there is no shadow of likelyhood that one should tell the Pope such a tale to his face or that Erasmus being in most points a Catholike would report it But for the inducing of his Reader to this opinion see a trick of this honest man For if he had truly quoted the place as he found it by me set downe he thought his Reader would perhaps looke the place and so would finde it to be as I had said But to preuent this whereas I had noted in the margent Erasm de rat Concion lib. 3. hee setteth downe in steede thereof Erasmus de ratione that the Reader vvhen he should search for such a booke of Erasmus and finde no such written by him might thinke me to be as very a cozener as Doctor Bishop himselfe now is found to be Let me tell him once againe that Erasmus hath written a vvorke entituled Ecclesiastes or de ratione Concionandi in g Pag. 291. as it was printed at Basil by Frobenius 1535. the third booke whereof he hath left to future memory those vvorthy stories of Robertus Liciensis which I haue before reported For conclusion of this passage he termeth me a poore Robin simple and poore-blinde that can finde nothing in the Apostles writings for their Catholike cause telling vs that he hath shewed the contrary already and will further shew it in those very points which I my selfe haue made choise of But what he hath done already we haue seene it remaineth to examine the rest that follow that it may appeare whether the simple Protestants doe well or not in taking the Apostle St. Paul to be wholly for them W. BISHOP §. 2. TO beginne with the first there is plaine testimony that we are iustified before God by workes which I cited before VVith God the doers of the law shall be Rom. 2. vers 13. iustified There is much for free-will witnesse this Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall body Ibid. 6. vers 12. 13. that you obey the concupiscence thereof but neither doe you exhibite your members instruments of iniquity vnto sinne but exhibite your selues to God of dead men aliue and your members instruments of iustice to God for sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for you are not vnder the law but vnder grace See how the Apostle maketh it in the power and will of euery man indued with Gods grace either to doe well or to doe euill and that sinne hath no such dominion ouer them but that they may doe well if they will concurre with Gods grace Item that it is not grace which doth all but a man must worke with grace and exhibite the powers of his soule as instruments towards the producing of good workes which is flatly our doctrine of free-will And before we depart from this matter of iustification as M. Abbot doth very quickly you shall heare more of it out of the same Apostle he teacheth expresly that a man in the state of grace may fulfill the law in these wordes For that which was impossible to the law Ibid. cap. 8. v. 3. in that it was weakned by flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne euen of sinne damned sinne in the flesh that the iustification of the law might bee fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Which is seconded in the thirteenth Chapter where he concludeth loue to be the fulnesse of the law hauing Ibid. v. 9. 10. before said that he who loueth his neighbour fulfilleth the law And as for that certainty of saluation which many Protestants bragge of the Apostle doth wholly dispossesse them of it first in the place before cited where he willeth them that stand right in the true Rom. 11. ver 20. faith to beware that they fall not and assureth them that they shall fall as others had done before them if they did not diligently looke vnto it Elsewhere he aduiseth vs with feare and trembling to worke our Philip. 2. ver 12. saluation Marke how two points of the Protestant doctrine be wounded in one sentence and two of ours confirmed both that we must worke our saluation it comes not then by only faith and that with feare and trembling we are not then assured of it before hand by the certainty of faith which excludeth all feare and doubt of it Now that we ought to haue a firme hope of saluation S. Paul teacheth vs VVe haue accesse through faith Rom. 5. vers 2. into this his grace wherein we stand and glory in the hope of the Sonnes of God Also For by hope we Ibid. 8. vers 24. are saued Item we giue thanks to God c. for the Clooss 1. vers 5. hope that is laid vp for you in heauen With whom S. Peter consorteth Blessed be God and the Father of 1. Pet. 1. vers 3. our Lord Iesus Christ who according to his great mercy hath regenerated you into a liuely hope vnto an incorruptible crowne c. laid vp in heauen Not to prosecute all the particular points of iustification which haue euery one good ground in the Apostle S. Paul as in that question may be seene the very faith whereby Abraham was and we are iustified is no such kinde of faith as the Protestants claime to be iustified by that is by an apprehension and drawing of Christs righteousnesse to themselues but that faith whereby we beleeue all things to be true which God hath reuealed as S. Paul declareth in the fourth to the Romans where he reporteth Abraham Rom. 4. vers 19. to haue beene iustified by beleeuing that God according to his promise would giue him a Sonne and make him the Father of many nations so that finally there is not a word in S. Paul which in his owne meaning maketh for any one peece of the Protestants iustification but heapes of testimonies for euery branch of iustification as we beleeue it R. ABBOT H 〈…〉 M. Bishop beginneth to muster his abundance of 〈◊〉 like an armie of men whereof some want aâ—mes some legges some looke another way some turne quite about and fight against him He setteth downe a number of places but whether they hit or crosse or come short what careth he let the Reader looke to that He saith they proue this or that but how they proue it id populus curet scilicet he is too busie to trouble himselfe about it As for example There is plaine testimony saith he that we are iustified before God by workes namely a Rom. 2. 13. with God the doers of the law shall be iustified But it doth not follow that because the doers of the law shall be iustified with God therefore we are iustified before God by workes because it doth not appeare that we are doers of the law Let him put in for his minor proposition But we are doers of the law and then his absurdity appeareth because
namely he saith Idem Moral l. 10. c. 8. Saepe â—ontingit â—t fides in menâ—e iam viâ—eat sed tamen ex parte aliqua in dubietate contabâ—scat Vnam candemque mentem cerâ—â—uao solidae sidâ—i roborat tamen ex aliquantula mutabilitate perfidâ—e aura dubictatis versat of the man before mentioned that u Ibid. Per sidem sperans per infidelitatem fluctuans dicebat c. Et exerare certus iam po sidem coeperat adhuc incertus vndas persidiae ex incredulitate â—â—lerabat hoping by faith and wauering by vnbeliefe he said Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe He beganne to pray saith he certaine now by faith and yet being vncertaine hee bare the waues of vnbeliefe Wee see here beside all that hath beene formerly said that saith and vnbeliefe certainty and vncertainty assurance and doubt bee blended together in one and the same man and why doth M. Bishop then professing to be a Romanist thus absurdly crosse the old doctrine of the Church of Rome why doth he tell vs so often that faith excludeth all feare and doubt But he committeth here a further errour in wresting x See hereof the question of the certainty of saluation sect 10. the Apostles wordes to doubting feare which is dâ—strustfull of God whereas the Apostle speaketh of that godly feare whereby we are distrustfull of our selues that we may trust in God only The Apostle doth not say Worke your saluation in feare and trembling so as to bee alwaies in feare and doubt of your being saued but so as that you neuer dare trust to your selues or attribute any thing in this behalfe to your owne power or worke but alwaies to giue glory vnto God and to depend vpon him seeking to be enabled and strengthened by his arme because though you be willed to worke your owne saluation yet you must know that it is God that worketh in you both to will it and to worke it euen of his owne good will Dauid in the Psalme saith y Psal 2. 11. Serue the Lord in feare What meaneth this saith St. Austin z August in Psal 65. Quid hoc sihi vult Audi vocem Apostoli Cum timore inquit tremore c. Quare cum timore tremore subiecit causam Dâ—us est enim c. si ergò Deus operatur â—â—te Dei gratia benè operaris non viribus tuis Ergo si gaudes time ne fortè quod datum est humili auscratur superbo Heare what the Apostle saith with feare and trembling worke your owne saluation Why with feare and trembling He addeth the cause for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe If God then worke in thee thou workest well by the grace of God not by thine owne strength Where we see how St. Austin vnderstandeth feare in the Apostles wordes as he doth in the wordes of Dauid and would M. Bishop be so absurd as to vnderstand Dauid to say serue the Lord so as to be continually in feare and doubt of your owne saluation And whereas St. Austin saith that the Apostle to giue a reason why hee saith in feare and trembling addeth those other wordes for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe will M. Bishop be so madde as to couple these speeches in this sort Worke your saluation being alwaies in feare and doubt thereof because it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe What is it a reason for vs to doubt of our owne saluation because it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to do The same St. Austin in another place citing the same words of the Psalme Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce vnto him with trembling saith that a August de corrept grat cap. â— Quid ostendens nisi cos esse commonitos qui ambulant in via iusta vt in tiâ— more Deo seruiant id est non altum sapiat sed timeant qâ—od significat non superbiant sed humiâ—es sint c. exultent Deo sed cum tremoâ—e in nullo gloriantes quando nostrum nihil sit vt qui gloriatur in Domino gloriâ—tur ne perâ—ant de via iusta in qua iam ambulare coeperâ—t dum sibi â—oc ipsum assignant quò◠in ea sunt His verbis vsus est Apostolê° vbi ait cum timore c. ostendens quare cum timore tremore ait dâ—us est â—â—m c. they who walke in the right way are admonished thereby not to be proud but to be humble to reioyce vnto God but with trembling not glorying in any thing because nothing is ours that hee that reioyceth may reioyce in the Lord lest they perish out of the right way wherin they haue begunne to walke whilest they attribute it to themselues that they are in the way Whereupon he addeth The like wordes the Apostle also vseth With feare and trembling worke your owne saluation and to shew why with feare and trembling hee saith for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe The feare then which the Apostle commendeth to vs is not a doubting feare such as is contrary to assurance of faith but such as is contrary to presumption and pride and trust in our selues and importeth humility lowlinesse of minde distrust of our owne strength that wee may relie vpon the strength and power of God Why doth M. Bishop then forgoe a plaine and manifest construction to force a meaning vpon the Apostle which can by no meanes bee sitting or agreeing with the wordes from hence he goeth forward to proue that we ought to haue a firme hope of saluation But why doth he take such paines to proue that which we deny not or how is it that he seeth not that the proofe of that is his owne reproofe For if we must firmely hope for saluation then we must not stand in feare of our saluation But he saith b Of the certainty of saluation sect 10. we must stand in feare of our saluation we must feare whether we shall be saued or not Therefore we ought not firmely and stedfastly to hope for it These two cannot stand together we cannot firmely hope for saluation if we must stand in feare and doubt whether we shall be saued or not Last of all he quarrelleth vs as touching the nature of true faith The very faith saith he whereby we are iustified is no such kinde of faith as the Protestants claime to be iustified by What is it then Forsooth it is that faith whereby wee beleeue all things to be true which God hath reueiled And how doth that appeare Marry St. Paul declareth Abraham to haue beene iustified by beleeuing that God according to his promise would giue him a sonne and make him the father of many nations Which his base and vndiuine conceipt of Christian saith I haue exagitated c Of Iustification
sect 18. elsewhere and I should wonder but that it is his manner so to doe that the absurdity thereof being so displayed he would thus repeate it againe almost in the same wordes It shall be here sufficient thence briefly to answere him that the iustifying faith of a Christian man is not incident to the Diuell But the Diuell is capable of beleeuing all â—o bee true which God hath reueiled The Diuell could beleeue that God according to his promise would giue Abraham a sonne and make him the father of many nations Therefore iustifying faith is more then to beleeue all to be true vvhich God hath reueiled That more is plainly gathered of that which Cyprian saith d Cyprian de dupl martyrio Non credit in Deum qui non in â—o solo collocat totius foelicitatis suae fiduciam He beleeueth not in God that doth not place or repose in God only the confidence and trust of his whole felicity and happinesse Iustifying faith then is the reposing of trust and confidence in God only to obtaine of him eternall blisse and happinesse through the merits and mediation of Iesus Christ And this was Abrahams faith not a carnall beliefe only that God vvould giue him a sonne and a great posterity of many nations but a beleefe of a spirituall e Gen. 12. 2. Gal. 3. 8. 9. blessing in his seede according to the promise of God both to himselfe and to all the nations of the earth And this vve see in the place which M. Bishop citeth vvhere the Apostle alleaging that Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse addeth f Rom. 4. 23. Now it is not written for him only but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse What to beleeue that old and barren persons may haue children if God say the word as M. Bishop in the place before mentioned very rudely expresseth the faith of Abraham Nay but to beleeue in him that raised vp Iesus the Lord from the dead who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification This was it which the faith of Abraham respected By beleefe of the promise of God g Iohn 8. 56. he saw the day of Christ He beleeued that of his seed should come a Sauiour both to himselfe and to vs who should be deliuered to death for our sinnes and rise againe for our iustification and by this faith he was iustified For the same faith saued Abraham that now saueth vs as hath beene before shewed But the faith that saueth vs is the faith of the Gospell the faith of Iesus Christ the faith of his Crosse the faith of his Bloud the faith of his Death and Resurrection Therefore this was also the faith that saued Abraham Thus M. Bishops heapes of testimonies proue for his part heapes of chaffe and not of corne they carry a shew of multitude but say nothing at all for him He is a â—aiâ—e man that goeth about by such allegations to impeach any peece of the Protestants iustification When he hath spent all his paper-shot the Protestants iustification vvill remaine still W. BISHOP §. 3. NOw I come to the other points named by M. Abbot There is nothing saith he in S. Paul for the merit of single life But he is greatly mistaken for the Apostle saith That the care of the single and vnmarried 1. Cor. 7. vers 32 33. 34. is to please God and their study to thinke vpon those things that appertaine vnto God and how they may be holy both in body and in spirit which must needes be more acceptable in Gods sight then to be carping for this world and caring how to please their yoke-mate To this wee adde Monkish vowes of which if hee were worthy to be a good Abbot he would speake more respectiuely somwhat S. Paul hath of the vow of chastiâ—y which is one of their principall vowes for he auoucheth certaine widdowes worthy of damnation because 1. Tim. 5. v. 12. they broke the same former vow of chastity And S. Paul himselfe shoare his head in Cenchris because Act. 18. vers 18. he had a vow which was the vow of a Nazarite not much vnlike for the time though much inferiour vnto the vow of religious persons see of that vow the sixt Chapter of the booke of Numbers There is nothing saith M. Abbot in S. Paul of prayer for the dead which is not true for he teacheth that some of the faithfull who haue built vpon the right foundation hay 1. Cor. 3. vers 13. stubble and such like trash shall notwithstanding at the day of our Lord bee saued yet so as through fire Which the ancient Doctors doe take to be the fire of SS Aug. in psal 37. Hieron lib. 2. cont Iouin 13. Ambros in hunc locum Gregor in psal 3. Poenitentialem Purgatory Now if many whiles the drosse of their workes be purged doe lie in fire it will easily follow thereof that euery good soule who hath any Christian compassion in him will pray for the release of their Christian brother out of those torments R. ABBOT THou maiest here see gentle Reader M. Bishops tergiuersation and manifest shifting I propounded out of Theodoret that the Epistle to the Romans containeth all manner doctrines of faith Vpon this ground I noted that the doctrine of Popery is to be condemned for that it containeth so many points as necessary articles of faith whereof there is nothing to be found in the Epistle to the Romans Herewith M. Bishop found himselfe greatly distressed On the one side he durst not openly reiect the testimony of Theodoret fearing least that haply might be some preiudice to him On the other side he saw he could not finde their religion in the Epistle to the Romans Now therefore silently he stealeth away and betaketh himselfe to the rest of Pauls Epistles not vpon any hope that he hath that he can thence make good his cause but for that hee findeth there some speeches deliuered vpon occasions whereby hee can better giue colour to some doctrines of theirs of which the Apostle neuer thought He telleth his Reader that I say there is nothing in St. Paul for the merit of single life But my saying was that in the Epistle to the Romans which Theodoret affirmeth to containe all kinde of doctrine there is nothing said for the merit of single life Well let him yet haue his way let vs giue him full liberty of the rest of St. Pauls Epistles and what hath he there for the proofe of it Forsooth he telleth vs that the Apostle saith that the care of the single and vnmarried is to please God and their study to thinke vpon those things that appertaine to God and how they may be holy both in body and in spirit which saith he must needes be more acceptable in Gods sight then to be carking for this world and caring how to please their yoke-mate But here he
stubble and hay is thereby consumed and brought to nought And thus Cyril saith as Aquinas alleageth him o Cyril apud Tho. Aquin. in Luc. 12. Ignem veni mittere c. Mos est sacrae Scripturâ— ignem quandoque dicere sacros diuinos sermones that it is the manner of the holy Scripture to call the sacred wordes of God by the name fire and Chrysostome one where alluding to the wordes here handled expoundeth p Chrysost de PoeniteÌ„t hom 8. Igne examinemus verbo scilicet doctrinae fire to be the word of doctrine who though they both make the application of that construction to reformation of manners yet considering what hath beene said doe both iustifie the same construction to our vse Now all these things being well waighed it well appeareth how little hold Popish Purgatory hath in those wordes of the Apostle and because in the fall of Purgatory is the fall of prayer for the dead therefore M. Bishop hath yet said nothing out of St. Paul for prayer for the dead W. BISHOP §. 4. I Come now to Images and Relikes of which he affirmeth that S. Paul saith nothing where was the goodmans memory when he wrote this or remembring the matter well enough was he so fiercely bent to deceiue others that he cared not what vntruth he vttered The Apostle maketh honourable mention of the Images of Heb. 9. v. 4. 5. the Cherubins placed gloriously in the vppermost part of the Israelites Tabernacle which for the holynesse thereof was called Sancta Sanctorum Further that within the Arke of the Testament standing in the same place were reserued pretious Relikes as the rodde of Aaron that blossomed a golden pot full of that Angelicall foode Manna which God rained from heauen and the Tables of the Testament to which if you ioyne the sentence of the same Apostle That all hapned to them in figure and were written 1. Cor. 10. v. 11. for our instruction may not we then gather thereby that Images are to be placed in Churches and holy Relikes in golden shrines And the same Apostle in the same Epistle declaring that Iacob by faith adored the Heb. 11. ver 21. toppe of Iosephs rodde which was a signe of his power doth he not giue all iudicious men to vnderstand that the Images of Saints for their holy representation ought to be respected and worshipped R. ABBOT THou maiest not wonder gentle Reader if it grow wearisome to me to follow the sent of this Fox who only casteth dust in mine eyes to stoppe me from pursuing him too fast as being afraide to be otherwise sodainly griped to death Obserue I pray thee what proofes hee hath here brought for Images and Relikes Hee doth not only omit wholly the Epistle to the Romans whence hee was required the proofe but bringeth arguments so ridiculous so idle so impertinent as that euen hereby it is easily to bee discerned that it is a desperate cause which hee hath in hand For Images hee saith that St. Paul maketh honourable mention of the Images of the Cherubims where hee putteth in the Images as thinking it should bee some grace to him that the Reader not looking the place should beleeue that the Apostle had named Images But see further how hee stuffeth this skar-crow with his litteâ— of idle wordâ—s Hee maketh honourable mention of the Images of the Cherubins placed gloriously in the vppermost part of the Israelites Tabernacle which for the holynesse thereof was called Sancta Sanctorum A simple man would thinke that this strowting tale should certainly import some speciall matter but it is like the picture of Beuis that makes a great shew and strikes neuer a stroke a Heb. 9. 5. Ouer the Arke saith the Apostle were the glorious Cherubins shadowing the mercy seate but what is this to M. Bishops purpose Marry saith he the same Apostle saith b 1. Cor. 10. 11. that all things happened to them in figure and were written for our instruction Be it so and what then May not wee then gather thereby saith hee that Images are to be placed in Churches You may indeede M. Bishop but it shall bee no otherwise then as Spiders doe which gather poison of sweet flowers It is true though it bee not proued by the wordes which hee vnduely citeth that all things happened to the Israelites in figure but did the Cherubins prefigure the hauing of Images in our Churches If they did wee desire that he make it appeare to vs which I thinke hee hath not so little wit as to vndertake If they did not what a foolish conclusion hath hee made that because there were the Cherubins in the Iewish Tabernacle figuring something for our instruction therefore wee may set vp Images in Churches c Heb. 9. 11. The Tabernacle as the Apostle teacheth vs prefigured the body of our Lord IESVS Christ The Arke was the place where God yeelded d Exod. 25. 22. Numb 7. 89. his presence to his people to dwell amongst them and from which hee spake and declared his will vnto them The Cherubins as e Of Images sect 8. M. Bishop himselfe acknowledgeth betokened the Angels prest and ready in the presence of God to doe his will What shall now the thing figured be but that God in Iesus Christ is alwaies present with vs and his Angels still assisting in his presence to receiue commandements for our behoofe being f Heb. 1. 24. ministring spirits as the Apostle saith sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation And must we now let this truth goe that ministreth strength and comfort to our faith that wee may giue M. Bishop roome for his blinde Idols But see withall how handsomely this matter is peeced together The Cherubins did represent the Angels What the shape or fashion of those Cherubins was neither M. Bishop can tell nor any man else as I haue g Of Images sect 8. before shewed They were set in the Sancta Sanctorum as he confesseth where they were wholly out of sight and whither no man came but h Heb. 9. 7. the high Priest only once euery yearâ— And doth not hee then very fitly and substantially alleage the example of these Cherubins for their Images of Men and Women to bee set vp openly in Churches not only that the people may behold them but that they may also fall downe to them worship them pray to them offer and burne incense to them according to all the abhominations of the Heathen accustomed to their Idols Doth hee finde that the Iewes tooke thereby warrant to set vp in the Temple the Images of Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and other holy Fathers to doe the like to them Doth he not know that he abuseth his Reader hereby and will hee yet goe forward so to doe But for an expresse and briefe answere to him I cannot say any thing more fitly then that which Tertullian of old answered to them
from other places come to God into any one place of the earth but that in their owne places they should worship him This they held to be enough and knew no needâ— of hunting or seeking to this place or that place either to Rome or to Africa as vnder the ouerture whereof they might haue readier accesse to God because all places were alike to him Where if M. Bishop will say that they doe not require that euery one shall come to Rome to worship God there I answer him that when the Donatists did require g August coÌ„t Crescon GraÌ„ mat lib. 3 c. 34. Tot populi quid fecerunt quicùm ista nescirent tamen à vâ—bis rebaptizandi censentur all nations to be rebaptized by them they were not so madde as to thinke that it should concerne all men personally to come into Africa but would haue thought it sufficient that though not immediately by themselues yet mediately by their rebaptizers though not in person yet in deuotion and affection they had beene there that in the meane time they did respect it as the rocke from whence in their conuerters they were digged as the roote of their Christianity the oracle of their doubts the place of their appeales the sanctuary of piety from whence by communicating with it all their Seruices and Sacrifices should ascend to be acceptable vnto God Such as would haue yeelded them this regard they would neuer haue doubted though they had neuer come into Africa to adiudge them true members of their Church and therefore the Fathers in denying any one place to which the nations should need to come that they might come to God either spake idlely against the Donatists or else must be vnderstood to deny any such one place as I haue said But the Papists not content to attribute that to their Rome which the Donatists did to Africa haue further made it a matter of so great merit and moment with God to come to Rome to doe deuotion there as that to them that doe so or doe by money redeeme the necessity of going thither thereby to be esteemed as if they did goe they haue proclaimed the full pardon and remission of all their sinnes Sith then the Catholike Church importeth the vniuersall communion of h 1. Cor. 1. 2. all that call vpon the name of our Lord Iesus Christ in euery place through the world and the communion of the Roman Church is extremely short of being extended ouer the whole world being limited to one place and being particular and priuate only to one sect and sort of men out of the number and company whereof are innumerable Christians and Christian Churches which as the case standeth neither haue nor desire to haue any portion therein yea vndoubtedly a number that neuer haue heard either of the Pope or of the Roman Church it must needes follow that as they deale absurdly who call the Roman Church the Catholike Church so they deale as absurdly who appropriate the name of Catholikes to the communion of the Roman Church which cannot arise but from the communion and fellowship indifferently of the vniuersall Church And hereby it appeareth that though some of them had dispersed themselues into all nations yet they could no more take vpon them thereby to be Catholikes then the Donatists in the like case could haue done For as the Donatists though they had set foote into all other Countries as they did into Italie and Spaine and out of Africa particularly so called into many parts and Prouinces of Africa at large yet could not for that haue beene called Catholikes because through the whole world they should haue beene but a part of the whole Church i Aug. Epist 161. Pars vestra quae Donati dicitur c. Pars Donati Donatus his part depending vpon one man and diuided vnder his name from the common society of the Church euen so the Papists also though they should spread themselues in the same sort yet should not thereby obtayne the right of the name of Catholikes because they should be but a part of the whole the Popes part depending vpon him and vnder his name diuided from an innumerable multitude of all nations who though they disclaime the Pope yet doubt not to haue interest in the Church as well as they and therefore where they are are no other but a faction and schisme renting the vnion and communion of the Church of Christ Surely if anciently there had beene any such dependence of the Church vpon the Bishop of Rome as the Papists pretend now the Donatists being offended as St. Austin witnesseth k August coÌ„t lit Petil. l. 2. c. 39. Quia vos de parte Donati essedicimus quâ—ritis hominem de cuius parte 〈◊〉 esse dicatis that they were called Donatists or Donatus his part and seeking to entitle their aduersaries vnder the name of another part would neuer haue beene to seeke herein but being at so great square with the Church of Rome as M. Bishop hath alleaged would haue giuen them a name from the Bishop of Rome to whom as their Prince and chiefe they were as fast tyed as they themselues were to l Collat. Carthag 3. cap. 32. Petil. Nâ—c nunc abnuo esse mihi principem ac fâ—isse beatissâ—mâ— santaeque memoris Donatum their Prince Donatus But because there wâ—nted ground and occasion of so doing the Church then standing in the liberty whereunto Christ had called it and neither addicting it selfe to any one place nor yeelding it selfe seruant to any moâ—â—all man therefore they diuised otherwise as occasion and stomacke led them sundry names which they applied vnto them m Aug. Epist 164. Nos Macarianos appellatis Macarians n Collat. Carthag â— cap. 30. Petil. Palam aperteque designo Mensuris 〈…〉 cos Ceci 〈…〉 istas esse Mensurists Cecilianists of Macarius Mensurius Ceciltanus euen in the like manner as the Papists being offended that we call them Papists for tying their deuoâ—â—on wholly to the Pope seeke to returne the same obiection of partiality vpon vs by calling vs Zwinglians Lutherans Caluinists whereas we yeeld no more either to Zwinglius or Luther or Calum then we doe to all other learned men so farre only to regard them as their proofes goe yea and doe determine that whosoeuer in adhering to any one place or any one man doe affirme themselues only in that communion to be the Church of Christ they are no other but Donatists they are no other but Schismatikes meere breakers and disturbers of Christian peace Whence it followeth as I haue said that the Papists are no other who limit the name of Catholikes and of the Catholike Church only to the communion of the Pope and of the Roman Church Which M. Bishop here doth who though he say that all other Churches of what Countrey so 〈…〉 r may be called Catholike maketh restrâ—int of his â—ll in this sort that with the Church of
which he seldome vseth But hee saw that to bee a worke too hard for Hercules and therefore to delude his Reader and to leade him from the matter he flieth vp to the old farne-daies of Abel Noe Abraham c. as though they had reuealed vnto them all those particular points of faith which Christ taught his Apostles and the same religion and manner of worshipping God that wee Christians haue which is flatly opposite to the doctrine of S. Paul who testifieth That the mistery of Christ vnto Ephes 3. vers 4. other generations was not knowne vnto the sonnes of men as now it is reuealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets in the spirit Those ancient Patriarkes as men looking a farre off at the dayes of Hebr. 11. v. 13. Christ the light of the world did not discouer so distinctly the mysteries of the Christian faith as the Apostles who were * Ioh. 6. v. 45. taught by his owne mouth and made to know a Ioh 15. v. 15. all his Fathers secrets and had b Rom. 8. v 23. the first fruits of the spirit in best sort to vnderstand them and carry them away To be short our Sauiour hath decided this question and saith in expresse words Many Prophets and iust men haue Math. 13. v. 17. desired to see the things that you see and haue not seene them and to heare the things that you heare and haue not heard them Obserue then how absurdly M. Abbot behaueth himselfe in this matter First he vseth tergiuersation in leaping so farre backe from the point of the question seeking communion with the Catholike Church some thousands of yeares before there was any Church Catholike Secondly in auouching the ancient founders of the first world to haue beleeued clearly and particularly all the articles of faith that we beleeue or else why doth he conclude that the Roman faith is not Catholike because in that old and hoare-headed world some branches of their faith were not sprong vp and of full growth They did not saith he worship Idols and Images they did not pray to Saints c. But good Sir did they beleeue that all their children were to be baptised and that all persons of riper yeares among them were to receiue the holy Sacrament of Christs body yea can M. Abbot demonstrate that they had perfect faith of the most holy and blessed Trinity beleeuing distinctly in three Persons and one God or that the Redeemer of the world Christ Iesus was to be perfect God and perfect Man the nature of man in him subsisting without the proper person of man in the second person of the Trinity which are the most high misteries of our Christian faith I am not ignorant that albeit those ancient Patriarkes and Prophets had not cleare and distinct knowledge of many articles which we are bound to beleeue yet they beleeued some few of them in particular and had a certaine confuse and darke conceit by figures and tipes of most of the rest R. ABBOT I Was neither deceiued my selfe M. Bishop neither did I goe about to deceiue others the case being so plaine as that a man of vnderstanding cannot easily be deceiued therein If the Catholike Church be but one from the beginning to the end and of this Church from the beginning to the end there be but one faith as hath beene shewed who is so blind as that he seeth not that the Catholike faith now must be the same with the faith of all the Patriarchs and Fathers since the world beganne It was not Catholike then because it was peculiar only to some few whom God enlightened or to one only nation which he specially selected but it was the very same which afterwards became Catholike by being preached and spred ouer the whole world Now then most cleare it is that if our faith be the same with the faith of Abel of Enoch of Abraham and the rest of those times then our faith is the Catholike faith euen the faith which the Apostles preached through the world and if the faith of Popery be not the same then is Popery falsly termed the Catholike faith M. Bishop blameth me for recoiling to the beginning of the world and telleth me what it is that I should haue proued when by recoiling if I must so call it to the beginning of the world I proue that which he requireth howsoeuer he vnder pretence of calling for proofe would make his Reader beleeue that he seeth no proofe But he well enough seeth the worke too hard for Hercules as he calleth it by this proofe very readily dispatched for if there be but one faith of the Church from the beginning to the end and our faith be that which was in the beginning then is our faith that which was spred ouer the world and shall continue to the end As though saith he they had reuealed vnto them all those particular points of faith which Christ taught his Apostles and the same religion and manner of worshipping God that wee Christians haue I answere him that all particular points of faith were reuealed vnto them but not all circumstances of all particular points nor so clearly as to vs and the same religion and manner of worshipping God in substance was deliuered vnto them though in outward rites and ceremonies we differ from them Christ was a Apoc. 13. 8. the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world b Aug. Epist â— ChristuÌ„ DeuÌ„ in carne venturum morituruÌ„ resurrecturum in coelum ascensuruÌ„ c. inque illo remissionem peccatorum salutemque aeternam credentibus futuram esse omnia gentis illius promissa omnes prophetiae Sacerdotia Sacrisicia templâ— cuncâ—a omninò Sacramenta sonuerunt All the promises of that time saith St. Austin all the Prophecies the Priest-hood the Sacrifices the Temple and all the Sacraments did tell them that Christ should come God in the flesh that he should die that he should rise againe and ascend into heauen and that all that beleeue should haue remission of sinnes in him These are particular points of faith and these they beleeued albeit the manner and circumstances of the Birth the Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ were not reueiled vnto them as they are in the Gospell liuely described and set forth to vs. For as in the first draught of the painter there is to be discerned the whole feature proportion and parts of the body which he hath in hand to paint which remaine afterwards by filling and garnishing to bee brought to full and perfect forme so the whole frame of Christian faith was in the beginning made knowen to the Patriarchs and Fathers of the first world though the same remained more and more clearly to be reueiled vntill by the comming of Christ it should receiue full and perfect light It skilleth not therefore which he saith that those ancient Patriarchs did not so distinctly discouer the mysteries of Christian faith as the Apostles
did they did discouer them though not so distinctly they saw them though it were as it were c Hebr. 11. 13. a farre off Euen as we see those things that are taught vs concerning the end of the world the resurrection of the dead the day of iudgement and the life to come which yet distinctly we doe not see so did they see those things which since by the effecting of them in Christ are become distinct and plaine to vs. Therefore St. Austin saith d August de nat grat c. 44. Ea sides iustos sanauit antiquos quae sanat nos id est mediatoris Dei â—emiâ—um hominis Jesâ— Christi fides sanguinis eius sides crucis eius sides mortis resurrectionis 〈◊〉 The same faith saued the iust of old that saueth vs the faith of the Mediator betwixt God and Man euen the man Iesus Christ the faith of his bloud the faith of his crosse the faith of his death and resurrection hereby signifying that they beleeued all these points of faith as well as we though being things to come they were not as yet so cleare and manifest vnto them As for the Scriptures which he alleageth because they make nothing against this therefore they make nothing against vs. He bringeth the Apostle saying that e Ephes 3. 5. the mysterie of Christ in other generations was not knowen vnto the sonnes of men as now it is reueiled vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets Be it so it was knowen then but it was not so knowen as it was reueiled and made knowen to his Apostles Let him take this from Thomas Aquinas so expounding the words f Tho. Aquin. in Ephes cap. 3. lect 1. â—â—et mysteria Christi Prophetis Patriarchis fuerint reuelata non tamen it a clarè sicut Apostolis Nam Prophetis Apostolis fuerunt reuelata in quadam generalitate sed Apostolis manifestata sunt quantum ad singulares determinatas circumstantias Though the mysteries of Christ were reueiled to the Patriarchs and Prophets yet not so clearly as to the Apostles for to the Prophets and Patriarchs they were reueiled in a kinde of generality but tot he Apostles they were manifested as touching particular and definite circumstances And hereby the answere is ready to the words of our Sauiour Christ g Mat. 13. 17. Many Prophets and iust men haue desired to see the things which yee see and haue not seene them and to heare those things which yee heare and haue not heard them For h Aug. cont lit Petil. l. 2. c. 37. Omnes superiorum temporum iusti Prophetae cupicbant videre coplâ—tum quod reuelante spiritu futurum esse cernebant vnde ipse Dominus ait Quoniam multi iusti c. they desired clearly and perfectly to see those things which they beleeued and with their eyes to behold the promised Sauiour in whom all their hope and ioy was fixed and to heare the gracious words that should issue from his mouth which notwithstanding they obtayned not i Iohn 8. 56. Your father Abraham saith our Sauiour elsewhere desired to see my day and he saw it and reioyced He saw it and yet still desired to see it because as yet he saw it not as he did desire to see He desired to see with his eies Christ come in the flesh but so he saw him not yet by faith he so foresaw his comming as that it was great ioy and gladnesse to him Three other Texts he quoteth not to proue his purpose but only to let vs see that he is able for a neede to cite the Scripture Two of those he appropriateth to the Apostles which appertaine to all the faithfull To shew that the Apostles were taught by Christs owne mouth he alleageth the wordes of Christ citing a sentence of Esay the Prophet k Iohn 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God whereas it is plaine that the words are spoken not of being outwardly taught by the mouth of Christ but of being inwardly taught by l Mat. 16. 17. the reuelation of the Father nor contayne any thing peculiar to the Apostles but common to all the Elect as both by the course of Christs speech appeareth and by the words themselues as they are set downe by the Prophet m Esa 54. 13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord. So to the Apostles also he referreth the words of St. Paul of n Rom. 8. 23. hauing receiued the first fruits of the spirit whereas to be partaker of the first fruits of the spirit is the condition of euery regenerate man in which manner St. Austin generally applyeth it o August de Peccat Merit Remiss l. 2. c. 7. Nunc ei similes esse iam coepâ—mus primitias habentes spiritus Wee haue now begunne to bee like him by hauing the first fruits of the spirit and not only in the new but in the old Testament also because of vs both the Apostle witnesseth as we haue heard before that p 2. Cor. 4. 13. * John 15. 15. we haue the same spirit of faith In the third place Christ saith to his Apostles â— I haue called you friends for all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowen to you But what will M. Bishop conclude hereof Will he argue that because Christ taught his Apostles all points of faith more plainly and clearely therefore the ancient Patriarchs knew not all points of faith Nay we will argue to the contrary that sith Christ maketh knowen to his friends all his fathers secrets as M. Bishop speaketh therefore God made knowen all those secrets to Abraham because Abraham was q Esa 41. 8. Iames 2. 23. called the friend of God and such a friend as that he saith of him r Genes 18 17. Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe And seeing Abraham is called Å¿ Rom. 4 11. 12. the Father of all that beleeue as in the steps of whose faith we are to walke how can we doubt but that God reueiled vnto him all that faith which concerneth vs vnto eternall life In a word St. Austin saith againe of all those fathers and of vs t Aug. cont 2. Epist Pelag. l. 3. c. 4. Eadem sides in illis qui nondum nomine sed reipsa fucrunt Christiani in illis qui non solum sunt sed â—â—cantur in vtrisque eadem gratia per Sp. Sanâ—um There is the same faith both in them who before-time not yet in name but indeede were Christians and in them who not only are but also are called so and in both the same grace by the holy Ghost From which words it may be obserued what will become of those two absurdities which M. Bishop hath taken vpon him to obserue in me For first if those old Fathers were indeede Christians and therefore members of
all that Christ taught and all that he commanded his Apostles to deliuer to all nations R. ABBOT THe wordes of mine answere are As they worshipped God so sauing ceremoniall obseruations we also worship him Consider now I pray thee gentle Reader from what braine M. Bishops illation proceedeth Then should we sacrifice to him Beefs Muttons Calues Lambs and our sacrificers should be of Aarons issue and order and we all circumcised Why M. Bishop are not all these in the number of ceremoniall obseruations Forsooth no I omit all their ceremonies saith he because M. Abbot excepteth them But did not M. Abbot in excepting all their ceremonies except circumcision and sacrifices and the whole Priest-hood of the law What is M. Bishop ignorant that circumcision and sacrifices and the whole rites and rules of the Leuiticall Priest-hood doe all belong to the ceremoniall law and that our Sauiour Christ in abrogating the ceremoniall law is vnderstood to haue abolished all these Is he to be set to schoole againe to learne what is meant by the name of ceremonies It were a shame to send a Doctor of Diuinity to his Catechisme for his credits sake I will referre him to a greater booke of Thomas Aquinas where he saith that a Tho. Aquin. sum 12. q. 101. art 4. Per tot In veteri lege singula praedicta Sacrificia Sacramenta sacra obseruantiae ceremoniae vocantur in the old law Sacrifices Sacraments sacred vtensils and implements and obseruances of singular or speciall conuersation are all called ceremonies and this I would haue him learne against the next time His next exception is against that I say As they prayed so and in the same wordes we also pray Then saith he they doe sometimes pray vnto God to remember Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and for their sakes to take mercy on them as Moses did Which in part we acknowledge and professe to doe to pray God in like manner as Moses did to remember Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and for their sakes to take mercy vpon the seede of Abraham but not to take mercy vpon vs. God bound himselfe to the seede of Abraham b Genes 17. 7. by an euerlasting couenant to be their God by reason whereof we beleeue that in this forlorne estate wherein they now be God still standeth entirely respectiue to the preseruation of that nation and though c Rom. 11. 28. as touching the Gospell they be enimies for our sakes yet as touching the election as the Apostle faith namely whereby God of old elected them to be his people they are beloued for their Fathers sakes Their present infidelity then is an interruption only not any finall reiection of them and the time will come when the effect of that loue will appeare by restoring that nation againe to the society and fellowship of the Church of Christ What hindereth then but as they are beloued for their Fathers sakes so we may pray God to remember their Fathers Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and for their sakes to shew his loue and to returne vnto them in mercy and compassion d 2. Cor. 3. 15 16. To take away the veile that is laid before their hearts that they may bee turned to the Lord Which notwithstanding we say not for our selues because God hath made no promise to vs properly and personally in Abraham but only e Genes 22. 18. 〈…〉 ls 3. 25. in the seede of Abraham f Gal. 3. 16. which is Iesus Christ by whom and in whom it is and not by Abraham himselfe that we are become the children of Abraham As for the text which he alleageth to proue that it was the expresse order and commandement of the Patriarchs that their posterity should so pray hee sheweth his ignorance in the abusing of it because no otherwise did Iacob say g Genes 48. 16. Vulg. Innocetur super cos nomen meam Let my name be named vpon them and the name of my Fathers Abraham and Isaac then as seuen women in a time of desolation are brought in by the Prophet saying to one man h Esa 4 1. Vulg. Innocetur nomen tuum super nos Let thy name be named vpon vs these women hereby crauing that they might be called the wines of such a man and the Patriarch desiring that Ephraim and Manasses should be seuerally reckoned for Tribes of the seed of Abraham and Israel as if they had beene immediately descended from him euen as Iacob himselfe a litle before expresseth his owne meaning saying i Genes 48. 5. Thy two sonnes Manasses and Ephraim which are borne vnto thee in the land of Aegypt before I came to thee into the land of Aegypt shall be mine as Ruben and Simeon are mine But now vpon this that hath beene said that they prayed God for those Fathers sakes to be mercifull to them M. Bishop being resolutely impudent to make all good that is starke naught groundeth a defence of a diuellish and horrible blasphemy which the Church of Rome had brought of old into the seruice of the Church Concerning Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of King Henry the second slaine then without due and lawfull proceeding but yet dying no other but an insolent rebell and traitour to his Prince they haue beene wont to pray thus k Breuiar in trāslat S. Thomae Cantuar. Jesu Christe per Thomae vulnera Quae nos ligant relaxa scelera Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascedit O Iesus Christ by Thomas his wound Release the sinnes wherewith we are bound By the bloud of Thomas which for thee he did spend Make vs O Christ to climbe whither Thomas did ascend In which prayers wee see how by the wounds and bloud of this holy Saint of theirs they aske at Gods hands remission of sinnes and euerlasting life which Christian faith abhorreth to aske by any other but only the bloud of Iesus Christ Yea so harshly it soundeth in Christian eares and so contrary is it to the common sense of Christian profession as that the Rabbines of the Roman Synagogue were content euen for very shame to blot it out of their Portesse thereby acknowledging that it was by apostasie and errour that it came first in But M. Bishop a man more wise and learned or rather a man of harder fore-head then they were taketh vpon him to assure vs that there was nothing amisse in that praier and that it might very conueniently and lawfully haue beene retayned still And why Marry because of old time they prayed thus Remember Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and againe Lord remember Dauid and all his mildnesse For saith he if they did then desire God to remember the excellent vertues of his seruants and for their sakes to shew mercy vpon others why may not we doe the same now why may we not as well beseech God to remember the constant fortitude
of St. Thomas as they did the mildnesse of Dauid But against that if of his I oppose the exposition that Thomas Aquinas maketh of the Apostles wordes concerning the Iewes that they were beloued for their Fathers sakes vnderstanding the same of the elect of that nation l Tho. Aquin. in Rom. c. 11. Lect. 4. Quod non est sic intelligendum quasi merita praestita patribus fuerint causa aternae electionis 〈◊〉 sed quâ—a Deus ab aterno elegit gratis patres filios hoc tamen ordine vt filij propter patres consequerentur salutem noÌ„ quasi merita patrum suffiâ— creat ad siliorum salutem sed per quandam abundantiam diuine gratiae 〈◊〉 hoc dicit quae in tintum patribus est exâ—â—bita vt prop ter promissiones eis factas etiam fily saluarentur Which saith he is not to be so taken as if the merits bestowed vpon the Fathers were the cause of the eternall election of the children but for that God from euerlasting chose freely both the Fathers and the children in such order notwithstanding as that the children for the Fathers sakes should obtaine saluation not as if the merits of the Fathers should suffice for the saluation of the children but he speaketh it according to an abundance of Gods grace and mercy which was so farre yeelded to the Fathers as that the children should be saued by vertue of the promises or for the promises sake made vnto their Fathers Here is then the true reason why they alleaged vnto God for themselues the names of the Fathers not for the merits of the Fathers but because of the promises that God had made vnto them Whereof we haue this for a certaine demonstration that wee no where finde any of the Fathers mentioned in that sort but only such to whom the promises of God haue in speciall manner beene made neither Abel nor Enoch nor Noe nor Iob nor Moses nor Esay nor any of the rest but only Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid to whom God vouchsafed to doe that honour by speciall couenants and promises to tie himselfe both to them and to their seede Yea and it is further to be obserued that this was no ordinary manner of praying amongst them as wherby to begge of God remission of sinnes and eternall life as we see that Popish prayer doth but when God in anger and displeasure seemed ready m Deut. 9. 25. 26. to destroy their nation and so to forget the promise made vnto their Fathers or when they would seeke any fauour at Gods hands for the iustification of that promise then would they alleage to God the names of their Fathers as it were to put him in minde of those things which he had promised Thus doth Moses himselfe declare the meaning of that prayer in another place when he saith n Exod. 32. 13. Remember Abraham Isaac and Iacob thy seruants to whom thou swarest by thine owne selfe and saidst vnto them I will multiply your seede c. In which sort the three children in the fiery furnace are brought in praying vnto God in the Apocryphall additions to Daniel o Song of the three children Vers 35. 36. Take not away thy mercy from vs for thy beloued Abrahams sake and for thy seruant Isaacs sake and for thine holy Israels sake to whom thou hast spoken and promised that thou wouldest multiply their seede c. And thus it is said that p 1. Chro. 13. 23 the Lord had mercy on them and pittyed them and had respect vnto them because of his couenant with Abraham Isaac and Iacob So concerning Dauid also we reade that q 2. Chro. 21. 7. the Lord though he were much prouoked yet would not destroy the house of Dauid because of the couenant that he had made with Dauid and because he had promised to giue a light to him and to his sonnes for euer This couenant and promise Salomon pleadeth in his prayer vnto God r 2. Chro. 6. 16. Lord God of Israel keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father that which thou hast promised him and againe Å¿ Vers 17. Let thy word be verified which thou spakest vnto thy seruant Dauid And thus the Church of the Iewes in time of affliction remembreth God concerning Dauid t Psal 89. 49. Lord where are thy old louing kindnesses which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth By all which we see that it was not vpon the persons or vertues of Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid that those ancient faithfull rested themselues in their prayers but vpon the word the couenant the promise of God which he in mercy had vouchsafed to make vnto them And hereby we learne what to conceiue of those latter wordes which M. Bishop alleageth out of the Psalme u Psal 132. 11. Lord remember Dauid and all his mildnesse Where to make the wordes seeme somewhat the more effectuall to his purpose wee see how hee groundeth himselfe vpon an errour of translation For the wordes of the Psalme truly translated are not Remember Dauid and all his mildnesse but remember Dauid and all his affliction or trouble as not only x Hieron translat Psal iuxta Hebr. Memento Dauid omnis afflictionis cius Hierome in his translation opposed to the Septuagint in Greeke but also their owne interpreters y Pagn Ar. Mont. Vniuersa afflictionis eius Pagnine and Arias Montanus haue translated it Where vnder the name of affliction we vnderstand that feruent burning zeale and carefull trauell of minde wherewith Dauid was possessed and euen perplexed and anguished through desire that he had for the building of the Temple of God and for the setling of the Kingdome and state accordingly as God had promised vnto him With which desire he was so vehemently affected as here it is expressed as that hee sware and vowed to the Lord not to enter into his house nor to climbe vp to his bed not to suffer his eyes to sleepe nor his eye lids to slumber till he found the place for building the Temple of God the house of God wherin he would rest and dwell amongst them Salomon the sonne of Dauid whom I doubt not to haue beene the authour of this Psalme for that z Psal 132. â— c. a part hereof was vsed by him in a 2. Chro. 6. 41. the dedication of the Temple recommendeth herein to God the remembrance of this care and craueth successe thereto and that God would verifie in him all that he had thereupon said and promised to Dauid in that behalfe I haue before shewed how Chrysostome giueth the effect of this prayer in Salomons name b Chrysost in Psal 131. Quoniam genus ab co duxi quoniam cum tibi acceptum suissâ—t cius studâ—um diligentia dixisti te cius genus regnam erecturum propterea nunc haec paâ—la conuenta à te exig mus Idem habet Basil in Psal cund Because I am
of the Valentinian Heretikes and Heracleonites as I haue z Answere to the Preface of the second part sect 20. before shewed St. Iames doth not say Is any man in extremity of sicknesse past hope of life and now departing out of the world as M. Bishop in part speaketh and as they wholly vse that new deuised Sacrament but he saith absolutely Is any man sicke Againe St. Iames maketh the effect of that annointing to be bodily health saying that the Lord shall raise him vp or giue him ease which is the sauing or preseruing of which he speaketh namely from the perill and danger of sicknesse as a Bellarm. de Extr. vnct c. 8. Incipit à sanitate corporali cum ait Oratio fidei saluabit infir 〈…〉 Bellarmine himselfe expoundeth it whereas the effect of Sacraments is no corporall benefit but only inward and spirituall grace For albeit the water of Baptisme haue an effect to cleanse the body and bread and wine in the Lords Supper to nourish and feede the same yet these are no Sacramentall but only naturall effects belonging to these creatures without any Sacrament whereas the proper effect of that whereof St. Iames speaketh is bodily recouery and therefore by b OEcumen in Iac. 5. Hoc etiam Domino adhuc inter homines conuersante Apostoli sacrebant vngentes aegrotos olâ—o sanantes OEcumenius is made all one with that which the Apostles did as I haue alleaged whereof health is noted to haue ensued His last text is to proue that we must confesse our sinnes not to God only but also to men because the same St. Iames saith Confesse your sinnes one to another And who denyeth this who gainsayeth it when as our Sauiour Christ so plainly instructeth him that hath c Luke 17. 4. sinned against his brother to returne to him and say It repenteth me that so there may be reconciliation and peace betwixt them We make no question of confessing repentantly and charitably one to another but we question the necessity of confessing auricularly to the Priest by particular enumeration of all our sinnes and so farre is the text which M. Bishop citeth from deliuering expresly this as that his Masters of Rhemes doe plainly tell him that d Rhem. Testam Annotat. Iam. 1. 16. it is not certaine that St. Iames speaketh here of sacrament all confession who notwithstanding would haue bin glad if they could haue had any ground wherupon to affirme that he did so Now what did he then meane thus to heape together such a number of places as wherein their Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse termes when as there is not one of them that doth iustifie their Roman doctrine and his owne fellowes doe confesse so much of sundry of them What neede we to ransacke all the corners of our wits to deuise odde shifts to auoide the â—uidence as he calleth it of such places which without any shifts at all are so easily and plainly cleared as these are Yet according to his wonted and wise manner he concludeth that the Protestants doe not receiue all the written word who notwithstanding receiue all these places reade them cite them expound them acquaint the people vsually with them which they by no meanes dare to doe Yea but the Scriptures are not in reading but in vnderstanding and we doe not take them in the right sense Silly fellow what hindereth but that we should be thought able to vnderstand the Scriptures as well as he Forsooth we receiue not the Scriptures he saith according to the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition But be thou Iudge gentle Reader whether in this whole worke to goe no further I haue not brought the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition more frequently and firmely then he hath done He talketh of the Doctors for shew to blinde simple men but the true cause of their griefe is that wee receiue not the Romish exposition nor bee content to submit the whole Scriptures to the Popes will But because we finde no such rule amongst the most ancient and best learned Doctors that the Popes mouth should be any oracle of Scripture-sense we leaue his babling of the exposition of Scripture as partiall and idle and doe wish him to learne more wit then to take Scriptures in such sort as they that are at Rome are faine to doe W. BISHOP §. 8. NOw to draw towards the end of this clause not only neuer a one of M. Abbots assertions whereby hee went about to proue themselues and their Church to bee Catholike is true as hath beene shewed before but ouer and besides his very conclusion conuinceth himselfe euen by the verdict of himselfe to fall into the foule fault and errour of the Donatists Our faith saith he because it is that which the Apostles committed to writing is the Apostolike faith and our Church by consanguinity and agreement of doctrine is proued to bee an Apostolicall Church c. and is the only true Catholike Church c. see you not how he is come at length to proue their Church to be Catholike Ex perfectione Page 16. lin 5. doctrinae By perfectnesse of their doctrine which was as he himselfe in this very assertion noted a plaine Donatâ—sticall tricke reproued by S. Augustine whom in that point he then approued What doating folly is this in the same short discourse so to forget himselfe as to take that for a sound proofe which he himselfe had before confuted as hereticall We like well of Tertullians obseruation That our faith ought to haue consanguinity and perfect agreement with the Apostles doctrine but that is not the question at this time but whether our doctrine or the Protestant be truly called Catholike that is whether of them hath beene receiued and beleeued in all nations ouer the world that is to be proued in this place M. Abbot if he had meant to deale plainly and soundly should not haue gone so about the bush and haue fetched such wide and wilde windlesses from old father Abrahams dayes but should haue demonstrated by good testimony of the Ecclesiasticall Histories or of ancient Fathers who were in the pure times of the Church the most Godly and approued Pastors thereof that the Protestants religion had flourished since the Apostles dayes ouer all Europe Afrike and Asia or at least had beene visibly extant in some one Country or other naming some certaine Churches in particular which had held in all points their faith and religion which he seeing impossible for any man to doe fell into that extrauagant and rouing discourse which you haue heard concluding without any premises sauing his owne bare word that in the written word There is no mention made of the Pope or his Supremacy nor of his Pardons c. Belike there is no mention made of S Peter nor ought said of his singular prerogatiues It hath not peraduenture That whatsoeuer hee should loose on earth should bee loosed in
heauen The other points were touched before and shall be shortly againe But I would in the meane season be glad to heare where the written word teacheth vs that Kings and temporall Magistrates are ordained by Christ to be vnder him supreme Gouernours of Ecclesiasticall affaires because M. Abbot made choise of this head-article of theirs for an instance that the written word was plaine on their side he should therefore at least haue pointed at some one text or other in the new Testament where it is registred that Princes are supreme Gouernours of the Church Nay are temporall Magistrates any Ecclesiasticall persons at all or can one that is no member of the Ecclesiasticall body be head of all the rest of the Ecclesiasticall members or is the state Secular higher and more worthy then the Ecclesiasticall and therefore meete to rule ouer it though they be not of it to say so is to preferre the body before the soule nature before grace earth before heauen or is it meete and decent that the lesse worthy-member should haue the supreme command ouer the more honourable where the Christian world is turned topsie-turuy that may be thought meete and expedient but in other places that will not be admitted for currant which in it selfe is so disorderly and inconuenient without it had better warrant in the word of God then that new position of theirs hath R. ABBOT THe truth of mine assertions hath hitherto appeared by my defence of them but let them no further be taken for true then he is here found to be false that is the oppugner of them He saith that my conclusion conuinceth me euen by the verdict of my selfe to fall into the foule fault and errour of the Donatists To proue this he maketh me to speake in my answere in this sort Our faith because it is that which the Apostles committed to writing is the Apostolike faith and our Church by consanguinity and agreement of doctrine is proued to be an Apostolicall Church c. and is the only true Catholike Church c. Hauing set downe all these as my words he inferreth thus see you not how he is come at length to proue their Church to be Catholike by perfection of their doctrine which was as he himselfe in this very assertion noted a plaine Donatisticall tricks reproued by St. Austin c. But I pray thee gentle Reader to looke where thou canst finde those wordes by me set downe And is the only true Catholike Church Aske M. Bishop if thou meete with him where he found them and if he cannot tell thee aske him in sadnesse what spirit he thinketh it was wherewith he was led when he set them downe for my wordes Fie M. Bishop fie for shame doe you talke so against lying and will you in the meane time lye so wittingly and willingly so as that there is no meanes to salue it no colour to excuse it I did not say that ours is the only true Catholike Church I made no shew of prouing it by perfection of doctrine to be the Catholike Church I neuer wrote it I neuer thought it and therefore once againe I wish you to bethinke your selfe of your words whereof I remembred you before a Reproofe pag. 283. The diuels cause it is that needeth to be bolstered out and vnderpropped with lyes Surely it is beyond doating folly it is desperate fury that draweth men on to such courses To let that goe foule and shamefull as it is he telleth vs next that he liketh well of Tertullians obseruation that our faith ought to haue consanguinity and perfect agreement with the Apostles doctrine But he curtolleth Tertullians obseruation by this recitall of his because Tertullian doth not only say what our faith ought to haue but telleth vs that b Tertul. de Praescript Quae licet nullum ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis authoreÌ„ suum proferaÌ„t vt mâ—â—tò posteriores quae denique quotidiè instituiâ—tur tamen in eadem fide conspirantes non mâ—â—us Apostolicae depâ—tantur pro consanguinitate doctrinae those Churches which cannot bring any of the Apostles or Apostolike men for their authour as being much later euen the Churches which daylie are begunne yet according in the same faith are for this consanguinity or agreement of doctrine reputed Apostolike Churches no lesse then the rest Hence I concluded that our Church because it agreeth in faith and doctrine with the Apostles is therefore to be reckoned an Apostolike Church But that saith M. Bishop is not the question at this time And what then is the question Marry saith he whether our doctrine or the Protestants be truly called Catholike that is whether of them hath beene receiued and beleeued in all nations ouer the world But did not he see that the one of these directly followeth of the other for the faith of the Apostles is it that was spred ouer the whole world Our faith is the same with the faith of the Apostles because it is that which is recorded in the Scriptures of the Apostles Therefore our faith it is that was spred and beleeued through the world Abrahams faith was it that was spred ouer the whole world for Abraham is c Rom. 4. 12. 16 the father and patterne of all that beleeue both circumcised and vncircumcised Our faith is the same with Abrahams faith Therefore againe it is our faith that was generally receiued throughout the world At this M. Bishop biteth the lip it troubleth him that he knoweth not what to say to it He seeth this proofe to be most certaine and impregnable aboue all other and therefore he seeketh by all meanes to diuert and turne away his Reader from listening to it He telleth him that I doe not deale plainly and soundly that I goe about the bush that I fetch wide and wild windlesses from old father Abrahams daies But I answere him that I haue so gone about the bush as that I haue scratched him with it and my wide and wild windlesses haue so inclosed him as that he cannot finde which way to get out againe Well if my course like him not what would he haue me doe I should he saith haue demonstrated by good testimony of the Ecclesiasticall histories or ancient Fathers that the Protestants religion had flourished since the Apostles daies ouer all Europe Afrike and Asia I haue done already sufficient to demonstrate that I haue astonished him and choaked him with the euidence of Scriptures Stories Councels Fathers so as that hitherto he hath left all that he hath written to the question of religion without defence I shall make further demonstration thereof in this booke euen in the Roman Church What am I the nearer with him by that that I haue done What shall I be the nearer when I haue all done for he hath resolued himselfe to a wicked course and therefore though the light shine into his eyes yet he will sweare that he seeth it not He blameth me for concluding without
iust imputation of apostasie if to them we shall retire our selues from the religion of our fathers And see here how M. Bishop goeth a way quite contrary to St. Austin for St. Austin vsed the Scriptures to draw the Donatists to the example of their former fathers and M. Bishop vseth the example of our former fathers to draw vs away from the Scriptures But against all his vaine motiues we are setled by the charge giuen by God himselfe n Ezech. 20. 18 Walke yee not in the ordinances of your fathers neither obserue their manners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God Walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgements and doe them Gods statutes are the line and rule whereby he hath appointed vs to goe we respect not therefore what our fathers haue done but we looke to the statutes of God in the word of God to the example and teaching of Christ in the word of Christ there to learne how farre we may approue the doings of our fathers To doe otherwise is as the Prophet speaketh o Ierem. 2. 13. to forsake the fountaine of liuing waters which God hath shewed and to digge to our selues broken pits that will hold no water at least no other but puddle water For conclusion strange it is to see how impudently he peruerteth the wordes of Cyprian To returne to the originall of the Lords tradition is with Cyprian to leaue the example of our fathers and to looke to the Gospell what the Lord hath there deliuered but with M. Bishop it is to returne to our forefathers and in steede of the Gospell to learne of them what it is that Christ taught Cyprian saith We are not to regard what any man before vs hath thought fit to be done but what Christ did who was before all M. Bishop saith that we are to regard what our fathers before vs haue thought fit to be done that of them we may learne what Christ did who is before all Cyprian saith We are not to follow the custome of men but the truth of God M. Bishop saith we are to follow the custome of men that we may thereby come to the knowledge of the truth of God Thus very directly he crosseth Cyprian and yet will be very angry if we say that he speaketh any otherwise then Cyprian doth W. BISHOP §. 2. NOw to that point which followeth in M. Abbot There shall be a time when the Kings of the Apocal. 17. earth shall giue their power to the beast and bend themselues to fight against the Lambe which I doe willingly admit but when that time shall be or what Kings it is very vncertaine for there shall be also a time When the Kings of the earth shall be as nurses to Esay 60. Psalm 72. the true Church and shall most humbly both obey it and also enrich and defend it to the vttermost of their power Now by the very insinuation of the Text and the vniforme consent of ancient writers the good Kings shall cherish exalt and magnifie the Church before those euill Kings shall arise who falling away from their fathers faith and from the Catholike Church will lend their aide to her professed enemies to worke her ouerthrow which is a shrewd presumption that the Kings of former ages stoode farre better affected to the true Church of God then some of later times Well this I leaue to vnderstanding mens iudgement But I may not slippe M. Abbots exceeding grosse ouer-sight or rather hainous crime in ranking his Maiesty among those Kings mentioned in the Apocalypse for albeit they shall hate Cap. 17. the whoore and make her desolate and naked and eate her flesh c. yet they shall be most wicked and impious Kings and shall adore the monstruous beast there described and fight against Christ Iesus These be the very wordes of the Text And the ten hornes c. be ten Kings c. these haue one counsell and force and their power they shall deliuer to the beast these shall fight with the Lambe and the Lambe shall ouerthrow them c. And the ten hornes which Vers 16. thou sawest in the beast these shall hate the harlot and make her desolate and naked c. so that the very same ten Kings signified there by ten hornes that did giue all their power to the beast did hate the harlot But how can it be saith one that they who hate the wicked harlot should ioyne with the beast who was as wicked as shee Yes that may well be for it is no newes that wicked men fall out among themselues so that one vngodly and wicked Prince doth sometimes with all his might aide another more wicked then himselfe and at the same instant perhaps or shortly after fight against a third the most wicked of all they doe fight against both good and euill as their owne rage passions or occasions carry them Which I say to stoppe a starting hole of the Protestants who to auoide this inconuenience say that first these ten Kings were bent to all mischiefe and then helped the beast against the Lambe but afterward repented them of their former iniquity then loe they hated the harlot and persecuted her which they would not haue done if they had beene badde Princes this is a prety shift Well say first that this sense could stand with the wordes of the text yet they cannot be applyed to his Maiesty who was not in his former time any â—ider of our religion and now is fallen of from that to the Protestants wherefore this deuice if it could stand with the text will not serue their turne But the spirit of God hath preuented and wholly cut off this vaine imagination for it saith in the next verse That the ten Kings who hated the harlot euen then and after too gaue their Kingdomes to the beast till the word of God be consummate that is till the end of all Wherefore most manifest it is euen by the warrant of Gods sacred word that those Kings mentioned in the Apocalypse were reprobates such did they liue and such shall they die Let then his most excellent Maiesty censure what reward they are worthy off who feare not to thrust his Highnesse into that list of condemned cast-a-waies and that too after they had such faire warning as in my answere to M. Perkins I gaue them to beware how they did his Maiesty that shame and despite If it please his Highnesse to take notice of it I doubt not but that he will conne them little thanke for this their commendation of him R. ABBOT IT hath beene already very gloriously fulfilled which God promised vnto his Church a Esay 49. 23. Kings shall â—e thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy nourses c. The great states of the world the Emperours and Kings and Princes Constantine Theodosius Valentinian Honorius Lucius of Britaine Theodebert and Theodelind of France Reccaredus of Spaine and infinite other of the
same and other nations held it their greatest honour and felicity to be members of Christs Church and haue vsed all care and endeauour to honour and aduance the same The time hath since beene for the fulfilling of the other prophecy that b Apoc. 17. 13. 17. the Kings of the earth should giue their power and Kingdome to the beast and with the whoore sitting vpon many waters should bend themselues c Verse 14. to fight against the Lambe M. Bishop saith that it is vncertaine what Kings these shall be But it is certaine by the confession of all parts that they are d See of this whole matter Part. 2. in the defence of M. Perkins Prologue Pag. 42. c. the ten Kings that is those many Kings that shall arise of the desolations and ruines of the Roman Empire and what Kings they are that now possesse the Countries and Kingdomes that were once the Prouinces of the Roman Empire Italie France Spaine Germany England c. it is not vncertaine The euidence and certainty thereof teacheth vs to vnderstand ten Kings not for ten only particular men as M. Bishop most improbably and absurdly doth but for the Kings successiuely of so many Kingdomes the King of England the King of France the King of Spaine c. vnder euery of which names there is a succession of many persons Vpon the decay and fall of the Empire who arose together with these Kings to whom haue they yeelded their Kingdome and power but only the Pope who by little and little thrust out the Emperour and made himselfe Lord of the Roman territory and hath set vp himselfe vnder a title of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction to vsurpe a Kingdome aboue them all They haue acknowledged his iurisdiction they haue submitted themselues vnto him they haue beene content to ioyne with him and to yeeld him all assistance to fight against the Lambe against the true members of Christ against all that professed the true faith and Gospell of Christ But yet it is foretold that there shall be a time when e Vers 16. these Kings shall hate the wheore and shall make her desolate and naked and eate her flesh and burne her with fire Where because it might be questioned how it should be that they should doe thus of whom it is said that they should giue their power to the beast the holy Ghost to take away that doubt addeth f Vers 17. For God hath put into their hearts to fulfill his will and to consent together and to giue their Kingdome to the beast vntill the words of God be fulfilled Whereby he signifieth that although by the secret hand and counsell of God those Kings should giue their Kingdome to the beast yet it should be so but for a time only vntill the word of God be fulfilled that is vntill it be performed which God hath foretold of the abhomination of desolation standing vp in the holy place in the Temple of God which being done they shall hate the whoore and make her desolate and burne her with fire God opening their eyes that they may see the abuses and vsurpations of that wicked strumpet that they may reward her accordingly As for M. Bishops construction of the beast and the whoore as things diuers and that those Kings though giuing all their power to the beast yet should withall hate the harlot and fight against her as wicked men fall out amongst themselues and aide one another against as wicked as themselues I reiect it as his owne ridiculous and fond deuice the thing being so plaine to the contrary as that his owne fellowes the Rhemish Diuines as I haue before shewed doe confesse that it is g Rhem. Testam Annot. Apoc. 13. 1. the beast which is called the whoore of Babylon and by way of exposition doe name the Whoore or Beast or Antichrist as appertaining all to one The giuing therefore of their power to the beast is the giuing thereof to the harlot and their hatred towards the harlot is their hatred towards the beast they shall first doe the one and the time of that expired they shall beginâ—e to shew the other This in part is already come to passe and God hath opened the eyes and turned the hearts of sundry Nations and Princes that they now hate the whoore of Babylon the Roman Church whereof before they stood in awe and the rest in Gods good time shall follow and ioyne together to the deuouring and consuming of it I noted our gracious King for one of them whose eyes God hath enlightened to see the fornications of that wicked harlot and to hate the same but M. Bishop saith that it cannot be applyed to his Maiesty in our sense because he was not in his former time any aider of their religion and now fallen off from that to the Protestants But though King IAMES haue beene no aider of their religion yet the King of England hath beene and the King of England who in other former Kings hath beene a supporter of the Kingdome of the beast is now in King IAMES an impugneâ— thereof the Kings first supporting and then 〈◊〉 not being necessarily in person the same but in sucâ—essioâ— only as hath beene said Therefore though they 〈◊〉 reprobates and cast a-waies who gaue their Kingdome to 〈◊〉 beast as M. Bishop pronounceth of them as for vs we iudge theâ— not let them stand or fall to their owne Lord yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not which he vainly collecteth that King IAMES â—y bâ—ing one of them that shall â—ate and destroy the who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—oned amongst reprobates but he is rather 〈◊〉 hereby from the number of them To exclude this he alleageth that those Kings shall giue their Kingdome to tâ—â— bâ—ast till the word of God be consumâ—ate that is saith he till the â—nd of 〈◊〉 But the best is we are not tyed to his Commentarie and because h Apoc. 18. 1. 2. c. St. Iohn at large declareth that the Beast and hiâ— Babylon shall be destroyed before the end of all therefore we vse our liberty to thinke it false which he saith that they shall giue their Kingdome to the beast vntill the end of all They shall so doe vntill it be fulfilled which God hath forespoken concerning the Kingdome of Antichrist which being done they shall arme themselues against the said Kingdome and shall helpe to pull it downe So doth King IAMES and he will not thinke it worthy of any haâ—d censure that we say that he doth so and as for M. Bishops faire warning we reiect it with scorne only telling him that the custome was that the i Tull. Orat. pro Sext. Roscâ— Canâ—s aluntur in Capitolio C. si luce quoque canes latâ—ent c. opinor ijs crura suffringantur Capitolian dogges when they gaue warning without cause should haue their legges broken W. BISHOP §. 3. MAster Abbot hauing acquited himselfe so Clarke-like in the precedent part of his answere