they can sinne actually because they are baptized must needs be saued although they bee not of that number which God hath chosen vnto himselfe before the foundations of the worlde were laide Which to affirme is nothing else but to tie our saluation Ephes 1. not to Gods grace in electing in Christ whome hee would but to such externall meanes as haue alwayes beene accounted but helpers to our faith as the Apostle teacheth by the example of Circumcision in Abraham Ro. 4.10 11. but no workers of saluation And to be short how agreeth this that they say that the Sacrament hath strength or force to worke Holinesse or Righteousnesse with that which they also say That infants when they are baptized De Sacram. Bapt. lib. 1. cap. 11. haue not any new motions or inclinations like vnto the actions of faith and loue If the Sacraments worke not in them such effectes who haue not anie actual sinne to let or hinder how shal we think they work in others that are stroÌ„gly assaulted with the lusts of sin Therefore let vs not ascribe such working vnto them but vnto Christ who is made vnto vs righteousnesse and holinesse 1. Cor. 1.30 As for the number of seuen Sacraments two of them wee acknowledge with the Fathers of the Primitiue church Baptisme and the Lordes Supper As for the other fiue either they haue no commaundement in the word or no visibl signes or to be short no warrant in the word or Primitiue church to bee such Sacraments as the other two are Although wee deny not but the things haue had and many of them yet haue their godly vse in Gods Church Of the Sacrament of Baptisme CHAP. 11. THE PROTESTANTS WE acknowlege Baptism to be as it were a Gods-peny and earnest of our entrance into Christes family Wherein wee are both fully assured that by the blood of Christ which is figured by that water our sinnes are so washed away that they shall not bee imputed vnto vs and also the promise of that spirite of regeneration whereby wee growe to be new men is sealed vp in our hearts so that therein the faithfull are ingraffed into Christ to be made partakers of al his treasures and namely that hee may bee vnto vs sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 And as therin our faith is thus norished so is it also a publike testification and witnessing of our profession so that wee doe not only beleeue with our heart vnto righteousnesse but also shew that wee are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for that cause wee weare that badge of our profession and cognisance of our religion THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome lest we should constantly beleeuing the promises and vsing the Sacraments according to Christs institution take sure hold of Iesus christ and to acknowledge our saluation to bee by him onely in whome the word and Sacraments send vs to seeke it teacheth vs that the very Sacrament of it selfe hath such force and vertue as that it doth extinguish and quite abolish Andrad Orthod Explic. lib. 3. not onely the daunger and condemnation the rewarde due to sinne but also the verie corruption of the same And on the contrarie that the verie infants that die before they bee baptised Bellarmine de purgat lib. 2. cap. 6 haue their place of torment appointed vnto them where they must bee purged So that as they giue the power of killing sinne in vs vnto the Sacrament which onely belongeth vnto Christ Rom. 6. so in this latter point they doe in a manner make Christ scant able for to saue without the sacrament and teach sinne by other meanes than by Christ only to be purged De sacr baptism li. 1. ca. 4 Now the first reason whereby Bellarmine wil prooâ—â— that the Sacrament of it selfe hath such force of thâ—◠〈◊〉 doth worke in vs holinesse and abolish sinne and therefore that without it no man or woman can be saued is that place of saint Iohn Ioh 3.5 Vnlesse a man be borne againe of Water and of the Spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of God And for the better credite of his assertion he telleth vs De peccatorum merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 30. that saint Augustine in his first booke of the merites of sinnes and the forgiuenesse thereof the thirtieth chapter doth shew that these wordes are not a commandement but declare the means of saluation as though saint Augustine would make the Sacrament as necessary to saluation as meate for our life or physicke for recouery of health for these are the examples alledged afterwardes by Bellarmine But he belieth that learned father for hee hath not any such thing in that place although indeede hee handle that place of scripture largely there But first before I enter any further into the consideration of this point lest I should bee mistaken as though I accounted the Sacrament of no necessitie I affirme it to bee so necessarie that if it may bee had according vnto Christes institution and any man or woman shall wilfully refuse the same by this their contempt they doe wilfully cut off themselues from the body of Christ and so make themselues vncapable of such graces as God in Christ bestoweth vpon his But if otherwise any man woman or childe being desirous to enter into the felowship of the holy couenant and to be incorporated by that Sacrament into the presence of Christ shall die or depart out of this life before they can attaine thereto God forbid that we should thinke either so vncharitably of them as to iudge them vnworthy of Gods mercy or so hardly of God as that hee would alter his eternall councell for want of this external sacrament or so slenderly of the vertue of Christ his blood as that without this water it can not wash vs from sinne No doubt many died in the wildernesse before the Israelites came to the land of promise that had not the sacrameÌ„t of circumcision and also afterwards by all likelihoode in Babylon The thiefe vpon the crosse of whose saluation we make no doubt was not baptised Yea the order that God vseth in sauing vs doeth teach vs that without the Sacraments we may be saued Rom. 8.30 Ephes 1.4 because that election or predestination goeth before calling whether it be internall by the spirit or externall by the word and Sacraments Therefore wee must either imagine Gods election not to be certaine which is blasphemous or else that all that are elect are saued although they haue not oportunity to receiue that externall seale of Gods couenant Therefore I say that Baptisme is very necessary and in any wise to be vsed and receiued of them that may according to Christes institution haue the same But we detest that doctrine of the Papists that teacheth it to be so necessary that whosoeuer is not baptized can not be saued whereupon they permit lay men yea women to baptise whereas the
bread I trust then it will not bee anie heresie for mee to expounde nature the properties of the bread seeing doctor Chadsey a catholike doth it We see then that this vnanswerable argument that he made so great account of and bragged that it could neuer be answered is long since fully answered by one of his owne friends he knew not of it Ciril is his fift witnes not that learned father that was bishop of Alexandrie but another that was B. of Ierusalē Ciril Ierus cathec Mistagog 4 whose books are but lately set forth by thēselues that now bring him in for a witnes therfore we may doubt whether he be wel delt wtal Out of him he aledgeth 3. places He once turned water into wine shal he not be worthy to be trusted that he turned wine into bloud Beholde here sayth maister Bellarmine a reall change And why so I knowe he will answere because it was so in the water for it was really changed into wine and therfore also saint Iohn Iohn 2 11 who reporteth the storie saith it was a myracle Now to change wine into bloud is as great a miracle and therefore it is likely that if there had bin any such miracle wrought some or other would haue noted it for a miracle seeing so many haue spokē of that matter namely three Euangelists and S. Paul Master Bell. knoweth that the fathers vse many times to speake verie hyperbolically and to amplify with excessiue speaches the matters that they would set forth as here this Ciril doth yet we must not gather thereof such a real change in the wine as I haue said was in the water but this is spoken to win that at our hands that he in that place moueth vs vnto that we should not thinke the sacramentall wine to bee but bare wine His second witnesse for maister Bellarmine is after in that place Vnder the forme of bread the bodie is giuen and in forme of wine the bloud Wherupon maister Bellarmine againe insulteth thus Behold the accidents of bread which remaine We grant it but not the accidents or shew of bread only but the substance also and that he hath not yet denied therefore let vs see his third place Knowe this for a certaintie that this bread which is seene of vs is not bread though thy tast perceiue it to be bread In deed hee speaketh here farre otherwise than the auncient fathers doe in that hee sayeth It is not bread For there is not one of the fathers for at the least six hundred yeeres after Christ that euer spake so but this man onely And therefore howsoeuer he amplifieth the matter in wordes to bring vnto the holy Sacraments due regarde which the fathers at those times vpon great causes did much endeuour Catec Mist 3 yet he is not to be thought to haue meant otherwise than that hee sayd before that it is no more common bread For although if they regarde but the taste they shall finde no change yet that sacrament is an authenticall seale of our faith which assureth vs that Christ is spiritually giuen vnto vs. And thus much briefly of these authorities that men may see that they are not so very plaine that infallible arguments may be gathered out of them But now I must needes speake somewhat of the Author And first for the Booke it selfe Lib. Eccles hist ◠ca. 23. out of which these places are alleaged it seemeth to me that saint Hierome hath somewhat burnt it in the eare when he saith that hee wrote it when hee was but a yong man noting thereby perchance his yong and slender iudgement And of himselfe Ruffinus saith Lib. 2. ca. 40 That hee did change sometime in faith and in Communion often And Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall history saith of him that being summoned to answere some accusations that were laid against him he fearing to come to his triall for two yeares together appeared not and therefore was deposed What reason then that wee should be content to stand to his triall for matters in question that was himselfe afraide to be tried by the learned men of his time Or that hee who was deposed from his seate by them that best knew him yea and that as it seemeth by Ruffinus his saying of him for some heresie should now sit as Iudge yea or else be allowed as witnes in so weighty matters As for saint Ambrose De iis qui initiantur mist cap. 9. whom next he alleageth he maketh not against vs. He saith indeede that the bread is that which Nature hath formed but that Blessing hath hallowed Which is nothing else but that which hath beene answered before that it is not common bread but as Theodoret saith Theod. Immutabili◠dialog 1. the Nature not being changed to Nature is Grace added And that this is S. Ambrose his meaning is most plaine not only by that which he afterwardes saith in that very chapter Before the blessing of the heauenly wordes an other thing is named after the consecration the bodie of Christ is signified but also most euidently in his bookes of the Sacraments Lib. 4. cap. 4. where speaking of the change that is in these visible signes hee vseth these wordes If there bee so great vertue in the worde of the Lorde Iesus that the thinges that were not beganne to bee how much rather can it worke that they the visible signes in the Sacrament bee that which they were and be changed into an other thing By which hee can meane no other but a sacramentall change because hee flatly affirmeth that these signes are that which they were The first place that hee alleageth out of Chrysost is this It is he that doth sanctifie these things the outward elements and change them In Matth. Hom. 83. but that hee speaketh of a sacramental change only his owne wordes a litle before in that place do prooue For in teaching how that by these sensible creatures he deliuereth vnto vs things not sensible hee bringeth his example of Baptisme wherein I know they wil not say the water is transubstantiated And yet Chrysostome maketh no difference betweene it and the sacrament of Christes body and blood but that in them both in like sort by sensible creatures insensible graces are deliuered But most plainely in an other place doeth he confute that which the Papists woulde force out of these wordes namely the change of the substance of the bread saying Before the bread is sanctified Ad Caesarium monachum wee call it bread but the diuine grace hauing sanctified it by the Priest it is freeed from the name of bread and is vouched worthy of the name of the Lordes body although the nature of the bread abide in it Whereby wee see the change that hee speaketh of is in the vse not in the substance of the bread In the latter place Chrysostome saieth thus Doest thou see bread De Euchar. in encaenus doest
there is no sacrifice vpon a table but onely vpon an altar De missa lib. 1. cap. 17. Yet master Bellarmine roueth againe with his vncertaine proofes The fathers saieth hee speake of priests therefore they will haue a sacrifice in the eucharist And why may not the fathers vnderstand priests as wee doe in our booke of making of ministers and in our booke of common prayer who succeede in the publike ministery in the church the priests of Leui Leuit. 10.11 Deut. 17.5 mal 2.7 not in sacrificing for the sacrifices are ended but in teaching for that was also the priests office and is now the office of them that we sometime call priests And yet we although we vse the name do not alow that popish sacrifice which Bellarmine would haue And why then should this be holden for a good argument The fathers speake sometimes of priests Therefore the eucharist is a reall sacrifice or a sacrifice after the proper signification of that word As for that which hee hath in the eighteenth chapter of that his first booke of the masse is almost all one with that which hee saide in the fifteenth chapter and therefore it is answered before But his last proofe Chap. 19 whereby hee will out of the fathers prooue a sacrifice is as himselfe saith vnanswerable vnlesse we do vtterly reiect the fathers The fathers desire not to be credited against the trueth They were men they might erre Onely Gods word is perfectly true And therfore as wee do them no wrong to trie and examine their doctrine by that rule and square that cannot deceiue How the fathers are to be receiued so if it be not agreeable to that word of trueth wee must rather confesse all men to be liars than swarue one iote from that perfect way And therefore it is not absurd if wee leaue the fathers when they goe without their guide of Gods written word or speake without their warrant of Gods infallible trueth So that although wee are content to shew how the father 's wrested by them either must or may be vnderstoode that by that meanes wee may pull from them that visard of antiquitie consent of fathers wherewith they cloke and colour their dangerous and deceitfull heresies yet we receiue the fathers but as men and therfore no masters to giue vs new lawes but yet men of excellent gifts in their time and alwayes worthy of much reuerence and honour But yet this is not a good argument The fathers haue somctime written this or haue done this Therefore it is true or it is good But let vs view his vnanswerable argument If the eucharist were not a sacrifice the fathers would not haue offred the same for peace safety and sundry such things but they did therfore it is a sacrifice Marke howe hee prooueth that they did offer the eucharist for such things Hee first alleageth Chrysostome in his homilies to the people of Antioch Hom. 79. Hom. 7â— and then also vpon Mathew most notably belying that father as though he spake thereof the sacrifice in the eucharist whereas the first whole Homily is altogether of praier and Chrysostome there sheweth that they pray in deed for the whole world and for sundry persons but of standing at the altar not a word And therefore master Bellarmine belieth that father And in the second place Wee pray first for them that are possessed the second for the penitent c. Is this good dealing to auouch that that ancient father saith in those places that the Eucharist was offered for such things Other falsifications of these very places I omit as not much materiall When I heard his great cracke I imagined this shot would haue made a great breach but it is like to doe no hurt at all Then for that which he alleageth out of same Augustine that the Eucharist was offered by one for freeing a certaine house from euill spirites De ciuit Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. It is true that he reporteth such a thing and addeth That hee prayed as earnestly as he could that that vexation might cease First it is not saint Augustine himselfe that doth this but another and this fact is not either commended or allowed to be wel done of saint Augustine But they wil answere The euill spirits left the house And therefore the euent prooueth the fact to be good Not so but it is an argument of Gods might and mercie that can and will by euill or the abuse of good meanes bring to passe good things Secondly it may iustly be doubted whether saint Augustine did impute this effect vnto that sacrifice that he speaketh of or the earnest prayers that were made for it Yea it seemeth rather that he imputeth it vnto the sacrifice of prayer than any other sacrifice Moreouer it seemeth that as in the dayes of saint Paul there were that were baptized ouer the dead either to declare their hope of the resurrection or to testify their dying vnto sinne or for such other considerations so in these dayes of S. Augustine some vpon such occasions would celebrate the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ by that assurance and pledge of Gods loue to stirre vp and confyrme their faith that with more earnestnesse and faith they might craue Gods helpe But if master Bellarmine would haue this to be a catholike doctrine that hath but one or few examples he will haue Vincentius Lirinensis flat contrary to him Confess li. 9. cap. 12. So that also that is alleaged of the oblation for his mother it can not bee denied that there were at that time some such abuses creeping into the church of God concerning that charitable superstition that I may so terme it of prayer for the dead of the which some had good liking some liked not But out of them it is hard to establish a strange doctrine in Gods church and such as Gods word is not acquainted withall But euen by that booke of S. Augustine it is plaine and namely by the next chapter to the place alleadged that S. Augustine did not once thinke of any propitiatory sacrifice that was in the masse And I would also desire the indifferent Reader to iudge how litle such matters sauour of the maiestie of that spirit which is seene in the scriptures Bellarmines last sort of arguments are drawen from reason The first is grounded vpon this principle De missa lib. 1. cap. 20. there is no religion without an externall sacrifice which is most false for God when he seeth his people to whom he commanded those external sacrifices to repose themselues too much vpon them doeth not onely reiect those sacrifices which himselfe appointed but also teacheth wherein true religion consists Isa 1.15 16. and Mich. 6.8 Yea marke the whole scriptures it wil appeare that faith obedience are the especiall things that god requireth of vs that the sacrifices directed therto His second argument taken from reason is this The
that it seemeth vnanswerable euen in that respect that he trusteth so much in the strength of it I would not omit And it is this As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made iust But saith he by Adams disobedience we were made indeede sinners and not only by imputation Therefore by Christ we are not by imputation only made righteous but also indeed What if I should answere master Bellarmine that this word As doth not signifie the likenesse in the maner of iustifying vs but in the act it selfe Namely that many were partakers of Adams sinne and many were made righteous by Christ For this word As doth not alwaies import an agreement or likenes in euery point Among many examples that may be alleadged this one may serue for all Ioh. 20.21 As my father sent me so sende I you But God sent him from heauen to take vpon him a nature that he had not with fulnes of al power and graces the apostles were not so sent So that we see that master Bellarmine can not soundly reason because of this worde As that this contrariety betweene the first and the second Adam must hold in euery point But what neede we to stand vpon so narrowe a point Because the argument pleaseth him so wel I wil yeeld to it and confesse it to bee most true And yet shall it nothing helpe maister Bellarmine his cause But in truth the summe of the doctrine that is taught in that place as Saint Augustine doth gather De peceat met remiss li. c. 3 cap. 28. it is this That as al in Adam die in whom al sinned so they that are quickned are quickned by Christ in whom they are all iustified But if hee will needes that this making of vs righteous whereof the apostle speaketh should be by our sanctification I haue shewed that it cannot heere be perfect But whensoeuer that shall bee perfected in vs we must ascribe the glory thereof vnto Christ For what haue we that we haue not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 And that is the meaning of these words heere That by him many are made righteous But because that there is also another way wherby we are made righteous namely in that our sinnes are not imputed vnto vs and that Christs merit is accounted to vs as ours and that our aduersaries wil in no wise heare vs speake of that they shall yet heare how Saint Barnard writeth euen alluding vnto the wordes from whence this vnanswerable argument in drawen What saith he could man the seruant of sinne Epist 190. and bond-slaue of Sathan doe to recouer righteousnes lost Anothers righteousnes was assigned vnto him because he lacked his owne And then alluding to these wordes of S. Paul Why should not righteousnes come from another seeing guiltines came from another It is one that maketh vs sinners and another that iustifieth from sinne The one in his seede the other in his bloud Is there sinne in the seed of the sinner and is not righteousnes in Christs bloud And that we may know how he accompteth himselfe made righteous by Christ he addeth If the fault conueied to me is mine why should not the righteousnes giuen to me be mine And verily that is safer for me that is giuen me then that is bred in me Many things he hath in that place to this end wherby it appeareth that he knew his owne righteousnes would not serue his turne and therfore that he reposed his trust in Christ his righteousnes imputed to him which he calleth anothers righteousnes I might also let you see how substantially Fisher sometime bishop of Rochester proueth this Christ saith he did say to some Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee therefore no sinne remaineth But his owne friendes are ashamed of such arguments For we confesse as our creede teacheth vs forgiuenesse of sinnes But he should proue that wee are also so sanctified that whilest heere we liue we be without sinne And that his argument cannot doe Thus then wee see that although we haue in baptisme the promise of remission of all our sinnes sealed vp vnto vs yet we cannot say Prou. 20.9 I haue made mine heart cleane I am cleane from sinne That wee haue not of our selues free will or power to deliuer our selues from sinne CHAP. 24. THE PROTESTANTS OVr nature then being thus corrupted and our sinne hanging so fast on Heb. 12.1 as before I haue taught in the three last chapters we must needes confesse that when we would doe good Rom. 7.21 euill is present with vs. The light of our vnderstaÌ„ding is so darkened that not only A natural man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2.14 but euen the best men haue great need continually with the Prophet Dauid to pray Psal 119.12.34 O Lord teach me thy statutes Giue me vnderstanding As for our affections they are so froward that they wil not be subdued to the spirite of God but doe rather follow the flattering follies of inticing sinne Christes yoke we account too sore his burden too heauy so that if wee will come to Christ to serue and obey him we cannot vnlesse the father draw vs. Ioh. 6.44 Luc. 18.17 And if with the prodigall sonne we woulde but thinke to returne to our father againe â— Cor. 3.5 yet we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing that is good as of our selues So that wee must pray Psalm 80. Psa 139.24 Psal 175. Psal 67.28 not only that God will Turne vs but also that he will leade vs in the way for euer And staie our steps in the path that our feete slide not and confirme euen vnto the end that which he hath begun in vs acknowledging the beginning of all good the continuance and ending in the same to be from him only Psal 119.36 who only can Incline our heart vnto his testimonies Psal 51.15 and open our lippes that our mouth may shewe forth his praise Psa 119.133 Phil. 2.13 and direst our steps in his word For it is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deede of his good pleasure Which will to doe good when he of his greate mercy hath wrought in vs by his spirit of regeneration wee confesse to be good but a free will it cannot be Because that although To will be present â— i th me yet I finde no means 〈◊〉 performe that which is good Free therefore that is to fry able to performe the good that it woâ—â— d it is not but willing it may be â— nd ready to obey sincerely THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome will not heare of it that Adam by his transgression robbed both himselfe and vs of this free will to good they will not haue it quite lost or extinguished It needeth Concil Trid. Sess 6. can 5. saie they but to be stirred vp Ibidem ca. 5.
songs should bee vnderstood but also all other their prayers and exercises And therefore Chrysostome thinketh that they who come not to edifie others may as well be away And that this edifying should Hom. 36. in 1. Cor. if not onely yet especially be regarded Let nothing sayeth Primasius bee in you Primas vpon this place wherewith you do not edifie one another And if edifying bee especially to bee regarded in our Christian assemblies then they that edifie the greatest number doe eyther winne or confirme most in the fayth and so doe best seruice to God And therefore I can not but maruaile at maister Bellarmine that hee is so willing to defende the verie dregges of poperie that hee will rather speake agaynst all sence then hee will seeme to say nothing Who would once imagine that which hee often affirmeth De verbo dei lib. 2. cap. 16. that all the people neede not vnderstande the prayers What then doe they in the assemblie if they vnderstande not what is sayde All had woont to say Amen as maister Bellarmine noteth out of Iustinus Martyr 1. Cor. 14.16 But saint Paule thinketh it absurde that they shoulde say Amen to that they vnderstande not therefore all people shoulde vnderstande But yet more foolish is that hee sayeth that the people needeth not vnderstande the prayers because they are made not to the people but to God and it is enough that God vnderstande them What is master Bellarmine in earnest or but in ieast is hee waking or but in a dreame The prayers are made to God it is true they should bee so But the Popish Church will haue vs also to pray in Latine to the Saints manie of which when they were aliue vnderstoode no Latine whatsoeuer they nowe doe Well we should pray to God But maister Bellarmine will confesse that in the publike prayers euery member of the Church should haue his share which he cannot haue vnlesse his heart ioyne in consent with the words of the minister Sâ— that although God vnderstande what wee would haue yâ— t that is not enough vnlesse we also know what we sue for vnto God For it is not in this case as it is with worldly princes as master Bellarmine most prophanely surmiseth For although hee for whome another maketh suite vnto the prince needeth not to care whether he vnderstand or not the wordes that hee that maketh request for him doeth speake yet if hee make request for himselfe it is verie needfull hee should well vnderstande his owne wordes Nowe the prayers of the Church although they bee pronounced by one man to auoyde confusion yet they are not the prayers of one but of the whole Church and therfore should the whole Church say Amen vnto them So they did in the time of Iustine the Martyr and long after Apolog. 2. shewing thereby that they all had interest therein not onely in respect of the benefite that they looked for but euen in respect of that verie sacrifice of prayer which the church did offer wherein they had their part And this is one part of the communion of Saints that wee ioyne together in one to prayse God or pray vnto him as one bodie though manie members yea as one minde in manie bodies And this they did when The Christians looking vp to heauen Tertul. in Apolog. stretching out their handes for they were harmelesse bare headed for they were not ashamed yea and without anie to put them in minde to pray for they praied euen from their hearts al praying together prayed for all c. as Tertullian reporteth of those times For these their outwarde actions did shew the affection of their minde and agreement in that they prayed for Numbring of praiers Nowe for the numbring of their prayers vpon their beades or otherwise I doubt whether it can haue anie colour of excuse For why doe they score them vp Is it because they wil go nothing beyond the number of praiers or that they may bee sure to pay God all they owe him To thinke they can giue him all his due is too great wickednesse And so to stint themselues in their praiers howsoeuer they finde themselues affected to pray doeth plainely shewe that they knowe not what it is to pray For if it bee the crie as one sayeth of the heart and not of the mouth then is it time to make an ende of praying when eyther our heart is satisfied in hauing the request that it made graunted or else it waxe faint and fall downe as Moses his handes did Exod. 17. that it cannot lift vp it selfe to God And seeing men cannot bee alwayes alike minded in prayer it is but follie to appoint themselues alwayes the like measure of prayers And such prayers are manie times turned into prating and vaine babling Or doe they number â—â— eir prayers that they may say to God Thou art indebted vnto vs for so many prayers It may so bee For such is the foolish imagination of man when hee once refuseth to bee directed by Gods worde that there is nothing so absurde no toy so childish but they will account it to be a religious seruing of God And so in this by a little lippe labour they seeke to buy those paltrie pardons of such presumptuous Popes as wil take vpon them by making a gaine of mens sins to tread vnder foote the most precious bloud of Christ But what needed so rich a raunsome as Christ his bloud if so vile a price may serue the turne If I would I might bring manie examples of such pardons for saying a certaine number of prayers But it is a filthie sinke that I loue not to rake in The ground of this blasphemous doctrine is the blasphemie of all other blasphemies the summe whereof was vttered at Trent in the time of Pope Pius the fourth by Paulus Guidellus in the hearing of manie of the fathers That the Apostles and their schollers Popish blasphemy did lay the foundation of Christian religion vppon their owne bloud and merits as vpon a most sure rocke and thereby it came to passe that Christs kingdome was enlarged What greater iniurie could they doe to the bloud of Christ But this perswasion being once entred that the bloud of the Saints is so auaileable they will hope well if they can mumble vp a number of prayers to please them that they shall haue pardon of their sinnes for manie yeares If the Papists bee ashamed of this doctrine as iustly they may let them shewe it condemned in that their Councell If they allowe of it they are ashame to the name of Christianitie But that prayers cannot bee meritorious it followeth of that which before I haue said in the fiue and twentie Chapter For if no workes can merit then not prayer The last abuse in prayer is that as it is many times nothing zealous or earnest so it is not of faith but without all assured perswasion of Gods goodnesse or
he abstained from flesh onely or that hee abstained from all dainty fare If because he abstained from al daintie fare as saint Hierome in plaine wordes doth expound it then it maketh nothing for the forbidding of flesh onely Iero. in Dan. cap. 1. But that is it that the Papists so stiffely maintaine and so superstitiously hold that they suppose themselues more to breake their fast in eating but one bit of flesh be it neuer so meane or of little nourishing or neuer so little whitmeate than if they should eate a sufficient meale of daintie and nourishing fish Now if one should aske them whether one bit or lesse of flesh doeth more pamper our bodie than a good quanti◠ie of daintie fish our aduersaries must needes confesse that a sufficient meale of the one nourisheth more than the small quantitie of the other And yet a crumme of flesh doeth breake their fast and a meale of fish doth not So that they make the vnlawfulnesse to be in the meate it selfe which howe neere it commeth to the former heresies let the world iudge If they doe answere that the commandement of the church doth make it vnlawfull I reply that the church hath not power to take away our christian liberty neither must in things indifferent set downe a constant and continuall order for al times and places And also the reason that master Bellarmine giueth why the church forbade flesh is for taming of the flesh which in this case set downe is more pampered by the fish De operibus bonis in part lib. 2. cap. 4. And therefore the very respect that their church had in giuing this commandement maketh not simply gainst the vse but against the abuse of it So that still the strait forbidding of the vse of flesh with such scourings washings and cleansings of any thing that hath come neare flesh as they vse to haue seemeth to come from no other but those ancient heretikes But they will not be compared to them Yet they must not take scorne to be yoked with the Manichees whose fastings saint Augustine describeth as like the Popish fasting as one egge can be like an other not in their diet onely but in their opinion of it also For hee there sheweth how the Manichees vsing in their fasts daintie fare and much spice and costly drinkes woulde yet preferre their fasts before an other that had not touched a peece of resty bacon with his lippes whose follie hee much inueyeth against And who knoweth not De moribus Manichaeorum li. 2. c. 13 that the fasts of many euen of them whom they call religious men amongest the Papistes are more nourishing vnto the body than the best feast that many a poore man getteth throughout the whole yeare Yea one draught of their spiced cuppes is much better than his Christmasse dinner And yet these men whose meanest meale shoulde bee a poore mans feast are saide to fast And the other whose greatest fare is with scarcitie doth not fast Let our fast then bee an abstinence from anie thing that may pamper the flesh yet not superstitious not ioyned with opinion of merite not thinking any meate vnlawful but in Christian sorrow for sinnes to humble our selues Of Purgatorie CHAP. 31 THE PROTESTANTS AS for Purgatory wee know none neither any purgation for our sin or anie remedie for the same 1. Iohn 1.7 but only that bloude of Christ which clenseth vs from all sinne Iohn 1.29 Only that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world by vertue wherof because wee knowe our sinnes are satisfied for and we reconciled vnto God as here we cānot so els wher we need not make other attonmēt with god for them For he that is so purged shall not perish Iohn 3.16 Iohn 5.24 he shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life as he that cānot lie hath told vs. THE PAPISTS OVR aduersaries teach Concil Trid. Sess 22. ca. 2. that because there are sinners which are not in Christ fully purged Cens Colon dialog 10. and wee may perchance die before we haue done due penaunce or fully satisfied for our sinnes therefore there is no remedy but to purgatory we must go For although we be reconciled to God by Christ Cens Colon ibidem and receiued to his fauour yet is not that sufficient to bring vs to heauen vntil we or others for vs haue added somwhat to that satisfaction of Christ Se. 6. Can. 30 And he that wil teach contrary to this is accounted accursed by the councell of Trent The absurditie of this their doctrine maketh me loath almost to meddle with it for what christian eares can heare the blasphemy of the councell of Trent in the place before alleadged The blasphemous saying of the ◠ouncel of Trēt the Iesuites that there are some they meane of such as shall dwell with God that are not fully purged in Christ And yet the scriptures do onely and wholy ascribe vnto Christ our perfect redemption whereof his bloud is the price his death is our ransome Or who can but detest the folly of those Iesuites who are not ashamed to write that God receiueth such to fauour as he wil not suffer to come where he is vntill they haue satiffied for their punishment No they blush not to affirme that God is like to a froward man who although he can be content by intreaty to forgiue yet will he not forget the offences that are committed against him but will haue them punished with temporall punishments either here or else-where Which not to be true among other the thiefe vppon the crosse may teach vs. For what satisfaction did hee make for his temporall punishment None at all for Christ said to him Luc. 23.43 This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise Yea this example prooueth that it is not according vnto Gods iustice so to deale For if hee being a malefactor had no punishment enioyned vnto him but were freelie pardoned howe can wee imagine that God will deale more hardly with other Againe to say that wee must make any satisfaction is to ouerthrowe that free grace and mercy of God and the only merit of Iesus Christ and so to diminish the benefite that wee haue of his gratious goodnesse or to charge him with weakenesse and impotencie as though hee were not able without our satisfaction for our sinnes to take away the same And how doubtfully they set downe this their doctrine their Writings doe testifie to beare witnesse of their owne vncertaintie of that which they doe teach For Allen that most vnnaturall countrey man of ours but he that sitteth in heauen hath defeated his purposes and laughed him to scorne concerning this point hee thus setteth it downe that Often there remaineth a due temporal punishment for satisfaction And master Bellarmine saith Defence of purgatorie chap. 1. De purgat li. 1. cap. 7. Censur Colon dial 10.