sanctifieth but the true employment of the thing We neuer read it warranted that creatures may bee abused or ms-imployed Are they not therefore fooles to returne your owne words vpon your self that produce these passages for such stuffe as holy bread c which as they are vsed in your Antiques may with reason be hooted at by Boyes Holy bread with you is an apish Imitation of that antient practice in the Primitiue Church whereby a part of the consecrated Host in and for the Sacrament called Eulogia was sent vnto the adjoyning parishes or diocesses and imparted vnto strangers that came vnto them as a signe pledge and assurance of mutuall loue and confederation in the same faith a thing prohibited afterward in the councell of Laodicea but re-assumed and long time frequented in the Church which growing at last into disuse in the Latine Church especially Bread began to bee blessed indeed but not consecrated for or in the Communion which in Paulinus Augustine and others is named Eulogia or Panis Catechumenorum The Catecumeni beeing not baptized could not bee imparted with the body of Christ but receiued Bread blessed by the Priest for their vse and eating as an assurance of that Communion whereof in due time they were to be made partakers The later Church abused this practice of the Antients imploying it as spells or amulets to cast out diuils to heale diseases to keepe men from danger whereto nor God nor man had designed it antiently The forme of consecrating it is this in Burchard Cap. 28. Lord God Almighty vouchsafe to blesse this Bread with thy holy and spirituall benediction that it may become health of soule and body vnto all a defence and safegard against all diseases and all the assaults and deceits of the enemie through our Lord Iesus Christ thy Sonne the Bread of Life who came downe from Heauen brought life and saluation into the world who liueth and raigneth with thee for euer Was any thing thus consecrated 1. Tim. 4. 4. Mat. 23. 17. 19 Or any water any where to the like purpose to bee sprinkled in houses to driue away Fayries and Hobgoblins to remoue the lets and impediments which might hinder the receiuing of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar to put out the guilt and tainture of originall sinne I finde no such thing in Scripture or the Primitiue times I doe in the Rituals and Pontificals of the Pagans Nam et sacris quibusdaminitiantur Isidis alicuius aut Mithrae Ipsos etiam Deos suos lauationibus efferunt villas domos templa totasque vrbes asperginâ— circumlatae aquae expiant passim Tertullian speaketh of Pagan superstitions and it agreeth vnto your fopperies point by point Such hallowing and sacring of the Creature as of ashes bells and other bables are farre enough remooued from that sanctification of the Creature in Saint Paul vnto holy and religious or common vses Saint Paul neuer baptized or blessed a bell to cleere the ayre asswage stormes and tempests help against lightning and thunder driue away diuels and wicked spirits that would hinder good Christians from going to Church or righteous soules from passing through the ayre into Heauen Such old wiues tales I finde not in Saint Paul nor in Saint Basil whom we are directed to see Lib. 2. de baptismo but for what or where-about I professe my ignorance I cannot tell and yet I haue Basil and haue read him Transeat therefore till I know what and where I should see Basil I must suspend my answer vnto his authority XXXIII That children may bee saued by their parents faith without Baptisme THe man when hee vndertook this gagging taske opposed himselfe intentionally against our Church in which regard with what face with what forehead can he thus impudently bely vs knowing in his conscience our Doctrine our practice to the contrary and that wee haue beene put to maintaine and iustifie it against schismaticall humors not Papists but Puritans at home In the very first Instep to the forme of Administration of Baptisme wee professe All men be conceiued and borne in sinne wee adde alledging our Sauiours words None can enter into the Kingdome of God except he bee regenerate and borne anew of water and the holy Ghost Beeing assured that as Truth hath spoken it so it is impossible ordinarily for a man to bee saued that is not baptized Vpon which perswasion of that necessity of water and the holy Ghost wee following the vse and warrant of Antiquity haue tolerated practised and defended priuate Baptisme at home by Lay-people and yet this shamelesse Detractor chargeth vs to hold That children may bee saued by the Parents faith without Baptisme as if it were vnnecessary One man peraduenture thought so that the children of the Faithfull that were in Christ might ordinarily be saued without Baptism I say peraduenture for it appeareth not that he held it of ordinary course nor referred it to the Parents faith but vnto that Couenant of grace I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed as euen Bellarmine his Aduersary confesseth touching him who yet is nothing vnto vs. Touching the necessity of Baptism there hath bin variation euer in the Church and yet euer a necessity held vpon all hands more or lesse For Antiquity supplied the want of water by blood Martyrs not baptized went to heauen The ineuitable want of water by the Spirit in desire and assured faith if it might bee had in Christ the Author and End of it For as in little Infants the faith of the Church and those that present them to be baptized is by God reputed their owne so the willingnes and desire of the same Church of their Godfathers and Parents is reputed theirs So that no absolute necessity in opinion of Antiquity and indispensable was held of our Sauiours Asseueration Except a man bee born anew of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen Which necessity thus qualified by Antiquity some late Writers haue qualified further vpon other grounds as namely that supposed Decree of God touching absolute necessity of saluation which admitted yet includeth a subordination of meanes As Paul and his company were determinately saued from perishing by sea yet he told them it could not be except the Sailers staied so nor Gods Decree be accomplished without means which is water and the holy Ghost ordinarily Others it may be haue qualified it from the state faith and interest of their parents which if it be so is but a priuate opinion of some men not the doctrine of this or any Protestant Church that I knowe You would bee loth to maintain all priuate opinions in the Church of Rome The most that wee haue said thereof is Of the will of God to impart his grace vnto infants without Baptism in that case the very circumstance of their naturall birth may serue as a iust argument Whereupon it is not to be mis-liked that men in charitable presumption do gather a
grounds First Ezech. 18. 24. 26. If the righteous turne away from his righteousnesse and commit iniquitie and doe according vnto all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall hee liue all his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not be remembred but in his transgression that hee hath committed and in his sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall hee die And againe repeated with like asseueration and reduplication vers 26. againe Ezech. 33. 12. The righteousnesse of the righteous shall not deliuer him in the day of his transgression And againe The wickednesse of the wicked shall not cause him to fall in the day that hee returneth from his wickednesse neither shall the righteous liue for his righteousnesse in the day that hee sinneth And verse 13. If hee commit iniquitie all his righteousnesse shall be no more remembred but for his iniquitie that hee hath committed hee shall die for the same Which againe is repeated verse 18. Therefore the righteous may lose his righteousnesse abandon his faith dye in his sinnes and receiue the reward of his Transgressions in his auersion from God hell fire Againe Matth. 12. 44. The vncleane spirit eiected returneth vnto his former residence entreth possedeth his former state and the case of that man is worse than the beginning Sathan is not eiected but where the partie is in the state of Grace with God being regenerate by faith Reposseding is not but by relapse into sinne nor a worse state but where a man dyeth in sinne Luke 8. 13. They on the rocke are they who when they heare receiue the word with ioy who for a while belieue and in time of temptation fall away Iohn 15. 2. Euery branch that beareth not fruit in mee hee taketh away Matthew 24. 12. Because iniquitie shall be increased the charitie of many shall grow cold Surely it was hot that groweth cold and charitie inlarged is not but the fruit of a liuing faith which if it continued in statu quo the charitie of many could not waxe cold Therefore once had may be lost say they Againe Rom. 11. 20. 21. Thou standest by Faith be not high-minded but feare and feare is not but where change may be Here change may be or why doth it follow Take heede least hee also spare not thee The reason is Any man may haue that which another had Now 1 Timoth. 6. 20. Some haue erred concerning faith And 1 Timoth. 1. 18. 19. holding faith and a good conscience which some hauing put away concerning faith haue made shipwracke Nor was it onely for those times but fore-told of succeeding ages 1 Timoth 4. In the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith Gal. 5. 4. Saint Paul spake not vpon supposition of impossibility Yee are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the Law yee are fallen from Grace For many were so that hauing belieued and being baptized did euacuate Christ by their owne righteousnesse in the Law Of whom Saint Paul complayneth in all that Epistle to the Galathians and elsewhere Nor in point of onely Heresie was Faith by them lost but also of good liuing and conuersation 2 Pet. 2. 20. Where those that had escaped the filthinesse of the World therefore washed and made cleane through the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Therefore iustified truely by Faith are yet intangled againe therein and ouercome Therefore lapsed from Faith as is expressed vers 21. and 22. ensuing Infinite are the testimonies of Scriptures to this purpose insisted vpon by the auouchers I adde but one of them Heb. 6. 4. It is impossible that they which were once enlightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come if these were not iustified they know not who were if these had not faith where was it to be found if they fall away should be renued againe by repentance seeing they crucifie againe the Sonne of God vnto themselues and make a mocke of him Thus Scripture speaketh plaine Their Reasons from Scripture are euident Man is not likely in state of Grace to be of an higher alloy then Angels were in state of Glory than Adam was in state of Innocency For Grace is but a conformitie thereto and no conformitie exceedeth the Architype At most it is but an equalitie thereto and equals are of the same proportion Now if Adam in Paradise and Lucifer in Heauen did fall and loose their originall state the one totally the other eternally what greater assurance hath any man in state of Proficiency not of Consummation Againe Faith must needes be lost where it cannot consist It cannot consist where God will not abide God will not abide where hee is disobeyed hee is disobeyed where mortall sinne is committed the most righteous man liuing vpon the face of the earth continually doth or may in this sort transgresse Who can tell how oft hee offendeth Cleanse thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes Thou wilt haue no fellowship at all with the deceitfull Nor shall any euill dwell with thee Saul was at first the Childe of God called according to the election of Grace not onely temporall for the Kingdome of Israel but also eternall for the heauenly Kingdome In opinion of Antiquitie thus hee was and yet afterward hee fell it is confessed totally all say Eternally these say that maintaine iustifying Faith cannot be lost But if Saul were not of Gods Children in grace inducd with Faith and the holy Spirit yet Salomon was there is no question with them because hee was a Writer of holy writ and wrote as hee was enspired by God If they did not graunt it the Scripture would euict it For 2 Samuel 7. God speaketh of him literally though of Christ Iesus intentionally I will be his father and he shall be my sonne And in the 12. Chapter of the same Booke Hee called his name Salomon and the Lord loued him and sent by the hand of Nathan the Prophet and called his name beloued of the Lord because the Lord loued him indeede Yet Salâ—mon fell as Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome are cleare for it at least temporally and totally too when hee went and serued other gods If Salomon were neuer the Childe of God yet Dauid was without contradiction and Saint Peter without nay Yet Dauid fell foule in that act of murther and adultery and lost his Faith and present state of Grace if Dauid had perished in that his Sinne what had become of his Soule for euer It was not possible hee should in regard of the purpose of Grace but had it beene so where had he bin Surely hee that desired a new heart to be created had not that heart which he had before his fall For Creation is production from not being vnto being Saint Peter was a chosen vessell of Christ Iesus and if euer was any the Childe of God Yet hee denyed
Iesus Christ with an oath which was peccatum lethale as Saint Augustine prooueth in his 66. Tractat. vpon Saint Iohn Chirst prayed for him that his faith might not fayle But his Prayer was for the end not the act That hee might not fall finally and hee did not but not that not totally for so hee did His infirmitie appeared in his fall Gods mercy was seene in his restauration Simon Magus was an Heretique an Arch-heretique the father of Heretiques and first begotten of the Deuill yet Simon Magus was a Christian once and baptized and belieued and brought forth fruits of new life and followed Philip a certaine time He belieued it is said but not truely It is not said he belieued not truely Saint Luke saith hee belieued in the same termes with the same words to the same intent and purpose that hee speaketh of others that belieued truely constantly Where the Holy Ghost putteth no difference what man hath any warrant to distinguish The Scripture doth not so much as insinuate the hypocrisie of Simon Magus then and what is hee that would haue his nay belieued before Saint Lukes yea Iudas was a Reprobate and cast away for euer Our Sauiour calleth him the Sonne of perdition and saith it had beene good hee had neuer beene borne Yet Iudas was numbred with the twelue Apostles had all the Prerogatiues which they enioyed God gaue him to Christ as well as Peter or Iohn And if hee perished onely in the number of them that were giuen vnto Christ doubtlesse hee was first ranked in that number and perishing ceased to be of that number as ceasing to be of that number he perished Beside if Faith had cannot be lost the Dogge cannot be said to returne vnto his vomit nor the Swine to wallowing in the myre If righteousnesse had cannot be lost why doe wee pray continually against that Leade vs not into temptation Why did the Apostle chastice and bring vnder his body least he should become a cast-away Why should hee admonish as hee doth Hee that standeth let him take heede lest hee fall And Worke out your Saluation with feare and trembling Againe say they totally it may be lost for Faith is an adhesion vnto God Sinne seperateth man from God and maketh a diuision in that first Coniunction but by repentance it is againe restored and recouery gayned after fall Totally lost is not then euer finally eternally nor ineuitably lost For yet wilt thou returne and refresh mee and bring vp my life from the gates of death againe And as the Tree that is cut downe at the stemme so long as the stocke remaineth in the ground yet by the sent of waters it will recouer saith Iob and againe shew forth the branches So so long as men in the Church haue meanes in Christ it is possible to be renued by Repentance Possible they say Necessary say some because of that necessitating purpose of God whereby hee is saued and could not perish that was appointed vnto life vnchangeably So then they teach that are thus perswaded Faith totally may be lost Faith totally lost may eternally be lost and also not be lost eternally though totally for a time Because God againe will restore them to Grace and except hee would doe so they could not rise to Grace but because his will is not put into practise by his power he necessitateth no man so irreuersably vnto life nor death those that haue lapsed totally may also perish finally It will be vrged by them which is here said by you What needes there any further proofe where holy Scripture is so plaine and they graunt in a case so fully cleared and resolued in Scripture no further proofe needeth as necessarily required yet for illustration and assurance a concurring assent of many is requisite of congruitie Wherfore they bring Fathers for their purpose Ignatius the ancientest this day extant of whose writings there is little or no question in his Epistle to the Magnesians pag. 26. diuideth mankinde into two sorts of Coynes as hee speaketh there and explicating his meaning saith hee doth not so intend it as if hee meant two distinct Natures in man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That one and the same man is sometime the Childe of God and againe the Childe of the Deuill If hee liue godly he is a man of God if wickedly the Childe of the Deuill not so by Nature but from his owne depraued will And speaking elsewhere of constancy in persecution saith Albeit I am exceedingly strengthened in God yet ought I to feare so much the rather And againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I doe not know whether I am worthy or not Clement in his Constitutions 5. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Holy Spirit is continually assistant with those that possesse him so long as they are worthy so to haue him From whomsoeuer this holy Spirit is diuided Hee leaueth them destitute and forsaken and deliuered vp vnto the wicked Spirit I know the Author is questioned vpon his honestie at least hee is ancient but I hold him honest and perswade my selfe I can proue him so to be as hee seemeth for my part Tertullian in de praescript Cap. iij. Et hoc mirum opinor vt probatus aliquis retro postea excidat Saul bonus prae ceteris liuore posteà euertitue Dauid vir bonus secundum cor Domini postea caedis stupri reus Salomon omni gratiâ sapientia donatus à Domino ad Idololatriam à mulieribus inducitur Soli enim dei filio seruabatur sine delicto permanere As if it were a thing so strange that any Man approued by God should afterward relapse from Grace Saul a man better then the rest was ouertaken and vndone at length through Enuy. Dauid was a good man and according vnto the Lords heart yet afterward guilty of murther and adultery Salomon inducd with all grace and wisedome from the Lord was by women brought ouer vnto Idolatry For why it was reserued to the Sonne of God alone to be without sinne What then if a Bâ—shop a Deacon a Virgin a Widow a Teacher a Martyr haue swarued from his rule shall Heresie therefore haue the better of Truth Doe wee estimate and approue Faith by Mens Persons or not rather Persons by Faith Onely the faithfull man is a wiseman Onely a Christian man is of account No man is a Christian but he that continueth vnto the end Thus farre he Cyprian is through for the point Epist 7. Parum est adipisci potuisse aliquid Plus est quod adeptus es posse seruare sicut fides ipsa Natiuitas salutaris non accepta sed custodita viuisicat Nec statim consecutio sed consummatio hominem Deo seruat Dominus hoc magisterio suo docuit dicens Ecce sanus factus es sani noli peccare nequid tibi deteriuâ— fiat Puta hoc illum Confessori suo dicere Ecce Confessor factus es sani noli
be feared at your own weapoÌ„s euen vpon your most aduantage Let it be Turn vnto some of the Saints yet haue you no more but opinion and the opinion you most follow of new birth hatched first by Aquinas as may bee collected For as for Saint Augustines expounding it as Catholiques do I will let the Reader see and then judge One of your owne saith Pineda on the place Some take it spoken ironically and so it is for your purpose is it not By which is meant nothing lesse Alij seriò others take it spoken in good earnest but not therefore as aduising Inuocation Call saith Caietan vnto some of the dead let him be a man that hath liued most vnblameably put him to defend thy cause Assuredly not any will make answer because they are not their soules hauing diâ—d together with the bodies Cardinall Luther's great Antagonist was so farre from imagining any custome of Inuocation in the time of Iob which Bellarmine likewise denieth that he supposeth Eliphas to haue been an Atheist and to deny the soules immortality and what be commeth of your custome of Inuocation in his opinion in the time of Iob Eugubinus by Saints vnderstandeth holy men aliue and by Call not Inuocation but Allocution or naming of them And with him accord Philippus Presbyter and Polychronius as it may be collected by your owne Pineda Others by Saints mean holy Angels but present imployed to bee spoken to as apparitions were then frequent among those holy men either Leiger or extraordinarily imployed Angels Lyra runs another course not to the Persons but Precedents of Saints Reuolue the remembrance of Ages past as if Eliphas has said so and go consider the liues actions of holy men thou shalt finde them discussed exceedingly all but not impatient in affliction any of them In such diuersity of opinions and greater than this to conclude for Inuocation assertiuely none can none will but men like your self quiâ—us anima prosale S. Thomas alone must ouersway all because as Pineda confesseth he was the first that applied it to Inuocation Tandem sapienter D. Thomas sententiam hanc ad inuocationem pertinere voluit After all other Expositors saith Pineda he would haue it belong to inuocation of Saints Therefore put vp your Pipes for Saint Augustine singing that Catholique Song S. Augustine's words are these Indignatio quâ quisque angitur tanquam iniquè sibi aliquid acciderit dum non cogitat vsque adeò se immundum esse coram Dâ—â— vt innocanti Angeli non respondeant aut se demonstrare dignati sint qui enim hoc 〈◊〉 cogiâ—at stultus est irâ irrationabili interimitur Aut idcirco Angelos non audire non videre potest stultus quia ir â interemptus à zelo occisus Indignation saith he expounding the second verse which vexeth a man as if he were hardly dealt withall whilst he doth not remember that in Gods fight he is so vnclean that the Angels vouchsafe not to appear vnto him or giue him any answer when he calleth for them He that thinketh not so is a fool and killed of wrath Or thus A fool cannot heare or see the Angels because anger and wrath haue euen slain him Thus Saint Augustine in those Annotations bringeth a double exposition of those words in both according to the Septuagints reading whom hee followeth by Saints he vnderstandeth not men departed and with God as the Catholiques since Thomas doo interpret it but Angels of Paradise Secondly hee is not for calling vpon them for how could he if he held Bellarmine's Rule for Sancte Abraham but vnto them How As familiarly conuersing with them in those daies as often appearing and talking with them his very words either Guardians or otherwise Let it bee so now Saint Peter Saint Paul appear conuerse with demonstrate themselues to vs for my part I will speak to them to remember my necessities or cause to God as I would to your self or any other Christian for your Praiers or the Churches Thus what get you by Saint Augustine or your owne Bible I list see no more I haue seen enough already the vtmost I am sure that you can say and what I haue seen I haue satisfied already both in Scriptures and Fathers elsewhere These very places you haue named and many others I will not as you vse is actum agere onely this for your better direction or information in this point of Iouocation or rather Intercession through Allocution we do not we dare not pray to Saints that is speak to them or intreat them to pray for vs not for vnlawfulnesse of the act so much as for vnaptnes of the Agent for we are not perswaded nor can it be proued vnto vs by any Romish Catholick liuing that the Saints departed and now with God doo or can ordinarily by any power or ability in themselues hear see knowe take notice of the wants state cases or praiers of men on earth to be mindefull of them vnto God in heauen Nor can it bee prooued that otherwise God doth ordinarily reueal vnto them by any means those former specified that so they may take notice of them This must be prooued or it is in vain to pray to them vnlesse a man will hazard his state and all vpon vncertainties It sufficeth not that they knowe some things at some times in some places of some men extraordinarily for so wee are vncertain what Saints knowe what how much when by what means and so may well be blamed of folly for going about when wee may go direct vnto them when we may go to God Saue all other labour in this point prooue but onely this Their knowledge of any thing ordinarily I promise you straight I will say Holy Saint Mary pray for me till then you must pardon vs Protestants for not playing the fools with you XXXI That the bones or Reliques of Saints are not to bee kept No vertue proceedeth from them after they be dead YOu may keepe if you will and lock vp if you please in your Cabinet or Calket or where you will Saint Campions thumb Saint Garnets strawe Saint Loiolaes hayre which cured if I remember Michael Vasques of I know not what or that goodly Relique which at Denham once in Sir George Peckhams house courst the diuell vp and downe from Anne Smiths foot ouer all her body the Priest following Him with his hand vp and downe wheresoeuer the Spirit went And further take Saint Lipsius old breeches to shrine them in and the vertue that did or might drop from them our Lady of Sichem will perhaps lend them to so holy and deuout a purpose I know no Protestant will steale them from you But ad Textum as Marcellinus vseth to say your Texts of Scripture I meane As all the rest so this also is contrary to expresse words of our owne Bibles This say I but what Why two things are prooued or should be First that Reliques may