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
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
the Christians to please Iulian was noted with this marke of leuity for writing Panegyricks or orations of praise to commend Constantius while he liued against whome afterward he wrote most bitter inuectiues when he was dead Thus some small discontentment serued to turne the heart and open the mouth of Porphyry against the Christians what cause of griefe these zealous professours haue I know not but in my opinion the whole tenor of that vncharitable and vnchristian letter argueth some inward discontent either enuious that other men should be excellent or that themselues being excellent are not more regarded Wherein though they dislike the dim eie of gouernment that loketh not cleerely into mens vertues and the niggardly hand that doth not bountifully reward such as deserue well yet they mighte out of patience and charity worthily haue forborne to haue inueied against his honour which consisted in no other wealth but in his religious contentment and in that true commendation which was the due merit of his own vertues For the world had not much to take from him because hee had not taken much from the world for he neuer affected flatteringly to please her nor she neuer cared fauninglie to please him For as all that Scipio brought from Africa after his danger and trauell to be called his was only a Surname so the greatest recompense that his labours had was the iust commendation that he was a very reuerend learned and graue man For his iudgement taught him out of a Christian patience the resolution of Cato if I haue anie thing to vse I vse it if not I know who I am And seeking to profit in knowledge and that this knowledge might profit the Church he shewed that hee was borne for the good of many and few to bee borne for the good of him For as S. Hierom speaketh of Nepotian despising gold he followed learning the greatest riches But peraduenture his learning had puft him vp and his pride had made his writings impatient and full of bitternes and this moued you to vndertake this vncharitable and vnchristian letter for you say if we beleeue them meaning the Bishops we must thinke that Master Hooker is verie arrogant and presumptuous to make himselfe the onely Rabbi That you had no cause to prouoke him in these tearmes all men know that do reade his writings for dealing in an argument of that kinde with aduersaries of that nature and in a time growne insolent by sufferance hee hath written with that temperat moderation rather like a graue father to reforme the vnstayed errors of hot young violent spirits then seuerelie correcting them with the vntemperat bitternes of their owne stile and sighing at the scurrilous and more then satyricall immodesty of Martinisme he feared with a true sorrow least that honourable calling of Priesthood which was ruinated by slaunder amongst ourselues could not long continue firme in the opinion of others Well for all this the gouernment of his passions was in his owne power as Saint Bernard speaketh of Malachie the Bishop And he was able to rule them for he was truly of a milde spirit and an humble hart and abounding in all other vertues yet he specially excelled in the grace of meekenes for the grauity of his lookes as Saint Bernard speaketh of Humbers was cleered by those that did sit or conuerse with him least he should be burdensome vnto them but a ful laughter few euer discerned in him Some such our Church hath had in all ages a few now aliue which are her ornament if shee can vse them well but moe that are dead whome she ought to praise For all those were honourable men in their generations and were well reported of in their times there are of them that haue left a name behind them so that their praise shall be spoken of for whose posterity a good inheritance is reserued and their seede is conteined in the couenant their bodise are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore the people speake of their wisedome and the congregation talke of their praise In this number vertue hath placed him whom you accuse and are not afraid being now awaked out of a dreame to account a deceiuer As though in his labours he had meant by intising speech to deceiue the Church or as though by a colourable defēce of the Church discipline he purposed as you say to make questionable and to bring in contempt the doctrine and faith it selfe beating against the heart of all true Christian doctrine professed by her Maiestie and the whole state of this realme Therfore you haue made choice of the principall things conteined in his bookes wishing him to free himselfe from all suspicion of falshoode and trechery accounting your selues to rest contented if he will shew himselfe either all one in iudgement with the Church of England or else freely and ingenuously acknowledge his vnwilling ouersight or at the least shew plainely by good demonstratiō that al our reuerend Fathers haue hitherto bin deceiued To this you craue a charitable direct plaine sincere and speedy answeare this is the summe of the preface to your Christian letter It is too true that al ages haue had deceiuers and that the most dangerous deceiuers haue strongly preuailed vnder pretence of Religion and therefore whereas all bodies are subiect to dissolution there are vndoubtedly mo estates ouerthrown through diseases within themselues which familiarly do steale vpon them then through violence from abroade Because the maner is alwaies to cast a doubtfull and a more suspicious eie towards that ouer which men know they haue least power therfore the feare of apparant dangers causeth their forces to be more vnited it is to all sorts a kind of bridle it maketh vertuous minds watchful it holdeth contrary dispositions in suspence and imployeth the power of all wits and the wits of all men with a greater care Whereas deceits couered with good pretenses are so willingly interteyned so little feared so long suffered vntill their cruelty burst forth when it is too late to cure them vice hath not a better meanes to disperse it selfe nor to gaine intartainment and fauour then by borrowing the counterfeit name and habit of seeming vertue Thus that rebellious Sandracot vnder pretence of liberty mooued the Indians against the officers of Alexander the Great which when they had slaine he that was the author of their liberty turned that into a more cruell bondage oppressing the people whom he had freed from strangers vnder the cruell tyranny of his owne gouernment But of all deceits there is none more dangerous then when the name of God or religion is pretended to countenance out heinous crimes And howsoeuer euen in this kinde this age hath not wāted examples who beeing dangerous vnder holy pretenses the hand of Iustice hath cut off yet the imputation of this fault can in no reason cleaue to him who hath so
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