our hart and soule that it maketh it whiter then snowe the temple of the holy Ghost Psal 50. 1. Cor. 6. 2. Tim. 2. vers 21. sanctified and apt to all good workes as the word of God witnesseth The third conclusion is about Christes imputatiue justice vve hold that no man is formally justified by that justice which is in Christ which is infinite and vvould make vs as just as Christ himselfe is but that God through Christes merits doth bestowe vpon euery righteous man a certayne measure of justice vvherewith his soule being purged from sinne and adorned with all honesty fit for his degree and calling is made righteous in Gods sight and worthy of the Kingdome of heauen M. PERKINS holdeth that Euery just man hath faith created in his hart whereby he layeth hand on Christes justice and drawing that to himselfe maketh it his owne He proueth it by these wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Christ is made vnto vs of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption I answere that Christ is in that place so made our righteousnesse as he is made our wisdome nowe no man holdeth that he is made our wisdome by imputation therefore is he not our righteousnesse by imputation The Apostles meaning is that Christ is the procurer and meritorious cause of both our wisdome and justice and of whatsoeuer other spirituall gifts we enjoy And this righteousnesse which God bestoweth on vs in this life is sufficient to enable vs to keepe Gods lawe as I haue proued in seuerall questions before and to make vs worthy of life euerlasting The fourth conclusion Catholikes hold it the surest course to put their trust in the mercy of God and merits of Christ for their saluation yet in sobriâ—tâ— they may haue confidence both in their owne merittes and in other good mens prayers That is because God saueth none of yeares who doe not merit life euerlasting by vsing his grace well therefore a vertuous honest man may haue some confidence in the good course of his life Marry because we are not throughly assured of our owne good workes past neither can we tell howe long we shall perseuer in that Godly course of life therefore vve rather stand in feare when we consider our owne vvorkes and our whole confidence is in the mercies of God vvho for Christes sake calleth most vnworthy creatures to his grace and doth neuer for sake any endeauouring to continue in his seruice Neyther doth that visitation of the sicke in the Dutch tongue found in a dusty corner any whit helpe them for we teach all especially notorious sinners that vvallowe in sinne vntill their dying day such as it seemeth that visite was made for to trust not in their owne naughtinesse or little goodnes vvho haue a hundreth times more euill then good in them but in the infinite mercy of God and inestimable merits of our Sauiours death and passion vvhich letteth not but that a good man may haue some confidence in his owne merits and in the prayer of Saints And M PER. considereth little what he saith vvhen he affirmeth That we make that our God in which we put our trust for albeit vve must trust only in God as in the author of all good thinges yet may vve trust in diuers other thinges as in the meanes of our saluation Doe not the Protestants trust in Christes passion and yet I hope they made not his passion their God Haue they not a confidence and trust in their liuely faith yes I vvarrant you or else they would not be farre from desperation so notwithstanding his vaine babling Catholikes vvell grounded in vertue may haue some confidence in their owne good deedes and in the prayer of Saints as orderly meanes to attayne vnto saluation albeit vve trust in God only as in the authour of it The fift and last conclusion That we must not only beleeue in generall the promises of life euerlasting but apply them to vs in particular by hope M. PER. somewhat faintly excepteth against this and saith That by faith we must assure our selues of our saluation present and by hope continue the certainety of it Marry he addeth further That they teach not that euery man liuing within the precincts of their Church is certayne of his saluation by faith but that he ought so tâ— be and must endeauour to attayne thereto Why then that man hath not the faith of Protestants vvhich cannot but apply vnto themselues in particular the promises of life euerlasting and that as the nature of faith requireth without all staggering doubt but to sowe pillowes and to lay them vnder poore deceiued mens elbowes he sometimes saith that he requireth not such certainety of saluation yet in the conclusion of this very Chapter he forgetting himselfe so quickly saith That we abolish the substance of faith namely in denying the particular certayne application of Christ crucified and his benefits vnto our selues A vvorthy authour that can no better agree with himselfe OF REPENTANCE OVR CONSENT M. PERKINS Page 316. THe first conclusion Repentance is the conuersion of a sinner which is twofold passiue and actiue passiue is an action of God whereby he conuerteth a sinner Actiue is an action whereby the sinner once turned by God turneth himselfe and doth good workes as the fruit there of of this later the question is The second conclusion That repentance standeth specially for practise in contrition of hart confession of mouth and satisfaction in worke or deede There be two sortes of contrition one when a man is sorrowfull for feare only of hell and other punishments in this life this he calleth legall though in the state of the lawe there was most perfect contrition in some The other Euangelicall when one is greeued for his sinnes not so much for feare of hell as because he hath offended so good and mercyfull a God which is alwayes necessary Secondly We hold confession necessary to be made first to God then publikely to the congregation if any man be excommunicate for any crime Thirdly To our neighbour when we haue offended and wronged him Lastly In all true repentance there must be satisfaction made First to God by intreating him to accept of Christes satisfaction for our sinnes Secondly to the Church for publike offences in humiliation to testifie the truth of our repentance Thirdly satisfaction is to be made to our neighbour because if he be wronged he must haue recompence and restitution made The third conclusion That in repentance we are to bring forth outward fruites worthy amendment of life whereof the principall is to endeauour day and night by Gods grace to leaue and renounce al and euery sinne and in all thinges to doe the will of God THE DIFFERENCE WE dissent not from the Church of Rome in the doctrine of repentance it selfe but in the abuses thereof first in generall because they beginne repentance part of the holy Ghost and part of themselues by the
not Sacrifice and oblation but thou hast perfected for me a body Because that in lieu of all those Sacrifices and oblations his body is offered and ministred vnto all communicants And in his Commentaries vpon those wordes of the Psalme Psal 39. Thou wouldest not Sacrifice and oblation c. What saith he are we therefore at this time without a Sacrifice God forbidde But thou hast made for me a body which was giuen in performance of all the other Cap. 9. And in his oration against the Iewes after he had proued against them out of the Prophet Malachy that all their Sacrifices should cease he adjoyneth But yet doe you not thinke that because your Sacrifices shall cease that therefore no Sacrifice is to be offered For saith he God will not be without a Sacrifice He that desireth to reade more authorities for the confirmation of the Sacrifice of the Masse and howe it is not annulled but established by Christes only Sacrifice on the Crosse let him reade S. Ambrose S. Chrisostome Primasius Theophilact Oecumenius and other ancient Commentaries vpon the eleauenth verse of the tenth to the Hebrewes who there doe moue and resolue this difficulty howe notwithstanding the sufficiency of Christes Sacrifice on the Crosse vve Christians doe offer 〈◊〉 daylie Sacrifice For the judgement of the auncient Church I neede not to make a distinct argument because I haue already in all the other reasons plentifully alleadged it And might here if neede vvere produce vvhole Masses formally penned and deliuered to posterity by some of the most reuerend holy and learned Fathers as that of Saint Iohn Chrisostomes S. Basils and S. Ambrose of vvhich no more question can be made then of the rest of their vvorkes albeit Master PERKINS vvithout any reason rejecteth them to omitt the Lyturgie of Saint Clement and of Saint Iames the Apostle because they are called in question Yet to finish and make vp the Chapter I vvill for a vvorke of supererogation cite some plaine sentences of the choisest Antiquity to proue the Sacrifice of the Masse to be very auaileable not only for the liuing but also for the soules of the faithfull departed * Quaest. 2 ad dulcit in Enchirid ca. 109. Saint Augustine in two places of his vvorkes hath these vvordes It is not to bee denyed but that the soules of the departed are relieued by the deuotion of their friendes aliue when the Sacrifice of the Mediatour is offered or aâ—â—es is given for them And a little after When the Sacrifice of the Altar is offered or almes is giuen for the soules of the baptised departed for the very good soules they are thankes-giuing for them that dyed 〈◊〉 very euil they are meanes to obtaine mercy for others that dyed in very euill estate though they be no helpes to them so dead yet are they consolation vnto the liuing Catech. 5. Mystag S. Cyril Patriarke of Hierusalem teacheth thus We doe beleeue that the intercession of the holy and dreadfull Sacrifice which is set vpon the Altar doth much relieue their soules for whome it is offered Lib. 2. Epist 8. S. Ambrose comforting Faustinus for the death of his sister saith I thinke her not to be so much lamented as to be prayed for nor her soule to be grieued with thy teares but rather to be recommended to God by Sacrifices Hom. 69. ad populuÌ„ S. Chrysostome I◠〈◊〉 not vnadâ—isedly ordayned by the Apostles that is the dreadful misteries there should be made a commemoration of the dead For they did knoâ—e 〈◊〉 thereby the soules receiued much profit and great commodity L. 4. vitae Constant cap. 71. Lib. 1. Epist 9. Eusebius Caesar recordeth That Constantine the great being buryed his soule did enjoy according to his owne desire when he was aliue the diuine ceremonies the mysticaâ—l Sacrifice and the society of holy prayers S. Cyprian reporteth An holy decree â—o haue beene made by the religious Bishops his Predecessors that whosoeuer dying made a Clarke the Gardian and tutor of his children should in punishment thereof be depriued of the benefit of the Sacrifice so as no oblation should be made for him nor Sacrifice celebrated at his death By which he giueth vs to vnderstand that for the soules of others well departed Sacrifice was accustomed to be offered To be short it was defined and declared by the Catholike Church in her prime-prime-time that it was an heresie to denie that Sacrifice was to be offered for the dead as Epiphanias doth testifie in Anacephalaeosâ— S. Augustine ad Quod-vâ—lt-deum haeresi 53. Damascene de centam haeresibus So that noâ—hing can be more certaine both by the expresse vvord of God and by the record of the purest antiquity then that there hath alwayes beene in the Catholike Church a true and proper Sacrifice and that the same hath beene day he offered aswell for the soules in Purgatory as for the liuing Thus much of the Sacrifice of the Masse OF FASTING OVR CONSENTS M. PERKINS Page 221. OVr consent may be set downe in three conclusions First we doe not condemne fasting but maintayne three sortes of it to wit a morall a ciuill and a religious fast A morall fast is a practise of sobriety or temperance When as in the vse of meates and drinkes the appetite is restrayned that it doe not exceede moderation and this must be vsed of all Christians in the whole course of their liues A ciuill fast is when vpon some politike consideration men abstayne from certaine meates as in our common weale the lawe enjoyneth vs to abstayne from flesh at certaine seasons of the yeare for these speciall endes to preserue the breede of cattell and to maintayne the calling of fisher-men Obserue by the way that if he meane the fast of Lent as it is most likely by his wordes he is fouly deceiued in the speciall endes of it which are not those vvorldly respects by him mentioned but principally others more spirituall and heauenly to wit First the punishment of our owne flesh for the faultes committed in ouermuch eating the whole yeare before as * Serm. 4. de Quadr. IdeÌ„ ser 10 S. Leo testifieth secondly the preparation of our minde to meditate more deepely of our Lordes death and resurrection thirdly to a S. Hier. in 3. cap. Ionae dispose and make vs more worthy to receiue the blessed Sacrament which euery Christian is bound to receiue about Easter Briefly to omit diuers other causes we fast the Lent to b Ignatius ad Philip. Basil orat 1. de jejunio Nazianz orat in sanct laua Hieron in c. 58. Esai Chrisost hom 1. in Genes Aug. epist 119. c. 15. Ambros serm 37. imitate as neare as our frailty doth permit our soueraigne Lord and Master who fasted fourty dayes so that to reduce the fast of Lent vnto a ciuill fast principally is to preferre earthly respects before heauenly We denie not but that many times spirituall exercises doe
doubted off by many and not generally receiued for Canonicall could afterward be made Canonicall to this I answere that the Protestants as vvell as we doe take nowe for Canonicall some such bookes as were 300. yeares after Christ doubted off to wit the Epistle to the Hebrewes S. Iames Epistle the second of S. Peter the second and third of S. Iohn S. Iudes Epistle and the Apocalipse or Reuelation of S. Iohn Nowe they themselues hauing admitted all these of the newe Testament for Canonicall vpon the judgement and declaration of the Catholike Church vvhy doe they not as vvell take those of the old Testament for Canonicall also the same Church hauing aboue a thousand yeares past approued them for Canonicall as well as the other At the first because of the great persecutions the learned could not so generally meete together to examine discusse such matters as afterward in the peace of the Church and therefore in that time diuers men vvere of diuers opinions concerning the authority of such bookes but vvhen the learned in the Church assembling together in the name of God and hauing the assistance of the holy Ghost to direct them had once declared which were Canonicall which not there was no further question among the obedient children of the Church only vnskilfull men or Heretikes because they will be choosers will admit of vvhich it pleaseth them and reject also those vvhich displease them But to leaue this digression the bookes of the Machabees cannot but haue euen with Heretikes farre greater credit then Liuie Plutarke and such like prophane hystories Pag. 307. as M. PER. also confesseth They then vvill serue to conuince any reasonable man that the custome of the people of Israell then the only chosen seruants of God vvas to pray for the dead and to offer sacrifice for the pardon of the soules that were departed because it is so recorded in the best hystorie of their times and is also seconded by Iosephus the sonne of Gordan in his booke of the Iewes vvarre Cap. 91. vvhere he saith that the Iewes were wont to pray for the dead vnlesse it were for such that had slaine themselues And thus much out of the old Testament nowe out of the newe Our Sauiour Christ willeth vs to agree with our aduersary whiles we are in the way with him least perhaps he deliuer vs to the judge and the judge to the officer and so we be cast into prison for verily saith he thou shalt not goe out from thence till thou repay the last farthing By this parable or example our Sauiour teacheth vs vvhiles we liue in this vvorld to agree vvith the lawe of God vvhich is our aduersary when we transgresse and offend against it otherwise at our death we shall justly be cast into prison and lye there till we haue fully satisfied and paid the last farthing of our debt The Protestants say that he who is so cast into prison shal neuer come out We say the contrary that this parable concerneth them especially that shall be deliuered at the length and proue it first because the parable is not taken from a murtherer or theefe vvho may be justly condemned to death or to perpetuall prison but of a debter who ordinarily doth gette out in time and therefore it agreeth better vnto men cast in Purgatory to pay the debt of the former trespasses then to them that are condemned to hell Besides the ancient Fathers doe so expound it Origen Albeit it be promised In epist ad Rom. that he shall at length come forth of that prison not withstanding it is designed that he cannot goe out vntill he hath paid the last farthing S. Cyprian It is one thing to stand for pardon Lib. 4. epist 2. and another to passe straight to glory one thing being cast into prison not to goe forth till you haue paid the last farthing and another to receiue presently the reward of faith and vertue one thing to be corrected and purged long time in fire for your sinnes and another by dying for Christ to haue purged all your sinnes Eusebius Emissenus Homil. 3. de Epiph. But they who haue deserued temporall paines vnto whome those wordes of our Lord appertayne that they shall not goe out thence vntill they haue paid the last farthing shall passe through a floode of fire So that both by the scope of the parable and by the interpretation of the Fathers many men dying in debt that is not hauing fully satisfied for their former sinnes are cast into the prison of Purgatory there to pay the last farthing vnlesse by the piety and intercession of their friendes their more speedy deliuerance be procured and obtayned Moreouer that there is such pardon graunted after this life to some is confirmed by that vvhich our Sauiour saith in another place Math. 12. That they who sinne against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come vvhich were a very improper kinde of speech if none were to be pardoned in the world to come As it should be for our King to say to some offendour I will not forgiue thee neither in England nor in Italy vvhereas he hath nothing to doe to pardon in a strange Dominion And the learned knowe that in enumeration of partes it is as foule a fault to reckon something for a part which is none as to omit some true part indeede so that then our Lord parting the forgiuenesse of sinnes into this world and the world to come in all congruity of speech we must vnderstand that some sinnes are forgiuen in the world to come which cannot be in heauen where none are nor in hell where there is no remission of sinne therefore it must be in a third place which we call Purgatory And this is no newe collection made by moderne Catholikes out of the vvord of God but as auncient as S. Augustine who hath these wordes Some men suffer temporall punishment in this life only Lib. 21. de ciuit c. 13. others after their death some others both here and there yet before that last and most seuere judgement For all men after their deathes shall not goe vnto those euerlasting torments of helfor saith he citing this place to some that which is not forgiuen in this world is forgiuen in the world to come as I haue taught before With S. Augustine agreeth S. Gregory Lib. 4. dialog c. 39. saying It is to be beleeued that there is a Purgatory fire before the judgement for certayne light faults for that the truth saith if any man blaspheme against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come In which sentence there is giuen to vnderstand that certayne faults are forgiuen in this world and certayne in the world to come for that which is denyed of one by consequence is vnderstood to be graunted to some others In 3. Mar.
comfortable sacrifice and by the almes that are giuen for their soules that God may deale more mercifully with them then their sinnes deserued For saith he the vniuersall Church obserueth and keepeth this as by tradition receiued from the Fathers that for them who are departed in the communion of the body and bloud of Christ when at the sacrifice there is made a commemoration or mention of them they are prayed for and the sacrifice is remembred to be offered for them The third witnesse is Tertullian a most auncient and learned authour De corona militis who reckoneth it among the traditions of the Apostles to pray for the soules of the faithfull departed It appearing then so manifest by the testimony of such approued witnesses that to pray for the dead is an Apostolicall tradition generally receiued and practised in the most flourishing state of the Church S. Augustines verdict must needes proue true who saith that it is a point of most insolent madnesse to dispute against that which the whole Church doth practise Wherefore our Protestants vvere 1300. yeares agoe condemned for Heretikes in this point in one Aerius vvho vvas censured by that holy and learned Bishop Epiphanius haeres 75. and by S. Augustine ad Quodvult deum haeres 53. an Heretike because that to the Arrian heresie he added this of his owne that we must not offer sacrifice nor pray for the soules of the departed so that to denie prayer for the dead is by the judgement of the auncient Church deemed flat heresie To these former authorities let vs adde one reason deducted also out of the vvord of God When a sinner is truly conuerted though the fault and eternall paine due to it be through Christes merits freely pardoned him yet there remayneth some temporall punishment to be suffered by the party himselfe for the same offence before remitted This proposition is denyed by the Protestants but it is so manifestly set downe in Gods vvord that they cannot but be put to great shame for it if they be vrged with the examples of the children of Israell of Aaron and Moyses and Dauid Num. 14. Ibi. c. 20. ver 24. Deut. 32. vers 51. 2. Reg. 12. who were all first pardoned of their sinnes and afterward put to penance for the very same offences as I haue in the matter of satisfaction more amply proued Nowe to the present purpose But many who haue beene great offendors are not conuerted till towardes their death or else being conuerted long before doe not fulfill such penance as in justice is due vnto their grieuous and manifold former offences therefore the due order of Gods justice requireth that after their death they accomplish that which was wanting in their life time To this nothing else can be answered but that which some of them doe answere that the very death vvhich euery one endureth doth serue to supply all former defectes of his life and purgeth him cleane from all payne due to his former sinnes but this is said both without authority or any reason For a naturall death is due vnto all the Sonnes of Adam for original sinne in so much as the very innocents baptised are not freed from it and therefore that cannot be also a satisfaction for all other actuall sinnes Againe some vvho haue deserued great punishment die suddainely and vvith small payne so that there is no proportin betweene the payne of their death and their former trespasses We denie not but that such may be both the length and sharpenesse of the sickenesse whereof some die that it being patiently taken may either greatly diminish or perhaps wholy extinguish al former offences but to say that euery ones ordinary death doth cancell all former obligation of sinnes howe many or howe great soeuer they were hath neither â—ime or reason in it I could for a conclusion assemble the sentences of the fathers and shew howe they prayed for the soules departed in their funerall Orations for them as Gregory Nazianzene for the soule of Cesanis S. Ambrose for the soules of Theodosius Valentinian and Satyrus promising also to offer sacrifice for them In epist. ad eundeÌ„ Lib. 5. hystor c. 26. Lib. 3. Institut c. 5. §. 10. S Hierome commending Pomachius for praying and giuing almes for the soule of his wife and Theodorete praysing the Emperour Theodosius the younger for prostrating himselfe at the Relikes of S. Iohn Chrysostome and praying there for the soules of his parents Arcadius and Eudoxia I could I say bring a clowde of witnesses to this purpose but Caluin easeth me of that labour who acknowledgeth That for 1300. yeares before his dayes that is almost from the first time that the auncient Fathers beganne to write the custome of praying for the dead hath beene vsed in the Church Marry he would haue vs beleeue that it was brought in by the vulgar sort after the imitation of the Gentils But we haue shewed that the best learned and most sincere and Godly Preachers and Doctors haue both out of the word of God and Tradition of the Apostles taught their flockes that point of Christian doctrine and further by name condemned them of heresie that taught the contrary so that very fondly doth Caluin taxe S. Augustine for praying for his mothers soule saying forsooth that he did it only to satisfie the old womans request and saith yet more impudently that in his booke of the care to be taken for the dead he doth very coldly handle the matter vvhereas you haue heard I hope sufficiently out of him howe resolute and peremptory he is for Purgatory See the beginning of it and cap. 4. And in that said booke his principall intent is to approue the burying of the dead neare vnto the body or relikes of some Martir to the intent that he vvho remembreth the body of his best beloued to be there buryed may vvith greater deuotion recommend vnto the same Martir his deare friendes soule And therefore he doth much commend a deuout Matron for burying her sonne neare vnto the relikes of S. Foelix and counsaileth others so to doe adding that if they cannot procure any such burying place for their friendes yet that in no case they ought to cease from necessary prayers and supplications for them For saith he wheresoeuer the body of the departed doe lie the rest and peace of his soule is to be procured and sought for And whether out of fond affection towardes his mother or out of a most setled judgement he prayed for her and vvhether it were coldly or no let his owne wordes declare thus he beginneth to proue Caluin an audacious lyer Lib. 9. Confess cap. 13. But nowe I hauing my hart cured of that wound in which humane affection might be faulty doe powre forth vnto thee our God for that thy seruant his mother Monica another manner of teares which floweth from a minde stroken with feare by consideration of those perils which followe euery soule that dyeth