wicked glosses wresting the words of scripture to the maintenance of their damnable errors They tooke vpon them to know more then the Apostles saying that the holy Ghost which Christ promised to send was not giuen to the Apostles but to theÌ„ so that the Montanists affirmed that i Dicunt Paracletum plura in Montano dixisse quà m Christum in Euangelium protulisse the holy Ghost spake more things in Montanus then Christ did commit to the Gospell and not onely more but greater and better things When they were vrged by the teachers of the Church with these corruptions and falsifications k Haec ipsi habent in nos retorquere à nobis potius adulteria Scripturarum expositionum earuÌ„ mendacia inferri c. they were ready to answer that the corrupting of the Scriptures and false expositions thereof were rather found with them by meanes whereof there was no end of reasoning with them because they could hold them to no certaine grounds wherupon to proceed against them Hereupon Tertullian referred men as Irenaeus did to consider the Churches planted by the Apostles and which had had continuance of Pastors and teachers from them by them to learne what faith and doctrine was deliuered by the Apostles as not doubting but what they deliuered was the truth as l Supra sect 4. who deuised nothing of their owne but faithfully assigned to the nations the doctrine which they had receiued of Christ He setteth it downe as a principle that vndoubtedly m Hoc propono vnuÌ„ certum aliquid institutuÌ„ esse a Christo quod credere omni modo debeant nationes there was some one and certaine thing appointed by Christ for the nations to beleeue that whatsoeuer that was Christ vndoubtedly deliuered it to his Apostles n Duodecim praecipuos lateri suo adtegerat destinatos nationibus magistros c. Si Christus Apostolos misit ad praedicandum praescribimus non alios esse recipiendos Praedicatores quà m quos Christus instituit whom he chose to be teachers of all nations and therefore that no other Preachers are to be receiued but whom Christ appointed that to say that either the Apostles knew not all things or did not make knowne all things to all men is o In vtroque Christum repreheÌ„sions subijcientes qui aut minus instructos aut parum simplices Apostolos miserit to reproue Christ as sending Apostles either vnsufficient or not dealing simply and plainely Taking it then for graunted that the Apostles deliuered al truth to the Church he moueth another doubt that haply the Churches had erred and forsaken that which at first was deliuered by the Apostles To this therefore he answereth that p Quid verisimile est vt tot ac tantae in vnam fideÌ„ errauerinit Nullus inter multos euentus vnus est exitus variassedebuerat error doctrinae Ecclesiarum Caeterum quod apud multos vnâ— inuenitur non est erratum sed traditum it is not likely if the Churches had erred that being so many and so great they should in error light all vpon one faith that they would surely haue varied in their error one from another because where there are many going but by hap they cannot all happen vpon the same end Therefore what with many is found one saith he it is no matter of error but that that was first deliuered vnto them He goeth on further to shew that it is the marke of truth q Ab excessis reuertor ad principalitatem veritati posteritatem mendacitati deputandaÌ„ exillius quoque Parabolae patrocinio c. Ita ex ipso ordine manifestatur id esse dominicum verum quod sit prius traditum id autem extraneum falsum quod sit posterius immissum to be first and that what cometh in after is to be reputed a lye as appeareth by the Parable wherein the good seed or wheate was first sowed and then afterwards the tares Thus by the order it is so manifest saith he that that is of the Lord and true which was first deliuered but that strange and false which is afterwards come in Now if any of them would dare to challenge to themselues the antiquity of the Apostles he willeth them r Siquae audent se interserere aetati Apostolicae vt ideò videantur ab Apostolis traditae quia sub Apostolis fuerunt possumus dicere Acdant ergo originos Ecclesiarum suarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporum suoruÌ„ c. to shew the originall of their Churches and the succession of their Bishops from the Apostles which if there had bene any such they might easily haue done this being very litle more then a hundred yeres after the time of the Apostles But withal he declareth that such opinions of theirs as were meÌ„tioned in the time of the Apostles Å¿ Quae tunc sub Apostolis fuerunt ab ijsdem Apostolis demonstratae deierata were by the Apostles shewed renounced wherof he giueth sundry examples of denying the resurrection of obseruing circumcision of forbidding mariage of denying the Godhead or manhood of Christ of worshipping Angels and such like condemned in the writings of the Apostles t Nâ—m sic facilitis traduceÌ„tur dum aut iam tunc fuisse deprehenduntur aut ex illis quae tunc fuerunt semina sumpsisse c. Siue ergo taedem nunc sunt aliquanto expolitiores quae sub Apostolis rudes habeÌ„t suam exinde damnationem siue aliae quideÌ„ illae fuerunt aliae autem posteà oâ—oâ—tae sunt quasdam ex illu opâ—niones vsurpauerunt habendo cum eu consoretum praedicationis habeant etiam necesse est consortium damnationis c Et si nihil de damnaticijs participareÌ„tur de aetate sola praeiudicatentur tantò magis aduiterae quantò nec Apostolis nominâ—iae Vnde fiâ—mâ—â—â— constat has esse quae adhuc tunc nunt rebantur futurae Thus saith he they shall the more easily be traduced whilest they are found either to haue bene then or to haue taken any seedes from those that were then For whether they be now the same somewhat more polished and fined which in the Apostles times were yet rude and vnfashioned they haue their condemnation from thence or whether they were one then and other haue since sprung vp which yet haue borrowed some opinions from them surely in being partakers with them in their preaching they must needes also be partakers of their condemnation And albeit they did not participate with those that were so condemned yet saith he there should preiudice be taken against them onely for their latter age being so much the rather corruptions of the truth for that they are not so much as named by the Apostles whence it is so much the more certaine that they are those which then it was foretold should be in time to come Hereupon he referreth his Reader to sundry particular churches
thou shalt find in it the marrow and pith of many large volumes contracted and drawne into a narrow roome And reade it ouer as it becometh a good Christian with a desire to find out and to follow the truth because it concerneth thy eternall saluation and then iudge without partialitie whether Religion hath better grounds in Gods word more euident testimony from the purest antiquitie and is more conformable vnto all godlinesse good life and vpright dealing the infallible marks of the best Religion and spedily embrace that Before I end this short preface I must intreate thy patience to beare with the faults in printing which are too too many but not so much to be blamed if it be courteously considered that it was printed farre from the Author with a Dutch composer and ouer seene by an vnskilfull Corrector the greatest of them shall be amended in the end of the booke Before the printing of this part was finished I heard that M. Perkins was dead I am sorte that it commeth forth too late to do him any good Yet his worke liuing to poyson others a preseruatiue against it is neuer the lesse necessary R. ABBOT IF you had respected the glorie of God M. Bishop it should haue appeared by your respect to yeeld soueraigne honour and authoritie to the word of God God is in heauen and we are vpon the earth we haue no knowledge of him no acquaintance or dealing with him but by his word Therein we seeke him and find him therein he speaketh vnto vs and thereout we learne to speake to him If we haue the word of God God is present with vs if we be without the word of God God himselfe is absent from vs. Therefore by our honour and obedience to the word of God it must appeare that we truly and sincerely intend and seeke for the glorie of God Hereby it appeareth that you M. Bishop in this your booke haue not fought for the glorie of God but rather to glorifie a Extrauag Ioan 12. Cū inter in glossa Credere dominum Deum nostrum Papam sic non potuisse statuere c. haereticum censeretur your Lord God the Pope as your Glosse of the Canon law most blasphemously hath stiled him You haue in this worke of yours vsed all maner of vntruth and falshood to vphold and iustifie his wicked proceedings against the word of God Whatsoeuer God hath taught vs whatsoeuer Christ and his Apostles haue deliuered all is nothing if your Lord God the Pope and your master Bellarmine his proctor generall do say the contrary Howsoeuer simply and plainly they speake yet they meane not as they speake if the Pope and Bellarmine will tell you another meaning As for your talent we take it to be greater in your owne opinion and the opinion of your fellowes then it is indeed But whatsoeuer it is you haue abused it to the wrong of him that gaue it not to edification but to destruction not to fortifie any in the faith but to nourish and harden them that depend vpon you in error and misbeleefe not to leade any into the right way but to intice men to b Prou. 2.15 crooked wayes and leud paths which c Ch. 7.27 go downe to the chambers of death and the end whereof is confusion and shame not to withdraw men from fancies but to draw them to other fancies from fancies in conuersation to fancies in religion that so being fed wholy with fancies they may perish in the end for want of true food And indeed men that wander in fancies are the subiect for your malice and trechery to work vpon Many that liue in the oportunitie of the knowledge of Christ yet neglect and despise the same The light shineth into their eyes and they regard it not God offereth himselfe vnto them and they say in their hearts We haue no delight nor pleasure in thee Therefore being emptie and voide of truth they lie open to be filled with error and lies and hauing vnthankfully withholden themselues from God God by iust iudgement giueth them ouer to the hands of impostors and deceiuers that it may be verified which the Apostle saith d 2. Thess 2 1◠Because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they may beleeue lies that they may be damned which beleeued not the truth but tooke pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Your friend of good intelligence and iudgement that thought it very expedient that you should take in hand the confutation of M. Perkins booke spake thereof haply as Caiphas did of the death of Christ meaning it one way which was to fall out another way I doubt not but it will fall out to haue bene very expedient which you haue done because you giue hereby occasion of discouering your false doctrine and of iustifying the truth of Christ which M. Perkins was carefull to maintaine I doubt not but many by this occasion will take knowledge of your corrupt and trecherous dealing your patching and shifting your cosening and deluding of men and will discerne the weaknesse and absurdity of that bad cause which with glorious and goodly words you labour so highly to aduance As for your commendation of M. Perkins booke it is but the imitation of some vaine-glorious captains who to grace their owne victories do set out to the vttermost the aduersaries power and prowesse thinking their glory to be the greater by how much the greater men shall conceiue the might and valour of them to haue bene whom they haue ouercome You dreamed of a victorie here and you thought it to be much for your commendation that your aduersary should be deemed of as great strength as any is to be found amongst vs. But we would haue you to vnderstand that the Church of England neuer tooke M. Perkins booke to be a warriour in complete harnesse or a chalenger for the field but onely as a captaine training his souldiers at home where he wanteth much of that munition and defence wherewith he should endure the brunt of battell He wrote it very schollerlike indeed for an introduction onely to the true vnderstanding and iudgement of the controuersies betwixt vs and you but knew well that it wanted much that might haue bene added to giue it ful and perfect strength You haue taken hereof some aduantage as you conceiue and yet how pitifully are you distressed many times both to vphold that which he obiecteth for you and to answer that which he alledgeth for vs. Now if for the compiling of his booke he bestirred himselfe as the Bee going into other mens gardens for the gathering of hony into his hiue yet he made no Rabbines of them to take any thing for hony because it grew in the garden of such or such a man but vsed carefull and aduised consideration of that which he wrote esteeming the weight of his arguments and of his answers that he might
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
Oecumen in Iac. ca. 2. De simplici assensu fideÌ„ dicere solemus c. Rursum coÌ„secutionem ex affectu procedeÌ„tem cum firmo assensu nomine fidei vocamus bare assent of the vnderstanding and there is a faith that implyeth the affection of the heart and will There is a faith whereby m Iohn 3.15 he which beleeueth shall neuer perish and there is a faith whereby some n â—â—k 8.13 beleeue for a time and in time of temptation go away There is a faith which the world o 2. Tim. 2.18 destroyeth and there is p 1. Iohn 5.4 a faith which is our victorie whereby we ouercome the world According to these differences there is q Iam. 2.14 a faith without workes and there is r Gal. 5.6 a faith which worketh by loue We affirme then of the faith of the elect whereby we beleeue in God to which the promise of iustification and eternall life is made that it is a faith which cannot be separated from charity and good workes but wheresoeuer it is there is infallibly ioined with it the loue of God bringing forth Å¿ Phil. 1.11 the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ to the glory and praise of God Now as touching this faith M. Bishops arguments must be vnderstood or else they are nothing against vs and being so vnderstood a man would wonder that a wise man should shew so much folly to bring arguments so impertinent and friuolous as he hath done The first is taken from the words of reprobate hypocrites who t Mat. 7.22 at that day shall say vnto Christ Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy name c. to whom he shall professe saying I neuer knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity They shall say Lord Lord therefore they beleeued in Christ and were perswaded assuredly that they were of the elect the conclusion as well agreeing to the antecedent as a goose feather to a foxes taile It is to be noted that faith is grounded vpon the word of God and the thing which it beleeueth is that that God hath said Thus the Apostle telleth vs that u Rom. 10.17 faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God and therefore calleth the word of God x Ver. 8. the word of faith because that is the obiect and matter of faith Whatsoeuer we conceiue towards God beside the word of God it is opinion imagination presumption but faith it is not Now the word of God denounceth that x Psal 11.6 the soule of the Lord hateth them that loue iniquitie that y Psal 92 9. all the workers of iniquity shall be destroied that Christ shall say to them at the last day Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie If then there be no faith but by the word of God and the word of God denounce destruction to the workers of iniquity how can it be said that the workers of iniquitie haue faith to perswade themselues assuredly that they are of the elect S. Austine saith z Aug. de verb. Dom. ser Qui fidem hâ—bet sine spe dilectione ChristuÌ„ esse credit non in Christum credit He who hath faith without hope and charity beleeueth that Christ is but he beleeueth not in Christ For a Cyprian de simplic praelat Credere se in Christum quomodo dicit qui non facit quod Christus facere praecepit how doth he say that he beleeueth in Christ saith Cyprian who doth not what Christ hath commanded vs to do How then doth M. Bishop say that these beleeue in Christ in whom he confesseth there is no charity no loue to Christ to do those things which he commandeth They of whom Christ speaketh as the words very plainly import are heretikes schismatikes false Apostles false teachers yea and such also as though they preach the truth of Christ yet preach it not truly sincerely but b Phil. 1.15.18 of enuie and strife and vnder a pretence who vnder the name of Christ c Gap 2.21 seeke their owne and not that that is Christs making the word of God to serue them themselues not seruing it vsing the Gospell for their purpose when they haue no true purpose for the Gospel d Psal 50.16.17 taking the testament of Christ in their mouthes but hating to be reformed thereby e Tit. 1.16 professing to know God when by their deeds they deny him To the name of Christ euen in the mouthes of such wicked men God somtimes doth that honour as that miracles are done thereby diuels are cast out great effects are wrought wherin they much glory in respect thereof assume much vnto themselues These in the end not of faith but for feare wheÌ„ they shal see that which they beleeued not that f Phil. 3.19 damnation is their end shall in perplexity of mind cry vnto Christ whoÌ„ before they regarded not and therefore by him now shall be reiected Of such though professing to know God and prophecying in the name of Christ yet the Apostle saith as the vulgar Latine translateth and as the word well beareth that they are g Tit. 1 16. vnbeleeuers yea as Thomas Aquinas expoundeth it h Thom. Aquin. in Tit. 1. lect 4. Non apti ad credendum not fit to beleeue And if they be vnbeleeuers why doth M. Bishop say they haue faith or if they haue faith why doth the Apostle say that they are vnbeleeuers Surely they that beleeue destruction to be the end of the works of iniquity will be carefull to auoid the same Cyprian truly saith i Cyprian de simplic praelat Metueret conscientiae nostra si crederet quia non credit omnino nce metuâ—t si autem crederet caueret Si caueret euaderet Our conscience would be afraid if it did beleeue because it beleeueth not therefore it feareth not If it did beleeue it would take heede and if it did take it should auoide or escape namely the punishments to come whereof he speaketh in that place The cause why men k Heb. 4.2 profit not by the word of God is because it is not mingled with faith in those that heare it Where there is faith men profit by it and it is the l 2. Cor. 2.16 sauour of life vnto life but where faith is wanting it commeth to passe which Ambrose saith m Ambros in 1. Thess ca. 4. TraÌ„seunt hinc in gehennam vt ediscant verum esse quod credere noluerunt They go from hence to hell that there they may learne that that is true which here they would not beleeue Thus it commeth to passe with them of whom M. Bishop here speaketh who either preach their owne deuices vnder the name of Christ or mingle not that with faith in themselues which they preach to be beleeued of other men There is not so much as one word in the text whence he should conclude that
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
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
for the doing of it but the other not only teacheth by writing or by preaching but ministreth also grace to worke in the heart obedience to that that it teacheth g August de sp lit cap. 20. Propter veteru hominis noxam quae per literam rubeâ—rem minantem minimè fanabitur dicitur illud testamentuÌ„ vitas hoc verò nonum propter nouitatem spiritus qua hominem nouum sanâ—tà vitio vetustatis The old Testament saith S. Austin is so called because of the corruption of the old man which was not healed by the commanding and threatening letter but the other the new because of the newnesse of the spirit which healeth the new man from the old corruption But we would gladly know of M. Bishop how it is true which the Apostle saith that h 2. Tim. 3.16 all Scripture is inspired of God if it be true which he saith that God did not giue his lawes written with inke and paper If the Gospell might well enough haue bene kept in mens hearts without writing why were the faithfull so instant with S. Marke first after with S. Iohn as we haue seene before for the writing of their Gospels Why doth the Apostle tell the Philippians that i Phil. 3.1 it was necessary for them that he should write vnto them the same things that he had preached vnto them if there were no such necessitie Why is S. Iohn in the Reuelation so often commaunded k Reuel 1.11 cap. 2.1 c cap. 14.13 to write to write if tradition might serue as well as writing Surely Irenaeus telleth vs that it was l Jren. â—ib 3 c. 1. Euangelium per voluntatem Dei in Scripturu nobâ—s tradiderunt by the will of God that the Apostles deliuered vnto vs the Gospell in writing as we haue shewed before So likewise we haue heard S. Austin saying that m Aug. supra sect 14. Christ commanded his disciples to write what he would haue vs to reade of his sayings and doings The same S. Austine saith againe that n Idem in epist Ioan. tract 2. Contra insidiosos errores Deus voluit pouere firmamentum in scripturis sanctis contra quas nullus audet loqui qui quoquo modo se vult videri Christianum God would place a bulwarke against deceiptfull errors in the holy Scriptures against which no man dare speake that will in any sort be taken for a Christian man Do these Fathers tell vs that it was the will of God the commaundement of Christ that his lawes should be deliuered vnto vs written with inke and paper and will M. Bishop perswade vs that it was not the will of God But I would further question with him What are they all so perfect in the Gospell at Rome as that they neede no written Gospell Is it so setled in their hearts remembrances by tradition only as that without any Scriptures it might be preserued amoÌ„gst them If M. Bishop say yea he knoweth himselfe to be a lyer If he say no what is the reason that he setteth thus lightly by inke and paper Fie vpon this wilfull blindnesse how strange a thing is it that any man should thus cast a veile ouer his owne eyes He telleth vs further that Christ endowed his Apostles with the blessed spirit of truth with a most diligeÌ„t care of instructing others that all their posteritie might learne of them al the points of Christian doctrin Now thus far he saith true but his purpose is with a little truth to colour a great lye For he addeth that we should giue credit to them aswell for the written as vnwritten word Sycophant what haue we here to do with the vnwritten word The vnwritten word is the matter in question and must it here be presumed before it be proued Let it first be made good that the Apostles meant to leaue behind them any vnwritten word We say that because they had care that all posteritie by them should learne all the points of Christian doctrine therefore they had care that all the points of Christian doctrine should be committed to writing that as S. Luke professeth to haue written to the intent that Theophilus o Luk. 1.4 might thereby acknowledge the certainty of those things wherof he had bene instructed so by his writings and the rest we should acknowledge the certaintie and assured truth of their doctrine and not lye open to the illusions of such impostors and cosiners as M. Bishop is who vnder the names of the Apostles should broach those things which the Apostles neuer thought Whereof we haue a notable example in p Euseb hist lib. 3. ca. 36. Papias who succeeded immediatly after the time of the Apostles who whilest he was not contented with those things which were left in writing but was still hearkening after euery one that tooke vpon him to haue bin a follower of any of the Apostles and enquiring what any of them had said or done swallowed manie gudgeons giuen him by such deceiuers and deliuered * Alia taÌ„quam ex viua trad tione ad se relata et peregrâ—naâ— quasdam seruatoris parabolas doctrinas cum non nullis fobâ—losis adijcit c. Apostolicas dâ—sputationes non rectè accepit c. Quamplurimis â—os se ecclesiasticis viris ciroris causam dedit quiad antiquitatem ipsius respexerunt c. as reported to him by tradition many fabulous things and strange doctrines conceiuing himselfe by that meanes amisse of the Apostles speeches and giuing occasion to many other to erre as he did whilest for his antiquitie they respected him very much This is the end of M. Bishops vnwritteÌ„ word they wil teach vs what pleaseth their Lord god the Pope theÌ„ make vs beleeue it is a part of the vnwritten word But yet he addeth again that our crediting the Apostles shold be more for the meaning of the word then for the word it self Where it is not in any good meaning that he thus nicely distinguisheth betwixt the word it self the meaning of the word leauing it forsooth to be vnderstood that they left the word one way and the meaning of the word another way the one in writing and the other by tradition But what will M. Bishop haue vs thinke that the Apostles would write words and not meane by their words to signifie their meaning Is it likely that they would write one thing and in meaning intend another Did they not write to that very end that in their writing it should appeare to all ages what doctrine they taught Surely they were honest and plaine dealing men they wold not beguile vs they wold not mock vs they haue simply told vs what their mind is There are manie difficulties in their writings and in the whole Scriptures it is true but yet there are perspicuities also so farre as is needful for the clearing of them There is to exercise the strong but yet there
apparently false that y Tertul. contra Marc. lib. 4. Ascendit ad consultandos Apostolos ne fortè secunduÌ„ illos non credidisset non secundum illos euangelizaret Paul went to Hierusalem to consult with the Apostles lest haply he had not beleeued as they did or did not preach the Gospell as they did As though it were likely that the Apostle would haue continued his preaching for 17. years not knowing whether he preached right or wrong As though he knew not that which he preached to be the truth hauing receiued it as before is shewed by the reuelation of Iesus Christ That which Ierome saith must be esteemed according to the humor wherein he wrote it which was in great choler and stomacke towards S. Austin for disliking his opinion as touching Peters dissimulation mentioned in the chapter wherof we here speake His words are that z Hieron apud August Epi. 11. Ostendens se non habuisse securitateÌ„ Euangelij praedicandi nisi Petri illorum qui cum illo eraÌ„t fuisset sententia roboratum Paul had not had securitie of preaching the Gospell had it not bene confirmed by the sentence of Peter and those that were with him As though he had preached 17. yeares as before was said without warrant of preaching As though he expected confirmation now froÌ„ Peter or those that were with him who so long before had had confirmatioÌ„ froÌ„ Christ himselfe As though he became an Apostle by warrant of Peter those that were with him who in the beginning of his Epistle writeth himselfe a Gal. 1.1 Paul an Apostle not of men nor by man but by Iesus Christ with many other words before mentioned disclaiming the receiuing of any authority froÌ„ men Ieromes heat made him forget that which is before cited out of his exposition vpoÌ„ that Epistle that confereÌ„ce importeth equality therfore that the Apostle shewing that he went to confer with the rest of the Apostles importeth that he receiued of theÌ„ no warrant of authority but only by coÌ„sent As for that which is quoted out of S. Austine it maketh nothing to M. Bishops purpose b August cont Faust lib. 28. ca. 4 Si non inueniret in carne Apostolos quibus coÌ„muâ—icando cuÌ„ quibus EuangeliuÌ„ conferendo eiusdeÌ„ societatis esse appareres ecclesia illi omnino no crederet Sed cùm cognouisset eum hoc annuntiantem quod etiam illâ— annuntiabant et in eorum comunione atque vnitate viuentem accedentibus etiam per eum talibus signis qualia illi operabantur ita eam Domino coÌ„mendante â—â—ruit authoritateÌ„ vt verba illius hodie sic audiantur in ecclesia tanquam in illo Christus sicut ipse verissimè dixit lâ—cutus audiatur If there had bene no Apostles liuing that Paul in communicating with them and conferring with them of the Gospell might appeare to be of the same societie the Church would not haue beleeued him But when they knew him preaching the same which they preached and liuing in their vnity and fellowship doing also the same miracles which they did God thus commending it he obtained authority that his words are now heard in the Church as if Christ were heard speaking in him as he himselfe most truly saith In which words he attributeth to the rest of the Apostles the giuing of a testimonie that he was of the same societie and fellowship with them but importeth nothing at all of any their iudiciall power or superiority ouer him The occasion of the words will shew the purport of them Manicheus the heretike wrote an Epistle as the Apostle of Christ contrarying those things which were written by the true Apostles The Manichees vrged this Epistle as the true story of Christ alledging that the Gospels were corrupted and not true S. Austine questioneth how the Church should take him for an Apostle or admit that for truth which he wrote concerning Christ when as he liued not in the time of the Apostles nor was knowne to be one of them by hauing communion and fellowship with them For euen Paul saith he if he had liued after their times and had not bene knowne to haue society and company with them and by his preaching miracles together with them had not bene commended to the Church by God the Church could not haue taken him for an Apostle of Christ nor beleeued him vpon his owne word This is all that is said and nothing intended that the rest of the Apostles should giue him warrant as Iudges but only as witnesses testifie him to be one of them But now admit that they were as Iudges were to giue commission warrant to S. Paul what is it that M. Bishop would proue thereby Forsooth that there were some of authority for iudgement and deciding the controuersies of the Church Be it so but why doth he take paines for that which we do not denie Yea but it is that Peter may be knowne to be the Iudge Be it so that Peter amongst the rest was one yea a chiefe man amongst them because S. Paul saith that c Gal. 2.9 Iames and Peter and Iohn seemed to be pillars that is speciall and chiefe men amongst the Apostles Yea but that is not enough but Peter must be the high soueraigne Iudge and the rest only assistants helpers to him But that is apparently false because in that iudgment of which S. Paul speaketh Iames sate as the chiefe and accordingly pronounced the definitiue sentence d Chrysost in Act. hom 33. Iacobus fert non resilit illi erat principatus concreduus to him saith Chrysostome the principality or chiefty was committed Yet let vs yeeld so much that Peter was the highest Iudge in this assembly what of that Marry forsooth the Pope succeedeth in Peters place he must therefore be the one high supreme Iudge ouer all Churches This is the issue that M. Bishop driueth at but for his life cannot tell how to conueigh the Pope into S. Peters place This conclusion Bellarmine maketh out of three places that are here alledged quoting them only as M. Bishop doth froÌ„ him but citing no words saying of them that they e Bellar. de verbo Dei lib. 3. cap. 5. Disertè affirmaÌ„t EcclesiaÌ„ noÌ„ fuisse Paulo credituraÌ„ nisi Euangelium eius à Peâ—â—o confirmatuÌ„ fuisset Ergo Petrâ— erat tunc proinde successâ—ris eius nunc de doctrina fidei expresly affirme that the Church would not haue beleeued Paul had not his Gospell bene confirmed by S. Peter Therefore it belonged to Peter then and now to his successour to iudge of the doctrine of faith Where we see him to be outright a Iesuite that is a man of a brazen face a wicked conscience for that he knew well that two of these do not mention Peter but speake generally of the Apostles the third which is Hierome nameth not Peter alone as
THE SECOND PART OF THE DEFENCE OF THE REFORMED CATHOLICKE VVherein the Religion established in our Church of England for the points here handled is apparently iustified by authoritie of Scripture and testimonie of the auncient Church against the vaine cauillations collected by Doctor Bishop Seminary Priest as out of other Popish writers so specially out of Bellarmine and published vnder the name of The marrow and pith of many large volumes for the oppugning thereof By ROBERT ABBOT Doctor of Diuinitie Tertul. de praescript aduer haeret Haereses de quorundam infirmitatibus habent quod valent nihil valentes si in benè valentem fidem incurrant ANCHORA SPEI LONDINI Impensis Georg. Bishop 1607. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE MONARCH MY MOST DREAD and Soueraigne Lord IAMES by the grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the faith MOST puissant and renowmed King albeit my qualitie and gifts are of meaner sort and worth then that I should thereupon presume thus often to solicite your Maiesties acceptation of my foretimely and vndigested fruits yet sith this businesse was by your Maiesties appointment first commaunded and one part thereof is alreadie become sacred vnto you the remainder could not in dutie be recommended to anie other then to the same most benigne and fosterous aspect of your Royall Grace In the former part I haue indeuored to cleare those mists and clouds which Doctor Bishops maleuolent breath out of the foggie vapours of their Romish filthie lakes had blowne amongst vs in his Epistle Dedicatorie to your Highnesse whereinto he had contriued in a generalitie very many malicious and blind cauils whereby he would perswade your Maiestie that the Religion by your lawes established is not consonant to the auncient and first approued truth In this latter part I haue laboured the examination and confutation of his whole booke wherein as he hath taken vpon him more particularly to oppugne the doctrine of our Church in diuers and sundrie points which are questioned betwixt vs so I haue studied according to the talent which God hath giuen me to make it plainly appeare in the same points that the cause which he maintaineth hath very slender and weake support that his fortifications of defence are but earth and clay and his offensiue weapons but as strawes and rushes and that he had more care to write a booke then conscience to weigh the force and truth of that he wrote Which that it may not be imputed to any inhabilitie of his but to the badnesse of the cause it selfe he himselfe professeth that he giueth to his Reader therein a Preface to the Reader the marrow and pith of many large volumes hauing indeede transcribed the greatest part thereof out of Bellarmines disputations who is now become their common oracle and the chiefe fountaine whereat they all draw Which may well be wondered at in Doctor Bishop that he being a secular Priest and with the rest lately caried with that importunate furie against the Iesuites and hauing bene in that cause a principall vndertaker aboue the rest should notwithstanding now be content to grace them so farre as to furnish himselfe out of their armourie to fight against vs. But it hath well enough appeared that their quarell was but to serue a turne wherein failing of their purpose albeit they haue discouered the Iesuites to be so wholly composed of fraud and villanie as should iustly cause all men to shunne and detest them yet they haue yeilded to be gathered with them againe to the feathering of one wing and though haply they be no otherwise tied together but like b Iudg. 15.4 Samsons foxes taile to taile their rancor inwardly continuing such as that they can hardly one with good countenāce behold the other yet they agree together to carrie fire betwixt them to burne and consume the heritage of the Lord. Which fire notwithstanding we hope by the mercie of God through your Maiesties religious and godly care shall be but as the fire of gun-powder against the wind returning vpon the faces of them by whom it was kindled For although the endeuours of these malignant spirits seeme apparently to tend to the detriment and danger of the Church of Christ yet that God who in the beginning c 2. Cor. 4.6 commanded the light to shine out of darknesse and when he had made all things very good and nothing but good yet gaue way to sinne and euill that thereout he might draw some further good the same God euen now turneth to the good of many that which they intend for euill it coming hereby to passe that the Scriptures are more diligently searched the truth more instantly preached and defended the Pastors of the Lords flocke occasioned more carefully to stand vpon their watch the desires of many people inkindled to find certaine resolution of the things which are so greatly questioned and though some fal away who being but d Tertull. de praescr Auolent quantum volent paleae leuis fidei c. chaffe of light beleefe haue but wanted winde to blow them out of the floore yet many more by the displaying and laying open of the trecheries and deceits of such impostors are confirmed in the faith and do learne the more deeply to detest the mystery of iniquitie whilest they see the poysoned and deadly fruites that grow out of that ground Which since they haue bene growne to so full and perfect ripenesse could not but haue their time to fall and the fall thereof hauing bene hitherto so happily begunne we hope shall vnder your Maiesties gouernement much more prosperously succeed and that God wil go forward to shake off e Deut. 32 32 33. the bitter and cruell grapes of the vine of Sodome that men may no longer gather thereof to their owne destruction In the meane time your Maiesty hath seene and must expect yet further to see f Apoc. 12.7 the dragon and his angels fighting against Michael and his Angels and g ver 15. out of his mouth as it were out of a brimstone lake casting out malice slander as flouds of water to drowne the woman and her seed and so much the more enraged because he conceiueth in likelihood h ver 12. that he hath but a short time and that the day is at hand which the Lord hath promised which shal i Iere. 51.6.11 bring vpon Babel the vengeance of the Lord the vengeance of his temple The Lord make good his word the Lord hasten his work that we may see it that that k Apoc. 17.4 purple harlot first founded in bloud and paricide and hauing since by an vnquenchable thirsting after bloud made her self the slaughter house l Ibid. 18.24 of the Saints and Martyrs of Christ may of her owne children drinke bloud her belly ful that m ver 20. the heauens may reioyce and the holy Apostles Prophets seeing the iudgement of God vpon her
Church then let that little discretion that he hath serue him against another time to vnderstand that it is no preiudice to our religion that there is in some matters some diuersitie of opinions amongst vs or that some men be exorbitant from that which is commonly amongst vs approued for the truth There is an vniuersalitie of doctrine with them for which men are esteemed of their religion in the particulars whereof notwithstanding there are many differences for which they will not be thought to be one of one religion and another of another What infinite varietie of obseruation and discipline is there found amongst their Friers and Monkes and yet they take them to be all of one religion There was of old a great dissention betwixt Å¿ Euseb hist lib. 5. cap. 22.23 Polycrates the Metropolitan of the Asian Churches and Victor Bishop of Rome concerning the obseruation of the feast of Easter betwixt t Cyprian ad Pomptium cont epist Stephani et Concil Carthag apud Cyprian Cyprian and Stephanus Bishop of Rome with their Churches on each part about the rebaptizing of them that were baptized by heretikes betwixt u Socrat hist lib. 6. cap. 13. Chrysostome and Epiphanius first and after betwixt x Hieron aduer Ruffin Hierome and Ruffinus concerning the condemning of the works of Origen betwixt y Socrat. lib. 7 cap 19. Chrysostome and many other Bishops concerning the often restitution of penitents to the communion of the Church betwixt z August epist 18 Hierome and Austine concerning Peters dissimulation and yet were they neuer taken to be of diuers religions vntill this day And what are we then in worse case then all these that because there is some variance betwixt some of vs in some points of doctrine or betwixt some others in matters of ceremony and circumstance concerning the discipline of the Church therefore we must be sorted into so many Religions as M. Bishops idle head can deuise differences amongst vs This is to be contemned as a peeuish and impertinent cauil of contentious and wrangling Sophisters bewraying more malice then learning or wit making shew to the vnlearned of obiecting somewhat against vs when their obiection maketh more against themselues then it doth against vs. Now then if M. Perkins either concerning Christs descending into hell or some other like matters subiect to varietie of opinion were otherwise minded then standeth with truth or the common iudgement of our Church we do not therefore account him a man of other religion but a maintainer of our religion and we will say of him as Austine said of Cyprian a August Therefore did he not see somewhat that by him a greater matter might be seen namely that in difference of iudgement we are not to be contentious but labour with all our might to preserue the publike peace and vnitie of the Church and with modestie and loue to carie our selues towards them that in opinion dissent from vs. A notable example whereof we see in M. Caluine who when Luther vpon some matter of question behaued himselfe somewhat intemperately against him and some others alike minded as he was was wont to say b Caluin epi. 57. Though he should call me diuell yet will I do him his honour to acknowledge him an excellent seruant of God As for the imputations which here M. Bishop layeth vpon him and the rest whom he nameth we account them but as the barking of a curre dogge against a Lion they are stale and threedbare cauils and too well knowne to cause them that reproch that he desireth If Luther were licentious for marrying a wife what were their Popes and Cardinals their Bishops and Priests and Monks for keeping other mens wiues and retaining concubines and harlots of their owne If Zuinglius went armed into the field to giue encouragement to his countrymen for their iust and necessary defence is he thereupon to be taxed for a martial minister more then Iulius the second for a martial Pope who himselfe went in person against the French and going ouer the bridge of Tiber cast his crosse keyes into the riuer and tooke his sword in his hand saying c Bale in Iul. 23 Seeing Peters keyes will do no good we will try whether Pauls sword wil serue the turne or then Philip the French Bishop in the time king Richard the first for a martiall Bishop who bare armes against king Richard and was taken in battell in whose behalfe when the Pope wrote to the King requesting fauour for his sonne the King sent to him the Bishops armour with this message d Matth. Paris in Richard 1. Vide an tunica filij tui sit an non See whether this be thy sonnes coate or not Nay it is no rare matter to find examples of martiall Popes and martiall Cardinals and Bishops in the Church of Rome and therfore we need say no more to M. Bishop as touching this cauill but onely to bid him looke at home As for that which he saith of Caluins expelling of the lawfull magistrate out of Geneua it is a very malicious and false tale it being very euident that the Bishop of Geneua whom he meaneth with his cleargie perceiuing the people to be minded for the abolishing of Popish superstition and receiuing of the Gospell voluntarily fled from thence before Caluins comming to that place Last of all he calleth Beza a dissolute turne-coate but if a man should ask his wisedome why he doth so he cannot tell All the matter of this dissolutenes is that being vnder twentie yeares old or a litle aboue he wrote a booke of Epigrammes in which by imitation of Catullus and Ouid he expressed some things more licentiously and wantonly then was fit The writing thereof he afterwards when God had called him to the knowledge of his truth e Beza Confes Epist Dedicat. repented much and when he was requested that the same might be reprinted denied it vtterly and wished the remembrance thereof to be wholy buried In his conuersation otherwise he was neuer to be touched with any blemish of that lightnesse which in those poeticall exercises he made shew of And is not this a great matter that these men obiect so often to his disgrace Surely if the liues of sundry of the auncient Fathers were looked into with such eyes before they were come to Christ there would be found worse matters to vpbraid them with euen by their owne confession then this is S. Austine when the Donatists dealt with him as M. Bishop and his fellowes do with Beza gaue answer to them thus f August const lit Petil lib. 3. cap. 10. Quantum cunque ille accusâ—t vinum meum tantum ego laude medicum meum Looke how much they blame my fault so much do I commend and prayse my Phisition To which effect I haue heard that Beza himselfe answered one as touching that columniation Hic homo inuidet mihi gratiam Christi This man enuieth
of the points in question laying open the absurditie of Poperie and clearing the doctrine on our part from those lies and slaunders wherewith in corners you labour to depraue it might seeme verie likely to drawe many to the knowledge and approbation of the truth It should seeme there was some sore for that both you and your friend were so carefull to apply a plaister but your plaister by the grace of God wil make your sore a great deale worse when men shall further see how sincerely he hath dealt to deliuer truth out of the word of God and doctrine of the ancient Church and what base geere you haue brought as the marrow and pith of many large volumes for the contradicting and oppugning of it The more and greater the points are of difference betwixt the Church of Rome and vs the more doth it concerne your Catholikes if they tender their owne saluation to looke into them which if they doe they will cease to thinke basely of our religion and will begin to honour it and imbrace it as the truth of God They will see that there is in it a true reformation indeed a iust departure from the horrible idolatries and superstitions of the Romish Sinagogue and it shall grieue them that they haue so long dishonoured God by holding fellowship with him who hath no true fellowship with Iesus Christ That you thinke basely thereof M. Bishop we wonder not He that doateth vpon a harlot is wont to scorne and thinke basely of honest matrons The Scribes and Pharisees thought basely of our Sauiour Christ no maruell if you doe the like of the Gospell of Christ who liue and thriue by traditions as they did As for old rotten condemned heresies how silly a man you haue shewed your selfe in the obiecting thereof it hath appeared partly alreadie in the answer of your Epistle and shall appeare further God willing in the answer of your booke and wee will expect hereafter that you learne more wit then to babble and prate of heresies you know not your selfe what THE THEAME OF M. PERKINS Prologue And I heard another voyce from heauen say Go out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sinnes and receiue not of her plagues Reuel 18.3 M. BISHOPS ANSWER TO M. Perkins Prologue Sect. 1. THe learned know it to be a fault Exordium Coâ—mune to make that the entrie vnto our discourse which may as properly fit him that pleadeth against vs but to vse that for our proeme which in true sence hath nothing for vs nay rather beareth strongly for our aduersarie must needs argue great want of iudgement Such is the sentence aboue cited out of S. Iohn by M. Perkins for it being truly vnderstood is so farre off from terrifying any one from the Catholike Roman Church as it doth vehemently exhort all to flie vnto it by forsaking their wicked companie that are banded against it For by the purple Harlot in that place is signified as shall be proued presently the Roman Empire as then it was the slaue of Idols and with most bloudie slaughter persecuting Christs Saints Those of the Church of Rome being as nearest vnto it so most subiect to that sacrilegious butcherie Wherefore that voyce which S. Iohn heard say Go out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sinnes c. can haue none other meaning then that all they who desire to be Gods people must separate themselues in faith and manners from them who hate and persecute the Roman Church as did then the Heathen Emperours and now do all Heretikes Vnlesse they will be partakers of their sinnes and consequently of their plagues This shall yet appeare more plainely in the examination of this Chapter Where I will deale friendly with my aduersarie and aduantage him all that I can that all being giuen him which is any way probable it may appeare more euidently how little he hath to any purpose out of this place of the Apocalipse whereof all Protestants vaunt and bragge so much both in their bookes and pulpits Well then I will admit that in the 17. and 18. Chapters of the Reuelation by the whore of Babylon is vnderstood the Roman state and regiment which in lawfull disputations they are not able to proue the most iuditious Doctor S. Augustine and diuerse others of the ancient fathers with the learned troupe of later interpreters expounding it of the whole corps and societie of the wicked And as for the seuen hils on the which they lay their foundation they are not to be taken literally the Angell of God in the very text it selfe interpreting the seuen heads of the beast to bee aswell seuen Kings as seuen hils But this notwithstanding to helpe you forward I will grant it you because some good writers haue so taken it and therefore omit as impertinent that which you say in proofe of it What can you inferre hereunto Marry that the Roman Church is that whore of Babylon Faire and soft good Sir how proue you that Thus. The whoore of Babylon is a state of the Roman regiment ergo the Roman Church is the whoore of Babylon What forme of arguing call you me this By the like sophistication you may proue that Romulus and Remus were the purple Harlot which to affirme were ridiculous or which is impious that the most Christian Emperours Constantine and Theodosius were the whoore of Babylon because these held also the state of the Roman Empire and regiment To make short the feeble force of this reason lieth in this that they who hold the state and gouerne in the same kingdome must needs bee of like affection in religion which if it were necessarie then did Queene Marie of blessed memorie and her sister Elizabeth carrie the same minds towards the true Catholike faith because they sate in the same chaire of estate and ruled in the same kingdome See I pray you what a shamefull cauill this is to raise such outcries vpon A simple Logician would blush to argue in the parâ—â—ies so loafty and yet they that take vpon them to controle the learnedst in the world often fall into such open fallacies Well then admitting the purple Harlot to signifie the Roman state we do say that the state of Rome must bee taken as it was then when these words were spoken of it that is Pagan Idolatrous and a hot persecutor of Christians Such it had bene a little before vnder that bloudie tyrant Nero and then was vnder Domitian which we confirme by the authoritie of them who expound this passage of the Roman state The commentarie on the Apocalipse vnder S. Ambrose name saith The great whoore sometime doth signifie Rome specially which at that time when the Apostle wrote this did persecute the Church of God 〈◊〉 Cap. 178. but otherwise doth signifie the whole citie of the Diuell And S. Ierome who applieth the place to Rome affirmeth Libr. 2. cont Jâ—â—â—n that she had before his dayes
of man dead as touching Free will to righteousnesse he answereth of naturall Free will only fortified and lifted vp to a higher degree of perfection What fortifying is there of a dead man and how should he be lifted vp to a higher degree of perfection except he first recouer life Why doth he by babling and trifling bobbe his Reader and make shew to say something when indeed to the purpose he saith nothing at all The argument still standeth impregnable Man is not onely weake and vnperfect but dead not halfe dead but wholy dead in sinne and therefore by S. Austine likened to the b Aug. contra duas Epist Pela lib. 4 cap. 5. de verbis Apost Ser. 11. Shunamites sonne being dead whom the Prophet Elizeus raised from the dead He must be made c Rom. 6.13 aliue from the dead before he can concurre with grace Which if M. Bishop confesse or because he cannot deny therefore he must confesse also that as the dead man hath nothing whereby to helpe himselfe to receiue life againe so man spiritually dead d August de verb. Dom. Ser. 18. Mortuos eos vocat Vbi nisi intus in anima inwardly in soule dead hath nothing in him no facultie or power of the soule whereby he can any way further the recouerie of his owne life But to fill vp the measure of his folly he will set foorth this matter vnto vs by a comparison A Crab-tree flocke forsooth hath no abilitie of it selfe to bring foorth apples and therefore may be tearmed dead in that kind of good fruite yet let a siance of apples be grafted into it and it will beare apples euen so saith he albeit our sowre corrupt nature of it self be vnable to fructifie to life euerlasting yet hauing receiued into it the heauenly graft of Gods grace it is enabled to bring foorth the sweet fruite of good workes Similes habent labra lactucas as his doctrine is so must his similitudes needes be crabbed and crosse Is the Crab-tree stocke dead to the bringing foorth of apples which by it owne naturall life without alteration continueth life and giueth nouriture and increase to the siances and graffes of apples that are engraffed and implanted vpon it which receiueth nothing at all of the graffes or siances but ministreth vnto them that whereby they bring foorth fruite Is this the condition of the grace of God in vs that we giue it sappe and strength in vs to bring foorth good fruite vnto God And yet the Crab-tree stocke in the receiuing of the new graffes is meerely and wholy passiue and not actiue in any sort The engraffing thereof is altogether the worke of the gardiner or husbandman Yea and that they bring foorth such or such fruite they haue it not of the stocke but altogether and onely of their owne kind Therefore we must likewise say that the nature of man in the receiuing of the graft of grace is altogether passiue and doth nothing thereto and when e Iam. 1.21 the superfluitie of maliciousnesse being cast away and cut off the same grace vseth our naturall powers to the bringing foorth of the fruite of good workes the commendation of the fruite ariseth onely froÌ„ the graffe from grace it selfe and the power thereof not by the stocke but by it selfe digesting and turning all to the nature and qualitie of it selfe So that his owne comparison doth most effectually serue to strengthen our part and to ouerthrow his owne But as he vseth it it sauoureth very rankly of the Pelagian heresie For Pelagius made of the power of nature f August contrae Pelag. Celest lib. 1 ca. 18. Habemus possibilitatem vtriusque partis à Deo insitam velut quandam vt ita dicam radicem fructiferaÌ„ atque foecundam quae ex voluntate hominis diuersa gignat paeriat quae possit ad proprij cultoris arbitrium vel nitere flore virtutum vel sentibus horrere vieiorum Vbi non intuens quid loquatur vnam eandemque radiceÌ„ constituit bonoruÌ„ malorum concrae Euangelicam veritaetem c. a fertile and fruitfull roote which out of the will of man did bring foorth diuersly and might as the dresser thereof list either be garnished with the flowers of vertue or else grow wild with the thornes of vice Whereby as S. Austine noteth he made one and the same roote both of good and euill workes euen as M. Bishop doth by his Crab-tree stocke contrarie to the truth of the Gospell and the doctrine of the Apostle For in the Gospel we reade of g Mat 7.17.18 a good tree and an euill tree and that the good tree cannot bring foorth euill fruite nor the euill tree good fruite h Quid est bonus homo nisi voluntaus bonae hoc est arber raedicis bonae Et quid est homo malus nisi voluÌ„tatis malae hoc est arbor radicis â—ale The good tree is a tree of a good root and the euill tree a tree of an euill root not both of the same roote The tree of a good root is the man of a good wil the tree of an euill root is the man of euil will not growing both vpon the Crab-tree stocke of M. Bishops Free will Whereby we are giuen to vnderstand that for the bringing foorth of good fruite it sufficeth not to haue any thing ingraffed in vs but we our selues must become graffes to be implanted into a new stocke and to grow vpon a new root We must be engraffed into the i Ioh. 15.1 true vine Iesus Christ by him to be purged from the corruption that we haue drawne from our old root and to liue wholy by his spirit that we may bring foorth fruit not according to our owne nature and kind as other graffes do but according to a new life and nature that we receiue by being ioyned vnto him M. Bishop is of another mind he will haue Christ to be ingraffed vpon the Crab-tree stocke of our Free will he seeth no necessitie to leaue his old roote to be engraffed into Christ As for the place of S. Iames k Iam. 1 21. Receiue the engraffed word c. it auaileth him nothing at al for it doth not import in any wise that the word of God ingraffed in our naturall Free will doth bring foorth fruite vnto God but onely telleth vs in what sort the word of God is to be receiued of vs that it may saue our soules namely that it must be inwardly wrought in our hearts that it may become to vs l 1. Pet. 1.23 the immortall seed whereby through saith we are m Iam. 1.18 begotten and borne againe and n Ephes 2 10 created anew in Iesus Christ which is not done o Ioh. 1.13 by the will of man that is by Free will but God p Iam. 1.18 of his owne will hath begotten vs and that so as that though q 1. Cor. 3. â—
Austin verie rightly argueth thereof l August de peccat merit remiss lib. 2. cap. 7. Qui de die in dieÌ„ reneuâ—â—ur nondum totus est renouatus inquantum nonduÌ„ est renouatus intantum adhuâ— in vetustate est that he that is renewed from day to day is not yet all renewed and therefore in part he is old stil Now from what is he renewed but from vice and whereto is he renewed but to vertue If then the will be not yet wholy renewed to vertue then vice as yet in part remaineth with vertue in the will from whence as yet in part the will remaineth to be renewed Therfore our wil carieth vs still contrarie wayes m Idem in Ioan. tract 81. Alâ—ud volumus quia sumus in Câ—risto aliud volumus quia sumus adhuc in hoc seculo One way we will because we are in Christ another way we will because we are still in the world Therfore the Apostle calling the Corinthians Saints yet anone after telleth them that they are carnall and walke like men Therefore our Sauiour saith to his Disciples one where n Iohn 15 3. Ye are cleane by the word that I haue spoken vnto you Another where he saith o Math. 7 11. You being euill do know to giue good gifts to your children Yet againe Can the soule be truly conuerted to God saith he and as truly auerted from him at one time No M. Bishop but yet in the soule conuerted to God remaineth a part of that infection whereby p Gen. 19.26 Lots wife being gone out of Sodome looked backe to the place from whence she came so that q August Enchirid cap. 64. Sic spiritu Dei excitantur tanquaÌ„ filij Dei profâ—tiuÌ„â— ad DeuÌ„ vt etiam Spiritu suo maximè aggrauante corruptibili corpore taÌ„quam siâ—â— hominum quibusdam moribus â—umanis deficiant ad seipsoâ— ideb pecceÌ„t the children of God albeit they be moued by the spirit of God and as the children of God do go forward towards God yet by their owne spirit as the children of men through some humane motions they fall backe to themselues and thereby commit sinne Therefore they of whom we cannot doubt but that they were conuerted vnto God yet found somewhat in themselues for which they saw that they had cause stil to pray r Psal 85.4 Lament 5.21 to be conuerted Againe Is Christ saith he agreed to dwell with Belial We answer him No Å¿ 2. Cor. 6.15 there is no agreement betwixt Christ and Belial and therefore doth Christ come to dwell in vs that Belial may be dispossessed driuen out And therfore t Bernard in Cantic Serm. 6. Vbi peccatum remittitur ibi proculdubio diabolus de corde peccatoru expellitur Et Aug. contra Iulian. lib. 6. cap. 8. Expulsio daemoniorum est remissio peccatorum c. where there is by Christ forgiuenesse of sinnes the diuel without doubt is expulsed out of the heart of the sinner But yet there remaine still the venimous feedes of his planting u August de nat grat cap. 66. Certamen est aduersus tentatorem de ipsa coÌ„tra nos necessitate pugnantem a necessitie of sinne by the aduantage whereof this tempter fighteth against vs x Bernard in Cantic Ser. 58. Velu nolu intra fines tuos habitat Ieâ—usaeus subiugari potest sed non exterminariâ— will we nill we this Iebusite for the time dwelleth within our borders he may be subdued but he cannot vtterly be destroyed Last of all Is the holy Ghost saith he content to dwell in a bodie subiect to sinne Againe we answer him No for y Rom. 6.12 sinne doth not reigne in the bodies of the faithfull that they should be subiects vnto it in obeying the lusts thereof z August in Ioan tract 41. Quamdus viuit necesse est esse peccatum in meÌ„bris iuis For so long as they liue sinne must needs haue a being in them it is tempting it is entising it neuer ceasseth vrging and prouoking froÌ„ day to day but yet a Rom. 8.2 the kingdome thereof is abolished because the law of the spirit of life hath freed them from the law that is the kingdome and power of sinne and of death But if he meane subiect to sinne of the hauing of sinne then the Apostle telleth him b Rom. 7.14 I am carnall sold vnder sinne c Vers 23. a captiue vnto the law of sinne that is in my members so that d 1. Ioh. 1.8 if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. So then some of his collections we denie not being consequents of our doctrine but his owne vaine and idle amplifications the rest that are direct to the point we affirme as I haue declared and whatsoeuer his naturall sconce conceiueth thereof the Scripture iustifieth that the fault and deformitie of sinne though not in former degree remaineth in a man renewed and endued with Gods grace And what doth he thinke of himselfe I maruell is he a man renewed and endued with Gods grace What and no fault no deformitie of sinne remaining in him no spot no wrinkle We wonder that a troupe of Angels cometh not from heauen to applaud him and to conuey him as a great iewell out of the world But had he grace to know himselfe he would soone perceiue that this fault of sinne is not penned vp in an odde corner of him but possesseth all his corners and spreadeth it selfe as an infection ouer the whole man And surely he that well considereth this booke of his will be of opinion that doubtlesse there is some deformed matter in him that could yeeld so much absurditie and vntruth as he hath contained therein As for his Remember he telleth vs that we shall meete with it againe and therefore I will referre it to his due place 3. W. BISHOP Let vs now come vnto the difference which is betweene vs. The Catholikes teach that Originall sinne is so far foorth taken away by Baptisme that it ceasseth to be a sinne properly the effects of it remaining are an imperfection and weakenesse both in our vnderstanding and will and a want of that perfect subordination of our inferiour appetite vnto reason as was and would haue bene in Originall iustice which make the soule apt and readie to fall into sinne like vnto tinder which although it be not fire of it selfe yet is fit to take fire yet say they that these reliques of Originall sinne be not sinnes properly vnlesse a man do yeeld his consent vnto those euill motions Maister Perkins teacheth otherwise That albeit Originall sinne be taken away in the regenerate in sundrie respects yet doth it remaine in them after Baptisme not onely as a want and weakenesse but as a sinne and that properly as may be proued by these reasons 1. Rom. 7. S. Paul saith directly It is no more
was sayd calling it a defilement a contagion a blot a pestilent poyson c. and saying thereof What can there be found in man cleaue from this blot free from this contagion thereby plainly conuincing that it is sin because as hath bin before said nothing defileth blotteth infecteth the soule but onely sinne S. Austin S. Cirill he saith haue bin cited alreadie I hope he hath had a full answer to those citations As for Hierome and Gregorie when we heare what it is that he will oppose out of them he shall haue our further answer but neither they nor Caluins confession do proue at all that approued antiquitie is wholly for them as he fondly presumeth without cause But now forsooth to hit the naile on the head If any saith he desire to know the founder of our aduersaries doctrine in this point let him reade the 64. heresie recorded by that ancient and holy Bishop Epiphanius And what shall he reade there Forsooth he registreth one Proclus an old rotten sectarie to haue taught that sinnes are not taken away in Baptisme but are onely couered which is as much to say as sinne remaineth still in the person regenerate but is not imputed to him which saith he is iust M. Perkins and our Protestants position Now he that had stood by him when he read this matter in Epiphanius might very well haue sayd to him Animus est in patinis your mind is on your mustard-pot ye reade ye know not what For that which he alledgeth of Proclus was not deliuered by Proclus but by Epiphanius is recorded out of a speech of Methodius a Catholike and godly Bishop against Proclus Yet this he thought a fit matter wherewith to delude his liege and soueraigne Lord hauing before mentioned it in his Epistle dedicatorie to the kings most excellent Maiestie in the answer whereof I haue set downe the words of Methodius at large and the heretical fancie of Proclus against which they were directed Now because the words to which he alludeth are the words of Methodius and approued by Epiphanius let it be remembred that Methodius and Epiphanius two ancient and holy Bishops haue taught that sinne is not taken away in Baptisme but is onely couered that is that sinne remaineth still in the person regenerate but is not imputed vnto him and so as M. Bishop himselfe confesseth haue taught iust the same that M. Perkins and the Protestants do now teach 10. W. BISHOP Now let vs come vnto the arguments which the Church of Rome as M. Perkins speakes alledgeth to proue Concupiscence in the regenerate not to be sinne properly 1. Obiect In Baptisme men receiue perfect and absolute remission of sinne Which being pardoned is taken quite away and therefore after Baptisme ceaseth to be sinne M. Perkins answereth that it is abolished in regard of imputation that is is not imputed to the person but remaines in him still This answer is sufficiently I hope confuted in the Annotations vpon our consent in confirmation of our Argument I will adde some texts of holy Scripture First He that is washed needeth not but to wash his feete Iohn 13. for he is wholy cleane Take with this the exposition of Saint Gregorie the great our Apostle Lib. 9. Ep. 3â— He cannot saith he be called wholy cleane in whom any part or parcell of sinnes remaineth But let no man resist the voyce of truth who saith he that is washed in Baptisme is wholy cleane therefore there is not one dramme of the contagion of sinne left in him whom the cleanser himselfe doth professe to he wholy cleane The very same doth the most learned Doctor S. Ierome affirme saying How are we iustified and sanctified Epist ad Ocâ—â—num Psal 50. if any sin be left remaining in vs Againe if holy Dauid say Thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snow how can the blacknesse of hell still remaine in his soule briefly it cannot be but a notorious wrong vnto the precious bloud of our Sauiour to hold that it is not as well able to purge and purifie vs from sinne as Adams transgression was of force to infect vs. Yea the Apostle teacheth vs directly that we recouer more by Christs grace then we lost-through Adams fault in these words But not as the offence Rom. 5. so also the gift for if by the offence of one many died so much more the grace of God and the gift in the grace of one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vpon many If then we through Christ receiue more abundance of grace then we lost by Adam there is no more sinne left in the newly baptized man then was in Adam in the state of innocencie albeit other defects and infirmities do remaine in vs for our greater humiliation and probation yet all filth of sinne is cleane scoured out of our soules by the pure grace of God powred abundantly into it in Baptisme and so our first Argument stands insoluble Now to the second R. ABBOT This argument as it was long ago vrged by the Pelagians so in them long ago hath receiued a full answer It was rightly sayd by S. Austin to them a August cont 2. epist Pelag. li. 3. ca. 3. Quisquis baptismati derogat quod modò per illud accipimus corrumpit fidem quisquâ— autem tam nunc tribuit quod quidem per ipsuÌ„ sed tamen postea accepturi sumus amputat spem Whosoeuer doth derogate or detract from Baptisme that which now we receiue by it corrupteth Christian faith but he that euen now attributeth to it that which by it indeed but yet hereafter we are to receiue cutteth of Christian hope We confesse that Baptisme doth seale vnto vs the full remission and forgiuenesse of all our sinnes that thereby we are engraffed into Christ to become members of his body and to be made partakers of his spirit that by the sanctification of the same spirit sinne may be destroyed and decayed in vs from day to day that the corruption of the old man being wholly put of in death perfect righteousnesse may thenceforth take place for euer at the resurrection of the dead But this doth not satisfie M. Bishop he will haue it that Originall sinne is not onely forgiuen in Baptisme but also quite taken away and therefore reiecteth M. Perkins answer that it is abolished as touching imputation but that otherwise it remaineth still Yet the answer fully accordeth with S. Austin that b Cont. Iulian. lib. 2. Maliâ— quod non ipsum sed reatut eius au fertur in baptismo not it selfe but the guilt of it is taken away in Baptisme that c Ibid lib 6. ca. 8. Manet actu praeterijt reatu it remaineth as touching the actuall being but is taken away as touching the guilt Now his confutation hereof must needs be a very poore one that thus directly crosseth S. Austins assertion and hath no further warrant but his owne bare word We haue examined
last day being assured that as a head wil not suffer a member of it owne body to perish which it hath in his power to preserue so Christ hauing made him a member of his body and hauing power to saue him will not suffer him to perish but as a faithfull Mediatour will performe that charge which z Iohn 6.39 the will of the heauenly Father hath laid vpon him that of all that he hath giuen him he should loose nothing but should raise it vp at the last day Now M. Bishop saith that he beleeueth that God for the merits of Christes passion doth forgiue them that are heartily sorie for their sinnes and humbly confesse them with a full purpose of a new life And this he hopeth that he hath done but he cannot assure himselfe that he hath done it or that he hath done it so well as he ought to do and therefore cannot beleeue the forgiuenesse of his sinnes Where we see that the merit of Christes passion is not sufficient in his opinion to purchase for him the forgiuenesse of sinnes but it must further hang vpon the sufficiencie and perfection of his owne repentance It is not enough that he truly repent vnlesse he repent so well as he ought to do that his repentance may deserue the pardon that he seeketh for But we for our parts know and confesse that our repentance our faith our righteousnesse are neuer such as they ought to be we are short and vnperfect in the sorow for our sinnes our purposes of new life and amendment of our defaults proue often times like a Ose 6.4 the morning dew that is quickly dried vp And therefore it is not the value and woorth of our repentance that we rest vpon to merit pardon and forgiuenesse but we require a sincerity and truth thereof faithfully to craue the same being but as the paine and greefe which maketh to seeke the medicine whereby it is eased as the hunger and thirst which maketh to craue the food whereby it is releeued as the feeling of beggerie and want which maketh to seeke the treasure and riches by which it is supplied Which supply and reliefe spiritually we find in this that b Rom. 3.24 we are iustified freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be an attonement for vs not by the merit of our repentance but by faith in his bloud c Rhem. Testam Explicat of certaine words in the end Freely for god a mercy for nothing as the Rhemists expound the word gratis willing to shew a little truth in giuing the right signification of the word but craftily suppressing the same truth and plainly contradicting it by a colourable glose deuised against the text of the Apostle and against the signification of the word which force of truth hath wrested from themselues d Ambros in Rom. cap. 3. Gratit quia nihil operantes neque vitem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono Dei Freely saith Ambrose because hauing no works nor yeelding any requitall euen of the gift of God we are iustified by faith onely e Chrysost ni Rom. hom 7. Nullu ad hoc vsus operibus sed fidem tamum exigens Freely saith Chrysostome because he vseth hereto no works of ours but requireth faith onely And he requireth faith onely onely as a hand whereby we receiue not as a worke whereby we deserue this forgiuenesse of our sinnes that so the true penitent may firmly expect it in Christ onely by beleeuing not hang in suspense of it by being in doubt of vnsufficiencie in repenting God hauing therefore appointed it to be f Rom. 4.16 by faith that it may be of grace that the promise thereof may be sure not in it selfe not with God who doubteth but in that respect it is sure enough but to all the seed that is to euery one that beleeueth the promise being that g Act. 10.43 through the name of Christ euery one that beleeueth in him shall haue forgiuenesse of sinnes Which faith though it be yet but weake and little and sometimes interrupted with feares and doubts yet God accepteth it and cherisheth it that by more experience it may grow to more strength neither is it true which M. Bishop saith that in matter of faith there is no feare or doubt as anone after shall appeare In the mean time he further addeth as touching the article of Eternall life that he beleeueth he shall haue it if he shall keepe all Gods commandements but because he is not assured that he shall so do he remaineth in feare And very iustly may he be in feare that looketh for eternall life vpon no other condition then he doth The Apostle indeed doth plainly debarre him from all hope and expectation therof when he saith h Gal. 3.10 So many as are of the works of the law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to do them Where he plainly taketh it for graunted that no man continueth in all things that are written in the law that is that no man keepeth all Gods commandements and therefore concludeth that he that for eternall life dependeth vpon keeping all Gods commandements cannot auoid the curse Yea but Christ saith to the yong man in the Gospell i Mat. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements It is true but Christ saith it to induce the young man to the knowledge of himselfe and very ill is it applied to seduce men from the true acknowledgement of the faith of Christ The young man asketh what he might do to inherit eternall life Our Sauiour Christ referreth him to the law as k Gal. 3.25 the Schoolemaister to traine him vnto Christ that finding it l Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.21 a thing impossible for the law to giue him life and therefore casting off all vaine confidence of the righteousnesse thereof he might be fitted to embrace m Act. 4.12 the faith of that name in which onely life and Saluation is offered vnto vs. Which it plainlie appeareth this young man conceiued not by reason of a presumption that he had by misunderstanding the law that he had obserued the law The vaine opinion whereof to discouer our Sauiour biddeth him to sell all giue to the poore promising him treasure in heauen and willing him in the meane time to come and follow him that it might appeare how far he was frō that loue of God and his neighbour which the law required in whose heart the loue of riches bare so great a sway as that he could not be content at Gods cōmandement vpō promise of heauenly treasure to bestow the same to the necessity of his neighbour Now if he had rightly esteemed of himselfe how farre he was from being answerable to the righteousnesse of the law he would
no fained imagination but a cleare truth as hath bene before shewed The contrarietie and opposition that he conceiueth therin is his owne fond dreame no doctrine of ours We do not say that Christes merits are really in vs neither did Master Perkins giue him any word whereof to imagine it but onely that by imputation they are made really ours because they were vndertaken and done for vs euen as Christ the doer thereof is become really ours euen h Ierem. 23 6. the Lord our righteousnesse Whereas he saith that to say that Christ onely is the person in whome God is well pleased is to giue the lye to many texts of Scripture which testifie that God hath bene pleased towards Abraham Moses c. we suppose he doth not well vnderstand himselfe It is said of many that God was pleased with them or they pleased God but the question is in whome for whose sake by whose mediation God was well pleased towards them and that was onely in Christ onely for Christs sake accordingly as the Apostle Saint Paule saith of all the elect i Eph. 1.6 He hath made vs accepted in his beloued and Saint Peter that our k 1. Pet. 2.5 spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And this prerogatiue the voyce of the Father giueth him from heauen l Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased namely towards Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Dauid and all towards whom he is well pleased Which seeing it was the plaine meaning of M. Perkins and M. Bishop acknowledgeth it to be true that Christ is he for whose sake God is pleased in all others what is it but childish and idle cauilling to make a question there where by his owne confession none is to be made Now where we say that we haue no righteousnesse to iustifie vs before God but only the righteousnesse of Christ nor any merit whereby to presume of heauen but onely the merit of Christ all our owne works being blemished and stained with sinne he biddeth vs tremble at that which thereupon necessarily followeth And what is that Marry that as we haue no righteousnesse but by imputation so we must looke for no heauen but by imputation But why should we not thinke that the merit of Christs obedience and righteousnesse is of sufficient value and estimation to purchase for vs the kingdome of heauen and euerlasting glorie Is it sufficient to purchase grace for vs to merit heauen for our selues and is it not sufficient it selfe to merit heauen for vs And if we haue no merit of our owne what should hinder but that we may say with Saint Bernard m Bernard in Cant. Ser. 61. Ego fidenter quicquid ex me mihi deest vsurpo mihi ex visceribus Domini quoniam misericordia effluunt c. Meritum proinde meum miserationes Domini Non planè sum maritiinops quamdiuille miserationum non fuerit Quòd si misericordiae Domini multa multus nihilo minus ego in meritis sum Whatsoeuer is wanting to me of my selfe I boldly take it vnto me out of the bowels of the Lord for they flow out with mercy My merit is the Lords mercy I am not poore in merit so long as he is not poore in mercy and if he be rich in mercie then am I also rich in merits Yea Bellarmine M. Bishops maister after that he hath swet and trauelled mightily to auouch the righteousnesse and merit of workes in the end being quite spent is content to retire into our port and draweth to this conclusion that n Bellar. de iust lib. 5. cap. 7. Propter incertitudinē propriae iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benig nitate reponere because of the vncertaintie of our owne righteousnesse and the perill of vaine glory the safest way is to repose our whole trust in the onely mercy and goodnesse of God Now if there be no saluation no heauen without merits and a man haue no merits of his owne by what merits shall the mercy of God saue him but onely by the imputation of the merits of Christ And will M. Bishop say of him that as he hath no merits but by imputation so he shall haue no heauen but by imputation Shall this be all the comfort of that which Bellarmine commendeth for the safest course to flie to the sole and onely mercie and goodnesse of God Yea saith M. Bishop for God as a most vpright iudge will in the end repay euery man according to his woorth What and do you M. Bishop expect that God in the end should repay heauen to you according to your woorth Go foole go leaue off this talke of merit and woorth learne to know God learne to know thy selfe learne to say with Chrysostome o Chrysost in Coloss hom 2. Nemo talem vitae conuersatio nem ostendit vt regno dignus esse possit sed totum donum est ipsius D◠No man sheweth such conuersation of life as that he may be worthy of the kingdome but it is wholy the gift of God Was not p Mar. 1.7 Iohn Baptist worthie to loose the latchet of Christs shoe and dost thou thinke to be worthie to raigne with Christ But I leaue him here to be whipped with his own rod his owne conscience wil one day sting him sufficiently with the remembrance of these assertions As for the Protestants let him take no care for their worthinesse We beleeue that there is for vs in Christ a reall worthinesse for which we shall receiue a reall heauen But let him take heed lest whilest he feedeth himselfe with a conceipt of woorth where there is none he be deluded with a conceipt of heauen in his end and indeed find none nor euer attain to that which is prepared for them that maintaine the truth of the Scripture and glorie of God to their owne comfort But of worthinesse there will be further occasion to speake hereafter As for the place of Austine which he alledgeth as good to stand for him it was written by him when he was newly conuerted from the heresie of the Manichees in such words and phrases as seeme plausible to humane vnderstanding and iudgement which comparing one man with another expresseth to it selfe the difference by termes of worthie and vnworthie deseruing and hot deseruing howsoeuer to the sight and iudgement of God woorth desert are farre from all The purpose of S. Austine in that place is to shew the ordinarie course that God taketh that he will first haue vs to trauell in his seruice before we receiue the reward thereof as the Apostle declareth in saying q 2. Tim. 2.6 The husbandman must labour before he receiue the fruites But that S. Austine in maturitie and ripenesse of iudgement was very farre from M. Bishops fancie of merit may sufficiently appeare by one sentence of his where he saith
he may giue it haue we reason hereupon with M. Bishop of mercie whereby we shold glorifie God to build vp merit and desert for the glorifying of our selues or shall we rather subscribe that which S. Austine saith for conclusion of that whole disputation coÌ„cerning that place of the Apostle as before I cited that it is not for our merits that God bringeth vs to eternall life but for his owne mercies sake The other place cited by M. Bishop is wholly to the same effect g Idem Epist 105. Cùm Deus coronat merita nostra nihil aliud coronat quà m munera sua sicut enim ab initio fidei mi sericordiam consecuti sumus non quia fideles eramus sed vt essemus sic in fine corona bit nos in miseratione misericordia Vnde vita ipsa aeterna gratia nuncupatur non ob aliud nisi quia gratis datur nec ideò quia meritis non datur sed quia data sunt ipsa merita quibus datur When God crowneth our merits he crowneth nothing else but his owne gifts For as from the beginning we obtained mercie to be faithfull so in the end he shall crowne vs in compassion and mercie Whence eternal life is called grace for no other cause but because it is freely giuen not for that it is not rendred to merits but for that the merits themselues are giuen to which it is giuen In which there is nothing that giueth any shew of fauor to M. Bishop but the very name of merits but that that helpeth him nothing shall appeare hereafter S. Austine meaning thereby meerely good workes without any conceipt of merit as it is now vnderstood in the Church of Rome Yea and that appeareth plainely here also for if God in crowning merits crowne nothing but his owne gifts then those merits are not truly and properly so called because a man cannot properly merit at Gods hands by that that is to him nothing else but the gift of God And this S. Austin sheweth further in that that followeth h Ibid. Cui debetur vita aeterna vera iustitia est Si autem vera iustitia est ex te non est desursum est descendens à Patre luminum c. Qua propter ô homo si accepturus es vitam aeternam iustitiae quidem stipendium est sed tibi gratia est â—ui gratia est ipsa iustitia Tibi enim tanquam debita redde redderetur si ex te tibi esset iustitia cui debetur Nunc ergo c. vt supra Sect. 3. It is true righteousnes to which eternall life is due But if it be true it is not of thy selfe it is from aboue descending from the Father of lights that thou mightst haue it if at least thou haue it verily thou hast receiued it For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued Wherefore ô man if thou be to receiue eternall life it is indeed the wages of righteousnes but to thee it is grace to whom righteousnesse it selfe also is grace It should be rendred as due vnto thee if of thy selfe thou hadst the righteousnesse to which it is due Now therfore of his fulnesse we receiue not only grace c. but also grace for grace c. If eternall life be merited and deserued by vs then to vs it is the wages of righteousnesse then it is rendred as due vnto vs. But S. Austine though he confesseth that it may be said that it is the wages of righteousnesse yet denieth it to be so to vs and denieth that it is rendred as due vnto vs. Therfore it must necessarily be granted that it is not merited and deserued by vs it can no way be auoyded but that if it be deserued by vs it is due vnto vs but it is not due vnto vs saith S. Austine because the righteousnesse is none of ours There is therefore on our behalfe no merit no desert to which it should be accounted due Thus S. Austine wholly bendeth himselfe to establish the truth of the grace of God against the Pelagian heretickes and saith nothing whereof M. Bishop may inferre the doctrine of merit which he together with them maintaineth against the grace of God But for the further declaring of S. Austines mind I will obserue that one sentence of his vpon the Psalmes i Aug. in Psal 144. Data est venia peccatori datus spiritus iustificationis data est charitas dilectio in qua omnia bona faci a 〈◊〉 super haec dabit vitam aeternam societatem Angelorum totum de misericordia Mâ—rita tua nusquam iactes quia ipsa sua merita illius dona sunt To thee being a sinner is granted forgiuenesse the spirit of iustification is giuen thee there is giuen thee charitie and loue whereby to do all good things and beyond all these things he will giue thee also eternall life and the societie of the Angels all of mercy Do not talke of thy merits any where because euen thy merits also are his gifts In which words it plainely appeareth that albeit S. Austine vseth the name of merit according to the language of his time yet he did it not in any such sence but as still intending that both in the beginning and in the proceeding and in the end all is wholly and onely to be ascribed vnto Gods mercie But M. Bishop telleth vs here that S. Austine crosseth M. Perkins proportion in that he affirmeth that S. Paule might haue said that eternall life is the wages of good workes Wherein he doth but deceiue himselfe because to speake simply it is true that eternall life is the stipend and wages of true and perfect righteousnesse according to the sentence of the law k Gal. 3 12 He that doth these things shall liue in them and yet it is so but onely by couenant and condition not by merit because in doing all we should do but that that we are bound to do But as hath bene already said S. Austin though he graunt that simply it might haue bene so tearmed yet denieth it to be so to vs. It is indeed the stipend or wages of righteousnesse but to thee it is grace that is to thee it is no stipend Now this is spoken vpon a supposall of entire and perfect righteousnesse but take withall the exceptions that S. Austine putteth in by the way as we haue seene l Si tamen habet Epist 105. if at least thou haue it and againe m Inquantum homo potest iustè vinerean Psal 109. so farre as a man can liue iustly and let it be considered herewith which out of Austine hath bene abundantly declared in the former question that there is no righteousnesse so perfect in this life as that therby we can be found iust in the sight of God and then merit and stipend shall be excluded not onely for that our righteousnesse is the gift of God but also for that we haue not
by adoring and seruing of God we may be put out of feare of our sins and the punishment of them then doth it follow that prayers and such like seruice of Christ doth acquit vs of sinne and satisfie for the paine due to them In Psal 31. Hierome saith The sinne that is couered is not seene not being seene it is not imputed not being imputed it is not punished Answer To wit with hell fire which is the due punishment of such mortall sin whereof he speaketh or sin may be said to be couered when not onely the fault is pardoned but all punishment also due vnto it is fully payd Lib. 2. de punit cap. 5. So doth S. Ambrose take that word couered saying The Prophet calleth both them blessed as well him whose iniquities is forgiuen in Baptisme as him whose sinnes are couered with good workes For he that doth penance must not onely wash away his sins with teares but also with better workes couer his former sins that they be not imputed vnto him Now we must backe againe vnto Chrysostome belike he had forgotten this when he cited the other Hom. 44. sup Math. or else this was reserued to strike it dead He saith Some men endure punishment in this life and in the life to come others in this life alone others alone in the life to come other neither in this nor in the life to come there alone as Diues here alone as the incestuous Corinthian neither here nor there as the Apostles and Prophets as also Iob and the rest of this kind for they endured no sufferings for punishment but that they might be knowne to be conquerers of the fight Answer Such excellent holy personages sufferings as are mentioned in the Scriptures were not for their sins for they committed but ordinarie light offences for which their ordinarie deuotions satisfied abundantly The great persecutions which they endured were first to manifest the vertue and power of God that made such fraile creatures so inuincible then to daunt the aduersaries of his truth and withall to animate and encourage his followers Finally that they like conquerers triumphing ouer all the torments of this life might enter into possession of a greater reward in the kingdome of heauen All this is good doctrine but nothing against satisfaction that their surpassing sufferings were not for their owne sinnes And thus much in answer vnto M. Perkins arguments against satisfaction R. ABBOT Against his answer to the words of Tertullian I must vrge his owne words in the section before alledged Doth not a pardon take away from the fault pardoned all bond of punishment due vnto it and consequently all guiltinesse belonging to it Who can denie this vnlesse he know not or care not what he say Now then put these together Tertullian saith a Tertul. de haptismo Exempto reatu eximitur poena The guilt being taken away the punishment is also taken away But the pardoning of a sinne saith M. Bishop taketh away all guiltinesse belonging to it Therefore consequently it taketh away all the punishment for where there is no guilt no punishment can be Yes saith M. Bishop guiltinesse of temporall punishment doth remaine after the sinne and guilt of eternall be released But then a pardon doth not take away all the guiltinesse of sinne as before he saith it doth Oportet mendacem esse memorem A lyer must beare a braine Againe we would know some ground whereupon we may be assured that sinne hath two kinds of guilt for we conceiue but one onely guilt whereby the sinner is guiltie of all both temporall and eternal punishments Otherwise we may with as good warrant affirme guilt of infinite sorts one whereby a man is guilty of burning another whereby he is guilty of drowning another for the gowt another for the palsie and for euery seueral punishment a seueral guilt and that there may be a remitting of one of these guilts and yet a retaining of the other If M. Bishop take this to be absurd he must giue vs leaue to take him for an absurd man in thus seuering the guilt of temporall and eternal punishments Yea and this assertion of his is the denying of that that in the ground of this question is supposed and confessed For if the sinne be past and pardoned as he saith at first how remaineth there any guilt for what is the pardoning of a sinne but the remitting of the guilt The guilt is a bond whereby we stand bound to punishment the forgiuing of the sinne what is it but the releasing or loosing of this bond If the bond be released why doth he affirme that we are bound still or if we be still bound why doth he affirme the loosing of the bond If he will say that the bond is partly released and partly standeth still then let him say the sinne in part is pardoned but not wholly and then let him shew vs what warrant he hath that God in that sort forgiueth sins by patches and peeces which because he cannot do let him giue vs leaue to take him for that that he sheweth himselfe to be The words of Austine are meerly deluded with the same shift b Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 37 Suscipiendo poenam non suscipiendo culpam et culpam deleuit poenam Christ saith he by taking vpon him the punishment and not taking vpon him the fault hath done away both the fault and the punishment Iust saith M. Bishop the eternall punishment not the temporall But how doth he warrant this limitation in the one part of the sentence which cannot be iustified in the other Where it is said that Christ hath taken vpon him the punishment it is vnderstood of our punishment both temporall and eternall though that which should haue bene eternall to vs by the infinite power of his Godhead was ouercome and made temporall to him Was it S. Austins meaning then to say that Christ hauing taken vpon him our whole punishment hath deliuered vs onely from a part and left the rest to be satisfied by our selues Surely what Christ tooke vpon him for vs from the same he deliuered vs. He tooke vpon him our temporall punishments therefore hee hath taken away our temporall punishments so that they remaine not in the nature of punishments but of medicines to them that haue obtained forgiuenesse of sinnes by faith in him That the mediation of Christ extendeth to the remitting of temporall punishments I haue shewed c Sect. 2. 3. before and therfore need not stand here any longer to confute this improbable and vnlikely glose As for the place of Austine which he alledgeth for colouring hereof it hath his answer in the former section being the next words to those that are cited there d August Enchirid cap. 70. Nemini dedit laxamentū peocandi quamuis miserando deleat tā facta peccata si non satisfactio congrua negligatur God hath giuen to no man a freedome
purged from sin not as causes effecting and working the same purgation or if we will vse the name of causes as causes to our apprehension knowledge not as causes of the essence and being of the thing But take all these speeches how we wil it shall appeare God willing in the next sectiō that they make nothing at al for M. Bishop and that they are impudently wrested to that purpose for which he alledgeth them In the meane time for the conclusion of this section he telleth vs a reason why they make speciall reckoning of these three workes for satisfaction but the ground of his reason fully ouerthroweth all the assertion thereof Being to satisfie saith he we must performe it with such things as be our owne But say we we haue nothing of our owne but whatsoeuer we haue is his i Rom. 11.36 of whom and through whom and for whom are all things Therefore as before hath bin concluded we cannot satisfie at all Whether they be goods of the mind or of the bodie or externall goods we owe all vnto him and we do but pay him with his owne His applying of the words of the Apostle to fasting is absurd Reasonable bodily discipline saith he whereas the Apostle by k Rom. 12.1 reasonable seruice meaneth that that is mentall and spirituall and thereby agreeable to God who is l Iohn 4.24 a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth not any m 1. Tim. 4.8 bodily exercise which profiteth little as the same Apostle speaketh So the other words of a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to God are misapplied to a particular act of fasting hauing a generall reference to the whole course of a Christian life and conuersation I omit the rest of his words as idle 18. W. BISHOP But now to knit vp this question let vs heare briefly what the best learned and purest antiquitie hath taught of this satisfaction done by man and because M. Perkins began with Tertullian omitting his auncients let vs first heare what he saith of it in his booke of penance How foolish is it saith he not to fulfill our penance and yet to expect pardon of our sinnes this is not to tender the price and yet to put out a hand for the reward for God hath decreed to set the pardon at this price he proposeth impunitie to be redeemed with this recompence of penance His equall in standing and better in learning Origen thus discourseth See our good Lord tempering mercie with seueritie Hom. 3. in lib. Judic and weighing the measure of the punishment in a iust and merciful ballance he deliuereth not vp a sinner for euer But looke how long time thou knowest thy self to haue offended so long do thou humble thy selfe to God and satisfie him in the confession of penance That glorious Martyr and most learned Archbishop S. Cyprian is wonderful vehement against them that would not haue seuere penance done by such as fell in persecution Lib. 1. ep 3. saying That such indiscreet men labour tooth and naile that satisfaction be not done to God highly offended against them Lib. 3. ep 14. And saith further That he who withdraweth our brethren from these workes of satisfaction doth miserably deceiue them causing them that might do true penance and satisfie God their mercifull Father with their prayer and workes to perish dayly and to be more and more seduced to their further damnation Orat. in illa verba attende tibi Idem Ambr. ad virg lap cap. 8. S. Basil sath Look to thy selfe that according to the proportion of thy fault thou mayst hence also borrow some help of recouering thy health Is it a great and grieuous offence it hath then need of much confession bitter teares a sharpe combat of watching and vncessant and continued fasting if the offence were light and more tollerable yet let the penance be equall vnto it Orat in sanct lum S. Gregory Nazianzē saith It is as great an euil to pardon without some punishment as to punish without all pitie For as that doth loose the bridle to all licentiousnesse so this doth straine it too much Jdem de paup amor By compassion on the poore and faith sinnes are purged therefore let vs be clensed by this compassion let vs scoure out the spots and filth of our soules with this egregious herb that makes it white some as wool others as snow according to the proportion of euery mans compassion and almes De Helia Ieiun S. Ambrose saith We haue many helpes whereby we may redeeme our sinnes hast thou mony redeeme thy sinne not that our Lord is to be bought and sold but thou thy self art sold by thy sins redeeme thy selfe with thy workes redeeme thee with thy money And Epist. 82. how could we be saued vnlesse we washed away our sinnes by fasting S. Hierome maketh Paula a blessed matron say My face is to be disfigured which against the commaundement of God I painted my bodie is to be afflicted that hath taken so great pleasure my often laughter is to be recompenced with continuall weeping my silkes and soft clothing is to be changed into rough haire Reade another Epistle of his to the same Eustochium Ad Eustoch de obitu Paulae about the preseruing of her virginitie and see what penance himselfe did being a most vertuous yong man S. Augustine saith He that is truly penitent Epist. 54. looks to nothing else then that he leaues not vnpunished the sinne which he committed For by that meanes not sparing our selues he whose high and iust iudgement no contemptuous person can escape doth spare vs. And he sheweth how that a penitent sinner doth come to the Priest and receiue of him the measure of his satisfaction Lib. 50. hom Hom. 50. cap. 11. Cap. 15. And saith directly against our Protestants position That it is not sufficient to amend our manners and to depart from the euill which we haue committed vnlesse we do also satisfie God for those things which we had done S. Gregory saith That sins are not onely to be confessed Lib. 6. in 1. Reg. but to be blotted out with the austeritie of penance I will close vp these testimonies with this sentence of our learned countriman venerable Bede Delight saith he or desire to sinne Jn Psal 1. when we do satisfaction is lightly purged by almesdeeds and such like but consent is not rubbed out without great penance now custome of sinning is not taken away but by a iust and heauie satisfaction R. ABBOT Here M. Bishop knitteth vp the question but he knitteth it gentle Reader with a bow-knot if thou haue but skill to pull the right string thou shalt presently loose all that he hath knit Aske him and let him tell thee the true state of the question here disputed and thou canst presently discerne that of these so many testimonies by him alledged there is none not so much as
and skill in discerning did teach so testifieth S. Augustine * Lib. 32. cap. 2. Contra Faust Some would haue had but one of the foure Gospels some fiue some sixe some seauen some reiected all S. Paules Epistles many and those of the faithfull did not admit for Canonicall some of the other Apostles Epistles nor the Reuelations If then the diuine foresight of our Sauiour had not preuented this most foule inconueniencie by instituting a more certaine meanes of discerning and declaring which bookes were penned by inspiration of the holy Ghost which not then by leauing it vnto euery mans discretion he might be thought to haue had but slender care of our saluation which euery true Christian heart doth abhorre to thinke and therefore we must needs admit of this most holy and prouident Tradition of them from hand to hand as among the Protestants Brentius doth in his Prolegomenis and also Kemnitius handling the second kind of Traditions in his examination of the Councell of Trent albeit they reiect all other Traditions besides this one R. ABBOT That which M. Perkins here saith hath his proper vse in the ordinarie receiuing of the scriptures in a Christian Church where being from our infancie baptized into Christ and bred vp in the continuall noise and sound of the word of God and hauing by this meanes some seedes of the spirit of God sowed in our hearts we simply and without controuersie or question take the scriptures presuming vpon the record of the Church and beleeuing them to be that which they are said to be that is the booke of God and in this perswasion applying our selues to the reading of them and finding therein a spirit so different from the spirit of man so great a maiestie in so great simplicitie and all things so correspondent to those shadowes of truth and righteousnesse which a Rom. 2.14.15 the worke of the law written naturally in our hearts and confirmed by light of education do represent vnto vs we resolue and fully do beleeue them to be that that at the first we presumed of them the oracles of God the words of saluation and eternall life hauing an inward testimonie and conuiction to draw from vs the assent vnmoueably to ground vs in the assurance thereof This seemeth to Master Bishop to be no wise obseruation but the reason is because he himselfe is scarcely wise When he hath said all that he can say yet this must stand for good that there is nothing that can cause the heart of man sufficiently to apprehend that the Scriptures are the word of God till the Scripture it selfe in the conscience by the spirit do euict it selfe so to be And herein it is true which Origen saith that b Origen de princip lib. 4. c. 1. Siquis cum omni studio reuerētia qua dignum est Prophetica dicta consideret in eo ipso dum legit diligentius intuetur cerium est quod aliquo diuiniore spiramine mentem sensumque pulsatus agnoscet non humanitùs esse prolatos eos quos legit sed Dei esse sermones ex semetipso sentiet non humana arte nec mortals eloquio sed diuino vt ita dixerim cothurno esse conscriptos he who with all diligence and reuerence as is meete shal consider the words of the Prophets it is certaine that in the reading and diligent viewing thereof hauing his mind and vnderstanding knocked at by a diuine inspiration he shall know that the words which he readeth were not vttered by man but are the words of God and of himselfe shall perceiue that those bookes were written not by humane art not by the word of mortall man but by a maiestie diuine In a word as the Sunne when a man is brought into the light of it not by telling but by sight and by it owne light is discerned to be that that giueth light vnto the world so the Scripture which is as it were the chariot of c Aug. in Psal 80. Est in Scripturis nostris sol iustitiae sanitas in pēnis eius the Sunne of righteousnesse when a man is brought into the sight thereof euen by it owne light is discerned to be that that ministreth vnto vs the light of euerlasting life Now the spirit of discerning of which M. Perkins speaketh is not to be vnderstood of that speciall gift of d 1. Cor 12.10 discerning spirits mētioned by S. Paul which importeth a singular and eminent dexterity in spying and finding out the secret fraudes and deceipts of counterfeit teachers and false Apostles but the cōmon spirit of the faithfull e 1. Cor. 2.12 which we receiue as the Apostle saith that we may know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God whereby it is true which our Sauiour saith f Iohn 10.27 My sheepe heare my voyce and they follow me g Ver. 4.5 they know the shepheards voice and they will not follow a stranger but they flie from him for they know not the voice of straungers h Ver. 14. I know mine and am knowne of mine Againe he saith i Cap. 7.17 If any man will do his wil he shal know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe Whereby he teacheth vs that in applying our selues to learne and practise the will of God we attaine to discerne the doctrine to be of God And herein consisteth that k Col. 1.9 spirituall vnderstanding which the Apostle recommendeth generally to the faithfull in his prayer for the Colossians the vse whereof is l Phil. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discerne things that differ namely from the truth and m 1. Iohn 4.1 to try the spirits whether they be of God or not Now the spirit as it vseth the ministery of the Church for the deliuering of the books of scripture so it vseth the ministery of the Church to giue aduertisement of those bookes which haue not the like authoritie as the Scripture hath And this aduertisement it sealeth and confirmeth whilest hauing testified otherwhere the vndoubted doctrine of God we discerne thereby some doctrines in those bookes that are of another stampe and not correspondent to the rest For when they are in any part found to be of another spirit we conceiue of the whole that they were written with another pen and therefore albeit for the most part they cary the sauour and tast of those things which we reade in the other bookes yet in their defects we fully apprehend that which we haue bene told that they are not of like maiestie and authoritie with the rest and though we may profitably reade them for those things wherin they are deriued from the other yet that we cannot securely ground any doctrine immediatly vpon them In this simplicitie without further question many thousands receiue the Scriptures they read them and by the power of the holy Ghost they grow thereby to faith and spiritual
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 Epistles in generall if any thing in Paules Epistles sound to him as contrary to the doctrine of the Catholike Church it is vnknowne what Church they meane he faileth of the right sense Thus howsoeuer clearely the scripture soundeth yet it meaneth not that which it saith if it be contrarie to that which they affirme To this impudent deuise they are driuen because they see that the scripture condemneth them vnlesse they themselues haue the managing of the scripture that if the scripture be admitted for iudge it peremptorily pronounceth sentence against them so that they haue no meanes to colour their abhominations but by challenging to themselues to be iudges of the scripture As for vs we hang the doctrine of faith not vpon our expositions but vpon the very words of God himselfe we make the holy scripture the iudge not in ambiguous and doubtfull speeches but in cleare and euident sentences where the very words declare what the meaning is It is a question betwixt vs and them whether Saints images be to be worshipped or not they say they are we say they are not Let the Iudge speake x Exod. 20.4 Deut. 5.8 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any likenesse of any thing in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth thou shalt not now down to them nor worship them It is a question whether there be now any sacrifice to be offered for the forgiuenesse of sins They say there is so in their Masse we say there is none Let the Iudge speake y Mat. 26.28 This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for you for many for remission of sins z Heb. 10.18 Now where remission of sins is there is no more offering for sin It is a question betwixt vs whether the Saints be our Mediators vnto God or not They say they are we say they are not Let the Iudge determine it a 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one God saith he and one Mediatour betwixt God and man euen the man Iesus Christ It is a question whether a man be iustified before God by workes or not They say it must be so we say it cannot be Let the Iudge answer it b Rom. 3.20 By the workes of the lawe shall no flesh be iustified in his sight c Gal. 3.11.12 That no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God it is euident for the iust shall liue by faith and the law is not of faith but the man that shall do those things shall liue in them They alledge that the Iudge saith that d Iam. 2.24 a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely we say that that is onely in the sight of men or with men they say that it is in the sight of God Let the iudge end it e Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he had to reioyce but not with God It is a question whether the crosses and sufferings of the Saints do yeeld vs any helpe with God or any part of satisfaction for our sinnes They say they do we say they do not let the iudge tell vs whether they do or not f 1. Cor. 1.13 Was Paul crucified for you g Gal 6.14 God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ It is a question whether the people ought to be partakers of the Lords cup they say no we say yea Let the iudge decide it h Mat. 26.27 Drinke ye all of this Thus in all matters betwixt them and vs the iudge speaketh clearely on our side his words are so plaine as nothing can be more plaine Yet notwithstanding they tell vs that all these things haue another meaning which we must take vpon the Popes word The commādement forsooth is meant of the idols of the Gentiles not of the images of Saints As if a whore-monger should say that the lawe forbiddeth whoredome of Christians with heathens not one with another The Scripture they say intendeth there is no other Mediator of redemption but one but Mediators of intercession there are many As if an adulterous woman should say that she may haue but one husband of this or that sort but of another sort she may haue many And yet they make them mediators of redemption also because they make them mediators of satisfaction and redemption is nothing else but the paiment of a price of satisfaction Thus they dally in the rest and shew themselues impudent and shameles men let them for their meanings reade to vs as plaine words of the iudge as those are that we reade to them and we will admit of them If not they must giue vs leaue to stand to the sentence of the iudge of heauen and earth and to account the Pope as he is a corrupt and wicked iudge although were he what he should be yet void of all title of being iudge to vs. 22. W. BISHOP Giue me leaue gentle Reader to stay somewhat longer in this matter because there is nothing of more importance and it is not handled any where else in all this Booke Consider then with your selfe that our coelestiall Law-maker gaue his law not written in Inke and Paper but in the hearts of his most faithfull subiects * Ierem. 31. 2. Cor. 3. endowing them with the blessed spirit of truth * Iohn 16. and with a most diligent care of instrusting others that all their posteritie might learne of them all the points of Christian doctrine and giue credit to them aswell for the written as vnwritten word and more for the true meaning of the word then for the word it selfe These and their true successors be liuely Oracles of the true and liuing God them must we consult in all doubtfull questions of Religion and submit our selues wholy to their decree S. Paule that vessell of election may serue vs for a singular modell and patterne of the whole who hauing receiued the true knowledge of the Gospell from God yet went vp to Hierusalem with Barnaby to conferre with the chiefe Apostles the Gospell which he preached lest perhaps he might runne in vaine and had runne as in expresse words he witnesseth himselfe * Gal. 2. Vpon which fact and words of S. Paule the auncient Fathers do gather that the faithful would not haue giuen any credit vnto the Apostles doctrine vnlesse by S. Peter and the other Apostles it had bene first examined and approued * Tertul lib. 4. in Marc. Hier. Ep. 89 quae est 11. inter Ep. Augustini August lib. 28. contra Faustū cap. 4. Againe when there arose a most dangerous question of abrogating Moses lawe was it left to euery Christian to decide by the written word or would many of the faithfull beleeue S. Paule that worthy Apostle in the matter Not so but vp they went to Hierusalem to heare what the pillars of the Church would say where by the decree of the Apostles
of the temple of the Lord. But it pitieth me to think of the sillinesse of this man in vpbraiding vs with not searching the writings of the auncient fathers of whoÌ„ I am perswaded that we may truly say that he neuer read so much as one volume of any one of the fathers had bene in pitifull case for the writing of this book had not Bellarmine bene content vpoÌ„ trust to lend him the whole stock Well he hath read them that haue read the fathers if they lie be it so he cannot tell how to help either himselfe or them Thus for the finding of a Iudge we came first to the Pope and from the Pope he hath brought vs to the councels from the councels to the writings of the fathers now froÌ„ the writings of the fathers he leadeth vs to the Church He alledgeth to this purpose two sayings of S. Austin The former vpon occasion of the question betwixt the Donatists him is thus m August cont Crescon lib. 1. ca. 33. Quisquis falli metuit istius obscuritate quaestionis candem ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate sancta Scripturae demonstrat Whosoeuer feareth to be deceiued by the obscurity of this question let him seeke for aduice to that same Church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate and point out We admit the condition we willingly hearken to the iudgement of that Church in obscure points which we do not readily vnderstand we highly esteeme the censure of that Church which otherwise by the Scripture is demonstrated to be the true Church S. Austine in those words hath reference to the whole Church from the time of the Apostles very rightly directeth him that was not able otherwise to discerne to presume that to be the truth which from the very originall had bene continued and practised in the Church This serueth not M. Bishops turne because it fitteth not to M. Bishops Church No more doth that other place which he citeth n IdeÌ„ cont epist funda cap. 5 Ego verò Euangelio non credereÌ„ nisi me Catholicae ecclesiae coÌ„mcueret authoritas I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the catholike Church should moue me to it M. Bishop before hand telleth vs that S. Austin did not speak this as touching his being at first a Christian but euen now being a learned and iudicious Doctor he would not beleeue but for the authority of the Church But very lewdly doth he abuse S. Austine in making him so to say as if he had resolued that it being supposed that the Church should backslide and fall away he himselfe also would play the Apostata and fall away from the faith of Christ What was his faith built vpon men and not vpon God himselfe Did he not know that though o Rom. 3.4 euery man be a liar yet God is true What if the whole world had conspired against the booke of God as not long before by Arianisme it had against the Sonne of God when Constantius the Emperour said to Liberius Bishop of Rome concerning Athanasius p Theodoret hist li. 2. ca. 16. Quota pars tiles orbis terrarum qui solus facis â—â—m homine scelerato Liberius NoÌ„ dimnuitur solitudine mea verbum fidei Who art thou to the whole world who thus alone standest with a wicked man Liberius though afterwards he yeelded yet for that time answered well The word of faith is no whit impeached by my being alone and would not think we S. Austine beare the like minde howsoeuer all other sell away yet constantly to cleaue to that which he knew to be the truth It is not all M. Bishops foolish Rhetorick that can make vs to beleeue that S. Austin would make any such protestation to that effect Yea and were not both he his fellowes very absurdly wilfull they would well enough see as haply they do by that which goeth before and that which followeth that it can be no otherwise construed but as in the person of a man at first receiuing the Christian faith to whoÌ„ it is no small motiue thereunto that the same faith hath found credit entertainment throughout the whole world But the words themselues shall best declare to what purpose they were set down q IdeÌ„ vt supra Si inuonires aliquem qui Euangelio nonduÌ„ credit quid faceres dicenti tibi Non credo Ego verò Euangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae ecclesiae commoueret authoritas Quibus ergo obtemperaui diceÌ„tibus Credite Euangelio cur eis non credereÌ„ diceÌ„tibus mihi Noli credere Maniâ—haeo Elige quod vâ—lis Si dixeris crede Catholicis ipsi me monent vt â—ullam fidem accoÌ„modeÌ„ vobis c Si dixeris Noli Catholicis credere noÌ„ rectè facies per EuangeliuÌ„ mo cogere ad fidem Manichaei quia ipsi Euangelio Catholicis praedicantibus credidi If thou shouldest find any man who yet beleeueth not the Gospell what wouldest thou do to him saying vnto thee I do not beleeue Surely I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the catholike Church should moue me vnto it Whom then I haue hearkened vnto saying vnto me Beleeue the Gospell why should I not hearken to them saying to me Beleeue not Manicheus Chuse whether thou wilt If thou wilt say Beleeue theÌ„ of the catholike Church they giue me warning to giue no trust to you If thou wilt say Do not beleeue theÌ„ of the catholike Church thou shalt not do well to force me by the Gospel to the faith of Manicheus because by the preaching of them of the catholike Church I haue beleeued the Gospell We see that both the propounding and the processe of these whole words do cry out against M. Bishop and as it were with loud voice do proclaime that S. Austins meaning was no other but that the consent and authority of the Church ouerspreading the whole world was at first a mighty strong inducement vnto him to beleeue that Gospell wherein all so constantly did accord because it could not be taken but to be of God which had gotten that estimation and account with so many nations and peoples of so strange and diuers dispositions Marke the words gentle Reader What wouldest thou do to him saying I do not beleeue Surely I should not beleeue vnlesse c. vnto whoÌ„ I hearkned saying Beleeue the Gospel c. By the preaching of them I beleeued the Gospel The thing is apparent vnto any man that doth not stop his owne eies that he may not see And hereof most holily deuoutly the same S. Austin speaketh in his confessions to God euen as it were to tell vs the meaning of these words r IdeÌ„ Confess lib. 6 cap. 5 Semper credidi esse te curam nostri gerere etiamsi ignorabam vel quid sentiendum esset de substaÌ„tia tua vel quae
via duceret aut reduceret ad te Ideâ—que euÌ„ essemuâ— insirmi ad inueniendam liquida ratione veritateÌ„ obhoc nobis opâ—s esset authoritate sanctaâ—uÌ„ literarum â—am credere caeperam nullo modo te fuisse tributuruÌ„ tam excellentum illi Scripturâ—e per omnetiâ—m terras authoritatem nisi per ipsam tibi credi per ipsam te quaerivoluisses I alwaies beleeued saith he that thou art and that thou hast care of vs albeit I knew not what to think of thy being or which way should leade me or bring me againe to thee Therefore when I was too weake by apparent reason to find out the truth and for this purpose needed the authority of the holy Scriptures I began now to beleeue that by no means thou wouldest giue that excellency of authority to those scriptures euen throughout the whole earth but that thou wouldest haue vs therby to beleeue thee and thereby to seeke thee This place sheweth the true effect of that other speech and it is great impudency and impiety in M. Bishop and his fellowes to force vpon S. Austine that protestation which they do by their false construction 23 W. BISHOP This matter is so large that it requireth a whole question but being penned vp within the compasse of one obiection I will not dwell any longer in it but here fold vp this whole question of Traditions in the authorities of the auncient Fathers out of whom because I haue in answering M. Perkins and else-where as occasion serued cited already many sentences I will here be briefe S. Ignatius the Apostles Scholler doth exhort all Christians * Euseb li. 3.36 To sticke fast vnto the Traditions of the Apostles some of which he committed to writing Polycarpus by the authority of the Apostles words which he had receiued from their owne mouthes confirmed the faithfull in truth and ouerthrew the heretikes * Ibid. li. 5. c. 20. S. Irenaeus who imprinted in his heart Apostolicall traditions receiued from Polycarp saith If there should be a controuersie about any meane question ought we not to runne vnto the most auncient Churches in the which the Apostles had conuersed and from them take that which is cleare perspicuous to define the present question For what if the Apostles had not written any thing at all must we not haue followed the order of Traditions which they deliuered to them to whom they deliuered the Churches Origen teacheth that the Church receiued from the Apostles by Tradition to baptize Infants * Rom. 6. Athanasius saith * Lib. de decreâ— Niceni conc We haue proued this sentence to haue bene deliuered from hand to hand by Fathers to Fathers but ye O new Iewes and sonnes of Caiphas what auncestors can ye shew of your opinion S. Basil hath these words * De Spir. Sanct. cap. 27. We haue the doctrine that is kept and preached in the Church partly written and part we haue receiued by Tradition of the Apostles in mysterie both which be of the same force to godlinesse and no man opposeth against these who hath at the least but meane experience of the Lawes of the Church See Gregory Nazianz. Orat. 1. in Iulian. R. ABBOT M. Bishop is here as he was before like the melancholike merchant of Athens who reioyced at the sight of euery ship that came in perswading himselfe that it was his ship He cannot light any where vpon the name of traditions but he presently imagineth that it is meant of their Popish vnwritten traditions And here in the first place to colour this he translateth the words of Eusebius amisse by changing the singular number into the plurall a Euseb hist lib. 3. cap. 32. Vt Apostolorum traditioni indivulsè adhaerent admonebat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He warned them saith Eusebius concerning Ignatius that they should cleaue stedfastly to the tradition of the Apostles He saith not traditions as to note sundry doctrines left vnwritten as M. Bishop would haue it but tradition as entirely generally to signifie the doctrine deliuered by the Apostles Therefore he must necessarily be vnderstood of the doctrine of the Apostles which is written but there is no necessity of vnderstanding any more This tradition that is the doctrine deliuered by the Apostles Eusebius saith that Ignatius did testifie by writing and what he testified we should see by those writings if we had them now in such sort as he left them euen no other doctrine but what the Apostles before had left in writing But those Epistles haue bene diuersly in hucksters hands being growne to greater number then Eusebius and Hierome heard of in their times containing many things now which they had not then and many then which they haue not now Ignatius now is made to say that b Ignat. epist 5. ad Phil. p. Siquâ— dominico die reiunauerâ—t aut sabbato praeter vnum sabbatuÌ„ is est Christi interfector if any man fast vpon the Lords day or vpon the Saterday he is a murtherer of Christ whereas S. Austine confesseth that c Aug. epist 86. Quibus diebus â—â—unare eporteat vel quibus non oporteat nullo Domini vel Apostolorum praecepto inuenio definitum he found it not defined by any precept of Christ or his Apostles what daies we are to fast and what not and Hierome as we haue heard before confesseth that Paul and others with him did fast vpon the Lords day He is now made to say that d Ignat. ibid. Siquâ— eum Iudaeis pascha peregeris festi eorum Symbola susceperit is particeps est socius eoruÌ„ qui Dominum occiderunt Apostolos eius if any man obserue Easter with the Iewes or shall beare the marks of their festiuall day he is a companion and partaker with theÌ„ who killed Christ and his Apostles whereas it is manifest by the ecclesiastical history that e Euseb hist lib. 5 cap 23. Polycarpus the Bishop of Smyrna at that time kept Easter in that sort refused to yeeld to Anicetus Bishop of Rome to do otherwise therefore that there was no such obseruation to which Ignatius should adioine any such censure as here is Againe Hierome citeth this sentence out of Ignatius that f Hieron cont Pelug lib. 3. Ignatius vir Apostolicus martyr scribit audacter Elegit Dominus Apostolos qui super omnes homines erant peccatores Christ chose Apostles who were sinners aboue all men which now is not found in those Epistles that we haue Therfore sith we haue his writings no otherwise but maimed and corrupted it is hard from them now to gather any certaintie at all and those some traditions which M. Bishop speaketh of are but meere forgeries conueyed into them by the Popes agents albeit the former of those traditions which I haue mentioned maketh them also murtherers of Christ because they fast vpon the Saterday or else they must denie that these
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
diuels to forbid to marrie truth if one should hold mariage in it selfe to be wicked and therefore condemne it in all sorts of persons as Montanus and the Manichees did But we haue a more reuerend opinion of mariage than the Protestants themselues For we with the Apostle * Ephes 3. hold it to be a great Sacrament they that it is a morall contract only Notwithstanding we maintaine that such persons who being of ripe yeeres haue aduisedly vowed chastity may not marrie not because mariage is not honourable but for that they haue solemnly promised to God the contrary which we also hold to be better than if he had maried And so to vse S. Austines words He forbiddeth to marrie who saith it to be euill but not he who before this good thing preferreth a better And a little after you see saith he that there is great difference betweene perswasion to virginity by preferring the greater good before the lesser forbidding to marrie by accusing lying together for issue The first is the doctrine of the Apostles which we teach the latter only of deuils * Lib. 3. cont Faust Manich. cap. 6. R. ABBOT Because the second is like the first we presume it to carie sufficient waight and strength of argument against M. Bishops answer The Apostle reckoneth it for one of a 1. Tim. 4.1.3 the doctrines of diuels to forbid to marrie M. Bishop answereth Truth if one should hold mariage in it selfe to be wicked and therefore condemne it in all sorts of persons as Montanus and the Manichees did But if he had vnderstood what he had said he would not here haue named Montanus for Montanus in this point was outright a Papist and condemned the Marcionites and Manichees for that opinion with which M. Bishop here chargeth him Tertullian being become by his fall the champion of Montanus and being vrged by the catholike Church with the words of the Apostle in the place here cited against b Ibid. commanding to abstaine from meates answereth the place cōcerning meates as Maister Bishop here doth concerning mariage that the holy Ghost in those words c Tertull. de Ieian Praedamnant iā haereticos perpetuam abstinentiam praecepturos ad destruenda et despiciēda opera creatoris quales inueniam apud Marcionē apud Tatiantum c. non apud paraecletum condemneth heretikes that should commaund perpetuall abstinence to destroy and disgrace the workes of the Creator Such saith he as we finde with Marcion and Tatian with whom the Manichees therein consented not with Montanus his paracletus As therefore in meates so in mariage Montanus condemned them who dishonoured the worke of Gods creation and tooke it to be a thing in it selfe vncleane and wholy to be condemned Therefore Tertullian writing againe in behalfe of Montanus concerning mariage setting the Church on the one side vnder the name of Naturalists or Carnalists and heretikes on the other side saith d Tertull. de Monogam Haeretici nuptias auferūt Psychici ingerunttilli nec semel isti nō semel nubūt c. Neque continentia eiusmodi laudanda est quia haeretica est neque licentia defendenda quia Psychica est illa blasphemat ista luxuriat illa destruit nuptiarum Deum ista confiuidit Heretikes take away mariage Carnalists vrge it they marry not so much as once these marry more then once their continency is not to be commended because it is hereticall nor the licence of the other to be defended because it is carnall the one blasphemeth the other exceedeth the one destroieth God from being the author of mariage the other shameth him Anone after he saith that e Jbid. Christum Paracletus contestabitur qualē credimus cū toto ordine creatoris their Paracletus did testifie Christ according to the faith with the whole order or ordinance of the Creator In the same place he alledgeth their soundnesse in the rule of faith namely that which summarily we professe in the articles of our Creede as an argument that those things which they taught were not of the euill spirit f Ibid. Aduersarius spiritus ex diuersitate praedicationis apparet primò regulā adulterans fidei ita ordinem adulterans disciplinae c. Fidem dicit pro eis integritas praedicationis c. Ante quis de Deo haereticus sit necesse est tunc de instituto c. Paracletus nouae disciplinae institutor c. who would first haue corrupted them in faith and then haue peruerted them in order of conuersation whereas now their integrity in preaching the faith did giue assurance or warrant for them A man saith he must first be an heretike concerning God and then as touching institution of behauiour but Montanus their Paracletus was as he saith an instructour or teacher not of any new faith but of new order and conuersation to which purpose he saith in another place hauing set downe a briefe of the articles of our beliefe g Tertull. de veland virgin Hac lege fidei manēte caetera iam disciplinae conuersationis admittūt nouitatem correctionis c. Propterea Paracletū misit vt ad perfectū perduceretur disciplina This law or rule of faith abiding other matters of discipline and conuersation do admit newnesse of correction and maketh the end of the sending of their Paracletus to be this that discipline or conuersation might be brought to perfection Montanus then denied not mariage according to the rule of faith to be Gods institution but professeth of their continencie that it h Idem de Monog Continentia religiosa legem nuptiarum honorat honoured the law of mariage and therefore M. Bishop did him great wrong to couple him in that sort with the Manichees who wholy blasphemed mariage as vncleane and hauing originall from the diuell and power of darknesse But yet he will say that Montanus taught somewhat against mariage and we acknowledge the same yet not as to condemne mariage but i Jbid. Saluo inquis iure nubēdi Planè saluo c. nihilominus tamen ex ea parte destructo qua continentiam praefert c. Praelatione continentiae imposita to preferre continency as Tertullian saith It is true that albeit he acknowledged mariage to be Gods institution yet he held the liberty thereof to be permitted but onely once and that once to be yeelded onely to the infirmity of the flesh euen as M. Bishop said before that to common Christians the Apostle said If they cannot abstaine let them marry but it is plaine by Tertullian that all this was but to commend a state of greater perfection k De veland virgin Quae Paracleti administratio nisi haec c. quòd ad meliora proficitur the ministerie of their Paracletus being that men should profit to better things and l De Monog Secundum sanctitatem caruis admonuit incedere should walke according to the holinesse
pollutam nec in malè blandiâ— mortiferis huius mundi voluptatibus vsque ad exitum vitae suae absque remedio poenitentiae infoelici perseuerantia colligatam not such only as are chast in body but rather or specially euery Church which keepeth or holdeth pure faith not polluted with the adulterous commixtion of heretickes nor vnhappily continuing to the end without repentance in the dangerously flattering and deadly pleasures of this world and citeth the place before mentioned to the Corinthians for declaration therof Thus we dissent then froÌ„ Austin as touching the application of those places of Scripture which he alledgeth to his purpose the reader may perceiue that it is not without cause that we so do Another thing wherein we cannot accord with him is that he assigneth vnto virgins a speciall glory peculiar to themselues and eminent aboue all others which vnder correction of so learned a father we hold to be a very fabulous and vaine conceipt For although virginitie and single life do yeeld the oportunitie of greater reward by giuing liberty of greater worke yet it followeth not that they haue any thing so appropriated vnto theÌ„ but that in married estate they that do the like worke may rest in expectation of the like reward The portion of all that Å¿ Gal. 3.9 are of the faith is to be blessed with faithfull Abraham t Luk 16.22 to be caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome u Mat. 8.11 to sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God Abraham and Isaac and Iacob were maried men and therefore virgins shall haue their place all one with those that haue bene married Our Sauiour Christ told his Apostles who all saue Iohn were married that x Mat. 19.28 they should sit vpon twelue seates to iudge the twelue tribes of Israel He gaue them seates indifferently he gaue not Iohn a speciall seate higher then all the rest and shall we thinke that other virgins shall haue seates aboue all them They are mentioned as hauing y Reâ— 21.14 their names written alike vpon the twelue foundations of the Church and shall we say that one of their names was written in letters of gold and all the rest with inke Moses a married man and Elias a virgin z Luk. 9.31 appeared with Christ not in any diuerse but both in the same glorie Therfore Ignatius a virgin also saith of himselfe a Ignat. ad Philadelph Opio dignus Deo inueÌ„tus ad vestigia eorum qui nuptijs operam dederunt in regno mutuirit stiut Abraham Jsaac Iacob Ioseph Esatae alioruÌ„ Prophetarum siâ—ut Petri Pauli alicruÌ„ Apostolorum qui nuptijs operaÌ„ dederunt I wish being found worthy of God to be found in Gods kingdome at the feet of them that were maried as of Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Esay and the other Prophets as of Peter and Paul marke that he reckoneth Paul for a married man and other the Apostles who were maried men In a word it was but S. Austins too great opinion of virginitie in the flesh that made him without any good grounds to entertaine that conceipt of some different and speciall glory in name thereof to be assigned vnto virgins Truth saith the wisedome of God saith that they who of religious purpose do forbeare mariage and vse the gift of continencie do make themselues chast for the kingdom of heauen but truth doth not say neither doth the wisdome of God say that in name of virginity or continency they haue greater reward then others but only as they vse the same more earnestly to seeke the kingdome of heauen which if the married do alike as they they shall haue reward alike But saith M. Bishop the Apostle assureth that single life is better for the seruice of God And what had not M. Perkins said so much to him do not we say the same but we adde that it is better and more commodious where the gift of continencie is but where the gift of continencie is not there marriage is much better for the seruice of God Againe we say it is most commonly not alwaies so for b Chrysost in 1. Tim. hom 10. Ita assum possunt nuptiae vt perfectiori vitae impedimento non sint mariage saith Chrysostome may be so taken as that it shall be no hinderance to perfect life euen as the Ecclesiasticall historie saith of Spiridion a bishop that c Soz omen li 1. cap. 11. Vxorem habebat liberos non tamen propterea res diuinas negligeÌ„tiùs obijt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he had wife and children and was thereby no whit the worse about things pertaining to God As for the words which he citeth out of the book of Wisdom beside that they are no canonical Scripture they make nothing for him They are an allusion to the words of Esay only signifie that to the Eunuch that worketh righteousnes shal be giuen that excellent gift that belongeth vnto faith a portioÌ„ or state in the Lords temple which is a thing acceptable and blessed aboue all things and that d Psal 27.4 one thing aboue all things to be desired but as touching comparison of portions in the house of God it intendeth nothing 14. W. BISHOP Secondly all the Protestants doctrine for mariage against vowes is notably confuted by S. Paul * 1. Tim. 5. where he saith That there were then certaine widowes who when they waxed wanton against Christ would marrie hauing damnation saith he because they made void and cast away their first faith which was as S. Augustin * De sanct vir cap. 23. and the rest of the Fathers expound it they had vowed continencie but would not performe it Now these young widowes if the Protestants doctrine were true not hauing the gift of continencie did very well to marry and were in no sort bound to keepe their vowes which was not in their power but the Apostle doth not acquit them of their vow but teacheth that they were bound to keepe it in that he pronounceth damnation to them if they marrie R. ABBOT To all that is here said I haue fully answered before in the 7. SectioÌ„ The ProtestaÌ„ts indeed say they make it good that those yoÌ„g widowes not hauing the gift of continency did well to marry and were by the Apostle willed to marrie lest haply any of them should by waxing wanton against Christ fall into the like damnation as some other had done An impious and diuellish tyrannie it is when any haue vowed rashly that that is not in their power to tye them to their vow and so to cause them by filthy lust and vncleannesse to runne into damnation who by repentance of their vnaduised rashnesse and vsing the remedy ordained by God should keepe themselues in purenesse and peace of conscience to saluation 15. W. BISHOP Thirdly the example of our heauenly Sauior who
ministerio Paul is not abashed in one of his Epistles to speake to his wife which he did not lead about with him because he needed not much to be ministred vnto The words which he meaneth are to the Philippians i Phil. 4.3 I beseech thee faithfull yoke-fellow helpe those women which laboured with me in the Gospell It is true that in respect of that power that he had of himselfe for containing he saith k 1 Cor. 7.7 I would that all men were euen as I my selfe am but these authors as we see haue holden that for no necessary proofe but that Paul might be married also as the rest were Yea but all of them saith M. Bishop after their following of Christ abstained from the company of their wiues But that is more then Master Bishop can proue yea Clemens Alexandrinus against those Heretickes before mentioned condemning mariage asketh thus l Clem. Alex. vt supra An etiam Apostolos reprobaÌ„i Petrusenim Philippus filioâ— procrearuÌ„t Philiopus autem filias quoque suas viris tradidit Do they also reiect the Apostles For Peter and Philip begat children and Philip bestowed his daughters to husbands And this of Peter is confirmed by the legend of the Romane Church which amongst many notable lyes counterfeit stories lighted no doubt vpon some truth The Legend recordeth that Peter had a daughter named from his owne name giuen him in his Apostleship Petronella which in the time of the persecution by Domitian the Emperour was much desired by Flaccus a noble man and thereby appeareth to haue bene then but young whereas if she were not born after the time that Peter was an Apostle she must needes be aboue threescore yeares old it being no lesse from the time that Peter was called to the time of that persecution And to giue the more likelihood hereof we find it certaine that Peter led his wife with him from place to place where he preached as did also other of the Apostles whereof the Apostle S. Paul speaketh manifestly m 1. Cor. 9.5 Haue we not power to leade about a sister being a wife as well as the rest of the Apostles and as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas M. Bishop will say he meant it not of wiues but of other deuout women as though it were not more likely that the Apostles hauing wiues should lead about their owne wiues rather then strange women Yea and the words of the Apostle conuict it so to be vnderstood who would not be absurd in speech to say a sister being a woman and therefore must needs be taken to say a sister being a wife therfore they that take it otherwise are faine to falsifie misplace the Apostles words as the vulgar Latin doth And whereas they are wont to say that those deuout women shold go about with the Apostles to minister vnto theÌ„ of their substance as some did to our Sauior Christ it cannot be the meaning of the Apostle here because he speaketh here of a power whereby he might burden the Church with himself and his but the going about of such women with theÌ„ had bene the disburdening of the Church Yea such women should haue bin said to haue followed them not to be led about by theÌ„ neither would the Apostle haue spoken singly as of one because it could not but haue caused suspitioÌ„ obloquy to go one with one saue only with their owne wiues And thus Clemens Alexandrinus in the place before cited vnderstaÌ„deth it of the Apostles wiues sheweth the cause why the Apostles tooke theÌ„ with them n Clem. Strom. lib 3 Ministraturae apud mulieres quae â—â—mos custoâ—tebant per quas etiam in gynaecaeum alsque reprehensione malauè suspitione ingredi posset doctrina Domini to minister to women which kept the houses that by them the doctrine of the Lord without reproofe or euill suspition might enter into the closets of women This was the speciall cause of their leading theÌ„ about in that respect Clement saith that o Jbid. Non vt vxores sed vt soreres circumducebant they led them not as wiues but as sisters not in regard that they were wiues onely but for that they were also sisters in the faith of Christ in the hope of the Gospell and thereby meet for that vse which was the thing properly intended in the leading of them But hereby he sheweth that certaine it is that the Apostles led their wiues about with theÌ„ so namely the Apostle S. Peter of whom he hath before said as we haue heard that he also begat children and when afterward his wife was put to death for the faith of Christ he was there present as the same Clement also testifieth in another place did p Idem Sirom lib. 7. Cum vides sei vxorem suâ—a duci ad mortem c. exhortanis consolando proprio nomine eam compellans dixit Heus tu memento Domini Tale erat beatorum matrimonium vsque adamicissâ—ma perfecta affectio Vide Euseb hist lib â— cap. 27. exhort and comfort her and calling to her said O wife remember the Lord Iesus Such saith he was the mariage of such blessed persons and their perfect affection euen to the greatest amitie Now last of all M. Bishop for example nameth the best Christians in the purest antiquitie liuing perpetuall virgins he citeth for it Iustin Martyr and Tertullian when he taketh it indeed from the fantastical dream of his owne idle head Of the best Christians neither of them saith a word onely they say that some did liue virgins and vnmarried amongst theÌ„ to shew how far they were from the fornications incests which were vsually practised amongst the Pagans Iustin hauing said that by the doctrine of Christ he that looketh vpon a womaÌ„ to lust after her hath committed adulterie with her in his heart that not onely the committing of adulterie but also the will and desire thereof maketh a man reiected of him inferreth these words q Iust Apol. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely many with vs both men and women of threescore or seuenty yeares who from their childhood haue learned the doctrine of Christ do continue vncorrupt and I glory that in all sorts of our men I can shew such The Translator to vncorrupt hath added coelibes vnmaried but there is no reason by the words of Iustin to vnderstaÌ„d any thing else but that they kept themselues vncorrupt froÌ„ fornication vncleannes which it was hard to find that any amongst the Pagans to such yeares had done But yet of that I will not contend onely I say that taking the words of vnmaried persons here is nothing said that either they were the best or better theÌ„ any other No more is there in the words of Tertullian who taxing the fornications incestuous filthines of the Pagans saith r Tertul. Apolo cap. 8. cap. 9. Nos ab
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