God and therefore are not vnder the curse So that which seemed to Saint Paul absurd to be denied is now denied by these absurd and blind Pharisies Furthermore Saint Paul saith That which was impossible to the law in as much as it was made weake because of the flesh God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne hath condemned sinne in the flesh Doth not S. Paul here shew that whereas wee could not be saued by the law God hath sent his sonne in the flesh to saue vs And he declareth why wee could not be saued by the law because the weakenes of our sinfull flesh is not able to yeeld that perfect righteousnes which the law of God requireth the which if we could doe wee should liue thereby For God saith which if a man do he shall liue in them And that euen they that are regenerate with Gods spirit doe not perfectly fulfill the law and keepe Gods commaundements it is most euident by Saint Pauls confession of himselfe I am carnall sold vnder sinne I allow not that which I doe for that I would I doe not but what I hate that I doe It is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me But I finde no meanes to performe that which is good For I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I I finde that when I would doe good euill is present with me I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death If S. Paul that elect vessell of God which was taken vp into the third heauen and into paradise and heard words which cannot be spoken did not fulfill the law and fully without transgression keep Gods commandements who but a blind hypocrite and proud Pharisie will arrogate to himselfe the same Bernard saith well Aut te ergo si audes praefer Apostolo nempe ipsius ista vox est aut fatere cum illo te quoque vitijs non carere that is Either if thou darest preferre thy selfe before the Apostle whose saying this is or els confesse with him that thou also art not void of vices I will adde hereunto a few testimonies out of the auncient Fathers to prooue that none in this life is assisted so fully with Gods grace that he perfectly fulfilleth the law and keepeth Gods commaundements without any transgression or breach of them Iustinus Martyr saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And that none hath exactly done all things you your selues dare not denie but there be which haue kept the things commaunded some more and some lesse then others S. Hierome saith Facilia dicis esse Dei mandata tamen nullum proferre potes qui vniuersa compleuerit Responde mihi facilia sunt an difficilia Si facilia profer quis ea impleuerit Thou saist Gods commaundements be easie and yet thou canst not bring forth any that hath fulfilled all Answere me be they easie or hard If they be easie shew any that hath fulfilled them Again Haec hominibus sola perfectio si imperfectos se esse nouerint that is This is the onely perfection of men to acknowledge themselues to be imperfect Againe Tunc ergo iusti sumus quando nos esse peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex Dei consistit misericordia that is Then wee be iust when wee confesse our selues to be sinners and our iustice consisteth not in our owne merits but in Gods mercie Saint Augustine saith Ipsa iustitia nostra tanta est in hac vita vt petius peccatorum remissione constet quam perfectione virtuium that is Our iustice is so great in this life that it consisteth rather in the remission of our sinnes then in the perfection of our vertues And againe Omnia mandata facta deput antur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur that is All the commaundements are then reputed to be done when whatsoeuer is not done is pardoned Againe Gratia Dei tribuit in hac vita studium praecepta seruandi eadem si quid etiam in illis praeceptis minus seruatur ignoscit that is The grace of God doth giue in this life a desire to keepe his commaundements and the same grace if any thing in them be not obserued forgiueth it The like I might alleage out of many other places of his workes As De natura gratia cap. 36. Contra Iulianum lib. 4. cap. 3. De libero Arbitrio cap. 16. and such others but for shortnes sake I omit them Chrysostome saith Neque enim alios licet in lege iustificari nisi eum qui cuncta adimpleuerit Id verò nemini dum possibile factum est that is None can be iustified by the law but he that hath fulfilled all And that hath beene as yet possible to no man Bernard saith Quomodo ergo iubenda fuit quae implenda nullo modo erat c. How was the law to be commaunded which can by no meanes be fulfilled or if thou rather thinke that the commaundement was giuen for the ruling of our affections I will not hereupon striue so that thou also doe yeeld vnto me that in this life it neither can or euer could be fulfilled of any man For who dare arrogate that to himselfe which Paul himselfe confesseth that he had not comprehended Neither was the commaunder ignorant that the weight of the commandement exceeded mans strength but he iudged it to be profitable that thereby they might be put in mind of their owne insufficiencie and so might know that they ought according to their power labour to the end of righteousnes Therefore by commaunding things impossible he made men not transgressors but humble that euery mouth might be stopped and all the world made subiect vnto God because that by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified before him for wee receiuing the commaundement and feeling our owne want will crie vnto heauen and God will haue mercie vpon vs. Again Quantumlibet in hoc corpore manens profeceris erras vitia si putas emortuae non magis suppressa velis nolis intra fines tuos habitat Iebusaeus subiugari potest sed non exterminari scio inquit quod non habitat in me bonum that is How much soeuer thou doest profit whilest thou abidest in this bodie thou art deceiued if thou thinke vices to be dead in thee and not rather suppressed whether thou wilt or no the Iebusite will dwell within thy coasts he may be subdued but not vtterly banished I know saith Paul that no goodnes dwelleth in me This
Chrysostom Omnibus vnum corpus proponitur poculum vnum One body and one Cuppe is propounded to all So saith Theophilactus Tremendus calix pari cunctis conditione traditus est The fearefull Cup is in like sort deliuered vnto all Yea this absurd exposition of theirs is contrarie to the practise of the Primitiue Church and to all antiquitie as might be shewed and of some Papists is confessed But to proceede and to shew how they handle other places I will ioyne two places together because they doe often alleage them together to proue the Popes supremacie ouer the whole Church of God dispersed ouer the whole world The one Hosea 1. 11. Then shall the Children of Iudah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoynt themselues one head The other place is Iohn 10. 16. There shall be one fold and one shepheard These places be alleaged by Pope Pius the second epist 288. by Iohannes de Parisijs by D. Harding c. expounding the same not of Christ but of the Pope to be this one head and one shepheard The which what a priuat and false exposition it is I neede not greatly to shew it is so plaine and apparant The first place of Hosea Saint Hierome expoundeth thus Haec omnia fient quia magnus est dies seminis Dei qui interpretatur Christus i. All these things shall come to passe because it is the great day of the seede of God which is expounded not the Pope but Christ so also doth Frier Lira Congregabuntur filij Iudae id est Apostoli c. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles and the Children of Israel that is to say the heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say one Christ So doth S. Augustine de ciuitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 28. Whose words for shortnes sake I omit The other place is so plaine that a Cobler by hearing or reading of it may perceiue that our Sauiour Christ spake it of himselfe and not of the Pope He saith I am the good shepheard and knowe mine and am knowne of mine I lay downe my life for my sheepe Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one sheepefolde and one shepheard Therefore doth my father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it againe Who is so blind as seeth not these words to be spoken of our Sauiour Christ himselfe and not of the Pope Yet that doughtie or rather doltish Doctor Iohannes de Parisijs is not ashamed to say that it is not to be vnderstoode of Christ but of some other Minister which should rule in his place His words be these Congregabuntur filij Iuda filij Israel vt ponant sibi caput vnum Ioan. 10. fiet vnum ouile vnus pastor Quod quidem de Christo intelligi non potest sed de alio aliquo ministro quipraesit loco eius i. The Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel shall be gathered together and shall appoynt themselues one head and Ioh. 10. There shall be one fold and one shepheard which cannot be vnderstoode of Christ but of some other minister that must rule in his place Behold the absurditie of this saying and exposition and let this cauiller who in his questions and challenge so disdainefully despiseth our learning consider what a blind ignorant and vnlearned Doctor and writer this was that so absurdly expoundeth this place and contrarily to the plaine words denieth them to be vnderstoode of our Sauiour Christ and blasphemously attributeth y t vnto the Pope which is only proper and peculiar to Iesus Christ Frier Lira was of better iudgement who writeth thus Fiet vnus pastor id est Christus i. There shall be one pastor that is to say Christ I will shew another place or two in like manner expounded for the proofe of the same matter In the booke of the ceremonies of the Church of Rome the which I wish were in English that our English Catholikes might see the goodly ceremonies and orders of that Church it is thus written Papa in nocte natiuitatis domini benedicit ensem quem postea donat alicui principi in signum infinitae potentiae pontifici collatae iuxta illud data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra Item dominabitur à mari vsque ad mare à flùmine vsque ad terminos orbis terrarum i. The Pope in the night of the feast of Christs Natiuitie blesseth a sword for a signe of the infinit power giuen to him which hee afterward bestoweth vpon some Prince according to that saying All power is giuen to me both in heauen and in earth also He shall rule from the sea vnto the sea and from the stood vnto the ends of the world Are not these sayings thinke you finely expounded of the Pope whereof the one our Sauiour Christ himselfe spake and the other the Prophet Dauid prophesied of Iesus Christ himselfe And the former of these places Stephen the Archbishop of Patraca applied vnto Pope Leo the 10. in the Councell of Lateran in the audience of the Pope himselfe who thankefully accepted it and suffered it to be published and printed and so to this day was neuer by any Papist disliked By these places any man may discerne and iudge whether this Romish prelate be not that man of sinne and sonne of perdition an aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against or aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped sitting as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God of whom S. Paul before prophecied in taking these things vnto himselfe which Gods spirit spake properly and peculiarly of Iesus Christ The place of Saint Peter 1. chap. 4. Loue or charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes they expound in this sense that charitie maketh satisfaction for our sinnes and couereth and hideth our sinnes before God Iohn Fisher the Bishop of Rochester writeth hereof thus Tertius modus est per vehementis charitatis affectum Nam vehemens vtique charitatis affectus peccatorum etiam expurgat reliquias quum dicat diuus Petrus Charitas operit multitudinem peccatorum i. The third meanes to purge away sinne is by the affection of vehement charitie for surely the vehement affection of charitie doth also purge out the remnants of sinnes for S. Peter saith Charitie hideth the multitude of sinner That this is a priuate and false exposition a simple and meane man may see especially if he looke vpon the place in the Prouerbs chap. 10. 12. from the which Saint Peter doth alleage it and is commonly quoted in the margent Hatred stirreth vp contention but loue or charitie couereth all trespasses Where Salomon sheweth that
to doe as the noble man the Queene Candaces Treasurer did to seek to a faithful Philip that is a godly and learned man by him to seeke to haue them opened and expounded so did Fabiola other godly women to Saint Hierome So Augustine saith Scripturarum expositio ab ijs petenda est qui earum doctores se esse profitentur that is The exposition of the Scriptures is to be sought of them which professe themselues to be doctors and teachers of them Yet with Saint Paul we say that as we are not to despise prophesying that is the expounding of Gods word so we are not rashly to receiue whatsoeuer is deliuered to vs but we are to proue all and to hold that which is good and to abstaine from all apparance of euill for the eare trieth the words as the mouth tasteth meate So also Saint Basil saith Quod in edulijs est sensus qualitatis vniuscuiusque edulij hoc in verbis sanctae scripturae est intellectus Gula enim inquit cibos gustat mens verba dijudicat that is That which in meates is the tast of the qualitie of euery meate the same is the vnderstanding or minde in the words of the holy Scripture For the throate saith he tasteth the meates and the minde iudgeth the words Now I will retort your argument vpon you in this manner Whosoeuer buildeth his faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the Scripture is an infidel The Papists build their faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the Scripture as I haue shewed before and can proue in many places moe ergo the Papists be infidels And thus much to your second article of faith The Pamphlet All Protestants who are ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues are Infidels 3. Article WHosoeuer relieth his faith vpon the ministers credit and fidelitie hath no faith at all But all those in England who are ignorant of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues rely their faith vpon the ministers credit Ergo. All those in England who are ignorant of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues haue no faith at all The Maior is manifest because they themselues confesse that euery man may erre and doth erre neither haue they any warrant why the ministers doe not erre since they constantly doe defend that whole generall councels yea and the vniuersall Catholike Church may erre and hath erred The Minor I proue for all such Protestants ground their faith vpon the Bible translated into English the which translation they know not whether it be true or false whether the minister Tindall for example erred or no either vpon ignorance as Broughton one of the greatest linguists among the precisians affirmeth in an epistle dedicated to the Lords of the Counsell or vpon malice to induce the people to protestancie or to cause them to leaue the Catholike Religion as Gregorie Martin in his discouerie most pregnantly prooueth These errors I say they know not and consequently cannot discerne a true translation from a false and therefore must needes rely their faith vpon the sillie ministers faithles fidelitie which conuinceth that they haue no faith at all Answere I Deny the Minor or second proposition of this Syllogisme and say that we rely not our faith vpon the Ministers credit and fidelitie but vpon the word of God translated the which we know to be true and holy not so much for that it is by publike authoritie and generall assent of men allowed as for that it containeth most holy doctrine agreeable to true faith and godly life whereby any that readeth or heareth it may behold the Maiestie of Gods spirit appearing in it As for example I beleeue these sayings to be true that Iesus Christ came into this world to saue sinners that he is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world that the grace of God which offereth saluation to all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we deny vngodlinesse and worldly lust and liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world c. not for that this or that man hath translated them but because the spirit of God doth beare witnes vnto my hart that most holy pure and diuine doctrine is contained in them And therefore to say that those which vnderstand not the Hebrew and Greeke tongues because they vse the word of God translated to them into other languages doe rely their faith vpon the Ministers credit and fidelitie and haue no faith is most foolish and absurd And let the Christian reader marke and consider how this sottish reason tendeth to the discrediting not only of vs but also of the most part of all godly and faithfull Christians in all ages yea and to the most of the godly Doctors and Fathers of the Church who were almost all ignorant of the Hebrew tongue and some of the Greeke also The holy Scriptures were translated into many tongues in the which the people of God did reade and heare them As Theodoritus writeth Hebraici verò libri non modò in Graecum idioma conuersi sunt sed in Romanam quoque linguam Aegyptiacam Persicam Indicam Armenicamque Scythicam adeoque Sauromaticam semelque vt dicam in linguas omnes quibus ad hanc diem nationes vtantur that is The Hebrew bookes be translated not onely into the Greeke tongue but also into the Romaine Aegyptian Persian Indian Armenian and Scythian and also the Sclauonian tongues to say at a word into all languages which the nations vse vnto this day Did the ancient faithfull Christians which read and heard the holy Scriptures in these sundrie languages rely their faith vpon men that did translate them or vpon the diuine doctrine and precious promises of God contained in them And let this cauiller shew sufficient reason why we are not either to be acquited with them or they condemned with vs. They could no more iudge of the truth of the translations then our people can yet they did to their great comfort and godly instruction and edification reade and heare the holy Scriptures grounding their faith not vpon the translators who might be and sometimes were euill men but vpon the sound holy and heauenly doctrine therein contained Saint Hierome exhorted ladies and gentlewomen not onely to reade the Scriptures themselues but also to bring vp their young daughters when they were but seuen yeares ould in that holy exercise They were not able to iudge of the translations otherwayes then to discerne and perceiue that the doctrine by them deliuered was pure and holy agreeable to true faith and godly life And euen so they that be godly in these dayes although they hauing not the knowledge of the Hebrew and Greeke tongues cannot iudge so exactly of translations and of the truth of them as those that vnderstand them can yet they may discerne whether the translations deliuer sound and holy doctrine consonant to true faith good manners and the generall heads and
this disputation that our Lord Iesus Christ hath as he speaketh in the Gospell put vs vnder his easie yoke and light burthen whereupon he hath bound together the societie and communion of his people by Sacraments in nūber fewest in obseruation easiest in significatiō most excellent as is baptisme consecrated in y e name of the Trinity the cōmunion of his body bloud if there be any thing els commēded in the canonical scriptures The like he writeth in his 3. booke de doctr Christiana cap. 9. by the which it appeareth that he thought these two Sacraments to be sufficient for faithful Christians to communicate in And if he had acknowledged any mo it is maruell y t writing of purpose of thē he did not name them Yet S. Augustine did not deny this article of the cōmunion of Saints Bessarion a Cardinal of Rome a learned man dissenteth frō you saith Haec duo sola sacramēta in Euāgelio manifestè tradita legimus i. We read that these only 2. sacraments are plainly deliuered to vs in the Gospell yet did he not deny this article of faith Your own doctor Alexander de Hales flatly affirmeth that neither Christ nor his Apostles did institute ordain the Sacramēt of Cōfirmation but y t it was afterward ordained in the Councel called Meldense yet he denied not this Article And therfore you ouershot your self in saying that they which beleeue not y t Christ did institute 7. sacramēts deny this article of faith The cōmunion of Saints But to proceed with you concerning y e true real presence of Christ in the Eucharist we denie the same not to the faith of the godly worthy receiuer but to the mouth teeth of y e car nal eater We beleeue and say that Christs bodie bloud in as much as they were offred vpon the crosse for our redēption are the spirituall food of our soules without which we can neither liue vnto God here nor liue with God here after that y e same is offred to vs partly in the promises of the Gospel partly in y e sacramēts of Baptisme Christs supper and is in both apprehended of vs by faith without which neither the word nor Sacraments can profit vs. But here I must put you in mind that you corruptly alleage a place of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 10. 17. foisting in this word Bodie for Bread S. Paules words bethus We that are manie are one bread and one bodie because we are partakers of one bread This shifting of the words of the holy Ghost is too vsuall with your companions Bunderius a Louaine Frier alleaging the words of Saint Paul in the next chapter verse 27. Quicunque manducauerit panem hunc c. He that eateth this bread c. putteth out the word panem and foisteth in the word carnem flesh alleaging it thus Qui manducat carnem bibit calicem Domini indignè c. He that eateth the flesh drinketh the cup of the Lord vnworthily c. D. Harding in his Confutation of the Apology intreating of Purgatorie alleaging the words of S. Paul 2. Cor. 7. 1. to proue satisfaction for sinnes by that fained fire putteth out Sanctification and in place therof putteth Satisfaction alleaging it thus making perfect satisfaction in the feare of God Cardinall Hosius changeth the words of Saint Paul alleaging them thus Neque ferre possunt vt per verbum Dei signo crucis vlla creatura sanctificetur that is They cannot abide that anie creature should be sanctified by the word of God and signe of the crosse He putteth out prayer and putteth in the signe of the Crosse as a more holie thing The foresaid Bunderius doth most shamefully alleage a place of the Apostle in this sort Nam si cinis vitulae conspersus populum sanctificauit atque mundauit quantò magis aqua sale conspersa diuinis precibus sacrata populum sanctificat atque mundat that is If the ashes of an heifer sprinkled haue sanctified and cleansed the people how much more shall water sprinkled with salt being hallowed with diuine prayers sanctifie and cleanse the people c. The words of the Apostle be these If the bloud of bulles goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your conscience from dead works to serue the liuing God Is not this horrible handling of Gods word blasphemous attributing that to their salt water which is proper peculiar to the bloud of Christ I could shew in like maner how they haue clipped the coine of Gods word in leauing out words of purpose which serue not their turne but I wil omit them only this I say y t if they which counterfeit clip the kings coin deserue hāging what do they deserue y t counterfeit clip the word of the eternal God king of al Kings but corrupt doctrine cānot be maintained without corruptiō of Gods word But to returne to S. Pauls place he there disswadeth the Christians of Corinth from going to Idolatrous feasts by a reason taken from the Supper of our Sauiour Christ shewing that as the faithfull by eating that bread which there is broken drinking that Cup are made partakers of Christ Iesus so they that did eate those feasts ordained to the honoring of Idols were partakers of Idolatrie there committed or rather of the Diuell that was there serued And as the faithfull by being partakers of that bread haue communion together and be made one body to wit the mysticall body of Christ so they that receiue those Idol bankets haue communion together and shew themselues to be of one body videl of the Diuell Now as there needed no transubstantiation for the one no more there doth for the other Also this bread which S. Paul calleth the communiō of the body of Christ is broken yet I trust they wil not say that Christs body is broken although Pope Nicholas caused that excellent man Berengarius so to confesse But of the grosse and absurd doctrine of transubstantiation I will speake no more at this present You say moreouer that we deny the communion of the Church militant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of Saints by which holy exercise those blessed Saints in heauen and we in earth communicate we by prayer glorifying them and they by meditation I thinke it should be mediation obtayning our requests Hereunto I answere first that this inuocation of Saints is vnlawfull and cannot bee proued by the holy Scriptures And this offer I doe make you that if you can bring one plaine place out of all the holy Scriptures wherein it was euer commaunded or of any faithfull man or woman vsed I will yeeld vnto you not onely in this but also in all matters of Religion You quote
so plentifully that God can aske no more of them And in his Latin booke against Luther he hath these words Secundo supponimus quod quanquam nemo sit cui non cumulatius praemium in coelis Deus largiatur quà m hic in terris ipse meruit innumeri tamen sunt qui longè grauiores aerumnas pertulerunt quà m adsuorum suffecissent delictorum expiationem that is Secondly wee make this supposition that although there is none to whom God doth not giue a greater reward in heauen then hee hath merited and deserued yet there be many which haue suffered farre more grieuous griefes and punishments then would haue sufficed to the expiation and purging away of their sinnes This is their doctrine and is this to beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes or is it not rather to denie the Lord Iesus that hath bought vs For I may say with S. Paul that if righteousnes come by the law or by our satisfaction then Christ died in vaine And with what face can these men accuse vs of denying this article The forgiuenes of sinnes themselues teaching such blasphemous doctrine so manifestly opposite and contrarie vnto it Againe they denie the forgiuenes of the punishment due for sinne saying that Christ hath deliuered vs à culpa from the fault or offence but not à poena from the punishment or at leastwise he hath deliuered vs from eternall punishment but not from temporall which must be sustained in Purgatorie whereby our sinnes or soules must be purged and Gods iustice satisfied And yet the Popes Pardons Masses and Dirges may discharge and deliuer from it Wherein first what doe they but extenuate and greatly diminish the vertue and power of Christs death For if our Sauiour Christ haue not deliuered vs from the punishment due to our sinnes what great good hath hee done vs And if he haue discharged vs from eternall punishment in hell but not from the temporall in Purgatorie then is he not a full and perfect Sauiour but an halfe Sauiour Haue you the testimonie of all Antiquitie for this doctrine Tertullian saith Exempto scilicet reatu eximitur poena that is The guiltines of sinne being taken away the punishment is also taken away And Chrysostome saith Vbi enim gratia ibi venia vbi verò venia illic nulla erit poena that is Where grace is there is forgiuenes where forgiuenes is there shall be no punishment S. Augustine saith Ablato ergo peccato auferetur poena peccati The sin being taken away the punishment of sinne shall also be taken away By this let it be discerned who they be that denie this article of the forgiuenes of sinne Moreouer let the Christian reader consider how they attribute first that to their Purgatorie which is proper to the blood of Christ which as S. Iohn saith clenseth vs from all sinne and secondly more to their Dirges Masses Pardons and such paltries then they doe to the death and passion of Iesus Christ For they may deliuer from the paines of Purgatorie but Christs death doth not O coelum non sudas ô terra non tremes c. But now let vs come to your proofe of this your accusation of our denying of this article Your first reason is that wee acknowledge no such effect in the Sacrament of Baptisme c. We acknowledge that baptisme is a Sacrament of the forgiuenes of our sinnes by the death and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ whereby our faith is confirmed and wee assured that as water washeth away the filth of the bodie so all the filth and guiltines of our sinnes is so purged in the blood of Christ that wee be accepted for iust and righteous before God But we do not acknowledge that Baptisme or any other Sacrament do conferre grace of themselues or haue grace included in them as in a vessell but wee affirme that they be seales of Gods promises and instruments whereby God worketh in his elect and chosen people those graces which he hath in his word promised and Iesus Christ hath purchased for them But all that be outwardly baptized be not inwardly clensed as Simon Magus who being baptized was yet still in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquitie For the spirit of God worketh by them in whom when and how much it pleaseth him Neither doe we beleeue that Baptisme serueth onely for the remission of sinnes committed before it as you say here but that the vse and benefit of it pertaineth to our whole life continually to assure vs and confirme our faith in the forgiuenes of al our sinnes by Iesus Christ And whereas you say that this our doctrine is contrarie to the expresse word of God which calleth this Sacrament the lauer of regeneration for that in it the soule dead by sinne is newly regenerate by grace I answere that Baptisme is so farre from being in this place of S. Paul expressed that it is not mentioned neither necessarily to be vnderstanded Saint Pauls sweet words be these When the bountifulnes and loue of God our Sauiour towards man appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which wee had done but according to his mercie he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Where is baptisme here mentioned or expressed to be the lauer of regeneration Saint Paul doth here attribute this washing whereby wee be regenerate and renewed to the holie Ghost alluding as it were to the words of God by the Prophet Ezechiel Then will I powre cleane water vpon you and ye shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I clense you By this cleane water is vnderstood the spirit of God as it is expounded in the two next verses following I confesse that Baptisme is a Sacrament and pledge vnto vs of this washing and clensing of the holie Ghost to whom this washing is to be attributed and not to baptisme as though it were included in it or affixed to it for as I said many be outwardly baptized which be not inwardly clensed but only the faithfull children of God in whom Gods spirit inwardly worketh that which by the word of God is promised and in baptisme sealed and confirmed And therefore this lauer is the spirit of God by whom we be regenerated and renewed Saint Augustine saith well Ea demum miserabilis est seruitus signa prorebus accipere supra creaturam corpoream oculum mentis ad hauriendum aeternū lumen leuare non posse that is This is miserable seruitude to take the signes for the things signified and not to be able to lift vp the eye of the minde aboue the corporeall creature to receiue eternall light Your second proofe is that we allow not the sacrament Penance wherin all actuall sins committed after Baptisme are cancelled Your popish
penance consisting in shriuing to a Priest receiuing absolution frō him doing some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wil worshippings appointed by him we allow not but true repentance which consisteth in vnfained sorrow for sinne earnest confession with remorse of conscience both to God and man offended and a true reformation and amendment of life we allow and commend and doe iudge that we can do nothing acceptable to God which proceedeth not from this true repentance The third thing whereby you would proue that we denie this article of remission of sinnes which you say exceedeth all in absurditie is that we denie that our sins are perfectly forgiuen but only not imputed as it were veiled or couered with the passion of Christ c. Wherunto I answer that you here bring an absurd distinction For what difference is there betweene forgiuing not imputing and couering and hiding of sinne Surely it seemeth that Dauid could find no such ods betwixt them as you dreame of whose words be these Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guile Doth not Dauid here take these all for one attribute blessednes alike to euery one of thē Whē S. Paul saith God was in Christ and recōciled the world to himself not imputing their sins vnto them what doth he meane by not imputing of sin but forgiuing of sin Primasius expoundeth it thus Non reputans illis delicta ipsorum hoc est indulgens per solam fidem quae gratis donata est i. Not imputing to them their sinnes that is to say pardoning them by only faith which is freely giuen And whereas you so much extenuate Not imputing and make it not so much as Forgiuing Chrysostome a man of greater iudgement then you affirmeth the contrarie and maketh not imputing greater then forgiuing in these words Attamen cùm tanta sint nostra peccata non solum non exposcit poenam sed conciliatus est non solùm dimisit sed neque imputauit c. that is But whereas our sinnes be so great he doth not only not require punishment but also is reconciled with vs and not onely hath forgiuen but hath not so much as imputed our sins to vs. Bernard thinketh not basely of not imputing as you do his sweete words be these Sufficit mihi ad omnem iustitiam solum habere propitium cui soli peccaui Omne quod mihi ipse non imputare decreuerit sic est quasinon fuerit Non peccare Dei iustitia est hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei that is It is sufficient for me vnto all righteousnesse to haue him mercifull against whom onely I haue sinned whatsoeuer he hath determined not to impute vnto me is so as though it had neuer beene Not to sinne is the iustice of God mans iustice is Gods mercie Bernard here saith that the not imputing of our sins vnto vs is as much as though they had neuer beene committed And will you say that notwithstanding the not imputing of them yet their botches biles filth and abomination remaine still exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God Is not the sweet smelling sacrifice of Iesus Christ able so to perfume them and vs that we and all our actions may be sweet and acceptable in the sight of God And if the robe which the Father put vpon his prodigall sonne could so hide all his ragges that he was deare in his fathers eyes cannot the robe of Christs righteousnesse so couer and hide all our ragges yea our botches and biles that we may bee deare and precious in the sight of God our heauenly and most mercifull father And if those that had the mariage garment vpon them were admitted to the mariage without regard what the said garment couered shall not we hauing the mariage garment of Christs righteousnes be acpted to the mariage of the Lambe notwithstanding all the botches and biles which it couereth Yet we doe not say that we can couer or hide all our sinnes from the piereing eyes of God but this we say that euen God himselfe doth hide them with this robe of Christs righteousnesse and looking on vs in the face of Iesus Christ his Sonne doth accept vs his members for such as Iesus Christ himselfe is And do you not think that that which God hideth is well hid and shall neuer come to light Dauid saith of God Thou hast forgiuen the iniquitie of thy people and couered all their sinnes Doth not Dauid here take forgiuenesse and hiding both for one And therefore this your distinction betwixt perfect forgiuing and not imputing couering is as substantiall a one as that is of your blind and barbarous Schooleman Richardus de Sancto Victore Christus potuit dimittere peccata nos verò non possumus dimittere peccata sed tantum remittere As great difference as there is betwixt dimittere and remittere so much there is betwixt forgiuing not imputing and couering of sin This is as Erasmus saith Frigidissimis distinctionibus omnia confundere that is with friuolous distinctions to confound all things And this much for this Article of the Creede which you do as foolishly proue as you falsly affirm that wee denie it Now I come to the fourth Article that you say the Puritanes in effect denie which is no lesse then Christ to bee the Sonne of God But who bee these Puritanes that bee thus grieuously charged what are their names why be not their bookes named and sayings produced These things ought to haue beene done if you had beene disposed rather ratiocinari quā calumniari that is to reason then to raile and slaunder But to this your malicious and false accusation I wil first oppose the true confession of faith concerning this article whereunto all the reformed Churches whereof I haue either heard or read do assent and agree We beleeue and acknowledge one onely God who is one onely and simple essence spirituall eternall inuisible immutable infinite incomprehensible almightie most wise good iust and mercifull and that in that one and simple diuine essence there be three persons subsisting the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The Father the first cause in order and the beginning of all things the Sonne his wisedome and euerlasting word the holy Ghost his true power and efficacie The Sonne begotten of the Father from euerlasting the holy Ghost from euerlasting proceeding from the Father and the Sonne which three persons are not confounded but distinct and yet not deuided but coëssentiall coëternall and coëquall If you mislike any thing in this confession confute it if you know any of vs that maintaine any diuers doctrine dissenting from this name them produce their sayings and quote the places But you say that these whom you terme puritanes peremptorily affirme that Christ is God of
in his elect and chosen people doe by his holy spirit regenerate them by lightning their blind reason and reforming their wicked wils This we proue by these places of Scripture here following The Lord saw that the wickednes of man was great vpon the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were euill continually And that the imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Flesh and bloud hath not reueiled it vnto thee but my Father which is in Heauen That light shined in the darkenes and the darkenes comprehended it not Which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh but of God Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit A man can receiue nothing except it be giuen him from Heauen No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Therefore I said vnto you that no man can come vnto me except it be giuen vnto him of my Father Without me ye can doe nothing The wisdome of the flesh is death The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned What hast thou that thou hast not receiued No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost By the grace of God I am that I am Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God It is God that worketh in you both the will and the deede euen of his good will and pleasure The God of peace make you perfit in all good workes to doe his will working in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ our Lord. Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne If the sonne shall make you free ye shall be free indeede By these sayings let the Christian reader consider of what value and force our wit and will is in heauenly matters vntill the one bee lightened and the other reformed by Gods grace and spirit Hereunto I will adde a few places of the ancient Fathers Saint Augustine saith Quid boni operari potest perditus nisi quantum fuerit perditione liberatus Nunquid libero voluntatis arbitrio hoc absit Nam libero arbitrio male vtens homo se perdidit ipsum Sicut enim qui se occidit c. that is What good can he that is lost doe but in as much as he is deliuered from perdition Can he be restored by his free will God forbid For man vsing ill his free will lost both himselfe and it also For as one killing himselfe doth kill himselfe whilest he liueth but hauing killed himselfe doth not liue nor can raise and restore himselfe being dead so when man sinned by his free will sinne hauing gotten victorie his free will was lost Againe Quid tantum de naturae possibilitate praesumis vulnerata sauciata vexata perdita est vera confessione non falsa defensione opus habet Gratia ergo dei non qua instituatur sed qua restituatur quaeratur that is What dost thou presume so much of the power of nature it is wounded maymed vexed and lost it hath neede of a true confession not of a false defence Therefore the grace of God not whereby the will is ordained but whereby it is restored is to be sought Many such other sayings he hath in his workes against the Pelagians which I omit But this man saith that man may dispose and prepare his soule to receiue Gods grace and this he proueth not by Scripture but I will not say Assedly by the similitude of a sicke Asse that cannot dispose nor prepare himselfe to seeke for his medicine By this diuinitie men preuent Gods grace and it doth not preuent them men first seeke God and not God them For answere whereof I would aske this man whether it be not with all the of spring of Adam as it was with Adam himselfe after his fall Now whether did Adam seeke God first or God him the Scripture saith that God called vpon Adam and that he was so farre from seeking God that he and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord God So that if God in mercie had not sought them and called vpon them it seemeth that they had neuer sought nor called vpon God And euen so it is with all his posteritie as our Sauiour sheweth by the lost sheepe whom the Shepheard seeketh and bringeth home the sheepe nothing disposing nor preparing it selfe to seeke to the Shepheard or to returne to the fould So God saith I was found of them that sought me not Did Peter repent vntill Christ had looked on him and the Cock had crowed What disposition and preparation was in Paul to seeke the grace of Christ Therefore I may truly say that as Lazarus prepared himself being dead in graue to be raised vp by Iesus Christ so doe men dead in sinne dispose and prepare themselues to receiue the medicine of Gods grace Saint Paul saith God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs together in Christ by whose grace ye are saued To this doctrine the auncient Fathers beare witnes Saint Augustine saith Vt totum Deo detur qui hominis voluntatem bonam praeparat adiuuādam adiuuat praeparatam that is All is to be giuen to God who both prepareth the good will of man to be helped and helpeth it being prepared Againe Nolentem praeuenit vt velit volentem subsequitur ne frustra velit that is God preuenteth him that is not willing that he may be willing and he followeth him that is willing that he may not will in vaine Now if this our doctrine concerning the will of man be the truth of God confirmed both by the word of God and by the testimonies of the most learned Fathers then without blasphemie it cannot be said to tend vnto loosenes of life or carnall libertie it teacheth vs both true humilitie in acknowledging our owne miserie and wants and to attribute all to Gods grace and mercie and to arrogate nothing to our selues and doth it tend to carnall libertie and careles securitie We are both to exhort others and also to stirre vp our selues to feare and serue God in holines of life And yet we must acknowledge that God worketh those things in vs whereto he exhorteth vs. And therefore the same spirit that saith Turne vnto me with all your hearts saith also Turne vs O Lord and we shall be turned He that saith Make you a new heart and a new
spirit for why will ye dye O house of Israel saith also I will put a new spirit within their bowels and I will take the stonie heart out of their bodies and will giue them an heart of flesh And againe Create in me a cleane heart O Lord and renew aright spirit within me The same spirit that saith Wash you make you cleane saith also Purge me with Hyssope and I shall be cleane Wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow And againe I will power cleane water vpon you and a new spirit will I put within you and ye shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I cleanse you The same spirit that saith Be ye holy for I am holy saith also the God of peace make you holy And so we must come to that saying of Saint Augustine Da quod iubes iube quod vis Giue vs O Lord that which thou commaundest vs and then commaund vs what thou wilt And therefore they reason like doltish Asses which inferre vpon the exhortations to grace and godlines which be in the Scriptures that there is a power and abilitie in vs to performe those things whereunto God in his word exhorteth vs. Exhortations be Gods instruments and meanes which he vseth to worke his heauenly graces in vs. I would here end this matter but that I must tell you that you write improperly and falsely in charging vs that we say all goodnes proceedeth so farre from grace that it lieth not in mans power neither to haue it nor to refuse it but of necessitie it must haue effect Improperly you write in putting hauing Gods grace in steede of obtaining and getting it We say it is in man to haue it when God doth giue it without which gift it is not in mans power to get it But it is in man to resist it For the grace of God offereth saluation to all but it is resisted and reiected of many in that their hard and stony hearts will not admit it The grace of God is offered to men when his word is preached and they be called to repentance but it is with many and namely you as Zacharie saith They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Law and words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets I know no man that denieth but such men doe resist the grace of God which yet is receiued of them that are written in the booke of life whose wils it reformeth and of euill wils maketh good wils willing and couering those things which be acceptable in Gods sight Finally I thought good for the better satisfying of the reader in this matter to let him vnderstand that wheras Erasmus a man as all men must needs confesse of great learning was had in ielousie of the Papists as too much leaning to Luther and his doctrine he was at the last prouoked and set on by them to write against him who chusing this matter of free will and writing in defence thereof yet afterward he retracted and reuoked his former opinion and writing and was not abashed to confesse the truth as appeareth by these his words Verum vt ingenuè dicam perdidimus liberum arbitrium illic mihi aliud dictabat animus aliud scribebat calamus that is But simply to speake my minde We haue lost our free will in that matter my minde did indite to me one thing and my hand did write another I come now to the second doctrine of ours which you vntruely charge and falsely slander to tend to loosenes of life and carnall libertie that men be iustified by faith alone which you scornefully call a solifidian portion and falsely say but doe not proue that it flatly ouerthroweth true repentance sorrow for sinnes mortification of passions and all other vertues which tend to the perfect reconciliation of the soule with God c. Where first I would exhort you if the same might any thing preuaile with you to take heed that by scorning in this manner at Gods truth you shew not your selfe to be one of them that sit in the seate of the scornefull Salomon saith that iudgements are prepared for the scorners and stripes for the backe of fooles Secondly as this doctrine which you deride is true godly and comfortable confirmed by the word of God and ancient Fathers so doth it not exclude much lesse ouerthrowe repentance or any other good worke but sheweth the true and right vse of them Saint Paul saith We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law And in the fourth chapter he reasoneth thus from Abraham the father of the faithfull If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce or glory But Abraham hath not wherein to reioyce or glorie before God Ergo Abraham was not iustified by workes And after saith To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse We know that a man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen we haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe because that by the workes of the lawe no flesh shall be iustified This doctrine was neither scorned nor denied by the auncient godly Fathers of some of whom I will set downe a few sayings Origene speaking of the theefe that was hanged with Christ saith Pro hac sola fide ait ei Iesus Amen dico tibi Hodie mecum eris in paradiso that is For this his onely faith Iesus said vnto him Verely I say vnto thee this day shalt thou be with me in paradise And of the woman that had the issue of bloud Ex nullo legis opere sed pro sola fide ait ad tam. Remittuntur tibi peccata that is For no worke of the law but for faith onely he said vnto her Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Hilarie saith Solafides iustificat that is Only faith doth iustifie Ambrose saith Iustificati sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono Dei that is They are iustified freely because working nothing nor rendring any recompence they are iustified by faith onely through the gift of God The like he writeth in Rom. 4. and 10. and vpon the 1. Cor. 1. Praefat. ad Galat. and vpon chap. 3. Saint Hierome saith Conuertentem impium per solam fidem iustificat Deus non opera bona quae non habuit God doth by faith only iustifie the wicked man conuerting not by good workes which he had not Many such other sayings I might alleage out of Hierome
Hereof S. Paul speaketh Refuse the younger widowes for when they haue begun to waxe wanton against Christ they will marrie hauing damnation because they haue broken the first faith The which is to be vnderstood of the first profession of faith in Baptisme and not of the latter vow of single life as the Papists falsely and foolishly expound it From this faith all they doe fall which turne either on the right hand to false doctrine or on the left hand to wicked life Many other waies faith is taken but this question is of that true liuely and iustifying faith which is the faith of Gods elect whereby Christ dwelleth in their hearts and they receiue nourishment and life from him This faith may be couered by temptations and falles as fire in the night with ashes but neuer vtterly extinguished For they in whom this true faith is are like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that will bring forth her fruite in due season whose leafe shall not fade And they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot bee moued but remaineth for euer They that by this faith are built vpō the rocki Iesus Christ hell gates shall neuer ouercome them Christ saith He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life He that heareth my word beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Saint Paul saith Wherein after ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance for the redemption of that libertie purchased vnto the praise of his glorie These places sufficiently shew that that faith which is common to all Gods elect and proper onely to the elect can neuer perish nor be vtterly lost in them And this true comfortable doctrine bringeth no vaine securitie nor openeth the gap to any libertine sensualitie For they that by this faith haue tasted how sweete the Lord is cannot but loue and feare God and greatly delight in his commaundements And that faith which swimmeth in mens lips but is not printed in their hearts nor shineth by godlines and good workes in their liues is a dead faith and is no more that true faith whereby we liue vnto God then a dead man is a man To conclude this matter although we distinguish betweene iustification and sanctification yet we acknowledge that they be inseparable and the one doth necessarily follow the other For whosoeuer are iustified by Gods grace and mercie through faith in Christ Iesus be also sanctified with Gods holy spirit to abhorre that which is euill and to cleaue to that which is good and to serue God in true holines and righteousnes all the daies of their life And therefore we teach that they which without repentance persist in sinne wallow in wickednes and commit vngodlines with greedines haue no faith nor haue any assurance of the remission of their sins but may be assured that the wrath of God hangeth ouer them and if they doe not truly repent and bring foorth fruites worthie amendement of life will fearefully fall vpon them So that you might haue spared your vaine and foolish exclamations concerning Epicures Heliogabalus Bacchus and Venus which are more honoured in Rome as hereafter I will shew then allowed of vs. For of whom did Mantuan the Italian Carmelite Frier an 100. yeeres past write this but of your Popes and his fauourers Neglecto superum cultu spretoque tonantis imperio Baccho indulgent Venerique ministrant that is Neglecting the worship of God they serue Bacchus and Venus Concerning the fourth point of doctrine of keeping Gods commaundements I haue spoken sufficiently before Onely now I say that our doctrine tendeth hereunto to shew vs our miserie by transgressing of them that wee may thereby bee moued to hunger for Gods mercie in Christ and although we cannot perfectly fulfill them for in many things wee sinne all yet wee ought according to the measure of Gods grace giuen to vs haue a care and conscience to walke in them and to frame our liues to the obedience of them Whereas fiftly you charge vs that wee deny the Sacrament of Penance thereby to make men careles how they liue I answer that although we deny your penance to be a Sacrament because it hath no outward visible signe and reiect your clancular confession your absurd absolution and your superstitious or rather blasphemous satisfaction thereby to answere Gods iustice and discharge your sins yet we truly teach y e doctrine of repentance as it is deliuered vnto vs in the word of God We teach men to come to the knowledge of their sins by y e law of God which is the glasse to shew vs our spots and the first step to repentance then to lament their sinnes whereby they haue offended their gracious God and mercifull father to confesse their sinnes with remorse of conscience both to God and men whom they haue offended and especially wee call vpon men for amendement of life in bringing forth fruits worthie of repentance without the which there is no repentance One part of which amendement is satisfaction to our brethren for iniuries committed and restitution of goods vnlawfully and vngodly gotten As touching our iniuries against God we plead not our owne satisfaction but craue Gods mercie in Christ Iesus who is our only satisfaction and by whom only we seeke to haue remission of them Whereas you say that your confession rubbeth the sores of sinne and causeth remembrance of them I say that this more truly and effectually is wrought by the preaching of Gods word whereby sinne is more shewed and the wrath and iudgements of God against sinne are more threatned and thereby the conscience more pricked and wounded then by your confession So Dauid was brought to repentance for his foule sinnes of adulterie and murther by Nathans preaching and thundring Gods iudgements against him and not by his secret confessing So the people hauing heard Peter preach the word of God were pricked in their hearts and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe This is Gods holy ordinance the other a plant which God hath neuer planted but an inuention of man as euen your own Canonists against your Schoolemen do confesse And what wickednes hath come of it the ecclesiasticall historie partly sheweth and God who seeth al secrets knoweth To your sixt accusation I answer that we exclude and banish our Sauiour Christ neither from the Sacrament of his supper nor from the hearts of the faithfull but acknowledge that as by faith he dwelleth in the one so by the same he is receiued of the godly in the other Your false and grosse doctrine of Transsubstantiation which the Greeke Church neuer beleeued and the Latine Church lately defined as
malarum cogitationum ordinator est tamen malarum voluntatum de malo opere cuiuslibet mali non desinit ipse botum operari 1. Although God be not the author of euill cogitations yet is hee the orderer of euill wils and of the euill worke of euery euill man he ceaseth not to worke a good worke Therefore these wonderfull workes of God whose iudgements are vnsearchable and waies past finding out are not curiously to be discussed but reuerently to be adored For O man what art thou that pleadest against God In the probation of his minor he first vntruly according to his custome saith that wee deride Gods permission the which is false for we neither deride no deny Gods permission God said to Abimelech I kept thee also that thou shouldest not sinne against me Non permisi te vt tangeres eam therefore I haue not permitted thee to touch her Againe God permitted him not to hurt me But we say first that God permitteth not sinne inuitus against his will but of his will for els he were not omnipotent Secondly that he doth not onely permit sinnes but also by his infinite wisedome and almightie power draweth good out of them and directeth them to his glorie So S. Augustine saith Hoc quippe ipso quod contra Dei voluntatem fecerunt de ipsis facta est voluntas eius c. In that thing which they haue done against the will of God the will of God is done in them Therefore the workes of the Lord are great and are to be sought out of them that loue them So that by a wonderfull and vnspeakeable manner that is not done without his will which is done against his will because it could not be done vnlesse he did permit it nec vtique nolens sinit sed volens neither doth he permit it against his will but with his will Neither would he being good permit euill to be done vnlesse hee being omnipotent could also of euill doe good S. Hierome saith Dicā quicquam sine te fieri ô Domine Deus te nolente tantum posse impium Hoc sentire blasphemum est Quum itaque tu sis vniuersitatis rector Dominus tu necesse est facias quod sine te fieri non potest i. Shall I say that any thing is done without thee O Lord God and that the wicked can doe so much thou being vnwilling To thinke this is blasphemous Seeing therefore thou art the ruler and Lord of the world thou must needs doe that which cannot be done without thee Wee say indeede that Gods workes be energeticall and effectuall not onely in the faithfull but also in the wicked and reprobate whose hearts he hardeneth and eyes blindeth whom he giueth vp to a reprobate minde and to whom hee sendeth a strong delusion to beleeue lies These be Gods iust iudgements wherby he punisheth the wicked who yet are not impelled or coacted of God to these sinnes but willingly harden their owne hearts by the deceit of sinne shut their eyes that they may not see giue vp their members seruants to vncleannes and iniquitie and delight in delusions and in beleeuing lies as Papists now doe We doe not desperatly auerre but you doe falsely and impudently affirme that we teach that Pauls conuersion and Dauids adulterie were in like manner the workes of God This shamelesse saying you haue picked out of Campians reasons out of which you haue like a goodly Rapsodist gleaned a great part of this lying Libel but you cannot shew it in the writing of any Protestant This is calumniari non ratiocinare to slaunder and not rightly to reason But you know your friends and fauourers will beleeue you though it be neuer so false And you haue learned that lesson Audacter calumniare semper aliquid adhaeret We say that Pauls conuersion was a worke of Gods mercie agreeable to his will reuealed in his word Dauids sinne of adulterie was a work which he hateth and repugnant to his said will God wrought mightily in Paul by his holy spirit in conuerting his heart in drawing him out of darknes and in making him of a persecuter a preacher of his Gospell and a minister of his mercie God did not so work at that time in Dauid but left him to himselfe to be tempted drawne away and ouercome of his owne corrupt concupilcence yet wee say that God did draw good out of that sinne of Dauid in making him a patterne of true repentance and example of Gods mercie in forgiuing his sinnes and thereby teaching vs to walke warily and flee carnall securitie For if so excellent a man that was according to Gods heart did so fouly and fearefully fall what may fall vnto vs if we walke not circumspectly and pray not feruently to God to vphold vs with his hand and to guide vs with his holy spirit Touching Gods permission you write as though you neither did know what we teach nor regard what your selfe doe write Doe we teach that God elected some to glorie before the preuision of workes and reiected some from glorie before the preuision of sinnes You shall find this false assertion in our bookes when you finde the former shameles slaunder We do not teach that God elected any to glorie before he did foresee their workes For from euerlasting he to whom all things be present did foresee both the good workes of his elect and the wicked workes of the reprobate But this we say that the foundation and cause of Gods election and reprobation is not his prescience and foreseeing of the good workes of the one and the wicked workes of the other but his owne purpose will and pleasure and that good workes be not causes of Gods election but fruits and effects of it Saint Paul saith Before the Children were borne and when they had neither done good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth It was said to her The elder shall serue the younger At it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esau Againe As he hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue Who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will in whom also we are chosen when we were predestinate according to the purpose of him which worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Againe God hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was Where we may see that the foundation and cause of Gods election is his owne will pleasure and purpose and not the foreseeing of our workes Saint Augustine saith Quod si futuros
eorum mores dicitur diuinum discreuisse iudicium profectò illud euacuabitur quod praemisit Apostolus dicens c. i. But if it be said that the iudgement of God did discerne the manners of Esau and Iac̄ob which afterward would be then surely that which the Apostle said before shall be made frustrate and in vaine Not of workes but by him that calleth it was said The elder shall serue the younger For he saith not by the workes past but hauing said generally Not by workes he would thereby haue vnderstoode workes both past and to come workes past which were none to come which as yet were not Iacob was predestinate a vessell vnto honour because not by workes but by him that calleth it was said The elder shall serue the younger Againe Nam quid est quod ait Apostolus sicut elegit nos in ipso c. i. For what is that which the Apostle saith As he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world The which if it be therefore said because God did foresee that they would afterward beleeue and not that he would make them to beleeue against this foreseeing the sonne speaketh saying You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you A little after he saith Elegit ergo Deus fideles sed vt sint non quia iam erant i. God hath chosen the faithfull that they might be not because they now were Againe Vt essemus sancti immaculati Non ergo quia futuri eramus sed vt essemus i. That we might be holy and without blame therefore not because we should be but that we might be Againe Quos elegit c. i. Whom hee hath chosen before the foundation of the world by the election of grace not of workes either past or present or to come for then grace were no grace Thus Saint Augustine sheweth that Gods election is not his prescience and foreseeing of workes to come but his owne grace good pleasure and purpose Now I come to your illations which vpon these false assertions you falsely inferre To the first I answere that God impelleth no man to sinne and therefore God is not the author of sinne Secondly God inforceth not men vpon necessitie to sinne but they sinne willingly and by the instigation of the diuell who worketh in the children of disobedience therefore God is not the author of sinne In your third inference where you say that sinne is free or no sinne belike you hold with Pighius and some other Papists that originall sinne is no sinne for it is not free for vs to be without it And whereas you aske how man can sinne in conforming his will with Gods will I answere that they that sinne doe not conforme their will to Gods will but doe disobey it and oppose themselues vnto it This is the will of God saith Saint Paul your sanctification and that ye should abstaine from fornication Finally for as much as you can neuer shew that it is the Protestants confession that God moueth perswadeth and induceth men to sinne therefore you make a false and blasphemous collection for the which the Lord rebuke thee Satan Lastly whereas you thus charge vs to hold that God is the author of sinne I would desire you to shew where we doe write more hardly of this matter then Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester hath written hereof whose words be these Neutrum sane potest sine Deo nec ad bonum se parare neque malum opus facere Neque enim adulter absque generali fluxu Dei potest adulterandi facinus committere sed neque postquam ipsum admisit sine speciali auxilio Dei conari valebit vt resurgat i. Man can doe neither without God neither prepare himselfe to good nor doe that which is euill For the adulterer can neither commit adulterie without the generall influence of God nor after he hath committed it can hee endeuour to rise without the speciall helpe of God And againe Nam quantum ad substant iam actus etiam operibus malis cooperatur Deus Neque tamen recte quisquam Deo peccatum imput abit quia tametsi cooperetur Deus ad substantiam actus non tamen ipsam deficientiam operatur sed hoc agit sola voluntas i. As touching the substance of the acte euen God doth cooperate or worke with euill workes yet may not any man rightly impute sinne vnto God for although God doth cooperate to the substance of the deede yet he doth not worke the defect of the deede but onely mans will doth that Either shew where we haue written more hardly hereof or else condemne this Bishop and Martyr for the Popes cause with vs. I trust you will not say that hee taught Atheisme which is so rife in Rome as I haue before shewed c. The Pamphlet That faith once had may be lost 6. Article WHosoeuer leeseth his charitie leeseth his faith But Dauid when he killed Vrias lost his charitie Ergo Dauid when he killed Vrias lost his faith The Maior is a principle vndoubted of in the schooles of Protestants for they peremptorily affirme that true faith such as was in Dauid one of Gods elected can no more be seuered from charitie then heate from fire or light from the sunne and therefore if Dauid killing Vrias lost his charitie no doubt but therewithall he lost his faith The Minor I proue for whosoeuer remaineth in death is without charitie but Dauid when he killed Vrias remained in death Ergo Dauid when he killed Vrias was without charitie If he was without that which once he had no doubt but then he lost it for he was depriued thereof for his sinne The Maior proposition of this last Syllogisme thus I proue for charitie is the life of the soule and it is as impossible for a man to haue charitie and remaine in death as it is impossible to be dead in body and yet indued with a resonable soule The Minor cannot be denied to wit that Dauid by killing Vrias remained in death for it is the expresse word of God Qui non diligit manet in morte He that loueth not his neighbour remaineth in death but certaine it is that Dauid loued not Vrias when he killed him Ergo likewise certaine it is that Dauid remained in death The same position might easily be proued out of the eighteenth chapter of Ezech. vers twentie foure Si autem aucrterit se iustus a iustitia sua c. Answere I Deny the Minor or second proposition that Dauid in procuring Vrias to be killed lost his charitie For although in this cōbat betweene the spirit and the flesh in Dauid the spirit retired and the flesh preuailed the new man was foyled and the old man ouercame yet was not the spirit vtterly extinguished nor the new man cleane killed In deede Dauids faith fainted his charitie was cooled and his other gifts and graces couered yet not cleane
quenched but there remained sparkes of Gods spirit which afterwards being stirred vp and blowne by Nathans bellowes kindled and flamed to Gods glorie and Dauids eternall comfort and saluation Shall we thinke that Dauid had lost all loue of God of his law and of man was he cleane depriued of Gods spirit it appeareth by his owne words that he was not Who vpon Nathans preaching and reprouing of his sinne prayed and said Take not thy holy spirit from me Whereupon I reason thus He that was not cleane depriued of Gods spirit had not wholy lost faith and charitie But Dauid was not cleane depriued of Gods spirit therefore he had not wholy lost faith and charitie The first proposition is euident by the words of Dauid the second is manifest For it is absurd to say that the spirit of God should continue in him that hath lost all graces and gifts of the spirit It is with Gods elect and chosen children as it is with fire which in the night is so hid and couered that none appeareth and yet in the morning is stirred vp and is made to burne and to flame and as with a tree which in the winter hath neither fruite nor leafe vpon it yet it hath a sappe fallen into the roote which in the spring springeth and bringeth forth both leafe and fruite So is it with Gods holy Saints they be sometimes so ouertaken and ouercome with temptations that they seeme to be as trees without fruite withered and perished yet there remaineth a sappe of Gods spirit and grace in them which afterward riseth and buddeth forth good fruite And therefore to the second proposition of your secoÌ„d Syllogisme I say that although Dauid by those foule and fearefull offences deserued eternall death yet he did not remaine in death and although God hated those sinnes yet hee neuer hated Dauid For whom God loueth he loueth to the end and the giâ—ts and calling of God are without repentance If we loue a man and yet hate some sinne that he committeth might not God who is loue it selfe hate Dauids sinne and yet loue him and keepe some sparkes of his spirit and grace in him and so preserue as the externall life of the body so the internall life of the soule in him So that neither Dauid remained in death neither was his loue no not to Vrias altogether extinguished in him No doubt but he did loue him as his true and faithfull subiect and might loue him as the seruant of God yet in that temptation his owne selfe loue and desire to couer his owne sinne and shame did preuaile against his loue to Vrias and did draw him to doe an act which was no fruite nor effect of loue and charitie and yet did not wholy quench loue in him The Maior of your latter Syllogisme which needeth no proofe you seeke to proue by a false assertion in barely saying According to your manner but not by any place of Scripture prouing that charitie is the life of the â—oule I say that faith is the life of the soule the which I proue by these two sayings of the Scripture The Prophet Habacuk saith The iust shall liue by his faith Saint Paul saith In that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Let this man shew two such plaine places of Scripture to proue charitie to be the life of the soule Properly Christ is the life of our soules Saint Paul in the place before alledged saith Christ liued in me And when Christ which is our life shall appeare And our Sauiour himselfe saith I am the way the truth and the life For when wee were dead in sinnes hee hath quickned vs and at he hath restored life vnto vs so hee doth continually nourish and preserue life in vs. But this is attributed to faith because by it Christ dwelleth in vs and we by it be put into the possession of Christ and of all the benefits of his passion Concerning the place of Ezechiel because you doe not vrge it I will not stand vpon it We doubt not but men may and doe fall from God and iust actions vnto wicked and vngodly deedes and may haue a temporall faith and fall away from the grace of God But this we say that true faith in Gods elect which are sealed with the spirit of adoption and to whose spirit Gods spirit doth beare witnes that they are the sonnes of God is neuer wholy lust in them and the same spirit worketh by charitie which in them may bee cooled but neuer cleane quenched But of the losing of faith and of the coniunction thereof with charitie I haue before intreated Now to returne this argument in some sort vpon you whereas the Papists auerre that the Popes faith cannot faile I reason thus He that loseth his charitie may lose his faith the Pope may lose his charitie Ergo the Pope may lose his faith The first proposition I haue proued alreadie and haue shewed that true faith is not separated from charitie but worketh by it And most manifest it is by Saint Iames that the faith which is without charitie and good workes is dead So that if the Pope be without Charitie then hee hath but a dead faith And a dead faith is as much faith as a dead man is a man That the Pope may bee without charitie I thinke they will not deny and if they doe it may be proued by many examples Pope Iohn the twelft or as Platina reckoneth the thirteenth tooke two of his Cardinals and cut off the nose of the one and the hand of the other as witnes Platina Blondus and many others Stephanus the sixt did take the bodie of Formosus his predecessor out of the graue after he was dead put him out of his pontificall habite and put on him a lay mans attire cut off the two fingers of his right hand where with he did consecrate and threw them into Tiber. Pope Sergius the third tooke vp againe the body of the same Formosus did cut off his head as if hee had been a liue and threw the bodie into Tiber as vn worthie of buriall Boniface the seuenth tooke Iohn a Cardinall and put out his eyes Vrban the sixt of seuen of his Cardinals which hee apprehended at Nuceria tooke fiue of them put them in sackes and cast them into the Sea Innocentius the seuenth caused by Lewes his nephew certaine citizens of Rome which sought the restitution of their ancient liberties and the reformation of the Common-wealth decayed by his euill gouernment to be throwne out of windowes and so killed Alexander the sixt caused both the right hand and tongue of Antonius Mancinellus to bee cut out because hee had written an eloquent oration against his wicked and filthie life Many such other pranckes of Popes might bee alleadged which were no more fruites of