true merits of Gods mercies and Christs sufferings before mentioned nor to mans good workes but to the merit of them and vaine confidence put in them Wee say with Saint Augustine Aâ—gust praefat in Psal 31. Si vis alienus esse à gratiae iacta merita tua i. If thou vvilt he voyde of grace boast thine owne merits Thirdly we beleeue that the kingdome of Heauen commeth to vs by inheritance and not by the purchase of our workes and merits Christ saith Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance Math. 25. 34. of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the vvorld Saint Paul saith If vve be children vve are also Rom. 8. 17. heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ Thus the kingdome of Heauen is ours in that wee be coheires with Christ By whose bloudy and blessed merits it is purchased to vs and not by the workes and deserts of vs vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children who haue alwayes neede to pray and say Enter not into Psal 1 â—3 2. iudgement vvith thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man that liueth be iustified and â—f thou O Lord straightly markest iniquitie Psal 130. 3. O Lord vvho shall be able to stand To conclude you that so seuerely censure vs looke to your selues take heed you be not like that proud Pharisee who gloried of his works and disdained the sinfull Luk. 18. Apoc 3. 17. Publican and that you be not like the Angell of the Church of Laodicea who said that he vvas rich increased Athenâ—us lib. 12. vvith goods and had need of nothing and did not know that hee was wretched miserable poore blind and naked And that you be not like that mad man of Athens called Thraselaus who comming in his madnes to the hauen named Pyreum did vainely imagine that all the ships riches there were his owne but being cured and brought to good vnderstanding hee saw his pouertie and perceiued that hee scarce had a penny in his purse Euen so if you were throughly cured of this phrensie of Poperie you would acknowledge your owne miserie and hunger for Gods mercie confesse your owne pouerty that Christ may inrich you your owne nakednes that he may with the robe of his righteousnesse couer you your owne guiltinesse that he may acquite and iustifie you and finally humble your selfe that he may exalt you For it is hee that filleth Luke 1. 53. the hungrie with good things and sendeth the rich emptie away I would you would ioyne with your owne Cardinall Poole in this point who misliking of Osorius booke de iustitia dedicated to him for attributing too much to mans iustice and righteousnesse did adde this worthie saying and worthie by all meanes to be receiued That wee can neuer attribute too much to the mercie and righteousnes of God nor too much take from the righteousnesse of man This is written not onely by Doctor Hoddon in his booke against Osorius but also by Pruilus his Secretarie in his life as that excellent Antiquarie and learned man my good friend Master Camden did tell mee To conclude be not like the froward Iewes who hauing a zeale towards God but not according to knowledge being Rom. 10. 2. 3. ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnesse of God For Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beleeueth but obey the counsell and calling of God Ho euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and yee that Isai 55. 1. haue no siluer come buy and eate Come I say buy vvine and milke vvithout siluer and vvithout money Wherefore doe yee As buyers of Popes Pardons Masses c. doe lay out siluer and not for bread and your labour vvithout being satisfied Hearken diligently vnto me and eate that vvhich is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse Encline your eares and come vnto mee heare and your soule shall liue and I vvill make an euerlasting couenaâ—t vvith you euen the sure mercies of Dauid The which sweet and hid Manna of Gods mercies they that refuse to eate but had rather feede on the draffe of their owne muddie merits shall neuer inherit heauen but shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone Apocal. 20. 10. vvhere the beast and false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for euermore Basil in Moral Sum. 72. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It behooueth the hearers and readers being instructed in the Scriptures to prooue the things which be spoken and written by their teachers and to receiue those thinges that be consonant to the Scriptures and to reiect those things that differ from them and vtterly to auoyde those that doe continue in such Doctrines IOB 6. 24. Teach me and I will hold my tongue and cause me to vnderstand wherein I haue erred ISAIA 41. 21. Stand to your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Iacob An answere to certaine Popish questions and friuolous cauillations giuen forth vnderhand to seduce the simple and to slander the truth now first printed TO THE READER GOod Reader I am to certifie thee of the occâ—sion of the first writing and now publishing of this my answere to these â—opâ—sh questions and calumntations In the yeare 1592. a good vertuous gentlewoman called Mâ—stris lane Brograue â—et liuing and dwelling in Wapnam in Northampton shire being in her natiue Country with her friends some not so well â—ffected to the truth as others praâ—sed be God are â—id giue to her these questions intending thereby as it seemeth to peruert her and to conuert her from the trueth of God vnto their false Doctrine Idolatry The which she presently deliuered vnto me and desired mee to write an answere vnto them This her godly request I thought my selfe bound in conscience for to satisfie and thereupon I did forthwith in short time write this answere the which she did send to her deceaued friends for their better instruction and information Afterwards by wards which a Popish Priest in conference with me did vtter I did gather that the same was sent to Wish â—he there to be hammered and examined But what they did wiâ—h it I doe not know I neuer heard that either they or any other â—uer made any reply vnto it I haue beene moued by some and namely by M. Christopher Goodman to whom I did send a copie of it because it did concerne him to publish it in print The which although it was allowed to the Presse many yeares past by one in great place and authoritie now yet I haue vntill this time suppressed it howbeit now I haue yeelded to publish it partly because the matter both obiected and answered is suteable to the former articles and my answeres and partly because the Printer who had intelligence
of it did earnestly desire to haue it I haue now passed it as at the first I did write it without addition or alteration This I confesse that thou good Reader mayst reade these things namely those of Aerius Vigilantius c. obiected to vs more learnedly and largely answered by others especially by that reuerend and learned man M. D. Abbot in his learned answere to D. Bishops Epistle Notwithstanding if this my simple labour herein bestowed may serue in some measure to the confirmation of the truth and confutation of errour to the instruction and edification of the faithfull that reade and receiue it and if not to reclaime the seduced yet to be a testimonie and witnesse against them that will be more ready to reiect it then to reade and examine it I know that God shall thereby be glorified and his Church profited the which is the onely thing I seeke and desire Aprill 22. 1608. Thine in Iesus Christ ED. BRILKLEY I receiued of a good Christian Gentlewoman the 14. of Iune 1592. a paper containing three questions with other things hereafter following the title of which writing was set downe in these words Three questions moued to M. Goodman a Preacher in Westchester by a Catholique Gentlewoman to the which hee could giue no answere THis title seemeth partly to containe an vntruth and partly to shew a proud and arrogant spirit Whether this be not an vntruth or in plaine words a Lye that M. Goodman so auncient and learned a man who aboue fortie yeares past was publique professour and reader of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Oxford and since hath beene a continuall and painfull Preacher could not answere these friuolous and fond questions let the indifferent Reader iudge And whether this proceedeth not of a proud spirit that this Catholike gentlewoman as she is termed should propound such pithie and profound questions that M. Goodman could not answere them let the reader vprightly consider But this is the manner of all these counterfait Catholiques to despiseâ—â— as vnlearned and to thinke highly of themselues and then fauourers But let such take heede that the saying of the Prophet take not holde on them Woe be to them which are voise in their Esay 5. 21. owne eyes and prudent in their owne sight I would with Salomon exhort this Gentlewoman not to be vvise in her Prou. 3. 7. owne eyes but to feare God and to depart from euills and rather humbly to submit her selfe to learne of M. Goodman then proudly to think that she is able to propound such questions in Diuinitie as he is not able to answere Now whereas this Gentlewoman is called a Catholique a title which the enemies of Gods truth whom for distinction sake wee call Papists doe falsly arrogate to themselues and vainely bragge of let vs a little consider how truly or falsly they take this title vpon them That godly father S. Chrysostome hath a good saying Satis sufficere credimus Homil. de Adam Euae quicquid secùndum praedictat regulas Apostolica scripta nos docuerunt vt prorsus non opinemur Catholicum quod apparuerit praefixis sentent ijs contrarium i. Wee beleeue to be sufficient whatsoeuer the vvritings of the Apostles haue taught vs according to the aforesaid rules so that vvee doe not at all thinke that to be Catholique vvhich shall appeare to be contrarie to the foresaid sentences Chrysostome here sheweth vs that the Apostles writings doe sufficiently teach vs Gods truth and that that is not to be called or counted Catholique which doth appeare to be contrarie to those Apostolicall writings Now if wee can plamely prooue that sundry points of doctrine which these Catholiques doe Falsly so called hold be contrarie to the writings of the Apostles as their 1. Cor 14. Rom. 10 14. 1. Tim. 2. 5. prayers in a strange vnknowne tongue their prayers to Saints their making of other Mediators Intercessours besides Iesus Christ their mangling of Christs holy supper in taking away the cup from Gods people their offering of Iesus Christ for a propitiatorie sacrifice for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead their Images their Pilgrimages their Popes supremacie sundry such others then neither is their doctrine Catholique nor they true Catholiques Vincentius Lyrinensis an Author greatly esteemed of these men and not misliked of mee writeth thus In ipsa etiam Catholica Ecclesia magnopere curandum Vincen. Lyrinen aduersus prosu omn. Haeresion Nouati est vt id teneamus quod vbique quod semper quod ad omnibus creditum est hoc est etenâ—m verè proprteque Catholicum quod ipsa vis nominis ratioque declarat i. Also in the Catholique Church it selfe vvee ought to be carefull that vvee holde that vvhith hath beene beleeued in all places in all times and of all persons for that is truly and properly Catholique vvhich the force and reason of the name doth declare Now if these called Catholiques can proue that their Romish doctrine hath euery where in all ages of all persons been beleeued then we will grant it to be Catholike and them to be Catholiques But this they shall neuer be able to doe for as it is most certaine that the primitiue Church neuer taught nor beleeued the doctrine now taught in the Romish Church so the Greeke Church the Muscouites the Christians in Aethiopia Aâ—menia and other countries where Christianitie hath continued haue neither submitted themselues to the Church of Rome nor haue beleeued and accepted all the doctrine therein professed In the Councell called Agathense it was thus decreed Concil Agathen Canon 18. distinct 2 cap. Secula and is also recorded in the Popes decrees Seculares qui in narali Domini Pasche Peutecoste non communicauerint Catholici non credantur nec inter Catholicos habeantur i. Those secular on vvorldly men vvhich communicate not al the feast of the Natiuitie of Christ at Easter and Whitsontide let them not be beleeued to be Catholiques nor counted to be among Catholiques By the which this Gentlewoman and many other her fauourers will be prooued to be no Catholiques But to conclude this point those which beleeue and obey the true doctrine of almightie God contained in the holy canonicall Scriptures be true and sincere Catholiques and those which maintaine false and damnable doctrine not agreeable to the same bee indeede Heritiques And whether they or wee doe holde the saide true doctrine of God let euery one that hath care of his owne saluation carefully seeke and wisely in the feare of God consider and let them not be caried away with naked names and bare titles wherewith the enemies of Gods truth haue in all ages seduced the simple There were in the time of our Sauiour Christ a sect and sort of men which held that there was no resurrection Act. 23. 8. of the dead neither Angell nor spirit and yet these Monsters had got them a glorious title and
AN APOLOGIE FOR THE RELIGION established in the Church of England BEING AN ANSWER TO T. W. HIS 12. Articles of the last edition In this impres sion recognized and much inlarged Also Answers to three other writings of three seuerall Papists By ED BVLKLEY Doctor of Diuinitie Prouerb 14. 15. The foolish will beleeue euery thing but the prudent will consider his wayes Lamenta 3. 40 Let vs search and trie our wayes and turne againe vnto the Lord. Chrysost in Genes 〈◊〉 â— Quocirca diuinae Scripturae vestigia sequamur neque â—â—ramus eos qui temerâ— quiduis blaterant i. Let vs follow the steps of the holy Scripture and not endure or abide them that rashly babble euery-thing AT LONDON Printed by George Eld for Arthur Iohnson and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the white Horse ouer-against the great North doore of S. Paules Church 1608. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD Keeper of the great Seale of England Chamberlaine of the Countie Palatine of Chester and one of his Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell grace and peace be multiplied WHen I consider right Honourable the estate of England in these our dayes I cannot better compare it then with the estate of the kingdome of Iudah vnder K. Iosias expressed shortly yet effectually by Sophonie the Prophet who liued preached in that time For as then God gaue to that people that worthy godly King who zealously 2. King 25. rooted out Idolatrie and planted Gods true worship agreeable to his law so God in great mercy hath giuen vs our most gratious Queene Elizabeth by whose godly meanes Idolatrie hath beene abolished Gods true religion and seruice restored his holy word truly and sincerely preached and peace and tranquilitie among vs long maintained And as in those daies vnder King Iosias notwithstanding that godly and zealous reformation there was great wickednes among the people as the said Sophonias sheweth For there were then which worshipped Sopho. 1. 5. vpon the rouffes of their houses the host of heauen and which worshipped and sware by the true and onely God Iehoua and by Malchaâ— their Idoll and 6. such as were turned backe from after the true God and sought him not nor inquired after him and 8. that did weare strange apparell and others that filled their maisters houses with robbery and deceit 9. and such as were frozen in their dregges and said in 12. their hearts the Lord will neither doe good nor euill And Ierusalem was then a filthie and spoyling Chap. 3. 1. 2. citie which heard not Gods voyce receiued not instruction trusted not in the Lord and drew not neere vnto her God c. Euen so how these sinnes abound at this time in this land I thinke there are but few but doe see and none that truely feareth God but doth lament To omit other sinnes here mentioned as then there were which worshipped Iehoua the onely true God and Malcham their Idoll euen so there be now not a few which to please the Prince and State pretend outwardly to like of religion established and yet inwardly in their hearts fauour Idolatrie and wicked worshippings repugnant to the same And as then many were turned backe from after God and sought him not nor inquired after him euen so now there are many which be reuolted from Gods holy worship agreeable to his word and vtterly forsake the holy assemblies where Gods word is truly preached the Sacraments are according to Christs institution rightly ministred and Gods holy name faithfully called vpon These with Lots wife looke backe vnto Genes 19. Numb 14. Sodome and are with the Israelites in heart turned back into Egypt desiring rather to eate onions and garlike there then to feed vpon the heauenly Manna of Gods blessed word Of these thus turned backe from seeking after God they be most dangerous which being deceiued themselues endeuour by all meanes both by speaking and writing to seduce and deceiue others Such be the Seminarie Priests and Iesuites who although they be at this present time at leastwise in outward apparance at deadly fewd among themselues writing most bittely one against another yet they all agree in resisting Gods truth seducing the simple and in labouring most earnestly to set vp againe their Dagon of the Masse fallen downe before the Arke of Christs Gospell To this end they write lewd lying and slanderous Pamphlets wherein they traduce the truth and faithfull fauourers thereof deceiue the ignorant and confirme in error their ouer affectioned fauorers who without triall or examination ouer rashly receiue and ouer lightly beleeue whatsoeuer is broached by them Of these lying Libels there came one to my hands a yeere past and more pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. wherein is boldly affirmed but faintly proued that we haue no faith nor religion that of vs both the learned and ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues be Infidels that wee know not what wee beleeue that we are bound in conscience both neuer to aske forgiuenesse of our sinnes and also to auoide all good workes that we make God the author of sinne and worse then the diuell These and such other shameles assertions and false slanders when I read it came into my heart that Master Thomas Wright with whose spirit I had beene acquainted was the venter of this ware In which opinion I was afterward confirmed for that both some of his fauourers could not denie it and in a written copie therof taken in a search in Shropshire and sent vnto me these two letters T. W. were set in the end of it This lewd Libell although in respect of the matter voide both of truth and learning deserued rather to be despised then earnestly answered yet because the author of it thinketh so highly of himself and so basely and contemptuously of vs giuing out in certaine written conferences which he hath dispersed abroad in this land and some faithfull men haue seene that wee be vnlearned and so giuen to wordly affaires that we bestow no time or but little in studie I although the meanest and vnmeetest of many was moued to wtite this answere thereby to confute these calumnies to cleere the truth to confirme the faithfull and if by Gods gracious blessing it might be to reclaime and reforme the ignorant and seduced Whereof I haue the lesse hope for that as they imitate those wicked Israelits which refused to hearkeÌ„ turned away their shoulder stopped their Zach. 7. 11. eares that they might not heare made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the law the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by his Prophets So they doe fully follow the peruerse Pagans which most obstinately refused to read godly bookes written by Christians as that ancient eloquent Christian Lactantius in these eloquent words declareth Non est apud me dubium Constantine Imperator Lactant. lib. 5. cap. 1.