lesse sure unto him than that Christ himselfe enjoyeth it is a most desperate fancy overthrowing all true Faith and Religion For whereas St. Paul willeth us ad Phil. 2. with feare and trembling to worke out our Salvation and S. Peter willeth Epist 2. c. 1. us to strive by good workes to make sure our vocation and he that standeth iâ— bidden to looke that he fall not these and other like exhortations about fearing Gods Judgements keeping his Commandements walking as Children of Light and the like have no place at all where Calvin's faith is admitted Yea which is more absurd such as have it cannot pray to obtaine of God perseverance in his love and service without being shaken in their most certaine assurance of eternall life prepared for them no lesse surely than for Christ himselfe and why then should they pray for it or any thing belonging to the attaining thereof But from what place of Scripture this particular faith may be gathered by each party conceiving himselfe to have it revealed by the holy Ghost and signed in his heart I could never learne nor any man of Judgement For albeit Christs promises are sweet able to afford great help and comfort unto such as by a true faith and good life doe seek to deserve such eternall blessings as are promised in them yet is there no one of them made unto any man in particular nor as they are made in generall doe they want conditions needfully to be performed for the attaining of them as when Christ said to the young man if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandementss And when he told his Mat. 5. 19. disciplâ—s you are my friends if you doe these things which I command yeu telling them elswhere that if their justice did not abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees they should not enter into the kingdome of heaven requiring so not faith alone but deeds also Because the beginning of eternall life saith S. Ignatius is faith and the Ep. ad Eph. perfect attaining thereof is Charity Tract 3. in Mat. and those saith Origen who have faith without good workes have Lampes without Oyle like those foolish Virgins Faith teacheth us our duties to God but Charity C. in Mat. performeth them St. Hilary affirmeth all men to be saved by rightly believing what God hath revealed and doing what he commandes m. cap. 2. Epist 8. Jac. St. Gregory Nazianzen shew thy faith by workes to be alive and the soyle of your Soul to be fruitfull that you may hope to gather from it a plentitull haryest Remember oÌ„ Christian Catech. 4. 15. saith St. Cyril that in thy judgement thou shalt not by thy faith but by thy workes be saved or condemned They are the oyle which will keepe thy Lamp flaming when the heavenly spouse shall come to call thee But by faith saith St. Chrysostome â—om 9. in we are invited to the wedding feast but Charity is the wedding garment with which we must come cloathed unto it when Calvins particular faith shall prove a fancy The fifteenth Controversie Concerning the Merit of good Workes CAlvin is so great an enemy to the Lib. 3. inst c. 15. n. 5. very name of merit as he wisheth that the ancient Fathers had never troubled the Church and corrupted the true doctrine of Faith by it and he is so farre from granting any power of meriting unto us as he denyâ—th the same unto Christ himself if we simply oppose him to the Judgement of his father his reason is quia non reperitur in homine dignitas qua posset promereri Deum Because there can be Lib. 2. c. â—7 n. 1. found no worth in man to merit of God any thing Using so a Nestorian manner of speaking as if Christ had been man onely and not God also according to St. Paul's words saying that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe so that by the subsisting of humane nature in a divine person the actions and passions were Theandricall and of an infinite value because an infinit majesty was humbled in humane nature by doing and suffering them for us And that Christ merited by his obedience unto Death and the death of the Crosse the glory of his body and exaltation of his name above all names so as at the name of Jesus all knees in heaven and earth below it likewise should be bowed is by St. Paul expresly affirmed And that question which Calvin propoundeth quibus meritis assequi posset ibid. n. 5. homo ut judex esset mundi caput Angelorum c. Argueth him guilty of folly and blasphemy together as unwilling to have any honour how due soever granted unto God and Man our heavenly Redeemer And I can answer his question in our Saviour's owne Mat. 28. words saying all power in heaven and earth is given unto me thus explicated by Calvin himselfe he speaketh not here of his eternall power but of that which he had newly received when hee was ordained Judge of the world a little before denyed absolutely unto him albeit the continuall cry of Angels and Saints in heaven sheweth this dignity both to have been given unto him and merited by him The Lamb which was slaine is worthy to receive all honour and glory c. But it is no novelty for Calvin to c. 5. n. 3. c. 11. n. 18. cap. 15. n. 3. contradict himselfe by affirming and denying the same thing in a hundred places of his Institutions onely For example in the third book he expresly affirmeth that there can be no justice of faith but where good works and the opinion of merit gained by by them are excluded Albeit before c. 17. n. 1. in his second book he had blamed the overmuch niceness of some who albeit they acknowledge us by Christs merits to be redeemed yet love they not to hear the name of merit pronounced as coÌ„ceiving his grace to be obscured by it But saith he Christs merits lib. 3. cap. 15. n. 3. are foolishly opposed to Gods mercy for betweene subalternated things there is no opposition Gods mercy to wit in freely justifying us and his Sons meriting such mercy for us God in mean time calleth those works done by his help ours and promiseth both to accept and reward them c. good works therefore please God and are not unprofitable unto such as perform them which is Catholick doctrine denied in other places frequently and expressely by him Are there no merits saith S. Augustine of just persons Epist 105. ad Sixtum Yes assuredly because they are just but that they are just proceeded not of their own merits for where grace precedeth not merits cannot follow or be gained by any man so as when God rewardeth our works Epist. 46. he crowneth his own mereies in us and he maketh himself indebted to us not by receiving any thing from us in psal 83.
Saints as S. Justine Apolog. 2. ad Anteninum witnesseth in these words we are callâ—d saith he athiests because we worship not your Gods it is true we acknowledge no such Gods but one true God alone c. and his only Son who came from him and taught us to seâ—ve him we reverence the whole Army of his angels and blessed Spirits of the Prophets c. which honour yielded unto Saints is by St. Deunis in his celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchies by St. Ignatius in his Epistles and in all ancient Liturgies peculiarly expressed and in this we believe communion between them and us that as we rejoyce in their felicity and greatnes so they secure now for themselves saith St. Cyprian are sollicitous for us and the higher they are now in their own Heavenly glory and greatnesse the more clearly do they know our necessities and are ready from their divine Lord and ours to obtain remedies for them And if whilst they lived here on earth they might lawfully pray for us why may they not now do the same in their happier estate not hindering but increasing their Charity towards us sithence especially their locall remotenesse from us hindereth not their hearing of our prayers directed unto them no otherwise than angells know by the testimony of our Mat. 22. Lucae 10. Saviour himself the secretest conversions here of sinners and rejoyce in them Saints being in their blessed estate like and equall unto them and those who together behold the Charity of their heavenly Lord in whom Morali 14. lib. 4 Dialog all things are contained can be ignorant of nothing saith St. Gregory belonging unto them in which sense St Paul telleth us that we are come to Mount Sion heavenly Jerusalem and City of the living God to the frequency of millions of Angells and the Church of those who were first conscribed amongst them c. so gone before us as we are hopefull to arrive unto them and become as now they are fully united unto him qui est caput super omnem Ecclesiam who is head of his whole Church so as they and we belong to one body and have some communion as fellow members under one and the same head together Calvin therefore without book and out of his own hereticall fancy affirmed the Saints of heaven to be secluded from having any commerce at all with us and that they pray in generall but not in particular for us because forsooth they cannot hear us for how saith he hath it been revealed unto any man that Saints have ears so long as to reach down from heaven unto us whilst we pray unto them Which Question had been better made by some Infidel than any Christian Authour of learning or judgement proposed for who knoweth not that pure Spirits such as are souls separated from bodies have a spiritual manner both of hearing and speaking without ears tongue or other corporall senses so as it would be no absurd thing if I should tell Calvin that Lucifer in hell knew him very well and such Heresies as were to the ruine of souls broached by him albeit he had no eyes to view his papers or ears to hear his Doctrines preached by the naturall light of his understanding in absence also penetrated by him which is as ears and eys unto him whose substance as we conceive not so is the spiritual manner of his understanding things hidden wholy from us wherein Angels and Saints in heaven do far no doubt exceed him because they have a purer and higher light to wit of glory communicated by God unto them and according to his absurd question of long ears for Saints to hear our prayers directed unto them a man may well conceive him to have scarcely believed that our Saviour as Man according to his humane and glorified soul heareth the prayers of men here on earth directed unto him or knoweth their actions according to which notwithstanding he shall judge them Calvin in the mean time could not but know when he impugned our invocation of Saints that we in our addresses unto them intend nothing else but to obtain more easily at Gods hands by their intercession blessings and benefits needfull for us For if the joynt Prayers of two or three here on earth be more gratefull to God than of one alone and more effectuall to obtain what we ask of him how can it be but profitable for us to have with our own prayers the suffrages of Angels and Saints holily conjoyned we of our selves bâ—ing sinful wretches and wholy unworthy to obtain any thing of him Wherefore as Malefactors here on earth think themselves happy when any favourite of their Prince will be pleased to sollicite their pardon for crimes committed against him so are we in a like manner humble suiters unto these Courtiers of heaven to become unto their divine Lord and ours Mediators and Intercessors for us Neither doth this Mediation of Saints derogate any thing at all from the mediation of Christ For that he immediately by himself and in the right of his own merits advocateth and obtaineth at his fathers hands what graces he will himself and blessings for us Whereas Saints in a mediate and subalternate way of Mediation by him to wit and his merits who redeemed them and us also become intercessors for us And this custome of praying in this manner unto Saints hath been so anciently used in Christs Church as all Greek and Latine Fathers almost whose works are now extant have approved and practiced it Angels saith S. Ambrose are to be Lib. de Viduâ—â— invoked to our help the Martyrs are to be sought unto whose bodies we keep as pledges of their love towards us And S. Hierome disputeth thus against cap. 3. Vigilantius as now I may doe against Calvin or any other Protestant Thou sayest in thy Book that whilest we live we may pray for each other but not after death But I tell thee that if the Apostles and Martyrs living here in bodies could pray for others when they cared for themselves how much more may they now do that after their Crowns and victories So that if our Adversaries would admit any true Church or prâ—ctice of Religion before them they could not but acknowledge this doctrine and custome taught and practiced in our Church to have ever been truly Christian and Catholick but as their heretical Conventicles are newly raised so will they have a new Religion believed and practised in them The eighth Controversie Of reverencing of Saints Reliques AS we yeeld not unto Saints themselves now in heaven a divine honor but onely a reverend respect infinitely inferiour unto it so likewise their Reliques are not but by the same reverenced by us And our Adversaries sencelesly abuse words when they accuse us of Idolatry for yeelding this reverence unto them these Reliques being not false Gods or things belonging unto them but Reliques and parts of their bodies who were Gods true Servants and either
Hebrew and translated by his Grand-childe into Greek as appeareth by his short Prologue before it worthily called by some Authors Panaretes a receptacle to wit or store-house of all vertues fit to instruct all sorts of Persons and containing as I have said of Sapientia Salomons dispersed Sentences diligently by the Author collected held by some also to have been one of the 72. Translators and divinely inspired to write this book cited for Scripture by St. Clement of Alexandâ—ia by Origen Lib. 1. paedagogi c. 8. hom 8. in numer homil 1. in Ezechiel Oâ—at 2. in Julianum by S. Cyprian de opere Elcemosina by S. Athanasius in Synopsi li. de virginitate by S. Basil in regulis disputatis responsione 114. by S. Gregory Nazianzen by S. Epiphanius heresi 76 in Anchorato by S. Hilari by S. Ambrose by S. Chrysostome by S. Austin and sundry in Psal 144 lib. de bono mortis c. 8. other chief Fathers yet able to prevaile nothing at all with men heretically swayed to the contrary So as the Nicene Councels Decree about the Book of Judith is slighted also and regarded nothing at all by them The second Controversie Of Christs Catholick Church in generall not colourably now amongst Protestants The first Part. FOr a good beginning of this Controversie I wish my Reader if he be no Catholick seriously to consider with himself how much it importeth him to finde out Christs true Church and to make himself a member thereof because a Christian man saith S. Austin ought not to fear any thing more than to be separated from Christs mysticall body for that so he remaineth no more a member of him nor can he be quickned with his holy Spirit nor receive any Li. de unit Ecclâ— Light or Life of Grace from him they remain not saith St. Cyprian with God who live not concordiously in the Church of his Son for should any out of the same fry in flames that Death would be no crown of Faith but a punishment of infidelity such may be killed but not crowned This Church was to be that Hill cap. 1. of our Lord prepared on the top of mountains which Esay spake of raised above other hills whereunto the Gentiles should flow as a Sea saying unto each other come let us ascend unto the hill of our Lord and to the house cap. 54. of Jacob to wit Christ and his Church c. willed by the same Prophet to inlarge the place of her Tents to spread out the Curtains of her habitation for that she should increase on the right hand and on the left and cap. 60. that her Seed should possesse the Gentiles that her gates should be open day and night and never shut that the people might enter continually into her that Kings should be her cap. 42. nursing Fathers and Queens her Mothers c. And it cannot be doubted but whatsoever is spoken in the Psalms and Prophets in a hundred severall places concerning the propagation greatnesse glory and continuance of Christs Church and Kingdome here on earth wherein all Psal 71. 2. Princes to the ends thereof were to adore him and Nations serve him hath been and shall be accordingly fulfilled To say therefore as commonly our Adversaries print in their Books and preach in their Pulpits that this once glorious and Catholickly dilated Church of Christ hath fallen away from the true faith and service of him by becomming Antichristian Idolatrous and abominable in her Rights and Superstitions some say 800. some say 1000. some 1360. years together yea and to have declined in her Doctrines from the very time of the Apostles first Planters thereof and onely Enarrat in Psal 101. to have remained in a few hidden Believers of Protestancy but not daring to professe it in our Churches is as S. Austin termed it a most false temerarious blasphemous and witlesse assertion contradicted by many plain Predictions of the Prophets Promises of Christ himself shewing that this City built upon a hill cannot be hidden that this Tabernacle of God placed in the Sun to illuminate the world with the heavenly Rayes of her doctrine cannot be obscured That the bloud of Christ once shed to redeem souls shall never for that purpose be fruitlesse and un-effectuall That Hell gates shall never prevaile to overthrow that building by himself on a rock firmly established against them That Gods Covenant made with men to save the world by his Sons death and passion should never be frustrated and made void by any power of the Devill or wickednesse amongst them Because God himself speaking thereof saith thus The heavens shall Esay c. 9. vanish away like smoak the earth also shall â—remble and wear away like a garment but my salvation shall last for ever and my justice shall never fail and again saith he I will place my tabernacle amongst men and be their God and they shall be my people and the Gentiles shall know that I am their Lord when my sanctification shall be for ever amongst them Daniel likewise speaking of Christ saith That his power shall be an everlasting power and his kingdome shall never be broken or taken from him Cap. 2. Micheas also speaketh most plainly of Christs Church whereunto cap. 4. all people shall flow and our Lord shall raign over them for ever Our Redeemer saith Esay shall come and remove all iniquity from Jacob and this saith God shall be my league my spirit which is in thee speaking to his Son and the words which I cap. 59. have put into thy mouth shall not depart from it nor from the mouth of thy seed nor from the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Which Texts so plainly proveth the continuance of Christs Church and the truth of heavenly Doctrine therein remaining to the worlds end as Calvin himself in his Exposition thereon writeth thus Here God promised that the Church should never be deprived of that inestimable blessing of being still govern'd by the holy Ghost and maintained in the truth of heavenly doctrine because it would have little availed us to have had the Gospel once preached or the holy Ghost for a time onely given unto us unlesse he remain continually with us c. Wherefore our Lord promised here to remain still with his Church and to have a care that it shall never be deprived of true Doctrine which being Calvins own words may well serve to shew his plain contradictions in other places about the Churches having faln away for many ages together from the truth of heavenly doctrine first planted in her and to prove likewise that all pretended reformers of her catholick and ever continued faith have been impostors onely and produced nought else but hereticall innovations from the first to the last of them For if Christ had a will and power to build this house of God and firm foundation of truth as St.
Tables of the Church to perfect the Sacrifice He saith Gaudentius who descended In cap. 2. Exodi from heaven said the Bread which I will give shall be my Flesh who being Lord and Creator of all things aâ— he produceth Corn from the earth to make Bread so both he can and promised of Bread to make his Body And he who of Water made Wine can of Wine make his Bloud c. think not therefore that to be earthly which is heavenly Truth cannot lye c. St. Orat. magna Cateâ—hetica Gregory Nissen likewise biddeth us to consider how Christs Body received in many places â—nd by thousands together can wholly and intirely be communicated â—â—â—â—ch one of them wherefore I do rightly believe Bread by Gods word to be transmuted or wholly changed into thâ— Body of Christ and not to remain both together in the Sacrament as Luther even Harmoniâ— in cap. 26. Matth. in Calvins opinion absurdly affirmed And indeed all the Authorities of ancient Fathers hitherto alledged by me do plainly prove a totall change of Bread into the body and of Wine into the bloud of our Saviour fitly called in the great Laterane councâ—l Transubstantiation And that in the distinct Consecrations of our Saviours Body and Bloud at the Altar under the forms of Bread and Wine is celebrated his misterious Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech and foretold by Malachy the Propâ—et is so plainly and frequently testified by Ancientest and Chiefest Fathers of Christs Church as when we cite the Testimonies even of such as lived Lib. de vera reformatione Ecclesiae with the Apostles themselves Calvin passeth on us this mild and modest censure Solemne est istis nebulonibus c. It is the custome of these knaves to rake up out of the ancient Fathers whatsoever hath been written erroniously and â—alsly by them when therefore they object Malachies foretelling a continuall Sacrifice c. We answer saith he that these Fathers also taught Chriâ—â—s bodily presence in the Sacrament but so ridiculously as Reason and Truth inforce us to leave them Could a Devil in humanâ— shape have more proudly or contemptuously censured St. Irenaeus St. Justin St. Cyprian St. Alhanasius St. Chrysostom St. Ambrose St. Hilary St. Augustine and many others chief lights of Christs Church in their time for learning and Sanctity highly renowned And elswhere I see saith he the Fathers Lib. 4. Inâ—it cap. 28. Sect. 11. even the ancientest and chiefest amongst them to have wrested the memory of Christs sacrifice on the Crosse and to have acknowledged therein the face of a renewed oblation more than was agreeable to the institution thereof imitating so the Jewish manner of sacrificing more than Christ ordained or the Gospel permitted as if he alone knew better than all ancient Doctors before him what Christ ordained in his last Suppâ—r even such as had known the Apostles themselves or conversed with some of their chiefest Disciples in his Commentary also on St. Pauls Ep. to cap. 6. v. 9. the Hebrews he hath these words I cannot but wonder to see the ancient Fathers so preoccupated with the opinion of Christs corporall Presence in the Sacrament but aâ— one errour draweth on another when they had forged a sacrifice in the Lords Supper and adulterated thereby the samâ— they laboured to gather colourâ—ble Arguments whereby they might seem to maintain their errour So as mentioning no further his impudent and unchristian boldnesse in accusing so many glorious Saints now raigning with Christ in Heaven of Judaisme Idolatry and Superstition practised by themselves and taught to others I will accept here what he so plainly confesseth that all the ancientest and chiefest Fathers of Christs Church held the reall presence of our Saviour in the Eucharist and acknowledged a true sacrifice in the daily Consecration thereof celebrated still by us after their example and our Saviours institution mentioned also by St. Paul blessing Bread and 1 Cor. 10. Wine and distributing them as the Body and Bloud of our Lord according to S. Irenaeus his words our Lord saying of Bread this is my Body and Lib. 4. c. 32. confessing the Challice which he consecrated to be his bloud taught us a new oblation of the new Testament which the Church having received it from the Apostles offereth to God throughout the whole world as Malachy had foretold c. And not to speak of those ancient Liâ—urgies extant in Greek and Latine under divers Apostles names and proved to have been truly theirs by many grave and learned Authors oneâ—y because Protestants are not pleased for such to accept them I will boldly here affirm that no point or practice of faith can be more faithfully made known and testified by all manners unto us and even in Protestant Authors themselves more plainly confessed than that this great and onely sacrifice of Christians hath still in all ages since Christ even untill this very time both in our Western and those Eastern Churches of Greece Syria Armenia Eâ—ypt and India it self been celebrated so as yearly out of those and other parts of the world Christians come with their Priests unto Jerusalem many thousands of them together having no other publick service of God but the celebration of this sacrifice used amongst them never but in their first Apostolicall Conversions taught unto them and since still retained by them And albeit Nestorisme besides other ancient and condemned heresies have crept in lamentably amongst them yet in a Catholick belief of â—ur Saviours presence in the Sacrament and sacrifice of the Masse ordained by him there is no disagreement at all between them and this concord of many Nations remote from each other and void of all commerce between themselves for many ages together Lib. de Prâ—script according to Tertullians rule non error sed traditio est is no error but tradition still continued amongst them The second Part. FOr proof of the Masse also I could here if Calvins former confession that the ancientest and chiefest Fathers acknowledged and celebrated the same saved me not that labour heap up many pregnant testimonies out of their authenticall works truly collected that being most true which S. Epiphanius affirmed that all the Apostles severally prescribed the order of celebrating this sacrifice And St. Isidorus lib. 2. Officiorum telleth us that the Masse used in his time in these Western parts of the World was according to St. Peters Ordination which mysterious and unbloudy sacrifice albeit in the Host it self and chief Offerer thereof it be all one with the sacrifice of the Crosse yet is it far different in the manner and ceremonies thereof for whereas in that his body and bloud were painfully parted and his death thereby caused in this they are onely by distinct consecrations of them mysteriously severved So as to distinguish these sacrifices we may fitly call that other the sacrifice of our redemption consummated indeed fully by it and this
incite and move us to doe them and assist us so in the performance of them as neither our will without grace nor grace without our will doth any thing ever free and never enforced in them Both these liberties of our will in naturall and supernaturall actions so declared may evidently be gathered from a hundred cleare places of Scripture Moyses for example to instance Deuteron 3. here some few of them speaking unto his people I invoke heaven and earth saith he that I have proposed unto you life and death benediction and malediction choose therefore life c. Joshua likewise said to the same people cap. 24. thou hast thy cboyce choose this day what pleaseth thee and whom thou wilt serve chiefly on which words Calvin l. 2. instit cap. 2. n. 7. cap. 3. n. 10. unmindfull of what he had taught in other places against Free-will and the very name thereof hatefull unto him saith God gave them this liberty of choosing that being tyed by their owne wills they might blame onely themselves if they performed not what they had chosen God likewise proposed unto David 2 Reg. 24. three sorts of Punishments for his sinne of Pride in numbring his people and bad him choose which of them he would And elsewhere David saith of himselfe I have chosen to be an â—bject in the house of God rather than to dwell in the Tabernacles of sinners Because I have spoken said God to Isâ—â—â— 65. his people and you have not heard me but did evill before me and have chosen what I would not have you done for this therefore c. like to this Speech was our Saviours cry unto Hierusalem Math. 13. and S. Stephen told the Jews that they ever rejected the Holy Ghost which without freedome in their wills they could not have done insomuch that St Augustine in his Book of grace and Free-will heapeth more than thirty pregnant places of Scripture together to prove this Catholick point of Doctrine so evidently gatherable from reason it self and experienced daily both in our selves and others as S. Irenaeus truly affirmed that a man is Lib. 4. c. 9. 29. not to be accounted reasonable who will deny the freedome of mans will without which he could neither be Lib. 1. 6. 5. justly damned nor saved Tertuâ—ian against Marcian proveth that man loft not the liberty of his will by sinne and that the likenesse of God ingraffed in his nature chiefly therein consisteth And Origen in these words and Homil. 22. inn Numeros now O Israel what doth thy Lord God ask of thee writeth thus let them blush at these words who deny the freedome of mans will for how could God ask any thing of men if they had not power to offer it unto him and to omit the like testimonies of Other Fathers S. Augustine in three Tom. 7. whole books together of Free-will cleareth this Controversie for saith S. Hierome where necessity inforceth Lib. 2. contra Jovinianum nec condemnâ—tio nec caroâ—a est men are neither damned nor crowned The fourteenth Controversie Of Calvin's Solifidian Justice AS Calvin absurdly denyed Free-will proved against him in my former controversie so hath he not lib. inst c. 14. num 9. 10. 11. shewed himselfe a Christian Doctor in many Tenents about the manner of our Justification averr'd taught thus plainly by him First that before God our best actions are not onely void of merit but mortally also defiled and sinfull in the justest persons ibid. c. 17. 18. c. 3. n. 10. Secondly that the holiest Souls are never clensed from sinnes by any interiour graces insused into them but onely by Gods mercie they are not unto the elect imputed to damnation Thirdly that good works are as fruits of faith gratefully by us performed but concurre not in any sort to our salvation and that faith alone withont them doth justifie u8 ib. c. 11. â— 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. c. 2. n. 1. 9. 10. and by this faith heâ—mâ—aneth not that whereby revealed verities are believed by us little valued by him but that particular faith whereby each elected person is to believe and firmely to perswade himselfe that he is beloved of God and sure to be saved defined by him to be a certaine assurance of enjoying eternall life freelie by ib. c. 2. n. 38. 40. lib. 4. 6. 17. n. 2. Christ promised and interiourly by the holy Ghost revealed and signed unto him And in his farther declaration thereof he confesseth that many heretofore lib. 3 c. 11. n. 13. 14. meaning the holy Fathers conceived and taught that by faith and good works together men were c. 14. n. 16. justified in Gods sight But we say this justice to be gained by faith alone and that it cannot stand where good workes are valued and joyned with it or confided in even such as are spirituall and best performed by us Which doctrine was an heresie in the Apostles time and condemned by them as St. Austin affirmeth lib de fid opeâ— c. 14 chiefly gathered then as it is now from an ill understanding of hard places in S. Paul's Epistles which unlearned and unstable persons saith St. Peter depraved as they do other Scriptures to their owne perdition Which Heresies so anciently condemned ought now also to be banished from all Christian hearts saith the same Father as tending to make them carelesse to live well And when S. ad Rom. 3. 5. Paul said I think a man to be justified by faith without works he meaneth not works by the faith and grace of Christ holily performed but works of the Law which the Jews were apt to glory in even after their conversion to Christ as if by them they had merited farre above the Gentiles to be called by him Which false perswasion St. Paul doth refute in them Neither are the Apostles saith St. Austin St. Paul and St. James contrary to each other when the one affirmeth a man to be justified by faith without works the other teaches faith without works to be dead and worth nothing because the one speaketh of works done before faith in Christ and the other of workes by the grace and faith of Christ duly performed Which true explication of so great a Doctor and by many other ancient Fathers embraced Calvin in his wonted l. 3. instin c. 21. num 10. 1 Cor. 13. modesty calleth subterfugium ineptissimum a most foolish evasion albeit St. Paul in confirmarion thereof saith that if he had all faith able to remove mountains yet if he wanted charity it were nothing for saith he in Christ Jesu neither Circumcision nor Prepuce availeth any thing but faith that worketh by charity And if Calvin had â—scribed our justification to this faith he had taught true doctrine But his particular faith and certaine perswasion which every one must have that he is one of Gods elect and that Heaven is no
his commandements And it is said of Joshua that he Cap. 11. fulfilld all the commandments which Moses gave unto him and omitted not all precepts which God had given unto him And of S. John Baptists parents it is said that they were just and walked in all the commandements and justifications of our Lord without complaint for which reason also Noah Abraham Job David and others are called in Scripture just persons and faithfull servants of God loving him with their whole heart in which love the observance of his law and commandments is certainly included according to S. Johns words He who saith he loveth God and observeth not his commandements is a lyar to wit according to that degree of love which is in the first commandment required of him not meaning an infinite love as God is in himself worthy to be beloved nor such an ardent and incessant love as is in the blessed of heaven towards him nor such a love as a holy man on earth may by any helps of grace possibly attain unto But only so far as in our love no creature be preferred before him or for the love of any created thing we be drawn to offend him And to this degree of divine love every man is tyed and cannot attain heaven without it according to S. Johns words qui non diligit manet in morte he is dead that loveth not and for what more he addeth to this love he shall in heaven be glorioushâ— ewarded Neither can any reasonable man conceive so foolishly of our heavenly Redeemer the Word and Wisdome of his Father that after his last Supper he would more than once require of his Disciples so dear as they were unto him that they should shew their love towards him in keeping his commandments if he had known it to have been as Calvin affirmeth impossible for them or any man to observe them nor had he so sweetly required of them the obfervance of them If you love me keep my Commandements For had they believed Calvins wicked doctrine they might have replied and asked of him Lord how can'st thou require of us if we love thee to keep thy commandments if it be impossible for us to observe them And when the young man in the Gospel told him That he had kept them from his youth our Saviour denied not what he said but rather loved him for it as the Evangelist telleth us and proposed a higher course of Sanctity unto him Moreover were Calvins doctrine true when the young man asked our Saviour what he might do to possesse life everlasting his answer was dreadfull to him and us also If thou wilâ— enter into life keep the Commandments For if this condition be needfull as Christs speech importeth and impossible to be Serm. attende attende tibi performed as Calvin affirmeth how can any man hope to be saved Wherefore S. Basil rightly affirmed it to be a wicked saying that Gods Commandments were impossible to be observed S. Hierom said well that Christ coÌ„manded In Mal. 5. perfect things not impossible St. Lib. de nat gratia c. 43. 69. Austine in sundry places averreth and proveth this doctrine thus declared more then 1200. years since in the 2. Arcasican Council Wee believe as a Catholick point of faith that men baptised by the help of Christ assistance of his grace if they labour faithfully with it may perform what to Hom. 8. de paenitentia the attaining of eternall life is required of them S. Chrysostome moreover addeth that many do more than is required of them to be saved Reason likewise it self teacheth us that if Gods commandments were impossible to be observed no man could offend by the breach of them because no man can be reasonably tyed to what is impossible to be observed by him whence it would follow that sinne consisting in the transgression of Gods law should be no sin at all as not voluntarily but necessarily incurred Neither hath Christ provided sufficiently for our salvation against many texts of scripture if by his grace he neither hath nor can inable us to fulfill his law and Commandements under pain of damnation required of us not without a manifest cruelty against his known goodnesse and mercy towards us and against the very end of his coming to reedeem us that as holy Zachary sung in his Canticle Being delivered out of the bands of our enemies we may serve him in sanctity and justice all dayes of our life The seventeenth Controversie Of Feasts and Fasts Apostolically ordained and neglected both by English Calvinists and Independants AMongst whom no feast at all is observed but Sunday whereas in all Provinces belonging to the Low-Country States those who professe Calvins doctrine and decline not unto the utmost strictness impiety thereof are yearly accustomed with great solemnity to observe for two dayes together the feast of our Saviours Nativity and in like manner the festivities of Easter and Whitsuntide Our Saviours Presentation also his Incarnation and the Epiphany are amongst them festivally observed and so are the Feasts of All Saints and of the Apostles with some other chief Festivities and in other of lesse note Servants and Tradesmen abstain from work as I have noted in several Cities whilst I lived amongst them and hereby they retain some shew of Christianity amongst them Ask likewise of any Pastor or intelligent person amongst them as I have done of many why they celebrate for example Christs Nativity they will tell you it is to honour his comming into the world to redeem us Ask also why they keep Easter they will answer it to be in memory of his Resurrection after he had by his death on the Crosse redeemed us And ask them why they celebrate Pentecost they will say because on that day the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour to write his law in their hearts and make them able to preach and teach it unto others also and Pastors in their sermons on such dayes have as I have said a commendable care to declare unto the people the mysteries and meanings of such festivities affirming them to be no good Chistians nor worthy to partake in such blessings received by the Son of God who will not in such feasts gratefully and particularly acknowledge them All which religious manner of observing Lib. â— instit cap. 8. n. 8. sequent Feasts for the signification of them and chiefe Mysteries of faith remembred in them is held by Calvin himselfe and other pure professors of his doctrine to be plainly Judaicall and superstitious Yea and that Sunday it selfe is for orders sake onely in the Church to be so indifferently observed as Christians may if they will choose any other day in the week in place thereof So willing is he and his followers to blot out of mens memories all benefits and blessings by the Son of God conâ—â—rred on us yet they cannot but know that Christians made in
the Apostlâ—s â—â—â—e their Synaxes and meetings on Sunday called in the Acts by St. Paul after Act. 20. 1 Cor. 16. Apoc. 1. an Hebrew manner of speaking una Sabbati one or the first day of the week and by St. John our Lords day and by St. Ignatius who lived to see Epistol ad Magnet can 16. Apost Apolo 2. de coron milit lib. 7. strom hom 7. in Exâ—d Christ the chiefe and Queen of all dayes mentioned by St. Clement by St. Justin Martyr by Tertullian by St. Clement of Alexandria by Origen and other ancient Fathers as Apostolically ordayned and wont to be kept in memory of our Saviour's Resurrection And if the Apostles had authority to translate the Jewish Sabbaoth which was Saturday into our Sunday and command the observance thereof why should not other Feasts likewise certainly ordained by them Lib. 5. c. 13. be by us equally observed The day for example of our Lords Nativity mentioned by St. Clement and graced by many homilies and sermons preach'd thereon by many chiese Fathers The day likewise of the Epiphany the feasts of Easter Pentecost and our Saviours Ascension in their Apostolicall antiquity testified unto us and so are the feasts of St. Stephen St. Clemens lib. 8. constit cap. 39. of the holy Innocents and many dayes of Apostles and Martyrs kown to have been in Christs Church timely observed The church of Smyrna for example solemnly observed the day of St. Polycarp's martyrdome as Eusebius recounteth Origen mentioneth the Lib. bist 6. 15. the feast of Innocents celebrated in his time c. And if the Angels in heaven hom 3. in diversos rejoyce at the conversion of Sinners on earth why may we not as well rejoyce and praise God in the glorious martyrdome of his Servants and their happy entrance into heaven whereby God is more glorified and the number of blessed Souls increased ready to pray for us And whereas it is objected by our Adversaries that St. Paul feared the Galatians because they did observe dayes moneths and yeares willed the Colossenses also that no man should judge them either in meat or drinke or part of any festivity it is certaine that he spake of Judaical observances about meats dayes new moones and other like Festivities â—â— c. Mat. â— lib. 4. instit c. 12 n. 19 20 21. When Calvin likewise after his accustomed boldnesse concerning the solemne Fast in Lent mentioned by St. Ignatius and other chief Fathers after him as an Apostolicall institution exhorting people to a strict and religious observance thereof he calleth it a meere foolery and detestable wicked mockery of Christ and useth this brainlesse argument to prove it because forsooth Christ's miraculous fast without any meat or drink at all is obscured by it And for that we proudly adorne our selves with his spoyles onely because in a holy imitation of him we make fewer meales than we are accustom'd aâ— other times and abstaine from fleshly meats most nourishing and pleasing unto us As Daniel to hasten the returne of his c. 10. Peoople out of their Babylonian captivity fasâ—ed and abstained from Bread desiderable or most desired by him And when he objecteth that in our fasts by abstaining from flesh we imitate the Jewes in the legal difference of clean and uncleane meats he lyeth against his Conscience for when he was an under-pastor of our Church at Naion he was bound to know and teach the contrary to wit that in Lent and on fasting dayes we abstaine from fleshly meats to mortify our selves not because we conceive such meats in themselves to be uncleane and unwholesome but because they are on such dayes by a just praecept of the Church and an ancient custome of all good Christians forbidden unto us And such as are sick or have any just cause freely doe eat them without any uncleannesse at all conceived of them And why is it that he and his fellows are such professed enemies to all publick fasts and other exercises of mortification used anciently among Christians but because under a false pretence of evangelicall liberty they seek after commodities of their belly Whereas our divine Lord himselfe promised that his children Mat. 9. should fast when he was taken from them and St. Paul counselled married 1 Cor. couples to make at times their and prayer more acceptable to God by living continently together as in other places he willeth Pastors and Guides of Souls to exhibite themselves Gods ministers in much patience 2 Cor. 11. in vigils injejuniis multis in patience in labours in watchings and much fasting And whilest that praecept did last of abstaining from bloud and strangled meats it was by all good Christians strictly observed Lib. 4. instit c. 12. n. 14. And if that be true which Calvin affirmeth himselfe that in the Church by the power of the keys Pastors for just causes may ordaine solemne fasts supplications and other exercises of Christian Piety albeit not expressed in Scripture and that this power was usually and lawfully practised not onely by the Apostles but Prophets likewise before them Why might not the Apostles also by the same power ordain the fast of Lent and Ember dayes Vigils also before great feasts for the glorie of God and spirituall benefit of faithfull soules throughout the whole Church constantly continually to be observ'd The Eighteenth Controversie Concerning Predestination WHerein Calvin's doctrines are horribly blasphemous in themselves and injurious to the knowne goodnesse and mercy of allmighty God for whereas he was said in Scripture not to have made Death Sap. 1. nor to rejoyce in mens perdition That he would have all be saved and none to perish 1 Tim. 2. but by penance to have all return unto him 2 Pet. 3. That God is never angry with any man saith Fulgentius but first offended by him Calvin expressely affirmeth Lib. 3. cap. n. 1. 2. c. 21. n. 4. him in sundry places of his Institutions of his own free will without any respect of their actions good or bad â—o have praedestinated the greatest rart of men to be eternally ib. c 23. n. 4. 7. 9. c. 24. n. 8. 1â— damned and ordained them to commit many and grievous sinnes that they might become vessels of his wrath sury and indignation justly executed upon them Yea and that Christ died not to save them or to purchase faith grace or any benefit at all for them And if you aske him with what justice Lib. instit c. 17. 15 Lib. 2. c. 4 Lib. 3. c. 23. In Mat. 13. God can punish sinners whom himself ordained to offend him yea which is more whom he incites moveth and enforceth so as they cannot resist him to commit such sinnes as are most hainous and displeasing unto him he will tell you that it is areanum Lib. 2 c. 8. n. 3. quoddam humanae mentis perspicacitatem longissime excedens a secret