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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	good_a	life_n	merit_v	5,864	5	10.8367	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07880	The Popes funerall Containing a plaine, succinct, and pithy reply, to a pretensed answere of a shamelesse and foolish libell, intituled, The forerunner of Bels downfall. VVhich is nothing else indeede, (as the indifferent reader shall preceiue by the due peruse thereof,) but an euident manifestation of his owne folly; with the vtter confusion of poperie, and all popish vassals throughout the Christian world.	Bell, Thomas, fl. 1593-1610.	1605 (1605)	STC 1825; ESTC S101478	72,528	132

that reward be due of iustice to good works a couenant or promise is necessary for one is not bound to accept the seruice of another vnles there be a couenant But God promised not the reward of eternal life saue only to the regenerate through the grace of Christ. The secōd sentence Respondeo absolute non posse hominem a Deo aliquid exigere cum omnia sint ipsius tamē posita eius voluntate pacto quo non vult e●●gere a nobis opera nostra gratis sed mercedem reddere iuxta proportionem operū vere possumus ab eo mercedē exigere quomodo seruus non potest absolute a Domino suo vllum praemium postulare cum omnia quae seruus acquirit Domino suo acquirat tamen si Domino place at donare illi opera sua pro ijsdem tanquam sibi non debitis mercedem promittere iure mercedem pro suis operibus postulabit I answere that man cannot absolutely require any thing of God seeing al things are his yet seeing his pleasure and couenant is such that he will not require our works of vs for nothing but will reward vs in proportion of our works we may truly require reward of him like as a seruant cannot absolutely require any reward of his master seeing all things which he gaineth are his masters yet if it be his masters pleasure to giue him his labours and for the same as not due vnto him to promise reward hee may iustly require wages for his works The third sentence Sed facilis est responsio Nam dicitur Deus reddere debita nulli debēs quia nihil vlli debet absolute sed solum ex promissione et dono suo Pari ratione dicimus Deo Redde quia promisisti nō dicimus Redde quia accepisti quoniam fundamentū primū debiti diuini non in opere nostro sed in eius promissione consistit But the answer is easy for God is said to pay debts being dettor to none because hee oweth nothing to any absolutely but only in respect of his free gift promise In like maner we say to God Giue because thou hast promised we say not Giue because thou hast receiued for the chiefe foundation of Gods debt doeth not consist in our worke but in his promise The fourth sentence Primū igitur opera iustorū remoto pacto vel promissione non esse meritoria vitae aeternae ex cōdigno siue ex iustitia ita vt non possit deus sine iniustitia talem negare mercedē satis probatū est scriptura siquidem et patres vbicūque dicunt deum fidelē esse et iustū in reddendo praemio semper aut fere semper mention● faciunt promissionis First therfore it is proued sufficiētly that the works of the iust Gods couenant promise set apart are not meritorious of eternall life condignely and iustly so as God cannot deny such reward without iniustice for the scripture and the fathers whēsoeuer they say God is faithful iust in rendring reward do euer or almost euer make mention of his promise Out of these assertions of our Iesuiticall Cardinal Bellarmine I obserue these golden lessons against the Pope to whō the book was dedicated against Popery it selfe and against all popish and Iesuited vassals First that Gods promise is so necessary to attaine reward that without it no reward cā iustly be required Secōdly that no reward is due to any but only to the regenerate Thirdly that the reward is not promised for any merit in mans worke but for Christs sake and merit Fourthly that mā can require nothing of God absolutely but only for his couenant promise sake Fiftly that God is no mās dettor absolutely but only by reason of his free gift promise made to mā Sixtly that the chief foundation of Gods debt cōsisteth in Gods free promise but not in the work of man Seuenthly that the works of the best liuers do not merit eternal life iustly cōdignely but by reason of Gods couenant promise Eightly and this obseruation striketh dead and bringeth the Pope to his funeral that both the Scripture the fathers do either euer or almost euer make mention of Gods promise whēsoeuer they tel vs that God is faithful iust in rewarding men for their works and that they so do for this end and purpose that man may know there is no reward due vnto his works for any merit condignity or worthinesse inherent in his best work but only solely for that promise which God of his free mercy made vnto him in Christ Iesus All this is most plainly and fully contained in the 4. sentence out of our Romish Cardinal Bellarmine Read it gentle Reader againe and againe peruse it volue it reuolue it think vpon it when thou risest when thou goest to bed neuer forget it til thy liues end Now let vs proceed and see how gallantly the Libeller answereth me These are his words The fathers saith Bell out of the testimony of Iosephus confesse that good works according to their naturall value be not meritorious of eternall life What is that against vs do not al Catholiks graunt as much whē they acknowledge that they receyue all their efficacy of working from Gods grace which doctrine of ours hee may learne out of the Councell of Trent where it is handled at large Now marke my Reply The Reply I answere and I wish the Reader to marke wel my words and to iudge of them indifferently all partiality set apart which doubtlesse if it be performed the Reader who is a good Christian will thereby bee confirmed in his faith and he that is a Papist will detest and renounce Popery world without end Amen First therfore the impudent shamelesse brazen-faced Libeller I cannot name him so ill as hee deserues corrupteth my words cutteth the testimony of Iosephus Angles asunder and putteth down to the Readers eyes but one onely snatch patch and piece thereof not daring for his lugges and guts to put the period wholy together and to frame a full and direct answere to the same Secondly so soone as he hath corrupted the testimony and snatched only at the third part which is of least force leauing 2. parts behinde him which containe the main poynt the very life of the cōtrouersy he exclaimeth in these words What is this against vs Truly sir Libeller it is nothing against you as your lying lips auouch it for a truth howbeit whē the testimony of Iosephus Angles is truly wholy fully soundly related as it came from his pen was by me fitly and rightly applyed it wil make so much against you against your Pope against your Coūcel of Trent and against al other Papists as they are neuer able to answere it while the world indures These are the expresse words of Iosephus Angles which I did truly relate but our shameles Libeller guilefully deceitfully

among many others are his owne words Quid. n. facilius quā diliges proximum tuum for what is more easie thē thou shalt loue thy neighbour Yea a thousād histories as S. Chrisost. saith are contained in the Scriptures which the meanest simplest cannot but vnderstand Which thing our Iesuite Bellarmine did truly obserue when he affirmeth the same S. Chrisostome where hee saith the Scriptures are easy to be vnderstood to speak only of the historie such like things So then our sottish doltish Iesuite may go sighing and sobbing to his brethren and tel thē in sad earnest that it is better for him to sit stil then to rise vp fal as he hath already done CHAP. V. Of the condigne merit of workes THE Libeller hath so long pleased himself in his coozening tricks and in his bewitching of the simple ignorant Papists that he bosteth therof and presumeth to preuaile vnto the end but by the power of God I shal proue him such a noddy before I leaue him that all the world wil deeme him worthy to weare in his forhead a cox-combe for his foolishnes and on his back a fox-tayle for his badge Disputing saith our shameles Libeller against the condigne merits of works he citeth this sentēce of a Catholike writer Iosephus Angles Eodem etiam modo c. as other holy Doctors also considering after the same maner the natural value only of good works and perceiuing that it is exceeding far 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 couenāt and promise made vnto vs the good works of man with the helpe of grace are worthy of eternall life and equall with it which for all that that promise of God which is frequent in Scripture set aside were altogether vnworthy of so great a reward Thus doth the shamelesse Libeller recite my words and that done hee proceedeth in this maner in these words Although nothing be contained hurtfull to Catholike doctrine yet Bell by his Alchymisticall arte of changing truth into falshood can gather out matter sufficiently against vs. Now mark the answer and both his knauery and folly will appeare The Answere I answere first that Robert Parsons that trayterous Iesuite whome I challenge to bee the penner of the shamelesse Libel is a most notorious lyar and malicious corrupter of my Authors I proue it because in the very beginning of that only Doctors words of whome Parsons made choyce before all the rest hee hath changed the first word which hee perceiued to strike him dead to giue the Pope a mortall woūd for where the Popish Fryer and Bishop Iosephus Angles hath these words All other holy Doctors the Libeller hath these words As other holy Doctors placing the word as for the word all What a trechery is this Parsons committeth the murder and chargeth an other man with the fact Hee telleth me of changing truth into falshood which hee neither is nor euer shall be able to proue and yet doeth himselfe change so much trueth into falshood vse so many coozening tricks as I am very weary in relating a small part therof All other holy Doctors sayth Iosephus Angles As other holy Doctors sayth Parsons Diabolus mendax est pater eius Parsons our shamelesse lyar impudent Libeller not able to indure the sound of their holy Friar and reuerend Bishop when hee affirmeth all holy Doctors to be against their holy Pope his late Romish religiō deemed it his best course to change the word all into the word as that so the Reader might bee bewitched with his legierdemaine and not able to behold the truth But Iosephus Angles telleth vs plainly that all other holy Doctors teach the very same doctrine Marke well gentle Reader for Christs sake for the sauing of thine own soule for my life my soule I dare gage in this quarrell the Iesuite is at his non plus condemned in his owne conscience and neuer able to defend the cause which he hath takē in hand The Papists are so impudent that they affirme their late Romish religion to be the old Religion and Catholike doctrine And with this most shamelesse and impudent asseueratiō they haue a long time seduced and bewitched a great part of the Christian world But this very questiō of condigne merits of works which the Libeller snatched at but durst not for his lugges answere directly to it will make their coozening tricks their legierdemaine so manifest and so vnfold their iuggling and so lay open the nakednesse of late Popery that all the world may perceiue the doctrine which I deliuer which is also the doctrine of the Church of England to be not the new Religion as many silly soules do think but the old Roman Religion from which the late Bishops of Rome by little little haue swarued and the true ancient Catholike faith The doctrine which the Church of England maintayneth and my selfe defends is not a new Religion as the Papists falsely beare the world in hand but the olde ancient Christian Catholike Romane Religiō reformed refined and purged from superstitions errors and heresies which by peece-meale haue crept into the Church Would God the Papists durst once answer my books directly that so the combat for the triall of this controuersy might be foughten valiantly But they are cowards they dare not do it Secondly that when the Libeller saith Nothing brought is hurtfull to Catholike doctrine by which words he euer vnderstandeth late Romish Religion he sheweth himself to be an impudent lyar with a shamelesse brazen face For Iosephus Angles doth not only tel the Pope and in him all his popish vassals that the best works of all considered in their owne nature and natural value are vnworthy of eternall life but also marke well my words that the best works of all euen with the helpe of Gods grace and the assistance of the holy Ghost are altogether vnworthy of eternall life if Gods promise free acceptation be set apart Where I wish the reader to marke seriously these words prorsus indigna altogether vnworthie which are not mine but the Fryers and are most emphaticall against the late Romish Religion I proued this point of doctrine both by the Scriptures fathers best approued Popish writers yea euen by the verdict of Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe But the Libeller durst not aduenture to encounter me and to grapple with my doctrine I wil now adde some few sentences out of Bellarmine which afore I did not once touch The first sentence At vt bono operi debeatur merces ex iustitio conuentio vel promissio necessaria est non n. tenetur vnus alterius obsequium acceptare nisi cōuentio interuenerit Deus autem non promisit mercedem vita aeternae nisi per Christi gratiā regeneratis et adoptatis But

and maliciously omitted them because forsooth hee knew right wel that the rehearsal of thē would marre his market strike him dead Ex lege tamen siue conuentione siue promissione facta nobiscū opera bona hominis cum adiutorio gratiae dei fiūt aeternae vitae digna illi aequalia quae seclusa illa dei promissione quae passim in sacris literis reperitur fu●ssent taz to praemio prorsus indigna Yet for the couenant and promise made vnto vs or with vs the good works of man with the helpe of Gods grace are worthy of eternall life and equall with it which for al that that promise of God which is euery where found in the holy Scriptures set apart were altogether vnworthy of so great reward These are the expresse words of Iosephus Angles that learned Fryer Popish Bishop Now the question is whether these words which the Libeller deceitfully omitted doe make against him or not If they make for him against me I am content to be the liar to be ouerthrown in my pleading but if they make against him as vndoubtedly they do then must hee bee the lyar lose the victory be quite ouerthrowne in his owne cause yea then must his friends sing a blacke Dirige for his soule and all Popish vassals a dolefull Placebo for the Popes funerall The tryal standeth thus two things are euidently set downe in this part of the period and testimony of Frier Angles first that the good works of man ioyned with the helpe of Gods grace are by reason of Gods couenant and promise made with man worthy of eternal life Secondly that the selfe same good works of man euen as they proceede from the helpe and grace of God are altogether vnworthy of eternal life if Gods couenant and promise be set apart What can be more plainely spoken Nothing in the world But to vnderstand the Fryers testimony and doctrine exactly and to the bottome foure things which are contayned therein must bee seuerally and apart considered First the naturall value of mans workes Secondly good workes proceeding of grace together with the onely promise and couenant of God Thirdly good workes proceeding of GODS grace but seuered and set apart from the promise and couenant made to man Fourthly these wordes prorsus indigna altogether vnworthy these 4. obseruations euery child may find in the testimony of Frier Iosephus if he ponder the text seriously with this my explicatiō especially if he peruse the whole article as it is set downe at large in my former booke Now the Libeller made choyce only of the first such coozening tricks he vseth to wit of the naturall value of mans works omitting all the other three lest if he once touched thē they should burne him to death that done he boasteth ante victoriā as if he were a conqueror when his own conscience cōdemneth him telleth him that he is a dastardly coward and must be taken prisoner for his deceitfull dealing Mans works thus taken that is in their natural value are not worthy of eternall life Heerein I agree to the Libeller but I must needs tel him withal that he is a pestilent Sycophant a most coozening villaine who seemeth to haue entred league with the deuil of hell and to haue made shipwrack of his soule in that he resteth in an vnperfit part of the period omitting the very pith substance therof so to seduce deceiue his Readers The second obseruatiō telleth vs that good works ioyned with the grace of God are worthy indeed of eternall life yet not absolutely but respectiuely that is to say in regard of Gods couenant and promise made to man This is a poynt obseruation of the greatest importance that may be The third obseruation teacheth vs that good works which proceed of Gods grace if they wanted and were destitute of the promise of God could no way be worthy of eternall life The fourth last obseruation telleth vs that good works ioyned with grace but destitute of Gods promise are prorsus indigna not only vnworthy but wholy and altogether vnworthy of eternal life Now I refer it to the Reader to giue his indifferent censure whether I be the lyar or the impudent Libeller And here once againe I do inlarge my former challenge promising vnder my hand that if this Libeller wil with conuenient speed or any other English Iesuite or Iesuited Papist whosoeuer he be publish in print a direct full answer to my first article which is of the condigne merit of works and putting downe his name at large with his vsuall addition shal accept the challenge promise vpon a safe conduct to defend the same publikely and viua voce to fall down prostrate vpon my knees before the most mighty learned wise vertuous and religious Prince Iames King of great Brittaine France Ireland and my most gracious Soueraigne so soone as I shall receiue a copy therof then and there with heart and voyce most hūbly to request his most excellent Maiesty that a safe conduct may be published for the due triall of the supposed condigne merit of works in maner already specified I require in this challēge but a direct ful answere to one only article If no English Papist be of courage neither to answer directly fully all my books nor any one of them nor one only poore article being but a small part therof what shal I say or what can I say nay what can the Papists thē selues say or what can all the world say but fye vpon them vpon their late vpstart Romish Religion CHAP. VI. Of the inuoluntary motions of Concupiscence SO shamelesse and impudent is the Libeller in all his dealing that I doe not thinke it strange to receine a huge fardel of lyes from his pen. But now he so farre surpasseth impudency it selfe that he seemeth not to bee a meere man but some Fairies Brat begotten of some Incubus or ayerish spirit vpō the body of a base woman a monster of mankind fitter for hel then middle earth For so his owne fellowes haue published to the world of him The Libeller after his wonted maner hath singled out by way of snatching from the words vpon which they did depend from whence they receiued their true sence and meaning ten lines out of ten leaues which he hath no sooner done but he glorieth in this maner S Austen quoth he proueth at large in sundry places of his works that inuoluntary motions of concupiscence are sin indeed and truly so called In his first booke of Retractations he hath these words That which in Infants is called originall sin when as yet they vse not free arbitrimēt of wil is not absurdly called voluntary because being contracted of the euill will of the first man it is become in sort hereditary It is not therfore false which I said Sinne is an euil so voluntary that

viz. to propine vnto them a cup of dangerous Letharge which pittifully annoyeth the power sensitiue almost vtterly quencheth right reasō that so they shuld neither be able to discerne truth from falshood nor to behold the bright light shining cleerly before their faces On the one side it grieued them aboue measure vexed them at their very hearts to heare continuall out-cryes against them for the non-answering of my bookes On the other side it wounded galled and deepely goared their cōsciences that they were not able to withstād or gainsay my strong reasons euident proofes inuincible demonstrations Being thus perplexed and at their wits end what to say or do they resolued to publish a counterfeit and pretensed answere rather then none at all so to stay in some sort at the least the outcryes exclamations of the people against them And to the ende their couzonage and legierdemaine should not be espyed if that were a thing possible to bee done and effected their scurrilous Libell which containeth onely fiue Chapters in all is fraught with nothing else for the foure first but with notorious lyes antichristian speeches vain bragges railing words couzoning trickes ridiculous asseverations most slaunderous and false accusations Yea of fiue partes one only is reserued for their pretensed answere to my booke I say of their pretensed answere because all the Iesuits or at the least the best of them aswell beyond the seas as in this kingdome gaue their best aduise for the effecting thereof Now if any man demaund the cause why they bestir themselues so much waste so much pretious time spend so many Chapters in things meerely impertinent and plaine by-matters mee thinketh I can not answere that question more fitly then by relating their owne words in their scurrilous and shamelesse Libell albeit by them intended to an other purpose These are their expresse words If he be such a sincere writer as he protesteth so consideratiue and respectiue in the penning of his bookes that no suspition of misreporting or corruptiō can be iustly fastned vpon him then doth it euidently followe that we haue great dissentions in matters of Faith and that our Doctors bee the bane of Catholique doctrine and then no maruell if hee make challenge vppon challenge and remaine vnanswered when as not onely our enemies but also those that we take for our friends and rely vpon stand in open field against vs and haue as it were sworne our destruction Thus writeth the Libeller vnder which name I euer vnderstand the Iesuites and all Iesuited persons whose heads wits concurred in deuising the same Againe a little after he hath these words the matter as he handleth it seemeth so odious that some no question condemne vs highly vpon his report and my selfe was since the comming forth of his booke assaulted with this very question so markeable it is in euery mans eye Thus prateth the godlesse Libeller euen to his owne shame and confusiō though vnwittingly Out of whose words I note sundry very necessarie memorable points for the true comfort of the Christian Reader First that of force and meere necessitie it must be graunted that the Papists haue great dissentions among them euen in matters of Faith Secondly that their very best doctors be the bane of the Pope and the Popes religion Thirdly that it is no maruaile that I make challenge vpon challenge and stil remaine vnanswered Fourthly that those doctors whom they take for their friends and doe relie vpon stand in open field against them as if they were their sworne enemies Fiftly that many Papists begin to stagger and to stand in doubt of the popish Religion and that by reading of my bookes as by an Instrument vnder God in that behalfe Sixthly that the libeller himselfe hath bene assaulted with that which hath beene gathered out of my bookes Seuenthly that the doctrine deliuered in my books is verie markable in euery mans eye Blessed be our Lord God for all his mercies and fauours to this our Church of England Wee see here gentle Reader that the Papists generally euen the Iesuits and Seminarie-Priests begin to feare the ruine and downe-fall of Poperie One thing the Reader must heere remember that the first foure notes or obseruations are respectiue must be vnderstood conditionally viz. that if the Papists doe not confute my bookes effectually then must they all and euery of them perforce and of necessitie be truly verified of the papists of their popish religiō It therfore standeth the Papists vpon to answere me both directly and soundly for else destruction of necessitie must come vpon them and breake the necke of their Poperie This confession God be praised I haue by insoluble reasons and euident demonstrations extorted from their owne pennes But gentle Reader they will neuer answere my bookes till the worlds end because they cannot and consequently euen by their owne free confession which is to be admired Poperie must haue a downefal the sooner the better Amen the case is cleere and evident euen to euery child For they that haue bene buzzing about the answering of my bookes these many yeares and confesse freely withall that the life of their Poperie depends vppon the confutation of my bookes and thereupon haue assaid all meanes they could deuise haue no doubt made choyse of those small parcels with which they thought themselues most able to deale VVherein for al that they haue done nothing else indeede but onely laid open to the viewe of the world their great malice and extreame folly VVhich if I bee not deceiued euery indifferent Reader will affirme with mee so soone as hee hath perused this my briefe plaine discourse so briefe and succinct as none I thinke will deeme it tedious so sound and sincere as none can iustly and truly reproue it and so plaine facile and perspicuous as euery childe may vnderstand the same For if I doe not soundly pithily and effectually confute the Libeller yea euen turne him out of his skin I will be content and well pleased to lose my life for my paines And let the Reader thus perswade himselfe bcause euident reason conuinceth it to be so that if the Iesuits and Iesuited Papists are not able to make good against mee those sillie snatches and pieces of my bookes whereof themselues haue made the choyse that much lesse are they able to confute my whole workes No no they doe in effect confesse so much while they dare neither answere any one booke of all nor yet any one Chapter wholy heere and there an odde piece or sentence I protest vnto the gentle Reader that I partly blush on their behalfe Garnet the prouinciall of the Iesuits in England some yeares agoe was cōsulted with his aduise required that some course might be taken for the answering of my bookes because their silence in that behalfe brought no smal detriment to their Religion The good father hauing on