sepulchres with IEROMS fauour for honour of his learning his comparisons are not good for MARIES fact was done in zeale mixed with knowledge hath an approbation in Christs own mouth but the sact of those women was done in zeale without knowledge and hath but a slender approbation in IEROMS own mouth Hieron contra Vigilant Againe if it be objected that miracles were wrought at the graues of the Martyrs as namelie in Millain where AVGVSTINE was present at the sepulchres of PROTASIVS and GERVASIVS a blinde man was restored to his sight and AVGVSTINE himselfe beareth witnesse of this miracle because he saw it done with his owne eyes August lib. confess 9. cap. 7 To this I answere that God wrought a miracle at the sepulchre of this holy Martyr PROTASIVS to confirme that true faith for which he suffred martyrdome Like as God wroght a greater miracle at the sepulchre of ELISEVS in restoring a dead man to life againe 2. Reg 13. to confirme the doctrine of ELISEVS that it was of God But the end of these miracles was not to raise vp their bones out of the graue to worship them in regarde that such superstitious facts plainly repugned to the summe of their faith and doctrine Now by good reason the Papists are reduced to this strait that either they must prooue that the adoration of dead mens bones was a point of ELISEVS doctrine and PROTASIVS faith or else these miracles were wroght to teach men to raise out of the graue and to worship the dead bones of the Prophets martyrs of God And AVGVSTINE himselfe clearelie declareth what was the issue of this miracle First men tooke occasion by the sight of hat miracle to glorify God but not to worship PROTASIVS GERVASIVS bones The other end of the working of that miracle was to stay the fury of IVSTINA the mother of VALENTINIAN the second in persecuting of AMBROSE B. of Millain albeit the fame and notoriousnes of this miracle did not convert her to the true faith yet it auailed to abate her furie and rage in persecuting the innocent feruant of Christ. August ibid. confess lib. 9. cap. 7. Againe if it be objected that the dead bones of BABYLAS stopped the mouth of APOLLO so that he could not vtter his oracle vntill BABYLAS bones were raised and transported into an other place Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 19. and therefore there is vertue in the bones of the Saints to helpe the godly and to confound the power of the deuill For answere I say we should not hearken to the deceitfull speeches of Satan who seeing Christians already inclined to transport the dead bones of the Saints for al his simular and fained dumnesse yet he could speake that whereby superstition afterward should be mightilie increased and augmented Hist. Magdeb. Cent. 4. cap. de miraculis But arguments drawen out of the fountaines of Scripture if they were rightly inferred should haue greater countenance credite and regarde then the testimonies of all the fathers joyned together Therefore they will not seeme to be destitute of this armour also The shadow of PETER Acts. 5. 15. was helpfull to diseased persons and the napkins and hand-kercheefes taken from the bodie of PAVL helped diseases and made vncleane spirits to depart from men And therefore say they to attribute vertue to reliques of Saints is no derogation to the glorie of God but rather a great confirmation of Gods trueth To this I answere that scripture hauing intention to glorifie God indeed doth in these miracles neither magnifie PETER nor PAVL nor PETERS shadow nor PAVLS napkins wherin there was no sauing vertue but the text clearlie saith that Godw ought miracles by the hands of PAVL Acts 19. ver 11. Which verse is cast in of purpose to turne our hearts from PAVL the instrument alanerly to God the author of these miracles And if the holy Scripture will not suffer vs to repose vpon PETER and PAVL and other Apostles as if by their owne power and vertue they had made any man whole Acts 3. ver 12. how much lesse can God be pleased with this that power and vertue be attributed to PETERS shadowe and PAVLS napkins And albeit vertue had bene in these things yet PETERS shadow could not haue bene kept as a permanent relique to the posteritie nor yet PAVLS napkin except miraculouslie could haue continued so long But this sufficeth our purpose that in al the scripture there is not a word of the worshipping of PETERS shadow nor PAVLS napkin If I were disputing vpon words I would demand of those that recken PETERS shadow among reliques by what reason they do it seeing that it hath no remaining amongst vs after that his body is taken from vs and therefore cannot be called a relique But I leaue off to speake of the shadow of words aswell as of the shadow of bodies Let vs remember this well that GOD worketh great works by very contemptible meanes to the end the glory may be attributed to GOD alone Now seeing that GOD wrought great workes by the sheep-heards staffe that was in the hand of MOSES he dantoned the land of Egypt divided the red sea and by the stroke of the staffe broght forth waters out of the hard rocke Seing I say that God wroght so great workes by so contemptible a meane what became of this sheepheards staffe after the death of MOSES Some of the learned say that God buried it with MOSES in the plain of Moab lest it should haue bene an occasion of idolatry How euer it be the remembrance of it is buried in scriptures and we cannot tell what became of it But if it had bene in time of Poperie it had bene laid vp and worshipped among their principall reliques The câ—…oake of ELIAS where-with ELIZEVS divided the waters of Iordan semeth to be a relique of ELIAS hauing vertue to worke miraculous works but the text it selfe declareth the contrary that there was no power in the cloake but in the GOD of ELIAS for when ELIZEVS came to the riuer side he lifted vp his heart to GOD saying where is now the GOD of ELIAS 2 Reg. 2. ver 15. So that all scripture both in old and new Testament with one consent sendeth vs from cloakes staues shadowes hand-kerchiefes and such like means to the power of almighty GOD working where when and by what meanes he pleaseth Now if al things wherby or wherin God wroght miracles should be kept as holy reliques then the church of the Iewes might haue surpassed the Romane church infinit degrees For who can deny but God wrought miraculous workes in and by ail the coates hose shooes shirts headcouerings napkins and such other garments that were among the people of the Iewes Their garments waxed not old and their feete swelled not all the space of fourtie yeeres that they were in the wildernesse Dâ—…ut 8 ver 4. If all these garments had bene laide vp in store after they
awake after a manner out of their sleepe and they will seeme to grounde their doctrine vpon Scripture which they so miserablie abuse that they are in no better case but rather in a worse than when they misregarded Scripture layed it aside and counted the Decretalles of Popes to bee of as great authoritie as the holie Scriptures of GOD. True it is that about the yeere of our LORD 520. Chemnisius reckoneth the yeere of our LORD 528. Foelix the fourth the successour of Ioannes the first and predecessour of Bonifacius the seconde hee ordained That Christians before they departed this life shoulde bee annointed with oyle And this is the true originall of Extreame Unction yet in such manner that in the dayes of Pope Foelix the fourth it had not the name of a Sacrament But seeing the Councell of TRENT referreth it vnto a more auncient beginning let vs examine the places of SCRIPTVRE whereupon they grounde this their opinion The wordes of the APOSTLE IAMES are these Is anie sicke amongst you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them praye for him and annoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp And if hee haue committed sinne it shall bee forgiuen him Iacob Chap. 5. vers 14. 15. For better vnderstanding of this place of SCRIPTVRE let vs consider these three thinges to wit That when the Gospell was first preached for the propagation and aduan cement thereof GOD appointed extraordinarie offices EPHES. 4. which were not to continue in the Church such as the office of Apostles Euangelistes and of Prophets Likewise hee endued them and some other beleeuers with extraordinarie giftes such as the gift of tongues of prophesie and working of miraculous workes And like as the extraordinarie offices continued not in the Church euen so the extraordinarie giftes continued not long in the Church for they were giuen to open a doore to the Gospell which beeing once opened Christians must content themselues with ordinarie offices and gifts Secondlie let vs consider that persons who had receiued a gift of GOD to cure diseases miraculouslie they vsed not at all times the selfe same signes and ceremonies in curing of diseases but sometimes they sent hand-kirches to the diseased persons ACT. CAP. 19. vers 11. sometimes they ouerlayed the dead and restored them to life ACT. CAP. 20. vers 10. and sometimes they annointed them with oyle MARC CAP. 6. vers 13. Which diuersitie of signes had not beene lawfull to vse if Extreame Unction had beene an ordinarie Sacrament in the Church For like as it is not lawfull to baptize with anie other liquor except water because Baptisme is a Sacrament instituted by GOD Euen so in curing the diseased it had not beene lawfull to vse anie other signe and ceremonie but annointing with oyle if so bee it had beene an ordinarie Sacrament Thirdlie it is to bee considered that when signes and ceremonies doe accompanie extraordinarie giftes incase the gift doe cease it is a foolishe thing to keepe in vse the signe and ceremonie except it were to bee a memoriall of a thing done of olde as the people of GVIDVS dedicated the shelles of the Fishe Remora to VENVS GVIDEA for a memoriall of their deliuerance But wee reade not of anie Prophet to whome GOD gaue not the gift of working miraculous workes who counterseited HELISEVS by sending their staffe to raise the dead 2. REG. CAP. 4. vers 2â—… or directing anieâ—…eprous person to washe his bodie seuen times in the waters of Iordane as HELISEVS directed NAAMAN the Syrian to doe 2. REG. CAP. 5. vers 10. For in vaine is the outward signe adhibited when the gift of miraculous he ling of diseases is ceassed Yea and the Priestes in the Romane Church conuicted in conscience that by annointing with oyle they cannot restore a diseased person to health they delaye to applie Extreame Unction vntill all hope of recouerie bee vtterlie past But nowe lest it shoulde seeme that their Extreame Unction is altogether vneffectuallie applied the verie wordes vsed in the application thereof testifieth that they belieue that remission of sinnes shall bee conferred with to the diseased person by vertue of Extreame Unction for these are their wordes Peristam sanctam Unctionem piissimam suam misericordiam indulgeat tibi DEVS quicquid peccasti per visum per auditumodoratum tactum gustum that is to saye By this moste holie Unction let GOD bestowe vpon thee his mercie for all sinnes thou hast committed by seeing hearing smelling touching or tasting Heere remember that the benefite which the APOSTLE saieth is chieselie obtained by prayer they referre it vnto annointing with oyle Next they take not heâ—…de to whome the APOSTLE directeth this exhortation namelie to the faithfull members of CHRIST whome in the twelfth verse hee calleth his brethren and in the soureteenth and fifâ—…eenth verses hee speaketh to such as reuerenced the order of Church-gouernement Nowe it is certaine that faithfull men are so taught in the schoole of GOD and perswaded that other mens prayers can auaile them nothing except there bee faith in their owne heartes for the prayer of SAMVEL coulde benefite King SAVL nothing in respect of his reprobate and vnbeleeuing heart 1. SAM CHAP. 16. vers 2. But these men of whome Sainct IAMES speaketh were faithfull men penitent sinners obedient to the ordinances of GOD And when the Seniors of the Church prayed for such men their sinnes were forgiuen them GOD hauing regarde to their owne faith and to the prayers of the Elders of the Church for them In this they glorie much that Extreame Unction may be called a Sacrament of the newe Testament in a proper sense forasmuch as in it there is a signe instituted by CHRIST Marâ—… cap. 6. and vnto the signe there is added a promise to wit the healing of the diseased person if the LORD thinke it expedient at least a promise of remission of sinnes But all this is nothing except the thirde circumstance bee added to wit that CHRIST hath giuen vnto vs this signe to bee vsed and hath annexed the promises afore-saide as belonging vnto vs for who can denie but in circumcision there was a signe instituted by GOD whereunto a diuine promise was annexed Neuerthelesse both the signe and promise appertained vnto them who liued vnder the olde Couenant GALATH. CAP. 5. vers 3. and not to vs euen so the signe and the promise aforesaide appertained vnto that time onelie in the which extraordinarie giftes had place in the CHVRCH of GOD and not to vs. Nowe to the ende that this their Sacrament of Extreame Unction might bee holden in the greater reuerence they haue founde out manie circumstances not mentioned in holie SCRIPTVRE as namelie that it shall bee made onelie by a Bishop It shall bee saluted with bowing of knees and nine congratulations in this manner It shall bee saide thrise Aue sanctum
as when the Romane doctrine was sounded in their cares that we are iustified partly by faith and partly by workes If by good workes theymeane workes of superstition such as leaning in their legacies rents to sacrificing Priestes for saying of soule Masses wee are glad that by the preaching of the Gospell superstition is somewhat abated like as the great d◅luge of waters beganne by degrees to bee diminished in the dayes of NOE and that by meanes of the winde which the LORD sent foorth to blow vpon the waters But if they meane by good workes such workes as GOD hath commanded in his holy law then I answere that the faults of some people are not to be imputed to the doctrine of the Gospell but to the corruption of mans nature continually repining against the knowne trueth of GOD. Like as when RACHEL left her fathers house and followed IACOB her husband and the ca◅ling of GOD and in the meane time shee stale her fathers Idoles with them polluted the house of IACOB Nowe who shall beare the blame of this fault whether the holy calling of GOD or IACOB the preacher of the LORDS calling to his wiues or RACHEL who followed not the calling of GOD aright Here I know euery man will lay the blame vpon RACHEL because shee left in outward appearance her fathers house yet she left not the corrupt maners of her fathers house In like maner in our dayes the feastred maners of the people are not to bee imputed to the Gospell neither to the true preachers of it but to the corrupt nature of man taking occasion by the Lawe to worke all kind of iniquitie And in like maner taking occasion by the Gospell to bee more bent to euill doing than euer it was before but let true Christians marke that albeit the doctrine of Iustification by faith only were a thousand wayes abused yet because it is the holy Apostolicke doctrine and necessare vnto eternall life it must needes be preached and beleeued of all the true disciples of CHRIST The Law and the Gospell goe not so in handes together as Iustification and Sanctification does but rather by the great prouidence of GOD the one standeth ouer against the other and either of them pointeth out the finger to the other The Law is a paedagogue to CHRIST and pointeth out the finger to the Gospell that in it wee may finde CHRIST and in CHRIST Saluation The Gospell on the other parte pointeth out the finger to the Law not to find in keeping of it saluation which we haue already found in CHRIST but to testifie our thankfulnes to GOD who hath freely forgiuen vs in CHRIST his sonne for what better testimonie of thankfulnesse can wee render to GOD than a voluntare obedience to his holy Commandements according as CHRIST saith If any man loue mee hee will keepe my Commandements and my Father will loue him and wee will come and dwell with him It may be demanded Can not the righteousnes of the Law the Gospell be mixed together in the matter of our Iustification the Apostle PAVL giueth a negatiue answere vnto this question that like as one woman cannot lawfully haue two husbands at one time but when the first husband is dead shee may be lawfully coupled to another who is liuing Euen so we cannot adhere to the righteousnes of faith in CHRIST vntill we giue ouer the righteousnes of the Law because in the matter of Iustification the Law is vnto vs like a dead husband of whome we can receiue no comfort so dead is our nature that the Lawe cannot quicken it but we must be coupled to CHRIST as vnto a liuing husband who by the righteousnes of faith shall bestowe vpon vs that comfort which the Law could not afford vnto vs. And in this Allegorie let vs consider that the Law is called the first husband not because it was anterior to the Gospel for the Apostle PAVL prooueth the contrare in his Epistle to the Galatians but because a man naturally seeketh first helpe in his own workes and seeketh not helpe in CHRIST vntill the time hee be vtterly denuded of all hope of the righteousnes of the Lawe that is of the righteousnes of his owne workes Surely ignorance is the mother of many errours and they who seeke righteousnes in the Law they are ignorant in many things First they knowe not the right end wherefore the Lawe was giuen to wit for transgression that is to manifest it but not to wipe it away Secondly they know not the nature of the Law that it is spirituall to the perfection whereof carnall men cannot attaine Thirdly they are ignorant of the strict condition of the legall Couenant which binds vs vnto a full obedience of all things commanded in the Law Fourthly they are ignorant of the perill that insueth vpon the seeking of the righteousnesss of the Lawe that they cannot submit themselues to the righteousnesse of GOD. When all these inconueniences doe follow vpō secking iustification by the Law or by works it were a wise course to seeke righteousnes where it may be found that is to say in faith which coupleth vs to CHRIST whome the father hath giuen vnto vs to be our wisdome our iustification our sanctification and our redemption and let it not be said that the fishers of Busphorus Tracius in seeking fish are wiser than we in seeki◅g the saluation of our soules For they spread not out their nets in the shallow coast of Chalcedone where no fish can bee found but in the deepe coast of Byzantium where abundance of fih are to bee found Euen so if wee bee wise let vs seeke saluation where it may be found In the thirde heade it is to be declared that neither in our owne workes neither in other mens works CHRITTS workes only excepted can a sauing power be found to worke our saluation Our workes are considered two maner of wayes First as they are before our regeneration altogether sinfull and no man doth affirme that such workes can saue vs either in whole or in part Secondly as they are after our regeneration and of these workes much is spoken namely that Christs death is so meritorious that by vertue of it he hath purchased a power to our workes after regeneration that they might merite good things at the hands of GOD. To this I will returne such an answere as Alamundarus prince of Saracens returned to the Eutychian Heretiques sent by Seuerus to perswade him to their opinion To whome hee replied that strange tythings were lately come vnto his eares namely that GABRIEL the Angell of GOD was dead When they answered that was impossible and repugnant to reasoun that an Angel should die Then the Prince subioyned that like as they would not r◅ceaue his information because it was repugnant to reason euen so hee would not receiue their instructions because they neither agreed with Scripture nor yet with good reason In