IN this Article the thing which you mislike is not any matter of his iudgement but that he seemeth to cōfesse either out of lesse learning then you haue or more humilitie then you shew that the coeternitie of the Sonne of God with his Father and the proceeding of the Spirit from the Father and the Sonne are in Scripture no where to be found by expresse literall mention And yet you cannot be ignorant but that vndoubtedly he beleeued both Therfore in my opinion it is strange why out of the second fift Article holdē by our church you alleage that the Sonne is the word of the Father from euerlasting begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son as though you dealt with an aduersarie that denied either You could not be ignorant hauing perused his writings with that diligence to reprehend but in this great mysterie of the Trinitie both concerning the equalitie of the Sonne with the Father and the Deitie of the holie Ghost who proceedeth from both see plainly that he held directly and soundly that doctrine which is most true and euerie way agreeable with the iudgements and expositions of the Reuerend Fathers of our Church Neither doe I know whether in this point anie of them haue left behinde them a more sound learned and vertuous Confession then he hath done For saith he The Lord our God is but one God In which indiuisible vnitie notwithstanding we adore the Father as being altogether of himselfe we glorifie that Consubstantiall Word which is the Sonne wee blesse and magnifie that coessentiall Spirit eternally proceeding from both which is the holy Ghost what confession can there be in this point of greater iudegment learning and truth and wherein there is lesse difference with that which our Church holdeth both hauing their ground as you may see by the places alleaged by M. Hooker in the Margent from the infallible euidence of Gods word This troubleth you that hee saith that these points are in scripture no where to be found by expresse literall mention which you out of your learned obseruation haue prooued as you thinke to be farre otherwise by those places of Scripture which his carelesse reading and weake iudgement was no way able to obserue Where first to proue the coeternitie of the Sonne you alleage The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way I was before his works of old And againe In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God And againe Glorifie me thou Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before the world was These places I confesse by way of collection may serue trulie to confirme in this Article that which our Church holdeth and yet they are not the plainest places that might be alleaged for this purpose But in all these where is there to be found expresse literall mention of the Coeternitie of the Sonne with the Father Nay for any thing that euer I could reade I do not thinke you are able to find the word Coeternall or Coequall in the whole Scripture in this sence For after the Arrians had long in this point troubled the Church the holy Fathers expresse what they held by the word Homousion which word Saint Augustine affirmeth not to be found in all the Scripture What then hath Maister Hooker said which Saint Augustine said not long since neither of them disprouing the thing but both denying the expresse literall mention of the word which I persuade my self your selues are neuer able to find Now for the proceeding of the holy Ghost you alleage as you say expresse words When the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the Father euen the Spirit of truth which proceedeth of the Father Out of this place as you thinke you haue sufficiently proued the expresse literal mention of this point we contēd not with you nor with any whether the truth of this point may directly be warranted by holy scripture but whether there be as you say expresse literal mention First then we call that expresse literal mention which is set down in plaine tearmes not inferred by way of consequence that it is so in this point we haue some reasō to doubt vntil out of your great obseruation you confirme it by more plaine and apparant Scripture For against this place which is but one which you haue alleaged we take this twofold exception as thereby accounting it insufficient to proue as you would haue it that there is expresse literall mention of the proceeding of the Spirit from the Father and the Son For first in that place alleaged out of Saint Iohn there is no mention at all of proceeding from the Sonne Secondly as Maister Beza whose authority you will not denie doth expound the place Christ speaketh not of the essence of the holy Ghost in himselfe but of the vertue and power of the holy Ghost in vs neither doth his interpretation which wee will not examine at this time any way preiudice the foundation of that truth which our Church doth hold For the Deitie of the holie Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne though not by any expresse literall mention yet may easily be proued by infinite places of Scripture and other infallible demonstrations besides this In the dayes of Liberius the Pope and of Constantius the Emperour certaine fantasticall spirits held that the holy Ghost was not God but onely the ministeriall instrument of diuine working This began vnder Arrius and increased by Eunomius a leprous heretike but a subtill Logitian whom the Church hath strongly confuted with arguments impossible to be answered As first that the holy Ghost is euerie where to giue all things to know and search all things that we are commanded to baptise in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost besides the greatnesse of the sinne against the holy Ghost So Ananias that lyed as Peter said to the holy Ghost lyed not to man but to God These and many such places warranted those ancient Councels to conclude the Deitie of the holy Ghost equall to the Father and the Sonne and equally proceeding from both As first the Councell of Constantinople consisting of an hundreth and fiftie Bishops vnder Theodosius the elder and Damasus the Pope which condemned the heresie of the Macedonians The same faith was confirmed by the Councell of Ephesus the Councell of Chalcedon the Councell of Lateran vnder Innocentius the third and diuers others And Athanasius himselfe maketh it most plaine that the Father is of none either made created or begotten the Sonne is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten the holy Ghost is from the Father and the Sonne not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding In this nothing being first or last greater or lesse but all the three persons coeternall and coequall The
the Christians to please Iulian was noted with this marke of leuity for writing Panegyricks or orations of praise to commend Constantius while he liued against whome afterward he wrote most bitter inuectiues when he was dead Thus some small discontentment serued to turne the heart and open the mouth of Porphyry against the Christians what cause of griefe these zealous professours haue I know not but in my opinion the whole tenor of that vncharitable and vnchristian letter argueth some inward discontent either enuious that other men should be excellent or that themselues being excellent are not more regarded Wherein though they dislike the dim eie of gouernment that loketh not cleerely into mens vertues and the niggardly hand that doth not bountifully reward such as deserue well yet they mighte out of patience and charity worthily haue forborne to haue inueied against his honour which consisted in no other wealth but in his religious contentment and in that true commendation which was the due merit of his own vertues For the world had not much to take from him because hee had not taken much from the world for he neuer affected flatteringly to please her nor she neuer cared fauninglie to please him For as all that Scipio brought from Africa after his danger and trauell to be called his was only a Surname so the greatest recompense that his labours had was the iust commendation that he was a very reuerend learned and graue man For his iudgement taught him out of a Christian patience the resolution of Cato if I haue anie thing to vse I vse it if not I know who I am And seeking to profit in knowledge and that this knowledge might profit the Church he shewed that hee was borne for the good of many and few to bee borne for the good of him For as S. Hierom speaketh of Nepotian despising gold he followed learning the greatest riches But peraduenture his learning had puft him vp and his pride had made his writings impatient and full of bitternes and this moued you to vndertake this vncharitable and vnchristian letter for you say if we beleeue them meaning the Bishops we must thinke that Master Hooker is verie arrogant and presumptuous to make himselfe the onely Rabbi That you had no cause to prouoke him in these tearmes all men know that do reade his writings for dealing in an argument of that kinde with aduersaries of that nature and in a time growne insolent by sufferance hee hath written with that temperat moderation rather like a graue father to reforme the vnstayed errors of hot young violent spirits then seuerelie correcting them with the vntemperat bitternes of their owne stile and sighing at the scurrilous and more then satyricall immodesty of Martinisme he feared with a true sorrow least that honourable calling of Priesthood which was ruinated by slaunder amongst ourselues could not long continue firme in the opinion of others Well for all this the gouernment of his passions was in his owne power as Saint Bernard speaketh of Malachie the Bishop And he was able to rule them for he was truly of a milde spirit and an humble hart and abounding in all other vertues yet he specially excelled in the grace of meekenes for the grauity of his lookes as Saint Bernard speaketh of Humbers was cleered by those that did sit or conuerse with him least he should be burdensome vnto them but a ful laughter few euer discerned in him Some such our Church hath had in all ages a few now aliue which are her ornament if shee can vse them well but moe that are dead whome she ought to praise For all those were honourable men in their generations and were well reported of in their times there are of them that haue left a name behind them so that their praise shall be spoken of for whose posterity a good inheritance is reserued and their seede is conteined in the couenant their bodise are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore the people speake of their wisedome and the congregation talke of their praise In this number vertue hath placed him whom you accuse and are not afraid being now awaked out of a dreame to account a deceiuer As though in his labours he had meant by intising speech to deceiue the Church or as though by a colourable defēce of the Church discipline he purposed as you say to make questionable and to bring in contempt the doctrine and faith it selfe beating against the heart of all true Christian doctrine professed by her Maiestie and the whole state of this realme Therfore you haue made choice of the principall things conteined in his bookes wishing him to free himselfe from all suspicion of falshoode and trechery accounting your selues to rest contented if he will shew himselfe either all one in iudgement with the Church of England or else freely and ingenuously acknowledge his vnwilling ouersight or at the least shew plainely by good demonstratiō that al our reuerend Fathers haue hitherto bin deceiued To this you craue a charitable direct plaine sincere and speedy answeare this is the summe of the preface to your Christian letter It is too true that al ages haue had deceiuers and that the most dangerous deceiuers haue strongly preuailed vnder pretence of Religion and therefore whereas all bodies are subiect to dissolution there are vndoubtedly mo estates ouerthrown through diseases within themselues which familiarly do steale vpon them then through violence from abroade Because the maner is alwaies to cast a doubtfull and a more suspicious eie towards that ouer which men know they haue least power therfore the feare of apparant dangers causeth their forces to be more vnited it is to all sorts a kind of bridle it maketh vertuous minds watchful it holdeth contrary dispositions in suspence and imployeth the power of all wits and the wits of all men with a greater care Whereas deceits couered with good pretenses are so willingly interteyned so little feared so long suffered vntill their cruelty burst forth when it is too late to cure them vice hath not a better meanes to disperse it selfe nor to gaine intartainment and fauour then by borrowing the counterfeit name and habit of seeming vertue Thus that rebellious Sandracot vnder pretence of liberty mooued the Indians against the officers of Alexander the Great which when they had slaine he that was the author of their liberty turned that into a more cruell bondage oppressing the people whom he had freed from strangers vnder the cruell tyranny of his owne gouernment But of all deceits there is none more dangerous then when the name of God or religion is pretended to countenance out heinous crimes And howsoeuer euen in this kinde this age hath not wāted examples who beeing dangerous vnder holy pretenses the hand of Iustice hath cut off yet the imputation of this fault can in no reason cleaue to him who hath so
proceeding of the holy Ghost as the Schoolemen obserue is threefold one vnspeakeable and eternal whereby the holy Ghost eternally and without time proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne the other temporall when he is sent from the Father and the Son to sanctifie the elect Of this latter proceeding saith Beza is that place vnderstood which you peremptorily alleage for to proue the first So then we say for our answer to this cauill that as yet we see not expresse literall mention of these points but that they are truly and soundly collected by the Church we neither doe can or dare deny secondly that the deniall of expresse literall mention ought not to make any scruple in the minds of weake Christians concerning these articles the substance wherof are plaine scripture though for the words we finde not as yet any expresse literall mention nor last of all as you seeme to feare it can be no vnderpropping to the traditions of the Church of Rome which if they can proue with the like necessary collection out of the holy scripture we are readie to imbrace them with all our hearts In the meane time we account it a wrong to haue an article of our faith for want of expresse literall mention out of scripture to be compared to traditions of that kinde for which in scripture there is no warrant at all To conclude then this article we say that in the Trinitie there is that Identity of essence that it admitteth equality but not plurality the Father is one the Sonne another the Holy-Ghost another but not another thing For that thing that they all are is this one thing that they are one God So that Saint Austin saith I and my Father are one heere both the words of the sentence one are in that he saith one he freeth thee from Arrius and in that he saith are hee freeth thee from Sabellius For are hee would not say of one and one he would not say of diuers for euery person hath his owne substance which no other besides hath although there be others besides which are of the same substance For the persons of the Godhead by reason of the vnity of their substance doe as necessarily remaine one within another as they are of necessitie to be distinguished one frō another because two are the issue of one and one the ofspring of the other two only of three one not growing out of any other For sith they all are but one God in number one indiuisible essence or substance their distinction cannot possiblie admit separation the Father therefore is in the Sonne and the Son in him they both in the Spirit and the Spirit in both them He that can saith Austine conceiue let him comprehend it but hee that cannot let him beleeue and pray that that which hee beleeueth he may truly vnderstand ARTICLE III. Whether the holy Scriptures containe all things necessarie to saluation TWo things are requisite to mans better life a faith to beleeue what he ought a knowledge to comprehend what hee must beleeue For saith our Sauiour in this is eternal life to know thee to be the only verie God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Because therefore the want of this knowledge is the cause of all iniquitie amongst men as contrariwise the verie ground of all our happinesse and the seed of whatsoeuer perfect vertue groweth from vs is a right opinion touching things diuine this kind of knowledge wee may iustly set downe for the first and chiefest thing which God imparteth to his people and our dutie of receiuing this at his mercifull hands for the first of those religious offices wherewith wee publikely honour him on earth Now our Church holdeth and wee most willingly confesse that the scripture is the true ground of all that holily we beleeue But yet for all that not the onely meanes concerning God of all that profitably wee know For that new impression made into our nature euē by the hand of the Almightie after the first sinne and the wise beholding of his excellent workmanship in the making of all his creatures are two volumes wherein wee may read though not directly the mercy of that power that hath saued vs yet the greatnes and the might of that hand that hath first made vs which though it be not all that we must beleeue yet it is not the least part of that which we ought to know For this as it maketh vs without excuse so it serueth euen to leade vs to a better knowledge and vntill it be perfect to vtter out of the light of nature those voices which may argue vs though not to be sonnes for by this we cannot crie Abba Father yet to be reasonable creatures of that power which we do adore this made Euripides in Troas and manie of the heathen to vtter those prayers which had they beene offered vp in Christ had not bin vnbeseeming a good Christian so that though the Scriptures containe all things which are necessarie to saluation and that our chiefest direction is from them yet we are not affraid to confesse that there is besides a light of nature not altogether vnprofitable the insufficiencie whereof is by the light of Scripture fully and perfectly supplied and that both these together as Master Hooker affirmeth which you mislike doe serue in such full sort that they both iointly not seuerally either of them be so compleat that vnto euerlasting felicity we need not the knowledge of any thing more then of these two I cannot but maruaile that men indued with reason should finde anie thing in this assertion which in the hardest construction might be wrested as detracting frō the sufficiency of the holy scripture And only for this cause by reason that we reade darkly by the light of nature those first elements out of a naturall knowledge which by the accesse of a better teacher serue afterward for the full perfecting of that knowledge which is requisite to mans saluation For as the schoolemen say man standeth in need of a threefold lawe to a morall vprightnes setting aside that righteousnes requisit for his heauenly country First an eternall law which Saint Austin calleth the cheifest reason secondly naturall last of all humane vnto which if we adde that man ouer and besides these is in an ordination to a supernaturall ende then it is manifest that to make him a heauenly Citizen there is requisite a fourth lawe which man must learne to obei◠out of the holy scripture But as in the greatest and fairest buildings euen those stones that lye lowest are of an vse not be contemned though peraduenture not comparable to those last exquisite perfections by which the worke is finished so euen the light of nature for the acting of morall vertues hath his vse though not absolutely compleat to make vs Christians And therefore in the nature of mans will the very Philosophers did seldome erre but
of mans hart yet in his mercy he hath not left him altogether destitute of a better guide The first seruing to teach him that there is a God the latter what that God is and how he will bee worshipped by man This light wee call the scripture which God hath not vouchsafed to all but to those only whome he gathereth more neerely and familiarly to him selfe and vouchsafeth that honor to be called his Church that as men through infirmity seeing weakely prouide vnto themselues the helpe of a better sight so what man cannot reade by the dimnes of his seeing out of the creatures he may more apparantly reade them in the holy scriptures For as there is no saluation without religion no religion without faith so there is no faith without a promise nor promise without a word for God desirous to make an vnion betwixt vs and himselfe hath so linked his word and his Church that neither can stand where both are not The Church for her part in her choice allowance testifying as well that it is the scripture as the scripture from an absolute authority doth assure vs that it is the Church For as those who are conuerted haue no reason to beleeue that to be the Church where there is no scripture so those who are not conuerted haue no great reason to admit that for scripture for which they haue not the Churches warrant So that in my opinion the contention is vnnaturall and vnfit to make a variance by comparison betwixt those two who are in reason and nature to support each other It was a memorable attonement that Abraham made with Lotte let there be no strife I pray thee betweene thee and me neither betweene thy heardsmen and my heardsmen for we be brethren so vndoubtedly may the Church and the scripture say it is then to be feared that those who treacherously make this contentious comparison betwixt both are in very deede true friends to neither For though we dislike of them by whome too much heeretofore hath bin attributed to the Church yet we are loth to grow to an error on the contrary hand and to derogate too much from the Church of God by which remoouall of one extremity with another the worlde seeking to procure a remedy hath purchased a meere exchang of the euill which before was felt We and our aduersaries confesse that the scriptures in themselues haue great authority inward witnes from that spirit which is the author of all truth and outward arguments strong motiues of beleefe which cleaueth firmely to the word it selfe For what doctrine was euer deliuered with greater maiesty What stile euer had such simplicity purity diuinity What history or memoriall of learning is of like antiquity what oracles foretold haue bin effected with such certainty What miracles more powerfull to confirme the truth What enemies euer preuailed lesse or laboured more violently to roote it out To conclude what witnesses haue dyed with more innocency or lesse feare then those that haue sealed the holinesse of this truth This the scripture is in it selfe but men who are of lesse learning then these reformers are do not vnworthily make question how that which ought thus highly to be esteemed for it selfe commeth to be accounted of thus honorably by vs for the weakenes of mans iudgement doth not euer value things by that worth which they doe deserue For vndoubtedly out of that error hath proceeded your suspition of him whose inward worthines must now be content to receiue testimony from a witnes by many thousand degrees inferiour to himselfe To them of Samaria the woman gaue testimony of our sauiour Christ not that she was better but better knowne for witnesses of lesse credit then those of whome they beare witnesse but of some more knowledge then those to whome they beare witnes haue euer bin reputed to giue a kind of warrant and authority vnto that they proue Seeing then the Church which consisteth of many doth outwardly testifie what euery man inwardly should be to swarue vnnecessarilie from the iudgement of the whole Church experience as yet hath neuer found it safe For that which by her ecclesiasticall authority she shal probably thinke define to be true or good must in congruity of reason ouerrule all other inferiour Iudgements whatsoeuer And to them that out of a singularity of their owne aske vs why we thus hang ou◠iudgements on the Churches sleeue wee answere with Salomon Two are better then one for euen in matters of lesse moment it was neuer thought safe to neglect the iudgement of many and rashly to follow the fancy and opinion of some few If the Fathers of our Church had had no greater reasō to auouch their forsaking of the Antichristian Synagogue as you call it then this point wee might iustly haue wished to haue bin recōciled to the fellowship society of their church For this point as it seemeth rightly vnderstood affordeth little difference betwixt them and vs and therfore there was no mention of it in the last councell their Church had And Bellarmine himselfe doth apparantly complaine that we wrong them in this point for doubtles it is a tolerable opinion of the Church of Rome if they go no further as some of them do not to affirme that the scriptures are holy and diuine in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority of the Church for there is no man doubteth but that it belongeth to the Church if we vnderstand as we ought those truely who are the Church to approue the scriptures to acknowledg to receiue to publish to commend vnto hir Children And this witnes ought to be receiued of all as true yet wee doe not beleeue the scriptures for this only for there is the testimony of the Holy-ghost without which the commendation of the Church were of little value That the scriptures are true to vs wee haue it from the Church but that wee beleeue them as true we haue it from the Holy-ghost We confesse it is an excellent office of the Church to beare witnes to the scriptures but we say not that otherwise we would not beleeue them We graunt that the scriptures rightly vsed are the iudge of controuersies that they are the triall of the Church that they are in themselues a sufficient witnes for what they are but yet for all this wee are not afraid with Master Hooker to confesse that it is not the word of God which doth or possibly can assure vs that we do well to thinke it is the word of God For by experience we all know that the first outward motion leading men so to esteeme of the scripture is the authority of Gods Church which teacheth vs to receiue Markes Gospell who was not an Apostle and refuse the Gospell of Thomas who was an Apostle to retain S. Lukes gospel who saw not Christ and to reiect the Gospell of Nicodemus that sawe him For though in themselues
the free will both being the rationall power of desiring but that the one respecteth the end and then it is called will the other respecteth the meanes and then it is called free-will So the same power of vnderstanding as it respecteth the first principles is called vnderstanding as it respecteth the conclusion which is gathered by a discourse from the principles it is called reason Now this reason concerning things doubtful hath naturally in it selfe a way to both opposites but leaneth to that for the most part wherunto either appetite ignorance or grace sway it So that though freely and without constraint it follow naturally the wisedome of the flesh yet without a supernaturall grace the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeed can be This being duly weighed with vnderstanding and considered of with a charitable humilitie such as the cause requireth euery man may see notwithstanding your accusation that our Church in this neither differeth from the truth nor Master Hooker at all from our Church ARTICLE VI. Of Faith and Works WHere charity hath not power enough to guide reason there malice out of ignorance is able to make conclusions against sense For the eies being blinded which naturally are to perform the best offices of seeing the colours that are discerned otherwise are litle better then the false errors of a troubled fancy For where the light is darkenes how great must that darkenes be To attaine by a supernaturall power to that felicity which is an acte of the greatest mercy as infinite numbers faile in the thing so there are not a few which vtterly mistake the meanes And whilest all that are Christians acknowledge it to be a grace eager contentions are stirred vp whether it be imputed or inherent in vs. And seeing in this acte of iustification by the consent of all man doth receiue from God what he hath the question is what vertue must be in that hand to inable weakenes to receiue such strength and how that faith must be accompanied that is able to clothe our soules with the righteousnes of anothers merit Heere we haue aduersaries whom peraduenture we mistake as they mistake vs making as in other points a misconstruction to be the ground of a great difference and the strongest opposition to arise from hence that nether part is willing to vnderstand each other Heere if we should but discouer the least meanes of reconcilement some hasty spirits would not stick to accuse vs as more then partiall and that treacherouslie we sought to betray the cause In that we purpose to set downe what truth warranteth in this behalfe it is rather to free him from suspition whom you doe accuse then that hee in that wherein you accuse him any way standeth in neede of our weake defence If man rightly value but the merit of the Sonne of God and how so humble and innocent obedience to so lowe a state must needes in iustice make a full satisfaction for so great a sin he cannot chuse but confesse that onely for the merit of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ through faith and not for works and our merits we are accounted righteous before God If the soule of man did serue only to giue him being in this life then things appertaining to this life would cōtent him as we see they doe other creatures which creatures inioying those things by which they liue they doe seeke no further but in this contentation doe shew a kinde of acknowledgement that there is no higher good which any way doth belong vnto them With man it is far otherwise for although all inferiour things were in the possession of one yet he would euer with a desire thirst for some thing aboue all those so that nature euen in this life doth claime a perfection higher and more diuine then any thing in it selfe which man must receiue in the reward now rewards doe alwaies presuppose such duties performed as are rewardable our naturall meanes vnto blessednesse are our workes nor is it possible that nature should euer finde any other way to saluation but only this Yet seeing that no man can say since the foundation of the world that his workes are pure but that all flesh is guilty of that for which God hath threatned eternally to punish there resteth either no way vnto saluation or a way which must needs be supernatural and aboue mans reach Had Adam continued in his first estate mans absolute righteousnes and integrity in all his actions had bin the way of life to him and to all his posterity though peraduenture not in so large a manner as heauenly felicity doth import the possession whereof euen the least moment were too abundant a retribution Yet now we fayling in that which was our dutie it were a thing impossible in nature to obtaine the other The light of nature is neuer able to find out any way of obtaining the reward of blisse but by performing exactly the works of righteousnes Therfore God hath prepared a supernaturall way namely that we doe beleeue not that God doth require nothing vnto happines at the hands of men as Maister Hooker sayth sauing only a naked faith for Hope Charity we may not exclude but that without faith all other things are as nothing this being the grounde of those other diuine vertues The principall obiect of faith is that eternall verity which hath discouered the treasures of hidden wisdome in Christ the highest obiect of hope is that euerlasting goodnes which in Christ doth quicken the dead the final obiect of charity is that incōprehensible beauty which shineth in the countenance of Christ the Son of the liuing God The first beginneth heere with a weake apprehension of things not seene and endeth in the beholding of God in the world to come The second beginneth heere with a trembling expectation of things far remoued and as yet but only heard of and endeth with a reall and actuall fruition of that which no toong is able to expresse The third beginneth heere with a weake inclination of hart towards him vnto whom we are not able to approch and endeth with an endles vnion the mystery wherof is higher then the reach of the thoughts of men And howsoeuer the apprehension of that righteousnesse wherby man is iustified be properly but the worke of one yet we dare not neither doe any learned in our Church make faith to be naked of other vertues and therefore it is so much the more strange that you follow the error which our aduersaries haue accused vs for as though it were an opinion holden by our Church In this article against Maister Hooker you say that God requireth no more at the hands of men vnto happinesse then a naked beleefe And a little after We claime nothing by any dutie we do or can do or any vertue which wee find in our selues but onely by
that naked faith c. In these assertions which in my opinion are repugnant to our Church and in the best construction make but a harsh sound what do you else but discouer y e error which they of the Church of Rome by a mistaking haue thought vs to hold as though it were our doctrine that wee could be iustified by a faith that were meerely naked Luther striuing to shew how litle our works did in the merit of mans saluation speaketh somewhat harshly when he saith Faith without before we haue charitie doth iustifie And in another place both which are not vniustly called in question by those of the Church of Rome he saith Faith vnles it be without euen the least good works doth not iustify nay it is no faith But M. Calum speaketh in this better then either Luther or you Faith alone iustifieth but not that faith which is alone For if our Church held a naked faith which none that were wise euer did might not all the world iustly accuse vs as enemies to good works The most of the learned in Germany held a necessitie of good works not a necessitie of effecting but a necessitie of presence for we are saued doubtlesse by grace but hauing yeers we cannot ordinarily be saued vnles we haue good works For faith which we teach to iustifie is not void of good works as Doctor Fulke answereth to the Rhemes obiection And therfore in another place he saith the elect are alwayes fruitfull of good works From hence seeing faith hath no assurance for itselfe either to God or to maÌ„ we exhort in our sermons to good works we perswade to humiliation by fasting weeping which are if they be truly penitent meanes to blot out sin thorough Gods vnspeakable and vndeserued mercie For as Saint Paul saith Godly sorrow causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of And therefore saith Saint Hierom fasting and sackcloth are the armor of repentaÌ„ce And y e men please God by fasting saith D Fulk as Anna Tobie Iudith Hester we doubt nothing at all while we vse it to the right end allowed of God that is huÌ„bling of our selues chastising of our bodies that it might bee more obedient to the Spirit and feruent in prayer Nay our solemne fasts are as M. Hooker saith the splendor and outward glorie of our religion forcible witnesses of ancient truth prouocations to the exercise of all piâ—tie shadowes of our endlesse felicitie in heauen and euerlasting records and memorials vpon earth which it is great pitie it is so much neglected because euen therein they which cannot be drawne to harken vnto what we teach might onely by looking vpon that we do in a maner reade whatsoeuer we beleeue Now that he saith the attainement vnto anie gratious benefit of Gods vnspeakable and vndeserued mercie the phrase of antiquitie hath called by the name of Merit this is that wherein you desire to be resolued And surely he hath read little who is ignorant that the heathen Masters of the Latine tongue and the Fathers for antiquitie nearest vnto those times haue vsed the word Merit far in another sence then that whereunto the violence of some coÌ„structions haue wrested it at this day And Aquinas himselfe vnderstandeth by the name of â—urit not a worke not due which should deserue a reward but a worke which mercifully and by the goodnes of God a reward followeth The phrase of the Latine doth properly make one to merit of another and as it were to bind him to him who doth any thing which pleaseth and delighteth him for whom it is done Thus that place in the epistle to the Hebrues To do good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is well pleased Where they of Rhemes following the Latine promeretur say promerited shewing that they meant nothing els in ancient time by merit but that delight allowance and contentment which God taketh in those good things we do and so rewardeth them And Doctor Fulke confesseth that Primasius who was Saint Austins scholler vsed the same word promeretur as it was taken amongst the vulgar at that day farre differing from the sense wherein it is nowe vsed Thus much briefly may serue for answer in this point that faith is not alone though alone it iustifie that though a man sinne if he repent his faith may saue him that there are vses nay excellent vses of good works though they do not saue vs and last of all if posteritie had not corrupted the word merit that we would not be afraid to speake in the phrase of antiquitie and call our vertuous attainment by mercie of grace by the name of merit ARTICLE VII The vertue of works AS goodnesse so truth being but one whatsoeuer is opposite be it neuer so carefully obserued in the course of a long streame at the last foldeth it selfe in a contradiction For falshood hath no more strength to proue a truth then truth hath weaknesse to beget a lie Then the ground of all true assertions concurring immoueably in that one first truth of which all other inferior are but branches whatsoeuer goeth about to disproue that must of necessitie in his owne parts bee diuers and imply a contrarietie seeing it laboureth to infring the certainty of that which eternally and vnchangeably is but one Hence commeth it that vnskilfull men the grounds of whose opinions are but the vncertainties of their owne ignorance are thought to want memorie whilest they contradict themselues when indeed the defect is in iudgment which caÌ„not make truth the ground of their knowledge from which if they swarue neuer so little they doe not sooner oppugne others then crosse themselues truth admitting no coherence of contrarieties seeing it selfe is but onely one From this hath proceeded that ouersight of a great number who speaking first against a truth vttered by others come at length to speake euen directly against themselues Thus you that in the former Article disputed of faith naked and destitute of all good works make your next step to those good works that do accompany faith Where I vnderstand not but perhaps you do why you call them good if they arise not naturally out of faith or why you call that faith naked which is accompanied with these good works But doubtlesse there being a morall goodnes euen where there is want of supernatural light and the most certaine token of that goodnes being if the general perswasion of all men do so account it it can not chuse but seeme strange that the approbation of these should in your opinion be applied to those works that are done out of faith after man is iustified seeing there is a good as M. Hooker saith that doth follow vnto all things by obseruing the course of their nature yet naturall agents cannot obtaine either reward or punishment for amongst creatures in this world only mans obseruation of the law of his nature because he
and as if it were neuer giuen True it is that seeing God from whom mens seuerall degrees preheminences proceed hath appointed them in his Church at whose hands his pleasure is that we should receiue Baptisme and all other publike helpes medicinable to the soule perhaps thereby the more to settle our hearts in the loue of our ghostly superiors they haue small cause to hope that with him their voluntarie seruices will be accepted who thrust themselues into functions either aboue their capacitie or besides their place and ouerboldly intermeddle with duties whereof no charge was euer giuen vnto them In which respect if lawes forbid it to be done yet therefore it is not necessarily void when it is done For many things are firme being done which in part are done otherwise thē positiue rigor and strictnes did require Actions vsurped haue often the same nature which they haue in others although they yeeld not him that doth them the same comfort What defects then are in this kind they redound with restraint to the offender only the grace of Baptisme commeth by donation from God onely That God hath committed the mysterie of Baptisme vnto speciall men it is for orders sake in his Church and not to the intent that their authoritie might giue being or adde force to the Sacrament it selfe Infants haue right to Baptisme we all know that they haue it not by lawfull ministers it is not their fault Mens owne faults are their owne harmes So then wee conclude this point with Maister Hooker that it is one thing to defend the fact for lawfulnesse in the doer which few do and another thing the fact being done which no man hath reason to disallow for though it is not lawfull for women to vndertake that office to baptize which peraduenture belongs not vnto them yet the Baptisme being done we hold it lawfull ARTICLE XIIII Of the Sacraments IT is not a thing lesse vsuall in the apprehension of truths through the weaknesse of our vnderstanding to ascribe too little to that which in all reason hath great vertue then to allow ouermuch to that which hath no vertue at all It fareth with men in this kind as it doth with some deceitfull artificers who bestow most arte and outward additions where inwardly there is least value whilest they leaue that altogether vnfurnished which is able to expose it to sale by his owne worth It is our fault no lesse violently to extoll what our fancies make vs to account excellent then to dispraise things truly commendable in their owne nature because onely they haue gained this disaduantage to bee disliked by vs. So that whosoeuer maketh either praise or dispraise to be a rule of iudgement or the iudgement of some few to bee a signe of value he with like hazard equally erreth in both For times and places violent circumstances of that which men say with or against breed infinite varietie of alterations where things are the same and out of commendation alone a strange effect dispraise like a monster doth spring vp It being cause sufcient to distempered humours vehemently to dislike only in this respect that others doe commend the same Wherein the safest and most charitable direction will bee absolutely in that violent opposition to beleeue neither but euen from both to deriue a truth much sounder then that which either holdeth From hence hath it come to passe that whilest they of the Church of Rome haue peraduenture ascribed too much to works some of vs too little others haue set downe an equality dissenting from both Thus in the matter of the sacraments things of greatest and most hidden vertue left vnto the Church for they are called Mysteries some haue bin thought to deriue that power to them which belongeth to God only which whilest others sought to auoide they haue euen depriued them of that grace which God doubtles in truth hath bestowed vpon them In this kinde you are of opinion that M. Hooker hath erred who as you imagine hath ascribed to the sacraments farre more following therein the steps of the Church of Rome then either the Scripture the articles of our Church or the exposition of our Reuerend Bishops and others do For the Fathers say you make the Sacraments only Seales of assurance by which the Spirit worketh inuisibly to strengthen our faith And therfore they call them visible words seales of righteousnesse and tokens of grace That they doe and say thus there is no man doubteth but we are not yet perswaded that this is all or the furthest as you alledge that they saie because vndoubtedly we are assured that they haue learned both to know and to speake otherwise For the Sacraments chiefest force and vertue consisteth in this that they are heauenly ceremonies which God hath sanctified and ordained to be administred in his Church First as markes to know when God doth impart his vitall or sauing grace of Christ vnto all that are capable therof and secondly as meanes conditionall which God requireth in them vnto whom he imparteth grace For doubtles it must needes be a great vnthankfulnesse and easily breed contempt to ascribe only that power to them to be but as seales and that they teach but the minde by other sense as the worde doth by hearing which if it were all what reason hath the Church to bestow any Sacrament vpon Infants who as yet for their yeares are nor capable of any instruction there is therefore of Sacraments vndoubtedly some more excellent and heauenly vse Sacraments by reason of their mixt nature are more diuersly interpreted and disputed of then any other part of Religion besides for that in so great store of properties belonging to the selfe same thing as euery mans wit hath taken hold of some especiall consideration aboue the rest so they haue accordingly giuen their censure of the vse and necessity of them For if respect bee had to the dutie which euery communicant doth vndertake we may cal them truly bōds of our obedience to God strict obligations to the mutuall exercise of Christian charity prouocations to godlines preseruatiōs frō sin memorials of the principal benefits of Christ. If we respect the time of their institutiō they are annexed for euer vnto the new testamēt as other rites were before with the old If we regard the weakenesse that is in vs they are warrants for the more security of our beleefe If we compare the receiuers with those that receiue them not they are works of distinctiō to separate Gods owne from strangers and in those that receiue them as they ought they are tokens of Gods gratious presence whereby men are taught to know what they cannot see For Christ and his holy spirit with all their blessed effects though entring into the soule of man we are not able to apprehend or expresse how doe notwithstanding giue notice of the times when they vse to make their accesse because it pleaseth Almighty God to communicate by sensible
is what kind of necessity there is of baptisme a thing already fully haÌ„dled by M. Hooker therfore we wil be more sparing in this point All things which either are known causes or fit meanes wherby any great good is vsually procured or men deliuered froÌ„ greeuous euil the same we must needs confesse necessarie now we know there is a necessity absolute there is a necessity conditionall euen that conditional for the end in ordinary estimation is absolutely necessarie Thus to a man in the sea to escape drowning we account a ship a necessary meanes euen of absolute necessity in respect of our iudgement howsoeuer some few haue escaped by other meanes so our Sauiour saith of Baptisme vnlesse a man be bornâ—â—gaine of water and of the Holy-ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Which place we vnderstand howsoeuer some deny it of Baptisme by materiall water according to the generall consent of the auncient Fathers For it is a rule in expounding the Scriptures that where a literall construction will stand as in this place the farthest from the letter is commonly the worst And therefore water the spirit both concurring in that sacrament why should there not be though not an equall yet a necessity of both For as the spirit is necessary to regeneratioÌ„ so regeneratioÌ„ is necessary to eternal life which so far dependeth vpoÌ„ the outward sacrameÌ„t that God wil haue it imbraced not only as a signe or token what we receiue as you affirme but also as an instrument or meane whereby we receiue it and this without any inthralling as you seeme to feare of Gods mercifull grace Neither as Hugo saith doe these giue speaking of the Sacraments that which is giuen by these and yet ordinarily as necessary to receiue these as those graces are necessary which we receiue by these For though Baptisme bee not a cause of grace yet the grace which is giuen by baptisme doth so far depend vpon the very outward sacrament as God will haue it imbraced as a necessary meanes whereby we receiue the same and howsoeuer we dare not iudge those that in some cases do want it yet we may boldly gather that he whose mercy now vouchsafeth to bestowe the meanes hath also long since intended vs that wherunto they leade For to imagine nothing necessary but saith is to come neere the error of the old Valentinian hereticks who ascribed all to knowledge only So saith Tertullian Some account the Sacraments as vnprofitable without faith so needeles where faith is but no faith can bee profitable saith Saint Bernard to him who when he may yet refuseth to receiue the Sacraments Therefore if Christ himselfe which giueth saluation require Baptisme it is not for vs to dispute or examine whether those that are vnbaptized may be saued but seriously to doe that which is required and religiously to feare the danger which may grow by the want thereof For doubtles the sacrament of Baptisme in respect of God the author of the institution may admit dispensation but in respect of vs who are tyed to obeie there is an absolute necessity For it is in the power of God without these to saue but it is not in the power of man without these to come to saluation And yet the Church holdeth constantly as well touching other beleeuers as Martyrs that Baptisme taken away by necessity taketh not away the necessity of Baptisme but is supplied by the desire therof For what is there in vs saith Saint Ambrose more then to will and to seeke for our owne good Thy seruant Valentinian who died before he was baptized Oh Lord did both For as the visible signe may be without true holinesse so the inuisible sanctification saith Saint Austin may sometimes be without the visible signe And yet these are no iust reasons either to make vs presume or to take away the necessity of this holy sacrameÌ„t For euen those haue it in their wishe as the Schoolemen say who indeed do want y e same And howsoeuer as they of Rhemes confesse such may be the grace of God towards men that they may haue remissioÌ„ iustification sanctificatioÌ„ before the external sacrament of Baptisme as in Peters preaching they all receiued the Holy-ghost before the sacrament yet this is no ordinary thing now in infants and whosoeuer therefore shal contemne them cannot be saued Yet God who hath not bound his grace in respect of his owne freedome to any Sacrament may and doth accept them as baptized which either are martyred before they could be baptized or else depart this life with wiâ—he and desire to haue that Sacrament which by some remediles necessity they could not obtaine For the iust by what death soeuer he be preuented his soule shall be in rest And whereas you demaund whether our sacraments be not the same in nature vertue and substance that the sacraments of the Iewes were vnder the law and therefore baptisme to be of no more necessity then circumcision we answeare with Saint Austin The Sacraments deliuered by Christ are for number fewer taking as Maister Zanchy noteth sacraments largly for al those ceremonies as he did for performance easier for vnderstanding more excellent for obseruation more chast And therefore though all sacraments for their substance be one that is Christ and that more particularly baptisme succeedeth circumcision yet their difference is great both in their rites which were diuers in the maner of the obiect the one Christ to come the other already come the one a corporall benefit to be of that Church which should haue her certaine seate vntill the comming of the Messias in the land of Canaan the other expecting a spiritual kingdom The one bounde to an obseruation of the whole lawe Ceremoniall Iudiciall Morall the other only to the moral law and for want of true fulfilling of it to faith and repentance The one to Israel only the other to the whole Church The one to continue till the comming of the Messias in humility the other vntill his comming in glory The one belonged vnto the males only the other to all So that as the differences were many and not small euen so we doubte not to affirme that the benefits are far more and the necessity is much greater And therfore as Maister Hooker saith we haue for baptisme no day set as the Iewes had for circumcision neither haue we by the law of God but only by the Churches discretion a place therunto appointed Baptisme therefore euen in the meaning of the law of Christ beloÌ„geth vnto infants capable therof froÌ„ the very instant of their birth which if they haue not howsoeuer rather then lose it by being put off because some circumstances of solemnity do not concur the Church as much as in her lieth marke the words for she cannot disappoint Gods eternall election but as far as is in her power by denying the meanes casteth
that the age present is corrected when the age past is iustly rebuked for the same fault And there cannot be a better meanes to cure our disorder at home then by discouering the effects that it hath wrought abroade Now that which principally discouereth that you are not such as in the title of this letter you terme your selues is that you make not Caluin but Christ himselfe the author of this discipline who as you say raised vp diuers men in diuers places as Oecolampadius Swinglius Suychius Philip Bucer Capito and Miconius and â—aught them by the same spirit out of the same holy scripture the same doctrine and commandement of truth and righteousnes In this you bewray what you are and how truly you fauour our present state in giuing so honorable testimony of that Church gouernment which hath bin so much oppugned by the Fathers of our Church Nay so much misliked by the Queene her self as appeareth by her most eloqueÌ„t speech against those reformers And I must needes tell you that those who haue taken vpon them the defence thereof are only able to confirme it not by places of scripture but by poore and marueâ—lous sleight coniectures collected froÌ„ them I need not giue instance in any one sentence so alledged for that I thinke the instance of any alledged otherwise not easily to be giuen A very strange thing sure it were that such a discipline as you speake of should be taught by Christ and his Apostles in the word of God and no Church euer hath found it out nor receiued it till this present time contrariwise the gouerment against which you bend yourselues to be obserued euery where through all generations and ages of the Christian world no Church euer perceiuing the word of God to be against it Finde but one Church one is not much vpon the face of the whole earth that hath bin ordered by your discipline or hath not bin ordered by ours that is to say by Episcopall regiment sithence the time that the blessed Apostles were here conuersant But you complaine of it as an iniurie that men should be willed to seeke for examples and paterns of gouerment in any of those times that haue bin before It is to small purpose that some daughter Churches haue learned to speake their mothers dialect In one word to conclude this article such is naturally our affection that whom in great things we mightily admire in them wee are not perswaded willingly that any thing should be amisse The reason wherof is that as dead flies putrefie the ointment of the apothecary so a little folly him that is in estimation for wisdome This in euery profession hath too much authorised the iudgments of a few this with Germans hath caused Luther and with many other Churches Caluin to preuaile in all things But thou O Lord art only holy thou only art iust who permittest the worthiest vessels of thy glory to be in some things blemished with the staine of humane frailty euen for this cause least we should esteem of any man aboue that which behooueth ARTICLE XX. Of Schoolemen Philosophie and Popery PHilosophie telleth vs if it be lawfull for me to vse so much Philosophie that naturall motions in the end are swifter but violet are more slowe and therefore heauy things the lower they descend doe moue faster and by so much also they moue slower by how much they ascend higher It seemeth that the accusations in this letter were such as had their first motion rather from the violence of some affection then from any naturall inclination to vnderstand the truth For surely though I take not vpon me to censure any man being my selfe clothed with so many wants yet in my weake opinion those that would desire are solution of such things as ouerthrow the foundation of the Church amongst vs which in your leâ—ter you professe should hardly esteeme the right vse of Philosophers and schoole learning to be an accusation of that kind So that whereas at the first your obiections seemed to moue with a greater strength now in the end they growe weake like the stroke of a man that is halfe tyred But I haue final reason to complaine of this which is mine owne aduantage for without the armour of other learning only in the strength of reason I duâ—st incounter a stronger man then my selfe in this wherein you accuse Maister Hooker that the right vse of Schoolemen and Philosophers is no hindrance or disgrace to true diuinity And therefore whereas you charge him that in all his discourse for the most part Aristotle and the ingenious Schoolemen almost in all points haue some finger and that reason is highly set vp against holy Scripture and such like I verely perswade my selfe that herein he hath committed no vnlawfull thing For those schoole imployments are acknowledged by graue and wise men not vnprofitablie to haue bin inuented the most approued for learning and iudgment doe vse them without blame the vse of them hath bin well liked by those that haue written in this kind the quality of the readers of his bookes though not of the most yet of those whom the matter concerned most was such as he could not but thinke them of capacity very sufficient to conceiue harder learning then he hath vsed any the cause he had in hand did in my opinion necessarily require those schoolemen and philosophers that he hath vsed for where a cause is strangely mistaken for want of distinctions what other way was there for him but by distinctions to lay it open That so it might appeare vnto all men whether it were consonant to truth or no and although you and I peraduenture being vsed to a more familiar and easie learning thinke it vnmeete to admit approoue or frequent the schooles yet our opinions are no Canons for Maister Hooker And although you being troubled in minde doe thinke that his writings seeme like fetters and manacles yet no doubt he hath met both with readers and hearers more calmely affected which haue iudged otherwise But it is a strange presumption in my opinion for priuate men such as professe themselues to be but common Christians which your writings besides your owne confession doe make manifest to prescribe a forme either of writing or teaching so plaine and familiar or rather indeed so empty and shallow that no man may doubte how vnlearned soeuer to giue his censure Must all knowledge be humbled so low that it must stoope to the capacity of the meanest reader But the Fathers say you haue misliked it Indeed I confesse there is an ouermuch vse which is euill in all things where there is not an absolute necessity Besides things comparatiuely spoken in regard of true vnderstanding of the scriptures is no rule for warrant that they are to be misliked simply For Stapleton himselfe confesseth in his cautions of expounding the scripture that the Schoolemen haue not a certaine and infallible authority of