wicked glosses wresting the words of scripture to the maintenance of their damnable errors They tooke vpon them to know more then the Apostles saying that the holy Ghost which Christ promised to send was not giuen to the Apostles but to theÌ„ so that the Montanists affirmed that i Dicunt Paracletum plura in Montano dixisse quà m Christum in Euangelium protulisse the holy Ghost spake more things in Montanus then Christ did commit to the Gospell and not onely more but greater and better things When they were vrged by the teachers of the Church with these corruptions and falsifications k Haec ipsi habent in nos retorquere à nobis potius adulteria Scripturarum expositionum earuÌ„ mendacia inferri c. they were ready to answer that the corrupting of the Scriptures and false expositions thereof were rather found with them by meanes whereof there was no end of reasoning with them because they could hold them to no certaine grounds wherupon to proceed against them Hereupon Tertullian referred men as Irenaeus did to consider the Churches planted by the Apostles and which had had continuance of Pastors and teachers from them by them to learne what faith and doctrine was deliuered by the Apostles as not doubting but what they deliuered was the truth as l Supra sect 4. who deuised nothing of their owne but faithfully assigned to the nations the doctrine which they had receiued of Christ He setteth it downe as a principle that vndoubtedly m Hoc propono vnuÌ„ certum aliquid institutuÌ„ esse a Christo quod credere omni modo debeant nationes there was some one and certaine thing appointed by Christ for the nations to beleeue that whatsoeuer that was Christ vndoubtedly deliuered it to his Apostles n Duodecim praecipuos lateri suo adtegerat destinatos nationibus magistros c. Si Christus Apostolos misit ad praedicandum praescribimus non alios esse recipiendos Praedicatores quà m quos Christus instituit whom he chose to be teachers of all nations and therefore that no other Preachers are to be receiued but whom Christ appointed that to say that either the Apostles knew not all things or did not make knowne all things to all men is o In vtroque Christum repreheÌ„sions subijcientes qui aut minus instructos aut parum simplices Apostolos miserit to reproue Christ as sending Apostles either vnsufficient or not dealing simply and plainely Taking it then for graunted that the Apostles deliuered al truth to the Church he moueth another doubt that haply the Churches had erred and forsaken that which at first was deliuered by the Apostles To this therefore he answereth that p Quid verisimile est vt tot ac tantae in vnam fideÌ„ errauerinit Nullus inter multos euentus vnus est exitus variassedebuerat error doctrinae Ecclesiarum Caeterum quod apud multos vnâ— inuenitur non est erratum sed traditum it is not likely if the Churches had erred that being so many and so great they should in error light all vpon one faith that they would surely haue varied in their error one from another because where there are many going but by hap they cannot all happen vpon the same end Therefore what with many is found one saith he it is no matter of error but that that was first deliuered vnto them He goeth on further to shew that it is the marke of truth q Ab excessis reuertor ad principalitatem veritati posteritatem mendacitati deputandaÌ„ exillius quoque Parabolae patrocinio c. Ita ex ipso ordine manifestatur id esse dominicum verum quod sit prius traditum id autem extraneum falsum quod sit posterius immissum to be first and that what cometh in after is to be reputed a lye as appeareth by the Parable wherein the good seed or wheate was first sowed and then afterwards the tares Thus by the order it is so manifest saith he that that is of the Lord and true which was first deliuered but that strange and false which is afterwards come in Now if any of them would dare to challenge to themselues the antiquity of the Apostles he willeth them r Siquae audent se interserere aetati Apostolicae vt ideò videantur ab Apostolis traditae quia sub Apostolis fuerunt possumus dicere Acdant ergo originos Ecclesiarum suarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporum suoruÌ„ c. to shew the originall of their Churches and the succession of their Bishops from the Apostles which if there had bene any such they might easily haue done this being very litle more then a hundred yeres after the time of the Apostles But withal he declareth that such opinions of theirs as were meÌ„tioned in the time of the Apostles Å¿ Quae tunc sub Apostolis fuerunt ab ijsdem Apostolis demonstratae deierata were by the Apostles shewed renounced wherof he giueth sundry examples of denying the resurrection of obseruing circumcision of forbidding mariage of denying the Godhead or manhood of Christ of worshipping Angels and such like condemned in the writings of the Apostles t Nâ—m sic facilitis traduceÌ„tur dum aut iam tunc fuisse deprehenduntur aut ex illis quae tunc fuerunt semina sumpsisse c. Siue ergo taedem nunc sunt aliquanto expolitiores quae sub Apostolis rudes habeÌ„t suam exinde damnationem siue aliae quideÌ„ illae fuerunt aliae autem posteà oâ—oâ—tae sunt quasdam ex illu opâ—niones vsurpauerunt habendo cum eu consoretum praedicationis habeant etiam necesse est consortium damnationis c Et si nihil de damnaticijs participareÌ„tur de aetate sola praeiudicatentur tantò magis aduiterae quantò nec Apostolis nominâ—iae Vnde fiâ—mâ—â—â— constat has esse quae adhuc tunc nunt rebantur futurae Thus saith he they shall the more easily be traduced whilest they are found either to haue bene then or to haue taken any seedes from those that were then For whether they be now the same somewhat more polished and fined which in the Apostles times were yet rude and vnfashioned they haue their condemnation from thence or whether they were one then and other haue since sprung vp which yet haue borrowed some opinions from them surely in being partakers with them in their preaching they must needes also be partakers of their condemnation And albeit they did not participate with those that were so condemned yet saith he there should preiudice be taken against them onely for their latter age being so much the rather corruptions of the truth for that they are not so much as named by the Apostles whence it is so much the more certaine that they are those which then it was foretold should be in time to come Hereupon he referreth his Reader to sundry particular churches
u Percurie Ecclesias Apostolicaâ— apud quas ipsae adâ—uc Cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesideÌ„tur apud quas ipsae authenticae literae eorum recitantur c. Proxima est tibi Achaia habes Corinthum Si non longe es à Macedonia habes Philippos c. si Italiae adiaceâ— hâ—bes Romanam c. Cum Aphricanis quoque Ecclesijs contestatur vnum Deum nouit Creatorem vniuâ—sitaâ—â—â— Iesum Christum ex Virgine Maria filium Creatoris carnis resurrectionem legem Prophetâ—s cum Euangelicis Apostolicis literis miscet inde fidem portat eam c. where were still Bishops in the seates of the Apostles and their authenticall Epistles were still read as of the Corinthians the Philippians the Thessalonians the Ephesians the Romanes which together with the Aphricane Churches acknowledged one God the Creatour of the whole world and Iesus Christ of the Virgin Mary the Sonne of the Creator and the resurrection of the flesh ioyning the lawe and the Prophets with the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles and thence deriuing that faith Thus had he before set downe the doctrine and faith which in all this treatise he thus laboureth to vphold and maintaine x Regula est autem fidei illa scilicet qua creditur vâ—um omninò Deum esse nec alium quà m mundi Creatorem qui vniuersa produxerit de nihilo per verbum suum primò omnium omissum c. Superest vt demonstremus an haec nostra doctrina cuius regulam supra edidimus de Apostolerum traditione censcatur The rule of faith is this to beleeue that there is one onely God and the same no other but the Creator of the world who by his word first of all sent foorth made all things of nothing The same word called his Son was vnder the name of God diuersly seen of the Patriarkes euermore heard in the Prophets last of all by the spirit and power of the Father was brought into the Virgin Mary made flesh in her wombe and being borne of her did the part of Iesus Christ preached thencefoorth the new law and the new promise of the kingdome of heauen wrought miracles and being nailed to a crosse rose againe the third day and so forth according to the articles of Christian beleefe VpoÌ„ the assertion of this rule he inferreth that y Si haec ita se habent vt veritas nobis adiudicetur quicunque in ea regula incedimus quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis Apostoli à Christo Christus à Deo tradidit constat ratio pro positi nostri definientis non esse admittendos haereticos ad eanâ—è de Scripturis prouocationem quos sine Scripturis probamus ad Scripturas non pertiâ—ere sith the truth must be adiudged to them who walke in that rule which the Church had deliuered from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ and Christ from God it was hereby assured which he had before propounded that the heretikes were not to be admitted to disputation by the Scriptures who without the Scriptures were proued to haue no title to the Scriptures Therefore for conclusion of all this he saith that z Illic igitur ScripturaruÌ„ expositionum adulteratio deputanda est vbi diuersitas muenitur doctrinae Quibus fuit propositum aliter doceÌ„di necessitas institit aliter disponendi instrumenta doctrinae Alias enim non potuissent alitèr docere nisi alitèr haberent per quae decerent Sicut illis non potuisset succedere corrup tela doctrinae sine corruptela instrumentorum eius ita nobis integritas doctrinae non compentisset sine integritate eorum per quae doctrina tractatur Etenim quid contrarium nobis in nostris quid de proprio iâ—tulimus vt aliquid contrarium ei in Scripturis deprehensum detractione vel adiectione vel transmutatione remediaremus Quod sumus hoc suntinde Scripturae ab initio suo Ex illis sumus antequam nihil aliter fuit quà m sumus the corrupting of the Scriptures and of the meaning thereof must be reckoned to be there where there was found diuersitie of doctrine from the Scriptures For they saith he who intended to teach otherwise had need otherwise to dispose of the instruments of doctrine and teaching For they could not teach otherwise except they had somewhat otherwise whereby to teach But on the contrarie side he saith As their corrupting of doctrine could not haue successe without corrupting of the instruments thereof so neither could integritie or soundnesse of doctrine haue stood with vs without the integritie of those instrumeÌ„ts by which doctrine is handled For in our Scriptures what is there contrarie to vs What haue we brought in of our owne that somewhat being found in the Scriptures thereto contrarie we should remedie by adding or taking away or changing any thing What we are the same are the Scriptures euen from their beginning From theÌ„ we are euer since there was nothing otherwise then we are This is the briefe summe of all that Tertullian in that booke saith pertinent to the matter here in hand wherein as there is nothing in fauour of the cause which M. Bishop maintaineth so there is much to be obserued for the oppugning and conuincing thereof First it is apparent that Tertullian here saith not a word for the auouching of any doctrine beside the Scripture but onely for iustifying the doctrine that is contained in the Scripture The heretikes oppugned the maine and fundamentall grounds of Christian faith concerning the vnitie of the Godhead the creation of the world the Godhead and incarnation of Christ the resurrection of the dead the coming of the holy Ghost and sundry other such like They reiected such whole bookes and razed such testimonies of Scripture as euidently made against them affirming the same not to haue bene written by the Apostles or by any diuine inspiration a Contra Marc. lib. 4 Contraria quaeque sententiae suae erasit conspirantia cum Creatore quaesi ab assertoribus eius intexta but foisted in yea sometimes that they were to correct and reforme those things which the Apostles had written Therefore albeit the points in question were manifestly decided by cleare testimony of Scripture yet the authoritie of Scripture being reiected and refused it was necessarie for many mens satisfaction to take some other course for the conuicting of them b Ibid Haeresis sic semper emendat Euangelia dum vitiat Iren. lib. 3 cap. 1. EmeÌ„datores Apostolorum Hereupon he referred men to the consideration of the Apostolicke Churches where the doctrine of the faith of Christ was most renowmedly planted and had successiuely continued from the time of the Apostles that by the testimonie of those Churches it might appeare both that the Scriptures were authenticall and true and that the doctrine auouched against the Heretickes was no other but what the Apostles themselues by the institution of Christ had in those Scriptures
3.15 Whatsoeuer things haue bene committed vnto thee by me keepe as the commandements of the Lord and diminish nothing thereof Now although those words haue reference to more then is written in those two epistles yet they haue not reference absolutely to more then is written because in the latter of those Epistles the Apostle plainly telleth him that q the Scriptures are able to make him wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus As for that which M. Bishop alledgeth out of Irenaeus it is nothing at all to his purpose He saith that r Iren. lib. 3. ca 4. Apostili quasi in depositoriuÌ„ dâ—ues plenissimè in Ecclesiae contuleruÌ„t omnia quae sunt veritatis the Apostles haue layd vp in the Church as in a rich treasury all things that belong to the truth but how they haue laid the same vp in the Church he hath before expressed Å¿ Ibid. cap. 1. The Gospell which they first preached they after by the will of God deliuered to vs in the Scriptures to be the foundation and pillar of our faith Thus then the Church is the treasury of truth by hauing the Scriptures which are the oracles of all truth His last authoritie is taken from the words of S. Iohn which he vseth in his two latter Epistles Hauing many things to write vnto you I would not write with paper and inke but I trust to come vnto you and speake with you mouth to mouth We see S. Iohns words but hard it is to say how we should conclude traditions from them S. Iohn wold write no more to them in that sort or in those Epistles but doth it follow hereof that he would teach them any thing that is not contained in the Scriptures He might haue many things to write vnto them according to the Scriptures and what should leade vs to presume that he should meane it of other things whereof we are taught nothing there In a word what is there in the citing of all these authorities but impudent and shamelesse abusing of ignorant men whilest for a colour he onely setteth them downe and for shame dareth not set downe how that should be inferred that is in question betwixt vs and them But to fill vp the measure of this illusion he goeth on yet further and by way of specification asketh Where is it written that the Sonne of God is of the same substance with the Father or that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne as well as from the Father or that there is a Trinitie that is three persons really distinct in one and the very same substance or that there is in Christ the substance of God and man subsisting in one second person of the Trinitie Absurd wilful wrangler where was it written which Christ said t Luke 24.46 Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name amongst all nations Where is it written in the Prophets which S. Peter alledgeth u Acts 10.43 To him giue all the Prophets witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shall haue forgiuenesse of sinnes Where doe Moses and the Prophets say that which Saint Paul sayth x Ibid. 26.22.23 they do say that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light to the people and to the Gentiles To come nearer to him he hath told vs before that the articles of our Beleefe are contained in the Scriptures But where is it written in the Scriptures that we should beleeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth or that we should beleeue in the holy Ghost or that there is a holy Catholike Church a communion of Saints I will say as he saith here Be not all these things necessary to be beleeued and yet not one of them in expresse termes written in any part of the holy Bible He will say that though they be not there written in expresse termes yet in effect and substance they are written there and are thereby to be declared and prooued and so he will verifie the words of our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles Peter and Paul in those citations of Moses and the Prophets Wizard and are not those other articles then written in the Scriptures because they are not written in expresse termes Did not the Fathers conceiue all those points of faith from the Scriptures and by the Scriptures make proofe of them Is it not the rule of their owne schooles which I haue before mentioned out of Thomas Aquinas that y Supra sect 12. concerning God nothing is to be said but what either in words or in sence is contained in the Scriptures What are we maintainers of traditions in saying that faith onely iustifieth that Christ onely is our Mediator to the Father that Saints are not to be inuocated nor their images to be worshipped because these things are no where written in expresse termes Let it not offend thee gentle Reader that I be moued to see a lewd man labouring by vaine cauillations to sophisticate and delude those that are not able to vnderstand his cosinage and fraud It is the cause of God and who can beare it patiently that the soules which Christ hath bought should be intoxicated with such charmes We do not say that nothing is to be beleeued but what is written in the Scriptures in expresse termes but we say that nothing is to be beleeued but what either is expressed in the Scriptures or may be proued thereby and therefore in oppugning traditions we oppugne onely such doctrines of faith as neither are expressed in the Scriptures nor can be proued by the Scriptures Let M. Bishop proue their traditions by the Scriptures and we will not reiect them for vnwritten traditions but will receiue them for written truth But of this see what hath bene said before in the twelfth section of this question and in the eleuenth section of the answer to his Epistle to the King 21. W. BISHOP The sixt and last reason for traditions Sundry places of holy Scriptures be hard to be vnderstood others doubtfull whether they must be taken literally or figuratiuely if then it be put to euery Christian to take their owne exposition euery seuerall sect wil coyne interpretations in fauour of their owne opinions and so shal the word of God ordained only to teach vs the truth be abused and made an instrument to confirme all errors To auoide which inconuenience considerate men haue recourse vnto the traditions and auncient records of the Primitiue Church receiued from the Apostles and deliuered to the posteritie as the true copies of Gods word see the true exposition and sence of it and thereby confute and reiect all priuate and new glosses which agree not with those ancient and holy commentaries so that for the vnderstanding
THE SECOND PART OF THE DEFENCE OF THE REFORMED CATHOLICKE VVherein the Religion established in our Church of England for the points here handled is apparently iustified by authoritie of Scripture and testimonie of the auncient Church against the vaine cauillations collected by Doctor Bishop Seminary Priest as out of other Popish writers so specially out of Bellarmine and published vnder the name of The marrow and pith of many large volumes for the oppugning thereof By ROBERT ABBOT Doctor of Diuinitie Tertul. de praescript aduer haeret Haereses de quorundam infirmitatibus habent quod valent nihil valentes si in benè valentem fidem incurrant ANCHORA SPEI LONDINI Impensis Georg. Bishop 1607. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE MONARCH MY MOST DREAD and Soueraigne Lord IAMES by the grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the faith MOST puissant and renowmed King albeit my qualitie and gifts are of meaner sort and worth then that I should thereupon presume thus often to solicite your Maiesties acceptation of my foretimely and vndigested fruits yet sith this businesse was by your Maiesties appointment first commaunded and one part thereof is alreadie become sacred vnto you the remainder could not in dutie be recommended to anie other then to the same most benigne and fosterous aspect of your Royall Grace In the former part I haue indeuored to cleare those mists and clouds which Doctor Bishops maleuolent breath out of the foggie vapours of their Romish filthie lakes had blowne amongst vs in his Epistle Dedicatorie to your Highnesse whereinto he had contriued in a generalitie very many malicious and blind cauils whereby he would perswade your Maiestie that the Religion by your lawes established is not consonant to the auncient and first approued truth In this latter part I haue laboured the examination and confutation of his whole booke wherein as he hath taken vpon him more particularly to oppugne the doctrine of our Church in diuers and sundrie points which are questioned betwixt vs so I haue studied according to the talent which God hath giuen me to make it plainly appeare in the same points that the cause which he maintaineth hath very slender and weake support that his fortifications of defence are but earth and clay and his offensiue weapons but as strawes and rushes and that he had more care to write a booke then conscience to weigh the force and truth of that he wrote Which that it may not be imputed to any inhabilitie of his but to the badnesse of the cause it selfe he himselfe professeth that he giueth to his Reader therein a Preface to the Reader the marrow and pith of many large volumes hauing indeede transcribed the greatest part thereof out of Bellarmines disputations who is now become their common oracle and the chiefe fountaine whereat they all draw Which may well be wondered at in Doctor Bishop that he being a secular Priest and with the rest lately caried with that importunate furie against the Iesuites and hauing bene in that cause a principall vndertaker aboue the rest should notwithstanding now be content to grace them so farre as to furnish himselfe out of their armourie to fight against vs. But it hath well enough appeared that their quarell was but to serue a turne wherein failing of their purpose albeit they haue discouered the Iesuites to be so wholly composed of fraud and villanie as should iustly cause all men to shunne and detest them yet they haue yeilded to be gathered with them againe to the feathering of one wing and though haply they be no otherwise tied together but like b Iudg. 15.4 Samsons foxes taile to taile their rancor inwardly continuing such as that they can hardly one with good countenāce behold the other yet they agree together to carrie fire betwixt them to burne and consume the heritage of the Lord. Which fire notwithstanding we hope by the mercie of God through your Maiesties religious and godly care shall be but as the fire of gun-powder against the wind returning vpon the faces of them by whom it was kindled For although the endeuours of these malignant spirits seeme apparently to tend to the detriment and danger of the Church of Christ yet that God who in the beginning c 2. Cor. 4.6 commanded the light to shine out of darknesse and when he had made all things very good and nothing but good yet gaue way to sinne and euill that thereout he might draw some further good the same God euen now turneth to the good of many that which they intend for euill it coming hereby to passe that the Scriptures are more diligently searched the truth more instantly preached and defended the Pastors of the Lords flocke occasioned more carefully to stand vpon their watch the desires of many people inkindled to find certaine resolution of the things which are so greatly questioned and though some fal away who being but d Tertull. de praescr Auolent quantum volent paleae leuis fidei c. chaffe of light beleefe haue but wanted winde to blow them out of the floore yet many more by the displaying and laying open of the trecheries and deceits of such impostors are confirmed in the faith and do learne the more deeply to detest the mystery of iniquitie whilest they see the poysoned and deadly fruites that grow out of that ground Which since they haue bene growne to so full and perfect ripenesse could not but haue their time to fall and the fall thereof hauing bene hitherto so happily begunne we hope shall vnder your Maiesties gouernement much more prosperously succeed and that God wil go forward to shake off e Deut. 32 32 33. the bitter and cruell grapes of the vine of Sodome that men may no longer gather thereof to their owne destruction In the meane time your Maiesty hath seene and must expect yet further to see f Apoc. 12.7 the dragon and his angels fighting against Michael and his Angels and g ver 15. out of his mouth as it were out of a brimstone lake casting out malice slander as flouds of water to drowne the woman and her seed and so much the more enraged because he conceiueth in likelihood h ver 12. that he hath but a short time and that the day is at hand which the Lord hath promised which shal i Iere. 51.6.11 bring vpon Babel the vengeance of the Lord the vengeance of his temple The Lord make good his word the Lord hasten his work that we may see it that that k Apoc. 17.4 purple harlot first founded in bloud and paricide and hauing since by an vnquenchable thirsting after bloud made her self the slaughter house l Ibid. 18.24 of the Saints and Martyrs of Christ may of her owne children drinke bloud her belly ful that m ver 20. the heauens may reioyce and the holy Apostles Prophets seeing the iudgement of God vpon her
Church then let that little discretion that he hath serue him against another time to vnderstand that it is no preiudice to our religion that there is in some matters some diuersitie of opinions amongst vs or that some men be exorbitant from that which is commonly amongst vs approued for the truth There is an vniuersalitie of doctrine with them for which men are esteemed of their religion in the particulars whereof notwithstanding there are many differences for which they will not be thought to be one of one religion and another of another What infinite varietie of obseruation and discipline is there found amongst their Friers and Monkes and yet they take them to be all of one religion There was of old a great dissention betwixt Å¿ Euseb hist lib. 5. cap. 22.23 Polycrates the Metropolitan of the Asian Churches and Victor Bishop of Rome concerning the obseruation of the feast of Easter betwixt t Cyprian ad Pomptium cont epist Stephani et Concil Carthag apud Cyprian Cyprian and Stephanus Bishop of Rome with their Churches on each part about the rebaptizing of them that were baptized by heretikes betwixt u Socrat hist lib. 6. cap. 13. Chrysostome and Epiphanius first and after betwixt x Hieron aduer Ruffin Hierome and Ruffinus concerning the condemning of the works of Origen betwixt y Socrat. lib. 7 cap 19. Chrysostome and many other Bishops concerning the often restitution of penitents to the communion of the Church betwixt z August epist 18 Hierome and Austine concerning Peters dissimulation and yet were they neuer taken to be of diuers religions vntill this day And what are we then in worse case then all these that because there is some variance betwixt some of vs in some points of doctrine or betwixt some others in matters of ceremony and circumstance concerning the discipline of the Church therefore we must be sorted into so many Religions as M. Bishops idle head can deuise differences amongst vs This is to be contemned as a peeuish and impertinent cauil of contentious and wrangling Sophisters bewraying more malice then learning or wit making shew to the vnlearned of obiecting somewhat against vs when their obiection maketh more against themselues then it doth against vs. Now then if M. Perkins either concerning Christs descending into hell or some other like matters subiect to varietie of opinion were otherwise minded then standeth with truth or the common iudgement of our Church we do not therefore account him a man of other religion but a maintainer of our religion and we will say of him as Austine said of Cyprian a August Therefore did he not see somewhat that by him a greater matter might be seen namely that in difference of iudgement we are not to be contentious but labour with all our might to preserue the publike peace and vnitie of the Church and with modestie and loue to carie our selues towards them that in opinion dissent from vs. A notable example whereof we see in M. Caluine who when Luther vpon some matter of question behaued himselfe somewhat intemperately against him and some others alike minded as he was was wont to say b Caluin epi. 57. Though he should call me diuell yet will I do him his honour to acknowledge him an excellent seruant of God As for the imputations which here M. Bishop layeth vpon him and the rest whom he nameth we account them but as the barking of a curre dogge against a Lion they are stale and threedbare cauils and too well knowne to cause them that reproch that he desireth If Luther were licentious for marrying a wife what were their Popes and Cardinals their Bishops and Priests and Monks for keeping other mens wiues and retaining concubines and harlots of their owne If Zuinglius went armed into the field to giue encouragement to his countrymen for their iust and necessary defence is he thereupon to be taxed for a martial minister more then Iulius the second for a martial Pope who himselfe went in person against the French and going ouer the bridge of Tiber cast his crosse keyes into the riuer and tooke his sword in his hand saying c Bale in Iul. 23 Seeing Peters keyes will do no good we will try whether Pauls sword wil serue the turne or then Philip the French Bishop in the time king Richard the first for a martiall Bishop who bare armes against king Richard and was taken in battell in whose behalfe when the Pope wrote to the King requesting fauour for his sonne the King sent to him the Bishops armour with this message d Matth. Paris in Richard 1. Vide an tunica filij tui sit an non See whether this be thy sonnes coate or not Nay it is no rare matter to find examples of martiall Popes and martiall Cardinals and Bishops in the Church of Rome and therfore we need say no more to M. Bishop as touching this cauill but onely to bid him looke at home As for that which he saith of Caluins expelling of the lawfull magistrate out of Geneua it is a very malicious and false tale it being very euident that the Bishop of Geneua whom he meaneth with his cleargie perceiuing the people to be minded for the abolishing of Popish superstition and receiuing of the Gospell voluntarily fled from thence before Caluins comming to that place Last of all he calleth Beza a dissolute turne-coate but if a man should ask his wisedome why he doth so he cannot tell All the matter of this dissolutenes is that being vnder twentie yeares old or a litle aboue he wrote a booke of Epigrammes in which by imitation of Catullus and Ouid he expressed some things more licentiously and wantonly then was fit The writing thereof he afterwards when God had called him to the knowledge of his truth e Beza Confes Epist Dedicat. repented much and when he was requested that the same might be reprinted denied it vtterly and wished the remembrance thereof to be wholy buried In his conuersation otherwise he was neuer to be touched with any blemish of that lightnesse which in those poeticall exercises he made shew of And is not this a great matter that these men obiect so often to his disgrace Surely if the liues of sundry of the auncient Fathers were looked into with such eyes before they were come to Christ there would be found worse matters to vpbraid them with euen by their owne confession then this is S. Austine when the Donatists dealt with him as M. Bishop and his fellowes do with Beza gaue answer to them thus f August const lit Petil lib. 3. cap. 10. Quantum cunque ille accusâ—t vinum meum tantum ego laude medicum meum Looke how much they blame my fault so much do I commend and prayse my Phisition To which effect I haue heard that Beza himselfe answered one as touching that columniation Hic homo inuidet mihi gratiam Christi This man enuieth
of the points in question laying open the absurditie of Poperie and clearing the doctrine on our part from those lies and slaunders wherewith in corners you labour to depraue it might seeme verie likely to drawe many to the knowledge and approbation of the truth It should seeme there was some sore for that both you and your friend were so carefull to apply a plaister but your plaister by the grace of God wil make your sore a great deale worse when men shall further see how sincerely he hath dealt to deliuer truth out of the word of God and doctrine of the ancient Church and what base geere you haue brought as the marrow and pith of many large volumes for the contradicting and oppugning of it The more and greater the points are of difference betwixt the Church of Rome and vs the more doth it concerne your Catholikes if they tender their owne saluation to looke into them which if they doe they will cease to thinke basely of our religion and will begin to honour it and imbrace it as the truth of God They will see that there is in it a true reformation indeed a iust departure from the horrible idolatries and superstitions of the Romish Sinagogue and it shall grieue them that they haue so long dishonoured God by holding fellowship with him who hath no true fellowship with Iesus Christ That you thinke basely thereof M. Bishop we wonder not He that doateth vpon a harlot is wont to scorne and thinke basely of honest matrons The Scribes and Pharisees thought basely of our Sauiour Christ no maruell if you doe the like of the Gospell of Christ who liue and thriue by traditions as they did As for old rotten condemned heresies how silly a man you haue shewed your selfe in the obiecting thereof it hath appeared partly alreadie in the answer of your Epistle and shall appeare further God willing in the answer of your booke and wee will expect hereafter that you learne more wit then to babble and prate of heresies you know not your selfe what THE THEAME OF M. PERKINS Prologue And I heard another voyce from heauen say Go out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sinnes and receiue not of her plagues Reuel 18.3 M. BISHOPS ANSWER TO M. Perkins Prologue Sect. 1. THe learned know it to be a fault Exordium Coâ—mune to make that the entrie vnto our discourse which may as properly fit him that pleadeth against vs but to vse that for our proeme which in true sence hath nothing for vs nay rather beareth strongly for our aduersarie must needs argue great want of iudgement Such is the sentence aboue cited out of S. Iohn by M. Perkins for it being truly vnderstood is so farre off from terrifying any one from the Catholike Roman Church as it doth vehemently exhort all to flie vnto it by forsaking their wicked companie that are banded against it For by the purple Harlot in that place is signified as shall be proued presently the Roman Empire as then it was the slaue of Idols and with most bloudie slaughter persecuting Christs Saints Those of the Church of Rome being as nearest vnto it so most subiect to that sacrilegious butcherie Wherefore that voyce which S. Iohn heard say Go out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sinnes c. can haue none other meaning then that all they who desire to be Gods people must separate themselues in faith and manners from them who hate and persecute the Roman Church as did then the Heathen Emperours and now do all Heretikes Vnlesse they will be partakers of their sinnes and consequently of their plagues This shall yet appeare more plainely in the examination of this Chapter Where I will deale friendly with my aduersarie and aduantage him all that I can that all being giuen him which is any way probable it may appeare more euidently how little he hath to any purpose out of this place of the Apocalipse whereof all Protestants vaunt and bragge so much both in their bookes and pulpits Well then I will admit that in the 17. and 18. Chapters of the Reuelation by the whore of Babylon is vnderstood the Roman state and regiment which in lawfull disputations they are not able to proue the most iuditious Doctor S. Augustine and diuerse others of the ancient fathers with the learned troupe of later interpreters expounding it of the whole corps and societie of the wicked And as for the seuen hils on the which they lay their foundation they are not to be taken literally the Angell of God in the very text it selfe interpreting the seuen heads of the beast to bee aswell seuen Kings as seuen hils But this notwithstanding to helpe you forward I will grant it you because some good writers haue so taken it and therefore omit as impertinent that which you say in proofe of it What can you inferre hereunto Marry that the Roman Church is that whore of Babylon Faire and soft good Sir how proue you that Thus. The whoore of Babylon is a state of the Roman regiment ergo the Roman Church is the whoore of Babylon What forme of arguing call you me this By the like sophistication you may proue that Romulus and Remus were the purple Harlot which to affirme were ridiculous or which is impious that the most Christian Emperours Constantine and Theodosius were the whoore of Babylon because these held also the state of the Roman Empire and regiment To make short the feeble force of this reason lieth in this that they who hold the state and gouerne in the same kingdome must needs bee of like affection in religion which if it were necessarie then did Queene Marie of blessed memorie and her sister Elizabeth carrie the same minds towards the true Catholike faith because they sate in the same chaire of estate and ruled in the same kingdome See I pray you what a shamefull cauill this is to raise such outcries vpon A simple Logician would blush to argue in the parâ—â—ies so loafty and yet they that take vpon them to controle the learnedst in the world often fall into such open fallacies Well then admitting the purple Harlot to signifie the Roman state we do say that the state of Rome must bee taken as it was then when these words were spoken of it that is Pagan Idolatrous and a hot persecutor of Christians Such it had bene a little before vnder that bloudie tyrant Nero and then was vnder Domitian which we confirme by the authoritie of them who expound this passage of the Roman state The commentarie on the Apocalipse vnder S. Ambrose name saith The great whoore sometime doth signifie Rome specially which at that time when the Apostle wrote this did persecute the Church of God 〈◊〉 Cap. 178. but otherwise doth signifie the whole citie of the Diuell And S. Ierome who applieth the place to Rome affirmeth Libr. 2. cont Jâ—â—â—n that she had before his dayes
blotted out that blasphemie written in her forehead because then the state was Christian which before had bene Heathen so that vnto the partie Pagan and not vnto the Church of God he ascribeth these works of the wicked Harlot which also the very text it selfe doth conuince for it hath That she was drunk with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus Verse 6. Now the Church of Rome had not then by the confession of all men drawne any bloud of Christs Saints but in testimonie of his truth had powred out abundance of her best bloud Wherefore it is most manifest that the harlot could not signifie the Church of Rome so pure and free from slaughter but the Roman Empire which was then full gorged with that most innocent and holy bloud Againe that whoore is expounded Verse 18. To be a citie which had kingdome ouer the Kings of the earth But the Church of Rome had then no kingdom ouer the earth or any temporall dominion at all but the Roman Emperours had such soueraigne commaundement ouer manie Kings wherefore it must be vnderstood of them and not of the Church Now to take kingdome not properly for temporall soueraigntie but for spirituall Iurisdiction as some shifters do is to flie without any warrant from the natiue signification of the word vnto the phantasticall and voluntarie imagination And whereas M. Perkins saith pag. 5. that Ecclesiasticall Rome in respect of state princely dominion and crueltie against the Saints is all one with the heathenish Empire he both seeketh to deceiue and is greatly deceiued he would deceiue in that he doth apply words spoken of Rome aboue 1500. yeares ago vnto Rome as it is at this day and yet if that were granted him he erreth fouly in euery one of his particles For first touching princely dominion the Roman Empire held then all Italy all France all Spaine all England a great part of Germanie of Asia and also of Africke hauing their Proconsuls and other principall Officers in all those Countries drawing an hundred thousand millions in money and many other commodities out of them Wherefore in princely dominion and magnificall state it surmounted Ecclesiasticall Rome which hath not temporall dominion ouer the one halfe of that one kingdome of Italy more then an hundred degrees And as for persecution the Empire slue and caused to be slaine more Saints of God in one yeare then the Church of Rome hath done of reprobates and obstinate heretikes in 1600. yeares R. ABBOT WE see that M. Bishop hath some skill in Oratory but it seemeth he hath learned one precept aboue the rest of extenuation or diminution to giue semblance of making light of his aduersaries arguments and not to be touched therewith when notwithstanding hee is galled with them and wounded at the heart Of this lesson he maketh good vse throughout his whole booke but here in the beginning hauing his wits yeâ— fresh he goeth somewhat beyond it and will make his Reader beleeue that that text of the Apocalipse which M. Perkins propounded for the matter of his Prologue Go out of her my people c. is so farre from making against them as that it is an aduertisement to all men to forsake the societie and fellowship of all them that shew themselues aduersaries to the Church of Rome The Apostle telleth vs a 1. Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies that they which are approued may be knowne Because there must be heresies there must be heretickes men giue vp to reprobate sence obstinate and wilfull in their wicked fancies euen then when they are b Tit. 3 11. condemned in themselues Otherwise such is the light and euidence of Scripture in directing that admonition as a caueat against the Church of Rome at least wise to euerie mans eyes and sight there is that probabilitie thereof as that a man would not beleeue but that the handling of this point should haue made M. Bishop to tremble and feare and to surcease from going any further in the rest specially seeing that for the safeguard of his minion of Rome he is faine to go so directly contrarie to the euidence that stood against him Yet we see how gloriously hee carieth himselfe here in the beginning and maketh shew of great largesse and of giuing his aduersarie all the aduantage he can But let him remember what Solomon saith c Prou. 25.14 A man that boasteth of false liberalitie is like clouds and wind without raine His words shew more courage then wisedome and he giueth his aduersarie no aduantage at all but what hee must haue whether he will or not The question is whether Babylon and the whoore of Babylon mentioned in the Reuelation be to be vnderstood of Rome or not He alledgeth out of Austin and some other ancient though not indeed so ancient writers and out of a learned troupe of later interpreters as it pleaseth him to terme them that by Babylon is vnderstood the whole corps and societie of the wicked But his maister Bellarmine hauing mentioned that exposition for answer to our obiection leaueth it and saith d Bellarm de Aâ—tichrist cap. 13 secunâ—o dici potest meâ— iudiciomeliùs per mercâ—â—â—em intell giâ—â— mam It may be sayd and in my iudgement better that by the harlot is vnderstood Rome So had he before sayd that S. Iohn e Ibid. cap. 5. Explicat mulierem esse vrbem magnamquae sedet super septem câ—lles id est Romanâ— declareth that the woman is the citie that sitteth vpon seuen hils that is saith he Rome The verie cleere light of the truth made him to confesse that in the description of the whoore of Babylon Rome must necessarily bee vnderstood he must shift otherwise as hee might but he saw that to denie this would be no shift Yea and the exposition that M. Bishop bringeth maketh nothing to the contrarie For although we vnderstand that Babylon do import the whole corps and societie of the wicked yet we are also to vnderstand that this corps and societie hath a head from whence the name is deriued to the whole body and therefore the notification of the body specially being a body so confused must needs be by the description of the head The affirming I say of Babylon to be the whole corps and societie of the wicked doth not exclude Rome from being meant by the whoore of Babylon because the head is necessarily implied in the whole body and Rome is described and set forth vnto vs as being the head of that societie And that the head is here properly meant is inuincibly manifest because the speech is here of f Apoc. 14.8 17.2 her that maketh all nations drunke with her fornications and is therefore to be distinguished from the body of the wicked of all nations which are made drunke by her But for declaring of this point S. Austin in sundrie places diuideth the whole body of mankind by g August in Psal 26. 61.
things as were done But we Christians teach that mankind by free choice and Free will doth both do well and sinne To him we will ioyne that holy Bishop and valiant Martyr Irenaeus who of Free will writeth thus Lib. 4. cap. 72. Not onely in workes but in faith also our Lord reserued libertie and freedome of will vnto man saying Be it done vnto thee according to thy faith I will adde to that worthie companie S. Cyprian who vpon those words of our Sauior Ioan. 6. Lib. 1. Epist 3. Wil you also depart discourseth thus Our Lord did not bitterly inueigh against them which forsooke him but rather vsed these gentle speeches to his Apostles will you also go your way and why so Marry obseruing and keeping as this holy Father declareth that decree by which man left vnto his libertie and put vnto his free choice might deserue vnto himselfe either damnation or saluation These three most auncient and most skilfull in Christian religion and so zealous of Christian truth that they spent their bloud in confirmation of it may suffice to certifie any indifferent reader what was the iudgement of the auncient and most pure Church concerning this article of Free will specially when the learnedst of our Aduersaries confesse all Antiquitie excepting onely S. Augustine to haue beleeued and taught Free will Heare the words of one for all Mathias Illiricus in his large long lying historie hauing rehearsed touching Free will the testimonies of Iustine Irenaeus and others saith In like maner Clement Patriarch of Alex. doth euery where teach Free will Cont. 2. cap. 4. col 59. that it may appeare say these Lutherans not onely the Doctors of that age to haue bene in such darknesse but also that it did much increase in the ages following See the wilfull blindnesse of heresie Illyricus confessing the best learned in the purest times of the Church to haue taught Free will yet had rather beleeue them to haue bene blindly led by the Apostles and their best Schollers who were their Masters then to espie and amend his own error These principall pillars of Christs Church were in darknesse belike as Protestants must needes say and that proud Persian and most wicked Heretike Manes of whom the Manichees are named who first denied Free will began to broach the true light of the new Gospell R. ABBOT M. Bishop held it to be the best course for him clanum clauo pellere to driue out one naile with another not answering the places which M. Perkins alledged out of the Fathers but oâ—ely crossing them with other places Nay he so passed them ouer as that fraudulently and falsly he would make his Reader beleeue that they made all for him But marke I pray thee gentle Reader when M. Bishop driueth all to this that when God hath done his worke for mans conuersion it is left to mans free choice whether to will the same or not doth it make for him or is it not against him which M. Perkins citeth out of Austin that a Aug. de correp grat cap. 12. Iâ—â—o sic volunt quia Deus operatur vt veliâ—t man therefore willeth because God worketh in him to will Surely if man therefore will because God worketh in him to will then Gods worke doth not leaue man to the free choice of his owne will When M. Bishop saith that there is in man a naturall facultie of Free will which being stirred vp and fortified is able to do any act appertaining to saluation doth the same S. Austine agree with him when he affirmeth b Epist 107. Lâ—cerum arbitrium ad diligendum Deum prinâ—s peccati graâ— ditate perâ—â—emuâ— that man lost Free will to the loue of God by the greatnesse of Adams sinne When he attributed mans conuersion but onely principally to grace and blameth vs for that we attribute the whole worke to grace doth S. Bernard agree with him when he saith c Bernard de grat lib. arb Totum ex gratia that it is wholy of grace that we are new created healed saued By these it is easie to make application of the rest but we may looke for good answers at his hands herafter who in the beginning being so directly oppugned would seeke thus in a cloud to steale away But if M. Perkins were able to say nothing against him we must thinke he is able to say for himselfe exceeding much Yet his first authoritie out of Iustinus Martyr maketh nothing at all for him for being written to an heathen Emperour it toucheth onely morall and externall actions in which we deny not but that God hath left some freedome and liberty to mans will as before hath bene declared His very d Justin Martyr Apol. 2. Ne quis nostra dicta sic acciptat quasi Fati necessitateÌ„ asseramus quae fiunt ideò fieri quiae praedicta sunt expâ—ica bonus hoc quoque c drift there is to condemn the wicked fancies of Astrologers and Stoicke Philosophers who did hang all vpon e Aug. contra duas Epist Pela lib. 2. ap 6. in Psal 1â—0 de ciuit Dei lib. 5. cap. 1. destinies and constellations and fatall necessitie and thence sought excuse of their lewd and abominable actions And if we wil more largely extend the words yet are they nothing for M. Bishops turne f Hominem libero arbitrio liberaque voluntate peccare rectè agere docemus We Christians saith he do affirme that by free choice and Free will mankind doth both do well and sinne And so much we affirme also that man by free choice and Free will doth well for there g Prosper de vocâ—t Gent lib 2. cap. 9. Virius nolenuum nulla est is no vertue where a man hath no will to that he doth but we say still against M. Bishop that this is not that Free will that he requireth it is not a power of nature but wholy the effect of grace h Aug. Epi. 107. vt supra Sect. 1. It is the grace of God whereby mans will is made free both to eschue euil and do good and they that teach any other Free will they are i Idem de grat lib arbit cap. 14. Non defensores sed inflatores praecipitatores liberi arbit not the defenders but the puffers vp and break-neckes of Free wil. And no otherwise did Iustine Martyr conceiue thereof as appeareth by these words in the same Apologie k Iustin vt supr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In like sort as God created vs when we were not so do we thinke that he vouchsafeth them of immortalitie and being with him who willingly make choice to do those things that are pleasing vnto him But to haue being at the first it was not of our selues In like sort then to choose and follow what is pleasing to him by those reasonable powers which he hath giuen vs it is by his perswading and mouing of vs
free except he be made free by him that saith If the Sonne shall make you free then are ye free indeed If any of them thought otherwise they erred in that they thought neither learned they so to thinke of the Apostles or their best scholers as M. Bishop idlely talketh but either borrowed it of heathen Philosophers or presumed it of themselues And whatsoeuer they thought or meant their manner of speaking was not Apostolike neither learned they it by the word of God and therefore those times were not the purest times which had thus in phrase and speech varied from that y Rom 6.17 character and forme of doctrine whereto the Church was first deliuered And if M. Bishop will say that they learned these things of the Apostles then he must condemne S. Austine and the whole Catholike Church of that time in which Austine liued for teaching otherwise then they taught which if he will not do he must perforce acquit vs as well as him and let the blame rest vpon them to whom it doth appertaine Whom we account no further to be pillars of Christs Church then they themselues continued built vpon the Gospell which Christ hath made z Iren lib. 3. ca 1. Euangelium nobis in Scripturis tradiderunt Apostoli columnaÌ„ fâ—â—d amentuÌ„ fâ—aci nostrae futurum the pillar and fortresse of our faith neither doubt we to say of them that they were in darknesse where the a Esa 8.10 word of the law and testimony did not giue them light Now for conclusion he vpbraideth vs againe with the heresie of the Manichees onely to shew himselfe a perfect scholer of the Pelagian schoole For so did the b Aug. contra 2. Epist Pelag li 3 cap. 9. Excogitaverunt Maâ—â—chaeoruÌ„ detestabili nomine imperitos quos potuerint dâ—terrere ne aduersus eoruÌ„ dogmata peruersissima aures accommodent veritati Pelagians obiect to Austine and other teachers of the Catholike Church that they tooke part with the Manichees and defended their heresie in the denying of Free will They called them Manichees and of theÌ„selues said c Ibid. lib. 2. ca. 1 Pro Catholica fide contra Manichaeorum sicut loquuntur profa nitatem consensionem Orientalium EpiscoporuÌ„ videntur exposcere c. that they dealt for the Catholike faith against the prophane opinion of the Manichees onely to colour their owne heresie and enmitie against the grace of God by falsly vpbraiding their aduersaries with another But S. Austin answered them d Ibid. cap. 2. Manichaei negant homini bono ex libero arbitrio fuisse initria malâ— Pelagiani dicunt etiam hominem malum sufficienter haebere liberum arbitrium ad faciendum praeceptuÌ„ bonum Catholicae vtrosque redarguit c. The Manichees deny that to man being made good Free will became the beginning of euill the Pelagians say that man being become euill hath a will sufficiently free for the doing of the commandement of good The Catholike Church condemneth them both saying to the Manichees God made man iust and to the Pelagians If the Sonne shall make you free then are you free indeed Let M. Bishop turne the name of the Pelagians into Papists and take this answer to himselfe The Pelagians and Papists are not therefore to be approued because they condemne the heresie of the Manichees but are therefore to be detested because they haue set vp another heresie of their owne e Ibid. possunt duo errores inter se esse contrarij sed ambo sunt detestandi quia sunt ambo contrarij veritati Two errors saith S. Austine may be contrarie one to the other and both to be detested because they are both contrarie to the truth So is it with the Manichees and Papists and we take the course that the auncient Church did to condemne them both But of this matter I haue spoken sufficiently before in answering his Epistle and therefore need not here to stand vpon it 15. W. BISHOP Here I wold make an end of citing Authorities 2. Inst ca. 2. q 4. were it not that Caluin saith that albeit all other auncient writers be against him yet S. Augustine as he vaunteth is clearely for him in this point but the poore man is fouly deceiued aswell in this as in most other matters I wil briefly proue and that out of those workes which S. Augustine wrote after the Pelagian heresie was a foote for in his others Caluin acknowledgeth him to haue taught Free will De spi lit 34. De gra Chr. 14 Ad Simpli q. 2. Tract 72. in Ioan. Epi. 47. Of our Freedome in consenting to Gods grace he thus defineth To consent to Gods calling or not to consent lyeth in a mans owne will Againe Who doth not see euery man to come or not to come by Free will but this Free will may be alone if he do not come but it cannot be holpen if he do come In another place that we will do well God will haue it to be his ours his in calling vs ours in following him Yea more To Christ working in him a man doth cooperate that is worketh with him both his owne iustification and life euerlasting will you heare him speake yet more formally for vs. We haue dealt with your brethren and ours as much as we could that they would hold out and continue in the sound Catholike faith the which neither denieth Free will to euill or good life nor doth attribute so much to it that it is woorth any thing without grace So according to this most worthie Fathers iudgement the sound Catholike faith doth not deny Free will as the old Manichees and our new Gospellers do nor esteeme it without grace able to do any thing toward saluation as the Pelagians did Lib 4. contr Iul. c. 8. And to conclude heare S. Augustines answer vnto them who say that he when he commendeth grace denyeth Free will Much lesse wold I say that which thou lyingly dost affirme me to say Free will to be denyed if grace be commended or grace to be denyed if Free will be commended R. ABBOT Caluin indeed confesseth as the truth is that the a Institut lib. 2. cap. 2. Sect. 4. auncient Writers saue onely Austin haue written so diuersly and intricately or obscurely of Free wil as that hardly a man can gather from them any certainty as touching that point But yet he saith further that b Ibid. Sect. 9. albeit they went too farre sometimes in extolling Free will yet he dareth to affirme that they aimed at this marke to turne man altogether away from the confidence of his owne strength and to teach him to make the repose of his strength in God onely But whereas Caluin thinketh that Austin is cleare for him in this point M. Bishop saith the poore man was fouly deceiued as well in this as in most other matters Where I cannot but smile to see how euery ignorant brabler will haue a snatch
no further then he approoueth vnto vs that he is a follower of Christ we tie not our selues to him but vse our liberty to dissent from him and to censure him where he hath gone awry But M. Bishop and his fellowes haue their Patriarch indeede to whom they binde themselues Antichrist the man of sinne the enemie of Christ whose dirt they must be content to eate and to brooke all the filth of his abhominations and a Dist 40. si Papae though he leade them to hell yet no man may dare say vnto him Sir why do ye so Well Caluin saith that Austine hath diligently gathered the iudgement of antiquity and what then forsooth he saith further thus that b Caluin Institut lib. 3. cap. 3. Sect. 10. betweene Austine and vs there may seeme to be this difference that he dares not call the disease of concupiscence by the name of sinne but we hold it to be a sinne that a man is tickled with any lust or desire against the law of God Whereupon M. Bishop giueth his Reader these obseruations first that S. Austines opinion carieth with Caluin the credit of all antiquity which is the cause saith he that I cite him more often against them which indeede he hath full clerkly and profoundly done so as that I presume I may assure the Reader that he hath scarsely euer read ouer one booke of his Secondly saith he that he is flatly on our side but therein he reckoneth before his host for Caluin saith to the contrary that c Ibid. sect 12. Austine differeth not so much from our doctrine as in shew he seemeth to doe and that he varieth but little from our opinion Lastly saith he learne to mislike the blind boldnesse of such maisters But if Caluin were blinde alas for poore M. Bishop what can he see and yet though he can see but little he is as bold as blinde bayard and doubteth not to vilifie him to whom he might very well be a scholler yet many yeares Caluin iustly commendeth Austines iudgment and aduiseth all men to follow it and in substance flieth not from it himselfe though in termes he somewhat differ Neither did he presume vpon shallow wits not to be espied knowing well that the whole rabble of the court of Antichrist would vse their deepest wits for the sifting of that he should write but in the conscience of integrity and faithfulnes he despised all their barkings and malitious furie and with the inuincible shield of truth beareth off all the poisoned darts of their reproches He neuer taught men to rely vpon his authority but by authority of the word of God and testimony of the auncient church he laboured to establish the faith of Christ yet making men witnesses onely not authors or dictators of the truth and therefore not doubting to censure them where they swarue from the authority of the word of truth But now because M. Bishop will perswade vs that S. Austine is wholly on their part let vs somewhat more at large examine his opinion and iudgement in this behalfe Which although it may be sufficiently perceiued by those things that haue bene scatteringly alledged already yet fully to remoue this cauill let vs here lay together what shall be found necessary for the clearing thereof And first we are to obserue that sinne is considered two manner of waies one way as it is opposed to righteousnesse another way as it is opposed to forgiuenesse of sinnes Sinne properly taken as euery mans vnderstanding giueth him is opposite to righteousnesse and so whatsoeuer is contrary to righteousnesse is sinne Thus haue we before described the nature of sinne and according to this description concupiscence in the regenerate being d Rom. 7.23 Gal. 5.17 contrary to righteousnesse is sinne neither euer came it into S. Austines heart to thinke otherwise But he considereth sinne in the proper effect of sinne as it maketh guilty so that whatsoeuer is forgiuen is no sinne because forgiuenesse taketh away the guilt of sinne So long as the guilt remaineth though the thing be past and gone whereof or whereby the man is guilty yet he vnderstandeth the sinne to remaine still If the guilt be taken away though the thing still continue the same by which the man became guilty yet he taketh it not to be in the nature of sinne because the nature of sinne is to make guilty The occasion of which construction was giuen him by the Pelagian heretickes the predecessours of the Papists who when he taught against them Originall sinne and the remainder of that blot of naturall corruption in the regenerate as we doe tooke occasion to cauill against him that he e August cont duas epist Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 13. Dicunt inquit baptisma noâ— dare omnem induldgentiam peccâ—torum nec auferre criminae sed radere vt omnium peccatorum radices in mala carne reneantur quasi â—asorum in capite capillorum vnde crescant itâ—rum risecanda peccata said that baptisme did not giue remission of all sinnes neither did take away faults but onely shaue them so as that the rootes were still sticking from whence other sinnes should grow againe S. Austine the better to cleare this matter to popular vnderstanding affirmeth that baptisme doth take away all sinne because that albeit concupiscence of the flesh were still remaining yet it did not remaine in the nature of sinne because the guilt thereof in baptisme was remitted f De nupt et concupisc lib. 1. ca. 25. Dimittitur non sit sed vt in peccatuÌ„ non imputetur It is forgiuen saith he not so as that it is not but so as that it is not imputed for sinne g Ibid. cap. 26. In eis qui regeneraÌ„turr in Christo cum remissionem accipiuâ—t prorsus omnium peccatorum vâ—que necesse est vt reatus etiam huius licet manenus ad â—uc concup sâ—entiae remittatur vt in peccatum non impuâ—â—tur Nam sicut câ—ruÌ„ peccatorum quâ— manere non 〈◊〉 sunt quoâ—â—am cum 〈◊〉 pâ—etâ—reunt 〈…〉 et â—isi remiâ—â— vt 〈◊〉 in aeterâ—um maâ—eâ—â— sic illius concupiscenâ—ic quando remittitur reatus aufertur Hoc est eâ—â—im non habere peccatum non esse reâ—ym peccati Nâ—â— si quisquâ—â— veâ—â—â— gratia fecerit adueterium etiam si nunquam deâ—â—cesâ—â— faciat 〈◊〉 est adulterij donec reatus ipsias 〈…〉 Habet ergo peccatum quamuis illud quod admisâ—â—â—am non sit quia cum tempâ—re quo factum est praetiâ—â—ijt c Manâ—â—t ergo peccata nisi remittantur Sed quomodo manent si praeâ—â—â—ta sunt nisi quia praetâ—rterunt actu manent reatu Sic itaque sâ—â—rie contraâ—â— potest vt etiaÌ„ illud maneat actâ—â—â— aetereaâ— reaâ—â— In the regenerate when they receiue forgiuenesse of all their sinnes the guilt of this concupiscence though it selfe still continue is remitted so as that it is not imputed for sinne For as of those sinnes which cannot continue because
to the contrary to keepe the fire of his spirit continually burning in our hearts c Iob. 33.16.17 opening our eares by his corrections to cause vs to cease from our euill enterprises and to heale our pride and to keepe back our soule froÌ„ the pit which is the same that the Apostle saith d 1. Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world And whereas M. Bishop alledgeth that thousands pitifully fall away we answer him that they which finally fall did neuer truly stand though they seemed to stand nor euer did truly beleeue though they seemed to beleeue but euen of their fals doth God also make vse to make those that are truly his to stand the faster striking thereby a dread feare into their hearts wherby they abhorre to think of that befalling in theÌ„selues which hath befallen in the other that they may the more instantly call vpon him and embrace the meanes whereby they should firmly apprehend take hold of him We say the same that M. Perkins doth that it cannot be that he that is once indeed a member of Christ can euer after be wholly cut off But this disliketh M. Bishop much so that he exclaimeth O shamelesse assertion Where we may more iustly cry out of him O shamelesse man that maketh Christ lâ—sse affectionate kind to the spirituall members of his mysticall body then he himselfe is to the earthly members of his own natural body M. Bishop wil not suffer any member of his body to putrifie rot away if he can saue it and wil he make vs beleeue that Christ suffereth his members to rot away froÌ„ him Shal we think that Christ doth lesse respect a faithfull soule theÌ„ any of vs doth respect a finger or a toe e Ambros de Iacob vit beat l. 1. ca. 6. Poterit ergo ille te damnare queÌ„ redâ—miâ— a mâ—rte pro quo se obâ—uâ—it cuiuâ— vitam mortis suae mercedem esse cognoscit Nonne dicet Quâ— vtilitas in sanguine meo fidamno quem ipse saluaâ—â— Can Christ condemne thee saith Ambrose to the true beleeuing man whom he himselfe hath redeemed froÌ„ earth and whose life he knoweth to be the reward of his own death Wil he not say What profit is there in my bloud if I condemne him whoÌ„ I haue saued He is faithful wil not deny himself he wil not vndo that which he hath done nor blot out his owne name or suffer it to be blotted out which he hath written by his spirit in the heart of euery one that beleeueth He wil not dismember himself or receiue a maime in that f Ephe. 1.23 body which generally in the whole respectiuely in euery part is the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Seeing therfore euery true beleeuer is truly a meÌ„ber of this body helpeth to make vp this fulnesse of Christ it caÌ„not be that Christ should suffer any true beleeuer to perish but quickeneth cherisheth euery such meÌ„ber with his spirit of life healeth the wounds and sicknesses thereof that it may neuer die But of this point further in the section next saue one here it shall suffice to examine those texts examples of holy Scriptures which he saith are coÌ„trary to that that M. Perkins here affirmeth Which if they be many and plaine as he saith we may think him a very silly man that of those many could make no better choise then he hath done The first place is that of our Sauiour Christ g Iohn 15.2 Euery branch in me not bearing fruit he will take away Wherein the Reader may easily see that he doth but only abuse the simplicitie and ignorance of such as cannot espie his fraud He telleth vs of taking away the branches that beare no fruit wheras the matter in question is of the perseuerance of those branches that do bring forth fruit We doubt not but the branches which beare no fruit shal be taken away but we speake of branches which as touching present state do bring forth fruit of theÌ„ our Sauior addeth h Ibid. Euery branch that beareth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit The branch then that beareth fruit shall perseuer shall neuer be cut off because the Father purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit But M. Bishop will vrge that Christ saith Euery branch in me therby to signify that eueÌ„ those branches which do not beare fruit are in Christ yet are cut off taken away But there is no necessitie of any such construction the words are rather to be taken as we read theÌ„ Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me For euery man is compared to a branch naturally we are al branches of a wild vine as we grow froÌ„ the corrupted stocke of Adam bring forth none but sowre vnsauourie fruit so that to bring forth good fruit we had need to be transplanted remoued from the stocke of Adam to be ingraffed into Christ And this may the words of Christ import that the Father taketh destroyeth euery branch that stil coÌ„tinueth to bring forth fruit in AdaÌ„ and is not implanted into Christ to bring forth fruit in him Which construction if we follow as it carieth most probability then here is nothing said of any to be cut off that is a branch in Christ the true vine but of branches taken and cast away that are not in him But yet graunting him that reading of the words which he desireth yet he is no whit the nearer to his purpose thereby For men are diuersly vnderstood to be in Christ some by semblance shew other some in deed and truth some by outward calling profession only other some by grace and inward regeneration some according to the flesh and in the eie of the Church other some according to the spirit and power of Christ in the eie of God The Church is the floore wherein is both corne chaffe the field wherein groweth both wheat and tares the net that catcheth all sorts of fishes both good bad the pasture where feed both sheepe and goates the banquet house that entertaineth all guests that come both clothed vnclothed all yet comming vnder the name of friends all saying Lord Lord all professing themselues to take part with Christ i August de vâ—â—t eccles cap. 13. Vnde appellat sâ—nas nisi propter malignitatem morum Et easâ—eÌ„ vnde filias nisi propter cemmunionem sacramentorum cap. 12. Propter sacramenta quae cum sanctis communiter habent in eu est quaedam forma pietatis cuius virtuteÌ„ negant all children by communion of Sacraments whereby there is in them a shew of godlinesse but many thornes by malignity of behauiour whereby they deny the power thereof all sheepe in outward complement couplement to the Church but k De
in the not imputing thereof but also in h Cap. 6.6 destroying the body of sinne and restoring in vs the image of God i Ephe. 4.24 in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth he hauing giuen himselfe k Tit. 2.14 to purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe and l Ephe. 5.27 to make vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing And all this Christ will effect vnto vs but he will do it according to his owne will not according to Popish fancie All this is now in fieri non in facto esse it is begun and in doing but it is not yet finished and done it shall be fully perfected at the resurrection of the dead In the meane time he bringeth vs not to perfect righteousnesse in our selues nor giueth vnto vs a full immunitie from sinne that he may take away from vs all occasion of reioycing in our selues that as Saint Austine noteth m August de peccat merit remiss lib. 3. cap. 13. Vt dum non iustificatur in coÌ„spectu erâ—s viuens actionem gratiarum semper in dulgentiâ—e ipsius debeamus siâ— ab illa primâ— caâ—sa omniuÌ„ vâ—ticrum id est ae tumore superbâ—e sancta humilitate scruemur whilest no man liuing is found iust in the sight of God we may alwaies owe thankesgiuing vnto his mercie and by humilitie may be healed from swelling pride and n Bernard in Cant. ser 50. Vt scâ—amus in die illa quia non ex operibus iustitiae quae fecimus nos sed pro misiricerdiae sua saluos nos fecit that we may know as Saint Bernard saith at that day that not for the works of righteousnesse which we haue done but of his owne mercie he hath saued vs. Now therefore we doe no wrong to Gods goodnesse wisedome iustice in our iustification as Maister Bishop fondly chargeth vs because we teach iustification in the same sort as God himselfe hath taught it vs inferring sanctification as an immediate and necessarie effect but not conteining it as an essentiall part We hold sanctification to be necessarie to iustification in this sence that the one cannot be without the other and that no man is iustified by the righteousnesse of Christ who is not also sanctified by the spirit of Christ but we denie sanctification to be necessarie to iustification in Maister Bishops meaning as to be any cause or matter of it As for the place of Luther wretchedly falsified by him the true purpose of it onely is to shew the worke of Gods grace to be irreuocable in them vpon whom he hath set the marke of his election and hath iustified them by faith in Christ to whom as Saint Austine saith o August Soli. loq cap. 28. Quibus omnia cooperantur in bonuÌ„ etiam peccata ipsa euen their very sinnes doe worke for good and thereof is made as it were a triacle and preseruatiue against sinne so that as Bernard saith p Bernard de triplici cohaer clauor vincul glutin Of Certaintie of Saluation Sect. 9. though Dauid be branded with the blot of horrible sinnes and Peter be drowned in a depth of denying his Maister yet there is none that can take them out of the hand of God who because he will preserue them therefore preserueth their faith and continueth in them his spirit of sanctification and though by occasion they fall yet they neuer so fall but that q 1. Iohn 3.9 his seede remaineth in them and r Psal 37.24 his hand is vnder to lift them vp againe Now because we affirme the inward sanctifying of the heart to be alwaies an infallible consequent of iustification there is no place for that obiection of his that we make the righteous man like to sepulchers whited without with an imputed Iustice but within full of iniquitie and disorder The imputation of righteousnesse both outwardly and inwardly is our iustification before God and by sanctification the iustified man both outwardly and inwardly becommeth other in quality then he was before so that although sinne in part be still remaining to lust and rebell yet it is brought into subiection that it raigneth not and being checked and resisted that it may not bring forth fruit a man is not by it reputed full of iniquitie and disorder But of this sufficient hath bene said Å¿ Sect. 17. before by occasion of the same cauill in his epistle to the Ring Here as he giueth further occasion we tell him that that remainder of sinne in the regenerate is couered with the mantle of the righteousnesse of Christ and so S. Austine as we haue seene before calleth it t August de nupt concup lib. 2. ca. 34. peccatum tectum sinne couered or hidden But saith he it is madnesse to thinke that any thing can be hid from the sight of God We answer him that God seeth it well enough with the eye of his knowledge but by reason of that couerture u August in Ps â—1 Noluit aduertire Tecta quare vt non videâ—â—tur Quid erat Dei videre peccata aâ—si puâ—ire peccata will not see it with the eye of his iudgement he seeth it with a discerning but seeth it not with a reuenging eye euen as it is said x Numb 23.21 He seeth no iniquitie in Iacob nor beholdeth transgression in Israel But he demaundeth Why doth he not deface it and wipe it away and adorne the soule with grace c. He hath his answer before I will here quit him onely with Saint Austins words y Augus â—â—nat Câ—â—grat cap. 27. riot agit Deus vt â—aâ—ct onâ—â—a sed agit tuâ—licio suo nec ordinem sanaâ—di accipit ab aegreto God is in hand to heale all but he doth it at his owne discretion and receiueth not of the sicke man an order for his cure Againe he asketh Hath not Christ deserued it We tell him ye Christ hath deserued it and for his merits sake it shall be done but we must expect the time that God hath appointed for the doing of it Christ hath deserued for vs to be wholly freed from mortalitie corruption and death as before was sayd but mortalitie corruption and death yet continue still When mortalitie corruption and death shall be abolished then shall sinne also wholly and for euer be taken away Last of all he demaundeth Is it because God cannot make such iustice in a pure man I answer him out of Tertullian z Tertul. aduers Praxeâ—in Si tam abruptè in praesumptionibus nostris hac senteÌ„tia vtamuâ— quiduis de Deo confingere poterimus quasi fecerit quia facere potuerit Potuit Deus pennis hominem ad volanduÌ„ instruxâ—sse non tamen quia potuit statim fecit c. Probare apertè debebis ex Scripturâ—s If we will so abruptly in our presumptions conceiue opinion we may faine what we list of God as if he had
in respect hereof with sinne against the holy Ghost it is but a scape of his ignorance who as it seemeth vnderstandeth not what is meant thereby What his schoolemen haue written thereof it is nothing to vs but let him learne by Hierome how to vnderstand it out of the text it selfe h Hieron in Maâ— ca. 12. Qui manifestè intell gâ—ns opera Dei cùm de virtute negare noÌ„ possit eadem stimulatus inuidia caluÌ„niatur ChristuÌ„ Deique verbuÌ„ opera Sp sancti diâ—et esse Beelzebub isti non dimittetur neque in praesenti seculo nec iâ— futuro He saith he who vnderstanding manifestly the works of God when he cannot gainesay as touching the power doth yet of enuie calumniate the same and affirmeth Christ and the word of God and the works of the holy Ghost to be of the diuell to him it shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come This is a dreadfull sinne and let M. Bishop take heede the light of God so clearely shining as that it cannot but dazle his eyes that he doe not intangle himselfe in the guilt thereof by wilfull opposition against the truth 17. W. BISHOP Maister Perkins third reason is drawne from the consent of the auncient Church of which for fashion sake to make some shew he often speaketh but can seldome finde any one sentence in them that fits his purpose as you may see in this sentence of Saint Augustine cited by him De verbis Domini serm 7. Augustine saith I demaund now doest thou beleeue in Christ O sinner thou saiest I beleeue what beleeuest thou that all thy sinnes may freely be pardoned by him thou hast that which thou beleeuest See here is neither applying of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs by faith nor so much as beleeuing our sinnes to be pardoned through him but that they may be pardoned by him So there is not one word for M. Perkins But S. Bernard saith plainly That we must beleeue that our sinnes are pardoned vs. But he addeth not by the imputed righteousnes of Christ Againe he addeth conditions on our party which M. Perkins craftily concealeth For S. Bernard graunteth that we may beleeue our sinnes to be forgiuen if the truth of our conuersion meete with the mercy of God preuenting vs for in the same place he hath these words So therefore shall his mercy dwell in our earth that is the grace of God in our soules if mercy and truth meet together if iustice and peace embrace and kisse each other Which is as S. Bernard there expoundeth it if we stirred vp by the grace of God do truly bewaile our sinnes and confesse them and afterward follow holinesse of life and peace All which M. Perkins did wisely cut off because it dashed cleane the vain glosse of the former words His last authority is out of S. Cyprian who exhorteth men passing out of this life not to doubt of Gods promises but to beleeue that we shall come to Christ with ioyfull security Answer S. Cyprian encourageth good Christians dying to haue a full confidence in the promises of Christ and so do all Catholikes and bid them be secure too on that side that Christ will neuer faile of his word and promise but say that the cause of feare lies on our owne infirmities And yet bids them not to doubt as though they were as likely to be condemned as saued but animates them and puts them in the good way of hope by twenty kinds of reason R. ABBOT The drift of Saint Austine in the place alledged is to shew that we are a Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 7. Elegâ— de me praesumetes non de se TotuÌ„ gratiae semper reputa Si de tuo opere prasumis ergo merces tibi redditur non gratia condonatur Si auteÌ„ gratia est gratis daetur to presume of God onely not of our selues and to attribute all that we are towards him wholy to his grace If thou presume of thine owne worke then is it a wages paied not a grace giuen vnto thee But if it be grace then it is freely giuen Hereupon follow the words alledged b Interrogo nunc Credis ô peccator Christo Dicis Credo Quid credis Gratis vniuersa peccatae tibi per ipsuÌ„ posse remitti Habes quod credidisti O gratia gratis data I demaund now O sinner doest thou beleeue Christ Thou saiest I beleeue What doest thou beleeue That all thy sinnes may be pardoned freely by him By which words he would import that the sinner is to beleeue that in Christ onely there is enough to yeeld him forgiuenesse of sinnes and therefore that he is to presume onely vpon him Which if he do Saint Austine telleth him Thou hast that which thou beleeuest and addeth O grace freely giuen Now M. Bishop should here haue told vs what it is that S. Austine telleth the beleeuing sinner that he hath what that grace is that he saith is here freely giuen vnto him For if it be forgiuenesse of sins as indeed it is then the words import that the sinner beleeuing in Christ for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and relying wholy vpon him assuredly hath that for which he beleeueth and therefore is not to doubt thereof And herein he alludeth to that in the Gospell where Christ asketh the blind men c Mat. 9.28 Beleeue ye that I am able to do this to draw froÌ„ them whether they did attribute so much to him as to expect so great a benefit from him When therefore they answered Yea Lord he touched their eies saying According to your faith so be it vnto you So with S. Austine the word may serueth to chalenge a sufficiencie to Iesus Christ and to exclude other meanes of forgiuenesse of sinnes not to question the beliefe of the forgiuenesse thereof which he so resolutely affirmeth to him that beleeueth and can be no otherwise but by the applying of the righteousnesse the merit the satisfaction of Christ because we cannot beleeeue it but only thereby The place of Bernard is very impudently shifted off First by altering the question which is not here by what we beleeue our sinnes to be forgiuen but whether it be the property of a iustifying faith to beleeue particularly the forgiuenesse of a mans own sinnes Now S. Bernard saith that d Bernard in Annunâ—iat ser 1. Jnitium quoddam velut fundamentum fidei for a man to beleeue that he cannot haue forgiuenesse of sinnes but by Gods pardon is but the beginning and foundation of faith Therefore saith he if thou beleeue that thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him to whom onely thou hast sinned thou doest well e Sed adde adhuc vt hoc credas quia per ipsuÌ„ tibi peccata donaÌ„tur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet in corde nostro Sp. sanctus dicens DimitiuÌ„tur tibi peccata tua Sic enim arbitratur Apostelus gratis
standing oracle of a written law to which all men at all times might resort to be informed as touching duty and seruice towards God And as in the creation of the world howsoeuer the light were at first sustained and spread abroad by the incoÌ„prehensible power of God yet when he created the Sun he conueighed the whole light of the world into the body thereof so that though the Moone starres should giue light yet they should shine with no other light but what they receiued from the Sun euen so in the constitution of the Church howsoeuer God at first preserued continued the knowledge of his truth by immediate reuelation from himselfe to some chosen men by whose ministerie he would haue the same coÌ„municated to the rest yet when he gaue his word in writing he conueighed into the body of the Scriptures the whole light of his Church so that albeit there should be Pastours and teachers therein to shine as starres to giue light to others yet they should giue no other light but what by the beames of the written law was cast vpon theÌ„ Which beames albeit they shined not then altogether cleare bright many things being lapped vp in obscure dark mysteries rather signified by figuratiue ceremonies then expressed in plain words yet were they not to walk by any other light nor to go without the coÌ„passe of the writteÌ„ word only what was obscure therin God by his Prophets froÌ„ time to time made more more apparent vntill by Iesus Christ in the writings of his Apostles Euangelists he set vp a most full perfect light Now then in M. Perkins meaning it is true that from Adam to Moses the word of God passed from man to man by tradition that is by word onely not by writing and thus as M. Bishop alledgeth good fathers godly maisters taught their childreÌ„ seruants the true worship of God true faith in him But it is true also which he signifieth in the second place that they whoÌ„ God thus raised vp to be teachers instructours of others receiued not the word only by tradition from others but had reuelation confirmation thereof immediatly from God himselfe Therefore there is no argument to be taken hence to giue any colour to Popish tradition nay we may iustly argue that if God would haue had the religion of Christ to be taught in any part without writing he would haue taken the course which he did then by immediate reuelation to continue and preserue the integritie and truth thereof 2. W. BISHOP His 2. Concl. We hold that the Prophets our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles spake and did many things good and true which were not written in the Scriptures but came to vs by Tradition but these were not necessary to be beleeued For one exaÌ„ple he puts that the blessed virgin Mary liued died a virgin but it is necessary to saluation to beleeue this for Helui dius is esteemed by S. Augustine an Heretike for denying it * De haeres ad Quod. hae 84. R. ABBOT It is necessary to saluation to beleeue that our Sauiour was conceiued and borne of a virgin We perswade our selues also according to the common iudgement of the Church that she so continued and died but yet we deny it to be any matter of saluation so to beleeue We say as S. Basil doth that a Basil de human Christi generat Hoc nunc suspicionem generat ne forsan posteaquam puritate sua generationi dominicae per spirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ administratae seruiuit tum demuÌ„ nuptialia opera viro Maria noÌ„ negauerit Nos verò licet nihil hoc doctrinae pretatis â—ffiâ—eret nam donec dispensabatur Christi generatio necessaria erat virginitas quid verò postea sit factuÌ„ ad mysterij huius doctrinam non anxiè coÌ„â—ungenduÌ„ est vâ—runtameÌ„ c. it should be no whit preiudiciall to the doctrine of faith that the virgin Mary after that she had in her virginity serued for the generation of Christ should performe the office of a wife to her husband Her virginity was necessary till the birth of Christ was accoÌ„plished but what was afterwards done is not too scrupulously to be adioined to the doctrine of this mysterie But yet that no man might to the scandall and offence of deuout persons affirme rashly that she ceased to be a virgin he sheweth that the places of the Gospell which seeme to giue suspition thereof do not euict it but may well be construed otherwise And therefore Heluidius for mouing an vnnecessary question hereof to giue occasion of publike disturbance and for affirming rashly that which he had no warrant sufficiently to proue was iustly condemned reiected by the Church neither can we approue any thâ—t shall do as he did 3. W. BISHOP His 3. Concl. We hold that the Church of God hath power to prescribe ordinances and Traditions touching time place of Gods worship And touching order comlinesse to be vsed in the same mary with these foure caneats First that it prescribe nothing childish or absurd See what a reuerent opinion this man carieth of the Church of God gouerned by his holy spirit that it neuerthelesse may prescribe things both childish and absurd But I must pardon him because he speaketh of his owne Sinagogue which is no part of the true Church Secondly that it be not imposed as any part of Gods worship This is contrary to the conclusion for order and comelinesse to be vsed in Gods worship which the Church can prescribe is some part of the worship Thirdly that it be seuered froÌ„ superstition c. This is needlesse for if it be not absurd which was the first prouiso it is already seuered from superstition The fourth touching multitude may passe these be but meere trifles That is of more importance that he termeth the decree registred in the 15. of the Acts of the Apostles a Tradition whereas before he defined Traditions to be all doctrine deliuered besides the written word Now the Acts of the Apostles is a parcell of the written word as all the world knowes that then which is of record there cannot be termed a Tradition R. ABBOT The cautions set downe by M. Perkins are materiall necessary against the vsurpations of the Church of Rome which hauing forsaken the direction of the spirit of God in the word of God is now led by a 1. Kings 22.23 a lying spirit by b 1. Tim. 4.1 spirits of errour and therefore in her ordinances and traditions swarueth from the grauity and wisedome of the holy Ghost The ceremonies of the Masse are apish and ridiculous toies whereby in that which Christ instituted for a most sacred and reuerend action they make the Priest more like to a iugler or to a vice vpon the stage in his duckings and turnings his kissings crossings his lifting vp and letting downe his putting together the forefinger the
euery part of the Scripture is not profitable to all those vses to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse He will say that those vses are not all ioyntly to be vnderstood but by disiunction euery part is profitable either to teach or to improue or to correct or to instruct in righteousnesse though it be not profitable to all these But in thus saying he quite ouerthroweth the Apostles confirmation for it doth not follow that because euery part of the Scripture is profitable either to teach or to improue or to correct or to instruct in righteousnesse therefore the Scriptures are able to make a man wise to saluation because that may be said of the first chapter of Genesis or any other like that it is profitable either to teach or to improue or to correct or to instruct in righteousnesse that is to one or other of these vses and yet it cannot be said that it is able to make a man wise to saluation through the faith which is Christ Iesus Therefore the words of the Apostle must be vnderstood of the whole scripture which being able to teach to improue c. is consequently able to make a man wise vnto saluation through faith in Christ And hereby his other cauill is taken away that we make that to be all-sufficient which S. Paul affirmeth onely to be profitable For the Apostle nameth not profitable as to diminish any thing frō sufficiencie but reckoning it to be profitable to all those vses that he expresseth he leaueth it plainly to be vnderstood that it is sufficient to that that he would conclude thereby For vnlesse it be in such sort profitable as that it be sufficient to teach to improue to correct to instruct it cannot be able to make a man wise to saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus Therefore Athanasius alluding as it seemeth to this place sayth n Athan. contra Gentes siue cont idola Sufficiunt quidem per se sacra diuinitùs inspiratae Scriptura ad veritatis instructionem The Scriptures being holy and inspired of God are by themselues sufficient to the instruction of truth M. Bishops instances therefore are friuolous and vaine Timber is profitable for the building of a house but it is not profitable for all those vses that concerne the building of a house and therfore is not sufficient But the Apostle noteth the Scripture to be profitable for all those vses that concerne the building of the house of God and because it is so therefore it is sufficient for that building The second is against himselfe for although there must be one to sow the seede yet the seed it selfe is sufficient wherewith to sow the ground and euen so although there must be one to teach to improue to correct to instruct yet the holy Scripture is sufficient wherewith to do all these Thirdly good lawes are profitable saith he for the good gouernement of the Common-wealth but they are not sufficient without good gouerners and iudges And be lawes neuer so sufficient for the common-wealth yet they auaile nothing without gouerners and iudges seruing to put them in execution Euen so we say that albeit the holy scriptures do sufficiently instruct vs what doctrine is to be taught yet all is vaine if there be none to teach it But what a witles cauill is this that when question is of the doctrine of the Scriptures whether it be so sufficient as that they which teach are to teach no other they obiect that the doctrine of the scripures is not sufficient without one to teach We tell him therefore againe that as where lawes are sufficient to gouerne by good gouerners and iudges being necessary for execution thereof are to iudge and gouerne onely by lawes so the doctrine of the holy Scriptures being sufficient to teach by though teachers be necessary for the teaching thereof yet they are to teach nothing but onely by the Scripture and therein onely is it that we affirme the sufficiency of the Scripture But in humane lawes that sufficiencie is neuer found they neuer fit all occasions and vses of the common wealth neuer meete with all inconueniences and mischiefes neuer determine all controuersies and causes neuer prouide so perfectly for the right but that it prooueth to some mans wrong and therefore though they be profitable yet they are not profitable euery manner of way In the holy Scripture the Apostle teacheth vs it is otherwise it serueth vs for all occasions towards God there is nothing that concerneth vs but either by teaching or reprouing or correcting or instructing it applieth it selfe vnto vs o Cypriā de dupl martyr Nullus est animorum morbus cui non praesens remediū diuina scripturae suppeditat There is no sicknesse of the mind saith Cyprian referring himselfe to these words of the Apostle to which the holy Scripture yeeldeth not a present remedy p Chrysost in 2. Thes hom 3. Omnia clara sūt manifesta ex scripturis diuinis quaecunque necessaria sunt manifesta sunt All things are euident and cleare saith Chrysostome by the holy Scriptures whatsoeuer things aye necessary they are manifest The scriptures therefore are in such sort profitable as that they are sufficicient also fully to instruct vs as touching the meanes of obtaining eternall life As for customes they may haue their place and vse amongst the lawes of men but amongst the lawes of God they haue no place q Cypr li. 2. ep 3. Si solus Christus audiendus est nō est attendendum quid aliquis ante nos faciendum putauerit sed quid qui ante omnes est Christus prior fecerit Neque enim hominis consuetudinem sequi oportet sed Dei veritatem Because Christ onely is to be heard saith Cyprian we are not to regard what any before vs hath thought fit to be done but what Christ first did who is before all for we are not to follow the custome of men but the truth of God r Tertul. de verlā virg Christus veritatem se non consuetudinem cognominauit Christ sath Tertullian called not himselfe custome but truth M. Bishop therefore dealeth but idlely to alledge the exorbitant and lawlesse customes of cōmonwealths as a colour for traditions in the church of Christ His last exception is that the Scriptures here spoken of which Timothie knew from his infancie could be no other but the scriptures of the old Testament because no part of the new Testament was then written and therefore that that is here said cannot but by vnreasonable wresting signifie more then the old Testament charging vs hereupon with falsification in applying it to both the old and new Where the vaine man doth not see that he exceedingly strengtheneth the argument against himself for if S. Paul could say that the scriptures of the old Testament were able to make a man wise vnto saluation by the faith of Christ how much more is
Quodcunque aduersus veritatem sapit hoc erit haeresis etiam vetus coÌ„suetudo Christ did not call himselfe custome but truth that whatsoeuer sauoureth against the truth is heresie though it be an auncient custome As for the instances which M. Bishop saith he bringeth for the iustifying of Traditions vnwritten they are partly impertinent and partly heathenish and hereticall deuises and surely if the Church had bene then fraught with traditions as the Church of Rome is now he would not haue bene so slenderly furnished for the approuing of them His first instance is that in baptisme x AquaÌ„ adituri contistamur nos renunetare diabolo pompae et Angelis eius they did professe to renounce the diuell and his pompes and his Angels But this is no other but written doctrine and the Scripture teacheth it when it nameth y Heb. 6.1 repentance from dead workes as one of the foundations of Christian profession and of the doctrines of the beginning of Christ and we vse the same renunciation in baptisme who yet disclaime traditions vnwritten Forme of words maketh no difference of doctrine though in other termes yet we do no other thing therein but what the Scripture teacheth vs to do His second instance of z De hinc ter mergitamur thrice dipping is a matter onely of ceremony not of doctrine and it is meerely indifferent whether it be done once as in the name of one God or thrice as to import the Trinity of the persons As for a Jnde suscepti lactu mellis conâ—ordiam praegustamus the tasting of milke and hony which is his third instance it was also a voluntary obseruation which may seeme first to haue bene brought in by heretikes howsoeuer after it got place in the Church because Dionysius who for his time most exactly describeth Dionys Ecclesiast hierarch cap 4. the ceremonies of the Church maketh no mention of it c Lauacro quotidâ—â—â—o 〈◊〉 die peâ— tot 〈◊〉 mâ—lâ—â— abstinemus Die dominico reiunium nefas ducimus vel de geniculis adorare Eadem immunitate 〈◊〉 in Pentecosten vsque gaudemus Not to wash for a weeke after baptisme not to fast or pray kneeling vpon the Sunday or betwixt Easter and Whitsontide vvere also but positiue ceremonies subiect to the discretion of the Church vsed in some places and times and not in other insomuch that in part they are growne out of vse euen in the Curch of Rome and therfore come not within the compasse of traditions as we here dispute of them d Eucharistae SacramentuÌ„ in teÌ„pore victas c. etiam anielâ—canis caetibus nec de aliorum quam praesidentium manu suntimus To receiue the Sacrament at the hands of the Bishop or Ministers is the institutioÌ„ of Christ and we are taught it by the written word but either to do it in the morning before day or at the time of other feeding was a meere arbitrarie and indifferent thing and the Church of Rome now vseth it at neither time e Oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitijs annua die facimuâ— Offerings yeerely made for the dead and for birth-daies were first brought in by the heretike Montanus to whom now Tertullian had addicted himselfe and of whom the ecclesiasticall historie testifieth that f Euseb hist eccl lib. 5. cap. 16. Sub praetextu nomine oblationum munerum captationeÌ„ artificiose coÌ„mentus est vnder the pretence and name of offerings he cunningly deuised the taking of rewards and gifts And although the one of them by the plausible colour of it tooke such fast hold as that the streame thereof hath runne into the lakes and puddles of the Church of Rome yet the other was soone reiected or not at all admitted but onely amongst his fellowes Origen testifying that Christians g Origen in Iob. lib 3. Nos noÌ„ natiuitatis dieÌ„ celebramâ—s sed mortis c in Leâ—iâ—t hom 8 Nemo ex omnibus sanctis inuenitur dum festuÌ„ c. egisse in die natalis suâ— did not celebrate their birth-day and that it was not found that any of the Saints had made a festiuall day of his birth-day h Calicis aut panis etiam nostri aliquid in terraÌ„ decuti anxit pa timur Not to endure to haue any part of the Sacrament fall to the ground is a part of that i 1. Cor 14.40 decencie and reuerence which the Scripture requireth to be vsed in sacred and holy things or if he speake it of ordinary bread and drinke the Scripture also teacheth that of those good blessings of God k Iohn 6.12 nothing should be lost The vse of l Ad omneÌ„ progressum atque promotum ad omneÌ„ aditura et exituÌ„ ad vestitum calceatum ad lauacra ad men sai ad lumina ad cubilia ad sedilia quaecunque nos conuersatio exercet frontem crucis signaculo cerâ—nus the signe of the crosse was ceremoniall also no matter of doctrine and faith but onely an occasion of remembrance and a token of the profession therof which in discretion for temporary consideration was begun and by like discretion cause so requiring might be left againe Our Church in some part where it is most free from Popish abuse vseth the signe of the crosse and yet well knoweth that vnwritten traditions as the name is vnderstood in this disputation are not iustified thereby We doubt not as touching outward vsages and ceremonies as touching positiue constitutions and ordinances of the Church but that vnder the name of traditions according to the circumstances before expressed they may be commanded and are to be obeied though they be not contained in the Scripture but for matter of faith and of the worship of God we deny that any thing may be admitted beside the written word and Tertullians instances are too weake to serue Maister Bishops turne to prooue the contrary To be short it appeareth plainly by Tertullian that the Catholike Church defended then against heretikes the same that we now defend against the Papists that pretence of Tradition without authority of Scripture auaileth not and therefore that the Papists vnder the name of Catholikes are indeede heretikes wrastling and fighting against the Church 11 W. BISHOP Come we now vnto his second testimonie out of S. Ierome * In cap. 23. Math. who writing as he saith of an opinion that S. Iohn Baptist was killed because he foretold the comming of Christ the good-man would say Zacharie S. Iohns Father for the Scripture sheweth plainly why S. Iohn lost his head * Math. 14. But S. Ierome there saith this Because it hath not authoritie from Scriptures may as easily be contemned as approued Out of which particular M. Perkins shewing himselfe a doughtie Logitian would inforce an vniuersall that forsooth all may be contemned that is not proued by Scripture As if you would proue no Protestant to be skilfull
that are far spred and are growne old are not to be set vpon in this sort because by long tract and continuance of time they haue had great oportunitie to steale the truth And therefore as touching all prophane heresies and schismes that are growne old we are in no sort to do otherwise but either to conuince them if need be by onely authoritie of Scripture or else to auoyde them being aunciently conuicted and condemned by generall Councell of Catholike Bishops Where we see that Vincentius affirmeth directly contrary to that that M. Bishop reporteth of him that heresies are not alwayes to be dealt with by those rules that he hath before set downe yea that heresies that haue continued long and haue bene farre spread are no otherwise to be conuicted but by onely authoritie of Scripture And thereof he giueth reason for that they haue had time and oportunitie to falsifie the rules of faith and to corrupt the bookes and writings of the auncient Fathers which heretikes alwaies labour to do so that the doctrine of faith cannot safely be ieoparded vpon their consent Now whatsoeuer M. Bishop and his fellowes dreame of this booke this rule doth so fit vs as if Vincentius had purposely studied to instruct vs in what sort we ought to deale against them and to iustifie the course that we haue vsed in that behalfe Antichrist hath set vp his kingdome aloft in the Church and the whoore of Babylon hath sitten like a Queene for many ages past She hath fulfilled that that was prophesied of her that h Apoc. 14.8 she should make all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornications i Chap. 17.2 The Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her and the inhabitants of the earth haue bene drunke with the wine of her fornications She hath had k Gregor lib. 4. epist. 38 Rex superbiae propè est quod dici nefas est sacordotum est praeparatus exercitus c. an armie of Priests according to the saying of Gregorie an armie of Monkes and Friers of Schoolemen and Canonists who haue bin her agents and factors for the vttering of her merchandize and the vpholding of her state They haue vsed their endeuour to the vttermost for the corrupting l Erasm Epist ad Warram Archiepis Caniuar apud Hieron of the auncient monuments of the Church They haue made away many of the writings of the Fathers they haue falsified those that remaine they haue foisted in bastards and counterfeits vnder their names Most lewdly and shamefully m Ludou Viues de caus corrupt art Adscripta sunt Origeni Cypriavo Hieronymo Augustino quae ipsis nunquam ne per quiâ—tem quidem in mentem venerant indigna non solùm tantia ingenijs atque illa eruditione sed etiam seruis corâ— siquos Scythas habuerunt aut Seres they haue fathered vpon Origen Hierom Cyprian Austin the rest such things as they neuer dreamed of vnworthy not only of their conceit and learning but euen of their slaues if they had any that were Scythians and Barbarians By the names of such renowmed authors they haue sought to gaine credite to deuices of their owne such as the auncient Church was neuer acquainted with Now therefore Vincentius his rule standeth good on our part that inasmch as they haue had so long time and oportunitie to steale away the truth and to falsifie the Fathers writings therefore we are to conuict them by authoritie of Scripture onely knowing it to be true which Chrysostome saith that n Chrysost oper imperf in Math. hom 49. Ex quâ— heresis obtinuit Ecclesias nulla probatio potest esse verae Christianitatis neque refugium potest esse Christianorum aliud volentium cognoscere fidei veritatem nisi Scripturae diuine c Nullo modo cognoscitur volentibus cognoscere quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo per Scripturas c. Sciens Dominus tantam confusionem rerum in nouissimis diebus esse futuram ideo mandat vt Christiani volentes firmitatem accipere fidei verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas Alioqui si ad alia respexerint scandalizabuntur peribunt non intelligentes qua sit vera Ecclesia per hoc incident in abhominationem desolationis qua stabit in sanctis Ecclesiae locis since heresies haue gotten foote in the Church there is no proofe of true Christianitie nor other refuge for Christians desirous to know the truth of faith but onely the Scriptures of God no way for them that are desirous to know which is the true Church of Christ but onely by the Scriptures Our Lord saith he knowing that there should be so great confusion of things in the last dayes doth therefore wil that Christians desirous to receiue assurance of true faith should flie to nothing but onely to the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to any thing else they shall stumble and perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and thereby shall light vpon the abhomination of desolation which shall stand in the holy places of the Church Now therfore we haue done nothing but that that in the course of Christianitie is iust and right to call the triall of the controuersies and questions of religion to the authoritie of the Scriptures onely and to teach men therein onely to repose the certaintie and assurance of their faith Albeit by the singular prouidence of almightie God it hath come to passe that in antiquitie as we haue the same remaining vnto vs there is yet light sufficient to discouer the apostasies abhominations of the Church of Rome to iustifie the truth of God against their falshood and lies and to make it appeare that we do rightly and truly apply the Scriptures to the reproouing and conuincing thereof as through this whole worke is most plainly and cleerly to be seene And this is so much the more manifest for that they themselues haue bene forced to complaine that they are faine o Index Expur in castig BertraÌ„ CuÌ„ in Catholicis veteribus alijs plurimos feramus errores extenuemus ex cusemus excogitato commento persaepe negemus et commodumijs sensuÌ„ affingamus dum opponuntur in disputationibus aut in conflictionibus cum aduersarijs c. to beare with very many errors as they call them in the old Catholike writers and to extenuate them to excuse them by some deuised shift to denie them and to set some conuenient meaning on them when they are opposed in disputations or in conflicts with their aduersaries In many questions we shew the antiquitie the vniuersalitie the vniforme consent and agreement of the auncient church for vs and against them and it is strange to see what poore and miserable shifts yea what impudent and shamelesse deuices they are driuen to and yet cannot auaile to suppresse the light thereof In a word it is plainly found that they haue no cause to bragge of
and skill in discerning did teach so testifieth S. Augustine * Lib. 32. cap. 2. Contra Faust Some would haue had but one of the foure Gospels some fiue some sixe some seauen some reiected all S. Paules Epistles many and those of the faithfull did not admit for Canonicall some of the other Apostles Epistles nor the Reuelations If then the diuine foresight of our Sauiour had not preuented this most foule inconueniencie by instituting a more certaine meanes of discerning and declaring which bookes were penned by inspiration of the holy Ghost which not then by leauing it vnto euery mans discretion he might be thought to haue had but slender care of our saluation which euery true Christian heart doth abhorre to thinke and therefore we must needs admit of this most holy and prouident Tradition of them from hand to hand as among the Protestants Brentius doth in his Prolegomenis and also Kemnitius handling the second kind of Traditions in his examination of the Councell of Trent albeit they reiect all other Traditions besides this one R. ABBOT That which M. Perkins here saith hath his proper vse in the ordinarie receiuing of the scriptures in a Christian Church where being from our infancie baptized into Christ and bred vp in the continuall noise and sound of the word of God and hauing by this meanes some seedes of the spirit of God sowed in our hearts we simply and without controuersie or question take the scriptures presuming vpon the record of the Church and beleeuing them to be that which they are said to be that is the booke of God and in this perswasion applying our selues to the reading of them and finding therein a spirit so different from the spirit of man so great a maiestie in so great simplicitie and all things so correspondent to those shadowes of truth and righteousnesse which a Rom. 2.14.15 the worke of the law written naturally in our hearts and confirmed by light of education do represent vnto vs we resolue and fully do beleeue them to be that that at the first we presumed of them the oracles of God the words of saluation and eternall life hauing an inward testimonie and conuiction to draw from vs the assent vnmoueably to ground vs in the assurance thereof This seemeth to Master Bishop to be no wise obseruation but the reason is because he himselfe is scarcely wise When he hath said all that he can say yet this must stand for good that there is nothing that can cause the heart of man sufficiently to apprehend that the Scriptures are the word of God till the Scripture it selfe in the conscience by the spirit do euict it selfe so to be And herein it is true which Origen saith that b Origen de princip lib. 4. c. 1. Siquis cum omni studio reuerētia qua dignum est Prophetica dicta consideret in eo ipso dum legit diligentius intuetur cerium est quod aliquo diuiniore spiramine mentem sensumque pulsatus agnoscet non humanitùs esse prolatos eos quos legit sed Dei esse sermones ex semetipso sentiet non humana arte nec mortals eloquio sed diuino vt ita dixerim cothurno esse conscriptos he who with all diligence and reuerence as is meete shal consider the words of the Prophets it is certaine that in the reading and diligent viewing thereof hauing his mind and vnderstanding knocked at by a diuine inspiration he shall know that the words which he readeth were not vttered by man but are the words of God and of himselfe shall perceiue that those bookes were written not by humane art not by the word of mortall man but by a maiestie diuine In a word as the Sunne when a man is brought into the light of it not by telling but by sight and by it owne light is discerned to be that that giueth light vnto the world so the Scripture which is as it were the chariot of c Aug. in Psal 80. Est in Scripturis nostris sol iustitiae sanitas in pēnis eius the Sunne of righteousnesse when a man is brought into the sight thereof euen by it owne light is discerned to be that that ministreth vnto vs the light of euerlasting life Now the spirit of discerning of which M. Perkins speaketh is not to be vnderstood of that speciall gift of d 1. Cor 12.10 discerning spirits mētioned by S. Paul which importeth a singular and eminent dexterity in spying and finding out the secret fraudes and deceipts of counterfeit teachers and false Apostles but the cōmon spirit of the faithfull e 1. Cor. 2.12 which we receiue as the Apostle saith that we may know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God whereby it is true which our Sauiour saith f Iohn 10.27 My sheepe heare my voyce and they follow me g Ver. 4.5 they know the shepheards voice and they will not follow a stranger but they flie from him for they know not the voice of straungers h Ver. 14. I know mine and am knowne of mine Againe he saith i Cap. 7.17 If any man will do his wil he shal know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe Whereby he teacheth vs that in applying our selues to learne and practise the will of God we attaine to discerne the doctrine to be of God And herein consisteth that k Col. 1.9 spirituall vnderstanding which the Apostle recommendeth generally to the faithfull in his prayer for the Colossians the vse whereof is l Phil. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discerne things that differ namely from the truth and m 1. Iohn 4.1 to try the spirits whether they be of God or not Now the spirit as it vseth the ministery of the Church for the deliuering of the books of scripture so it vseth the ministery of the Church to giue aduertisement of those bookes which haue not the like authoritie as the Scripture hath And this aduertisement it sealeth and confirmeth whilest hauing testified otherwhere the vndoubted doctrine of God we discerne thereby some doctrines in those bookes that are of another stampe and not correspondent to the rest For when they are in any part found to be of another spirit we conceiue of the whole that they were written with another pen and therefore albeit for the most part they cary the sauour and tast of those things which we reade in the other bookes yet in their defects we fully apprehend that which we haue bene told that they are not of like maiestie and authoritie with the rest and though we may profitably reade them for those things wherin they are deriued from the other yet that we cannot securely ground any doctrine immediatly vpon them In this simplicitie without further question many thousands receiue the Scriptures they read them and by the power of the holy Ghost they grow thereby to faith and spiritual
strength and attaine vnto euerlasting life So certaine are they of the truth which they learne in them as that they are readie to forsake all and to lay downe their liues for the testifying of that which they beleeue thereby Against this M. Bishop telleth vs that not the learnedst in the primitiue Church would take vpon him to discerne which bookes were canonicall and which not But in so saying he very greatly abuseth his reader for the scriptures of Moses the Prophets and all the bookes of the new Testament saue only those few which he mentioneth haue bene discerned and acknowledged for Canonicall without contradiction from the time that first they were deliuered to the Church Yea but for three hundred yeares after Christ saith he it was left vndefined by the best learned as touching those few the Epistles of Iames and Iude the second of S. Peter the two latter of S. Iohn and the Apocalypse whether they were Canonicall or not Be it so but is this a sufficient ground for him to affirme that they discerned not which were vndoubtedly canonical Scriptures because they doubted whether these were so or not What did so many huÌ„dred thousand Martyrs suffer in the space of those 300 yeares and did they know no certaine and vndoubted grounds whereupon to build the assurance of that for which they suffered Did the Bishops and Pastors of the Church teach the people of God out of the Scriptures and yet did they not discerne whether they were Scriptures or not As for the doubt that was made of these bookes by him mentioned it was onely by some and in some places and vpon weake and vncertaine grounds as the second Epistle of S. Peter vpon difference of style the Epistle to the Hebrewes for that it seemed to some for want of vnderstanding to fauour the heresie of the Nouatians the Reuelation of Saint Iohn for that to some such like it seemed to make for the millenarie fancie of Corinthus but this was not sufficient so to ouerweigh the authoritie of them but that the former testimonie that was giuen of them preuailed still in the Church so that they were not since confirmed or first receiued into authoritie by the Church but onely acknowledged and continued still in the authoritie which they had before Therfore of the Epistle to the Hebrewes and the Reuelation Hierome testifieth thus n Hieron ad Darda de terra repromiss Illud nostris dicendum est hanc Epistolà quae inscribitur ad Hebraeos non solùm ab Ecclesus Orientis sed abomnibus retrò Ecclesus Graeci sermonis scriptoribus quasi Pauli Apostoli suscipi licet plerique eam vel Barnabae vel Clementis arbitrentur nihil interesse cuius sit cùm Ecclesiastici viri sit quotidiè Ecclesiarum lectione celebretur Quòd sicam LatinoruÌ„ consuetudo non recipit inter Scripturas Canonicas nec Graecorum quidem Ecclesiae Apocalypsim Ioannis eadem libertate suscipiunt tamen nos vtraque suscipimus nequaquam huius temporis consuetudinem sed veterum scriptoruÌ„ authoritatem sequentes qui plerunque vtriusque vtuntur testimonijs non vt interdum de Apocryphis facere solent c. sed quasi canonicis ecclesiasticis This must we say to our men that this Epistle to the Hebrewes not onely of the Easterne Churches but of all the former Churches and writers of the Greeke tongue hath bene receiued as the Epistie of Paule the Apostle albeit many thinke it either to haue bene written by Barnabas or Clement and that it skilleth not whose it is seeing it came from a speciall man of the Church and is daily frequented in the reading of the Churches And if the custome of the Latines receiue it not amongst Canonicall Scriptures the Churches of the Greekes by the like libertie receiue not the Reuelation of S. Iohn and yet we saith he receiue them both not following the custome of this time but the authoritie of the auncient writers who commonly vse the testimonies of them both not as they are wont sometimes to do out of the Apocryphall bookes but as being bookes Canonicall and of authoritie in the Church Herby then M. Bishop may see that it was but in his ignorance and vpon some other mans word that he saith that for three hundred yeares it was not defined whether these bookes were Canonicall or not whereas they had vndoubted authoritie in the first Church and began in latter time to be questioned without cause Of those other therefore which he mentioneth we conceiue in the like sort of which they that in their simplicitie doubted yet in the other Scriptures by the holy Ghost discerned * 2. Cor. 4.6 the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ and thereby became partakers of life in him Whereas he saith that we allow not S. Augustine the true spirit of discerning which bookes be canonicall because he maketh the bookes of Machabees and the booke of Wisedome to be Canonicall Scriptures and yet we will not so admit them we answer him that he hath not the spirit to vnderstand and discerne the meaning of Saint Austin Ruffinus mentioneth the bookes whereof the question was as touching the reading of them in the Church to haue bene of three sorts Some were o Ruffinan exposâ—symb apud Cyprian Haec sunt quae Patres intra Canonem concluserunt ex quibus fideâ— nostrae assertiones constare voluerant Canonicall which he reckoneth the same that we do vpon which saith he they would haue the assertions of our faith to stand Other some he calleth p Alij libri sunt qui non canonies sed ecclesiastici à maioribus appellaâ— sunt c. Ecclesiasticall bookes not Canonicall naming all those which we tearme the Apocryphall Scriptures all which saith he the Fathers would haue to be read in the Churches but not to be alledged to proue the authority of faith A third sort there were which were termed by them q Cateras Scripturas Apocryphas nominaruÌ„t quas in Ecclesiis legi noluerunt Apocryphall writings which they would not haue to be read in the Churches at all which were all those that are wholy reiected as bastards and counterfeits such as were r Sect. 13. before spoken of in answer to the Epistle Now of those three sorts some made but onely two and that diuersly Some reckoned vnder the name of Apocryphall Scriptures all that were not of the first sort and properly termed Canonicall as Hierome did who hauing reckoned the same bookes for Canonicall that Ruffinus doth and accounting them in number two and twenty as the Hebrewes do addeth that Å¿ Hieron in Prolog Galeata Fuâ—â—â— pariter veteris legis libri viginis duo c. we are to know that whatsoeuer is beside these is to be put amongst Apocryphall writings Therefore saith he the booke called the Wisedome of Solomon the booke of Iesus the Sonne of Syrach
1. Non vtilitatis sed honoris duntaxit gratia vt PetruÌ„ spectaret not for any benefit but for honors sake to see him saith Theophylact. Not for any such honors sake as M. Bishop imagineth as to acknowledge him his superior in place office S. Paul himself professing himself e 2. Cor. 12.11 in nothing to haue bene inferiour to the very chiefe Apostles but for that honours sake of which the same Apostle saith f Rom. 12.10 In giuing honor go one before another wherof we are wont to say that we name a man honoris gratia for honors sake by which g Theophyl vt supra Vt cum qui aetate esset prouectâ—or veneraretur magnificeret the yonger honoreth the elder the equall his equall yea the superior his inferior For otherwise it is true which Cyprian saith that h Cyprian de simpl Pralat Hoc eraÌ„t reliqui Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari conserito praediti hoacris potestatis the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was indued with equall fellowship both of honour and of power But to go forward i Gal. 2.1 14. yeares after befell that that M. Bishop here speaketh of that Paul went vp againe to Ierusalem The occasioÌ„ whereof was that that the mentioneth here as another matter about the question of the Gentils obseruing of Moses law Paul and Barnabas had preached the Gospell with great successe amongst the Gentils and namely at Antioch Whilest they were abiding there k Act. 15.1 there came downe certaine froÌ„ Iudea taught the brethren Except ye be circumcised after the maner of Moses ye cannot be saued Hereupon there was great dissention and great disputation of Paule and Barnabas against theÌ„ These false Apostles pretended theÌ„selues to haue come froÌ„ the Apostles at IerusaleÌ„ and to haue receiued their instructions froÌ„ theÌ„ as may appeare by those words of their answer l Ver. 24. We haue heard that certaine which departed froÌ„ vs haue troubled you with words and cumbred your minds saying ye must be circumcised keep the law to whom we gaue no such commandement Vnder this colour they slandred Paul as teaching another Gospell then the other Apostles did Now when as they thus preteÌ„ded the Apostles names and made shew to haue receiued commandement from them it was necessarie for the satisfaction of the Church that the matter should be cleared by the Apostles themselues Wherefore it was thought good God m Gal. 2.2 by reuelation also so directed as the Apostle signifieth that n Act 15.2 he and Barnabas some other of theÌ„ should go to IerusaleÌ„ to the Apostles and Elders about this question This occasion of his going let S. Ambrose declare o Ambr. in Gal. 2. A Iudaeis causa legis mala illi siebat opinto quasi discordaret à praedicatione caeteroruÌ„ Aposto lorum hinc fiebat multis scrupulus ita vt gentes possent perturbari ne in aliud inducerâ—â—tur ab eo quà m tradebant Apostoli qui cum Domino fuerant Nam ipsa occasione subuersi suÌ„t Galatae à Iudaeis dicentibus quiae aliud tradebat Paulus quam Petrus Hinc factum est vt admonitus reuelatione Domini ascenderet HierosolymaÌ„ c. The Iewes saith he caused an euill opinion of him in behalfe of their law as if he disagreed froÌ„ the preaching of the rest of the Apostles herby some scruple grew to many so as that the Gentils might be troubled or perplexed with doubt left by him they should be drawne to any thing else then the Apostles deliuered who had bene with the Lord. For by this occasion the Galathians were peruerted by the Iewes saying that Paul deliuered or taught otherwise then Peter did Hence it came to passe that being admonished by reuelation from the Lord he went vp to Hierusalem What to do to be examined and approued of theÌ„ as his superiors iudges as M. B. saith What had he preached the Gospell now 17. yeares doth he now at length remember himselfe to come to his superiors to be examined of them no such matter He came as he saith p Ver. 2. to confer with them of the Gospell which he preached among the Gentils Now q Hiero. in Gal. 2. Aliud est coÌ„ferre aliud discere Inter conferentes aequalitas est inter docentem discenteÌ„ minor est ille qui discit it is one thing to confer saith Ierome another thing to learne There is equality bewixt theÌ„ that conferre but betwixt him that teacheth and him that learneth he that learneth is the lesser He conferred then with the other Apostles as his equals not in respect of himselfe as to haue any thing added to himself by theÌ„ but only for satisfactioÌ„ of the Church that the scandall of the slander of the false Apostles might be remoued all the Church might know that in their doctrine they coÌ„sented al in one that so neither his labor thenceforth nor that that he had bestowed might be bestowed in vaine by reason of any such false suggestions of his dissenting from the rest And to shew that he conferred with theÌ„ to no other end he saith afterwards that r Ver 6. they added nothing further to him that Å¿ Ver. 7. they saw that the Gospel of the vncircumcision was committed to him as the Gospell of the circumcision was committed to Peter t Ver. 9. that they who seemed to be pillars Iames Peter and Iohn gaue vnto him and Barnabas right hands of fellowship yea that he was so farre from being inferiour to them as that at Antioch u Ver. 11. he withstood Peter to his face as iustly to be blamed for not going the right way to the truth of the Gospell in that he seemed by his cariage to draw the Gentiles to the obseruation of the law contrary to that which before had bene acknowledged by him Now then the reason is manifest of S. Pauls going vp to the pillars of the Church albeit he were as great a pillar as any of them And as for the sentence of the Councel it did not teach him any thing which he knew not but onely signified the common acknowledgement of that which he had before taught x Chrysost in Gal 1. Ab initio quid esset agendum perspexerat nec opus hâ—bebat vllo doctore sed quae post multaÌ„ discussioneÌ„ erant Apostoli decreturi haec ipsa citra discussionem coelitus hâ—bebat apud se certa indubitata He vnderstood from the beginning saith Chrysostome what was to be done and needed no teacher but what the Apostles after much debating should decree the same had he certain and vndoubted with himself from heauen without debating Now by this that hath bene said we may conceiue what to thinke of those allegatioÌ„s which M. Bishop for a shew hath quoted in the margeÌ„t That which Tertullian saith is
of the temple of the Lord. But it pitieth me to think of the sillinesse of this man in vpbraiding vs with not searching the writings of the auncient fathers of whoÌ„ I am perswaded that we may truly say that he neuer read so much as one volume of any one of the fathers had bene in pitifull case for the writing of this book had not Bellarmine bene content vpoÌ„ trust to lend him the whole stock Well he hath read them that haue read the fathers if they lie be it so he cannot tell how to help either himselfe or them Thus for the finding of a Iudge we came first to the Pope and from the Pope he hath brought vs to the councels from the councels to the writings of the fathers now froÌ„ the writings of the fathers he leadeth vs to the Church He alledgeth to this purpose two sayings of S. Austin The former vpon occasion of the question betwixt the Donatists him is thus m August cont Crescon lib. 1. ca. 33. Quisquis falli metuit istius obscuritate quaestionis candem ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate sancta Scripturae demonstrat Whosoeuer feareth to be deceiued by the obscurity of this question let him seeke for aduice to that same Church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate and point out We admit the condition we willingly hearken to the iudgement of that Church in obscure points which we do not readily vnderstand we highly esteeme the censure of that Church which otherwise by the Scripture is demonstrated to be the true Church S. Austine in those words hath reference to the whole Church from the time of the Apostles very rightly directeth him that was not able otherwise to discerne to presume that to be the truth which from the very originall had bene continued and practised in the Church This serueth not M. Bishops turne because it fitteth not to M. Bishops Church No more doth that other place which he citeth n IdeÌ„ cont epist funda cap. 5 Ego verò Euangelio non credereÌ„ nisi me Catholicae ecclesiae coÌ„mcueret authoritas I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the catholike Church should moue me to it M. Bishop before hand telleth vs that S. Austin did not speak this as touching his being at first a Christian but euen now being a learned and iudicious Doctor he would not beleeue but for the authority of the Church But very lewdly doth he abuse S. Austine in making him so to say as if he had resolued that it being supposed that the Church should backslide and fall away he himselfe also would play the Apostata and fall away from the faith of Christ What was his faith built vpon men and not vpon God himselfe Did he not know that though o Rom. 3.4 euery man be a liar yet God is true What if the whole world had conspired against the booke of God as not long before by Arianisme it had against the Sonne of God when Constantius the Emperour said to Liberius Bishop of Rome concerning Athanasius p Theodoret hist li. 2. ca. 16. Quota pars tiles orbis terrarum qui solus facis â—â—m homine scelerato Liberius NoÌ„ dimnuitur solitudine mea verbum fidei Who art thou to the whole world who thus alone standest with a wicked man Liberius though afterwards he yeelded yet for that time answered well The word of faith is no whit impeached by my being alone and would not think we S. Austine beare the like minde howsoeuer all other sell away yet constantly to cleaue to that which he knew to be the truth It is not all M. Bishops foolish Rhetorick that can make vs to beleeue that S. Austin would make any such protestation to that effect Yea and were not both he his fellowes very absurdly wilfull they would well enough see as haply they do by that which goeth before and that which followeth that it can be no otherwise construed but as in the person of a man at first receiuing the Christian faith to whoÌ„ it is no small motiue thereunto that the same faith hath found credit entertainment throughout the whole world But the words themselues shall best declare to what purpose they were set down q IdeÌ„ vt supra Si inuonires aliquem qui Euangelio nonduÌ„ credit quid faceres dicenti tibi Non credo Ego verò Euangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae ecclesiae commoueret authoritas Quibus ergo obtemperaui diceÌ„tibus Credite Euangelio cur eis non credereÌ„ diceÌ„tibus mihi Noli credere Maniâ—haeo Elige quod vâ—lis Si dixeris crede Catholicis ipsi me monent vt â—ullam fidem accoÌ„modeÌ„ vobis c Si dixeris Noli Catholicis credere noÌ„ rectè facies per EuangeliuÌ„ mo cogere ad fidem Manichaei quia ipsi Euangelio Catholicis praedicantibus credidi If thou shouldest find any man who yet beleeueth not the Gospell what wouldest thou do to him saying vnto thee I do not beleeue Surely I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the catholike Church should moue me vnto it Whom then I haue hearkened vnto saying vnto me Beleeue the Gospell why should I not hearken to them saying to me Beleeue not Manicheus Chuse whether thou wilt If thou wilt say Beleeue theÌ„ of the catholike Church they giue me warning to giue no trust to you If thou wilt say Do not beleeue theÌ„ of the catholike Church thou shalt not do well to force me by the Gospel to the faith of Manicheus because by the preaching of them of the catholike Church I haue beleeued the Gospell We see that both the propounding and the processe of these whole words do cry out against M. Bishop and as it were with loud voice do proclaime that S. Austins meaning was no other but that the consent and authority of the Church ouerspreading the whole world was at first a mighty strong inducement vnto him to beleeue that Gospell wherein all so constantly did accord because it could not be taken but to be of God which had gotten that estimation and account with so many nations and peoples of so strange and diuers dispositions Marke the words gentle Reader What wouldest thou do to him saying I do not beleeue Surely I should not beleeue vnlesse c. vnto whoÌ„ I hearkned saying Beleeue the Gospel c. By the preaching of them I beleeued the Gospel The thing is apparent vnto any man that doth not stop his owne eies that he may not see And hereof most holily deuoutly the same S. Austin speaketh in his confessions to God euen as it were to tell vs the meaning of these words r IdeÌ„ Confess lib. 6 cap. 5 Semper credidi esse te curam nostri gerere etiamsi ignorabam vel quid sentiendum esset de substaÌ„tia tua vel quae
via duceret aut reduceret ad te Ideâ—que euÌ„ essemuâ— insirmi ad inueniendam liquida ratione veritateÌ„ obhoc nobis opâ—s esset authoritate sanctaâ—uÌ„ literarum â—am credere caeperam nullo modo te fuisse tributuruÌ„ tam excellentum illi Scripturâ—e per omnetiâ—m terras authoritatem nisi per ipsam tibi credi per ipsam te quaerivoluisses I alwaies beleeued saith he that thou art and that thou hast care of vs albeit I knew not what to think of thy being or which way should leade me or bring me againe to thee Therefore when I was too weake by apparent reason to find out the truth and for this purpose needed the authority of the holy Scriptures I began now to beleeue that by no means thou wouldest giue that excellency of authority to those scriptures euen throughout the whole earth but that thou wouldest haue vs therby to beleeue thee and thereby to seeke thee This place sheweth the true effect of that other speech and it is great impudency and impiety in M. Bishop and his fellowes to force vpon S. Austine that protestation which they do by their false construction 23 W. BISHOP This matter is so large that it requireth a whole question but being penned vp within the compasse of one obiection I will not dwell any longer in it but here fold vp this whole question of Traditions in the authorities of the auncient Fathers out of whom because I haue in answering M. Perkins and else-where as occasion serued cited already many sentences I will here be briefe S. Ignatius the Apostles Scholler doth exhort all Christians * Euseb li. 3.36 To sticke fast vnto the Traditions of the Apostles some of which he committed to writing Polycarpus by the authority of the Apostles words which he had receiued from their owne mouthes confirmed the faithfull in truth and ouerthrew the heretikes * Ibid. li. 5. c. 20. S. Irenaeus who imprinted in his heart Apostolicall traditions receiued from Polycarp saith If there should be a controuersie about any meane question ought we not to runne vnto the most auncient Churches in the which the Apostles had conuersed and from them take that which is cleare perspicuous to define the present question For what if the Apostles had not written any thing at all must we not haue followed the order of Traditions which they deliuered to them to whom they deliuered the Churches Origen teacheth that the Church receiued from the Apostles by Tradition to baptize Infants * Rom. 6. Athanasius saith * Lib. de decreâ— Niceni conc We haue proued this sentence to haue bene deliuered from hand to hand by Fathers to Fathers but ye O new Iewes and sonnes of Caiphas what auncestors can ye shew of your opinion S. Basil hath these words * De Spir. Sanct. cap. 27. We haue the doctrine that is kept and preached in the Church partly written and part we haue receiued by Tradition of the Apostles in mysterie both which be of the same force to godlinesse and no man opposeth against these who hath at the least but meane experience of the Lawes of the Church See Gregory Nazianz. Orat. 1. in Iulian. R. ABBOT M. Bishop is here as he was before like the melancholike merchant of Athens who reioyced at the sight of euery ship that came in perswading himselfe that it was his ship He cannot light any where vpon the name of traditions but he presently imagineth that it is meant of their Popish vnwritten traditions And here in the first place to colour this he translateth the words of Eusebius amisse by changing the singular number into the plurall a Euseb hist lib. 3. cap. 32. Vt Apostolorum traditioni indivulsè adhaerent admonebat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He warned them saith Eusebius concerning Ignatius that they should cleaue stedfastly to the tradition of the Apostles He saith not traditions as to note sundry doctrines left vnwritten as M. Bishop would haue it but tradition as entirely generally to signifie the doctrine deliuered by the Apostles Therefore he must necessarily be vnderstood of the doctrine of the Apostles which is written but there is no necessity of vnderstanding any more This tradition that is the doctrine deliuered by the Apostles Eusebius saith that Ignatius did testifie by writing and what he testified we should see by those writings if we had them now in such sort as he left them euen no other doctrine but what the Apostles before had left in writing But those Epistles haue bene diuersly in hucksters hands being growne to greater number then Eusebius and Hierome heard of in their times containing many things now which they had not then and many then which they haue not now Ignatius now is made to say that b Ignat. epist 5. ad Phil. p. Siquâ— dominico die reiunauerâ—t aut sabbato praeter vnum sabbatuÌ„ is est Christi interfector if any man fast vpon the Lords day or vpon the Saterday he is a murtherer of Christ whereas S. Austine confesseth that c Aug. epist 86. Quibus diebus â—â—unare eporteat vel quibus non oporteat nullo Domini vel Apostolorum praecepto inuenio definitum he found it not defined by any precept of Christ or his Apostles what daies we are to fast and what not and Hierome as we haue heard before confesseth that Paul and others with him did fast vpon the Lords day He is now made to say that d Ignat. ibid. Siquâ— eum Iudaeis pascha peregeris festi eorum Symbola susceperit is particeps est socius eoruÌ„ qui Dominum occiderunt Apostolos eius if any man obserue Easter with the Iewes or shall beare the marks of their festiuall day he is a companion and partaker with theÌ„ who killed Christ and his Apostles whereas it is manifest by the ecclesiastical history that e Euseb hist lib. 5 cap 23. Polycarpus the Bishop of Smyrna at that time kept Easter in that sort refused to yeeld to Anicetus Bishop of Rome to do otherwise therefore that there was no such obseruation to which Ignatius should adioine any such censure as here is Againe Hierome citeth this sentence out of Ignatius that f Hieron cont Pelug lib. 3. Ignatius vir Apostolicus martyr scribit audacter Elegit Dominus Apostolos qui super omnes homines erant peccatores Christ chose Apostles who were sinners aboue all men which now is not found in those Epistles that we haue Therfore sith we haue his writings no otherwise but maimed and corrupted it is hard from them now to gather any certaintie at all and those some traditions which M. Bishop speaketh of are but meere forgeries conueyed into them by the Popes agents albeit the former of those traditions which I haue mentioned maketh them also murtherers of Christ because they fast vpon the Saterday or else they must denie that these
Thomas Aquinas his braines who seeing that that which he was to say for their other vowes could not well hang together if the promise of baptisme should be taken for a perfect vow hewed and pared the definition of a vow that it might be fitted for his turne Azorius the Iesuite telleth vs that e Azor. lib. 11. cap 14. Baptisma esse votū propriè dictum veteres Theologi cū magistro videntur sentire sed probabilius est quod scholastici alij tenent the auncient Diuines as also the Master of the Sentences seeme to thinke that baptisme is a vow properly and truly so called but saith he it is more probable which the rest of the Schoole-men hold Thus against the iudgement of the ancient Diuines they frame all things as they list and we must take euery of their blinde sophismes to be a certaine rule of truth But we refuse them to be our masters and chuse to follow that which the Church before them hath followed accounting all those things the matters of our vowes to God which were figured by those ceremonies and sacrifices which were vowed by the law euen all the spirituall sacrifices of praise and thanksgiuing and al good works whereby we honor and glorifie almightie God all which according to our state of life we promise to God in baptisme and therefore do account that promise a vow because it containeth the spiritual substance of those ancient vows The compiler of the book of Sentences in S. Austins works hath frō one or other gathered this sentence f Sent. apud August to 3. in fine Quisquis benè cogitat quae voueat Deo quae vouendo persoluat seipsum voueat reddat Hoc exigiur hoc debetur Whosoeuer well bethinketh him what to vow to God and what in vowing to pay let him vow himselfe and pay himself This is required of God and this is due to God If this be the right conceit of a vow then the promise of baptisme is a vow and it is not true which M. Bishop saith that there is no vow properly so called of necessary duties because we vow that which God requireth and which is due to God Albeit for conclusion I am to aduertise thee gentle Reader that we make not the matter of vowes to consist onely in necessary duties that is such duties as God namely requireth of vs but that sometimes we vow those things which rest vpon our choise and whereof in particular we are commanded nothing For albeit God require thankfulnesse and dutie for the mercies which we haue receiued of him yet he hath not precisely set downe that by way of thanks a man should always do this or that but hath left the deuout and thankfull minde to cast and consider which way he may testifie the affection of his heart by doing some good worke whereof he hath vnderstanding by the word of God that it shal be acceptable vnto him Thus a man though not bound to it yet may vow to do seruice to God in the ministery of the Church and being a minister conceiuing his seruice in this or that sort to be profitable to the Church may by vowing himself thereto abridge himselfe of that libertie which otherwise he might enioy So may a man vow a part of his goods to the poore as g Luke 19.8 Zacheus did when as by no commaundement he is vrged so to do The like may men do for the building and endowing of Schools Hospitals Colledges and such other godly charitable vses when yet these things by precept are not necessarily layd vpō them Yea neither do we question but that a man vpon good grounds and so long as he shal not therby be h 1. Cor. 7.35 intangled in a snare may priuatly vow vnto God a single life to the end that he may the more commodiously apply himselfe to the seruice of i Mat. 19.12 the kingdome of God this vow being conditionall only so far as it shal be seconded with the gift of God and so long as it shal stand with peace of conscience towards him In these such like is the true imitation of the outward ceremony of the law wherin men were at their liberty whether to vow or not works wherof generally we haue warrant by the word of God but whereof in particular there is no necessitie imposed vpon vs being left vnto vs at large thereby freely and voluntarily to exercise our zeale and deuotion towards God Wherin notwithstanding we are to remember that caution that Chrysostome giueth k Chrysos in psal 49. Si quis autē exactè perpenderit etsi minimè promittatur virtus tamen ei debetur Id Christus fignificans dicebat Quae debuimus facere fecimus If a man exactly weigh the matter our vertues are due to God albeit they be not promised or vowed which Christ signifieth when he saith We haue done that that was our dutie to do For seeing we are bound l Luke 10.17 to loue the Lord our God with all our hart with al our soule with all our mind with al our strength we must conceiue that though nothing be directed vnto vs in particular as touching the necessity of such or such a worke yet in the generall we do nothing therein but what we owe to God because whatsoeuer is within vs or whatsoeuer is without vs we owe all to him Yea and the vow of our baptisme doth after a sort containe all these other vowes in that being there consecrated wholy to God we vndertake thereby to take all occasions and oportunities to do honor vnto God As for popish vows being as they are for the most part brainsick idle fancies such as whereof neither in the general nor in the particular we haue any testimonie from God that they are accepted in his sight they are onely apish counterfeits of those legall and ceremoniall vowes but do no way carrie the true resemblance of them nor that life of spirituall worship and seruice that was shadowed thereby 2. W. BISHOP The second point of our supposed consent is that Vowes were some part of Gods worship in Moses law but are not so in the Gospell which we also deny M. Perk. proues his assertion thus Vows belonged to the ceremonies of Moses law but all those ceremonies are abolished by Christs passion Ans That Vowes in thēselues were no part of the ceremonies of Moses law but true parts of the worship of God in all estates as well in the state of nature and the Gospel as in Moses law but this point M. Perk. handleth againe in the first point of our difference where it shall be discussed Thirdly he saith that speciall vowes may be made in the new law to performe some bodily exercise for some good end as to fast to taske our selues to prayers or study of holy Scripture and such like but many rules must then be obscrued that we vow an honest thing agreeable to
Gods word this we allow Secondly that it be so made that it may stand with Christian libertie that is that it make not such things necessarie in conscience which Christian religion leaues at libertie This rule of his is flat repugnant to the nature of a vow and contrary to himselfe For he saith a little before that a Christian may vow fasting prayer almes-deeds I then demaund hauing vowed these things is he not bound to performe them Yes or else he breakes his vow with which God is highly displeased * Deut 23. Eccles 30. An vnfaithfull promise displeaseth God Then is it manifest that all vowes do abridge vs of our libertie and make that vnlawfull for vs which before our vow was lawfull which is so euident of it selfe that I maruell where the mans wit and memorie was when he wrote the contrary His other rules that a vow be made with good deliberation and with consent of our superiours and not onely of things possible but also of the better sort Quaest 88. we allow for they are taken out of our Doctors See S. Thom. R. ABBOT That which M. Perkins saith is true that in the law of Moses the ceremoniall worke it selfe was a part of the worship of God and was to be done in it selfe by way of obedience to God He speaketh not of the act of vowing simply by it selfe as M. Bishop falsly wresteth his words but of the vow of a ceremoniall dutie in the way of seruice to God which if M. Bishop do not acknowledge to be abolished he must become a Iew and practise the sacrifices and offerings prescribed by Moses law But of this he telleth vs that we shall heare more hereafter and we are content to wait his leisure As touching vowes vnder the Gospell M. Perkins affirmeth that they may be made as touching the performance of some outward bodily exercise for some good ends and purposes as when a man seeing himselfe prone to drunkennesse doth by vow bind himselfe for a time to the forbearing of wine and strong drinke or vpon occasions tieth himselfe to set fasting and prayer and reading of the Scriptures and giuing of some set almes and such like But as touching such vowes he deliuereth certaine cautions to be obserued The first M. Bishop alloweth that our vow be agreeable to the will and word of God The second he vnderstandeth not and therefore cauilleth at it It is required that our vow stand with Christian libertie that is that by vowing we intangle not our consciences with any opinioÌ„ of the necessity of the things themselues which we haue vowed as if any worship or holinesse consisted in those externall and formall obseruations but that in our practise of them we know that in themselues they are no matters of conscience nor do yeeld vs any part of righteousnesse with God Now this which M. Perkins applieth against the conceipt of the very things themselues which a man hath vowed M. Bishop construeth as if he meant it of being at liberty from the performing of his vow But a man may religiously performe his vow and yet know that the thing it selfe is of no value with God which he performeth and therefore M. Perkins wits did not faile in deliuering but M. Bishops in vnderstanding Those other conditions that such vowes must be made with consent of superiours and of things that are in our power to do and agreeable to our vocation and calling and with good deliberation and for a good end M. Bishop approueth also and therefore not questioning whence they were taken and telling him that our vprightnesse appeareth therin if we be content to take of them what is consonant agreeable to the truth we so let them go 3 W. BISHOP Now to the points in difference First the Church of Rome saith M. Perkins teacheth that in the new testament we are as much bound to make vowes as was the Church of the Iewes we say no Considering that the Ceremoniall Law is now abolished and we haue only two Ceremonies by commandement to be obserued for parts of Gods worship Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Answer What is not your Holy-day seruice which you call diuine seruice any part of Gods worship in your owne opinions Can a publike assembly instituted to honour God by prayer and thankesgiuing with externall ceremony of time place apparell kneeling standing and sitting be no part of Gods worship in your irreligious Congregations assembled together against Christ and his catholike Church be it so But admitting as you do your seruice to be good it could not truly be denied to belong vnto the worship of God But to the matter of difference you grow very carelesse in your reports of our doctrine for we hold that neither in the old nor new law any man is bound to vow but that it is and euer was a councell and no commandement neuerthelesse a thing of great deuotion and perfection in both states intrinsecally belonging and much furthering to the true worship of almightie God which we proue in this sort In a vow are two things the one is the good which is vowed called the materiall part for example Fasting c. The other the promise it selfe made to God which is the forme the materiall parts do belong vnto their seuerall vertues but this promise and performance of it be substantiall parts of Gods worship For by promising of any good thing vnto God we acknowledge and professe that God is the soueraigne goodnesse it selfe and taketh great pleasure in all good purposes and determinations therefore to honour and worship him we make that good promise againe in performing that good seruice of God we testifie that he is most maiesticall reuerend and dreadfull And consequently that all promises made to him are to be accomplished most diligently and without delay wherein we honour and worship him as contrariwise they doe much dishonour him who breake with him as if hee were of no better account then to be so deluded This thing in it selfe is so certaine and cleare that he who denies it must needes either be ignorant in the nature of a vow or not know wherein the true worship of God consisteth for according vnto the holy Scriptures it selfe all good dâ—edes done to the glory of God be acts of the true worship of God And Saint Anne * Luk. 1. did worship God by fasting and prayer And * Phil. 4. almes bestowed on Gods prisoners is called a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God And it is said * Iac. 5. to be a pure religion before God to visite Orphanes and widdowes If then all other vertuous duties done to the glory of God be parts of his true worship much more vowes which by speciall promise dedicate a good deede to Gods honour they then being of their owne nature speciall parts of his true worship of God it followeth necessary that at all times they were and may be vsed to the
would somewhat reason the matter by shewing how he condemneth not chastitie yet saith that marriage is better then it in two respects If Iouinian was reputed by the learnedst and holiest fathers a Christian Epicure and a monster because he durst make marriage equall with virginitie what shal this man be who sayth it is better His reasons are so childish that by the like you may proue durt to be better then gold wherefore I will not stand vpon them He neuerthelesse afterward concludeth that one may purpose constantly with himselfe to leade a single life but so as he may change vpon occasion and this to be a counsell of expedience but not of perfection Lastly that if any hauing the gift of continencie do vow and afterward marrie the gift remaining they haue sinned which is flat against his owne second rule which prohibites vs to leese our libertie and to make any thing vnlawfull in conscience which Christian religion leaueth at libertie R. ABBOT Holy fathers saith M. Bishop and beginneth first of all with an hereticke citing Tertullians booke de Monogamia which as Hierom testifieth was a Hieron in Catalog Tertul. Specialiter aduersus Ecclesiam texuit volumina de pudicitia de persecutione de ieiunijs de Monogamia c. written purposely against the Church He manifestly abuseth the words of Christ and whereas Christ saith b Mat. 19.12 He that can receiue this let him receiue it to note that euery one caÌ„not receiue it as before he hath said c Ver. 11. All men receiue not this saying but they to whoÌ„ it is giuen he forceth him euen against the haire to say that euery man can receiue it if he will Saint Hierome saith well concerning those words d Hieron aduer Iouin lib. 1. Siâ— omnes virgines esse possent nunquam Dominus diceret Qui potest capere capiat If all could be virgins our Lord Christ would neuer haue said He that can receiue it let him receiue it Now the truth is that the heresie of Montanus was so plausible as that it did wonderfully insinuate it self into the minds of men and the Fathers and Bishops of the Church grew afterwards somtimes to speake in the same sort as Tertullian in behalf thereof had spoken against the Church The Church then pleaded a necessitie of mariage and second mariage e Tertul. de Monog Quousque infirmitas ista impudentissima perseuerabit c Rideo cùm infirmitas carnis opponitur c. because of the infirmity of the flesh This Tertullian exagitateth in the place cited by M. Bishop and derideth the allegation of it For answer hereto he said that f Ibid. JaÌ„ nemini competit portare noÌ„ posse quia per quem datur portare per se non deest Quà mdiu causabimur carnem quia dixit Dominus Caro infirma Sed praemisit Et spiritus promptus vt vin cat spiritus carneÌ„ vt cedat quod infirmum est fortiori it was not now for any man to say he could not beare it because he by whom it is giuen to beare will not be wanting for his part How long saith he shall we pretend the flesh for that Christ saith The flesh is weake But he set before it The spirit is ready that the spirit may ouercome the flesh and that which is weake may yeeld to the stronger This presumption he builded vpon that God would not be wanting to them to giue ablenesse to containe who did endeuor themselues for the obtaining of it Which being then presumed disputed against the Church may giue vs light what to iudge of such speeches afterwards vsed in the doctrine of the Church For this conceit much preuailed that albeit Christ had said All receiue not this saying but they to whom it is giuen yet the receiuing thereof is giuen to them who by prayer aske and seeke it at Gods hands And thus Origen for answer to some that said that they were willing to containe but could not saith as M. Bishop alledgeth g Origen in Mat. trac 7. Qui vult capax esse verbi quod de castitate posituÌ„ est petat c. noÌ„ dubitans de illo quod dictuÌ„ est Omnis quipetit accipit He that will receiue this word that is set downe of chastity let him aske not doubting of that which is said Euery one that asketh receiueth But Origen well knew if he had remembred it that though euery one that asketh receiueth yet euery one receiueth not the thing which he asketh because we h Rom. 8.16 not knowing what to pray as we ought do sometimes ask those things which are either vnprofitable or vnnecessary for vs. It is true that the prayer of the faithfull neuer returneth emptie but yet therefore are we taught in our prayers to submit our selues to the will of God and to say with our Sauiour i Mat. 26.39 Neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt be done because God though k August Exaudit Dâ—us etsi non semper ad voluntatem semper tamen ad vtilitatem he heare vs alwayes for our good yet doth not heare vs alwayes according to our will Because therfore the gift of continencie is a specall gift which God hath not left indifferent to euery man we may not vpon our praiers resolue to receiue in particular that gift because we haue no warraÌ„t in particular for the obtaining of it And this could Origen himselfe vpon occasion well discerne when hee sayth that our Sauiour l Origen in Mat. tract 24. Reprehendit huâ—usmodi praeceptores qui crudelitèr et sine misericordia non secundum existimationem vtriuÌ„ vniuscuiusque cudientis sed maiora virtute ipsoruÌ„ iniungunt vtputa qui prohibent nubere ab eo quod expedit ad immoderatam munditiam compellunt qui etiam docent abstinere à cibis alia huiusmodi ad quae non omninò oportet cogere fideles alligant per verbuÌ„ expositionis suae onera grauia citra voluntateÌ„ Christi dicentis Iugum meum suaue est et onus meum leue est imponunt ea quaÌ„tum ad verbum suum super humeros homiâ—um curuantes eos cadere facientes sub pondere grauiuÌ„ mandatorum eos qui â—â—tulare ea non sufferunt reproueth such masters as cruelly and vnmercifully without weighing the strength of their hearers do enioyne them things beyond their power as they saith he who forbid to marry and from that which is expedient do force men to a puritie or cleannesse more then needeth who also teach them to abstaine from meates and by the word of their exposition do bind other such burdens to which they should not at all compel faithfull men being beside the will of Christ saying My yoke is sweet and my burden light and do lay them by their word and doctrine vpon mens shoulders bowing them downe and causing them that are not able to beare them to fall vnder