THE REASONABLENESSE OF WISE AND holy truth and the absurditie of foolish and wicked Errour ECCL 7. 27. I haue compassed about both I and mine heart to knowe and to enquire and to search wisdome and reason and to knowe the wickednesse of folly and the foolishnesse of madnesse MATTH 11. 19. But wisdome is iustified of all her children AC OX AT OXFORD Printed by Iohn Lichfield and William Wrench Printers to the famous Vniversitie 161â— TO THE RIGHT REVErend Father in God ARTHVR Lord Bishop of BATH and WELLES Vice chancellour of the Vniversitie of Oxford and Warden of New Colledge IOHN TERRY wisheth all increase of that Glory and Vertue wherevnto you are called by our most glorious holy Lord. 2. Pet. 1. 2. MY duety bindeth me right Reuerend and my very Good Lord to offer vp to God for you the sacrifices of thankesgiuing and prayer Some of the Heathen offred sacrifice to the sunne rising for benefits to come and other to the Sunne setting for such as were already receaued VVherefore it being a great shame for a Christian to be out gone in any good dutie by an Heathen I cannot but offer vp to our most blessed Sauiour Christ the true Sonne of righteousnesse the sacrifice of thanksgiuing first for causing such a bright starre as your Lordship is to appeare aboue our Horizon in the west and secondly for causing you to set with leauing much good to that Colledge whereof my selfe was once a member And how can I also but offer vp prayer to God first that the fresh memorie of your renowned learning and religious life may instill such a sweet influence of celestiall grace into the hearts of all the members of that societie that they may bee effectually stirred vp to walke in your waies and to devote themselues by your example to the publike good as secondly I am to beseech him that walketh in the midst of the seauen golden Candlesticks and holdeth the starres in his right hand that he would hold vphold you long to his owne glory and to the edification and comfort of his people among whom hee hath now placed you to hold out the word of life And thus commending you to God the Father of light and to the word of his grace the most worthie instrument thereof with all humble thanks vnto your Lordship for your louing acceptance of this small paper present I rest Your Lordships in all Christian loue and dutie JOHN TERRY IOHN 17. 17. Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth THis Chapter containeth a most divine and heavenly prayer of our most blessed Saviour Christ wherein hee requesteth of his Father that hee would by the gracious word of his Gospell make more and more manifest the glorious worke of mans redemption For that hereby he and his father should be most glorified and all such as his father had giuen him should be made partakers of life everlasting For this is everlasting life saith he to know thee the only true God and whom thou hast sent videlicet to accomplish the worke of the redemption of all the elect Iesus Christ For the cleere doctrine of the Gospell laying open the glorious worke of mans redemption doth make manifest the light of Gods countenance shining in Christ and doth giue vnto all that are truely lightned therewith the holy eie of sauing faith whereby they assuredly apprehending and most certainely beleeuing the vnspeakable loue of God towards them that do cleaue vnto Christ and are made one with him and by him haue communion and fellowship with God and so are made partakers of life everlasting And verily the true sauing faith wrought by the Gospell is nothing else but such a sure and certaine knowledge of Gods vnspeakable loue in Christ as is accompanied with all manner of holy and heavenly graces And therefore as v. 8. our Saviour testifieth that he had given his Fathers words to them which he had giuen vnto him and they had receaued them and had surely knowne that hee came from the Father had beleeued that the Father had sent him so in this verse hee prayeth to his Father that the would sanctifie them with the truth that was contained in the same word In the which petition of our Saviour Christ we are to obserue these two points first the thing that our Saviour requesteth at his Fathers hands that hee would bestow vpon all those that he had giuen him which is Sanctification Secondly the meanes whereby it is wrought which is the truth of his owne word Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Now the sanctification that our Saviour here prayeth for is not maymed wanting any essential part but totall and whole even such a sanctification as doth sanctifie the minde with sauing knowledge faith the will and the affections with all other graces and gifts of the holy Ghost and so doth sanctifie the whole man Neither is this whole and total sanctification bestowed onely vpon some principall persons in the Church of Christ but even vpon the meanest also As the Apostle testifieth 2. Cor. 3. 18. Wee all saith he behold as in a mirrour the glory of God with open face there is the subiection action obiect clerenesse of faith and are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord there is the inseparable effect of sauing and sanctifying faith one and the same in substance though not in circumstance in all the faithfull And verily how can it otherwise bee but that all such as by faith are engraffed into Christ Rom. 11. 17. should immediatly be made good trees so consequently be enabled to beare good fruit Mat. 7.17 How can it otherwise be but that all such as by the linely word of God Heb. 4. 12. are quickned to a liuing faith Gal. 2. 20 should shew themselues to be aliue to God Rom. 6. 11. by the exercise of al holy and godly works For nature is never idle much lesse grace Gal. 5. 6. and therefore as the body without the operatiue spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also Iac. 3 26. And therefore the same Apostle in the same chapter willeth Natura est nunquam otiosa all such as lay claime to a true faith to make proofe thereof by their good workes after the example of Abraham the father of the faithfull For after that he had shewed himselfe readie at the commandment of God to offer vp in sacrifice his most deare sonne Isaac then he made it manifest that he so firmely apprehended by an assured faith the incomprehensible loue of God in Christ Eph. 3. 19. towards himselfe that he preserred it before his most intire loue towards his own most deare sonne and then was the Scripture fulfilled Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Wherefore it was not without cause that S. Peter writing to such as had obtained like pretious faith with himselfe willeth them to
serued and glorified and our selues beautefied thereby Ioh. 6. 29. but also that so we may stop the mouthes of our adversaries For among al the most slanderous imputations that they lay to our charge this is not the least that they avouch that wee teach a bare and naked faith without the fruit of all good workes in that wee affirme that faith is alone in the worke of our iustification The which is as true as if they should say that wee hold that the eye is alone in the body without the residue of the other senses seeing that wee avouch that the eie is alone in the apprehension of all such things as are subiect vnto sight And yet for this cause we must be called Solâ—fidians as if wee reiected all other fruits of the spirit with the practise exercise of all good works Nay let vs make no lesse vse hereof then Philip did of those slanders the which the Athenians had raised vp against him I am much said he beholding to the Athenians for that by their slanderous reports I am made the more careful to look to my waies that I may hold a right course that so I may confute them both by my words and workes So likewise whereas our doctrine is that the true Christian saith is accompanied with all manner of divine and heauenly graces and is fruitfull in all good workes let vs giue all diligence to confirme the same by an holy life and conversation that so we may confute them by our deeds also And so we may bee bold to retort vpon them iustly and truly that which they vntruely charge vs withall For in that they avouch that the true Christian faith may not only be in the reprobate but even in the very divels themselues thereby they teach that it may be alone without the company of any vertue without the practise of any good worke And therefore they may be truely tearmed not onely Solifidians but Implijfidians ' Diabolifidians also Vndoubtedly hereby they make it manifest to the whole world that they hold not the true Catholike faith seeing thereby in the iudgement of S. Austine the iust are discerned from the vniust Aug. ad Bomf l. 3. c. 5. Whereas by that faith which themselues hold to be Catholike they cannot be discerned from the very Divels themselues Now if they bee not severed from the Divels in their faith neither can they bee seuered from them in their workes seeing faith is the root works are the fruits and such a root such a fruit Now if they bee severed from the Divell neither in their faith nor workes how can they bee severed from him in their punishments Wherefore let them disgrace this gracious gift of faith which haue no part nor portion in the reward thereof But as for vs which acknowledge it to be a principall part of true sanctitie and holinesse let vs most carefully obserue the meanes whereby it is coliated by God set downe in these words of our text Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Wherein we are to obserue these two points First that God doth sanctifie his by the truth secondly that this truth is contained in Gods word even in that word of God which is delivered vnto vs by the Prophets and Apostles Concerning the first which is that truth is the true meanes whereby we attaine to an holy faith and to all the residue of the graces of sanctification it is manifest in this that truth doth rectifie our vnderstanding will affections in the vprightnesse of the which our whole and totall sanctification doth consist And therefore by S. Austine truth is tearmed The virginitie of the soule and the chastitie of the mind As falsehood and vntruth is the adulterous pollution of them all insomuch that all such as in Gods service embrace lyes either taken by tradition from their ancestors or sucken out of their owne heads are iustly charged by the spirit of God to goe a whoring after humane inventions Num. 15. 39. Here of it is that men of al professions lay claime to the truth and for proofe thereof make a shew to deriue the pedegree of their doctrine from God the author of truth and from his word the authenticall and vndeniable evidences thereof As it may appeare by Celsus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who as Origen reporteth entituled his bookes The word of truth which yet hee wrot against the truth Wherefore as the Apostle exhorteth we are not to beleeue every spirit but to trie the spirits whether they are of God or no and wisely to examine the grounds of all doctrines before that we make them Articles of our Creed that so we may imbrace the knowledge of the truth whereby we may bee saved and reiect the strong delusion of Satans lies which are the venome and poison of our soules 2. Thess 2. 10. Now the word of God which our blessed Saviour the wisdome of God Prov. 8. revealed by his spirit to the Prophets and Apostles is this word of sanctifying and sauing truth For if we continue in the same We shall knowe the truth the truth shall make vs free Ioh. 8. 32. And how doth truth make vs free but by sanctifying vs with al divlne and heavenly vertues For a true vertuous man is the only free man Let vs then come to the second point and take a true view of such proofes as may be produced to make manifest that the word of Christ revealed by his spirit to the Prophets and Apostles is only the rich treasury of that pretious truth whereby all the elect of God are brought to a sanctifying and sauing faith The which thing that we may effect let vs first search and enquire where and what truth is that so truth may speake and manifest it selfe Truth is either in things or words Truth in things is the fit and apt agreement of the causes with their effects and the effects with their causes of the accidents with their subiects and subiects with their accidents and so of all other arguments and reasons with the things whereof they are argumeÌ„ts reasons Vera est propositio quaÌ„do praedicatum convenit subiecto Tum praedicatuÌ„ coÌ„venit subiecto cum est genus c. So truth in words is when true reasons which agree with the things whereof they are reasons are accordingly set downe in the words which are deliuered to expresse the same Hence then we thus conclude that if all true reasons whereby the true God and true Godlinesse may be knowne and embraced are rightly set downe in the doctrine revealed by Christ to the Tum veritas est in verbis quando ita est in rebus quemadmodum verbâ— significant Prophets and Apostles and by them registred and enrolled in the Canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testament then this word is the word of God and the word of truth But in these bookes are set downe all manner of most forcible and
effectuall arguments and reasons for the rooting vp of all errors and vntruths for the opening confirming of all doctrines of faith and godlinesse and for the edifying of the spirituall Scriptura est â—ons rationalis temple of God Let vs saith S. Hierome ascend into the reasonable mount and seeking of the testimonies of Scripture choice and fit timber for every severall point of doctrine let vs cut it downe and there with build the house of wisdome Hier. in Hagg. Neither doth this word of God minister choice timber onely for the building vp of the Lords Temple but all maner of wholsome food also for the sustenance of all such as are of the Lords houshold For in it there is both milk for children strong meat for such as are men Heb. 5 12. The principles of this word are the childrens milke which is by S. Peter called a doctrine standing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon so sure and sound reason that hee that rightly apprehendeth the same cannot bee deceaued 1. Pet. 2. 2. whereby he doth distinguish it from the principles of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 1. 16. all other religions which being not Logicall but Sophisticall as happely hauing in them a shew but not the substance of sound reason cannot but deceaue and destroy all such as drinke downe the venomous poison thereof Now if the first rudiments of the word of God stand vpon such sound reason that they cannot deceaue then the stronger meat thereof which is all such reasons and arguments which are set downe for the further lightning and strengthning of these principles must needs bee of greater light and strength And so no doubt they are seeing they are of power to make the meÌ„ of God which are long exercised therein able so throughly to discerne betweene good evill errour and truth that they can both purely and zealously performe vnto the Lord that reasonable service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is acceptable vnto him Rom 12. 1. The which reasonable service what is it else but the puritie of a true saith and of all oather divine vertues with all holy workes that issue from them all Ioh. 6. 29. 1. Tim. 6. 11. Now faith as the Apostle defineth it Heb. 11. 1. is the ground of things hoped for the demonstration of things not seene which principally are the vnspeakable loue and goodnesse of God demonstrated not onely in the worke of the creation Rom. 1. 20. but especially in the worke of the redemption 2. Cor. 3. 12. For this is such a demonstration of Gods vnspeakable goodnesse and loue that as Austine saith it doth convince the iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after a sort force the minde to yeeld her assent thereto Aug. in Ioh. hom 79. 95. So God loued the world saith out blessed Saviour that he gaue his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life everlasting Ioh. 3. 16. So Saint Iohn In this appeared the loue of God towards vs in that God sent his only begotten sonne into the world that wee might liue through him Ioh. 4. 9. And againe Herein is loue not that we loued God but that God loued vs gaue his Sonne to be an attonement for our sinnes And againe in the very next verse If God so loued vs c. As if hee would haue vs throughly to vnderstand that such a person giuen for such persons to worke such a worke is such a demonstration of Gods loue that the like is no where to be found no not in all the Bookes of Aristotles Demonstrations When I was here a scholler I heard a most reverend Father namely Mr. Fox preaching on these words of the Apostle If one bee dead for all then we were all dead 2. Cor. 5. 14. say here is such an ergo that all the Schooles cannot shew the like And yet this ergo demonstration whereof we now speake is a more forceable ergo a more compelling demonstration as the same Apostle teacheth in the former part of the same verse For verily if we could attaine to all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding to knowe the mystery of God even the Father and of Christ Col. 2. 2. Then we should attaine to the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. even to the full assurance of Gods loue If wee were able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length depth and height of the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge then should wee bee filled with all fulnesse of God Eph. 3. 18. In the meane season all such as haue attained to some measure of this faith which is grounded vpon so strong demonstration are called by S. Chrysostome hom 9. in Epist ad Coll. sheepe indued with reason for that they are or should bee able to giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answer to every one that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them 1. Pet. 3. 15 And verily all such Christians as rightly vnderstand the grounds of their faith are esteemed by the Apostle to bee worthie of the name of reasonable men whereas all that doe not are by him branded with the note of men wicked and vnreasonable Furthermore saith he bretheren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue a full current be glorified as it is with you and that we may be delivered from vnreasonable and evill men for all men haue not faith 2. Th. 3. 1. Neither is this first and principall part of Gods seruice only grounded vpon most sure sound reason but also the other part thereof consisting in the exercise of all holy works proceeding from al the divine graces and gifts of the holy spirit of God For if they be not done after that manner and by the inducement of such reasons as God in his word requireth Deus non exigebat quae siebant sed propter quod fiebant Tert. 1 3 cont Marc. them to be performed they are not allowed and approued of Christ Mat. 6. 1. 1. Cor. 13. 1. For that may bee said of all good workes which Tertullian avoucheth of the Iewes sacrifices Viz that God did not in them require the thing done but the reasons for the which they were to be done so God doth not require our bare workes but will haue them done vpon such reasons and motiues as they ought to be done So then the very rudiments and principles of this word of Christ are reasonable milke the service therein prescribed is a reasonable service and the faith therein commanded is grounded vpon a most strong demonstration and the workes therein required are squared by the squier of exact reason and the persons that embrace this faith are only and alone esteemed to be endued with right reason therefore we rightly conclude that this word of Christ set downe in the holy Scriptures of the Prophets Apostles is the only vnerring word of
doctrine and chargeth it to be vnreasonable and absurd and so vnholy therefore not the doctrine of the true Church and of the right faith professed therein For the proofe whereof he giueth instance in fiue points And first he beginneth with iustification by faith and against the truth thereof maketh this weake and childish Sophisme If faith saith he iustifieth and assureth the faithful of his iustification then either it findeth him iust before he beleeueth or maketh him iust after he beleeueth But this division is insufficient and should be made in this maner If faith iustifieth either it is before or when or after it is giuen But faith iustifieth both when and after it is given and doth never find any man iust before he hath obtained a right faith And so the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated saith the Apostle them be called viz. effectually by giuing to them a true faith and whom he called them he iustified viz. at that present instant of time For saith doth presently ingraff the beleeuer into Christ so giueth him present interest in his sufferings and righteousnesse and there by doth presently iustifie him Wherefore in this first instance reason faileth in this sophisticall confuter and not in the doctrine which he would confute His secoÌ„d instance is this If faith giueth assurance of the pardon of sinne then it suffereth him not to say that petition of the Lords Prayer forgiue vs our sinnes seeing it is an absurd thing to pray for that whereof he hath good assurance that he hath it already But God giueth forgiuenesse of sinnes but to such as in their dayly prayers make confession of them vnto him and faithfully pray for the forgiuenesse of them I said saith David Ps 32. 6. I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sin Therefore shall every one that is godly make his prayer vn to thee in the time when thou maist be found That is seeing God is sound of all them that seeke him in truth granteth mercy and pardon of sinne to all that humbly and faithfully seeke for pardon in Christ Therefore every one that is godly will in his daily prayers sue seeke for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes in Christ that so he may obtaine the assurance thereof What Had not that man assurance of the pardon of his sinnes to whoÌ„ Christ said man thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Luk. 5. 20. And did this man absurdly if he said the Lords praier Had not the Apostles themselues assurance of the pardon of their owne sinnes which were to preach and to proclaime the pardon of all sinnes to all beleeuers And did they cease to pray yea to pray after that manner as Christ commanded them to pray forgiue vs our sinnes Matt. 9. 9. What doth the holy father the Pope who in his plenary pardons and indulgences or all his Friers and Priests who in the sacrament of penance giue assurance of the pardon of all sinnes to such as confesse theÌ„ are contrite and sorrowfull for them doe they I say forbid the saying of the Lords prayer and the asking therein of the pardon of their sinnes Surely the holy Father himselfe and all the principall persons of his Church are absurd men or else it is no absurditie to assure the faithfull of the full forgiuenes of all their sins and yet to will them to pray daily for the same The Cardinals third instance is the Anabaptists hold faith to be an assurance of Gods loue who yet can haue no assurance thereof therefore saith is not the assurance of Gods loue As if heretikes and reprobates might not hold some right opinions in matters of faith But the Anabaptists say that they themselues haue an assurance of Gods loue and are accepted of him And what of that Did not the Laodiceans say that they were rich and increased with goods and wanted nothing Ap. 3. 17. And yet it was nothing so So some mad men will say that they are Lords of such and such Mannours vea Soveraignes of such and such kingdomes and yet they may be strake beggars Now the Anabaptists as all other heretikes are after a sort mad men and baue lost a sound mind and therefore they may thinke that they haue faith and the assurance of Gods loue when they haue it not indeed The evidences wherein divers men doe seeke for the assurance of Gods loue are diverse The Pharises had such an high conceit of their owne workes that they did thinke themselues iust thereby and accepted with God as being such in their owne proud opinions as did demerit no lesse at Gods hand So many that haue intended the vâ—â—er overthrowe of Prince and people hauing receaued absolution from their Priests and a pardon from the Pope haue iudged themselues to haue had all their sinnes pardoned and themselues greatly beloued of God So the Anabaptists deeming and dreaming their owne fancies to bee the immediate revelations of the spirit of God may happely presume hereof that they are right deare vnto God and such as may bee fully perswaded of his loue But the faithfull to whom God by his word and sacraments doth so reveale his covenant of mercy in Christ Iesus that thereby they are effectually called and brought vnto God to trust in this his vnspeakable goodnesse and to place their chiefe happinesse therein and to loue God for the same aboue all things whatsoever here by are rightly assured that they are in Gods loue and are effectually called to the estate of grace to obtaine salvation in Christ Iesus Wherefore albeit the assurance of the Anabaptists and of all other of the like ranke may be false and vaine for that it is built vpon a sandy false ground yet the assurance of the faithfull is most firme and certaine for that it is founded vpon a rocke Fourthly Bellarmine chargeth Luther with an absurd position for that he avoucheth that children being baptised may haue faith Why doth not our Saviour himselfe testifie that some at the first houre of the day of their life are called to worke in the Lords vineyard Mat. 20. 1. and therefore indued with a sanctified faith which worketh by loue And doth not the Scripture also in plaine words and not in parables teach that some are sanctified froÌ„ their mothers womb and therefore not only indued with an holy faith but also with all other graces of sanctification Ier. 1. 5. Why doth not Bellarmine himselfe thinke that infants descending from faithfull parents being baptised and dying before they come to yeares of discreation are Gods children and heires of his kingdome Now how are they Gods children vnlesse they are reformed to his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse there fore indued with a true faith which is a principall part of true holinesse and the very root whereout all other graces sprout and growe Wherefore it is no absurdity to thinke that children may be
indued with a sanctifying faith albeit they cannot produce the actions thereof no more then it is an absurditie to say that they are indued with a reasonable soule albeit the effects there of appeare not in them But Bellarmine himselfe happily doubting of the absurditie of these former doctrines in the last instance wil be sure to produce an absurd position indeed which is that God is the author of sinne which yet as he affirmeth is taught by Calvin But this is an impudent and a shamelesse slander refused and refuted also by that worthie seruant of God himselfe Wherefore Bellarmine hereby manifestly declareth that the doctrine of the Romish church whereof he is so stiffe a maintainer is absurd false vntrue therefore not taken out of the word of truth seeing it is not neither indeed cannot bee defended but by false slanders and lies For the law of God shall bee fulfilled without lies seeing wisdome is sufficient to a faithfull mouth Eccl. 34. 8. And verily that all the particular doctrines of the Church of Rome are vnreasonable and absurd and therefore vntrue by Bellarmines owne rule vntrue it may be iustified in them all but at this time I will giue instance only in some of their particular doctrines which concerne the word of God the Sacraments Prayer Faith And first concerning the word of God the Church of Rome absurdly teacheth that it is delivered vnto vs partly in the Scriptures and partly by tradition For if it bee an absurd thing for a wise and provident Father to deliuer his last will and testament partly in writing and partly without it is much more absurd to ascribe any such action vnto the most wise and provident God Secondly if it be an absurd thing for a father to interdict any of his childrē to get a coppie of his last will and testament wherein some great legacy is giuen vnto him and some speciall duties are required at his hands then it is more absurd to avouch that God doth interdict all his children of the Laitie the hauing of the bookes of the old new Testament in the which so great legacies are bequeathed vnto them and so many speciall duties are required at their hands Thirdly if it be an absurd thing that a wise and louing father should make his last will and testament in a language vnknown to his children seeing he maketh it to this end even to make knowne to all and every of them what portion and legacie hee bestoweth vpon them and what dutie hee requireth at their hands then much more absurd is it to avouch that our heavenly father making his wil and testament to the same end would haue the vnderstāding thereof kept close from any of his children vnder the locke key of a strange language Fourthly seeing every wise father hath a speciall care to set downe his mind in his will and testament in plaine and cleere words that so he may take away all iust occasion of discord and dissention among his children it is absurd to imagine that the God of peace and loue would set downe his mind in the bookes of the old and new Testament in darke and obscure tearmes and in phrases of such a doubtfull and ambiguous signification that like a nose of wax they may be bowed as wel this way as that way and so minister occasion of discord and strife which he therein so straightly and severely interdicteth And verily as it is an absurd thing to avouch that the light of the sunne is darke because sore eies cannot well behold it blind cannot apprehend it at al so is it more absurd to avouch that the holy Scripture being a light that proceedeth from Christ the sonne of righteousnes Ap. 12. 1. is darke and obscure because the sore eyes of some mens sicke minds are offended with it and the blind mindes of other that are starke dead in their sins cannot apprehend it at all Fiftly seeing it is an absurd thing to thinke that any person in a manuary craft can become a good Artisan vnlesse he vnderstand the particular rules thereof and the reasons of such workes that are to be wrought thereby it is no lesse absurd to determine with the Church of Rome that a blind and a colliar-like faith can make a true faithfull man and a good intent can make a good worke when the party vnderstandeth not the particular doctrines of faith nor the severall reasons whereby a good worke may bee done rightly acceptably vnto God For is it not absurd as Chrysostome saith that a Physitian a Tanner a Cloth-worker and all other craftsinen shall be able to stand in defence of their arts and a Christian shall not be able to giue a reason of his faith Whereas these arts neglected bring losse only to our temporalties the contempt of the other bringeth damage to our soules Yet saith he such is our madnesse that wee imploy all our thoughts vpon the former and little regard the necessary most strong fortifications of our salvation albeit wee bee commanded to bee ready to giue an answer to every one that should aske vs a reason of our faith also to haue the word of God dwelling in vs most plentifully Chryf hom 16. in Ioh. Sixtly if we thinke it absurd to trust another mans telling in the receipt of mony or another mans eie in the feeding of our horse or another mans tast in the food of our owne bodies It is more absurd to receaue from our teachers the heauenly coine of faith hope loue vpon their bare word or to trust his eies and tast in the food of our soules by receauing and approuing all doctrines deliuered by them vnto vs without all examination and triall So S. Chrysostome It is an absurd thing in the receipt of mony not to trust another but to tell it our selues and in matters of farre greater moment to content our selues with another mans bare word especially whereas we haue a most exact ballance squire and rule even the determination of the divine lawes Chryf hom 13. in 2. ep ad Cor. Lastly is it not most absurd that a translation made by some which were not inspired guided therein by the spirit of God should be commanded to be receaued by all as only authenticall to be preferred before the text it selfe set down in the bookes of the Canonicall Scripture penned in the Hebrew Greek tongues by the Prophets Apostles which were immediatly inspired and guided in that very action by the speciall motion of the vnerring spirit of God 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21. Is it not I say absurd that all truth most purely set downe by such notaries as were immediately thereto designed by God should not be so well preserued in their register bookes from all errors and corruptions by divine providence as in the writings of any other which were not immediatly by God designed therevnto For is water more cleere in the streame where it
may gather mud then in the Dulcius ex ipso fente bibuntur aquâ— most pure fountaine it selfe Hence spring errors saith S. Cyprian while men repaire not to the originall veritie nor the head is sought after nor the doctrine of our heavenly master is observed Cyp. de simpl praelat Sccondly to come to the doctrines of the Church of Rome concerning the Sacraments Is it not absurd that the bare pronouncing of a few words should consecrate a Sacrament and that a Sacrament should giue grace by the worke wrought albeit the words themselues bee not vnderstood nor the vses and ends for the which Sacraments were ordained Tell mee saith S. Chrysostome O thou foolish or absurd Priest doth the vertue of the word of God consist in the forme of the letters or in the vnderstanding of the sense Chrys hom 43. in Mat. Verily the Apostle teacheth that the word of God profiteth not vnlesse it be mingled with faith in them that heare it Heb. 4. 2. that is vnlesse it be so deliuered that the hearers minds may be instructed and edified thereby and so faith may be either begotten or at least strengthned in them And so doth S. Austine teach both concerning the word and the Sacraments also From whence commeth this power saith hee that water doth touch the body cleanse the soule but by meanes of the word and that not because it is vttered but because it is beleeued For in the word the vanishing sound is one thing and the remaining power another This is the word of faith which we preach Aug. in Ioh. hom 80. And againe The faith of the Sacraments doe iustifie not Fides Sacraâ—â—torum iustisicat non sacraments the Sacraments themselues And therefore saith hee in the Sacraments wee must not regard what they are but what they signifie Aug. cont Max. l. 3. cap. 22. For as in the Iewish sacrifices so in these our Christians Sacraments God doth not require the worke wrought but the reasons and ends for the which it is wrought Tertull. l. 3. cont Marc. Secondly it is not absurd that a Sacrament which of the very worke wrought as they say giveth grace should hinder grace giuen in another sacrameÌ„t as they affirme of marriage and of their holy orders As if one grace could disgrace another or one instrument Subordinata 〈◊〉 pugnant ordained to giue grace could resist the efficacie and power of another Thirdly was not their ancient order of baptising of Bels an absurd disorder As if Christ had shed his blood for the purging of the sinnes of Bells had ordained baptisme to giue to them his heavenly grace But to leaue baptisme and to come to the Lords supper what a Chaos of absurdities doe they bring in about the same First whereas the Scripture in plaine words avoucheth that our blessed Saviour at the first institution thereof tooke bread and wine in their essence and substance to make them the mysticall signes of his body and bloud they say that he transubstantiated them into the very substance of his body blood left their accidences only to be the outward signes in the sacrament Whereas Sacraments if they had not acertaine resemblance with the things whereof they are Sacraments they could not be sacraments at all and beare the name of the things themselues which Exijsdem nutrimuâ— sumuâ— Arist ex ijsdem nascimur pascimur Bern. Accidens non transit à sâ—biecto in subiectum Accidentis esse est inesse they resemble Aug. ad Bonif. ep 23. Now what resemblance can there bee betweene the accidents of bread and wine and the true and reall body and bloud of Christ Can these accidents nourish our bodies that they may resemble the nourishment of our soules by the body and bloud of Christ And is it not absurd that these accidents being separated from their subiects must not onely retaine their being but also subsist by themselues Surely it were fit that these mens bodies were fed with accidents which feed mens soules with such absurd fancies Now concerning Christs body blood which is the inward grace in this sacrament how many absurdities also doe they avouch First they will haue the very same body and blood daily to bee made of the substance of bread and wine through the pronunciation of fiue words by the mouth of a Priest which was but once made of the substance of the Virgin Mary by the operation of the holy Ghost Secondly they will haue it still here in earth which is ascended vp into heaven Yea they will haue it here to bee daily eaten with our bodily mouthes which is not onely an absurd and an inhumane impietie in the iudgement of S. Austine de doct christ l. 3. c. 10. but hath been an occasion to Insidels to condemne Christians for the wickedst monsters that were in all the whole world for that they were not ashamed to say that they daily devoured their Lord and God Thirdly they teach that the body of Christ which is a true naturall body is in their masse vncircumscribed without any dimensions and the same in heauen circumscribed and hauing dimensions Lastly they teach that Christs body here is not limited in space or place but that it is so in heaveÌ„ and therefore is in heauen a true body but not here in earth For as Austine saith take away from a body space or place and it shall be no where or in no place and if it bee no where it is not at all But all these absurdities they thinke they may cure with this salue for that all these things are and may bee still done by the miraculous hand and power of God But Austine refuseth this plaister as not fit for this sore For as hee teacheth Sacraments may haue honour as being religious but they doe not worke astonishment as being miraculous For they are such meanes as God hath appointed to confirme the faith of such as already beleeue and not to convert vnbeleeuers for the which end miracles are ordained 1. Cor. 14 22. And verily if these workes were miraculous they should be such as might be first apprehended by sense that from thence they might enter into the conscience But these which they call miraculous works are not apprehended by sense as sense it selfe doth testifie sufficiently Thirdly concerning prayer First is it not absurd that publike prayers vnto which a publike assent should be giuen by the people should be made in a tongue not vnderstood of the people For For as the Apostle saith VVhen thou blessest with the spirit viz. in a tongue vnknowne how shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing hee knoweth not what thou saist 1. Cor. 14. 16. Secondly is it not absurd that private prayers should bee commanded to bee made in a tongue vnknowne to him that maketh them and therefore cannot vnderstand for what he himselfe prayeth For should any one present a