the light thereof Now albeit this be the true light i Ephes 5.13 which maketh all things manifest and the onely sure foundation whereupon we can rest our faith for what is it what the whole world saith if God say not the same yet against the importunitie of the aduersarie and for thy better satisfaction thou shalt see our assertions and expositions throughly munited and fenced with the acknowledgment of the auncient Church Wherein although we cannot but say that by the Fathers and Bishops of those times many things were conceiued and deliuered amisse and are not our aduersaries forced will they will they to confesse the same yet God hath so prouided that his truth ex abundanti is iustified by them and no antiquity or authoritie of humane error hath so defaced it but that still the track thereof euen by thē who somtimes haue deemed somewhat against it is plainly to be discerned Yea in sundry articles of our faith the whole streame of antiquitie runneth so oppositely directly against the doctrine and practise of the Romane church that now is as that we may wōder at their extreme impudency and wilfulnes who against so cleare and euident testimony do still persist in the maintenance thereof Which in some part thou shalt see in the treatise here following and shalt vnderstand according to the occasiō here offered that howsoeuer they cry with wide mouthes The fathers the fathers yet their crie is greater then their strength and that the Fathers haue not left vs vnfurnished either of armour to defend our selues or of weapons to conquer them And the more to secure thee hereof I haue set downe the testimonies of the Fathers for the most part in their owne words either in Latine or translated into Latine or in the Greeke tongue sometimes where I had the copie at hand and saw the Latine translation not fitly to expresse the Greeke I haue had a sincere and faithfull care to deale vprightly herein and not to trouble thee with impertinent allegations but onely such as are pregnant and cleare to that purpose for which they are alledged That God by whose prouidence this seruice hath befallen vnto me make the same profitable both to thee and me and graunt vs by writing and reading to increase in the light and assurance of his truth that we may more and more see and discerne the frauds of these Mountebanks and iuggling Sophisters who by insolent ostentation of words and casting of false and deceitfull colours take vpon them to be able to charme the world and by their wits to iuggle all other men beside their wits treading vnder foote the word of God pretending the fathers names and betraying the faith of the fathers subiecting all religion to their owne fancie and saying after the manner of wicked men k Psal 12.4 With our tongues we will preuaile we are they that ought to speake who is Lord ouer vs And thou O merciful Father who onely art the refuge and dwelling place of thy poore and maligned Church l Psal 68.18 stablish for thy names sake the thing that thou hast wrought in vs go forward with the worke which thou hast so graciously begun to dissolue the captiuity of Babylō and to free the remnant of thy Church from the yoke of the slauerie and bondage of Antichrist that all stumbling blockes of Popish prophanations and idolatries being remoued there may be a way prepared for the returne of the forlorne seede of Abraham into the societie of thy people that thencefoorth we may expect and looke for the comming of thy Sonne Iesus Christ to make an end of these euill dayes and to gather vs euerlastingly to that hope which in him thou hast set before vs. m Apoc. 22.20 Amen Lord. Come Lord Iesus come quickly The speciall Contents of this Booke THat the Church of Rome maketh Christ in effect no Christ pag. 14. c. That Rome is Babylon and the Pope Antichrist pag. 39. Of Free-will Chap. 1. pag. 86. Of originall sinne after Baptisme Chap. 2. pag. 163. Of the certaintie of Saluation Chap. 3. pag. 255. Of Iustification Chap. 4. pa. 379. in which are handled these points 1. That righteousnesse before God is imputed not inherent pag 387. 2. What manner of faith it is whereby we are iustified p. 434. 3. That Faith onely doth iustifie pag. 468. 4. How we affirme it vnpossible to keepe Gods commaundements pag. 550. 5. That our good works are not free from staine of sin p. 573. 6. That true faith cannot be without charitie good works pag. 605. Of Merits Chap. 5. pag. 629. Of Satisfaction Chap. 6. pag. 729. Of Traditions Chap. 7. pag. 839. Of Vowes and namely of the Monkish vowes of chastitie pouertie and obedience Chap. 8. pag. 992. Of Images Chap. 9. pag. 1105. THE PREFACE TO THE READER BY DOCTOR BISHOP GEntle Reader I meane not here to entertaine thee with many words the principall cause that moued me to write was the honour and glorie of God in defence of his sacred veritie then the imploying of his talent bestowed vpon me as well to fortifie the weaker sort of Catholiks in their faith as to call backe and leade others who wander vp and downe like to lost sheepe after their owne fancies into the right way I tooke in hand particularly the confutation of this booke not only for that I was thereunto requested by a friend of good intelligence and iudgement who thought it very expediēt but also because perusing of it I found it penned more schollerlike then the Protestants vse to do ordinarily For first the points in controuersy are set down distinctly and for the most part truly Afterward in confirmation of their opinion the chiefe arguments are produced from both Scriptures Fathers and reason Which are not vulgar but culled out of their Rabbins Luther Peter Martyr Caluin Kemnitius and such like though he name them not Lastly he placeth some obiections made in fauour of the Catholike doctrine and answereth to them as well as he could And which I speake to his commendation doth performe all this very briefly and clearly So that to speake my opinion freely I haue not seene any booke of like quantitie published by a Protestant to contain either more matter or deliuered in better method And consequently more apt to deceiue the simple especially considering that he withal counterfeiteth to come as neare vnto the Romane Church as his tender conscience will permit him whereas indeed he walketh as wide from it as any other noueller of this age Wherefore I esteemed my spare time best imployed about the discouering of it being as it were an abridgement of the principall controuersies of these times and do endeuour after the same Scholasticall manner without all superfluitie of words no losse to maintaine and defend the Catholike partie then to confute all such reasons as are by M. Perkins alledged for the contrary Reade this short treatise good Christian diligently for
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
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
stand good because nothing letteth but that Moses might commit to writting all that faith that Iob receiued by tradition Iob was g Ambros Offic. lib. 1. caep 36. Iob antiqutor Mose c. auncienter then Moses as Ambrose saith and might receiue the doctrine of faith by word and tradition of other men but yet we see that that faith is no other but what Moses after comprised in the written law Albeit what that tradition was hath bene i Sect. 1. before declared not resting in relation from one man to another but continually renewed and confirmed by reuelation and illumination immediatly from God being certainly corrupted by tradition where he did not graciously shew himselfe for the preseruation of it And as for other Gentiles whosoeuer they were that were saued after the writing of the Law they were saued onely by that faith which the scriptures of Moses and the Prophets haue described vnto vs. But M. Bishop not content to bring Moses alone for a patron of traditions telleth vs beside that not any law-maker in any country comprehended all in letters but established many things by custome therefore saith he it is not likely that our Christian law should be all written Where we may iustly hisse at his grosse and wilfull absurditie that will measure the Law-maker of heauen with the law-makers of the earth and by imperfection in the lawes of men will argue imperfection in the lawes of God No vnderstanding of man can either by laws or by customes prouide for all occurrents of the commonwealth but dayly there are arising and growing the occasions of new lawes and will he then frame the light of God to the measure of our darknesse And yet what lawmaker hath there bene or is there in the world who if he were able to comprehend an absolute perfection of all lawes would not certainly take course to set the same downe in writing as being the only secure and safe way for the perpetuating therof And if we will thus conceiue of any wise and reasonable man how much more should we attribute it to the wisedome of God that knowing the slippernesse and mutabilitie of the minds thoughts of men he would for safetie and assurance set downe in writing whatsoeuer he would haue to stand for law of worship and seruice towards him I need not to stand vpon this for the comparison is of it selfe so odious and absurd as that euery man may wonder that the mans discretion should faile him so far as to reason in this sort For conclusion of this section a toy took him in the head concerning somwhat said by M. Perkins in the sectiō before It was said that it should cal the prouidence of God in question to say that any part of Scripture should be lost M. Bishop answereth that God permitteth much euill True but he permitteth no euill iniurious to his owne glory M. Perkins supposeth out of that that was said before that all Scripture was at first written for our learning To say that it was intended for our learning and yet is now lost what is it but to call in question the prouidence of God His other answer that there should be no great losse because tradition might preserue that which was then lost is a temerarious and witlesse presumption contrary to the experience of all ages whereby it is found that nothing is continued according to the first originall which is deliuered by word only from man to man And his assertion is so much the more ridiculous in this behalfe for that he knoweth not any thing that Tradition hath preserued that was written in those bookes If Tradition haue preserued any thing thereof from being lost let him acquaint vs with it or if he cannot do so let him giue vs leaue to take him for that we finde him a meere babler giuing himselfe libertie to say any thing without feare or wit 20. W. BISHOP Now insteed of M. Perkins his fift reason for vs of milke and strong meate wishing him a messe of Pap for his childish proposing of it I will set downe some authorities out of the written word in proofe of traditions Our Sauior said being at the point of his passion * Iohn 16.12 that he had many things to say vnto his Apostles but they could not as then beare them * Acts 1. Our Sauior after his resurrection appeared often vnto his Disciples speaking with them of the kingdome of God of which little is written in any of the Euangelists * 1. Cor. 11. I commend you brethren that you remember me in all things and keepe the Traditions euen as I haue deliuered them to you * 1. Tim. 6. O Timothy keepe the depositum that is that which I deliuered thee to keepe * 2. Tim. 1. Hold fast by the holy Ghost the good things committed vnto thee to keepe which was as S. Chrysostome and Theophylact expound the true doctrine of Christ the true sence of holy Scriptures the right administration of the Sacraments and gouernement of the Church to which alludeth that auncient holy Martyr S. Irenaeus * Lib. 3. c. 4. saying that the Apostles layd vp in the Catholicke Church as in a rich treasury all things that belong to the truth S. Iohn who was the last of the Apostles left aliue said * Epist 3.13 that he had many other things to write not idle or superfluous but would not commit them to ink and pen but referred them to be deliuered by word of mouth And to specifie for example sake some two or three points of greatest importance where is it written that our Sauiour the Sonne of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of the same substance with his Father Where is it written that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne as well as from the Father Where is it written that there is a Trinitie that is three persons really distinct in one and the very same substance And that there is in our Sauiour Christ Iesus no person of man but the substance of God and man subsisting in the second person of the Trinitie Be not all and euery of these principal articles of the Christian faith and most necessary to be beleeued of the learned and yet not one of them in expresse termes written in any part of the holy Bible Wherefore we must either admit traditions or leaue the highest mysteries of our Christian faith vnto the discretion and courtesie of euery wrangler as shall be more declared in the argument following R. ABBOT The messe of pap hath scalded M. Bishops mouth and he would faine put it off to M. Perkins He is ashamed of the childishnesse of this reason yet not denying it to be one of theirs but onely blaming M. Perkins his maner of proposing it whereas we imagine he would haue done it if he had knowne how to haue proposed it in better sort But because he is so desirous to passe it ouer let vs
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
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
shalt be saued This whether spoken publikly or priuatly the conscience of the hearer apprehendeth this he beleeueth and therein beleeueth not the minister but the word of Christ and because he beleeueth in Iesus Christ and by the word of Christ beleeueth that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall be saued therefore he beleeueth concerning himselfe that he shall be saued Thus much is implied though not expressed in M. Perkins answer now let vs heare what M. Bishop saith to the contrarie and there we shall heare not one wise word Good Sir saith he seeing euery man is a lyer as M. Bishop namely for example and may both deceiue and be deceiued and the minister telling may erre how doth he know that the man to whom he speaketh is of the number of the elect I answer him Good Sir M. Perkins no where telleth you that the minister taketh vpon him to know that the man to whom he speaketh is of the number of the elect but doth onely assure him that if he beleeue in Christ he shall be saued and therein the minister knoweth and the man to whom he speaketh knoweth that be mistaketh not when vnder this condition he assureth him of saluation because he assureth him not vpon any deceiueable word or warrant of his owne but vpon the vndeceiueable word and warrant of Christ that n Rom. 9.33 whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be confounded He goeth on To affirme as you do that the Minister is to be beleeued as well as if it were Christ himselfe is plaine blasphemie I answer him againe To talke as you do you know not what is the part of a brabling Sophister not of a learned diuine For M. Perkins doth not affirme that the minister is to be beleeued as well as Christ himselfe but that the word of the Gospell preached by the minister is to be beleeued as if Christ himselfe did here personally speake because it is the word of Christ himselfe who when he saith whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued doth therein say Cornelius beleeue and thou shalt be saued Peter beleeue and thou shalt he saued or if he meane not so cannot truly say whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued And for this he hath the warrant of Gods word and commission from Christ because being for Christ a minister of the Gospell his office is to preach the Gospell and it is the word of the Gospell that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life Therefore this is not to say that the ministers word counteruailes Gods word or to make euery pelting minister Gods mate as the paltry shaueling prateth but it is to challenge assent and credit to the word of God to the Gospell of Christ vpon which onely and not vpon the minister the faithfull beleeuer doth rely himselfe But to quit M. Bishop with a question we will aske him Good Sir may Iohn a Stile beleeue that you haue authorie from Christ to giue him absolution of all his sinnes You will vndoubtedly tell him Yes that he must so in any case But Iohn a Stile asketh againe I pray Sir where doth Christ speake of you or of me For I do not find in the Gospell that euer Christ made mention of either of vs. M. Bishop will tell him that Christ said to the Apostles to all Priests their successors o Iohn 20.23 Whose soeuer sinnes ye remit they are remitted and because he is a Priest therefore this authoritie belongeth to him So then because Christ hath sayd to all Priests whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted though he sayd it to farre other purpose then M. Bishop practiseth it therefore Iohn a Stile must beleeue that M. Bishop hath authoritie from Christ to absolue him from all his sinnes Now will not M. Bishop be so fauourable to vs as that from a generall we may inferre a particular as well as he Surely if when Christ sayd Whose sinne sye remit they are remitted he spake in effect of M. Bishop and Iohn a Stile we see no reason why we should not be permitted the like construction that when Christ saith Whosoeuer beleeueth in me shall not perish but haue euerlasting life he saith and by the minister may be reported to say in effect to this man or that man Beleeue thou in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt haue eternal life This matter need not so many words but that we haue to do with impudent wranglers who being blinded with malice are as farre from common discretion as they are from truth Whereupon it is that in the next words he cauilleth againe as if M. Perkins had sayd that the minister knowes who is predestinate or did say to Peter for example Thou art one of the elect whereas he hath not a letter or syllable to giue any shew hereof but onely expresseth a conditionall assurance by the word of the Gospell to this man or that man or whomsoeuer that if he repent and beleeue the Gospell he shall be saued the minister not taking vpon him to know that any man truly repenteth or beleeueth which God onely can know but leauing the man to apprehend the promise vpon conscience of his owne repentance and faith in Christ Therefore all this idle talke of M. Bishops is but for want of matter as his alledging of the words of the Apostle to proue that whereof there is no question made that the Lord onely knoweth who are his and none else but only as it is reuealed from him He goeth on and telleth vs that M. Perkins flieth from the assurance of the minister and leaues him to speake at randon as the blind man casts his club Bur M. Perkins flieth from nothing that he had before sayd but still leaueth the word of Christ onely preached by the minister in Christs name to be the onely assurance for the faithfull to build vpon Neither doth the minister speake at randon but certainly and definitely he affirmeth by the same word to him that repenteth and beleeueth that he shall be saued though he know not who it is that shall repent or beleeue and so be saued and therefore in that respect if M. Bishop will needs haue it so speakes at randon euen as the blind man casts his club not knowing whom he shall strike as the fisherman casts his net not knowing what fish he shall catch no otherwise then the Apostles did at whose preaching some beleeued other some blasphemed and beleeued not according to that which S. Austin saith p August de praedest sanct cap. 6. Many heare the word of truth some of them beleeue it some contradict and speake against it So therfore the minister as touching the effect of preaching speaketh vncertatnly not knowing where the seed shall grow but yet certainly deliuering that wheresoeuer it shall bring forth the fruit of faith it shall also bring forth eternall life Which assurance he giueth by the word of Christ and the faith of the hearer thence apprehendeth and thereof concludeth assurance
be no assurance by faith of our owne Saluation vnlesse we beleeue it with the like infallible Certainty as we do the truth of the word of God 5. W. BISHOP The thâ—rd reason for the Catholikes is that we are bidden to pray daily for the remission of our sinnes But that were needlesse Math. 6. if we were before assured both of pardon and Saluation M. Perkins answereth First that we pray daily for the remission of new sinnes committed that day Be it so What needs that if we were before assured of pardon Marrie saith he because our assurance was but weake and small our prayer is to increase our assurance Good Sir do you not see how you ouerthrow your selfe If your assurance be but weake and small it is not the assurance of faith which is as great and as strong as the truth of God We giue God thanks for those gifts which we haue receaued at his bountifull hands and desire him to increase or continue them if they may be lost But to pray to God to giue vs those things we are assured of by faith is as fond and friuolous as to pray him to make Christ our Lord to be his Sonne or that there may be life euerlasting to his Saints in heauen of which they are in full and assured possession And so these three Arguments by M. Perkins propounded here for vs are very substantiall and sufficient to assure euery good Christian that he may well hope for Saluation doing his dutie but may not without great presumption assure him by faith of it R. ABBOT The comfort of the faithfull mans praier is the same assurance that Dauid had a Psal 4.3 When I call vpon the Lord he will heare me it being a promise of God to his people b 50.15 Call vpon me and I will heare thee in which sort our Sauiour Christ giueth vs incouragement to pray saying c Iohn 14.13 Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne Therefore S. Iohn saith d 1. Iohn 5.14 This is the assurance that we haue of him that whatsoeuer we aske according to his will he heareth vs and if we know that he heareth vs we know that we haue the petitions that we aske of him Being therefore bidden to pray for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and hauing the promise of God e Ierem. 31.34 I will be mercifull vnto them and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more we beleeue and by faith stand assured that when we do pray to haue our sinnes forgiuen vs God heareth vs and giueth vs pardon and forgiuenesse thereof We do not then teach at randon the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes but in such tenure and forme as we are directed by the word of God according to which S. Austine saith of himselfe f August cont Iulian. Pelag. lib 6. ca. 5. Qua gratia liberor vt scio ne intrem in tentationeÌ„ c. atque vt exaudiar cum confortâ—hat meis dicens Dimitte nobis c. By the grace of God I am freed I know that I enter not into temptation and that I am heard saying with my fellowes Forgiue vs our trespasses g Psa 32.6 For this therefore that is h August in Psal 31. Pro hac pro ipsa venia peccatorum for forgiuenesse of sinnes shall euery one that is godly saith Dauid make his praier vnto thee in a time when thou maiest be found so being assured that in the great water flouds they shall not come nigh him Our faith then assureth vs not of forgiuenesse of sinnes without praier but that God forgiueth vs when we pray so that his obiection being framed to our doctrine aright is as if he should say Seeing faith assureth vs of forgiuenesse of sinnes when we craue it of him by praier what need we pray Which was one of Wrights drunken reasons whereby he would haue laied an absurditie vpon our Church being himselfe an absurd blind-asinus and not vnderstanding what we say But to make the matter more plaine it is to be noted that in three respects we continue daily to aske of God forgiuenesse of sinnes of which M. Perkins hath noted two First as S. Austine saith i August de vera fals paenit ca. 5. Quia quotidimana est offensio oportet vt sit quotidiana etiam remissio because we daily commit offence we haue need daily to craue pardon But what needs that saith M. Bishop if we were before assured of pardon I haue answered him that our assurance before hand and alwaies is that our praier obtaineth it at Gods hands Therefore we pray and by faith do rest assured that vndoubtedly we haue that for which we pray Secondly we pray for forgiuenesse not for that we haue no assurance thereof but for that we desire greater assurance and more comfortable feeling of it that as forgiuenesse with God is full and perfect so the same may accordingly be sealed in our hearts Our faith being weake giueth but weake assurance and therefore we begge of God that our hearts may be enlarged that k Bernard in Annunciat ser 1. supra sect 3. the testimonie of the spirit may more freely sound vnto vs Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Now here saith M. Bishop Good Sir do you not see how you ouerthrow your selfe And why so Forsooth if your assurance be but weake and small it is not the assurance of faith which is as great and strong as the truth of God But good Sir we haue alreadie shewed you that therein you tell vs a sencelesse and vnlikely tale The truth of God is alwaies alike not subiect to alteration neuer increased or diminished but our faith is greater and lesse somtimes hath a full and sometimes a wane and to vs the truth of God is according to our faith and according to our apprehension feeling of it Wherein we are variable and diuerse euen after the manner of Peters faith of whom S. Austine saith l August de verb. Dom. ser 13 Illum vidite Petrum qui tunc erat figura vestra modo fidit modo titubat modò immortaleÌ„ confitetur modoÌ„ timet ne moriatur Peter was the patterne of vs all sometimes he beleeueth sometimes he wauereth one while he confesseth Christ to be immortall another while he is afraid least Christ should die The poore distressed man saith in the Gospell m Mar. 9. Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe n August de verb. Dom. ser 36. Credo inquit ergò est fides Sed adiuua incredulitatem meam ergo non est plena fides He saith I beleeue therefore there is faith saith Austine helpe my vnbeleefe saith he therefore there is not yet full and perfect faith If there be true faith and yet with faith a remainder of vnbeleefe then the assurance of faith cannot be said to be as great and strong as the truth
bapt cont Donatist lib. 6. ca. 1. CharactereÌ„ dominicuÌ„ multi lupâ— lupis insigunt qui videntur quideâ— intus esse veruntamen ad â—llâ—m ouem quae etiam ex mulâ—â—â—na est non pertinere morum suoruâ—a fructibus â—â—â—â—ncuntur many woolues in sheeps clothing lying in wait to make a spoile Now we are to distinguish them that truly are in Christ from them that are not so Of them that truly are in Christ in present state of iustification our speech here is that they can neuer wholly be cut off the rest we know are cut off from that l Luc. 8.18 which they seemed to haue but indeed had not which if they had had indeed as they seemed to haue m Mat. 13.12 they should haue had more giuen that they might haue abundance and not be cut off from that they had It is therefore nothing against vs which M. Bishop alledgeth that fruitlesse branches which indeed are not in Christ though they will seeme to be are cut off from seeming any longer to be that which in truth they neuer were Euery one that truly is a branch in Christ bringeth forth fruit in him euery branch that bringeth forth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit Euery one therfore that is truly a branch in Christ as euery true beleeuer is shall continue a branch in him for euer that it may be verified which the Prophet saith n 〈◊〉 92. â—3 Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God They shal stil bring forth fruit eueÌ„ in age shal be fat and flourishing By this the answer is plaine to the other place If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and shall wither and be cast into the fire For hereby is imported what befalleth to them who carying semblance to be in Christ beare no fruit in him who because they are not truly that which they seeme to be therefore abide not in that which they seeme and either by death or by other occasion become o August epist 39 Separantur multi ab ecclesia sed cùm moruntur qui tamen â—ùm viuunt per sacrameâ—toruÌ„ commionem vâ—â—tansque Catholicae vâ—â—â—â—r ecclesia coâ—â—lati corporally separated from the Church to which they before but onely seemed to be coupled It is true then that if a man abide not in Christ though for the time he seeme to be in Christ he is cast forth and perisheth but it followeth not therefore that any man that faithfully beleeueth in Christ and therefore truly is in Christ doth not abide in him Nay our Sauiour himselfe teacheth vs the contrary when he saith p Io n. 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him For what is it to eate the flesh of Christ and to drinke his bloud but q August in Ioan. tract 25 6 to beleeue in Christ r De doct Câ—rist l b 3 cap. 16. Figâ—ra est praecipiâ—â—s paâ—liom Domini esse communicandum suâ—â—itur atque vitatèr recodendum in memâ—ria quòd caro eius pro nobis crucifixa vubierata sit to be partakers of his passion and with comfort and vse to lay vp in our minds that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs Euery one then that truly beleeueth in Christ eateth his flesh drinketh his bloud and therefore abideth in Christ and Christ in him No man therefore that truly beleeueth in Christ is euer cut off or cast forth to wither or to be throwne into the fire Now to an indifferent Reader I might alledge and it easily appeareth by the vse of that terme of abiding that by abiding in Christ is meant our very being in Christ which is therefore so expressed because no man is in Christ truly and indeed but the same abideth in him for euer So that the meaning of Christes words shall be If any man be not truly ingrafted into me as the true vine to grow vpon me and to bring forth fruit by me he is cast forth as a dead and vnprofitable braunch shall come to nought But it booteth not to alledge this to a wrangler who whatsoeuer appeare otherwhere will not here vnderstand it otherwise then to serue his owne turne Against him therefore the other solution is plaine that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ the same abideth in him and therefore shall neuer be cut off so that yet he is farre enough from any demonstration to proue any who are truly members of Christ are wholly and for euer cut off from him Let vs see whether the rest will affoord him any better demonstration Are we not by faith saith he made members of Christ by our aduersaries own confession Yes M. Bishop but yet not by euery kind of faith for S. Iames saith Å¿ Iam. 2.19 The deuils beleeue and yet they are not thereby the members of Christ We are made the members of Christ only by true and liuely faith whereby Christ dwelleth in our hearts of which it is that the Apostle saith t Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus You wil not say M. Bishop that by euery faith a man is spiritually made a meÌ„ber of Christ because you say that there is faith without charity and you dare not say that without charity a man may be a member of Christ Which being so how vainly doth he alledge that u Mat. 13.20 our Sauiour saith in the parable of the sower concerning them that receiue the word in stonie ground that with ioy they receiue the word but haue no root and for a time beleeue and in time of temptation reuolt For though it be said that they beleeue yet it followeth not that they beleeue with that faith whereby they should become the members of Christ For Herod in that sort beleeued the word preached by Iohn Baptist x Mat. 6.20 whom he reuerenced as a lust and holy man and heard him gladly and did many things accordingly and yet he was not therefore a member of Christ By conuiction of conscience men oft times receiue the word cannot but beleeue and acknowledge the truth thereof when yet they embrace it not with affection of loue and therefore haue not that y Gal. 5.6 faith which worketh by loue which onely is true faith And how can he perswade vs that true members of Christ are by Christ himselfe compared to the stony ground We are perswaded that onely the good ground are the true members of Christ as for the rest they are z August in Ioan. tract 3. Infra sect 10. as bad humors in the body as S. Austine saith but members they are not And how should there be true faith in them of whom Christ saith They haue no root Can true faith grow where there is no root for it to grow vpon Nay S. Austine telleth vs
your Saluation with feare and trembling There be aboue an hundred such texts in holy writ wherein the Holy Ghost exhorteth vs to stand in feare of our Saluation out of which I thus frame my argument No man must stand in feare of that of which he is by faith assured But the faithfull must stand in feare of their Saluation Ergo they be not assured of it by faith The Minor or second proposition is plainly proued by these places cited before the Maior is manifest there is no feare in faith he that feareth whether the thing be assured or no cannot giue a certaine assent thereunto Dubius in fide infidelis est Put the case in another article to make it more euident He that feareth whether there be a God or no do we esteeme that he beleeueth in God So he that feareth whether Iesus Christ be God is he a Christian hath he a true faith You must needs answer no. So he that feareth whether he shall be saued or no can haue no faith of his Saluation R. ABBOT The place of S. Iohn doth fully ouerthrow that which M. Bishop laboureth to build inuincibly prouing that reuolters and renegates wholy falling away from Christ were neuer of the faithfull though for the time outwardly they held profession with them For if they had bene of vs saith he they would haue continued with vs therein implying this rule that they that once are of the faithfull do certainly continue with them so as that they neuer wholie and finally depart from them For as falling starres were neuer starres indeed though they seemed to be starres so apostataes and backsliders were neuer faithfull indeed though they seemed so to be But here Maister Bishop answereth If they went out from vs they were before with vs. Be it so but yet as the glosse saith a Thom. Aquin. in Ioan. ca. 2. ex glossa Erant de ecclesia numero non merito sacramentorum perceptione non charitatis communione by tale and account not by woorth by participation of sacraments not by fellowship of loue This place then proueth that men may depart from the profession of the faith of Christ but it confirmeth not his assertion that the faith of any doth euer faile that is truly faithfull in the profession of the faith of Christ And therefore it is but one of his iuglers tricks to make his Reader beleeue that the place confirmeth his assertion when in truth it doth directly contradict it If those reuolters had had true faith Saint Iohn would not haue said They were not of vs for he is of the faithfull whosoeuer is indued with true faith But saith he S. Iohns meaning is that such were not of the number of the elect and this is S. Austines exposition And we acknowledge S. Austines exposition to be true b August de bono perseuâ—â—â—a 8. Non erant ex eis quia noÌ„ erant secundum propositum vocant non erant in Chr sto electi ante constitutioneÌ„â—undi non erant in eo sort in consecuti non erant praedestinauit secundum proposituÌ„ eius qui vniuersa operatur They were not of them because they were not called according to purpose because they were not elect in Christ before the foundations of the world because they had not obtained any lot or portion in him because they were not praedestinate according to the purpose of him who worketh all things But because they were not such therefore they were neuer truly faithfull For if they were not called by purpose then did they neuer truly beleeue because c Jdem de praed sanct cap 16. Qua vocatione sit credens by that calling it is that a man doth beleeue Now d Jâ—â— p. 17. Quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit illa scilicet vocatione secundum propositum Non ergo alios sed quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit nec alios sed quos ita vocauit ipsos iustificauit nec alios sed quos praedestinauit vocauit iustificauit ipsos giereficauit c. by this calling God calleth no other but whom he hath praedestinate therefore onely the predestinate do beleeue And no other doth God iustifie but whom he hath called with that calling therefore onely the elect are partakers of iustification and if only the elect be iustified then all that are iustified do certainly perseuer because the elect do neuer fall away Now if backsliding reprobates were neuer partakers of iustification then were they neuer of the body of the faithfull howsoeuer in outward appearance they seemed to be And this the same S. Austine very notably confirmeth when he saith of reprobates e Cont. Iulian. Pelag. lib. 5 cap. 3. Jstorum neminem adducit ad poenitentiam salubrem spiritualem qua homo in Christo reconciliatur Deo siue illis ampliorem patientiam quà m electis siue non imparem praebeat None of these doth God bring to spirituall and healthfull repentance whereby man in Christ is reconciled vnto God whether he yeeld them patience for longer or shorter time And as he excludeth them from true repentance so doth he also from forgiuenesse of sinnes saying that f Cont. aduersar seg prophet lib. 2 ca. 11. Qui noÌ„ omnium sicut iste au sedeorum quos ante praesâ—â—on praedestinauit delicta dimittit God forgiueth the sinnes not of all but of them whom before he foreknew and predestinated Origen yet goeth further and saith that g Origen cont Cels lib. 7. Conceditur cognitio Dei duntaxat his qui ad hoc praedestinati sunt vt cognito Dei dignè viuant the knowledge of God meaning the true and effectuall knowledge of God is graunted onely vnto them who are hereto predestinate that knowing God they may liue worthy of him Now if reprobates neuer haue any true knowledge of God if they be secluded from repentance faith iustification forgiuenesse of sinnes then these things are proper onely to the elect which do certainly perseuer and our assertion is true that where there is true repentance faith iustification knowledge of God there infallibly followeth perseuerance to the end Saint Iohn therefore when he saith They were not of vs as he meaneth that they were not of the elect so he meaneth that they neuer were of the number of true beleeuers neuer true members of Christ or of the spirituall body of the Church which if they had bene he concludeth for vs that they should haue so continued and not in that sort haue vtterly fallen away Therefore doth Saint Austine expound the words of them h August de corrept grat ca. 9. Filij Dei propter susâ—eptaÌ„ vel temporaliter gratiaÌ„ dicuntur a nobis nec sunt tamen Deo who for grace temporally receiued are of vs called the children of God but yet are not so to God affirming plainly that with God they are not children though we call them so because they seeme no
fall and runne into enormous offence thereby to be the better instructed how little safetie we haue in our owne defence and therefore how necessarie it is for vs to depend wholy vpon his grace Thus the Apostle Peter presuming too much of himselfe and being left thereupon to himselfe fell euen to the denying and abiuring of his maister Christ that he in himselfe and we in him might learne that q 1. Sam 2.9 by his owne might shall no man be strong and that euill would our state be if our safetie did not rest onely and altogether in the Lord. Thus therefore in both places cited by M. Bishop and in many other we read of feare to feare the iudgements and threatnings of God which the faithfull alwayes doth because faith beleeueth them to feare to trust in our selues which euerie faithfull man also doth because faith it selfe importeth trust in God but we no where reade any thing whereof to gather that which he affirmeth that the faithfull ought to stand in feare of their owne Saluation Now therefore his argument is easily answered for the minor proposition which he saith is plainely proued by the places cited is meerely false and hath no proofe at all either by those places of any other And how absurdly doth he abuse his Reader that whereas the proposition by him to be proued is not expressed in the places alledged he notwithstanding skippeth ouer with meere quoting of them without shewing how the matter to be proued is to be inferred thereof But such pretie shifts do best become the cause that he hath in hand About the maior proposition whereof there is lesse question he bestoweth a little paines to little purpose No man must stand in feare of that of which by faith he is assured Which we grant as it importeth a dutie that no man ought to haue any feare of that which he is taught to beleeue but we deny that which he saith for the prosecutiō or explication therof For it is false that there is no feare in faith that is that there is no faith where there is feare or feare where there is faith For whē our Sauior Christ vpbraideth his disciples with r Mat. 8.26 14.31 fearfulnes doubting and yet attributeth vnto them little faith as before is alledged he plainly sheweth that little faith it subiect to feare and doubt and yet ceaseth not thereupon to be faith He saith that he that feareth cannot giue certaine assent We answer him that our assent is according to the measure of our faith little faith yeeldeth but weake assent but yet it is a true assent whereby we embrace that whereto we assent The truth of which faith and assent hereby appeareth euen in feare because feare causeth it to fall to prayer which what is it else but as it were the casting forth of the armes of faith to catch hold of him in whom it beleeueth as expecting succour and helpe of him for s Rom. 10.14 how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued Thus the faith of the disciples appeared in the places euen now cited when their feare made them to go vnto Christ and say to him Maister saue vs which they would not haue sayd but that they beleeued to haue safetie and deliuerance by him Whereas therefore M. Bishop alledgeth the old sayd saw Dubius in fide infidelis est he that is doubtfull in the faith is an infidell or vnbeleeuer we tell him that it is true in him that wholy and absolutely doubteth But there is a difference to be made betwixt him that absolutely doubteth and him that weakly assenteth and in assent is only interrupted with some feare or doubt For which interruption I trow M. Bishop will not say that the disciples of Christ were faithlesse when Christ himselfe expresly acknowledgeth their faith And thus by reason the seeds of all impietie lie still hidden in the corruption of our nature it commeth to passe that faith sometimes is assaulted with doubts euen in the maine and principall articles of our beleefe and out of our owne sinfull condition we question vpon occasion the godhead the power the wisedome the prouidence the iustice and mercie of almightie God when yet our faith doth not wholy relinquish the assent thereof Which though in generalitie it more seldome come to passe yet in application of our generall faith to particular occasions we many times goe halting and lame and stagger somewhat at that whereof our faith should giue vs full assurance by the word of God Thus did t Gen. 18.12 Sarah cast doubt of Gods promise as touching the hauing of a child who yet is said u Heb. 11.11 through faith to haue receiued strength to conceiue when she was past age because she iudged him faithfull that had promised Thus did x Numb 11.21.22 Moses call in question the power of God as touching prouiding flesh for the people of Israel when he promised so to do So y Psal 73.2.3 Dauid and z Habac. 1.2.13 Habacuk staggered as touching the prouidence of God and his care of iust and righteous men So I shewed before how the disciples vpon the death of Christ were in a mammering concerning the godhead of Christ and the hope of redemption by him which before they had imbraced Yet we do not thinke that such doubts and mammerings did in these men wholy extinguish the light of true faith In like sort therefore we also resolue that the faith whereby we beleeue our owne Saluation is not by and by ouerthrowne because sometimes the assurance thereof is shaken and interrupted with casting of feares and doubts And thus the argument which he added for supplie of those which M. Perkins brought is found to be of as little indeed lesse worth then all the rest and it well appeareth that M. Perkins was better able to speake for M. Bishop then M. Bishop is able to speake for himselfe 11. W. BISHOP To these inuincible reasons grounded vpon Gods word let vs ioyne some plaine testimonies taken as well out of the holy Scripture as out of the ancient Fathers First what can be more manifest to warrant vs that the faithfull haue not assurance infallible of their Saluation Eccles 9. then these words of the holy Ghost There be iust and therfore faithfull and wise men and their workes be in the hand of God and neuerthelesse a man doth not know whether he be worthy of hatred or loue but all things are kept vncertaine for the time to come Where is then the Protestants certaintie And because one heretike cauilleth against the Latine translation saying that a word or two of it may be otherwise turned heare how S. Ierome Comment in hunc locum who was most cunning in the Hebrew text doth vnderstand it The sence is saith he I haue found the workes of the iust men to be in the hand of God and yet themselues not to know whether they be
Bishop affirming that the faithfull man knoweth himselfe worthie to be hated and yet by faith confidently presumeth that he is beloued of God As yet therefore we haue no proofe that the faithfull man ought to stand in feare of his owne Saluation 12. W. BISHOP Another plaine testimonie is taken out of S. Paul where he sheweth that it is not in vs to iudge of our owne iustice 1. Cor. 4. but we must leaue to God the iudgement of it these be the words I am not guiltie in conscience of any thing but I am not iustified herein but he that iudgeth me is our Lord therefore iudge not before the time vntill our Lord do come who also will lighten the hidden things of darknes and will manifest the counsell of the heart and then the praise shall be to euery man of God So that before Gods iudgement by S. Pauls testimonie men may not assure themselues of their own iustice much lesse of their Saluation Serm. 5. in Psa 118. De constitut monas cap 2. how innocent soeuer they find themselues in their own consciences See vpon this place S. Ambrose S. Basil Theodoret on this place who all agree that men may haue secret faults which God only seeth and therefore they must liue in feare and alwayes pray to be deliuered from them For the rest let S. Augustines testimonie whom our aduersaries acknowledge to be the most diligent and faithfull register of all antiquitie be sufficient This most iudicious and holy Father thus defineth this matter As long as we liue here we our selues cannot iudge of our selues I do not say what we shall be to morrow De verb. Domini serm 35. De ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 12. but what we are to day And yet more directly Albeit holy men are certaine of the reward of their perseuerance yet of their owne perseuerance they are found vncertaine For what man can know that he shall perseuer and hold on in the action and increase of iustice vntil the end vnles by some reuelation he be assured of it from him who of his iust but secret iudgement doth not informe all men of this matter but deceiueth none So no iust man is assured of his Saluation by his ordinarie faith by extraordinarie reuelation some man may be assured the rest are not Which is iust the Catholike sentence And because S. Bernard is by our aduersaries cited for them in this point Serm. 1. de Soptuag take his testimonie in as precise tearmes as any Catholike at this time speaketh Thus he writeth Who can say I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate to life I am one of the number of the children Who I say can thus say the Scripture crying out against him A man knoweth nor Eccles 9. whether he be worthie of loue or hatred Therfore we haue no certaintie but the confidence of hope doth comfort vs that we be not vexed at all with the perplexitie of this doubt The word of God according to S. Bernard crieth out against all them that certainly assure themselues of their Saluation whereon then do they build their faith that beleeue it R. ABBOT The summe of his argument in this place is that we are vncertaine of our owne righteousnesse and therefore can haue no certaintie of our owne Saluation To proue the vncertaintie of our righteousnesse he alledgeth the words of the Apostle a Cor. 4.4 Of this place see further the fourth Section of the next question concerning Iustification I am not guiltie to my selfe in any thing yet am I not therein iustified Where it is worth the noting that whereas the Apostle saith by expresse negatiue I am not iustified thereby he maketh as if the Apostle had meant I cannot tel whether I be iustified or not It may be I am iust it may be I am not iust If I be my iustice shall merit heauen if I be not I know not what may haply become of me But the Apostle neuer made any such doubt he well knew that the cleerenesse of his conscience was not it that could yeeld him iustification before God He knew it to be true which S. Austin saith that b August de peccat mer. remiss lib 2. cap. 19 Quantum ad integerronam regulam veritatis eius pertinet non iustifibabitur c. according to the most entire rule of Gods truth no man liuing shall be found iust in the sight of God and therefore professeth that c Phil. 3.8 he accounteth all things but losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus our Lord for whom saith he I haue counted all things losse and do iudge them to be doung that I might winne Christ and might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is by the law but the righteousnesse which is by the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Here is then a renouncing of his owne righteousnesse and an acknowledgement of iustification and righteousnesse onely by faith in Christ A notable fruit of which faith it was so to walke as that he could say I am not guiltie to my selfe in any thing in which sort he speaketh elsewhere d 2. Cor. 1.12 This is our reioycing euen the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse not by carnall wisedome but by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the world Of which testimonie of conscience S. Iohn saith e 1. Iohn 3.19.21 If our heart condemne vs not but that we are of the truth then haue we boldnesse towards God and shall before him assure our hearts Whereby we are taught that to walke with a good conscience in the faith of Christ ministreth great boldnesse and assurance towards God and therefore that the Apostle in the place cited protesting the innocency of his conscience was farre from professing to stand in doubt of his owne Saluation yea and were not M. Bishop a man of an iron face he would not attribute to the Apostle any such doubt For the true vnderstanding of the place we are to obserue as appeareth by the processe of this epistle that there were diuisions and part-takings amongst the Corinthians some magnifying one of their teachers and some another and they willingly accepting the applause and praises of their followers and each thinking highly of himselfe aboue the rest Now the Apostle vnder his owne name and the names of Apollo and Cephas instructeth those teachers against this vain affectation of human applause he wisheth them to be content to be reckoned each with other the ministers of Christ and therein to haue a care to deale faithfully towards him whose stewards they are endeuoring to their vttermost to please the Lord not thinking the better of themselues for that men magnifie them aboue others because men know thē not nor can duly esteeme of them Nay how should other iudge of vs when we cannot sufficiently
holdeth euerie one not of his owne band assured of damnation so that by the sentence of the Lutherans all Caluinists and Anabaptists are miserably deceiued when they assure themselues of their Saluation In like manner if the Anabaptists be true censurers both Lutherans and Caluinists and all other not of their heresie erre fouly when they beare themselues in hand that they shall be saued Certaine it is therefore by the consent of all the world that very many who assure themselues of Saluation are indeed assured of damnation R. ABBOT A fooles bolt is soone shot Bad men saith he with good but of all those bad men are there any so bad as he his fellow Seculars haue described the Iesuites to be and the Iesuites them Let vs turne the argument then vpon themselues The Secular Priests hope for Saluation yet the Iesuites hold them for proud men contentious irregular scandalous and in a word for schismatikes and therefore in case of damnation So the Iesuites hope for Saluation yet the Seculars though being brought in case to leape at a crust they now dissemble it hold them for very villaines the notable impostors and cosiners of the world for very rakehels and deuils incarnate for heretikes and what not Thus M. Bishop hath bene conceited thus hath Watson in his Quodlibets discouered them and thereby to be assuredly in state of damnation also Their grounds therefore on both sides are false whereby they conceiue any hope of Saluation Yea and in the body of their vnity amongst their Popes their Cardinals their Bishops and the rest there are many who vpon false grounds do hope for Saluation Is it an argument therefore that they haue no true grounds whereupon to build the hope thereof The Turks hope for Saluation by their superstitions the Iewes hope for Saluation by their traditions and both take the Papists to be damned and will M. Bishop take this to be any impeachment of their hope So therefore although Papists and Anabaptists and such other absurd heretikes do thinke the faithfull to be in state of damnation yet this nothing hindereth but that the faithfull themselues vpon the grounds that God hath laied before them should stand assured of Saluation As for that which he saith of Lutherans and Caluinists it is but the casting of his gall the bitternesse whereof remaineth onely to himselfe We ioy not in any such titles nor loue to diuide our selues as Popish Moonks and Friars do by the names of men And in that difference of opinions that is betwixt them that are so called there is none that is soberly minded that doth preiudicate the others hope towards God but rather by vnitie of faith in the maine learneth of the Apostle to say a Phil. 3.15 If any be otherwise minded then he ought God will euen reueale the same vnto him There may be difference of opinions betwixt good men as it fell out of old betwixt Cyprian and Stephanus Bishop of Rome betwixt Hierome and Austine betwixt Chrysostome and Epiphanius and sundry others yea and the same may grow to some egernesse and anger whilest each maintaineth his owne conceit but S. Austines rule ought to be remembred b August in Psal 33. Non possunt nisi existere rixae aliquae quomodo inter fratres inter sanctos extiterunt inter Barnabam Paul◠sed non quae occiderent concordiā nō qua interimerent charitatem There may be braules as there haue bene sometimes betwixt brethren betwixt Saints and holy men as betwixt Barnabas and Paul but not to breake concord of heart not to destroy charity and loue Which rule so long as we retaine and do c Ephe 4.15 follow the truth in loue as the Apostle exhorteth God doth pardon our errour and will in his good time bring our darknesse into light that in the end d Ver. 13. we may all meet together in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God to be e 1 Cor. 1.10 of one mind and of one iudgement which we all ought to striue vnto This mind Cyprian bare in his priuate opinion of rebaptizing saying to them that were assembled in counsell with him f Cyprian in concil Carthag De hac ipsa re quid singuli sentiamus proferamus neminem iudicantes nec a iure cōmunionis aliquē si diuersum senserit ameuentes Let vs euery man deliuer what we thinke of this matter iudging no man nor seuering any man from the right of our communion for being minded otherwise With this mind Austine said to Hierome g August epist 15. Si fieri potest vt inter nos quaeramus disseramus aliquid quo sine amaritudine discordiae corda nostra pascantur fiat Si autem non possum dicere quid mihi emendandum videatur in scriptis tuis nec tu in meis sine suspicione inuidiae aut laesione amicitiae quiescamus ab his nostrae vitae salutique parcamus Minus certè assequatur illa quae instat dum non offendatur illa quae edificat If it may be that we may search or reason betwixt vs any matter whereby without bitternesse of discord our hearts may be fed let vs so do But if I cannot say what I thinke is to be amended in thy writings or thou in mine without suspition of enuie and breach of friendship let vs giue ouer these matters and fauour our owne life and Saluation Let knowledge which puffeth vp haue the lesse that there may be no offence to loue which edifieth They who in the profession of one true religion do prosecute their differences with other mind do bewray their owne corruption and breake that h Ephe. 4.3 vnitie of the spirit that should be preserued by the bond of peace Seeing therefore we beare this mind in some difference of opinions it is nothing else but M. Bishops malice to inferre thereof that we each to other denie the hope or assurance of Saluation But his conclusion of all this babblement is a wise one Certaine it is therefore that very many who assure themselues of Saluation are indeed assured of damnation For what is it to the question if any by carnall securitie dreaming of Saluation haue in the end failed of that which rashly and without ground they haue presumed of We doubt not but many presumptuous hypocrites and heretikes come to nought who for the time by vaine opinion haue flattered themselues in the false hope of that which they neuer imbraced by true faith But the fall of them in whom there neuer was any true faith no whit impeacheth the assurance of them who truly and vnfainedly do beleeue 14. W. BISHOP With the testimonies of the auncient Doctors for vs Pag. 55. I pray thee gentle Reader conferre those which M. Perkins in his sixt reason alledgeth against vs. First S. Augustine in these words Of an euill seruant De verb. Domini serm 28. thou art made a good child
inferreth a proportion betwixt eating and beleeuing that as he that eateth receiueth and taketh to himselfe the meat that he eateth and digesteth the same to the nourishment of euery part euen so he that beleeueth doth by his faith as the hand and mouth and stomach of the soule receiue and take vnto him Iesus Christ with all his benefits to become particularly his strength and comfort and nourishment vnto euerlasting life Now all this speech of eating and beleeuing and applying vnto vs the benefits of Christ M. Bishop saith he omitteth as an vnsauorie discourse but the reason is because pearles are vnsauorie to swine and grosse Capernaites know no eating of Christ but by the mouth nor receiuing of him but into the belly But most ridiculous is that which he addeth He might be ashamed to make this discourse vnto vs that admit no part of it to be true For so might I briefly reiect his whole booke with the same words that he might be ashamed to write the same to vs that admit no part of it to be true He should vnderstand that M. Perkins had in hand to write that that is the truth and not that that they would admit to be true who are sworne to Antichrist to maintaine his vntruthes And seeing he hath so pregnantly shewed thereby the nature of true and liuely faith not by any inuention of his owne but out of the verie words of Christ M. Bishop might himselfe be iustly ashamed to answer it so childishly and simply as he hath done I confesse sayth he that faith hath his part therein But Saint Austine attributeth to faith not onely a part therein but to be the thing it selfe euen the eating and drinking of the bodie and bloud of Christ q August in Ioan. tract 26. Credere in Christum hoc est maÌ„ducare panem viuum To beleeue in Christ saith he is to eate the bread of life he that beleeueth eateth Why doth he refuse to speake as Saint Austine speaketh but that like a carnall Anthropophagus he referreth it to the mouth and to the bellie to eate the flesh of Christ and to drinke his bloud not listening to that that M. Perkins had alledged vnto him out of the same Austine r Ibid. tract 25. Why preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly beleeue and thou hast eaten But faith he saith hath his part therein if it be ioyned with charitie and frequentation of the Sacraments Which if of his is verie idle to vs who hold no true faith but that Å¿ Gal. 5.6 which worketh by charity and seeketh after the Sacraments as being t Rom. 4.11 the seales of the righteousnesse of faith the verie proper vse thereof is to giue particular assurance to the faithfull of the mercie of God towardes them in Iesus Christ For as in humane contracts and gifts somewhat commonly is deliuered by earnest or seale for confirming and sure-making of the maine so hath God thought good in his couenants and promises of grace to appoint his Sacraments particularly to be vsed and applied to euerie man that euerie beleeuer knowing Christ by the same Sacraments to be figured and offered vnto vs may take knowledge by the deliuerie thereof that Christ is his to eternall life by faith in his name it being in effect sayd vnto him thereby Thou belâ—euest the promises of God in Christ concerning grace and forgiuenesse of sinnes vnto euerlasting life take this for seale and assurance that by thy faith in Christ the whole benefit thereof appertaineth vnto thee Therefore Christ saith very effectually Take eate this is my body Drinke ye this is my bloud as by the Sacrament deliuering himselfe vnto vs and in himselfe the whole fruit and benefit of that that he hath done for vs. Why doth he deliuer these seales of the righteousnesse of of faith particularly vnto me but that he would haue me know that the promises of righteousnesse are thereby through my faith sealed particularly vnto me Thus therefore saith ioyned with frequentation of the Sacraments doth so much the more effectually minister vnto vs this comfort of particular assurance towards God All this is vnsauorie to M. Bishop but let vs leaue him to his acornes and draffe and let him leaue this feeding to them who therein haue learned to u 1. Pet. 2 3. tast how gracious the Lord is Now to shew that the vse of faith is to receiue M. Perkins alledgeth the words of S. Paul that x Gal. 3.14 through faith we receiue the promise of the spirit importing thereby that faith is as it were the hand into which being holden forth vnto God he giueth the spirit which he hath promised that faith apprehendeth and imbraceth the promise of God concerning this gift of his spirit and that thereby we become partakers thereof To this also M. Bishop answereth nothing onely he will seeme to alledge the words and wholy peruerteth them For whereas the Apostle maketh the spirit the thing promised he citeth the place as if the spirit were named as the promiser And whereas the Apostle speaketh as of a thing y Ibid. ver 2. alreadie performed to them to whom he wrote he citeth it as of a thing futurely to be performed and that with a condition if we obserue those things which Christ hath commanded whereas the spirit is promised not if we obserue but z Ezech. 36.27 to cause vs to keepe his statutes and obserue his iudgemens and do them Yet hereupon he demaundeth What is this to the Certaintie of Saluation I answer that it is so strong to proue the Certaintie of Saluation as that against it he could find nothing more safe for himselfe then to say nothing to it For if to beleeue in Christ be to receiue Christ and so to receiue him as that thereby we eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud the beleeuer hath this for a certaintie deliuered vnto him by Christ himselfe that he hath eternall life and that Christ will raise him vp at the last day For a Iohn 6.54 whosoever eateth my flesh satih Christ and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day The beleeuer therefore by his faith conceiueth a particular certaintie and assurance of his owne Saluation and is thereby b 1. Iohn 5.13 to know that he hath eternall life Now to shew the effect of faith M. Perkins bringeth sundrie places of Austin Ambrose Chrysostome Tertullian Bernard that by faith we touch Christ we lay hold of him we find him we see him we eate him we digest him Whereto M. Bishop answereth full wisely we find Christ we hold Christ we see Christ by faith beleeuing him to be the sonne of God and redeemer of the world and iudge of quicke and dead thereby making this finding and seeing and holding and digesting of Christ by faith to be no other thing but what is incident to the diuell because all these things the
diuell beleeueth and knoweth as well as he But to see the giddinesse of his head reeling and staggering he knoweth not whither he saith we find Christ we hold him and see him we eate him we digest him by beleeuing thus and thus when he hath plainely giuen vs before to vnderstand that for all his beleeuing he cannot tell whether he haue any thing to doe with Christ whether he haue receiued the grace of Christ whether he haue anie true repentance hope charitie and such like without which Christ is neither holden nor had at all But such darknesse is fit for them who leaue the wayes of God and make choise to tread the Labyrinthes and maze-rounds of their owne brain-sicke imaginations To his question where it is once sayd in any of these sentences that we are assured of our Saluation I answer him that it followeth of that for proofe whereof these sentences were alledged For if the office of true faith be not onely generally to beleeue but also particularly to apply that which it beleeueth as hath bene shewed and all those speeches alledged do import then it followeth that according to the measure of it it yeeldeth a particular assurance of Saluation to euerie one that doth beleeue We beleeue saith he these points and many more but yet we shall be neuer the nearer our Saluation vnlesse we obserue Gods commaundements But if we beleeue as the Scripture teacheth vs to beleeue we are thereby the nearer our Saluation though we do not obserue Gods commandements in that sort and to that end as he intendeth For therefore do we beleeue in Christ therefore do we seeke him take hold of him eate him drinke him digest him that in him we may find the comfort of Saluation which otherwise we cannot find for want of the keeping of Gods commandements Therefore saith the Apostle c Gal. 2.16 Euen we haue beleeued in Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the law not by our keeping of Gods commandements because that by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified And in this respect we are not vncertaine of performing Gods commaundements as M. Bishop speaketh but verie certaine that we neuer do or can performe them hauing continually cause to demaund pardon of our wants and therefore neuer finding any assured trust of Saluation so long as we ground it hereupon But although we denie any such keeping of Gods commandements as may serue for the purchase of our iustification and Saluation yet we acknowledge a keeping thereof as a fruit of our iustification and a part of the worke of our Saluation because d Ephes 2.10 we are Gods workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which he hath prepared for vs to walke in And this keeping of Gods commandements our Sauiour hath recommended vnto vs as M. Bishop alledgeth and of it S. Iohn saith e 1. Iohn 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him But this keeping of Gods commaundements cannot be seuered from the finding and receiuing and holding and eating and digesting of Christ because no man receiueth or eateth Christ by faith but who liueth by him and in whom he liueth that he may say f Gal. 2.20 Not I now but Christ liueth in me and that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Verie idlely therefore in this behalfe doth M. Bishop tell vs that by the one we are neuer a whit the nearer without the other when the one can no where be without the companie of the other Now of this keeping of Gods commandements and perseuerance therein true faith as before hath bene shewed resteth assured because God hath so promised and so farre are we from being doubtfull of Saluation by any doubt thereof as that we rather gather hence greater strength of assurance by that we perceiue the beginning of that good worke of God in vs whereby he fitteth and prepareth his vnto euerlasting life 17. W. BISHOP The second reason is Whatsoeuer the holy Ghost testifieth vnto vs that certainely by faith we must beleeue but the holy Ghost doth particularly testifie vnto vs our Saluation ergo The first proposition is true The second is proued thus S. Paul saith Rom. 8. the spirit of God beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The Papists to elude this reason alledge that it doth indeed witnesse our adoption by some comfortable feeling of Gods fauour toward vs which may often be mistaken whereof the Apostle warneth vs when he saith beleeue not euerie spirit but trie the spirits whether they be of God or no. 1. Iohn 4. But saith M. Perkins by their leaue the testimonie of the spirit is more then a bare feeling of Gods grace For it is called the pledge and earnest of Gods spirit in our hearts And therefore it takes away all doubting as in a bargaine the earnest giuen puts all out of question 1. Cor. 1. I answer first out of the place it selfe that there followeth a condition on our parts to be performed which M. Perkins thought wisedome to conceale For S. Paul saith that the spirit witnesseth with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and coheires of Christ with this condition If yet we suffer with him that we may be glorified with him So that the testimonie is not absolute but conditionall and then if we faile in performance of the condition God stands free of his promise and will take his earnest backe againe And so to haue receiued the earnest of it will nothing auaile vs much lesse assure vs of Saluation This is the direct answer to that place although the other be verie good that the testimonie of the spirit is but an inward comfort and ioy which breedeth great hope of Saluation but bringeth not assurance thereof This M. Perkins would refute by the authority of S. Bernard in the place before cited see the place and my answer there Epist 107. R. ABBOT To shew that the holy Ghost doth particularly testifie our adoption and Saluation and therefore that we are by faith to beleeue the same M. Perkins alledgeth the words of the Apostle a Rom. 8.15.16 We haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Which words so expresse and plaine might be sufficient to stoppe the mouthes of these brabling sophisters but that they measure the portion of Gods children by their owne carnall sence and conceipt and being destitute of true faith and of the spirit of God are no more fit to iudge hereof then blind men are to iudge of colours It is apparent that the faithfull haue a testimonie of the holy Ghost bearing witnesse with their spirit that
know not whether you haue any foundation to build vpon or any matter to build with you know not if you haue builded any thing whether the same be likely to stand or fall and what is this else but to be a foole As for vs we know that we must keepe his words that he commandeth vs to watch and pray to prepare oile to keepe our lamps burning and such like but these admonitions serue not to shake our faith but rather instruct and sharpen it They do not propound conditions for vs to performe to make vp the worke of God in vs but aduertisements and instructions what those lawes are whereof God hath said p Ierem. 31.33 I will put my lawes in their hearts q Ezech 36.27 and cause them to keepe my statutes faith being hereby moued to begge of God r August de spir lit ca. 13. Lege operaÌ„ dicit Deus fac quod iubeo lege fidei dicitur Deo Da quod iubes Ideo enim iubet lex vt admoneat quid faciat fides to giue what he commandeth and assured that he will to the end performe what he hath promised and seeing in his visitations and corrections his fatherly prouidence and care to effect the same whilest thereby he awaketh vs out of our security and causeth vs to make vse of the admonitions of holy Scripture to fight against the diuell and sinne and to exercise our selues in all godlinesse and vertue 20. W. BISHOP The fift and last reason is this The Papists teach assurance of hope Rom. 5. euen hence it followeth that he may be infallibly assured for the property of a true and liuely hope is neuer to make a man ashamed Answer Hope indeed of heauen makes a man most couragiously beare out all stormes of persecution and not to be ashamed of Christes Crosse but to professe his faith most boldly before the bloudy tyrants of the world our hearts being by charitie fortified and made inuincible And this is that which the Apostle teacheth in that place and saith before Ver. 2. that the faithfull glory in the hope of the sonnes of God and do not vaunt themselues of the Certaintie of their Saluation This Certaintie of hope is great in those that haue long liued vertuously specially when they haue also endured manifold losses much disgrace great wrongs and iniuries for Christes sake for he that cannot faile of his word hath promised to requite all such with an hundred fold But what is this to the Certaintie of faith which the Protestants will haue euerie man to be endued with at his first entrance into the seruice of God when as Saint Paul insinuateth Heb 6. that godly men partakers of the holie Ghost yea after they haue tasted the good word of God and the power of the world to come that is haue receiued besides faith great fauours of Gods spirit and felt as it were the ioyes of heauen haue after all this so fallen from God that there was small hope of their recouerie R. ABBOT This last reason taken from the doctrine of the Papists concerning hope I do not hold to haue bene fitly applied against them For with them as there is not that faith so neither is there that hope which the Scripture teacheth neither can they be said to teach assurance of hope who professedly deliuer that a man must alwaies stand in feare and doubt of that that he should hope for and that he hath no more but onely a probable opinion of any thing in himselfe whereof to conceiue hope Therefore the Councell of Trent saith that a Concil Trident. Sess 6. cap. 9. Sicut nemo pius de Dei miserecordia c. dubitare debet sic quilibet dum seipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem indispositionera respicit de sua gratiae formidare ac timere potest as no man may doubt of the mercie of God and of the merit of Christ so euery man whilest he considereth his owne infirmitie and vndisposednesse hath to stand in feare of his owne being in grace So Andradius affirmeth that their b Andrad Orthod explicat lib 6. sub finem Ita certa est spes vt semper cum metu dubitatione coniuncta sit copulata hope is alwaies ioined and coupled with feare and doubt not onely meaning that it is so but also that it ought so to be accordingly as Maister Bishop hath before deliuered though vntruly c Sect. 10. that there are aboue an hundred texts in holy writ whereby to proue that the faithfull must stand in feare of their owne Saluation The Certaintie of hope therefore that Maister Bishop nameth by occasion that it was named to him is nothing else indeed but meere vncertaintie it being a thing sencelesse to reckon a Certaintie where a man is bound to stand in feare So that their hope is but a conceit of selfe-seeming probability whereby they imagine that haply â— may be 〈◊〉 them but yet doubt least it be otherwise in 〈…〉 â—en vulgarly men talke of hope where they hau◠〈…〉 for that they hope But the hope which the Scâ—◠〈…〉 of is another matter importing a patient and 〈…〉 of that that we beleeue we shall receiue 〈…〉 the promises of God concerning forgiuenesse 〈…〉 â—â—â—erning our blisse and happinesse to come It 〈…〉 God vndoubtedly will make good whatsoeuer he 〈…〉 â—sed but as yet we see not the effect and performaâ—â—â—â—ereof Hope therefore expecteth and waiteth looking 〈◊〉 the Lord to reueale his righteousnesse and to make the truth 〈◊〉 his word and promise fully to appeare and in this expectation is content with patience to beare the crosse and to endure the afflictions and troubles that are incident to the faith and profession of the name of Christ Thus saith Chrysostome that d Chrysost hom de fide spe charit Quiâ—quid fides credendo acquirit hoc spes sustinendo praesumit what faith getteth in beleeuing that hope presumeth of in enduring and suffering This hope therefore is not vncertaine and doubtfull but by the direction of faith fully resolueth of the accomplishment of that that it hopeth for It is not as Hilarie well noteth e Hilar. in Psa 64. Spem oporiet non ex mani esse praesâ—mptam ne magâ— sâ—t incerrâ—ruÌ„ praesumptio quam expectatio cognitorum a presuming of things vncertaine but an expectation of things knowne vnto vs. For that cause is it that Saint Paul saith that f Rom. 5.5 hope maketh not ashamed Which Maister Bishop not vnderstanding expoundeth as if the Apostle had said that it maketh a man not to be ashamed of the crosse of Christ but Saint Paul respected a further matter to signifie the infallible assurance and Certaintie of hope that it neuer putteth a man to shame it neuer giueth him occasion to be ashamed as hauing hoped for that whereof in the end he is deceiued g August in Psal 36. conc 2. Confunditur
queÌ„ fallit spes qui dicit quod sperabant non inueni He is ashamed saith Austine that faileth of his hope Who is put to shame but he that saith I haue not found that that I hoped for h Theodo in Rom cap. 5. They that hope saith Theodoret and are deceiued of their hope doe blush and are ashamed thereof Therefore saith Saint Austine i August in Psal 37. Certi samus de spe non est enim inceria spes nostra vt de illa dubitâ—mus We are certaine of our hope for our hope is not vncertaine that we should doubt thereof Yea so are we certaine thereof as that Saint Paul saith k Rom. 5.2 We reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God as being no lesse assured thereof then if we were alreadie in possession of it as l Sect. 15. ex Chrysâ—st in Rom hom 9. before I shewed that Chrysostome expoundeth that place farre otherwise then here Maister Bishop doth Which m Heb. 3.6 confidence and reioycing of hope groweth from that which the holy Ghost termeth n Cap. 10.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full assurance of faith whereby setting aside the respect of our owne impeachments of our selues we beleeue with Abraham o Rom. 4.18 vnder hope euen against hope resting vpon his promise who hath taken vpon him to be p 1. Pet. 2.25 the shepheard and Bishop of our soules and q Ephe. 3.20 is able to do exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs. Whereby as he hath alreadie wrought in vs the like great worke as r Cap. 1.20 he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead in that he hath Å¿ Cap. 2.5 raised vs vp being dead in trespasses and sinnes vnto the life of God so we rest t Phil. 1.6 perswaded that hauing begun this good worke in vs he will performe it good vntill the day of Iesus Christ u Bernard in Cant. ser 68. NoÌ„ est quòd iam quaeras quibus meritis speremus bona praesertiâ—â— cùm audias apud prophetam Non propter vos c. Neither is it for any man to aske saith Bernard vpon what merits we hope for this good seeing we heare by the Prophet x Ezech. 36.22 Not for your sakes but for mine owne sake will I do it saith the Lord. Now Maister Bishop admitting after his fashion an vncertaine Certaintie of hope demandeth What is this to the Certaintie of faith which the Protestants will haue euery man to be endued with at his first entrance into the seruice of God Where againe we see how pretily Maister Bishop can busie himselfe with a fether These termes of first entrance into the seruice of God are but the playing of his braine he would faine seeme to say something thereby when indeed he saith nothing For not onely at first entrance but in the whole continuance of the seruice of God he leaueth a man as a ship in a storme and hanging betwixt heauen and hell howsoeuer not doubting but that God for his part holdeth him fast to draw him to heauen yet still affrighted least himselfe should loose his hold and fall into hell nay not knowing whether he haue any hold of God or God of him because he cannot certainly know whether he haue any hope or charitie or repentance or praier which being seated in the darke corners of the will cannot otherwise then probably be discerned But as touching his question what is Certaintie of hope to Certaintie of faith I answer him that being truly vnderstood it maketh much to the prouing of it For hope goeth not beyond faith because as I haue said hope is but the patient waiting for that which faith beleeueth we shall haue What faith doth not assure vs we shall haue we cannot by hope expect and looke for There can therefore be no Certaintie of hope but it must presuppose a Certaintie of faith assuring vs of obtaining what we must hope for But saith Maister Bishop Saint Paul insinuateth that godly men partakers of the holie Ghost and hauing tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come yet after all this haue fallen awâ—y from God But I answer him that he saith more of them then Saint Paul did for he calleth them not godly men though haply for the time they seemed to be so Men may be partakers of the temporarie gifts of the holie Ghost and may tast of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come as Iudas did while he was yet an Apostle of whom notwithstanding in the middest of these gifts our Sauiour said that y Iohn 6.70 he was a diuell The like is to be said of them who shall say at that day z Math. 7.22 Lord haue not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out diuels and done many miracles who yet in the meane while as our Sauiour signifieth haue bene workers of iniquitie And what lesse can we say of Balaam who in the spirit saw so much concerning the state and hope of the people of God as made him enamoured thereon and to cry out a Numb 23.10 Let my soule die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like vnto his b Ver. 21. he seeth no iniquitie in Iacob neither doth he see any transgression in Israel c Cap. 24.5 how goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thy habitations O Israel who notwithstanding bewraied himselfe to haue a wicked heart bewitched with couetousnesse willing for mony to haue cursed the people whom the Lord directed him to blesse Men may haue great gifts and much reuelation and knowledge of the way of truth and be touched farre with the conceipt of that they know who yet are void of true faith and regeneration of the heart and therefore in the end because d Mat. 13.21 they haue no roote doe certainly fall and slide away Whose fall because they neuer truly stood though they seemed so to doe is not to impeach or weaken the assurance of them to whom God hath giuen by true faith to stand indeede As for that which Maister Bishop saith of such that they haue receiued faith and great fauours of the spirit c. it is but his owne commentarie and we accordingly regard it He affirmeth of their faith that which the Apostle affirmeth not and though they receiued some fauours of the spirit yet they neuer found the fauour to receiue him as e Ephes 1.14 an earnest vnto them of the heauenly inheritance or by him to be f Cap. 4 30. sealed vnto the day of redemption which if they had they should neuer being once sealed haue bene vnsealed againe because in this respect g Rom. 11.29 the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and neuer subiect to any change CHAPTER 4. OF IVSTIFICATION 1. W. BISHOP
Christiani fonteâ— iustitiae ha erirâ— tenentuâ— inâ—eniunt la â—c m toxicatum How can water both sweet and salt flow out of one fountaine Where Christians are bound to draw at the fountaine of iustice there they find a poysoned brooke It made me call to mind the good vsage and behauiour of the Spaniards in the west Indies where by their extreme villanies and cruelties they haue made the name of Christian religion to stinke amongst those poore and vnbeleeuing soules It made me consider the humilitie and deuotion and great vertue that the Iesuits and Seculars bewrayed the one of the other in the late contentions that were amongst them It put me in mind of the morall and modest conuersation of Weston the Iesuite and his fellows in hunting the diuell in Sara Williams and many pretie trickes about that matter Surely M. Bishop if the faith and religion which we professe did bring forth such vgly monsters as your Popes haue bene or did nourish such execrable villanies and filtheries as are practised amongst you we might iustly grow suspicious of it But thankes be to God that though our fruits be not such as they ought to be yet the face and state of our Church and common wealth is such as that we may boldly tell you that it is not for a harlot to compare with an honest matrone nor for you to make comparison betwixt vs and you 19. W. BISHOP The second difference in the manner of iustification is about the formall act of faith which M. Perkins handleth as it were by the way cuttedly I will be as short as he the matter not being great The Catholikes teach as you haue heard out of the Councell of Trent in the beginning of this question that many acts of faith feare hope and charity do go before our iustification preparing our soule to receiue into it from God through Christ that great grace M. Perkins Doctor like resolueth otherwise That faith is an instrument created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnesse for his iustification This ioyly description is set downe without any other probation then his owne authoritie that deliuered it and so let it passe as alreadie sufficiently confuted And if there needed any other disproofe of it I might gather one more out of his owne explication of it where he saith that the couenant of grace is communicated vnto vs by the word of God and by the Sacraments For if faith created in our hearts be the onely sufficient supernaturall instrument to apprehend that couenant of grace then there needs no Sacraments for that purpose and consequently I would faine know by the way how little infants that cannot for want of iudgement and discretion haue any such act of faith as to lay hold on Christ his iustice are iustified Must we without any warrant in Gods word contrarie to all experience beleeue that they haue this act of faith before they come to any vnderstanding R. ABBOT By those acts of faith feare hope charitie going before iustification the Councell of Trent doth expresly consort it selfe with Pelagius the heretike This faith feare hope charitie we must know not to be the effects or workes of any infused grace which before iustification is none but they are the proper actes of mans free will onely assisted by some externall or outward grace as they by collusion call it which as I haue shewed before in the question of a Sect. 5. Free will Pelagius the heretike affirmed and graunted as well as they But hereby they directly crosse the rule of S. Austine that b August de fide oper cap. 14. Sequuntâ—r iustificatum â—on praecedunt iustificandum good workes follow in a man being iustified but they go not before iustification He saith they do not go before they say they do go before onely they are not properly meritorious Meritorious they are also c Bellarm de iustific lib. 1. ca 17. Fides suo quodaÌ„ modo meretur remissioneÌ„ peccatorum in some sort but not properly meritorious ex condigno as the new faith hope and charitie are in the iustified man Let the Reader well obserue it that there is one faith hope and charitie before iustification another faith hope and charitie infused when a man is iustified But of that we shall heare more anone Here the speciall matter is as touching M. Perkins his description of faith to be an instrument supernaturall created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnesse for his iustification This M. Bishop saith is set downe without anie proofe and is alreadie sufficiently confuted but where Surely we haue seene much for proofe on M. Perkins side but M. Bishops confutation yet we haue not seene Yea where M. Perkins did notably demonstrate this act of faith out of the Gospell M. Bishop passed it ouer without anie further answer but onely to say d Chap. 3. sect 16 He might be ashamed to vse this discourse to vs who admit no part of it to be true in which sort he might easily answer any thing that he list not to admit for truth But what is it that he would haue to be proued For that faith is an instrument to apprehend and receiue it is plaine because it is e Aug. in Ioan. tract 50. Quomodo tenebo absentem quomodo in coelum manuÌ„ mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam fidem mitte tenuisti the hand which we stretch to heauen to take hold of Christ and to hold him sitting there it is the mouth whereby we eate and drinke Christ because f Ibid. tract 26. Qui credit manducat to beleeue is to eate it is the stomach wherby we digest him for g Tertul. de resur carn fide digerendus he is to be digested by faith it is h Bernard in Cant. ser 32. In bonis Domini quatenus fiduciae pedem pâ—rrexeris eatenus possidebis the foot wherby we enter possession of the benefites of Christ and possesse so farre as we stretch the same it is i Idem in Annunc ser 3. Dominus oleum misericordâ—ae nisi in vase fiduciae non ponit the vessell whereinto God putteth the oyle of his mercy k Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 33. Fide illum accipimus By faith saith Austin we receiue Christ it is l Ambros in Psâ—l 43. Fidei tactus est quo tangitur Christus by faith saith Ambrose that we touch Christ and m Cyprian lib. 2. epist 2. Quatum fidei capacâ— afferimus tantum gratiae inundanin haurimus looke how much faith we bring to receiue saith Cyprian so much we draw of the abundant grace of God This being plaine the question then must be of the thing that is to be receiued Now the thing to be receiued is the thing wherby we are to be iustified The thing whereby
Iustification as M. Perkins saith we make but one but yet we make degrees of sanctification not euill worse and worst as this cauiller fondly dreameth but good and better and best according to the measure of Gods spirit bestowed vpon vs but yet so as that to the good better and best that is in this life there cleaueth a blemish and staine which would cause the worke to be condemned but that it is graciously accepted and the imperfection thereof mercifully pardoned for Christes sake as shall appeare in the handling of that matter He calleth the affirming of one iustification perfect at first and not after to be lost an absurd position but it is not absurd but to absurd men to whom the truth it selfe is absurd There is in the sight of God but one iustification onely by faith in Christ vnder the couerture whereof we stand thenceforth acceptable vnto God both in our persons and in our workes of obedience vnto euerlasting life In that sence as to present vs iust before God there is no other iustification That that is further is but declaratiua a iustification so called whereby we are iustified and declared to be iustified men The true iustification properly so called cannot be lost because a Rom. 8.30 whom God iustifieth he also glorifieth nor increased because the righteousnesse of Christ is alwaies vniforme and alike By this righteousnesse being the same to all all are equally righteous but by the different grace of sanctification in inherent righteousnesse some are more righteous some lesse and if Iouinian maintained the contrary he erred and therefore those Fathers whom M. Bishop citeth do not course vs at all but say the same that we do and we that they neither is it any other but his grosse ignorance so absurdly to mistake one thing for another We say that there is equality of righteousnesse in one respect and he bringeth the Fathers affirming against Iouinian what we cōfesse that there is difference of righteousnesse in another respect According to that former righteousnesse by imputation of the merit and obedience of Christ a man is as righteous the first day of his conuersion as he is in the end of his life howsoeuer as touching sanctification and inherent righteousnesse he grow much and therin be renewed from day to day 36. W. BISHOP First that of the Reuelations Let him that is iust be yet iustified or as your text hath it He that is righteous Cap. 22. let him be more righteous and that of feare not to be iustified euen vntill death Eccles 18. do conuince that there are more iustifications then one and that a man may increase in iustification and righteousnesse vntill death Which is confirmed where it is said That the path of a iust man proceedeth Prou. 4. as the light doth vntill it be perfect day which is degrees more and more And S. Paule teacheth the same where he saith to men that giue almes plentifully That God will multiply their seed 2. Cor. 9. and augment the increases of the fruites of their iustice Further S. Iames doth most effectually proue this increase of righteousnesse and the second iustification in these words Abraham our father was he not iustified by workes Cap. 2. offering Isaac his sonne vpon the altar That he speaketh of the second iustification is euident for Abraham was iustified before Isaac was borne as it is most manifest by the Scripture it selfe and by that heroicall act of not sparing his onely and intirely beloued Sonne his iustice was much augmented Gen. 15. Rom. 4. And the Apostle himselfe seemeth to haue foreseene all our aduersaries cauillation and to haue so long before preuented them First that common shift of theirs that this worke was a signe or the fruite onely of his faith and no companion of it in the matter of iustification is formally confuted for the holy Ghost speaking distinctly of both his faith and worke and ioyning them both in this act of iustification attributeth the better part of it vnto his worke thus Seest thou that faith did worke with his workes and by the workes the faith was consummate and made perfect Which he doth after fitly declare by a similitude comparing faith to the body and good works to the soule which giue life and lustre to faith otherwise faith is of litle value and estimation with God Which S. Paule also teacheth at large among other speeches including this That if he should haue all faith 1. Cor. 13. and wanted charitie he were nothing And comparing faith and charitie together defineth expresly that charitie is the greater vertue which charitie is the fountaine of all good workes And so by this preferring these works of charity before faith he doth stop the other starting hole of the Protestants that Abraham forsooth was iustified before God by onely faith but was declared iust before men by his works For if God esteeme more of charity then of our faith a man is more iustified before God by charity then by faith Againe in the very place where this noble fact is recorded to shew how acceptable it was to God himselfe it is said in the person of God Gen. 22. Now I know that thou louest me and to conuince all obstinate cauilling is it not said that his faith did in this very fact cooperate with his workes and that the worke made his faith perfect which coniunction of both of them together doth demonstrate that he speaketh of his iustification before God adding also That he was therefore called the friend of God which could not haue bene if thereby he had bene onely declared iust before men and thus doth S. Augustine reconcile the two places of the Apostles S. Paul and S. Iames which seeme contrary S. Paul saying that a man is iustified by faith without workes and S. Iames that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely That S. Paul speaketh of works which go before faith such as we of our owne forces without the helpe of grace are able to do and such he saith not to deserue our first iustification But S. Iames disputeth of workes which follow faith and issue out of our soules now garnished will grace and such he holdeth vs to be iustified by Lib. 83. Quest q. 76. Ser. 16. de verb. Apost that is made more and more iust See the place He saith directly that we are iustified and that this iustice doth increase whiles it doth proceede and profit R. ABBOT The exhortation of S. Iohn is that he that hath walked in righteousnesse and innocencie and thereby approoued his profession of the faith of Christ should still continue his course and go forward to iustifie and approoue himselfe to the consciences of all men by the same vertuous and godly life The words haue their reference to outward conuersation iustification is to be vnderstood of the same that S. Iames speaketh of and that is before men and in
they do not fulfil all and M. Bishop saith of them whom he nameth that they did fulfill all The Pelagians alledged amongst others Zacharie and Elizabeth as M. Bishop doth because it is said of theÌ„ h Luk. 1.6 Both were iust before God and walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reproofe S. Austin answereth them i Aug. contra Pelag. Celest lib. 1. cap 48. Dictum est quantuÌ„ mihi videtur secundum quandaÌ„ inter homines conuersationem probabilem atque laudabilem quaÌ„ nullus hominum iustè posset in accusationis criminationis querelam vocare Quam proptereà in conspectu Dei habuâ—sse referuntur quia in ea homines nulla dissimulatione fallebant sed vt apparebant homi nibus ita noti erant oculis Dei It is spoken as seemeth to me as touching a commendable and prayse-worthy conuersation amongst men which no man could iustly caâ— into quarrell of accusation or crime Which therefore they are said to haue had before God because they therein did not deceiue men by any dissimulation but as they appeared to men so they were knowne to the eyes of God Therefore he maketh of that which was said of them no more but that which the Apostle saith of himselfe k Phil. 3.6 As touching the righteousnesse of the law I was vnrebukable when as yet he was not called to the grace of Christ l Aug. de pecca mer. remiss lib. 2. cap. 13. Quid de illis laudabile dictuÌ„ est quod non in eo comprehendatur quod de se Apostolus cùm in Christum non dum credidisset professus est c. What commendable thing is spoken of theÌ„ saith he which is not comprehended in that which the Apostle professed of himselfe when as yet he had not beleeued in Christ that according to the righteousnesse that is in the law he was without reproofe m Oros Apolog de arbit libert Sine crimine dici quenquam sine querela non est perfectionis testimonium sed conuersationis ezemplum In being said in the Scripture to be without crime or reproofe saith Orosius is not imported a testimonie of perfection but an example of conuersation It is manifest therefore that that which is written concerning them is not to be drawne to the auouching of that fulfilling of the lawe which M. Bishop here defendeth for iustification before God Yea and it is further to be noted that Zachary was a Priest and the Priests manner was n Heb. 7.27 first to offer sacrifice for his owne sinnes then for the peoples Zachary therefore offered sacrifice for his owne sins But o 1. Ioh. 3.4 sinne is the transgression of the law if Zachary then were a transgressor of the lawe it is false that Master Bishop saith that he fulfilled the whole lawe Still therefore it standeth good against all subuerters of truth as touching the morall lawe that in respect of iustificatioÌ„ it is a yoke which neither Iosue nor Dauid nor Iosias nor Zachary and Elizabeth nor any of those others whom M. Bishop meaneth haue bene able to beare and therefore we haue nothing to rest vpon but onely the faith of Iesus Christ to be iustified in him 40. W. BISHOP Rom. 7. To will is in me but I find not how to performe If S. Paule could not performe that which he would how can others Answer He speakes there of auoyding all euill motions and temptations which he would willingly haue done but he could not marry he could well by the assistance of Gods grace subdue those prouocations to sinne and make them occasions of vertue and consequently keepe all the commandements not suffering those passions to leade him to the breach of any one of them The like answer we make vnto that obiection that one of the ten commandements forbids vs to couet our neighbors goods his wife or seruants which as they say is vnpossible but we hold that it may be well done vnderstanding the commandement rightly which prohibiteth not to haue ill motions of couetousnesse and lecherie but to yeeld our consent vnto them Now it is so possible for a man by Gods grace to refraine his consent from such wicked temptations that S. Augustine thinketh it may be done of a mortified vertuous man Lib. 10. conf cap. 7. euen when he is asleepe and testifieth of himselfe that waking he performed it R. ABBOT M. Bishop hath a good facility in propounding our arguments but he hath very ill hap in answering of them S. Paule would willingly haue auoyded all euill motions saith he but he could not Therefore say we he could not fulfill the lawe He could subdue those prouocations to sinne saith he and not suffer them to lead him to the breach of any of the commandements For what is it whereof the Apostle saith as is alledged a Rom. 7 18. To will is present with me but I find not how to performe that that is good It is euen the commaundement whereof he hath said before b Ver. 12. The commandement is holy and iust and good for instance whereof and clearer euidence he setteth downe the commandement c Ver. 7. Thou shalt no lust which he still prosecuteth vnder the name of good Paul then confesseth that though he had a will to keepe and fulfill the law and namely the commandement Thou shalt not lust yet he could not find meanes to attain to that perfection and why then doth M. Bishop attribute to him the keeping of all the commandements so as not to be led to the breach of any one of them d August de nupt concup lib. 1. cap. 27. Lex non vult vt concupiscam quae dicit Non concupisces ego nolo coÌ„cupiscere Concupiscere nolebat tamen concupiscebat The law would haue him not to lust in that it saith Thou shalt not lust and he was willing not to lust but yet he did lust how then should we say that he did fulfill the law If the law forbid euil motions and prouocations and it is not possible for vs to auoid them or to free our selues from them it must follow that it is not possible for vs to fulfill the law But we forsooth do not vnderstand the commandement rightly which M. Bishop telleth vs doth not prohibit euill motions of couetousnesse and lecherie but onely consent vnto them So then the law saith Thou shalt not lust but M. Bishop saith Yes thou maist lust without any sinne but thou maist not consent vnto thy lust But farre otherwise S. Austin saith that e Idem Epist 200. In iustitia nondum consummata perseueranter proficientes ad eius consummationem quandoque veniemus vbi peccati concupiscentia non cohibenda atque fraenanda sed nulla sit Hoc enim posuit lex dicendo Non coÌ„cupisces the law in saying Thou shalt not lust doth set downe that there shall be no
euer they were endued with true faith The next of his arguments is taken from the man that came to the wedding n Math. 22.11 not hauing on a wedding garment This argument he handleth very learnedly First he saith that this man had faith which because he knew we would denie therefore for proofe thereof he addeth that else he had not bene admitted to the table which signifieth the sacraments But this needeth as much proofe as all the rest nay it cannot be prooued at all For men are admitted to the sacraments by men and they are admitted for profession of faith when they that admit them cannot tell whether they haue faith or not For as Hilary saith o Hilar. in Mat. ca. 22. In fallendis hominibus plurimum artis solet habere simulatio Et paulò post Humana simplicitas difficilè fraudulentiam simulatae mentis intelligit hypocrisie is wont to vse much art to deceiue men and humane simplicity hardly perceiueth the fraud of a dissembling mind Many pretend that which is not in them and make profession of faith with the mouth when in the heart they haue no faith at all p Aug. in Psal 7. Postquam in tanto culmine nomen coepit esse ChristianuÌ„ creuit hypocrisis id est simulatio eorum qui nomine Christiano malunt hominibus placere quà m Deo Since the name of Christianity hath begun to be in so high regard the hypocrisie of men hath increased that is the dissembling of them who by bearing the name of Christians regard more to please men then God Now sith all these are admitted to the sacraments and yet q 2. Thess 3.2 Tho. Aqui. ibid. Licet videantur habere eam non tamen habent veram all haue not faith it followeth not that because men are admitted to the sacraments therefore they haue faith nay it is a very ridiculous and childish proofe Wherefore as it is said that this man wanted charity so we say that he wanted also faith and so M. Bishop is become as wise a man as he was before Let him then expound the wedding garment to be charity it shall hurt vs nothing For we will answer him that he wanted the wedding garment of charity because he wanted faith for had he had true faith he should also haue had loue because r Gal. 5.6 faith worketh by loue But the wedding garment is as well faith as loue It is indeed Iesus Christ himselfe of whom the Apostle saith Å¿ Rom. 13.14 Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and againe t Gal. 3.27 so many as are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ Him we put on first by faith thereby making him ours and applying to our selues the benefit of his redemption that appearing before God in the scarlet garment of his obedience to bloudshed death we may by forgiuenes of sinnes be accepted for his sake thenceforth the residue of our spirituall attire may be put vpon vs whilest in putting on Christ we put on u Ephe. 4.24 the new man which according to God is created in righteousnes holinesse of truth whilest we x Col. 3.12 put on the bowels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of mind meekenesse long suffering whilest by growing and increasing we are still y 1. Thess 5.8 putting on the brestplate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet Thus Chrysostome truly and rightly saith that z Chrysost Op. imperf hom 44. Nuptiale vestimentum est fides veraquae est per Iesum Christum iustitia eiuâ— c. the wedding garment is true faith which is by Iesus Christ and the righteousnesse thereof or his righteousnesse And thus Ferus one of M. Bishops owne Doctors hath taught vs that the wedding garment which is Christ is put on two manner of waies a Perus in Mat. cap. 22. Primo internè per fideÌ„ cum peccatu tuis superinduu Christi iustitiaÌ„ c. Deinâ—e cùm externè charitatem eius aemulaeris first inwardly by faith when vpon our sinnes we put on his righteousnesse then outwardly when we imitate his loue The place which he alledgeth out of the Reuelation containeth nothing to the contrary b Apoc. 19.8 The fine linnen wherewith the bride and spouse of Christ is araied is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesses of Saints for so is the word in the plurall number Here is then first c Rom. 4.5.11 the righteousnesse of faith fully perfect in the bloud of Christ by the imputation of his obedience and merits and secondly the righteousnesse of good works and inward conformity vnto God begun in this life and fully to be perfected at the resurrection of the dead when Christ shall make his Church d Ephe. 5.27 a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but to be holy and without blame But the exception which he maketh why faith can be no part of this wedding garment is worthy to be noted He hath before told vs that the wedding supper importeth the Sacraments the vse whereof is onely in this life and here saith that faith cannot be the wedding garment because faith remaineth not after this life How many mile to London a poke full of plummes But howsoeuer that be his wisedome might conceiue that since the last iudgement dependeth respectiuely vpon that that hath bene precedent in this life therefore as with him the righteousnesse and good workes of the Saints which they haue wrought here are their wedding garment for the last day so we may also truly say that the faith whereby in this life we beleeue in Christ shall be our wedding garment then when as Saint Peter saith e 1. Pet 1â— we shall receiue the end of our faith which is the saluation of our soules He alledgeth Hierome for his purpose very falsly or at leastwise very vainely The words of Hierome are these f Hieron in Math. cap. 22 Vestis nuptialis praecepta sunt Domini opera quae complentur ex lege EuaÌ„gelio nouique hominis efficiunt vestimentum The wedding garment are the commandements of the Lord and the workes which are made vp of the law and the Gospell and do make the garment of the new man Why doth he alledge these words to exclude faith froÌ„ being a part of the wedding garment when as one of the commandements of the Lord as S. Iohn telleth vs is this g 1. Iohn 3.23 that we beleeue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ when as h Iohn 6.29 this is the worke of God as our Sauiour saith that is a worke that God hath commaunded and wherein he is pleased that we beleeue in him whom he hath sent when as the workes that are made vp of the law and the Gospell consist not onely in charitie but in faith also I stand not vpon the rest of the testimonies which he bringeth for
and loue to preferre the seruice of Christ before all the glory of this world Albeit it is not to be omitted that S. Iohn somtime following the Hebrew phrase vseth the terme of beleeuing in Christ abusiuely applying it to them who by the miracles of Christ and his manifest declaration of the truth were conuicted in conscience to acknowledge him to be of God but yet did not at all in their hearts submit themselues vnto him Thus he saith in another place that y Ioh. 2.23 many beleeued in the name of Christ when they saw his miracles which he did to whom yet he did not commit himselfe because he knew what was in them Thus might it be said of some of those chiefe rulers that they beleeued in Christ that is were perswaded in their minds that he spake the truth but yet preferring their credit and reputatiō with men gaue no regard vnto it But that there is another manner of beleeuing in Christ which is that wherof we speake not incident to them who cōtinue wholy possessed with such respects Christ himself sheweth saying z Ioh. 5.44 How can ye beleeue which receiue honor one of another seek not the honor that cometh of God alone They might therfore in some meaning be said to beleeue in Christ when yet they had no true faith which as appeareth by these words cannot be separated from loue and seeking of the honour that cometh of God alone which wheresoeuer it is begun beginneth to looke vnto God and winding by degrees out of all other regards yeeldeth it selfe entirely to follow him Therfore the distinction of faith being obserued which the Scripture it selfe enforceth vpon vs M. Bishop hath yet alledged nothing to proue that true faith and charitie may be diuided or that any man may be said truly to beleeue in whom there is not also loue to righteousnesse and good works 51. W. BISHOP Cap. 2. 5 This place of S. Iames What shall it profit my brethren if any man say that he hath faith but hath not works what shall his faith be able to saue supposeth very plainly that a man may haue faith without good workes that is without charitie but that it shall auaile him nothing Caluin saith that the Apostle speakes of a shadow of faith which is a bare knowledge of the articles of our Creed but not a iustifying faith Without doubt he was litle acquainted with that kind of faith by which Protestants be iustified but he directly speakes of such a faith as Abraham was iustified by saying That that faith did worke with his works and was made perfect by the workes Was this but a shadow of faith But they reply that this faith is likened vnto the faith of the Diuell and therefore cannot be a iustifying faith that followeth not for an excellent good thing may be like vnto a bad in some things as Diuels in nature are not onely like but the very same as Angels be euen so a full Christian faith may be well likened vnto a Diuels faith when it is naked and voyd of good works in two points first in both there is a perfect knowledge of all things reuealed secondly this knowledge shall not stead them any whit but only serue vnto their greater condemnation because that knowing the will of their master they did it not And in this respect S. Iames compareth them together now there are many points wherein these faiths do differ but this one is principall that Christians out of a godly and deuout affection do willingly submit their vnderstanding vnto the rules of faith beleeuing things aboue humane reason yea such as seeme sometimes contrary to it But the diuell against his will beleeues all that God hath reuealed because by his naturall capacitie he knowes that God cannot teach nor testifie any vntruth Againe that faith may be without charitie is proued out of these words of the same 2. chapter Euen as the body without the spirit is dead so also faith without works is dead Hence thus I argue albeit the body be dead without the soule yet it is a true natural body in it selfe euen so faith is perfect in the kind of faith although without charity it auaile not to life euerlasting Lastly in true reason it is manifest that faith may be without charity for they haue seuerall seates in the soule one being in the will and the other in the vnderstanding they haue distinct obiects faith respecting the truth of God and charity the goodnesse of God Neither doth faith necessarily suppose charity as charity doth faith for we cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard Neither yet doth charity naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnes of God and of his benefits and loue towards vs into which good and deuout considerations few men do enter in comparison of them who are led into the broad way of iniquity through their inordinate passions This according to the truth and yet more different in the Protestants opinion for faith layes hold on Christs righteousnes receiues that in but charity can receiue nothing in as M. Perkins witnesseth Pa. 85. but giues it selfe forth in all duties of the 1. and 2. Table Now sir if they could not apply vnto themselues Christs righteousnes without fulfilling all duties of the 1. and 2. Table they should neuer apply it to them for they hold it impossible to fulfill all those duties so that this necessary lincking of charity with faith maketh their saluation not only very euill assured but altogether impossible for charity is the fulnesse of the law which they hold impossible Rom. 12. and then if the assurance of their saluation must needs be ioyned with such an impossibility they may assure themselues that by that faith they can neuer come to saluation R. ABBOT That faith may be without charitie and good workes it is true and we doubt not thereof according to the meaning of faith of which S. Iames speaketh which Caluin very iustly and rightly saith is but a shadow of faith For it plainely appeareth by the text that he speaketh of faith as only professed before men as before hath bene alledged Therefore he compareth it a Iam. 2.16 to the good words of him that wisheth wel to the poore man but doth nothing at all for him To this tendeth his question b Ver. 14. What auaileth it though a man say that he hath faith and his other demand c Ver. 18. shew me thy faith The vttermost that he extendeth it to by instance is a meere historicall faith d Ver. 19. Thou beleeuest that there is one God His purpose is to shew that faith if it be truly professed hath a root within from whence spring by obedience the fruites of al good workes and if it giue not foorth it selfe by workes it is no true faith Whereas M. Bishop saith that S. Iames speaketh directly of such a faith as Abraham was iustified
by he saith very vntruly and absurdly for S. Iames bringeth the example of the true and liuely and workfull faith of Abraham as opposite to that idle and dead faith concerning which he propounded that question of faith and workes Yea of Abrahams faith he sheweth that it was said e Ver. 23. Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse which was neuer said of any man for saying that he had faith for beleeuing that there is one God for that faith that consisteth onely in profession before men Now the faith of Abraham which f Ver. 22. wrought with his workes and was made perfect by his workes g Beda in Epist Iac. cap. 2. that is saith Beda was proued by the performance of workes to be perfect in his heart this faith of Abraham I say is it whereby the Protestants hope to be iustified in the sight of God as Abraham was because h Rom 4.23 it was not written for him onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed beleeuing in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead We alledge further that the faith whereof S. Iames speaketh is likened to the faith of diuels and therefore that it cannot be the same with that which the Scripture nameth for a iustifying faith M. Bishop answereth that that followeth not and for auouching thereof maketh Abrahams faith not onely the same with the faith of hypocrites and false Christians but also with the faith of diuels He would qualifie the matter in shew but in truth maketh no difference An excellent good thing may be like vnto a bad in some things saith he True but yet the bad cannot be like the good in that wherin standeth the goodnesse and excellencie of the good Now he maketh the Hypocrites faith if we consider the very act of faith the same that Abrahams faith was which was reputed vnto him for righteousnesse and for which the Scripture setteth him foorth as an excellent patterne of faith to be followed of all beleeuers But to auoyde the odiousnesse hereof he sophisticateth the matter and so much as in him lyeth blindeth his reader They are like saith he in two points where in the first point he comprehendeth the fulnes and perfection of that which he calleth Catholike and Christian faith consisting as here absurdly he saith in the perfect knowledge of all things reuealed as if euery one that hath their Catholike faith haue the perfect knowledge of all things reuealed but as more plainly he hath deliuered his mind before i Sect. 18. in beleeuing all to be true that God hath reuealed No more is there in Abrahams faith if we keepe within the compasse of the nature of faith no lesse in the diuell the same in euery Catholike Christian and so the diuel is become a Catholike whether he wil or not Come on M. Bishop rid vs of this doubt for we cannot find by you but that the diuell by Catholike faith is become a Catholike He goeth on Secondly this knowledge shal not steed them any whit But that is nothing to the very nature of faith whether is steede or not steed The essence act of faith whether it steed or not steed is no more but this to beleeue generally all to be true which God hath reuealed and therefore whether with good works or without the faith of the Catholike Christian in the act of faith is no other but the diuels faith Now albeit he say that these faiths differ in many points yet of those many he nameth but onely one and that nothing to the purpose For if he will shew a difference of faith betwixt Christians and diuels he must take it from faith it selfe and not from those things which to the nature of faith are meerely accidentall Christians saith he out of a godly and deuout affection do willingly submit their vnderstanding to the rules of faith But this is not to make a difference but to adde charity vnto faith This godly and deuout affection and willing submission is an act of charity and not of faith an act of the wil and affection wherein charity is seated not of the vnderstanding wherin he saith is the seat of faith And in this affection and submission faith it selfe still is no more then it was before to beleeue all to be true that God hath reuealed The diuel then still pleadeth for himselfe that if the Catholike faith which M. Bishop hath described do make a Catholike there is no reason to except against him for being a Catholike because he beleeueth all to be true which God hath reuealed Or if he wil say that true Christian faith doth alwaies actually necessarily imply this godly deuout affection and willing submission of the vnderstanding to the rules of faith then because this cannot be without charity let him grant the question let vs trauell no further about this point but let him say as we say that the true Christiā faith wherby it is said we are iustified cā neuer be separate frō charity good works Thus he casteth himself into he knoweth not what Labyrinths mazes cannot tell how to get out How much better were it for to acknowledge the simple and plaine truth of God then to intricate himselfe in these perplexities wherin he can find no place to stand secure But yet out of the words of S. Iames As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead he will further prooue that faith may be without charitie and yet perfect in the kind of faith Now this is it that hath bene said that in the kind of faith considering faith intirely in it selfe he maketh Abrahams faith and the diuels faith to be all one As touching the words of S. Iames sufficient hath bene said before If faith be considered as outwardly professed to men as he intendeth it good workes are the life of faith If it be considered as it is inward in the heart to God good workes cannot be the life thereof because that which is without cannot giue life to that that is within Whereas he turneth workes into charitie he playeth the Sophister for it is one thing to talke of charitie another thing to talke of workes the one being in habite the other in act the one inward the other outward the one the tree the other the fruite the one the spring the other the streame But letting this passe as handled before let vs see how he argueth from the place of Iames Albeit the body be dead without the soule yet is it a true naturall body in it selfe But that is not true for a true naturall body is that onely which hath the true members and parts of a naturall bodie which a dead bodie hath not k Arist Polit. lib. 1. cap. 1 When the body is dead saith Aristotle there shall be neither foote nor hand but onely by
semblance of name as a man tearmeth a hand of stone for in like sort is a dead hand for all parts of the bodie are defined by their office and facultie Therefore when they lye dead they are not the same but retaine onely the shew and shadow of the name The argument therefore must be turned against himselfe that as the dead body is not a true naturall bodie but onely by equiuocation is so called euen so a dead faith is no true faith but onely by equiuocation for some semblance to men it carieth the shew and shadow of the name of faith Yet he will not so giue ouer but as hauing set the stocke vpon it he will winne it in this period or else he will loose all Indeed he is like a sheepe tangled in the briars the more he struggleth and striueth the faster he tyeth himself He saith that faith charity haue seueral seats in the soule faith in the vnderstanding and charity in the will But that is not so for as hath bene before said true and vnfained faith which the Scripture commendeth for iustification is a mixt action of the vnderstanding and will Yea the Apostle expresly placeth faith in the heart which is the seate of the affections l Rom. 10.10 With the heart saith he man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse If thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued No maruell that M. Bishop cannot tell what true faith is who knoweth no other faith but onely a faith of the head consisting in speculatiue fancies and imaginations of the braines and descending no lower then the tongue whereas the Apostle speaketh of a faith of the heart a feeling faith which by feeling gathereth to it the affection and will which is not onely an act of knowledge and vnderstanding as M. Bishop dreameth but implieth an affecting desiring embracing seeking of that which it beleeueth a ioying and reuiuing of it selfe therein So I alledged before out of Oecumenius that the faith whereof Saint Paul speaketh is not a bare assent as is the faith of diuels and M. Bishops Catholike faith but m Oecumen in lac cap. 2 Consecutionem ex affectu procedentē hath some further consequence arising from the affection Againe they haue distinct obiects saith he faith respecting the truth of God and charitie the goodnesse of God Indeed the truth of God is the obiect of our faith but what is the matter of that truth but the promise of God concerning his goodnesse towards vs n Psal 27.13 I should vtterly haue fainted saith Dauid but that I beleeue verily to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing o Ferus in Mat. ca. 8. Fides quam Scriptura commendat nihil aliud est quà m fidere gratuita Dei miserecordia The faith saith Ferus which the Scripture cōmendeth is nothing els but to trust to the free mercie of God So then the goodnesse mercy of God is properly and truly the obiect of our faith Yea and how should the goodnesse of God be the obiect of our charitie but by being first the obiect of our faith For therefore do we loue the goodnesse of God or loue God for his goodnesse towards vs because first we beleeue the same neither can we so loue but by beleeuing For charitie consisting simply in affection apprehendeth nothing in God of it selfe but receiueth all from faith which is it as Chrysostome noteth p Chryso in Rom. hom 8. Conuenientem de Deo opinionē accipit whereby we conceiue a due and conuenient opinion concerning God Loue is not a reciprocall action the passage thereof is meerely from him that loueth to the thing that is loued Thus therefore it is in our loue to God but what we conceiue backe againe of him towards vs it is by faith and not by loue Yea M. Bishop himselfe verifieth this in that he saith We cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard For what is all our hearing but onely by beleeuing that which we heare First therefore we heare of Gods goodnesse his mercy his truth c. and by beleeuing that which we heare our affections are drawne vnto him First therfore all these are the obiects of our faith and consequently become the obiects of our loue His next difference is a meere begging of the question We say that faith though it do not presuppose charitie as a thing precedent yet alwayes supposeth and inferreth it as an immediate and necessary consequent For faith receiueth Christ q Ephes 3.17 to dwell in our hearts who commeth not but accompanied with grace and with the fruites of the spirit which alwayes grow and increase according to the increase and growth of faith Great faith hath feruent loue weaker faith hath weaker loue but alwayes hath a measure of loue answerable to it selfe Now by this that hath bene said it appeareth how vntruly M. Bishop saith for his last difference that charitie doth not naturally flow out of faith whereas indeed common sence in diuinitie doth instruct him that the original thereof is from thence and onely from thence For if we cannot loue God but by hearing beleeuing him to be that that he is then it is faith which setting God before vs such a one as he is wise mighty iust merciful louing and gracious vnto vs enamoreth our hearts and breedeth in vs affections correspondent to his grace neither is there any spark of loue but what ariseth from this ground Yea M. Bishop himselfe confesseth so much but that his wits are so besotted with his minion of Rome that he knoweth not what he saith Charitie saith he doth not naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnesse of God and of his benefites and loue towards vs. Which is as much as if he should say it doth not naturally flow out of faith but doth naturally flow out of faith For whence is this consideration of Gods goodnes c. but from faith Do we consider these things any otherwise but as by faith we first apprehend and beleeue the same It is faith as hath bene said which affecteth and seasoneth the hart with the sweet tast and feeling of those considerations and thereby allureth and draweth vs to love him of whom we haue receiued so great loue And for want of faith it is that it cometh to passe which M. Bishop to make vp his sentence impertinently complaineth of that few men enter into these good and deuout considerations yea he and his by oppugning and destroying true faith do helpe to draw men backe from considering of these things Now all that hitherto he hath sayd he telleth vs is according to the truth whereas indeede there is not a word true as hath appeared and if it had beene true yet he had gained nothing thereby because it followeth not that those things which are deuided in facultie and
is little worth but sure I am howsoeuer little worth it be it is more worth then his answer He setteth downe the words of S. Iohn according to his vulgar Latin but according to the true text they are thus f Ioh. 6.64 But there are some of you that beleeue not for Iesus knew from the beginning which they were that beleeued not and who should betray him Where when the Euangelist setting downe Christs words There are some of you which beleeue not inferreth as a reason of his speech for he knew who should betray him as if it had bene ioyntly There are some of you which beleeue not for one of you shall betray me doth he not plainly demonstrate that the betraying of him could not stand with beleeuing that he could not be a beleeuer that was to be the traitor For what reason were it to say he beleeued not for he was to betray him if he might beleeue yet betray him Whereas M. Bishop saith that faith hath not always fidelitie and loue ioyned with it he beggeth the question but that which he addeth of falling away from the faith as if Iudas hauing before beleeued were now relinquishing his faith beside that it is the begging of another point in question also it is excluded by the Euangelist in that he noted that Iesus knew from the beginning that Iudas beleeued not Which words from the beginning M. Bishop knowing that in the true reading of the text noted also in the margin of his vulgar Latin they would be preiudiciall to him thought it a point of wisedome to conceale But to speake of that faith which Iudas had he was not yet falling away from it he was yet an Apostle and a preacher of the faith and we see that others departing from Christ he still continued with him and gaue no outward token of vnbeleefe and without doubt little thought now of doing that which afterwards he did which the Euangelist expresly noteth that g Ioh. 13.2 the diuell did afterwards put into his heart But yet there is a truth of faith concerning which our Sauiour saith intending his speech specially of him There are some of you which beleeue not which is not incident to any child of perdition because it is Gods gift as our Sauiour at large in that chapter expresseth to them that h Ioh. 6.64.65 come vnto him by the same gift whom being come he neuer i Ver. 37. casteth away againe and therefore they neuer lose that which they haue receiued Thirdly he citeth for vs the words of Saint Iohn k 1. Ioh. 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyer and the truth is not in him From which place we argue that because faith alwayes implieth knowledge of that we beleeue so as that where there is no knowledge there is no faith nor can be it must needs follow that sith there is no knowledge of God where there is no keeping of the commaundements therefore where there is no keeping of the commaundements there is no faith Now by knowledge we vnderstand a true acknowledgement of that which we beleeue which is not a matter of bare l Thom. Aquâ—n 21. art 2. ad 2. Duplex est cognitio diuinae bonitatis vel voliitatis vna qâ—idem speculatiua c. Alta est affectiua siue experimentalis dum quis experitur in seipso gustum diuinae dulcedinis complecentiaÌ„ diuinae voluntatis c. speculation by verball apprehension such as wherby blind men talk of colours and home-dwellers discourse of forrein countries where they neuer came but an experimentall and approuing knowledge an effectuall and feeling knowledge to which because it is the knowledge of faith our Sauiour attributeth eternal life when he saith * Ioh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent m Col. 3.10 by which the Apostle saith that the new man is renewed according to the image of him that created him In which latter place we are to obserue that it is one thing to which we are renewed and another thing by which The thing whereto we are renewed is the image of God which consisteth in charitie the thing wherby we are renewed is knowledge Thus the Apostle S. Peter teacheth vs that n 2. Pet. 1.23 grace and peace is multiplied vnto vs by the knowledge of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord that the diuine power giueth vs all things pertaining to life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called vs. Seeing then that knowledge here is the thing whereby charitie and all things pertaining to godlinesse are ministred vnto vs it shal be absurd to expound knowledge to be charitie it selfe albeit true it is that of this knowledge of God euen as of faith there ensueth alwayes charitie and loue This true and liuely and effectuall knowledge it is of which Saint Iohn here speaketh giuing to vnderstand that barren and idle and fruitlesse knowledge is indeed no knowledge and that howsoeuer a man seeme able to say much yet that he talketh but as by hearesay not knowing what he saith if his knowledge be not such as season his heart to the loue and keeping of the commandments of God Because then true faith cannot be without this true knowledge and this true knowledge cannot be where there is not the keeping of Gods commaundements it must follow as I said before that there is no faith where there is no keeping of the commaundements of God Now although M. Bishop alledge a place or two where there is a necessitie of expounding Gods knowledge towards vs in other sort then the word seemeth to import yet he bringeth none to import any necessitie of making the same construction of our knowledge towards God Let it be granted him that Gods knowledge may import his loue yet I suppose he cannot shew vs any where that to know God is to be expounded simply to loue God As for the lyer let him keepe it to himselfe because he best deserueth it he hath taken paines for it and no reason that any man should bereaue him of his right We professe the knowledge of God and we professe and teach the keeping of Gods commandements although we also teach that by reason of our corruption and weaknesse it is vnpossible for vs so long as we liue here to keepe them perfectly and in such fort as thereby to be iustified in the sight of God If M. Bishop will say that he keepeth them I am sure that he is a lier and as Hierome did the Pelagian heretike so do I put him o Hieron ad Cresiphonâ— Profer â—uis impleuerit to bring in example of any other that hath so done The last place he draweth in backwards and by force there being no man of vs that alledgeth it to the purpose here in hand He maketh his choise as we see to serue his own
r August in Psal 109. Promisit hominibus diuinitatem mor talibus immortalitatem peccatoribus iustificationem abiectis glorificationem Quicquid promisit indignis promisit vt non quasi merces operibus promitteretur sed gratia à nomine suo gratis daretur quia hoc ipsā quód iustè viuit inquantum homo potest iustè viuere nō merite humani sed beneficij diuini est God promised to men participation with God immortalitie to mortall creatures iustification to sinners glorification to abiects and cast-awayes Whatsoeuer he promised he promised to men vnworthie that it might not be promised as a reward to workes but being grace might according to the name be freely giuen because to liue iustly so farre as man can liue iustly is not a matter importing mans merit but the benefite and gift of God Where plainely he sheweth that whatsoeuer God hath promised it is his meere and onely gift that to speake simply thereof it is to be bereaued of the title of a reward of workes because God promised the same when we had no workes that it is not giuen for our woorth because it was promised when we had no woorth yea and that we haue any good workes it is an effect of the same promise it cannot be thought to make any merit on our behalfe but to set foorth grace and mercie on Gods behalfe so that all is free gift all is grace and mercie and the adding of one gift and grace and mercie to another howsoeuer sometimes in some respects as hereafter we shall see the gift of God is set foorth vnto vs vnder the name of recompence and reward In a word by that that followeth I doubt not but it will appeare that the Protestants Proctor if he must needes be so tearmed hath said nothing in this behalfe but what by S. Austine and other auncient Fathers may well be defended against this Romish prater who hath great insolencie of words but sound matter of proofe he can find none at all 3. W. BISHOP But M. Perkins will neuerthelesse prooue and that by sundry reasons that their doctrine is the truth at selfe and ours falshood First by a sorry short syllogisme containing more then one whole page It is taken out of the properties of a meritorious worke which must be saith he foure first That the worke be done of our selues without the helpe of another secondly That it be not otherwise due debt thirdly That it be done to the benefit of another fourthly That the worke and reward be equall in proportion These properties he sets downe pythagorically without any proofe but inserreth theron as though he had proued them inuincibly that Christs manhood separated from the Godhead cannot merit because whatsoeuer he doth he doth it by grace receiued and should be otherwise due He might in like manner as truly say that Christs manhood vnited to the Godhead could not merit neither for he receiued his Godhead from his Father and whatsoeuer he doth is therefore his Fathers by due debt And so the good man if he were let alone would disappoint vs wholly of all merits aswell the imputed of Christs as of all ours done by virtue of his grace Wherefore we must a little sift his foure forged proprieties of merit and touching the first I say that one may by the good vse of a thing receiued by free gift merit and deserue much euen at his hands that gaue it For example the farther bestowes a Farme vpon his sonne freely who may by often presenting his Father of the pleasing fruits growing on the same deserue his further fauour yea he may by the commodities reaped out of that farme buy any thing that it shall please his father to set to sale as well as if he had neuer receiued the farme from his fathers gift Which is so common a case and so sensible that euery man of meane wit may easily reach vnto it euen so by good manuring the gifts which God freely bestoweth vpon vs we may both merit the increase of them and according to his owne order and promise purchase thereby the kingdome of heauen which is plainely proued by that parable Of the talents giuen by a king to his seruants Mat. 25. the which they employing well and multiplying were therefore esteemed worthy of farre greater and withall to be made partakers of their Lords ioyes M. Perkins then was not a litle ouerseene to put for the first proprietie of merit that it must be done by a man and of a man himselfe R. ABBOT M. Perkins saith very truly vpon noting the conditions necessarily required in a meritorious worke that the manhood of Christ considered a part from his Godhead because it is but a creature and hath all by the gift of God and doth all by bond of necessary dutie cannot merit at Gods hands Whereas M. Bishop against this saith that he might in like manner as truly say that Christs manhood vnited to the Godhead could not merit neither because he receiued his Godhead from the Father and therefore whatsoeuer he doth is his Fathers by due debt he bewrayeth his notable and absurd ignorance For Christ receiueth his Godhead of the Father to be equall to the Father not inferiour to be the same in substance and maiestie and glorie that the Father is Now duty and debt do necessarily enforce minoritie and subiection Seeing therefore there is no minority or subiection in the Godhead of the Sonne towards the Father there can be no debt or dutie of the Sonne in that respect towards the Father Thus the good man to repay him with his owne stoute is taken before he is aware in the nets of the Arian heresie which made Christ as God inferiour and subiect to the Father The merit of Christ therefore consisted in this as S. Paule noteth that being equall to God his Father and owing no debt or dutie did voluntarily humble himselfe to obedience and duty for our sakes So then M. Perrkins indeed a good man as M. Bishop shall one day see hath not by his assertion bereaued vs of the merits of Christ but hath taught how rightly to vnderstand the same But now he will a litle sift as he saith the foure forged proprieties of merit which M. Perkins hath set downe Whether they be forged or not will appeare by the sequele in the meane time his answers to them may seeme rather to haue come from the Smiths forge then out of the studie and from the learning of a Doctor of Diuinitie The first condition required in a meritorious worke properly so to be called to which by dutie debt and right for the workes sake reward is to be yeelded is that a man do it of himselfe and by his owne power For so saith Hilary a Hilar. de Trin. lib. 11. Mereri eius est qui ipse sib◠meriti acqui rendi author existi◠It is for him to merit who himselfe is to himselfe the author of getting his
is shed for the remission of the sinnes of the brethren which Christ hath done for vs and in that hath yeelded vs not any thing to imitate and follow but what to reioyce of For if any man will compare himselfe to the power of Christ in thinking himselfe to heale the sin of another man it is too much for him he is not capable thereof He is the rich man saith he who being not subiect to any debt either hereditarie or of his owne is both iust himselfe and iustifieth others euen Iesus Christ. Do not aduaunce thy selfe against him being so poore as that thou appearest in thy prayer daily a begger of the forgiuenesse of sinnes There is no forgiuenesse of sinnes then by the bloud of Martyrs there is no ablenesse in one man to heale the sinne of another or to pay anothers debt euery man is poore euery man a begger crauing from day to day the release and remission of owne debts This was S. Pauls case thus he praied daily as Christ had taught him and why then doth Maister Bishop make him so rich as that he should be able to make paiment of our debts that he should purchase a release of the punishment of our sinnes that he should take vpon him y Tho. Aquint supplem q. 12. art 2. ad 1. Satisfactio est quaedaÌ„ illatae iniuriae recoÌ„pensatio Et q. 14. Ablatio offensae art 1. in corp to make recompence for the wrongs that we haue done to God and to take away our offence towards God or Gods offence and displeasure towards vs as their name of Satisfaction doth import It was a farre other matter that the Apostle intended in that he saith that he endured afflictions for the Churches sake It was to confirme vnto the Church the truth of the Gospell of Christ to cause the greater opinion of that doctrine which he preached in that he yeelded himselfe for the testifying thereof to hazard and bestow his temporall life to encourage comfort the faithful to continue constant in the faith of Christ according to the example that they had seen in him to embolden other men to preach the word notwithstanding the opposition that was made against it And thus doth the Apostle expresse the ends and vses of his afflictions z Phil. 1.7 the confirmation of the Gospell a Ver. 12. the furthering of the Gospel b Ver. 17. the defence of the Gospell c Ver. 20. the magnifying of Christ d 2. Cor. 1.6 If we be afflicted saith he it is for your coÌ„solation and saluation which is wrought in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer Not then as to purchase any thing towards their saluation by his afflictions but as to hearten and comfort them to the patient bearing of afflictions in the enduring whereof God had intended to bring their saluation to effect Thus Thomas Aquinas where his eies were open coÌ„ceiued both of this text of that to the Colossians which is here in question who writing vpon the words of the Apostle Was Paule crucified for you vseth these words e Tis. Aquin in 1. Cor. cap. 1 lect 2. Hoc proprium est Christo vt sua passioâ—e morte nostram salutem operatus fuerit c. Sed contra hoc esse v. letur quod Apostolus dicit Gaudeo in passionibus meis pro vobis c. Sed dicendum quod passio Christi fuit nâ—bis salutifera non solum per modum exempli sed etiaÌ„ per modum meriti efficaciae inquaÌ„tuÌ„ eius sanguine redempti iustificati sumus c. Sed passio aliorum nobis est salutifera solùm per moduÌ„ exempli secundum 2 Cor. 1. Sine tribulamur c. This is proper to Christ that he by his passion and death hath wrought our saluation But it seemeth to be against this which the Apostle saith Col. 1. Now I reioyce in my sufferings for you c. But we are to say that the passion of Christ was the cause of our saluation not onely by way of example but also by way of merit and effectuall working in that by his bloud we are redeemed and iustified but the sufferings of others is furthering to our saluation only by way of example according to that 2. Cor. 1. If we be afflicted it is for your comfort and saluation c. Againe in another place propounding by way of obiection that f Idem p. 3. q. 48. art 5. arg 3. Non soluÌ„ cassio Christi sed etiam alioruÌ„ sanctorum preficua fuit ad salutem nostram vt Col. 1 Gaudeâ— in passionibus meis pro vobis c. Dicendum quod passiones sanctoruÌ„ proficiunt Ecclesiae non quideÌ„ per modum redemptionâ—â— sed per modum exempli exhortationis secundum illud 2. Cor. 1 Sine tribulamur c. not onely the passion of Christ but also of other Saints was helpfull to our saluation according to the saying of the Apostle Col. 1. Now reioyce I in my sufferings for you c. and therefore that Christ onely cannot be called our Redeemer but also other Saints he answereth thus We are to say that the passions of the Saints are helpful or profitable to the Church not by way of redemption but by way of example comfort or encouragement according to that 2. Cor. 1. If we be afflicted c. So where the Apostle saith g 2. Tâ—m 2.10 I suffer all things for the elects sake that they may also obtaine the saluation which is in Christ Iesus he asketh h In â— Tim. 2. lect 2 Sed nunquid sufficit Christi passio Dicenduâ— quòd siâ— effectiâ—â— sed passio Apostoli dupliciter expiediebat Primo quia dabat exâ—mplum perfistendi in fide Seâ—undo quia confirmabatur fides ex hoc indâ—cebantur ad salutem what was not the passion of Christ sufficient Yes saith he as touching the working of saluation but the Apostles suffering was two waies expedient First because he gaue example thereby of continuing in the faith Secondly because thereby the faith was confirmed and by that meanes they were induced and drawne on to saluation Thus then we haue example confirmation comfort encouragement in the sufferings of the Apostles and Saints but we cannot finde any satisfaction for our sinnes And that M. Bishop may know that we speake this from better authority then onely Thomas Aquinas let S. Ambrose tell in what sence the Apostles suffered for the Church i Ambrosâ—n Psal 43. Petrus pro Ecclesia multa toleraâ—â—it Multa etiaÌ„ Paulus raeterique Apâ—stoli pertulerunt cùm caederentur vâ—rgis cùm lapidarentur cùm in carceres truderentur Illa enim tolerantia amurtaruÌ„ vsu periculorum Doâ—â—ni fundatus est populus ecclesia incrementum est consecâ—â— cùm caeteri ad martyrium festinarent vilentes per illas passiones nihil Apostâ—lorum decessisse virtutibus sed etiaÌ„ propter hanc breâ—em
to the end of thy life and do not presume that of mans day any pardon can be graunted thee for he deceiueth thee that will promise that vnto thee For thou which hast sinned properly against the Lord must of him alone expect remedie at the day of iudgement A hard censure and vnworthy of Ambrose and so contrary to that which otherwhere he hath written as that we may well question whether it be his or not but it being plainly denied her to haue forgiuenesse how deceitfully is this example brought to proue satisfaction after forgiuenesse With as great fraud he alledgeth Gregory Nazianzen who in that place inueigheth against the Nouatian heretikes denying repentance to them that fell after baptisme according to the censure now mentioned vnder the name of Ambrose Against that rigor he saith that u Greg. Nazian ora 39. in sancta lumina In eodeÌ„ vitio sunt taÌ„ effraenata et omni animaduersionis meus soluta licentia quaÌ„ saeua nec vlla clemeÌ„tia temperata condemnatio illa omnes habenas vitijs laxans haec vehementiori astrictione praefocans in like sort are to be blamed both vnbridled licence freed froÌ„ all feare of punishment and cruel condemning not mingled or tempered with clemency and mercy the one loosing the bridle to all vices the other stifling men with ouermuch straightnesse Nicetas in his coÌ„mentary thus expresseth it x Nicet ibid. in comment Parem â—â—ea sententiae reprehensionem poenaÌ„que mereâ—â—ur qui vâ—l pâ—ccâ—â—s nulla pâ—â—â—ciuÌ„t 〈◊〉 â—mnes habâ—â—â—mit 〈…〉 qui eos 〈…〉 â—nant v◠〈…〉 consequ◠〈…〉 â—iae spâ—â—â—â—u relinqâ—â—â—â— They alike deserue to be reproued and punished who either punish not offenders at all but giue them wholly the bridle or do so condemne them as that they leaue them no hope to obtaine pardon He speaketh of the external gouernment and discipline of the Church wherin he blameth that men should be left at liberty to offend without feare of punishment and again blameth such extremity and rigor that offenders when they repent should be excluded from hope of pardon and what is this to proue that men being pardoned by God must notwithstanding yet make him a satisfactioÌ„ for their sinnes pardoned No man I suppose is so blind but that he seeth the falshood of this citation The other out of the same Father is of the same condition He speaketh of mercy and compassion as meanes y Oraâ— 27. de amore pauperum Miseratione purgemur animique labes et inquinamenta egregia illa herba detergamus c. to purge sins to scoure out the spots and filth of our soules but he saith nothing of satisfactioÌ„ to be made after that those spots and filth are purged and scoured Of the saying of Solomon which he alledgeth I haue spoken in the former section only it may be added that whereas he for mercy and truth readeth z Misericordia fide peccata purgantur By mercy and faith sins are purged or iniquitie is forgiuen which the Hebrew text beareth very well we may vnderstand it of Gods mercy in giuing and our faith in receiuing the forgiuenes of sins the promise thereof being made to them that beleeue in him Againe he bringeth vs Ambrose speaking of a Ambr. de Heliae ieiun cap. 20. Habemus plura subsidia quibus peccatâ— nostra redimamus Habes pecuniam redime peccatum tuum c. Et ep 82. Quae nobis salus esse potest nisi teiunio eluerimus peccata nostra redeeming our sins with our mony washing away sins with fasting but we heare nothing of satisfaction or redemption after the forgiuenesse of our sins Yea when he saith that the Lord is not to be bought and sold he giueth vs to vnderstand that he meaneth not that by our mony we purchase or merit at Gods hands and therfore can not be said therby to make him satisfaction for our sins That which he saith of redeeming he wil haue it vnderstood of freeing our selues from the cords or bonds of our sins that we may not be holden by the custome of them whilest by well doing we resist and crosse the practise and lusts thereof that they may not continue to bring vs vnto death b Ibid. Non venalis est Dominus sed tu ipse venalis es Peccatis tuis venundatus es Redime te operibus tuis redime te pecunia tua c. Venenum veneno excluditur Veneno mors repellitur vita seruatur The Lord saith he is not to be bought and sold but thou art so Thou art sold to thy sins Redeeme thy selfe by thy workes redeeme thy selfe by thy mony By one poison another poison is excluded by the poison of the Mammon of iniquitie death is repulsed life is preserued Here is a redemption for the excluding of sinne not to pay a satisfaction for it to set vs free from the bondage of committing sinne not to purchase the forgiuenesse of it Nay of that he hath said immediatly before c Ibid. Confugiamus ad mediciaÌ„ qui vulnera superiora curauit et siquid superest acerbitatis medela non decrit Etsi quid iniuriae fecimus memor noÌ„ erit qui semel donauit Etsi graeuia deliquimus magnuÌ„ medicuÌ„ inuenimus magnam medicinam gratiae eius accepimus Magna enim medicina tollit peccata magna Let vs flie to the Physition who hath cured our former wounds and if any bitternes be remaining there shal not want a medicine And if we haue done wrong he will forget it who hath once pardoned Albeit we haue greatly offended we haue a great Physition we haue receiued the great medicine of his grace for a strong or great medicine taketh away great sinnes That which is next alledged out of Hierome concerning Paula signifieth her lamentation of her former life and setteth out her repentance of her sinnes d Hieron epitap Paulae Jtaleuâ—a peccata plaÌ„gebat vt eam graussimorum criminuÌ„ crederes ream which being but small as Hierome saith she so bewailed as that a man would haue thought her guiltie of grieuous offences but that proueth not that she meant to make satisfaction hereby for pardoned sinnes neither doth he say any thing to that effect No more doth he as touching himselfe in the other epistle to Eustochium where he sheweth what hardnesse he endured at the first in the wildernesse to subdue the heate and lust of youth hauing as he saith e Hieron ad Eustoch Ob gehennae metum tali mecarcere ipse damnaueram for the feare of hell condemned himselfe to that prison but not so much as any word that he did any thing there for penance or satisfaction for his sinnes This is so wisely applied as that we may well thinke M. Bishop put it in of his owne head there being nothing either in words or in matter likely to serue the turne As little helpe hath he in the next citation which is out of
of ability to giue almes liberally that is to stop the mouthes of begging Friers were hereby thrust forward to all manner wickednesse which either by secrecie they could conceale or wherein by power they could vphold themselues that humane lawes might take no hold of them These things are more apparent both by storie and by sight then that M. Bishops wit can serue to colour or hide them It is nothing therefore that he telleth vs of their fasting and almes praiers inasmuch as they do these things to purchase theÌ„selues liberty to sinne freely and to take their pleasure otherwise And whatsoeuer he can otherwise alledge hereof he is to remember that Chrysostome saith that o Chrysost Op. imper in Mat. hom 19. Quae sunt vestimenta ouilia Species videlicet simulatae religionis eleemosyna simulata oratio simulata ie iunium simulatum caeterae speciâ—s pietatis quibus se vestiunt lupi rapaces counterfeit almes and fasting and praier are the sheepes clothing that serue to couer rauening wolues With these sheepes garments the Pharisees of old couered their biting and destroying of soules They were p Acts. 26.5 Epiphan haer 16. de Pharisaeis a most straite sect they fasted twice a weeke they lay some vpon thornes other some vpon stones other some vpon boords of small bredth that they might easily fall beside by this meanes to afflict themselues with watching that they might attend to praying they vowed continencie some for foure some for eight some for ten yeares By these dissembled deuotions they crept into the minds of the people they seduced and beguiled them and held them bound to their traditions and q Mat. 23.14 deuoured widowes houses vnder pretence of long prayers By the same pretences M. Bishop and his fellowes r 2. Tim. 3.6 creepe into houses and leade captiue simple women laden with sinnes and led with diuers lustes and make them their instruments for the Å¿ Tit. 1.11 subuerting of the husbands and whole houses and intangling of them with the superstitions and abhominations of the man of sinne Albeit being more cunning then the Pharisees they take such good course with their fasting and corporall afflictions as that they neither abate their flesh nor their filthy lust but by practise of shrift and confession they insinuate themselues into the affections and secrets of the same women and thereby take aduantage against them to gaine them to their will He twiteth vs with taking pleasure in the company of a woman but they by not being tied to the lawfull companie of one do reserue to themselues a liberty of abusing many And no maruell that such good fruites proceede from them with whom it is a position that t Coster Enchirid cap. 15. propos 9. Sacerdos si fornicetur aut domi coÌ„cubinam foucat tametsi graui sacrilegio se obstringat grauiùs tamen peccat si contraehat matrimoniuÌ„ it is greater sacriledge for a Priest to marry then to commit fornication or to keepe a concubine yea u Campeg apud Sleidan CoÌ„menâ— lib. 4. Si sacerdotes mariti fiant multo esse grauius peccatuÌ„ quà m si plurimas domi meretrices alant that by keeping many harlots he sinneth not so much As for vs we liue in mariage as did Abraham x Rom 4.11 the father of all that beleeue as Isaac Iacob the Patriarkes the Priests the Prophets and other righteous men and as the first Christians did who all pleased God and were accepted in his sight We know there is no offence in mariage because it is the ordinance of God but we detest their vowed virginitie by pretence whereof they wickedly defile themselues with the vncleannesse of the diuell He telleth vs againe of eating the best flesh that can be gotten but we eate whether fish or flesh as lawes permit what the prouidence of God doth yeeld vs giuing God thankes neither are we so scrupulous therein as he and his fellowes who whether in fish or in flesh being forsooth ghostly fathers take it in scorne not to be entertained with the best Whereas he mentioneth their almes we finde it in former times which they bragge of not to haue bene such but y Math. Paris in Henr. 3. anno 1258. Deficiente annona pauperuÌ„ multitud innumerabilis mortua est inueÌ„ta sunt passim eorum corpora tumida praefame liuentia quina vel sena in porcarijs ster quilinijs lutosis plateis c. that in a time of dearth innumerable poore people haue died like dogs vpon dunghils and in swine-sties and in the streetes without any compassion taken for their comfort and reliefe And no maruell because almes was reduced by them to the maintenance of idle lozels in religious houses as now it is to their nightwalking and wandring Circumcellions but as for the true almes for the reliefe of the poore and needy we doubt not but it is more faithfully exercised by vs then it was or is by them Of racking poore men by fines and vnreasonable rents he shall see examples enough amongst their Catacatholike disciples of whom there be some who for the colouring of their impious cruelties do alledge concerning their tenants liuing in due obedience to their Prince according to the lawes of God that they are heretikes and therefore that it skilleth not how they deale with them not knowing that though their religion were the truth yet it should concerne them which the Apostle saith z Gal. 6.10 Whilest we haue time let vs do good to all men though specially to them that are of the houshold of faith Concerning vsurie let him remember what Mathew of Paris reported of old concerning the Pope a Math Paris in Henr. 3. anno 1247 Papa qui forma exemplum totius teneretur esse religionis vsurarius est manâ—fectus The Pope saith he who should be the patterne and example of all religion is an open vsurer He had here in England his bankers who were termed b Jdem anno 1235. Caursini mercatores Papales Caâ—rsini who did vse that trade of merchandise in his behalfe Againe for craft and cosening let him remember how the same Mathew describeth the Popes c Anno 1234. Argumentosas extortiones excogitans Excogitata muscipulatione pecunâ—am emungere edoctus Verba elegantissima quae corda hominum lapidea viderentur penetrare nisi facta humilitati ac iustitie luce clariùs aduersantia sequerentur extortions cloked with arguments and reasons his mousetraplike deuices his goodly words such as might moue hearts of stone but that his deedes followed very clearely repugnant to humility and iust dealing d Anno 1240. Absurdum videbatur etiam simplicibus quà m diuersis muscipulis simplicem Dei populum substantia sua moliebatur Romana curia priuare nihil petens nisi aurum argentum It seemed absurd saith he euen to simple men to see by how diuers traps the Court of Rome crauing nothing but
this is all they can say out of the Scripture to proue that the written word containes al doctrine needful to saluation whereupon I make this inuincible argument against them out of their owne position Nothing is necessary to be beleeued but that which is written in holy Scripture But in no place of Scripture is it written that the written word containes all doctrine needfull to saluation as hath bene proued Therefore it is not necessary to saluation to beleeue the written word to containe all doctrine needfull to saluation R. ABBOT Here is a long discourse and a little answer and gladly M. Bishop would wind out of this sentence of the Apostle and it will not be The whole words of the Apostle entirely set downe will make the Reader plainly to vnderstand that he hath taken a great deale of paines and sayd iust nothing Speaking to Timothie he sayth a 2. Tim. 3.15 Thou hast knowne the holy Scriptures of a child which are able to make thee wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect being perfectly instructed to euery good worke The first part of which words do sufficiently inferre that which we affirme for if the Scriptures be able to make a man wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus then they are sufficient to instruct a man in all things necessary to saluatiō If they be not sufficient to instruct a man in all things necessary to saluatiō then can it not be said that they are able to make a man wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus The force of these words cannot be deluded euery eye can see that if the Scriptures be able to make a man wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus then all doctrine necessary to faith and saluation is contained in the Scriptures Now for confirmation hereof the Apostle addeth The whole Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable to teach the truth to improue false doctrine error to correct vice and sinne to instruct in righteousnes From hence then we must infer that which before is said that because the Scripture is able to direct a man in truth and righteousnesse therefore it is able to make him wise vnto saluation by faith in Christ for in the embracing and following of truth and righteousnesse consisteth the attainment of euerlasting life If any man will except and say that though it teacheth the truth yet it teacheth not all truth necessarie to saluation he wholly ouerthroweth the Apostles confirmation For if it doe not teach all truth necessarie to saluation then it is notable to make a man wise to saluation It may be said to helpe towards it but it cannot be said to be able to do it if it containe not all things belonging to that wisedome that concerneth vs for the obtaining of saluation But the Apostle telleth vs that it so doth the things by him mentioned as that the man of God may be absolute or perfect * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being perfectly instructed or being furnished and prepared to euery good worke The man of God is well knowne by the phrase of Scripture to import the minister of God in which sort the Apostle hath before said to Timothie b 1. Tim. 6.11 But thou O man of God flie these things c. Here therfore he giueth to vnderstand that the Scripture is so able to make wise vnto saluation so able to instruct in truth and righteousnesse as that therein the man of God the minister of God findeth enough to make him perfect and to prepare and furnish him to euery good worke And if there be enough for the perfection of the minister of God then surely it must needs follow that much more is it able to perfect euery other man to that faith and righteousnesse that should bring vs vnto God But here M. Bishop putteth vs off with three wise answers by which he wold faine perswade vs that we altogether erre in the citing of these words First he chargeth vs with falsification of the text because we reade the whole Scripture whereas we should say all Scripture the Greek words being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not importing as he saith the whole Scripture but euery part But why is this on our part a falsification more then it is in the Rhemists to translate according to their vulgar interpreter c Math. 8.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole heard d Ver 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole citie e Ephes 4.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole body and in their Latine f Heb. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per totum vitam through their whole life which they English through all their life If there be no falshood in these translations why must there needs be a falsification in ours Yea and when it is all one with them to say their whole life and all their life why must it be a fault in vs to say the whole Scripture where they say all Scripture Surely but that malice blindeth it selfe and wil not see that that it doth see they would conceiue that all Scripture in this place can no otherwise be taken but to signifie the whole Scripture euen as elsewhere by g Acts 20.72 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the counsell of God we vnderstand the whole counsell of God in like sort as where it is said h Gen. 18.25 Qui iudicas omnem terram Thou which iudgest all the earth that is the whole earth i Chap. 35 2. Conuocata omni domo calling together all his house that is his whole house k Exod. 12.41 Egressus est omnis exercitus Domini de terra Aegypti All the army of the Lord departed out of the land of Aegypt that is the whole army l Chap. 17.1 Profecta est omnis multitudo filiorum Israel All the multitude of the children of Israel went out of the desert of Sin that is the whole multitude m Leuit 8.3 Congregabis omnem coetum Israel Thou shalt gather together all the congregation of Israel that is the whole congregation with infinite other examples of the like sort And seeing the Apostle when in the propositiō the Scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluation must needs be vnderstood to meane collectiuè the whole Scripture because it cannot be said of euery part of the Scripture that it is able so to do what is it but wilfull dotage to vnderstand all Scripture as meant otherwise in the proofe Especially when it is so apparent that that which the Apostle affirmeth in the proofe fitteth to the whole Scripture and so inferreth that which is propounded to be proued but cannot agree to euery part of the Scripture because
to vnbeleeuers onely by their default and therfore onely accidentally and respectiuely is so called set aside the respect and he cannot be truly called so Euen so the Scriptures are made a matter of strife by the iniquitie and importunity of euill men and to them onely they are so called whereas in themselues they are not so but properly serue for the ending and determining of all strife Maister Perkins therefore might iustly say that they are falsly termed the matter of strife hauing respect to the affection and intention of them by whom they were so termed For they who gaue this name gaue it by way of deprauing and disgracing the Scriptures when being required by vs to stand to the iudgement of the Scriptures they refused to do so and alledged that the Scriptures could giue no iudgement but rather were themselues matter of controuersie and strife seeking by this pretence to draw all to the determination of their owne Church But herein they offered indignity and dishonour to him who hath giuen vnto vs b Psal 119.104.105 his word to be the lanterne vnto our feete and the light vnto our steps by his precepts to get vnderstanding to hate all the waies of falshood Froward men may take occasion to striue about matters of the Scriptures when notwithstanding the Scriptures cleare those things whereabout they striue c Tertul de resur carn Videntur illis materias quasdam subministrasse ipsas quidem ijsdem literis reuincibiles The Scriptures saith Tertullian seeme to minister matter to heretikes but yet they are to be conuicted by the same Scriptures Where there is in the heart humility and obedience to the word of God there question and controuersie soone endeth but where there is frowardnesse and selfewill there will be no end of contention howsoeuer there be apparent conuiction To leaue this to come to the matter specially in hand it seemeth that M. Bishop hath much forgotten what he was about The matter in hand is to proue traditions that is doctrines of faith beside the Scriptures and he maketh here a long discourse concerning the meanes of attaining to the vnderstanding of the Scirptures Let that meanes be what it may be in the true vnderstanding of the Scriptures there is no other but the doctrine of the Scriptures and what is that to their traditions In this argument he his fellowes keepe their woont that is to trifle and say nothing to the matter whereof they pretend to speake Yet to follow them in their own steps the question is of the true interpreting and expounding of the Scriptures It is apparent they say what the Scripture saith but it is doubtfull what it meaneth There be many difficulties some expound one way some another way but how is it to be knowne who expoundeth the right way M. Perkins bringeth them in playing their old trump that we must haue recourse to the tradition of the Church imitating therein the old heretikes whose allegation was as Irenaeus recordeth that d Iren. lib. 3 cap. 2. Cū arguuntur ex Scripturis in accusationem conuertuntur ipsarum scripturarum c. quia non possit ex his inuentri veritas ab his qui nesciant traeditionem by the Scriptures the truth could not be found out by them that were ignorant of tradition To this M. Perkins answereth that the Scripture it selfe declareth it owne meaning if we obserue the analogie of faith gathered out of the manifest places of Scripture if we weigh the circumstance of the place and signification of the words if we diligently weigh and compare one place with another and vse such other like helpes as the Scripture yeeldeth With these words M. Bishop notably plaieth the sycophant as if M. Perkins hereby affirmed that euery Christian man by these means is enabled to iudge which is the true sence of any doubtfull or hard text that euery simple man furnished with these three rules is able to resolue any difficulty in the Scriptures whatsoeuer Against this he bringeth in the confession of S. Austine that after so long study the things which he knew not in the Scripture were more then those which he did know Thus he setteth vp a S. Quintin for himselfe and bestoweth himselfe very valiantly in running at it But where doth M. Perkins professe this effect of those three rules with euery Christian man euery simple man nay where doth he affirme so much of any learned man be he neuer so learned He setteth downe those rules as S. Austine doth the same and many other as necessary helpes for the searching of the truth and by the exercise whereof men should labour to profit and grow in the vnderstanding of the Scriptures may attaine to the knowledge of that truth that is necessary to saluation but farre was he from conceiuing that which M. Bishop speaketh of that euery simple man may thereby resolue all difficulties whatsoeuer M. Bishop for the attaining of the sence of Scripture referreth vs to their Iudge and to the traditions and auncient records of the primitiue Church to those auncient and holy commentaries But is he so witlesse as to think that any man vsing this direction of his shall be thereby enabled in the Scriptures to resolue all difficulties whatsoeuer If he will haue no such fantasticall paradox gathered of that which he saith why doth he lay the imputation of it vpon M. Perkins when it followeth no more of M. Perkins speech one way then it doth of his the other way As for his question why the Lutherans notwithstanding these rules do vnderstand the Scriptures in one sort the Caluinists after another the Anabaptists a third way we answer him that in his question there is more malice then wit We aske him the like question how it commeth to passe that notwithstanding their rules directions yet all these differ from them in the expounding of Scripture Now as he will answer that notwithstanding their directions be true yet that cannot hinder but that heretikes will dissent from them so we answer him that notwithstanding our rules and instructions in this behalfe be true and taken from the course of the auncient fathers yet that cannot let but that Popish heretikes and selfe-willed Lutherans and foolish mad Anabaptists will dissent from vs. If he will say that albeit all these dissent from them yet they themselues agree in one the like will be said of all other parties that albeit others do vary from them yet amongst themselues they vary not It is therefore no more prejudice to our rules that others dissent from vs then it is to Papists that we dissent from them As for the Anabaptists let him not put them to vs because we wholy detest them but rather take them home to them because being both of them the wicked ofspring of him who is e Iohn 8.44 a liar and the father of lies they haue both learned of him to teach men by equiuocations
the mouth of the Lord neither to make other interpretation of the laws of God then by the same lawes can be iustified and made good Thus we see that as God tied the Iewes to the sentence of the Priests so he required the sentence of the Priests to be according to the law r Deut. 17.11 According to the law which law they shall teach thee thou shalt do thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall shew thee Å¿ Lyra. ibid. Hic dicit glossa Hebraica si dixerint tibi quòd dextera sit sinistra vel sinistra dextera talis sententia est tenenda quod pataet manifestè falsuÌ„ esse quòd senteÌ„tia nullius hominis cuiuscunque sit authoritatis est tenenda si contineat manifestè falsitatem vel errorem hoc patet per hoc quod praemittitur in textu Indicalunt tibi iudicij veritateÌ„ postea subditur Et docuerint te iuxta legem eius Ex quo patet quòd si dicunt falsum vel declinem à lege Dei manifestè non sunt audiendi The Hebrew glose saith Lyra here teacheth that if they say to thee that the right hand is the left or the left the right this sentence is to be holden which appeareth to be manifestly false saith he because the sentence of no man is to be holden of what authoritie so-euer he be if it do manifestly containe falshood and errour and this is plaine by that that is put before in the text They shall shew thee the truth of iudgement is afterwards added They shall teach thee according to the law whereby it is plaine that if they say any thing false or decline manifestly from the law of God they are not to be hearkened vnto It is not then so to be conceiued as that obedience should be absolutely due vnto them because as in the ciuill state there may be corrupt Iudges that wrest the law and giue sentence against law so there may be corrupt men also in places of ecclesiasticall iudgement men more affected to their owne will then to the word of God seeking rather themselues then Iesus Christ It is therefore to be obserued that as in matters of ciuill iustice some things there are in the law so cleare that if the sentence of the Iudge be contrary thereto euery man may discerne and see that he swarueth from the truth neither will a man take it to be law which the Iudge pronounceth because his owne eies perceiue the contrary so those things that concerne faith and religion towards God some things by the Scripture it selfe are so apparent and plaine as that it is manifest that not for any ambiguity in themselues but by the iniquity and frowardnesse of men they are called into question and that to question the exposition is nothing else but to seeke collusion In which cases the Iudge hath no more to do but to deliuer the peremptory sentence of God himselfe t Aug. ac bapt cont Donat lib. 2. ca. 6. Ass ramuâ— fraâ—eram diuinam in scripturis sanctis in illa quid sit grauius appendamus immâ— non appendamus sed à Domino appensa recognoscamus not to weigh as S. Austine saith but to recognize and acknowledge what the Lord hath already weighed Sometimes matters are more hard and doubtfull not so much haply of themselues as by meanes of opposition and contradiction and therfore are not so readily plaine vntill they be made plaine For the explaning and declaring whereof the Church as the Iudge is to vse the help of the law it selfe that is of the holy Scripture and to that purpose to apply the rules before expressed and so not by meere authority but by testimonie and warrant to approue to the conscience of euery man the sentence that shall be giuen for determining the thing in doubt u Oâ—â—gen in Leâ—â—â— hâ—â— 5. Inductus testaâ—entâ—s lâ—â—â—t omne veâ—â—uÌ„ quod ad Deaâ—â—â—â—tinet requiri disâ—uti atque ex â—â—sis omnim rerum scientiâ—m capi Siquid auteÌ„ superficerit quod non diuina scriptura decernat nulla alia tertia scriptura debet ad authoritatem scientia suscipi sed quod superest Deo reserueniâ— By the two testaments saith Origen euery word that pertaineth to God may be seaâ—ched out and discussed and all knowledge of things may be taken from them and if there be any thing further which the holy Scripture determineth not there ought no other writing be receiued for authority of knowledge but what remaineth we must reserue to God x IdeÌ„ in Ierem. ho. â— Necesse est nobis Scripturas sanctas in testimonium vocare Sensus quippe nostri enarrationes siâ—e his testibus non habent fidem It is necessary for vs saith he that we call the holy Scriptures to witnesse for our sences and expositions without these witnesses haue no credit y Idem in Math. tr 25. Dibemus ad testimonium omnium verboruÌ„ quae proferimus in doctrina proferre sâ—â—sum Scripturae quâ—si confirm entera queâ— expâ—â—â—mus sensum Sicut enim omne aurum quod-quod fuerit extra templum non est sancti fiâ—arum sic omnis sensus qui â—uerit extra diuinam Scripturam quâ—muis adâ—â—rabâ—lis videatur quibusdam non est sanctus quia non continetur à sensu Scripturae quae solâ—â— cum solum sensum santifiâ—are quâ—â— in se habet We must saith he again for witnesse of all the words which we vtter in teaching bring forth the sence of Scripture as coÌ„firming the sence which we deliuer for as all the gold which was without the temple was vnholy so euery sence which is without the holy Scripture though to some it may seeme admirable is vnholy because it is not contained of the sence of Scripture which is wont to make holy only that sence which it hath in it selfe By this rule the iudgment of the Church is to proceed so to vse the gift of interpretation as that he that gainsaieth may be conuicted as by the testimony of God himselfe and they who haue not the gift of interpretation may yet see perceiue that their constructions and expositions are according to the Scripture Now if the Church in their affirming or expounding shall contrary that which the Scripture hath manifestly taught vnder pretence of being the Iudge in the causes of God shall iudge against God what shall we then do Surely as a priuate man may by ordinary knowledge of the law be able to accuse a Iudge of high treason against his Prince eueÌ„ so in this case a priuate man by ordinary knowledge of the law of God may be able to accuse the Church of high treasoÌ„ against God And as it is ridiculous in case of treasoÌ„ to alledge that it belongeth to the Iudge to giue the meaning of the law and to leaue him at liberty to expound it that it may rest therupon whether his own fact be treason or
epistles do faithfully report the traditions of the Apostles But what tradition it was that Irenaeus meant wil appeer by that that is cited in the next place concerning Polycarpus who M. Bishop sayth by the Apostles words receiued from their owne mouthes confirmed the faithfull in truth and ouerthrew the heretickes Let his author speake and let the Reader iudge how honestly he dealeth in this citation The words are the words of Irenaeus of whom Eusebius reporteth that in certaine speeches against Florinus the hereticke he saith of himselfe hauing bene with Polycarpus when he was very yong g Euseb hist eccl lib. 5. ca. 18. Commemorare queaÌ„ sermones eius quos fecit ad multitudineÌ„ quomodo se cum Ioanne ac reliquis qui DominuÌ„ viderunt conuersatum esse dixerit sermones ecruÌ„ memorauerit quae ex illis de Domino audierant de virtutibus eius doctrina tanquaÌ„ ex ijs qui ipsi verbuÌ„ vitae viderant et cuncta sanctis Scripturis consona recensuerit I remember the sermons that he made to the people and how he told that he had bene conuersant with Iohn and others that saw the Lord and mentioned their speeches and what he had heard of them concerning the Lord and concerning his miracles and doctrine as receiued from them who themselues had seene the Word of life and reported all things agreeable to the holy Scriptures Here was then the tradition of Polycarpus containing nothing else but according to the Scripture As touching the tradition that h See the Answer to the Epistle sect 11. Irenaeus speaketh of it hath bene before shewed that it containeth nothing else but the elementall articles of Christian faith for the auouching whereof he was forced to appeale to the tradition and successiue doctrine of the Church because he had to do with heretickes that refused the triall of the Scriptures He saith rightly that if nothing had bene written we must haue rested vpon Tradition but because God knew that Tradition was too vncertaine and weake a meanes for preseruation of truth therefore as he hath before said the Apostles deliuered the Gospel which they preached in writing and that by the will of God to be the foundation and pillar of our faith In a word when he saith What if the Apostles had not writteÌ„ any thing at all must we not then haue followed the order of tradition he intimateth that now that they haue written we are to follow that which they haue written for the certaintie assurance of our faith He forceth the order of tradition in this sort vpon the heretiks because by the Scriptures there was no dealing with them but the matters whereof he treateth are cleerly taught therein as euery where he sheweth throughout his whole booke His next allegation is vaine and childish Origen teacheth that the Church receiued from the Apostles by tradition to baptize infants whereas Bellarmine himselfe proueth it to be necessary by the Scriptures as I haue shewed i Sect 12. before That of Athanasius is as little to the purpose as all the rest The thing that he hath in hand in the k Athanas lib. Quòd Nicena synod u congruis pijs verbis decreta sua super Ariana haeresi exposuerit booke cited is to giue a reason of the decree of the Nicene Councell that the Sonne of God is of the same substance with the Father He sheweth that the Fathers there assembled determined it by the Scriptures Constantine also so directing them as we haue seene before The matter was so cleared as that the heretickes for shame were content to subscribe to that which was concluded vpon Yet he declareth that afterwards they fell to cauilling that the words whereby the Councell expressed their meaning were not found in the Scriptures that they deuised them of themselues and that none of the former Fathers had vsed the same He answereth that l Cognoscet quisquis est studiosioris animi has voces tamitsi in Scripturis non reperiantur habere tamen eas eam sententiam quâ—m Scripturae volunt hoc ipsum sonaere c. Whosoeuer is of a studious mind or desirous to learne will know that those words though they be not found in the Scriptures yet haue the same meaning which the Scriptures intend and do signifie the very same Further against their other cauil he sheweth by diuers places alledged that the Fathers of former times had vsed the same words and maner of speech as the Councell did Hereupon he concludeth m Ecce nos demonstramus istiusmodi sententiaÌ„ à patribus ad patres quasi per manâ—â— traditaÌ„ esse Vos autem nouâ— Iudeâ— Cataphaeque discipuli quos verboruÌ„ vestroruÌ„ patreâ—ac maiores demonstraâ—uâ— Behold we shew that this sentence hath bene deliuered from fathers to fathers as it were from hand to hand but O you new Iewes and sons of Caiphas what fathers or auncesters will ye shew vs for your termes Now shall not we thinke that M. Bishop hath here brought vs a stout proofe for traditions vnwritten and doctrines beside the Scripture Euen as if we should say to M. Bishop and his fellowes Behold we shew you that which we say of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures deliuered from fathers to fathers euen as it were from hand to hand and he should herupon cite vs for witnesses of their traditions As much wit should he shew in this as he now doth in that The place of Basil is answered at large n Sect. 16. before He further referreth vs to the first oration of o Greg Naziâ—n contra Julian erat 1. Doctrina nostra insigâ—â—reÌ„ videus ob ecclesiae figuras quas traditioâ—e acceptas in hunc vsque dieÌ„ seruaâ—â—mus c. Idem hic cogit 〈◊〉 scholas in omnibus ciuitatibus extruere parabat sacraria se desque partim altiores partim depressiores prophaâ—â—â—um dogmatum lectiones â—xplicationes instituere tum precaâ—oâ—um alternatim caâ—â—â—arum fâ—rmam c. Gregorie Nazianzen against Iulian but was ashamed to set downe any words of his because the matters of tradition that he there mentioneth amongst the Christians which Iulian the Apostata apishly would resemble in his Paganisme were schools and formes higher and lower lectures hospitals monasteries companies of virgins singing by turnes and such other matters of external order and discipline in the Church and what are these to prooue traditions that is matters of doctrine not contained in the Scriptures We admit almost all those things which he there speaketh of and yet we condemne traditions in that sence as we here make question of them Surely M. Bishops traditions are in a miserable case that in all antiquity can find no better foundations wherupon to build them A man would not thinke that in so serious a matter he would so trifle as he hath done bringing not one place in any sort appliable to his purpose but only that of Basill
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
that came thither prepared to tell lies Therefore anone out they come with such other like tales of bloud issuing out of the images and reliques of Martyrs of a man molested and vexed by the diuell with whom the diuell conditioned to trouble him no more so that he would giue ouer worshipping the image of our Ladie of a man cured of a fistula in his thigh by praying to the images of Cosmas and Damianus the same Saints comming to him that night and our Ladie in the middest saying to them See here is the man helpe him forthwith of another who hauing the pictures of Cosmas and Damianus in waxe could therewith cure the tooth-ach or any other paines of another who being sodainly taken with an extreame sicknesse and paine applied to the place where he was pained the image of Christ and was by and by restored of a Goldsmith who at the request of Neanias made a crosse vpon which when it was set vp there became miraculously wrought three pictures and ouer them three names written in Hebrew Emmanuel in the middest and on the two sides Michael and Gabriel of a man troubled with a cruell sore who being brought into the Church and set vnder the image of Christ there dropped thence a deaw into his sore wherewith he was healed forthwith of an image of our Ladie in Zozopolis from the hand whereof dropped oyntments for the curing of diseases Thus there were present there that knew more then Tharasius did he knew no miracles done by Images but onely to Infidels but they knew them very common to Christians also Amidst these and many other such grosse fooleries they alledge some names of the auncient Fathers either counterfetly as that of Basil mentioned before by Adrian or impertinently as of Athanasius and Basil speaking of Images ciuilly and historically vsed but not saying a word for their worshipping of images Of a latter generation they bring first Leontius a Bishop of Naples who they say was about the time of Mauricius the Emperour but they say it vntruly as appeareth for that he is so pregnant for Image-worship which by Gregorie Magnus was in the time of Mauricius so expresly contradicted This Leontius to serue his turne openly falsifieth and belyeth the Scriptures affirming that Solomon in the building of the Temple set vp in it the images of men and that Ezechiel in the patterne that was giuen him for reedifying the same was likewise willed so to do which appeareth by the text it selfe to be altogether vntrue There were pictures of Cherubims and Palme-trees and Lions and Buls and flowers for ornament of the workes as before was said but neuer was there in the Temple seene the image of a man saue what by idolaters was brought in The rest of his discourse serueth to shew the Iew in what manner and meaning they worshipped images before he hath shewed him that it is lawfull to worship them at all They bring further the words of one Anastasius putting a difference betwixt adoration and latria making the former common to men and Angels the other peculiar to God onely but yet not affirming any thing of either of them to belong to Images To supplie that they bring an Epistle of Gregorie the third to Germanus who some threescore yeares before had bene Patriarch of Constantinople and was condemned in the former Councell there holden and three Epistles of the same Germanus himselfe all by the like arguments and with the same Sophistrie handling this cause of Images and vnder pretence of vsing them for admonition and remembrance inferring the worship of them Which done vpon these goodly grounds they come for conclusion of that session to pronounce their anathematismes against all them that denie Images to be worshipped In the fift session they follow the same course First they bring in authorities nothing to the purpose as of Cyril noting it as an impietie in Nabuchodonosor that he tooke away the Cherubims out of the temple of IerusaleÌ„ and of Simeon the Eremit complaining to the Emperor Iustinus the yonger concerning the Samaritans spoiling a church and with indignitie defacing the images that were found in it which what do they appertaine to the worshipping of Images Then they bring in testimonies of no authoritie the parties being of latter time and interested in this quarrell as of one Iohn Bishop of Thessalonica taking vpon him to satisfie a Pagan and of Leontius before spoken of answering the Iew concerning the meaning of their worshipping of Images without any proofe that it is lawfull so to do Indeed plaine it is that the worshipping of Images was a scandall and barre both to Pagans and Iewes to hinder them from admitting the Christian faith They could not disswade the idolatry of the Pagans because they themselues changing the persons did the like They could not perswade the Iewes of the truth of Christian religion because they knew well that to worship an image is a thing condemned by Gods commaundement But from thence they proceed to calumniate them that impugned images first for citing Apocryphal writings as the Iournals of the Apostles and of men vnsound in the faith as Eusebius and secondly for taking part with euil disposed men as Xenaias and Seuerus as if it should be any hinderance to the truth that sometimes vpon occasion euill men become defenders thereof and thirdly for defacing such bookes as had bene not long before written for defence of such idolatry wherein whatsoeuer they did they did it by iust grieuance and caution against the increase and growth of this abhomination Now this being but a sinister and indirect course backe they go againe to their trumpe that is to miracles and as if it had bene some perfume to sweeten the roome they tell againe the tale of the diuell promising not to trouble a man if he would forbeare to worship the image of our Ladie another of a woman who being greatly grieued at the charges that she had bin at in the digging of a well and could get no water saw one come to her in her sleepe who willed her to get the image of one Theodosius an Abbot which being let downe into the well the water flowed abundantly another of an Eremite who being sometimes to go from his caue would pray to the image of our Ladie that his candle might continue burning till his comming againe and that going sometimes for two or three moneths sometimes for fiue or sixe moneths he found it burning in the same sort as he left it No maruell if they could scaâ—t hold at the hearing of these stories and therefore they hereupon fall to cursing them that condemned the worshipping of images and so an end for that time The sixt action was the reading of an answer formally penned against the acts of the former Councell of Constantinople against images the examination whereof because it would be too long I leaue to the Reade though what it is may well be esteemed by their proceedings
the Church and Pope of Rome He hath alledged S. Bernard before and he is answered before Further he bringeth Irenaeus saying b Iren. lib. 3. ca. 3 Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter poteâ—tiâ—â—em principalitatem necesse est omnem conuenire Ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles â—n qui semper ab 〈◊〉 qui suâ—t vnd que conseruata est ea quae est ab Apostolis traditio To this Church by reason of the more mightie principalitie it is necessarie that euery Church that is the faithfull on all sides do agree in which the tradition which is from the Apostles hath bene alwaies preserued of theÌ„ that are about her Which words he alledgeth but drawes no direct coÌ„clusion from them nor indeed can do but by begging that which is in question betwixt vs. It was necessarie in the time of Irenaeus that euery Church should accord to the Church of Rome because therein the tradition and true doctrine of the Apostles had bene faithfully preserued but will M. Bishop hereof simply conclude that it is now also necessarie for euery Church to accord with the Church of Rome It is a question now whether she retaine the doctrine and tradition of the Apostles nay it is out of question that she doth not so and therefore her former commendation is no argument that we should approue her now Ierusalem was c 2. Chron. 6.6 the city which the Lord did chuse to place his name there She was a faithfull citie so long necessarie it was that all other cities shold conforme themselues to her But d Esa 1.21 of a faithfull citie she became a harlot and departed so farre from her former steps as that she crucified the Sonne of God and killed his Saints and in the end it was said of her by a voyce from God as Iosephus recordeth e Ioseph de bello Iudaicoâ—â— 7. c. 12 Migremus hinc Let vs depart from hence So the Church of Rome was a Virgin the chast and faithfull spouse of Christ continuing stedfastly in the doctrine by which she first became the Church of Rome and so long as she so coÌ„tinued it was necessarie for al Churches to accord with her as for her to accord with all other Churches that had done the like But she is since become an vncleane filth prostituted to all manner of fornications embrued drunken with the bloud that she hath sprit so that now the voyce of God calleth to vs in like sort concerning her Go out of her my people Neither hath M. Bishop any better helpe by that that he will further alledge that Irenaeus mentioneth a potent principalitie of that Church For that potent principalitie was not intended by Irenaeus for any supremacie of the Church of Rome but imported onely an honour yeelded vnto it in respect of the imperiall state of the citie of Rome which we know men of inferior townes are wont to yeeld to them that are of high and honorable cities only for the preheminence of the place But if the Church of Rome had had any such potent principalitie as M. Bishop intendeth in respect whereof all other Churches shold yeeld subiection and obedience vnto her then would not f Jren. apud Euseb hist eccles lib. 5. cap 23. Polycarpus the Bishop of Smyrna haue refused to yeeld to Anicetus the Bishop of Rome in matters of difference betwixt them as Irenaeus sheweth he did before his time neither would g Ibid. cap. 22. Hieron in Catal. Script Eccles in Polycrate Polycrates the Bishop of Ephesus and Metropolitan of the Asian Churches haue resisted Victor in the time of Irenaeus neither would h Cypr ad Pompeium contra Epist Stephane Cyprian haue contradicted Stephanus neither would Aurelius and Austin and the rest of the Fathers in the Councell of Carthage haue i Concil Carth. 6 Aphrican cap 101. c. withstood the claime of the Bishop of Rome for authoritie to receiue appeals made from them to him neither would those sixe hundred and thirtie Bishops in the Chalcedon Councel haue yeelded to the Patriarch of Constantinople according to a former decree of a councell of k Conc Constantinop 1. cap. 2. Constantinople an equalitie of priuiledge and prerogatiue with the Bishop of Rome The matter is very plaine l Conc l. Chaâ—cedon Act. 15. ca. 28. Antiquae Romae throno quòd vrbi ilâ—a imperaret iure Patres priuâ—legiae tribuere Et eadeÌ„ consideratione moti 150 Dei amantissimi Episcopi sanctissimo nouae Romae throno aequalia priuilegia tribuere rectè iudicantes vrbem quae imperio Senatu honerata sit aequalibus cum antiquissimo Roma priuilegijs fruatur etiam in rebus ecclesiasticis non secus ac illaÌ„ extolli magnificari secundaÌ„ post illam existentem The Fathers say they haue yeelded priuiledges to the sea of old Rome because that was the Imperiall citie And the hundred and fiftie Bishops of the Councell of Constantinople being moued with the same consideration haue yeelded equall priuiledges to the sacred sea of new Rome that is Constantinople rightly iudging that the citie which is honoured with the Empire and Senate and enioyeth equall priuiledges with old Rome should also in ecclesiasticall matters be no lesse extolled and magnified then it is being the next vnto it Thus they acknowledge the principalitie of the Church of Rome to be nothing else but in respect that that citie was the seate of the Empire and therfore Constantinople being become the seate of the Empire and in respect thereof being called New Rome they gaue to the Church of Constantinople equall dignitie and principalitie with the Church of Rome leauing to the Bishop of Rome onely precedence of name and place The Legates of the Bishop of Rome would faine haue had it otherwise but the whole Councell approued the decree Now by that that hath bene said to Irenaeus the answer is plaine to that that M. Bishop further citeth out of Hierome The true faith and doctrine of the Godhead of Christ was then maintained by the Church of Rome against the remainder of the infection and poyson of the Arian heresie Hereupon Hierome writeth to Damasus Bishop of Rome to be aduertised of the vse of some words that concerned that point He commendeth the Church of Rome m Hieron ad Damasum Apud vos solos incorrupta Patrum seruatur haereditae for that the inheritance of the Fathers that is the true faith was preserued vncorrupt with them onely For this cause doth he bind himselfe to the communion and fellowship of Damasus Vpon the rocke of that faith which the Church of Rome stil held he knew the Church to be built In respect of this faith he that went out of that house that is left the communion of that Church because thereby he renounced the truth he became prophane In the same respect he that gathered not with Damasus being
a maintainer of the true faith be must needes be a scatterer He could not be of Christ that refused them that tooke part with Christ and therefore must be of Antichrist In this respect he renounced Vitalis Milesius and Paulinus because n Erasm schol ibid. they were all either knowne or suspected to be partakers of the heresie of Arius and therefore very deceitfully doth M. Bishop alledge that he would not set vp his rest with his owne Bishop Paulinus who was no meane man but the Patriarch of Antioch as hereby to adde a superioritie to the Bishop of Rome when as there was otherwise so apparant cause why he should refuse so to do In all this therefore Hierome saith no more of the Bishop and Church of Rome then he might haue said of any other Bishop and Church professing true faith and doctrine as the Church of Rome then did but very farre was he from teaching or intending any perpetuall necessitie that all Churches for euer should conforme themselues to the Church of Rome And that he neuer had any such meaning let it appeare by himselfe when being vrged with the example of the Church of Rome he answereth o Hieron Epist. ad Euagr. Quid mihi profers vntus vrbis consuetudinem quid paucitatem de qua ortum est supercilium in leges Ecclesiae vindicas What dost thou bring to me the custome of one citie why dost thou maintaine a paucitie or fewnesse whence hath growne proud vsurping vpon the lawes of the Church He had said a little before p Ibid. Si autoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Romae siue Eugubij siue CoÌ„stantinopoli siue Rhegij siue Alexandriae siue Tanis eiusdem meriti est eiusdeÌ„ sacerdotij Potentia diuitiaruÌ„ pauperiatis humilitas sâ—l linuorem vel inferiorem EpiscopuÌ„ non facit caeterùm omnes Apostolorum successores sunt If we demaund authority the world is greater then the citie Wheresoeuer a Bishop be whether of Rome or of Eugubium whether at Constantinople or at Rhegium whether at Alexandria or at Tanes he is of the same worth and of the same office of Bishopricke Power of wealth or basenesse of pouertie maketh a Bishop neither higher nor lower but they are all successors of the Apostles Thus he spake purposely in derogation of the Church of Rome charging the same with proud domineering ouer the lawes of the Church affirming the authoritie of the Churches through the world to be greater then the authority of the Church of Rome attributing to euery Bishop of whatsoeuer place equalitie in office with the Bishop of Rome because all are alike successors of the Apostles Yea and to shew that the Church of Rome receiued no more by Peter then other Churches did by the rest of the Apostles he saith in another place that q Idem adu Iouin lib. 1. At dicis super PetruÌ„ fit datur Ecclesia liceta idipsum in alio loco super omnes Apostolos fiat cuncti claues regni coelerum accipiant ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo solidatur the Church is built vpon all the Apostles and they all receiue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church is equally grounded vpon them Whereby it plainely appeareth that Hierome neuer meant to make the Church of Rome any such perpetuall Mistris and ruler of other Churches as M. Bishop dreameth her to be Yea but S. Ambrose further saith I desire in all things to follow the Church of Rome But why did M. Bishop giue ouer there not adde also that that followeth r Ambros de Sacram lib. 3. cap. â— In omnibus cupio sequi Romanâ—m Ecclesiam sed tamen nos homines sensum habentus ideo quod alibi rectiùs seruatur nos rectè custodimus I desire saith he in all things to follow the Church of Rome but yet we are also men that haue vnderstanding and therefore what is more rightly obserued otherwhere we also iustly obserue the same S. Ambrose being Bishop of Millaine not farre from Rome sheweth that he yeelded a reuerend respect vnto the Church of Rome but yet professeth that things might be better in other places then they were at Rome and that his Church of Millaine had vnderstanding to iudge what was fit aswell as the Church of Rome and therefore that they held not themselues tyed by any necessarie dutie to the example thereof but would do what they thought more rightly performed in any other Church Now then what shall we thinke of M. Bishop who thus shamefully seeketh to blind his reader by alledging one part of a sentence for his purpose when the other part thereof expresly crosseth that for which he alledgeth it And thus much concerning M. Bishops answer to M. Perkins Prologue For the rest I will God willing follow him in like sort steppe by steppe according to his owne words in more honest and faithfull manner then he hath dealt with M. Perkins and that in such sort I hope as that the meaner learned shall vnderstand that the learning which he would teach them is naught and the more iudicious shall be able to iudge that it is a very bad cause to which the marrow and pith of many large volumes can yeeld no better defence then he hath brought CHAPTER 1. OF FREE WILL. 1. W. BISHOP THat I be not thought captious but willing to admit any thing that M. Perkins hath sayd agreeable to the truth I will let his whole text in places indifferent passe paring off onely superfluous words with adding some annotations where it shall be needfull and rest onely vpon the points in controuersie First then concerning Free will wherewith he beginneth thus he saith Free will both by them and vs is taken for a mixt power in the mind and will of man whereby discerning what is good and what is euill he doth accordingly chuse or refuse the same Annot. If we would speake formally it is not a mixt power in the mind and will but is a free facultie of the mind and will onely whereby we chuse or refuse supposing in the vnderstanding a knowledge of the same before But let this definition passe as more popular M. Perkins 1. Conclusion Man must be considered in a fourefold estate as he was created as he was corrupted as he is renued as he shall be glorified In the first state we ascribe vnto mans will libertie of nature in which he could will or will either good or euill note that this libertie proceeded not from his owne nature but of originall Iustice in which he was created In the third libertie of grace in the last libertie of glorie Annot. Cary this in mind that here he granteth man in the state of grace to haue Free will R. ABBOT MAister Bishop here dealeth as iuglers are wont to do who make shew of faire play when they vse nothing but
found all things belonging to our faith and conuersation of life and thereby leaueth no place to M. Bishops matters of faith that are not contained in the written word 13. W. BISHOP M. Perkins his last testimonie is taken out of Vincentius Lyrinensis who saith as he reporteth that the canon of the Scripture is perfect and fully sufficient for all things Answ I think that there is no such sentence to be found in him the says by way of obiection What need we make recourse vnto the authoritie of the Ecclesiasticall vnderstanding if the Canon of the Scripture be perfect He affirmeth not that they be fully sufficient to determine all controuersies in religion but through all his booke he proues out the cleane contrary that no heresie can be certainly confuted and suppressed by onely Scriptures without we take with it the sence and interpretation of the Catholike Church R. ABBOT The words of Vincentius are vttered first by way of obiection thus a Vincen. Lyrin Hic forsitan requirat aliquis cum sit perfectus Scripturarum canon sibique ad omnia satis supèrque sufficiat quid opus est vt et Ecclesiasticae intelligentiae â—ungatur authoritas Some man happely may ask seeing the Canon of Scriptures is perfect and in it selfe abundantly sufficient for all matters what needeth it that the authority of Ecclesiastical vnderstanding shold be ioyned vnto it He hath taught a man in the words before to ground and settle his faith b Duplici modo fidem munire primo diuinae legis authoritate tum deinde Ecclesiae Catholicae traditione first by the authoritie of the law of God and then by the tradition of the Catholike Church meaning by tradition as appeareth the interpretation or exposition of Scripture deliuered by the Church not any matters of doctrine to be receiued beside the Scripture Hereupon he asketh the question seeing the Scripture is abundantly sufficient what need is there to adde the tradition of the Church taking it for a thing receiued and by all men approued that the Scripture in it selfe is abundantly sufficient to instruct vs euery way and in all things belonging to faith and godlinesse and therefore making it a doubt why the other should be needfull And that we may vnderstand that he meant it not only by way of obiection but positiuely in the repeating of the same points afterwards he setteth downe this exception and reason c Jbid. Non quia canon solas non sibi ad vniuersa sufficiat sed quia verba diuina plerique pro suo arbitratis interpretantes varias opiniones erroresque concipiant Not but that the Canon alone is in it selfe sufficient for all things but because many interpreting the words of God as they list do conceiue diuers opinions and errors there from M. Bishops answer then is false that Vincentius affirmeth not that the Scriptures be fully sufficient to determine all controuersies in religion for Vincentius affirmeth it peremptorily and therefore teacheth vs to shun them who after the Scriptures and interpretation thereof teach vs that there are yet other matters of Christian doctrine and faith that are not contained in the Scriptures M. Bishop telleth vs that through all his booke he proues the contrary But what is that contrary Marry that no heresie can be certainly confuted and suppressed by onely Scriptures without we take with it the sense and interpretation of the Catholike Church Whereby we see that either he hath not read that booke of Vincentius or doth impudently falsifie that which he hath read True it is that Vincentius in respect that heretikes do often very guilefully alledge the Scriptures and wrest them to the maintenance and defence of their new deuices doth referre a man for his safetie to the iudgement and resolution of the Catholicke church not as they loudly beare vs in hand of the church of Rome as if by it the Catholike Church were to be vnderstood but so as d Vt id teneamus quod vbique quod semper quod a omnibus credituÌ„ est hoc est etenim verè proprièque CatholicuÌ„ quod ipsa vis nominis raâ—ieque declarat quae omnia verè vniuersaliter comprebendit that we hold that which hath bene beleeued euery where and alwaies and of all for this saith he is truly and properly Catholike as the nature and signification of the word declareth which indeed comprehendeth vniuersally all Hereto he frameth those rules of antiquitie vniuersalitie and consent idlely bragged of many times by the Papists when as according to the declarations of Vincentius they are not able to make good any one point of their doctrine oppugned by vs but in diuers and sundry points are conuicted thereby But the matter that toucheth M. Bishop very neerly is the restraint and limitation of this rule which he saith is e Quae tamen antiquae sanctorum Patrum consensio non in omnibus diuinae legis quaestiunculis sed solùm certè praecipuè in fidei regula mag no nobis studio inuestigandae sequenda est not to be followed in all questions of the word of God but onely or chiefly in the rule of faith whereby he meaneth those things that concerne the articles of the Creed f In ijs duntaxat praecipuè quaestionibus quibus tetius Catholici dogmatis fundamenta nituntur in those questions as he repeateth afterwards vpon which the foundations of the whole Catholike faith do rest It is vntrue then which M. Bishop saith that Vincentius holdeth no heresie to be suppressed or confuted but by the tradition of the Catholike Church when as he applieth his rule only or at least chiefly to those heresies which touch the maine pillars foundations of Christian faith And it is yet further vntrue because Vincentius further addeth that g Sed neque semper neque omnes haereses hoc modo impugnandae sunt sed nouitiae recentesquè tantummodo cùm primum scilitet exoriuntur antequam infalsarint vetustae fidei regulas ipsius temporis vetentur augustijs ac priusquam mananie latùs veneno maiorum volumina vitiare conentur Caeterùm si dilatatae inueteratae hareses nequaquam hac via aggrediendae sunt eò quòd prolixo ten porum tractu longa ijs furandae veritatis patuerit occasio Atque ideo quascunque illas antiquiores vel schismatum vel haereseoÌ„n prophanitatet nullo modâ— nos oportet nisi aut sola si opus est Scripturarum authoritate conuincere aut certè iam antiquitùs vniuersalibus sacerdotum Catholicorum Concilijs conuictas damnatásque vitare neither alwayes nor yet all heresies are to be impugned in that sort but onely those that are new and fresh namely when as they first spring vp before they haue falsified the rules of auncient faith and are therein hindered by the straitnesse of the time and before the poison spreading further abroad they labor to corrupt the bookes of the auncient Fathers But heresies