his booke Rationale Diuinorum the reasons of diuine seruice And as for bodylie rites we vse but fewe and those very decent full of reuerence and most fit to stirre vp and cherish deuotion We be not spirits and therefore must serue God by bodylie ceremonies although the life and vertue of them proceede from the spirit employing all partes of the body in his worshippe and to his honor that made it neither be they borrowed of Iewes nor of the Heathens albeit they might perhaps the one by the commandement of God the other by the light of nature vse some such like but ours were deuised by the inspiration of the holy Ghost the heauenly guide and directer of the Catholike Church to moue vs to serue God more deuoutly and with greater reuerence Now to say that we giue the same worship to any Saint that we giue to God is a stale jest that hath long sithence lost all his grace being found to be nothing else but a notorious vntruth very often confuted as by others else where so by me more then once in this booke where also these other slanders here cast vpon vs are more at large in their seuerall places discussed this therefore may serue in this place for an answere to those imputations of Atheismes which Master PERKINS objecteth against vs. And for that this crime of Atheisme is the most heynous that can be as contrariewise the true opinion of the God-head and the sincere worshippe thereof is the most sweete and beautifull flower of religion let vs therefore here to hold due correspondence with Master PERKINS examine the Protestantes doctrine concerning the nature of God and their worshippe of him that the indifferent reader comparing judiciouslie our two opinions thereof together may embrace that for most pure and true that carryeth the most reuerent and holy conceite thereof For out of all doubt there can be no greater motiue to any deuout soule to like of a religion then to see that it doth deliuer a most sacred doctrine of the Soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and doth withall most religiously adore and serue him Whereas on the other side there is not a more forcible persuasion to forsake a religion before professed then to be giuen to vnderstand that the Masters of that religion teach many absurde thinges concerning the God-head it selfe and doe as coldly and as slightly worshippe God almighty as may be Marke therefore I beseech thee gentle reader for thy owne soules sake what euidence I shall deliuer in against the Protestantes touching this point of Atheisme and following the same method that M. PER. obserueth I will first touch their errors against the most blessed Trinity and Deity secondly such as are against our Lord Iesus God and man lastly I will speake one word or two about their seruice and worshipping of God All which shall be performed in a much more temperate manner then the grauity of such a matter requireth that it may be lesse offensiue Concerning the sacred Trinity it is by the doctrine of certayne principall pillers of their newe Gospell brought into great question Lib. 1. Instit c. 13. ss 23. 25. Con. rationes Camp pag. 152. For Iohn Caluin in diuers places teacheth that the second third persons of the Trinity doe not receiue the God-head from the first but haue it of themselues euen as the first person hath And in this he is defended by M. Whitaker and preferred before all the learned Fathers of the first councell of Nice Out of which position it followeth that there is neither Father nor Sonne in the God-head for according vnto common sence and the vniforme consent of all the learned he only is a true naturall Sonne that by generation doth receiue his nature and substance from his Father We are called the Sonnes of God but that is by adoption and grace but he only is the true naturall Sonne of God that by eternall generation receiued his substance that is the God-head from him If therefore the second person did not receiue the God-head from the first but had it of himselfe as they doe affirme then certaynelie he is no true Sonne of the first and consequently the first person is no true Father For as all men confesse Father Sonne be correlatiues so that the one cannot be without the other Thus their doctrine is found to be faulty in the highest degree of Atheisme For it ouerthroweth both Father and Sonne in the Trinity And further if it were true then doth the holy Ghost proceede neither from the Father nor from the Sonne for it receiueth not the God-head from them at all as they hold but hath it of himselfe and so proceedeth no more from them then they doe from him consequently is not the third person Wherefore finally they doe ouerthrowe the whole Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Secondly they may be truely stiled Atheistes who thinke any one to be God that hath not in him all singuler perfâ—ctions in the most perfect sort that can be but either wanteth some of them or else hath them in a meaner degree then any other they therefore that teach our Sauiour Christ in his God-head to be inferiour vnto his Father stand justly charged with Atheisme Such a one is * Epi. ad Polo pa. 940. seq Caluin who in formall tearmes doth auouch and say that Christ according to his God-head is lesse then his Father And else where he affirmeth In ca. 26 Matt. 64. CoÌ„ Stancar in locis ca. de Christo CoÌ„ Harding art 17. in the confuta of the Papists slanders the Father to hold the first ranke of honour and power and the Sonne to obtaine the second which he might haue learned of his great master Melancthon who taught that the Sonne according to his diuinity is his Fathers subject and minister Further that in Christ there was something of the nature of God some other thing then belike was wanting Againe that the God-head of Christ was obedient vnto his Father with whome our country-men Iewell and Fulke doe jumpe who affirme that the diuine nature of Christ offered sacrifice vnto his Father Briefly all Protestantes who hold Christ according to his diuine nature to haue beene a mediator make his God-head inferiour vnto God the Father For to be as a mediator must needes be a suppliant vnto another to pray and offer sacrifice to him is to acknowledge him to be his better and that something lyeth in his power to doe which the other of himselfe cannot doe but by sute must obtaine of him Ioyne here vnto that they doe expound most of the textes of holy Scripture vsed by the auncient Fathers to proue the blessed sacred Trinity euen as the old Arrians did reprouing the auncient Fathers exposition which cannot but argue that they in their hartes though they be yet ashamed to confesse it decline apace from those holy Fathers steps to fauour Arrianisme This
them hold to be possible In colloq Marpurg art 29. Li. 1. cont Scargum cap. 14. as Zwinglius Oecolampadius Andreas Volanus c. Fourthly though we beleeue God to be maker of heauen and earth yet neuer none but blasphemous Heretikes held him to be true authour and proper worker of al euil done vpon earth by men Such neuerthelesse be Bucer Zwinglius Caluin and others of greatest estimation among the Protestantes See the Preface 2. And in IESVS Christ his only Sonne our Lord. They must needes hold Christ not to be Gods true naturall Sonne which denie him to haue receiued the diuine nature from the Father againe they make him according to his God-head inferiour to his Father See the Preface 3. Borne of the Virgin MARY Many of them teach that Christ was borne as other children are Dialog de corpore Christi pag. 94. De consil part 2. 276. with breach of his Mothers virginity as Bucer and Molineus in vnione Euangelij part 3. and Caluin signifieth no lesse in harmo sup 2. Math. vers 13. 4. Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate crucified dead and buried Friar Luther with a great band of his followers doth toughly defend that the God-head it selfe suffered which to be blasphemy Musculus doth proue in his booke of the errours of Luthers Schollers yet Beza with all them that hold Christ to haue beene our mediatour according to his diuine nature can hardly saue themselues from the same blasphemy For the chiefest act of Christes mediation consisteth in his death if then the God-head did not suffer that death it had no part in the principal point of Christs mediatiō Hither also appertaine all these their blasphemies to wit that Christ was so frighted with the apprehension of death that he forgotte himselfe to be our mediatour yea refused as much as in him lay to be our redeemer Item that he thought himselfe forsaken of God and finally despaired See the Preface 5. Descended into hel the third day he arose againe from the dead It is worth a mans labour to behold their goodly variety of expositions about Christs descending into hell 2. Apolog. ad Sanct. Beza followed of Corliel our Country-man thinkes this to haue crept into the Creede by negligence and so the French Hugonots and Flemish Gues haue cast it cleane out of their Creede but they are misliked of many others who had rather admit the wordes because they be found in Athanasius Creede and also in the old Roman Creede expounded by Ruffinus but they doe most peruersly expound them Caluin saith that Christes suffering of the paines of hell on the Crosse is signified by these wordes but he pleaseth not some others of them because Christes suffering and death also goeth before his descending into hel and the wordes must be taken orderly as they lie Thirdly diuers of them will haue it to signifie the laying of Christes body in the graue but that is signified plainely by the word buried Wherefore some others of them expound it to signifie the lying of his body in the graue three daies which M. PER. approueth as the best but it is as wide from the proper and literall signification of the wordes as can be For what likenesse is there betweene lying in the graue and descending into hell Besides Caluin their great Rabbin misliketh this exposition as much as any of the rest Lib. 2. Instit ca 16. sess 8. and calleth it an jdle fancy Fourthly Luther Smideline and others cited by Beza art 2. doe say that Christes soule after his death went to hell where the Diuels are there to be punished for our sinnes thereby to purchase vs a fuller redemption which is so blasphemous that it needes not any refutation As ridiculous is another receiued of most Protestantes that Christes soule went into Paradise which well vnderstood is true For his soule in hell had the joyes of Paradise but to make that an exposition of Christes descending into hell is to expound a thing by the flat contrary of it Al these and some other expositions also the Protestants haue deuised to lead their followers from the ancient and only true interpretation of it to wit that Christ in soule descended vnto those lower partes of the earth where all the soules departed from the beginning of the world were detained by the just judgement of God till Christ had paide their ransome and were not admitted into the kingdome of heauen before Christ had opened them the way thither 6. Concerning Christes resurrection they doe also erre For whereas a resurrection is the rising vp of the very same body that died with all his naturall partes they denie Christ to haue taken againe the same bloud Cal. in 27. Math. Perkins pag. 194. In cap. 24. Lucae which he shed in his passion and yet is the bloud one notable part of the body Caluin also affirmeth it to be an old wifes dreame to thinke that in Christes handes and feete there remaine the print of nailes and the wound in his side notwithstanding that Christ shewed them to his Disciples and offered them to be touched of S. Thomas 7. About Christes assension into heauen they doe somewhat dissent from the truth For some of them say that Christs body did not pearce through the heauens by vertue of a glorious body least they should thereby be compelled to graunt that two naturall bodies may be together in one place and therefore as well one true body in two places at once but that broad gappes were made in the lower heauens to make him way to the highest which is very ridiculous and more against true Philosophy they say also 1. Cor. 15. vers 21. Coll. 1 18. that he was not the first man that entered into the possession of heauen which is flat against the Scriptures that call Christ the first fruites and first begotten of the dead Thirdly they locke Christ so closely vp in heauen Beza in c. 2. actorum that they hold it impossible for him to remoue thence at any time before the last judgement for feare they should otherwise be inforced to confesse that his body may be in two places at once which is to make him not Lord of the place but some poore prisoner therein And as for Christs sitting on the right hād of his Father they are not yet agreed what it signifieth See Conrad L. 1. ar 25 de concor Caluinist L. 2. Insti c. 14. ss 3. Caluin plainely saith that after the later judgemēt he shal sit there no longer That God shal then render to euery man according to his workes as holy Scripture very often doth testifie al the packe of them doth vtterly denie 8. I beleeue in the holy Ghost First Caluin and his followers who hold the holy Ghost to haue the God-head of himselfe and not to haue receiued it from the Father and the Sonne must consequently denie the holy Ghost to proceede from the Father and the Sonne In the Preface as hath beene else where proued
the holy Ghost in penning this passage hath as fully preuented this euasion as it was possible by such a particular description of Peters owne person as a curious lawyer could not in so few wordes haue done it more precisely For Christ specifieth both his former name of â—inâ—â—â— and his Fathers name Ionas and then his owne newe name Peter and so particularized singled out from the rest directeth his speech to him I say to thee thâ—â— art Peter c. How could he better haue expressed himselfe to haue spoken to Peter particularly Againe he said before that Peter had not learned that his confession of flesh and bloud but by the reuelation of his heauenly Father vvhereby he signifieth that Peter had not receiued his answere from his fellow Apostles or spoke it as deliuered by conference from them but out of his owne hart inspired by the holy Ghost vvherefore to him alone were his vvordes following directed And thus much concerning the promise which our Sauiour made vnto S. Peter of the Supremacy nowe to the wordes of performance which are written in S. Iohn Iob. c. 21. vers 15. IESVS faith to Peter Simon the sonne of Iohn dost thou loue me more then these he saith to him yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee he saith to him feede my lambes He saith to him againe Simon of Iohn loâ—est thou me yea Lord thou knowest that I loâ—e thee he saith to him feede my lambes He saith to him the third time Simon of Iohn louest thou me Peter was strooken fadde because he said to him the third time louest thou me And he said vnto him Lord thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee he saith vnto him feede my sheepe Amen amen I say to thee when thou wast younger thou diddest gird thy selfe c. These vvordes haue I set downe at length that euery one may first see and be well assured that they vvere spoken to S. Peter only because Christ doth first seuer part him from the rest saying Dost thou loue me more then these to wit then the other Apostles vvho were then present Againe Peter vvas sad and began to misdoubt himselfe vvhich argueth that he tooke it spoken to himselfe and sheweth playnely that he spoke in his owne name only and thirdly the wordes following Amen I say vnto thee are without all question spoken particularly to Peter Nowe that Christ in giuing him chardge to fâ—ede his lambes and sheepe did giue him the supreme gouernement ouer his Church I proue first by the word pasce feede or be thou Pastor of my flocke for it doth signifie not bare feeding but to feede as a sheepe-heard doth his sheepe which is not only to prouide them meate but to keepe them also from the woulfe to cure their diseases to leade or driue them whither he will briefly to rule and gouerne them And this word pasce and much more the Greeke Poimaine is frequent in holy Scripture in this sence of gouerning see psal 2. vers 9. Thou shalt rule them in an yron rodde Michaeae 5. vers 2. Math. 2. vers 6. Apocal. 19. vers 15. vvhere the Greeke word Poimaino is put for to rule and gouerne And in the 77. psalme v. 71. Dauid was chosen to feede his seruant Iacob and Israell his in heritance that was to rule ouer them but like a good sheepe-heard mildly vigilantly and rather for the good of the sheepe then for his owne pleasure or profit Nowe that the chiefe feeding and supreme gouernement of all Christs flocke was committed vnto him it appeareth first by those wordes of our Sauiour to him Doest thou loue me more then these why should he require greater charity in S. Peter then in the rest of the Apostles but for that he meant to aduance him to a chardge aboue the rest secondly in that he committed to Peter the feeding of both sheepe and lambes that is of both the Temporalty signified by the lambes and of the Clergy vvho be sheepe let vs heare S. Leo. Againe Serm. 3. dâ— anniuers Assumpt suae In that he committeth to him absolutely without exception of any his sheepe feede my sheepe he maketh him Pastor of his whole flocke as S. Bernard whome M. PER. often alledgeth against vs in this question doth very learnedly inferre Lib. 2. de consid cap. 8. Thou saith he wilt aske me howe I proue that both sheepe and Pastor are committed and credited to thee euen by our Lordes word For to whome of all I will not say Bishops but Apostles were the sheep so absolutely and without limitation committed if thou loue me Peter feede my sheepe he saith not the people of this Kingdome or of that City but my sheepe whosoeuer therefore will acknowledge himselfe to be one of Christes sheepe must submit himselfe to be gouerned by S. Peter or by some of his successours You see then by the very wordes and circumstances of the text that the supremacy is giuen to S. Peter let vs heare whither the most learned and holy auncient Fathers haue not so vnderstood them S. Cyprian saith To Peter our Lord after his resurrection said De vnitat Eccles feede my sheepe and builded his Church vpon him alone Epiphanius in Ancorato This is he who heard spoken to him feede my sheepe to whome the fold is credited alluding to that place Iob. 10. vers 16. Lib. 2. de Sacerdâ—r there shall be one Pastor and one fold S. Chrysostome Why did our Lord shedde his bloud truly to redeeme those sheepe the chardge of which be committed to Peter and to his successours And a little after Christ would haue Peter indued with such authority and to be farre aboue all his other Apostles for he saith Peter doest thou loue me more then these In cap. 2. vers 21. see him also in his learned Commentaries vpon that text of S. Iohn S. Augustine also vpon the same place saith That he committed his sheepe to Peter to be fedde that is saith he to be taught and gouerned And because he produceth S. Gregory against vs he must giue vs leaue to cite him for vs. Lib. 4. epist 76. He saith It is euident to all that knowe the Gospell that by our Lordes mouth the chardge of the whole Church is committed vnto Peter Prince of the Apostles for vnto him it is said Peter doest thou loue me feede my sheepe to him is it also said Luc. 22. vers 31. Behold Satan hath required to sift you as wheate but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and thou once conuerted confirme thy brethren c. By these two places of holy Scripture to omit for breuities sake twenty others it is cleare enough to them who desire to see the truth that S. Peter by our Sauiours owne choise and appointment vvas not only preferred before all the rest of the Apostles in some particular gifts but vvas made also gouernour of his Church Nowe
Secondly they make him much inferiour vnto the other persons for they teach in their French Catechismes that the Father alone is to be adored in the name of the Sonne In cap. 6. 17. Isa in 16. Marc. And Caluin against Gentil saith that the title of creatour belongeth only to the Father and else where that the Father is the first degree cause of life and the Sonne the second And that the In 26. Math. v. 64. Father holdeth the first ranke of honour and gouernement and the Sonne the second where the holy Ghost is either quite excluded from part with the Father and the Sonne or at most must be content with the third degree of honour 9. I beleeue the holy Catholike Church the communion of Saints First where as there is but one Catholike Church one as the Councell of Nice expresly defineth following sundry textes of the word of God they commonly teach that there be two Churches one inuisible of the elect another visible of both good and bad Secondly they imagine it to be holy holy by the imputation of Christes holinesse to the elected Bretheren and not by the infusion of the holy Ghost into the hartes of all the faithfull Thirdly they cannot abide the name Catholike in the true sence of it Catholike that is they wil not beleeue the true Church to haue beene alwaies visibly extant since the Apostles time and to haue bin generally spread into all Countries otherwise they must needes forsake their owne Church which began with Friar Luther and is not receiued generally in the greatest part of the Christian world Finally they beleeue no Church no not their owne in all points of faith but hold that the true Church may erre in some principall points of faith Howe then can any man safely relie his saluation vpon the credite of such an vncertaine ground erring guide may they not then as well say that they doe not beleeue the one Catholike Church because they doe as well not beleeue it as beleeue it And as for the communion of Saints their learned masters doe commonly cassier it out of the Creede and that not without cause For by the Saints vnderstanding as the Apostles did al good Christians whither aliue or departed this world they that deny praier to Saints and for the soules in Purgatory haue reason to reject the common society entercourse that is betweene the Saints and the mutuall honour and help which such good Christian soules doe yeeld and afford one to another 10. The forgiuenesse of sinnes It is not easily to find what is their setled opinion touching the forgiuenes of originall sinne in Infants Some attribute it to Baptisme but that cannot stand with their common doctrine that Sacraments haue no vertue in them to remit sinnes or to giue grace Others say that God without any meanes doth then when they be baptised of himselfe immediately justifie them but that cannot stand in their owne doctrine because Infants want the instrumēt of faith to lay hold on that justice then offered by God and therefore cannot being so yonge take it vnto them Others will haue Infants sanctified in their mothers wombe by vertue of a couenant which they suppose God to haue made with old father Abraham and all his faithfull seruants that forsooth their seede shall be holy But this is most phantastical and contrary to the Scriptures and daily experience for Isaac was the sonne of promise and yet Esau his sonne was a reprobate Dauides father was a Godly Israelite and yet Dauid affirmeth Psal 50. that he himselfe was conceiued in iniquities and we may see whole Countries nowe turned Turkes whose ancestors were good Christians therefore not all the soules of the faithfull are sanctified in their mothers wombes Secondly how euil soeuer they agree about the remission of sinne yet there is a perfect consent among them that such relikes of originall sinne remaine in euery man baptised and sanctified that it infecteth all and euery worke he doth with deadly sinne yea that which remaineth is properly sinne in it selfe though it be not imputed to the party so that sinne is alwaies in them though their sinnes be neuer so well forgiuen And as for the Sacrament of Penance by which we hold al sinnes committed after Baptisme to be forgiuen they doe renounce the benefit of it and are at vtter defiance with it 11. The resurrection of the bodies Whether Farel the first Apostle of the Geneuian Gospel doubted thereof or no let his successor Caluin tell you who answereth Farels letter thus Episto ad Farellum That the resurrection of this our flesh doth seeme to thee incredible no meruaile c. Againe many of them teach that Christ tooke not his bloud againe which he shed vpon the crosse yea some of them are so gracelesse as to say that his pretious bloud wherewith we were redeemed Vide Conradum li. 1. art 20. rotted away on the earth 1600. yeares agoe If then it be not necessary to a true resurrection to rise againe with the same bloud why is it necessary to rise againe with the same bones and flesh the one being as perfect a part of a mans body as the other 12. Life euerlasting First Captaine Caluin holdeth it for very certaine that no soule doth enter into the joyes of heauen wherein consisteth life euerlasting vntill the day of doome 3. Institu 25. sess 6. These be his wordes the soules of the Godly hauing ended the labour of this war-fare doe goe into a blessed rest where they expect the enjoying of the promised glory And that all thinges are holden in suspence vntill Christ the redeemer appeare whose opinion is yet better then was his predecessor Luthers For he teacheth in many places that the soules of the Godly departing from their bodies Enarra in Gen. c. 26. In Ecclesi c. 9. v. 10. haue no sence at all but doe lie fast a sleepe vntill the latter day Take this one for a tast Another place to proue that the dead feele or vnderstand nothing wherefore Salomon thought the dead to be wholy a sleepe and to perceiue nothing at all And againe the sleepe of the soule in the life to come is more profound then in this life And Luther with this one position of his as that famous historiographer Iohn Sleidan recordeth ouerthrewe two points of Popery Li. 9. hist to wit praying to Saintes for they are so fast a sleepe that they cannot heare vs and praying for the dead For they in Purgatory slept also so soundly that they felt no paines A meete foundation surely to build such false doctrine vpon In 20. Luc hom 35. But Brentius is most plaine in this matter who ingeniously confesseth that albeit there were not many among them that did professe publikely the soules to die with the body yet the most vncleane life which the greatest part of their followers did lead doth clearely shewe that in their hartes they thinke no life to be
holesome doctrine and Godly instructions are by the auncient holy Fathers gathered out of that prayer of Christ what a venemous spider then was Caluin to sucke such poison out of it if Christ so wauered where was his constancy if he were so frighted as Caluin falsly imagineth where was his fortitude if he strugled so against his Fathers decree where was his obedience if he refused to redeeme vs what was become of his charity towardes mankinde if the first motions to euill be deadly sinnes in vs as the Protestantes hold what will they make of such tumultuous and vnbridled passions in him that had a greater command ouer them then we haue But we are not yet come vnto the hight of his blasphemies which he powreth forth more aboundantly vpon those our Sauiours wordes My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. vers 46. saying when this kinde of temptation was proposed to Christ as though God being auerted from him he had beene appointed to vtter destruction he was seised with horror * Li. 2. Instit c. 16. sess 11. And in his Institutes treating of the same subject saith Christ feared to haue beene swallowed vp of death as a sinner And there can be no more dreadfull bottomelesse gulfe then for a man to feele himselfe forsaken and estranged from God not to be heard when he calleth vpon him euen as if God had conspired his destruction euen thither we see that Christ was throwne downe so that by enforcement of distresse he was compelled to crie out my GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me In the Paragraffe before he speaketh more plainely that Christ did hand in hand wrestle with the armies of hel the horror of eternal death finally that in his soule he suffered the torments of the damned and al those punishments that are due to wicked men in hell He then belike was the traytor Iudas companion for the while he was in the Diuels handes to be tormented be despaired and fared as men doe in these hellish torments What greater blasphemy can be inuented then to condemne the King of heauen that came to redeeme vs all from hell euen to the very pitte of hell it selfe Beza not willing to come behinde his master Caluin in this kinde of impiety whereas Caluin craftily admitted only In cap. 5. ad Hebr. vers 7. that Christ then despaired he affirmeth plainely that from Christ strooken with the horror of Gods curse escaped the word of desperation And else where that Christ was with the huge heauie burden of Gods wrath ouerwhelmed and adjudged to the flames of hell yea buried and drowned in the bottome of the infernall gulfe In ca. 27. Math. 22. Luc. This man you see desires to lodge Christ lowe enough that would haue him drowned in the very bottome of hell This their pestilent venime they might haue sucked out of their good grandsire Luthers writinges who vpon the very same wordes doth make this goodly commentary In Psal 22. ver 1. What shall we therefore say Christ to haue bin togither both the most just and greatest sinner both the most notorious lier and truest teacher at the same instant both the most highly glorying deepely despairing both happy in the highest degree most miserably damned Vnlesse we say this I see not saith this Oracle of the newe Gospell howe Christ was forsaken of God See him also vpon the third chapter to the Galatians where he vttereth yet more detestable speaches of Christ to wit that all the Prophets did in the spirit foresee him to be the greatest theefe robber murtherer adulterer sacrilegious person and blasphemer that euer liued I could cite you diuers others of the same opinion but I had rather note their extreame blindnesse who neglecting the auncient Fathers learned expositions of the holy Scriptures were ledde away with such horrible extrauagant conceites of our Sauiour vpon so small occasion For he at that very time hanging on the Crosse declared himselfe to be most farre of from all such hellish torments yea he shewed all possible signes of a most quiet and peaceable minde praying for the saluation euen of his persecutors he was not then belike in doubt of his owne promising also to the good theefe that the same day he should be with him in Paradise wherefore he doubted nothing of being there himselfe recommending his Mother vnto his beloued Disciple and him likewise to her and to fulfill the Scriptures both saying I thirst and citing euen those very wordes that they are scandalized at out of one of the Psalmes of Dauid And finally aduisedly considering all thinges belonging to his passion to be accomplished commended his spirit vnto his Fathers handes so that there could not possibly be more calme setled judgement more valiant constancy resolution then there was But what ment he then to say my GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me Forsooth nothing else but to signifie that in all these torments which he suffered he had not any comfort or consolation at that time from God who is wont to giue extraordinary aide and comfort to all those that suffer for his names sake but that Christ might as he himselfe desired be put to suffer all kinde of extremity all manner of inward consolation was wholely with-holden from him which it pleased him then to expresse by manner of complainte in those most pittifull wordes My GOD my GOD c. the more to moue vs to compassion Thus much of their impieties against Christes person nowe to those that they teach against the office of his mediatorshippe They hold first that whatsoeuer our Sauiour did or suffered before his passion was of smal value for our redemption For as a noble Protestant said the Monkes Molineus in harmonia part 51. Priestes and Papisticall Doctors did erre when they vrged Christes incarnation and natiuity for all these thinges profited vs nothing could doe nothing but only the death of Christ which alone was accepted of God for our sinnes Secondly Caluin goeth further and doubteth not to say that Christes passion and corporall death would not serue the turne Li. 2. Instit ca. 16 sess 10. and had profited vs nothing at all had he not in his soule suffered the very paines of the damned in hell This doctrine of theirs is not only contrary to an hundreth places of expresse Scripture that doe assigne our redemption vnto the bloud-shedding and passion of Christ but it also derogateth very much from the dignity of our Mediatour For not that which he suffered made the meritte of our redemption but it was his exceeding charity with which he suffered it and principally the very dignity of his diuine person which gaue that value price and estimation to his sufferinges that the very least thing that euer he suffered in his life was of infinite value and therefore sufficient to pay the ransome of all mankinde yea to haue redeemed a thousand worldes But
of Christian religion to be vnderstood of euery man as his owne knowledge and spirit should direct him and if any doubtfull question did arise there about as he fore-sawe thousandes should doe yet he tooke no other order for the deciding and ending of them but that euery one should repaire vnto the same his word and doing his diligence to vnderstand it might afterward be his owne judge As this later opinion would argue our blessed Sauiour who was the wisedome of God to be the weakest and most improuident lawe-maker that euer was so the former doth mightily blemish the inestimable price of his most pretious bloud making it not of sufficient value to purchase vnto him an euerlasting inheritance free from all errours in matter of faith and abounding in all good workes To fold vp this part let me entreate thee curteous reader to be an vpright judge betweene the Protestantes doctrine and ours in this most weighty matter of Christes dignity vertues and mediation and if thou see most euidently that ours doth more aduance them why shouldest thou not giue sentence on our side They make Christ ignorant many yeares of his life we hold him from the first instant of his conception to haue beene replenished with most perfect knowledge They that he spake and taught nowe and then as other men did and was subject to disordinate passions We that he was most free from all such and that he taught alwaies most diuinely They make his very death not sufficient to redeeme vs we hold that the least thing that euer he suffered in his life deserued the redemption of many worldes They that he died only for the elect we that he died for all though many through their owne fault doe not receiue any benefit by his death They that thereby we are not purged from our sinnes but by imputation we that all are by the vertue thereof inwardly cleansed They that Christ purchased a Church consisting of fewe not to continue long and subject to many errours we that he established a Church that should be spredde ouer all the world and that should continue to the end of the world visibly and alwaies free from any errour in any matter of faith Finally they hold that Christ left his holy word to the disputation of men not taking any certaine order for the ending of controuersies that should arise about it we teach that he hath established a most assured meanes to decide all doubtes in religion and to hold all obedient Christians in perfect vniformity of both faith and manners And because I am entred into these comparisons giue me leaue to persist yet a litle longer in them Consider also I pray you who goe neerer to Atheisme either we that thinke and speake of the most sacred Trinity as the blessed Fathers in the first Councell of Nice taught or they who directly crosse them and by the nouelty of their phrases doe breed newe or rather reuiue old heresies against it Againe who carry a more holy conceit of God either they who vpon light occasion doe rashly denie God to be able to doe that which they doe not conceiue possible or we that teach him to be able to doe tenne thousand thinges that passe our vnderstanding Whither they that affirme God of his owne free choise to cast away the greater part of men or we that defend him to desire the saluation of all men and not to be willing that any one perish vnlesse it be through his owne default Either they that hold him to be the authour of all euill done in the world and the Diuell to be but his Minister therein or we that maintayne him to be so purely good that he cannot possibly either concurre to any euill or so much as once to thinke to doe any euill Finally whose opinion of him is better either ours that hold him to haue beene so reasonable in framing of his lawes that he doth by his grace make them easie to a willing minde or theirs that auouch him to haue giuen lawes impossible for the best men to keepe If some Protestantes doe say we doe not maintayne diuers of these positions I answere that it is because they doe yet in part hold with vs and are not so farre gone as they doe wholy followe their newe masters For if they did then should they embrace all the afore-said damnable positions being so plainely taught by their principall preachers and teachers These therefore are to warne my deere Country-men to looke to it in time and then no doubt but that all such as haue a sufficient care of their saluation considering maturely whither the current and streame of the newe Gospell carrieth them will speedily disbarke themselues thence least at length they be driuen by it into the bottomelesse gulfe of flat Atheisme And is it any great meruaile that the common sort of the Protestantes fall into so many foule absurdities touching religion when as the very fountaines out of which they pretend to take their religion be so pittifully corrupted I meane the sacred word of God Master Gregory Martin a Catholike man very skilfull in the learned languages hath discouered about two hundreth of their corruptions of the very text of Gods word and after him one Master Broughton a man of their owne esteemed to be singulerly seene in the Hebrewe and Greeke tongue hath aduertised them of more then eight hundreth faultes there in And the matter is so euident that the Kinges Majestie in that publike conference holden at Hampton-Court in the first of his raigne confesseth himselfe not to haue seene one true translation of the Bible in English and that of Geneua which they were wont to esteeme most to be the worst of all others and therefore commanded them to goe in hand with a newe translation about which fifty of the most learned amongst them in both Vniuersities as it is credibly reported haue this three yeares trauailed and cannot yet hitte vpon or else not agree vpon a newe sincere and true translation Here is a large field offered me to exclaime against such corrupters and deprauers of Gods sacred word but I will leaue that to some other time because I haue beene to long already But what a lamentable case is this they hold for the most assured piller of their faith that all matters of saluation must be fished out of the Scriptures and crie vpon all men to search the Scriptures and yet are the same Scriptures by themselues so peruersly mangled that their owne pew-fellowes crie out shame vpon them therefore wherevnto if it please you joyne that the Protestantes haue no assured meanes to be resolued of such doubtes and difficulties as they shall find in the same word of God For they must neither trust ancient Father nor relie vpon the determination either of nationall or generall Councell but euery faithfull man by himselfe examining the circumstances of the text and conferring other like places vnto it together shall finde out the
their place that there dwell men who make more account of their Princes honour then they doe of Christes And that their meeting in that place cal it what you wil is rather to serue their Prince then to serue Christ. But I haue beene longer in their place of prayer then I thought I come nowe to the men that are elected to serue the Lord there Be not many of them for the whole corps I will not touch such as Ieroboam was glad to choose when he made a Schisme in Israel to wit de extremis populi qui non erant de filijs Leui not lawfull successors of the true Priestes but others of the baser sort of the people and them commonly that are notable either for ignorance or some other odde quality and must they not also fill their good patrons handes with some feeling commodity before they can gette a benefice And so beginning with simonie lincked with perjurie for the poore fellowes must neuerthelesse sweare that they come freely to their benefice are they not like to proceede on holily As for the vowe of chastity the daylie seruice and often fasting which Catholike Priests are bound vnto they by the sweet liberty of the newe Gospell doe exchange into solacing themselues with their yoke-fellowes this of the common sort of their Ministers With their preachers I will not meddle for feare of offence yet if any desire to knowe howe they behaue themselues in other countries they may read the censure of a zealous learned preacher one of their owne compagnions who amongst many other thinges writeth thus of them Menno l. de Christ fide titul de fide mulieris Cananeae When you come to preachers who bragge that they haue the word of God you shall find certaine of them manifest liars others drunkers some vsurers and foule-mouthed slanderers some persecutors and betraiers of harmelesse persons Howe some of them behaue themselues and by what meanes they gette their wiues and what kind of wiues they haue that I leaue to the Lord and them They liue an jdle slouthfull and voluptuous life by fraude and flattery they feed themselues of the spoiles of Antichrist he meaneth the benefices taken from the Papists and doe preach just as the earthly and carnall Magistrate desireth to heare and will permitte c. So much and not a litle more speaketh one great Master of the late reformation concerning his Euangelicall bretheren Are not these goodly lampes of the newe Gospell and likely persons to be chosen by Christ to giue light to others and to reforme the world But peraduenture they haue in some secret corners certaine deuout religious soules who in an austere retired life doe with continuall teares bewaile the sinnes of the rest and make incessant sute vnto the Almighty for a generall pardon of the whole Would to God they had but I feare me that they be of their inuisible congregation or rather none such to be found amongst them For those religious houses which our Ancesters had built for such Godly and vertuous people who forsaking both father mother all their kinne and acquaintance and flying from all the pleasures and preferments which this transitorie world could yeeld them gaue themselues wholy to the holy exercises of humility chastity pouerty and all sortes of mortification these Monasteries I say and all that professed in them a retired religious life the Protestantes haue beaten downe and banished and haue not in their places erected any other for the singuler Godly men or women of their religion Which doth most euidently argue that there is in them smale zeale and rare practise of any such extraordinary piety and deuotion Surely it must needes be a strange Christian congregation that holdeth them for no tollerable members of their common weale whome Christ specially chooseth to serue him day and night and by whose holy example and most feruent prayers all other Christians doe find themselues much edified and mightily protected So that briefly whether you consider the persons that serue God or the place where he is serued or the manner of his diuine seruice the Catholike religion doth in euery point surpasse the Protestant by many degrees Thus much in answere vnto Master PERKINS objection of Atheisme against vs the which I esteemed fittest for this Preface being a matter of so great moment and therefore most worthy to be examined and considered of a part with mature judgement Nowe to the rest of his questions according to his owne order OF THE REALL PRESENCE OVR CONSENTS M. PERKINS Page 185. We hold and beleeue a presence of Christes body and bloud in the Sacrament of the Lordes supper and that no fained but a true and reall presence HITHERTO we agree in wordes but in sence nothing at all For he frameth a strange construction of that real presence which saith he must be considered two waies First in respect of the signes Secondly in respect of the communicants the signes be bread and wine with which Christes body and bloud be present not in respect of place and coexistence but by sacramentall relation that is when the sacramentall signes of bread and wine are present to the hand they doe present to the minde of the receiuer the body and bloud of Christ So that already M. PERKINS vnfained true reall presence is shrunken into a sacramentall relation and only significatiue presence such as may well be of thinges as farre distant the one from the other as the cope of heauen is from the center of the earth a strange reall presence surely The second kinde of presence saith he is in respect of the communicants to whose belieuing hartes he is also really present If you aske whether this be not as odde a kinde of presence as the other was he answereth by going about the bush saying that such as the communion is such is the presence and by the communion you must judge of the presence Ignotum as they say per ignotius He might shortly haue said if he had meant plaine dealing that by your faith you must mount into heauen and take hold on Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father and from thence drawe his righteousnesse and conuey it to your selfe so that both sortes of his true reall presence is made vvithout any nearer meeting of the parties then heauen and earth doe meete togither But let vs giue him the hearing this reall communion is made on this manner God the Father giueth Christ in this Sacrament as really and truly as any thing can be giuen to man and that not peece-meale but whole Christ yet not the substance of the God-head but the efficacy merits and operation are conueyed thence to the man-hood but the whole man-hood both in respect of substance as of merits and benefits is giuen wholy and jointly together And when God so giueth Christ he giueth withall at the same time the spirit of Christ which createth in the hart of the receiuer the instrument of true
other miracle is of record in the life of that deuout Father S. Bernard Lib. 2. cap. 3. This holy man caused a vvoman who had beene many yeares possessed with a wicked spirit that did strangely torment her to be brought before him as he vvas at Masse and then holding the consecrated Host ouer the womans head spake these vvordes Thou wicked spirit here is present thy judge the supreame power is here present resist and if thou canst he is here present who being to suffer for our saluation said Nowe the Prince of this world shall be cast forth and pointing to the blessed Sacrament said This is that body that was borne of the body of the Virgin that was streatched vpon the Crosse that lay in the Sepulcher that rose from Death that in the sight of his Disciples ascended into Heauen therefore in the dreadfull power of this Majesty I command thee wicked spirit that thou depart out of this handmaide of his and neuer hereafter presume once to touch her The Deuill was forced to acknowledge the Majesticall presence and dreadfull power of Christes body in that holy Host and to gette him packing presently wherefore he must needes be greatly blinded of the Deuill that knowing this miracle to be vvrought by the vertue of Christes body there present vvill not yet beleeue and confesse it But nowe let vs vvinde vp all this question in the testimonies of the most ancient and best approued Doctors S. Ignatius the Apostles Scholler saith I desire the bread of God Epist 15. ad Rom. heauenly bread which is the flesh of the Sonne of God S. Iustine declaring the faith of the Christians in the second hundreth yeare after Christ vvriteth to the Emperor Antonine thus Apol. 2. We take not these thinges as common bread nor as common wine but as Christ incarnate by the word of God tooke flesh and bloud for our saluation euen so are we taught that the foode wherewith our flesh is by alteration nourished being by him blessed and made the Eucharist is the flesh and bloud of the same Iesus incarnate S. Ireneus Iustins equall proueth both Christ to be the Sonne of God Li. 4. con Haeres cap. 34. the creatour of the vvorld and also the resurrection of the bodies by the reall presence of Christes body in the blessed Sacrament so assured a principle and so generally confessed a truth was then this point of the reall presence Homil. 5. in diuers Origen that most learned Doctor saith When thou takest that holy foode and that incorruptible feast when thou enjoyest the bread and cup of life when thou doest eate and drinke the body and bloud of our Lord then loe doth our Lord enter vnder thy roofe Thou therefore humbling thy selfe imitate this Centurion and say O Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe c. De coena Domini S. Cyprian The bread that our Lord deliuered vnto his Disciples being not in outward shewe but in substance changed was by the omnipotent power of the word made flesh Catech. 4. mist S. Cyril Patriarke of Hierusalem doth most formally teach our doctrine saying When Christ himselfe doth affirme of bread This is my body who afterward dareth to doubt of it and he confirming and saying This is my bloud Who can doubt and say this is not his bloud And a little after doth proue it saying He before changed water into wine which commeth neare to bloud and shall he be thought vnworthy to be beleeued that he hath changed wine into his bloud wherefore let vs receiue with all assurance the body and bloud of Christ for vnder the forme of bread his body is giuen vs and his bloud vnder the forme of wine Orat. 2. de Paschate S. Gregory Nazianzene speaking of the blessed Sacrament sayeth Without shame and doubt eate the body and drinke the bloud and doe not mistrust these wordes of the flesh c. S. Iohn Chrisostome Patriarke of Constantinople perswadeth the same thus Homil. 83 in Math. Let vs alwaies beleeue God and not resist him though that which he saith seeme absurd to our imagination which we must doe in all thinges but specially in holy misteries not beholding those thinges only which are set in our sight but hauing an eye vnto his wordes For his word cannot deceiue vs but our sences may most easily be deceiued wherefore considering that he saith This is my body let vs not doubt of it at all but beleeue it Againe a Hom. 61 ad populū what shep-heard doth feede his flocke with his owne flesh Nay many mothers giue out their children to be nursed of others but Christ with his owne flesh and bloud doth feede vs. b Itē hom 3. in epist ad Ephes It is his flesh and bloud that sitteth aboue the heauens that is humbly adored of the Angels And c Homil. 24. in 1. ad Corin. he that was adored of the wise-men in the manger is nowe present vpon the Altar d Hom. 83 in Math. 60. ad populum And not by faith only or by charity but in deede and really his flesh is joyned with ours by receiuing this holy Sacrament S. Ambrose e Libr. 4. de Sacrament c. 4. Thou maist perhaps say that my bread is but common bread this bread is bread in deede before the wordes of the Sacrament but when consecration commeth of bread it is made the body of Christ And if you demand further howe there can be any such vertue in vvordes he doth answere That by the word of God heauen and earth were made and all that in them is and therefore if Gods word were able of nothing to make all thinges howe much more easily can it take a thing that already is and turne it into an other S. Hierome Let vs beare and beleeue that the bread which our Lord brake Epistol ad Hedib quaest 2. and gaue to his Disciples is the body of our Lord and Sauiour * Epist ad Heliodorū Cont. Aduers legis Prophe lib. 2. c. 9. And God forbidde saith he that I should speake sinistrously of Priestes who succeeding the Apostles in degree doe with their holy mouth consecrate and make Christes body S. Augustine The mediatour of God and men the man Iesus Christ giuing vs his flesh to eate and his bloud to drinke we doe receiue it with faithfull hart and mouth although it seeme more horrible to eate mans flesh then to kill it and to drinke mans bloud then to shedde it Againe a In psal 65. 93 The very bloud that through their malice the Iewes shedde they conuerted by Gods grace doe drinke And vpon the 98. Psalme he doth teach vs to adore Christes body in the Sacrament vvith Godly honour where he saith Christ tooke earth of earth for flesh is of earth and of the flesh of the Virgin Mary he tooke flesh in which flesh he walked here
the Protestants doe nowe a-dayes Contrarywise the best and most learned Doctors in that pure antiquity did maintayne and defend vvorshipping of Saints and their Relikes teaching just as the Catholikes nowe doe that they did indeede honour the Saints vvith great honour but did not adore them or giue the honour proper to God to any other then to God alone let vs heare some proofe of this When blessed Policarpus S. Iohn Euangelists Disciple was Martired the Iewes were very importunate to haue his body consumed to ashes Eusebius hyst l. 4. cap. 14. least say they the Christians doe gette it and so leauing the crucified man doe fall to adore him so the opinion of the Iewes What answered the Christians We say they meane nothing lesse then to forsake Christ for him we adore as the true Sonne of God but Martirs and all other his true seruants we doe worthely reuerence and embrace for their incredible goodwill shewed towardes Christ and doe esteeme their bones and relikes more rich then pretious stones and more pure then gold and doe celebrate their memories with holy dayes and great joy This of the ancient Christians answere to the Iewes nowe of their answere to the Pagans Iulian the Apostata with his followers charged the Christians with making their Martirs Gods and that they adored them to vvhome among others Cyril Patriarke of Alexandria answered in this manner L. 6. cont Iulianum We make not holy Martirs Gods neither doe we adore them but we honour them very highly And it is not an vnworthy thing nay it is necessary to honour them eternally that haue behaued themselues so gloriously And because that goodly man Iulianus doth reprehend vs for worshipping of them wâ— tell him that we esteeme not Martirs to be Gods yet are we accustomed to vouchsafe them very high honour After these Pagans and Iewes some old Heretikes trotted apace Faustus the Manichean Heretike calumniated and falsly slandered the Catholikes of his time that they had turned their Martirs by worshipping of them into Idols Vnto vvhome S. Augustine that vvorthy pillar of the Church answered Aug. l. 20. coÌ„t Faust cap. 21. as is aboue rehearsed That Christians indeede did celebrate the memories of Martirs with religious solemnity and that they worshipped them with greater honour then they did any holy man aliue yet not with that honour which is proper to God called by the Greekes Latria The like did Vigilantius another dreaming Heretike object shortly after auouching the Catholikes to be Idolaters because they adored the bones of dead men whome that great light of his age S. Hierome doth duly reprehend Epist ad Riparium answering That they did not adore Martirs relikes no nor aâ—y Angell in heauen because they would not giue the honour due to the Creator vnto any creature but saith he we doe honour the relikes of Martirs that we may adore him whose Martirs they be We doe honour the seruants that the honour of the seruants may redound vnto their master who saith he that receiueth you receiueth me nowe let the indifferent Christian consider vvhether he vvere better vvith the Heathens Iewes and Heretikes to denie the Saints to be worshipped and say vvith them that it is Idolatry so to doe or vvhether he had not rather vvith the auncient holy Fathers and best Christians to hold that Saints departed this life and their relikes are to be vvorshipped with greater honour then any holy men yet liuing yea that vvorshipping of Saints is so farre of from Idolatry and robbing God of the honour proper to him that euen thereby God is much honoured Surely we Catholikes are nothing dismaide at their out-cryes that call vs therefor Idolaters being vvell assured that they be but the old alarmes and reproaches that Infidels were vvont to cast vpon the best Christians Nowe to the third and last argument for vs which is taken from authority * Iosue 5. vers 24. Num. 22. Iosue falling flat vpon the ground worshipped an Angell assoone as he had told him that he was the Prince of Gods army this worship being performed by a true Israelite and accepted off by the Angell of God yea more then that for it was also commanded doth conuince that more then ciuill honour is due vnto a Cytizen of heauen this for the old Testament For the state of the newe heare the judgement of the most auncient and best learned Doctors Iustine Martyr declaring vnto the Emperor the faith of the Church Apolog. 2. speaketh thus We Christians adore and worship God the Father and his Sonne who came into the world and taught vs these thinges and after them doe we truly worship by word and deede the army of good Angels following his conduct and the Propheticall spirits and this doe we copiously teach to all that will learne our doctrine Eusebius Caesariensis teacheth the same and saith Lib. 13. de praep c. 7. Serm. 32. de SaÌ„ctis We doe honour the Souldiers of true Godlinesse as them who are best beloued of God So doth S. Augustine Therefore dearely beloued Bretheren as often as we celebrate the memories of Martirs laying a-side all worldly businesse we ought speedily to repaire vnto the house of God to render vnto them honour who haue procured our saluation by the shedding of their bloud who haue offered themselues vp to God so holy an Host to obtayne for vs mercy at his handes specially when almighty God saith to his Saints he that honoureth you honoureth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Whosoeuer therefore concludeth S. Augustine honoureth Martirs honoureth Christ and he that contemneth the Saints contemneth Christ vvhich is word for word taken out of * Serm. 6. in fine Orat. de SS IuueÌ„t Max. In Theod. Mart. S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome We doe not worship auncient Saints and those of later time in different sort but all of them with the same chearefulnes therefore saith he let vs often visite them and worshippe their tombes Gregory Nyssene speaking of the worship which the Church doth giue to Martirs saith To what King is such honour done who are they of the most excellent among men whose memory is so solemnely honoured who of the Emperors in so many mens mouthes are so renowned as this poore Souldier nowe enroled a Souldier whome S. Paul hath armed whome the Angels haue anointed and whome Christ hath crowned S. Gregory Nazianzene defineth the worshipping of Martirs Orat. 1. cont Iulianum to be an assured marke of our loue toward Christ An hundreth such other testimonies wil the holy auncient Fathers afford vs if we stand in neede of them But this may suffice to enforme any reasonable man that both by expresse warrant of Scripture and by the practise and doctrine of the purest antiquity the Saints of God and holy personages are to be worshipped of vs with that religious honour commonly called Dulia that is with that worshippe which is due vnto the better sort
good deedes we doe so that the Protestants can finde no starting hole to escape out at for that they both heare our prayers and be willing to pray for vs. And hauing wonne the Protestants to beginne our Lytanies with vs Luc. 20. vers 36. and so to say S. Michael pray for vs all holy Angels pray for vs c. We may no doubt perswade them to goe forward thus the Saints in heauen are equall vnto Angels both in charity knowledge affection towardes vs and what else soeuer is requisite vnto intercession therefore if we may pray vnto Angels we may also pray vnto the Saints M. PERKINS answereth that at the generall resurrection Saints shall be equall vnto Angels as our Sauiour saith but not before Reply If Saints then shall be equall to Angels they are so at their first entrance into possession of the heauenly joyes for as all Diuines confesse the essentiall glory of their soule shal not be encreased at the resurrection and the glory of their body which they shall then receiue doth not make them more like but rather more vnlike vnto Angels that haue no bodies at all therefore this answere is insufficient which M. PERKINS foreseing addeth a second Saints be equall to Angels in glory but not in office and ministery by which they are ministring spirits for good men leauing vs to vnderstand belike for the good man doth not expresse it that because the Angels are ministring spirits therefore they better knowe our prayers and are more carefull to pray for vs. Reply First the Saints being of our owne nature and hauing passed the like perils that we be in and being also members of the same body of Christ as vve are cannot but tender the matter of our saluation as much as Angels doe especially considering that their charity towardes God bindeth them to further by all possible meanes his honour and seruice and their loue towardes their neighbours doth moue them sufficiently to second and helpe forward our saluation in what they can But the other point of their knowledge of our affaires is of greater difficulty the which vve proue first by the perfect knowledge they haue of God which is as great and also greater then some Angels haue and so in that cleare mirrour of Gods substance they may most easily see all that hath beene is or shall be said or done vpon earth And we say further that the perfection of their most happy state doth demand as due to it that they should be made priuy vnto their friendes reasonable suites vnto them All vvhich hath beene already proued But here I will adde this which is to the prâ—sent purpose That the Saints haue also charge ouer vs and therefore that it belongeth vnto their office as well as to the office of Angels to be acquainted with our affaires in particular That God hath appointed the Saints to rule ouer vs is proued out of our Sauiours wordes vvhere he saith Luc. 19. vers 17. That the good seruant for well vsing of his pound shall be placed ouer tenne Cyties And againe * Apoc. 2. vers 26. He that shall ouercome and keepe my wordes vntill the end I will giue him power ouer Nations and he shall rule them with a rodde of yron c. euen as I haue receiued of my father Item a Ibid. 3. vers 21. I will giue him to sit with me in my throne Out of which textes is plainely gathered that Christ giueth vnto holy Martirs and Saints a charge and command ouer Cyties Countries and Nations which the auncient Fathers haue well obserued and doe plainely testifie Lib. 8. in Lucam De viduis In 40. Mart. Whereupon S. Ambrose saith Euen as Angels doe gouerne ouer vs so doe they who haue attayned vnto the life of Angels In another place he calleth the Saints departed salutis nostrae Praesides the Presidents of our saluation S. Basil tearmeth them Protectors of mankinde Gregory Nazianzene desireth S. Cyprian to looke downe vpon him and to direct his speech and life b Orat. in Cyprian and to feede his flocke to gouerne them togither with him Theodorete saith that they at his time that went from home Lib. 8. de curandis prayed the Martirs to be their companions or rather the guides of their journey and returning safe did yeeld them thankes acknowledging the benefit by them Many more such like testimonies may be produced out of the auncient learned Fathers if neede require to shewe manifestly howe they vnderstood the Scriptures concerning this office and ministery or rather presidency of the Saints departed ouer vs that liue on the earth vvherefore to conclude this reason the Saints being equall vnto the Angels aswell in office and ministery as in charity and affection towardes vs we may aswel pray vnto them as vnto the Angels Our third reason shall be to preuent that euasion of theirs their God forsooth is so ready of himselfe to heare vs that we need not any spokesman to him thus I propose it One of vs liuing here may pray vnto another to pray to God for him therefore much rather may vve pray vnto the Saints departed to pray for vs because the better that the men be that pray for vs the more vvorth are their prayers according to that of S. Iames The continual praier of a just man auaileth much Iac. cap. 5 vers 17. And the examples of Abraham Moyses Iob Elias and such like excellent men doe confirme the same vvhose prayers God did heare when he refused to heare others Yea Gen. 20. vers 7. Iob 42. vers 8. God himselfe as the Scripture teacheth aduised Abimilech King of Egipt to speake vnto Abraham to pray for him and would not heare Iobs friendes praying for themselues but sent them to his seruant Iob to request him to pray for them at whose intercession he did pardon them Doth not this most plainely proue that notwithstanding Gods readinesse to receiue vs into his grace yet his will and pleasure is that vve doe pray vnto others to be a meanes vnto him for vs especially vvhen we haue so offended him that vve may justly be ashamed euen to present our selues before his diuine Majestie neede we any better warrant for praying vnto others then the aduise and commandement of God himselfe Now to the confirmation of the consequent But the Saints Math. 11. vers 11. yea the least in the Kingdome of heauen is greater then S. Iohn Baptist that is then the best on earth ergo their prayers will doe vs much more good then any mans prayer yet liuing M. PERKINS answereth that we haue a commandement to pray vnto the liuing but none to pray vnto Saints departed Reply I haue already confuted this answere vvhere I shewed before that we neede no commandement to pray or to desire others to pray for vs but it is sufficient to knowe their credit with God and willingnesse to intreate for vs when they be
vs from all oppressions of the wicked one In euang de sanct Deipara c. Athanasius Patriarke of Alexandria and first of the foure principall Doctors of the Greeke Church after many prayses of the immaculate Virgin Mary saith Therefore all the rich men of the earth doe pray vnto thee to be enriched with thy goodes and spirituall contemplations We doe cry vnto thee remember vs most sacred Virgin c. Gregory Nazianzene the second of these famous Doctors doth thus pray vnto S. Athanasius who dyed in his time Orat. in sanct Athanas O Athanasius ô sacred and louing hart c. thou from aboue looke fauourably vpon vs and gouerne this holy people that adore the holy Trinity and cherish and feede vs in peace c. The like prayer he maketh to S. Cyprian and to S. Basil in his funerall orations made of them S. Basil speaking of fourty Martirs Orat. in quadrag Mart. of whome he made his sermon saith He that is troubled flyeth vnto these fourty and he that rejoyseth runneth vnto them they that they may be deliuered from their aduersity these that they may continue in prosperity here the Godly woman is found praying for her children c. S. Chrysostome the last but not the least of the foure highly commendeth the Emperour of Rome for praying vnto S. Peter and S. Paul saying He that is revested in purple Hom. 66. ad populuÌ„ Antioch Ibid. goeth to embrace their tombes and all state laid aside doth become an humble suppliant to the Saints that they would pray vnto God for him he that goeth crowned with a Diademe and imperiall crowne humbly prayeth vâ—to the fisher-man and to the maker of tents as to his patrones and protectors Let vs to make vp the halfe dozen joyne one other their equall vvith the former it shall be Gregory Nyssene S. Basils brother he speaking vnto the Martir Theodore saith Make intercession vnto the King of all for our Country Orat. in Theodor. we stand in dread of great persecution The wicked Scithians are at hand and about to wage battle against vs thou as a souldier fight for vs as a Martir speake boldly in our cause and much more to this purpose which I omit that I be not ouer tedious To those of the Greeke Church let vs joyne as many of the Doctors of the Latin Church beginning with S. Ambrose the first of the foure more famous Doctors he first teacheth Lib. de viduis That Angels and Martirs are to be besought vnto and earnestly prayed vnto by vs alleadging that they are our Presidents and the beholders of our life and actions and encourageth vs not to be ashamed to vse them as intercessors of our infirmity And in another place prayeth thus That this my prayer may be of greater force Serm. 91. de inuent corpor Geruas Prothas I request the aide of the blessed Virgin Mary of the Apostles Martirs and Confessors the prayers of such personages thou ô Lord doest neuer despise if it shall please thee to inspire them to pray for me S. Augustine also first teacheth vs to pray to Martirs saying a Tract 84 in Iohan. We doe not so remember Martirs at that table as we doe others that rest in peace for we doe not pray for them but rather pray to them that they will pray for vs. And else where he saith b Serm. 7. de verbis Apostoli That it is an injury to pray for a Martir vnto whose prayers we ought to recommend our selues Secondly he himselfe c De bapt coÌ„t Donat lib. 7. ca. 1. prayeth vnto S. Cyprian to helpe him with his good prayers Thirdly he hath recorded d Lib. 22. de ciuitat Dei cap. 8. the miraculous helpe which two seuerall persons obtained by praying vnto the Martir S. Stephen S. Hierome is so formall for vvorshipping of Relikes and praying to Saints in his treatise against Vigilantius that the Protestants are driuen to preferre that odious Heretike before him Yet because some of them denie him to speake there of praying to Saints note these wordes of his Thou Vigilantius sayest that whilest we liue we may pray one for another but after we be dead no mans prayer shall profit other c. see the objection of the Protestant Nowe heare that learned Doctors answere If saith he Apostles and Martirs whiles they liued here might pray for others when they ought to be carefull for themselues howe much more nowe after their crownes and triumphes Take also another place of his which is so cleare that it cannot admit any exception Epist ad EustochiuÌ„ in epitaph Paulae Farewell saith he to that blessed vvidowe Paula being then departed this life and with thy prayers helpe the old age of him that worshippeth thee thy faith and good workes haue joyned thee to Christ being present thou shalt more easily obtayne that which thou wilt aske The fourth of Latin Doctors is Gregory the great to whome vve English-men are so much bound for our conuersion to the Christian faith he perswadeth praying to Saints in this sort Homil. 31 super euaÌ„g â—fine If any of vs had a great cause to be heard tomorrowe before a high judge we would this day most diligently seeke out a wise well spoken and gratious counsailour that were likelyest to handle it in the best manner Behold saith he the seuere judge IESVS assisted with a terrible troupe of Angels and Archangels is to sit vpon vs before that majesticall assembly the cause of our saluation is to be discussed and yet we doe not nowe prouide vs Patrones that may on that day defend vs Martirs will then be good aduocates but they looke to be requested and as I may say doe seeke that they may besought vnto therefore seeke by praying vnto them to gette them to be your Patrones make them before hand intercessors of your guiltynesse because he that is to be our judge will be nowe intreated that then he may not punish vs. To these foure pillers of the Latin Church I will to make the number equall with the Greeke Fathers adde two others the first shall be out of Ruffinus vvho vvas of S. Hieromes standing of the most Christian Emperour Theodosius Ruffin li. 2. hyst ca. 33. He assisted with the Priestes and People visited the holy places and clad in bayre-cloath lay prostrate before the shrines of the Apostles and Martirs and by his faithfull intercession and praying to the Saints most humbly sued for succour The last shall be our famous country-man venerable Bede Let vs saith he with swift flight Lib. 4. in Cant. circa finem seeke vnto the holes of the wall that is let vs flie vnto the often intercession of Angels and Saints that they may pray for vs vnto our mercifull creatour for these are the most strong and surest fortresses of holy Church Nowe I vvould gladly knowe vvhether the testimony of these dozen of
considered of To it then I say first that if it be ought worth it as well ouerthroweth the Kinges as the Popes Supremacy For if the Pope may not be Christes deputy as he is mediatour and gouernour of his Church because that no creature can be his deputy in any point of Ecclesiasticall gouernement as M. PER. defineth then surely no King nor Prince who are meere creatures and not one of them I trowe both God and Man can be Christes deputy in the gouernement of his Church I say secondly that a meere creature may be Christ our mediatours deputy and Vicar in the Ecclesiasticall gouernement of his Church neyther is there therein any one action that necessarily proceedeth from the two natures of God and Man as M. PER. dreameth Examine all the points of Supremacy proposed in the difference by himselfe and see vvhether there be any one that must needes be the action of both God and Man to call a generall Councell is none such nor to ratifie the decrees thereof to discusse and declare which bookes be Canonicall Scripture and vvhat is the true meaning of all obscure places therein contayned may be done by men assisted by the inspiration of the holy Ghost and so among all the rest there is not one point of the Supremacy but may be vvell executed by a mortall man assisted with Gods spirit The points of Christes mediation namely to satisfie his Fathers vvrath by paying him the full ransome of all mankinde the establishing of a newe Testament or lawe the creation of spirituall Magistrates the furnishing of it with Sacraments and such like are indeede so proper to Christ that they cannot be communicated vnto others Marry to see that his lawes be vvell obserued lawfull Gouernours and Ministers elected and his Sacraments rightly administred the chardge I say of these thinges may be very vvell committed vnto his deputies and the principall ouer-sight of all vnto one supreme gouernour vnder himselfe that all the inferiour Prelates may be holden in peace and vnity And to say that Christes presence by his vvord and spirit is sufficient to dissolue all doubtes that arise about matter of faith and to reforme all misdemeanour that is among Christians without the authority of some Magistrate to see the same vvell declared and applyed vnto particular persons is to speake against all reason and experience For vvho shall reforme obstinate Heretikes Christes vvord but Heretikes haue alwayes said and will euer say that it maketh for them Shall Christes spirit correct them they hold that they haue that spirit in such aboundance that it cryeth in them Abba Father so that M. PER. argument driueth to this that there must be no gouernour at all but that euery wrangling fellowe is to be left vnto the vvord and spirit of Christ vvhich is most absurd in matter of gouernement And albeit that in producing of supernaturall effectes men be but Gods instruments yet because they be instruments indued with reason chosen by God and enabled to doe that whereunto they are by Christ appointed I see no reason why they may not be well called Christes deputies Sure I am that S. Paul feareth not to stile himselfe with the other Apostles 2. Cor. 5. vers 20. 1. Cor. 3. vers 9 Christes Legates or Ambassadours which is as much if not more then his deputies And in an other place he goeth yet further and saith that they are coadjutors or fellowe worke-men with God for though it be Gods worke as the only efficient cause yet men doe concurre thereunto as his instruments and doe in their kinde worke properly towards the producing of the effect as the Preacher by his perswasions zeale and piety doth very much moue his Auditors to embrace Godlinesse although he should labour in vaine if God dâ—d not principally both concurre with his speeches and inwardly also dispose the hart of the hearer to receiue them But of this more hereafter in the matter of the Sacraments Touching the matter of gouernement I cannot vnderstand what M. PER. meaneth when he saith that euery action thereof proceedeth from the very person of Christ for vvhen the Bishops or congregation doth excommunicate an offendour howe can that act of theirs be personal in respect 〈…〉 speaketh Is Christ there thâ—â— in paâ—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—n-hood togither are they prosecution 〈…〉 sentence of excommunication vvhat adoâ—â—◠〈…〉 if such deepe doctrine drowne many pâ—â—â—e of Popâ—â—ry If Christ be not there present howe thâ—n can thee action proceeds 〈◊〉 him only and be so proper to him that it may be called personall M. PER. meaneth perhaps only that when the congregation doth out 〈…〉 the Church by excommunication then Christ 〈…〉 from the kingdome of heauen vvhich is also false for many 〈…〉 vvhich afterward vpon their 〈◊〉 vnto that kingdome and therefore vvere not cut off from it by Christ But suppose it were true that Christ then seperated that person from heauen vvould it followe thereof that the act of coâ—ting him off 〈◊〉 congregation done by the Church vvere the proper action of Christ proceeding immediatelie from his two 〈◊〉 of God and man nothing I thinke can be imagined more absurd wherefore all the actions of Ecclesiastical gouernement issue properly from the persons of the Gouernours vvho are in deede placed in that seate of authority by Christ and inspired by him to exercise that function duty but so qualified by Christ doe formally execute and vvorke all the actions belonging to gouernement and therefore may be most properly called Deputies vvho in their Masters name and by authority receiued from him doe that they haue commission to doe M. PERKINS second reason is All the Apostles were equall in power and authority for the commission Apostolicall was equally giuen vnto them all Math. 28. Goe teach all nations baptizing them c. Answere They were equall in that point of preaching the Gospell to all nations and in many other thinges vvhich appertayned to the planting of the Christian religion Marry alwayes with this generall prouiso that both they and all those vvho were conuerted vnto the faith by them should acknowledge and obey one supreme Pastor Christes Vicegerent on earth Which S. Leo doth very plainely teach saying Epist 84. ad Anast Betweene the most blessed Apostles in the similitude or equality of honour there was a certayne difference of power and where as the election of them all was equall yet it was giuen vnto one of them to haue preheminence aboue the rest But M. PERKINS saith that the promise of the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen was not priuate to Peter but in his person made to the rest of the Apostles according vnto Peters confession made in the name of the rest Answere Very just euen as Peter made his confession so vvas the promise but he made that confession of Christ in his owne name and that by speciall reuelation from God without consulting with any of the rest therefore to him alone vvas that
soueraigne authority for the very light of nature and common custome of all nations doth teach vs that he vvho succeedeth vnto another in any established estate and calling doth at his lawfull enstalement therein enter into ful possession of al the rights dignities and priuiledges therevnto belonging For example vvhen one is crowned King of any nation he presently there vpon is endowed with al the power and prerogatiues which his Predecessors in that Kingdome enjoyed before him And to speake of spirituall Prelates vvho doubteth but that assoone as any Ecclesiastical person is chosen confirmed for example Archbishop of Canterbury but that forth-with he is not only made gouernor of that Diocesse but also Metrapolitane and supreame Pastor of the Church of England his very succession in that Sea making him as it were inheritour vnto all the priuiledges and prerogatiues of his Predecessours in that seate Euen so the Bishops of Rome succeeding vnto S. Peter in that Apostolicall Sea doe inherite and succeede him in that supreme authority which Christ gaue vnto S. Peter for to be continued in his Church vntill the worldes end Now to auouch as some desperately doe that S. Peter did not die at Rome nor neuer was at Rome is so grosse and palpable an vntruth auerred by meere ghesse and phantasie contrary to the euident testimony of all auncient fathers and repugnant vnto the expresse and sensible monuments of the place of his execution of his reliques and Churches builded by Constantine the great to the perpetuall remembrance of them in the City of Rome yet to this day most famously knowne through the world this their assertion is I say so blockish and impudent that it were but lost time to stand about the proofe of it for he that is so sencelesse as to beleeue such a paradoxe deserueth small paynes for his recouery But for an vpshot of this question let vs heare the opinions of the principal Doctors of the East Church who of all men are most likely not to attribute any such supremacy vnto a Bishop of the West Church if they had thought it due vnto any Patriarke of theirs or if they had not judged it to be a cleare case in true Diuinity that such soueraigne authority was due vnto that one chiefe Pastor in Gods Church The first shall be one the auncientest of them that most worthy champion of Christ Athanasius who was also one of the chiefest Patriarkes of the East Church as being Bishop of Alexandria He in a speciall treatise of Dionysius one of his predecessours in that Sea sheweth howe he went to Rome to another Dionysius then Pope there to haue his cause heard and determined which he would not haue done if he had not acknowledged the Bishop of Rome for his superiour and one to whose finall sentence all of the East Church as vvell as of the West were bound to obey And in his Epistle vnto Pope Foelix he hath these wordes God hath therefore placed you and your predecessours Apostolicall Prelates in the tower of superiority and hath commanded you to take charge of all Churches that you may succour and helpe vs. This Epistle indeede of Athanasius M. PER. doth mislike but because he sheweth not vvherefore his authority vvill not serue to discred it it But he saith as much in another of his and of all the Bishops of Aegipt joyned with him to Pope Marke to wit That they al with al committed to their charge were and euer would be obedient vnto the Bishop of Rome Lib. 3. hist cap. 7. It is also recorded by the Ecclesiasticall Hystoriographer Zozemene howe that both Athanasius Patriarke of Alexandria and Paule Patriarke of Constantinople with diuers others of the Greeke Church being by the Arrians banished out of their owne Bishoprickes did flie vnto the Bishop of Rome for refuge Who as that authour witnesseth because the care of all did belong vnto him through the dignity of his place and seate did restore their Churches to euery of them Athanasius also in his second Apology hath recorded these words of the same most holy Pope Iulius to the Bishops of the East Are yee ignorant this to be the custome that first of all you must write vnto vs that from hence it may be defined what is just Wherefore if there had beene any such suspition against the Bishop you ought to haue related it to our Church of Rome thus much of S. Athanasius the first of the foure Greeke Doctors Nowe to the second S. Gregory Nazianzene who had beene also Patriarke of Constantinople In câ—râ—a de vita sua Epist 52. ad Athan. he saith That the Church of Rome had alwaies mainetayned the true faith and opinion of God as it became the City that was superiour to all the world His diuine companion S. Basil aduertiseth Athanasius That he thought it good to write vnto the Bishop of Rome to heare their matters and by the decree of his judgement to determine them and because it was hard to send from thence that the Pope would giue to certayne chosen men authority to compose their controuersies and to reuerse and make voide the actes of the Councell of Arimini See what soueraignety this learned auncient Father of the East Church doth attribute vnto the Church of Rome The very same doth that golden mouth and most learned and holy Doctor S. Chrysostome acknowledge vvriting vnto Innocentius the first Pope of Rome Epist 1. ad Innocentium Beseeching him that he would repeale and make voide the wicked fact of the Patriarke of Alexandria with a whole Councell of the East and lay the Ecclesiasticall censures and punishments vpon them vvhich euery man knoweth that he could not haue done if he had not power and jurisdiction ouer all the East Church Vnto these foure most firme pillars of the Greeke Church let vs joyne one neighbour of theirs little inferiour vnto them for either standing learning or authority I meane Theodorete a Bishop in Asia that had 800. Churches vnder him He notwithstanding his distance from Rome writeth thus vnto Leo the first Epist ad Leonem I doe expect the sentence of your Apostolicall Sea and in humble wise doe beseech your Holynesse that your just and right judgement may helpe me appealing vnto you and that you will command me to runne vnto you to verifie that my doctrine is consonant to the Apostles And in another Epistle to Renatus a Priest of Rome he writeth That the Heretikes had spoyled him of his Bishopricke and cast him out of the Cyties without any reuerence or respect of his gray-hayres wherefore saith he I request you that you will perswade the most holy Archbishop Leo that he will vse his Apostolicall authority and command vs to come to your Councell for that holy seate of Rome boldeth the stearne of gouerning all the Churches in the world Well then to conclude this long and intricate question seing the Bishops of Rome from all antiquity as is
of this and shewe howe it maketh for M. PERKINS But to the purpose I answere that S. Iohn there doth put a playne difference betweene his owne baptisme and the baptisme of Christ saying of his owne That it was the baptisme of water nor giuing the holy Ghost as the baptisme of Christ should doe which also most of the Fathers both Greeke and Latin doe playnelie testifie and the wordes of the text doe euidently confirme the same Whence I reason thus S. Iohns baptisme was such an instrument and meanes of grace Mat. 1. as M. PER. describeth for there was a promise of remission of sinnes to him that receiued it with faith and repentance yet vvas it nothing comparable vnto Christes baptisme vvhich is nowe only vsed therefore Christes baptisme doth ouer and besides the representation of grace vvhich was in S. Iohns baptisme effectually conuay the same grace of the holy Ghost into our soules by the very applying of it to vs so that this worthy argument of his proceedeth wholy against himselfe He goeth forward and saith That Paul who trauayled of the Galatians and begat them by the Gospell 1. Cor. 3. vers 7. saith of himselfe that he is not any thing not only as he was a man but as be was a faithfull Apostle thereby excluding the whole euangelicall Ministery from the least part of diuine operation or efficacy in conferring grace Answere This is nothing to the purpose for S. Paul speaketh there of preaching the Gospell and we treate here of ministring the Sacraments Preaching as hath beene said doth not conferre grace of it selfe but by perswasion no more doth the preacher and so may be said to be nothing in that worke of producing grace and faith in the hearer but the Sacraments conferring grace he that administreth the Sacrament doth really concurre as an instrument of producing the same grace Moreouer such an instrument may be saâ—â— to be nothing because they themselues with al their endowments can doe nothing in that matter vnlesse they be therevnto applyed and moued by the principall agent vvhich is God as a penne or other instrument be it neuer so good can doe nothing of it selfe and therefore may be said to be nothing M. PERKINS third reason The Angels nay the flesh of the sonne of God hath not any quickning vertue from it selfe but all his vertue is from the God-head nowe if there be no effiâ—â—cy in the flesh of Christ but from the God-head howe shall bodily actions about bodily elements conferre grace immediately Answere This is too too simple for a base bodily thing may conuay grace immediately as an instrument of God when as the highest creature hath not power of it selfe to produce and conferre the same grace as principall agent as a meane subject by speciall commission and authority from the Prince may haue power of life and death which the greatest Peere in the realme hath not of his owne authority without some priuiledge from the Prince Rom. 4. His fourth reason Paul standeth much vpon this to proue that justification by faith is not conferred by the Sacraments and gathereth it because Abraham was first justified and afterward receiued circumcision the signe and seale of his righteousnesse Nowe the generall condition of all Sacraments is one and the same and that baptisme succeedeth circumcision Answere He mistaketh greatly S. Pauls discourse which is nothing lesse then that he saith but to proue that neither by the obseruation of Moyses lawe nor yet by the morall carriage of the Gentils men vvere to he saued but by faith in Christ and obedience vnto his Gospell Yea he is so farre off from denying justification to be conferred by the Sacraments that in the same epistle he teacheth vs to be justified by baptisme saying We are buryed together with Christ by baptisme into death Cap. 6. vers 4. that as he is risen againe from the dead c. so we may walke in newnesse of life Againe if Baptisme be but a signe and seale of righteousnesse how commeth the infant that cannot for lacke of discretion beleeue to that righteousnes whereof Baptisme is the seale Abraham in deede was justified before he vvas circumcised because he vvas aboue 70. yeares old before he heard of any circumcision but thence it followeth not that the infants circumcised at eight dayes old vvere justified before they vvere circumcised And so it may be that Cornelius the Italian Captayne was justified before he heard a word of the Sacrament of baptisme but that is nothing to proue or disproue the ordinary vvorking of the Sacraments for before the lawefull publication of any lawe no man is bound to obserue that lawe so that Abraham before he had heard of circumcision and Cornelius knowing nothing of Baptisme were not bound to them but had other meanes of justification according to Gods vvill and afterward receiued those Sacraments in obedience to God both in testimony of their former righteousnesse and to increase the same grace Hence it doth not followe but that the ordinary vvorking of both circumcision and baptisme in infants vvas and is to purge them from originall sinne and to powre the grace of justification into their soules But let vs admit al to be true which he saith yet this argument helpeth not the maine point which he is to proue to vvit that the Sacraments doe not produce grace into our soules for albeit they produced not the first justifying grace as the Sacrament of the Alrar and some others doe not yet they may truely produce and worke in vs an encrease of Gods grace and so be true physicall instrumentall causes of grace according as the Catholikes hold Consequently you may judge vvhat a pithy reason his fourth is vvhich may be answered foure manner of wayes His fift is the judgement of the Church Basil De spiritu sancto 15. If there be any grace in the water it is not from the nature of the water but from the presence of the spirit Could any man haue produced a vvitnesse to speake more formally against himselfe M PER. holdeth that there commeth no vertue from the water to sanctifie the soule S. Basil the fore-man of his quest auerreth that grace commeth from the water and is in the water marry that grace the water hath not of his owne nature but from the spirit of God there present In 14. Esaiae His second authour Hierome saith Man giueth water and God giueth the holy Ghost This is true but vvhether God giueth that grace by the ministery of the man and meanes of the Sacrament S. Hierome in that place saith neyther yea nor no and therefore his testimony helpeth not M. PER. cause But in his 83. Ad Oceanum Tract 80. in Iohan. Epistle he doth at large declare what efficacy baptisme and the water sanctified in Christ hath Augustine said Water toucheth the body and washeth the hart Answere His wordes are What great force and vertue is this of water
that it toucheth the body and cleanseth the hart can any thing be more cleare and forcible to ouerturne M. PERKINS position then to say that the water of baptisme washeth and purifieth mans hart this sentence scalded his lips wherefore he would gladly shake and shift it off by another place of the same Father Tract 6. in epist. Iohannis where S. Augustine teacheth That water sometimes signifieth the gifts of the holy Ghost Be it so what then doth it therefore signifie the holy Ghost in all places or in that where he saith That it toucheth the body and washeth the soule it cannot be for he speaketh of that water with which first the body is washed and that is not the holy Ghost but natural water But at least in the other place he doth not say out altogither as much as he did in the first True and who is he that treating often of one matter that is very copious and large but that sometime he handleth one point of it sometimes another here he discusseth one and the same thing more exactly there more sleightly as occasion serued wherefore it is no reason to say that in one place he said not so much of this matter therefore when he spake more particularly of iâ— in another you must expound him by that place where he spake lesse of it And thus much in answere vnto M. PERKINS reasons Nowe to some fewe arguments for the Catholike party He proposeth one for vs thus Remission of sinnes and saluation are ascribed to the Sacrament of baptisme * Act. 22. vers 17. Be baptised and wash away thy sinnes a Ephes 5. vers 26. Cleansing the Church by the lauer of water in the word of life b Tit. 3. vers 5. He hath saued vs by the lauer of regeneration c 2. Tim. 1. vers 6. The grace of God was giuen to Timothy by the imposition of handes Which phrase of cleansing and sauing by the lauer or bath of water importeth no lesse then that by water as a true physicall instrument that grace of God was convayed into the soules of the baptised which may be confirmed by many the like places as where it is said d Ioh. 3. vers 5. Vnlesse a man be borne a new of water and the holy Ghost where our regeneration and newe birth is ascribed vnto the working of water which were all very vnproper speeches if they diâ—import no more then that when water is applyed vnto vs then doth God immediately from himselfe and not by any meanes of the water sanctifie vs so that first we haue the Scripture for vs in his proper natiue signification M. PERKINS answereth That saluation is ascribed vnto the Sacraments as to the word of God that is as they are instruments to signifie seale and exhibite to the beleeuing minde the fore-said benefits but indeede the proper instrument whereby saluation is apprehended is faith And Sacraments are but props of faith furthering saluation two wayes First because by their signification they helpe to nourish and preserue faith Secondly because they seale grace and saluation to vs yea God giueth grace and saluation vnto vs when we vse them well so that we beleeue the word of promise made to the Sacrament whereof they are seales This his answere I haue put downe at large that the juditious reader may see howe many wordes he vseth to answere not one word to purpose for here is indeede an explication of their owne doctrine but not any reason why we should not take the wordes of holy Scripture before alleadged according vnto the proper manner of the phrase whereby they assigne water to be the reall meanes and true instrument of our saluation and thus much of our first argument The second shall directly confute his answere thus If Sacraments doe worke like vnto the word of God preached and only exhibite and feale vnto the beleeuing minde the benefits by them promised then he that cannot vnderstand such signes and promises and hath not vvit to conceiue and beleeue them can in no case receiue any such Sacrament well and worthily as if the word were preached neuer so perfectly vnto one of no capacity or vnderstanding it would worke nothing with him by reason of his want of vnderstanding but the Sacrament of baptisme and some others giuen vnto them who haue not sufficient wit and reason to vnderstand the meaning of it as for example vnto infants yet doe neuerthelesse worke their regeneration and saluation therefore it is most manifest and euident that the Sacraments of their owne proper force as the instruments of God doe worke our saluation vvithout the helpe of the receiuers faith This is confirmed by the testimony of those auncient Fathers who hold that one speciall cause why our Sauiour would be baptised was that by touching the water he might giue it vertue to purge and cleanse vs from sinne so witnesseth S. Ambrose Lib. 2. in Lucam 12. S. Gregory Nazianzene Oratione in sancta lumina Chrysostome Hom. 25. in Iohaâ—nem Venerable Bede in 3. Lucae Againe it is the common opinion of the auncient Doctors that the Sacraments are conduites to convay the merits of Christs passion into our soules yea are said to haue flowed out of Christes side opened on the Crâ—sse they therefore doubted not but that they had a spirituall vertue in them to cleanse and sanctifie our mindes But let vs heare some fewe of them in formall tearmes deliuering the same doctrine vvhich vve teach you haue heard already S. Basil and S. Augustine cited by M. PERKINS Gregory Nyssene speaking of Aarons rodde and such like thinges by which miracles were wrought saith * Orat. de Baptismo And all these thinges being without sence and life yet hauing receiued vertue from God were meanes of great miracles euen so water being nothing but water hauing receiued the heauenly blessing doth reâ—ewe a man vnto a spirituall regeneration And further That as seede is the cause of carnall generation so water that is blessed is the instrumentall cause of mans pâ—â—gation and illumination S. Chrysostome a Hom. 25 in Iohan. That which the wombe is to the infant that is water vâ—to the faithfull for in water we are formed and made S. Cyril of Alexandria b Lib. 2. in Iohan. cap. 42. Euen as water being heated with fire doth burne like fire it selfe euen so water wherewith the body is sprinckled in baptisme by the working of the holy Ghost is reformed and raysed vp to a diuine power and vertue Tertullian c Lib. de Baptismo Of old water gaue life that is water brought forth liuing creatures that it be not strange that water in baptisme knowe howe to giue life S. Ambrose d Lib. 2. de Poenitentia cap. 2. It seemed impossible that water should wash away sinne and Naaman the Syrian did not beleeue that his leprosie could be washed away with water but God hath made possible that which
was impossible who hath bestowed so great grace vpon vs. S. Siluester as Nycephorus hath recorded speaketh thus of baptisme e Lib. 7. hystor cap. 33. This water hauing receiued by the inuocation of the blessed Trinity heauenly vertue euen as it washeth the body without so doth it within cleanse the soule from filth and corruption and make it brighter then the Sunne-beames So that it is most conformable both vnto the holy Scriptures and the auncient Fathers to affirme and hold that the Sacraments doe really contayne and convay the graces of God into our soules as his true and proper instruments OF SAVING FAITH M. PERKINS Page 305. HEre followeth a Chapter which for the most part doth nothing but repeate points of doctrine which hath beene particularly handled in the questions of Iustification Satisfaction and Merits and aboue twenty times touched by the vvay in his booke therefore a tedious and loathsome thing it is to me here againe to heare of them yet because the man thinketh that in these points the principall glory of the newe Gospell consisteth and that there fore they are alwayes to be inculcated in season and out of seasorr I vvill briefly runne them once more ouer shewing as he doth only vvherein we differ without repeating the arguments which are to be seene in their proper places To come to the matter he putteth downe fiuâ— conclusions The first conclusion The Catholikes teach iâ— to be the property of faith to beleeue the whole word of God and especially the redemption of mankinde by Christ M. PERKINS DIFFERENCE THey beleeue indeede all the written word of God and more then all for they beleeue the bookes Apocryphall and vnwritten Traditions Answere Touching vnwritten Traditions see that Chapter in the first part M. PER. saith here Because they come to vs by the handes of men they cannot come within the compasse of our faith Then I say vpon the same ground the vvritten word cannot come within the compasse of our beleefe because it also commeth vnto vs by the handes of men And as the Apostles and their Schollers are to be credited when they deliuered the vvritten word vnto vs for Gods pure word so are they to be beleeued vvhen they taught the Church these poynts of Gods vvord vnwritten to be embraced as the true word of God although not written but committed to the harts of the faithfull And when we haue the testimony of auncient Councels or of many holy Fathers that these points of doctrine vvere by Tradition deliuered vnto the Church by the Apostles vve as firmely beleeue them as if they were written in the holy Scriptures For which bookes of Scripture be Canonicall vvhich not and what is the true meaning of hard places in Scripture we knowe no other way of infallible certainty then by the declaration of the Catholike Church which we therefore aswell beleeue telling vs these thinges were deliuered from the Apostles by Tradition as those thinges in vvriting And that such credit is to be giuen to the Catholike Church the Apostles Creede witnesseth which biddeth vs beleeue the Catholike Church Nowe touching those bookes of holy Scripture vvhich vvere some hundreth yeares after Christ doubted off by some of the auncient Fathers vvhether they were Canonicall or no thus we say That albeit it were vndetermined by the Church vntill S. Augustines time vvhether they were Canonical or no and so were by diuers auncient Fathers though not condemned as Apocryphall yet not comprehended vvithin the Canon of assured Scriptures notwithstanding that matter being in a Councell holden at Carthage where among many other learned Bishops S. Augustine vvas present throughly debated Concil Cartag 3. cap. 47. those bookes doubted off before were found by the holy Ghost and them to be true Canonicall Scripture and afterward vvere by the sixt generall Councell that confirmed this Councell holden at Carthage declared and deliuered to the whole Church for Canonicall Nowe as we receiued at the first the other bookes of Canonicall Scripture on the â—â—edit of the Catholike Church euen so ought vve to doe these shee hauing declared them to be such yea the Protestants themselues haue admitted many bookes of the newe Testament vvhich vvere doubted off for three hundred yeares after Christ why then doe they not as vvell receiue them of the old The difference betwixt vs is that they only of passion and priuate fancy admit these and reject those vvhereas vve of obedience relying vpon the judgement of the vvhole Church admit those bookes for Canonicall which the Catholike Church hath declared for such And thus much of the first conclusion Nowe to the second touching saluation by Christ alone wherein the Protestants either cannot vnderstand or will not report our doctrine aright We confesse that Christ IESVS hath merited the redemption and saluation of all mankinde yet say we further that not one man is saued through Christ vnlesse he for his owne part first beleeue in Christ if he be of yeares and be content to doe all those thinges that Christ hath commanded vs to doe so that to saluation two thinges are required the first and principall is Christes mediation the second is the applying of Christes mediation and merits vnto vs vvithout this latter the former will stand no man in steede Nowe to be made partaker of Christs merits we must not only beleeue in him as the Protestants teach but also keepe his commandements and by good workes deserue heauen otherwise according to Christs decree we shall neuer come thither as in the question of Merits hath beene plentifully proued out of the holy scriptures so we teach then that besides Christs sufferings and merits we must haue some of our owne or else vve shall neuer be partakers of Christes And M. PERKINS cannot be excused from a vvilfull corruption of Gods word when he affirmeth S. Paul to say We are not saued by such workes as God hath ordayned men regenerated to walke in for those be not the wordes of the text but his peeuish construction S. Paul putting a playne distinction betweene workes that we are not saued by and workes that we must walke in calling these later good workes and the other barely workes To the other text I say that we haue no righteousnesse of our owne strength or by the vertue of Moyses lawe but through the mercy of God and Christs merits we haue true righteousnesse giuen vs by baptisme Christ indeede by himselfe and his owne sufferinges not by sacrifice of Goates or Calues hath meritoriously washed away our sinnes that is deserued of God that they should be washed away but formally he hath washed away our sinnes by infusion of Christian righteousnesse into our soules He that will see more of this let him reade the question of Iustification And where as M. PER. saith that all grace of God powred into our hartes is by the corruption of our hartes defiled he little knoweth the vertue of Gods grace vvhich so cleanseth and purifieth
power of their free will helped by the holy Ghost 2. Tim. 2. vers 15. whereas Paul ascribeth it wholy vnto God prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance c. Answere Of this point hath beene spoken in the questions of Freevvill and of Iustification and here M. PERKINS answereth and confuteth himselfe sufficiently when he maketh as a passione repentance by which God turneth our hartes to him so an actiue vvhereby a man first moued by God turneth himselfe to God so that by his owne doctrine the free-will of man helped by the holy Ghost concurreth to the first act of repentance And where he saith that the sinner was before dead and therefore could not moue any part towardes repentance we answere that the grace of God raysing him to repentance doth quicken him and enable him to doe that good worke The second abuse of mistaking of penance for the correction only of notorious offenders is a fable The third abuse saith M. PERKINS is that we make repentance not only a vertue but also a Sacrament whereas for a thousand yeares after Christ it was not reckoned among the Sacraments Yea it seemeth that Lumbard was one of the first that called it a Sacrament and the Schoole-men after him disputed of the matter and forme of this Sacrament not able any of them certainely to define what should be the outward element of it Answere I am sorry to see the man so carelesse of his credit what doe schoole-men doubt of this Sacrament it selfe or of either matter or forme of it or are they not yet agreed what should be the outward element or visible signe of it He needeth not feare to auouch any thing that wil not blush at such a palpable vntruth Sess 14. 3. for not only the Councell of Trent but long before it the Councel of Florence in the instruction of the Armenians doth teach the actes of the Penitent to wit contrition and confession to be the element or materiall part of it and the absolution of the Priest the formall The same aboue three hundred yeares past taught the Prince of schoole-men S. Thomas of Aquine Richard Durand and diuers others vpon the fourth of the sentences the fourtenth distinction and now is the common opinion of al men so that this was a lie in graine No more truth hath the former part of his wordes that Repentance for a thousand yeares after Christ was not reckoned among the Sacraments For Victor Cartennensis who liued a thousand yeares past doth in expresse tearmes proue that we must make much of the Sacrament of Penance Lib. de PoeniteÌ„tia cap. 20. and most of the auncient Doctors doe reckon and couple Penance with the Sacrament of Baptisme or with the Sacrament of the Altar To beginne with the latter that we may ascend vpward Victor Vticensis bringeth in the people speaking thus to the Priests which were going into banishment Vnto whome wil yee leaue vs poore wreatches Lib. 2. de persecut VaÌ„dalica whiles yee goe vnto your crownes who shall baptize these little ones in the fountaine of euerlasting water Who shall bestowe vpon vs the gift of Penance and by the fauour of reconciliation loose and vntie vs bounden in the bandes of sinne because to you it was said Whatsoeuer you loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen Is not Penance here joyned with Baptisme the very like hath S. Augustine vvhere he first sheweth vvhat recourse in times of danger is wont to be made to the Church Sâ—â—e crauing to be baptised other to be reconciled and to doe Penance Epist 180 ad Honor. euery one of them seeking comfort and the administration of the Sacraments where he not only reckoneth reconciliation and Penance with Baptisme but saith that they are Sacraments for vvhen the people seeketh after them he saith That they seeke after the administration of Sacraments And a little after If the Ministers or Priestes be present some are baptised some be reconciled none are defrauded of the communion of our Lordes body S. Hierome Let him be redeemed by the bloud of our Sauiour L. 1. cont Pelag. Lib. 1. de PoeniteÌ„tia cap. 7. eyther in the house of Baptisme or in Penance that doth imitate the grace of baptisme S. Ambrose speaking against the Nouatians saith Why doe yee baptize if sinnes may not be pardoned by a man for in baptisme there is remission of all sinnes neyther is it any matter whether Priestes by Penance or by Baptisme doe chalenge this right to be giuen vnto them for it is the same in both of the mysteries So man remitteth sinnes aswell in the mysterie or Sacrament of Penance as in Baptisme and the like vertue is in both by S. Ambrose judgement there the one is a Sacrament as vvell as the other And yet more then a 100. yeares before him Tertullian saith Lib. dâ— PoeniteÌ„tia That God fore-seeing the poyson and infection of sinne and hauing shut vp the gate of pardon and bolted the doore of baptisme hath yet suffered something else to lie open for he hath in the porch or portall placed the second penance that may be opened to them that knocke where he testifieth the second Penance that is Penance after Baptisme to be appointed of God to take away sinne after baptisme as baptisme did that vvhich was before it so that many worthy auncient Fathers doe reckon and account penance or repentance as he calleth it among the Sacraments of the Church and so doe most manifestly confute his shamelesse assertion But because I desire here at once to dispatch this matter I will proue that the Father of al Fathers that is Christ IESVS himselfe hath instituted and deliuered vnto vs this Sacrament of Penance viz. When breathing vpon his Disciples Ioh. 20. vers 23. he bid them receiue the holy Ghost and said that whose sinnes soeuer they remitted in earth should be remitted in heauen Whence we proue that as there should be sinners in the Church so men indued with power to absolue them from their sinne and because they are not to absolue any that desire not be absolued the party must in humble sort request absolution and declare from vvhat sinnes he desireth to be absolued for what wise man will absolue one from he cannot tell what and not knowing vvhether any restitution be to be made or no Wherefore the party humbly confessing his fault and the Priest absoluing of him in a religious manner thereby to magnifie God by the due dispensation of his gifts bestowed on men there must needes be a visible signe of grace of justification vvhich is at the same time conferred so that euen after the defâ—â—â—tion of the Protestants it is a true Sacrament for there is a religious ceremony instituted by Christ that hath a promise of justifying grace annexed to it And consequently so wide is that from truth that vvithin a thousand yeares after Christ repentance was not accounted