much Chapter 9. Proouing That true Merite and condigne Merite is all one That the regenerate doe Good works and receiue reward aboue their desertes That Good workes doe follow Iustification but goe not before the same That the best Workes of the regenerate are stayned with sinne and in rigour of Iustice deserue eternall death That Good workes are so necessarie to attaine eternall life as the way and meanes by which God hath decreed to bring his chosen to it but not as the cause thereof as without them it can not be had That Good workes are the effectes of Predestination depending vpon it not it vpon them That Good workes in a godly sense may be called Meritorious that is they so please God that of mercie he rewardeth them That without the mercie and promise of God they doe not merite Heauen That Charitie is not the forme of Fayth That Fayth as a worker doth not iustifie but respectiuely as an instrument apprehending Christes merites and applying them vnto vs. That Good workes though they be neither the efficient nor the formall nor the finall cause of Iustification which euer goeth before them yet are they the materiall cause and cause sine qua non as the Schooles tearme it the cause or condition without which Iustification shall not haue effect That Good workes must be done for three respectes That Gods Promise doth not make Good workes to be condignely worthy of the reward That condigne merite of Workes was not an Article of Popish fayth for more then 1540. yeares after Christ. Chapter 10. Proouing That Transubstantiation is a Monster lately begotten in Germanie and borne in Rome Chapter 11. Proouing That popish Inuocation doth not onely make Saintes the mediatours of Intercession but also of Redemption That it maketh Saintes ioynt purchasers of saluation with Christes most sacred blood so it be not in the same degree That it was not hatched for more then 1160 yeares after Christ. Chapter 12. Of the popish Communion vnder one kind Chapter 13. Of popish priuate Masse Chapter 14. Of Pope Martins Dispensation Chapter 15 Of worshipping of Images Chapter 16. Of Church-seruice in the vulgar tongue Chapter 17. Of the peeces of popish Masse Chapter 18. Of the mysteries of the popish Masse Chapter 19. Of kissing the Popes feete Chapter 20. Of praying vpon Beedes Chapter 21. Of changing the Popes name Chapter 22. Of the Paschal Torch Chapter 23. Of the popish Pax and the mysterie thereof Chapter 24. Of the Popes Bulles Chapter 25. Of the popish Agnus-dei Chapter 26. Of Candelmas-day Chapter 27. Of the dolefull Oath which popish Byshops make to the Pope Chapter 28. Of the popish Lent-fast Chapter 29. Of the annulling of popish Wedlocke Chapter 30. Of the Popes falsely pretended Superioritie ouer and aboue a generall Councell Chapter 31. Proouing That the Fayth and Doctrine of the Church of England is the old Romane Religion The Iesuites Proeme B. C. INtending to note the principall vntruethes of Bels Pamphlet I haue thought good first to salute his Epistle and see what holsome stuffe hee presenteth in that to his Patrons T. B. I Answere First that If I should stand vpon euery falsehood slaunder and coozening tricke which the Iesuite hath published and handsomely paint him out in his best beseeming colours time would sooner fayle me then matter whereof to speake Howbeit as I meane for the most part to let passe his slaunders his rayling wordes his fooleries his absurdities his contradictions and his impertinent trifles so will I by Gods holy assistance confute all the partes and parcels of his foolish and ridiculous Pamphlet not omitting any thing of any moment in the same Secondly that our Iesuite hath passed ouer in deepe silence my principall and chiefest groundes argumentes authorities reasons as not able to say any thing against them which the iuditious and honest Reader will soone perceiue with all facilitie Thirdly that our Fryer doth but snatch at peeces heere there with the which he thought he might best deale at the least in some colourable shew of wordes But let vs hearken I pray you to that attentiuely which he saith he found in my dedicatorie Epistle B. C. The Minister falleth roundly to the matter presenting his Patrons with a tricke of his occupation in his very first entraunce his wordes be these The visible Church sayth Bell as writeth Egesippus remayned a Virgin free from all heresies and corruptions during the life of the Apostles that is to say about one hundred yeares after Christ to which time S. Iohn the Euangelist was liuing but after the death of the Apostles sayth hee errours by litle and litle crept into the Church as into a voyde and desart House This Collection which Bell hath made is powdred with lies and iugling trickes thicke and threefold Bell belyeth both Egesippus and also Eusebius whom be quoteth in the third Booke of his Historie in the two and thirtie Chapter as the relator of those wordes of Egesippus Read the place he that please no such thing shall there be found nor the name of Egesippus so much as once mentioned The Minister both abuseth his Patrons and others with a notorious vntrueth of his owne fathering that vpon Eusebius which is not there to be found Neither can this dealing of his proceed from other roote then meere malice as whose braines are employed about nothing more then the hammering of lyes cauils and corruptions against the Catholicke fayth T. B. I answere First that the Jesuites accusation which here he maketh against mee is too too grieuous and more then intollerable vnto godly eares For he chargeth mee first to haue powdred mine assertion with lyes and iugling trickes Then to haue done the same thicke and threefold Thirdly to haue belyed both Egesippus Eusebius Fourthly he impudently affirmeth that no such thing can possibly be found as I haue alleadged out of Eusebius Fiftly that my position is so false and so farre from the trueth that the name of Egesippus is not so much as once mentioned Sixtly that I haue of meere malice slaundered Egesippus and Eusebius being men of great learning Secondly that seeing the Diuell is the Father of Lyers the Jesuite may very well be thought to be his only Sonne But how shal this be prooued All that shal read his booke must needes thinke he sayth the trueth because he affirmeth it so impudently confidently I would say This text of Christes holy Ghospell may well be verified in the Jesuites their accursed Iesuited crew They loued the prayâ—e of men more then the glory of God The truth is neuer ashamed she will shew her selfe to the confusion of the newly hatched sect of Jesuites of the late start-vp Romish fayth and religion These are the expresse wordes of Eusebius as Ruffinus a very learned Father who liued aboue 1200. yeares agoe hath translated them Post haec idem scriptor
they neither any way can they be worthy condigne or truly Meritorious of eternall Glorie But as the troublesome way by which a man passeth to possesse the inheritaunce which his father hath freely giuen him may be sayd to worke and procure the actuall possession of the Inheritaunce not condignely or worthily to deserue the same euen so may our sufferinges be sayd to worke and procure our Glorification as a condition required at our handes or the way by which we must passe to it but neuer to be condigne worthy or meritorious of the same The reward is freely giuen by the Grace of our Adoption but that Grace maketh not our Workes meritorious and worthy of Heauen which they neither doe nor euer can deserue The 2. Conclusion Good Workes follow Iustification but they neither doe nor can goe before the same The latter part is euident because Without Fayth we can not please God Neither Can an euill tree as our maister Christ telleth vs bring foorth good fruite To which I adde with Christes Apostle that Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne The former part is clearely deduced out of these wordes of our Lord Iesus Euery good tree bringeth foorth good fruite S. Austin pithily prooueth both the partes in these sweete short and golden wordes Opera sequuntur iustificatum non precâ—dunt iustificandum Workes follow him that is alreadie iustified but they goe not before him that is to be iustified The 3. Conclusion The best Workes which the regenerate doe are vnperfect polluted with sinne and in rigour of Iustice Mercie set apart deserue eternall Death I prooue it first because the Prophet of God telleth vs that all our righteousnesse is as filthy cloutes spotted and stayned with sinne Vpon which wordes holy Bernard yeeldeth this most excellent and Christian CoÌ„mentarie Nostra enim siqua est humilis iustitia recta forsitan sed non pura nisi fortè meliores nos esse credimus quam patres nostrâ—s qui non minus veraciter quam humiliter aiâ—bant omnes iustitiae nostrae tanquaÌ„ pannus menstruatae mulieriâ— For our base Iustice if wee haue any is perchaunce right but not pure or perfect vnlesse perhappes we beleeue that we are holier then our Fathers were who sayd as truely as humbly All our Righteousnesse is as filthy Cloutes Thus writeth the Popish Abbot an excellent Learned man Out of whose wordes I obserue first that the best Workes we doe are impure and vnperfect Secondly that our forefathers were as holy and perfect as we are who for all that confessed not onely of humilitie but most truely that our best Workes are vnperfect and stayned with sinne Secondly because S. Paul denied himselfe to be perfect Not saith he as though I had already attayned to it either were already perfect But Christ is our Iustice our sanctification our redemption in him we are perfect and consuÌ„mate Thirdly because the same Bernard hath these golden wordes Quomodo enim pura iustitia vbi adhuc non potest culpa deesse recta quidem interim videri potest iustitia hominum si tamen peccato non consentiant vt non regnet in eorum mortali corpore For how can their Iustice be pure who can not be without sinne Yet may the Iustice of men be right if they consent not to sinne nor suffer it to raigne in their mortall bodyes In which respect S. Iohn sayth That the faythfull sinne not because they suffer not sinne to raigne in them Fourthly because The reward of sinne is death and yet doe the best lyuers offende in many thinges Fiftly because the same Bernarde saith in an other place thus Omne quod natum est ex Deo non peccat sed hoc dictum est de predestinatis ad vitam non quod omnino non peccent sed quod peccatum ipsis non imputetur All that is borne of God sinneth not but this is spoken of the Predestinate to life not because they sinne not at all but for that sinne is not imputed to them Fiftly because S. Austen declareth this so plainely as none that ponder his words seriously can longer stand in doubt thereof these are his expresse wordes Ecce quemadmodum qui ambulant in vijs Domini non operantur peccatum et tamen non sunt sine peccato quia iam non ipsi operantur iniquitatem sed quod habitat in eis peccatum Behold how they that walke in the wayes of the Lord doe not sinne and yet are they not without sinne because now they themselues do not worke iniquitie but the sinne that dwelleth in them This Golden assertion of S Augustine Bernardus that learned religious Abbot coÌ„firmeth in these words Cupiâ—bat dissolui et cum Christo esse sciens quod peccatum separans inter nos et Deum penitus auferri non poterit donec liberemur a corpore Th'apostle desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ knowing that sinne which maketh a diuision betweene God and vs cannot wholly be taken away while we remaine in this body Out of these Testimonies of these great learned Doctors I obserue these memorable documentes First that the Children of God walke in his wayes Secondly that such their walking is vnperfect and polluted with sinne Thirdly that they are not without sinne Fourthly that this their sinne is not actuall and voluntarie but inuoluntarie and originall Fiftly that this originall sinne which still remayneth in the regenerate is such a sinne as maketh a separation betweene them and their God Sixtly because our Reconciliation with God doth not wholly purge vs from all sinne really but onely imputeth not the sinne remayning in vs vnto our charge or condemnation I will alledge the very wordes of the Latine vulgar edition to which all Papistes are tyed by their late councell of Trent Thus writeth the holy Apostle Quoniam quidem Deus erat in Christo mundum reconcilians sibi non reputans illis delicta ipsorum Because God was in Christ when he reconciled the world to him selfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them Thus discourseth S. Paul out of whose wordes I note two Lessons viz. the thing that was done and the manner of doing the same The thing done was the reconciling of the world vnto God The manner thereof was in not imputing their sinnes vnto them not in taking away their sinnes from them Sixtly this Conclusion is prooued at large both in the Chapter of Veniall sinnes in this present Triumph and in the Antepast in the Chapter of Originall Concupiscence See and note well the 7. Conclusion The 4. Conclusion Good Workes are so necessarie to attaine eternall life as the vsuall ordinarie and vndoubted way and meanes by which God in his great mercie and loue decreed from eternitie to bring his Elect to saluation as without the same none euer were are or shal be saued world without end when possibilitie time
condignitie of their Workes And the Fryers answere is childish and friuolous when he denieth the loane of the Cloake to haue such virtuall and proportionate equalitie to an Hundred poundes as mans Merites haue to Glory For first the Promise is equall and holdeth in both alike Secondly the Promise doth not adde any Worthines to the worke and consequently there is still as great inequalitie after the Promise as was before the same Thirdly there is infinite distance betweene God and Man the Worke and the Reward as their Angelicall Doctor hath well obserued But the distance and inequalitie betweene the Loane of the Cloake and the Hundred poundes is finite and limited in them both Thus much for this Conclusion If any desire a larger Discourse he may peruse my Suruey and the Downe-fall of Poperie where he shall find soundly answered what possibly can be obiected against the same Note well the eleuenth Conclusion following The 8. Conclusion The doctrine of the Popish Schoole-doctors in which they affirme Charitie to be the forme of Fayth is friuolous ridiculous false erroneous and absurd I prooue it first because in thinges distinguished intrinsecally one can not be the forme of another If our Fryer deny this he will prooue him selfe an Asse Si non actu at saltem in potentia For an Asse by this graunt may be his forme and so giue him the denomination of that worthy Beast Now that Fayth and Charitie are distinct Theologicall virtues S. Paul affirmeth it so plainely as no deniall can be made thereof Secondly because of thinges in perfect essence and nature the latter can not possiblely be the forme of the former and consequently seeing Fayth goeth before Charitie Charitie cannot possiblely be the forme thereof The antecedent is euident because whatsoeuer commeth to a thing after the essentiall constitution thereof is meerely extrinsecall accidentall to the same The consequent is likewise euident because we can neither please God nor yet come to God but by Fayth in him It is the flat and constant Doctrine of the chosen vessell of our Lord Iesus Thirdly because Charitie is the effect and worke of Fayth S. Augustine prooueth it in these golden wordes Oâ—us autem fidej iâ—sa dilectinest But Charitie it selfe is the worke of Fayth This testimonie striketh dead it plainely conuinceth it is vnanswerable The 9. Conclusion Fayth though it be a worke as the Papistes truly obiect yet doth it not iustifie as a worke or qualitie neither yet for any worthinesse or condignitie in the same Explico When we teach hold and defend according to the vniforme consent of the holy Fathers and constant doctrine of the Apostle That man is iustified by Fayth onely without Workes wee neither denie Fayth to be a worke nor yet affirme it to iustifie as a worke For Fayth being taken two wayes properly according to the nature of Fayth and respectiuely as it apprehendeth his obiect it is sayd to iustifie the latter way not the former not as it is an habite in vs but as it apprehendeth Christ without vs. Wee neither make Fayth a part nor yet a cause of our iustification either efficient or formall or finall albeit I willingly graunt hold defend and beleeue that it is the materiall cause that is as the Schooles tearme it Causa sine qua non the cause without which iustification shall not haue effect Which our sauiour Christ sheweth euidently when hee telleth vs That God so loued the World that hee gaue his onely Sonne that none beleeuing in him should perish but haue eternall life And in an other place That whosoeuer beleeue not shal be condemned To which the holy Apostle is consonant when he affirmeth it impossible to please God without Fayth I graunt yet further that when there be many graduall effectes of one and the same cause then the former may fitly be teaâ—med the Materiall cause of the latter and consequently although Good workes can not be any cause of Iustification which goeth before them yet may they be the Materiall cause and causa sine qua non of Saluation which followeth them For Good workes are in sort necessarie to Saluation as is already prooued in the fourth Conclusion For as Vocation Iustification Regeneration and Glorification are the effectes of Predestination euen so by Gods holy ordinaunce being Predestinate we are called by the hearing of his Word vnto Fayth which apprehending the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus is the cause of our Iustification After we be Iustified of our Iustification proceedes Regeneration as who hauing remission of our sinnes and being ingraffed in Christ by Fayth are indewed with more aboundant Grace of his holy spirite through which we are dayly more and more Regenerate and made new creatures in Christ. After we be Regenerate out of our Regeneration spring Good workes both internall and externall as who being made Good trees begin to bring foorth Good fruits and so continuing are brought at the length of Gods free Mercie to the perpetuall possession of Eternall life For the proofe of IustificatioÌ„ by Faith without Workes I referre the Reader to my Suruay which Booke if he once peruse and ponder it seriously he can not but be fully satisfied in this behalfe The 10. Conclusion Good workes though they neither be partes nor causes of Iustification nor merite eternall Glorie condignely as is alreadie prooued yet must wee doe them for these three respectes Gods Ours our Neighbours In respect of God for these three endes First because God hath so commaunded vs This is my Commaundement that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you Againe in these words If ye loue me keepe my coÌ„mandementes Againe thus Bring foorth fruites worthy of repentance Euery Tree that bringeth not foorth good fruite shal be cut downe cast into the fire Againe thus Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde Againe in these words Bee yee therefore perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect Againe thus He chose vs in Christ that we should be holy in his sight Againe thus Wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which he hath prepared for vs to walke in Secondly for the Glory of God Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heauen Thirdly to shew our gratitude and thankfulnesse to God for which respect S Paul exhorteth the Râ—manes To offer vp their bodyes a liuely holy and acceptable Sacrifice vnto God Yea the Scriptures teach vs euery where to shew our thankefulnesse vnto God by our holy and godly liues In respect of our selues for sundry endes First to assure vs of our Election Saluation For thus is the Latine vulgar text extolled preferred before all other by the Popish Councell of Trent Quapropter
and so not able to kill a Flie albeit it be more then Crambè bis posita and most irkesome Tantologie or rather plaine and meere foollerie B. C. I let passe how Purgatorie must by his owne confession be Apostolicall doctrine when it was taught by those Popes which he graunteth to haue holden the Fayth of S. Peter as I haue prooued against him in the Dolefull Knell I omit also how falsely and ridiculously he calleth the Popes that liued 1450. yeares agoe the late Popes of Rome Verily it should seeme by his writing that hee litle careth what passeth from his Penne so it be walking against the Pope and Popish doctrine T. B. I answere first that by my confession as also by my euident and plentifull demonstration our Jesuite is a most shamelesse impudent and lying Fryer from whose answere if wee shall once take away his notorious calumnies his miserable cauils his coozening trickes and his deceitfull dealing litle or rather nothing at all will remaine to the Reader Secondly that not onely this Jesuite himselfe if he had not a face of Brasse but all other Iesuites his Jesuited breathren would blush to publish so often and so falsely the same assertions so often confuted and turned vpside downe Thirdly that for want of matter our Fryer doth often referre his Reader to an vnknowen and inuisible Booke of which more hereafter called by him The Dolefull Knell Fourthly that I haue so soundly confuted his false ridiculous Cuckow-song and most irkesome Tantologie concerning the late Byshoppes of Rome as I must needes say hee is maliciously bent against the trueth Fiftly that it is apparent to all the world that our Iesuites will publish any thing though neuer so ridiculously if it may any way but seeme to saue the life of rotten Poperie Peruse and marke well the Chapter aforegoing because popish Purgatorie is the Mother of popish Pardons The Iesuites sixt Chapter of Popish Auricular Confession OF this Subiect albeit I haue disputed sufficiently in my Motiues more at large in my Suruay yet that the Christian reader may the better be assured that Poperie is the New Religion I will in this place summarily prooue the same by such inuincible and irrefragable argumentes as euery Child with all facillitie may perceiue that Popish Auricular Confession is but a rotten Ragge of the New Religion Which being performed the Fryers wordes shall be examined and refuted to his confusion The first Conclusion Whatsoeuer Christ commaunded in the New Testament the same is comprised and conteyned in the Old I prooue it sundry wayes First because S. Paul sayth plainely in one place That he vttered the whole counsaile of God And because withall he sayth as plainely in an other place That hee taught nothing at all saue those thinges onely which the Prophets and Moses did say should come to passe And heere if any admire how S. Paul could shew vnto men all the Counsaile of God Nicolaus Lyranus and Dionysius Carthusianus two Learned and famous Papistes teach vs thus to answere That th'Apostle meaneth not simply of All the Counsaile of God but of All the Counsaile of God so farre foorth as appertayneth to mans saluation Secondly because Christ himselfe telleth the Jewes That if they had beleeued Moses they would also haue beleeued him But for that they would not giue credite to the Writinges of Moses neither would they beleeue his Wordes Which illation of our Lord Iesus should be friuolous and of no force at all if the New testament were not contayned in the old Thirdly because S. Augustine affirmeth constantly that the new Testament is so largely comprised in the Old as no precepts can be found in the New which are wanting in the Old these are his expresse words In eo tanta praedicatio et praenuntiatio noui testamenti est vt nulla in Euangelica atque Apostolica disciplina reperiantur quamuis ardua et diuina praecepta et promissa quâ— illis etiaÌ„ libris veteribus desint In the Old Testament the New is so largely preached and foreshewed that nothing can be found in the discipline or Doctrine of the Gospell and of Th'apostles although they be hard and Diuine Precepts and promises which are wanting in those old Bookes Thus we see out of this holy Father that the New-testament is largely conteyned in the olde The Second Conclusion Popish auricular confession is not conteyned in the olde Testament It is enough for the proofe hereof that no learned Papist euer did doth or can deny the same Yet will I heere adde the expresse wordes of a zealous and learned Papist whose name is Polydorus Ante Christs Aduentum sâ—t â—rat mente fateri Deo Commissa Before the Aduent and comming of Christ it was enough in minde to confesse our sins to God Thus writeth Polydorus and it is the Generall Doctrine of all learned Papists And doubtles the holy Gospell which is the law of Christian liberty doth not impose vpon vs an heauier Yoke then did the olde Law which was the Law of bondage The Third Conclusion All things necessary for Mans saluation are perfectly and plainely conteined in the Holy Scripture This Conclusion I haue plentifully prooued in the Downefall of Poperie But heere I will prooue the same to the admiration of many by the expresse words of a knowen aduersarie euen of the Jesuite S. R. in his pretended answere to the said Downefal First therfore the Jesuite hath these words All such poyntes of Christian fayth as are necessarie to be actually beleeued of euery one that hath vse of reason though he be neuer so simple are actually contained in Scripture either clearely or obscurely Thus writeth our Jesuite affirming the same to be the doctrine of their Cardinall Bellarmine Secondly the Jesuite hath these expresse wordes For surely the Prophets Euangelistes writing their Doctrine for our better remembraunce would omit no one poynt which was necessarie to be actually knowen of euery one especially seeing they haue written many thinges which are not so necessarie And this Conclusion teacheth S. Austine when hee sayth That those thinges are written which seemed sufficient for the saluation of the Faythfull Thus writeth our Iesuite affirming the Doctrine to be the flatte opinion of S. Augustine that holy Father and stout Champion of Christes Church Thirdly the Jesuite hath these expresse wordes Mee thinkes S. Augustine plainely auoucheth that God hath procured euery thing to be clearely written which to know is necessarie to euery mans saluation The same teacheth S. Cyrill saying Not all thinges which our Lord did are written but what the writers deemed sufficient as well for Manners as for Doctrine that by right Fayth and Workes we may attaine to the Kingdome of Heauen And S. Chrysostome What thinges soeuer are necessarie are manifest out of Scripture Thus writeth our Jesuite in his pretensed Answere to the Downefall of Poperie Which Doctrine to
and place be correspondent thereunto I prooue it first because Christ himselfe saith That euery Tree which bringeth not foorth Good fruite shal be cut downe and cast into the fire Secondly because Christ sayth in an other place That whosoeuer loue him will keepe his Commaundementes Thirdly because S. Paul telleth vs in one place That God chose vs in Christ before the world was made that we should be holy in his sight And in an other place That we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesu vnto good workes which he hath prepared that we may walke in them The 5. Conclusion Good workes are the effectes of Predestination depending vpon it not it vpon them S. Paul prooueth it in these plaine golden and pithy wordes Whom he hath Predestinate them hath he Called and whom he hath Called them hath he Iustified and whom he hath Iustified those hath he also Glorified By this golden Chaine we may euidently perceiue that Glorification Iustification Vocation and consequently Good workes are the effectes of Predestination especially if we ioyne this with the other Conclusions afore going For if it be true as it is most true else th'Apostle should be a lyer that we were elected to be Holy and to doe Good workes it is also true it can not be denyed that Holy life and Good workes are the effectes of our Election and Predestination in Christ Iesus For this cause sayth that famous Papist Nicholaus de Lyra in this manner Dicendum quod predestinatio diuina est preparatio gratiae in presenti et gloriae in futuro Et ideo cum sit aeterna sicut ab aeterno predestinauit aliquem ad beatitudinem ita praeordinauit modum quo daret sibi illam beatitudinem I answere sayth this great learned Popish Doctor that Gods Predestination is the preparation of Grace in this world and of Glory in the world to come And therefore seeing it is Eternall as he hath predestinated any one from eternitie to endlesse Blisse or Beatitude so hath he also fore-ordayned the meane by which he would bring him to the same For this cause sayth the Popish Angelicall Doctor Aquinas whose doctrine sundry Popes haue confirmed for Authenticall that Predestination includeth Gods will of bestowing both Grace and Glorie And this Doctor so famous and authenticall addeth these wordes Nam predestinatio est causa et eius quod expectatur in futura vita a predestinatis scz gloriae et eius quod percipitur in presenti scz gratiae For Predestination is the cause both of that which is expected in the life to come that is to say of Glorie and also of that which the predestinate receiue in this life that is to say of Grace For this cause saith our Jesuiticall Cardinall Bellarminus that Good workes follow Predestination as effectes follow their causes These are his expresse wordes Itaque sunt opera bona effectus Predestinationis Therefore Good workes are the effect of Predestination Againe in other place the same Jesuite hath these wordes Itaque illa propositio Deus ab aeterno predestinauit hominibus dare regnum per opera bona praeuisa potest et vera esse et falsa Nam si illud per opera praeuisa referatur ad verbum predestinauit falsa erit Significabit enim Deum predestinasse homines quia opera illorum bona praeuiderat si referatur ad verbum dare vera erit Quia significabit executionem futuram esse per opera bona siue quod est idem glorificationem effectum esse iustificationis et operum bonorum sicut ipsa iustificatio effectus est vocationis et vocatio praedestinationis Therefore that proposition God fore-ordayned from eternitie to giue to men the Kingdome of heauen by their fore-seene Workes may both be true and false For if those wordes by their workes fore-seene be referred to the word Predestinauâ—t hee predestinated or fore-ordayned the sense and meaning is false For it will signifie God to haue Predestinated Men because he fore-saw their Good workes but if the same wordes be referred to the worde Dare to giue and bestow the sense and meaning will be true For it will signifie that the execution must be done by Good works or which is all one that Glorification is the effect of Iustification and Good workes euen as Iustification is the effect of Vocation and Vocation the effect of Predestination Againe in an othor place hee hath these wordes Non ideo pendet praedestinatio ab operibus sed opera a praedestinatione Therefore Predestination doth not depend of Workes but Workes depend of Predestination Againe in an other place he sayth thus Alia ratio est pradestinationis alia executionis Constituit N. in praedestinatione regnum caelorum dare certis hominihus quos absque vlla operum praeuisione dilexit tamen simul constituit vt quo ad executionem via perueniendi ad regnum essent bona opera There is one reason of Predestination an other of Execution For in Predestination God decreed to giue the Kingdome of Heauen to certaine men whom he loued without any fore-sight of Workes howbeit he decreed withall that in respect of the execution Good workes should be the way to come vnto the same For this cause doe our Râ—emistes tell vs that our first Iustification is of Gods Grace and not of our deseruinges because none of all our actions that were before our Iustification could merit or iustly procure the Grace of iustification Thus discourse these famous and great learned Popish Writers to whose Doctrine I subscribe with all my heart For as I haue often sayd else where I highly reuerence the Old Romane religion and to the vttermost of my small talent skill I both haue done doe and will defende the same Yea and iustifie the Doctrine of the Church of England to be the Old Romane Catholike and Apostolike religion which S Peter and S. Paul deliuered to the auncient and first Church of Rome Out of the Doctrine heere deliuered by these famous Papistes Lyranus Aquinas and Bellarminus I gather many excellent Notes First that the Grace Fayth and Good workes which we haue in this world and the Glory which we expect in the world to come doe all wholly proceed from Gods Predestination euen without all desertes of Man Secondly that as God prepared the Kingdome of heauen for his Elect euen before they were borne or had done any Good workes so did he also prepare the way and meanes by which he would bring them to the same Thirdly that no Workes done or fore-seene to be done did mooue God to predestinate any man to the ioyes of Heauen Fourthly that Good workes are not the Cause but the Effect of Predestination Fiftly that Good workes are the way and meanes which God ordayned for the execution of Predestination and for the accomplishment of Glorification Sixtly that not onely Predestination but also Iustification proceedes of
Gods meere fauour grace and good pleasure without all desertes of Man Seuenthly that our Vocation our Iustification and our Glorification are the effectes of Predestination I therefore conclude that Good workes are not the cause why Gods children possesse Heauen as their inheritaunce seeing it is the effect of Predestination yet that they are the ordinarie way and meanes by which God decreed in his eternall purpose to bring his Elect to Heauen For as he ordayned the end that is to say the Kingdome of Heauen or Eternall life so also ordayned he the way and meanes to attaine the same that is to say Vocation Iustification Fayth and Good workes Yea euen among Men whosoeuer intendeth the Ende intendeth also the Meanes The 6. Conclusion Good workes in a godly sense very vsuall frequent in the holy Fathers may truly be sayd to be meritorious that is to say they please God and are so acceptable in Gods sight that of mercie he rewardeth them farre aboue their desertes This Conclusion is sufficiently prooued by the reasons alleadged in the first Conclusion I will here onely annexe the testimonie of Bernard that famous and learned Popish Abbot In one place he hath these wordes Sic non est quod iam quaeras quibus meritis speremus bona praesertim cum audias apud Prophetam non propter vos sed propter me ego faciam dicit Dominus sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiant merita So there is no cause that thou shouldest now aske by what merites we hope for Glorie especially since thou hearest the Prophet say I will doe it sayth the Lord not for your sake but for mine owne selfe It is enough to merite to know that our merites are not sufficient Againe in an other place the same Bernard hath these wordes Deest gratiae quicquid meritis deputas Noâ—â— meritum quod gratiam excludat Horreo quicquid de meo est vt sim meus nisi quod illud magis sorsitan meum est quod me meum facit Gratia reddit me mihi iustificatum gratis et sic liberatum a seruitute peccati It degenerateth from Grace whatsoeuer thou ascribest to Merit I will no Merite that excludeth Grace I abhorre whatsoeuer is of mine owne that I may be mine owne vnlesse perhappes that is more mine owne which maketh me mine owne Grace iustifieth me freely to my selfe and so deliuereth me from the bondage of sinne In an other place the same Bernard hath these wordes Iam vero de vita aeterna scimus quia non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam nec si vnus omnes sustineat Neque N. talia sunt hominum merita vt propter ea vita aeterna debeatur ex iure aut Deus iniuriam aliquam faceret nisi cam donaret Nam vt taceam quod merita omnia Dei dona sunt et ita homo magis propter ipsa Deo debitor est quam Deus homini quid sunt merita omnia ad tantam gloriaÌ„ denique quis melior est Propheta cui Dominus ipse tam insigne testimonium perhibet dicens Virum inueni secundum cor meum Veruntamen et ipse necesse habuit dicere Deo non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo Domine Now touching eternall life we know that the sufferinges of this time are not worthy of the glory to come no not if one endure all For the Merites of men are not such that for them eternall life is due by right or that God should do some iniurie if he gaue it not For to let passe that all Merites are the giftes of God and so man is rather debter to God for them then God to man What are all Merites to so great Glorie In fine who is better then the Prophet to whom our Lord giueth so worthy a testimonie saying J haue found a man according to my heart howbeit hee had need to say to God Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord. Thus writeth the deuote and religious Abbot Bernard who though he liued in the greatest mist of Poperie and so was carried away with some errours of his time yet did he teach most Christian doctrine almost in all his workes And because he was reputed a great Papist and of high esteeme in the Church of Rome his testimonie is euer most forcible against Papistes the Pope and Church of Rome Out of this his most learned and Christian Discourse I obserue many godly memorable Lessons First that our best workes doe merite nothing Secondly that our greatest and best merit is this viz. to know that our supposed merites are not sufficient Thirdly that how much soeuer be it more be it lesse We ascribe to Merites so much doe we derogate from Gods grace And consequently seeing we may not derogate from the Grace of God in any respect it followeth of necessitie that we cannot challenge any thing of Merite Fourthly that Grace doth iustifie vs freely and consequently that our Workes doe not iustifie at all Fiftly that though one man could suffer as much as all men doe yet could not that man condignely Merite heauen Sixtly that eternall life is not due to mans Merites Ex iure that is to say Condignely and of right Seuently that God should doe no man wrong if he gaue it not But doubtlesse if Good workes did merite Heauen God should doe wrong to many a man in not giuing it For to withhold and keepe a mans right from him is a notorious and knowen wrong Eightly that a Man is more indebted to God then God to Man And this reason my L. Abbot Bernard yeeldeth for the same viz. Because Heauen or Eternall life is the free gift of God The 7. Conclusion Good workes euen by Popish doctrine without the mercie and promise of God in his Sonne and our onely sauiour Christ Iesus doe not condignely merite Heauen This is soundly prooued by all the reasons of the third Conclusion But I will prooue it by other euident meanes S. Augustine hath these expresse wordes Vae eâ—iam laudabili vitae homiâ—â—m si remotu misericordia â—iscautias â—am Woe euen to the best liuers on earth if thou extend not thy Mercie to them For this cause doth the holy Prophet desire God Not to enter into iudgement with him And he addeth this reason Because 〈◊〉 mâ—n liuing can 〈◊〉 iustified in his sight Againe the same Prophet confesseth in an other place That if God deale extreamely in punishing what is done amisse none lyuing no not the best of all iâ— abâ—e to endure his iustice Abbot Bernard hath these expresse wordes Peccatum separans inter nos et Deum penitus auferri non poterit donec liberemur a corpore The sinne that separateth vs from God can not wholly be taken away while we remaine in this world He speaketh of Concupiscence euill desires Loe originall
Workes vnlesse it be freely giuen of mercie See the same Bernard more at large in the sixt Conclusion So faith S. Austen in these most golden words Nec misericordia impedit veritatem qua plectitur dignus nec veritas misericordiam qua liberatur indignus Qua igitur sua merita iactaturus est liberatus cui si digna suis meritis redderentur non esset nisi damnatus Neither doth Mercie hinder the Trueth with which he is punished that so deserueth neither doth Trueth hinder Mercie which deliuereth him that is vnworthy of it How therefore can he boast of his Merites which is deliuered who if he were dealt withall according to his Merites should of necessitie be damned Thirdly because our best so supposed Merites are the free Giftes of God of his meere Mercie bestowed on vs. So sayth th'Apostle What hast thou which thou hast not receiued and if thou haue receiued it why boastest thou of it as if thou haddest not receiued it Againe the same Apostle prooueth our holy Father Abraham to haue been iustified by Grace not of Works If Abraham sayth he be iustified by Workes hee hath Glorie but not with God For what sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was reputed to him for righteousnesse But to him that worketh wages is not imputed according to Grace but according to debt Yet to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him which iustifieth the wicked his Fayth is reputed to him for righteousnesse according to the purpose of the Grace of God Againe in an other place the same Apostle hath these wordes By Grace you are saued through Fayth and that not of your selues for it is the Gift of God not of Workes least any man should boast Againe thus Not of the Workes of iustice which we haue done but according to his Mercie hath he saued vs. That is it that S. Austen sayth in these most excellent words Cum Deus coronat merita nostra nihil aliud coronat quam munera sua When God crowneth our Merites he crowneth no other thing then his owne giftes Againe in these wordes Cui debetur vita aeterna vera iustitia est si autem vera iustitia est exâ—e non est desursuâ—n est descendens a patre luminum vt haberes eam Eternall life is true iustice to him to whom it is due But if it be true Iustice it is not of thy selfe it is from aboue descending from the Father of light that thou might haue the same Fourthly because our Sauiour him selfe telleth vs That when we haue done all the Good deedes which possibly she can doe then haue we done nothing in deed saue onely that which we were of duetie bound to doe Vpon which wordes the religious and learned Fryer Ferus giueth this commentarie Quantacunque N. bona feceris semper tamen maâ—ora vel saltem plura committis mala vt verissimè dicere possis te se ruum inutilem Hoc sanctus ille Iob inter flagella Dei agnoscens deplorat si inquit iustum me dâ—xero os meum condemnabit me How good so euer workes thou shalt doe yet thou alwayes committest either greater or at least mo euils so as thou mayest truely say thou art an vnprofitable seruant This holy Job lamenteth in time of his afflictions If sayth he I say I am iust my mouth shall condemne mee Againe the same Fryer Ferus hath these expresse wordes Non planè interijt Adam ille vetus vnde fit vt cum gratia sua Christus ad bona opera extimulat ipse Adam hoc est peruersa natura adijcit vel aliquid propriae complacentiae vel proprij commodi etc. Quo fit vt opus ipsum nunquam sit perfectum quamuis ex misericordia Dei non imputâ—tur pijs Old Adam is not yet wholly extinct whence it commeth that as Christ by his Grace prouoketh to Good workes so old Adam that is corrupt Nature either addeth some part of proper complacence or priuate commoditie the like Wherevpon it commeth that the Worke is neuer perfect although of Gods Mercie it be not imputed to the godly The same Fryer Ferus in an other place hath these expresse wordes Ob id Christus toties passionem suam praedixit vt penitus cordibus discipulorum infigeret vnde et ipsorum et nostra falus pendeat nempe in solo merito Christi non in operibus nostris Nos N. etiamsi omnia et faceremus aut pateremur ne pro vno quidem illoque minimo peccato satisfaceremus E Christi igitur merito salus nostra pendet huc igitur nunquam non respicienduÌ„ For that end did Christ so often foretell his Passion that he might deepely ingraffe in the heartes of his Disciples from whence both theirs and our Saluation commeth to weete from and in the onely Merit of Christ not in our owne Workes For wee although we should do or suffer all thinges yet could we not satisfie for any one Sinne no not for the least of all Our Saluation therefore dependeth vpon the Merite of Christ to which we must euer haue an eye Againe in an other place the same learned Fryer hath these words Quod nostra opera minus habeÌ„t id supplent opera Christi Imò sola opera Christi merita nostra Omnes N. iustitiae nostrae pannus menstruatae etc. What our workes want that Christes works doe supply Yea onely Christes workes are our Merites For all our Workes of righteousnesse are filthy Cloutes Fiftly S. Augustine auoucheth most constantly That without Gods mercie the best liuer on earth shall perish euerlastingly These are that holy auncient and great learned Fathers wordes Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam Woe euen to the laudable life of man if without Mercie thou examine the same Sixtly because deuout Bernard sayth That the Sinne which maketh a diuision betweene God and vs can not be wholly taken away in this life Seuenthly because the graund Papist Aquinas whose Doctrine sundry Popes haue made Authenticall affirmeth resolutely That all the Good which man hath is of God and that therefore man can haue no Merite in Gods sight saue onely according to the presupposall of his holy Ordinaunce Eightly because the famous and learned Popish Schooleman Durandus auoucheth peremptorily That condigne Merite properly can not possibly be in any man Ninthly because the Popish Fryer and Byshoppe Angles euen in that his Booke which he dedicated to the Pope himselfe deliuereth this position for holsome and sound Doctrine viz. That mans Merites are altogeather vnworthy of eternall Glorie if Gods Promise be set apart Tenthly because Cardinall Bellarmine whose Doctrine to the Papistes is as Oraculum Apollonis telleth vs without stammering That man can not for his best Workes or Merites challenge any thing of God absolutely seeing all the goodnesse he hath commeth from
God Wherefore he requireth Gods Promise to be added to mans Merite as Aquinas Durandus and Angles had done before him In one place he hath these expresse wordes At vt bono operi debeatur merces ex iustitia conuentio vel promissio necessaria est Non enim tenetur vnus alterius obsequium acceptare nisi conuentio interuenerit Deus autem non promisit mercedem vitae aeternae nisi per Christi gratiam regeneratis et adoptatis But that reward be due of iustice to good Workes a couenant or promise is necessarie For one is not bound to accept the seruice of another vnlesse there be a couenant But God promised not the reward of eternall life saue onely to the regenerate through the grace of God In an other place he hath these words Sed facilis est responsio Nam dicitur Deus reddere debita nulli debens quia nihil vlli debet absolutè sed solum ex promissione dono suo Pari ratione dicimus Deo reade quia promisisti non dicimus redde quia accepisti quoniam fundamentum primum debiti diuini non in opere nostro sed in eius promissione consistit But the answere is easie For God is said to pay debts though he be debtor to none because he oweth nothing to any absolutely but onely in respect of his promise and free gift In like manner wee say to God giue because thou hast promised We say not giue because thou hast receiued Because the chiefe foundation of Gods debt doth not consist in our worke but in his Promise freely made vnto vs. In an other place he hath these wordes Primum igitur opera iustorum remoto pacto vel promissione non esse meritoria vitae aeternae ex condigno siue ex iustitia ita vt non possit Deus sine iniustitia talē negare mercedem satis probatum est scriptura siquidem patres vbicunque dicunt Deum fidelem esse iustum in reddendo praemio semper aut ferè semper mentionem faciunt promissionis First it is prooued sufficiently that the workes of the iust Gods couenant and promise set apart are not meritorious of eternall life condignely and iustly so as God can not deny such reward without iniustice For the Scripture and the fathers whensoeuer they say God is faithfull and iust in rendring reward do euer or almost euer make mention of his promise Thus writeth Cardinal Bellarmine that famous Iesuited Fryer Out of whose doctrine I obserue many worthy Lessons to the confusion of the Pope and all his Popish vassals First that Gods promise is so necessarie to attaine reward that without it no reward can iustly be required Secondly that no reward is due to any but onely to the regenerate Thirdly that the reward is not promised for any merit in mans worke but for Christs sake and merit Fourthly that man can require nothing of God absolutely but onely for his couenant and promise sake Fiftly that God is no mans debtour absolutely but onely by reason of his free gift and promise made to man Sixtly that the chiefe foundation of Gods debt consisteth in Gods free gift and promise made to man Seuenthly that the workes of the best liuers doe not merit eternall life iustly and condignely but onely by reason of Gods couenant and promise Eightly that both the Scripture and the Fathers do either euer or almost euer make mention of gods promise wheresoeuer they tell vs that God is faithfull and iust in rewarding mans workes Much more I could say out of Bellarmine but this is sufficient to euery indifferent Reader The 12. Conclusion Condigne merite of Workes was not an Article of popish faith for more then a thousand fiue hundred and fourtie yeares after Christ. And consequently it must needs bee a rotten ragge of the new Religion as which was hatched so long after the old Roman Catholique Apostolike religion The proofe of this Conclusion is at hand because the late popish Councell of Trent made it an Article of popish Faith accursing condemning to hell all such as deny or not beleeue the condigne merit of mans works The Iesuit S. R. in his pretensed answere to the Downfall of Poperie had no other shift in the world to saue the credite of their Councel and as it were to hide the nakednesse of that vnchristian and plaine diabolical course but to denie the councel to haue decreed cōdigne merite to be an Article of Popish faith For saith hee the Councell hath no word of condigne merit but onely of true merit And after he hath cited the words of the Councell he addeth these of his owne Here are good works defined to be true merite of Glory without determining whether they be condigne merite thereof or no. Thus saith our Iesuite shewing himselfe to be either too too malicious or else a very noddie For to merite truely and condignely is all one Otherwise our Iesuite must tell vs which is vnpossible to be done how one can merite a thing truely and for all that not worthily and condignely deserue the same Well we haue it freely granted because it can not be denied that the Councell of Trent defined true merite but not condigne merite of workes to bee an Article of popish faith And consequently the Iesuite must volens nolens confesse that the Councell defined condigne merit vnder the name of true merite For better confirmation whereof I will adde a testimonie that woundeth the Iesuite at the heart and is indeed incurable It is the Iesuites owne sword which he hath put into my hands to kil him as one wearie of his life because Poperie is prooued the new Religion These are his owne expresse words I neither adde nor take any word syllable or iote away as I desire to be saued Because as I thinke saith our Iesuit onely condigne merite is true merite O sweete Iesus O heauen O earth O all Saints in heauen and all creatures on earth be ye this day iudges betweene the Iesuites and mee The Iesuite denieth the Councell to define condigne merite but graunteth it to define true merite This done O wonderment of the world the same Iesuite within two leaues next following as a madde man bereeued of his wits and senses constantly affirmeth onely condigne merit to be true merit but doubtles if onely condigne merit marke well my words for Christs sake be true merite as the Iesuite truely writeth against himselfe his Pope and Councell and withall if the Councell defined true merit as the Iesuite likewise truely granteth and my selfe affirme it followeth of necessitie that the same Councell defined condigne merit equiualently and Poperie to be the new Religion The truth Gods name be blessed for it must needes in time preuaile now sir Fryer let vs heare your goodly sermon B. C. Bell denieth the Fathers to haue ascribed any Merite to Good workes proceeding from Grace for any dignitie or
punire et damnare popoteram non simpliciter assumpsi sed elegi vos multis alijs neglectis ex massa corruptionis Sequitur docet igitur Christus hoc verbo quod ipse sit author nostrae salutis Deinde quod gratia est quicquid habemus siue sint dona illa iustificantia Fides Spes Charitas Spiritus sanctus c. Siue externa illa dona quae alio nomine dicuntur gratiae gratis datae I saith hee haue chosen you This Text may bee vnderstood either of Election to the Apostleship or of eternall Election to Saluation For in both there is grace but no merit and both are wrought by Christ for in him and through him did God chose vs euen before the world was made I saith he who am God and therefore stand in need of nothing I who can punish and condemne haue not simply taken you but reiecting many others haue chosen you out of the masse of corruption Christ therefore doth by these words teach vs that hee is the authour of our saluation Then that whatsoeuer we haue the same is grace whether they be those iustifying gifts faith hope charity the holy Spirit the like or other externall gifts which by another name are called graces freely giuen That which our Sauiour sayth of Marie Magdalene that many sinnes were forgiuen her because shee loued much doth serue well to illustrate that which is here obiected of the kingdome of heauen For Christes Argument is not drawne from the cause but from the effect as if Christ had sayd we may know by her great loue that great gifts are bestowed on her that many sinnes are forgiuen her for that not remission of her sinnes proceeded from her loue but her loue from the forgiuenesse of her sinnes the similitude of the debtors doth plainly insinuate the same vnto vs. Christ told Peter of two debters whereof the one owed fiue hundred pence the other fiftie and that when they had not wherewith to pay the creditour forgaue them both he therefore demaunded of Peter whether of the debtours loued the creditour more Peter answered that he to whom more was forgiuen Christ approoued Peters answere and concluded thereupon that seeing Marie Magdalene loued more he might know that shee had more forgiuen her Because saith Christ to whom little is forgiuen the same loueth little neither is it possible to draw any other meaning out of Christs wordes The reason is euident because Christ saith plainely that the debts were freely forgiuen the debters who were not able to pay the debts For otherwise Maries forgiuenesse could haue no coherence with the similitude of the debters Out of this discourse these points are euidently deduced First that wee are the sonnes of God not by nature for so wee are his enemies and the children of wrath but by grace and adoption in Iesus Christ. Secondly that God chose vs to be his children before wee were borne Thirdly that he chose vs not because wee were holy but that we might bee holy and immaculate in his sight Fourthly that he predestinated vs to be his children by adoption not for any good workes which we either had done or could doe but for his owne good pleasure to the glorie of his grace for as to doe any workes at all before we be borne is altogether impossible so to doe good workes when we are borne seeing we are conceiued in sinne borne in sinne and by nature the children of warth is impossible in like manner Fiftly that all our good Workes are the effects and fruites of our predestination For if it be true as it is most true els the Apostle were a lyer that we were elected to be holy and to doe good Workes it is also true it can neuer be denyed that holy life and good Workes are the effects of our Election and Predestination in Christ Iesus For this cause saith the Apostle that Predestination proceedes freely of Gods eternall purpose Iustification of Predestination and Glorification of Iustification For first he choseth vs in Christ then he iustifieth vs in Christ thirdly and lastly he glorifieth vs for his owne Names sake B. C. And beside in the same place Damnation is giuen to had Workes Get ye away from me ye cursed saith Christ into euerlasting fire which was prepared for the deuill and his angels For I was an hungry and you gaue mee not to eate Seeing then the Scripture declareth plainely that bad workes deserue damnation and hee the cause thereof as plainly doth it also signifie that good Workes merit heauen and be the cause thereof T. B. I answer that there is great disparitie between saluation damnation therefore that good works can not merit saluation though euil works be enough for damnation The reason hereof is euident both in Phylosophy and Diuinitie because as S. Dionysius Areopagita sayth and the popish angelicall doctour Aquinas approueth the same Bonum ex integra causa existet malum ex quolibet defectu Good is of an intire and whole cause but euill comes of euery defect Yea that more is required to good then to euill dayly experience teacheth vs for one may soone doe that hurt to his neighbour which can not without great cost and long time bee cured againe For euery childe can tell our Iesuite that one stroake is able to kill a man but twentie potions and twentie chirurgicall actions can not restore him to life againe So one leape is enough to cast one into the bottome of a pitte or deepe gulfe but twentie hops skippes or leapes will not bring him vp againe This Saint Austen well obserued when hee left in Writing to all posteritie That it is a greater thing to iustifie the Wicked man then to make Heauen and Earth Free-will of it selfe is able to doe euill in the highest degree but of it selfe it hath no power at all either to doe well or to will well For it is God that worketh in you saith the Apostle both the will the deed euen of his good pleasure Againe in an other place thus To will is present with me but I find no meanes to performe that which is good Againe in an other place thus No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Againe in an other place thus we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God All which and much more our sweete Sauiour compriseth in these few pethy and most golden wordes For without me yee can doe nothing Much more I could say to the same effect but I refraine for two respectes First because I haue regard to breuitie Secondly for that this matter is disputed at large and soundly prooued in the Conclusions afore-going especially in the first sixt and seuenth B. C. Wee find also in Scripture that men are sayd worthy of Reward That you may be counted worthy of
longissime distare perpendenteâ— prudentâ—r dixerunt opera nostra non esse meritoria aut digna vita aeterna Ex legetamen siue conuentione siue promissione facta nobiscum opera â—ona hominis 〈…〉 graâ—ia Deo siunt aeternae vita digna eâ— illi aequalia quae seclusa illa Deâ— promâ—ssione qua pâ—ssâ—m in saâ—â—is literis reperitur fuissent tanto praemâ—â— prorsus indigna All other holy Doctors also considering after the same manner the naturall value onely of good Workes and perceiuing that it is exceeding farre distant from the value and iust estimation of eternall life said wisely that our works are not meritorious nor worthy of eternall life yet for the couenant and promise made vnto vs the good works of man with the helpe of Gods grace are worthy of Eternall life and equall with it which for all that the promise of God which is very frequent in the Scripture set aside were altogether vnworthy of so great Reward Thus disputeth our popish Bishop our holy Fryer euen to the Pope himselfe sitting in his pontificall Chaire Who though hee bestirre himselfe more then a little to establish the condigne merite of mans Works yet doth he in his owne kind of dispute vtterly confute and confound himselfe For first he granteth that not onely Saint Chrisostome but all the rest of the holy Fathers with him affirme constantly vniformely with one voyce assent that good Works neither are meritorious properly nor worthy of Eternal life Secondly that the best Works considered in their owne nature and kinde are vnworthy of Eternall life Thirdly that good Workes proceeding of Grace and ioyned with the promise of God are worthy of Eternall life Fourthly and lastly that if Gods promise and free acceptation be set apart the best Workes of all are altogether vnworthy of Eternall glorie Which Doctrine doubtlesse I most willingly embrace And consequently though the Papists neuer cease to impeach accuse slaunder and condemne vs in this behalfe yeâ— doe we defend nothing herein as iâ— euident to the indifferent Reader but euen that which their owne best Doctours in their printed Bookes doe teach vs. Yea in those very Bookes which are dedicated to the Pope himselfe The conceits which Byshop Fryer Joseph hath coyned to make good his fondly imagined condigne merite of Workes are very childish and too too friuolous For first where he sayth the Fathers speake of Good workes onely in respect of their naturall value as he tearmeth it I answere that that silly Glosse is onely inuented by himselfe his complices so to saue the life of their rotten and beggerly Poperie if any way it might serue their turne For no such thing can be found in any of their Bookes S. Augustine as we haue euen now seene doth plainely condemne their foolish exposition Nay our Fryer Byshoppe vnawares confuteth himselfe of such force is the trueth while he very honestly graunteth That Good workes done in Grace are vtterly vnworthy of Heauen if Gods Promise be set apart Where I wish the Reader to obserue seriously with mee this word prorsus wholly vtterly and all togeather which is in deed his owne and most emphaticall against himselfe For doubtlesse whatsoeuer is wholly vnworthy the same can neuer be condignely worthy No man in his right wittes will euer deny this most manifest trueth But say on sir Fryer let vs heare some more of this pleasant melodie B. C. Bell hauing produced Iosephus to shew that Workes proceeding from Grace are not Meritorious of eternall life without the Promise of God but wholly vnworthy inferreth thus Then doubtlesse the best Workes of all can no way be Meritorious which is a false Conclusion gathered out of the premisses For it should haue bin thus Then doubtlesse the best Workes of all can no way be Meritorious without the Promise of God Why did he perfidiously curtall away these wordes and make Iosephus absolutely to conclude against the Merites of works when as in that very place hee teacheth the Merites of workes proceeding of Grace togeather with the Promise of God T. B. I answere first that our Iesuite poureth out lyes euery where in such large measure that I am very loth to be teadious to the Reader with the recitall thereof Pudeâ— N. me pigetque bonas horas nugis conterere O impudent Fryer doe I curtall Josephus his wordes It is thy propertie O shamelesse Jesuite it is not mine to cut or take away any one word or syllable from mine Author These are my expresse wordes in my Tryall so God mee helpe True it is thirdly that the religious Fryer and popish Byshop Iosephus Angles telleth the Pope roundly that it is the constant and vniforme fayth of all the holy Doctors that the best and holiest mans Workes vpon earth neither are nor possibly can be meritorious or worthy of eternall life if Gods holy and free Promise be set aside Without the which sayth Angles in the name of all the rest the best Workes of all are altogeather vnworthy of so great reward His expresse wordes are these prorsus indâ—gna wholly vnworthy Where I wish the Reader to obserue seriously with me this word prorsus which signifieth wholly for if our best Workes be wholly vnworthy of the Reward or Glory as Iosephus Angles in the name of all the holy Fathers and Doctors telleth the Pope both grauely and constantly then doubtlesse the best Workes of all are no way worthy saue onely by with and in respect of Gods Promise freely made vnto vs. Marke well gentle Reader for Christes sake and for the saluation of thine owne soule For either Poperie is hereby prooued the New religion or doubtlesse my wittes are not at home Josephus Angles affirmeth disstantly and the Popes Holinesse hath approoued the same that Good workes without the Promise of God are wholly vnworthy of eternall life Ergo say I and my life I gage for the tryall thereof Good workes without Gods Promise are no way worthy of the same For without all peraduenture that which is wholly and altogeather vnworthy without the Promise of God can no way be worthy but by and with the Promise of God The Fryer sayth not that Good workes are some way and in some sort vnworthy but prorsus wholly altogeather and in euery respect If they were any way worthy without Gods Promise then doubtlesse could they not be wholly and prorsus vnworthy without the same It is a thing vnpossible none but mad-men will affirme it Secondly that our Iesuites illation a falsely supposed correctiue of mine is fond childish and ridiculous Thus the Jesuite disputeth For saith he it should haue been thus Then doubtlesse the best Workes of all can no way be Meritorious without the Promise of God What a thing is this Hath our Iesuite lost his wit because Poperie is prooued the New religion So it seemeth doubtlesse For my illation is the very same in deed with that which the Iesuite
not daring indeed to accept the Challenge and to encounter me seeketh by fond cauils and shamelesse euasions to instill into the eares and heartes of their silly deuoted Vassals that I will not because I dare not performe my promise And for the better effecting of their purpose they require of me that which I neuer promised yea that whereof my selfe am altogeather ignoraunt and no way able to performe For how can I performe that which I doe not know I must forsooth procure him a safe conduct to dispute with that equitie and fauour which was graunted to the Protestantes in France Marke for Christes sake how feard our Iesuite is to accept the Challenge First hee dareth not put downe in print his name and addition A tricke of Iesuiticall or rather Diabolicall pollicie I must procure a safe conduct for B. C. Some bloody cut-throate I thinke hee be Yet I must not know whether hee be a Man or a Monster whether Pope Iohn the Woman or some Deuill incarnate of a Popish Nunne Besides this I must accept of such slye conditions as he addeth to my Challenge so as he may be at libertie to slippe the Halter when and as he list Whereby who seeth not that by all meanes he auoydeth to dispute or bicker with mee Fourthly that the Iesuite and his Jesuited complices haue a long time intended and still labour by vngodly and indirect meanes to take away my life from me and so to stoppe me from further writing against their rotten Poperie Yea in his Preface he protesteth lustily that hee hath prouided a Winding-sheete for the shrowding of my Carcase and that he will with all speed make ready my blacke Funerall And it seemeth so in very deed For vpon the 13. of Iune instant 1609. euen immediately after I had finished this Catholique Triumph there came a friendly Letter but without name vnto my handes and a Packet with Siluer in it which the man namelesse pretended he had borrowed of me c. The circumstaunces were such quae nunc non est narrandi locus that neither my selfe nor others durst open the Packet as hauing apparant inducementes to suspect Poyson Pestilence or other like infection Diabolicall Thus much I thought good in briefe to insinuate to the Readers that they may thereby see and perceiue how vnable the Papistes are to defende their late vpstart Poperie as who know no better meanes but by seeking most cruelly to murder all such as stand in their way God make me firme and constant in the trueth and God defend me and all professors of his holy trueth from Popish sauage crueltie and in the end bring vs to endlesse felicitie Amen Amen FINIS Fiue Bookes were printed but hid vnder a Pipkin least they should be seene or burnt with the Sunne My Booke of Motyues and Booke of Suruey Forerunner pag 15. To what end were they written but to be published This Church of Rome hath foulely corrupted the old Romane Religion which our Church hath reformed A.D. 527. A.D. 1084. The Papistes ascribe saluation to popish Monkry Bruno the author of a new popish sect Hence Poperie is conuinced to be the new Religion A.D. 1335. A.D. 1119. A.D. 1170. A.D. 1198. A.D. 1206. A.D. 1371. A.D. 1540. Ignatius Loyola was the father of Iesuites these proud lordly Fryers Behold the Iesuites liuelie purtrayed in their best beseeming colours Note well my Anatomy The Fathers of the African Councell did stoutly controule the Byshops of Rome for their forgerie of false Canons The Byshop of Romes authoritie limitted by the Councell of Nice Hence sprang the Byshop of Romes falsely pretended Primacie The Emperours were deceiued and so gaue away their royall prerogatiues A.D. 528. Vniuersall Byshop A.D. 607. A.D. 1550. A.D. 1418. A.D. 1566. A.D. 1161. Chap. 4. Of the Popes Pardons Chapt. 5. Of popish Purgatorie Chap. 6. Of Auricular confession Chap. 7. Of Veniall sinnes Chap. 8. Of the Popes fayth Chap. 9. Of the condigne Merite of Workes Chap. 10. Of Transubstantiation Chap. 11. Of popish inuocation of Saintes The Iesuite only snatcheth at such peeces as he thinketh he may best deale withal B.C. pag. 2. 〈…〉 apud 〈…〉 3 cap. 32. O the most monstrous lye in the world God of his mercy either conuert or confound the lyer Secundo principaliter Ioh 12. ver 41. Euseb. hist. lib. 3. cap. 32. Vpon my saluation the Iesuite hath most impudently belyed mee The Iesuite is as honest as he that hath no trueth at all in him Nomb. 16. vers 24.30 Out vpon all lying trayterous Iesuits Poperie can not in trueth be defended it is the new Religion The Iesuite beginneth continueth and endeth with lying Epiphan haer 68. p. 213. Apud Aug. epist. â—1 13.14.17.18.25.30 Aug. ep 76. Aug. ep 77. Apud CypriaÌ„ pag. 11.46.61.66 Valla. de don Constant. â—ol 34. B. Act. 16. In breuiario cap. â—1 Act. 16. Pag. 10. The Iesuite is full of notorious lyes Act. 16. pag. 21â— Liberatus cap. 13. pag. 621. in Breâ—iar Cap. 12. pag. 620. Cap. 23. pag. 630. Cap. 12. Pag. 20. A.D. 457. A.D. 327. Quinto principaliter Theod. hist. lib. 5. cap. 10. Theod. hist. lib. 5. cap. 9. A.D. 371. Sixto principaliter Notetur cap. 2 in conclus â—0 valde Fuerunt 630. episcopi in Chalcedone A.D. 457. Act. 16. pag. 212. The Byshop of Rome the chiefest Patriarke but yet vnder the Emperour as other Byshops else where Act. 16. pag. 208. Concil 1. Constant. A.D. 383. Celebratum Marke this The Byshop of Rome was made the chiefe Patriarcke because Rome was the head of the Empire Concil prim Constantinop Can. 5. et habetur dist 22. cap. Constantinop ciuitatis Honoris primatum Marke this poynt well Concil primum Constantinop A D. 383. celebratum Epist. ad Damasum The Iesuite prooueth himselfe a noddy Euery Arch-byshop is Byshop of Byshops in a godly sense meaning Marke well the next Chapter Dist. 99. cap. primae sedis Dist. 99. cap. Nullus Let these decrees of the Popes be neuer forgotten Gratian Dist 99. cap. ecce Floruit Greg. A.D. 591. The Byshop of Rome is confounded Concil Chalc. A. D 455. celebratum Our Fryer slaundreth the primitiue Church Our Fryer confuteth himselfe See the tryall and marke it well It is new for that it coÌ„meth short by more then 400. yeares of the time of S. Peters doctrine The newnesse of Religion may be considered two wayes The word or name Pope is a ragge of the new religion The name was old as coÌ„mon to al Byshops but not as proper to one O Fryer great is thy malice against the truth Ioh. 10. v. 28.29.30 Mat. 9.6 Ioh. 1. v 14. B.C. pag. 12. Let the Fryers confession be well remembred pag. 12. The protestation of the Duke of Saxonie and of the rest Read and marke well the antepast Gratian. Dist. 40. cap. si papa The Pope may not be iudged though he carry many thousands of men into Hell fire Vict. relect 4. depotest Papae
deteyned from them For while they gaue away their owne they vnawares and fondly deemed that they onely restored that which was not their owne in deed Instruction 8. The word Pope was not the proper and peculiar name to the Byshop of Rome for the space of 528. yeares after Christ. The Church of Rome was made the Head of all other Churches and the Byshops there the heads of all other Byshops by the imperiall constitution of Phocas 607. yeares after Christ. That the Pope could not erre iudicially was not authenticall in the Romish Church for 1500. yeares after Christ. That the Pope could vnmarrie persons lawfully married by Christes institution was neuer heard of in the Christian world vntill the yeare 1550. after Christ at which time Pope Iulius presumed to dissolue lawfull Matrimonie by his vnlawfull Dispensation It was neuer thought lawfull for the naturall Brother to marry his naturall Sister vntill the time of Pope Martin who by the instigation of the Diuell set the same abroach in the yeare 1418. after Christ. Popish Veniall sinnes were first hatched by Pope Pius 1566. yeares after Christ. That the Blood of popish Saints could worke mans redemptiō was neuer heard of for the space of 1161. yeares after Christ. The like may be sayd of many other Popish Articles for which I referre the Reader to my Tryall of the New Religion I deeme it enough for the present to insinuate to the Christian Reader that our Church hath onely abolished Superstition Errours and Heresies by litle and litle crept into the Church and doth still keepe all and euery iot of the Old Romane Fayth and Religion The Capucheenes at Rome did the like when they euen with the Popes good liking reformed the dissolute Franciscans Yea Pope Pius himselfe of late dayes did the like while he reformed the popish deformed missals and breuiaries in his late Councell gathered at Trent If hee that now is Byshop of Rome would reforme all the rest by abolishing all Nouelties by litle and litle brought into the Church as we haue done he should finde the remnant to be the Old Romane religion in verie deed Marke well the whole Discourse following where all this is soundly prooued as more cannot be wished The Contentes of the Chapters Chapter 1. Proouing THat the name and worde Pope was in the primatiue Church common to all Byshops aswell of Rome as else where That the Byshop of Rome neither is nor ought to be nor euer was called The vniuersall Byshop of the whole Church That the name Pope was not peculiar to the Bishops of Rome for more then 528. yeares after Christ. That the Iesuite volens nolens is enforced to graunt the same Chapter 2. Proouing That the Pope may not be controulled though he carry with him thousands vpon thousands into Hell That it is Sacriledge to dispute of the Popes power That the Pope with his Pardons can deliuer all soules out of Purgatory-fire That the Pope can dissolue that Matrimonie which is firme and stable by Christes institution That the Pope can dispense with the Brother to marrie his owne naturall Sister That the Pope hath as great power as Christ himselfe had on earth That the Pope may doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him That the Pope can make of nothing something That the counterfeit Donation of Constantine was the originall of all Popish superroyall power That whatsoeuer the Emperours of latter time gaue to the Church of Rome they were induced to do the same by the coozening trickes of the Byshops of Rome That the Popes Sozimus Bonefacius and Celestine falsified the Canons of the Nicene Councell so to aduance them-selues aboue all other Byshops That no Byshops nor Priestes ought to appeale to the Church of Rome That the Councell of Nice gaue the primacie of honour to the Church of Rome because it was the Seat of the Emperour and Caput Mundi That all Christians euen the Byshops of Rome are subiect to the Canons of the Nicene Councell That the Nicene Synode did confine and knit the iurisdiction of the Byshop of Rome Chapter 3. Proouing That Marriage of Priestes was euer lawfull during the time of the old Testament That the Marriage of Priestes is prohibited onely by the law of Man and not by any positiue constitution either of Christ or his Apostles That it was euer lawfull for the Byshops and Priestes of the East-church to marry and to beget children in time of their Priesthood That the Marriage of Priestes was euer lawfull also in the West-church vntill the time of Pope Siricius and in Germanie for the space of 1074. yeares after Christ. That all secular Priestes may Marry notwithstanding the Popish solemne Vow annexed That by Popish fayth and doctrine Marriage is of force after the single Vow of chastitie That the Vow single is of one and the same nature with the Vow solemne That the Marriage of Priestes is lawfull after the solemne Vow so it be done by the Popes Dispensation That the forced and coacted Chastitie of Priestes hath been so intollerable as nothing hath brought more shame to Priesthood more shame to Religion more griefe to godly men Chapter 4. Proouing That popish Pardons are neither found in the holy Scripture nor in the auncient Fathers That the popish Maister of sentences could finde no mention of them in the writinges of the holy Fathers That Byshoppe Fisher graunted the young age of late popish Pardons That the best learned Papistes are not able to defend the same Chapter 5. Proouing That the Greeke Church neuer beleeued Purgatorie That the Church of Rome beleeued it not for the space of 250. yeares That the Church of Rome beleeued it not all at once but by litle and litle That the inuention of Purgatorie was the birth of popish Pardons That the primatiue Church was neuer acquainted with the Popes Pardons nor yet with popish Purgatorie Chapter 6. Proouing That popish Auricular confession cannot be prooued out of the Old Testament That the New Testament doth not impose an heauier yoake vpon vs then did the Old That popish Auricular confession is not necessarie for mans saluation That it is neither commaunded by Christ nor yet by his Apostles That it is established by the meere law of man grounded only vpon a falsely imagined Apostolicall vnwritten tradition That it was not an Article of popish Fayth for the space of 1215. yeares after Christ. Chapter 7. Proouing That euery Sinne is Mortall of it owne nature That fiue famous popish Writers Roffensis Almaynus Bains Durandus Gersonus doe all confesse the same That the Jesuite S. R. graunteth freely that the Church of Rome had not defined some Sinnes to be Veniall vntill the dayes of Pius the fift which was not fiftie yeares agoe Chapter 8. Proouing That the Pope may erre both in Fayth and Doctrine iudicially That many Popes haue erred De facto That great learned Papistes did constantly confesse so