and godly Fathers Nay it is a certaine demonstration that they had this knowledge of the God-head because out of those Scriptures wherein their knowledge and faith is set forth vnto vs wee haue testimony and proofe thereof though not so formall and cleare as in some few places of the new Testament is expressed yet such as from whence this point of faith is most certainly and vndoubtedly to be conceiued For when we finde on the one side h Deut. 6. 4. The Lord our God is one Lord and on the other side doe reade i Psal 2. 7. The Lord hath said vnto me Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee and againe k Psal 110. 1. The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand c. and againe l Esa 48. 16. The Lord and his spirit hath sent me m Esa 61. 1. The spirit of the Lord God is vpon me with infinite other places to like effect how can we doubt but that in vnity of the God-head they saw distinctly three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And thus Gregory resolueth that n Gregor in Ezech. hom 16. Siâ—e hi qui elects in testameÌ„to veteri fuerunt siue hi qui in nouo testamento secuti sunt â—imirum constat quia omnes ex amore Trinitatis accensi sunt c. Ad veram speciem ex Trinitatis sunt cognitione decorats whether the elect in the old Testament or they that followed in the new they were all enkindled with the loue and adorned to true beauty with the knowledge of the holy Trinity As touching the last point which he mentioneth of Christ in vnity of person being both God and Man I answer him by St. Austin that they did so beleeue for o Aug. Epist 157. Cuius hominis eiusdemque Dei saluberrima fide â—tiam illi iusti salui facti sunt qui priusquam in carne vemret crediderunt illâ—m in carne centurum by the most wholsome beleefe saith he of Christ both God and Man euen those iust were saued who beleeued that hee should come in the flesh before that hee did come And in another place hee saith yet more expresly concerning Abraham p Idem cont Pelag. Celest lib. 2. c. 27. Nunquid il lud quod iubet Abraham ponere mark seruum suum sub semore suo iurare per Deum coeli alitèr quisquam rectè intellecturus est nisi Abraham scisse in qua vâ—ntuâ—us esset Deus coeli carnem de illo semore propagari When Abraham bid his seruant put his hand vnder his thigh and sweare by the God of heauen can any man otherwise vnderstand it aright but that Abraham knew that from that thigh should be deriued that flesh wherein the God of heauen should come If Abrah 〈…〉 knew that the God of heauen should come in flesh taken of his flesh hee could not bee ignorant I trow that when hee should bee come hee should bee in the flesh both God and Man To be short the same St. Austin presently after saith q Ibid. cap. 28. Nondum factum sed adhuc futurum eadem tamen ipsa patrum quae nostra est sides vna caÌ„tabal Tues Sacerdos in aternum c. The faith of the Fathers all one with our faith did sing that which then was not done but was as yet to come Thou art a Priest fâ—r euer after the order of Melchisedec Where we cannot doubt but their faith obserued as ours doth from the beginning of the Psalme that it was Dauids Lord to whom this was said and therefore that he was very God and because he could not be a Priest after the order of Melchisedec except he were man therefore that he was truly man and because God notwithstanding speaketh vnto him as only one therefore that in vnity of person he should be both God and man For conclusion M. Bishop granteth that they beleeued some few points of faith in particular and had a certaine confuse and darke conceipt by figures and types of most of the rest but inasmuch as he instanceth against me the most high mysteries of our Christian faith and yet it appeareth that they had the beleefe and knowledge thereof we doe not doubt but that they had likewise knowledge though not so easily as we but with more labour attained vnto yet they had knowledge not only of the most but also of all the rest W. BISHOP §. 3. TOuching these very points whereof M. Abbot would haue them wholly ignorant if his bare word without any manner of proofe were so powerfull I affirme that they held the most of them which I will not stand here to proue at large for that were Protestant-like to runne from one question to another without order but I will only giue a touch to euery one of his instances referâ—ing the Reader for more full satisfaction to the proper place of those head controuersies First no Catholike euer taught any man to worship Idols let that then passe as a Protestant slander but that Images are to be placed in Churches the examples recorded in the old Testament of hauing them both in their Tabernacle and in the Exod. 25. v. 18. Temple of Salomon and this sentence of the Psalmist 3. Reg 6. v. 23. Adore his foote-stole and many such like places and Psalm 98. v. 5. resemblances doe argue very strongly that Images are to be worshipped Secondly inuocation of Angels is most plainly practised by the holy Patriarke Iacob the Father of all Israelites God c. and the Angell that hath Genes 48. v. 16. deliuered me from all euill blesse these children The example of so religious a person is our sufficient warrant to pray to Angels and Saints for Saints in heauen are equall Luc. 22. to Angels as our Sauiour himselfe assureth vs and Iob was counsailed to pray and call for aide vnto some of the Saints Ad aliquem Sanctorum conuerte Thirdly Iob 5. vers 1. they of the old Testament knew good workes to merit life euerlasting and had by Gods grace free-will to doe them which I adde because by the same sentences I will proue both togither God said vnto Cain If thou doe Genes 4. v. 7. well shalt thou not receiue if euill thy sinne will be at the dore but the appetite or pange of it shall be vnder thee and thou shalt haue dominion ouer it see both power giuen to the wicked to doe well if they will and recompence promised therefore Againe in the law Moyses hauing propounded to the Israelites Gods Commandements exhorting them thereunto saith Consider Deut. 30. v. 15. that I set before you life and good and contrariwise death and euill if you loue God and will walke in his Commandemens life or else death c. choose therefore life c. Must they not be very dull Vers 19. that hence cannot gather the keeping of Gods
Commandements to deserue and merit life euerlasting and that man hath by the aide of Gods grace free-will to performe them Fourthly they that were skilfull in the law of Moyses could not be ignorant of workes of supererogation that is that there were many good workes which men were not bound to doe yet if they did them they might thereby aduance themselues in Gods fauour because there is speciall Numer 6. order taken for the sanctification of any man or woman that would be a Nazarite that is any one that of deuotion would withdraw himselfe from secular affaires and for some certaine time serue God more religiously yet no man was bound thereunto Further they were allowed and encouraged to make vowes which is also a worke of supererogation against M. Abbots fift instance For not only Dauid saith Vow and render it Psalm 75. v. 12. to our Lord but in the law it is written When thou Deut. 23. v. 21. doest vow a vow vnto the Lord thy God slacke not to performe it because the Lord thy God doth require it c. but if thou wilt not promise thou shalt be without sinne And to leaue the word Monkery as fitter for a Monkey then for an Abbot Iosephus a graue authour among the Iewes witnesseth That there liued Antiquitat Iudaic lib. 18. c. 2. in the time of the law many thousands called Esseni who were contemners of riches liued in common hauing neither wiues nor seruants What other thing doe Monkes professe then such pouerty and chastity sauing obedience which must needes also in some degree be among the others who liued no doubt in orderly society Sixtly neither they nor we either buy or sell pardons yet had great mercy and pardon shewed them for their forefathers sake as God testifieth in the first Commandement And that they were on the other side to endure temporall punishment for sinne after the guilt of the sinne and the eternall paine was forgiuen them is most clearly recorded both of all the people of Israel Whose murmuration against Numer 14. God was at the earnest intercession of Moyses pardoned and yet were they therefore depriued of entring into the land of promise Yea Moyses and Numer 20. v. 24 Aaron themselues were in like manner both pardoned for their diffidence that they did not glorifie God at the waters of contradiction and yet neuerthelesse debarred from entring into the land of promise for the Deut. 32. v. 51. same offence so that after the mortall guilt of sinne is remitted there remaineth either some temporall satisfaction to be made on our parties or else to be forgiuen and pardoned vs by God and his Ministers Seuenthly that they made prayers and offered Sacrifice for the soules in Purgatory is manifest by the fact of Iudas Machabeus 2. Mach. 12. who was a most noble vertuous and faithfull Israelite as all Christians doe confesse Neither is there any neede for this purpose to auerre and proue the bookes of the Machabees to be Canonicall Scripture when it serueth this turne that they be taken for a graue History and that the Protestants allow them to be of sufficient authority for instruction of manners Further all the Iewes euen to this day doe pray for the soules in Purgatory see the Catholike Apologie out of Protestant Authours Eightly the Titul 1. Sect. 4. Iewes of the male-kinde by their law were bound to goe as it were in pilgrimage at three solemne feasts in the yeare vnto one speciall place that God should choose for his seruice And King Salomon encouraged all strangers to goe on pilgrimage to the Temple builded by him when hee prayed that what stranger soeuer should Deut. 16. v. 16. come thither to pray hee might obtaine his sute And the bones of the Prophet Elizeus giuing life by 3. Reg. 8. v. 21. 4. Reg. 13. v. 21. their touch vnto a dead man doth sufficiently instruct all true beleeuers that it is very profitable to goe on pilgrimage vnto the sacred bones and holy relikes of Gods faithfull seruants departed Lastly they were not wholly vnacquainted with a kinde of shrift and absolution for they Numer 5. Leuit. 5. were charged to confesse the sinnes they had committed and to bring with them vnto the Priest a prescribed Sacrifice to be offered by them for their pardon and absolution And as the lepers by that law were bound to present themselues to the Priests and were by them declared such or purged from that imputation so in the law of grace men infected with the soules leprosie that is mortall sinne are either to be bound and declared obstinate by the Priests if they will not repent or repenting and confessing the same are to be cleansed therefrom by the Priests absolution as both S. Chrysostome Chrysost lib. 3. de Saceraot Hieron in cap. 16. Math. and S. Hierome doe argue This in briefe will suffice I hope for answere vnto M. Abbots particulars R. ABBOT I Gaue instance in mine answere of sundry points of faith and religion which I affirmed to bee vnknowen to the first Fathers which notwithstanding are such as they could not haue beene ignorant of if they were matters of so great moment in religion as they are pretended now I named the worshipping of Idols and Images Inuocation of Saints and Angels Merits and supererogations Monkish vowes Popish pardons and prayers for soules in Purgatory Pilgrimages to Relikes and dead mens bones auricular Confession and shrift in which and sundry other such like deuices the very substance of Catholike religion is now with the Papists imagined to consist Now M. Bishop affirmeth to the contrary that they held the most of these the most he saith not all thereby importing concerning some of them at least that they were vnknowen to them And yet as though hee wist not what hee had said he taketh in hand to touch euery one of my instances and to giue some proofe of euery one of them referring the Reader for more full satisfaction to the proper places of the head controuersies whereas he knoweth well that in the answere to those controuersies is already taken away almost all that he hath here said As first his exception against the name of Idoll a Of Images sect 5. I haue shewed to be wholly vaine and haue made it plaine out of Tertullian and others that euery Image consecrated to be worshipped is properly an Idoll Againe his allegations of Images in the Tabernacle and in the Temple of Salomon and of the wordes which he bringeth out of the Psalme b Ibid. Sect. 8. 16. Adore yee his foote-stoole haue beene also declared to be to his purpose false impertinent and vaine But yet to giue a touch for a touch note here also briefly the folly of them I say that the old Fathers worshipped no Images and he to proue the contrary alleageth that in the Tabernacle and Temple they had Images What is the one of these to
largitas Where grace is there is not reward of workes but the largesse and bounty of the giuer h Leo Epist 84. Gratia nisâ— gratis dâ—tur non est gratia sed merces retribâ—tion meritorum Grace saith Leo except it be freely giuâ—n is no grace but a reward and recompense of merits leauing it consequent that if it be the reward and recompense of merits then it is not grace Thus they determine grace and merit to be things incompatible and of so perfect opposition eaâ—h to other as that the one cannot stand where place is yeelded to the other Sith then the Apostle teacheth that eternall life is a matter of grace and free gift we must conceiue that it is not to be hanged vpon mans merit or if in any respect it be to be ascribed to the merit of man it is not grace because it is not free in euery respect M. Bishops respects thereof of originally and principally are to be sent to the Pelagian schoole where they would be admitted as well as they are amongst the Papists but in the schoole of Christ they are exploded as derogatory to the grace of Christ and yeelding so much glory to man as is the manifest impeaching of the glory of God And yet so impudent is he that he would make St. Austin the author of his respects whom i Of Merits sect 8. before I haue shewed to be farre off from approuing any such Originally forsooth eternall life is the gift of God because we must receiue grace by the free gift of God befâ—re we can doe any thing that doth deserue the ioyes of heauen So then eternall life it selfe is not the free gift of God but only grace which enableth vs to worke by our free will and so to deserue eternall life And did St. Austin conceiue this to be the meaning of the Apostle Surely in the place before mentioned I haue shewed that St. Austin attributeth our good workes not originally only but fully and wholly to the gift and worke of God and thereby disclaimeth the merit of man because what shall man be said to merit by that that is wholly and only Gods Therefore he saith that God in rendering eternall life to good workes doth but giue k August de Grat. lib. Arbit cap. 8. Gratia est pro gratia grace for grace one grace after and for another M. Bishop would haue him say that God rendereth merit for grace but St. Austin will acknowledge no other but only grace for grace And the more to beate downe the pride of merit he saith l Ibid. cap. 7. Si Dei dona sunt bona merita tua non Deus coronat merita tua tâ—nquam merita tuâ— sed tanquam dona sua If thy good workes be the gifts of God then God crowneth not thy merits as thy merits but as his owne gifts Yea he plainly testifieth that therefore the Apostle saith m Ibid. cap. 9. Maluit diâ—â—re Gratia Dei vitâ— aeterna vt hinâ— intellâ—gâ—râ—mus non pro meritis nostris Deum nos ad vitam aeternam sed pro â—iseratione sua perducere Eternall life is the grace or gift of God that we should vnderstand that God bringeth vs to eternall life not for our merits but for his onâ—ne mercies sake alleaging to that purpose the wordes of the Psalme n Psal 103. 4. He crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnesse As touching his second limitation that eternall life is principally the gift of God because the whole vertue and value of our merits proceedeth of the dignity of Gods grace in vs which doth eleuate and giue such worth to our workes that they thereby deserue life euerlasting the nullity of it is plaine by that that hath beene said because if the whole value of the worke bee to bee assigned to the grace of God then can no merit bee reputed thereby to man for what should man merit by that in the worth whereof hee can chalenge nothing to be his I haue o Of Merits sect 3. before shewed that that whereby a man should be said to merit must be of himselfe If the value of the thing be of another let the merit be ascribed to him of whom it is but vainly doth he claime merit who hath no propriety of that whereby he should merit As concerning the value of good workes I shall haue occasion further to speake in the thirteenth chapter and therefore I forbeare to stand vpon it in this place Only I wish M. Bishop to consider that which St. Austin briefly saith that p August de Temp. ser 49. In comparatione resurrectionis illius stercus est tota viâ—a quam genimus paulò priùs Vnusquisque metiatur se quid est modò quid erit tunc inueniet in comparatione illiâ—s iustitiâ— ista damna esse stercora in comparison of the resurrection all the life that here we leade is but dung let euery man measure himselfe saith he what he is now and what he shall be then and he shall finde that in comparison of the righteousnesse that shall be then all now is but drosse and dung Now tell vs M. Bishop your opinion may we thinke drosse to be worth gold or the dung of this earth to deserue that righteousnesse and glory of heauen What madnesse is it to imagine such a value of desert in that worke which is but dung in comparison of that that it should deserue But at once to ouerthrow all that M. Bishop hath here answered I will set downe what Fulgentius hath deliuered concerning the place here in hand q Fulgent ad Monim lib. 1. Gratia autem etiam ipsa non iniustè dicitur quiâ—â—â—on solâ—â—â— donis sâ—is Deus doâ—â—a sua reddit sed quia tantum etiam â—bi gratia diuina retributionis exuberat vt incomparabilitèr atque inessabilitèr omne meritum quamuis bonâ— â—â— Dâ—o datâ— humanae voluntatis atque operationis excedat Therefore is eternall life saith he not without cause called grace not only for that God rendereth his owne gifts to his owne gifts but also for that the grace of Gods reward doth there so much abound as that incomparably and vnspeakably it exceedeth all the merit of the will and worke of man although it be good and giuen of God himselfe By which wordes he plainly giueth vs to vnderstand as on the one side that God in bringing vs to eternall life doth but proceede in giuing and consummate thereby the gift of saluation which from the beginning he freely intended to vs and by calling and iustifying and glorifying vs as by degrees acteth that which he intended so on the other side that in the intermediate gifts of God there is nothing to take away from the finall gift the name of grace because there is no comparison betwixt the one and the other that the one should be said in any sort to merit and deserue the other But here it is
R. ABBOT HEre is nothing said but what hath beene a Of Merits sect 10. 19. 20. already so fully and clearely answered as that M. Bishop may iustly be ashamed thus altogether like a Cuckow to sing ouer the same song againe I pray thee gentle Reader to see the places by me quoted and take knowledge how this trifling wrangler laboureth to abuse thee odiously and impudently insisting vpon those things which by testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers are made so manifest against him as that he hath nothing left to say for his owne defence He chargeth me with false translation because I say that our sufferings are not worthy of the glory that shall be reueiled whereas he saith the wordes truly translated are Our sufferings are not worthy to the glory And what is that I pray Our English phrase is saith he they are not to be compared to the glory Well admit it to be so but wherein doth he meane they are not to be compared Forsooth our labours or paines are not either so great and waighty or of so long endurance as be the ioyes of heauen Thus whereas he acknowledgeth that the word signifieth worthy he notwithstanding quite putteth out worthinesse and in steede thereof putteth in length and greatnesse But if where the wordes are they are not worthy to the glory he will needes reade they are not to be compared to the glory we suppose that his discretion should leade him to vnderstand that it is as touching worthinesse that they are not to be compared And doth not their owne translation instruct him so much The passions of this time are not condigne to the glory for what will he make of condigne but comparable in worth where there is as Coster saith b Coster Enchirid cap. 7. Est dignitas quaedam operis ad mercedem a dignity of the worke to the reward that is a worthinesse of the one to merit and deserue the other Which condignity being denyed by the Apostle as by their owne translation is made good it followeth that the passions of this time are denied to be comparable in worth to the glory to come and therefore that we truly translate that they are not worthy of it To adde nothing further to that that formerly hath beene said particularly of the place I will only note in generall what some writers of the Church of Rome haue iudged concerning the worthinesse of workes that according to my maine purpose I may make it appeare that there is great difference betwixt that Roman Church that now is and that that of old was Hierome saith that c Hieron in Esai lib. 6. c. 13. Cum dies iudicij vel dormitionis aduenerit omnes manus dissoluentur c quia nullum opus dignum Dei iustiâ—â—a reperietur non iust 〈…〉 abitur in eius conspectu omnis â—iuens vâ—de Propheta dicâ—â— in Psalmo si 〈…〉 ui taâ—es attendâ—s Domine quis 〈…〉 bit when the day of iudgement or death shall come all hands shall be weakened or loosed because there shall be no worke found worthy of the iustice of God neither shall any man liuing be iustified or found righteous in his sight whence the Prophet saith in the Psalme If thou O Lord wilt marke iniquities who shall endure it To like purpose Leo Bishop of Rome saith d Leo in Anniuers serm 1. Nâ—que enim de qualitate operum nostâ—orum pâ—ndâ—t coelestium mensura donorum aut in iâ—â—o seculo in quo tota vita â—etatio est hoc vmcâ—â—que retribuitur quod meretur vbi si iniquitates Doâ—â—â—aus observaret nullus iudâ—cium suum su 〈…〉 t. The measure of heauenly gifts dependeth not vpon the quality of our workes neither in this world where our whole life is a temptation is that rendered to euery man which he deserueth where if the Lord should marke iniquities none should be able to endure his iudgement Both which places doe plainly disable the workes of men in the iudgement of God and doe charge them with insufficiency to the meriting of heauenly reward but the latter so farre depresseth them as that we cannot be taken thereby to deserue or to be worthy of the benefits of God in this life and therefore much lesse the glory of the life to come But Gregory Bishop of Rome in this point is most cleare affirming that e Gregor Moral l. 8. c 9. Iusti sâ— peâ—â—turos abâ—que 〈…〉 tate praesâ—â—int si remoâ—a pâ—etate 〈◊〉 quia hoc ipsum quod iusâ—â— vidomur viuere culpo est si vitam nostram cum iâ—dicat hâ—â—c apud â—â— dâ—â—ina miserâ—cordia non excusat c. Apud eum districâ—è iudicaâ—i â—psi quoque mâ—culâ—s â—nquâ—nationis habent qui per munditiam sanctitatis lucent the iust know before hand that without doubt they shall perish if they be iudged without mercy because euen that that we seeme to liue iustly is faulty if the mercy of God in iudging our life doe not excuse the same and euen they who shine in purity of holinesse â—â—ue also their spots of filthinesse if they be strictly and narrowly iudged f Ibid. c. 21. Quantalibet i 〈…〉 tia polleant nequaquâ—â— sibi ad â—â—â—oc etiam vel electi sâ—fficiuâ—t si in iudicio districte requiraÌ„tur The very elect saith he howsoeuer they excell in righteousnesse haue not sufficient in them for innocency if in iudgement they be strictly dealt withall Therefore he saith againe that g Ibid. l 9. c. 18. Si râ—mola piâ—tate d 〈…〉 mur opus nostruÌ„ pâ—na dignum est quod nos remunerarâ— prâ—stolamur c. Râ—slat vt postquam bonum opus agitur lachâ—ymae expiatumis exquirantur quatenus ad aeterna praemia meritum rectiopâ—ris subuchat humilitas posâ—â—e lationis if we be iudged without mercy the worke is worthy to be punished which we expect to haue rewarded and therefore that teares of expiation are to be required that humility of prayer may lift vp the merit of good worke to the obtaining of euerlasting reward And thus he maketh the holy man Iob to say h Ibid. l. 9. c. 11. Etsi ad opus virtutis exâ—reuero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia conualesco Albeit I grow to the worke of vertue yet I auaile not to liâ—e by merits but by pardon and fauour So he bringeth in Dauid also saying i IdeÌ„ in psalm Poenitent 1. Non de meis meritis confidens vt me saluum facias supplico sed de sola miserecordia tua praesumâ—ns impetrere quod de meis meritis non spero I pray thee to saue me not trusting to mine owne merits but presuming to obtaine that of thy mercy only which I haue no hope of by mine owne merits Now if our iust life be faulty and in our righteousnesse we finde not sufficient to approue our innocency in the sight of God if in our best workes we be worthy of punishment
by occasion to a comparison betwixt the new that is and that that of old was the religion of the Church of Rome consisting specially of three parts In the first I shewed that neither the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romans which is the briefe of the religion which they at the first receiued and containeth as I shewed out of Theodoret all manner doctrine of faith nor yet the two Epistles of S. Peter whom they make the founder of their Church doe containe any defence of the doctrine now taught at Rome but doe teach only our religion In the second I set downe sundry definitions and doctrines of the ancient Roman faith deliuered by the Bishops of Rome and other Authours that haue witnessed the doctrine of that Church wholly consonant and agreeable to that that we teach and altogether impugned by the Roman Church that now is In the third I declared that there were sundry heresies condemned of old by the Roman Church which the Church of Rome now embraceth and defendeth The points of this comparison I then set downe only positiuely the occasion requiring no more not respecting what cauillations the aduersary might bring for oppugning thereof the matter being by that light that I gaue very cleare that the Church of Rome is not now the same that it was of old This matter I afterwards thought worthy of a larger treatise and purposed when opportunity should serue a more full prosecution of it thinking it would bee a great comfort and establishment to the consciences of many men perhaps to some an occasion of better minde when they should see in that Church of Rome that now is such a plain repugnancy to that that of old was which notwithstanding taketh vpon it impudently to haue beene alwaies the same and to bee the only certaine rule and oracle of true faith In this meane time Doctor Bishop fearing lest his silence should make his cause suspicious and therefore thinking it necessary whether right or wrong to say somewhat publiâ—â—eth A Reproofe of the defence of the Reformed Catholike setting vnder this title a Gorgons head to affright all men concerning me as hauing abused Gods sacred word mangled misapplyed and falsified the ancient Fathers sentences so that whosoeuer hath any due care of his owne saluation can neuer hereafter credit me in matter of faith and religion Concerning which hideous outcry of my falsifications I referre thee to the Aduertisement which I haue added to my third part of the defence of the Reformed Catholike where thou shalt see that as hee hath laied himselfe open so I haue scourged him accordingly But in that Reproofe of his very little is it that hee hath said for iustifying what he himselfe had before written not being able indeede to defend any one point thereof only he found somewhat whereof to cauill concerning my debating of the name Catholike and the comparison which I made betwixt the old and new Roman Church and thereof as touching the matter of substance he hath framed his booke To this therefore I haue addressed my description of the ancient Roman Catholike forbearing that more orderly course which I had intended for the performance of this worke and choosing rather to follow him steppe by steppe as formerly I haue done only beginning where hee commeth to the purpose and leauing all his vagaries and affected discourses to be more briefly touched in the end of all Of this worke I haue yet finished but only one part wherin I haue at large discouered their vaine ostentation of the Catholike name and faith and shewed plainely that the Romish religion now accordeth not with S. Pauls Epistle to the Romans no nor with his other Epistles which M. Bishop calleth to assist him because he findeth nothing to helpe him in that Epistle to the Romans In all which I haue beene carefull gentle Reader to giue thee satisfaction by the cleare testimony either of some learned Bishops of Rome or of some other famously approued and commended in that Church Being now required a seruice of another kinde so that I cannot yet goe forward with the rest I haue thought good to publish this in the meane time If I haue promised any thing in this that is not here performed expect it in that that is to come Assist me I pray thee with thy prayers vnto almighty God by whose grace I hope in due time to supply that that is wanting now The Contents of this Booke CHAP. I. THat the Church of Rome doth vaineâ—y and absurdly challenge to it selfe the name of the Catholike Church and hath no priuiledge from God either of superiority in gouernement or stability in faith CHAP. II. The comparison betwixt the Papists and the Donatists is iustified and enlarged CHAP. III. That the name of Catholikes is abused by the Papists and is in their abuse a Donatisticall and hatefull name of faction and schisme that being in that sort substantiuely and personally vnderstood it was not vsed for three hundred yeares after Christ and therefore being abused may bee left againe that Popery properly so called is nothing but additions of latter time to our religion CHAP. IIII. That the Church before Christ euen from the beginning was a part of the Catholike Church and that the faith and religion of the new Testament differeth not in substance from the old M. Bishops proofes for Popery out of the old Testament are shewed to be ridiculous and vaine In the end is a briefe defence of the Kings supremacy in causes Ecclesiasticall CHAP. V. That faith and religion cannot be safely grounded on the example of Fathers and fore-fathers and that the Popish agents and factours doe in this pretence also abuse the credulity of ignorant men CHAP. VI. That the reasons of Popery where there is not a minde preiudicate are not vrgent or forcible and that M. Bishop was iustly censured for that in repeating a rule deliuered by the Kings Maiestie for iudgement of true religion he left out some words thereof CHAP. VII Of the flourishing and best estate of the Church of Rome and of the testimony of Theodoret concerning fulnesse of doctrine contained in the Epistle to the Romans and that the Apostle there condemneth Popery of idolatry in worshipping Saints and Images CHAP. VIII That iustification before God consisteth not in proceeding from faith to workes but in the continuation of faith to faith and that this faith notwithstanding cannot be separated from charity and good workes CHAP. IX That the iustification of man before God is the imputation of righteousnesse without workes CHAP. X. That eternall life is meerly and wholly the gift of God and cannot be purchased by merit or desert CHAP. XI That concupiscence or lust is sinne euen in the very habit and first motions of it CHAP. XII Of the spirit of adoption giuing witnesse to the faithfull that they are the sonnes of God CHAP. XIII That the good workes or sufferings of this life are not meritorious or worthy
him bring in Iacob 5. v. 14. the Priests of the Church and let them pray ouer them anoiling them with Oile in the name of our Lord c. Confesse therefore your sinnes one to Ibidem 16. another These and an hundred more plaine texts recorded in that fountaine of life wherein our Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse tearmes to wit Thereall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament That Priests haue power to pardon sinnes That Christ built his Church vpon S. Peter That good workes doe in iustice deserue eternall life That we are iustified not by faith alone but also by good workes That in extremity of sicknesse wee must call for the Priest to anoile vs with holy Oile That we must confesse our sinnes not to God alone but also vnto men these and diuers such like heads of our Catholike faith formally set downe in holy Scripture the Protestants will not beleeue though they bee written in Gods word neuer so expresly but doe ransacke all the corners of their wits to deuise some â—dde shift or other how to flie from the euidence of them Whereupon I conclude that they doe not receiue all the written word though they professe neuer so much to allow of all the bookes of Canâ—nicall Scripture For the written word of God consisteth Lib. 2. de Trinitate ad Const not in the reading but in the vnderstanding as S. Hierome testifieth that is it doth not consist in the bare letter of it but in the letter and true sense and meaning ioyned togither the letter being as the body of Scripture and the right vnderstanding of it the soule spirit and life thereof he therefore that taketh not the written word in the true sense but swarueth from the sincere interpretation of it cannot be truly said to receiue the written word as a good Christian ought to doe Seeing then that the Protestants and all other sectaries doe not receiue the holy Scriptures according vnto the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition they may most iustly be denyed to receiue the sacred written word of God at all though they seeme neuer so much to approue all the Bookes Verses and Letters of it which is plainly proued by S. Hierome vpon the first Chapter to the Galathians R. ABBOT I Haue noted a §. â— before in this Chapter that St. Austin faith of the Prophets and faithfull of the people of the Iewes that though not in name yet in deede they were Christians as we are As they were Christians then with vs so are we now Iewes with them not according to M. Bishops vnderstanding of the name of Iewes to whom I may well say as Austin said to Iulian the Pelagian b August coÌ„â— Iulian. l. 4. c. 3. Cùm insana dicis rides phrenetico es similis When thou speakest madly and laughest thou art like to a frantike Bedlem but according to the Apostles construction thereof c Rom. 2. 29. He is a Iew which is one within and d Phil. 3. 3. we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Iesus and haue no confidence in the flesh We must be Iewes by vnity of faith with them as they were Christians with vs because they with vs and wee with them make but one body and one Church whereof though there be diuers Sacraments yet there is but one faith from the beginning to the end receiued first by the Patriarches written afterwards by the Prophets written againe more clearly by the Apostles so that e Ephes 2. 20. vpon the foundation not foundations but one foundation because one euen one written doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets the houshold of God are built and our faith resteth wholly thereupon I haue walked no rounds I haue broken through no brakes of thornes but haue kept a direct and euen way and haue so strongly builded all this as that I scorne M. Bishops poore paper-shot as much too weake to throw it downe To him I know these things are rounds and mazes he knoweth not which way to get out of them they are brakes of thornes he lyeth fast tyed in them God giue him grace to yeeld to that which he seeth himselfe vnable to reproue He is very angry it seemeth as touching the last point that I should say that the Protestants receiue and beleeue all the written word He saith that therein I begge that which is principally in question and thinketh that I haue little wit or iudgement to thinke that they would freely grant me that But our vsage and debating of questions with them is sufficient to put that out of question We vse the Scriptures our selues we translate them for common vse we reade and expound them publikely in our Churches we exhort men to reade them priuately in their houses wee instruct them to receiue no doctrine but what they see there wee make the same written word the soueraigne Iudge of all our controuersies wee defend the authority and sufficiency thereof against the impeachments and disgraces which Papists haue cast vpon it What may we doe more to make M. Bishop beleeue that we receiue and beleeue the written word Surely if I tell him that the Sunne shineth at noone day he will not beleeue it if it seeme to him to sound any thing against the Pope But he will giue instance to proue that we doe not so first for that we reiect diuers bookes of the old Testament Wherein he saith vntruly for the bookes of the old Testament are the bookes of Moses and the Prophets the Psalmes f August coÌ„t Gaudent lib 2. cap. 23. Non habent Judaei sicut legem Prophetas Psalmos quibus Dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis To which saith Austin our Lord Iesus gaue testimony as his witnesses of which we reiect none the other bookes that are adioyned to these we doe not reiect but we reade them and commend them yea we say as much of them as M. Bishop vouchsafeth to say of Pauls Epistles and the rest that they contayne many most diuine and rare instructions but yet we giue them no authority for confirmation of matters of faith because Christ and his Apostles haue giuen no testimony or witnesse of them and the primitiue Church in that respect hath expresly disclaimed them as I haue shewed at large g Of Traditions sect 17. before and resteth hereafter in this booke to bee shewed againe Secondly he bringeth sundry texts of the new Testament to proue that we doe not rightly vnderstand and beleeue all that is written in Gods word wherein he saith their Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse termes First to proue the reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament he citeth the wordes This is my body which shall be giuen for you c. But if the Romish doctrine be here deliuered in expresse termes how is it that their owne Scotus saith that
for no other but a madde and frantike dreame and yet perforce must vse it because hee knew no better shift therefore he thought good to colour it the best he could by curtolling the wordes alleaged naming only imputation of righteousnesse whereas the Apostle nameth imputation of righteousnesse without workes But let him take the wordes as the Apostle setteth them downe and then giue vs his answere and we shall apparantly see him to be a most impudent man making no conscience of that he saith but studying only to blinde the Reader from seeing that truth which he himselfe knoweth not how with any probable shew to contradict Yet he telleth vs for conclusion that there is only a bare sound of wordes for the Protestants the true substance of the text making wholly for the Papists So then the sound of the wordes by his confession is for vs but inasmuch as the wordes are very plaine and cleare how may we be informed that the true substance and meaning of them is wholly for the Papists when as they containe in shew a flat contradiction to the doctrine of the Papists Wee see here the vse of that caueat which the Rhemists haue giuen to their Reader aduertising him o Rhem. Testam ArgumeÌ„t of the Epistles in generall to assure himselfe that if any thing in Pauls Epistles sound to him contrary to the doctrine of their Catholike Church he faileth of the right sense By this meanes if Saint Paul say it is white yet we must not thinke that he meaneth it to be white if it please their Church to call it blacke And therefore though here he speake of imputation of righteousnesse without works and bring testimony of ancient Scripture for confirmation thereof yet he must not be taken to meane that there is any such or any other but the imputation of the righteousnesse of workes because there is no other approued by the Roman Church Well may we thinke the iudgement of God to be fearefull vpon them who are so blinde as to be led with such fopperies and grosse deceipts CHAP. X. That eternall life is meerely and wholly the gift of God and cannot be purchased by merit or desert ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE PAul teacheth that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ c. to Hee telleth vs againe and againe c. W. BISHOP IN the same place you had a large solution of this obiection but he that hath made a couenant with hell will not looke vpon that which might helpe him to heauen We teach with the Apostle and with his faithfull interpreter Saint Augustine That eternall life is the gift of God both originally because we must receiue grace by the free gift of God before we can doe any thing that doth deserue the ioyes of heauen and also principally the whole vertue and value of our merits doe proceede of the dignity of Gods grace in vs which doth eleuate and giue such worth to our workes that they thereby deserue life euerlasting Notwithstanding if we take not hold on Gods grace when it is freely offered vs and doe not concurre with it to the effecting of good workes we shall neuer be saued and this our working with the grace of God deserues heauen both which are prouedly this sentence of the same Apostle God will render to euery man according to Rom. 2. vers 6. 7. 8. his workes to them truly that according to patience in good workes seeke glory and honour and incorruption life eternall to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but giue credit to iniquity wrath and indignation where you may see in expresse termes eternall life to be rendered and repaid for good workes to such men as diligently seeke to doe them and to others who refuse to obey the truth and rather choose to beleeue lies and to liue wickedly eternall death and damnation R. ABBOT WHether M. Bishop or I may bee thought more likely to flatter himselfe in an opinion of hauing made a couenant with hell I leaue it to be esteemed by the whole processe of this worke and the God of heauen shall make it one day more fully to appeare Against his solution of the obiection here propounded he knoweth well that I a Of Merits sect 8. haue returned a replication which sheweth the same to be infirme and vaine and seeing he can fortifie it no further the bare repeating of it is no other but womanish and idle talking The Apostle telleth vs that b Rom. 6. 23. eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free grace or gift of God through Iâ—su Christ our Lord. We teach saith M. Bishop that eternall life is the gift of God originally and principally Thus by his shifting termes of originally and principally he limiteth the Apostles wordes and deludeth a maine Theoreme and Canon of Christian faith leauing it to be vnderstood that though eternall life be originally and principally the gift of God yet totally and absolutely it is not so Which iâ— it be true it must necessarily follow that as the Apostle saith truly that eternall life is the gift of God because in part it iâ— so so a man may truly say against the Apostle that eternall life is not the free gift of God because in part and in some sort it is not so And if no man may dare in this wise to gainsay the Apostle then wee must acknowledge that which Origen saith that c Origen in Rom. 4. Stipendia inquit peccati mors Et non addidâ—â— similitèr vt dicâ— et stâ—pendia aâ—â—â— iustitiae vita aterna sed ait Gratia autem Deâ— vâ—â—a aetâ—rna vt stâ—pend â—m quod vtique debiâ—o mercedi similé est retributionem poenâ— esse docâ—â—â—t mortis vâ—tam verâ— aternam soli gratiae consignareâ— the Apostle hauing said that the stipend of sinne is death did not adde in the like sort that the stipend of righteousnesse is eternall life but eternall life is the grace of God that he might teach that the retribution of punishment and death is a stipend which is like to a debt or wages but might assigne life eternall to grace only And thus the Apostle himselfe teacheth vs to conceiue when he saith d Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace then it is not of workes otherwise grace is no grace For e August coÌ„t Pelag. Celest lib. 2. c 24. Gratia Dei non eriâ— gratâ—â— vllâ— modo nisigratâ—ita fuerâ—t omni modo grace saith Austin shall not be grace in any respect except it be free in euery respect f Idem Epist 120. c. 19. Haec est gratia quae gratis datur non meritâ—s operantis sed miseratione donantis That is grace saith he which is freely giuen not for the merits of the worker but by the mercy of the giuer Thus Hierome saith g Hieron Epist ad Demâ—trâ—ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non opâ—ruâ— retributio sed donamis est
worthy to be noted how M. Bishop trippeth and crosseth himselfe who hauing first told vs that the whole value of our merits whereby we deserue eternall life proceedeth of the dignity of Gods grace in vs presently altereth the case and saith that we must concurre with grace to the effecting of good works and this our working with the grace of God deserues heauen Surely if the whole value of our merits doe proceede of the dignity of Gods grace then the desert of heauen ariseth not of our working with grace or if the desert of heauen doe arise of our working with grace then it doth not wholly arise from the dignity of grace But hereby wee may see that all the wordes which they vse as touching grace are but hypocrisie and deceipt and that their true resolution is that the desert of heauen issueth out of the free will of man vsing grace as a toole or instrument for the doing of workes whereby to deserue the same Thus of gift they make no gift and turne all wholly into merit and by the free will of man doe vtterly ouerthrow the grace of God carrying notwithstanding in the meane time a conscience of shame of that they teach and colouring all with good workes as Pelagius the Heretike and his followers in the same case were wont to doe But M. Bishop will proue all that he saith by another sentence of the same Epistle to the Romans r Rom. 2. 6. God will render to euery man according to his workes c. where he saith we may see in expresse termes eternall life to be rendered and repaid for good works Where wee rather see his pertinacy in errour who rather chooseth to make the Apostle to contradict himselfe then to yeeld to the truth plainly deliuered by the Apostle But nothing can be deuised more fit for answere to him or more effectuall to stoppe his mouth then that which Gregory Bishop of Rome hath purposely set downe for satisfaction to those wordes f Gregor in Psalm Poeâ—itent 7. Quòd si illa Sanctorâ— soelicitas miserecordia est nö meritis acquiritur vbi erit quod scriptum est Et tu reddes vnicuique secundum opera sua si secundum opera redditur quomodo miserecordia a stimabitur sed aliud est secundum opera reddere aliud propter ipsa opera reddere In co enim quod secundum opera dicitur ipsa operum qualitas intelligitur vt cuiâ—s apparuerint bona opera eius sit retribut o gloriosa Illi namque beatae vitae in qua cum Deo de Deo viuitur nullus potâ—st aquari labor nulla opera comparari praesertim cùm Apostolus dicat Non sunt condignae passiones c. If the felicity of the Saints bee mercy saith he and be not obtained by merits how shall it stand which is written Thou shalt render vnto euery man according to his workes If it be rendered according to workes how shall it be esteemed mercy But it is one thing saith he to render according to workes and another thing to render for the works themselues For in that it is said according to workes the very quality of the workes is vnderstood so as that whose good works shall appeare his reward shall be glorious For to that blessed life wherein we shall liue with God and of God no labour can be equalled no workes can be compared for that the Apostle telleth vs The sufferings of this time are not comparable in worth to the glory to come that shall be reueiled on vs. Where we see how he setteth it downe as a thing without question to be confessed that eternall life is mercy only and is not to be purchased or gained by merits and that the Scripture in saying that God rendereth to euery man according to his workes doth not import that God in giuing reward vnto good workes doth any thing for the workes sake as if he regarded the merit or value thereof but respecteth only the quality of our workes as vsing the same for a marke only wherby he will take knowledge of them to whom he intendeth to shew mercy At these wordes of Gregory me thinks I see how M. Bishop biteth the lippe and chafeth in his minde to heare him thus distinguishing like a Protestant and seriously approuing that which he with scorne hath reiected being spoken by M. Perkins t Of Merits sect 17. O sharpe and ouer-fine wit saith he doth God render according to the workes and doth he not render for the workes What M. Bishop will you mocke Gregory in the same sort and twite him with a sharpe and ouer-fine wit He hath taught vs to distinguish thus he telleth vs that it is one thing to render for workes another thing to render according to workes which sith you admit not why doe you dâ—ale so impudently in chalenging to your selues a full and perfect agreement with the ancient Church of Rome I might further enlarge this matter out of Gregory by sundry speeches tending to the disabling of all humane works but that it followeth more properly to speake thereof in the thirteenth Chapter CHAP. XI That concupiscence or lust is sinne euen in the very habit and first motions of it ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE HE telleth vs againe and againe that concupiscence is sinne to lust is to sinne c. to S. Paul saith of the spirit of adoption c. W. BISHOP THe Apostle telleth vs againe and againe that our Sauiour Christ Iesus was made 2. Cor. 5. v. 21. sinne and yet no Christian is so simple as to take him to be properly sinne but the host or satisfaction for sinne so when the Rom. 8. vers 3. Apostle calleth concupiscence sinne wee vnderstand him with S. Augustine that it is not sinne properly yet so called not vnaptly both because it is the effect L. b. 1. cont duas Epist Pelag. cap. 10. Lib. 1. de Nupt Concupisc cap. 23. and remnant of originall sinne and doth also pricke vs forward to actuall sinne but if by helpe of the grace of God we represse it we are deliuered from the infection and guilt of it Which S. Paul in the very same Chapter declareth when he demandeth Who shall deliuer me Ibid. vers 25. from this body of death he answereth presently the grace of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. And againe that profound Doctor S. Augustine argueth very soundly out of the same sentence where concupiscence is called sinne but now not I worke it any more but the sinne that is in me that the Apostle could not meane sinne properly which cannot saith he be committed Lib. 6. cont Iulian. c. 23. without the consent of our minde but that had no consent of the minde to it because it was not the Apostle that did worke it Now how can that be the euill worke of a man if the man himselfe doe not worke it as the Apostle saith expresly not I doe
and subiect to perish if God deale seuerely and strictly with vs if holy men acknowledge and confesse according to truth that they haue nothing to presume of in their owne merits but that they trust only to Gods mercy if amidst our good workes it be by humble prayer and request that wee obtaine the eternall reward where is that worthinesse of workes which M. Bishop pleadeth for and what cause hath he to be angry that we say by the Apostles wordes that our good workes are not worthy of the glory that is to come Or if he will needes be angry let him be angry with Ambrose though not a member yet a neighbour of the Church of Rome who plainly expoundeth the Apostles meaning to be this that k Ambros Epist 22. Vt hortetur ad passionè adiungit quia omnia quae patimur minora sunt indigna quorum pro laboribus tanta rependatur futurorum merces benorum c. all the things that we suffer are too little and vnworthy that for the paines and labours thereof so great reward of future good things should be rendered vnto vs. Which being so we see how vainly M. Bishop dealeth to tell vs a tale how our workes attaine to so great worthinesse when as there is no such worthinesse to be found in them We receiue this dignity saith he by being made members of Christ and by the vertue of Gods grace wherewith our workes are wrought and by the promise of God Where it is wholly idle and impertinent that he mentioneth the promise of God for what hath the promise of God to doe with the merit of man God bindeth himselfe by promise where there is no merit nor any thing whereof to merit yea where there are demerits to giue him cause to forbeare from promising Thus saith St. Austin l August in Psal 109. Quicquid promisit indignis promisit vt noÌ„ quasi operibus merces promitteretur sed gratia à nomine suo gratis daretur quia hoc ipsum quòd iustè viuit in quaÌ„tum homo poâ—est iustè viuere non meriti humani sed beneficij est diuini Whatsoeuer God promised he promised to vs being vnworthy that it might not be promised as a reward to works but being by name grace might accordingly be freely giuen because to liue iustly so farre as man can liue iustly is not a matter of mans merit but of the gift of God And of this promise of God he saith againe that m IdeÌ„ in psal 88. Non secunduÌ„ merita nostra sed secundum miserecordiam illius firma est promissio it is sure not according to our merits but according to his owne mercy Why then doth M. Bishop goe about to build the merit of man vpon the promise of God which is only his free and voluntary mercy As for the grace of God giuen vnto vs by being members of Christ true it is that all our vertue and goodnesse proceedeth therefrom but to say nothing that man cannot be said to merit by that that is the worke of God so farre are we from hauing the iustice of God hereby bound vnto vs in respect of our worthinesse as that God hath rather hereby occasion of quarrell against vs for disgracing those gifts whereby he hath graced vs and for blemishing and staining with our corruptions those good workes which he hath vouchsafed to doe by vs. For as the clearest water hauing a troublesome passage through a muddy and vnwholsome ground contracteth and gathereth the corruption and filth thereof euen so the grace of God hauing a troubled passage through the corrupt nature of man which is continually casting vp the mire and dirt of noisome and sinnefull motions and desires gathereth thereof a soile and filth by reason whereof there proceedeth nothing from man that is not corrupted and defiled Thus Hilary teacheth and is therein approued by Austin that n Hilar. apud August cont Iulian. lib. 2. Memores coÌ„scij corpora nostra vitioruÌ„ omnium esse materieÌ„ pro qua nihil in nobis mundum nihil innocens obtinemus we are to remember that our bodies are the matter of all vices by meanes whereof wee haue nothing in vs innocent nothing cleane o Greg. Mor. l. 1. c. 17. Quid est quod in hac vita sine quauis tenuissimi contagij inquinatione peragatur What is there saith Gregory that can be done in this life without some defilement of secret contagion And againe p Ibid. l. 31. c. 5 Elâ—cti quâ—mdiu in hac vita sunt sine quaÌ„tulocunque culpae contagio esse non possunt The elect so long as they are in this life cannot be without some contagion of sinne Yea q Ibid. l. 32. c. 4 Nullus in hac vita ita perfectus est vt quamlibet Deo deuotus sit inter ipsa quantumcunque pia vota non peccet there is none so perfect in this life saith he howsoeuer deuoted vnto God as that he sinneth not amidst his most holy and religious desires To be short r Ibid. l. 35. c. 16. Si de his diuinitùs districtè discutimur quis inter isâ—a remanet salutis locus quando mala nostra pura malâ— sunt bona quae nos â—abere credimus pura bona esse nequaquam possunt if God doe narrowly sift our doings what place is there left for saluation when as our euill doings are meerely euill but the good things which we beleeue we haue cannot be purely good If our good workes cannot be purely good if all that we doe be polluted and defiled with the contagion of sinne and in all that proceedeth from vs there be found vncleannesse if God by the eye of his seuere iudgement doe strictly view and behold the same then cannot any good workes of ours be truly said to be worthy of the heauenly glory yea they make vs rather obnoxious to censure and punishment if God doe not mercifully remit the defaults of them Neither doe the places by M. Bishop alleaged proue any thing contrary to that we say The first saith only Å¿ 2. Thess 1. 5. That yee may be counted worthy of the Kingdome of God and it is one thing to be worthy in Gods account and acceptation which all the faithfull are in Christ another thing to be worthy by merit and perfection which no man can be Of the former St. Bernard saith t Bernard in dedicat Eccles ser 5 Nos sumus sed ipsius dignatione non dignitale nostra c. Nec dignatio locum habet vbi 〈…〉 rit praesumptiâ— dignitatis We are but it is by Gods dignation or vouchsafing vs aâ— worthy not by our dignity or worthinesse Yea dignation or vouchsafing hath no place saith he where there is a presumption of dignity or worth Of the latter Chrysostome saith u Chrysost ad Coloss homil 2. Nemo talem vitae conuersationem ostendit vt regno dignus esse
THE TRVE ANCIENT ROMAN CATHOLIKE BEING AN APOLOGY OR COVNTERPROOFE AGAINST DOCTOR BISHOPS REPROOFE of the defence of the Reformed CATHOLIKE THE FIRST PART Wherein the name of Catholikes is vindicated from Popish abuse and thence is shewed that the faith of the Church of Rome as now it is is not the Catholike faith nor the same with the faith commended in the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Paul and that confirmed by the testimony of the ancient Bishops of Rome and other Writers of that Church By ROBERT ABBOT Doctor of Diuinity Master of BALIOâ—â— Colledge in Oxford August cont Faust Munich l. 29. c. 2. Maneat nobis aduersus illâ—s potius pro veritate certamen quà m cum illâ—s in falsitate concordia LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Ambrose Garbrand and are to be sold at the signe of the Wind-mill in Pauls Church-yard 1611. TO THE RIGHT HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE HENRY PRINCE OF WALES DVKE OF CORNWALL AND ROTHSAY EARLE OF CHESTER Knight of the most Honorable Order of the GARTER MOST gracious and renowmed PRINCE such is the malice and fury of Antichrist Greg. lib. 4. Epist 38. and his army of Priests as Gregory calleth them in oppugning the religion and faith of Christ as giueth cause to vs that fight for Christ to stand continually 〈◊〉 our guard and to be ready still in armes to entertaine the assaults that are continually made against vs. They carry themselues now towards vs the more eagerly and angerly for that they see themselues deceiued of the prey which they long hoped for imagining before this time out of the troubled waters of this State to haue fished somewhat for aduantage to themselues Which expectation being by the mercy of God wholly frustrate they imitate the Dragon in the â— Reuelation casting out of their Reuel 12. 15. mouthes by calumniations and slanders and all outrage and importunity of malicious contradiction euen flouds of waters to carry violently away and to drowne if it were possible the woman euen the Church of Christ amongst vs that hath escaped their cruel and bloudy hands But thanks be to God that hath giuen vs meanes to set mounds and banks against these raging flouds that howsoeuer they threaten yet they hurt vs not nor endanger any but such as rashly aduenture to swimme in vnknowne waters or being desirous of curiosity and foolish humour to see their owne shadow in the riuer Tyber whilest they admire themselues cast themselues head-long to bee drowned therein Now in that seruice of the Roman Antichrist Doctor Bishop our Countriman hath very industriously done his part and hath laboured if not to excell yet to equall almost any of his fellowes in the subuerting of wayward and vnstable soules and in animating of men to obstinacy against the truth of God Who hauing to the Kings most excellent Maiesty disgorged against vs the venome and poison of his corrupt and wicked heart and being by me duly chastened for his disloyal and traiterous attempt to delude by false suggestions his Liege and Soueraigne Lord seeing his impostures and fraudes most plainely discouered and laied open hath since added drunkennesse Deut. 29. 19. to his thirst and sought to fill vp the measure of his former iniquity by wilfull railing at those things which he knoweth to be true and hauing no other way to reuenge the impeaching of his credit greatly touched as he conceiued by the answering of his booke hath in a latter booke runne vpon mee furiously and loden me so much as in him lieth with odious imputations of abusing falsifying misconstruing misapplying both Scriptures and Fathers like the vngracious Thiefe at the barre who conuicted by most cleare and apparant euidence yet still impudently cryeth out that all is false But by an Aduertisement written for the time concerning that booke of his I haue made it manifest that that cry of his is but a cry of course the breath of an obdurate and euill conscience by which he standeth condemned in himselfe desperately Tit. 3. 11. bent against his owne knowledge to peruert to forge to face any thing to serue his turne which plainly appearing so to be little reason had I to trouble my selfe to giue any further answere to it Neuerthelesse because the further answere of the chiefe part of it hath fallen within the compasse of my intention of describing the true ancient Roman Catholike and no difference there is but that whereas I might otherwise haue walked at mine owne liberty I now tie my selfe to follow him I haue yeelded so much to him that whereas by comparison I formerly shewed that the new Church of Rome in faith and religion is farre estranged from the old it may now more fully appeare that so it is and that M. Bishop contending for the contrary hath done it only for his belly and for his credits sake hauing made the deceiuing of soules his occupation to liue by and being ashamed at these yeares to confesse that he himselfe hitherto hath been deceiued Which worke I most humbly desire may goe forth vnder the protection of your Highnesse whom according to that eminent wisedome and knowledge wherewith God hath endued these your younger yeares I make the Iudge of this quarrell and therefore the first part thereof I now tender at your Highnesse feete for a testimony of my loyall and dutifull affection and for acknowledgement of my deuotions vnto almighty God for the preseruation of your Highnesse and the continuance and increase of his graces and blessings towards you that your Princely name may more and more grow great and may be a terrour to that selfe-exalting Kingdome and Monarchy of the great Capitolian Priest at length to worke the vtter ruine and confusion thereof Which as we beleeue not to bee farre of so we hope that in that glorious reuenge of the cause of almighty God your Highnesse shall haue a chiefe and an honorable part and that God will strengthen your arme and giue edge to your sword to strike through the loines of all them that are the supporters of that Antichristian and wicked state Which with all other additions of honour and renowme both with God and men I will neuer cease to further by my prayers vnto almighty God so resting alwaies To your Highnesse seruice most humbly and affectionately deuoted R. Abbot TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THov hast here good Christian Reader the first Part of the worke which I promised The true ancient Roman Catholike Thou maiest remember that in my answere to Doctor Bishops Epistle to the King I challenged the name of Catholiks from the Popish abuse thereof and shewed out of the true explication and vse of the word Catholike that neither the Church of Rome can be called the Catholike Church nor the faith of the Roman Church that now is can be called the Catholike faith and therefore that very fondly and by a meere vsurpation they take vnto them the name of Catholikes After this I entred
of the blisse of the life to come CHAP. XIIII That the Epistles of St. Paul are loosely and impertinently alleaged by the Papists for proofe of their Popery as namely for Iustification before God by workes for Free-will against certainty of saluation and particular Faith for the Merit of single life for Monkish vowes for Purgatory and prâ—yer for the Dead for Images and inuocation of Saints for the Masse and Reall presence for the Authority of thâ— Church of Rome for Pardons for Traditions for the perpetuall visibility of the Church for Satisfactions and workes of supererogation for seuen Sacraments c. THE TRVE ANCIENT ROMANE CATHOLICKE CHAP. I. That the Church of Rome doth vainely and absurdly challenge to it selfe the name of the Catholicke Church Answere to Doct. BISHOPS Epistle Sect. 3. HEre M. Bishop propoundeth briefely to his Maiestie the summe of his Petition c. to It is therefore a meere Vsurpation c. Doct. BISHOPS REPROOFE Pag. 89. §. 1. MAster Abbot is now at length come from his extrauagant rouing narrations vnto some kind of argumentation Here he will giue a proofe of his valour here we shall soone trie whether he come so wel furnished into the field that he neede not to doubt of the victory as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he 〈…〉 ed of himselfe on whether his speciall skill and force die not rather lie in râ—â—ling at vs and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reader then in any sound kinde of re 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of St. Aug 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the â—ord Catholike we â—â—llingly â—â—mit off to wit That religion is Catholike that faith is Catholike which is spread ouer all the world and hath beene alwaies imbraced and practised euen from the Apostles time to our daies and such is the religion which I would haue perswaded his Maiesty to receiue into his Princely protection To this what saith M. Abbot marry that his Maiesty hath already receiued it How doth he proue that not by any one plaine and round argument directly to the purpose but from the Catholike religion falleth to the Catholike Church and so spendeth the time in most friuolous arguing against the Roman Church of which I made no mention at all Doth he not deserue a Lawrell garland for the worshipfull ranging of his battell and is he not like to fight it out valiantly that thus in the beginning flyeth from the point of the Question Proue good Sir that his Maiesty imbraceth and maintaineth that religion which is spread ouer all the world and that hath continued euer since the Apostles time and then you may iustly say that he vpholdeth the Catholike religion according to your owne explication out of the ancient Fathers But because Mr. Abbot saw this to be impossible he gaue it the sâ—ippe and turneth himselfe to proue the Roman religion not to be the Catholike and perceiuing that also as hard to performe as the other he shuffles from the religion and faith of which the Question was vnto the Roman Church that is from the faith professed at Rome to the persons inhabiting the City of Rome whom he will proue not to be Catholikes and the Roman Church not to be the Catholike Church Doe you marke what winding and turning and what doubling this simple Minister is driuen vnto ere he can come to make any shew of a silly argument R. ABBOT I Doe not maruell that my narrations seeme to M. Bishop to be extrauagant and rouing who hauing set vp his owne marke thinketh all to be extrauagant and rouing that flyeth not by his aime Albeit he is beholding to me for those extrauagant and rouing narrations because they haue ministred him matter towards the making vp of a prety handsome booke which must haue beene much shorter if he had beene tyed to the substantiall points of his owne defence As for the victory that I ominated to my selfe thanks be to God I haue obtained it being become Master of the field and M. Bishop enforced to leaue the maine battell contented now only out of a corner to thrust an ambush that he may make some shew that he is not quite spent I triumph ouer him in his owne conscience being priuy to himselfe what desperate shifts he hath beene faine to vse to how cruell a racke he hath beene forced to put himselfe to make men beleeue that he hath strength enough left to saue himselfe It is but risus Sardonius whereby he iesteth at the simple Minister driuen to winding and turning and doubling it is indeede for his behoofe to haue it taken so but the Ministers proceeding is direct and orderly familiar and sensible to euery mans vnderstanding inferring by due course the very point that doth require proofe The Minister is not so simple but that he can easily discerue the pittifull case of a Popish Masse-monger who being troubled with a vertigo or some other distemperature of the braine thinketh all to be winding and turning about him when there is no turning at all but in his owne head The issue betwixt him and me was Whether his Maiesty doe 〈◊〉 and maintâ—ine the only true Catholike and Apostolike faith To proue that he doth so it was necessary first to explicate what is meant by the Catholike and Apostolike faith Of the Catholike Church it is that the faith is called The Catholike faith For there hath beene one and the same faith from the beginning as shall afterwards appeare but it could not be called the Catholike faith till the Church became the Catholike Church If of the Catholike Church the faith be called the Catholike faith then to shew what is meant by the Catholike faith I was first to shew what is meant by the Catholike Church This I did and 〈◊〉 occasion thereof taxed as due order required the 〈…〉 of the Pope and his complices in vsurping to themselues the name of the Catholike Church and thence terming themselues Catholikes that hauing destroyed their ridiculous and foolish claime there might be thereof no let to the collection whereat I aimed that the Catholike faith is the faith of the Catholike Church that the Catholike Church though becomming Catholike by being spred ouer the whole world yet containeth as a part thereof euen * Aug. de Catechiz rudib c. 19. Velut totus homâ— dum nascitur etiamsi manum in nascendo praemittat tameÌ„ vniuerso corpori sub capite coniuncta atque compacta est quem admodum etiam nonnulli in ipsis Patriarchis in buius ipsius rei signum manu praemissa nati sunt c. as an arme or hand come out of the wombe before the rest of the body the whole Church of God from the beginning of the world that of this whole body of the Church from the beginning to the end there is in substance but one faith and religion towards God that therefore what was the faith of the Patriarks and Fathers from the beginning the sâ—me and no other is now the Catholike faith whence it
in his former life without which God is not wont to lay his hand so heauily vpon any o Job 4. 7. Remember I pray thee saith he who euer perished being an innocent or where were the vpright destroyed This hee amplifieth and prosecuteth vnto the end of that Chapter and then saith to the same effect againe Call now if any will answere thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne thereby willing him to aske and enquire whether there were any that could tell that euer any of the Saints any iust and vpright man had tasted of that misery that was now lying vpon him To the same purpose Bildad also afterwards saith p Cap. 8. 8. Enquire I pray thee of the former age and prepare thy selfe to search of their Fathers shall not they teach thee and tell thee and vtter the words of their heart c. Behold God will not cast away an vpright man This being manifestly the drift and purpose of these wordes and nothing appearing whereby to draw them to inuocation of Saints wee must thinke M. Bishop to be very destitute of proofe that would apply them to that end neither can they serue thereto because of all the Saints departed we must conceiue the same then that expresly we reade of some p Esa 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not The words are somewhat otherwise expounded by Gregory Bâ—shop of Rome but yet so as that for inuocation of Saints he findeth nothing in them He referreth the first part to God the other part to liuing Saints such as Dauid speaketh of q Psal 16. 3. My delight is vpon the Saints that are in the earth as if Eliphaz had told Iob that he neglected their company in his prosperity and therefore that now in his affliction they yeelded no helpe or comfort to him r Greg. Moral l. 5. cap 31. Ac si apertè dicat Quaâ— tumlibet afflictus clames Deum tibi respondentem non habes quia vox cum in tribulatione non inuenit quem mens in tranquillitate contempsit Vbi adhuc deridenâ—o subiungit Et ad aliquem Sanctorum conuertere acsi despiciens dicat Sanctos quoque inuenire in afflictione adiutores noÌ„ vales quos habere socios in â—ilaritaâ—e roluisti He saith Call if there be any to answere thee as if he plainly said Howsoeuer in thy affliction thou crie yet thou findest not God to answere thee because the prayer findeth not him in trouble whom the minde in tranquillity hath despised Where yet further in derision hee addeth saith he And turne thee to any of the Saints as if by way of despight he said Thou canst not finde the Saints thy helpers in affliction whom thou wouldest not haue for thy companions in thy mirth and welfare In a word we finde not in the words that Iob was counsailed to pray to Saints neither doe we finde it any where else that Iob followed any such counsell neither is there any example of any other of those Fathers that they did so and therefore neither in this can M. Bishop finde their religion in the Fathers The next matter is concerning Merit and Free-will for which he bringeth two texts which are already wrested from him being by himselfe Å¿ Of Free-will Sect. 10. 11. before alleaged and by me fully answered But yet obserue briesly how well they make for that for which he alleageth them If thou doe well saith God to Cain shalt thou not receiue His argument hence must be this He that doth well shall receiue therefore he meriteth that which he shall receiue It followeth not because that which he receiueth is of the bountifulnesse of the giuer not of the merit or desert of workes as through the whole question of merits I haue declared at large Such is his other argument from those wordes of Moses t Deut. 30. 19. I haue set before you life and death choose life that thou maiest liue by louing the Lord thy God c. For God thus setting life before vs doth not tell vs what we by right deserue but what it is his pleasure to giue to those that loue and obey him We choose life by louing the Lord our God and obeying him and cleauing vnto him but in all this wee doe but our duty and cannot presume to merit any thing thereby No better successe hath he for Free-will albeit in that manner as he propoundeth it we deny it not for wee grant that man hath by Gods grace free-will to doe good works we deny only that free-will which they hold as a power of nature and not the effect of the grace of God whereby man himselfe doth something for himselfe beside that which God doth We doe well who denyeth it but it is only of the grace of God that we doe well We choose life it is true but it is of the gift of God that we choose life u August de Praedest sanct cap. 10. Ipse sacit vt illi saciant quae praecepit Who maketh vs to doe those things saith St. Austin which he hath commanded to be done As for that which M. Bishop saith that power is giuen to the wicked to doe well if they will it is an absurd speech because they cannot will till God worke in them to will neither can they haue any power to doe well vntill they haue the will For the forbearing of outward hainous acts we deny not but that God hath left in man euen in the wicked some power of free-will else in vaine were all lawes and admonitions neither could there continue any society amongst men Be it that the wordes cited by M. Bishop doe yeeld so much to Cain but to the conuerting of the heart to the inward renewing of the soule to the embracing of the loue of righteousnesse to true repentance faith obedience the will of man hath nothing at all but what is wrought in it by the grace of God But of all these things I haue spoken so fully before that it is not fit here to stand vpon them any more For workes of supererogation he is faine to betake himselfe to the ceremoniall law of Moses thereby leauing vs to take it as of his owne confession that before that time which was the space of two thousand and almost fiue hundred yeares the Church of God knew no such and hereuppon to conclude that because they stood only in ceremonies which were not meerely for themselues to bee reckoned in the number of good workes therefore the ceremoniall law being abolished in Christ those workes of supererogation must therein haue an end But the workes of supererogation which they maintaine and whereof I spake are workes of the morall law the precepts and righteousnesse whereof hath concerned the whole Church from the beginning and before the written law and therefore which must needes haue beene found in the Church from the beginning if there were in them that righteousnesse
h Scotus apud Bellarm. de sacra Eucharist lib. 3. cap. 23. Dicit nullum extare loâ—um scripturae tam expressum vt sine Ecclesiâ— declaratione euidentèr câ—gat transubstantiationem admittere Atque id non est omninâ— improbabilâ— c. an ita sit meritâ— dâ—bitarâ— potest cum homines doctissâ—â—â— acutissâ—â—â— qualis inprâ—â—is Scotus fuit contrarium sâ—â—tiaâ—t there is no place of Scripture so expresse as that it euidently forceth to admit transubstantiation without their Churches declaration Yea Bellarmine himselfe saith that this is not improbable and that it may worthily be doubted whether there be any such because very learned and acute men such as Scotus specially was doe thinke the contrary Let him first goe and agree with Scotus and Bellarmine and those other so learned and acute men and then tell vs what he hath to say and we will answere him albeit of this matter I haue i Confuâ—aâ— of the aâ—swere to M. Perkinâ— his AduertisemeÌ„t sect 48. 59. already answered him so much as will suffice for the clearing thereof For his second instance he citeth the wordes of Christ thus whose sinnes yee shall forgiue on earth shall be fâ—rgiuen in heauen and maketh it here deliuered in expresse termes that Priests haue power to pardon sinnes True it is M. Bishop accordingly as you cite on earth but not in heauen in the Court of the Church but not in the Court of conscience for restitution to the outward society of faithfull men not immediately for reconcilement to God As for forgiuenesse of sinnes spiritually with God the Priest hath the ministery only not the power thereof by k 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19 the word of reconciliation not by any forme of absolution neither can he say any further I forgiue thee then he saith I baptise thee who baptiseth not by any inward effect to God which is only the worke of God but only by outward Sacrament to the Church of God Therefore for the Popish challenge of the power of absolution with God our Sauiour Christ saith nothing he speaketh only for that power of absolution which professeth only to take away the barre that standeth against reconcilement to God who in publike sinnes lying vnder publike censure admitteth of no penitency for forgiuenesse in heauen that is not testified and declared for obtayning forgiuenesse and pardon vpon earth It needeth not that I speake so much hereof hauing so largely handled this point l Answere to the Epistle to the King sect 28. and to the Preface of his second part sect 3. before Thirdly he alleageth the words Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it from whence he inferreth that Christ hath built his Church vpon St. Peter But it was of Petra the Rocke that Peter had that name giuen him to be called Peter and therefore it cannot be that Peter himselfe should be the Rocke m Gregor in Psal 5. Poenitent Ipse est Petra à qua Petrus nomen accepit super quaÌ„ sâ— ad â—icaturum Ecclesiam dâ—xit Christ himselfe is the Rocke as Gregory saith of which Peter tooke his name and vpon which he said he would build his Church Albeit we deny not but that the Church was in some sort built vpon Peter but vpon Peter as one of many not vpon Peter aloâ—e because of the City of God there are n Apoc. 21. 14. twelue fâ—undations wherein are the names of the Lambes twelue Apostles not only Peters name See hereof also that which hath beene o Chap. 1. §. 2. before said His fourth text is Call the workemen that had laboured in the vineyard and pay them their hire which hee bringeth to proue that good workes doe in iustice deserue eternall life But is this in expresse termes deliuered in those wordes Surely it seemeth to me a very long conclusion to be drawen out of so short a speech I haue handled this text p Of Merits sect 14. 17. before and haue shewed out of the very circumstance of the place that it is so farre from prouing that which he saith as that the contrary is very manifestly and infallibly euicted thereby The briefe is that if things had beene there measured by desert then greater worke should haue had greater wages whereas there all haue alike that it might be vnderstood of all as there I haue cited out of Prosper that q Prosp de vocat Gent. l. 1. c. 5. Vt intelligant dâ—num se gratiâ— non operli accepisse mercâ—dem they receiued a gift of grace not a wages for their workes For his fift instance he bringeth the wordes of St. Iames Doe you see that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith only Hence he inferreth that we are iustified not by faith alone but also by workâ—s And who denyeth but that by workes also we are iustified and must necessarily so be Wee say with Saint Iames that wee are not iustified by faith only but also by workes as Abraham was but yet we say with St. Paul also that r Rom. 3. 20. Gal. 3 11. before God or in the sight of God we are iustified by faith and not by workes and Å¿ Rom. 4. 2. if Abraham were iustified by workes he denyeth him not so to be he had to reioyce but not with God For the further handling of this point also I referre the Reader to that that I haue said t Of Iustification sect 36. before Againe to proue that in extremity of sicknesse we must call for the Priest to anoile vs with holy oile he citeth St. Iames Is any man sicke among you let him bring in the Priests of the Church and let them pray ouer them anoiling them with oile in the name of our Lord. But if their Sacrament of Extreme vnction be here so expresly deliuered how is it that their owne Cardinall Caiâ—tanâ— could not see it who saith that u Caietan in Iac. cap. 5. Nec ex verbis nec ex effectu verba haec loqâ—untur de sacramentali vnctione extremâ— vnctionis sed magis de vnctione quam institâ—â—t Dominus in eâ—angelâ—â— exâ—rcendam in â—gâ—â—tâ—s neither by the wordes nor by the effect doth the Apostle here speake of their sacramentall vnction but rather of that which the Lord instituted in the Gospell to be vsed by his Disciples to them that were sicke He iustifieth that which we say that the annointing whereof St. Iames speaketh was no other but a ceremony annexed to x 1. Cor. 12. 9. the gift of healing of which we reade in the Gospell spoken of Christs disciples y Mar. 6. 13. They annointed many that were sick with oile and healed them which gift and power of healing being ceased in the Church the ceremony must be reputed idle and the vsing thereof in that manner and to that end as the Papists doe is no other but an imitation
Ecclesiasticall as the King of Scots did he well knoweth they durst not As for his other tales that the country was poore and could not spare money for which the Legate came and that the charges of entertainment of such a state would be ouer great they are his owne skiruy deuices the storie mentioneth no such thing and we know the Popes authority where it is acknowledged is not wont to be put off with such slender excuses He then that considereth what I haue alleaged and what he hath answered will easily see that I said truly of them and that there is no cause to returne it vpon me They care not indeede what they say or write so that it may carry a magnificall and braue shew to dazell the eyes of them that are not acquainted with their lewd and naughty dealing THere followed here M. Bishops answere to my sharpe taxation of him for vpbraiding the Kings Maiestie with misfortune in his breeding and bringing vp which for that it concerneth no matter of controuersie I haue left to be touched otherwhere amongst other matters of like nature and proceede to that that followeth for the sixt Chapter CHAP. VI. That the reasons of Popery where there is not a minde preiudicate are not vrgent or forcible and that M. Bishop was iustly censured for that in repeating a rule deliuered by the Kings Maiesty for iudgement of true religion hee left out some wordes thereof ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE YOu talke M. Bishop of many vrgent and forcible reasons but you talke as c. to VVe hope you will not deny c. W. BISHOP TRue there is no hast indeede for M. Abbot comes faire and soft to the matter What a number of idle vaunting wordes and vaine repetitions be here as though any iuditious man were to be perswaded by bare wordes and voluntary supposals before hee see any proofe Sir I doubt not but the indifferent Reader will suspend his iudgement and deeme nere the worse of my writing for your empty censure till he see good reason to the contrary Sure I am that some Catholikes hauing read your booke doe like much the better of mine and esteeme yours a very fond peece of worke full of babble lies and foule wordes voide of sound proofes and farre from common ciuility Who are more circumspect then you your selues to keepe your followers from reading our bookes who first imprison any that will helpe to print them then set fines on all their heads that shall keep them and make very diligent search after them so that all these common wordes may most truly be returned vpon your selfe Mutato nomine de te narratur fabula You note that I subtilly left out of his Maiesties speech from Christ her Lord and head but shew no cause why and no maruaile for none indeede can be shewed they are needlesse wordes as being comprehended in the former For if the Church of Rome departed not from her selfe when shee was in her most-flourishing and best estate shee cannot depart from Christ her Lord and head wherefore to note this for a subtle tricke giueth the Reader cause to note you for a wrangler and one that is very captious where no cause is offered M. Abbot comes at length to my first reason and goeth about to disproue it thus R. ABBOT HOwsoeuer I seeme to M. Bishop to come faire and soft to the matter I make no doubt but he would haue beene very well contented that I should haue made lesse hast His vpbraiding me with idle vaunting wordes and vaine repetitions with bare wordes and voluntary suppâ—sals seemeth to me no strange thing because he knoweth it to be for his behoofe that all that I haue written be so accounted But euery man can conceiue that he is no fit man to be iudge of my writings He hath a web in his eye that troubleth his sight so as that nothing seemeth streight to him but that that is crooked What reason and proofe I haue brought for that that I say and whether my censure of him be right or wrong it resteth with the iudicious and indifferent Reader duely to consider and then to pronounce accordingly But the lest is in that that followeth Sure I am saith he that some Catholikes hauing read your booke doe like much the better of mine And doe they so indeede M. Bishop Happy man are you then and neede no longer care where you begge your bread You are certainly in the right if some Catholikes like better of your booke then they doe of mine But take heede M. Bishop that you be not deceiued by them It may be they doe but flatter you and to please you are content to say that which they do not thinke It may be they too much fauour you and you may remember what Seneca saith that a Senec. de Tranquill. animi Semper iudicio fauor officit fauour alwaies hindereth a man from iudging aright I told you before of the Prouerbe b Quisquis amat Ranam Ranam putat esse Dianam Who loues the frogge in filthy dike He thinks the frogge Diana-like As in the body so in the mind there is a corrupt disposition which maketh a man to like nothing but that that serueth for the further corrupting of him Yea and it may be they are like to children that thinke the bels sound whatsoeuer they fancy and therefore doe esteeme mine a very fond peece of worke full of babble and lyes and I know not what but yours on the other side a graue profound learned and super-learned booke But M. Bishop if they were not forestalled with preiudice and bewitched thereto with Romish inchantments surely they would see that your Epistle to the King is so farre from bringing those vrgent and forcible reasons which you pretend as that it consisteth wholly of meere cauils and calumniations such and so apparant as that you haue beene glad to let it goe because you saw it vnpossible to defend it Gladly would I know of those iudicious Readers of yours how well they like of your alleaging against vs the opinion of c See the Aduertisement concerning D. Bishops Reproofe sect 16. Proclus the Heretike You haue beene so hot and so confident in it as that hauing set forth the matter at large I would willingly heare of them whether they thinke you or me more worthy to be thrust into the Asses skinne To let passe many other matters you haue there tendered to the King diuers conclusions drawen from our doctrine within the compasse of a few lines Of that that we say that it is vnpossible in this state of mortality and corruption perfectly to fulfill the law you inferre d Epistle to the King sect 19. 20. Therefore it is in vaine to goe about it therefore it is vnpossible to haue charity therefore it is vnpossible to haue faith therefore it is vnpossible for a Protestant cleauing to the grounds of his owne religion to hope for any saluation Againe
he that worshippeth his subiects offendeth not him whose they all are But M. Bishop by Christian learning should vnderstand as hitherto hath beene shewed that God admitteth no seruants of his to any such communion or fellowship with him nor can endure that any seruant accept from his fellow seruant any part of religious seruice which he requireth to be proper to himselfe alone Peter notwithstanding all his religious vertues taketh it not of Cornelius c Acts 10. 26. Stand vp saith he fir euen I my selfe also am a man The Angel though more then a man admitteth it not to be yeelded to him by St. Iohn d Apoc. 19. 10. See thou doe it not I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren worship God e Cyril cont Iulian. lib. 4. Hi docent honores adorationem non sibi sed potiùs soli summo Deo debere offerri They teach vs saith Cyril that honours and adoration or worship are not to be offered to them but only to the highest God As for M. Bishops addition as is meete for their degree it is but a verball couer of the idolaters cup. f See of Images sect 11. and the answere to the Preface of D. Bishops secoÌ„d part sect 12. They kneele to Saints to worship them they pray to them they offer to them they giue them the honour of Temples and Altars they keepe fasting daies and holy daies to them they sweare by them and what doe they not and then tell vs that they doe worship them but as is meete for their degree I may say here as Ambrose saith g Ambros in Rom. c. 1. Quasi sit aliquid plus quod reseruetur Deo As though there were any thing more to be reserued to God Surely those Christians of whom Leo Bishop of Rome speaketh who retained the superstitious custome of their Paganisme h Leo in Natiuit Dom. ser 7. NoÌ„â—ulli Christiani c. superatis gradibus quibus ad suggestum arae superioris ascenditur conuerso corpore ad nascentem se solem reflectunt curuatis ceruicibus in honorem se splendidi orbis inclinant to worship the Sunne rising turning themselues backe to it as they went vp the steps to the high Altar and bowing their heads and inclining themselues to the honour of that glorious light might well haue learned of M. Bishop to excuse and defend this heathenish superstion for that they put a great difference as no doubt they did betwixt the light and the Creatour of the light and in honour of the Creatour did worship the Sunne no otherwise then as was meete for his degree being such a glorious and goodly creature But i Ibid. Etsi quidam fortè creatorem potius pulchri luminis qâ—aÌ„ ipsum lumeÌ„ quod est creatura venerantur abslinendum tameÌ„ est ab ipsa buiusmodi specie officij c. Abijciatur à consuetudine fidelium daÌ„nanda peruersitas nec bonor vni Dâ—â— debitus corâ— ritibus qui creaturis descruiunt misceatur Dâ—cit enim Scriptura diuina DominuÌ„ Deum tuum adorabis c. though some of them saith Leo doe perhaps worship the creatour of the light rather then the light it selfe which is a creature yet the very shew of this deuotion is to be forborne let this damnable peruersity be cast away from the custome of the faithfull and let not the honour due to God only be blended with their rites who doe seruice vnto creatures for the holy Scripture saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only thou shalt serue He professeth such honour in case of religion to be due vnto God alone and therfore holdeth it vnlawfull to giue so much as the shew thereof vnto any creature and neuer was acquainted with M. Bishops distinction of worshipping creatures as is meete for their degree Neither was Hierome acquainted with it for if he were he spake fondly when he said k Hieron ad Ripar Ne solem quidem lunaÌ„ non Angelos non Archangelos non Cherubim non Seraphim omne nomeÌ„ quod nominatur in praesenti seculo in futuro colimus adoramus ne seruiamus creaturae potiùs quà m creatori qui est Deus benedictus in secula We neither worship Sunne nor Moone neither Angels nor Archangels neither Cherubim nor Seraphim nor any name that is named in this world or in the world to come least we serue the creature rather then the Creatour who is God blessed for euer Yes saith M. Bishop we worship them as is meete for their degree though not in the highest degree But either Hierome disclaimeth this or else he speaketh very idlely when he thus wholly denyeth to worship them and yet meaneth to worship them in some degree For conclusion I would gladly know how M. Bishop fitteth that last part of his speech to the Images of Saints because wee haue here to doe with them also What must we thinke that as the Saints are seruants to God and therefore to bee worshipped for Gods sake so the Images of Saints are seruants to them and to be worshipped for their sakes Let vs then say also that the Sexton is seruant to the Image because he brusheth off the dust and keepeth it cleane and therefore the Sexton is to be worshipped for the Images sake And I. S. is seruant to the Sexton and helpeth him so to doe and therefore I. S. is to be worshipped for the Sextons sake I haue derided this dotage of his l Of Images sect 11. before and thither I referre the Reader I only note here how truly the holy Ghost hauing spoken of Idols said m Psal 115. 8. They that make them are like vnto them and so are all they that put their trust in them CHAP. VIII That iustification before God consisteth not in proceeding from faith to workes but in the continuation of faith to faith and that this faith notwithstanding cannot be separated from charity and good workes ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE PAul saith and we say the same that the righteousnesse of God is from faith to faith c. to Chap. 9. The Apostle in expresse termes affirmeth c. W. BISHOP THe sentence of S. Paul is mangled his wordes are for the iustice or righteousnesse of God is reuealed therein in the Gospell by faith into faith which are obscure and subiect to diuers expositions The most common is that Christ the iustice of God is reuealed in the Gospell by conferring the faith of them that liued before the Gospell with their faith that liued vnder it the faith of them who liue in the Gospell giuing great light for the clearer vnderstanding of such things as were taught of Christ more darkely in the law and Prophets This being the literall sense of this place what is here for mans iustification by only faith where only mention is made of Gods iustice and not one word of the imputation of it to man but of the
reuelation of it in the Gospell What a foule mistaking is this alas his pouerty of spirit and want of good armour compelleth him to lay hand on any weapons how simple and weake soeuer In the next verse it is plainly shewed that God did grieuously punish all them who liued wickedly notwithstanding they held the right faith for saith S. Paul the Rom. 1. vers 18. wrath of God from heauen is reuealed vpon all impiety and vnrighteousnesse of those men that retaine or hold the truth of God in iniustice Whence it followeth first that men may haue a true faith without good workes for they held the truth of God being themselues wicked Secondly that the same faith would not auaile them ought nor saue them from the iust wrath of God if it were not quickned by good workes R. ABBOT I Am not ignorant that there are many expositions made of those wordes of the Apostle which all or the most part are to be found in the collections of a Oecumen in Rom. 3. Oecumenius and in b Tho. Aquin. in Rom. 1. Lect. 6. Thomas Aquinas his Commentary vpon that place who notwithstanding Aquinas I meane either omitteth that which is most likely and warrantable aboue all the rest or else expresseth it not in such sort as were conuenient M. Bishop telleth vs that the exposition which he hath brought is the most common whereas I am perswaded that as he hath set it downe he can bring no authour of it but himselfe only For although it be true that some construe it to be meant from the faith of the old Testament to the faith of the new yet they apply the same to farre other purpose then he doth Some will haue it that the Apostle would signifie that it is faith that iustifieth and saueth both in the old and new Testament so that the change from the old to the new is but from faith to faith that is in effect no change This Thomas Aquinas expresseth thus c Tho. Aquin. vt supra Ex side in fidem id est ex fide veteris testamenti procedendo in fidem noui testamenti quia ab vtroque homines iustificaÌ„tur saluantur per fidem Christi quia cadem side crediderunt venturâ— qua nos venisse credimus From faith to faith that is from faith of the old Testament proceeding to faith of the new because on both sides men are iustified and saued by the faith of Christ for that by the same faith they beleeued that Christ should come whereby we beleeue that he is come Some other vnderstand it of proceeding from faith whereby we beleeue the Scriptures of the Prophets and old Testament to faith whereby to beleeue the Gospell For d Theodoret. Oecumen in Rom. 3. Ex side in fidem Oportet enim credere Prophetis per illos deduci ad fidem Euangelij wee must beleeue the Prophets saith Theodoret and after him Oecumenius and by them be brought to the faith of the Gospell This I ghâ—sse it was that M. Bishop aimed at but hee peruersly applyeth it to light giuen by the new Testament to the old which was meant by his authours of confirmation giuen by the old Testament to the new This literall sense therefore of his being neither literall nor sense but a blinde conceipt of his owne skonce let vs consider what we may most truly take to be the meaning of that place The Apostle propounding that e Rom. 1. 16. the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth addeth for declaration and proofe thereof that in it or by it the righteousnesse of God is reueiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from faith to faith M. Bishop to obscure and darken the place translateth as his Masters of Rhemes haue giuen him example by faith into faith to which we may wonder how he can deuise to fit the exposition which he himselfe hath set downe But it appeareth by that which I cited out of Thomas Aquinas that the phrase which the Apostle vseth importeth a proceeding and therefore that by the one preposition must be vnderstood terminus à quo the terme of beginning and the other must determine the progression and the end to sound euen as we translate from faith to faith And this is very expresly and clearely iustified by Oecumenius out of the Greeke expositours setting downe the effect of St. Pauls wordes thus f Oecumen in Rom. 3. Ex fide in fidem quia in side incipit in fidem terminari debet It is to beginne in or with faith and in faith to be determined Hereto accord almost all the expositions that are made of that place which cannot fitly be expressed but by that forme of speech from the faith of God promising to the faith of man beleeuing from the faith of the old Testament to the faith of the new from the faith of the Preacher to the faith of the hearer from the faith of one article to the faith of another from faith present to faith to come to all which M. Bishop can as ill fit i Clem. Alexand strom l. 5. sub initio Videtur Apostâ—lus duplicem fidem annunciare potiùs verò vnam annunciat quae augmentum suscâ—pit perfectionem by faith into faith as he can to his owne sense For further manifestation hereof we are to note the like phrase in other places of holy Scripture as where the Prophet Dauid saith g Psal 84. 7. They shall goe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint translate that is from strength to strength So the Apostle speaketh though by the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in steede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet to the same effect h 2. Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into the same image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from glory to glory where the Rhemists translating from glory vnto glory might haue learned to translate here from faith vnto faith but that they were peruersly bent for their owne aduantage to make the Apostles wordes lesse sensible then in themselues they are Now therefore as in these places the holy Ghost noteth by that forme of speech a continuation and increase of strength and glory so in the other he importeth a continuation of faith and a proceeding and growing therein to greater and stronger faith Thus doth Ciemens Alexandrinus construe it saying The Apostle seemeth to speake of a double faith but he speaketh rather of one receiuing increase and perfection k Theophyl in Rom. 1. Neque enim sat est priores fidem hanc excepisse sed erit etiam fidei huius ductu ad persectiorem credulitâ—tem progreâ—iâ—â—dum ad imâ—â—otu◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firmamentâ—â— quâ—nta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is not enough saith Theophylact to receiue this faith at first but by the guiding of this faith we are to goe forward to more perfâ—ct beleefe euen to vnmoueable
nihilo inquit saluos faciet illos haud dubiuÌ„ qum iustos qui noÌ„ proprio merito sed Dei saluantur clementia He will saue them for nothing as who are saued not by their owne merit saith he but by the mercy of God For y Gregor Moral l. 8. c 9. Iusti perituros se absque ambiguitate praesciunt si remota pietate iudiceÌ„tur quia hoc ipsum quoque quòd iustè videmur viuâ—re culpa est si vitaÌ„ nostram cum iudicat hanc apud se diuina miserecordia non excusat iust men saith Gregory know before-hand that they shall perish without doubt if God set mercy aside in the iudging of them because euen that which seemeth our iust life is but sinne if Gods mercy when he iudgeth it doe not excuse the same Hitherto then it appeareth that I want no armour or weapons to fight against him yea who seeth not him rather to be a beggarly companion who taketh vpon him to contradict me vpon no other but only his owne word As for pouerty of spirit he sheweth his prophanenesse in iesting at it because Christ hath pronounced a blessing to it z Mat. 5. â— Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen But now before he giue ouer that text he will finde a weapon there to fight against me In the next verse saith he it is plainly shewed that God did grieuously punish all them who liued wickedly notwithstanding they held the right faith The wordes of that verse are these a Vers 18 The wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Where it being manifest that the Apostles wordes haue reference to Gentiles and Heathens who had no knowledge of God but only by natures light the Apostle accusing them for suppressing and drowning euen that which they vnderstood or might vnderstand by the creation of the world I might question with what discretion it is that M. Bishop attributeth vnto them the holding of the right faith But not to trouble my selfe or the Reader further then is needfull I let that passe and looke to his inferences that he maketh out of those wordes Whence it followeth first saith he that men may haue a true faith without good workes Which though it haue no manner of sequele from the Apostles wordes there being nothing as I haue said which importeth the hauing or holding of true faith yet with great opportunity he mentioneth because he giueth me occasion to shew that though the righteousnesse of God be only from faith to faith yet that faith wherein this righteousnesse consisteth neuer is nor can be without due correspondence of good workes and godly life And to this belongeth that which the Apostle saith that b Rom. 3. 31. by faith we establish the law because we doe not by faith establish the law if we preach such a faith as may stand with the contempt of the law and wilfull neglect of the commandements of God Surely if faith may be without charity and it be by an after-supply of charity that wee haue the will to keepe Gods commandements then should not the Apostle say that by faith but rather by charity we establish the law But because without saith there is no charity and charity is the necessary sequele of the regeneration of faith therefore the Apostle rightly saith that by faith we establish the law as whereby we c Gal. 3. â—4 Ezech. 36. 26. 27 receiue the promise of the spirit of God the effect and d Gal. 5. 22. fruit whereof is charity whereby e Rom. 7. 22. we delight in the law of God as touching the inward man and are grieued at the remainder of carnall concupiscence whereby we are hindered that f Gal. 5. 17. we cannot doe the things that we would The faith which the Gospell teacheth is that and no other wherof we reade that g Acts 15. 9. by faith God purifieth our hearts which is called h Gal. 5. 6. faith working by loue of which St. Iohn saith i 1. John 3. 3. Euery one that hath this hope purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure k Ephes 3. 17. by which Saint Paul againe saith that Christ dwelleth in our hearts and l Rom. 8. 10. if Christ be in you saith he the body is dead as touching sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake As for that faith which is without workes it is by equiuocation only called faith as the picture of a man is called a man this being yeelded to custome of speech and to the conceipt of men who giue names oftentimes for semblance and shew where there wanteth the substance and truth of them To which purpose the wordes of Leo Bishop of Rome are very remarkeable m Leode Quadrages serm 7. Charitas robur fidei fides fortitudo est charitatis tunc verum nomen verus est fructus ambarum cum insolubilis manâ—t vtriusque coÌ„nexio Vbi enim non simul fuerint simu desunt quia inâ—icem sibi inuamâ—n lumen sunt donec desiderium credulitatis impleat remuneratio visionis incommutabilitèr videatur ametur quod nunc sine side non diligâ—tur sine dilectione non creditur Charity is the strength of faith and faith is the strength of charity and then is there the true name and the true fruit of both when there abideth an insâ—parable coniunction of them for where they are not both together they are both wanting because they are the helpe and light each of other vntill reward of seeing fulfill the desire of beleeuing and that be vnchangeably beholden and loued which now is neither loued without faith nor beleeued without loue Where we see a difference signified by Leo betwixt the true name of faith and that which is vulgarly termed faith so that though sometimes we speake of faith without workes applying the name of faith to the outward profession of faith as he himselfe also doth yet n Idem de Collect. eleemos serm 4. Multis quibus auserre non potuit fidem sustulit charitatem agro cordis ipsorum auaritiae râ—dicibus occupato spoliauit fructu operum quos non priuauit consâ—ssione labiorum the true name of faith is not appliable where there is not charity ioyned with it neither can there be true beleefe where there is no loue Hereto accordeth Gregor in Ezech. hom 22. Fidem Spem Charitatem â—tque operationeÌ„ quamdiu in hac vita viuimus aequales sibi esse apud nosmetipsos inuenimus c. Nam nunc quantum credimus tantum amamus quaÌ„tum amamus tantum de spe praesumimus De fide quoque operatione Ioannes Apostolus faâ—etur dicens Qui se dicit nosse Deum c. Notitia quippe Dei ad fide pertinet mandatorum custodia ad operationem Cùm ergò
viâ—tus tempus locus operandi suppetit tantò quis operatur quaÌ„tò Deum nouerat tantuÌ„ se nosse Deum indicat quantum pro Deo bona operatur c. Vnusquisque qui in hoc vitae exercitio versatur tantum credit quantum sperat amat tantum operatur quantum credit amat sperat also Gregory Bishop of Rome We finde saith he that faith hope charity and good workes so long as here we liue are equall in vs. For looke how much we beleeue so much also we loue and how much we loue so much we presume of hope Of faith and workes also St. Iohn confisseth saying He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar For the knowledge of God appertaineth to faith the keeping of the Commandements to workes When therefore power and time and place of working serueth so much doth a man worke as he knoweth God and so much doth he shew himselfe to know God as he worketh good things for Gods sake To be short euery one saith he that is conuersant in this exercise of life beleeueth so much as he hopeth and loueth and looke how much he beleeueth hopeth loueth so much he worketh These wordes are plaine enough and yet the wordes of Sixtus the third if that bee his which they haue lately published vnder his name are somewhat more plaine p Sixt. 3. Epist de malis Doctor oper fidei c. Biblioth sanct Patrum tom 5. Intelligere noâ— norunt vbicunque fidei fructus non sit illâ—â— quoque nec ipsam fidem esse credendam Caeterùm quis prudens addubitet vbi fides sit illâ—â— esse â—â—morem vbi timor sit illic esse obedientiam vbi obedientia sit illiâ— esse iâ—stitiam sicut â— contâ—ario vbi iustitia non sit illic nec obedientiam nec timorem esse nec fidem Ita enim haec sibi inuicâ—m sociata atque connexa sunt vt diuisa penitus esse non possint Wheresoeuer is not the fruit of faith saith he it is not to be beleeued that there is faith What wise man doubteth but that where faith is there is also feare and where feare is there is obedience and where obedience is there is righteousnesse as on the contrary where righteousnesse is not there is neither obedience nor feare nor faith For so are these coupled and ioyned togither as that they cannot in any wise be diuided The collection from these testimonies is very manifest neither neede I to declare it but very plainly we see the ancient doctrine of the Church of Rome according with ours and condemning as we doe the Popish separation that now is made betwixt faith and workes Thus then M. Bishops first conclusion is fallen to the ground and as for the second it deserueth not to be stood vpon because it is no wonder that faith auailed them nought nor saued them from the wrath of God in whom it appeareth by that that hath beene said that there was no faith CHAP. IX That the iustification of man before God is the imputation of righteousnesse without workes ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE THe Apostle in expresse termes affirmeth imputation of righteousnesse without vvorkes c. to Paul teacheth that eternall life c. W. BISHOP WE hold with the Apostle that workes be not the cause of the first iustification whereof he there treateth nor to deserue it though inspired with Gods grace they doe prepare vs and make vs fit to receiue the gift of iustification neither doe the Protestants wholly exclude vvorkes from this iustification when they doe require true repentance which consisteth of many good workes as necessary thereto We hold that iustice is increased by good workes which we call the second iustification against which the Apostle speaketh not a word but doth confirme it when he saith in the same Epistle Not the hearers of Rom. 2. vers 13. the law are iust with God but the doers of the law shall bee iustified Marke how by doing of the law which is by doing good workes men are iustified with God and not only declared iust before men as the Protestants glose the matter Now touching imputation of See the place Rom. 4. vers 6. righteousnesse the Apostle speaketh not like a Protestant of the outward imputation of Christs iustice to vs but of inherent iustice to wit of faith which worketh by charity which are qualities powred into our hearts Rom. 6. by the holy Ghost so that there is only a bare sound of wordes for the Protestants the true substance of the Text making wholly for the Catholikes R. ABBOT CVrsed is the glosse they say that corrupteth the Text but more accursed is the glosse which to corrupt the text dissembleth and concealeth the wordes of it I set downe the imputation of righteousnesse without works all in a speciall letter as the wordes of the Apostle M. Bishop in that speciall letter setteth downe imputation of righteousnesse and no more but without workes he addeth in the common letter as if they were mine only and not the Apostles wordes knowing that his deuoted Reader who hee knew would not looke into the Text it selfe should hereby faile to see both the force of the words and the simplenesse of his answere And with the like fraud it is that in the margent of his answere he setteth downe see the place Rom. 4. vers 6. as to insinuate to his Reader that if he see the place he shall there see somewhat for his turne whereas hee knoweth that his Catacatholikes for whose sakes hee writeth to keepe his credit with them would hold it sacriledge for them to goe about to see the place for feare least the handling of the new Testament should make them turne Protestants neither durst hee set downe the wordes himselfe least they should euen by this text grow to suspicion of his dealing with them But I will doe that for him which he himselfe durst not doe the words of the Apostle being these a Rom. 4. 5. 6. To him that worketh not that is saith Photius b Phot. apud Oecumen in Rom. 4. Ei qui ab operibus siduciam non habet to him who hath no confidence by workes but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse euen as Dauid pronounceth the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne In which wordes wee see how the Apostle affirmeth accordingly as I said an imputation of righteousnesse without workes which he expresseth to be the reputing of faith for righteousnesse for that thereby we obtaine remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes To this M Bishop answereth that they hold with the Apostle that workes be not the cause of the first iustification nor doe deserue it though inspired
with Gods grace they doe prepare vs and make vs fit to receiue the gift of iustification Where I wish it first to be noted how he maketh workes before the first iustification to be inspired with Gods grace whereas they hold the first iustification to be the first infusion of the grace of God Now they hold workes before the first iustification not to be properly meritorious and yet that workes proceeding from Gods grace are properly dâ—sertfull and meritorious so as that we are come to haue grace before grace and workes meritorious before they be meritorious and I know not what for what the painter list that must stand vpon the wall But to let this passe his answere to the place is otherwise idle and impertinent for though he c See of Iustification sect 21. tell vs which yet he telleth vs falsly and against himselfe that workes be not the cause of the first iustification nor doe deserue it yet he doth not tell vs that either the first or the second iustification is the imputation of righteousnesse without workes which is the thing by the Apostle spoken of For in the imputation of righteousnesse without workes what is it that is reputed for righteousnesse Faith saith the Apostle is reputed for righteousnesse Tell vs then M. Bishop is faith with you reputed for righteousnesse without workes Spit out man and tell vs whether in your first or second iustification you hold that a man for his faith is reputed righteous without workes This the Apostle teacheth and doe you teach the same No forsooth saith he I dare not say so though the Apostle taught the Romans so when they were nouices in the faith yet that now serueth not our turne Consider it well gentle Reader and thou shalt see that his answere is a meere mockery and giueth no satisfaction to the point And that it may appeare further so to be it is to be noted how the Apostle bringeth Dauid for a witnesse of that he saith who hauing beene long a faithfull and iustified man that M. Bishop may haue no shift by his pretense of the first iustification yet still out of his owne present occasioned experience and feeling pronounceth as the Apostle saith the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works He was in great distresse and affliction of bodily sicknesse and in that misery he lay vntill God had throughly humbled him and brought him to true and faithfull acknowledgement and confession of his sinne Vpon this confession and repentance God remitteth the sinne and mercifully releaseth him from the grieuous punishment that had lien vpon him and hereupon hee breaketh out into those wordes which the Apostle citeth e Psal 32. 1. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Now therefore to speake of a man in the state of grace as Dauid was this is his blisse euen the forgiuenesse of his sinnes which is through faith the imputation of righteousnesse without workes And for further confirmation hereof Dauid hauing so spoken of himselfe addeth in generall f Vers 6. For this shall euery holy man make his prayer vnto thee For this that is as Austin saith g August in Psal 31. Pro qua hac Pro ipsa vema peccatorum for the forgiuenesse of sinnes And if the forgiuenesse of sinnes be as the Apostle expoundeth it the imputation of righteousnesse without workes then thâ— prayer of euery holy man of euery one that is godly is this that not hauing workes whereby to be iustified he may by faith in Christ be reputed righteous and accepted in the sight of God Here we haue M. Bishop fast tyed neither is there any way for him to breake loose because by comparing the Prophets wordes and the Apostles application thereof we finde that the holy or godly man looketh for blisse by imputation of righteousnesse without workes Euen the holy man prayeth with Dauid a holy man h Psal 143. 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight no man liuing shall be found iust and therefore prayeth againe as Dauid by the exposition of the Apostle hath taught the holy man to pray that faith may be counted to him for righteousnesse that the Lord will impute to him righteousnesse without workes Of this imputation of righteousnesse without workes St. Austin saith i August Retract l. 1. c. 19. Omnia mandata facta deputantur quando quicquid non sit ignoscitur All the commandements of God are reputed as done when that is pardoned which is not done And againe k IdeÌ„ in Psal 118. Conc. 3. In via sideâ— pro non peccantibus habentur quâ—bus peccata non imputantur In the way of faith they are reckoned for no sinners and therefore are reputed iust who haue not their sinnes imputed vnto them Thus Bernard saith that l Bernard in Cant. serm 22. Iustitia in absolutione peccatorum Christ is made vnto vs righteousnesse in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and that m Ibid. ser 23. Hominis iustitâ—â— indulgentâ—a Dei. Gods pardon is mans righteousnesse To the like purpose it is that Ambrose saith n Ambros in Psal 118. ser 7. Potest pâ—â—â—atâ—r hoâ— ipso iustus esse qâ—â—a accusator est â—â—i A sinner may euen hereby be iust for that he is the accuser of himselfe And so saith Gregory Bishop of Rome o Gregor in Ezech. hom 7. Iustus aduocatus noster iustâ—s nos dâ—fendet â—â— iudicio quia 〈◊〉 ipsos cognosâ—â—mus accusamus iniustes Non ergò in sâ—etibus non in actibus nostris sed in aduocati nostri allegatione considamus Our iust Aduocate will in iudgement defend vs for iust because we know and accuse our selues to be vniust and therefore let vs not put confidence in our teares or in our workes but in our Aduocates allegation or intercession for vs. If as touching workes we know and confesse our selues to be vniust and yet notwithstanding be defended in iudgement to be iust what can our iustice be but the imputation of iustice without workes Against this M. Bishop alleageth that we doe not wholly exclude workes from iustification because we require true repentance which containeth many good workes as necessary thereto But of this he hath receiued answere p Of Iustification sect 25. before that repentance doth only make the subiect capable of iustification but is it selfe no part or cause thereof that it is as the feeling and paine of a wound or sore which causeth to seeke the medicine for cure and ease but it selfe healeth not that it is as hunger and thirst which feede not the body but prouoke the seeking of the meate whereby it is fed The penitent man touched in conscience with the guilt of sinne and seeing thereby the misery that lyeth vpon him by Gods anger and indignation denounced against the same
because he findeth nothing in himselfe or in his owne works to helpe himselfe doth therefore betake himselfe to Iesus Christ that through faith he may finde in him that iustification which is the imputation of righteousnesse without workes Thus is q Gal. 3. 24. the law our Schoole-master vnto Christ that we may be iustified by faith For r Rom. 3. 20. by the law is the knowledge of sinne Å¿ Rom. 4. 15. the law worketh wrath the law maketh it to appeare that t Rom. 3. 23. all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God This true repentance beleeueth and acknowledgeth and thereupon flyeth to the Sanctuarie which God hath prouided u Vers 24. Wee are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be an attonement or reconciliation through faith in his bloud As for the good workes which M. Bishop saith are contained in true repentance they are the fruits of repentance not the parts of it or rather the effects of that faith whereby repentance becommeth true repentance x August Epist 120. Ex hoc quippe incipiunt opera bona ex quo iustificamur non quia prâ—â—esserunt iustificamur hauing their beginning then when we are iustified not going before that we should be iustified thereby Now what they hold concerning the second iustification it skilleth not to vs we know they hold many things which they might very well let goe He telleth vs that the Apostle speaketh not a word against it and we tell him that it is a sufficient reason for vs to denie it because the Apostle treating purposely and at large of iustification saith not a word for it Albeit it is vntrue which he saith that the Apostle saith not a word against it because he defineth as I haue shewed the iustification of the iust and godly man to whom they referre their second iustification to be the imputation of righteousnesse without workes As for the wordes of the Apostle which he alleageth y Rom. 2. 13. Not the hearers of the law are iust with God but the doers of the law shall be iustified they are farre from the intendment of their second iustification The Apostle though he speake not of their first and second iustification yet speaketh of two kinds of iustification the one presumed of man the other taught and giuen of God the one pertaining to the Law the other to the Gospell the one by workes the other by faith The Iewes presumed of iustification by the workes of the law they greatly gloried in their name and in the law they attributed much to themselues aboue all other for hauing the vse and knowledge of it and thought the Gentiles in that behalfe much inferiour vnto them But the Apostle telleth them that z Vers 11. there is no respect of persons with God and therefore if they sinned no prerogatiues otherwise could acquit them from his wrath For as on the one side a Vers 12. as many as haue sinned without the law saith he shall perish also without the law so on the other side as many as haue sinned in the law shall be iudged by the law that is shall receiue that iudgement that is pronounced by the law For confirmation whereof he addeth the words which M. Bishop citeth b Vers 13. For the hearers of the law are not iust before God but the doers of the law shall be iustified thereby signifying that to haue the law or to bee formall and zealous in the hearing of it is not that that sufficeth to make a man righteous with God and if any man would bee iustified by the law he must be a doer of it but if he were a trespasser and sinned against the law hee could not bee iustified thereby For the voice of the law is c Gal. 3. 12. He that doth these things shall line therein and d Rom. 10. 5. Moses thus describeth the righteousnesse of the law e Leuit. 18. 5. that the man that doth these things shall liue therein Which doing to what measure and perfection it must extend is to be knowen by that sentence which the Apostle reciteth out of the law f Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them It is true then that the doers of the law shall be iustified who denyeth it but they only are doers of the law which continue to doe all things that are written in the law What is here then to M. Bishops second iustification when as this iustification by the law requireth the doing of all and of vs euen the best it is true that g Jam. 3. 2. in many things we offend all and that h Eccles 7. 22. there is not a man iust vpon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Yea how crosly doth he deale that whereas the Apostle vseth these wordes to conuince i Rom. 3. 9. the Iewes of sinne and to beate downe their pride in opinion of righteousnesse by the law he alleageth them to vphold himselfe in the same pride and to defend thereby iustification by the law Marke saith he how by doing of the law men are iustified with God It is true M. Bishop and be you a doer of the law and you shall be iustified thereby But take heede least whilest you take vpon you to be a doer of the law there be found sinne in you If there be sinne in you you are not a doer but a trespasser of the law and must feare the reward of sinne and k â—â—m 6. 23. the reward of sinne is death That made the Apostle say that l Gal. 3. 10. so many as are of the workes of the law are vnder the curse m Cap. 5. 4. they being voided from Christ and fallen from grace whosoeuer are iustified by the law Therefore he desâ—red for himselfe that n 〈◊〉 3. 9. he might be found in Christ not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the law but the righteousnesse which is by the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God through faith euen that which he calleth in the place here questioned the imputation of righteousnesse without workes But touching imputation of righteousnesse M. Bishop saith that the Apostle speaketh not like a Protestant of the outward imputation of Christs iustice vnto vs but of inherent iustice Where it is much to be obserued to what good issue this exposition sorteth and how reasonably it standeth with the Apostles wordes For if the imputation of righteousnesse be as he saith the imputation of inherent righteousnesse then surely because inherent righteousnesse is the righteousnesse of workes it must needes follow that the Apostle by the imputation of righteousnesse without workes doth meane the imputation of the righteousnesse of workes without workes Which interpretation because hee saw it could bee taken
they see others fall by resting on their owne strength Now therefore be it that some who not are but see me to be in grace and to stand doe afterwards fall and be cut off this maketh nothing against the assurance of them who are indeede in grace and doe truly beleeue in the name of the sonne of God who i 1. Iohn 5. 11. beleeuing the record that God hath witnessed of his sonne that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne are hereby taught k Vers 13. 15. to know that they haue eternall life and that they haue the petitions that they desire of him And thus Gregory saith as touching the heauenly City Ierusâ—lem which is aboue that l Gregor Exposit in 1. Reg. l. 1. c. 1. Moral Quam familiariter dilâ—git suam esse indubitantèr credit Suam naÌ„que hanc ciuitatemesse cognouerat qui dicebat scimê° quia si terrestris nostra domus c. he that entirely loueth it doth vndoubtedly beleeue it to be his owne For saith he he knew this City to be his that said m 2. Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolued we haue a building which is of God a house not made with hands eternall in heauen And thus saith Leo that n Leo de Resurrect Domini ser 2. Quam idcò vsque ad celerrimâ—m resurrectionem voluit esse mortalem vt credentibus in cum nec persecutio insuperabilis nec mors posset esse terribilis cùm ita dubitandum non esset de consortio gloriae sicut dubitandum non crat de communione naturae Si ergò incunctantèr corde credimus quod â—re profitemur nos in Christo crucifiâ—i nos sumus mortui nos sepulti nos etiam die tertia suscitati Christ would haue his flesh to continue in case of mortality vntill his resâ—rrection that to them that beleeued in him neither persecution might be vnconquerable nor death might be terrible for that they were no more to doubt of being partakers of glory with him then they were to doubt of his being partaker of the same nature with them If saith he we stedfastly beleeue with the heart that which we professe with the mouth we are crucified in Christ we are dead we are buried we are also the third day raised againe from the dead o Ibid. serm 1. Non haesitamus diffidentia nec incerta expectatione suspendimur sed acceptâ— promissionis exâ—rdiâ— fidei oculis quâ— sunt futura iam cernimus natura pronectiâ—ne gaudentes quod credimus iam tenemus We stagger not by distrust saith he againe neither doe we hang in vncertaine expectation but hauing receiued the beginning of the promise we now see with the eyes of faith the things that are to come and reioycing for the aduancement of our nature we euen now hold that which we beleeue This is the assurance of the faithfull euen an vndoubted beleefe and knowledge that the heauenly City is theirs a certaine and vndoubted expectation of the glory of Christ whereby they reioyce as being in him already raised againe from the dead and as already holding and possessing that which they doe beleeue Howsoeuer therefore men are to be shaken out of all carnall security and presumption of their saluation yet the godly security and presumption of faith is not to be denyed and the more we grow in faith the more doth the soule grow secure and vndoubted of God to be our God presuming not of our selues where indeede we see nothing but cause of feare but of God only to say of him p Psal 71. 14. I will goe forth in the strength of the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteousnesse only And againe q Psal 124. 7. Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord which hath made heauen and earth In a word one truth agreeth with another and therefore M. Bishop in opposing some formall speeches of the holy Ghost against other the like formall speeches which in their true meaning stand very well and agree together doth no other but deforme the truth and wickedly taketh vpon him the patronage and maintenance of falshood and vntruth CHAP. XIII That the good workes and sufferings of this life are not meritorious or worthy of the blisse of the life to come ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE PAul saith The sufferings of this time are not worthy of the glory that shall be reueiled c. to Paul saith nothing for those points c. W. BISHOP I Say that M. Abbot hath gotten such a custome of abusing Gods word that hee scarce alleageth one sentence of it without one paltry shift or other The wordes of S. Paul truly translated are Our sufferings are not worthy to the glory or as our English phrase is are not to be compared to the glory of c. that is our labours or paines are not either so great and waighty or of so long endurance as be the ioyes of heauen yet through the dignity which we receiue by being made members of Christ and by the vertue of Gods grace wherewith those workes be wrought and by the promise of God both we are accounted worthy of heauen according to S Pauls owne phrase Which persecutions 2. Thessal 1. v. 5. you sustaine that you may be counted worthy the Kingdome of God and our sufferings meritorious of life euerlasting which S. Paul doth very precisely teach where he saith that our tribulation which for the 2. Cor. 4. vers 17. present is momentary and light yet worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall waight of glory in vs we not considering the things that are seene but that are not seene and elsewhere is bold to say That 2. Tim 4. vers 8. God had laid vp for him a crowne of iustice which our Lord will render to me in that day a iust Iudge and not only to me but to them also that loue his comming If God as a iust Iudge render the ioyes of heauen as a crowne of iustice then were they before iustly deserued and the sufferings of them that deserued them were in iust proportion worthy of them Thus briefly any indifferent Reader may perceiue how farre S. Paul being rightly taken is from affording any reliefe vnto the Protestant cause They doe now as many vnlearned and vnstable men did euen in his owne time witnesse Saint Peter depraue and misuse certaine sentences of his 2. Pet. 3. vers 16. hard to be vnderstood to their owne perdition and to the deceiuing and vndoing of their followers for in all his Epistles being vnderstood as he meant them there is not one word or sillable that maketh for the Protestants or any other Sectaries and plenty there are of plaine texts for the most points of the Catholike faith A tast whereof I will giue you as soone as I shall haue made an end of answering vnto this his idle discourse
there is no shadow of likelyhood that one should tell the Pope such a tale to his face or that Erasmus being in most points a Catholike would report it But for the inducing of his Reader to this opinion see a trick of this honest man For if he had truly quoted the place as he found it by me set downe he thought his Reader would perhaps looke the place and so would finde it to be as I had said But to preuent this whereas I had noted in the margent Erasm de rat Concion lib. 3. hee setteth downe in steede thereof Erasmus de ratione that the Reader vvhen he should search for such a booke of Erasmus and finde no such written by him might thinke me to be as very a cozener as Doctor Bishop himselfe now is found to be Let me tell him once againe that Erasmus hath written a vvorke entituled Ecclesiastes or de ratione Concionandi in g Pag. 291. as it was printed at Basil by Frobenius 1535. the third booke whereof he hath left to future memory those vvorthy stories of Robertus Liciensis which I haue before reported For conclusion of this passage he termeth me a poore Robin simple and poore-blinde that can finde nothing in the Apostles writings for their Catholike cause telling vs that he hath shewed the contrary already and will further shew it in those very points which I my selfe haue made choise of But what he hath done already we haue seene it remaineth to examine the rest that follow that it may appeare whether the simple Protestants doe well or not in taking the Apostle St. Paul to be wholly for them W. BISHOP §. 2. TO beginne with the first there is plaine testimony that we are iustified before God by workes which I cited before VVith God the doers of the law shall be Rom. 2. vers 13. iustified There is much for free-will witnesse this Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall body Ibid. 6. vers 12. 13. that you obey the concupiscence thereof but neither doe you exhibite your members instruments of iniquity vnto sinne but exhibite your selues to God of dead men aliue and your members instruments of iustice to God for sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for you are not vnder the law but vnder grace See how the Apostle maketh it in the power and will of euery man indued with Gods grace either to doe well or to doe euill and that sinne hath no such dominion ouer them but that they may doe well if they will concurre with Gods grace Item that it is not grace which doth all but a man must worke with grace and exhibite the powers of his soule as instruments towards the producing of good workes which is flatly our doctrine of free-will And before we depart from this matter of iustification as M. Abbot doth very quickly you shall heare more of it out of the same Apostle he teacheth expresly that a man in the state of grace may fulfill the law in these wordes For that which was impossible to the law Ibid. cap. 8. v. 3. in that it was weakned by flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne euen of sinne damned sinne in the flesh that the iustification of the law might bee fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Which is seconded in the thirteenth Chapter where he concludeth loue to be the fulnesse of the law hauing Ibid. v. 9. 10. before said that he who loueth his neighbour fulfilleth the law And as for that certainty of saluation which many Protestants bragge of the Apostle doth wholly dispossesse them of it first in the place before cited where he willeth them that stand right in the true Rom. 11. ver 20. faith to beware that they fall not and assureth them that they shall fall as others had done before them if they did not diligently looke vnto it Elsewhere he aduiseth vs with feare and trembling to worke our Philip. 2. ver 12. saluation Marke how two points of the Protestant doctrine be wounded in one sentence and two of ours confirmed both that we must worke our saluation it comes not then by only faith and that with feare and trembling we are not then assured of it before hand by the certainty of faith which excludeth all feare and doubt of it Now that we ought to haue a firme hope of saluation S. Paul teacheth vs VVe haue accesse through faith Rom. 5. vers 2. into this his grace wherein we stand and glory in the hope of the Sonnes of God Also For by hope we Ibid. 8. vers 24. are saued Item we giue thanks to God c. for the Clooss 1. vers 5. hope that is laid vp for you in heauen With whom S. Peter consorteth Blessed be God and the Father of 1. Pet. 1. vers 3. our Lord Iesus Christ who according to his great mercy hath regenerated you into a liuely hope vnto an incorruptible crowne c. laid vp in heauen Not to prosecute all the particular points of iustification which haue euery one good ground in the Apostle S. Paul as in that question may be seene the very faith whereby Abraham was and we are iustified is no such kinde of faith as the Protestants claime to be iustified by that is by an apprehension and drawing of Christs righteousnesse to themselues but that faith whereby we beleeue all things to be true which God hath reuealed as S. Paul declareth in the fourth to the Romans where he reporteth Abraham Rom. 4. vers 19. to haue beene iustified by beleeuing that God according to his promise would giue him a Sonne and make him the Father of many nations so that finally there is not a word in S. Paul which in his owne meaning maketh for any one peece of the Protestants iustification but heapes of testimonies for euery branch of iustification as we beleeue it R. ABBOT H 〈…〉 M. Bishop beginneth to muster his abundance of 〈◊〉 like an armie of men whereof some want aâ—mes some legges some looke another way some turne quite about and fight against him He setteth downe a number of places but whether they hit or crosse or come short what careth he let the Reader looke to that He saith they proue this or that but how they proue it id populus curet scilicet he is too busie to trouble himselfe about it As for example There is plaine testimony saith he that we are iustified before God by workes namely a Rom. 2. 13. with God the doers of the law shall be iustified But it doth not follow that because the doers of the law shall be iustified with God therefore we are iustified before God by workes because it doth not appeare that we are doers of the law Let him put in for his minor proposition But we are doers of the law and then his absurdity appeareth because
it is manifest and our consciences force vs to confesse that we are not doers of the law For to be a doer of the law requireth the doing of all that the law commandeth to be done For b Iam. 2. 10. he that keepeth the whole law and yet faileth in one point he is guilty of all that is he is a transgressour of the law which commandeth all and because he is a transgressour of the law therefore cannot be called a doer of the law We therefore who are all transgressours of the law cannot be said to be doers of the law and because we are not doers of the law therefore cannot by the law be iustified before God And thus the Apostle telleth the Iewes that c Rom. 2. 13. not the hearers but the doers of the law shall be iustified but chargeth vpon them that they were d Vers 17. c. not doers of the law and groweth to this conclusion that e Chapt. 3. 9. all both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne and hence inferreth further f Vers 20. Therefore by the workes of the law shall no flesh be iustified in the sight of God Hath not M. Bishop now brought vs a goodly proofe that wee are iustified before God by workes when as the Apostle vseth those very wordes to enforce the contrary that we are not iustified by workes As handsomly doth he deale for the proofe of free-will There is much for free-will saith he witnesse this g Rom. 6. 12. 13. Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies that you obey the concupiscence thereof c. Hence he inferreth that it is in the power and will of euery man endued with Gods grace to doe well And who denieth but that it is so who maketh doubt but that the grace of God giueth vs a power and will to doe well The question only is whether there be in vs any such power of our selues which is not the effect of the grace of God Thereof we say with St. Austin h August de Peccat Merit Remiss l. 2. c. 18. LaboraÌ„t homines inuenire in nostra voluntate quid boni sit nostrum quod nobis non sit ex Deo quomodo inueniri possit ignorâ— Men labour to finde in our will what good is ours which is not in vs of God and how it may be found we doe not know Otherwise we deny not free-will for vve say that vve are i Rom. 6. 22. freed from sinne and that k Iohn 8. 36. the sonne of God doth make vs free We deny not the power and vvill to doe well for vve say that l Phil. 2. 13. God doth worke in vs both to will and to doe But because we say that God doth worke it in vs and God doth make vs free therefore vve deny Popish free-will vvhich is a faculty and power of nature vvhereby by an act of our owne vvhich is not of God wee apply our selues to the grace of God and adioyne our selues to vvorke vvith it He againe collecteth that sinne hath no such dominion ouer vs but that we may doe well if we will concurre with Gods grace True it is but still the issue is vvhence we haue this vvill or vvhose worke it is that we doe concurre vvith the grace of God We say as St. Austin saith m August in Psal 77. Gratia facit sibi cooperantem hominis spiritum in opere bonorum factorum It is the grace of God that maketh the spirit of man concurrent with it in the doing of good workes and vvith St. Bernard n Bernard de Grat. lib. Arbit Coadiutorem facit cùm facit volentem hoc est voluntati suae conseâ—ticuâ—em God maketh a man concurrent when he maketh him willing that is consenting to his will It is true then that man doth concurre vvith the grace of God but it is grace it selfe that vvorketh it in man to concurre vvith grace But to open himselfe further he saith that it is not grace which doth all but a man must worke with grace and exhibit the powers of his soule as instruments to the producing of good workes Where againe we admit the latter part of his wordes that we must worke with grace and exhibit the powers of our soules as instruments of good workes but we say againe that so to doe is the gift of God o Leo de ieiun ser 1. Vt in nobis formaÌ„ suae bonitatis inueniat dat vnde ipsi quoque quod operatur operamur Who saith Leo that he may finde the image of his goodnesse in vs giueth vs whence to worke or doâ— the same that he doth But in the first part of the words he bewraieth his hereticall meaning taken out of the schoole of Pelagius when he saith it is not grace that doth all For hereby he will haue it vnderstood that man hath somwhat of his owne which is not any worke of grace and that by this power which he hath naturally of himselfe he worketh with grace and exhibiteth the powers of his soule vnto good workes But Gregory Bishop of Rome was not of this minde who saith of the elect and faithfull p Gregor in Psal Poenit. 7. Qui nihil boni sibi sed totuÌ„ gratiae Dei tribuunt scientes se nihil habere quod non acceperunt hoc enim operatus est in eis qui vasa misericordiae â—ecit eos They attribute no good to themselues but all wholly to the grace of God knowing that they haue nothing which they haue not receiued for he hath wrought it in them who hath made them vessels of his mercy It is not grace that doth all saith M. Bishop â—â— the iust doe attribute all to grace saith Gregory See how well the doctrine of the new Church of Rome agreeth with the old What the old Church of Rome taught in this behalfe the same also we teach not that we haue a power of free-will in nature whereby we can follow whither grace doth leade but what Gregory saith of Paul the same is true in vs that q Gregor in Ezech. hom 9. Praeueniens gratia liberum in eo arbitrium fecerat in bono libero arbitrio eaÌ„dem gratiam est subsecutus in opere the preuenting grace of God maketh the will free in that that is good and then we by free-will doe in worke follow the same grace For r Idem Moral lib. 16. cap. 10. Superna pietas priùs agit in nobis aliquid sine nobis vt subsequente quoque nostro libero arbitrio bonum quod iam appetimus a gat nobiscum the heauenly grace saith he againe doth first of all without vs worke somewhat in vs which is that which St. Austin saith Å¿ Aug. de grat l. arbit c. 17. Vt velimus sine nobis operatur Without vs he worketh in vs to will and St. Bernard t Bernard de grat lib. arbit
Creatio in libertatem voluntatis facta est sine nobis the creating of vs to freedome of will is wrought without vs that our freewill following he may â—oe with vs that good whereto we are now become willing And againe in the same place u Gregor Moral vt supra Diuina nos bonitas innocentes faciat praeucnit eandem gratiam nostrum liberum arbitrium sequitur The goodnesse of God prâ—â—tenteth vs to make vs innocent and our free-will followeth the same grace Thus x August de Grat. lib. Arbit cap. 5. Vt coÌ„uerteretur gratia Dei eraâ— sola our conuersion as St. Austin saith of the Apostle Paul is the grace of God only but when by conuersion he hath reformed our will and wrought in vs the loue of righteousnesse vve by this worke of grace in vs doe thenceforth apply our selues to worke with grace and the worke that we doe is Gods worke and it is our worke but no otherwise ours but that by the gift of God it is wrought in vs and so becommeth ours Therefore vve doe not say that the grace of God so doth all as that we doe nothing but whatsoeuer we doe the grate of God it is that worketh in vs to doe it y August coÌ„t a Epist Pelag. lib. 1. c. 6. Nos quidem ambulamus verum est nos obseruamus nos facimus sed ille facit vt ambulemus obseruemus faciamus We walke saith Austin it is true we obserue we doe but he maketh vs to walke to obserue to doâ— Euen so we suffer not sinne to reigne in our mortall bodies as the Apostle teacheth vs but it is â—â— that maketh vs not to suffer it to reigne We giue the poâ—ers of our soules as instruments to the producing of good workes as M. Bishop speaketh but it is he that maketh vs to giue them to be so who z August de Praedest sanct cap. 11. Promittit facturum se vt faciaÌ„t quae iubet vt fiant promiseth to cause vs to doe those things which he commandeth to be done Therefore â—ee pâ—each to the people of God as Leo Bishop of Rome did a Leo in Epiphan serm 5. Cooperatores simus gratiâ— Dei operaÌ„tis in nobis non enim dormientibus proueâ—it regnum coelorum nec otio deâ—â—d aâ—â— torpentibus beatâ—tudo â—ternâ—tatis ingeritur Let vs be ioynt-workers with the grace of God that worketh in vs for the Kingdome of heauen befalleth not to sleepers neither is the blisse of eternity thrust vpon idle and slothfull persons But yet withall we say with Gregory that b Gregor Moral lib. 29. c. 13. Quòd verba praedicationis dâ—i ab auribus ad corda desâ—eÌ„ lunt solo diuino munere agitur c. Per internam gratiam solus omnipotens Deus praedicantium verbis ad corda aud 〈…〉 um inutsibilitèr aditum prâ—stat it is by the only gift of God that the words of the preacher doe descend from the care to the heart that it is only the almighty God who by inward grace inuisibly giueth passage for the wordes of the preacher to the hearts of them that heare Yea with Leo himselfe we say that c Leo de Quadrag serm 101 Quod deitatis habâ—tacuâ—um licet inchoari perfici sine suo authore non possit habet tamen ab 〈…〉 sicante donatum vt etiam labore proprio quaerat augmentum the habitation and temple of God which is euery faithfull man which can neither be begunne nor finished without the authour of it hath it giuen of God by it owne labour to seeke it owne furtherance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It vvoâ—kein then with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it selfe to God but it hath it giuen to â—â— of God 〈◊〉 to worke with God By it owne labour it seeketh it owne encrease but it is the gift of God vvhereby it laboureth for this increase In a vvord vve say with Fulgentiâ—â— d Fulgent â—d 〈…〉 brâ—ter prohibemtam in nostra side quà m in nostro opere â—tanquam nostrum nobâ—t aeliquid vendcare We in no sort sâ—ffer nay we by who 〈◊〉 doctrine fâ—rbidden 〈◊〉 in our suit or in our workes to chalenge to our selues any thing for our owne Nothing is ours but in 〈◊〉 sort as Gregory faith e Gregor Moral l. 24. cap. 5. Iustitia nostra dicieâ—r non quae ex nostro nostra est sed quae diuinâ—â—argitate fit nostrâ— It is called our righteousnes which â—â— not ours as of our owne but which by the gift of God is made ours or as Hierome saith f Hieron Epist ad Demeâ—riad Velle nolle nostrumest ipsamque quod nostrum est sine miseratione Dei nostrum non est To will and to nill is ours but that which is ours without the mercy of God is none of ours This was the doctrine of the old Church of Rome concerning free-will this we approue and teach and because we approue this therefore we detest the doctrine that is now taught in the Church of Rome which is quite contrary to this But here M. Bishop being come away from iustification and fallen to a new matter yet bethought himselfe vpon a sodaine that he had some what further to say of it and therefore leapeth backe againe He was departed from it to free-will and yet before we depart from iâ— faith he you shall heare more of â—â— out of the same Apostle And vvhar shall we heare He teacheth expresly saith he that it man in the state of grace may fulfill the law The vvordes which he citeth for this purpose are these g Rom. 8. 3. that that was impossible for the law in that it was weakened by the flesh God sending his some in the similitude of sinnefull flâ—sh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vt which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Concerning which place I haue giuen full answere and satisfaction h Of Iustification sect 38. 43. before to which Preferre the Reader all 〈…〉 it shall not be amisse here also to say somwhat of it And first it is worth the while to obsâ—rue with vvhat discretion he bringeth this place to proue in â—s here an ability to fulfill the law vvhen as the place ministreth to vs a certaine and infallible argument to proue the contrary For the Apostle here affirmeth an impossibility in the law to iustifie and saue vs not by any defect of it selfe but by reason of the weakenesse of the flesh So long then as this weakenesse of the flesh continueth so long must the same impossibility continue also But this weakenesse of the flesh continueth so long as we liue here So long therefore as we liue here there shall be an impossibility of being iustified by the law For i Rom. 8. 7. the flesh is not subiect vnto the law of God nor can be k Rom. 7. 23. it
loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy minde with all thy soule with all thy strength But d August de perfect iustitiae Rat. 17. Cum est adhac aliquid conâ—up sâ—â—aâ—ie carnalis quod vel continendo sraenetur non omnimodo ex tota anima dâ—ligitur Dens Noâ— enâ—m taro sine anâ—ma concupâ—sâ—â—t quauis caro concupâ—ctre dicatur quia carnaliter anima concupiscâ—t so long as there is any carnall concupiscence saith Austin which by temperancy or continency is to be refrained God is not perfectly loued with all the soule For the flesh lusteth not without the soule though therefore the flesh is said to lust because the soule lusteth according to the flesh It followeth therefore that so long as there remaineth any concupiscence of the flesh so long there is not that loue which is the fulfilling of the law But so long as here we liue there is found in vs the concupiscence of the flesh Therefore so long as here wee liue wee neuer attaine to the fulfilling of the law and therefore cannot be iustified thereby Neither doth the Apostle in the place by M. Bishop alleaged intend any thing concerning iustification but speaketh of fulfilling the law according to the modell of humane life and conuersation wherein we set the law before vs as the rule of our life and the marke whereat we aâ—me and whereto we tend to which we approch so much the nearer by how much the more we abound in loue though we neuer attaine so sarre as to be iustified thereby In the next place he againe opposeth against the certainty of saluation citing the words of the Apostle e Rom. 11. 20. Thou standest by faith be not high minded but feare c. Which text he hath cited f Chapt. 12. a little before and hath there had answere of it and therefore I omit it here To thâ—s he addeth another like a two edged sword cutting two waies at once The Apostle saith g Phil. 2. 12. Worke your saluation with feare and trembling Marke saith he how two points of the Protestants doctrine be wounded in one sentence and two of ours confirmed But it is neither so nor so the place neither hurteth vs nor helpeth him We must worke our saluation saith he it comes not then by faith only But that followeth not for it doth come by faith only and yet we must worke our owne saluation The title and right of saluation commeth by faith only but we must worke to our selues the possession of it our good workes being as St. Bernard saith h Bernard de Grat. lib. Arbit in sine Si propriè appellentur ea quae dicimus nostra merita via sunt regni non causa regnandi the way to the Kingdome though not the cause for which we obtaine the Kingdome i Ephes 2. 8. By grace we are saued through faith not of our selues it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast and yet k Vers 10. we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which he hath prepared for vs to walke in so to bring vs to the fruition of that saluation which by faith only he hath giuen vs freely for Christs sake As we are said l Acts 2. 40. to saue our selues so are we said to worke our saluation not for doing any thing by vertue whereof we are saued but for embracing the meanes and following the course whereby God hath ordained to giue effect and way to that saluation which Christ only hath purchased for vs. And thus our saluation is said m 2. Cor. 1. 6. to be wrought in the enduring of afflictions not for that afflictions haue any power to saue vs but because God hauing of his owne mercy in Iesus Christ appointed vs to be n 1. Pet. 2. 5. liuely stones for the building of his spirituall Temple vseth afflictions as his axe whereby to hew vs and square vs and fit vs to be laied in this building and o Col. 1. 12. maketh vs meete as the Apostle speaketh to be partakers of inheritance with the Saints in light To be short the Apostles intention is plaine to exhort the Philippians and by them vs that being entred into the state and way of saluation by faith in Iesus Christ wee goe on forward and continue constant in our way till God by his mercy bring vs to bee partakers thereof euen as if hee had said accordingly as wee translate make an end of your saluation in feare and trembling But if with feare and trembling we are not then saith M. Bishop assured of it before hand by the certainty of faith which excludeth all feare and doubt of it Which foolish paradoxe runneth strongly in his head a conceipt he hath gotten and his bable he will not leaue for the tower of London Faith saith he excludeth all feare and doubt But who knoweth not that there is greater faith and lesser faith and that the greater faith is the lesse there is of feare and doubt but yet all manner of faith excludeth not all feare and doubt If hee scorne to learne of mee let Gregory Bishop of Rome be Master in this behalfe both to him and me p Greg. Mor. lib. 22. cap. 14. Fides ipsa quae ad bona alia capessenda nos imbuit plerunque in exordijs suis nutat solida est tam certissimè habetur tamen de eius siducia adhuc sub dubitatione trepidatur Pars namque eius priùs accipitur vt in nobis postmodum perfectè compleatur Faith saith he which seasoneth vs to the receiuing of other graces commonly in the beginnings thereof is both wauering and sound wee already most certainly haue it and yet of the assurance thereof we feare and doubt for we first receiue a part of it that it may be afterwards perfectly fulfilled in vs. He bringeth for example hereof the poore man in the Gospell to whom Christ said q Mar. 9. 23. 24. If thou canst beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth and he answered Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe r Ibid. Vno codemque tempore clamabat se ctia credere adhuc ex incredulitate dubitare At one and the same time saith he he cryed that he did beleeue and yet did still doubt by vnbeliefe Å¿ IdeÌ„ in Ezech. hom 15. Vno codemque tempore is qui necdum perfecte crediderat simul credâ—bat merâ—duâ—us erat At one and the same time saith he in another place hee which did not perfectly beleeue did both beleeue and was also vnbeleeuing And yet againe in another place he saith It often falleth out that faith now is growing in the minde and yet by doubting it languisheth in some part that certainty of sound faith strengtheneth one and the same minde which notwithstanding the winde of doubtfulnesse shaketh by some mutability of vnbeliefe As
what is hee the nearer for prayer for the dead seeing they tell vs that Purgatory is p Rhem. Testam Annoâ— Mat. 5. 26. in marg the prison spoken of by our Sauiour Christ from which there is no comming forth vntill thou haue paied the vttermost farthing If there be no comming forth vntill the vtmost farthing be paied why doe we vainly trouble our selues in praying for them When they haue paied all then they shall come forth but till that be done there is no release This were a lamentable hearing at Rome yea and throughout the whole Popish clergie for by this meanes there shall be no vse of all their Offices and Obsequies and Pardons for the dead and thereby what a large collop shall be cut from them They are the cause of it themselues they tell vs that Purgatory is the prison whence there is no redemption till thou not till another for thee but till thou haue paied the vttermost farthing But yet let them alone grant them Purgatory and they will shift they will make their aduantage good enough The worst is that in the words of St. Paul there is not strength enough to draw it in The old Father Origen in an approued worke of his hath laid a shrewd blocke in M. Bishops way who citing the wordes of the Apostle q 1. Cor 3. 12. If any man build on this foundation gold siluer precious stones timber hay stubble euery mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be reueiled by fire and the fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is saith hereupon r Origen coÌ„t Celâ— lib. 4. Si quis docore potest corporalitèr intelligendum esse malos superstrucre lignum foenâ—â— stipulam apparebit etiam materialem ignem intelligendum sensibilem quòd si euidentèr figurata est locutio dum mali hominis opera significantur lignoruÌ„ foeni stipularuÌ„que nomine qui fit vt noÌ„ statim succurrat quomodo ignis accipieÌ„dus sit qui contumat â—igna huiusmodi If any man can shew that it is corporally to be vnderstood that euill men doe build vpon the foundation wood and hay and stubble it shall appeare that we are also to vnderstand a materiall and sensible fire but if it be euidently and apparantly a figuratiue speech in that the workes of euill men are signified by the name of wood and hay and stubble how is it that we conceiue not how the fire is to be vnderstood that consumeth these things Indeede it is in common sense very vnprobable that the wordes of foundation building gold siluer pearles wood hay stubble should all be construed as figuratiuely spoken and the name of fire only should be vnderstood properly of a materiall Purgatory fire specially when as the Apostle himselfe forceth it to another vnderstanding by saying Yet so as it were by fire for what is that but as to say not by fire indeede but in such sort as may fitly be resembled and set forth by fire Yet it is true that some haue expounded those wordes of a temporary purging fire as Austin Ambrose and Gregory whom M. Bishop citeth for as for Hierome he wrongeth him who only mentioneth Å¿ Hieron adu louin lib. 2. Ipse saluabitur non tamen absque probatione ignis triall of fire according to the letter of the text but saith nothing to expound what that fire is But as they expound it of Purgatory fire so some other there be that expound it of hell fire as namely Chrysostome Theophylact and Photius in Oecumenius who where it is said Hee himselfe shall be saued doe vnderstand it that he shall be reserued and not consumed to nothing and so take the meaning to bee t Oecumen ex Phot. in 1. Cor. 3. Ad hoc manet seruatur vt per ignem puniatur in seculum Sic Chrysost Theophylact ibid. that he abideth and is kept to be punished by fire for euer Now it may fall out shrewdly on M. Bishops part if where hee looketh for Purgatory hee finde Hell but hereby it certainly appeareth that there was no tradition of the Church to draw Purgatory out of those wordes of the Apostle Which notwithstanding shall much better appeare if wee shall further consider the variablenesse and vncertainty of writers in expounding that place euen of them who haue expounded and applied it in that sort First Saint Austin though in a Sermon to the people he yeelded to their conceipt then growing of Purgatory fire and were content thereto to make application of the Apostles wordes here in question yet in diuers other places where with due meditation hee pondereth and waigheth the same wordes hee still maketh other construction of them As namely when Dulcitius propounding certaine questions to him he by occasion falleth vpon the handling of these wordes hee deriueth thither what he hath spoken in two other places concerning the same now approuing it the third time that u August de 8. Quaest Dulcit q. 1. ex lib de Fide Operibus c. 16. Si circa diuitias suas carnali quâ—dam teneretur affec tu c. propter carnale vt dixi quem in eis habebat affectum quo talibus bonis fine dolore carere non posset â—dificaret super fundamentum lignum foenum sâ—â—pulam c. Quoniam affectu dilecta carnali non sine dolore amittuntur c. in corum amissione passi detrimentâ— per ignem quendam doloriâ— perueniunt ad salutem by hay and wood and stubble the Apostle meant the too much carnall desire and loue of temporall things which is often found in the faithfull though not in so high degree but that when they come to triall they are content rather to forsake all then to forsake Christ These he saith are saued for the foundations sake which is Christ whom they so preferre before all but x Ibid. ex Enchirid ad Laurent c. 68. Est quidem ignis tentatio tribulationis c. Isle ignis in hac interim vita facit quod Apostolus dixit c. salâ—us est quidem sic tamen quasi per ignem quia vrit eum rerum dolor quas dilexcrat amissarum yet so as by fire whilest they are vexed with the griefe and sorrow of the losse of those things which they haue too much loued For fire he saith is the temptation of tribulation and this fire in this life doth that which the Apostle saith In the very like sort doth he againe in another place expound it y Idem de ciuitat Dei lib. 21. cap. 26. Sic quasi per ignem quod enim sine illiciente amore non habuit sine vrente dolore non perdet Yet so as by fire because what he hath not had without entising loue he will not loose without vexing griefe And that it may appeare that he afterwards did not like that exposition which M. Bishop citeth he vpon
mandauerunt c. the bodies of the iust and faithfull which the holy Ghost hath vsed for instruments and vessels to all good workes are not to be despised and cast away inferreth that therefore the funerals of the iust of old were with all officious piety regarded their exequies celebrated and their buriall prouided for and they themselues whilest they liued gaue charge to their children for the burying of them or else for transferring them from the place where they were to be buried otherwhere He alleageth examples that Tobie in burying the dead is commended to haue pleased God that our Sauiour Christ commended the good worke of the religious woman which powred the pretious ointment vpon his body as of purpose for his buriall that they are laudably mentioned in the Gospell who tooke the body of Christ from the Crosse and vsed care to haue it diligently and honorably buried And thus Origen professing q Origen coÌ„t Cels lib. 8. Solas rationales animas honorare nouimus earli instrumenta solenni honore sepulturae dignamur Meretur enim rationalis animae domicilium non temerè proijci sicut brutorum cadauera praesertim quod fuit anima benè ac sanctè instrumento suâ— in certaâ—inibus vsae receptâ—culum to honour only the soules endued with reason sheweth what this honour is Their instruments that is their bodies we vouchsafe the solemne honour of buriall For the habitation of the reasonable soule is of more worth then carelesly to be cast away like the carkasses of brute beasts specially that which hath beene the receptacle of a soule that hath in spirituall fights and combates well and holily vsed the body Now if it be the honour that is to be done to the bodies of the Saints to bury them in the ground then is it a barbarous dishonour that is done to them in Popery vnder the name of piety to pull them out of their graues and to rent them in peeces and carry one peece this way and another another way the skull to one place the toe or finger to another one tooth hither and another thither as amongst them hath beene accustomed to be done Wherein how farre they haue departed from the ancient Church of Rome appeareth by Gregory Bishop of Rome who for his time affirmeth that r Gregor lib. 3. Epist 30. In Romanis totius OccideÌ„tis partibus omnino intolerabile est atque sacrilegum si sactorum corpora tagere quisquam fortassè praesumpserit Quod sl praesumpserit certum est quia bâ—c temeritas impunita nullo mâ—do remanebit in the Roman Church and whole Westerne parts it was a thing altogether intollerable and a matter of sacriledge to presume to touch the bodies of the Saints and if any man doe presume so to doe saith he certaine it is that his rashnesse shall by no meanes remaine vnpunished And hauing shewed diuers examples of them who aduenturing too neare to the stirâ—ing or touching of the bodies of some holy persons were thereupon greatly frighted or by death miscarried he concludeth Å¿ Ibid. Quis tam temerarius possit existere vt hâ—c sciens â—orum corpora non dico tangere sed vel aliquatenùs praesumat inspicere Who then knowing these things can be so rash as that he will presume I will not say to touch the bodies of such but in any sort to looke vpon them How is the world now changed in the Church of Rome that they dare not only looke vpon such buryed relikes but pull them out of their graues touch them kisse them carry them about as hath beene before said and will M. Bishop still notwithstanding be so impudent as to say that the religion of the church of Rome is now the same that of old it was For conclusion of this passage he alleageth t Heb. 11. 21. that Iacob adored the toppe of Iosephs rodde which was a signe of his power which he saith giueth all iudicious men to vnderstand that the Images of Saints for their holy representation ought to be respected and worshipped But what a spiâ—e hath the Apostle put him to thus to seeke for Images vpon the toppe of Iosephs rodde What meant he to be so sparing in the behalfe of the Roman Church as that hee would not name so much as one holy man to whom an Image had beene set vp to be worshipped in his name But the Apostle knew no such Marry M. Bâ—shop is able by a Romish art to supply that want by fetching an image out of the toppe of Iosephs rodde He had heard of Garnets image in the straw and hee thought the toppe of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rodde or staffe to bee much more capable of an image But for the bringing of this about hee betaketh himselfe to a translation which is manifestly false the Greeke text not saying that he worshipped the toppe of his rodde but â— he worshipped vpon the toppe of his rodde that is as we translate it hee worshipped God leaning vpon the end or toppe of his staffe This Thomas Aquinas acknowledgeth and telleth vs the whole reason hereof u Tho. Aquin. in Heb. 11. sect 5. Super fastigium vt habetur in Graeco c. Ipse erat senex ideò portabat virgam vel recepit sceptrum Joseph donec iâ—rasset antequam redderet ei adorauit non ipsam virgam nec Joseph vt quidam malè putaueruÌ„t sed ipsum Deum innixus ad cacumen vel super fastigium virgae cius Iacob was an old man saith he and therefore carried a rodde or staffe or else he tooke the scepter of Ioseph vntill Ioseph had sworne namely that he would bury his father in Canaan according to his desire and before he restored it to him he worshipped not the rodde nor Ioseph as some haue thought amisse but God himselfe leaning at the toppe or vpon the toppe of his rodde We neede no more this is enough to dash M. Bishop out of comfort and to bereaue him of all hope to finde any succour for his Images in this place But if any man desire further satisfaction let him see this place handled at large in the question of Images the sixteenth section W. BISHOP §. 5. WIth as great facility and no lesse perspicuity we doe collect out of S. Paul that the Saints in heauen are to be prayed vnto for he doth hartily craue the Rom. 15. ver 30. Romans to helpe him in their prayers and hopeth by the helpe of the Corinthians prayers to be deliuered 2. Cor. 1. ver 11. from great dangers Whence we reason thus If such a holy man as S. Paul was stood in neede of other mens prayers much more neede haue we poore wretches of the prayers of Saints S. Paul was not ignorant how ready God is to heare vs nor of the only mediation of Christ Iesus and yet as high as he was in Gods fauour and as well informed of the office of
of the flesh of her Bridegroome when bloud and water issuing out of the side of him being Crucified shee receiued the Sacrament of redemption and regeneration Where when they teach as the rest of the Fathers doe that the Sacraments of grace whereby the Church is framed issued after a sort out of the side of Christ and doe note which of it selfe is plaine that two only Sacraments in water and bloud issued out of the side of Christ the Sacrament of regeneration in Baptisme and the Sacrament of redemption in the Lords supper they giue vs plainly to vnderstand that there are only two Sacraments properly so called which are the seales of grace and of the righteousnesse of faith and therefore that the Popish addition of fiue Sacraments whereof they name Matrimony for one is vtterly to be exploded And wee may further question with them as touching Marriage namely how it standeth or with what reason that it should be with them a Sacrament a holy institution a sacred action ministring grace of iustification and yet should withall in respect of their Clergie and Monkery be vnholy and prophane Gregory of Valentia telleth vs and so doth Bellarmine that l Gregor de Valent. de coeli baâ—t cap. 5. Consuetudo conâ—ugalis etsi per se ipsa peccatum noÌ„ sit tamen turpitudinem qâ—anda atque pollutionem ex peccato pâ—ouenientem habet c. Maioris sactitatis gradus decet cosqui sanctâ—ssimum sacrificiumtractatâ—â—i sunt IdeÌ„ Bellar. l. de Cler. c. 19. the company of Man and Wife though it be not sinne in it selfe yet hath a turpitude and pollution proceeding of sinne and that a greater degree of holinesse becommeth them that are to meddle with the holy sacrifice But how then doth another puney Iesuit tell vs that m Answere to Bels challenge art 3. ch 1. §. 9. lawfull copulation is a good worke and giueth grace and is meritorious and impetratorious of Gods fauour and reward yea that it is the consummation of a Sacrament for n Ibid. §. 8. though Marriage haue the essence saith he yet hath it not the perfection of a Sacrament before copulation o Ibid. §. 10. it beginneth to be a Sacrament by the mutuall consent of the parties but it is perfected by their copulation What is it a good worke sacramentall meritorious of grace and reward and yet is there in it turpitude and pollution Albeit we much more wonder that thus affirming of coniâ—gall copulation they tell vs notwithstanding that p Coster Enchir cap. 15. Sacerdos si fornicetur aut domi coâ—cubinam foâ—eat etsi graui sacrilegio sâ—se obstringat grauius tâ—men peccat si contrahat matrimonium a Priest if he commit fornication or keepe a concubine at home though he commit great sacriledge therein yet sinneth more grieuously if he marry a wife What is open sinne more tollerable in their Priests then a holy Sacrament can Priest-hood stand with fornication and can it not stand with the meritorious and sacramentall worke of Marriage haue they beene content in this behalfe to winke at filthinesse and vncleannesse and to giue tolleration of it when they haue in the meane time condemned the ordinance of God May I not here say as Saluianus of old said q Saluian de prouident Dei lib. 5. Quid agâ—s stulta persuasio peccata interdixit Deus non matrimonia What meanest thou O fond conceipt God hath forbidden sinnes he hath not forbidden Marriage What M. Bishop is this your making of marriage a Sacrament Giue me leaue to tell you as the truth is the Diuell himselfe yea all the Diuels in hell could not deuise to bring Gods holy institution into contempt or to giue way and furtherance to filthinesse and vncleannesse more cunningly then you haue done Your next pretended proofe is that holy Orders is a Sacrament because St. Paul saith that grace was giuen to Timothy by the imposition of the hands of Priest-hood The wordes of the Apostle are r 1. Tim. 4. 14. Despise not the gift or grace that is in thee which was giuen thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbyterie or Eldership To which those other wordes are answerable which he vseth afterwards Å¿ 2. Tim. 1. 6. I put thee in remembrance to stirre vp the gift or grace that is in thee by the putting on of my hands Where we see well what the Apostle â—aith but how M. Bishop should from hence conclude that there is a Sacrament of Order we cannot see For as for the grace whereof the Apostle speaketh it is manifest that it is a grace or gift of calling and office not any sacramentall or iustiâ—ying grace So speaketh he otherwhere t Rom. 12. 6. seeing we haue graces or gifts that are diuers according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether prophesie or office or teaching or exhorting c. so againe u Ephes 4. 11. Christ ascending gaue gifts vnto men some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and Teachers signifying that hee appointed these callings and raised vp men fuâ—nished with correspondent gifts and graces for the edification of his Church Of such gifts St. Peter exhorteth x 1. Pet. 4. 10. Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift so minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God Such a gift such a grace Timothy had receiued by being called to be an Euangelist and indued with gifts of the holy Ghost for the fulfilling of the worke thereto belonging Thus Theophylact expoundeth it y Theophyl in 1. Tim. c. 4. Doctrinae hoc loco gratiam dicit quam ille cum Episcopi munere fungeretur accepit Hee meaneth the grace of teaching which he receiued when he should performe the office of a Bishop So Primasius z Primas ibid. Neglâ—git gratiaÌ„ qui acceptum talentum non exercet c. Cum ordinatione acceperat gratiam vel docendi vel intelligendi He neglecteth this grace who doth not exercise the talent which he hath receiued Timothy with ordination receiued the grace either of teaching or vnderstanding In like sort Oecumenius a Oecumen ibid. Gratiam hoc est doctrinaÌ„ vel Episcopi munus nam gratiae Dei erat quòd iuuenis meruisset Pastor fieri Grace that is doctrine or the office of a Bishop for it was of the grace of God that he being young attained to be made a Pastour Ambrose also speaketh to the same effect b Ambros ibid Si rector popult ab his dissimulat negligit gratiam dâ—tam sibi If the guide of the people faile to teach and exhort he neglecteth the grace that is giuen to him By all these it appeareth that the grace here meant is only a temporary gift belonging to the exercise of a function in the Church giuen in those times miraculously and in extraordinary wise so as that the same was