace of God not whereby the will is ordained but whereby it is restored is to bee sought Many such other sayings he hath in his workes against the Pelagans which I omit But this man saith that man may dispose and prepare his soule to receiue Gods grace and this he proueth not by Scripture but I will not say Assedly by the similitude of a sicke Asse that cannot dispose nor prepare him-selfe to seeke for his medicine By this diuinity men preuent Gods grace and it doth not preuent them men first seeke God and not God them For answere wherof I would aske this man whether it be not with all the of spring of Adam as it was with Aâ—am him-selfe after his fall Now whether did Gene. 3. Adam seeke God first or God him the Scripture saith that GOD called vpon Adam and that he was so farre from seeking God that he and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord God So that if God in mercy had not sought them and called vpon them it seemeth that they had neuer sought nor called vpon God And euen so it is with all his posterity as our Sauiour sheweth by the lost sheepe whome the Shepheard seeketh and bringeth Luk. 15. 4. home the sheepe nothing disposing or preparing it selfe to seeke to the Shepheard or to returne to the fould So God saith I was found of them that sought me not Did Peter repent vntill Christ had looked on him and the Cocke had Isai 65. 1. crowed What disposition and preparation was in Paul to seeke the grace of Christ Therfore I may truely say that as Lazarus prepared himself being dead in graue to be raised vp by Iesus Christ so do men dead in sinne dispose and prepare themselues to receaue the medicine of Gods grace Ephes 2. 4. S. Paul saith God which is rich in mercy through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs together in Christ by whose grace ye are saued To this doctrine the auncient Fathers beate witnes Saint Augustine saith Vt totum Deo detur qui hominis voluntatem August â—nchir ad Laurent cap. 32. bonam praeparat adiuuandam adiuuat praeparatam All is to be giuen to GOD who both prepareth the good will of man to bee helped and helpeth it being prepared Againe Nolentem praeuenit vt velit volentem subsequitur Idem ibidem ne frustra velit GOD preuenteth him that is not willing that hee may bee willing and hee followeth him that is willing that he may not will in vaine Now if this our doctrine concerning the will of man be the truth of God confirmed both by the word of God and by the testimonies of the most learned Fathers then without blasphemy it cannot bee said to tend vnto loosenes of life or carnall liberty it teacheth vs both true humility in acknowledging our own misery and wants and to attribute all to Gods grace and mercy and to attribute all to Gods grace and mercy and to arrogate nothing to our selues and doth it tend to carnall liberty and careles security Wee are both to exhort others and also to stirre vp our selues to feare and serue God in holines of life And yet we must acknowledg that God worketh those things in vs whereto he exhorteth vs. And therefore the same spirit that saith Turne vnto mee with all your hearts saith also Joel 2. Lament 3. Ezch. 28. 13. Ezech. 11. 19. Turne vs O Lord and we shall be turned He that saith Make you a new heart and a new 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 stony heart out of their bodies and wil giue theÌ„ an heart of flesh And againe create in me a cleane Psalm 51. 20. heart O Lord and renew a right spirit within me The same Isai 1. 16. Psalm 51. 7. Ezech. 36. 25. spirit that saith Wash you cleane saith also Purge mee with Hyssope and I shall be cleane Wash me and I shall bee whiter then Snow And againe I will power cleane water vpon you and a new spirt 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 1. Thess 5. 23. also the God of peace make you holy And so we must come August confe lib. 10. cap. 29. to that saying of Saint Augustine Da quod iubes iube quod vis Giue
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 gifts and calling â—ohn 13 1. Rom. 11. 29. 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 sin and shame did preuaile against his loue to Vrias and did draw him to do an act which was no fruit nor effect of loue and charitie and yet did not wholly 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 soule I say that faith is the life of the soule the which I proue by these two sayings of the Scripture The Prophet Habacuck saith The iust shall liue by his faith Saint Paul saith In that Hâ—bâ—c 1. 24. Rom â— 17. Gal 2. 20. 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 Col â— 4. Ioh. â—4 6. truth and the life For when wee were dead in sinnes hee hath quickned vs and as he hath restored life vnto vs so he doth continually nourish and preserue life in vs. But this is attributed to faith because by it Christ dwelleth in vs and wee by it be put into the possession of Christ and of all the benefites 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 deeds 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 Rom. 8. and to whose spirit Gods spirit doth beare witnesse that they are the sonnes of God is neuer wholly lost in them and the same spirit worketh by charity which in them may be 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 Iam. 2. 26. and good works is dead So that if the Pope be without charitie then he hath but a dead faith And a dead faith is as much faith as a dead man is a man That the Pope may be without charitie I thinke they will not denie and if they doe it may be prooued by many examples a Platina in Ioan. 13. Blond epito decad 2. lib. 2 pag. 200. Supplem chronicorum in Iohan. 12. Pope Iohn the twelfth 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 witnesse Platina Blondus and many others b Platina in Stephan 6. Supple chron in Stephan 6. Stephanus the sixt did take the body 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 atâ—ire cut off the two fingers of his right hand wherewith he did consecrate and threw them into Tiber. c Platina in Serg. 3. Supplement chron in Serg. 3. Pope Sergius the third tooke vp againe the body of the same Forâ—osus did cut off his head as if hee had beene aliue and threw the body into Tiber as vnworthy of buriall d Platina in Bonisac 7. Suppl Chron. Boniface the seuenth tooke Iohn a Cardinall and put out his eyes e Pâ—atina in Vrban 6. Boâ—fintus Decad 3. libr. 1. pag. 354. Supplem Chron. fol. 221. Vrban the sixt of seuen of his Cardinals which he apprehended at Nuceria took fiue of them put them in sackes and cast them into the Sea f Platina in Inno. 7. Supplementum Chronico lib. 13. fol. 226. 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 be cut out because he had written an eloquent oration against his wicked and filthy life Many such other prankes of Popes might be alledged which were no more fruites of charity then was Dauids procuring of Vrias death by the sword of the Ammonites But notwithstanding these and such other tragicall tyrannicall acts these Popes faith neuer failed For they neuer had any but a false and dead faith such a faith as the Diuell hath The Pamphlet The Protestants shall neuer haue life euerlasting because they will haue no merits for which euerlasting life is giuen 7. Article VVHatsoeuer is giuen ac wages is giuen for works But the kingdome of Heauen is giuen as wages Ergo the kingdome of Heauen is giuen for workes The Maior or first proposition may be declared after this manner for example her maiestie may bestow 1000. pounds by yeare vpon some suiter either gratis of meere liberalitie and so it is called a gift donum a grace or fauour or vpon condition if hee be haue himselfe manfully in the warres of Ireland and in this case the reuenue is called merces wages Remuneratio stipendium a reward or paiment and although her mâ—â—estie did shew him a grace and fauour to promise such a reward for performing such a worke the which hee was bound vpon his allegeance otherwise to performe yet once hauing promised
truely receiue Iesus Christ and doth eate his flesh and drinke his blood to the feeding and nourishing of his soule to eternall life but an euacuating of the substance of the bread and wine and the turning and transubstantiating of the same into the very naturall body and bloud of Christ contained vnder the outward accidents of bread and wine concerning this false grosse and carnall doctrine I haue said sufficiently in a printed sermon published twentie yeares past and as yet not confuted wherein I haue shewed that this doctrine is contrary to the holy Scriptures which call it bread after it is consecrated and when it 1 Cor. 10 16. 17. 2. 26. 27. 28. is receiued and that it is contrary to the nature of a Sacrament which must haue a substantiall element or else it can bee no Sacrament that it is contrary to the Articles of faith and holy Scripâ—ures which teach vs that Christ in respect of his humanitie is ascended into heauen and there is to bee sought and not vpon the earth and that this doctrine draweth with it many absurdities as that Christs body is at one moment in heauen and earth and in infinite places of the earth without either quantity or quality of a body and that wicked and vnfaithfull men doe eate the very body and blood of Christ and such other absurdities which are more largely layde downe in my sayd Sermon whereunto I remit the reader where also I haue set downe sundrie testimonies of the ancient godly learned Fathers against this grosse and false doctrine of transubstantiation As touching their Sacrifice of the Masse wherein they falsly faine that they offer vp Iesus Christ for a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of the liuing and of the dead I say that this doctrine hath neither warrant of the word of GOD nor of the ancient godly and learned Fathers but is contrary to them both First no man euer did or can offer vp Iesus Christ for a propitiatorie Sacrifice Iudâ—â— betraved him the Priests accused him Pilate condemned him the Iewes crucified him but none did offer him for a sacrifice for our sinnes but himselfe Who Heb. 9. 14 through the eternall spirit offred himselfe without spot to GOD. So saith Saint Paul that Christ gaue Ephes 5. 2. himselfe for vâ—to bee an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God And if a man could offer vp Iesus Christ vnto his Father for a Sacrifice then see what an absurditie would follow that Iesus CHRIST should bee accepted of his heauenly Father for the mans sake that doth offer him for in all Sacrifices the man is not excepted for the sacrifice sake but the Sacrifice for the mans sake that doth offer it As for example Caine and Abel offered either of them a Sacrifice the one of the fruit of his field the other of the increase of his cattell there was no difference before God in the outward sacrifice yet the one was accepted and the other was reiected because the one was a godly and faithfull man that did offer it and the other a wicked Hypocrite and therefore the Apostle saith that by faith Abel offered a greater sacrifice Heb. 2. 4. then Caine did The Sacrifices of Noah Abraham and other faithfull Fathers pleased GOD and it is said that hee smelled a sweet â—auour of rest and this was because they Gen. 8. 21. were godly and faithfull which did offer them Afterward the same Sacrfices offred by the wicked Iewes which were a sinfull nation a people laden with iniquitie the seede of the wicked corrupt children which Isa 1. had forsaken the Lord and prouoked the holy one of Israel to anger whose hands were full of blood 15 were so odious and abominable to GOD that he saith of them What haue I to doe with the multitude 2 of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Rammes and the fat of fedde beastes And a little after Bring no more oblations in vaine incense is an obhomination vnto mee Yea GOD saith of those sacrifices in another place Hee that killeth a Bullocke is as if hee slewe a man hee that sacrificeth a sheepe is as if hee cut off a dogges necke hee that offereth an oblation is as if hee had offered Isa 66. 3. swines blood he that remembreth incense is as if he had blessed an idoll c. Why did God thus abhor these sacrifices which he himselfe had commanded to bee offered euen because they were wicked men voide of true faith and repentance which did offer them And to come nearer to the purpose why was the sacrifice of Iesus Christ vpon the Crosse a sweete smelling sacrifice to God to pacifice his wrath to satisfie his iustice and to purchase his mercy vnto vs surely because Iesus Christ the Sonne of God did offer it as before is declared And therefore it must in like manner follow that if a miserable man could offer Iesus Christ for a sacrifice to his Father then Christ should bee accepted for the mans sake the which if it be false and blasphemous then can no man offer vp Iesus Christ for a propitiatory sacrifice to his Father Moreouer this sacrifice of our Sauiour Christ vpon the Heb. 7 27 Crosse for our redemption was but once offered and can neuer bee repeated So saith the Apostle that Christ needed not dayly as those high priests did offer vp sacrifice first for their owne sinnes and then for the people for that did hee once when hee offered vppe himselfe Againe neither by Heb. 9 12 the bloud of Gâ—ates and Calues but by his owne entred hee once into the holie place and obtained eternall redemption Againe not that hee should offer himselfe often as the high priest 9. 25. entered into the holy place euery yeare with other bloud for then must hee often haue suffered since the foundation of the world but now in the end of the world hath he appeared once to put away sinne by the offering of himselfe And as it is 10. 19. appointed to all men once to die and then commeth iudgement So Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of man c. Againe By the which will wee bee sanctified euen by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once made Againe but this Vsc 12. man after hee had offered one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God Thus wee see that the holy scripture teacheth vs that our Sauiour Christ once offered himselfe once entred into the holy place with one oblation once made hath sanctified vs and so can neuer bee repeated And if this sacrifice should bee repeated and our Sauiour Christ should daily be offered in the Masse see what absurdities would follow First that the sacrifice of our Sauiour Christ vpon the Crosse were weake imperfect and insufficient to take away sinne for so the Apostle doth reason doth proue