To which purpose he addeth further that albeit other defects and infirmities doe remaine in vs for our greater humiliation and probation yet all filth of sinne is cleane scoured out of our soules by the pure grace of God powred abundantly into it in Baptisme Which now how farre it is from truth it appeareth by that that hath beene alreadie sayd I will here adde only the words of Hilary who saith t Hilar. in Psal 118. Gimel Habemus etiaÌ„ nunc admixtam nobit materiam quae morus legi atque peccat bonoxia est in huius caducae carius infirmaeque domicilio corruptionis labeÌ„ ex eius consortio mutuaâ—ur ac nisi glorificato in naturam spiritus corpore vitae verae in nobis non potest esse naturae c. Scit hanc mundi istius sedeÌ„ regionem no esse viuentium scit nos adhuc secundum praefiguraetionem legis emundandos esse Nunc enim admiscemur morticinae in lege quisquis mortuis contrectas immundus est c. We haue as now a matter mingled with vs which is subiect to the law of sinne and death and that in the house of this mortall and weake flesh we gather a blot of corruption by the societie thereof and vntill the body be glorified into the nature of the spirit there cannot be in vs the nature of true life that this world is not the land of the liuing but that we are here still to be cleansed by reason of being blended with the carion of concupiscence and that this was the thing figured in the law where a man was vncleane for touching any dead body Surely if in this life we remaine still in case to be cleansed if there be still a blot of corruption by reason of concupiscence still cleaning fast vnto vs and it can be no otherwise till the body be glorified into the nature of the spirit then it is vtterly false as indeed it is to say that in Baptisme all filth of sinne is cleane scoured out of our soules But whereas all men find by experience both in themselues and others that there is a wonderfull prauity and corruption of nature still continuing whereby we are all forward to that that is euill and altogether backward and vntoward to goodnesse to preuent the obiection hereof M. Bishop acknowledgeth a remainder of somewhat but he qualifieth the opinion thereof with fauourable and gentle termes He saith that defects and infirmities remaine in vs marry in no case must we thinke them to be sinnes But these defects and infirmities are such as for which it is true of vs which Saint Austin saith u August in Psal 37. Resumus adhuc filij irae spe non sumus By reall state and being we are still the children of wrath it is in hope as touching which we are not so How are we yet the children of wrath but by hauing in vs the matter of x In Psal 101. Jâ—â— cum qua omnes â—ati sumâ—â— â—ra de propagine â—aqudaetu â—e massa â—eccati that wrath wherewith we were all borne which what is it but onely sinne These defects then and infirmities what are they properly and in truth but onely sinne But M. Bishop in vsing these termes alludeth to S. Austin who oftentimes so calleth concupiscence and the lusts and motions thereof which if he did in the same meaning as S. Austin doth there should be no matter of great question betwixt him vs. For S. Austin calleth concupiscence vitium a defect not as vnderstanding thereby as the English word importeth a meer priuation and want of somewhat that should be but a positiue euil quality that ought not to be a vicious corrupt condition of man such a defect if we wil so cal it let vs call it y De lib arbit lib 2 cap 1. 〈…〉 â—eâ—tmi â—ites esse corruptio a corruption as he himself expoundeth it as z Fâ—â—st to â—ispra Sect. 8. by reason wherof the same S. Austin saith that no man liuing shall be found righteous in the sight of God as we haue seene before It is vitium such a defect as whereby a De ciuit Dei lib. 12. cap. 3. the nature of man is vitiated and corrupted and so farre as it is corrupted is euill and there is nothing that maketh an euill man but onely sinne It is b Cont. Iul. li. 2. defectus à iustitia a defection or swaruing from righteousnesse hindering that c De perfect iust Rat. 17. sup sec 4 we loue not God with all our soule d Cont. Iul. l. 4 c. 2. InquantuÌ„ inest nocet etsi non ad perdenauÌ„ de sorte sanctorum tameÌ„ ad motuendam spiritualeÌ„ delectationeÌ„ sanctaruÌ„ mentium illaÌ„ de qua dicit Apostolus CoÌ„delector legi c. diminishing that spirituall delight that we ought to haue in the law of God and e De perfect iust Rat. 15. Supra Sect. 2. it is sinne when there is not that loue in vs that ought to be or the same is lesse then it ought to be But it is not onely after Baptisme that S. Austin giueth to concupiscence this name of vitium a defect or rather a vice or vicious qualitie he calleth it from the beginning f De nupt concup l. 1. c. 23. vitium quo vitiata est natura humana a vice or vicious qualitie wherewith the nature of man is vitiated and defiled Now before Baptisme there is no doubt but S. Austin by vice importeth sinne because for it he saith g Ibid. Propter quod damnatur propter hoc damnabili diabolo subrugatur the nature of man is condemned and is vnder the power of the diuell and the thing being still the same how should it after Baptisme be no sinne Albeit after Baptisme he calleth it h Cont. Iul lib. 2. Quia mortuum est in eo reatu quo nos tenebat vitium mortuum a vice or vicious qualitie that is now dead because saith he it is dead as touching the guilt wherewith it held vs but otherwise it liueth still He calleth the lusts thereof i Ibid. vitia à quorum reatu absoluti sumus vices from the guilt whereof we are released importing still that saue the guilt they are still the same that they were before Therefore albeit he forbeare the name of sinne after Baptisme in respect that they haue not the effect of sinne to make guiltie before God because they are alreadie pardoned yet he cannot be supposed otherwise to exclude them from the nature and name of sinne They did make guiltie before and should make guiltie still but that they are pardoned which cannot agree but to sinne onely And this did Pighius a friend of M. Bishops see very well k Pigh de peccats Org. cont 1. Vt vna eade nque manente aequitatis iustitiae regula iâ—leÌ„ aliquid in se manens nuÌ„c propriè primò verèque
I that do this but sinne that dwelleth in me that is Originall sinne The Papists answer That it is called there sinne improperly because it cometh of sinne and is an occasion of sinne I approue this interpretation of S. Paul as taken out of that ancient and famous Papist S. Augustine who saith expresly Lib. 1 contr duas Epist Pelag. c. 10 Concupiscence whereof the Apostle speaketh although it be called sinne yet it is not so called because it is sinne but for that it is made by sinne as writing is called the hand because it is made by the hand Lib. 1. de nuptijs Concup c. 23. And in another place repeating the same addeth That it may also be called sinne for that it is the cause of sin as cold is called slouthful because it makes a man slouthfull so that the most profound Doctor S. Augustine is stiled a formall Papist by M. Perkins and shall be as well coursed for it by the plaine circumstances of the place For saith he that S. Paul there takes sinne properly appeares by the words following That this sinne dwelling in him made him to do the euill which he hated How proues this that sinne there must he taken properly it rather proues that it must be taken improperly for if it made him do the euill which he hated then could it not be sinne properly for sinne is not committed but by the consent and liking of the will But S. Paul did not like that euill but hated it and thereby was so farre off from sinning that he did a most vertuous deed in resisting and ouercoming that euill As witnesseth Saint Augustine saying Reason sometimes resisteth manfully and ruleth raging concupiscence Lib. 2. de Goâ—â— cont Maniâ—â— cap. 14. which being done we sinne not but for that conflict are to be crowned The first circumstance then alledged by M. Perkins doth rather make against him then for him R. ABBOT M. Perkins alledging the words of S. Paul a Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me thereby to proue that concupiscence in the regenerate still retaineth the nature of sinne saith that the Papistes answer that it is called sinne there improperly because it cometh of sinne and is an occasion of sinne M Bishop saith that he approueth this interpretation as taken out of that ancient and famous Papist S. Austin and addeth that the most profound Doctor S. Austin is by M. Perkins stiled a formall Papist But he speaketh this out of a weake head and shallow wit that cannot vnderstand so profound a Doctor as S. Austin is What S. Austins opinion was as touching this point we shall examine hereafter in the ninth section where occasion is more fully offred to speake thereof in the meane time that S. Austin was no Papist is plainly shewed in the b Aphrican CoÌ„cil cap. 101. 105. Affricane Councell where were assembled two hundred and seuenteene Bishops of those parts and Austin one of them to whom Boniface the first then Bishop of Rome sent his Legates desirous to haue an oare in their boate and chalenging to himselfe a supremacie ouer their Churches But they all with one consent let him remember that Austin was one of them resisted this proud attempt and whereas the Bishop of Rome alledged shewed the Nicene Canons yeelding him that supremacie they smelling his fraud and perceiuing that he had falsified and corrupted the Canons sent as to others so namely to the Patriarches of Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople for the certain vndoubted copies therof VpoÌ„ the sight whereof this peece of knauery being discouered they wrote backe first to Boniface and after to Celestinus that they would not admit any such iurisdiction that they would end their causes within theÌ„selues that they wold allow of no appeales to the bishop of Rome and wished him that he would thencefoorth forbeare to trouble them any more with his Legates Wherein they crossed a speciall point of Poperie which is the maine prop of all the rest and this act of theirs was held to be so preiudiciall to the Sea of Rome and authoritie of the Pope as that c Bonifac. 2. Epi. ad Eulal Concil tom 2. Aurelius Carthaginensis Ecclesiae olim Episcopus cum collegis suis instigante Diabolo superbire temporibus praedecessorum nostrorum Bonifacij atque Celestini contra Romanam Ecclesiam coepit Boniface the second affirmed that in pride they did that which they did against the Church of Rome by the instigation of the diuell It appeareth then hereby that S. Austin was no Papist neither was he so as shall appeare in that point which we haue here in hand In the meane time against the answer of the Papists that sinne is improperly taken by the Apostle when he calleth concupiscence by the name of sinne M. Perkins alledgeth the circumstance of the place as first that S. Paul saith that this sinne dwelling in him made him do the euill which he hated Where to proceed orderly and to giue light to his whole disputation it is first to be resolued what concupiscence is and what sinne is for verie vncertainly shall we argue that concupiscence is sinne vnlesse by definition of both we make it appeare how they accord in one By concupiscence therefore we vnderstand the remainder of the originall corruption of nature after baptisme in the state of regeneration and new birth For man by nature is wholy vncleane and sinfull there is nothing in him but that that is euill nothing but d Rom. 8.7 enmitie against God Whence it is that Chrysostome saith that e Chrysost op imperfect in Mat. hom 3â— Omnis homo naturaliter non solùm peccator est sed etiam totum peccatum Idem habet ex varijs in Mat. locis homil 23. man naturally is not onely a sinner but also wholly sinne and f Jbid. op imperf homil 24. Homo omnia mala haebet in se hath in him all manner of euil Now this corruption which naturally ouerfloweth and drowneth the whole man by the spirit of regeneration is abated and the strength thereof broken but so as that still there remaineth a grieuous infection of it which continually crosseth and resisteth the worke of the holy Ghost and g 1. Pet. 2.11 fighteth against the soule by soliciting enticing it vnto sinne In this remnant of corruption which we call by the name of concupiscence or lust we are to consider both the habite which is the confirmed euill qualitie and also the immediate actions and affections and motions thereof For h August contr Julian Pelag. lib 6. cap. 8. Praeter istum motum inest â—omiâ—i malum vnde surgit hic motus beside the euill motion as S. Austin saith there is within an euill from whence this motion doth arise And this euill continueth when there is no act or motion thereof as when a man is asleepe and the mind thought no
effecta ex eo quòd corporis passionibus se subdit c. caro dicitur effecta inde nomen trahit in quo plut studij vel propositi gerit the soule being become of more grosse disposition by yeelding it selfe to the passions of the bodie is said to be become flesh and taketh the name of that on which it bestoweth it most desire And againe f Jdem in Psal 38. hom 2. Animas nostras incarnauimus We haue turned our soules into flesh So saith Austine that g August de ciuit Dei lib. 14. cap. 2. Saepe ipsum hominem id est naturam hominis carnem nuncupat Et post In operibus carnis inuenimus illa quibus animi vitia significantur à voluptate carnis aliena the Scripture calleth man himselfe that is the nature of man by the name of flesh and calleth those the workes of the flesh which yet are the proper vices of the mind and belong not to that which we properly call the flesh And so doth God himselfe say of man wholy that h Genes 6.3 he is flesh and our Sauiour in the Gospell opposing flesh to the spirit i Ioh. 3.6 That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the spirit is spirit giueth to vnderstand that all goeth vnder the name of flesh that is not borne againe and renewed by the spirit Now therefore as touching concupiscence Saint Austine telleth vs that k Aug. de perf Iustit Rat. 17 contr Julian lib. 5. cap. 5. Quia carnaliter anima concupiscit it is said that the flesh lusteth because that the soule lusteth according to the flesh Yea Cyprian doubted not to say l Cyprian in Prolog de cardinal Christi operibus Quód caro aduers spiritum spiritus aduersus carnem contendere dicitur repugnare impropriè dictum arbitror quia solius animae lis ista est qua secum rixatur c Et paulo prius Corpore sic vtitur anima sicut Faber malleo vel incude in qua format omnium turpitudinum idola fabricatur quaelibet quarumcunque voluptatum simulachra Non est caro dictatrix peccati nec inuentrix malitiae nec cogitatus format nec disponit agenda sed officina est spiritus qui mea per eam quaecunque affectauerit peragit consummat that he held it to be vnproperly said that the flesh lusteth against the spirit because it is the soule onely that is at strife with it selfe For the flesh is no directer of sinne no deuiser of wickednesse it frameth not the thought nor disposeth what shal be done but is as the shop or workhouse of the soule which in it and by it performeth whatsoeuer it desireth vsing the body as the Smith doth his hammer or anuile framing therupon the idols of vncleanesse and pleasure Seeing therefore as here it is plaine concupiscence is seated in the soule which for the corruption thereof is called by the name of flesh so that the Apostle by flesh in himself meaneth nothing but the soule according to the remainder of original infection which still did sticke fast vnto him M. Bishop by his second circumstance proueth nothing but that concupiscence is truly properly affirmed to be sin Which had bene very readily to haue bene perceiued by any man if he had framed his argument as he shold haue done Sinne properly taken is seated in the soule but concupiscence is not seated in the soule for this euery man would haue presently seene to be absurd But he to blind his Reader chose rather to say Concupiscence is seated in the flesh wheras notwithstanding the flesh as it is the seate of concupiscence cannot haue any reasonable vnderstanding but of the soule But now the third circuÌ„stance I trow will do the deed That he taketh out of the first verse of the eight Chapter Now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that walke not after the flesh Whence saith he I argue thus There is no condeÌ„nation to them that haue sinne dwelling in them if they walk not according to the fleshly desires of it therefore it is no sinne properly for the wages of sinne is death that is eternall damnation As if he should say God for Christs sake doth not impute this sinne therefore it is no sinne God to them that are in Christ doth pardon this sinne ergo it is not properly sinne And so he might likewise argue of Dauids adulterie Peters denying abiuring of his maister Pauls persecuting of the Church that none of these were properly sins because to theÌ„ being in Christ there is no condematioÌ„ for any of these things Such drunken sophistrie are we troubled with and drawne by the importunity of ignorant buzzards to spend time in the refuting of such arguments as rather deserue to be chastened with a whip then to be graced with an answer The matter is plaine to theÌ„ that are willing to vnderstand There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus it is true and yet who is there of them that are in Christ Iesus but confesseth vnto God that there is that in him for which he might iustly be condemned To them that are in Christ for Christs sake it is forgiuen and pardoned it is not imputed vnto them but it is still such as if it were imputed it should be sufficient to condemne them to euerlasting death Therfore the Apostle saith of concupiscence not for his consenting to it which he disclaimeth but for the hauing of it dwelling in him that m Rom 7.11 it slue him that n Vers 13. by the commaundement it wrought death in him that by it he had o Vers 24. a body of death How so but that knowing that the wages of sinne is death he knew himselfe thereby in case of death if God should deale with him for it as in extremitie and yet in iustice he might do Therefore doth S. Austin say that euen in the regenerate p August cont Iulian. lib 6 cap. 5 Tale ac tam magnum malum tantum quia inest quomodo non teneret in morte pertraheret in vltimam morteÌ„ nisi vinculum eius in ea quae est in Baptismo peccatorum omnium remissione soluâ—retur concupiscence is such and so great an euill as that onely because it is in them it should hold them in death and draw them to euerlasting death but that the bond of the guilt thereof is loosed in Baptisme by the forgiuenesse of all our sinnes It is therefore such in it selfe to which death is due but yet to them that are in Christ it proueth not vnto death because it is forgiuen vnto them for Christs sake Thus we haue seene an end of M. Bishops circumstances and nothing yet to proue but that concupiscence by the Apostle is properly called sinne And to proue that it is so because he saith there is not
point he saith Let not this be forgotten that he himselfe aknowledged in our Consent that the punishment of Originall sinne is taken away in Baptisme from the regenerate True and what then How then saith he doth he say here that he doth die the death for it But he saith not so neither is it so for if he should die the death for Originall sinne he should die also the eternall death which notwithstanding by Christ is taken away This death therefore to the regenerate is not in the nature of a punishment but rather of a medicine as hath bene alreadie sayd for the vtter dissoluing and mortifying and destroying of the body of sinne that onely righteousnesse may liue in them It followeth as a wages of sinne according to the words of the Apostle in it owne nature due vnto it though now payed for other end then it was before 6. W. BISHOP M. Perkins third reason That which lusteth against the spirit and by lusting tempteth and in tempting intiseth and draweth the heart to sinne is for nature sinne it selfe but concupiscence in the regenerate is such Ergo Answ The first proposition is not true for not euery thing that intiseth vs to sinne is sinne or else the Apple that allured Eue to sinne had bene by nature sinne and euerie thing in this world one way or another tempteth vs to sinne according vnto that of S. Iohn 1. Epi. 2. All that is in the world is the Concupiscence of the flesh and the Concupiscence of the eyes and Pride of life So that it is very grosse to say that euery thing which allureth to sinne is sinne it selfe and as wide is it from all morall wisedome to affirme that the first motions of our passions be sins For euen the very heathen Philosophers could distinguish betweene sudden passions of the mind and vices teaching that passions may be bridled by the vnderstanding and brought by due ordering of them into the ring of reason and so made vertues rather then vices And that same text which M. Perkins bringeth to perswade these temptations to be sinnes proues the quite contrary God tempteth no man Iacob 1. but euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is allured after when concupiscence hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne Marke the words well First Concupiscence tempteth and allureth by some euill motion but that is no sinne vntill afterward it do conceiue that is obtaine some liking of our will in giuing eare to it and not expelling it so speedily as we ought to do the suggestion of such an enemie the which that most deepe Doctor S. Augustine sifteth out very profoundly in these words When the Apostle S. Iames saith Lib. 6. in Jul. cap. 5. euery man is tempted being drawne away and allured by his Concupiscence and afterward Concupiscence when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sin Truly in these words the thing brought forth is distinguished from that which bringeth it forth The dam is concupiscence the fole is sinne But concupiscence doth not bring sin forth vnlesse it conceiue so then it is not sinne of it selfe and it conceiueth not vnlesse it draw vs that is vnlesse it obtaine the consent of our will to commit euill The like exposition of the same place and the difference betweene the pleasure tempting that runneth before and the sin which followeth after Lib. 4. in Iohan. cap. 15. vnlesse we resist manfully may be seene in S. Ciril so that by the iudgement of the most learned ancient Fathers that text of S. Iames cited by M. Perkins to proue concupiscence to be sin disputeth it very soundly to that reason of his Such as the fruit is such is the Tree I answer that not concupiscence but the will of man is the Tree which bringeth forth either good or bad fruit according vnto the disposition of it concupiscence is only an intiser vnto bad R. ABBOT Against M. Perkins first proposition M. Bishop saith that not euery thing that entiseth vs to sinne is sinne But therein he saith vntruly if he meane as he should do of that that is in man himselfe It is generally true that there is nothing that tempteth or entiseth to sinne which hath not it selfe the nature of sinne either as the subiect or as the thing it selfe so that concupiscence because it cannot be said to be the subiect must necessarily be holden to be sin it selfe His exceptions to the contrarie are very fond First that then the apple that allured Eue to sinne had bene by nature sinne and secondly that euery thing in the world one way or another tempteth vs to sinne But where hath he euer read that the apple if it were an apple tempted or intised Eue Did the apple any thing more then it did before or was it any other then it was before Surely there was no change in the apple but the change was in her selfe and therfore as it did not tempt her before so neither could it be sayd to tempt her in that temptation And what is this but to make God the tempter who was the maker of the apple contrary to the words of S. Iames that a Iam. 1.13 God tempteth no man to euill Which we must likewise say of all other things in the world if it be true that M. Bishop saith that they tempt vs to sinne For though God himselfe immediatly do not tempt vs yet if the creatures of the world do tempt vs the accusation redoundeth to him because in the creatures there is nothing but his worke They are faire beautifull they are pleasant to sight and vse but do they therfore tempt to sinne Did the Sun tempt the heathen idolaters to worship it Did b 2. Sam. 13.2 Thamar tempt Ammon to filthines or c Dan. 13.8 Susanna the wicked elders Nay as S. Iames telleth vs it is our own sinful lust that tempteth vs to abuse the good creatures of God which thēselues tēpt vs not but rather as S. Paul teacheth vs d Rom. 8.22 they grone and trauaile in pain because e Vers 20. they are subiect to our vanity and therfore f Vers 19.21 wait when the sons of God shal be reuealed that they may be deliuered from the bondage of our corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God But he alledgeth to his purpose the words of S. Iohn All that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life Where if we consider the Apostles words as they lie we shall see how iustly it may be returned to himselfe which a little before he said of M. Perkins that either he sheweth great want of iudgement or else very strangely peruerteth the words of holy Scripture The thing that he hath to proue is that euery thing in this world tempteth vs to sin The words of S. Iohn are g Iohn 2.16 All that is in the world
was sayd calling it a defilement a contagion a blot a pestilent poyson c. and saying thereof What can there be found in man cleaue from this blot free from this contagion thereby plainly conuincing that it is sin because as hath bin before said nothing defileth blotteth infecteth the soule but onely sinne S. Austin S. Cirill he saith haue bin cited alreadie I hope he hath had a full answer to those citations As for Hierome and Gregorie when we heare what it is that he will oppose out of them he shall haue our further answer but neither they nor Caluins confession do proue at all that approued antiquitie is wholly for them as he fondly presumeth without cause But now forsooth to hit the naile on the head If any saith he desire to know the founder of our aduersaries doctrine in this point let him reade the 64. heresie recorded by that ancient and holy Bishop Epiphanius And what shall he reade there Forsooth he registreth one Proclus an old rotten sectarie to haue taught that sinnes are not taken away in Baptisme but are onely couered which is as much to say as sinne remaineth still in the person regenerate but is not imputed to him which saith he is iust M. Perkins and our Protestants position Now he that had stood by him when he read this matter in Epiphanius might very well haue sayd to him Animus est in patinis your mind is on your mustard-pot ye reade ye know not what For that which he alledgeth of Proclus was not deliuered by Proclus but by Epiphanius is recorded out of a speech of Methodius a Catholike and godly Bishop against Proclus Yet this he thought a fit matter wherewith to delude his liege and soueraigne Lord hauing before mentioned it in his Epistle dedicatorie to the kings most excellent Maiestie in the answer whereof I haue set downe the words of Methodius at large and the heretical fancie of Proclus against which they were directed Now because the words to which he alludeth are the words of Methodius and approued by Epiphanius let it be remembred that Methodius and Epiphanius two ancient and holy Bishops haue taught that sinne is not taken away in Baptisme but is onely couered that is that sinne remaineth still in the person regenerate but is not imputed vnto him and so as M. Bishop himselfe confesseth haue taught iust the same that M. Perkins and the Protestants do now teach 10. W. BISHOP Now let vs come vnto the arguments which the Church of Rome as M. Perkins speakes alledgeth to proue Concupiscence in the regenerate not to be sinne properly 1. Obiect In Baptisme men receiue perfect and absolute remission of sinne Which being pardoned is taken quite away and therefore after Baptisme ceaseth to be sinne M. Perkins answereth that it is abolished in regard of imputation that is is not imputed to the person but remaines in him still This answer is sufficiently I hope confuted in the Annotations vpon our consent in confirmation of our Argument I will adde some texts of holy Scripture First He that is washed needeth not but to wash his feete Iohn 13. for he is wholy cleane Take with this the exposition of Saint Gregorie the great our Apostle Lib. 9. Ep. 3â— He cannot saith he be called wholy cleane in whom any part or parcell of sinnes remaineth But let no man resist the voyce of truth who saith he that is washed in Baptisme is wholy cleane therefore there is not one dramme of the contagion of sinne left in him whom the cleanser himselfe doth professe to he wholy cleane The very same doth the most learned Doctor S. Ierome affirme saying How are we iustified and sanctified Epist ad Ocâ—â—num Psal 50. if any sin be left remaining in vs Againe if holy Dauid say Thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snow how can the blacknesse of hell still remaine in his soule briefly it cannot be but a notorious wrong vnto the precious bloud of our Sauiour to hold that it is not as well able to purge and purifie vs from sinne as Adams transgression was of force to infect vs. Yea the Apostle teacheth vs directly that we recouer more by Christs grace then we lost-through Adams fault in these words But not as the offence Rom. 5. so also the gift for if by the offence of one many died so much more the grace of God and the gift in the grace of one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vpon many If then we through Christ receiue more abundance of grace then we lost by Adam there is no more sinne left in the newly baptized man then was in Adam in the state of innocencie albeit other defects and infirmities do remaine in vs for our greater humiliation and probation yet all filth of sinne is cleane scoured out of our soules by the pure grace of God powred abundantly into it in Baptisme and so our first Argument stands insoluble Now to the second R. ABBOT This argument as it was long ago vrged by the Pelagians so in them long ago hath receiued a full answer It was rightly sayd by S. Austin to them a August cont 2. epist Pelag. li. 3. ca. 3. Quisquis baptismati derogat quod modò per illud accipimus corrumpit fidem quisquâ— autem tam nunc tribuit quod quidem per ipsuÌ„ sed tamen postea accepturi sumus amputat spem Whosoeuer doth derogate or detract from Baptisme that which now we receiue by it corrupteth Christian faith but he that euen now attributeth to it that which by it indeed but yet hereafter we are to receiue cutteth of Christian hope We confesse that Baptisme doth seale vnto vs the full remission and forgiuenesse of all our sinnes that thereby we are engraffed into Christ to become members of his body and to be made partakers of his spirit that by the sanctification of the same spirit sinne may be destroyed and decayed in vs from day to day that the corruption of the old man being wholly put of in death perfect righteousnesse may thenceforth take place for euer at the resurrection of the dead But this doth not satisfie M. Bishop he will haue it that Originall sinne is not onely forgiuen in Baptisme but also quite taken away and therefore reiecteth M. Perkins answer that it is abolished as touching imputation but that otherwise it remaineth still Yet the answer fully accordeth with S. Austin that b Cont. Iulian. lib. 2. Maliâ— quod non ipsum sed reatut eius au fertur in baptismo not it selfe but the guilt of it is taken away in Baptisme that c Ibid lib 6. ca. 8. Manet actu praeterijt reatu it remaineth as touching the actuall being but is taken away as touching the guilt Now his confutation hereof must needs be a very poore one that thus directly crosseth S. Austins assertion and hath no further warrant but his owne bare word We haue examined
knowne of the partie that hath it but true repentance cannot But how must we conceiue of faith when it is rightly taken Forsooth he telleth vs that it is a light of vnderstanding and so being like a lampe may be easily scene But true faith is not onely a matter of vnderstanding but a mixt action of the vnderstanding and will and consisteth not onely in knowing but in seeking and desiring and embracing the thing that we vnderstand Therefore Oecumenius obserueth that the faith recommended by S. Paul beside stedfast assent importeth a Oâ—cumen in epist Iac. cap. 2. Consecutionem ex affectu procedentem cum firmo assensu no mine fidei vocamus a further matter prooceeding out of the affection So we saw before that Bernard maketh it to be such as whereby a man beleeueth that his sinnes are forgiuen him Which M. Bishop might haue learned also of Ferus one of their owne Prophets though a more faithfull Prophet then commonly theirs are who faith that b Ferus in Mat. cap 27. Credere est confidere DeuÌ„ per Chrâ—stum peccata non imputaturum to beleeue is to trust that God for Christs sake wil not impute our sinnes But that we may see the spirit of giddinesse wherewith this man is caried vp and downe he himselfe but a little before hath told vs that godly and deuout submission of the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith is a necessarie condition of faith properly so called Faith then is not only a light of vnderstanding but implieth godlinesse deuotion and submitting of the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith which because it cannot be without repentance hope and charitie it necessarily followeth that if a man knoweth that he hath faith he knoweth also that he hath godlinesse deuotion obedience repentance hope charitie and so M. Bishops replie euen by himselfe is vtterly ouerthrowne And to this purpose S. Austin telleth vs that c August de verb. Dom ser 61 Qui fidem habet sine spe dileâ—â—ane Christum essâ— credâ— non in Christum credit a man cannot beleeue in Christ without hope and loue and S. Bernard that d Berâ—ard in Cant serm 24. Mors fiâ—es separatio esi charitatis the separation of charitie is the death of faith and Origen that e Oriâ—enan Ro. ca 4 Scieâ—s fidei speâ— insenâ— ibiater conarere hope cleaueth inseparably vnto faith Then if a man know that he hath faith he cannot be ignorant that he hath also hope and charitie without which there is no true faith It is therefore a meere fiction of M. Bishop that a man may know that he hath faith but he cannot know that he hath true repentance because repentance requireth hope and charitie which forsooth are seated in the darke corners of the will and cannot certainly be discerned What a fond toy is this that a man hopeth and knoweth not that he hopeth that he repenteth and knoweth not that he repenteth that he loueth and knoweth not that he loueth Surely where these things are they are knowne and if they be not known it is because they are not For f 2. Cor 2.11 the spirit of man knoweth the things that are in man he discerneth what is in himselfe though not alwayes the measure and quantitie thereof Otherwise how doth S. Iohn say q 1 Ioh. 3.14 By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren How shall we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren if we cannot know that we loue the brethren h August iâ— Ioan. epist tract 5. Attendat in cor vidcat si habeat charitatem tunc dicat natus sum ex Deo Let a man looke into his heart and see if he haue charitie and then let him say I am borne of God saith S. Austin but to what end if a man cannot see and know whether he haue charitie or not The same S. Austin saith i De ver Apost ser 6. Si quis spiritum Christi non habet non se fellat hic non est eius Ecce adiuuâ—nâ—e ipsius misericordia spirâ—tum Christi habemus ex ipsa dilectione iustitiae integra fide catholica fide spiritum Dei nobis inesse cognoscimus If a man haue not the spirit of Christ let him not deceiue himselfe he is none of Christs Behold saith he by the helpe of Gods mercie we haue the spirit of Christ By the loue of righteousnesse and true faith the Catholike faith we know that there is in vs the spirit of God How shall we know by the loue of righteousnesse that the spirit of God is in vs if we cannot know that there is in vs the loue of righteousnes But to infringe that idle deuice M. Perkins alledgeth the words of S. Paul k 2. Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether you are in the faith For to what end is this spoken if we cannot know whether we are in the faith or not But M. Bishop saith that they accord that it may be tried whether a man haue faith or not importing therefore that the place is nothing against them But he may not so auoide for the being in the faith whereof the Apostle speaketh signifieth more then he intendeth thereby Which appeareth plainely by the words which the Apostle addeth Knovv ye not that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates thereby shewing that to proue a mans selfe vvhether he be in the faith is to proue whether Christ be in him because the faith of which he speaketh is that l Bernard in ocâ—aua Pasch ser 1 Eacommendatur fides per quaÌ„ Christus in cordibus nostris habitat liuely faith vvhereby Christ dwelleth in our hearts And m Rom. 8.10 if Christ be in you saith the same Apostle the bodie is dead as touching sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake which cannot be without repentance hope charitie and such other vertues wherewith the spirit of Christ endueth them in whom Christ doth dwell He therefore that knoweth himselfe to be in the faith as the Apostle meaneth it knoweth Christ to be in himselfe he knoweth himselfe to be dead to sinne and aliue to righteousnesse and that he is not without repentance hope charitie and other vertues wrought in him by the spirit of Christ As for that other meaning of the place which M. Bishop speaketh of if he had set it downe I doubt not but we should haue taken him tardie therein as well as we do in all the rest To the other place of the same Apostle 1 Cor. 2.12 that we haue receiued not the spirit of this world but the spirit which is in God that we may know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God he answereth that the Apostle meaneth it of those things whereof he there speaketh The things which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard c. God hath
to the contrary to keepe the fire of his spirit continually burning in our hearts c Iob. 33.16.17 opening our eares by his corrections to cause vs to cease from our euill enterprises and to heale our pride and to keepe back our soule froÌ„ the pit which is the same that the Apostle saith d 1. Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world And whereas M. Bishop alledgeth that thousands pitifully fall away we answer him that they which finally fall did neuer truly stand though they seemed to stand nor euer did truly beleeue though they seemed to beleeue but euen of their fals doth God also make vse to make those that are truly his to stand the faster striking thereby a dread feare into their hearts wherby they abhorre to think of that befalling in theÌ„selues which hath befallen in the other that they may the more instantly call vpon him and embrace the meanes whereby they should firmly apprehend take hold of him We say the same that M. Perkins doth that it cannot be that he that is once indeed a member of Christ can euer after be wholly cut off But this disliketh M. Bishop much so that he exclaimeth O shamelesse assertion Where we may more iustly cry out of him O shamelesse man that maketh Christ lâ—sse affectionate kind to the spirituall members of his mysticall body then he himselfe is to the earthly members of his own natural body M. Bishop wil not suffer any member of his body to putrifie rot away if he can saue it and wil he make vs beleeue that Christ suffereth his members to rot away froÌ„ him Shal we think that Christ doth lesse respect a faithfull soule theÌ„ any of vs doth respect a finger or a toe e Ambros de Iacob vit beat l. 1. ca. 6. Poterit ergo ille te damnare queÌ„ redâ—miâ— a mâ—rte pro quo se obâ—uâ—it cuiuâ— vitam mortis suae mercedem esse cognoscit Nonne dicet Quâ— vtilitas in sanguine meo fidamno quem ipse saluaâ—â— Can Christ condemne thee saith Ambrose to the true beleeuing man whom he himselfe hath redeemed froÌ„ earth and whose life he knoweth to be the reward of his own death Wil he not say What profit is there in my bloud if I condemne him whoÌ„ I haue saued He is faithful wil not deny himself he wil not vndo that which he hath done nor blot out his owne name or suffer it to be blotted out which he hath written by his spirit in the heart of euery one that beleeueth He wil not dismember himself or receiue a maime in that f Ephe. 1.23 body which generally in the whole respectiuely in euery part is the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Seeing therfore euery true beleeuer is truly a meÌ„ber of this body helpeth to make vp this fulnesse of Christ it caÌ„not be that Christ should suffer any true beleeuer to perish but quickeneth cherisheth euery such meÌ„ber with his spirit of life healeth the wounds and sicknesses thereof that it may neuer die But of this point further in the section next saue one here it shall suffice to examine those texts examples of holy Scriptures which he saith are coÌ„trary to that that M. Perkins here affirmeth Which if they be many and plaine as he saith we may think him a very silly man that of those many could make no better choise then he hath done The first place is that of our Sauiour Christ g Iohn 15.2 Euery branch in me not bearing fruit he will take away Wherein the Reader may easily see that he doth but only abuse the simplicitie and ignorance of such as cannot espie his fraud He telleth vs of taking away the branches that beare no fruit wheras the matter in question is of the perseuerance of those branches that do bring forth fruit We doubt not but the branches which beare no fruit shal be taken away but we speake of branches which as touching present state do bring forth fruit of theÌ„ our Sauior addeth h Ibid. Euery branch that beareth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit The branch then that beareth fruit shall perseuer shall neuer be cut off because the Father purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit But M. Bishop will vrge that Christ saith Euery branch in me therby to signify that eueÌ„ those branches which do not beare fruit are in Christ yet are cut off taken away But there is no necessitie of any such construction the words are rather to be taken as we read theÌ„ Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me For euery man is compared to a branch naturally we are al branches of a wild vine as we grow froÌ„ the corrupted stocke of Adam bring forth none but sowre vnsauourie fruit so that to bring forth good fruit we had need to be transplanted remoued from the stocke of Adam to be ingraffed into Christ And this may the words of Christ import that the Father taketh destroyeth euery branch that stil coÌ„tinueth to bring forth fruit in AdaÌ„ and is not implanted into Christ to bring forth fruit in him Which construction if we follow as it carieth most probability then here is nothing said of any to be cut off that is a branch in Christ the true vine but of branches taken and cast away that are not in him But yet graunting him that reading of the words which he desireth yet he is no whit the nearer to his purpose thereby For men are diuersly vnderstood to be in Christ some by semblance shew other some in deed and truth some by outward calling profession only other some by grace and inward regeneration some according to the flesh and in the eie of the Church other some according to the spirit and power of Christ in the eie of God The Church is the floore wherein is both corne chaffe the field wherein groweth both wheat and tares the net that catcheth all sorts of fishes both good bad the pasture where feed both sheepe and goates the banquet house that entertaineth all guests that come both clothed vnclothed all yet comming vnder the name of friends all saying Lord Lord all professing themselues to take part with Christ i August de vâ—â—t eccles cap. 13. Vnde appellat sâ—nas nisi propter malignitatem morum Et easâ—eÌ„ vnde filias nisi propter cemmunionem sacramentorum cap. 12. Propter sacramenta quae cum sanctis communiter habent in eu est quaedam forma pietatis cuius virtuteÌ„ negant all children by communion of Sacraments whereby there is in them a shew of godlinesse but many thornes by malignity of behauiour whereby they deny the power thereof all sheepe in outward complement couplement to the Church but k De
we are to be iustified is the obedience of Christ for n Rom. 5.15 by the obedience of one saith the Apostle shall many be made righteous and what is the obedience of Christ but the righteousnesse of Christ The righteousnes of Christ then is the thing to be apprehended and receiued for our iustification And how should we be o 2. Cor. 5.21 made the righteousnesse of God in him but by apprehending and receiuing a righteousnesse which is in him He is called the p Ierem. 23.6 Lord our righteousnes not who maketh vs righteous only but who himselfe is our righteousnes and how should he be our righteousnes but by his righteousnesse Therefore in apprehending and receiuing Christ by faith we apprehend receiue the righteousnes of Christ to be our iustification before God But I need not stand vpon this for seeing through this whole Chapter we shall proue that we receiue no gift of inherent righteousnesse whereby we can be iustified in the sight of God it followeth as is also proued that the righteousnesse which we receiue by faith for iustification is the merite and obedience of Christ imputed vnto vs. Now M. Bishop telleth vs that he can gather a disproofe of all this out of M. Perkins owne explication For saith he if faith created in our hearts be the onely sufficient supernaturall instrument to apprehend the couenant of grace then there needes no Sacraments for that purpose But such disproofes will make men thinke that he is runne not out of his learning onely but also out of his wits If he will apply that answer to M. Perkins it must be thus If faith be the onely instrument whereby we apprehend Christ what neede we anie Sacraments to offer him vnto vs And why did he not as well say what neede there anie word of God to that purpose for his disproofe standeth as good in the one as in the other But M. Perkins setteth both downe as meanes on Gods part to offer Christ vnto vs not as instruments or meanes on our part to apprehend and lay hold of Christ and notably obserueth how the giuing of bread and wine to the seuerall communicants in the Lords Supper is a pledge and signe of Gods particular giuing of Christs bodie and bloud with all his merites to euery of them by faith in him Yea saith M. Bishop but how then are infants iustified who cannot haue any such act of faith I answer him that infants dying are iustified and saued meerely by vertue of the couenant and promise of God to which they are entitled by the calling and faith of their parents and in right whereof they are baptized and entred into the bodie of the Church God hauing sayd q Gen. 17.7 I will be thy God and the God of thy seed For where the offer of the couenant hath no place there the meanes of acceptance cannot be required but by meere and absolute gift righteousnesse and life are giuen and in the Sacrament sealed vnto them who according to the purpose of the grace of God are by inward regeneration made the seed of the faithfull according to the intendment and meaning of the couenant Yet nothing hindereth but that we may conceiue that God calling infants frō hence doth in their passage by the power of his Spirit giue them light of vnderstanding and knowledge and faith of Christ as an entrance to that light and life which after by Christ and with him they enioy for euer Who when he will maketh babes and sucklings to praise him and euen in young children sometimes in our sight sheweth the admirable fruit of his grace in their death far beyond that their yeares are capable of As for infants baptized and continuing to elder yeares they are not alwayes iustified in being baptized but God calleth them some sooner some later some at one houre some at another according to his good will and pleasure and then the medicine long before applied beginneth to worke the effect that doth appertaine vnto it 20. W. BISHOP But to returne vnto the sound doctrine of our Catholike faith M. Perkins finds fault with it one that we teach faith to go before iustification whereas by the word of God saith he at the very instant when any man beleeueth first he is then both iustified and sanctified What word of God so teacheth Ioh. 6.54 Marrie this He that beleeueth eateth and drinketh the bodie and bloud of Christ and is alreadie passed from death to life I answer that our Sauiour in that text speaketh not of beleeuing but of eating his bodie in the blessed Sacrament which who so receiueth worthily obtaineth thereby life euerlasting as Christ saith expresly in that place And so this proofe is vaine Now will I proue out of the holy Scriptures that faith goeth before iustification Rom. 10. first by that of S. Paul Whosoeuer calleth on the name of our Lord shall be saued but how shall they call vpon him in whom they do not beleeue how shall they beleeue without a preacher c. Where there is this order set downe to arriue vnto iustification First to heare the preacher then to beleeue afterward to call vpon God for mercie and finally mercie is graunted and giuen in iustification so that prayer goeth betweene faith and iustification This Saint Augustine obserued De praedest sanc cap. 7. De spirit lit cap. 30. when he said Faith is giuen first by which we obtaine the rest And againe By the Law is knowledge of sinne by faith we obtaine grace and by grace our soule is cured If we list to see the practise of this recorded in holy writ reade the second of the Acts and there you shall find how that the people hauing heard S. Peters Sermon were striken to the hearts and beleeued yet were they not straight way iustified but asked of the Apostles what they must do who willed them to do penance and to be baptized in the name of Iesus in remission of their sinnes and then lo they were iustified so that penance and baptisme went betweene their faith and their iustification In like maner Queene Candaces Eunuch hauing heard S. Philip announcing vnto him Christ beleeued that IESVS CHRIST was the Sonne of God no talke in those dayes of applying vnto himselfe Christs righteousnesse yet was he not iustified Act. 8. before descending out of his chariot he was baptized And three dayes passed betwene S. Pauls conuersion and his iustification Act. 9. as doth euidently appeare by the historie of his conuersion The second fault he findeth with our faith is that we take it to be nothing else but an illumination of the mind stirring vp the will which being so moued and helped by grace causeth in the heart many good spirituall motions But this saies M. Perkins is as much to say that dead men onely helped can prepare themselues to their resurrection Not so good Sir but that men spiritually dead being quickned
by Gods spirit may haue many good motions for as our spirit giueth life vnto our bodies so the spirit of God by his grace animateth and giueth life vnto our soules But of this it hath bene once before spoken at large in the question of Free will R. ABBOT We are so to affirme the effect of iustifying faith as may make good what the Scripture hath deliuered concerning it Which because the Church of Rome doth not in making faith precedent in time to iustification and grace M. Perkins iustly findeth fault therewith Our Sauiour saith a Ioh. 5.24 He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed froÌ„ death to life Our passing from death to life is our iustification If euery one that beleeueth be passed from death to life then euery one that beleeueth is iustified or if there be any that beleeueth and yet is not iustified theÌ„ it is not true of euery one that beleeueth that he is passed from death to life To this place M. Perkins alluded though he quoted it not but M. Bishop thought it safest for him to say nothing of it To the other place his answer is a simple shift He that beleeueth eateth and drinketh the bodie and bloud of Christ I answer saith M. Bishop that our Sauiour in that text speaketh not of beleeuing but of eating his bodie in the blessed Sacrament But we answer him againe that if Christ speake of eating in the sacrament then it must follow that whosoeuer is not partaker of the sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ is excluded from life because our Sauiour expresly saith b Ioh. 6.53 Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you But so to say is absurd and false as in the example of the crucified theefe and many other is apparant and plaine Againe the Sacrament was not instituted long after and will M. Bishop exclude any faithfull that after this time died before that institution from that eating of the flesh of Christ and drinking of his bloud which Christ here recommendeth for the hauing of eternall life S. Austin saith that c Bedâ— in 1. Cor. 10. ex August ser ad infantes in baptisme we are made partakers of the bodie and bloud of Christ so that though one die before he come to the Sacrament of the Bread and the Cup yet is he not depriued of the participation and benefit of that Sacrament seeing he hath found that alreadie which that Sacrament signifieth The Apostle testifieth that the fathers of the old Testament did d 1. Cor. 10.3.4 all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke not the same one with another as the e Rhem. Annot. 1. Cor. 10. Rhemistes for a shift expound it but f Aug. in Joan. tract 26. spiritualem eandem quem nos the same that we do For g Idem de vtilit penitent c. 1. Eundem non inuento quomodo intelligam nisi eundem quem manducamus nos I find not saith S. Austin how I should vnderstand The same but the same that we eate Therefore they also did eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud But their eating and drinking was not the participation of the Sacrament Therefore Christ by eating his flesh and drinking his bloud doth not import any thing tied to the participation of the Sacrament Yea the whole course of that text giueth vs plainely to vnderstand that Christ by eating his flesh and drinking his bloud meaneth the same as by beleeuing in him Therefore doth S. Austin by the one expound the other h Aug. in Ioan. tract 25. Crede manducasti Ibid. tract 26. Hortans vt credamus in eum Credere enim in eum hoâ— est manducare pâ—nem viuum Qui credit manducat Beleeue and thou hast eaten he exhorteth vs to beleeue in him for to beleeue in him that is to eate the bread of life he that beleeueth eateth And so saith he of the fathers eating and drinking that this i Idem de vtilit poenit Fide capiebatur non corpore hauriebatur spirituall meate and drinke was receiued by faith and not by the bodie Now if beleefe in Christ be imported by eating and drinking the flesh and bloud of Christ then M. Perkins proofe was not vaine but M. Bishop hath shewed himselfe a vaine man to giue so vaine an answer without any proofe thereof at all Without doubt k Ioh. 6.54 whosoeuer eateth the flesh of Christ and drinketh his bloud hath eternall life But no man hath eternall life but he that is iustified and sanctified Whosoeuer therfore eateth and drinketh the flesh bloud of Christ is iustified sanctified But our beleeuing in Christ is our eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud So soone therfore as we beleeue in Christ we are iustified sanctified that it may be true which the Apostle saith that l Rom. 3.22 the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ is to all and vpon all that do beleeue which cannot be sayd if any beleeue vpon whom there yet is not the Righteousnesse of God to iustifie him before God The proofes that he alledgeth to the contrarie are verie simple and slender First he alledgeth the words of S. Paul m Rom. 10.13 Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued but how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued c. Where of iustification we heare not a word nor is any thing purposely meant thereof For the words which the Apostle citeth out of the Prophet Ioel touch not the order of iustification but import a promise to them that are iustified by faith in Christ and accordingly do call vpon the name of the Lord that in the calamities and confusion of the world God will preserue them to be partakers of euerlasting saluation Now we graunt that by order of nature there is a precedence of faith to iustification but we denie all prioritie in respect of time And whereas M. Bishop auoucheth that prayer goeth betwixt faith and iustification beside that it is not proued by the Apostles words it is verie vntrue and false For there can be no true prayer without n Zach. 12.10 Vulgat the spirit of grace and of prayer without o Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The spirit of adoption and grace is the spirit of sanctification It followeth then that we pray not but by being first sanctified and because sanctification is consequent to iustification it must follow also that iustification goeth before prayer so that in praying for the forgiuenesse of sinnes it commeth to passe with vs which the Prophet saith p Esa 6â— 24 Before they call I will answer them Let M. Bishop order the matter how
him to be that vnto vs which God hath promised surely in beleeuing him to be our righteousnesse he is our righteousnesse and ſ 2. Cor. 5.21 we are made the righteousnesse of God in him And this is indeede not by receiuing Christes righteousnesse really into vs but by hauing righteousnesse imputed vnto vs for his sake For we receiue the righteousnesse of Christ euen as we receiue himselfe who so becommeth ours as that t Iohn 6.56 we abide in him and he in vs u Ephe. 5.30 we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones we are really and truly by the power of his spirit one with him and he with vs and yet he is not personally bodily brought vnto vs. Faith seeketh Christ and findeth him and holdeth him in the virgins wombe in the maunger in the garden vpon the crosse in the graue in his resurrection and ascension vnto heauen and in his now sitting at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs. Euery where faith imbraceth him and in euery of these seeth him to be ours as hauing vndertaken and atchieued all these things for our sakes Euen so the righteousnesse merit of Christ is spiritually but really ours within and without in spirit soule and body to clense and sanctifie vs vnto God But saith he if it be ours by Gods imputation what neede we then faith as a spirituall hand to receiue it A foolish and idle question as if he should say If I giue food to a hungry man what neede hath he either of a hand to take it or a mouth to eate it He himselfe saw that the answer is ready euen the same that Ambrose deliuereth x Ambros in Rom ca. 4. Sic decretum a Deo hoc sāxit Deus Et in 1. Cor. cap. 1. Hoc constitutū est c. God hath so decreed it is thus appointed of God God requireth faith to which he will impute the righteousnesse of Christ Where we may wonder at the absurd boldnesse of this blind baiard who telleth vs hereupon that he will be bold to say that any other vertue is as proper as faith to haue Christ applied vnto vs. What M. Bishop wil you be bold to say that any other vertue is as proper to apply Christ vnto vs as that which God himselfe hath appointed for that vse Is not the will and ordinance of God sufficient to restraine your presumption and boldnesse to shut your mouth from running ouer in this sort He saith that there is no other aptnesse requisite in the cōdition it selfe but only the wil and ordinance of God But shal we be so impious as to think that the wil ordinance of God without cause appointeth one cōdition whē as wel it might appoint another or appointeth anything to be don which is not more fitly done that way that he appointeth then any other way The Apostle telleth vs y Rom. 4.16 Therfore it is by faith that it may be of grace importing that faith is appointed as the fittest meanes wherby to set forth the grace of God Again he addeth for another reason z Ibid. That the promise might be sure to all the seed For no otherwise can we rest assured of the promise of God but as it is of grace who in our works can find nothing whereupon to assure our selues By faith therfore we beleeue it to be of grace that with cōfortable assurāce we may firmly expect the blessing which God hath promised vnto vs. Another reasō with S. Paul why faith is specially appointed is a Cap. 3.27 to exclude boasting So saith Ambrose b Ambros in Psal 43. Maluit Deus vt salus homini fide potius quà m operib quaereretur nequis gloriaretur in suis factis God hath made choise that saluation should be gotten rather by faith then by workes that no man should glory in his owne doings It is therefore for the speciall aptnesse of faith that God hath appointed it to be the instrument for applying vnto vs the whole benefit of Christ Yet M. Bishop telleth vs that true diuine reason teacheth him that both hope and charity do much more apply Christes merits vnto vs then faith doth But it is indeede a dreaming and vnreasonable fancie and not anie true diuine reason that hath taught him so For whereas he saith that hope applieth in particular what faith beleeueth in generall it hath bene before shewed that the office of true faith is to make this particular applicatiō And indeed there can be no true hope in any man where there is not first a faith to apply the benefit of Christ particularly to himselfe For though I beleeue that Iesus is a Sauiour yet what ground haue I thereby to hope for saluation vnlesse I beleeue that he hath saued me that c Gal. 2.20 he hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Surely vnlesse I beleeue for my selfe I cannot hope for any thing for my selfe saue onely at vncertaine aduenture and without ground Now M. Bishops hope being no other how can he be said thereby to apply that to himselfe whereof he is still to stand in feare whether it be his or not But to come neerer to the point the question here is of applying the merits of Christ vnto vs. Now the merit of Christ is that that Christ hath already done for vs. But hope respecteth that onely that is futurely to be done Hope therefore can in no sort be the instrument to apply vnto vs the merit of Christ Neither can charitie serue vs for that vse because I cannot presume of that that is anothers vpon any conscience of my loue towards him but vpon confidence onely of his loue towards me Howsoeuer I seeme to employ my selfe to the seruice of God yet it giueth me nothing whereof to presume with him vnlesse I beleeue that of his loue he doth accept my seruice and will reward the same Be it as Maister Bishop saith that all things are common amongst friends but before we can build thereupon wee must haue it resolued vnto vs that God taketh vs for his friends which can be no otherwise but by faith onely d Rom. 3.25 God hauing set foorth Christ to be an attonement to make vs friends with God through faith in his bloud Faith then must first applie vnto vs the merite of the bloud of Christ before there can be anie friendshippe betwixt God and as And although being now in friendship with Christ our loue may giue vs encouragement and comfort to make vse to our selues of that that is his yet it is not by our loue that we take it to make vse therof For the art of loue is done only extramittendo by issue and passage from vs to Christ and therefore it must be somwhat else whereby we receiue and apply from Christ to vs. To be short we wonder what application M. Bishop can make by charity who e Chap. 3. Sect.
M. Bishop to presume but for God himselfe to determine who hath not thought fit to bring vs to perfection in this life that he may haue the whole glorie of our saluation in the life to come The words of Dauid are as little helpfull vnto him i Psal 119. I will runne the way of thy commaundements when thou hast set my heart at liberty So farre as we are at liberty so farre we runne and so fast we runne But we attaine not to that liberty yet but that being k Rom. 7.23 holden captiue to the law of sinne which is in our members we haue still cause to cry l 24. Who shall deliuer vs or set vs at liberty from this body of death m 2. Cor. 3.17 Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty We haue receiued as yet onely n Rom. 8.23 the first fruites of the spirit We haue yet therefore but the first fruites of liberty and there is still remaining somewhat o Heb. 12.1 that presseth downe and sinne hanging fast on so that we cannot runne without much hinderance and many falls and the p Mat. 26.41 willingnesse of the spirit findeth alwaies a let by the infirmitie and weaknesse of the flesh 43. W. BISHOP Hauing now confuted all that is commonly proposed to prooue the impossibility of keeping Gods commaundements let vs now see what we can say in proofe of the possibility of it First S. Paul is very plainly for it saying That which was impossible to the law in that is weakened by the flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of flesh of sinne damned sinne in the flesh that the iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but according vnto the spirit See how formally he teacheth that Christ dying to redeeme vs from sinne purchased vs grace to fulfill the law which before was impossible vnto our weake flesh Againe how farre S. Iohn was from that opinion of thinking Gods commaundements to be impossible Cap. 5. may appeare by that Epistle And his commaundements be not heauie Which is taken out of our Sauiours owne words My yoke is sweet Math. 11. and my burthen is light The reason of this is that although to our corrupt frailty they be very heauie yet when the vertue of charity is powred into our hearts by the holy Ghost then loe do we with delight fulfill them For as the Apostle witnesseth Charity is the fulnesse of the law Rom. 13. And He that doth loue his neighbour hath fulfilled the law Math. 22. Which Christ himselfe teacheth when he affirmeth That the whole law and Prophets depend vpon these two commaundements of louing God and our neighbour Now both according vnto our opinion and the Protestants a man regenerate and in the state of grace hath in him the vertue of Charity we hold it to be the principall part of inherent iustice they say that their iustifying faith can neuer be seperated from it so that a righteous man being also indued with charity is able thereby to fulfill the whole law Let vs adioyne vnto these Authorities of holy write the testimonie of one auncient Father or two S. Basil affirmeth That it is impious and vngodly Serm. in illud Attende tibi to say that the commaundements of the spirit be vnpossible S. Augustine defineth That we must beleeue firmely De nat gra cap. 69. that God being iust and good could not command things that be impossible for vs to fulfill The reason may be that it is the part of a tyrant and no true lawmaker to commaâ—â—d his subiects to do that vnder paine of death which he knowes them no way able to performe for those were not to be called lawes which are to direct men to that which is iust but snares to catch the most diligent in and to bind them vp to most assured perdition Wherefore it was afterward decreed in an approoued Councell of Aransican as an article of faith in these words 2. Can. vlt. This also we beleeue according to the Catholike faith that all men baptized by grace there receiued with the helpe and cooperation of Christ can and ought to keepe and fulfill those things which belong to saluation The principall whereof are after our Sauiours owne determination to keepe the commaundements If thou wilt enter into life Math. 1â— keepe the commaundements This by the way concerning the possibility of fulfilling the law R. ABBOT M. Bishop hath a good opinion of that that he hath done and if his fellowes do not accept it accordingly no doubt but he will thinke they do him great wrong As for vs we may by his leaue thinke that that we see that he hath babled much and said as good as nothing and that he is farre from being a man to take vpon him the confuting of any thing that is defended on our part But now leauing his confutation he goeth in hand with proofe of a possibility in vs to fulfill the law And first he alledgeth to that purpose the words of S. Paul in some part handled before a Rom. 8.3 That that was vnpossible to the law inasmuch as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the iustification or righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Now of this place he saith that it formally teacheth that Christ dying to redeeme vs from sinne did purchase vs grace to fulfill the law which before was impossible to our weake flesh But he is still so full of formality that we can finde little matter in any thing that he saith How hath Christ purchased grace for vs to fulfill the law in that sence as here we speake of fulfilling the law when as the grace of Christ doth still leaue remaining in vs a weakenesse of flesh to which the Apostle saith it is a thing vnpossible to fulfill the law All M. Bishops teeth cannot vntie this knot If weakenesse of flesh hinder the fulfilling of the law then so long as we liue here the grace of Christ neuer putteth vs in state to fulfill the law because it neuer taketh from vs the weakenesse of the flesh His commentarie therefore is nothing woorth and because it is but his owne we make very small account or reckoning of it The cause of our not fulfilling the law continueth still and therefore we must referre the benefit here expressed to some other thing then our fulfilling of the law That the Apostle noteth first in saying that Christ condemned sinne comparing it thereby to a prisoner a robber or murtherer brought to the barre and there receiuing sentence of condemnation and death that thenceforth it should be bereaued of all action or accusation of all plea or power against vs. This Christ hath done for
and loue to preferre the seruice of Christ before all the glory of this world Albeit it is not to be omitted that S. Iohn somtime following the Hebrew phrase vseth the terme of beleeuing in Christ abusiuely applying it to them who by the miracles of Christ and his manifest declaration of the truth were conuicted in conscience to acknowledge him to be of God but yet did not at all in their hearts submit themselues vnto him Thus he saith in another place that y Ioh. 2.23 many beleeued in the name of Christ when they saw his miracles which he did to whom yet he did not commit himselfe because he knew what was in them Thus might it be said of some of those chiefe rulers that they beleeued in Christ that is were perswaded in their minds that he spake the truth but yet preferring their credit and reputatiō with men gaue no regard vnto it But that there is another manner of beleeuing in Christ which is that wherof we speake not incident to them who cōtinue wholy possessed with such respects Christ himself sheweth saying z Ioh. 5.44 How can ye beleeue which receiue honor one of another seek not the honor that cometh of God alone They might therfore in some meaning be said to beleeue in Christ when yet they had no true faith which as appeareth by these words cannot be separated from loue and seeking of the honour that cometh of God alone which wheresoeuer it is begun beginneth to looke vnto God and winding by degrees out of all other regards yeeldeth it selfe entirely to follow him Therfore the distinction of faith being obserued which the Scripture it selfe enforceth vpon vs M. Bishop hath yet alledged nothing to proue that true faith and charitie may be diuided or that any man may be said truly to beleeue in whom there is not also loue to righteousnesse and good works 51. W. BISHOP Cap. 2. 5 This place of S. Iames What shall it profit my brethren if any man say that he hath faith but hath not works what shall his faith be able to saue supposeth very plainly that a man may haue faith without good workes that is without charitie but that it shall auaile him nothing Caluin saith that the Apostle speakes of a shadow of faith which is a bare knowledge of the articles of our Creed but not a iustifying faith Without doubt he was litle acquainted with that kind of faith by which Protestants be iustified but he directly speakes of such a faith as Abraham was iustified by saying That that faith did worke with his works and was made perfect by the workes Was this but a shadow of faith But they reply that this faith is likened vnto the faith of the Diuell and therefore cannot be a iustifying faith that followeth not for an excellent good thing may be like vnto a bad in some things as Diuels in nature are not onely like but the very same as Angels be euen so a full Christian faith may be well likened vnto a Diuels faith when it is naked and voyd of good works in two points first in both there is a perfect knowledge of all things reuealed secondly this knowledge shall not stead them any whit but only serue vnto their greater condemnation because that knowing the will of their master they did it not And in this respect S. Iames compareth them together now there are many points wherein these faiths do differ but this one is principall that Christians out of a godly and deuout affection do willingly submit their vnderstanding vnto the rules of faith beleeuing things aboue humane reason yea such as seeme sometimes contrary to it But the diuell against his will beleeues all that God hath reuealed because by his naturall capacitie he knowes that God cannot teach nor testifie any vntruth Againe that faith may be without charitie is proued out of these words of the same 2. chapter Euen as the body without the spirit is dead so also faith without works is dead Hence thus I argue albeit the body be dead without the soule yet it is a true natural body in it selfe euen so faith is perfect in the kind of faith although without charity it auaile not to life euerlasting Lastly in true reason it is manifest that faith may be without charity for they haue seuerall seates in the soule one being in the will and the other in the vnderstanding they haue distinct obiects faith respecting the truth of God and charity the goodnesse of God Neither doth faith necessarily suppose charity as charity doth faith for we cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard Neither yet doth charity naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnes of God and of his benefits and loue towards vs into which good and deuout considerations few men do enter in comparison of them who are led into the broad way of iniquity through their inordinate passions This according to the truth and yet more different in the Protestants opinion for faith layes hold on Christs righteousnes receiues that in but charity can receiue nothing in as M. Perkins witnesseth Pa. 85. but giues it selfe forth in all duties of the 1. and 2. Table Now sir if they could not apply vnto themselues Christs righteousnes without fulfilling all duties of the 1. and 2. Table they should neuer apply it to them for they hold it impossible to fulfill all those duties so that this necessary lincking of charity with faith maketh their saluation not only very euill assured but altogether impossible for charity is the fulnesse of the law which they hold impossible Rom. 12. and then if the assurance of their saluation must needs be ioyned with such an impossibility they may assure themselues that by that faith they can neuer come to saluation R. ABBOT That faith may be without charitie and good workes it is true and we doubt not thereof according to the meaning of faith of which S. Iames speaketh which Caluin very iustly and rightly saith is but a shadow of faith For it plainely appeareth by the text that he speaketh of faith as only professed before men as before hath bene alledged Therefore he compareth it a Iam. 2.16 to the good words of him that wisheth wel to the poore man but doth nothing at all for him To this tendeth his question b Ver. 14. What auaileth it though a man say that he hath faith and his other demand c Ver. 18. shew me thy faith The vttermost that he extendeth it to by instance is a meere historicall faith d Ver. 19. Thou beleeuest that there is one God His purpose is to shew that faith if it be truly professed hath a root within from whence spring by obedience the fruites of al good workes and if it giue not foorth it selfe by workes it is no true faith Whereas M. Bishop saith that S. Iames speaketh directly of such a faith as Abraham was iustified
casting her with violence into the sea neuer to rise againe And you most noble King in whom God hath turned the period of time which threatned alteration and danger to our state gouernment to the further strength and establishment thereof and hath lifted your throne far aboue the thrones of your royall Progenitors and hath made you in a manner the ballance of the Christian world consider that it is vndoubtedly for some great work that in his prouidence he hath so disposed it and thereto apply those singular ornaments and endowments of the mind wherein you excell all that haue bene before you God hath made your Highnes able to espie and discerne the conicatching deuices of those bastard Catholik seducers we assure our selues that in your self in your royall posteritie it shall be found to the great aduancement of the faith and kingdome of Iesus Christ Wherein that our hope may not be frustrate we most humbly beseech almighty God to put into your Maiesties heart not to be too secure of them who account it a martyrdome to die for the murthering of Christian Princes and in the shedding of your sacred bloud would think themselues to haue gained the one half of their desires content perhaps by instructions for a while to temporize and to make shew of meaning no harme till the memory of their late villany being somewhat ouerblowne they may be the lesse suspected but hauing already giuen to vnderstand what your Maiestie shall looke for at their hands if oportunitie should second their designes The Lord auert and turne that iudgement from vs and n 1. Sam. 25.29 bind your Maiesties soule in the bundle of life with the Lord your God that your eies may long behold that noble Impe of grace the branch of our hope together with the other branches of your royall line growing before the Lord to the further dismay and terror of your enemies and the greater securitie and assurance of the church of Christ As for the seruice which according to your Maiesties commandement I haue here performed albeit it be far from that perfection which the weight of the cause requireth yet I doubt not but it is sufficient to shew on whether part the truth is to be found and to iustifie the proceedings of your Maiesty against the cauillations of wilfull men desperatly shutting their owne eyes that the light of the Gospel may not shine vnto them Whatsoeuer it is it most humbly craueth your Maiesties acceptance and royall protection and fauour whereto with all loyall duty I recommend it and your Highnesse selfe to the protection of the most high God whose cause it is that is defended thereby Your Maiesties most humble and dutifull subiect ROB. ABBOT TO THE CHRISTIAN READER GEntle Reader thou wilt I hope impute it in some part to the condition of the time that I giue thee this answer not altogether so well featured and shaped as thou haply wouldst desire it Though it be a fruite that may seeme to haue bene long in growing yet as the case standeth with me the length of time hath but serued to bring it to his greatnesse and therefore howsoeuer it commeth forth with defiance to the aduersaries yet I confesse it seemeth to me not so throughly digested and seasoned as I would haue wished it to content thee In this defence of Gods truth the things that are specially to be respected against the importunitie and aduantage of our aduersaries are strength and expedition I haue had care as the matter would permit to satisfie thee in both these respects and let my care herein obtaine pardon of thee if I seeme vnto thee to faile in some complements otherwise If thou thinke this my answer needlesse because another man hath already taken paines therein thou must remember that no mans priuate preuention could yeeld me dispensation to be free from doing that which publike authoritie required of me I doubt not but in the reading of either it shal appeare vnto thee what spirit it is wherewith these Romish factors are led in their opposition against vs and that it is not truth and sauing of soules whereto they bend themselues but onely the vpholding of their faction whether by truth or falshood by right or wrong it skilleth not so that that may be performed That thou mayst the better see and iudge of all I haue inserted the whole text of Doctor Bishops booke altogether condemning that falshood and guile which he hath vsed towards M. Perkins and they al vse in their pretence and shew of answering our books in that they neuer set downe the copie of that to which they answer Which policy serueth them to blind the Reader and to gaine libertie to themselues to conceale and dissemble what they list to peruert to vilifie to falsifie and by absurd imputations to calumniate without being controlled As our fidelitie and good conscience of the cause which we handle manifestly appeareth in that we neuer forbeare to publish our aduersaries bookes to the world when we haue adioyned an answer to them so their guilt and guile is manifest by the contrary for that they feare to put forth our bookes with their answers as doubting least the bookes being at hand should bewray and shew the vnsufficiencie of the answers As for Master Perkins booke being loth too much to increase the greatnesse of the volume I haue forborne to put it in the rather for that the substance thereof for the most part may appeare by that that Master Bishop hath set downe and where he faulteth I haue taken occasion in my answer to declare if not the words yet the summe and effect of it the booke it selfe also being easily had by any that is desirous more exactly to compare them The authors conceit for the forme and maner of that work was greatly to be approued and whereas it hath had the liking of very many for the briefe and plaine deliuery of our controuersiall grounds they shall see now that it was not without cause that they caried so good opiniō of it inasmuch as the malice of an enemie out of their many large volumes can find so little matter of waight and substance to say against it I doubt not but it had bene well that in some places he had giuen it some better strength but it is to be considered that as the midwife iudgeth better of the birth then the mother that trauelleth with it and in gaming the stander by sometimes seeth more then he that playeth so it is in writing of bookes that the Reader and examiner seeth sometimes a defect where the busied and intangled minde of the writer obserued none and therefore of welwillers and men indifferent it is to be expected that that which it somewhat vnperfectly deliuered in one place be no impeachment of that which is sufficiently fenced and fortified in another Thou shalt finde it gentle Reader to haue bene so written as that Maister Bishop is faine to vse
cap. 9. Nunquid liberum arbitrium negat hominibus quia Deo totum tribuit quòd rectè viuimus doth a man denie Free will saith he because he attributeth it wholy to God that we liue well q Retract lib. 1â— cap 9. Tale est vt sine illo rectè viuere nequeamus without freedome of will we cannot liue well for how should a man do well without his will but yet this Free wil to liue wel is r Cont 2. epist Pelag. lib. 3 cap. 7. Hominis non libera sed Dei gratia liberata voluntas a will not free meerly of it selfe but made free by the grace of God For then is Å¿ De ciuit Dei lib. 14. cap. 11. Arbitrium voluntatu tunc est vere liberum cùm vetijs peccatisque non seruit Tale datum est a Deo quod amissum proprio vitio nisi à quo dari potuit reddi non potest the will of man free indeed when it is free from sinne and such a free will God gaue to man in the beginning but he lost it by his owne default and being lost it cannot be restored but by him that was able first to giue it In Christ therefore it is restored vnto vs who by his t Esai 51.12 free spirit giueth u Esa â—1 1. libertie to the captiues and openeth the prison to them that are bound and x Col. 1.13 deliuereth vs from the power of darknesse and maketh vs y 1 Cor. 7.22 free-men vnto him But yet so as that hauing receiued but a Rom. 8.23 the first fruits of the spirit by whom this freedome is wrought according to the words of the Apostle b 2. Cor. 3.17 Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie the same is yet but begun in vs so that c August in Ioan. tract 41. Ex parte libertas ex parte seruitus nondum tota nondum pura nondum plena liberias there is partly freedome and partly bondage not yet whole and pure and perfect freedome For no further is the will freed then it is renewed and it is renewed as yet but in part continuing still d De peccat mer. rem lib. 2. cap. 7. Animus qui est homo interior nondum totus est renouatus in quantuÌ„ nondum est renouatus intantum adhuc in vetustate est in part in the old estate Therefore it is so made free as that in some part we haue cause still to complaine with the Apostle e Rom. 7.14 I am carnall sold vnder sinne and to pray with the Prophet Dauid f Psal 142.7 Bring my soule out of prison that I may giue thankes vnto thy name Hence is that heauinesse and dulnesse that waywardnesse and vntowardnesse that retention and holding backe that still we find in vs in the applying of our selues to spirituall and heauenly things And as touching that wherein we are renewed and made free it is not sufficient to vphold vs and keepe vs in the right way but we haue still neede of the grace of God to be assistant and helpefull vnto vs. g Hieron ad Ctesiphont Non sufficit mihi quòd semel donauit nisi semper donauerit Peto vt accipiam eum accepero rursus peto It is not enough that God hath once giuen sayth Hierome except he still giue I pray to receiue and when I haue receiued I pray againe Therefore the ancient church required of Pelagius to confesse that h August epist 106. Fateatur gratiam Dei adâ—utorium etiam ad singulos actus dari the grace of God is giuen vs to euerie act that we do i Enchirid cap. 32. Nolenâ—em praeuenit vt velit volentem subsequitur ne frustra velit He preuenteth vs to make vs willing followeth vs when we are willing that we do not wil in vaine And if his hand do not hold vs and vphold vs it commeth to passe by the burden of corruptible flesh that we are still relapsing to our selues and still readie with the k Exod. 14.11.12 Israelits to yeeld our selues to become bond againe l Bernard in Cant. ser 84. Non est aliud anima nostra quà m spirites valiens non rediensâ—â— ita fuerit derelicta Our soule saith Bernard is no other but as a wind that passeth and returneth not againe if it be left vnto it selfe Now M. Bishop do you carry this in mind thus expressed by the phrases and speeches of the ancient Church and leaue to calumniate our doctrine who affirme Free will as farre as they affirmed it and deny it no otherwise but as they denied it against the Pelagian heretikes But you will hardly leaue your wont because you see well enough that if you take our doctrine as we deliuer it you can deuise nothing plausibly or colourably to speake against it 2. W. BISHOP M. Per. 2. Conclusion The matters whereabout Free will is occupied are principally the actions of men which be of three sorts Naturall Humane Spirituall Naturall actions are such as are common to men and beasts as to eate sleepe c. In all which we ioyne with the Papists and hold that man hath free will euen since the fall of Adam M. Per. 3. Conclusion Humane actions are such as are common to all men good and bad as to speake to practise any kind of art to performe any kind of ciuill dutie to preach to administer Sacraments c. And hither we may referre the outward actions of ciuill vertues as namely Iustice Temperance Gentlenesse and Liberalitie and in these also we ioyne with the Church of Rome and say as experience teacheth that men haue a naturall freedome of will to put them or not to put them in execution S. Paul saith The Gentiles that haue not the law Rom. 2.14 do the things of the law by nature that is by naturall strength And he saith of himselfe Phil 3 6. Mat 6 5. Ezech. 29.19 that before his conuersion touching the righteousnesse of the law he was vnblameable And for the externall obedience naturall men receiue reward in temporall things And yet here some caueats must be remembred First that in humane actions he should say morall mans will is weake and his vnderstanding dimme thereupon he often failes in them This caueat is no caueat of the Protestants but taken out of S. Thomas of Aquines Summe 12 â— 109. art 4. 8. And in all such actions with S. Augustine you might haue quoted the place I vnderstand the will of man to be onely wounded or halfe dead 2. That the will of man is vnder the will of God and therefore to be ordered by it Who knowes not this R. ABBOT Here M. Bishop giueth vs some more of his learned notes and telleth vs that M. Perkins for humane should haue said morall wheras the name of morall actions doth not so properly comprehend all those which he
another whereas to that purpose it was vsed and to that purpose most fitly is applyed and therein nothing contained but what is agreable to the truth For whereas he taketh vpon him to correct that terme of necessitie and will haue it to be called infallibilitie and certaintie he malapertly taketh vpon him to teach them that are more learned then himselfe It is a word which S. Austin often vseth vpon the like occasion both against the Pelagians and Manichees b August de perfect iustit Rat. 9 Quia peccauit voluntas secula est peccantem peccatuÌ„ habendi dura necessitas Man sinned by his will saith he and thereupon followed a cruell necessitie of hauing sinne c Retract lib. 1. cap. 1 Naturae nostrae dura necessitas merito praecedentis iniquitatis exortae est A cruell necessitie of sinne grew vpon our nature by the desert of the first sinne d De nat gra cap. 66 Ex vitijs naturae non ex coÌ„ditione naturae est quaedam peccandi necessitas Not by creation but by corruption of nature there is a certaine necessitie of committing sinne e Cont Fortunat. disput â— Post quaÌ„ libera ipse voluntate peccauit nos in necessitatem praecâ—pitati sumus After that Adam sinned by free will we were throwne headlong into a necessitie of sinne all that haue descended of his race And that this necessitie doth well stand with libertie S. Bernard sheweth in calling it f Bernard in Cantic Ser. 81. Ipsa sua voluÌ„tas necessitateÌ„ facit vt nec necessitas cùm voluntaria sit excludere valeat voluntatem nec voluntas cùm sit illecta excludere necessitatem Et postâ— Anima sub voluntaria quadam malè libera voluntate tenetur Et iterum post Voluntas inexcusabilem incorrigibileÌ„ necessitas facis a voluntarie and mis-free necessitie wherein neither can necessitie excuse the will because it is voluntarie nor the will exclude necessitie because it is entangled with delight therein wherein will taketh froÌ„ him all matter of defence and necessitie bereaueth him of possibilitie of amendment and in a word the will it selfe in strange wise causeth this necessitie to it selfe Now then because the state of sinne is such as that there is one way necessitie by the habit of corruption and another way libertie by the free motion of the will very rightly did M. Perkins to expresse the same vse the example of a prison that puts necessitie in one thing and libertie in another And thus in righteousnesse also necessitie and libertie agree and do not one exclude the other For the Angels being by the grace and power of God confirmed in goodnesse are thereby necessarily good g Jdem de grat lib. arist sup so and in such sort good as that they cannot become euill and yet they are freely and voluntarily good because it is the will it selfe that is established in goodnesse The same shall be the state of eternall life to the elect and faithfull h August de perfect iustitia Bene viuendi nunquam peccandi voluntaria foelixque necessitas A voluntarie and happy necessitie of liuing wel and neuer sinning any more Let M. Bishop take knowledge now of this manner of speech and learne not to find fault when he hath no cause But he noteth that we must not vnderstand that a man is at any time compelled to sinne where I may answer him with his owne words before Who knowes not this And againe that this is none of M. Bishops caueat but taken out of M. Perkins M. Perkins had told him so much before hand and therfore what needed this note For this necessitie groweth not of any outward force but from inward nature not by condition of the substance but by accidentall corruption which being supposed there is a necessitie of sinne as in the palsey a necessitie of shaking in the hot feauer a necessitie of burning in the broken legge a necessitie of halting so continuing till the maladie and distemper be cured and done away And whereas M. Bishop referreth this necessitie of sinne to the weaknesse of man and to the craft of the diuell he speaketh too short in the one and impertinently in the other For we are not to conceiue weaknesse onely which may be onely a priuation but a positiue euill habite and contagion of sinne whereby a man sinneth euen without any furtherance of the diuels temptations by the onely euill disposition of himselfe Which euill disposition because it is also in the will it selfe therefore in the midst of that necessitie a man sinneth no otherwise but as M. Bishop requireth to haue it said with free consent of his owne will W. BISHOP M. P. 5. Conclusion The second kind of spirituall actions be good as Repentance Faith Obedience c. In which we likewise in part ioyne with the Church of Rome and say that in the first conuersion of a sinner mans Free will concurreth with Gods grace as a fellow or co-worker in some sort for in the conuersion of a sinner three things are required the word Gods spirit and Mans will for Mans will is not passiue in all and euery respect but hath an action in the first conuersion and change of the soule when any man is conuerted this worke of God is not done by compulsion but he is conuerted willingly and at the very time when he is conuerted by Gods grace he willeth his conuersion To this end saith S. Augustine He which made thee without thee Seâ— 15 de verb. Apost will not saue thee without thee Againe that it is certaine that our will is required in this that we may do any thing well it is not onely then required in our first conuersion if it be required to all good things which we do but we haue it not from our owne power but God workes to will in vs. For looke at what time God giues grace at the same time he giues a will to desire and will the same as for example when God worke faith at the same time he workes also vpon the will causing it to desire faith and willingly to receiue the gift of beleeuing God makes of the vnwilling wil a willing will because no man can receiue grace vtterly against his will considering will constrained is no will But here we must remember that howsoeuer in respect of time the working of grace by Gods spirit and the willing of it in man go together yet in regard of order grace is first wrought and mans will must first of all be acted and moued by grace and then it also acteth willeth and moueth it selfe And this is the last point of consent betweene vs and the Romane Church touching Free-will neither may we proceed farther with them Hitherto M. Perkins Now before I come to the supposed difference I gather first that he yeeldeth vnto the principall point in controuersie that is freedome of will in ciuill and morall
deliuered from the body of death For i De nat et grat ca. 55. De corpore mors corporis separat sed contracta exillo vitia cohaeâ—ent quibus iusta poena debetur the death of the body separateth the wicked from the body when yet the vices and sins thereby gathered do sticke fast to which iust punishment remaineth due Therfore when he praieth to be deliuered from this body of death k Ibid. De vitijs corporis dicit he meaneth it of the vitious affections of the body l De Temp. ser 45. Per concupiscentiam dictuÌ„ est hoc nostrum mortis corpus By concupiscence is it that this our body of death is so called So Oecumenius saith that the Apostle desireth to be deliuered from m Oecumen in Ro. ca. 7. Ex corporalibus actio nibus spiritualem mortem inducentibus à concupiscentijs quae in corpore sunt quaeque mors nobis sunt the concupiscences which are in the body and which are death vnto vs and do cause a spirituall death n Origen ibid. Corpus mortis appellatur in quo habitat peccatuÌ„ quod mortis est causa It is a body of death saith Origen wherein sinne dwelleth which is the cause of death Ambrose saith that the Apostle calleth his body a body of death o Ambros apud Aug. cont IuliaÌ„ lib. 2. Omnes homines sub peccato nascimur quorum ipse ortus in vitio est c. Ideò Pauli caero corpus mortis erat c. because we all are borne vnder sinne and our very beginning is in trespasse acknowledging as touching the corruption of sin that what it was in the beginning the same in part it continueth still Epiphanius or rather Methodius saith that the Apostle here meaneth p Method apud Epiphan haer 64. Non corpus hoc mortem sed peccatum inhabitans per concupiscentiam in corpore dicit c. sinne dwelling by concupiscence in the body from the bad imaginations thoughts whereof he wished to be deliuered accounting the same death and destruction it selfe Bernard saith that it was q Bernard in Cant. ser 56. Jpsa est carnis concupiscentia c. Hoc sanè vnointeriecto pariete non longè peregrinabatur à Domino Vnde optabas clamans Quis me liberabit c. the law of sinne euen concupiscence standing as a wall betwixt God and him that made him crie out who shall deliuer me from the body of this death In concupiscence then standeth this body of death and because by this body of death it is that the Apostle calleth himselfe miserable it is concupiscence that maketh him miserable which therfore S. Austin calleth r August de Tempore ser 45. miseram legem the miserable law of sin not as being it self capable of misery but per metonymiam because it maketh vs miserable or because we are miserable by it Thus therfore the Apostle acknowledgeth himselfe miserable in himself not as holding himselfe to be in disgrace with God but as finding in himself that for which he deserueth so to be and should be but that God in Christ is mercifull vnto him not to impute the same And what is it but a miserie to haue as it were a filthy carion tied fast to him still breathing out noysome stinke to be continually troubled with an importunat enemy giuing him no rest wearying his soule from day to day nay to cary about with him Å¿ Idem cont Iulian Pelag. lib. 2. Exercitum queÌ„dam variarum cupiditatum intra semetipsum debellabat euen an army of diuerse and sundry lusts drawing one this way and another that way fighting against him on the right hand and on the left bereauing him of his ioy whilest in most earnest meditations they cary him away whether he will or not from that wherin his delight is If outward crosses do make a man miserable much more this inward destraction affliction which galleth the strings of the hart vexeth the very spirit and soule more then the bitternesse of death it selfe If M. Bishop knew this affliction he would thinke there were cause enough therein to make him crie out Miserable man that I am c. But his benummed heart feeleth it not and therefore he speaketh of these matters but as a Philosopher in the schooles without any conscience or sence of that he saith and to a formall argument as he calleth it giueth these mis-shapen and deformed answers 5. W. BISHOP Now to the second Infants Baptized die the bodily death before they come to the yeares of discretion but there is not in them any other cause of death besides Originall sinne for they haue no actuall sinne and death is the wages of sinne as the Apostle saith Rom 5. Rom. 5. death entred into the world by sinne Ans The cause of the death of such Innocents is either the distemperature of their bodies or externall violence and God who freely bestowed their liues vpon them may when it pleaseth him as freely take their liues from them especially when he meanes to recompence them with the happie exchange of life euerlasting True it is that if our first parents had not sinned no man should haue died but haue bene both long preserued in Paradise by the fruit of the wood of life and finally translated without death into the Kingdome of heauen and therefore is it sayd most truly of S. Paul Rom. 5. Rom. 6. Death entred into the world by sinne But the other place The wages of sinne is death is fouly abused for the Apostle there by death vnderstandeth eternall damnation as appeareth by the opposition of it to life euerlasting and by sinne there meaneth not Originall but actuall sinne such as the Romans committed in their infidely the wages whereof if they had not repented them had bene hell fire now to inferre that Innocents are punished with corporall death for Original sinne remaining in them because that eternall death is the due hire of actuall sinne is either to shew great want of iudgement or else very strangely to peruert the words of holy Scripture Let this also not be forgotten that he himselfe acknowledged in our Consent that the punishment of Originall sinne was taken away in Baptisme from the regenerate how then doth he here say that he doth die the death for it R. ABBOT The example of infants dying after Baptisme before they come to yeares of discretion is rightly alledged to proue that sinne remaineth after Baptisme because where there is no sin there can be no death To this M. Bishop sendeth vs a most pitifull and miserable answer that the cause of the death of infants is not sin but either the distemperature of their bodies or externall violence Thus he would maintain a priuiledge to infants against the words of S. Iohn a 1. Ioh. 1.8 If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues that they may say we say we haue
they are the sonnes of God Let him wrest and wrie this testimonie while he will it will not serue the turne vnlesse he make it such as whereby the spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God He saith that it is a good answer of theirs which M. Perkins mentioneth that the testimonie of the spirit is but an inward comfort and ioy which breedeth great hope of Saluation but bringeth not assurance thereof But this is no good answer because it is not answerable to the words of the Apostle who speaketh of such a witnesse of the spirit as whereby it is witnessed vnto vs that we are the sonnes of God Let him remember what S. Austine saith b August cont Iulian. li 5. ca. 2. Vbi manifesta res est scriptura diuinae sensuâ— nositum sensum addere non dibemus non enim hoc sit humanâ— ignorantia sed praesumptione peruersa where the matter is manifest we are not to adde our meaning to the sence of holy Scripture For this comes not of humane ignorance but of froward and wilfull presumption Here is a plaine assertion of a witnesse giuen to our faith that we are the sonnes of God Now his comfort and ioy is but a matter of perhaps a matter of verie vncertaine and doubtfull hope wherein he confesseth it may be he mistaketh and indeed hath no cause but to thinke that he doth mistake which notwithstanding it be had he thinketh it a presumption for a man to perswade himselfe that he hath thereby any certaine witnesse that he is the child of God But c 1. Iohn 5.6 the spirit that beareth witnesse as Saint Iohn saith is truth being d Iohn 14.17 the spirit of truth and therefore being sent for e Vers 16. a Comforter surely in comforting he telleth or testifieth nothing but the truth If then the spirit of God beare witnesse to vs that we are the sonnes of God we know that it is true and we are sure that indeede we are the sonnes of God Now this vvitnesse of the spirit albeit by some it be taken to consist in the fruites of sanctification as by Ambrose f Ambros in Rom. cap. 8. Dignam vitam huic veci exhibemus hoc est testimonium filioruÌ„ si in eu per spiritum videtur signum paternum in leading a life fitting to the name of the sonnes of God whereby through the spirit the fathers marke is seene in vs and by Origen in g Origen ibid. Confirmat spiritum nostruÌ„ quòd sumus filij Dei cùm tam nihil inest timoris id est nih l propter amorem patris poenam gerimus sed propter cuncta perficimus doing all things towards God not for feare but for loue of him as a father and by Bernard h Bernard epist 107. Sic reuera sic vnici filij spiritus testimoniuÌ„ perhibet spiritus noâ—tro quod filij Dei sumus nos cùm suscitaÌ„s ex operibus mortuis largitur opera vitae c. vocatus per timorem c. supra sect 15. in that God raising vs from dead vvorkes doth giue vs the vvorkes of life in that he calleth vs by feare and frameth vs to righteousnesse by loue yet most properly is declared by the Apostle himselfe to stand in the true spirituall inuocation and calling vpon the name of God whereby vpon all occasions as children to a father we make our recourse vnto him i Gal. 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father When therefore God doth send forth his spirit into our hearts crying and making vs to crie Abba Father the same is a witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God because for no other reason doth God send forth this spirit into our hearts but because vve are sonnes When God giueth vnto vs this light and feeling that he is our father there followeth necessarily a certificate that we are his children because these as relatiues mutually depend one vpon another And this is a certificate and testimonie that cannot be counterfeited and wherein there is no errour For neither the spirit of man himselfe nor any other spirit can giue him that spirituall eye of the inner man whereby to looke vpon God as a father that sincere and single and pure affection and inuocation wherewith the faithfull soule tendereth it selfe vnto God but onely the spirit of God himselfe It is no way incident vnto vs to haue in heart and conscience that familiar and louely accesse vnto the throne of grace k Hieron in Gal. ca. 4 Nunquam auderemus dicere Pater noster c. nisi de conscientia spiritus habitanus in nobis but vpon conscience of the spirit dwelling in vs as Saint Hierome speaketh We know there is otherwise a formall course of praying and we doubt not but M. Bishop daily mumbleth a taske and ordinarie thereof as Iewes and heretikes are wont to do but that is rather saying of prayers then praying indeed true and faithfull prayer and the crying of the heart vnto God Abba Father is a further matter and a thing peculiar onely to the sonnes of God and this l Zechar. 12.10 Tremel spirit and prayer a true witnesse vnto them that they are the sonnes of God But M. Bishop to take away the force of this proofe answereth further out of the place it selfe that there followeth a condition on our part to be performed If yet we suffer with him that we may be glorified with him Which words the Apostle indeed vseth in the next verse but vpon other occasion and to other end then as to impeach or question that testimonie of the spirit which by an entire and absolute assertion he hath here expressed For hauing affirmed that the spirit testifieth with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God he inferreth If we be sonnes then are we also heires euen heires of God and ioynt-heires or fellow heires with Christ Now how this fellowship with Christ is performed he declareth by adding those words if yet we suffer with him that we also may be glorified with him Thus are we ioynt-heires with Christ saith he if we attaine to our inheritance the same way that he did being first partakers with him in sufferings as we shall afterwards be in glorie M. Bishop therefore doth amisse to tie those words as a condition to the former words which naturally serue for explication of the latter But admitting the speech to be conditionall it doth nothing preiudicate the assurance of the faithfull because thereby God instructeth them which way he himselfe will bring them to himselfe not what he will leaue them at vncertaintie to doe for their comming vnto him He expresseth a condition the performance whereof faith expecteth from himselfe because m Phil. 1.29 of him it is giuen vnto vs for Christs sake not onely to beleeue in him
queÌ„ fallit spes qui dicit quod sperabant non inueni He is ashamed saith Austine that faileth of his hope Who is put to shame but he that saith I haue not found that that I hoped for h Theodo in Rom cap. 5. They that hope saith Theodoret and are deceiued of their hope doe blush and are ashamed thereof Therefore saith Saint Austine i August in Psal 37. Certi samus de spe non est enim inceria spes nostra vt de illa dubitâ—mus We are certaine of our hope for our hope is not vncertaine that we should doubt thereof Yea so are we certaine thereof as that Saint Paul saith k Rom. 5.2 We reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God as being no lesse assured thereof then if we were alreadie in possession of it as l Sect. 15. ex Chrysâ—st in Rom hom 9. before I shewed that Chrysostome expoundeth that place farre otherwise then here Maister Bishop doth Which m Heb. 3.6 confidence and reioycing of hope groweth from that which the holy Ghost termeth n Cap. 10.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full assurance of faith whereby setting aside the respect of our owne impeachments of our selues we beleeue with Abraham o Rom. 4.18 vnder hope euen against hope resting vpon his promise who hath taken vpon him to be p 1. Pet. 2.25 the shepheard and Bishop of our soules and q Ephe. 3.20 is able to do exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs. Whereby as he hath alreadie wrought in vs the like great worke as r Cap. 1.20 he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead in that he hath Å¿ Cap. 2.5 raised vs vp being dead in trespasses and sinnes vnto the life of God so we rest t Phil. 1.6 perswaded that hauing begun this good worke in vs he will performe it good vntill the day of Iesus Christ u Bernard in Cant. ser 68. NoÌ„ est quòd iam quaeras quibus meritis speremus bona praesertiâ—â— cùm audias apud prophetam Non propter vos c. Neither is it for any man to aske saith Bernard vpon what merits we hope for this good seeing we heare by the Prophet x Ezech. 36.22 Not for your sakes but for mine owne sake will I do it saith the Lord. Now Maister Bishop admitting after his fashion an vncertaine Certaintie of hope demandeth What is this to the Certaintie of faith which the Protestants will haue euery man to be endued with at his first entrance into the seruice of God Where againe we see how pretily Maister Bishop can busie himselfe with a fether These termes of first entrance into the seruice of God are but the playing of his braine he would faine seeme to say something thereby when indeed he saith nothing For not onely at first entrance but in the whole continuance of the seruice of God he leaueth a man as a ship in a storme and hanging betwixt heauen and hell howsoeuer not doubting but that God for his part holdeth him fast to draw him to heauen yet still affrighted least himselfe should loose his hold and fall into hell nay not knowing whether he haue any hold of God or God of him because he cannot certainly know whether he haue any hope or charitie or repentance or praier which being seated in the darke corners of the will cannot otherwise then probably be discerned But as touching his question what is Certaintie of hope to Certaintie of faith I answer him that being truly vnderstood it maketh much to the prouing of it For hope goeth not beyond faith because as I haue said hope is but the patient waiting for that which faith beleeueth we shall haue What faith doth not assure vs we shall haue we cannot by hope expect and looke for There can therefore be no Certaintie of hope but it must presuppose a Certaintie of faith assuring vs of obtaining what we must hope for But saith Maister Bishop Saint Paul insinuateth that godly men partakers of the holie Ghost and hauing tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come yet after all this haue fallen awâ—y from God But I answer him that he saith more of them then Saint Paul did for he calleth them not godly men though haply for the time they seemed to be so Men may be partakers of the temporarie gifts of the holie Ghost and may tast of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come as Iudas did while he was yet an Apostle of whom notwithstanding in the middest of these gifts our Sauiour said that y Iohn 6.70 he was a diuell The like is to be said of them who shall say at that day z Math. 7.22 Lord haue not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out diuels and done many miracles who yet in the meane while as our Sauiour signifieth haue bene workers of iniquitie And what lesse can we say of Balaam who in the spirit saw so much concerning the state and hope of the people of God as made him enamoured thereon and to cry out a Numb 23.10 Let my soule die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like vnto his b Ver. 21. he seeth no iniquitie in Iacob neither doth he see any transgression in Israel c Cap. 24.5 how goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thy habitations O Israel who notwithstanding bewraied himselfe to haue a wicked heart bewitched with couetousnesse willing for mony to haue cursed the people whom the Lord directed him to blesse Men may haue great gifts and much reuelation and knowledge of the way of truth and be touched farre with the conceipt of that they know who yet are void of true faith and regeneration of the heart and therefore in the end because d Mat. 13.21 they haue no roote doe certainly fall and slide away Whose fall because they neuer truly stood though they seemed so to doe is not to impeach or weaken the assurance of them to whom God hath giuen by true faith to stand indeede As for that which Maister Bishop saith of such that they haue receiued faith and great fauours of the spirit c. it is but his owne commentarie and we accordingly regard it He affirmeth of their faith that which the Apostle affirmeth not and though they receiued some fauours of the spirit yet they neuer found the fauour to receiue him as e Ephes 1.14 an earnest vnto them of the heauenly inheritance or by him to be f Cap. 4 30. sealed vnto the day of redemption which if they had they should neuer being once sealed haue bene vnsealed againe because in this respect g Rom. 11.29 the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and neuer subiect to any change CHAPTER 4. OF IVSTIFICATION 1. W. BISHOP
by he saith very vntruly and absurdly for S. Iames bringeth the example of the true and liuely and workfull faith of Abraham as opposite to that idle and dead faith concerning which he propounded that question of faith and workes Yea of Abrahams faith he sheweth that it was said e Ver. 23. Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse which was neuer said of any man for saying that he had faith for beleeuing that there is one God for that faith that consisteth onely in profession before men Now the faith of Abraham which f Ver. 22. wrought with his workes and was made perfect by his workes g Beda in Epist Iac. cap. 2. that is saith Beda was proued by the performance of workes to be perfect in his heart this faith of Abraham I say is it whereby the Protestants hope to be iustified in the sight of God as Abraham was because h Rom 4.23 it was not written for him onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed beleeuing in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead We alledge further that the faith whereof S. Iames speaketh is likened to the faith of diuels and therefore that it cannot be the same with that which the Scripture nameth for a iustifying faith M. Bishop answereth that that followeth not and for auouching thereof maketh Abrahams faith not onely the same with the faith of hypocrites and false Christians but also with the faith of diuels He would qualifie the matter in shew but in truth maketh no difference An excellent good thing may be like vnto a bad in some things saith he True but yet the bad cannot be like the good in that wherin standeth the goodnesse and excellencie of the good Now he maketh the Hypocrites faith if we consider the very act of faith the same that Abrahams faith was which was reputed vnto him for righteousnesse and for which the Scripture setteth him foorth as an excellent patterne of faith to be followed of all beleeuers But to auoyde the odiousnesse hereof he sophisticateth the matter and so much as in him lyeth blindeth his reader They are like saith he in two points where in the first point he comprehendeth the fulnes and perfection of that which he calleth Catholike and Christian faith consisting as here absurdly he saith in the perfect knowledge of all things reuealed as if euery one that hath their Catholike faith haue the perfect knowledge of all things reuealed but as more plainly he hath deliuered his mind before i Sect. 18. in beleeuing all to be true that God hath reuealed No more is there in Abrahams faith if we keepe within the compasse of the nature of faith no lesse in the diuell the same in euery Catholike Christian and so the diuel is become a Catholike whether he wil or not Come on M. Bishop rid vs of this doubt for we cannot find by you but that the diuell by Catholike faith is become a Catholike He goeth on Secondly this knowledge shal not steed them any whit But that is nothing to the very nature of faith whether is steede or not steed The essence act of faith whether it steed or not steed is no more but this to beleeue generally all to be true which God hath reuealed and therefore whether with good works or without the faith of the Catholike Christian in the act of faith is no other but the diuels faith Now albeit he say that these faiths differ in many points yet of those many he nameth but onely one and that nothing to the purpose For if he will shew a difference of faith betwixt Christians and diuels he must take it from faith it selfe and not from those things which to the nature of faith are meerely accidentall Christians saith he out of a godly and deuout affection do willingly submit their vnderstanding to the rules of faith But this is not to make a difference but to adde charity vnto faith This godly and deuout affection and willing submission is an act of charity and not of faith an act of the wil and affection wherein charity is seated not of the vnderstanding wherin he saith is the seat of faith And in this affection and submission faith it selfe still is no more then it was before to beleeue all to be true that God hath reuealed The diuel then still pleadeth for himselfe that if the Catholike faith which M. Bishop hath described do make a Catholike there is no reason to except against him for being a Catholike because he beleeueth all to be true which God hath reuealed Or if he wil say that true Christian faith doth alwaies actually necessarily imply this godly deuout affection and willing submission of the vnderstanding to the rules of faith then because this cannot be without charity let him grant the question let vs trauell no further about this point but let him say as we say that the true Christiā faith wherby it is said we are iustified cā neuer be separate frō charity good works Thus he casteth himself into he knoweth not what Labyrinths mazes cannot tell how to get out How much better were it for to acknowledge the simple and plaine truth of God then to intricate himselfe in these perplexities wherin he can find no place to stand secure But yet out of the words of S. Iames As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead he will further prooue that faith may be without charitie and yet perfect in the kind of faith Now this is it that hath bene said that in the kind of faith considering faith intirely in it selfe he maketh Abrahams faith and the diuels faith to be all one As touching the words of S. Iames sufficient hath bene said before If faith be considered as outwardly professed to men as he intendeth it good workes are the life of faith If it be considered as it is inward in the heart to God good workes cannot be the life thereof because that which is without cannot giue life to that that is within Whereas he turneth workes into charitie he playeth the Sophister for it is one thing to talke of charitie another thing to talke of workes the one being in habite the other in act the one inward the other outward the one the tree the other the fruite the one the spring the other the streame But letting this passe as handled before let vs see how he argueth from the place of Iames Albeit the body be dead without the soule yet is it a true naturall body in it selfe But that is not true for a true naturall body is that onely which hath the true members and parts of a naturall bodie which a dead bodie hath not k Arist Polit. lib. 1. cap. 1 When the body is dead saith Aristotle there shall be neither foote nor hand but onely by
the written word i Tertul aduers Hermog Adoro scripturae plemdinem c. Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officina si non sit scriptum timeat vae illud adijcientibus aut detrahentibus destinatum I reuerence the fulnesse or perfection of the Scripture saith Tertullian Let the schoole of Hermogenes shew me that that which he saith is written if it be not written let him feare the wo that is appointed to them that adde or take away And so Basil saith that k Basil ser de fide Manifestus est fidei lapsus liquidum superbia virium vel respuere aliquid eorum quae Scriptura habet vel inducere quicquam quod scriptum non est cùm Dominus dicat Oues meae vocem meam audiunt alienum autâ—m non sequuntur Apostolus per humanum exemplum vehemeÌ„tèr prohibeat aliquid in diuinis scripturis vel addere vel demere cum dicit Hominis quidem Testamentum c. it is a manifest falling from faith and an apparent sinne of pride either to refuse any thing that the Scripture hath or to bring in any thing that is not written seeing our Lord Iesus Christ saith My sheepe heare my voice they do not follow a stranger and the Apostle by a humane example greatly forbiddeth in the holy Scriptures either to adde any thing or take away when he saith A mans testament when it is coÌ„firmed no man refuseth or addeth any thing to it Hereby then it is plaine that the forbidding to adde or take away hath reference to the written word of God and therefore that the doctrine of faith and religion is to be taken from thence onely and nothing therin to be admitted but what hath the warrant of the holy Scriptures 6. W. BISHOP M. Perkins His 2. testimony * Esa 8.20 To the law and testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Here the Prophet teacheth saith M.P. what is to be done in cases of difficulty men must not run to the Wisards and Southsayers but to the law and to the testimony commending the written word as sufficient to resolue all doubts whatsoeuer Answ By the law and testimony in that place the 5. bookes of Moses are to be vnderstood if that written Word be sufficient to resolue all doubts whatsoeuer what need we then the Prophets what need we the Euangelists and the Epistles of the Apostles what Wizard would haue reasoned in such sort The Prophet willeth here that the Israelites who wanted wit to discerne whether it be better to flie vnto God for counsell then vnto Wizards and Soothsayers do see what is written in the law of Moses concerning that point of consulting-Wizards which is there plainely forbidden in diuerse places Now out of one particular case whereof there is expresse mention in the written word to conclude that all doubts and scruples whatsoeuer are thereby to be decided is a most vnskilfull part arguing as great want of light in him as was in those blind Israelites R. ABBOT If M. Perkins had thought himselfe to be so wise as M. Bishop doth himselfe we should certainely haue condemned him for a wizard what we thinke of M. Bishop in the meane time we leaue it to him to consider of The Prophet in the place alledged dehorteth the faithfull from yeelding to the wicked motions and counsels of hypocrites and vnbeleeuers who casting away all trust and confidence in God and relinquishing the yoke of obedience to him sought by other helpes and meanes to secure and establish themselues against the daungers which they imagined to themselues who as they had giuen themselues ouer to idolatrie so followed the course of idolaters in this behalfe and for aduice and direction in such things as concerned theÌ„ for their safetie they sought taught one another to seeke to Southsayers and such as vsed familiar spirits and tooke vpon them to call vp the soules of dead men to giue answer to such things as should be demanded of theÌ„ By them they would be instructed what to do and what course to take for their owne good hereby were hardened in their abhominations and apostacie froÌ„ God to the further prouocation of his wrath against themselues He therefore aduertiseth the faithfull and godly not to ioyne with them in any such doings but when they shold perswade them to enquire of any such wicked persons rather to answer them a Esa 8.19 Should not a people enquire at their God Euery nation seeketh to their owne God The Lord is your God will ye not seeke to him will ye go for the liuing to them that are dead Hereupon he addeth the words here questioned b Vers 20. To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Wherin he giueth to the people of God a generall direction to go to the law to the testimony to be instructed what waies they ought to walke in and to hearken to none to follow none but only such as speake vnto them according to that word The Prophets of God called men one way false Prophets wizards and Southsayers called men another way he teacheth them therefore a sure way to know to whom to commit themselues by considering who spake according to that word Now to this the wizard giueth vs a wizard like answer that the Prophets willed them to see what was written in the law of Moses concerning that point of consulting wizards So then there is no more here said but this that if the wizards do not say vnto theÌ„ that they are not to consult with wizards it is because there is no light in them and who but a wizard would haue made such a construction of the place The Prophet teacheth them in generall to seeke to the law of God for aduice and answer of such things as touching which they went to consult with wizards southsayers to be directed thereby in seeking to prouide for their owne safetie thence to take resolution of their doubts and to take it for certain that they led them in darknesse whosoeuer should draw them to other waies then could be warranted thereby c Basil in Esa cap. 8. Vnaquaeque natiorem ambagiosam quaestionem de quae cupiebat edoceri suo proporebat Deo dissoluendaÌ„ Quos supponebaÌ„t esse Deos his offerebant diluendas inquisitiones suas Euery nation saith Basil vpon that place did propound to their God the doubt and question wherof they desired to be taught to haue resolution thereof whom they tooke to be gods to them they offred their questions to be answered Therfore he sheweth that the people of God for answer of their doubts should go to God in going to the law and to the testimony d Aducit Deus legem velut manuductionem viam tibi praemumentem Vis certò persuaderi quae sint futura Prouide
vow or not yet this is not so alwayes and in all vowes because as shall be hereafter shewed it is one part of honour and dutie which God requireth of euery Christian man that we religiously vow and promise our selues and our faithful seruice vnto him Whereby it appeareth as touching the thing vowed that it is not alwayes at our free libertie and choise before our vow whether to do it or not For seeing necessary duties are some part of the matter of vowes and it cannot but be sinne to forgo necessary and commanded dutie it must needs follow that vowes are made of those things also which it is sinne otherwise not to do and are not at our choise and libertie whether to be bound to them or not It had bin sinne in Iacob not to haue the Lord for his God and yet it is the thing that he voweth as we haue seene Then shall the Lord be my God The words which M. Bishop alledgeth for his purpose out of Deuteronomy Å¿ Deut. 23.21 If thou vow a vow be not slacke to performe it but if thou forbearest to vow it shall be no sinne vnto thee are altogether referred to legall vowes The spirituall dutie of thanksgiuing exercised by those types and figures could not be omitted without sin but it was no sinne not to make the ceremoniall vow they were at their owne free choise and libertie in that behalfe but we cannot thence frame a rule generally for all vowes The other place which is cited is wholly impertinent S. Paul thereby not onely affirming that the father doth well to keepe his daughter a virgine when he is vpon good grounds assured that he hath no necessitie to do otherwise when he hath ful resolution that without any snare or danger to her he may so do t 1. Corin. 7.37 He that standeth firme in his owne heart that he hath no need by perill or feare of incontinencie to marry his daughter but hath full power ouer his owne will to do safely what he liketh in that behalfe and hath decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin he doth well u Ambros in 1. Cor. 7. Hoc dicit vt qui virginem habet cui animus ad nuptias non est seruet illam nec illic ingerat fomitem nuptiarum quam videt nubendi voluntateÌ„ non habere si enim beneficia praestanda sunt quantò magis minimè sunt anferendâ— This is his meaning saith S. Ambrose that he that hath a daughter that hath no minde to marry keepe her a virgin and do not thrust vpon her occasion of mariage who he seeth hath no will or desire thereto for if it be for a man to do a benefite much more is it for him not to take it away Now how badly doth M. Bishop deale to wrest these words to his description of vowes as if the Apostle had spoken of vowing to be where there is no necessitie thereof but a man hath full power whether to vow or not when indeed he saith nothing at all to that effect Here is therefore as yet no proofe that libertie to promise or not to promise is of the substance of a vow nothing to proue that the name of vowes doth not belong to the acceptance of necessary duties such duties as in the refusall whereof we should commit sinne Nothing therefore is there to hinder but that the promise that we make to God in baptisme should properly be called a vow if we vnderstand the proper vse thereof in respect of the thing vowed as M. Bishop doth We take the proper vse from the manner not from the matter of it as hath bene before said but because the question here is what is properly the matter of a vow we say there is no exception thence to be taken why the promise of baptisme should not properly be called a vow Surely Hierome maketh x Hieron in Esa lib. 7. cap. 19. Votum offert et soluit Domino qui est sanctus corpore spiritu holinesse in body and spirit the matter of a Christian vow S. Austin asketh the question answereth it y Augus in psal 75. Quid debemus vouereâ— Credere in illum sperare ab illo vitaÌ„ aeternam benè viuâ—re secundum communeÌ„ moduÌ„ furiuÌ„ non facerè adulterium non facere noÌ„ amare vinolentiaÌ„ c. What are we to vow to God To beleeue in him to hope for eternal life at his hands to liue wel according to the manner of life that is common to all not to steale not to commit adultery not to loue drunkennes not to be proud not to kil not to hate our brother And againe z Jdem in Psal 131. Quid vouemus Deo nisi vt simuâ— templuÌ„ Dei What do we vow to God but to be the temple of God He maketh it a Idem de Temp. ser 7. VotuÌ„ eptimuÌ„ offeâ—re animaÌ„ nostraÌ„ Quomodo Moribus sanctis cogitationibus castiâ— operibus fructuosis auertendo à malo conuertendo ad bonum the best vow to offer our soule to God How By holy behauiour by chast thoughts by good workes by declining from euill and turning to good If these things be the matter of Christian vows why is the profession of baptisme which containeth al these things denied to be a vow The great schoolmaster of the Romane church defineth b Pet. Lombard sen lib. 4. dist 38. VotuÌ„ est testificatio quaedaÌ„ promissionis spontaneae quae Deo de his quae Dei sunt fieri debet c. Commune illud quod in baptismo omnes faciunt c. a vow to be the testification of a voluntary promise which is to be made to God and concerning those things which belong to God and according to this definition maketh that a vow which all make in baptisme because there voluÌ„tarily men protest and promise to consecrate to God both their bodies and their soules as being both his by right of creation redemption and wil M. Bishop here come in and tell vs Hic magister non tenetur Here our master tels a lie Their ordinary glosse calleth those protestations of baptisme c Gloss ordinar in Psal 75. Communia vota sine quibus non est salus the common vowes without which there is no saluation and Thomas Aquinas durst not deny but that the same properly do fall into the nature of a vow because d Thom. Aquin. sum 22 q. 88. art 2. ad 1. Sub voto baptizatoruÌ„ cadit quia voluntariè fit licet sit de necessitate salutis c. in corp Omninò voluntarium proprijssimè cadit sub voto they are voluÌ„tarily done but forsooth most properly they are no vowes because that is most properly a vow which is altogether voluntary that is such as that a man is wholly at his owne choise whether he do it or not And whence commeth this most properly Marry out of the forge of
we go backe from thee reuiue thou vs and we will call vpon thy name y 86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walke in thy truth z 119.33.34 Teach me the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy law yea I will keepe it with my whole heart a Ver. 106. I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Thus doth Osee the Prophet instruct the people of God b Osc 14.3 Take you wordes and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all our iniquitie and receiue vs graciously so will we render the calues of our lips These vowes are recommended vnto vs in the new Testament when we are taught c Mat. 16.24 to deny our selues and to take vp the crosse of Christ that we may follow him d Col. 3.5 to mortifie our earthly members e Rom. 6.13 to giue our selues vnto God our members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God f Cap. 12.1 to offer our bodies a holy liuely and acceptable sacrifice vnto God g 1. Cor. 6.20 to glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirits as being both his h 2 Cor. 5.15 to liue vnto him which died for vs and rose againe These vowes we made to God in our baptisme and we professe the continuing and renewing of them from time to time in coming to the table of the Lord as also in our daily prayers and meditations and in all those promises which the remembrance of our owne waies draweth from vs euery while Of these the Prophet Esay spake in the section before of these the Prophet Dauid here saith Vow vnto the Lord your God and performe the same all ye that be round about him Now then it is true that vowes are to the honor glory of God and that we are to consider the dreadfull maiestie of God that we may be moued carefully to performe the vowes that we haue made vnto him and that these vowes are such as may be made by all sorts of men inhabiting the earth and what of all this either against M. Perkins or against vs As for S. Austin he confirmeth all that hath bene here said of the exposition of these vowes that the things that we are here willed to vow are i Supra sect 1. ex August in Psal 75. to beleeue in God to trust in him to liue a good life to hope to receiue of him eternall life and such like as we haue seene before Now it is true that he saith further that k Ibid. Alius vouet castitatem coniugalem vt praeter vxorem suam noÌ„ nouerit aliam c. Alij vouent experti tale contugium nihil tale vltra patiâ—â—lij virginitatem ab ipsi ineuâ—te aet â—te vouint alâ—j voueÌ„t domum suam hospâ—talem omnibus sanctis alij vouent relinquere omnia sua c. some vow chastitie in mariage by keeping theÌ„selues the husband to his owne wife onely or the wife onely to her owne husband some hauing bene married vow not to marrie againe some from the beginning vow virginitie some to vse their houses for hospitalitie to the Saints some to distribute all their goods to the poore some of which vowes we question not the rest are afterwards to be considered of But that which M. Bishop citeth of his exhorting men not to forbeare vowing for the necessitie of the performance thereof but for that to trust to the helpe of God to proue that he tooke those words to belong to his auditors and not onely to the Iewes it is a proofe needlesse because we acknowledge so much in such sort as hath bene said before As for that which he further addeth of setting contraries together that each may more liuely appeare in his kind it is but the liuely setting forth of his owne indiscretion folly M. Perkins to shew what may be vnderstood by vowes in the place here haÌ„dled alledgeth a speech of Dauid in a former Psalme l Psal 56.12 Thy vowes are vpon me O God that is the vowes which I haue made to thee are lying on me to be performed I will render praises vnto thee In which place we see that the Prophet expoundeth vowes concerning praises to God whereupon M. Perkins alledgeth that vowes likewise in the other place may be construed of praises and thankesgiuing vnto God Against this M. Bishop excepteth ful wisely I warrant you as not likely that the Psalme fiftie sixe written first should be the exposition of the Psalme seuenty fiue which was conceited and vttered after But did not his vnderstanding serue to instruct him that Dauid though not expounding the latter Psalme in the former yet in the former expounding vowes to be praises doth teach vs how to expound vowes when they are mentioned in a latter Psalme or in anie other Scripture sounding to like effect And who but he is ignorant that Scriptures formerly written do often giue vs light and helpe for the vnderstanding and expounding of Scriptures that are written later His second exception is as good as that namely that Dauid in the latter Psalme speaketh to others in the former of himself And what then What should hinder but that by the name of vowes he should signifie the praises of God in speaking to others when he himselfe expoundeth vowes to be the praises of God in speaking of himselfe Albeit he mistaketh in making Dauid the author of the latter Psalme which is rather thought to be written in the time of Ezechias but questionlesse after Dauids time In his third exception his head being wild he telleth vs that the Prophets words in Psalme fiftie sixe confirme rather that which he taught before Where before when as the Psalme fiftie sixe is the former of the two Psalmes I thinke he cannot well tell what he meant by this speech But what is the thing confirmed That all considerate vowes are praises and parts of Gods worship What he meaneth by considerate vowes we know not but we take those onely to be considerate vowes wherby we vow those things which God hath warranted vs to vow Thus are vowes a part of Gods worship when we vow those things which he hath taught vs to be belonging to his worship Such were for the time the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Law not for themselues but for the spirituall dutie that was implyed in them and acted by them If they were not put to this vse God held them not for anie part of his worship Dauid therefore hauing respect to this signifieth that the thing which he properly intended by his vowes was praise and thankes to God This is all that Dauid sayth and was by Maister Perkins fitly alledged for that that he had in hand 6. W. BISHOP Let vs now come to the second point wherein we dissent They saith M. Perkins hold vowes made of things not commanded
that it is both lawfull and very commendable for men and women of ripe yeares and consideration hauing well tried their owne aptnesse to vow virginity if by good inspirations they be therunto inwardly called My first reason is this that which is more pleasant and gratefull vnto God may very well be vowed to him but virginity is more acceptable to God than mariage The first proposition is manifest and hath no other exception against it but that which before is confuted to wit if we be able to performe it The second is denied by them which we prooue in expresse termes out of Saint Paul * 1. Cor. 7. He that ioyneth his virgin doth well but he that ioyneth her not doth better and againe of widowes They shall be more happy by Saint Pauls iudgement if they remaine vnmarried This may be confirmed out of Esay Isa 56. Where God promiseth the Eunuch that holdeth greatly of the thing that pleaseth him that hee will giue him in his houshold and within his walles a better heritage and name then if they had bene called sons and daughters I will saith God giue them an euerlasting name And also out of the booke of Wisedom * Cap. 3. Blessed is the Eunuch which hath wrought no vnrighteousnesse c. for vnto him shall be giuen the speciall gift of faith the most acceptable portion in our Lords temple for glorious is the fruite of God Which is also plainely taught in the Reuelations * Reu. 14. where it is said that no mā could sing that song but 144000. and the cause is set downe These be they which haue not bene defiled with women for they are Virgins To these latter places M. P. answereth pag. 241. that to the Eunuch is promised a greater reward but not because of his chastitie but because he keepeth the Lords Sabboth and couenant But this is said vnaduisedly for to all others that keepe Gods commandements shall be giuen a heauenly reward but why shall they haue a better heritage and more acceptable portion then others but because of their speciall prerogatiue of chastitie M. P. then answereth otherwise here that the single life is better more happie because it is freer from common cares of this life and yeeldeth vs more bodily ease and liberty to serue God But 1200. yeares ago S. Augustine of set purpose confuted this error in sundry places of his learned Works specially in his treatise De Virginitate in these Chapters 13. 23. 24. 25. where he accounteth him no Christian that doth cōtradict Christ promising the kingdome of heauen to Eunuchs * Mat. 19. And in the 25. Chapter more vehemently exclaiming O impious blindnesse why dost thou cauill and seeke shifts why dost thou promise temporall commoditie only to the chast and continent when God saith * Esa 16. I will giue them an euerlasting name And if thou wouldest perhaps take this euerlasting for a thing of long cōtinuance I adde inculcate often repeate that it shal neuer haue end What wouldest thou more This eternall name whatsoeuer it be signifieth a certaine peculiar and excellent glorie which shall not be common to many albeit they be placed in the same kingdome c. Which in the 29. Chapter he confirmeth out of that place of the Apocalypse cited aboue in these words The rest of the faithfull shall see you and not enuie your state but ioy in it so be partaker of that in you which they haue not in themselues for the new song which is proper vnto you they cannot sing but shall heare it and be delighted with your so excellent a blessednesse but you because you shal both sing and heare it shal more happily reioyce and raigne more pleasantly Which may be also confirmed out of the Apostle in the same place where he assureth that the single life is better for the seruice of God saying that a woman vnmarried and a virgin think of the things which belong vnto our Lord how she may please God and be holy both in body and spirit And our blessed Sauiour teacheth * Math 19. That some become Eunuches for the kingdome of heauen which to be taken there properly for the reward in heauen S. Augustine with the rest of the Fathers teacheth * De virginit cap. 23. What could be spoken more truly or more perspicuously Christ saith The truth saith the wisedome of God affirmeth them to geld thēselues for the kingdome of heauen who do of a godly determination refraine from mariage And contrarily humane vanity doth contend by impious temerity that they who do so do it to auoid the necessary troubles of matrimony and that in the kingdome of heauen they shall haue no more then other men R. ABBOT M. Bishop here taketh vpon him to proue the vow of virginity to be lawfull but yet we see it is with certaine cautions conditions to be therein obserued First he wil haue them to be of ripe yeares consideration and well to try their owne aptnesse Secondly it is lawfull if by good inspirations they be thereunto inwardly called But put the case that these cautions be not obserued that some vow rashly and vnaduisedly without triall of their own aptnesse without any good inspirations calling them to it or hauing vpon some triall iudged themselues apt yet afterwards finde it otherwise what shall they do not being now able to keep that which they haue vowed Marrie let them sinke or swim let them burne till they be consumed let them be brothels and harlots and what they wil they haue vowed and they must stand to it but marry they must not As for that which he saith of good inspirations inwardly calling them it is a meere begging of the question We deny that there are any good inspirations inwardly calling to that which we are not outwardly taught by the inspired word of God The spirit word of God go iointly together and where the word giueth vs not warrant and direction for that we do they are illusions and not inspirations by which we are led Now of vowing virginity or single life the word of God hath neither precept nor example All exercises of true righteousnesse we find amongst the people of the Iewes we find amongst them all the spirituall intendments significations of their ceremoniall vowes but of this vow of single life virginity we find nothing saue only amongst their sectaries in the corruption of their state religion as namely the Pharisees who for one of their exercises of great holinesse a Epiphan haer 16. Quidā eorū cùm se exercebant praescribehant sibi decennium aut octennium aut quadriennium virginitatis continentiae vowed continencie and virginitie sometimes for ten yeeres sometimes for sixe or for foure yeeres as Epiphanius reporteth of them But yet M. Bishops argument will put the matter wholy out of doubt That saith he which is more pleasant and gratefull to God
ifto euentu diligentissima fidelissima castitas sepsit quantumcunâ— Ã flupris omni post matrimoniuÌ„ excessu tantum ab incesti casu iutisumus Quidam multò securiores totam vim huius erroris virginea continentia depelluÌ„t senes puâ—ri Most diligent faithfull chastity hath hedged vs in froÌ„ such euent as far as we are froÌ„ fornication al excesse beyoÌ„d mariage so far are we from the case of incest Yea some both old yong do put away the whole force of this error by continencie of virginitie Now what is there here whereupon M. Bishop should say that the best Christians liued in perpetuall Virginitie But we must not stand vpon such matters either we must giue hime leaue to doe thus or else he must write no more Well we see now that his examples are farre from seruing his turne and therefore in steade of his blind argument gathered of selfe-conceipts we will argue thus that seeing none of our captains and ring-leaders whom God hath set before vs as examples to be followed haue giuen vs any example of the vow of virginity therfore we must condemne it as a blind a wilfull and superstitious vow Nay we will argue further Abraham our Father Å¿ Rom. 4.12 in the steps of whose faith we are to walke into whose bosome we shall be gathered was a married man not once onely but twise married So were the rest of the Patriarchs married men and so the Priests the Prophets the Apostles and almost all that the Scripture setteth before vs as examples of perfection Therfore they are lewd hypocrites and no true teachers that beare vs in hand that Christian perfection cannot stand with mariage Yea but the single man saith M. Bishop careth onely how to please God and to be holy in body and mind as the Apostle writes when as the married are choked with the cares of this world But the Apostle only telleth vs what may be by the condition of single life and the right vse thereof not what alwaies and necessarily is For we know that the maried many times lesse careth for the things of the world theÌ„ the vnmaried and the vnmaried many times lesse careth to please God then the maried doth What did M. Bishop and his fellowes care onely how to please God in that heate of spirit whereby they were caried against the Iesuites or do the Iesuits yea their Popes and Cardinals and Bishops care onely to please God Good men they haue all quite giuen ouer the world and they breath nothing but onely heauen A man may wonder at the impudency of this man who doubteth not to speake so contrarie to his own knowledge both in himselfe and the rest of them It is true that single life hath ordinarily more oportunity and liberty to the seruice of God then mariage which is the thing that the Apostle meaneth but seldome is it so vsed or neuer but that mariage in some attaineth to as great holines and perfection as single life But M. B. in great anger goeth forward saying Vnlesse a man had made a league with hell or were as blind as a beetle how can he euer perswade himselfe that to wallow in fleshly pleasure and satisfying of the beastly appetites is as gratefull to God as to conquer and subdue them by fasting and prayer Where we see a beastly filth out of a prophane mouth and stinking breath so speake of sacred holy matrimony as if there were nothing therin but wallowing in fleshly pleasure and satisfying of beastly appetites What is it a matter of sacrament with theÌ„ to wallow in fleshly pleasure and satisfying of beastly appetites Doth he teach their maried Catholike disciples that they wallow in fleshly pleasure and satiâ—fying of beastly appetites Surely the auncient Church of Rome held l Tertul. de pud Eâ—usque tameâ—o â—uit vt moderatio libidinum pudicitia credatur the moderation of lusts by mariage to be chastity as Tertullian in behalfe of Montanus vpbraideth them and Paphnutius informed the Councel of Nice they receiued it that the m Socrat. hist lib 1. cap. 8. Viri cum legitima vxore concubituÌ„ castimoniam appellatut company of a man with his owne wife is chastitie what then shal we thinke of a filthy carion that accounteth nothing to be in mariage but wallowing in fleshly pleasure satisfying of beastly appetites thereby blaspheming the sacred institution of God traducing all those holy men of God of whom before was spoken that liued in maried state Now further he telleth vs that S. Paul giueth counsell to the maried to containe during the time of prayer where I leaue it to thee gentle Reader to esteeme whether the man were sober in so reciting the words of the Apostle S. Paule saith n 1. Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one another except it be with consent for a time that ye may attend to fasting and prayer Which words haue manifest refereÌ„ce to extraordinary occasions of humbling our selues to God and of testifying vnto him the griefe and sorrow of our hearts by depriuing our selues of the vse of all those things whereof we take any ioy or delight according to the flesh or to any speciall occasions of gathering our spirits and soules more nearely vnto God whereby it concerneth vs to depart as I may say so much the further from our selues In this sort God when he was to giue the law to prepare the people to due reuerence and attention commanded them three daies before o Exod. 19.15 to be sanctified to wash their clothes and not to come at their wiues Another time being greatly offended with them he commandeth them p Cap. 33.5 to lay aside their costly raiment that they might shew the sorow of their hearts by a neglect and carelesnes of the attiring of their bodies And thus we know that fasting in such cases is vsually adioyned to prayer that the afflicting of the body may sharpen and giue edge to the affection of the soule Vpon such occasions the Apostle permitteth some withdrawing of the husband from the wife but yet with this exception that it be by consent and but onely for a time and then come together againe saith he that Satan tempt you not for your incontinencie Where when he requireth consent he giueth to vnderstand that where there is necessitie of fasting prayer and yet consent of defrauding cannot be obtained there fasting and prayer is to be vsed without defrauding because defrauding may not be without consenting Now these words belonging to speciall occasions and being only conditionall the Romish hypocrites wil haue to concerne all times and to be absolutely so meant as if ordinarily there could be no prayer where there is the company of man and wife As if the Apostle would say Let the husband giue to the wife due beneuolence and likewise the wife to the husband and yet tell them withall that if they do so they
had vndertaken nor might without reproch and infamy leaue their course were content euen to cast themselues into the diuels mouth and by practise of lewd and vncleane life to worke their owne confusion and ouerthrow Albeit we would aske M. Bishop what it is for which they commended virginity in so high measure and degree If they respected the integrity of the flesh what was it more then was to be found amongst heathen idolaters as in the vestall virgins and others or then is now to be found amongst the Turkes If he will say that they respected it as dedicated to God why should they make that a seruice to God wherein they that knew not God might glory as well as they and wherein for it selfe there was nothing that concerneth the seruice of God If he will say that they conceiued it not as in it self to be a seruice of God but onely regarded the imploying of it to those things whereby God is serued they meant nothing against vs because we also conceiue the power of virginity to be an excellent gift and worthy to be admired and honoured where according to the freedome and libertie that it giueth it is faithfully bestowed to the seruice of Iesus Christ An excellent gift I say as the gift of learning the gift of eloquence the gift of tongues such like which may be in the euil as wel as in the good therfore are no otherwise acceptable to God but only in their vse Now as excellent gifts are very seldome and rare so is it in this many may be willing but few attaine vnto it and therfore it was the great ouersight of many of the fathers so promiscuously to entertaine multitudes and by such bonds to tye them to that kinde of life whereto so many were vnable and whereof they found that to be true which Hierome confesseth that b Hieron adu Iouin lib. 1. Jnâ—â—pere plurimorum est perseuerare paucorum it was in verie many to begin but in few to perseuere As touching their sayings which M. Bishop alledgeth they neede not much to be stood vpon If they speake of virginity in the two former sorts now mentioned they fall of themselues If in the last meaning I answer let virgins be according to the patterne which they describe c Cyprian de hab virg Quibus desideria taÌ„ carnis corporis nullae sunt Sola in vobis quae sunt virtutis spiritus ad gloriam remanscrunt that there be in them no desires of the flesh and of the body and there remaine in them onely the things of vertue and of the spirit for the receiuing of heauenly glory and wee will honour them as the more excellent portion of the Lords flock and the top of Christian perfection not for their virginity but for their piety wherof notwithstanding they haue the better opportunity by virginity and only so as that if maried persons shall equall them in pietie they shall stand as high as they The saying of Athanasius as he alledgeth it is a counterfeit neither was Athanasius the Author of any so base a worke The words here cited do shew the singular vndiscretion both of the Author that wrote them M. Bishop that cited them in that he calleth virginitie the ioy of the Prophets and the glory of the Apostles when in a manner all both the Prophets Apostles were maried men and not virgins and the life of Angels when it is a thing nothing concerning Angels These are but flourishes of vaine wits which respect not how substantiall but how glorious their words be And to such Rhetoricall amplifications Ambrose as touching that matter of virginitie is too much affected and appropriateth those things to the deuotion of virgins which nothing hindereth but that they should be common to the faith and deuotion of maried estate He so speaketh as if heauenly life were onely to be found in virgins whereas in maried persons the Scripture setteth before vs the speciall examples and patternes thereof As for Hierome he needeth no censure of ours being of old sufficiently censured by the Church of Rome as before hath bene shewed We reuerence his learning but yet wee cannot but acknowledge in him some want both of modestie and pietie where in a proposterous humour of extolling virginitie he speaketh basely and rudely concerning mariage and doubteth not to transcribe into his workes those sentences and arguments which Tertullian in his heresie vsed to the same purpose against the Church as to him that compareth his epistle ad Gerontiam de Monogamia and first booke against Iouinian to Tertullians booke de Monogamia will easily appeare To be short all the exhortations rules that they could vse for the keeping of virginity could not auaile but that the stinke thereof hath alwaies bene lothsome to the world They set bankes against a streame that could not be staied and thereby caused a deluge and ouerflowing of great vncleannesse Which if Chrysostome saw to be such as that he held it better there should be no more virgins as before was shewed what shall we but take them wilfully to dwell in darknesse who after so much further experience continue to maintaine that damnable vow which all Christian ages from the time that it first began haue had cause to rue As for the ministers they liue in chast and lawfull mariage as the Prophets and Apostles haue done and can for that be no more accounted carnall and fleshly then they were yea and they thinke that the wals of the stewes and Surgeons instruments beyond the seas and the confession closets of many female Recusants at home will beare witnesse at that day that they haue not bene so carnall and fleshly as Romish Priests 17 W. BISHOP Concerning the vow of pouertie and monasticall life in which as M. Perkins acknowledgeth men bestow all they haue vpon the poore and giue themselues to Prayer and Fasting yet hee is not ashamed to auouch that this vow is against the will of God and assayeth to prooue it Acts cap. 20. verse 35. It is a more blessed thing to giue than to receiue Answer As the very proposition that it is displeasing to God to cut off all cares of the world and to betake our selues wholy to his holy seruice and contemplation of heauenly matters is in it selfe prophane and vngodly so the proofe thereof is deuoid of naturall wit and sence Marke the Argument It is against Gods will to giue away all because it is more blessed to giue than to receiue Why if it be a more blessed thing to giue than they please God better that giue So that this his proofe improoues flatly his owne assertion But the dreamer meanes perhaps that if you giue all at once you shall not be able to giue afterward but rather stand in neede to receiue Reply But no such humane prudence can be drawne out of that sentence which encourageth rather to giue for the present then to
him insomuch as it sayth nothing positiuely for the drawing and painting of the holy Ghost in the forme of a doue and doth approue those speeches which generally condemne the resembling of the godhead in any forme A relation is made of one Seuerus who at Daphne tooke away the Doues framed in gold and siluer and hanged ouer the fonts as in figure of the holy Ghost saying that they ought not to vse the name of the holy Ghost coÌ„cerning anie such forme of a Doue Hereupon Tharasius readie to apprehend euery thing that might make for their Image-idolatrie answereth thus l Nicen. 2. Act. 5 Si in nomine sancti Spiritus dedicaetas columbas sancti Patres receperunt quantò magis corpus incarnati verbi in terris in corpore visi recipiendum If the holy Fathers receiued doues dedicated in the name of the holy Ghost how much more is the body of the incarnat Word seene vpon the earth in a body to be receiued meaning the image of the body of Christ If they did he saith but he saith not that they did it lawfully if they did so A man may say if a Popish Priest may be permitted to keepe a concubine or a harlot much more should it be thought lawfull for him to marrie a wife and yet doth not therefore approue that it should be lawfull for a Popish Priest to keepe a concubine or harlot And that the Councell did not approue it as a thing lawfull it is manifest by those narrations and authorities which they do approue and alledge for the approuing of their Images They alledge a Sermon of Iohn Bishop of Thessalonica containing a disputation betwixt a Pagan and a Christian where the Pagan obiecting in defence of their Images that Christians also did make Images not onely to their Saints but also to their God the Christian answereth as touching God thus m Ibid. ex Ser. Joan. Episc Thess Dei auteÌ„ imaginem dico Seruatoris nostri Iesu Christi quemadmodum ipse super terraÌ„ eum hominibus conuersatus est pingimus non vt ipsae natura Deus est Quae enim posset esse Dei similitudâ— aut quae figura incorporei ineffigiabilisque verbi Patris Deus enim vt scriptum est spiritus est Quoniam visum est Deo Patri vnigenitum filiuÌ„ suum è coelis demittere quo pro nostra salute ex Spiritu sancto inâ—olata virgine Dâ—â—para incarnaretur nos eius humanitateÌ„ ea ratione pingimus non illius incorpoream Deitatem The image of God I meane of our Sauior Iesus Christ we make according as he was conuersant with men vpon the earth not as by nature he is God for what likenesse can there be of God or what figure of the word of the Father which is without body and not to be expressed by any shape for God as it is written is a spirit Because it seemed good to the Father to send downe from heauen his onely begotten Sonne that by the holy Ghost he might be incarnate of the pure Virgin the mother of God therefore we paint his humanitie in that sort but not his incorporall Godhead Afterwards out of Leontius there is read a disputation betwixt a Iew and a Christian the Iew professing to beleeue that Christ is the Sonne of God but that he was offended to see Christians contrarie to the commandement to fall downe before Images and the Christian thereto answering n Ibid. ex Leont Deo vt talis est Scriptura iubet non esse faciendaÌ„ similitudinem ne que aliquam imaginem adorandam esse vt Deum Imagines enim quas vides ad memoriam Iesu Christi salutaris nobis incarnationis pinguntur Personam illius humanitatis ex primentes SanctoruÌ„ auteÌ„ imagines eodem modo vniuscuiusque praelia contra diabolum mundum victoriasque significant The Scripture commandeth that to God as he is God no similitude or likenesse shall be made and that no image shall be worshipped as God but the images which thou seest are made to the remembrance of the incarnation of Iesus Christ which hath yeelded saluation to vs. But the Saints images do in like sort signifie the battels and victories of euery of them against the Diuell and the world Againe it is alledged out of the confessions of certaine Martyrs thus o Ibid. ex Const. Diacon Chartophyl Non enim diuinuÌ„ simplex existens incomprehensibile formis figuris assimilamus neque cera lignis supersubstantialeÌ„ ante principia existentem substantiam honorare decreuimus We do not by formes and shapes resemble God being simple and incomprehensible neither haue we intended by waxe and wood to honour the substance whith is aboue all substance and hath his being before beginning By al which it is euident that they wholy disclaimed the painting and picturing of the Godhead so that their whole decree throughout the Councell proceedeth onely as touching the images of Christ p Jbid Act. 7. Epist. ad ConstaÌ„ Iren. Quatenus scilicet perfectus homo suit as he was perfect man and of the Angels and Saints as appeareth also by their Synodall Epistle in the end of the Councell but of images of the Godhead they decree nothing Whereby we see that M. Bishop is a man of an euill nature and disposition who will thus make a bad matter worse then it is A good mind will make things better and not worse but whereas the Councell was bad enough in decreeing worship to the images of Christ and his Saints he maketh it worse then it was by fathering vpon it the approuing of the images of the holy Ghost We see then that he hath no proofe at all for making an image of God and therefore it was but a point of indiscretion in him to tell vs in what manner and meaning they picture and resemble God it being alledged that it is not lawfull many manner or meaning so to do As for his discourse of motiues that come by sight it sauoureth of the grosse conceipt of all idolaters who cannot endure to be without babies and puppets and no longer think they haue a God then they haue a God to looke vpon To heare of God or to reade of him in his word and to behold him in his workes it is not sufficient but by an image they must needes haue him set foorth more nearely to feed their eyes Surely if the wisedome of God had thought it fit that we should haue learned him by painting and caruing he would not haue failed to haue giuen vs instruction thereof But sith he hath not so taught vs yea sith he hath taught the contrarie and condemned them as hath bene before shewed who haue pretended to be instructed by such meanes what a simple man doth Master Bishop shew himselfe to reason against God and to say If Angels and vertues may be figured and represented why may not some propertie or action of God be in like
blotted out that blasphemie written in her forehead because then the state was Christian which before had bene Heathen so that vnto the partie Pagan and not vnto the Church of God he ascribeth these works of the wicked Harlot which also the very text it selfe doth conuince for it hath That she was drunk with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus Verse 6. Now the Church of Rome had not then by the confession of all men drawne any bloud of Christs Saints but in testimonie of his truth had powred out abundance of her best bloud Wherefore it is most manifest that the harlot could not signifie the Church of Rome so pure and free from slaughter but the Roman Empire which was then full gorged with that most innocent and holy bloud Againe that whoore is expounded Verse 18. To be a citie which had kingdome ouer the Kings of the earth But the Church of Rome had then no kingdom ouer the earth or any temporall dominion at all but the Roman Emperours had such soueraigne commaundement ouer manie Kings wherefore it must be vnderstood of them and not of the Church Now to take kingdome not properly for temporall soueraigntie but for spirituall Iurisdiction as some shifters do is to flie without any warrant from the natiue signification of the word vnto the phantasticall and voluntarie imagination And whereas M. Perkins saith pag. 5. that Ecclesiasticall Rome in respect of state princely dominion and crueltie against the Saints is all one with the heathenish Empire he both seeketh to deceiue and is greatly deceiued he would deceiue in that he doth apply words spoken of Rome aboue 1500. yeares ago vnto Rome as it is at this day and yet if that were granted him he erreth fouly in euery one of his particles For first touching princely dominion the Roman Empire held then all Italy all France all Spaine all England a great part of Germanie of Asia and also of Africke hauing their Proconsuls and other principall Officers in all those Countries drawing an hundred thousand millions in money and many other commodities out of them Wherefore in princely dominion and magnificall state it surmounted Ecclesiasticall Rome which hath not temporall dominion ouer the one halfe of that one kingdome of Italy more then an hundred degrees And as for persecution the Empire slue and caused to be slaine more Saints of God in one yeare then the Church of Rome hath done of reprobates and obstinate heretikes in 1600. yeares R. ABBOT WE see that M. Bishop hath some skill in Oratory but it seemeth he hath learned one precept aboue the rest of extenuation or diminution to giue semblance of making light of his aduersaries arguments and not to be touched therewith when notwithstanding hee is galled with them and wounded at the heart Of this lesson he maketh good vse throughout his whole booke but here in the beginning hauing his wits yeâ— fresh he goeth somewhat beyond it and will make his Reader beleeue that that text of the Apocalipse which M. Perkins propounded for the matter of his Prologue Go out of her my people c. is so farre from making against them as that it is an aduertisement to all men to forsake the societie and fellowship of all them that shew themselues aduersaries to the Church of Rome The Apostle telleth vs a 1. Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies that they which are approued may be knowne Because there must be heresies there must be heretickes men giue vp to reprobate sence obstinate and wilfull in their wicked fancies euen then when they are b Tit. 3 11. condemned in themselues Otherwise such is the light and euidence of Scripture in directing that admonition as a caueat against the Church of Rome at least wise to euerie mans eyes and sight there is that probabilitie thereof as that a man would not beleeue but that the handling of this point should haue made M. Bishop to tremble and feare and to surcease from going any further in the rest specially seeing that for the safeguard of his minion of Rome he is faine to go so directly contrarie to the euidence that stood against him Yet we see how gloriously hee carieth himselfe here in the beginning and maketh shew of great largesse and of giuing his aduersarie all the aduantage he can But let him remember what Solomon saith c Prou. 25.14 A man that boasteth of false liberalitie is like clouds and wind without raine His words shew more courage then wisedome and he giueth his aduersarie no aduantage at all but what hee must haue whether he will or not The question is whether Babylon and the whoore of Babylon mentioned in the Reuelation be to be vnderstood of Rome or not He alledgeth out of Austin and some other ancient though not indeed so ancient writers and out of a learned troupe of later interpreters as it pleaseth him to terme them that by Babylon is vnderstood the whole corps and societie of the wicked But his maister Bellarmine hauing mentioned that exposition for answer to our obiection leaueth it and saith d Bellarm de Aâ—tichrist cap. 13 secunâ—o dici potest meâ— iudiciomeliùs per mercâ—â—â—em intell giâ—â— mam It may be sayd and in my iudgement better that by the harlot is vnderstood Rome So had he before sayd that S. Iohn e Ibid. cap. 5. Explicat mulierem esse vrbem magnamquae sedet super septem câ—lles id est Romanâ— declareth that the woman is the citie that sitteth vpon seuen hils that is saith he Rome The verie cleere light of the truth made him to confesse that in the description of the whoore of Babylon Rome must necessarily bee vnderstood he must shift otherwise as hee might but he saw that to denie this would be no shift Yea and the exposition that M. Bishop bringeth maketh nothing to the contrarie For although we vnderstand that Babylon do import the whole corps and societie of the wicked yet we are also to vnderstand that this corps and societie hath a head from whence the name is deriued to the whole body and therefore the notification of the body specially being a body so confused must needs be by the description of the head The affirming I say of Babylon to be the whole corps and societie of the wicked doth not exclude Rome from being meant by the whoore of Babylon because the head is necessarily implied in the whole body and Rome is described and set forth vnto vs as being the head of that societie And that the head is here properly meant is inuincibly manifest because the speech is here of f Apoc. 14.8 17.2 her that maketh all nations drunke with her fornications and is therefore to be distinguished from the body of the wicked of all nations which are made drunke by her But for declaring of this point S. Austin in sundrie places diuideth the whole body of mankind by g August in Psal 26. 61.
two cities Babylon and Hierusalem comprehending vnder the name of Babylon all that liue according to the flesh and vnder the name of Hierusalem all that liue according to the spirit h Idem in Psal 64. Duas istas ciuitates duo faciunt amores Hierusalem facit amâ—r dei Babyloniam facit amer seculâ— The loue of the world maketh Babylon and the citizens thereof The loue of God maketh Hierusalem and the citizens thereof This earthly citie being the whole corps and societie of the wicked taketh the name of it from Babylon the great Citie of Assyria which was for the time the principall part thereof i De ciuit dei li. 16 cap. 17. In Assyria praeualucrat dominatus impiae ciuitatis huius caput erat Babylon illa cuius terrâ—genae ciuitatis nomen apâ—issimum est 〈◊〉 est confusâ—â— In Assyria saith S. Austin preuailed the dominion of the wicked citie the head thereof was Babylon whose name that is Confusion fitteth the citie of earthly kind and disposition That Babylon wholy sauoured of the flesh affecting altogether the state and kingdome of this world full of abhominable idolatrie couetousnesse pride crueltie vncleane and filthie lust persecution and hatred towards the people of God whom it held a long time in subiection and bondage to it selfe Now as that Babylon being the most auncient state of earthly minded men was the head of that companie and societie of the wicked not because all vniuersally were outwardly subiect vnto it but because all were ioyned inwardly in conformitie of affection with it so Rome arose vp afterward to be another head of the same bodie k Ibid. Roma coâ—â—â— velut altera 〈◊〉 Occideâ—te Babylonia as it were another Babylon in the West as S. Austine speaketh l Ibid lib. 18 cap. 2. Babylonia quasi prâ—mâ— Roma Ipâ—â— Roma quasi secunda Babylonia estâ—â— cap. 22. veluâ— prioriâ— filia Babyloniâ— Babylon saith he was as it were a first Rome and Rome is as it were a second Babylon and as the daughter of the former Babylon It was Babylon then euen from the first originall of it though as did Babylon so Rome also shold in the latter states therof grow to be in higher degree of confusion then it was in the beginning All this the holy Ghost most plainely confirmeth in the description deliuered by m Apoc 13.1 17.3 c. S. Iohn First it is to be obserued that S. Iohn according to the example of the Prophet Daniel doth by the tearme of n Dan 7.3 c. a beast import some earthly kingdome state and gouernement therefore named a beast to signifie the same to be led wholly with beastly carnall affection to those things that concerne the flesh and sauour of the flesh Secondly by o Cap. 17.1.3 a woman a harlot he noteth a citie which is the place and pallace of such a state giuen to fornications both spiritual by idolatry and corporall by luxuriousnesse wantonnesse and filthie lust which sitteth and hath aduancement by the preheminence of that kingdome state and gouernment Thus the Angell plainely distinguisheth the woman and the beast when he saith p Ver. 7. I will shew thee the mysterie of the woman and of the beast that beareth her of which S. Iohn had said before q Ver. 3. I saw a woman sit vpon a scarlet coloured beast Albeit we are so to take this distinction as that withall we vnderstand that the same is not alwaies precisely obserued but that the woman and the beast are vsed sometimes indifferently for the same and either of them to signifie the whole Now of the woman the Angell saith r Ver. 18. The woman which thou sawest is the great citie which raigneth ouer the kings of the earth Againe she is said Å¿ Veâ— 1. to sit vpon many waters which saith the Angel t Ver. 15. are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues But there was no citie that raigned ouer the kings of the earth and ouer those many nations and peoples but onely the citie of Rome Rome therefore is the woman that is there meant This appeareth further by that he noteth of the situation of this citie vpon the seuen heads of the beast which saith the Angell are u Ver. 9. seuen mountaines or hils vpon which the woman sitteth M. Bishop telleth vs that those seuen hils are not to be taken literally but that is a very witlesse shift The Angell by way of exposition deliuereth that by seuen heads are meant seuen hils we must take it vpon M. Bishops word that by seuen heads are not meant seuen hils but somewhat else but what he cannot tell himselfe What an absurd toy is this that the Angell so expounding it we should be sent to him againe to know what he meaneth by seuen hils But this toucheth them to the quicke because the citie of Rome is famous for seuen hils for which Tertullian calleth the people of Rome x Tertul. Apol. cap 35. Ipsos Quâ—rites ipsam vernaculam septem collium plebem conuenio the natiue or home-borne people of seuen hils wherof they had their y Idem de idololat septimontium which was z Jbid. in Annot Ren. Liur Septimontium dies festus appellatur mense Decembri c. quod in septem monubiâ— fierent sacra a festiuall day in the moneth of December vpon which day they performed sacrifices and deuotions vpon those seuen hils and was so named as Varro obserueth a Varro de ling. Latin lib. 5. Dies septimontium nominatus est ab hu septem montibus in quibus vrbs sita est of those seuen hils vpon which the citie stood Seeing then there is no city in the world to which this marke of seuen hils can be applyed but onely the citie of Rome they haue no way to excuse Rome from being the whore of Babylon here described but onely by saying that those hils are not properly to be vnderstood thereby bewraying the miserie of their cause to euery man that doth not wilfully yeeld himselfe to be blinded by them The Angell further expoundeth those b Ver. 9. seuen heads to signifie seuen kings of which fiue are fallen saith he one is and another is not yet come that is saith the Rhemish Diuines though they said it before they were aware c Rhem. Test Ann. Apoc. 13. â— fiue were before Christ one present and one to come Whereby they crosse that absurd shift of theirs vsed in the place which we haue here in hand that d Annot. Apoc. 17.9 seuen is a mysticall number signifying vniuersally all of that sort wherof he speaketh and that the seuen heads hils or kingdomes are all the kingdomes of the world persecuting the Christians being heads and mountaines say they for their height in dignitie aboue others For if the seuen heads be taken in that generalitie of construction then there is no place left for