ser 50. Nec latuit praeceptorem praecepti pondus hominum excedere vires sed iudicauit vtile ex hoc ipso suo illes insufficieâ—tiae admoneri vt scirent sanè ad quem iustitiae finem niti pro viribus oporteret Ergo mandando impossibilia non praeuaricatores homines fecit sed humiles c. The Master was not ignorant saith Saint Bernard that the burden of the Commandement did surpasse the strength of man but hee thought it good and necessarie that by the very same they should be warned of their insufficiencie that they might know to what ende and marke of righteousnesse they ought to make towards with all their strength and power commanding therefore things impossible he hath not made men preuaricators but humble that euery mouth may be stopped and all the world may become subiect to the iudgement of God because that by the workes of the Law there shall be no flesh iustified in his sight for receiuing the CoÌ„mandements and feeling our defect and want wee will crie vp to heauen and God will haue mercy vpon vs and wee shall know in that day that hee hath saued vs not by the workes of righteousnesse that wee haue done but according to his mercie Secondly because he vnderstands not the language of the Scripture hee restraines the choice to voluntarie and free things to the obseruation of the which man is not bound and compelled by any Law Hee might haue read the words of the Prophet Moses saying to the people of Israel touching the Law x Deut. 30.19 I call heauen and earth to record this day against you that I haue set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both then and thy seede may liue As also Ioshuahs words to the same people y Ioshua 24.15 If it seeme euill vnto you to serue the Lord chuse you this day whom ye will serue Conformably to this Dauid saith z Psal 119.30 I haue chosen the way of truth thy iudgements haue I laid before me And Saint Cyrill expounds the Prophets words of them which chuse and retaine Christs Testament as Lyrinensis of those that liue righteously and vprightly with their neighbour VII He expounds as falsely these words I will giue vnto them a name better then of sons and of daughters a Bellar. de monach c. 9. parag 3. 9. maintaining that by sons and daughters God meanes those good and godly persons that are married which are Gods sons and daughters and that God promiseth to those which are virgins a greater good and a greater glory then to these What could he say more impertinently then this For to be a sonne and a daughter of God is the common name of all the faithfull and their highest and most excellent title and degree of honour from whence depends all their prerogatiue glory ioy and consolation both in life and death and it is not a name of an inferiour qualitie appertaining onely to some lesse priuiledge Witnesse our Sauiour Christ when he saith To as many as receiued him to them b Iohn 1.12 gaue he power to become the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Witnesse God himselfe saying by his Prophets and by his Apostle c Isa 52.11 Ierem. 31.1.9 2. Cor. 6.17.18 Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the vncleane thing and I will receiue you and will be a Father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie d Rom. 8.17 And if children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ saith the Apostle What may we What can we hope desire wish more It is that which is giuen to honest and good men married persons by Bellarmines confession what remaines then to the Monkes what haue the Friers else a name saith he more excellent then of sonnes of God why then they are not sonnes of God And to maiden Virgins a name better then of daughters of God why then they are not Gods daughters what other name shall we giue them for he which is not the childe and sonne of God is the sonne of rebellion the childe of wrath whose father is the Deuill a name saith he better then of sonnes What greater or better name I pray you can wee haue on earth then to bee sonnes and heires of a King except we were Kings And what better or greater name in heauen then to bee Gods sonne and heire without being God The Angels are called e Iob 1.6 2.1 the sonnes of God The Saints are called the sonnes of God he which is the Sonne of God by nature was manifest in the flesh that we might be made the sonnes of God by grace The holy Ghost is sent into our hearts to assure vs that wee are the sonnes of God f Rom. 8.15.16 Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father The Spirit it selfe bearâ—th witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God And there is no name in the Scripture so expresse so significatiue and of so large extent for it comprehends in it all the good that God bestowes on his elect and chosen people vnto whom he giues all his blessings in the name title and state of children and out of this state and condition he giue them no spirituall wholesome and sauing blessing VIII Now we shall finde the true sense and meaning of this place if wee adde thereunto that which goes before and that which followes after which hath been industriously and wittingly omitted by Bellarmine lest it should haue hindred hiâ— bad cause The words going before are Let not the sonne of the stranger that hath ioyned himselfe to the Lord speake saying The Lord hath vtterly separated me from his people neither let the Eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree Here then the stranger and the Eunuch fearing God are ioyned together both of them bewailing their miserie The one because he was separated from Gods people The other because he was a drie tree The Eunuch is first comforted by the wordes of this place whereupon Bellarmine grounds his Counsels The stranger is comforted in the verses following in these words Also the sonnes of the stranger that ioyne themselues to the Lord to serue him and to loue the name of the Lord c. euen them will I bring to my holy mountaine and make them ioyfull in my house of prayer c. The Gentils called by the Prophet the sonnes of the stranger g Ephes 2.12 were at that time without Christ being aliens from the Common-weale of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and without God in the world As for the Iewes God made a promise to Abraham their father saying h Gens 22.17 In blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand
1440. pag. 1441. said that he was a right Scripture man and would haue nothing but Scripture and his Chaplaine said he would haue nothing but his little pretie Gods Booke and is it not sufficient saith Master Hawkes for my saluation Yes saith he it is sufficient for our saluation but not for our instruction Master Hawkes answered God send me the saluation and you the instruction And surely it is sufficient not onely for our saluation but also for our instruction for if it sufficeth for saluation how can it bee insufficient for our instruction therefore the Apostle Saint Paul teacheth vs both the one and the other saluation and instruction by the Scriptures for first he saith d 2. Tim. 3.15 the holy Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluation through faith which is in Christ Iesus Behold here the Scriptures are sufficient for our saluation and not onely for our saluation but also for our instruction for he saith able to make vs wise vnto saluation that is to instruct vs to saluation yea in the next verse he saith that the e vers 16.17 Scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect Behold the Scriptures sufficient and profitable for our instruction and not onely profitable to the man of God to the Doctor the Minister and the learned but also profitable to the ignorant simple and vulgar sort for f Psal â—9 7 it maketh wise the simple and therefore the reading thereof appertaineth as wel vnto the ignorant and vnlearned as vnto the learned for if it appertaine but vnto the learned to reade the Scriptures it appertaineth then vnto none to reade them for no body is learned before he haue read them we reade not the word of God because we are learned but to become so And therefore the Papists doe wrong the people of God depriuing them of the reading of the Scripture lest say g Hosius in loc Com. they the Porters Coblers Bakers should be Prophets farre vnlike to Moses h Numb 11.29 who wisht that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit vpon them but very like the Bâ—silidians whose steppes they follow who as i Jrenae lib. 1. cap. 23. Ephiph haeres 24 Irenaeus and Epiphanius write did hide their doctrines We are men said Basilides all the rest are hoggs and dogges * Matth. 7.6 Cast not therfore said he your pearles before swine nor giue that which is holy vnto doggs which was to confesse openly * Bernard in Cant. serm 65. At istud apertè faâ—eri est se non esse de ecclesia qui onmes qui de ecclesia sunt canes censet porcos that he himselfe was not of the Church calling all those that are of the Church swine and dogges Yea in hindering the people of God to enter into this sweete Paradise of holy Scripture they are like the Scribes and Pharisees their forefathers against whoÌ„ our Sauiour Christ pronounceth this woe k Matth. 23.13 Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites for ye shut vp the kingdom of heauen against men for ye neither goe in your selues neither suffer yee them that are entring to goe in Besides as they haue detracted from the Scripture by their blasphemous reproches accusing it of insufficiencie and imperfection so haue they also added vnto it l Cicero orat 44. in Anton. Philip secunda Is Caesaris leges easque praeclares euertie For as Marcus Antonius did abolish the excellent Laws of Caesar m Testamentum irrituÌ„ fecit Ibid. and made void his Testament n Ibid. Acta Caesaris pacis causa confirmata 〈◊〉 à senatu quâ—â— quidem Caesar egisset non eâ— quae Caesarem egisse dixisset Antonius c. yea when the Senate had ratified the Actes of Casar hee added to Caesars Actes what hee listed and would haue it to stand as sure as if Caesar himselfe had enacted it So these haue indeuoured to abolish the Law of God to make void the Testament of our onely Caesar and Sauiour Christ and haue added to his Testament what they listed and will haue them to stand as sure as if Christ had enacted them yet they would make vs beleeue that they doe o Ibid. Et tu in Caesaris memoria diligens tu illum amas mortuum much in remembrance and honour of Christ and that they loue him for first they adde vnto the Canonicall books of the Scripture other books that are not Canonicall but Apocrypha because they finde in those bookes many things to serue their turnes for the maintaining of their heresies which they cannot shide at all in the Canon of the Scripture Secondly because this is not sufficient they adde their traditions and determinations yea their gospels wheras all addition of Gospels to the onely true Gospell is execrable Some as the begging Friers disciples of Saint Dominick and Saint Francis inuented and published forth a booke ful of horrible blasphemies which they named the Gospâ—ll of the holy Ghost or the euerlasting Gospell full of their own â—ables and abominable errors teaching that Christs Gospell was not to be compared vnto it and that the Gospell of Christ should bee preached but â—â—â—â—ie yeeres so they opposed the Gospell of their holy Ghost to the true Gospell of the holy Ghost their eternall Gospell 〈◊〉 that Gospell which is called p 〈◊〉 14.6 the euerlasting Gospell to be prâ—â—ched vnto them that dwellâ—â— the earth and to euery Nâ—â—ion and kindred and tonguâ— and â—â—ple and that euen unto the ende of the world whâ—â—â—â— their gospell was of the Deuill that impure spirit was not an euerlasting Gospel but was soon refuted by Guiliâ—â—â—â—â— de â—â—â—ctâ— Amâ—re condemned by the Pope secretly burnt Others call the Determination of the Church the Gospell some â—â—â—â—taining that the Popes Decrâ—â—all Episties are to bee counted among the Canonicall books and made equall with the Scripture Some making their humane ordinances equall with the Scripture in authoritie Others pâ—â—â—eâ—â—ing them before it and maintaining that the authoritie of Ecclesâ—â—sticall tradition hath more force and â—fficâ—cie to assure â—ur faith in all câ—â—â—trouersies then the Scripture Thus the heretiâ—â—es in q Irenae lib. 3. cap. 2. Non pâ—ssiâ— ex hijs iâ—â—euiri veritâ—â— qui â—esciâ—â—â— traditianeÌ„ Nâ—â—â—â—im per literas tra 〈◊〉 sed per 〈◊〉 vocem Ireâ—â—â—â—s time maintained that the truth could not be found in the Scripture by such as were ignorant of tradition and the great mysteries of faith were noâ— by the Apostles committed to his Disciples but by word of mouth and not by writing r Epiph. heres 48 August haeres 26 Moutanâ—â— confessed that he admitted all the Scripture yet hee seined ouer and besides that the Comforter was come to perfect that which was but begunne and so did adde vnto the doctrine of the old and new Testament cerâ—aine other obseruations of his
as it is written r Rom. 3.4 Let God bee true but euery man a lyer We see therefore that the word father is taken ambiguously by the Author of the Pastorall Letter and that from this ambiguitie a thousand impertinent false blasphemous conclusions might be inferred Moreouer the proposition is false if it bee not limited for can we be God like Christ Can we be Prophets Priests and Kings of the Church as Christ is In a word can wee bee mediatour betweene God and man as Christ is what are not these things proper to Christ and vncommunicable to all creatures IIII. The resemblance likenes which we must haue with Christ is in the holinesse of his life in that which concernes his godlinesse towards god and his charitie towards men according to the Law Å¿ Ephes 4.24 Col. 3.10 The new man which is renewed in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse after the image of him that created him The argument then will be good in this sort if we say that euen as Christ hath been so conscientious so scrupulous and holy in his vocation that hee hath not taught any thing but that which he hath heard of God his Father so our Pastors and Doctors ought not to teach any thing but that which they haue heard of God their Father that is to say that which is contained in the holy Scriptures And againe as Christ although authorised in his doctrine by that heauenly voice t Matth. 17.5 Heare him submits his doctrine to the touch-stone of the Scriptures and exhorts the people to examine it by the Scripture saying u Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures they are they which testifie of me Our Teachers and Doctors which haue not such an authoritie and should resemble Christ in humilitie and reuerence towards the Scripture ought and must submit their doctrine to the like examination and exhort the people to search the Scriptures to see and examine if it be so And if the people ought not to heare any other doctrine then that of their Father contained in Scripture remembring that notable sentence of Saint Augustine x August contra lit Petilia lib. 3. c. 6. Si angelus de caelo vobis annunciauerit preteâ—quâ—â— quod in Sâ—xipturiâ— legalibus Euangelicis accepisti anathema sit If an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that which you haue receiued in the Scriptures Legal or Euangelicall let him be accursed V. Let vs now retort and returne the argument against the Author of the same and say VVe may not speake of the Scripture otherwise then we haue heard of our Fathers we haue no other Father then God therefore we may not speake of the Scripture then as we haue heard it of God the Maior is his as we haue seene the Minor is his also For by this argument hee proues that children desirous to dwell in a cloyster ought not to obey their carnall parents which thwart their desires saying to the fathers Know yee not Pag. 20. that God forbids in Saint Matthew y Matth. 23 9. Nolite vobis vocare patrem super terram vnus enim pater est vester qui est in caelis Call no man your Father vpon the earth for one is your father which is in heauen The conclusion therefore is good according to his arguing and according to truth and therefore we wil heare none but God speaking to vs in the Scripture and will not heare the Fathers be they neuer so holy if they preach not to vs the word of God contained in the Scriptures VI. For so hath God expressely commanded vs in his word saying z Ezech. 20.18.19 Walke ye not in the statutes of your fathers neither obserue their iudgements nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke in my Statutes and keepe my Iudgements and doe them Conformably to this an ancient Father saith a Hier. in Ier. cap. 7. nec parentum nec maiâ—rum error sequendus est sed authoritas scripturarum c. We must not follow the errors of our fathers nor of our ancestors but we must follow the authoritie of the Scriptures And another b Bernard ad Abbat epist 91. Auant and farre from me and you let them be which say we will not be better then our forefathers The former saith againe of himselfe c Hier. contra Iouini As often as I do not interpret the Scriptures but that I speake freely of mine owne sense and reason let who will reprehend and reproue me Saint Austin said as much of Saint Hierome of all Catholike authors and particularly of himselfe as we haue seene in the Preface he tells vs ouer and besides of himselfe d August de Trinit lib. 3. in proaem Doe not thou subiect and submit thy selfe to my letters as to the Canonicall Scripture Of Saint Cyprian e Idem contra Crescou lib. 2. cap. 32. I account not the letters of Cyprian as Canonicall but I examine them by the Canonicall Scripture That which in them is conformable to the authoritie of the holy Scripture I receiue it with his praise and commendation that which is not conformable to it I reiect it with his good liking Of S. Ambrose and of the rest of the Doctors that were before him f Idem Epi. 112 Doe not thinke that wee must follow the sense and opinion of any man as the truth of the Canonicall Scripture Of all them which haue written from the Apostles time to his time g Idem contra Faustum Mani lib. 11. c. 5. In the small bookes or short Treatises of them which are come since the Hearer or Reader hath his free iudgement to approoue that which is pleasing and good or to reprooue that which is vnpleasant and offensiue Cardinall Caietan the most learned of all the Cardinals and Bishops of his time hath the like speech in his preface on Genesis for hauing said h Caiet praefat in 5. lib. Mos That this authoritie is reserued only to the sole authors of the holy Scripture that we beleeue the thing to be so because they haue so written it layes downe this principle and maxime i Deus non alligauit expositionem scripturaruÌ„ sacrarum priscorum doctorum sensibus that God hath not tied the exposition of the holy Scripture to the sense of the ancient Doctors k Si quando occurrerit nouus sensus textui conformis quanquam à torrente doctorum alienus aequos se praebeant censores And therefore he intreates them which shall find in his Commentaries a new sense or meaning conformable and agreeable to the text to iudge iustly and vprightly although it bee against the torrent and streame of the Fathers l Andrad defens Synod Trident. lib. 2. Andradius maintaines the selfe same principle and improues the allegoricall expositions of the Fathers reprehends many expositions that they giue of the literall sense pronounces that they
they Counsels of perfection If there bee any they are of God or of men If from God all men must follow the for if the requests and desires of Kings are commandements as an Heathen man saith how much more then are the Counsels of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords who looketh vnto none but such e Esay 66.7 as tremble at his word Christ Iesus said to the Church of Laodicea f Reuel 3.18 I counsell thee to buy of me goldâ—â—ied in the fire that thou maiest bee rich and white â—â—â—ent that thou maiest bee clothed and that the shame of thy unkednesse doe not appeare and anoint thine eyes with eye-salue that thou maiest see This is the onely place of the whole Scripture in the old and new Testament where God giueth counsell vnto man the Creator to his creature the Lord to his seruant the King of heauen to his subiects dwelling on earth And this Counsell is such an expresse commandement that the Lord hath spewed that Church out of his mouth for not following of the same for he that giues counsell to another desires and wishes that hee would conforme himselfe to it and is sorry yea angry and much offended when it is reiected when especially it is a good and wholesom counsell giuen by the superiour to his inferiour by the father to the son the King to his subiect to hasten to end and to vrge this we say al men are bound g Rom. 12.2 Ephes 5.17 to know and proone what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God to doe the fame according to the prayer which euery one makes vnto God Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen All the Counsels of God are the will of God wherefore all men are bound to vnderstand them to proue and doe them All that which wee are bound vnto to doe is a commandement the Counsels of God are things that wee are bound to doe therefore the Counsels of God are commandements Againe God wills and requires that all men practise his Counsels God wills not and requires not that all men should shut vp and mew themselues in a cloister abstaine from marriage carrie a wallet or scrip and go like vagabonds from dore to dore from towne to towne to begge and craue almes for such a life would bee the ruine and destruction of the Commonweale and of the Church Therefore to abstaine from mariage liue in pouertie nourish and sustaine himselfe with the labour and sweat of other men to mew himselfe vp in a Monastery separated from the company of men is not a Counsell of God VIII There are Counsels of perfection If there bee all must aspire vnto them euery man is inclined to it by nature euery one tends and inclines vnto perfection by a naturall principle and instinct euery Christian tends and makes towards the Christian perfection by a spirituall instinct by a principle of grace euery Christian is bound to it by commandement is drawne to it by promise is incited and incouraged by the example of all the Saints h Phil. 4.8 9. Brethren saith the Apostle whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are louely whatsoeuer things are of good report of there bee any vertue and if there bee any praise thinke on these things Those things which yee haue both learned and receiued and heard and seene in me doe and the God of peace shall be with you If the Counsels are of this ranck and number the Apostle commaunds all men and women to doe them to them that doth them hee makes a promise from God that the God of peace shall be with them If they are not of this number they are neither true nor venerable nor iust nor pure nor louely nor of good report there is no vertue nor praise in them And therefore they are not to bee done but to be eschewed and auoided This is the expresse commandement of our Master Doctor and Sauiour Iesus Christ i Matth. 5.48 Be perfect euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect this is also the expresse commaundement of Saint Paul k 2. Cor. 13.11 Bee perfect l Heb. 6.1 Let vs goe on vnto perfection To this ende the Scripture hath beene giuen vs m 2. Tim. 3.17 That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished vnto all good workes For this ende the Lord hath giuen vs Pastors and Doctors n Ephes 4.13 till wee all come in the vnitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of God S. Paul made towards this perfection and laboured to come to it by o Phil. 3.13 14. forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth vnto those things which are before he pressed towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Noah Iob Abraham all the Saints of the old and the new Testament haue done the like for which cause the Scripture termes them perfect God who accepts in his children the will and willingnesse the pronenes of their mindes and forwardnesse for the deede honouring their holy indeuor and affection with the name of perfection which they did aspire vnto and now enioy and possesse Wee â—ake now if the perfection of Counsels bring to the Monkes and Friers any greater perfection then the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ vnto which all Christians shall attaine and come vnto a perfect man If that cannot bee what vse haue Counsels If it can be there will be some perfection out of Christ and without Christ and some greater perfection then the perfect stature of Christ which is impossible We aske againe if a man in this life can attaine vnto a greater perfection then that which was in Noah Iob Abraham Moses in the Patriarches the Prophets and Apostles If any man shall bee aduanced and exalted in glorie aboue them in the life to come If this be absurd and false to what end and purpose is this warbling and pratling of Counsels which brings to no man any greater excellencie aduantage then that which infinite Saints haue attained vnto which haue neuer bin Monks neuer made vow of continencie neuer carried the bag and wallet neuer followed the Monasticall deuotions Abraham Isaac Iacob Noah Moses c. were great men and rich and liued in the state of matrimony The holy Apostles haue neuer followed any other rule then that which is common to all Christians Pouertie and the forsaking of their goods was neuer imposed to them by Christ and they neuer bound themselues to it by vow as the whole history of the Gospell teacheth vs and p Extrâ—â— Iob. 22. Tit. 14. c. 5. Quia quorundam neque Christum exprepriationem praedictam â—mnis iuris cuinâ—cunque rei proprietatem eius vsuÌ„
ingenders and begets in vs all manner of euill thoughts and desires of which Saint Iames faith x 〈◊〉 1.14 Euery man is tempted when hee is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed Secondly withdrawes vs from good and doth what he can to smother the good and holy motions of the Spirit in vs as Saint Paul saith y Rom. 7.22.23 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captiuitie of the law of sin which is in my members The Spirit also â—usteth against the flesh two manner of waies First hee creates in vs all sorts of good thoughts motions and desires Dauid felt it thus when he said z Psal 16.7 I will blesse the Lord who hath giuen me counfell my reines also instruct me in the night-season a Psal 27.8 When thou saidest Seeke ye my face my hart said vnto thee Thy face O Lord will I seeke Secondly he stops and stayes the bad motions of the flesh to the ende they take not effect or at the least blunts their point that they doe not sinne excessiuely in which fense Saint Iohn saith b 1. Ioh. 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seede remaineth in him To commit sinne is to make a trade and occupation of sinning and to giue himself ouer to euil with an entire and whole consent of the will the which a man renewed cannot doe because with the feede of sinne which is his naturall corruption he hath in him the feede of God which is the gift of sanctification and is mixed in all the qualities of his soule and in all the workes that flow thence The supernaturall knowledge wherein the minde is enlightned is mingled with ignorance and naturall blindnesse which remaines in him so that he hath neede to aske euery day new enlightning of God as Dauid did who said c Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things out of thy Law His faith is mingled with vnbeleefe his confidence with diffidence his hope with despaire witnesse the lunaticks father as wee haue seene before witnesse Iob who complaining of God said vnto him d Iob 13.24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemie And at the same time he cried our e Iob 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him His will purified and corrected is incessantly crossed by a contrary wil which hinders him to doe the good he would doe For as our Sauiour said f Mat. 26.41 The Spirit is willing but the fleshes weak The will in as much as it is sanctified hath a maruellous affection and desire to obey God but the flesh with the which she is chained weakens it and makes her slacke and remisse to doe that shee would doe The affections are neuer so well squared and ordered but there is disorder they can neuer shake off so wel this dust and durt but as g 1. King 18.21 the Israelites did halt on both sides following at one time God and Baal so do they halt betweene heauen and earth betwixt the heauenly goods which cannot bee defiled nor wither and the perishing goods of this world whhose figure passeth away as swift as a weauers shittle I write nothing but that which all the children of God feele in themselues otherwise they should not appertaine vnto the Church Militant Which hath no enemies so cruel vigilaÌ„t pressing hard and difficult to ouercome as those which euery member of the same nourisheth within himselfe and carrieth continually in his bosome as namely lust which saith Saint Iames h Iam. 1.14.15 draweth enticeth conceiueth and bringeth forth sinne and therefore is a sinne like a Serpent that engenders conceiues and brings forth a Viper is a Viper as all that which is conceiued is of the nature of that whereof it is conceiued as the tree that bringeth forth bad and rotten fruit is corrupt and rotten according to Christs saying k Matth. 7.18 A good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruite This naturall contagion doth infect all the good workes of the regenerate with so great a blemish that the Church it selfe confesseth l Isai 64.6 All our righteousnesse are as filthie rags what can we then say yea what ought we to say we I say who as Bernard saith m Bernard de verb. Esaiae serm 5. are not better then our forefathers which haue no lesse truly them humbly spoken so This is the first argument grounded on the great and general deprauation of our nature wherby the workes of the most holiest are so blemished and distained that they can in no wise answere vnto the righteousnesse holinesse and perfection of the Law IIII. The second argument is taken from our knowledge for such as is our knowledge such is our obedience such are all our workes that proceede from it Now our knowledge is verie imperfect n 1. Cor. 13.9.12 For as the Apostle saith of himselfe and of all we know in part and we prophesie in part we see now through a glasse darkely the perfect knowledge being reserued for the Kingdome of heauen which our Lord hath represented by giuing to the blinde man his sight o Mark 8.22 of whom Saint Marke saith that Christ Iesus hauing put his hands vpon him the first time he saw men walking but not as men but as trees but hauing put his hands vpon his eies the second time he saw euery man clearely euen so fareth it with vs we receiue here but the first imposition of hands we often take one thing for another and see the things of God but by halues whence wee must not find it strange if we do them but by halfe and do remaine and stand a farre off from the perfection and righteousnesse of the Law whose first and last Commandement cannot be fulfilled by any man liuing here on earth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy mind and with all thy strength It will haue the soule and the whole soule the heart and the whole heart the thoughts and all the thoughts the strength of the hart of the soule of the thoughts and the whole strength of the same p Aug. lib. 1. de doct Christ c. 22. It leaues no part of our life that may be voide of charitie It commaunds all the degrees of charitie for he that saith All excepts nothing If thou canst adde any thing thereunto there is not all If thou takest away any thing there will not bee all More charitie can bee added day by day vnto our charitie otherwise Saint Iude would not haue praied q Iude 2. Mercie vnto you and peace and loue be multiplied Let Saint Austin speake for vs r Aug. epist 29. Charitie is a
any not vnderstanding the language of Canaan striues against the sound doctrine imagining in himself that Iob for being better then other men was without sinne before God he will be conuinced of error by Iobs owne booke there shall he finde Eliphas preaching q Iob 4.17 Hier. aduers Pelag. lib. 2. Shall mort all man be more iust then God shall a man be more pure then his Maker Behold be put no trust in his seruants and his Angels he charged with fally How much lesse on them that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the moth A Sermon whence Saint Ierome inferres r Hier. aduers Jouian lib. 2. Angelos quoque omnum creaturam peccare posse that the Angels themselues and all creatures may sinne There also shall he finde the same Eliphas preaching againe Å¿ Iob 15.14.15.16 What is man that he should be should be cleane and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous Behold be putteth no trust in his Saints yea the Heauens are not cleane in his sight How much more abominable and filthie is man which drinketh iniquitie like water A sentence from the which Saint Hierome implies that euery man is a sinner t Hieron ad Rusticum epist 44. circa sinne There is none saith he pure from sinne though his life were but a day Now the yeeres of his life are many The starres themselues are not cleane and pure in his presence and he hath found some peruersitie in his Angels Si in caelo peccatum quanto magis in terra If there be sinne in heauen how much more on earth if there be trespasse or omission of dutie in those which are without corporall tentation how much more in vs that are compassed about with this weake flesh and may say with the Apostle u Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death There shall he finde Iob agreeing and consenting vnto this holy doctrine and sighing forth these true words from the bottom of his heart x Hieron aduers Pelag. lib. 1. Job 9.2 I know it is so of a truth but how should man be iust with God If he will contend with him he cannot answere him one of a thousand How much lesse shall I answere him and chuse out my words to reason with him whom though I were righteous yet would not I answere but I would make supplication to my Iudge If I iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne me If I say I am perfect it shall also proue me peruerse If I wash my selfe with snow water and make my hands neuer so cleane yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine owne clothes shall abhorre me There shall he finde God himselfe rebuking Iob and reprouing him of his sinne for that a Iob 38.2 he darkened counsell by words without knowledge and Iob confessing his sinne and saying to him b Iob 40.4.5 Behold I am vile what shall I answere thee I will lay my band vpon my mouth once haue I spoken but I will not answere yea twice but I will proceede no further c Iob 4â— 6 wherefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes V. Such was the condition of all those that haue liued from Abel vntill the Law which being come hath not diminished sinne but hath augmented it hath not quickned nor giuen life to them that followed it but hath killed them and put them to death hath not made any one iust but hath condemned the most iust and righteous among them in discouering their vnrighteousnes When the Morall Law was giuen after a manner fitting the Maiestie of the Law-giuer and sutable vnto the iustice and rigour of the same d Heb. 12.19.21 They that heard it entreated that the Word should not be spoken to them any more And so terrible was the sight that Moses said Moses I exceedingly feare and quake euen that Moses notwithstanding who c Numb 12.3 was very meeke aboue all the men which were vpon the face of the earth with whom the Lord spake f Numb 12.8 mouth to mouth and not in darke speeches and by whose hand the Lord gaue the Law when God published his Law he must needes haue trembled because hee saw in the same the Iustice of God and his owne vnrighteousnesse Surely if any could haue beene conformable to the iustice and vprightnesse of the same it was he that was the mediatour and it is of him that wee haue the confession of his sin and of the people g Psal 90.8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance It is he himselfe which hath written the historie of his vnbeliefe and of that of Aaron his brother Aaron when they glorified not God at the waters of strife for which cause the Lord spake vnto them saying h Numb 20.12 Chrysost de pâ—niten homil 6. to 5. Because ye beleeue me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the Land which I haue giuen them Moses who gaue the Law Aaron who kept the Law the one a Prophet and Leader of the people the other the High-Priest and Teacher of the people who should haue been pure from sinne so holy without spot without vice as these especially that carried written on his forehead i Exo. 28.36.38 HOLINES TO THE LORD that in his Priesthood did represent Iesus Christ the High-Priest of his Church who is the holy of holy ones k Exod. 30.10 Leuit. 16.2 Heb. 9.7 who alone went into the holy place who only bare vpon his brest the Vrim and Thummim alone saw the Arke of the Testimonie who onely asked at the mouth of the Lord who answered him from betweene the Cherubins couering the Arke It is hee notwithstanding that made l Exod. 32 4. a molten calfe and said to the people These bee thy Gods O Israel which brought thee vp out of the land of Egypt He with his sister Miriam a Prophetesse m Numb 12.1 All the Priests spake against Moses It is he who with all the Priests that should succeede him was expressely commanded to offer sacrifice once euery yeere and to n Leuit. 16.17 Heb. 9.7 mâ—ke an attonement for himselfe and for his house-hold and for all the Congregation of Israel VI. They which are come after them haue not been better for sinne doth propagate it selfe alwaies from the fathers to the children and passeth from the one to the other without sparing of any one the whole world is his nurse-child Excellent things are said of Dauid by him Dauid which saith alwaies true o 1. King 14.8 He hath kâ—pt saith he my Commandements and hath followed me with all hâ—s heart to doe that onely which was right in mine eyes Vnderstand that onely
marriage doth well but he that giueth her not in marriage doth better Item the widdow is happier if she so abide IF therefore these Counsels are giuen by God 7 7. Obiection Pag. 10. who will make difficultie to ioyne his Counsell with that of the eternall wisdome saith the Pastorall Letter grounding a false conclusion vpon a false exposition of Christs words a Mat. 19.12 There hee Eunuches which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it b Mat. 19.21 Goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore We will therefore correct this conclusion and say If these Counsels are not giuen by God as it appeares sufficiently by the exposition of the foresaid places A Bishop one that esteemes himselfe Gods Ambassadour who therefore should counsell nothing say nothing but that which he hath heard of God should haue made difficultie yea should haue abstained from giuing Counsell in a matter that is not of his Commission Moses being asked touching things that God had not reuealed vnto him c Leuit. 24.11 as the punishment of the blasphemer d Numb 27.5 the succession of daughters in their fathers goods and possession where no male children are and such like things would neuer giue his iudgement and aduice much lesse giue any Counsell yea and much lesse ordaine any thing before he had asked Counsell of the Lord. The Prophets lesson is e Ezech. 3.17 Heare the Word at my mouth f Ierem. 1.7 whatsoeuer I command that thou shalt speake and their prophecying was nothing else but a repetition of the lesson of their God word by word to the people The Apostles lesson was g Mat. 28.19.20 Goe and teach all Nations teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you Their practice was h 1. Cor. 11.23 I haue receiued of the Lord that which also I deliuered vnto you Their instruction to others was i 1. Pet. 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the Oracles of God and these words say wee are wholly contained in the holy Scripture wherein there is no mention at al of Monkish Counsels and notwithstanding they that are not Prophets nor Apostles vsurping more then hath been permitted euen to the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists doe counsell vs to follow their Counsels doe exhort vs yea vrge vs to the obseruation thereof without God without Christ without Scripture pretending therein notwithstanding the Scripture and the name of eternall wisedome surely not without infolding themselues in impietie in cloaking with the name and title of eternall wisedome a doctrine which is altogether sensuall and earthly and calling the Counsell of God an intollerable yoke wherewith men haue charged the consciences of Saints set at liberty by our Lord Iesus Christ A Counsell notwithstanding that our Cardinal ioyneth with that of God and that if we beleeue him after the imitation of Saint Paul who speaking of virginitie saith II. 1 1. Cor. 7.25 Consilium autem do Pag. 10. tanquam misericordiam consecutus Yet giue I counsell as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord. But Saint Paul confesseth that he hath not ioyned his Counsell vnto any counsell comming from the Lord writing these words which goe immediatly before Now concerning virgins I haue no commandement of the Lord. Wherefore hee ioyneth not his Counsell to Gods Counsell according to Saint Pauls imitation Hee will say that it sufficeth that he imitates Saint Paul and that Saint Paul saith I giue Counsell c. But I answere him that Saint Paul hath written in Greeke and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say I giue my iudgement and not I giue Counsell His iudgement which he authorizeth by his fidelitie in the seruice of God by the mercy he hath obtained of the Lord to be faithfull by the Maiestie of the holy Ghost by whose inspiration he giues it l 1. Cor. 7.25 I giue my iudgement saith he as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull III. An aduice therefore that he giues not as a priuat man neither also as one of the troupe of Pastors but as he that hath obtained mercy of God to be an Apostle and very faithfull in his charge as he who was according to the Lords promise guided by the holy Ghost into all truth to bee not able to erre in his aduice and iudgement m 1. Cor. 7.40 Now saith he I thinke also that I haue the Spirit of God n Arist ethic ad Nicomach lib. 6. c. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aduice is a right iudgement of that which is seemely and right is that which is of a true man Among men who more true and vpright then an Apostle guided and inspired by the holy Ghost which is the Spirit of truth yea the truth it selfe Let them now shew me if a good and vpright aduice and iudgement giuen by an Apostle faithfull in his charge and office hauing authoritie of the Lord Iesus to bee heard without replying as guided by the holy Ghost into all truth can be reiected without punishment I argue therefore after this manner That which can not be reiected with impunitie is no Euangelicall Counsell according to that we haue heard heretofore that A Counsell not obserued hath no punishment Now the iudgement of the holy Ghost giuen by the mouth of a faithfull Apostle is such a one as that it cannot bee refused without punishment therefore such a iudgement is no Euangelicall Counsell But let it bee a Counsell it is a good Counsell giuen by the good Spirit of God to man to his creature to the work of his hands by the heauenly Father to his childe that is earthly IIII. A Counsell properly is of the inferiour to his superiour or of a man to his equall the superiour armed with power and authoritie counselleth not but commandeth that which hee iudgeth to bee right and good and if he vseth words of Counsell his meaning is that they take and keepe them as Commandements yea all the world knoweth that the prayers and intreaties of great men are commandements to all them that are vnder their power and authoritie Now God is the great of great ones the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings o Isa 40.22.23 It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie It is he that is our Father and we are his children p Jsa 64.8 wee are the clay and thou our potter saith the Church vnto him and we all are the worke of thine hand He is our Lord and we his seruants our Shepheard and wee his sheepe our Redeemer and wee are q 1. Pe. 1.18.19 those whom he hath redeemed from our vaine conuersation receiued
esse in fide In mulieribus errorem significauit Saint Ambrose expounding the words of the Apostle to the Corinthians that were married I am iealous ouer you with godly iealousie for I haue espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ He writes that the Apostle requires that they be virgines in the faith He alleageth to this purpose these words of Saint Iohn and saith He signified the error in women because that error began by a woman as also he names the woman Iezabel because of Achabs wife who by a zeale shee bare towards Baal killed the Prophets of God vnderstanding the idolatrie whereby the manners and the truth of faith are corrupted and tainted Excludis ab hac gloria sanctos quia omnes Apostoli exceptis Ioâ—â—ne Paulâ— â—xoâ—es habuerunt For if you vnderstand by the women light women indeede and thinkest that they are called virgines because they haue kept their bodies vntoucht thou excludest the Saints from this glory because all the Apostles except Iohn and Paul haue had wiues and see if it be fâ—â—â—t to accuse the Apostle Saint Peter who is the first among the Apostles how much more among the rest Let vs heare Saint Austin or whosoeuer is Author of the Homilies vpon the Reuelation g Jn Apocal. homil 11. Virgines hoc lâ—co non solum corpore castos intelligimus sed maximè omnem ecclesiam quae fidem puram tenet nulla adulterina haereticorum mixtione pollutam c. We vnderstand saith he by virgins not onely those that are chaste of body but principally the whole Church that holds a pure faith As the Apostle saith I haue espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgine to Christ not polluted and defiled by the adulterous companie of heretickes nor tied by a wretched perseuerance to her liues ende vnto the dangerous alluring and deadly pleasures of this world without the remedie of repentance They are then virgins not corporall but spirituall not that haue kept their bodie from the lawfull touching of women but that haue preserued their soules from the vnlawfull touching of heresies compared to whores in the Scripture which being stored with cunning pranckes assurements and flatterings and which a thousand inticements doe make the ill aduised to swarue from their right way So the Antichristian heresie is called h Reuel 17.1.2 the great whore with whom the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication According to that which Moses and the Prophets say so often of the Idolaters that goe a whoring after the false gods l Origen in Leuit hom 12. Simplicitas fideâ— virginitas appellata est c. And contrariwise Origen saith that the simplicitie of faith is called virginitie c. and that the soule by the singlenesse of faith and puritie of hir actions is held to be a virgin We oppose therefore these Fathers to the others and doe affirme that these hundred and fortie and foure thousand are either the elect among the Iewes or all the elect of the Iewes and of the Gentiles few in number in comparison of the reprobates which haue not defiled themselues by whoredome with dumbe idols but haue followed in all their actions the conduct and leading of the Lambe of God adhering vnto him by faith as now they walke with him by sight enioying continually his glorious presence according as he had redeemed them by his blood and sanctified and separated them from the rest of the world for this ende as the first fruites were separated from the whole heape that remained common The spouse speakes of these virgins when she saith vnto her Spouse k Cant. 1.3 Because of the sauour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment powred forth therefore doe the virgins loue thee Virgins surely not by vow of virginite and chastitie whereof there was no mention in Salomons time the parents thinking in that time that they did iniurie and wrong to their Virgins to their Families to their Tribe if they gaue not their daughters in marriage but virgins by spirituall chastitie and puritie as it hath been said CHAP. XX. I. The tenth obiection taken from examples II. The first example of the vestall virgins III. Impertinent and nothing to the purpose IIII. Saint Ambrose iudgement touching marriage V. And touching the vestall virgines VI. The second example of Iesus Christ who was neuer married VII Why Christ abstained from carnall matrimonie VIII Virginitie makes not virgines like vnto Christ IX The third example of the foure virgins daughters to Philip the Euangelist X. This example is false and impertinent XI The fourth example of virgines in Iustines and Cyprians time XII As much impertinent as the rest THere is no good worke in all the Scripture The tenth obiection but hath a commandement to doe it a promise to them that doe it and examples of Saints which haue done it Vowes are good workes say our aduersaries and Bellarmine and the Author of the Pastorall Letter haue laboured much to authorize them both by the Counsels of Christ as also by large promises made vnto the obseruers thereof But they haue turmoiled themselues in vaine and haue alleaged nothing that serues to their purpose They haue seene vanity and haue written lies Let vs see if they speake better to the purpose in the allegation of the examples of Saints that haue kept their Counsels II. The first example is that of the Vestall virgins or Nunnes of the Heathenish Romans Pag. 34. For so reade we in the Pastorall Letter The onely light of nature had taught the Heathens the price and value of this vertue and although few followed it yet all bad it in admiration witnesse Augustus the Emperour who gaue great rewards and prizes to virginitie Tit. Liui. 1. decad lib. 5. And Albinus seeing the Vestall virgins goe afoote commanded his wife and children to come downe from their chariot and made the virgins get vp in their place To this purpose the Author alleageth a long sentence of Saint Ambrose taking an argument from the honour that men gaue in time past vnto the Vestall virgins to the honour due to Christian virgins III. And in all that how many faults To say that the Heathen haue acknowledged by the light of Nature that virginitie was a vertue of great price and therewith to cal it an Euangelicall Counsell For if it be of the Gospell it is vnknowne by Nature the Gospell a Ephes 3.4.5 Rom. 16.25.26 being a mysterie which in other places was not made knowne vnto the sonnes of men as it is now reuealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Flesh and bloud reuealeth nothing of the things of the Gospell how then could the Heathens that were nought but flesh bloud haue knowne the value of this virginitie the price and merit thereof the Aureolas that are reserued to it in heauen in illa parte