we admit them all to be true doth conuince vs to haue disgraded Christ of his offices which are these to appease Gods wrath towards vs to pay the ransome for our sinnes to conquer the Diuell to open the Kingdome of heauen to bee supreme head of both men and Angels and such like He may without any derogation vnto these his soueraigne prerogatiues giue vnto his seruants first power to make lawes to binde in conscience as he hath done to all Princes which the Protestants themselues dare not denie then to determine vnfallibly of the true sense of holy Scripture which the Apostles could doe as all men confesse and yet do not make them Christs fellowes but his humble seruants to whom also hee gaue power properly to pardon sinnes Luc. 24. Ioan. 20. Mar. 16. Matt. 28. Whose sinnes you pardon on earth shall be pardoned in heauen and finally to them he also gaue authoritie ouer the whole earth goe into the vniuersall world Ouer part of hell no Pope hath authoritie and when he doeth good to any soule in Purgatory it is per modum suffragij as a suppliant and entreater not as a commander Whether hee hath any authoritie ouer Princes and their subiects in temporall affaires it is questioned by some yet no man not wilfully blinde can doubt but that Christ might haue giuen him that authority without disgrading himselfe of it as he hath imparted to him and to others also faculties of greater authoritie and vertue reseruing neuerthelesse the same vnto himselfe in a much more excellent maner As a King by substituting a Viceroy or some such like deputie to whom he giues most large commission doth not thereby disgrade himselfe of his Kingly authority as all the world knowes no more did our Sauiour Christ Iesus bereaue himselfe of his power or dignitie when hee bestowed some part thereof vpon his substitutes He goes on multiplying a number of idle words to small purpose as that we for one Christ the onely reall Priest of the new Testament ioyne many secondary Priests vnto him which offer Christ daily in the Masse Wee indeed hold the Apostles to haue beene made by Christ not imputatiue or phantasticall but reall and true Priests And by Christ his owne order and commandement to haue offered his body and bloud daily in the sacrifice of the Masse what of that see that question Furthermore he saith for one Iesus the all-sufficient mediatour of intercession they haue added many fellowes to him to make request for vs namely as many Saints as be in the Popes Kalendar yea and many more too For we hold that any of the faithfull yet liuing may bee also requested to pray for vs neither shall hee in haste bee able to prooue that Christ onely maketh intercession for vs though he be the onely mediatour that hath redeemed vs. R. ABBOT Christ by his office is our Prophet our Priest and our King Christ degraded by the Pope As a Prophet he hath declared fully and finally the whole counsell and way of God for the attainment of eternall life As a Priest he hath offered a sacrifice for our redemption and by vertue of that sacrifice is our Mediatour to intreat mercy for vs. As a King he prescribeth lawes whereby to gouerne vs and hauing a Matt. 28.18 All power giuen to him both in heauen and earth exerciseth the same to safegard and defend vs. In all these offices of which M. Bishop speaketh as if he vnderstood not what they meane the Church of Rome offereth most high indignity to the Son of God To take the points spoken of in order as they are first they are iniurious to the kingdome of Christ in that they giue the Pope authority to make lawes to bind in conscience which Christ only hath authority to doe b See hereof part 2. pag. 17.18 To bind in conscience is to tie the conscience and inward man to an opinion of holinesse and spirituall deuotion in the thing which is done so as to account the same a worship of religion whereby God is truly serued and honoured yea and further according to Romish fancies the means of remission of sinnes and the merit of eternall life This whosoeuer doth sheweth himselfe a deceiuer and an Antichrist and the Pope in so doing is found to be he of whom the Apostle prophecied c 2. Thess 2.4 that he should sit as God in the temple of God domineering in the hearts and consciences of them of whom it is said d 2. Cor. 6.16 Ye are the temple of the liuing God If Princes attempt to make lawes in this sort they are therein vniust and presumptuous against God Otherwise to speake of Princes lawes God himselfe bindeth the conscience to yeeld the outward man in subiection to the Prince when notwithstanding the conscience it selfe remaineth free as touching the thing which the Prince commandeth I know that in outward things it is true which the Apostle saith e 1. Cor. 6.12 10.23 All things are lawfull for mee I may doe all things God hath giuen mee no restraint To eat or not to eat to weare such a garment or not to weare it to doe thus or thus it is all one with God I am no whit the better the one way nor the worse the other way Neuerthelesse if my Prince command mee either way God requireth mee to abbridge my selfe of the outward vse of that liberty which he otherwise hath giuen mee and to performe obedience to my Prince yet still retaining inwardly the same opinion and persuasion of the thing in it selfe that I had before and therefore content to tie my selfe outwardly to do thus because I know inwardly that it is indifferent to God either to doe thus or thus The second presumption of the Pope against Christ is in taking vpon him infallibly to determine the sense of holy Scripture By which pretense he most impudently carieth himselfe bringing all abhominations into the Church and corrupting all religion and seruice of God and yet affirming that he doth nothing contrary to the Scripture because whatsoeuer the words of Scripture are yet the sense must be no other but what he list But well might we be thought to be without sense if so senseles a tale should preuaile with vs a thing which in the ancient Church for so many hundreds of yeeres amidst so many questions and controuersies was neuer dreamed of What needed the fathers so much to busie themselues and out of their owne exercise and experience prescribe rules to others for finding out the true sense of Scripture when as a Pope with a wet finger could haue helped them to the certaine and infallible truth thereof Yea why haue we so many Commentatours of the Church of Rome so various and diuers in their expositions and interpretations of Scripture and why doth not the Pope rather by one commentary of his illuminated vnderstanding reconcile all differences dispatch all doubts and resolue at once
with his owne rodde and to shew that he careth not what he saith so that it serue his present turn howsouer it crosse him otherwhere Yet further Caluin noteth elsewhere that Christ could not get any other to be his disciples then some certaine poore fellowes of the refuse and dregges of the people Marke the text gentle Reader vpon which Caluin giueth that obseruation o Luk. 7.29 Then all the people that heard and the Publicanes iustified God being baptised with the baptisme of Iohn but the Pharisees and the interpreters of the law despised the counsell of God against themselues and were not baptised of him Heereupon hee saieth p Calu. ibid. Hoc quidem primo aspectu Euangelij gloriam valde obscurat immò deformat quòd discipulos Christus nō nisi ex faece populi quisquilijs colligere potuit qui autem sanctitate vel doctrina praestabant ipsum repudiabant sed dominus hoc initio specimen edere voluit ne vel illius aetatis homines vel posters Euangelium aestimarent humana probatione This at first sight obscureth the glory of the Gospell yea disgraceth it that Christ could get no other disciples but of the dregges and refuse of the people and that they who excelled in learning and holinesse did refuse him But God by this beginning would giue token that neither they then nor others afterward should esteeme the Gospell by humane approbation Now why doth M. Bishop dislike of this obseruation What doth he finde that Christ had Popes to be his Disciciples or that like a Pope he had Cardinals fellowes to Kings and Emperours to attend him The Pharisees could say by way of preiudice against him q Ioh. 7.48 Doth any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beleeue in him but this people which know not the law contemptuously pointing at them which n Idem de bono perseuer ca. 14. Quoniam vt crederent non erat eis datum etiam vnde crederent est negatum followed him are cursed Yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe saith to his father r Matt. 11.25 I thanke thee O father Lord of heauen earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent of this world and hast opened them to babes See heere the wise the Prudent the Rulers the Pharisees they all refuse Christ but the people the poore babes sinners ſ Matt. 9.10 21.32 publicans and harlots they are noted to receiue him And is M. Bishop offended that these are tearmed dregges and refuse or whatsoeuer they were doth not his wit serue him to vnderstand that Caluin speaketh comparatiuely according to the conceite of the world which held these to be but refuse and dregges in comparison of the other Had he neuer read the words of the Apostle t 1. Cor. 1.26 Brethren yee see your calling that not many wisemen after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mighty and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things that are that no flesh should reioice in his presence Harken heere M. Bishop foolish things weake vile despised things that are not what are these in account but dregges and refuse God hauing so disposed that it might appeare that the calling of his grace is not afforded according to any degrees of worldly titles What shall we then hold it but a pange of a distempered braine which M. Bishop sheweth in his censure following seeme not these execrable notes to issue from the pen of some malicious Iew or ranke Atheist Yea but these he telleth vs are but flea-bitings in comparison of those that fellow And what are those forsooth vpon the words of our Sauiour u Matt. 26.39 Father if it be possible let this cup passe from mee Caluin obserueth first that this praier of Christ was vnaduisedly made But that is first according to M. Bishops woont a meere vntruth Praier vnaduisedly made is a matter oferrour and sinne but this Caluin calleth x Caluin ibid. Votum abruptum fuisse fatemur Votum illud subitò elapsum castigat ac reuocat a desire abruptly conceiued which by and by more plainely he tearmeth a desire sodeinely passing from Christ which may be without sin and so was in Christ being drawen out of his pure and vndefiled soule only by horrour of his passion and extreme importunity of his greefe y Mat. 26 37. He began faith Saint Mathew to be sorrowfull and grieuously perplexed z Mar. 14.33 He was afraid saith Marke and in great heauinesse and said My soule is verie heauy euen vnto death Now being thus infinitely surcharged with griefe euen vnto deathes doore his agony being such and so crushing the whole power of nature as that a Luk. 22 44. his sweat was like droppes of blood trickling downe to the ground he praieth as Saint Marke speaketh that if it were possible that houre might passe from him Abba Father all things are possible vnto thee take away this cup from me O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe away from mee thus by instinct of vncorrupted nature shrinking backe from the feeling and experience of that to which notwithstanding by voluntary obedience he both before and then present did submit himselfe saying Neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt be done b Caluin ibid. Eadem vehementia praesentem coelestis decreti memoriam illi abstulit vt non reputaret in ipso momento se hac lege missum esse generis humani redemptorem The same vehemency of griefe saith Caluin tooke away from him the present remembrance of the heauenly decree so that in the very moment hee did not weighwith himselfe that vpon this condition namely with condition of drinking this cup hee was sent to be the Redeemer of mankinde By which words Caluin doth not import that Christ had habitually forgotten Gods decree but that by meanes of the excesse of his griefe hee did not for the present actually fixe his minde vpon it c Ibid. sicut saepegrauis anxietas caliginem oculis obducit ne simul in mentem veniant omnia as saith he great heauinesse doth often cast a mist before the eies so that all things come not to minde at once Now M. Bishop reporteth these words as if Caluin had said that Christ absolutely had forgotten the decree then which hee intended nothing lesse and not contented therewith hee addeth another falsification that he remembred not for the time that he was sent to be the Redeemer of mankinde whereas Caluin addeth with this condition namely with condition of vndergoing that heauy burden So far was Christ heere from forgetting that he was sent to be the Redeemer of mankinde as that his words may
iust iudgement of God till Christ had paid their ransome But marke how wisely he setteth downe the matter All the soules saith he departed from the beginning of the world What all the soules without exception the soule of Cain of Esau of Ismael and of other such infidels and reprobates Well though he write he knoweth not what we must take his meaning by that that his fellowes say a Greg Marti Discouery chap. 7. sect 6. that the Patriarchs and other iust men of the old Testament were in some third place of rest called Abrahams bosome or Limbus patrum till our Sauiour Christ descended thither deliuered them from thence So then not all soules but the soules of the iust were deliuered by Christs descending into hell But what is it the meaning of Christs descending into hell that he descended into a place of rest Surely M. Bishop will haue but very bad rest if he haue no better then is any where to be found in hell He vpbraideth vs with the improbability of diuers expositions made of this article but surely this is aboue all other a madde exposition to say that Christ descended into hell that is into Abrahams bosome into a place of rest Let him not presse vs with the authority of mens names for the iustification of it Saint Austin knew their names as well as he and they could not so much preuaile with him but that he freely professed that b August epist 99. Ne ipsos quidem inferos vspiam scripturarum locis in bonum appâ—llatos potuti reperire Quod si nusquam in diuinis authoritatibus legitur non vtique sinus ille Abrahae id est secretae cuiusdam quietis habitatio aliqua pars inferorum credenda est c. si in illum Abrahae sinum Christum mortuum venisse sancta scriptura dixisset non nominato inferuo eiusqÌ„ doloribus miror si quisquam ad inferos eum descendisse asserere auderet he could no where in Scripture finde hell spoken of or named in good part and saith that because it is not so read in any diuine authority therefore Abrahams bosome which is an habitation of quiet rest is not to be beleeued to be any part of hell And if the Scripture had said that Christ being dead went into Abrahams bosome not mentioning bell or the sorowes thereof I woonder if any man would dare thereupon to say that hee descended into hell So in another place he saith c Idem de Genes ad lit l. 12. c. 33. Illud me nondum invenisse confitetor inferos appellatos vbi iustorum anima requiesâ—â—nt c. Et ideo quomodo apud inferos eum Abrahae sinum credamus esse non video I doe not finde it any where called hell where the soules of iust men doe rest and I doe not see how we may beleeue that Abrahams bosome is in hell And this he obserueth out of the story of the Gospell where it is that we read of Abrahams bosome d Ibid. Videmus inferorum mentionem non esse factam in requie pauperis sed in supplicio diâ—itis We see that there is no mention made of hell in the rest of the poore man but in the punishment of the rich Thus strange it seemed to Saint Austin and vnprobable which now forsooth wee must take to be a very Catholike construction that Christ descended into hell that is to say into a place of rest But this placing of Abrahams bosome to be a part of hel was the deuice of Marcion the hereticke who borrowed it from the Poets dreame of the Elysian fields Tertullian therewith vpbraiding him that e Tertull. cont Marc. lib. 3. Vester Christus posi decursum vitae pocticetur apud inferos in sinu Abrahae refrigerium Et lib. 4. Mercedem refrigerij apud inferos determinat eis positam qui legi prophetis obedierint their Christ promised to the Iewes after life ended rest in hell in Abrahams bosome and did determine a reward of rest in hell for them that obeied the law and the Prophets So doth Origen bring in the Marcionite heretike alleaging that f Origen de recta in deum fide dialog 2. Ait in inferno Abraham fuisse non in regno caelorum Ex eo quòd illi cum diuite colloquium intercesserat simul fuisse intelligitur Abraham was in hell not in the kingdome of heauen For by that they talked one to the other it is vnderstood saith he that they were together But Origen answereth him that g Ibid. Ingentem hiatum qui nominatur non attendisti Medium enim illud inter caelum terram hiatum vocat he listeneth not to the great gulfe that is there said to be betwixt them which he expoundeth to be the middle space betwixt heauen and earth as importing that Abraham was in heauen Hee obserueth also that the rich man is said h Ibid. Erigens oculos suos tollere verò oculos in caelum visitatum est to lift vp his eies and men vse saith he to lift vp their eies to heauen The very same reasons Tertullian also vseth to shew that i Tertul. vt supra lib. 4. Aliud inferi vt puto aliud quoque Abrahae sinus Nam magnum â—it intercedere inter istas regiones profundum transitum vtrinque prohibere sed nec alleuasset diâ—eâ— oculos quidem de longinquo nisi in superiora Hell is one thing and Abrahams bosome is another because it is said that a great depthis betwixt those places and no passage betwixt the one and the ether and the rich man would not haue lifted vp his eies being far off but to a higher place He expoundeth it therefore to be the receptacle of the soules of the faithfull now departing where they enioy rest and peace till the time of the resurrection not in heauen as hee thinketh but yet higher than to be any part of hell Amisse indeed in that he excludeth it from being a part of heauen but yet destroying that Popish fancy whereby it is made a part of hell For we beleeue that the soules of the faithfull goe immediately to heauen and because in their departure they are said to goe to Abrahams bosome therefore we beleeue that Abrahams bosome is in heauen nothing being thereby imported but what Christ saith in the Gospell k Mat. 8.11 They shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God So saith Origen that l Origen in Genes hom 11. Omnes sancti qui de quatuor terraepartibus veniunt in sinum Abrahae portantur ab Angelis all the Saints which come from the foure parts of the world are caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome In like sort Saint Austin saith of Nebridius a faithfull man deceased m August Confess lib. 9.
de notis eccles cap. 7. Si solae vna prouincia retineret veram fidem adhuc verè propriè diceretur ecclesia Catholica dummodo clarè ostenderetur eam esse vnam eandem cum illa quae fuit aliquo tempore vel diuersis in toto mundo if one only countrey should retaine the true faith yet the same should truly and properly be called the Catholike church so that it might cleerely be shewed to be one and the same with that which hath been at any time or times ouer the whole world For by this rule nothing hindreth but that our church though now it be not receiued generally in the greatest part of the Christian world yea if it were but in one onely country yet may truely and properly be called the Catholike church if it be prooued to be one and the same with the church which at any time heeretofore was spred ouer all the world But that our church is the same with that which at the first was spred thorowout the world it is very euident as Tertullian teacheth vs to prescribe g Tert. de praescript adu haeret In eadem fide conspirantes non minus Apostolicae deputantur pro consanguinitate doctrinae by consanguinity or agreement of our doctrine with the doctrine of that church For by the Gospell which the Apostles preached the church was founded thorowout the whole world h Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1. Quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea per dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum The gospell which the Apostles preached they afterwards by the will of God deliuered to vs in the Scriptures to be the foundation and pillar of our faith The same Gospel deliuered to vs in the Scriptures we receiue we adde nothing to it we take nothing from it as we finde it so we teach it Our faith therefore is the same with the faith of that church which at the first was planted thorowout the whole world There is no cause then for vs to forsake our owne church or to thinke that the same began with Friar Luther as this dreamer imagineth which by so plaine deduction is approoued to be the same with the first church and consequently to be truely and properly the Catholike Church Finally saith he they beleeue no church in all points of faith But doth his wisedome finde it in the articles of the Creed that we are to beleeue any church in all points of faith The church how farre to be beleeued in points of faith We are taught there to beleeue that there is a holy catholike Church which is the communion of Saints but nothing doe we finde there of beleeuing any Church in all points of faith We beleeue the Church in points of faith so farre as she yeeldeth herselfe like a faithfull and obedient spouse to be guided by the voice of her Lord and husband Iesus Christ But if the Church preferre her owne will before the word of Christ as the proud harlot of Rome doth it should be a wrong to Christ to beleeue the Church and a way to set vp humane errour in stead of diuine truth It is not the voice of the Church but the word of the written Gospell which God hath appointed as Irenaeus euen now hath told vs to be the foundation and pillar of our faith For the words of the Church are many times the words of errour and vntruth and therefore if we should relie our saluation vpon the credit thereof wee should indeed relie vpon an vncertaine ground and erring guide but the word of the Gospell is alwaies one and the same without any variablenesse or vncertainty and therefore safely may wee relie our saluation thereupon Now therefore it cannot be said but that wee alwaies beleeue one holy catholike Church according to the profession of faith specified in the Creed though sometimes and in some things we doe not beleeue that is credit the visible Church as touching points of faith because the Church sometimes teacheth vs to beleeue otherwise than God hath taught Which though it seeme strange to M. Bishop in that language which he hath learned to speake yet to vs it is not strange who in the Canonicall histories of the Churches both of the old and new Testament do so often see them diuerting and turning from the right way As for that hee saith that our learned masters doe commonly cashiere out of the Creed the addition of the cōmunion of saints it is but a fruit of the harnessing of his face and he is therefore bold to say it because he hath learned not to be ashamed of any thing that he list to say That by the Saints are there meant al good Christians all the faithful whether aliue or dead we will not denie Communion of Saints implieth neither Purgatorie nor praier to saints but that either praier to saints or praier for soules in purgatorie belong to this communion of Saints we neuer yet learned and are too old to learne it now For as for the Saints in heauen i Aug. de vera relig cap 55. Honoramus eos charitate non seruitute honorandi propter imitationem non propter religionem adorandi We honour them with loue as Austin saith but not with seruice to follow them by imitation not to adore them by religion and therefore not to pray vnto them Further entercourse as yet there is none betwixt them and vs because k Esay 63.16 they know vs not nor are acquainted with vs nor can we any way acquaint them what wee say vnto them Now beside the Saints triumphant in heauen wee acknowledge none but those that are militant vpon the earth because the holie Ghost diuideth the whole body of the Church into l Eph. 1.10 Col. 1.20 those that are in heauen and those that are in earth and pronounceth them all m Reu. 14.13 blessed that are dead in Christ as who rest from labours and sorrowes and thereby are discharged from all Purgatorie paines But if there be any soules in Purgatorie to which all good Christian soules should yeeld and affoord their helpe to doe them ease and this be one matter of the entercourse and communion of Gods Saints why doth the Pope violate the communion of Saints by withholding from those tormented soules that helpe and ease which he is able to affoord them Surely if he cannot doe them ease then is he an impudent liar and a notable impostour and cozener of the world If he can do it then is he a cruell wretch that without compassion suffereth poore souls to lie broiling in those fierie flames But we rather approoue the former member of this diuision and take him for a liar both for that without warrant hee thrusteth in Purgatorie into the articles of our faith and with lesse warrant challengeth the same for a iurisdiction to himselfe 13. W. BISHOP 10 The forgiuenesse of sinnes
condition of fraile and sinfull flesh Now because no part of this could be imported in that memoriall if it were a thankesgiuing for the Saints therefore whether M. Higgons will or not it must necessarily be taken to haue been a praier for them And heereof there is one argument more in the last part of the comparison when he saith of Christ that he is in heauen and of the Saints that they are in the earth by their bodies yet resting in the earth Where it hath some reason that they should say We pray for them as respecting that their bodies lie yet in the dust of the earth expecting a blessed and happy resurrection which we craue to bee reuealed vpon them but to say that they meant to giue thanks to God for that the bodies of the Saints lie buried in the earth it were senslesse and absurd And because it is confirmed vnto vs by the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy that the Church did pray for the dead in respect of the resurrection therefore wee cannot doubt but that the memoriall heere spoken of by Epiphanius vsed for the Saints in respect of their bodies in the earth was a praier for them to wish their full and perfect consummation by the resurrection from the dead My former conclusion therefore hence deduced standeth good that sith the ancient Church thus praied for the Saints and Martyrs therefore that certaine it is they did not pray vnto them And because they thus praied for the Saints whose soules they were assured were in heauen therefore they praied for the dead without respect of Purgatory which now is made the onely ground and reason of praier for the dead 38. The next matter for which he questioneth me is concerning the opinion of the Greeke churches as touching Purgatory and prayer for the dead My words are such as might haue serued to weaken his motiue had hee not beene resolued without any motiue to remooue and run away What could he haue better to resolue him then that which I say that the Papists themselues confesse that Purgatory was not receiued or beleeued in the Greeke Churches and therefore that it is certaine that they had no respect of Purgatory in their praier for the dead I did not onely say that the Papists confesse it but I cited the places of their confession Alfonsus De Castro saith k Alfons De Castro adu haeres lib. 8. tit de Indulgent In antiquis scriptoribus de Purgatorio feré nulla mentio potissimum apud Graecos Scriptores quae de causa vsque in hodiernum diem purgatorium non est a Graecis creditum Of Purgatory there is in a maner no mention at all with the ancients but specially with the Greeke writers for which cause Purgatory is not beleeued of the Greekes vntill this day Yea not of the Greekes only but of the Armenians also he acknowledgeth that l Ibid lib. 12. de purgatorio vnus ex notissimis erroribus Graecorum Armeniorum est quo docent nullum esse Purgatorium c. they teach there is no Purgatory calling it an errour well knowen concerning them both The words of Roffensis their great and holy Martyr I cited out of Polydore Virgil m Polyd. Virg. de inuent rer lib. 8. cap. 1. ex Roffensi De Purgatorio apud priscos nulla vel quà m rarissima fiebat mentio sed Graecis ad hunc vsque diem non est creditum esse Of Purgatory there was none or very rare mention made amongst the ancient Fathers yea and with the Greekes it is not beleeued till this day Thus did they ingenuously acknowledge as the truth is and did it nothing stagger M. Higgons to finde this so plainly acknowledged Did it make him nothing doubt of his imagined mutuall dependance of Purgatory and praier for the dead Surely he was a very voluntary conuert or else he might easily haue seene that it is no good connexion to say They praied for the dead therefore they beleeued Purgatory but rather they beleeued not Purgatory therefore they praied not for the dead in any such meaning as the Papists now doe He might haue remembred that which I told Doct. Bishop that many amongst vs of custome and of humane affection of loue doe vse many times words of praier for the dead who notwithstanding from the bottome of their hearts doe vtterly defie both Purgatory and the Pope 39. In another place hee saith that it is n Book 1. part 2. cap. 3. ¶ 4. num 2. to our great disreputation that I name the Albigenses as professours of the same faith and religion which we now prefesse But why Forsooth he knoweth no cause himselfe but referreth his Reader to Parsons the Iesuit in his treatise of the three conuersions of England Yea M. Higgons would you make Parsons his narration a motiue of your recantation Would you giue heed to him whom you knew by the testimony of his owne fellows to be a man of Belial an infamous wretch a meere politizing Atheist and therefore likely if it were to serue his turne to deale with the stories of the ancient Christian Martyrs as he hath done with M. Foxes story carying himselfe in all that worke like a very Porphyrie or Iulian applauding himselfe and seeking to bee applauded in a iollity of forcing all things euen against the haire to scorne and mockery You say the Albigenses in their opinions followed the Waldenses as indeed they were the same some part of them onely being so called of the towne wherein they dwelt and would you beleeue Parsons concerning the opinions of the Waldenses who o Exam. of Fox his calen cap. 3. num 13. Of these Waldēses see at large Simon Goulart Catalog test veritatis lib. 15. Where thou shalt see how leaudly Parsons hath dealt with them disclaimeth Aeneas Syluius who was afterwards Bishop of Rome testifying their faith and doctrine vprightly and faithfully as of his owne knowledge that so he may giue way to other either carelesse or malicious reporters who impiously fathered vpon them strange paradoxes in no other sort than Friar p Edm. Campi decem rat cap. 8. passim Campian lately dealt with vs Yea and is not ashamed to cite q Three Conuers pag. 2. c. 10. num 29. Prateolus and Sanders for witnesses thereof whose ioy it hath been to finde out any thing were it neuer so vntrue which they might report opprobrious and disgracefull to them I doubt not but that the Waldenses and Albigenses might happily in some things be otherwise minded than we be and what are they in the church of Rome all in all things of one and the same minde but if wee respect the substance of their faith and doctrine as we may discerne the same not only by r Aeneas Sylu. de Origen Bohem cap. 35. Aeneas Syluius but also by ſ Alfons adu haeres passim Alfonsus De Castro and specially by t Sleidan Comment lib. 16.
Sunne and in the Moone and vpon the crosse that is in many places and that c Idem in Ioan. er 31. Cùm ad alium locum venerit in eo loco vnde venit non est When he is come to another place he is not in the place from whence he came and therefore that d Vigil cont Eutich lib. 4. Quando in terra fuit caro Christi non erat vtiâ— in coelo nunc quia in coelo est non est vtique in terra The body of Christ when it was vpon earth was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen it is not vpon the earth that e Ambr. in Luc. l. 1. c. 24. Ergo non supra terram nec interra nec secundum carnem ti quaerere debemus si volumus inuenire c. Stephanus tetigit quia quaesiuit in coele If we will find Christ we must not seeke him in the earth nor vpon the earth nor according to the flesh but in heauen They would neuer haue spoken thus without any limitation or exception if they had beleeued that which M. Bishop heere would make vs beleeue out of the doctrine of the church of Rome that the body of Christ may be in infinite places at once that it may be together both in heauen and earth with forme and without forme both visible and inuisible both circumscribed and vncircumscribed that is to say by a plaine contradiction both that that it is and that that it is not Surely they would haue saied as we doe If it be visible it cannot be inuisible or if it be inuisible it cannot be visible if it haue forme then it is not without forme or if it be without forme how should it be said to haue any forme both these cannot stand together True saith M. Bishop in one and the same maner of existence and being And say I if it be but one and the same body it can at once haue but one maner of existing and being for according to the same or totally to be thus not thus cannot agree to one and the same thing As for his instances whereby hee would take away the improbabilitie of this fancie they are altogether ridiculous Christ saith hee when hee was transfigured had another maner of outward forme and appearance then he had before and after his resurrection when it pleased him hee was visible to his Apostles and at other times inuisible And what then Ergo Christs body may be in many places at once it may together be both visible and inuisible and whatsoeuer pleaseth them But a man may euen as well say M. Bishop is sometimes hot and sometimes cold somtimes asleepe sometimes awake sometimes sober sometimes merrie sometimes like a schollar sometimes like a swaggerer sometimes at Rome sometimes in England ergò hee may at one time be together both asleepe and awake both visible and inuisible both at Rome and in England and in many places at once so that though by Parsons procurement he were fast laied vp in prison yet he might at the same time be personally before the Pope to acquaint him with the appeale of the secular Priests and the exorbitant dealing of the Iesuites against them What will he not call him a dreaming Sophister that should conclude thus Well then let him for his paines take his fellow to him and learne to argue more wisely another time But marke heere gentle Reader that M. Bishop maketh Philosophie a witnesse of this matter We haue thought heeretofore that they rested the same wholly and meerely vpon the omnipotent power of God and haue obserued how their schoole-philosophers when they speake of relation of bodies to their places do except this matter of the reall presence as a matter of irregularity not comming within compasse of the rules of Philosophy but farre transcendent aboue all their learning Now M. Bishop will make vs beleeue that it standeth with good Philosophy and that all their Philosophers haue all this while beene deceiued marrie it is woorth the while to note in what termes and how warily he hath set it downe The externall relations of bodies vnto their places do no whit at all destroy their inward and naturall substances as all Philosophy testifieth You say well M. Bishop and very wisely Indeed it is not relation to a place but the want of relation to a place that taketh away the nature of a body For f Aug. epist 50. spatia locorum tolle corporibus nusquam erunt quia nusquam erunt nec erunt take from bodies space of place saieth Austin and they shall be no where and because they shall be no where they shall not be at all g Cyril de Trinit lib. 2. si corpus in loco omninò in magnitudine in quantitaete si quanta facta esset non effugeret cireumscriptionem If it be a body saith Cyrill then verily it is in a place and hath greatnesse and quantitie and if it haue quantitie it cannot be but that it must be circumscribed h Didym de spâ—sancto l. 2. si spiritus veritatis iuxta naturas corporum circumscriptus est certo spacio alium deserens locum ad alium commigrauit It is the nature of a body saieth Didymus to be circumscribed in a certaine space and therefore by comming into one place it must forsake another You therefore affirming the body of Christ vncircumscribed and hauing no commensuration or space of place and comming into one place without the leauing of another doe thereby vtterly destroy the nature of a body i Ibid. Impossibile est impium ista quae diximus in corporalibus credere It is impossible and a thing impious saith Didymus to beleeue these things concerning bodily substances This was the Philosophy that these Fathers had learned They knew by Philosophy and by trueth that a body must haue extension of parts and one part different and distant from another and place correspondent to euerie part so that where one part is there another cannot be and the whole so limited to one place as that without leauing that place it cannot be in another but neither did Philosophy nor Diuinitie teach them that vncircumscribed body which M. Bishop speaketh of 3. W. BISHOP Secondly Master PERKINS chargeth vs with disgrading Christ of his offices saying that for one Iesus Christ the only King law-giuer and head of the Church they ioine vnto him the Pope not only as a Vicar but as a fellow in that they giue vnto him power to make lawes binding in conscience to resolue and determine infallibly the sense of holy Scripture properly to pardon sinne to haue authority ouer the whole earth and a part of hell to depose Kings to whom vnder Christ euery soule is subject to absolue subjects from the oath of allegeance c. Answer Here is a bed-role of many superfluous speeches for not one of all these things if
infallibly what is the certaine meaning of euery place Are those holy fathers loth of their labour or are they so busied in other or greater affaires as that they haue no leasure to attend to such trifles Satisfie vs M. Bishop as touching these matters otherwise we must take this deuise to be as indeed it is the couer of your shame the cloake of your apostasie which can no otherwise be shadowed but by this pretense That the Popes sense is the very trueth of Scripture being notwithstanding wholly repugnant contrary to the words In a word the Pope thrusteth out the lawes of Christ which are expressed in the words of Christ and by his sense setteth vp his owne lawes vnder the name of Christ To giue power to the Pope properly to forgiue sinnes as M. Bishop doth is a wicked blasphemie and an Antichristian exalting of him into the place of Christ When the Scribes said within themselues f Mar. 2.7 Who can forgiue sinnes but God only our Sauiour Christ did not contrary them therein but partly by discouering the thoughts of their hearts and partly by the miracle that he wrought taught them to vnderstand him to be God the Sonne of God and therefore that he had power to forgiue sinnes He hath left it therefore so to be conceiued of vs that power to for giue sinnes belongeth to God only g Cyprian de Lapsis Nec remittere aut donare indulgentia sua seruus potest quod in dominum delicto grauiore commissum est The seruant sai he Cyprian cannot for giue that which by hainous traspasse is committed against the Lord. h Cyril in Ioan. lib. 2. cap. 56. Certè solius reri dei est vt possit à ptceatis homines soluere cui enim alij praeuaricatores legis liberare â peccato licet nisi legis ipsius authori Surely it belongeth only to the true God saith Cyrill to be able to release men from their sinnes for who but the maker of the law can free them from offense that are trespassers of the law As for that which M. Bishop obiecteth that Christ said to his Apostles i Iohn 20.23 Whose sinnes ye remitte they are remitted vnto them and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained it no more importeth a power of forgiuing sinnes then the ministers k 1. Tim. 4.16 Sauing them that heare him importeth a power of sauing For as the minister saueth not properly by any power of sauing but only by teaching the way of saluation so he also forgiueth sinnes not properly by any power thereof but by preaching the Gospell of remission of sinnes and designing them to whom belongeth this remission God hath made vs not Lords but l 2. Cor. 3.9 Ministers of the new Testament and of the spirit neither hath he giuen vs the power but m cap. 5.18 The ministry of reconciliation for God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe not imputing vnto them their sinnes to vs he hath committed only the word of this reconciliation namely whereby we preach and testifie in the name of Iesus Christ remission of sinnes and reconciliation to God to all that repent and beleeue the Gospell But this whole cōmission of forgiuing sins shall be the better vnderstood by those instances by which Cyrill exemplifieth the same n Cyril vt supra Erit autem id duobus vt arbitror modis primò baptismo acinde penitentia Nam aut credentes vitae sanctimonia probates homines ad baptismum inducunt indignos diligenter expellunt c. First in baptisme and afterward in repentance Them that beleeue and approoue themselues by holinesse of life the minister addmitteth to baptisme this is to forgiue their sinnes but carefully he repelleth and putteth backe them that are vnworthy this is to retaine them But of this forgiuenesse of sinnes in baptisme we must remember that which S. Austine saith if at least that booke be his o August scal Paradis cap. 3. Officium baptizandi dominus concessit multis potestatem verò authoritatem in baptismo remittendi peccata sibi soli retinuit The Lord Iesus gaue the office of baptizing to many but the power and authority to forgiue sinnes in baptisme he reserued to himselfe only For the noting of which difference he rightly alleageth the words of Iohn Baptist p Ioh. 1.26.33 I baptize with water but he it is which baptizeth with the holy Ghost Now if to baptize with water to the remission of sinnes be to remitte sinnes in that sense which our Sauiour intendeth in that speech and to baptize with water to remission of sinnes importeth no power for forgiuing sinnes but only a ministery for publication and for the applying of Gods seale for exhibiting and confirming thereof it followeth so far foorth that those words of Christ doe not giue to the minister any power properly to forgiue sinnes Therefore Chrysostome though he terme this ministery in some sort a power yet to shew in what sort it is to be conceiued most notably saith q Chrysost in Ioan. hom 85. Quid sacerdotes dico Neque Angelus neque Archangelus quicquam in his quae a deo data sunt efficere potest sed pater filius sp sanctus omma facit sacerdos linguam manus praebet Not the Priest only but neither Angell nor Archangell worketh any thing in those things that are giuen of God but the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost doth all the Priest putteth too but his tongue and his hand The other instance which Cyrill giueth is r Cyril vt suprà Aut ecclesia filijs peccantibus quidem increpant paenitentibus autem indulgent 1. Cor. 5.5 When the minister giueth checke to offendours and to the penitent release Whereof he giueth example in the incestuous Corinthian whom for fornication the Apostle deliuered to Satan for destroying the flesh that the spirit might be saued and afterwards receiued againe that he might not be ouerwhelmed with ouermuch sorow here the Corinthians did forgiue and the Apostle himselfe did ſ 2. Cor. 2.7.10 forgiue and thus the terme of forgiuing hath alwaies his place and vse but this forgiuenesse is disciplinary for reconcilement to the Church it is not forgiuenesse of sinnes spiritually and properly so called though by the ordinance of Christ it must be to the peritent a necessary introduction to the assurance and comfort thereof as t See the Answer to the epistle dedicatory sect 28 before hath beene declared I conclude this point with that which Hierome writeth vpon the words of Christ to Peter u Matt. 16.19 whatsoeuer thou bindest in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shall be loosed in heauen for declaration whereof he saith that z Hieron in Matt. 16. Quemodo ibs sacerdos leprosum facit mundum velimmundum non quò sacerdotes leprosos faciant immundos sed quò
habeant notitiam leprosi vel non leprosi possint discernere qui mundus quiuè immundus fit sic hic alligat vel soluit episcopus Et Presbyter non eos qui insontes sunt vel noxij sed pro officio suo cum peccatorum audierit varietates scit qui ligandus sit qui soluendus as the Priest in Moses law did make the Leper cleane or vncleane not for that he did so properly and indeed but only tooke notice who was a leper and who was not and did discerne betwixt the cleane and the vncleane so heere the Bishop or Priest doth bind or loose not bind them which be innocent or loose the guilty but when according to his office he heareth the variety of sinnes he knoweth who is to be bound and who to be loosed Not so then as that in propriety of speech he either remitteth or retaineth sinnes but only discerneth and notifieth who is to be taken for bound with God and who for loosed whose sinnes must be holden either to be remitted or retained y Idem in Mat. 18. vt sciant qui à talibus condemnantur sententiam humanam diuina sententia roborari Which sentence of man they who are thus condemned as Hierome againe saith must know to be strengthened and made good by the sentence of God himself namely when it proceedeth according to those rules and directions which God hath prescribed in this behalfe for otherwise z Idem in Mat. 16. Cùm apud deum non sententia sacerdotis sed reorum vita quaeratur it is not the sentence of the Priest but the life of the parties that is inquired of with God Here then the Pope is a manifest vsurper first against God in that he taketh vpon him a power properly to forgiue sinnes and thereby seateth himselfe in the throne of Iesus Christ secondly against the Church of God in challenging to himselfe a propriety of that which was spoken a Gregor in 1. Reg. l 6. cap. 3. vniuersali ecclesiae dicitur Quodcunque ligaueris c. to the vniuersall Church and wherein euery one that is a successour of the Apostles hath as great power and authority as he Christ saith he gaue his Apostles authority ouer the whole earth Goe into the vniuersall world But by this Christ gaue no more authority to one of them then he did to another and whatsoeuer he gaue them what is it to the Pope that he should thereby challenge b Deecret Greg. de foro competenti cap. Licet de Appellat ca. vt debitus in glossa Papa vnusomnium hominum ordinarius the whole world to be his diocesse and should define that c Extrau de maior obed c. vnam santam subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanae creaturae pronunciamus omninò esse de necessitate salutis it concerneth euery humane creature vpon perill of damnation to be subiect vnto him And what authority did Christ giue them hereby other then S. Mathew expresseth d Mat. 28.19 Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue al things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you This was their authority they had no power to command but what Christ had commanded them Let the Pope conforme himselfe to the tenour of this commission and he will then renounce his Popedome and we shall acknowledge him the disciple and seruant of Iesus Christ Ouer a part of hell he saith no Pope hath authority signifying thereby according to their partition the hell of the damned But how then did Clement the sixt not doubt to say in one of his Buls e Bale in Clem. 6. Nolumus quòd paena inferni sibi aliquatenus infligatur we will that the punishment of hell in no sort be laied or inflicted vpon him and how was it that Gregorie deliuered the soule of Traian out hell as f See Bellarm. de purgatorio lib. 2. cap. 8. Damascen hath reported and sundry authours of the Church of Rome as Bellarmine acknowledgeth haue stedfastly beleeued If M. Bishop tell vs that Gregorie did that only by way of intreaty and request he himselfe granteth the Pope to haue no other ouer Purgatory and therefore ouer hell and Purgatory he hath authority both alike When he doth good to any soule in Purgatory it is per modum suffragij as a suppliant and intreater not as a commander saith he But how then did the same Clement the sixt say concerning them who should die by the way as they were comming to his Iubilee at Rome g Bale vt supra Nihilominus prorsus mandamus angelis Paradisi quatenus animam à Purgatorie pentius absolu tam in Paradisi gloriam introducant We command the Angels of Paradise that they bring the soule of such a one into Paradise being fully freed from Purgatorie paines And what is all this power no more now but to supplicate and intreat Haue they mocked the world all this while made men beleeue that the Pope not only hath power to deliuer soules out of Purgatory himselfe but can also impart the same to others and is all come now to supplication and intreaty Why M. Bishop can supplicate and intreat as well as the Pope and what reason haue we but to thinke that God is as readie to heare his praier as the Popes and so by that meanes he shall haue as great power ouer Purgatory as the Pope Such are the mockeries of Poperie such are their doctrines of religion they themselues can not well tell what to make of them Further he saieth Whether the Pope hath any authoritie ouer Princes and their subiects in temporall affaires it is questioned by some The more shame is it M. Bishop for them by whom it is questioned Tertullian reporteth the minde of the ancient Church in this behalfe h Tertul. ad scapul Colimus imâ—eratorem vt hominem à deo secundum quicquid est à deo consecutum solo deo minorem We honour the Emperour as the man next to God and as hauing receiued of God whatsoeuer he is being inferiour to God onely And is it now come to be questioned whether the Pope euen in temporall affaires haue authority ouer Princes who in their kingdomes respectiuely are the same that the Emperour then was But is it questioned onely M. Bishop and not determined Wee may indeed admire their impudency therein that they who so much pretend antiquitie should resolue a matter so contrarie to the doctrine and example of all antiquitie but yet they haue so resolued that either directly or indirectly the Pope hath superioritie ouer Princes euen intemporall affaires i Treatise tending to Mitigation c. in the Preface to the Reader sect 22. The Canonists do commonly defend the first part saith the Mitigatour that is directly but Catholike Diuines for the most part the second that is indirectly and by
the Prophet complaineth c Esa 29.13 Their feare towards me is taught by the precepts of men His excuse of these carnall rites and ceremonies is false for contrary to that that he saith they are infinite in number and a great number of them apish and rediculous in vse not fit to stirre vp and cherish deuotion but rather to busie and intangle the senses of the body and thereby to sequester and extinguish the deuotion of the mind S. Austine complained in his time that d Aug. ep 119. Tam multis praesumptionib sic plena sunt omnia c. Quamuis nequâ— hoc inueniri possit quomodo contra fidem veniant ipsam tamen religionem quam paucissimis manifestissimis celebrationum sacramentis miserecordia dei liberam esse voluit seruilibus oneribus premunt vt tolerabilior sit conditio Iudaeorum qui etiamsi tempus libertatis non agnouerint tamen legalibus sarcinis non humanis praesumptionibus subijciuntur all was so full of humane presumptions and that albeit it could not be found how they were against the faith yet the religion which the mercy of God would haue free with a very few and those most manifest mysteries and Sacraments was thereby clogged with seruile burdens so that the condition of the Iewes was more tolerable who though they knew not the time of liberty yet were subiect not to the presumptions of men but to the burdens of Gods law What would he say if he were now aliue to see Durands Rationale diuinorum and those infinite presumptions wherewith Popish superstition hath clogged and oppressed the Church Of which some are preposterous imitations of the Leuiticall and Iewish ceremonies other taken from the abhominations of heathenish Idoll-seruice a thing so plaine as that M. Bishop denieth not but that they vsed some such like indeed the same onely he setteth vpon them a false colour of being deuised by the inspiration of the holy Ghost not knowing Chrysostomes rule that e Chrysost de sanct orando spiritu Ex quo non legit haec scripta sed ex se ipso loquitur manifestum est quòd non habet sp sanct because they read not these things written but speake of themselues it is manifest that they haue not the holy Ghost We be no spirits he saith but yet he should know that the true worshippers leauing f Gal. 4.9 beggerly rudiments g Heb 9.10 carnall rites should h Ioh. 4.24 worship the Father inspirit and truth Whereas he alleageth that the life and vertue of bodily ceremonies proceedeth from the spirit he saith nothing but what was true and necessarily required in the Iewish seruice and therefore may as well be pleaded for the continuance of their ceremonies as for the excusing of others deuised in steed of them To that that M. Perkins saith that they giue the same worship to Saints that they doe to God he answereth that that is a stale iest which long since hath lost all his grace but he should haue told vs that they themselues haue long since lost all grace by mainteining such filtherie and abhomination in the Church Bodin telleth vs that i Bodin method h. c. 5. A plerisque in Italia Gallia Narbonensi ardentiore voto certe maiore metu colitur D. Antonius quà m deus immortâ—lis in Italy and a part of France that which is called Narbonensis S. Antony is commonly worshipped with greater deuotion and feare then almighty God Lud. Viâ—es saith that k Lud. Viues in Aug. de ciu dei l. 8. ca. 27. Multi Christiani diuos diuasque non alitèr venerantur quà m deum nec video in multis quod sit disâ—iâ—men inter eorâ—â—opinionem de sanctis id qâ—od gentiles putabant de suis dijs many Christians he was loth to say how many doe no otherwise worship the Saints then as God himselfe and in many saith he I see not what difference there is betweene their opinion of the Saints and that which the heathens deemed of their Gods Yea Bellarmine confesseth that l Bellarm. de sanct beatitud lib. 1. cap. 12. Omnes ferè actus exteriores communes sunt omni adorationi in a maner all their outward worshippes he might haue said their inward also are common both to the one and to the other And so we see they pray to the one they pray to the other they kneele to the one they kneele to the other they offer they vow they fast they build Churches and Altars they keepe holy daies they professe trust and confidence both to the one and to the other only forsooth we must thinke that they retaine m Ibid. Latria inclinatio voluntatis cum apprehensione dei c. Dulia inclinatio voluntatis cum apprehensione excellentiae plus quam humanae minùs quà m diuinae an apprehensiue and intellectuall difference betwixt the one and the other As if aman giuing the crowne and roiall honour of the king to a subiect should thinke to discharge himselfe by saying that in his mind for al that he retained a farre higher opinion of the king then of the subiect Which if it acquit not with men surely we should know that the infinite excellency of God aboue all his creatures should be a reason to withhold vs from daring to ioine any creature in any part of communion or felowship with him Your idolatry M. Bishop in this behalfe is so stale as that it is growen extreamely sower and the time will come when you shall see it will be taken for no iest As for your confutations and your answers you should haue made them good before you had boasted of them A wise man would not haue written a latter booke before he had made it appeare that he could defend the former 6. W. BISHOP And for that this crime of Atheisme is the most heynous that can be as contrariwise the true opinion of the God-head and the sincere worship thereof is the most sweete and beautifull flower of religion let vs therefore heere to hold due correspondence with Master PERKINS examine the Protestants dostrine concerning the nature of God and their worship of him that the indifferent Reader comparing iudiciously our two opinions thereof together may embrace that for most pure and true that carrieth the most reuerent and holy conceit thereof For out of all doubt there can be no greater motiue to any deuout soule to like of a religion then to see that it doth deliuer a most sacred doctrine of the Soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and doth withall most religiously adore and serue him Whereas on the other side there is not a more forcible perswasion to forsake a religion before professed then to be giueÌ„ to vnderstand that the Masters of that religion teach many absurde things concerning the Godhead it selfe and do as coldly and as slightly worship God almightie as may be Marke therfore I beseech thee gentle Reader for thy owne soules
indure of any thing or else voide of due respest vnto the Sonne who are such aduersaries to the Mother whom if they would not reuerence for her owne vertues which were most rare and singular yet for her Sonnes sake who loued her so tenderly they should shew themselues better affected towards her The virgin-mother hoâ— worshipped in Popery and more forward in her praises if they did indeede loue and honour her Sonne as they pretend to doe R. ABBOT Our affection towards our Sauiour Christ consisteth not in the approouing of old wiues dreames but in the keeping of his word We finde not that any of the Apostles or Euangelists either vsed themselues or instructed others to salute the Virgin-mother with the Haile Mary It is recorded in the Gospell indeed that an Angell sent from heauen did so salute her vpon the earth but it is not recorded in the Gospell that we on earth should so salute her being now in heauen As for that which M. Bishop saith of our dispraising her it is vntrue we dispraise her not we a Luk. 1.48 call her blessed as we are taught to doe we acknowledge her a fingular instrument of Gods mercy towards vs in the incarnation of Iesus Christ we mention her as becommeth vs with due remembrance of the vertues and graces that God hath bestowed vpon her but yet wee will make no b Leo 10. apud Pet. Bembum ep l. 8. epist 17. Ne Deam ipsam inani lignorum inutilium donatione lusisse videamini Goddesse of her as the Pope hath done nor commit Idolatry to doe her vndue honor as the Collyridian heretickes did of old and as the Papists now doe Christ loued her tenderly but yet hee meant not to put her in place of himselfe nor appointed vs to seeke at her hands that blessing and grace which God hath giuen vs in him alone And therefore we will not be partakers with the Church of Rome in those sacriledges and blasphemies wherein they call her c Ioan. Michae Enchir. quotidian exercit pag. 120. O nostra singularis mater Aduocata suscipe nos in maternam tuamcustodiam eâ— directionem adopta in filios tibi deuotissimos purga et praeserua ab omnibus vitijs ex orna tua humilitate castitate charitate obedientia caeterisque virtutibus their mother and aduocate praying to her that shee will receiue them into her motherly custody and direction to adopt them to be her deuout children to purge them and preserue them from all vices to adorne them with her humility chastity charity obedience and other vertues d Cap 7. p. 346. suscipe etiaÌ„ per idem cor filij tuâ— vniuersum nâ—strae seruitutis obsequium tuis meritis illud adiungenâ— supple emenda perfice et offer that for her sonnes sake or as they speake by the heart of her sonne she will receiue all the duty of their seruice and adioining it to her merits will supply it amend it perfect and offer it e Cap. 4. pa. 158. per te accessum habeamus ad filium vt per te nos suscipiat purget sane liberet c. Excuset apud ipsum tua puritas integritas culpam nostrae impuritatis corruptionis humilitas tua nostrae veniam impetret vanitate sobrietas gulositati c. copiosa tua charitas nostrorum cooperiat multitudinem peccatorum Domina nostra Mediatrix nostra Aduocata nostra tuo filio nos commenda tuo filio nos repraesenta tuo filio nos reconcilia incorpora that by her they may haue accesse to her sonne that by her he may receiue them purge heale and deliuer them that her purity and integrity may with him excuse the fault of their impurity and eorruption her humility may obtaine pardon for their vanity her sobriety for their gluttony that her abundant loue may couer the multitude of their sinnes O our Lady say they our Mediatresse our Aduocate commend vs to thy sonne represent vs to thy sonne reconcile vs and incorporate vs to him Thus what Christ came to doe for vs towards God because none could doe it but he that haue they set vp the Virgin Mary to doe for vs towards Christ who notwithstanding needed Christ as well as we But because we tender the honour of Iesus Christ and for the loue wherwith he hath loued vs. do hold our selues bound in loue to yeeld him entirely the glory of that that he hath done for vs therefore we renounce all such deuotions which indeed are no deuotions but impieties and prophanations of the faith and religion of Christ whereby the mediation of Christ is either excluded as needlesse or impeached as vnsufficient to doe that for which he was appointed and sent of God But as touching this point of M. Bishops blinde and doting superstition I refer thee gentle reader to the examination of his answer to M. Perkins epistle dedicatory the last part thereof 13. W. BISHOP But let vs come to Christs owne person Whereas the first Adam was at the first instance of his creation replenished with perfect knowledge Ioh. 1. In cap. 2. Luc. v. 52. Col. 2. v. 4. and it is also in holy writ said of the second that the word was made flesh full of grace and truth Yet they commonly teach that our Sauiours soule was subiect to ignorance euen as other mens soules are and that he was in his youth ignorant of many things But what and they spare him not in whom all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge were hidden when he came to ripe yeares and began now to preach let vs for a taste heare some of Caluins sweete obseruations vpon the text of the Gospell Ex Caluin Turcismo lib. 7. cap. 13. Luc. 16. Matth. 7. Iohn 1. In cap. 7. Luc. v. 29. because the purer brethren complaine much that M. Caluins workes are in no greater request Christ saith he * speaketh improperly Matth. 6. vers 18. he vseth harsh and far-fetched similitudes hee wresteth the Prophets words into a strange sense he vseth triuiall and vulgar prouerbs as probable coniectures not as sound arguments which he willeth vs to beare in minde as a thing often practised by our Sauiour in Matth. cap. 12. vers 25. Luc 11. vers 17. he speaketh after the manner of men not out of his heauenly cabinet Mat. 11. vers 21. which is no lesse in plaine English then that he spake vntruly as men doe Matth. 26.39 And very sutable to this he noteth else where that Christ could not get any other to be his Distiples then some certaine poore fellowes of the refuse and dregges of the people Seeme not these execrable notes to issue from the pen of some malicious Iew or ranke Atheist yet are they but fleabitings in comparison of those which follow In his commentary vpon these words of our Sauiour Father if it be possible let this chalice or cup passe from me He obserneth first that
appeare further As for his other quarrell that we haue in our churches neither Altars nor Images it pleaseth vs the better for that we finde the same also obiected to the first Christians by x Celsus apud Origen cont Cels l. 7. Non ferunt templa aras statuas inspicere lib. 8. Celsus ait nos ararum statuarū templorumque dedicationes fugere Celsus the Pagan We like well to be vnlike to the Church of Rome so that we may be like to them For M. Bishop we know him to be a man much delighted with babies a trimme gilded Rood and a goodly faire Lady they are the ioy of his heart Let God say what he will that y Esay 44 10. the Image is profitable for nothing and that z Ierem. 10.8 the stocke is a doctrine of vanity yet he will not be perswaded but that the sight of these goodly Idols is the only way to procure heauenly meditation As for sentences of Scripture to be set vp vpon the Church walles that is but dawbing it is but Ale-house fashion and no heauenly meditation groweth thereof But may we not thinke that he came from the Ale-house when he wrot this and that he is indeed fitter for an Ale-house than for the Church What must we thinke that the looking vpon a dumbe and dead stocke is fitter to mooue heauenly meditation than the liuelie word of God But we see his meaning well enough it is this Scripture that troubleth him his stomacke can by no meanes brooke this Scripture to haue Gods commandement written vpon the church wals as by order it is appointed a Exod. 20.4 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath c. Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them c. This is it that galleth him to the soule this is it that vexeth him in behalfe of his faire and religious pictures that no bowing downe no holy and religious worship may bee done to them But it is nothing to vs that wee offend him God himselfe who said of his Commandements b Deut. 6.9 Thou shalt write them vpon the postes of thine house and vpon thy gates did not thinke it Ale-house fashion to haue them written vpon Church-walles but that we should set vp Altars and Images in our Churches wee doe not finde any warrant to haue come from him His last exception is very idle It was the ancient custome of Christians to pray with their faces towards the East So is it ours also as appeareth vsually in all our Churches Yea but our Ministers in their highest mysteries looke into the South Well and so is it alleaged by Bishop Iewell that c Bish Iewel Replie art 3. Diuis 26. at this day in the great Churches at Millaine Naples Lions Mentz and Rome and in the Church of Saint Laurence in Forence the Priest in his seruice standeth towards the West hauing his face full vpon the people and that heereupon Durand saith that in such places the Priest needeth not to turne himselfe round when he saith Dominus vobiscum and saluteth the people as otherwise hee is woont to doe And why not our Ministers towards the South as well as theirs towards the West Will he haue vs to conclude heereof that their religion is now declining and going downe If not let him acknowledg then the folly of his owne collection that our spirituall state is now at the highest and that in our religion there is no hope of rising towards heauen but assurance of declining Albeit I must aduertise him briefely that true religion wherby the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth vnto vs and whereby we rise to heauen hath beene subiect to such condition to bee sometimes rising sometimes at the height and sometimes declining againe yea sometimes woonderfully eclipsed and hidden in a maner quite out of sight yet notwithstanding it neuer had such a fall but that as the sunne it hath had a time to rise againe But the whore of Babylon the persecutour of true religion albeit she haue flattered herselfe in the security of her state and said of herselfe d Reuel 18.7 I sit like a Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning yet shee hath begun to fall and notwithstanding the props and staies that her louers vse to hold her vp shall fall daily more and more neuer to rise againe God hauing so foretold vs that e Vers 21. as a milstone shee shal be cast with violence into the sea thencefoorth to be found no more 21. W. BISHOP I may not heere omit that of late yeeres they haue caused the Kings armes to be set vp in the place where Christs armes the Crucifix was wont to stand the which I confesse would haue graced their Church better if it had beene elsewhere placed But I hope they will giue mee leaue to aske them how they durst set vp any such Images in their Churches as be in that armes For they haue taught hitherto that it is expresly against the second commandement and a kinde of Idolatry not only to worship Images but also to set them vp in Churches and yet now as it were cleane for getting themselues they fall into that fault themselues that they haue so much blamed in others Neither will it helpe them to say that they reprooued only the setting vp of holy pictures but not of others For the second commandement as they expound it is aswell against the one as the other forbidding generally the making of any kinde of Image And is it not a pitifull blindnesse to thinke that the pictures of Lions and Liberts do better become the house of God than the Image of his owne Son and of his faithfull seruants And may not simple people thinke when they see Christs armes cast downe and the Princes set vp in their place that there dwell men who make more account of their Princes honour then they doe of Christs And that their meeting in that place call it what you will is rather to serue their Prince than to serue Christ But I haue beene longer in their place of praier than I thought R. ABBOT The King is a great mote in M. Bishops eie and therefore he could not heere passe by without a quarrell to the Kings armes The Kings armes lawfully set vp in our Churches and not popish images We haue placed hee saith the Kings armes where Christs armes the Crucifixe was woont to stand But who made M. Bishop a herauld to assigne armes to Christ and that without any priuity or liking of Christ himselfe Did Christ euer tell him or any man else that he meant to giue a Crucifixe for his armes This is a fantasticall imagination neither did Christ take course by a picture but by the word of the Gospell to be a Gal. 3.1 described before our eies as crucified amongst vs. But if the
expresse tearmes teacheth O miracle O goodnesse of God! he that sitteth aboue with his Father at the very same instant is touched with the handes of all men Real presence denied by our beleefe of Christs ascension and giueth himselfe to them that will receiue and embrace him See more of this in the question of the blessed Sacrament where M. PER. citeth the very same authorities which he heere repeateth see my answer to to them there R. ABBOT It is a true argument and very consequent Christ is ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of God the father therefore hee is not really and locally in the sacrament The connexion is Saint Austins a August in Ioan tract 50. Conuersatus est secundum corporis praesentiam quadraginta diebus cum discipulis suis eis deducentibus videndo non sequendo ascend it in caeluÌ„ non est hîc He is ascended into heauen and is not heere as touching the presence of his body Saint Austin saith that because he is ascended therefore as touching his body he is not heere M. Bishop saith that notwithstanding his ascension he is still heere according to his body Whether now may we thinke is more likely of these two to bee beleeued But M. Bishop to saue himselfe will set Chrysostome and Austin together by the eares Forsooth Chrysostome reporteth it as a miracle that he who sitteth aboue with his father at the very same instant is touched with the hands of all men and giueth himselfe to them that will receiue and embrace him What Chrysostomes minde was in this behalfe appeareth by that which otherwhere he saith that b Chrysost op imperf hom 11. In vasis sanctifacatis non est verum corpus Christi sed mysterium corporis eius continetur in the holy vessels not the true body of Christ but the mystery of his body is contained And by this mystery of his body Saint Austin saith that e August epist 23. Secundum quendam modum sacramentum corporis Christi corpus Christi est after a certaine maner it is the body of Christ and Cyprian saith that d Cyprian de resurrect Christi Quod videtur nonane virtute Christs corpus censetur in name and power it is accounted the body of Christ. As therefore Saint Austin saith that e August in Psal 33. conc 2. Ipse se portabat quodammodo cum diceret Hoc est corpus meum Christ did in some sort beare himselfe in his owne hands when he said This is my body in some sort he saith or after a sort not verily and indeed so Chrysostome intendeth that he who sitteth at the right hand of God is after a sort touched in the Sacrament with the hands of all the partakers thereof not as touching the reality but as touching the mysterie of his body yet so wherein consisteth the miracle which Chrysostome mentioneth as that he indeed giueth himselfe spiritually and by faith to all them that are truely willing to receiue him And in what meaning Chrysostme spake those words we may easily conceiue by other words which he vseth in the very same place f Chrysost de sacerd lib. 3. Dum conspicis dominum immolatum Sacerdotem sacrificio incumbentem ac preces fundentem tum verò turbam circumfusam pretioso illo sanguine intingi ac rubefieri etiamnè te inter mortales versari atque in terra confistere censes annon potiùs evestigiò ad caelum transferris annon omnem ca niâ—câ—gitationem abijcreâ—s mente â—ura circumspieâ—â—quae in ceâ—â— sunt O miraiu um O dâ—â— bemgintatem qâ—â— cum patre sursum sedet in illo ipsotemporis articulo on nium manibus pertractatur aâ— sâ—â—pâ—â— tradit wâ—â—tibus ipsum excipere accâ—mâ—lecti fit autem id nullis praestigijs sed apertis acâ—â—reumspâ—tientibus circumsistentium omnium occutis When thou seest the Lord offered the Priest leaning to the Sacrifice and powring foorth praier and the people round about died and made red with that pretious blood doest thou thinke that thou art amongst mortall men or standing vpon the earth Art thou not foorthwith lift vp to heauen Doest thou not cast away all carnall cogitation and with pure minde behold those things which are in heauen aboue Then vsing the words which M. Bishop hath alleaged he addeth And this is done not by collusion but so as that the standers by with open eies behold all that is done Let M. Bishop now tell vs doe the standers by with open eies see Christ offered Are they made red with the bloud of Christ Must they thinke that they are indeed carried vp to heauen and are not vpon the earth If he cannot deny but that these words are vsed by excesse and vehemencie of speech to drawe the mindes of his hearers to diuine and heauenly meditation of the mysteries then in hand can hee deny but that wee haue iust cause to vnderstand the other words in the very same sort The other testimonies cited by M. PER. out of Vigilius Fulgentius Austin doe make the same good because they shew that Christ according to his manhood is not really vpon the earth M. Bishop biddeth vs see his answeres to those authorities but as yet we doe not see them and if euer we do see them we shall see him as wise or rather as wilfull in them as he hath beene in all the rest 6. W. BISHOP Thirdly he reasoneth thus The Church as it is beleeued is not seene In that we beleeue the Catholike Church it followeth that it is inuisible because things seene are not beleeued We answer that the persons in the Catholike Church are and euer were visible euen to Iewes and Heathens who persecuted them but the inward indowments of those persons that is their faith hope and charity their assistance by Gods spirit and such like Christian qualities are inuisible to be beleeued And euen as a man is truely said to be visible though he consist aswell of an inuisible soule as of a visible body so the Church is visible for the vsible persons visible teaching and administring of Sacraments in it albeit the inward qualities of it be not visible R. ABBOT a Origen in Cant. hom 1. Ecclesiam coetum omnium aduerte sanctoâ—um Et hom 2. Ecclesia ante constitutionem mundi sic enim dicit Paulus sicut elegit nos in Christo c. The holy Chatholike church is the company of Gods saints whom he hath elected in Christ before the foundations of the world and b Gregor in Cantic cap. 3. Secundum praescientiae suae gratiam Christus sanctam ecclesiam de in aeternum permansurissanctis construxit whom he hath by the grace of his foreknowledge appointed to continue with him for euer It is c Ephe. 1.23 the body and d Reuel 21 9. Spouse of Christ e Reuel 5 9. redeemed and f 1. Pet. 1.2 sprinkled with his bloud g
articles of the Creed to beleeue the remission of his owne sinnes vnto euerlasting life The first as he alleageth is thus p August de bono perseuer cap. 22. De vita aeterna quam filijs promissionu promi sit non mendax deus ante tempora a terna nemo potest esse secuâ—usmisicum â—oÌ„summata fuerit ista vita quae tentatio est super terram sed faciet nos perseuerare in se vsque in huius vitae â—nem cui quotidie dicin us Ne nos inferas in tentationem Of life euerlasting which God that cannot lie hath from euerlasting promised to the children of promise no man can be secure before his life be ended which is a temptation vpon earth But what M. Bishop did your breath faile you that you could goe no further did you not thinke the end of the sentence as woorthy to be repeated as the beginning Goe on man tell out your tale for Saint Austin addeth further But he wil make vs to perseuere in him vnto the end of this life to whom we daily say Lead vs not into temptation What could Saint Austin deuise to speake more agreable to our assertion than this is We say that respecting our selues we haue no security wee are continually beset with danger and feare many occasions we haue of distrust and despaire and with these temptations we haue to wrastle the whole course of this life but amidst all our distractions and feares this is stil the support of our faith that he wil make vs to perseuere in him to the end of our life to whom we daily say Lead vs not into temptation q 1. Thess 5.24 Faithfull is he saith the Apostle who hath called you who will also doe it In the other place Saint Austin saith that r â—e corrept gratia cap 13. CredenauÌ„ est quâ—sdam de filijs perditionis non accepto do no perseuerantiae vsque in finem in fide quae per dilectionem operatur incipe re viuere aliquandiu fideliter aciustè viuere postea cadere c. we are to beleeue that some of the children of perdition not hauing receiued the gift of perseuering to the end doe begin to liue in faith that worketh by loue and for a while doe liue faithfully and iustly and afterwards doefall away But this Saint Austin speaketh according to men and as seemeth to the eies of men and of that profession of faith which by outward fruits carieth for the time the semblance of true faith For to the eies of God I haue Å¿ Of the certainty of saluation sect 10. before shewed out of Austin that reprobates are neuer effectually called neuer iustified neuer partakers of that healthfull and spirituall repentance whereby man in Christ is reconciled vnto God Therefore Gregory Bishop of Rome faith that t Gregor Moral l. 25. c. 8. Specie tenus credunt quotquot certum est electorum numerum summamque transire Ad fidem specie tenus regni veniunt qui a numero regnicaelestis excluduntur they who are not of the number of the elect doe beleeue but only in shew do in shew onely come to the faith of the kingdome u Ibid. lib. 34. cap. 13. Aurum quod prauis eius persuasionibus quasi lutum sternipotuerit aurum ante dei oculos nunquam fuâ—t Qui enim seduci quandoque non reuersuri possunt quasi habitam sanctitatem ante oculos hominum videntor amittere sed eam ante oculos dei nunquam habuerunt that the gold which by Satans wicked suggestions commeth to be troden vnder feete like dirt was neuer gold in Gods sight that they who can be seduced neuer to returne againe seeme to lose the holinesse which they had after a sort before the eies of men but indeed they neuer had it in the sight of God Behold heere M. Bishop one of your owne Bishops of Rome either a correctour if you will so haue it or as we will rather say an expounder of Saint Austins words but wholly aduerse and contrary to you denying vnto reprobates that faith and holinesse which you so confidently attribute vnto them So that in fine we see that M. PERK not by forced exposition or vaine illations but directly and according to truth hath charged you with impious violation of the first principles of the faith 8. W. BISHOP Hence he proceedeth to the tenne Commandements But before I follow him thither I may not omit heere to declare how the Protestant Doctors doe foully mangle and in manner ouerturne the greatest part of the Creed Obserue first that according to their common doctrine it is not necessary to beleeue this Creed at all because it is no part of the written word secondly that Caluin doubteth whether it were made by the Apostles or no being then no part of the written word Cal. lib. 2. Instit cap. 16. sess 18. not made by the Apostles it must by their doctrine be wholly reiected Now to the particulars 1. Concerning the first article I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth they doe erre many waies First they doe destroy the most simple vnity of the God-head Confess fidei gener by teaching the diuine essence to be really distinguished into three persons If the diuine nature be really distinguished into three there must needes be three diuine essences or natures ergo three Gods Caluin also saith In actis Serueti pag. 872. that the Sonne of God hath a distinct substance from his Father Melancthon that there be aswell three diuine natures as three persons in locis de Christo Secondly they ouerthrow the Father in the God-head by denying the Sonne of God to haue receiued the diuine nature from his Father as Caluin Beza and Whitakers doe See the Preface Thirdly how is God almighty if he cannot do all things that haue no manifest repugnance in them But he cannot after the opinion of diuers of them make a body to be without locall circumscription or to bee in two places at once which notwithstanding some others of them hold to be possible In colloq Marpurg art 29. Li. 1. cont Scargum cap. 14. Dialog de corpore Christi pag. 94. De consil part 2.276 as Zwinglius Oecolampadius Andreas Volanus c. Fourthly though we beleeue God to be maker of heauen and earth yet neuer none but blasphemous Heretikes held him to be true authour and proper worker of all euill done vpon earth by men Such neuerthelesse bee Bucer Zwinglius Caluin and others of greatest estimation among the Protestants See the Preface 2. And in IESVS Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. They must needes hold Christ not to be Gods true naturall Son which denie him to haue receiued the diuine nature from the Father againe thy make him according to his God-head inferiour to his Father See the Preface 3. Borne of the Virgin MARY Many of them teach that Christ was borne as
words diuers of the ancient fathers i Tertull. de carne Christi propè finem Origen in Luc. hom 14. Ambros in Luc. 2. lib. 2. Hierom. cont Pelag. l. 2. Tertullian Origen Ambrose Hierome hold to be most properly verified in the birth of Christ who opened the wombe that was not opened before whereas for all other the wombe is first opened by carnall copulation Heereupon Tertullian saith that k Tertul. vt supra Virgo non virgo virgo quantum à viro non virgo quantum à partu the virgin Mary was both a virgin and not a virgin a virgin as touching man not a virgin as touching child-bearing that is a virgin as free from hauing the wombe opened by man not a virgin as free from hauing the wombe opened by birth of childe So Saint Austin saith that l August de fide cont Manich. cap. 22. Maria non incongruè propter partum dicitur mulier virgo verò quòd virilem nescierit conuentionem neque pariendo virginitas eius corruptasit Christ as God our Mâ—diator yet the God head it selfe suffereth not shee may not vnfitly be called a woman in respect of her child-birth and a virgin for that she know not the company of man neither was her virginity corrupted by bearing child What will M. Bishop now say that all these were heretikes and did deny that the mother of Christ continued a virgin Let him say what he will but we will hold him for a sorry fellow that concludeth breach of virginity of that opening of the wombe As touching the fourth article that Luther affirmed the Godhead it selfe to suffer it is a lie These are but deuices of Gifford and Knogler and such other base hungry staruelings who to gaine fauour make collections and conclusions of their owne and then affirme them of our men That Christ according to his diuine nature also is our Mediatour euen whole Christ both God and man hath beene before iustified in answer to the seuenth section of his preface to the Reader But to inferre that therefore the Godhead it selfe suffereth is as good a reason as to say that because the man dieth therefore the soule is mortall But saith M. Bishop the chiefest act of Christs mediation consisteth in his death True and what then If then saith hee the Godhead of Christ doe not suffer that death it hath no part in the principall act of Christs mediation As if he should say the chiefest act of a faithfull and good subiect is to die for his Prince and country if then the soule it selfe doe not suffer that death it hath no part in the chiefest act of a faithfull and good subiect Would he take it patiently to heare another man to reason in this sort If he would not why doth he himselfe thus play the wiseman and mocke simple men that are not able to perceiue his fraude It is the man that dieth though he die not in the soule but in the body and it is Christ God and man that suffereth though he suffer not in the God head but in the manhood m Vigil cont Eutych lib. 2. Passus est deus in vnione personae non est passus in proprietate naturae siquidem possionis iniurias etiam diuinitas pertulit sed passionem sola etus caro persensit God suffered by vnion of person saith Vigilius but in propriety of nature he suffered not the Godhead did beare the iniuries of the passion but the flesh onely did feele the same Though the soule it selfe die not yet it is the soule that exposeth the body vnto death and though the Godhead suffered not yet it was the Godhead that yeelded the manhood to suffering and death n Heb. 9.14 offering himselfe without spot vnto God by his eternall spirit as the Apostle speaketh The rest of his quarrels being most impudent and shamelesse fictions are already handled in the thirteenth and fourteenth sections of the answer to the preface 9. W. BISHOP 5. Descended into hell the third day hee arose againe from the dead It is worth a mans labour to behold their goodly variety of expositions about Christs descending into hell Beza followed of Corliel our Country-man 2. Apolog. ad Sanct. thinkes this to haue crept into the Creed by negligence and so the French Hugonots and Flemish Gues haue cast it cleane out of their Creed but they are misliked of many others who had rather admit the words because they be found in Athanasius Creed and also in the old Roman Creed expounded by Ruffinus but they doe most peruersly expound them Caluin saith that Christs suffering of the paines of hell on the Crosse is signified by these words but he pleaseth not some others of them because Christs suffering and death also goeth before his descending into hell and the words must be taken orderly as they lie Thirdly diuers of them will haue it to signifie the laying of Christs body in the graue but that is signified plainely by the word buried Wherefore some others of them expound it to signifie the lying of his body in the graue three daies which M. PER. approueth as the best but it is as wide from the proper and literall signification of the words as can be For what likenesse is there betweene lying in the graue and descending into hell Besides Caluin their great Rabbin misliketh this exposition as much as any of the rest Lib. 2. Instit cap. 16. sess 8. and calleth it an Idle fancy Fourthly Luther Smideline and others cited by Beza art 2. doe say that Christs soule after his death went to hell where the Diuels are there to be punished for our sinnes thereby to purchase vs a fuller redemption which is so blasphemous that it needes not any refutation As ridiculous is another receiued of most Protestants that Christs soule went into Paradise which well vnderstood is true For his soule in hell had the ioyes of Paradise but to make that an exposition of Christs descending into hell is to expound a thing by the flat contrary of it All these and some other expositions also the Protestants haue deuised to leads their followers from the ancient and only true interpretation of it to wit that Christ in soule descended vnto those lower parts of the earth where all the soules departed from the beginning of the world were detained by the iust iudgement of God till Christ had paied their ransome and were not admitted into the kingdome of heauen before Christ had opened them the way thither R. ABBOT We hold Of Christs descending into hell that all the articles of our Creed are so to be vnderstood as that our faith may make vse thereof concerning our selues and not onely concerning others It is a very barren and cold construction which M. Bishop maketh of the descending of Christ into hell that his soule descended into the lowest parts of the earth to bring from thence the soules that were detained there by the
lambe slaine from the beginning of the world To faith therefore Christ from the beginning of the world was ascended into heauen because they so beleeued in him as if he were already ascended In effect then Christ was the first that ascended into heauen because no other ascended but by the faith of his ascension As for the places cited by M. Bishop they make nothing to the contrary as which belong properly to the question of the resurrection of the dead to signifie that Christ is the first that Å¿ Rom. 6.9 rose from death to die no more and in whom all the rest shal so rise againe but as touching the state of the soules departed it prooueth nothing As touching the being of Christ in heauen Christ vntill his second comming abideth in heauen onely we teach nothing but what hee himselfe hath taught If M. Bishop will call it a locking of him in heauen it is not we that locke him but he himselfe hath locked himselfe who hath told vs that t Iohn 12 8. we shall not haue him alwaies with vs that u Acts 3.21 heauen must containe him vntill the time that all things bee fulfilled which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his Prophets since the world began x Heb. 10.12.13 that he is at the right hand of God hencefoorth expecting or waiting till his foes be made his footestoole To affirme then that Christ is in heauen only and not vpon the earth and that he so abideth vntill the time that he shall come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead is not to locke vp Christ in heauen but to iustifie the words of Christ They may rather be said to locke vp Christ who of their owne heads so tie him by the words of the Priest as it were by a charme to their consecrated hoast as that y See the Answer to the Epest sect 14. so long as the forme of bread continueth he may by no meanes be released though he passe by the stomacke into the draught though he be eaten by mice or dogges or swine though he be cast into the dirt and teach it to be heresie to affirme the contrary Of the meaning of Christs sitting at the right hand of his father I know no difference at all but that all acknowledge it to import the exaltation of the humane nature of Christ to the communion and fellowship of the maiesty and glory of God so as that all creatures both in heauen and earth are made subiect vnto him He referreth vs to Conrad some wizard or other but if that which Conrad saith be not woorth his reporting we hold it not woorth our seeking nor list to looke after euery foole which will sucke fancies out of his fingers ends and then make vs the authours of them As for that which Caluin saith How Christ shall continue or cease to sit at the right hand of God that after the last iudgement Christ shall no longer sit at the right hand of God in that meaning wherein he speaketh it it is very true not for that there shal be absolutely any end of his kingdome which the Angell saith z Luk. 1.33 shall continue for euer and shall haue no end but he shall thenceforth reigne only in personall vnion with the Godhead who now raigneth by delegated office a Iohn 5.22.27 hauing all iudgement committed vnto him in that he is the Sonne of man For wee must vnderstand that God who ruleth and gouerneth the world yet doth it not now immediately by himselfe but vseth thereto the ministery and seruice of men and Angels and performeth all things by meanes But for the execution of this gouernement he hath specially exalted his sonne euen the man Iesus Christ in whose obedience and humbling of himselfe hee tooke that delight as that as it were in hew thereof he would set him vp according to his humane nature b Ephe. 1.21 farre aboue all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and aboue euery name that is named not onely in this world but in that that is to come c Mat. 28.18 giuing vnto him in special manner all power both in heauen in earth that as he had purchased the church with his pretious blood so for the behoofe of the church hee might haue a soueraignty and dominion ouer all creatures to limit their power to determine their courses to command or compell their seruice to doe by them and with them whatsoeuer is to be done till he fully and for euer accomplish the perfection thereof Which being done and the end come and all rule and authority and power abolished there shall be a cessation of that commission because there shal be no further vse therof d 1. Cor. 15.24 he shal deliuer vp the kingdome to God the father and with vs according to his manhood shall bee subiect vnto him that put all things vnder him that God may be all in all Not for that he is not now according to his manhood subiect to the father but he is now in such sort subiect as that for the father in his manhood he exerciseth a kingdome of power for the confusion of his enemies and preseruing of his from the force of them Not for that hee shall not then also raigne for euer God and man but hee shall not raigne in that sort as man because all aduersary power being vtterly abolished and for euer there shall bee no neede of such a kingdome his reigning being thencefoorth the enioying of them whom he hath redeemed purchased not the rescuing or defending of them And thus doth Saint Austin set downe from some ancients a stinting of the kingdome of Christ as now he raigneth e August lib. 83. q 69. Oportet eum regnare donceponat omnes inimicos suos sub peaibus suis quâ—a talis regni quale habent principes armatorum nulla exit causa hoste ita subiecto vt rebellare non possit Nam vtique dictum est in Euangelio Et regni cius non erit finis secundum quod regnat in aeternum secundum autemâ—d quòd aduersus diabolum sub eo militatur tamdiu erit vtique ista militia donec ponat c. postea verò non erit cum pace perpetua perfruemur He must raigne till he put all his enemies vnder his feet because there shall bee no cause of such a kingdome as haue Princes or Captaines of armed men when the enemy shall be so subdued as that he cannot rebell for it is said indeed in the Gospell Of his kingdome there shall be no end according to that he raigneth for euer but according to that we warre vnder him against the diuell so long shall this warfare be till he put all his enemies vnder his feete afterwards it shall not be when as we shall enioy euerlasting peace Thus and no otherwise doth Caluin say that Christs sitting at the right hand of God is but for
to the Father and the Son that we make the holy Ghost much inferiour to the other persons And how may that appeare Marry in their French Catechismes they teach saith he that the Father alone is to bee adored in the name of his sonne But what because they say the Father alone must they needes be taken to exclude the holy Ghost Hath he not so much diuinity as to know that the name of the Father is sometimes vsed for distinction of persons sometimes indefinitely of God without any such distinction When our Sauiour saith a Matt. 23.9 One is your Father who is in heauen doth not the name of Father there extend to God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Doth it not so also where the Apostel saith b Eph. 4 6. There is one God and Father of all who is aboue all and through all and in you all Doth M. Bishop otherwise vnderstand it when he saith Our Father which art in heauen Surely the French Catechisme may say as he rereporteth who yet seldome reporteth truth yet import nothing therby but what Origen saith ChristiaÌ„s of old did namely c Origen cont Cels â— 8 Christiani soli Deo per Iesum preces offerentes to offer praiers to God only by Iesus or in the name of Iesus The next cauil against Calum is of the same kind that the title of Creatour belongeth only to the Father Which M. Bishop might well haue vnderstood in the distinctioÌ„ of the persoÌ„s by their seueral attributes as d Calu. Opus in Explicat perfidiae Valent. Gâ—ntil Certè vnâ— consensu fatemur Christum impropriè vocari creatorem coeli terrae quoad personae distinctionem Neque enim dubium est quin seriptura patri nomen Creatoris vendicans personas distinguat Caluin setteth it down to be very true and the rather for that in the very articles of the Creed he findeth it so applied I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth For although it be true which S. Austin oftentimes deliuereth that e August de praedest sanctor cap. 8. Inseparabilia dicimus â—sse opera Trinitatis the workes of the Trinity are inseparable and in the act of any of the persons is the concurrence of all yet they so concurre as that they retaine therein their seuerall proprieties so as that of seuerall actions arise seuerall denominations which in common phrase of speech are vsed as in some specialty belonging to one person rather than another As therefore we attribute it to the sonne alone to haue redeemed vs and to the holy Ghost alone to sanctifie vs albeit both the Father and the holy Ghost had their worke in our redemption and the Father and the Sonne haue their worke also in sanctifying vs euen so to the Father alone the title of Creatour is applied not but that the Sonne and the holy Ghost haue their worke in the creation but because f Origen cont Cels lib. 8. Dicimus immediatum opificeâ— esse fiâ—um dei verbum c. Verâ— autâ—m patrem curus mandato munduâ— sit per ipsum filium conditus esse primarium opincem the Father is the primary or principall worker as Origen saith at whose commandement the world was created by the Sonne and g Hilar. de Synod adu Aria Si suis vnum dicens deum Christum autem deum ante secula filium dei obsecutum patri in creatione omnium non confitetur anathema sit wherein as the Syrmian Councel saith and Hilary approoueth the Sonne did obedience to the Father As for the rest that he heere quarelleth at that the Father is called the first degree and cause of life and the Sonne the second and againe that the father holdeth the first ranke of honour and gouernment and the sonne the second not to question the truth of his allegations I would in a word aske his wisdome doth he that saith that the Father is the first person in Trinity and the Sonne the second deny thereby the holy Ghost to be the third or doth hee hereby exclude the holy Ghost from hauing part with the Father and the Sonne Doth the Apostle when in his epistles he saith h Rom. 1 7. 1. Cor. 1.3 et in reliq Grace and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ doth he I say exclude heereby the holy Ghost from being the authour of grace and peace or from hauing part with the Father and the Sonne Or when he saith i 2. Cor. 1.3 Ephe 1.3 Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ doth he deny the Sonne and the holy Ghost to be blessed and praised together with the Father If he doe not why then doth this idle headed Sophister thus take exception where there is nothing for him iustly to except against Forsooth at most saith he the holy Ghost must be content with the third degree of honour But what M. Bishop doe not you also place the holy Ghost in the third degree when you name him the third person Doth not your head serue you to vnderstand degree of order only without imparity or minority as all Diuines in this case are woont to do But why doe I thus contend with a blinde buzzard a wilfull and ignorant wrangler and not rather reiect him as a man worthy to be altogether contemned and derided He hath k Preface to the Reader sect 7. before cited the latter of these words to shew that Caluin made the Sonne of God inferiour to the Father but how leaudly he dealeth in the alleaging of it and to how small purpose it is there declared there is no cause here to speake thereof 12. W. BISHOP 9. one I beleeue the holy Catholike Church the communion of Saints First where as there is but on Catholike church as the Councel of Nice expresly defineth following sundry texts of the word of God they commonly teach that there be two churches one inuisible of the elect another visible of both good and bad holy Secondly they imagine it to be holy by the imputation of Christs holinesse to the elected Bretheren and not by the infusion of the holy Ghost into the hearts of all the faithfull Catholike Thirdly they cannot abide the name Catholike in the true sense of it that is they will not beleeue the true Church to haue beene alwaies visibly extant since the Apostles time and to haue beene generally spread into all countries otherwise they must needes forsake their owne church which began with Friar Luther and is not receiued generally in the greatest part of the Christian world Finally they beleeue no Church no not their owne in all points of faith but hold that the true Church may erre in some principall points of faith How then can any man safely relie his saluation vpon the credite of such an vncertaine ground and erring guide may they not then as well say that they
that which goeth into the body is not the reall body of Christ which is the bread of eternall life What hap had M. Bishop heere to speake of the reall presence hauing no better witnesse to plead for it 45. W. BISHOP And touching forgiuenesse of their debts to God and sins they are so assured of that before hand by the certaintie of their new faith that they can no more request of God forgiuenesse of their sinnes then they can aske that God will make them reasonable creatures which they see that hee hath done already And they holding the first motions to euill in temptation to be mortall sinnes which no mortall man ordinarily can now auoid how can they pray God not to suffer them to be lead into temptation when they teach it to bee impossible to escape the venime of it And if they vnderstand it so as M. PERKINS teacheth to wit that they there pray not to be left to the malice of Satan they cannot without losse of the certainty of their faith pray so because they hold themselues assured of that before hand Neithey can they pray God generally to deliuer them from all euill affirming as they doe that wee must needs fall into mortall sinne at euery step almost which is the greatest of all other euill And finally if it belong to God to deliuer vs from sinne and all other euill then Caluin and his followers doe wickedly blaspheme who teach God to be the author and worker in vs of all errour sinne and wickednesse Thus much of the Pater noster R. ABBOT Our beleefe and assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes is that when we begge the same of God by faithfull praier he granteth vs our desire and therefore doe wee praie for it because he hath promised and wee beleeue his promise that in praying we shall obteine it Of this idle Sophisme of his there hath beene enough said a Of the certainty of saluation sect 5.18 How we pray not to be led into temptation but deliuered from euill before We pray that we be not led into temptation in such meaning as before hath beene said vnderstanding simply temptation so as to be left of God therein without the assistance of his grace This hindereth not but that the first motions of lust wherewith wee are tempted are in their owne nature mortall sinnes though by the mercy of God they become not so to vs. For we doe not say as hee vntruely alleageth that it is impossible to escape the venime of temptation nay we say that the faithfull do escape the venime and poison of it because b Rom. 8.28 See before sect 41. all things euen temptation and sinne worke together for good vnto them that loue God And thus do we praie also to bee deliuered from euill that though we be not as yet set free from temptation yet the same by his ouerruling prouidence may be so ordered as that by his mercy we may be free from the euill and danger therof And what should let but that we may pray God generally to deliuer vs from all euill euen from that c Rom. 7.21 euill which is alwaies present with vs when we would do good from d vers 23. the law of sinne that is in our members from e Gal. 5.17 the flesh that lusteth against the spirit because wee beleeue that God heareth vs when we so pray and will deliuer vs from that bondage wherein we are forced for the time to serue Yea this he hath begun to doe alreadie destroying by the power of his spirit more and more the bodie of sinne and yeelding f 2. Cor. 4.16 the outward man to bee corrupted that the inner man may be renued from day to day vntill perfect newnesse shall come and all euils shall bee fully abolished because g 1. Cor. 15.28 God who is all good shall be all in all And if wee cannot pray generally to bee deliuered from all euill because wee affirme the first motions of sinne which are euill to continue still in vs let M. Bishop tell vs how they pray to be deliuered generally from all euill who though they acknowledge not the first motions to bee sinne yet acknowledge them to be euil as wel as we and that from this euil no man is set free so long as hee continueth in the warfare of this life As for the certainty of saluation wee loose it not by these praiers but are rather thereby confirmed in it because we beleeue as hath beene said that God heareth vs when we so pray and therefore rest assured according to the measure of our faith that God will guide vs in safety through the middest of all temptations and will finally deliuer vs from all euill and bring vs to bee partakers of his kingdome for euer That which hee saith of Caluin is an odious repetition of an impudent slander which is cleered before in the answer to his Preface the tenth sect 46. W. BISHOP Now before I come to the Sacraments I may not omit to speake a word of the Aue-Maria which in old Catechismes followeth immediately after the Pater noster The Protestants haue cassierd it and may not abide to heare it once said but therein as much as in any other such matter they disgrace their doctrine and discredite themselues For all the words vsed of old therin are the very words of the holy Ghost registred in S. Lukes Gospell and therefore they bewray either great ignorance or a wicked spirit to dwell in them that cannot indure to heare the words of Gods spirit Besides in holy Scripture it is prophesied Luk. 1. that from henceforth all generations should call the Virgin MARY blessed In what termes then can wee more conueniently so call her then in the verie same that were composed by an Archangell are penned by the Euangelists and by them commended vnto all good Christians besides the sence of them is comfortable vnto vs as containing a remembrance of the incarnation of the Sonne of God for our redemption and we on our parts doe thereby giue thanks to God for that inestimable benefit and congratulate our Sauiour with humble thanks therefore saying Blessed be the fruit of thy wombe IESVS I need not in such cleere euidence of Gods word alleage the testimonie of any ancient father hee that list to see how it hath beene vsed in the purest antiquity let him reade S. Athanasius in Euang. de deipara S. Ephem de laudibus B. Mariae S. Basils and S. Chrysostomes lyturgies which can with no more reason be denied to be theirs then the rest of their works One short sentence I will set downe in commendations of it out of that most reuerend and deuout Bernard The Angels triumph and the heauens doe congratulate with them the earth leapeth for ioy and hell trembleth when the Aue-Maria is deuoutly said Apud Dionisi Corinth 1. part in Euan. c. 5.17 Good Christians then must needs take great delight
in it euen as the badde may not abide it R. ABBOT The Protestants doe so well indure to heare the words of Gods spirit as that they haue made speciall choise therof as the principall weapon wherewith to fight against the superstitions and abominations of the Papists Whose absurd dotage as many other waies so in their Aue-Marie most notably appeareth in that of a salutation to the virgin Marie being present they haue made an inuocation of her being absent and thinke it a matter of great merit and deuotion to vse it like a charme by saying it ouer thus or thus many times at once which the Angell spake but once M. Bishop allegeth for it the old Catechismes but he neither telleth vs what Catechismes he meaneth nor how old they are which if he had we should easily haue descried the vanity of his speech For if by old Catechismes he meane as he should the Catechismes of the ancient fathers and primitiue Church he is therein found a liar because in those Catechismes there is nothing of it But if by old Catechisms he meane any that haue beene of latter times vnder the darknesse of Popery he abuseth his Reader who in case of Religion looketh for satisfaction euen from the first age because what was not then a part of religion can be no part of religion now the truth of Christ being one and the same from the beginning and for euer The words he saith are the words of the holy ghost and so say we but we say that the words of the holy ghost may be abused as here they are against the purpose and meaning of the holy Ghost They are the words of the holy Ghost which Christ vsed to the Apostles a Luk. 24.25 Fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken and will M. Bishop therfore say that we may vse those words for inuocation of the Apostles He allegeth againe that it is prophecied that all generations should call the virgin Mary blessed and we deny it not but we may call her blessed in the meditations of our own hearts and in speaking of her to them that heare vs though we speake not idlely as to her that heareth vs not Be it that the words were composed by the Archangell penned by the Euangelists commended to the reading of all good Christians as other words of scriptures are be it that the sense of them is most comfortable vnto vs yet what is all this to prooue that these words are to bee vsed for a deuotion and seruice to the virgin Mary specially in such sort as Popery hath vsed them in a strange and vnknowen tongue which could yeeld no comfort of the sense nor remembrance thereby of the incarnation of Christ nor perfourmance of thanksgiuing or congratulation towards God That purest antiquity which he allegeth is but corrupt nouelty and leud forgery The Liturgies of Basill and Chrysostome are very falsly so termed and yet in Basils Liturgie there is no mention of the Aue-Mary Of Chrysostomes Liturgie there are so many different copies published one by Leo Tuscus another by Erasmus another by Pelargus who also testifieth that hee hath seen a fourth as that if Chrysostome did leaue any yet no man is able to say of any of them that this is it The sermon of Athanasius in Euangel de Deipara is by b Nann epist nuncupatoria praefixa oper Athanasij In tertiam classem relegaui omnes supposititios libros quos Athanasij non puto Nannius their own translatour put amongst the ranke of bastards and counterfets The name of Deipara was not so famous in the time of Athanasius as to be prefixed in the title of a sermon neither could it haue wanted memorable testimony in the councell of Ephesus if it had been then knowen for his Ephrems works as c Hieron in Catalog script ecclesiast Multa syro sermone composuit Hierome saith were written in the Syrian tongue If M. Bishop can shew them in the same tongue yea or ancientlie translated into the Greeketongue we can giue the better credit that they are his indeed Otherwise we know that they haue been in hucksters handling neither can we but be suspicious of that iugling and foisting which we finde to haue been so vsuall and common with them And if M. Bishop will haue vs to take it for Ephrems worke let him tell vs who is the translatour of it Gerardus Vossius who translated and published the works of Ephrem by the warrant of Pope Sixtus the fift whereas he putteth his name to so many as hee translated putteth no name to the Sermon which M. Bishop citeth shewing thereby that it is not in Greeke and therefore importing it to be a counterfeit He saith that these can with no more reason be denied to be theirs then the rest of their works But I answer him that though there were no other reason yet it is sufficient reason for vs to bee suspicious of these because in them some things are set downe whereof in the rest of their vndoubted workes and in the infinite volumnes of antiquitie which are approoued and acknowledged there is no token to be found As for Bernand he liued in latter times of great apostasie and corruption In that truth which he reteined he is a good witnesse for vs against them but hee can be no witnesse for them to make good those corruptions which hee drew from the time wherein he liued And yet neither is his testimonie cited out of any of his owne works but from another I know not whom and therefore is the lesse to be regarded to say nothing that the speech is ridiculous and fond for why should wee imagine that the Angels triumph and the heauens congratulate that the earth leapeth for ioy and hell trembleth at the deuout saying of the Aue-Mary more then when wee say deuoutly Our Father which art in heauen c Surely good Christians will reiect such absurd dotages and idle dreames though with bad Christians al is fish that commeth to net and what custome offereth they are readie to entertaine neuer regarding to consult with the word of Christ for warrant of that they doe 47. W. BISHOP Now let vs come to the last part of the Catechisme which is of the Sacraments where M. PER. doth briefly repeat his arguments vsed before against the reall presence I might therefore send the Reader vnto the first Chapter of this booke for the answer but because the matter is of great importance I will heere againe giue them a short answer First saith hee the reall presence is ouerthrowne out of these words hee tooke bread and brake it ergo that which Christ tooke was not his bodie c. A simple ouerthrow Christ indeed tooke and brake bread but presently after blessing it made it his body by these words this is my bodie R. ABBOT I might send the Reader saith M. Bishop vnto the first chapter of this booke for the
calum vtique integrum Cum vid eritis filium hominis c. certè vel tunc videbitis quia noÌ„ eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum certè vel tunc videbitis quia gratia eius non consumitur morsibus They thought saith Austin that he would impart to them his very body but he telleth them that he will goe vp to heauen euen whole When ye shall see the sonne of man ascend where he was before surely then ye shall see that he doth not impart his body in that maner as you thinke ye shall then vnderstand that his grace is not deuoured by morsells Now if the ascending of Christ into heauen were an argument for the reforming of their fancy and correcting of their error then it must needs be a misconstruction of eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ whereby the same is said to be done by his being really present vpon the earth And that it might not be so vnderstood he further saith k vers 63. The words which I speake vnto you are spirit and life it is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing thereby aduertising them as S. Austin giueth to vnderstand that l Aug ibi Quomodo quidem edatur quisnam sit manducandi modus ignoratis they knew not in what sort his flesh was eaten or what the maner thereof is and that they should spiritually conceiue the doing of it in such maner as was before expressed out of Austin And hereof Origen saith m Ori. in Leuit. hom 7. Est in nouo testameÌ„to litera quae occidit eum qui non spiritualiter aduertit Nam si secunduÌ„ literamsequaris id quod dictum est Nisi manducaueritis carnem c. litera illa occidit There is in the new Testament a letter which killeth him that doth not spiritually listen to it for if thou folow according to the letter that which is written Except yee eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood that letter killeth Therefore S. Austin deliuering certaine rules whereby figuratiue speeches are to be knowen doth by his rule find that this speech of Christ is not properly or literally to be vnderstood but by a figure n Aug. de doct Christ l. 3. c. 16. si flagitium aut facinus videtur iubere aut vtilitatem beneficentiaÌ„ vitare figurata est Nisi manducaâ—eritis carnem filij hominis c. facinus vel flagitium videtur iubere figura ergò est praecipiens passioni domini esse coÌ„municandum suauitèr atque vtiliter recondendum in memoria quod carâ— eius pro nobis crucifixa vulnerata sit If any speeche seem to command a hainous or wicked act or to forbid well doing or any profitable thing it is a figuratiue speech Where Christ saith Except yee eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood c. he seemeth to command a hainous thing It is therefore a figure instructing that we are to communicate of the passion of the Lord and sweetly and profitably to lay vp in minde that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs. In which sort S. Bernard also expoundeth that o Bernar de verb. Habac. super custodiaÌ„ c. sub edendi corporis sus mysterio discipulos ad communâ—â— andum passionibus suis aumonens vnder the mystery of eating his body Christ admonisheth his disciples to communicate of his passions Here is therefore no other but a spirituall action of the heart and soule which requireth no reall presence because the spirit of man by faith climbeth vp to heauen and looketh backe vnto the crosse of Christ and there receiueth nourishment and strength of him to liue by him for euer 58. W. BISHOP Thirdly Christ said in most cleere tearmes this is my body this is my blood What could be more certaine or more perspicuous R. ABBOT The words as wee expound them out of the circumstance of the text and the consent of ancient fathers are indeed perspicuous and cleere yeelding this meaning This bread is my body this wine is my blood that is the signe the sacrament the participation of my body and blood But M. Bishop for his life cannot make any certaine and definite meaning of them whereby their transubstantiation and reall presence may be made good If the words be so perspicuous and cleere for them how commeth it about that they haue so tossed and tumbled them and yet there is no certaine meaning thereof concluded amongst them till this day I need not stand hereupon hauing before said what is sufficient for this purpose in the eight and fortieth section 59. W. BISHOP Fourthly These words of the institution are recorded by three Euangelists and by S. Paul and they all vniformely deliuer it to be not the figure of Christs body but his body and that his body which should be giuen for our redemption on the crosse ergo it was that his true reall body which was nailed to the crosse for vs. R. ABBOT Euen so three Euangelists and S. Paul doe vniformely deliuer that the cup is the bloud of Christ or the new testament in his bloud as hath been a Sect. 50. before said and yet M. Bishop will not say I hope that the cup is really the bloud or testament of Christ That the Sacrament is the figure of Christs body is no new speech S. Austin saith that b Aug in Psal 3. Conuinium in quo corporu sanguinis sui figuram discipuâ—usuis coâ—mendauit tradidit Christ commended and deliuered to his disciples the figure of his bodie and bloud Tertullian expoundeth thus c Tertul. cont Marcion â—â— 4. Acâ—eptum panem corpus suum fecit dicâ—â—do hoc est corsus meum id est figura corporis mei This is my body that is to say a figure of my body Gelasius the Bishop of Rome saith that d Gelas cont Eutych Nest. Et certo imago similitudo corporis sanguinis domini in actione mysteriorum celebratur an image and semblance of the body and bloud of Christ is celebrated in the administration of the Sacraments Chrysostome saith that e Chrysost Opimperf in Mat. hom 11. In quibus non verum corpus Christi sed mystâ—rium corporu eius continetur in the sacred vessels not the true body of Christ but the mysterie of his body is conteined The ancient Liturgies doe vsually call the Sacraments f Constit Clem. l. 7. c. 26. Antitypa corporis c. Iacobâ— Liturg Typus corporis sanguinis Christi tui the signes of the body and bloud of Christ and so g Carol. Magn. epist. ad A cuin Panem fregit calicâ—m paâ—iter dedit eis in figuram corporis sanguinis sui Charles the great stileth them in his epistle to Alcuinus It should not therefore seeme strange to M. Bishop that wee also should expound the sacrament to
it broken and cast anew that all the disgraces and alterations and whatsoeuer is caused by practise and enuy may by being repaired and new-cast be quite abolished and the image may be framed againe perfect according to the former shape and fashion most like vnto it selfe because it befalleth not to it to perish though it be resolued into the matter againe for it may be restored but the hurts and maimes and disgraces thereof are by melting taken away euen so God beholding man his most goodly worke brought to euill case by the subtilty and enuy of the diuel would not indure to leaue him in that case for that he is gratious towards man but dissolued him into his first matter that by making him anew all things that are faulty in him may be as it were melted away and consumed For what is the melting of the image there the same is heere the dying dissoluing of the body and as is there the new forming of the matter and restoring of it to his beauty the same is heere the rising againe from the dead Heere I pray thee gentle Reader to bethinke thy selfe the new building of a wall of the same stones and the new casting of an image of the same gold how well it agreeth with the opinion of M. Bishops Proclus that our bodies in the resurrection shall not be the same Euen as well agreeth that which afterwards he construeth of the words of God i Deut. 32.39 I will kill and I will make aliue I will strike and I will heale k Pag. 181. b. Quid aliud docere vult quà m quòd ob hoc corpus prinâ—ùm occiditur moritur vt rursus resurgat ac viuat percutitur primùm a sauciatur vt rursus scluum ac sanum formetur what else doth he teach heereby saith he but that for this cause the body is killed and dieth that it may rise and liue againe and is therefore stricken and wounded that it may be new made whole and sound Surely M. Bishop if your face can blush I trow it will appeare heere in that you haue so outfaced vs that Proclus the heretike speaketh heere where the authour doth thus Categorically determine against the heresie of Proclus After this he answereth two obiections directly made in the behalfe of Origen and Proclus The one is that l Ibid. Stomâ—e quod generaâ—uÌ„ est aegrotat secundùm natiuitatem secundum aiimeÌ„tum ab accedentibus angetur ex decedentibus minâ—itur c. Patiuntur autem aegrotantia c. Quod verò paetitur deficit perit c. Non potest ergò exors laesionis esse homo immortalis all things that are by generation are subiect to sicknesse both by condition of birth and by reason of foode and nourishment and are increased by that that is put to them and diminished by that that goeth from them and being by this meanes subiect to passion are subiect also and therefore so is mans body to failing and perishing and cannot be immortall Thus doth Origen reason before m Pag. 175. c. Omne corpusque a natura continetur quae forinsecus aliqua disponit ac succenturiat instar alimenti in ipsum pro ingestis alia se cornit nunquam habet idem materiale subiectuÌ„ quapropter non malè flauius appellatum est corpus cò quòd neque per biduum idem subiectum est in corpore nostro that that which from without receiueth and supplieth some things by way of food and for the things which it putteth in euacuateth other cannot continue the same materiall subiect and therefore is not amisse compared to a riuer not being two daies the same importing heereby that the resurrection cannot be said to be of this body because it cannot be determined in so great alteration what it should bee that should rise againe as he hath before more largly expressed In like sort the words of Proclus are n Pag. 177. a. Flaxile est corpus materiale nunquâ manet in serpso ne minimo quidem tempore sed accedit discedit circa speciem quae hominem delineat c. that the materiall body is fluxible and neuer continueth in it selfe so much as for a very small time but commeth and goeth vnder the shape which proportioneth the man The authour of this discourse answereth that o Pag. 181. c. Si omne quod factum aut generatum est perit nihil enim refert vtrum dicas nam primi parentes non generati sunt sed facti facti sunt item angeli anime c. Percunt ergo angeli animae ex ipsorum ratione At neque angeli neque aenimae pereunt c. Non placet autem vt illud dicatur quòd omnia funditùs pereant terra aer caelum non futura sint Exardescet equidem ad purgationem ac renouationem mundus c. non tamen ad perfectum interitum ac corruptionem deueniet c. there is no difference whether things be created or begotten for our first parents were not begotten but created who yet were in condition as we are and if things that are by creation or generation must perish then so must the angels and the soules of men which yet neither of them doe perish yea and that the world it selfe shall not vtterly perish so as there be no more heauen or earth or aire but shal be burned onely to the purging and renewing thereof The other obiection is taken from the words of Christ that in the resurrection p Pag. 182. b. Qui resurrectionem assequentur erunt tunc velut angeli c. Angeli verò carnem non habentes in summa beatitudine propterea gloria sunt Ergo etiam nos c. we shall be as the Angels but the Angels are in perfect blisse and glory not hauing flesh and therefore we shal be so also It is answered q Pag. 183. a. Christus igitur si non esset resurrectio carnis sed anima solum seruaretur suffragatus esset ipsis velut benè ac rectè sentientibus Nunc verò respondit dicens In resurrectione c. non quòd carnem non habent sed quòd non matrimonium contrabunt sed sunt de caetero in incorruptibilitate per hoc angelis assimilates dicit c. Sicut angeli gloria nempe honore coronati c. Quare absurdissimum est dicere Quoniam Christus pronunciauit sanctos conspiciendos esse velut angelos in resurrectione ob id corpora haec non resurgere that if there were no resurrection but the soule only were saued Christ would haue accorded to the Sadduces as being well and rightly perswaded But now he answereth saying In the resurrection they marry not nor are giuen in marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heauen not because they haue not flesh or bodies but for that they marry not but are thencefoorth
Patriarchs Prophets Apostles c. we separate Christ from the order of men by the honour and adoration which we performe vnto him that is to say saith hee againe We doe not offer thanks for him as wee doe for some other men but vnto him as being God of equall Maiesty with his Father But it is he himselfe indeed that by this exposition doth manifestly wrest the words of Epiphanius the circumstance whereof by him guilefully omitted doth cleerly conuince that they can by no means be taken as he expoundeth them His words are these f Epip haer 75. VeruÌ„ enimuerò eò quòd nos saepe dum in muÌ„do sumus fallimur erramus tuÌ„ inuiti tum voluntariè quòid quod perfectius est significetur pro iustis pro peccatoribus memoriam facimus pro peccatoribus quidem misericordiam dei implorantes pro iustis verò patribus Patriarchis Prophetis Apostolis Euangelistis c. Vt do minuÌ„ Iesum Christum ab hominum ordine separemus per honorem quem ipsi exhibemus vt adorationem ipsi praestemus illud mente voieÌ„tes quòd dominus non est alicui homini adaequatus â—tiamsi millies vltra in iustitia degat vnusquisque homo quomodo enim possibile fuerit Ille enim est Deus hic homo ille in coelo hic in terra per reliquias in terra Verily for that whilest we are in the world we are often deceiued and go awry both vnwillingly and with our will to the end that that which is more perfect may be signified we make a memoriall both for the iust for sinners for sinners intreating the mercy of God but for the iust the Fathers the Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the Martyrs and Confessours the Bishops and Anchorites and the whole order that wee may separate our Lord Iesus Christ from the order of men by the honour which wee yeeld vnto him and may performe worship vnto him waighing this in our minde that the Lord is not compared to any man though a man liue in righteousnesse a thousand times and more for how should it be possible for the one is God the other man the one in heauen the other in earth by remainder of his body in the earth Where thou art to note gentle Reader that Epiphanius saith not as M. Higgons reporteth Wee make a memoriall of the iust of the Patriarchs c. but for them neither doth hee say onely we make a memoriall for the iust but we make a memoriall for the iust and for sinners meaning by sinners such as had beene publikely noted some way or other for euill life Now the phrase being one the act one both for the one and for the other how shall M. Higgons perswade vs that it was a praier for the one only a thanksgiuing for the other Epiphanius saith not so nor giueth any ground whereupon to conceiue it to be so and that this memoriall or commemoration was a praier for them that were thus remembred appeareth by S. Austin saying that g Aug. de cura pro mortuis gerenda cap. 4. Supplicationes pro spiritibus mortuorum quas faciend as pro omnibus in Christiana Catholica societate defunclis sub generali commemoratione suscepit ecclesia the church hath receiued vnder a generall commemoration to make supplications for the spirits of the dead euen for all that are dead in the Christian and Catholike society Now if it were a praier which was vsed for all that haue died in Christian society then it was a praier which was vsed for the Saints Martyrs Confessours c. Therefore Chrysostome faith that h Chrysost de sacerdot lib. 6. Deprecator est apud Deum vt hominum omnium non viuentium modò sed etiam mortuorum peccat is propitius fiat the Priest praied to God to be mercifull to the sinnes of all both quicke and dead I question not heere what construction latter times made heereof I know that this custome as it grew to be vsed grew to be questioned and because it seemed absurd to pray for them that already are in heauen which notwithstanding the church formerly had done as out of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy I most cleerely prooued therefore though the forme of words were one and the same for all yet by interpretation they made them a praier for some onely and a thanksgiuing for the rest S. Austin I take it being the first that euer brought in that rule that i August de Verb. Apost ser 17. Iâ—uria est orare pro martyre he doth wrong to a martyr that praieth for him But let M. Higgons wrangle heereof all hee can by the very place of Epiphanius that which I say is plainly euicted For when he saith that wee often are deceiued and goe awry so long as we are in this world hee thereby expresseth the cause why they did make that memorial both for the sinners and for the iust there being none so iust but that that is verified in them that they are often deceiued and go awry Now will M. Higgons make Epiphanius to say of the Saints and iust men that because so long as they were in this world they were often deceiued and went amisse therefore now wee giue thanks for them It were very absurd to say so but the other way the words are cleer that because we are all subiect to sinne therefore we pray for all And if by this it be not plaine enough the rest shall make it more plaine For out of this reason issueth another of as great effect when he saith that this memoriall is made for iust and holy men that we may separate our Lord Iesus Christ from the order of men by the honour that we do vnto him Which honour wherein it standeth is vnderstood by those former words that that which is more perfect may be signified noting it to be the acknowledging of his most high and glorious perfection he onely being free from all spot and staine of sinne and vncleannesse but all other carying the marks of frailty and corruption betokened not in giuing thanks as I hope M. Higgons will confesse but rather in praying for them To which purpose he yet further more plainly addeth those other words And that we may yeeld worship to him But how Waighing in our mindes that there is no man compared to him though a man liue in righteousnesse a thousand times and more By which words it is cleere as the light that that separation whereof hee speaketh hath no intendment of the difference which M. Higgons mentioneth of giuing thanks to the one and for the other but that it concerneth righteousnesse and sinne it being to be knowen by this memoriall that all the Saints euen they that atteined to the greatest measure of righteousnes yet being men were subiect to infirmities and imperfections that so Christ alone may haue the glory to be transcendent and beyond the