IN this Article the thing which you mislike is not any matter of his iudgement but that he seemeth to cōfesse either out of lesse learning then you haue or more humilitie then you shew that the coeternitie of the Sonne of God with his Father and the proceeding of the Spirit from the Father and the Sonne are in Scripture no where to be found by expresse literall mention And yet you cannot be ignorant but that vndoubtedly he beleeued both Therfore in my opinion it is strange why out of the second fift Article holdē by our church you alleage that the Sonne is the word of the Father from euerlasting begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son as though you dealt with an aduersarie that denied either You could not be ignorant hauing perused his writings with that diligence to reprehend but in this great mysterie of the Trinitie both concerning the equalitie of the Sonne with the Father and the Deitie of the holie Ghost who proceedeth from both see plainly that he held directly and soundly that doctrine which is most true and euerie way agreeable with the iudgements and expositions of the Reuerend Fathers of our Church Neither doe I know whether in this point anie of them haue left behinde them a more sound learned and vertuous Confession then he hath done For saith he The Lord our God is but one God In which indiuisible vnitie notwithstanding we adore the Father as being altogether of himselfe we glorifie that Consubstantiall Word which is the Sonne wee blesse and magnifie that coessentiall Spirit eternally proceeding from both which is the holy Ghost what confession can there be in this point of greater iudegment learning and truth and wherein there is lesse difference with that which our Church holdeth both hauing their ground as you may see by the places alleaged by M. Hooker in the Margent from the infallible euidence of Gods word This troubleth you that hee saith that these points are in scripture no where to be found by expresse literall mention which you out of your learned obseruation haue prooued as you thinke to be farre otherwise by those places of Scripture which his carelesse reading and weake iudgement was no way able to obserue Where first to proue the coeternitie of the Sonne you alleage The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way I was before his works of old And againe In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God And againe Glorifie me thou Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before the world was These places I confesse by way of collection may serue trulie to confirme in this Article that which our Church holdeth and yet they are not the plainest places that might be alleaged for this purpose But in all these where is there to be found expresse literall mention of the Coeternitie of the Sonne with the Father Nay for any thing that euer I could reade I do not thinke you are able to find the word Coeternall or Coequall in the whole Scripture in this sence For after the Arrians had long in this point troubled the Church the holy Fathers expresse what they held by the word Homousion which word Saint Augustine affirmeth not to be found in all the Scripture What then hath Maister Hooker said which Saint Augustine said not long since neither of them disprouing the thing but both denying the expresse literall mention of the word which I persuade my self your selues are neuer able to find Now for the proceeding of the holy Ghost you alleage as you say expresse words When the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the Father euen the Spirit of truth which proceedeth of the Father Out of this place as you thinke you haue sufficiently proued the expresse literal mention of this point we contēd not with you nor with any whether the truth of this point may directly be warranted by holy scripture but whether there be as you say expresse literal mention First then we call that expresse literal mention which is set down in plaine tearmes not inferred by way of consequence that it is so in this point we haue some reasō to doubt vntil out of your great obseruation you confirme it by more plaine and apparant Scripture For against this place which is but one which you haue alleaged we take this twofold exception as thereby accounting it insufficient to proue as you would haue it that there is expresse literall mention of the proceeding of the Spirit from the Father and the Son For first in that place alleaged out of Saint Iohn there is no mention at all of proceeding from the Sonne Secondly as Maister Beza whose authority you will not denie doth expound the place Christ speaketh not of the essence of the holy Ghost in himselfe but of the vertue and power of the holy Ghost in vs neither doth his interpretation which wee will not examine at this time any way preiudice the foundation of that truth which our Church doth hold For the Deitie of the holie Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne though not by any expresse literall mention yet may easily be proued by infinite places of Scripture and other infallible demonstrations besides this In the dayes of Liberius the Pope and of Constantius the Emperour certaine fantasticall spirits held that the holy Ghost was not God but onely the ministeriall instrument of diuine working This began vnder Arrius and increased by Eunomius a leprous heretike but a subtill Logitian whom the Church hath strongly confuted with arguments impossible to be answered As first that the holy Ghost is euerie where to giue all things to know and search all things that we are commanded to baptise in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost besides the greatnesse of the sinne against the holy Ghost So Ananias that lyed as Peter said to the holy Ghost lyed not to man but to God These and many such places warranted those ancient Councels to conclude the Deitie of the holy Ghost equall to the Father and the Sonne and equally proceeding from both As first the Councell of Constantinople consisting of an hundreth and fiftie Bishops vnder Theodosius the elder and Damasus the Pope which condemned the heresie of the Macedonians The same faith was confirmed by the Councell of Ephesus the Councell of Chalcedon the Councell of Lateran vnder Innocentius the third and diuers others And Athanasius himselfe maketh it most plaine that the Father is of none either made created or begotten the Sonne is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten the holy Ghost is from the Father and the Sonne not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding In this nothing being first or last greater or lesse but all the three persons coeternall and coequall The
in the strength of it often So that some ascribed more then was fit others lesse then they ought imputing al to a stoical and fatall necessitie Now that we may truly vnderstand the ignorance or mistaking wherof hath bin the ground of your exception in this third article what good things man of himselfe may do or know without the grace of God we are taught first that all actions are of three sorts naturall which are common to man with the brute beasts as to eate sleepe and such like which appertaine to his naturall life Secondly ciuill which we call politicall or morall humane actions as to buie sel to learne anie art and to conclude any other action which concerneth the politick or priuate society of man Thirdly those which belong to the kingdome of God to a perfect happy and true Christian life as to repent vs of our sinnes to beleeue in God to call vppon him to obeie his voice to liue after his precepts and such like now the question is what grace and power is requisite to man to performe any or all these Where we must obserue that some men how properlie I know not make the grace of God to be threefold First that generall motion and action diuine of which Saint Paule saith in him we liue we moue and haue our beeing This the Schoolemen call a generall ouerflowing and of the late writers especially of Luther it is called the action of the omnipotency and this grace is common to all that are within that compas to be called creatures Secondly there is a grace of God which is a special fauor of God by the which he bestoweth and deuideth his gifts and morall vertues both to the faithfull and vnfaithfull as pleaseth him To the faithfull that hauing the helpe afterward of a better light they may serue to be meanes of their saluation to the vnfaithfull for speciall vses and manifold in the society of man and to make themselues in the end without excuse Such were those gifts in the Romans and others of the heathen of iustice fortitude temperance prudence which they thought were from nature but we acknowledge to be from the speciall fauour of God for as being so truth is but one and by whom soeuer it is done or spoken it proceedeth from the Holy-ghost and therefore I both maruaile at those who make an opposition betwixt this light of nature and the scripture being both from one fountaine though running in diuers streames and that some men peeuishly refuse the excellentest truthes of heathen learning seeing euen in them these haue proceeded from the Holy-ghost Thirdly there is a grace of regeneration or the grace of Christ without which there can bee nothing performed of man truly good for saith our Sauiour Without me you can doe nothing and Saint Paule Not I but the grace of God which is with me so that this must be the perfection of the other two which is powerfull to mans saluation not rasing out that which before was but finishing that which before was imperfect The two first induing man with a passiue power as the schoolemen call it which though actually it can doe nothing yet it is fit to performe that which it hath no repugnancy in his owne nature to resist as wood can be made fire which water cannot The last only affoording that actual power which maketh him capable of the supernaturall worke so that it is true in diuinity that the possibility to haue faith is from nature but to haue it it is of grace as Saint Austin and Prosper hold neither of them vnderstanding an actuall hauing of faith without the grace of regeneration This made the Fathers in their sermons to the people to stirre them vp to prayer and good workes to tell them often that wee can loue God and doe good workes whereunto they only ment that we had a passiue power which stocks and brute beasts haue not Now for the actiue power wee hold that man hath not this in naturall things without the generall helpe of God and in morall actions or the learning of artes not with that generall helpe onely which hath bin some mens error but from a more speciall and peculiar grace the weakenes of those common notions of good and euill iust and vniust left in our nature by a newe impression after sin is for the most part such that they can hardly discerne any thing no not in arts vnlesse they be inlightned from aboue And therfore that Numa amongst the Romans Solon amongst the Athenians Lycurgus amongst the Lacedemonians and that many other amongst the Gentiles were wise and in that kinde vertuous was not so much from nature as from a speciall grace whose morall workes saith Saint Austin were good in their office and action but not in their end This argument he very learnedly handleth against Iulian the Pelagian where he concludeth two thinges that there can be no true vertues or truly chast workes in infidels and that those works whatsoeuer they are are not from nature but from a speciall grace the hauing whereof though it serue not of it selfe to saluation yet we are not afraid to affirme that the want of these doe ordinarily exclude from saluation Iustice fortitude temperance prudence being the effects of the same grace but lesse powerfully working faith hope and charity only taught by a supernaturall truth So that though the light of nature teach a truth necessary to saluation without the scripture yet it teacheth no knowledge which is not conteined in holy scripture the difference only being in this that the light of nature doth not teach all that the scripture doth but that the scripture teacheth all more perfectly which is taught by the light of nature heerein only neither excluded as vnnecessarie the one being subordinate to the other and both meanes of the same thing To conclude then this point wee hold being warranted by holy truth that the scriptures are the perfect measure and rule of faith and that without Christ we cannot be compleat and yet for all this that nature so inlightened teacheth those morall vertues without which is no ordinary saluation but we say not that matters and cases of saluation bee determined by any other lawe then warranted by holy scripture or that we are or can be iustified by any other then in Christ by faith without the workes of the lawe for there is no other name which is giuen vnder heauen amongst men by which we must be saued The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him for except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of heauen ARTICLE IIII. Holy scriptures aboue the Church THough the vnthankefulnes of man be without excuse euen from the brightnes that riseth from looking vpon al the creatures which with their beames shineth into the darkest corners
they haue an apparant great difference as there must needs be betwixt Scripture and no Scripture yet to those that are vnable to discerne so much the matter stands ouerruled only by the authoritie of the Church For though as Maister Hooker saith the Scriptures teach vs that sauing truth which God hath discouered to the world by reuelation yet it presumeth vs taught otherwise that it selfe is diuine and sacred And therefore the reading of the Scripture in our Churches is one of the plainest euidences we haue of the Churches assent and acknowledgement that it is the Scripture And yet without any contradiction at all who so assenteth to the words of eternall life doth it in regard of his authoritie whose words they are Those with whom the Church is to deale are often heretikes and these will much sooner beleeue the Church then the Scriptures Therefore saith Saint Austine in that knowne place I had not beleeued the Scriptures if I had not beene compelled by the authoritie of the Church And howsoeuer the Church may seeme now little to need her authoritie because the greatest haruest of heresies is past yet we must not contemne her for all that because euen the weedes of heresie being growne vnto a ripenesse doe euen in their verie cutting downe scatter oftentimes those seedes which for a whilely vnseene and buried in the earth but afterwards freshly spring vp againe no lesse pernicious then at the first Therfore the Church hath and must haue to the end of the world foure singular offices towards the Scripture First to be a witnesse and keeper of them as it were a faithfull Register whose fidelitie in that behalfe vnlesse we be bastard children we haue no reason at all â—o suspect witnesses of lesse truth and authoritie hauing oftentimes the credite to be beleeued Secondly to discerne and iudge betweene false and adulterate and that which is true and perfect in this respect it hath a propertie which other assemblies want to heare and discerne the voice of her husband neither can she be thought a chast spouse who hath not the abilitie to do that But as the Goldsmith either in his ballance or with his touchstone discerneth pure gold from other mettals of lesse value yet doth not make it so dealeth the Church who hath not authoritie to make scripture that which is not but maketh a true difference from that which did only seeme Neither in this respect is the Church aboue the Scriptures but acknowledgeth in humilitie that shee is left in trust to tell her children which is her husbands voice and to point our to the world as Iohn Baptist did Christ a truth of a farre more excellent perfection then her selfe is As if I doubted of a strange coine wherein I rest satisfied in the resolution of a skilfull man but yet valuing the coine for the matter and the stampe of the coine it selfe The third office of the Church is to publish and diuulge to proclaime as a cryer the true edict of our Lord himself not daring as Chrysostom saith to adde anie thing of her owne which shee no sooner doth but the true subiects yeeld obedience not for the voice of him that proclaimeth but for the authoritie of him whose ordinances are proclaimed The last is to be an Interpreter and in that following the safest rule to make an vndiuided vnitie of the truth vncapable of contradiction to be a most faithfull expositor of his owne meaning Thus whilest the Church for that trust reposed in her dealeth faithfully in these points we are not afraid to acknowledge that wee so esteeme of the Scriptures as rightly wee are led by the authoritie of Gods Church Those that are of that iudgement that they dare giue credit without witnesse though we follow not their example in ouermuch credulitie yet we blame not their iudgmeÌ„ts in that kind Touching therfore the authoritie of the Church the scriptures though we graunt as you say that the Church is truly distinguished by the scriptures that the scriptures which is a straÌ„ge phrase warraÌ„t y e trial of Gods word that it was euer beleeued for the words sake yet without feare of vnderpropping anie popish principle as you tearme it we say that we are taught to receiue it from the authoritie of the Church we see her iudgement we heare her voice and in humilitie subscribe vnto all this euer acknowledging the Scriptures to direct the Church and yet the Church to affoord as she is bound her true testimony to the Scripture For the verse of Menander Aratus or Epimenides was and had beene euer but the saying of Poets had not the Church assured vs that it was vttered since by an instrument of the holy Ghost ARTICLE V. Of Freewill IN searching out the nature of humane reason whilest wee reach into the depth of that excellencie which man had by creation we must needs confesse that by sinne he hath lost much who now is vnable to comprehend all that hee should but wee dare not affirme that hee hath lost all who euen in this blindnesse is able to see something and in this weakenesse strong enough without the light of supernaturall Iustifying grace to tread out those paths of moral vertues which haue not only great vse in humane society but are also not altogether of a nature oppositely different from mans saluation And therefore the naturall way to find out lawes by reason guideth as it were by a direct path the will vnto that which is good which naturally hauing a freedome in herselfe is apt to take or refuse any particular obiect whatsoeuer being presented vnto it Which though wee affirme yet we neither say that Reason can guide the will vnto all that is good for though euery good that concerneth vs hath euidence inough for it selfe yet reason is not diligent to search it out nor we say not that the will doth take or refuse any particular obiect but is apt rather noting the nature wherby it hath that power then shewing the ability wherby it hath that strength For though sinne hath giuen as the Schoolemen obserue foure wounds vnto our nature Ignorance Malice Concupisence and infirmity the first in the vnderstanding the second in the will the third in our desiring appetite the last in the Irascible yet the will is free from necessity and coaction though not from misery and infirmity For as Saint Bernard saith there is a threefold freedome from necessity from sinne from misery the first of nature the second of grace the third of glory In the first from the bondage of coaction the will is free in it owne nature and hath power ouer it selfe In the second the will is not free but freed from the bondage of sin And in the third it is freed from the seruitude of corruption Now that freedome by which the will of man is named free is the first only and therefore we dare
attention gained without wit nor their affections perswaded without eloquence where to come vnfurnisht and leaue the workings without meanes to him who giueth a power and a blessing to the meanes we vse is all one to appoint him what meanes are fittest or to inioyne him to worke without meanes at all which though that Almightie power can do yet then to refuse theÌ„ when they are prouided or not to furnish vs with as much as we can of the best that he hath prouided it argueth our vnthankfulnesse and our want of choise This made when Celsus Iulian and Porphyry had written against vs the holy Fathers to confute them with all varietie of humane learning that thus the enemies of that truth which we teach may say with Iulian We are strooke through with our owne weapons This was the happines of Epiphanius whiâ—â— I wish were common to all preachers that his writings were read of the learned for the matter of the simple for the words Thus we should not doubt but to win an attention from all nay euen for the true discharging of this businesse there is a necessarie vse of Grammar to teach the originall proprietie of words of Logicke to discerne ambiguities of Rhetoricke for ornament a good tale being much better when it is well told of Philosophie for the vnfolding the true nature of causes the ignorance whereof hath brought much error in expounding the holy Scriptures of Historie for the computation of times in one word of all humane learning which like the spoiles of Egypt we haue recouered from the vniust owners accounting it no more disgrace to be accused of eloquence wit or humane learning then S. Austin did by Petilian to be termed Tertullus the Orator There be that account Inciuilitie of maners and Rusticitie of speech as Saint Hierome speaketh true holinesse But it is not fit that those that are toothlesse should enuie the teeth of others or those that are Moules repine that others see as the same Father admonisheth Calphurnius It hath beene a trouble of some of our best and most excellent preachers that they haue beene inforced after their wearisome â—oiling and vnregarded paines to giue a reason and make a defence as though they had committed a fault for the vse of that for which in true estimation they ought to haue reaped much praise And therfore saith one whom I dare oppose for eloquence and iudgement against the best in that great city of the contrarie faction I am not of opinion with those men who thinke that all secular and prophane learning should be abandoned from the lips of the preacher and that whether hee teach or exhort he is of necessitie to tie himselfe to the sentence and phrase of only Scripture Good is good wheresoever I find it vpon a withered and fruitlesse stalke saith S. Austin a grape sometimes may hang shall I refuse the grape because the stalk is fruitlesse and withered There is not any knowledg of learning to be despised seeing that all science whatsoeuer is in the nature kind of good things rather those that despise it we must repute rude vnprofitable altogether who would bee glad that all men were ignorant that their owne ignorance lying in the common heape might not be espied And S. Austin in in another place saith Eloquence is not euill but a sophisticall malignant profession proposing to it selfe not as it meaneth but either of contention or for commodity sake to speake for all things against all things What were more profitable then the eloquence of Donatus Parmenian others of your sect if it ran with as free a streame for the peace vnity truth and loue of Christ as it floweth against it for els it is a venimous eloquence as Saint Cyprian wrote of the eloquence of Nouatus I know there is much amisse both in matter and in the vse of prophane learning but this we are sure if we bring it to the Scripture if it bee faultie it is condemned if wholsome it is there confirmed And I see no reason that any man should be bold to offer his owne inuentions and conceits to the world when hee findeth such in the Fathers and others as cannot be amended I am sorie that the learned of any sort as my Author saith that hath but born a book should dispraise learning she hath enemies enough abroad though she bee iustified by her children It is fitter that wisedome bee beaten by fooles then by those who ought to be esteemed wise aboue all other places a blow giuen in the pulpit against learning a fault too common leaueth a scarre in the face of knowledge which cannot easily be cured It calleth in question the reaching of others as if they fed the people with acorns husks not bread or because they gather the truth out of humane Authours they contemned the authority of the holy Scriptures Doubtlesse it is somtime vanity in those that preach itching in those that heare a thing not tolerable or allowable in either but where it is otherwise let not a rasâ— conclusion without proofe as though it were young mens faults bee admitted against good learning If Asclepiodorus will draw with a cole or chauke alone I iudge him not if others wil paint with colours neither let them be iudged for those that are wise and humble in the Church know how with discretion to make vse of all and yet not all of the like authoritie For doctrines deriued exhortations deducted interpretations agreeable are not the verie word of God but that onely which is in the originall text or truly translated and yet we call those sermons though improperly the word of God To conclude this point as our Church hath manie excellent Preachers which we wish by good incouragement may increase so it is too presumptuous a labour for any to prescribe one forme necessarie to all But I could wish that all were like him whom you accuse or like one Marianus Genazanensis whom Angelus Politianus doth excellently describe in my opinion an excellent patterne of a reuerend Diuine ARTICLE XIII Of the Ministers office IN the actions of this life whether spirituall or temporal God and man giue their approbation in a diuers maner the one looketh onely at the thing done the other at the mind disposition of the doer And therefore the same things from diuers parties are not of the same nor of like value nay that which is from sinceritie a worship is from hypocrisie a sin and the defects which outwardly the maner of doing disproueth the sinceritie oftentimes in the mind of the doer acquiteth In the eye of man it is sometimes a fault which is no sin in the eye of God a sin which in the eye of man was no fault So that according to lawes which principally respect the heart of man works of religion being not religiously performed caÌ„not morally be perfect Baptisme as an
and as if it were neuer giuen True it is that seeing God from whom mens seuerall degrees preheminences proceed hath appointed them in his Church at whose hands his pleasure is that we should receiue Baptisme and all other publike helpes medicinable to the soule perhaps thereby the more to settle our hearts in the loue of our ghostly superiors they haue small cause to hope that with him their voluntarie seruices will be accepted who thrust themselues into functions either aboue their capacitie or besides their place and ouerboldly intermeddle with duties whereof no charge was euer giuen vnto them In which respect if lawes forbid it to be done yet therefore it is not necessarily void when it is done For many things are firme being done which in part are done otherwise thē positiue rigor and strictnes did require Actions vsurped haue often the same nature which they haue in others although they yeeld not him that doth them the same comfort What defects then are in this kind they redound with restraint to the offender only the grace of Baptisme commeth by donation from God onely That God hath committed the mysterie of Baptisme vnto speciall men it is for orders sake in his Church and not to the intent that their authoritie might giue being or adde force to the Sacrament it selfe Infants haue right to Baptisme we all know that they haue it not by lawfull ministers it is not their fault Mens owne faults are their owne harmes So then wee conclude this point with Maister Hooker that it is one thing to defend the fact for lawfulnesse in the doer which few do and another thing the fact being done which no man hath reason to disallow for though it is not lawfull for women to vndertake that office to baptize which peraduenture belongs not vnto them yet the Baptisme being done we hold it lawfull ARTICLE XIIII Of the Sacraments IT is not a thing lesse vsuall in the apprehension of truths through the weaknesse of our vnderstanding to ascribe too little to that which in all reason hath great vertue then to allow ouermuch to that which hath no vertue at all It fareth with men in this kind as it doth with some deceitfull artificers who bestow most arte and outward additions where inwardly there is least value whilest they leaue that altogether vnfurnished which is able to expose it to sale by his owne worth It is our fault no lesse violently to extoll what our fancies make vs to account excellent then to dispraise things truly commendable in their owne nature because onely they haue gained this disaduantage to bee disliked by vs. So that whosoeuer maketh either praise or dispraise to be a rule of iudgement or the iudgement of some few to bee a signe of value he with like hazard equally erreth in both For times and places violent circumstances of that which men say with or against breed infinite varietie of alterations where things are the same and out of commendation alone a strange effect dispraise like a monster doth spring vp It being cause sufcient to distempered humours vehemently to dislike only in this respect that others doe commend the same Wherein the safest and most charitable direction will bee absolutely in that violent opposition to beleeue neither but euen from both to deriue a truth much sounder then that which either holdeth From hence hath it come to passe that whilest they of the Church of Rome haue peraduenture ascribed too much to works some of vs too little others haue set downe an equality dissenting from both Thus in the matter of the sacraments things of greatest and most hidden vertue left vnto the Church for they are called Mysteries some haue bin thought to deriue that power to them which belongeth to God only which whilest others sought to auoide they haue euen depriued them of that grace which God doubtles in truth hath bestowed vpon them In this kinde you are of opinion that M. Hooker hath erred who as you imagine hath ascribed to the sacraments farre more following therein the steps of the Church of Rome then either the Scripture the articles of our Church or the exposition of our Reuerend Bishops and others do For the Fathers say you make the Sacraments only Seales of assurance by which the Spirit worketh inuisibly to strengthen our faith And therfore they call them visible words seales of righteousnesse and tokens of grace That they doe and say thus there is no man doubteth but we are not yet perswaded that this is all or the furthest as you alledge that they saie because vndoubtedly we are assured that they haue learned both to know and to speake otherwise For the Sacraments chiefest force and vertue consisteth in this that they are heauenly ceremonies which God hath sanctified and ordained to be administred in his Church First as markes to know when God doth impart his vitall or sauing grace of Christ vnto all that are capable therof and secondly as meanes conditionall which God requireth in them vnto whom he imparteth grace For doubtles it must needes be a great vnthankfulnesse and easily breed contempt to ascribe only that power to them to be but as seales and that they teach but the minde by other sense as the worde doth by hearing which if it were all what reason hath the Church to bestow any Sacrament vpon Infants who as yet for their yeares are nor capable of any instruction there is therefore of Sacraments vndoubtedly some more excellent and heauenly vse Sacraments by reason of their mixt nature are more diuersly interpreted and disputed of then any other part of Religion besides for that in so great store of properties belonging to the selfe same thing as euery mans wit hath taken hold of some especiall consideration aboue the rest so they haue accordingly giuen their censure of the vse and necessity of them For if respect bee had to the dutie which euery communicant doth vndertake we may cal them truly bōds of our obedience to God strict obligations to the mutuall exercise of Christian charity prouocations to godlines preseruatiōs frō sin memorials of the principal benefits of Christ. If we respect the time of their institutiō they are annexed for euer vnto the new testamēt as other rites were before with the old If we regard the weakenesse that is in vs they are warrants for the more security of our beleefe If we compare the receiuers with those that receiue them not they are works of distinctiō to separate Gods owne from strangers and in those that receiue them as they ought they are tokens of Gods gratious presence whereby men are taught to know what they cannot see For Christ and his holy spirit with all their blessed effects though entring into the soule of man we are not able to apprehend or expresse how doe notwithstanding giue notice of the times when they vse to make their accesse because it pleaseth Almighty God to communicate by sensible
of the SacrameÌ„ts the effect of the thing ordeined by Christ is not taken away or the grace of Gods guift diminished as touching them which receiue by faith and orderly the things offered vnto them which for the institutioÌ„ of Christ and his promise are effectuall although they be administred by euill men But to inferre heereupon that the same actions howsoeuer don scoffingly and in iest contrary or besides the holy institution of the Church are truly Sacraments It is a conclusion too violent and not warranted by any truth For howsoeuer the grace of Sacraments dependeth not vpon the Minister who maie faile of these vertues that are fitte to bee required in him yet it is necessarie that there should bee an intention to administer a true Sacrament least we put no difference betwixt that which either derision imitatioÌ„ chance or the Church doth For if the conuersion of Lucius first Christian king of this land were to be acted vpon a stage and that two persons were to represent â—ugatius and Damianus sent by Eleutherius the Pope to baptize Lucius could any man in reason thinke how orderly soeuer performed that this were true baptisme were not this to make the bare action all and the intention a circumstance not belonging to it But we must know as M. Hooker saith that SacrameÌ„ts are actions mysticall and religious for no man can truly define them otherwise which nature they haue not vnlesse they proceede from a serious meaning yet what euery mans priuate minde is as we cannot know so neither are we bound to examine for in these cases the knowne intent of the Church doth generally suffice and where the contrary is not manifest as circumstances will serue easily to discouer we must presume that he which outwardly doth the worke hath inwardly the purpose of the Church of God Now this beeing a discreet rule wisely to put a difference betwixt Sacraments holie actions and the like irreligiousâ—â—e and prophanely performed is that whereat your zealous wisdome doth take offence and which you pursue with that bitternesse of speech calling it meere Popery a humane inuention and inducemeÌ„t to fides implicita as though the dangers were neither few nor small which came vnto y e Church by this opinion Let me intreat your patience a little vouchsafe to be but aduised by him who in all humilitie wil be readie to follow y e sound directions of the meanest in Gods church and I doubt not to make it apparant that Maister Hooker hath deliuered that truth the contrary wherof is no way fit to be admitted or allowed by vs. Some are of opinion that no intention at all is required in the Ministers of the Sacraments but that if the thing and the words be present though either in â—est or otherwise performed yet notwithstanding it is a Sacrament The first Author of this as Bellarmine saith was Luther whose words I must needes say are violeÌ„tly wrested to make him speake that which he neuer ment It is like that heout of whom by misunderstanding you haue collected this opinion was Maister Caluin who rightly deriuing the vertue of Sacraments from the Minister to God himselfe the author of the first institution saith thus I refer so much to the holy institution of Christ that if an Epicure inwardely deriding the whole action should administer the supper by the commandement of Christ marke the words and according to the rule by him giuen which no man could that wanted the intention of the Church I would account them saith he the true pledges of the body and the blood of Christ Where we are willing to confesse with him and with truth it selfe that Sacraments for their vertue depeÌ„d not vpon the intention of the Minister though without the intention of the Church they are not Sacraments Where by intention we meane not a particular purpose of all that the Sacraments require a thing peraduenture aboue the capacity of many lawfull Ministers but a generall intention of performing that sacred action according to the meaning of the Church Where by church we mean not any one particular but the true Church or as M. Caluin saith Christs rule or that intention which Christians in that action haue and yet if one in this should follow the intention of a particular Church that did erre it were not a reason sufficient to make the Sacrament to be none at all for euen his intention in following that particular Church though erring were an intentioÌ„ of following the true Church that doth not erre Neither is it required as the scholemen say that this intention necessarily be actual nor it sufficeth not to be habituall which may be in men either drunke or asleepe but vertuall that is in the power of that intention which howsoeuer now distracted before was actuall Neither doe we meane that the Minister should necessarily haue the same intent of the end which the Church hath but of the action the end being perhaps without the compasse of his knowledg but the action cannot vnlesse we suppose him to be a Minister weaker then any church hath For it is one thing to intend what the Church intendeth and another thing to intend what the Church doth For those that intend by baptisme an vtter acquittance from originall sinne and those that doe not there is a diuersitie in the end but the action is all one and therefore not reiterated though the end be diuers Now to do the externall action and yet in iest is no more to doe what the Church intendeth to doe then their speech and action Haile King of the Iewes was any honor or true reuerence to our Sauiour Christ. The necessity of this intention not for grace but to make it a Sacramentall action will more euidently appeare if wee consider what kinde of instrument the Minister is Man may be the instrument of another agent many waies First in respect only of his bodily members his hand his backe or such like without any vse of the will Secondly in respect of his outward parts with the vse of sense as to reade to watch to tell what he seeth and to this also the will is no further required but to the outward action Thirdly in respect of the bodily members together with sense and reason as in Iudges appointed by Princes to determine causes wherein wisdome and the will are to be instruments Now the Ministers of the Sacrament must be of this third kinde And therefore saith Hugo if a father should take his sonne to a bathe and should say Sonne I wash thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost and so dip him in the water it were ridiculous to thinke that hee were thus baptized Where although such prophaners are without excuse for vnreuerend imitation of holy things yet these actions without the intention of the Church can no wayes bee tearmed sacraments For if those who hold a sermon read to be
of mans hart yet in his mercy he hath not left him altogether destitute of a better guide The first seruing to teach him that there is a God the latter what that God is and how he will bee worshipped by man This light wee call the scripture which God hath not vouchsafed to all but to those only whome he gathereth more neerely and familiarly to him selfe and vouchsafeth that honor to be called his Church that as men through infirmity seeing weakely prouide vnto themselues the helpe of a better sight so what man cannot reade by the dimnes of his seeing out of the creatures he may more apparantly reade them in the holy scriptures For as there is no saluation without religion no religion without faith so there is no faith without a promise nor promise without a word for God desirous to make an vnion betwixt vs and himselfe hath so linked his word and his Church that neither can stand where both are not The Church for her part in her choice allowance testifying as well that it is the scripture as the scripture from an absolute authority doth assure vs that it is the Church For as those who are conuerted haue no reason to beleeue that to be the Church where there is no scripture so those who are not conuerted haue no great reason to admit that for scripture for which they haue not the Churches warrant So that in my opinion the contention is vnnaturall and vnfit to make a variance by comparison betwixt those two who are in reason and nature to support each other It was a memorable attonement that Abraham made with Lotte let there be no strife I pray thee betweene thee and me neither betweene thy heardsmen and my heardsmen for we be brethren so vndoubtedly may the Church and the scripture say it is then to be feared that those who treacherously make this contentious comparison betwixt both are in very deede true friends to neither For though we dislike of them by whome too much heeretofore hath bin attributed to the Church yet we are loth to grow to an error on the contrary hand and to derogate too much from the Church of God by which remoouall of one extremity with another the worlde seeking to procure a remedy hath purchased a meere exchang of the euill which before was felt We and our aduersaries confesse that the scriptures in themselues haue great authority inward witnes from that spirit which is the author of all truth and outward arguments strong motiues of beleefe which cleaueth firmely to the word it selfe For what doctrine was euer deliuered with greater maiesty What stile euer had such simplicity purity diuinity What history or memoriall of learning is of like antiquity what oracles foretold haue bin effected with such certainty What miracles more powerfull to confirme the truth What enemies euer preuailed lesse or laboured more violently to roote it out To conclude what witnesses haue dyed with more innocency or lesse feare then those that haue sealed the holinesse of this truth This the scripture is in it selfe but men who are of lesse learning then these reformers are do not vnworthily make question how that which ought thus highly to be esteemed for it selfe commeth to be accounted of thus honorably by vs for the weakenes of mans iudgement doth not euer value things by that worth which they doe deserue For vndoubtedly out of that error hath proceeded your suspition of him whose inward worthines must now be content to receiue testimony from a witnes by many thousand degrees inferiour to himselfe To them of Samaria the woman gaue testimony of our sauiour Christ not that she was better but better knowne for witnesses of lesse credit then those of whome they beare witnesse but of some more knowledge then those to whome they beare witnes haue euer bin reputed to giue a kind of warrant and authority vnto that they proue Seeing then the Church which consisteth of many doth outwardly testifie what euery man inwardly should be to swarue vnnecessarilie from the iudgement of the whole Church experience as yet hath neuer found it safe For that which by her ecclesiasticall authority she shal probably thinke define to be true or good must in congruity of reason ouerrule all other inferiour Iudgements whatsoeuer And to them that out of a singularity of their owne aske vs why we thus hang ou◠iudgements on the Churches sleeue wee answere with Salomon Two are better then one for euen in matters of lesse moment it was neuer thought safe to neglect the iudgement of many and rashly to follow the fancy and opinion of some few If the Fathers of our Church had had no greater reasō to auouch their forsaking of the Antichristian Synagogue as you call it then this point wee might iustly haue wished to haue bin recōciled to the fellowship society of their church For this point as it seemeth rightly vnderstood affordeth little difference betwixt them and vs and therfore there was no mention of it in the last councell their Church had And Bellarmine himselfe doth apparantly complaine that we wrong them in this point for doubtles it is a tolerable opinion of the Church of Rome if they go no further as some of them do not to affirme that the scriptures are holy and diuine in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority of the Church for there is no man doubteth but that it belongeth to the Church if we vnderstand as we ought those truely who are the Church to approue the scriptures to acknowledg to receiue to publish to commend vnto hir Children And this witnes ought to be receiued of all as true yet wee doe not beleeue the scriptures for this only for there is the testimony of the Holy-ghost without which the commendation of the Church were of little value That the scriptures are true to vs wee haue it from the Church but that wee beleeue them as true we haue it from the Holy-ghost We confesse it is an excellent office of the Church to beare witnes to the scriptures but we say not that otherwise we would not beleeue them We graunt that the scriptures rightly vsed are the iudge of controuersies that they are the triall of the Church that they are in themselues a sufficient witnes for what they are but yet for all this wee are not afraid with Master Hooker to confesse that it is not the word of God which doth or possibly can assure vs that we do well to thinke it is the word of God For by experience we all know that the first outward motion leading men so to esteeme of the scripture is the authority of Gods Church which teacheth vs to receiue Markes Gospell who was not an Apostle and refuse the Gospell of Thomas who was an Apostle to retain S. Lukes gospel who saw not Christ and to reiect the Gospell of Nicodemus that sawe him For though in themselues
the free will both being the rationall power of desiring but that the one respecteth the end and then it is called will the other respecteth the meanes and then it is called free-will So the same power of vnderstanding as it respecteth the first principles is called vnderstanding as it respecteth the conclusion which is gathered by a discourse from the principles it is called reason Now this reason concerning things doubtful hath naturally in it selfe a way to both opposites but leaneth to that for the most part wherunto either appetite ignorance or grace sway it So that though freely and without constraint it follow naturally the wisedome of the flesh yet without a supernaturall grace the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeed can be This being duly weighed with vnderstanding and considered of with a charitable humilitie such as the cause requireth euery man may see notwithstanding your accusation that our Church in this neither differeth from the truth nor Master Hooker at all from our Church ARTICLE VI. Of Faith and Works WHere charity hath not power enough to guide reason there malice out of ignorance is able to make conclusions against sense For the eies being blinded which naturally are to perform the best offices of seeing the colours that are discerned otherwise are litle better then the false errors of a troubled fancy For where the light is darkenes how great must that darkenes be To attaine by a supernaturall power to that felicity which is an acte of the greatest mercy as infinite numbers faile in the thing so there are not a few which vtterly mistake the meanes And whilest all that are Christians acknowledge it to be a grace eager contentions are stirred vp whether it be imputed or inherent in vs. And seeing in this acte of iustification by the consent of all man doth receiue from God what he hath the question is what vertue must be in that hand to inable weakenes to receiue such strength and how that faith must be accompanied that is able to clothe our soules with the righteousnes of anothers merit Heere we haue aduersaries whom peraduenture we mistake as they mistake vs making as in other points a misconstruction to be the ground of a great difference and the strongest opposition to arise from hence that nether part is willing to vnderstand each other Heere if we should but discouer the least meanes of reconcilement some hasty spirits would not stick to accuse vs as more then partiall and that treacherouslie we sought to betray the cause In that we purpose to set downe what truth warranteth in this behalfe it is rather to free him from suspition whom you doe accuse then that hee in that wherein you accuse him any way standeth in neede of our weake defence If man rightly value but the merit of the Sonne of God and how so humble and innocent obedience to so lowe a state must needes in iustice make a full satisfaction for so great a sin he cannot chuse but confesse that onely for the merit of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ through faith and not for works and our merits we are accounted righteous before God If the soule of man did serue only to giue him being in this life then things appertaining to this life would cōtent him as we see they doe other creatures which creatures inioying those things by which they liue they doe seeke no further but in this contentation doe shew a kinde of acknowledgement that there is no higher good which any way doth belong vnto them With man it is far otherwise for although all inferiour things were in the possession of one yet he would euer with a desire thirst for some thing aboue all those so that nature euen in this life doth claime a perfection higher and more diuine then any thing in it selfe which man must receiue in the reward now rewards doe alwaies presuppose such duties performed as are rewardable our naturall meanes vnto blessednesse are our workes nor is it possible that nature should euer finde any other way to saluation but only this Yet seeing that no man can say since the foundation of the world that his workes are pure but that all flesh is guilty of that for which God hath threatned eternally to punish there resteth either no way vnto saluation or a way which must needs be supernatural and aboue mans reach Had Adam continued in his first estate mans absolute righteousnes and integrity in all his actions had bin the way of life to him and to all his posterity though peraduenture not in so large a manner as heauenly felicity doth import the possession whereof euen the least moment were too abundant a retribution Yet now we fayling in that which was our dutie it were a thing impossible in nature to obtaine the other The light of nature is neuer able to find out any way of obtaining the reward of blisse but by performing exactly the works of righteousnes Therfore God hath prepared a supernaturall way namely that we doe beleeue not that God doth require nothing vnto happines at the hands of men as Maister Hooker sayth sauing only a naked faith for Hope Charity we may not exclude but that without faith all other things are as nothing this being the grounde of those other diuine vertues The principall obiect of faith is that eternall verity which hath discouered the treasures of hidden wisdome in Christ the highest obiect of hope is that euerlasting goodnes which in Christ doth quicken the dead the final obiect of charity is that incōprehensible beauty which shineth in the countenance of Christ the Son of the liuing God The first beginneth heere with a weake apprehension of things not seene and endeth in the beholding of God in the world to come The second beginneth heere with a trembling expectation of things far remoued and as yet but only heard of and endeth with a reall and actuall fruition of that which no toong is able to expresse The third beginneth heere with a weake inclination of hart towards him vnto whom we are not able to approch and endeth with an endles vnion the mystery wherof is higher then the reach of the thoughts of men And howsoeuer the apprehension of that righteousnesse wherby man is iustified be properly but the worke of one yet we dare not neither doe any learned in our Church make faith to be naked of other vertues and therefore it is so much the more strange that you follow the error which our aduersaries haue accused vs for as though it were an opinion holden by our Church In this article against Maister Hooker you say that God requireth no more at the hands of men vnto happinesse then a naked beleefe And a little after We claime nothing by any dutie we do or can do or any vertue which wee find in our selues but onely by
hath wil is righteousnes only mans transgression sin For euen to doe that which nature telleth vs we ought howsoeuer we know it must needs be acceptable in Gods sight How this vttered out of great iudgment to another purpose namely that good things are done and allowed whereof we haue other direction then Scripture is by you wrested against the articles of our Church either concerning the perfection of works which are with faith or the goodnes of works without faith to say plainly I cannot yet vnderstand Therfore as the dealing is vnequall to make him say what you list so the aduātage is too great to make him an aduersary to a cause of your own making when the whole scope of his speech is to another purpose For there is no indifferēt reader but had he considered what M. Hooker speaketh to what end in those places by you alleaged he must of necessity haue wondered at your sharpe and acute iudgements that would without blushing aduenture to alleage him to that end But an opiniō doubtlesse that these things wold neuer be examined gaue that cōfidence to your first motion which consideration would haue hindered if you had but once dreamed to haue bin called in question Wee should not therfore need in this much to defend him but briefly resolue you what our Church holdeth and fitly in this point The articles of our Church which ye thinke are oppugned are two first that the fruits of faith cannot abide the seuerity of Gods iustice that man out of faith doth good workes which though they make vs not iust yet are both acceptable and rewardable I doubt not but it is a truth wherof if yee had not bin perswaded this letter of yours profitable as you think to the Church and pleasing to God as all the rest of your writings in that kinde had lien buried vnborne in those rotten sepulchers from whēce into the world they did first come whilest we are by that intermediat iustice of Christ made righteous and haue obtained a free remission of our sins that we are tearmed iust there is with this mercy ioyned the Holy-ghost which dwelling in vs maketh vs fruitfull to good workes this reuiuing all parts from our naturall corruption reformeth vs to a pure and willing obedience vnto that reuealed will which is the rule of all that we ought to doe yet seeing we are clothed with corruption there are euen in our best actions those remainders of imperfection which serue to teach vs thankefulnes and humility both arising from the consideration of our own weakenes And I doubt not but euen in this poynt many of the Church of Rome whose humiliation in their penitēcy of heart seemeth far to exceed ours are of this opinion that euen the best action performed in their whole life as there are yet some few monumēts spared from the couetous hand if all points of it were considered with a streight view sifting euen the least circumstances which closely insinuate thēselues out of our corruptiōs into our actions they would I say confesse that there is something which tasteth of the flesh which corruption if either for want of a strict consideration we see not or through a selfeloue could pardon yet it is not able in the feeblenes of his owne nature to abide the exact triall seuerity of Gods iudgement That law the least transgression wherof is sin is sayd to be fulfilled three waies first in Christ and so all the faithfull are said to fulfill the lawe hauing his obedience imputed to them Secondly it is fulfilled by a diuine acceptatiō for God accepteth our obediēce begun as if it were perfect seeing what imperfections are in it are not imputed to vs. For it is al one not to be not to be imputed blessednes being the reward of both And we know that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus Thirdly it is fulfilled by vs an error I thinke scarce any do hold sauing only the Anabaptists For that eternall wisdome which hath ledde man by the law vnto Christ hath set those bounds which all men haue broken the first commandement and the last to include all as guilty of the breach of the whole law For our knowledge being but in part it is not possible saith Saint Austen that our loue can be perfect And therfore we conclude the first point according to the article of our Church from which there is no sillable in Master Hooker that is different that our workes though they be good and so esteemed and rewarded yet they cannot abide the iustice of the lawe and the seuerity of Gods iudgement The second point is whether the workes which are done before the grace of Christ are not only not acceptable to God but also haue the nature of sinne In this we must vse some care for whilest men iustly disagreeing haue equally laboured to be differēt one from another both in the end haue bin equally distant frō the truth That there are excellent graces in the heathen no man doubteth and he must needs be far from reason and sense who maketh no difference betwixt the iustice moderation and equity of Titus and Traian and the fury violence and tyranny of Caligula Nero and Domitian betwixt the vncleane lusts of Tiberius and the continency in this respect of Vespasian in one word betwixt the obseruation and the breach of lawes For there is that difference betwixt iust and vniust that euen the frame of nature where sense wanteth acknowledge a well being by the obseruation of what it ought and therfore much more in those good works which because they missed of the right scope wee dare not call by the name of true perfect Christians vertues yet for their very action we are content so long as they swarue not from the righteousnesse of the lawe of nature to giue them leaue to be called by a better name then only sinnes and yet for all this no man taketh them to be much better in the true seuerity of a hard construction for those that are not regenerate although they sin in their best obseruation of the morall lawe yet it is much better to performe those offices then to performe them not seeing a part of that indeuour though it be not meere righteousnesse yet it is lesse sinne We must therefore remember that a worke is considerable either in respect of the substance or in regard of the manner of doing In respect of the worke all the actions of infidels are not sin seeing they performe those things which are commanded by the law of nature of nations of God nay they are so far in this respect from beeing sins that as Saint Austin saith God doth plenteously reward them But concerning the manner of working all their actions are sin as proceeding from a corrupt fountaine a hart that wanteth true faith and directed to an ende of lesse value then he is whose glory ought to be
the end of all we doe This is confessed euen by our aduersaries themselues with whom seeing we doe agree there can be no suspition that we should dissent from that which our Church holdeth and this may serue rather to tell you what in these points is the iudgement of our Church then to defend him whose words you haue wrested to a far different sense ARTICLE VIII Works of supererogation THe neerenes oftentimes to euill is warrant enough for suspition to accuse of euill and because all errors are not equally distant from truth some men in their true assertions are supposed by weake iudgements not to differ at all from error From hence commeth it that those men who haue no other iudgement but zeale which is the best excuse I can make for your accusation in this article haue run so far with a desire of safety from those opinions that were thought dangerous that they haue come at length vnto those that were much more daungerous in truth Which practise though it argue a good care yet it proceedeth from a timorous nature wanting the ability to put a difference in the causes of true feare so that this circumspection is but cowardlinesse as he that were loth to be taken amongst his enimies trenches would get himselfe so far distant that he would outrun euen the vtmost limits of his owne armie Thus haue you dealt in this article fearing to approue any thing that might tend to supererogation you haue misliked euen the allowance of those works which are good and yet not commanded for say you to hold as Master Hooker doth that God approueth more then he commandeth what is it else but to scatter euen the graines of Popery and to lead men to those arrogant works of supererogation Herein your feare if it would haue giuen you leaue to haue looked behinde you it may be peraduenture you would not haue run away in such haste especially in cases of no great daunger And therfore giue me leaue to tell you that there is no treachery no danger no cause of flying from this opinion All the vnforced actions of men are voluntarie and all voluntarie actions tending to their end haue choice and all choice presupposeth the knowledge of some cause wherefore we make it and therfore it is no absurditie to thinke that all actions of men indued with the vse of reason are generally either good or euill And although whatsoeuer is good the same is also approued of God yet according to the sundry degrees of goodnes the kinds of diuine approbation are in like sort multiplied for some things are good yet in so meane a degree of goodnes that men are only not disproued nor disallowed of God for them as that no man hateth his owne flesh it is a matter of approbation and allowance but of no great or singular acceptation So saith our Sauiour if you do good vnto them that do so to you the verie Publicans themselues do as much Wherein to come short of them as it were a great vice so not to exceed thē is no great vertue Some things in such sort are allowable that they be also required as necessary to saluation by way of direct immediate and proper necessitie finall so that without performance of such wee cannot by ordinarie course be saued nor yet by any meanes be excluded from life if we obserue those As nature gaue light vnto the former so the Scripture is a guide to teach these wherein because all faile it is the obedience and merit onely of one that must make all righteous that must be saued Some things there are although not so required of necessitie that to leaue them vndone excludeth from saluation yet notwithstanding are of so great dignitie and acceptation with God that most ample reward in heauen is laid vp for them Of these we haue no commandement in nature or Scripture that doth exact them in particular at our hands yet those motiues there are in both which may serue to draw our minds most effectually to the performance of them In this kind there is not the least action but it doth somwhat make to the accessorie augmentation of our blisse which men haue as much reason to desire as to desire that they may be blessed no measure of blessednesse hauing power to content sauing onely where the blessed wanteth capacitie to receiue greater Vpon this dependeth whatsoeuer difference there is betweene the states of Saints in glorie Hereunto we referre whatsoeuer belongeth vnto the highest perfection for all perfection in this life is not equall of man by way of seruice toward God hereunto that feruor and first loue of Christians did bend it selfe causing them to sell their possessions and lay down the price at the blessed Apostles feete hereunto Saint Paul vndoubtedly did aime in so far abridging his owne libertie and exceeding that which the bond of necessarie and enioyned dutie tied him vnto to ease those Churches to whom he preached with his handie labour knowing that although it were not a duty which hee was commaunded yet it was an aduantage to his preaching and acceptable to God who doubtlesse approueth much more then he doth commaund Thus when a man may liue in the state of matrimonie seeking that good thereby which nature principally desireth to make rather choice of a contrarie life in regard of Saint Paules iudgmēt he doth that which is manifestly allowed and yet not commanded in Gods word because without anie breach he might doe otherwise Thus when a man who might lawfully possesse his riches yet willingly doth bestow them to religious vses vertuously imbracing that pouertie which he esteemeth as an aduantage to eternall riches doth that which argueth a greater perfection and for which he hath warrant though no precept at all because that which is a great vertue in him is not a fault simply in those that do not the like Precepts and counsels hauing this difference that the one is of absolute necessitie the other left vnto our free election where both tending to the same end yet in this differ that both tend not after the same maner both looking at the meanes but the one after a more exquisite and excelling perfection For euery man being placed in this life betwixt the things of this world and spirituall good things the more hee cleaueth to these the more perfect and excellent he is and yet to cast them away wholy is no precept of necessitie but an aduise of greater perfection He that obeyeth not a precept is guiltie of deserued punishment but he that faileth of these counsels onely wanteth without sinne that measure of perfection For it is not a fault not to vow but to vow and to performe it is a praise Hee that performeth the one shall haue greater glorie but he that faileth in the other without repentance shall haue certaine punishment Neither is it said saith Saint Austine as thou shalt not commit adulterie
the kingdome of heauen And we are all by nature the children of wrath In one word none are free from sin but he whom the blessed Virgin conceaued without the law of the flesh rebelling against the law of the minde as Saint Austin proueth most learnedly by a cloud of witnesses of the auncient Fathers against Iulian the Pelagian Nay euen they of the Church of Rome shew by their exorcising before baptisme that they thinke none to be without sin where we doe not now dispute of the lawfulnes of that vse but by that conclude that in this point they hold a truth So that the maine thing which you so seeme to mislike is a thing not holden or defended sauing in some particular case as the Virgin Marie by any that I know for euen that streame of originall sin hath ouerflowed all mankinde out of which dayly proceede those great and innumerable multitudes of actuall sins Your three false conclusions seeme to establish a threefold error contrary to the doctrine of all Churches that are accounted Christian. First that all sin is but one sin Secondly that all sins are equall Thirdly that all sins are vnited The first making no diuision of the kinds of sin the second no distinction of the qualities of sin and the third no difference in committing sin Against these we say and we hope warranted by truth that sins are of diuers kinds of diuers degrees of diuers natures and that all are not where one is Sins then may be distinguisht in respect of the obiect against whom God our neighbour ourselfe of the matter wherein in the 〈◊〉 Ignorance heresie in the body as the desires of the flesh from the manner of committing of Ignorance Infirmity Malice from the action it selfe or our dutie of omission of commission From the degrees by which they rise in the hart only in the toung in the hands or the worke it selfe From the qualities of the persons of Saints which are veniall not imputed of the wicked mortall for which they shall be condemned From the guilt not pardonable as the sin against the Holy ghost pardonable not crying or crying sins as the sheading of innocent bloud the afflicting of the fatherlesse or widow the sin of Sodome last of all the denying the laborers wages These are called crying sins because for their greatnesse they call aloude for a great punishment Others make a distinction of the seauen Capital or deadly sins which as we haue no great reason to admit so we haue as little reason to disallowe knowing that euen those are the heads and fountaines of all sins of the second table The second assertion which we hold is that all sins are not equall this was an opinion of the Stoicks who desirous to seeme vnwilling to commit the least held an opinion that they were equall to the greatest a good care grounded vpon an euill reason If a pilote say they ouerturned a ship full of gold he sinned no more then if he ouerturned a ship full of strawe for although there be a difference in the losse yet the vnskilfulnes or negligence is all one Or if two erre from the scope euen he that misseth a little as well erreth as he that misseth a great deale But as in the former of shipwrack the fault was greater because he had greater reason to make him circumspect reason telling vs that where we haue mo and stronger motiues to doe any thing there we haue lesse excuse and the sin greater if we doe it not for the latter he erreth as well but not asmuch seeing both shooting at one marke it is not al one to be a foote a rod wide And therfore that lawe that forbad but one thing thou shalt not kil forbad three things as Christ expoundeth it anger to thy brother to call him foole to offer him violence these hauing euery one as their seueral degrees so their seuerall punishment For who will say that the first is as great a fault as the second or the third as small as the first for doubtles things that are all forbidden doe in their owne nature admit more or lesse And howsoeuer in some sort vertues are called equall yet vices are not for all vertues from the vanity of the world tend but to one perfection either to reason as the Philosophers thought or to say better to the reueiled will of God which is the rule of good and euill but sinnes departing from this leadeth vnto diuers vanities in diuers kinds Neither are vertues all equall simply but by a kinde of proportion because they all proceede from the loue of God and all tend vnto his glory otherwise in it selfe faith is better then teÌ„perance one vertue may in the same man be far more excellent then in many others As faith in the Centurion obedience in Abraham patience in Iob the consideration of this inequality of sinne as it acquainteth vs with those steps that sinne maketh in vs â—o it causeth vs not to dispaire that we haue committed some but to hope and to be thankfull that we haue escaped greater Assuring our selues if we be not ourselues wanting that though wee cannot auoid all sinnes yet we may and shall auoid all great and presumptuous sinnes This heresie then wee leaue to his first Authours Iouinian and the rest and so come to the last point Because Saint Iaemes saith hee that keepeth the whole law and offendeth in one is guiltie of all some thought all sinnes to be imputed vnto him that committed anie one but Saint Iames onely telleth vs that God exacteth a keeping of them all The Schoolemen they interpet this place thus In all sin are two things a departure from God a comming to the creature which made S. Austine call sinne an vsing of that which wee ought to enioy and an enioying of that which wee ought but to vse So that in respect of the departure it is true that S. Iames saith he departeth as well from God that committeth but one sin as he that committeth many but not so farre Therefore to impose this vpon vs were to adde euen to those that are oppressed already a burthen farre greater then the law doth for by obedience of the diuine lawe wee tend from manie to one but by disobedience from one to many and those diuers and therfore though vertues haue amongst themselues their vnion and consent yet vices haue their dissent nay their opposition So that this then is the conclusion that though no man bee without all sin yet many are without many presumptuous sinnes which because through prayers and good meanes they auoid it followeth not an vtter exclusion of all sinne nor because they commit the least it followeth not that they offend equally as if they committed all ARTICLE X. Of Predestination LEast you should be like those whose humility ye are loth to imitate ye haue drawne your readers in this Article to a serious consideration of
perswade Valens the Emperor that the variety of sects was a thing much pleasing to God seeing by that meanes he was worshipped after diuers manners This though Constantine the great did at the first whose fact we will not at this time examine yet afterward he commanded all the temples of the Idols to be shut vp and the Christian religion to be only vsed whose sonnes Constantius and Constantinus so far followed as Saint Austin saith the example of their Father that Constantine threatned banishment to al those who rested not in the determination of the Nicene councel The contrary was practised by the Emperors Iouinian Valens and Iulian who giuing a liberty to all heretickes sought nothing more then the ouerthrow of the vnity of the Church But wisemen haue euer seene that the peace and tranquilitie of the common wealth seldome or neuer ariseth but out of the concord and agreement of the Church it selfe The dissentions whereof as they serue to hinder religion so they kindle that flame wherewithall doubtlesse in the end the common wealth it selfe must needs perish But how farre all sides are from allowance of reconcilement both the times present can testifie too well and the ages to come must needs witnesse which shall possesse a Church as sonnes doe the inheritance of contentious parents the best part whereof is wasted in vnnecessarie sutes The sound knowledge of religion as well perishing in the middest of dissention as the true practise doth faile by the plentifull abundance of too much peace There haue beene in the world from the verie first foundation thereof but three religions Paganisme which liued in the blindnesse of corrupt and depraued nature Iudaisme embracing the law which reformed heathenish impietie and taught saluation to bee looked for through one whoÌ„ God in the last dayes would send exalt to be lord of al finally Christianisme which yeeldeth obedience to the Gospell of Iesus Christ and acknowledgeth him the Sauiour whom God did promise Now the question is whether the dissenting parties in this last religion be so farre not in opinion but in the obiect differing as that there is no hope of reconciliation and the one part only hath but the priuiledge to be tearmed the Church For the matter of reconcilement it is no businesse which lieth within the compasse of this labour and whether and how it may be done we are willing to referre it to the iudgements of men who haue better abilitie to decide the cause A booke in Latine was published in the first beginning of these bitter contentions without name bearing the title of the dutie of a godly man but since Bellarmine saith that the Author was one George Cassander this booke perswading that Princes ought to make an agreement betwixt the Catholikes the Lutherans and Caluinists as he tearmes them which whilest they cannot find out the meanes to performe they should permit to all men their seuerall religions so that they held both the Scripture and the Apostles Creed for all saith he are the true members of the Church howsoeuer in particular doctrines they seeme to differ This booke was first confuted by Caluin on the one side and then by one Iohn Hessels of Louaine on the other side that all the world might see how loth both sides were to be made friends This hath since beene esteemed by others a labour much like to those pacificants in the Emperour Zeno his time or the heresie of Apelles who held as Eusebius writeth that it was needlesse to discusse the particulars of our faith and sufficient only to beleeue in Christ crucified But least any man should thinke that our contentions were but in smaller points and the difference not great both sides haue charged the other with heresies if not infidelities nay euen such as quite ouerthrowe the principall foundation of our Christian faith How truly both haue dealt those that are learned can best iudge but I am sure that in the greatest differences there are great mistakings which if they were not it is like their dissentions had beene much lesse Now for the second whether both parts may bee called the Church this is that which concerneth the cause that wee haue in hand The Church of England confesseth that the Church of Christ is a company of faithfull people among whom the pure word of God is preached and the sacraments rightly administred according to Christs institution so that as our reuerend Fathers say without Christ there is no Church and those particular Churches are more perfect which in their religious worship haue lesse failed in both these now when enemies become iudges sentences are often partiall and each side with bitternesse of tearmes doth condemne other whilest neither part is willing to confesse their errour or amend themselues Wee haue not suffered the contemptible reuiâ—ings of the Church of Rome without telling her aloud that her faults are not so few as she imagineth that her chastitie and puritie are not so great that she need to boast and that if she will needes bee proud and confidently striue to be the chiefe and the onely Church wee must tell her in zeale that what she was she is not that pride and prosperitie haue corrupted her as other Churches This though we speake out of zeale seeing her faults and knowing her contempt of vs yet out of iudgement we say which Maister Hooker doth that with Rome we dare not communicate concerning sundrie her grosse grieuous abominations yet touching those maine parts of Christian truth wherein they constantly still persist wee gladly acknowledge them to bee of the familie of Iesus Christ therefore wee hope that to reforme our selues if at anie time wee haue done amisse is not to seuer our selues from the Church wee were before in the Church we were and we are so stil as also we say that they of Rome notwithstanding their manifold defects are to bee held and reputed a part of the house of God a limme of the visible Church of Christ. This is that whereat your hote spirits haue taken offence speaking out of the same ignorant zeale against our Church as ye wish our Church to speake against the Church of Rome accounting vs for perfection of a Church as farre short of you as Rome is of vs or your selues of the Angels that are in heauen and therefore you affirme that our statute congregations of England are no true christian churches Which error as you haue at last beene from an vnresistable wisedome taught how to recant so no doubt at length vpon better aduise you wil learne in iudgment how to censure of the Church of Rome And yet mistake me not to giue her her due is not to grant more then shee ought to challenge nor to account her a part of the Church is not to affirme that shee is absolutely perfect There is no one word that from the varietie of acceptation hath bred greater difference in the Church
of God then the word Church Somtimes it is taken for any assembly somtimes for a faithful religious assembly and theÌ„ it sometimes noteth out the whole bodie of the elect in all ages times places both in heauen earth and only them So it is in the article of our faith I beleeue the catholike church that is all those who are or shal be saued both Angels men so it is taken in that speech of our Sauior VpoÌ„ this rock will I build my church that is the whole catholike church Somtimes it is taken for that part only which is in heauen as when it is said that the church is without spot or wrinckle which can be verified of no part whatsoeuer the Anabaptists dreame but of that which triumpheth Sometimes it is taken for that part of the catholike church which is militant that thou maist knowe howe thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the church of the liuing God the piller and ground of truth So feare came vpon all the church Sometimes it is taken for the pastors and gouernours onely of the church as when it is said Tell the church that is the heads and gouernours of the church Sometimes for the people Take heede therefore vnto yourselues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the church of God which he hath purchased with that his owne bloud Somtimes for particular churches professing the doctrine and religion of Christ as To the Angell of the church of Ephesus so we say the church of Rome the church of Corinth the church of England now from the mistaking of this worde Church doubtlesse much harme and needlesse contentions haue come vnto the church of Christ. For in the first great contention of what persons the Church consisteth in my opinion wee dispute of one Church namely the true Catholike all which must be saued they dispute of the visible wherein are hypocrites also So that the reasons that are brought on both sides are smally to the purpose seeing both sides directly mistake the question Thus in the iudgment of those of the Church of Rome persons excommunicate though vniustly are cut off froÌ„ the particular Church but not froÌ„ the catholike excommunication being only the censure of a particular Church Therfore saith our Sauior Christ many are called with an externall calling to the society of the â—isible Church but few are chosen that is to the Cathoâ—icke For though both be a folde yet of the visible Church saith Saint Austin In the Church there are many wolues and out of the Church there are many sheepe but in the Catholicke without any other mixture are sheepe only Now visible and inuisible maketh not two Churches but the diuers estate condition of one the same Church Hence coÌ„meth it to passe that in this question of the visibility of the Church there is the like mistaking as in the former for they of Rome say we haue made this distinction because our Church hath not bin alwaies visible but we say if our Church had bin as glorious and as famous as any Church in the world we would haue accounted the Catholicke Church inuisible Which no doubt of it they of Rome doe vnderstanding Catholick and visible as we meane For the Church of Christ which we properly tearme his mystical body can be but one neither can that one be sensibly discerned by any man in as much as the parts therof are some in heauen already with Christ and the rest that are on earth albeit their natural persons be visible yet we cannot discerne vnder this property wherby they are truly and infallibly of that body only our minds by internal conceit are able to apprehend that such a real body there is a body collectiue because it conteyneth a huge multitude a body mystical because the mystery of their coniunction is remoued altogether from sense Whatsoeuer we reade in scripture concerning the endles loue and the sauing mercy which God shewed towards his Church the only proper subiect therof is this Church They who are of this society haue such markes and notes of distinction from al others as are not subiect vnto our sense only vnto God who seeth their harts and vnderstandeth al their secret cogitations vnto him they are cleere and manifest In the eie of God they are against Christ that are not truly and sincerely with him in our eies they must be receiued as with Christ that are not to outward shew against him to him they seeme such as they are but of vs they must be taken for such as they seeme Al men knew Nathaniel to be an Israelite but our Sauiour pearsing deeper giâ—eth further testimony of him then men could haue done with such certainty as he did behold indeede an Israelite in whom is no guile Now as those euerlasting promises of loue mercy and blessednes belong to the mystical Church euen so on the other side when wee reade of any duty which the Church of God is bounde vnto the Church whom this doth concerne is a sensible knowne company and this visible Church in like sort is but one continued from the first beginning of the world to the last end which company beeing deuided into two parts the one before the other since the comming of Christ that part which since the comming partly hath imbraced and partly shal hereafter imbrace the Christian Religion we tearme as by a proper name the Church of Christ. For all make but one body the vnity of which visible body and the Church of Christ consisteth in that vniformity which al seueral persons thereunto belonging haue by reason of y e one Lord whose seruants they all professe theÌ„selues to be that one faith which they al acknowledge that one baptisme wherwith they are al receiued into the church As for those vertues y t belong vnto morall righteousnes honesty of life we do not speake of them because they are not proper vnto Christian meÌ„ as they are Christian but do concerne theÌ„ as they are men True it is the waâ—t of these vertues excludeth from saluation so doth much more the absence of inward beleefe of heart so doth despaire and lack of hope so emptinesse of Christian loue and charity but we speake now of the visible Church whose Children are signed with this marke One Lord one Faith one Baptisme In whomsoeuer these things are the Church doth acknowledge them for her children them only she holdeth for aliens and strangers in whom these things are not found For want of these it is that Saracens Iewes and infidels are excluded out of the bounds of the Church others we may not though you doe denie to be of the visible Church as long as these things are not wanting in them For apparant it is that al men are of necessity either Christians or not Christians if by externall
of the Iewes although it was not in regard of the high Priests and chiefe Doctors in all respects the true visible church yet in some sort it was because the remainders of religion were left the worship instituted of God himselfe was not wholy taken away so with the Papists we would not be affraid to communicate in our liturgie if it were not in respect of their superstitious order some prayers which are idolatrous for which we haue some reasons as yet to doubt that they haue no warrant We must all of vs be ioined to the true church else we cannot be saued that is to the catholicke not the visible for doubtles a man may bee saued that liueth not in any particular Church or that is excommunicated from all yet we say thus much That we must ioyne ourselues to some particular Church if wee will be saued with this twofold caution If such a Church be knowne vnto vs or if it be possible to ioyne vnto it Wherein because euerie particular may erre yet none absolutely exclude from saluation all men haue reason to ioyne with that that is most sound This then were the fittest point to bee discust with moderation and learning That seeing all Churches haue some vnsound parts in them which Church is to be reputed at this day the soundest of all the rest Doubtlesse the Church of Rome was once a light to all the Churches of the world but through the corruptions of some those diseases haue somwhat infected the Church which now to the sorrow of Christendome like a canker or leprosie haue inlarged themselues As there is a contention when Adam fell so histories varie when this defection beganne Some make fiue or sixe hundred yeares to be the continuance of her sound estate some three hundreth some to erre euen from the Apostles time Doubtlesse in the Apostles time there were heretikes in the Church the Nicholaitans Simon Magus Cerinthus others Eusebius reporteth out of Egesippus that although as long as the Apostles liued the Church did remaine a pure virgin yet after those times immediately errours crept into the Church Clemens Alexandrinus to confirme that there was corruption of doctrine presently after the Apostles time alleageth the prouerbe There are few sons like their Fathers Socrates saith of the Church of Rome and Alexandria the most famous Churches in the Apostles time that about the yeare 430. the Roman and Alexandrian Bishops leauing their sacred function were degenerate to a secular rule or dominion Yet we say not that all before Gregorie were sound nor all after corrupt yet their errours grew on by little and little euen from those men whose reuerend names gaue warrant to what they held they thinking nothing â—esse then by those meanes to haue corrupted the Church But shee may when it pleaseth God recouer her former soundnesse againe if we had but so much care of them as they seeme to haue of vs or that all sides peaceably with indifferencie would admit the true vse of a generall Councell But let their errours be as they are we leaue them to bee reproued by those whom that businesse doth concerne and to bee iudged by the searcher of all hearts yet for all that we affirme them to be parts of the Church of Christ and that those that liue and die in that Church may notwithstanding bee saued Of those who are of a contrarie opinion in a good meaning I say with Lactantius With howe good a meaning these poore soules do euill To conclude least you should thinke Maister Hooker to bee arrogant and presumptuous to make himselfe as you say the onely Rabbi know that hee hath saide nothing which that honourable Frenchman of worthie memorie hath not said before with great wisdome moderation and learning But if you cannot bee resolued without a miracle as you scoffingly seeme to desire wee can but in our prayers recommend your weakenesse to the God of all power and the fountaine of all light ARTICLE XII Of Preaching HOw hard it is for those who are in loue with themselues to carâ—e a well tempered indifferencie betwixt that which they out of ignorance performe and others out of iudgement auoid this Article alone may serue as euidence sufficient to perswade all For euen in the matter of greatest vse vnto Gods church the dispensation of the word of life a vehement dislike of those things which they cannot attaine hath wrought too violeÌ„t an opposition for the ouerthrow of that course which learning and truth haue held not to be the weakest meanes to support the same Hence commeth it to passe that whilest al grant the word to be powerful and effectual some thinke this is only true of the word preached which otherwise hath smal vertue except it be in sermoÌ„s those sermoÌ„s only to haue this power which are of their own making Causing the holy ghost whose streÌ„gth is perfected in weakenes to be necessarily tied to a defect of al outward ornaments as though that almighty power vpon whom euer excellency depeÌ„ds eueÌ„ in the weakest meanes were of lesse authority or lesse power wheÌ„ the meanes which he vseth were more excellent thus depriuing the church of variety of guifts who out of obedience and humility hath learned how to profit by all But as to tie the power of conuerting sinners to that which is eloquently strong in humaine wisdome were a thing not safe iniurious to the church so to bee too earnest against al outward ornaments through an affectation of pure simplicity is an error no lesse dangerous then the former was For seeing those that teach are not all either capeable or furnisht with the same guifts and that continually there is no lesse variety in those that heare it is the wisdome and discretion of the church for a better attainmeÌ„t of a more perfect estate to learne with thankfulnes and reuerence how to profit by all For as it is impossible that anie one forme of teaching should please or perswade all men a prerogatiue which was not graunted to the first and best sermons whose excellencie was that they conuerted many but not all so the rest who yet are not but must be conuerted are to expect though not with curiosity to affect a variety for the manner euen of that which in substance and end is but meerely one For the mysticall body as it is ful of variety and diuersity in his parts yet in it selfe but one so the working is manifold different though the beginning and the end Gods power and his glory be in truth to and for all men but one For sometimes the word by being read proposeth and preacheth it selfe to the hearer sometimes they deliuer it whom priuately zeale and piety moueth to be instructors of others by conference sometimes of them it is taught whom the church hath called to the publick either reading thereof or interpreting by them after a most diuers manner but
no sermon and yet a prayer read to be a prayer require that the Spirit of grace and prayer bee not wanting in the partie reading and the hearers how can we thinke those actions to be sacramentall where in the Minister there is not so much as an intention that they should be sacraments And therefore saith Hugo in the place before alleaged Alexander the Bishop held the Baptisme that Athanafius ministred to other boyes in play to be true Baptisme because he did it with an intention of true Baptisme In those that are but instruments as the minister is no more the vertues of faith hope and charitie are not requisite and yet because they are reasonable instruments their actions must proceede from election and intention Therefore we conclude that this intention of the Church is no ground of vncertaintie seeing she tendeth but one thing that is to performe them as Sacraments nor giueth any power to the vertue of the Sacrament and that the Church cannot make a Sacrament but to distinguish betwixt actions religious and the same not religious there is required the intention of the Church ARTICLE XVI Of the necessitie of Baptisme WHere many things are doubted of without reason it is neither easie nor vsually expedient to answer all Wisdome esteemeth it much fitter to passe by without yeelding satisfaction to some apparant truths called in question rather then by answering to let the simple vnderstand that men haue doubted of those points For the first calling in question of vnfallible truths gaue strength to euill minds to find out all shewes of reason for maintaining of those things which their owne weaknesse at first made them simply to mistake So that whosoeuer maketh euerie doubt to bee a contention or laboureth to confute errours of long continuance in the first kindleth but that sparke which without some breath would easily die and in the latter must arme himselfe to encounter an obstinate resolution The consideration of this made me not willing either to dispute the newe borne doubts of your owne in this Article which being discussed in time might grow to be old errours or to bestowe labour for the assisting of that truth which out of great iudgement and learning hath often beene defended by other mens paines But seeing it is an vsuall false conclusion as to argue a lawfulnesse from what we doe so a want of abilitie from what we doe not I thought it fitter euen following their steps that haue gone before me rather to resolue others what you haue doubted of in this point thē that any should conclude out of silence an impossibilitie that you could be answered For the willingnes that some men haue to do more then they are able maketh others suspected to want abilitie in whom there appeareth not the same willingnesse If al men rightly considered in those actions that concerne mans saluation how farre we are tied not onely in obedience but for vse to those things that are meanes to effect the same few would haue beene so carelesly resolute to contemne good works through an opinion of an eternall election or so negligently haue despised the onely doore of entrance into the Church Baptisme through an opinion that God doth saue euen where this is wanting We do all confesse that Baptisme is a sacrament of regeneration or new birth by water in the word of life that it is a signe nay a meanes of initiation whereby we are coopted into the societie of the Church Thus by this being ingraffed into Christ we may be taken for the sonnes of God and so receiue newe names to bee called Christians And therefore learned men haue thought it to bee the doore of our actuall entrance into Gods house the first apparant being of life as Saint Basil calleth it the first step of our sanctification as Master Hooker saith For as we are not naturally men without birth so neither are we Christian men in the eye of the Church without new birth we say in the eye of the Church for we take not vpon vs to see as God doth who knoweth without all meanes both to make and without visible tokens is able to discerne who belong vnto him And yet in our eye Baptisme is that which both declareth and maketh vs to be Christians Therefore it is a strange opinion of them who say that he which is not a Christian before baptisme cannot be made a Christian by baptisme which is onely the seale of the grace of God before receiued These as it seemeth you doe eleuate too much the ordinarie and immediate meanes of life relying wholy vpon the bare conceit of that eternall election which notwithstanding includeth a subordination of meanes without which we are not actually brought to inioy what God secretly did intend And therefore to build vpon Gods election if we keepe not our selues to the wayes which he hath appointed for men to walke in is but a selfe deceiuing vanitie for all men notwithstanding their preordination vnto life which none can know but God only are in the Apostles opinion till they haue imbraced the truth but the children of wrath as well as others And howsoeuer the children of the faithfull are borne holy as you alleage out of y t reuerend Bishop the Elect are adopted to be the sons of God in their predestination 〈◊〉 afterwards whē they beleeue then they are said more properly to be the sons of God indeed for although it be true as Saint Paul saith that your sonnes are holy namely when they are borne by reason of the promise yet he saith that we are sanctified by faith meaning actually and indeed For as kings in those kingdomes that are by election are first chosen then designed then crowned which last action is that which maketh them ful and compleate kings so whatsoeuer we were in that secret election to vs vnknowne yet then when we are baptized and not before we are properly publikely solemnly ioyned vnto God and admitted into his Church Yet we exclude not neither doth any that I know these benefits thus bestowed ordinarily in and with Baptisme but that extraordinarily sometimes before as in Paul and Cornelius sometimes after as in many baptized by heretikes sometimes without as in those who preuent their baptisme by martyrdome and some others these benefits may be bestowed For it were a fearefull doctrine iniurious to many thousands soules and blasphemous against the bottomles mercie of a most louing father to exclude all those from eternall life whom not negligence or contēpt but some other occasion hath hindred to be baptized And therefore it is strange that you would make M. Hooker to speake for so absolute a necessitie which indeed he doth not but maketh it limited or that yourself would dislike a necessity wheras you confesse this to be the conditiō of baptisme if it cannot be had as it ought The matter then principally called in question in this Article
ought not curiously to enquire howe the hem of his garment had such vertue but faithfully to beleeue that it was able to affoord health so neither in this need the church to be inquisitiue after what maner Christ presenteth himselfe but truely to beleeue that he is there present Which because some irreligious men at the first doubted men haue beene driuen to find out these reasonable satisfactions or rather satisfactions to humane reason from his omnipotencie Transubstantiation Consubstantiation or such like whereas indeed we know that in many mysteries of our faith it is sufficient to beleeue the thing though wee cannot comprehend the meanes how Of this kind saith Bellarmine is the Trinitie of persons in the vnitie of essence Christ to bee both God and man the same bodies in number to rise againe Christ really to be in the Eucharist and such like which by reason of our shallow vnderstanding mans weaknesse is not able to comprehend For if ignorance bee in these things that are below then how much more in those things that are aboue And if Mephibosheth whē he came vnto Dauids table accounted himselfe in all humility so farre vnworthie what ought our contemplation to be but of his mercie and our want of desert when we shall come to bee partakers of so inestimable fauours For if the Bethsamites were punished for looking into the Arke what can we expect to be the recompence of our vndiscreete follie Is it not then an aduise needfull which Maister Hooker giueth and you mislike rather to seek how to receiue it worthily then to desire to know how it is present with vs For the one importeth a duty that is necessary and the other bewrayeth a desire that is superfluous in the one we performe what God hath commanded and in the other affect what he hath forbiddē Neither is this to make Transubstantiation for deniall whereof so many as you say haue died any light matter but rather to shew the great depth of the mystery and the small profit that is reaped by the searching of it for seeing it is on all sides plainely confest first that this Sacrament is a true and reall participation of Christ who thereby imparteth himselfe euen his whole entire person as a mysticall head vnto euery soule that receiueth him and that euery such receiuer doth thereby incorporate or vnite himselfe vnto Christ as a mysticall member of him yea of them also whom he acknowledgeth to be his owne Secondly that to whom the person of Christ is thus communicated to them he giueth by the same Sacrament his holy Spirit to sanctify them as it sanctifieth him which is their head Thirdly that what merit force or vertue soeuer there is in this sacrificed body and bloud we freely fully and wholy haue it by this sacrament Fourthly that the effect thereof in vs is a reall transmutation of our soules and bodies from sinne to righteousnesse from death and corruption to immortalitie and life Fiftly that because the Sacrament being of it selfe but a corruptible and earthlie creature must needes be thought an vnlikely instrument to worke so admirable effects in man we are therfore to rest our selues altogether vpon the strength of his glorious power who is able and will bring to passe that the bread and cup which he giueth vs shal be truly the thing he promiseth Now seeing there are but three differing opinions for the manner of it Sacramentaries Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation al do pleade Gods omnipotencie the first to that alteration which the rest coufesse he accomplisheth the patrons of transubstantiation ouer and besides that to the chang of one substance into another the followers of cōsubstantiation to the kneading vp of both substances as it were in one lumpe and that in this variety the mind which loueth truth seeketh comfort out of holy mysteries hath not perhaps the leasure perhaps not the wit nor capacity to tread out so endlesse mazes as the intricate disputes of this cause haue led men into how should a vertuously disposed minde better resolue with it selfe then thus Variety of iudgements and opinions argueth obscurity in those things where about they differ but that which all parts receiue for certaine that which euery one hauing sifted is by no one denyed or doubted of must needes be matter of infallible truth whereas therefore there are but three expositions made of This is my body the first this is in it selfe before participation really and truly the natural substance of my body by reason of the coexistence which my omnipotent body hath with the sanctified element of breade which is the Lutherans interpretation The second this is in it selfe and before participation the very true natural substance of my body by force of that deity which by the words of consecration abolisheth the substance of bread and substituteth in the place thereof my body which is the construction of the Church of Rome The last this hallowed food through concurrence of diuine power is in verity and truth vnto faithfull receiuers instrumentally a cause of that mysticall participation whereby as I make my selfe wholy theirs so I giue them in hand an actuall possession of all such sauing grace as my sacrificed body can yeeld and all their soules do presently need this is to them and in them my bodie Of these three rehearsed interpretations the last hath in it nothing but what the rest do all approue and acknowledg to be most true nothing but that which the words of Christ are on all sides confest to inforce nothing but that which the Church of God hath alwayes thought necessarie nothing but that which alone is sufficient for euerie Christian man to beleeue concerning the vse and force of this Sacrament finally nothing but that wherewith the writings of all antiquity are consonant and all Christian confessions agreeable And as truth in what kinde soeuer is by no kind of truth gainsaid so the mind which resteth it selfe on this is neuer troubled with those perplexities which the other doe both finde by meanes of so great contradiction betweene their opinions the true principles of reason grounded vpon experience nature and sense What moueth vs to argue how life should be bread our duty being but to take what is offred and most assuredly to rest perswaded of this that if we can but eate we are safe Such as loue piety will as much as in them lyeth know all things that God commandeth but especially the duties of seruice which they owe vnto him as for his darke and hidden workes they preferre as becommeth them in such cases simplicity of faith before that knowledge which curiously sifting what it should adore and disputing too boldly of that which the wit of man can not search chilleth for the most parte all warmth of zeale and bringeth soundnes of beleefe many times into great hazard Let it therefore be sufficient for me presenting my selfe at the Lords table to know
Reader iudge what reason you had to mislike that he called ten the number of natures perfections But in this the iniury you do to Maister Hooker is not all for thorough his sides you wound one vpon whom as Sixtus Senensis saith all the commendations of the Christian Fathers are poured out for he taketh this speech out of Philo Iudaeus in whom there are many excellent things to this purpose and who was in all kind of learning incomparably the most excellent in his time in honour of whom the ancient Romans placed his workes as euerlasting monuments in their publike Library The second is this Angels perpetuitie the hand that draweth out celestiall motioÌ„ Where M. Hooker speaking of the reuolutioÌ„ of time which bringeth with it a reiteration of Saints memories saith as the substance of God alone is infinite and hath no kind of limitatioÌ„ so likewise his coÌ„tinuance is froÌ„ euerlasting to euerlasting knoweth neither beginning nor end Which demonstrable conclusion being presupposed it followeth necessarily that besides him all things be finite it cannot be but that there are bounds without the compasse wherof their substance doth not extend if in continuance also limited they all haue it cannot bee denied their set and their certaine tearmes before which they had no being at al. This is the reason why first we do most admire those things which are greatest secondly those things which are ancientest because the one are lesse distant from the infinite substance the other from the infinite continuance of God Out of this we gather that onely God hath true immortality or eternity that is to say continuance wherin there groweth no difference by addition of hereafter vnto now whereas the noblest and perfectest things besides haue continually through continuance the time of former continuance lengthened so that they could not heretofore be said to haue continued so long as now neither now so long as hereafter Gods owne eternitie is the hand which leadeth Angels in the course of their perpetuity the hand that draweth out celestiall motion the line of which motion and the threed of time are spun together What could haue beene more excellently spoken to haue set downe the frame and dependance of things euen lineally deriued from the first motor The third thing is this Church attire meaning Surplesses with vs liuely resembleth the glory of Saints in heauen for it suteth fitly saith M. Hooker with that lightsom affection of ioy wherin God delighteth when his saints praise him and so liuely resembleth the glory of the saints in heaueÌ„ together with the beauty wherein Angels haue appeared vnto men that they which are to appeare for men in the presence of God as Angels if they were left to their owne choise would chuse any could not easily deuise a garment of more decencie for such a seruice Now whosoeuer considereth that the Angels are said to come out of the Temple clothed in pure bright linneÌ„ that the Angel at Christs sepulchre sate clothed in a long white garment those Angels that appeared at Christs ascension in white apparel and that white is the colour of brightnes brightnes an adiunct of the glorie of Saints wil neither deride nor mislike this speech that Church attire with vs liuely resembleth the glory of Saints in heauen The fourth thing is this Dayly bruises spirituall promotions vse to take by often falling Here you aske very sillily what be the bruises falles that spirituall promotions ordained by Christ do or can take M. Hooker weighing the manifold impedimeÌ„ts which hinder the vsuall consultation of prouiding able preachers in euery parish to instruct the people alleageth the multitude of parishes the paucity of Schooles the manifold discouragements which are offered to mens inclinations that way the penury of the Ecclesiastical estate the irrecouerable losse of so many liuings of principall value cleane taken away from the Church long since by being appropriated the daily bruises y t spiritual promotions vse to take by often falling the want of somthing in certaine statutes which concerne the state of the Church the too great facility of many Bishops the stony hardnes of too many patrons harts not touched with any feeling in this case who is there now that considereth this discourse but seeth easily the proprietie of his speech without an interpreter the truth of it that euen some of the best of our spirituall preferments haue receiued great bruises by often falling where the fault hath bin that they haue light so hard some men know though you I do not And I hartily wish for the good of the Church that you were able to proue that he had spoken false in this to the intent that our reuerend Fathers the Bishops might bee more beneficiall to the inferiour Clergie more bountiful in hospitality more honourable in their attendance more able in their paiments to their prince more forward in the memorable works of deuotion building of hospitals colledges and such like which no doubt some yet do out of their pouerty And last of all more conueniently prouided for the auoyding of such base meanes as are a hindrance of religion a wrong to the Church and a dishonor to their profession The next thing is this multiplied petitions of worldly things a kind of heauenly fraud to take the soules of men as with certaine baites Where M. Hooker answering those who dislike in our prayers the multiplied petitions for earthly things saith it must be considered that the greatest part of the world are they which be furthest off from perfection such being better able by sense to discerne the wants of this present life then by spirituall capacity to apprehend things aboue sense which tend to their happines in the world to come are in that respect more apt to apply their minds euen with harty affection and zeale at the least vnto those branches of publike prayer wherein their own particular is moued and by this meanes there stealeth vpon them a double benefit First because that good affection which things of smaller account haue once set on worke is by so much the more easily raised higher Secondly in that the very custome of seeking so particular aide and releefe at the hands of God doth by a seâ—ret contradiction withdraw them froÌ„ indeuoring to help theÌ„selues by those wicked shifts which they know can neuer haue his allowance whose assistance their prayer seeketh These multiplied petitions of worldly things in prayer haue therfore besides their direct vse a seruice whereby the Church vnder hand through a kind of heauenly fraud taketh therewith the soules of men as with certaine baites I know not in this point what could haue bin spoken either more soundly more plainly or more agreeable to this purpose And therefore it must needes be in you either delicacie or ignorance to account this a Theorem of speculatiue doctrine the very metaphor of baytes being not
the happinesse of their countrey in the ashes of anothers greatnesse Thus God both in mercie and iudgement in mercie to them that die and in iudgement to those that are left behind doth before the fulnesse of yeares cut off those men whom other mens erring affections haue aduaunced too high conueying that from the presence of vnstable mindes whereunto desert and weakenesse whilest it was in our sight gaue strength that it could bewitch This oftentimes I confesse hath beene my priuate contemplation when I haue seene Parents vntimely to loose their children In whom they tooke most pride Churches those persons of greatest ornament the cōmon wealth those that were worthiest of all honor as if God had bin iealous that these would haue stolne our honor loue from him And therfore wise was the answer of that mother who in one day losing both her husband her two sonnes said I know O Lord what thou seekest my whole loue Which she thought peraduenture might haue beene lesse if those things had bin left vnto her which she found her selfe apt for to loue too much And therfore as vertuous men haue voluntarily disclosed their owne infirmities scratching as it were the face of beautie least others should too much admire them so I perswade my selfe that Maister Caluin if he now liued would much worse esteeme of your fond commendation then of those speeches which M. Hooker out of iudgement doth write of him He was doubtlesse as Bishop Iewel calleth him a reuerend Father and a worthy ornament of Gods Church and surely they do much amisse who haue sought by vniust slaunders against him a thing too vsuall to derogate from that truth whose strength was not builded vpon mans weaknesse This therefore being the practise of our aduersaries you aske M. Hooker what moued him to make choise of that worthy piller of the Church aboue all other to traduce him and to make him a spectacle before all Christians Giue me leaue to answer you for him who vndoubtedly would haue giuen a farre better answer for himselfe if he had liued There is not one word that soundeth in that whole discourse to any other end towards Maister Caluin but to shew how his great wisedome wrought vpon their weakenesse his knowledge vpon their ignorance his grauitie vpon their inconstancy his zeale vpon their disorders only to establish that gouernement which howsoeuer not necessary for other places was fit enough peraduenture for that town Neither need the present inhabitants thereof take it in euill part that the faultinesse of their people heretofore was by Maister Hooker so farre forth laid open seeing he saith no more then their owne learned guides and pastors haue thought necessarie to discouer vnto the world But what say you hath Master Caluin done against our Church that he should be singled out as an aduersarie Surely that harme though against his will which neuer will bee soundly cured so long as our Church hath any in it to spurne at the reuerend authority of Bishops For howsoeuer those Ecclesiasticall lawes established in Geneua wherein notwithstanding are some strange things might be fit enough to passe for statutes for the gouernement of a priuate Colledge or peraduture some small Vniuersity yet to make them a rule for so great so rich so learned a kingdome as this is must needes be a vaine desire of noueltie idly to attempt and a thing in nature vnpossible to performe And therefore hee cannot bee free as an occasion though no cause of all those troubles which haue disquieted our Church for these many yeares But it may bee M. Hooker spake not thus against M. Caluin of himselfe but perswaded either by our aduersaries in whose mouth he is an inuincible champion or incited vnto it by some of the Reuerend Fathers of our Church and therefore you desire him to resolue you in that point Can it possibly be that you should thinke him a man of so great simplicitie either to be moued to attempt it by the perswasion of others or hauing attempted it that he must needs disclose it are all those flatterings of the Bishops that alleaging of their authorities ended in this to accuse them as Authors of doing that which your conscience maketh you accuse to be euill done Could you perswade yourselfe that those reuerend Fathers whose authorities you alleage in the praise of Caluin would be drawne to substistute another to dispraise him whom themselues commended Is it not a thing differing from sense void of reason contrary to religion And if that be a fault that M. Hooker is commended by our aduersaries in no construction it can be concluded to bee his fault This peraduenture may commend them who are ready to approue learning iudgement and moderation euen in those who are aduersaries but no way can touch those whom they thus commend Vnlesse wee make the conclusion to light heauily vpon the best both for place wisedome and learning that our Church hath Haue not in all ages the Heathen thus commended the Christians and did not Libanius thus thinke Gregorie most worthy to succeed him if he had not been a Christian Can we in reason denie Iulian his learning because an Apostata or Bellarmine and others because they haue written against vs No we willingly giue thē that due that belongs vnto them and hold it not vnmeete to receiue euen from their mouthes without suspition of trechery that commendations which are but the recompence of a iust desert The termes of hostility are too violent and vnreasonable which denie vs thus far to communicate with our verie enemies But you say this was pride in M. Hooker to contemne all those of our owne Church as too weake to encounter with him and therefore he must raise Maister Caluin out of his sweet bed of rest to contend against him And here you vncharitably make a comparison betwixt Golias and Maister Hooker only you say vnlike in this that Golias was content to chalenge one liuing and present in the army demanded but chose not sought for one that was aliue and vaunted not ouer the dead in all which respects by your censure Maister Hooker is more presumptuous To speake the least which is fit to be answered in this place surely hee which will take vpon him to defend that there is no ouersight in this accusation must beware left by such defences he leaue not an opinion dwelling in the minds of men that he is more stiffe to maintaine what he hath spoken then carefull to speake nothing but that which iustly may be maintained that he hath not shunned to encounter those euen the best of that faction in our land your selues can witnesse that he nameth M. Caluin onely to this end to shew the authour of that Discipline which he was to handle you must needes confesse that he rather reprooued another state then discouered the violent and vncharitable proceedings to establish it at home it was his wisdome for we know
throughly to be instructed in that which maketh skilful against guile and to bee armed with that true and sincere Philosophie which doth teach against that deceitfull and vaine which spoileth But haue not the greatest troublers of the Church bin the greatest admirers of humane reason Hath their deep profound skil in secular learning made theÌ„ the more obedient to the truth and not armed them rather against it Indeed many great philosophers haue bin very vnsound in beleefe yet many sound in beleef haue bin great Philosophers Could secular knowledge bring the one sort vnto y e loue of christian faith nor Christian faith the other sort out of loue with secular knowledg The harme that heretikes did was to such as by their weakenes were not able to discerne betweene sound and deceitfull reasoning and the remedie against it was euer the skill of the ancient Fathers to discouer it In so much that Cresconius the heretike complained greatly of Saint Austin as you do of Maister Hooker for being too full of logicall subtilties But the word of God in it selfe is absolute exact and perfect and therefore needlesse to adde any humane or schoole learning for those weapons are like the armour of Saul rather cumbersome then needfull and with these hath Maister Hooker filled his writings I answer there is in the World no kind of knowledge whereby any part of truth is seen but wee iustly account it precious yea that principall truth in comparison whereof all other truth is vile may receiue from it some kind of light whether it be that Egyptian and Chaldean wisdome mathematicall wherewith Moses and Daniel were furnished or that naturall morall and ciuill wisdome wherein Salomon excelled all men or that rationall and oratoriall wisedome of the Grecians which the Apostle Saint Paul brought from Tharsus or that Iudaicall which he learned in Ierusalem sitting at the feete of Gamaliel to detract from the dignity thereof were to iniure euen God himselfe who being that light which none can approch vnto hath sent out these lights whereof we are capable as so many sparkles resembling the bright fountain from which they rise And therfore vnto he word of God being in respect of that end wherunto God ordeined it perfect exact and absolute we doe not adde any thing as a supplement of any maime or defect therein but as a necessary instrument without which wee coulde not reape by the scriptures perfection that fruite and benefit which it yeeldeth In respect of al which places alledged it must needs seem strange that any for the vse of schoole diuinity and humane learning should incur that hard suspition which you seeke to fasten vpon M. Hooker namely that he is a priuie subtil enimie to the whole state of our Church that he would haue men to deeme her Maiâ—stie to haue done ill in abolishing the Romish religion that he would be glad to see the back-slyding of all reformed Churches or that he meanes to bring in a confusion of all things a tolleration of all religions these and such like are the heauie conclusions that follow the vse of schoolemen and secular learning and the least of those euils which are likely in your opinion to be deriued into the heart of our Church and common wealth from that dangerous poyson which is conteined in Maister Hookers writings Surely it is great pitie that al men should thinke what they list or speake openly what they think but doubtlesse it did little moue him wheÌ„ you say that which a greater theÌ„ you certainely wil gainsay His words in this cause haue seemed to you as an arrow sticking in a thigh of flesh and your own as a child whereof you must needes be deliuered by an hower but deliberation would haue giuen peraduenture more ripenes which now by haste hath as a thing borne out of time beene small ioye to you that begat it Therefore I wil conclude with the speech of the son of Sirach He that applieth his minde to the law of the most high keepeth the sayings of famous men entreth in also into the secrets of darke sentences he seeketh out the mystery of graue sentences and exerciseth himselfe in dark parables though he be dead he shall leaue a greater fame theÌ„ a thousand Doubtles this is verified in him of whom you haue published vnto the world so hard a censure ARTICLE XXI The stile and maner of writing AS it is an honour to performe that which is excellent so it is a vertue to approue that which is excellently performed where to be wanting in the first may be slouth or ignorance but to be wanting in the latter must needes be malice Fewe there are or haue beene in any age which reaping the due recompence of their labour haue done that good which they ought and haue not receiued that reward which they ought not Wise men haue thought no otherwise but that this common lot might be their portion yet the feare thereof could not haue that power ouerall to make them in that respect wholy vnprofitably silent Knowing that euen that which they suffred for well doing was their honour and that which they did well and suffred for it was others shame This vice in my opinion is not more vsuall with anie then with vs who by reason of the corrupt quality thereof haue imposed a silence to a great number who by their writings doubtlesse would haue bin verie singular ornaments vnto Gods Church whereas strangers of lesse merit haue a twofold aduantage The one that we read their writings without preiudice of their persons the other that with a desire of nouelty we greedily deuoure as we do fashions whatsoeuer we think to be done by strangers this onely in all things how excellent soeuer being cause enough of dislike that it is home borne but more iustly of silence that it is disliked So that when we haue sifted whatsoeuer is likely to be reproued euen the last thing to be examined is the stile itselfe Thus haue you dealt with Maister Hooker whom as in all other things you haue set vpon the racke so in this you haue taken vpon you far more theÌ„ beseemeth either the modesty or the small learning that is vsually found in such as professe theÌ„selues to be but common Christians For certainely to iudge of a stile is not the least point of learning though it be the least known but peremptorily to dislike which you do is more then only to iudge For this is but to deliuer a speciall verdict as we thinke our selues but the other is to take vpon vs exactly to tell what the law is Some I haue seene excellently writing vpon the variety of stiles and the best in my opinion is one Pascalius who was like enough to iudge well because he himselfe wrote an excellent stile yet surely there is in no point of learning greater varietie of tastes then there is in this some preferre