implet quod scriptum est non concupisces The apostle therefore saith not that he hath not power to doe good but that he cannot perfect that which is good For he doth great good who doth that which is written Follow not thy lustes but he doth not perfect his well doing because he doth not fulfil that which is written Thou shalt not lust Out of these wordes of Saint Austen I note many memorable documents First that Saint Austen speaketh these wordes of the regenerate for they onely can doe this good whereof the apostle speaketh Secondly that though the regenerate can doe good and striue against lust yet can they not doe that good so perfectly but it is alwayes annexed to sinne and chayned with it as with an heauie yokefellow Thirdly that the tenth commandement marke well my wordes prohibiteth not onely actuall lust done with consent but also originall lust committed without consent and consequently that concupiscence remaining in the regenerate is sinne properlie and formallie I prooue it because Saint Paul could not performe this precept as Saint Austen truely and learnedly obserued who for all that touching actuall sinne was most free and innocent For he fought mightily against his raging concupiscence and did in no wise yeeld thereunto He was therefore guiltie by reason of originall concupiscence which abode in him against his will Therefore most absurd is the exposition of the Rhemists who beare the reader in hand that Saint Paul speaketh not of the habituall concupiscence or sensuall desire and inclination to euill when he forbiddeth to lust For if onely the consent of our reason and mind to obey and to follow the lusts thereof were sinne indeede then should Saint Austens exposition be very childish and too too absurd who telleth vs plainely in expresse tearmes That S. Paul could not fulfill that precept although he did not yeeld his consent vnto it neither did obey or follow the desires thereof No no Saint Paul had no such meaning he named it sinne as it is indeed He saith hee had not knowne lust to be sinne except the law had said Thou shalt not lust But he could neuer be ignorant that concupiscence with consent was sinne seeing the verie heathen men did know and confesse the same Againe that actuall concupiscence which our Rhemists speake of is forbidden in the sixt seuenth and eight commaundements as Christ himselfe expondeth them And consequently the tenth commandement forbiddeth the very habituall and sensuall desire or inclination to sinne and the euill fruits thereof that is wicked vicious and iniurious thoughts though wee resist and striue against them This is the expresse doctrine of Saint Austen in another place which he deliuereth in these words Agitenim aliquid concupiscentia carnis quando non exhibetur ei vel cordis assensus vbi regnet vel membra velut arma quibus impleatur quod iubet agit autem quid nisi ipsa desideria mala turpia Non enim si bona licita essent eis obedire prohiberet apostolus For concupiscence of the flesh worketh something euen when there is not giuen vnto it either the consent of the heart where it may reigne or the members as weapons which may accomplish what it appointeth And what doth it but the very wicked and filthy desires For if they were good and lawfull the apostle would not forbid to obey them Marke these wordes gentle reader for they fortifie that which is already said and giue a deadly blow to the papists two things are cleered by this testimony of Saint Austen the one that concupiscence to which consent is not giuen bringeth foorth ill desires the other that the said desires are vnlawfull and prohibited by the law of God And so we haue it euidently prooued by many inuinsible reasons that concupiscence habitued to which the regenerate yeeld no consent but stoutly resist the same is so farre from being meritorious as the papist teach that it is sinne formally and properly so called Neither will it serue their turne to obiect that which is euer in their mouthes that it is inuoluntarie and can no way be auoided and so no sinne at all This obiection I grant carrieth a maiestie with it and it seemeth to many men to be insoluble But God willing I shall make it so cleere and euident as euery child may behold with facilitie the weakenesse falshood and absurditie thereof Saint Austen prooueth at large in sundrie places of his workes that inuoluntarie motions of concupiscence are sinne in deed and truely so called In his first booke of retractations he hath these wordes Illud quod in paruulis dicitur originale peccatum cum adhuc non vtantur libero arbitrio voluntatis non absurdè vocatur etiam voluntarium quid ex primi hominis mala voluntate contractum factum est quodammodo haereditarium Non itaque falsum est quod dixi vsque adeo peccatum voluntarium malum est vt nullo modo sit peccatum si non sit voluntarium That which in infants is called originall sinne when as yet they vse not free arbitrement of will is not absurdly called voluntarie because being contracted of the euill will of the first man it is become in a sort hereditarie It is not therefore false which I said sinne is an euill so voluntarie that it is no way sinne if it be not voluntarie Againe in an other place S. Austen hath these words Quod si quisquam dicit etiam ipsam cupiditatē nihil esse aliud quam voluntatē sed vitiosam peccatoque seruientem non resistendum est nec de verbis cum res constat controuersia facienda est Sic enim ostenditur sine voluntate nullū esse peccatū siue in opere siue in origine But if any man say that concupiscence is nothing else than a wil that is vitious seruing sinne there is no resistance to be made neither must controuersie be in words when the thing is cleere euident For so we proue euery sinne to be voluntarie either in the act or else in the originall Againe he hath these wordes Propterea non perturbat de paruulis questio quia ex illius origine rei tenentur qui voluntate peccauit quando libero ad faciendū ad non faciendū motu animi non carebat eique ab opere malo abstinendi sūma potestas erat Therfore let no man be troubled with the question about infants because they are guiltie by reason of his originall that sinned voluntarily hauing free motion of mind both to do not to do as also full power to absteine from euil Thus we see most euidently that the vnuoluntary motions of concupiscence so tearmed of the papists are both sinfull and voluntarie sinfull in their nature and voluntarie in the originall And the papists may as well denie concupiscence to bee sinne in the infants vnbaptised as in them that are baptised vpon this their
enim fere de illis obscurit atibus eruitnr quod non planissime dictum alibi reperiatur For almost nothing is contained in obscure places which is not most plainely vttered in some other place The same father in an other place hath these wordes Nec solum vobis sufficiat quod in ecclesia diuinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite libenter audite Let it not be enough for you onely to heare Gods word in the Church but also read it your selues in your houses or else procure others to read it and heare you them willing Out of these wordes of this holy writer and antient father we may learne many godly lessons First that all things needfull for our saluation are plainely set downe in the scriptures Secondly that things which are obscurely touched in some places are plainelie handled in other places Thirdly that the scriptures are obscure in some places to exercise our wits and to cleanse the loathsomenesse of our stomackes Fourthly that we must read the scriptures at home in our houses not heare them read in the Churches Fiftly that if we cannot read them our selues then must we procure others to read them to vs and marke diligently what they read and heare them with desire and alacritie of mind Saint Hierome is consonant to Saint Austen and Saint Chysostome affirming that in his time which was about 1200 yeeres agoe both monkes men and women did contend who could learne moe scriptures without book These are his expresse wordes Solent viri solent monachi solent mulierculae hoc inter se habere certamen vt plures ediscant scripturas in eose putant esse meliores si plures edidicerint Men women and monkes vse to contend one with another who can learne moe scriptures and herein they thinke themselues better if they can learne more The same Saint Hierome in an other place speaking of the education of a yoong maid of seuen yeeres old hath these wordes Matris nutum pro verbis ac monitis pro imperio habeat Amet vt parentem subijciatur vt dominae timeat vt magistram Cum autem virgunculam rudem edentulam septimus aetatis annus exceperit caeperit erubescere scire quid taceat dubitare quid dicat discat memoriter psalterium vsque ad annos pubertatis libros Salomonis euangelia Apostolos prophetas sui cordis thesaurum faciat Let her mothers beck to her be in steed of wordes admonitions and commaunds Let her loue her as her parent obey her as her ladie and feare her as her mistris And when the rude and toothlesse girle shall bee seuen yeere old and shall begin to be bashfull to know when to be silent and when to speake then let her learne the Psames by heart and without booke and till she be twelue yeeres of age or marriageable let her make the bookes of Salomon the Gospels Apostles and Prophets the treasure of her heart Thus writeth Saint Hierome out of whose golden words I note these golden obseruations First that both men and women in his dayes did studie and read the scriptures as diligently and painfully as the monkes Secondly that in his time they thought themselues the happiest people who could con by heart the most texts of holy scripture Wheras amongst the papists they are deemed most holy that can by heart no scripture at all but absteine from the reading thereof as from the poyson of their soules Thirdly that yong women being but seuen yeeres of age must be acquainted with the holy scriptures learne by heart the booke of Psalmes Fourthly that from seuen yeeres vpward vntill puberty that is to say vntill the twelft yere of their age they must read seriously the bookes of Salomon the Gospels Apostles and Prophets and set their whole delite therein And the same holy father in his Epistle to the godly matrone Celantia doth perswade her for the best course of her life to be continually conuersant in the holy scriptures These are his wordes Sint ergo diuinae scipturae semper in manibus tuis iugiter mente voluantur Let therefore the holy scriptures be alwayes in thy hands and let them be vncessantly tossed or rolled in thy mind Saint Theodoretus telleth vs with good liking thereof that in his time the scriptures were translated into all maner of languages that they were not onely vnderstood of doctors masters of the Church but euen of the lay-people and common artificers His expresse wordes I will alledge which are these Hebraici vero libri non modo in Graecum idioma conuersi sunt sed in Romanam quoque linguam Aegyptiam Persicam Indicam Armenicaque Scythicam atque adeo Sauromaticam semelque vt dicam in linguas omnes quibus ad hanc diem nationes vtuntur Sequitur paulò inferius fossoresque adeo ac bubulcos inuenias plant arumque consitores de diuina trinitate rerumque omnium creatione discertantes The Hebrew bookes are turned not onely into the Greeke tongue but also into the Roman language also into the Aegyptian Persian Indians Armenian and Scythian as also into the Sauromatick tongue to speake all in a word into all tongues which this day are in vse amongst nations And after hee hath told vs that the Church-doctrine is knowne to all maner artizans of both sexes he addeth that we may find ditchers deluers neatheards and gardiners disputing euen of the blessed trinitie and of the creation of all things VVhereupon it is euident that in the auncient Church and in the time of old religion as the sillie foolish papists call their Romish inuentions which is in deed a newly inuented religion as I haue proued in my Suruey of poperie euery nation had the holy scriptures in their vulgar language and that in those dayes all the Christians did read the holy scriptures so seriously that both men and women of all trades and conditions were able to dispute of the holy trinitie and of the creation of the world VVhich two points doubtlesse are the most difficult obscure hard and intricate articles in the whole course of theologie The Iesuit Bellarmine a wonderfull thing to be heard and a most incredible sauing that the truth must needes in time haue the vpper hand confesseth so much vnawares as is able sufficiently to prooue and conclude my intended scope and proposition These are his expresse wordes His notatis dico illa omnia scripta esse ab apostolis quae sunt omnibus necessariae quaeipsipalam omnibus vulgo praedicauerant alia autem non omnia scripta esse These obseruations being marked I answere that all those things were written by the Apostles which are necessarie for all men and which the Apostles preached openly to all the vulgar people but that all other things were not written Thus writeth our skilfull Iesuit who
he speaketh not generally of all readers of the scripture but of those wicked ones which depraue not onely S. Paules Epistles but also all other scriptures to their owne perdition Howbeit to debarre all the godly who with all humilitie and reuerence desire to read the scriptures and to abandon one onely particular euill by taking away the good wholly and generally may well be resembled to those vnskilfull physitions who cannot deliuer their patients from any particular disease except they take away their liues But wise Salomon was of another mind when he affirmed all the words of wisedome to be open and easie to euery one of vnderstanding that is which haue a desire to the truth and are not blinded of the prince of this world For as by the foole he meaneth euery wicked man so by a man of vnderstanding he meaneth euery one that is godly Hereupon it is said that God reuealeth his secret counsels to all that feare him That whosoeuer will do the will of God the same shal know his doctrine That they which abide in Gods word shall know the truth That God reuealeth his will vnto the simple and vnlearned ones and hideth his secrets from the wise and prudent That the whole bodie of the scripture from the head to the foot thereof is tearmed a lanterne to ourfeet and a light vnto our pathes That Gods word is like a candle shining in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day-star arise in our hearts That the spirituall man doth vnderstand all things which are necessarie for his saluation for so Lyra and Dionysius Carthusianus two great learned papists doe expound the place And consequently if Gods word be hidden to any it is hidden to those that perish to those whose vnderstandings the God of this world hath blinded that the light of the Gospell of the glorie of Christ should not shine vnto them S. Chrysostome hath these golden words Quid opus est concionatore Per nostram negligentiam necessitas ista facta est Quamobrem namque concione opus est Omnia clara sunt plana ex diuiais scripturis quaecunques necessaria sunt manifesta sunt VVhat need is there of a preacher Our negligence hath caused this necessitie For to what end is a sermon needfull All things are cleere and euident in the holy scriptures what things soeuer are necessarie the same are manifest The same S. Chrysostome in his Commentaries vpon the Epistle of the Colossians hath these words Audite quotquot estis mundani vxoribus prae estis ac liberis quomodo vobis potissimum precipiat scripturas legere idque non simpliciter neque abiter sed magna diligentia Sequitur Paulo inferius Audite obsecro seculares omnes Comparate vobis biblia animae pharmaca Si nihil aliud vultis vel nouum testamentum acquirite Apostolum Acta Euangelia continuos ac sedulos doctores Si acciderit maestitia huc veluti apothecam pharmacorum introspice Hinc tibi sume solamen mali siue damnū euenerit siue mors siue amissio domesticorum Imònon introspice solum sed omnia iterum atque iterum versa menteque illa contine Hoc demum malorum omnium causa est quod scripturae ignorantur Iterum doce puerum tuum Psalmos illos canere Philosophiae plenos Hearken all ye that are encombred with worldly affaires and haue charge of wiues and children how you specially are commanded to read the scriptures and that not simply nor slenderly but with great diligence Heare I pray you all secular persons Prouide and furnish your selues with bibles the soueraigne medicines of your soules If you will haue no other thing at the least prouide the new Testament the Apostle the Acts the Gospell the continuall and diligent doctors If any griefe come turne thine eye vnto the scripture as to the Apothecaries shop full of medicines From hence receiue sollace of euill whether domage or death or losse of worldly goods chance vnto thee Yea looke not onely to the scripture but volue and reuolue all things contained therein and keepe the same in mind For this is the cause of all manner of euils that men are ignorant in the holy scriptures Teach your children to sing Psalmes which are full of Philosophie Thus writeth this holy father teaching vs at large how necessarie and needfull a thing it is for euery one to studie and read diligently the holy scriptures For first he telleth vs plainely that all necessarie points of doctrine are so plaine and manifest as one may vnderstand the same without the preacher Secondly that they who are charged with wiues children and worldly affaires are specially and more than others commaunded to read the scriptures The reason hereof he yeeldeth in another place because the more they are encombered with the cares of the world the more need they haue to enioy the helpes of the holy scripture These are his words Quid ais homo Non est tui negotij scripturas euoluere quoniam in numeris curis distraberis Imò tuum magis est quam illorum Neque enim illi perinde scripturarum egent presidio atque vos in medijs negotiorum vndis iactati VVhat sayest thou ô man Is it not thy part and dutie to read the holy scriptures because thou art encombred with many worldly cares yea it is so much more thy charge than it is theirs For they haue not so great need of the helpe of the scriptures as you haue who are tossed in the middest of the waues of worldly troubles Thirdly that all secular persons of both sexes must furnish themselues with the holy Bible Fourthly that they must not onely read the scriptures barely and slenderly but that they must doe the same with great diligence Fiftly that the scriptures doe minister comforts for all sorrowes and soueraigne medicines for all sores Sixtly that the ignorance of the scriptures is the cause of all euils Seuenthly that parents must teach their children to sing Psalmes yea euen those Psalmes which are replenished with Philosophie S. Austen teacheth in the same manner that all things necessarie for mans saluation are plaine and easie to be vnderstood These are his expresse words In his enim quque apertè in scriptura posita sunt inueniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque viuendi For in those things which are plainely set downe in the holy scripture are found all things concerning faith and manners The same S. Austen in another place hath these words Magnifice igitur salubriter spiritus sanctus ita scripturas sanctas modificauit vt locis apertioribus fami occurreret obscurioribus autem fastidia detergeret God hath so tempered the holy scriptures that by manifold places he might prouide against famine and by those which are more obscure he might cleanse the loathsomenesse of our stomacke And his reason hereof followeth in these next words Nihil
so this tradition is not excepted but virtually implied in our affirmation Fiftly the scriptures canonicall are discerned from not canonicall euen of themselues like as light is discerned from darkenesse hardnesse from softnesse and sweetnesse from bitternesse Thy word ô Lord saith the Prophet is a lanterne to my feet and a light vnto my pathes VVe haue a right sure word of prophesie saith S. Peter whereunto if ye take heed as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place ye doe well vntill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts Yet most true it is that the faithfull onely can discerne it For as the Apostle saith If Christs gospell be hid it is hid in them that perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeue not least the light of the Gospell of the glorie of Christ should shine vnto them And the same Apostle elswhere teacheth vs that the spirituall man iudgeth all things VVhich text two famous papists Lyranus and Carthusianus doe expound of things partaining to our saluation S. Iohn is consonant to S. Paule affirming that the vnction which the faithfull haue receiued doth teach them all things Yea Christ himselfe saith That his sheepe doe heare his voice And he addeth that they follow him because they know his voyce But doubtlesse if Christs sheepe that is the faithfull and Gods elect people doe know his voice and therefore doe follow him then by a necessarie consequence they can know Christ speaking to them in the holy scripture and so can discerne holy writ from prophane fables or stories Melchior Canus a famous papist maketh this case cleere his words are set downe in my Golden ballance Sixtly the formall obiect of our faith is veritas prima the first veritie or God himselfe as Dionysius Areopagita telleth vs. Yea Aquinas that famous papist surnamed their angelicall doctor teacheth the selfe same doctrine Non enim fides inquit diuina alicui assentitur nisi quia est à Deo reuelatum For diuine faith saith Aquinas will not yeeld assent to any thing vnlesse it be reuealed of God VVhich truth of doctrine Saint Austen confirmeth in these golden wordes Iam hic videte magnum sacramentum fratres sonus verborum nostrorum aures percutit magister intus est Nolite putare quenquam hominem aliquid discere ab homine Ad monere possumus per strepitum vocis nostra si non sit intus qui doceat inanis fit strepitus noster Quam multi hine indocti exituri sunt quantum ad 〈◊〉 pertinet omnibus locutus sum sed quibus vnctio illa intus non loquitur quos spiritus sanstus intus non docet indocti redeunt Magisteria forinsecus adiutoria quaedam sunt admonitiones Cathedram in coelo habet qui corda docet Sequitur interior Magister est qui docet Christus docet inspiratio ipsius docet Vbi illius inspiratio illius vnctio non est forinsecus inanitâ—r perstrepunt verba Now brethren behold here a great sacrament the sound of our wordes pierceth your eares but the master that teacheth you is within Thinke not that man learneth any thing of man we preachers may admonish by the sound of wordes but if he be not within that teacheth in vaine is our sound how many will goe hence vntaught For mine owne part I haue spoken to all but to whom that vnction speaketh not inwardly whom the holy Ghost teacheth not within they goe home vntaught as they came The outward teachings are some helpes and admonitions but he sitteth in his chaire in heauen that teacheth the heart The master is within that teacheth it is Christ that teacheth it is his inspiration that instructeth VVhere his inspiration and his vnction is not there the outward noise of words is in vaine Thus writeth this auntient and learned father with many moe wordes to the like effect By whose doctrine we may learne sufficiently if nothing else were said that howsoeuer men teach how soeuer Paul plant or Apollo water yet will no increase follow vnlesse God giue the same I therefore conclude that we doe not beleeue this booke or that booke to be canonicall because this man or that man or the Church saith soe but that the scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it hath in it selfe that dignity which is worthy to haue credite that the declaration of the Church doth not make vs beleeue the scripture but is only an outward helpe to bring vs thereunto and that wee therefore indeed beleeue the scripture and this or that booke to be canonicall because God doth inwardly teach vs and persuade our hearts so to beleeue For certes if wee should beleeue that this or that booke is canonicall scripture because the Church saith so then should the formall obiect of our faith and the vltimate tearme into which our faith is resolued be man and not prima veritas or God himselfe as Areopagita and Aquinas teach vs. And it will not helpe the papists to replie out of Saint Augustine That he would not haue beleeued the Gospell vnlesse the authoritie of the Church had mooued him thereunto For S. Austens wordes are these Nisi authoritas ecclesiae me commoueret I would not haue beleeued the Gospell if the authoritie of the Church had not iointly mooued me therunto For wee must note that there is a great difference betweene mouere and commouere Mouere is to moue absolutely and a part by it selfe but commouere is to moue respectiuely and together with another thing So Saint Austens meaning is nothing else indeed but that the authoritie of the Church did outwardly concurre with the inward motion of the holy Ghost to bring him to the faith of the Gospel Now Saint Austens meaning is this and and none other viz. that he maketh much more account of the vniuersall Church than of Manichaeus and his complices because the Church did first moue him to heare the Gospel preached and to giue some credit to the same I say some credit because the Churches authoritie did onely moue him to beleeue the Gospell fide humana non fide diuina with humane faith not with faith diuine For this diuine faith with which we Christians doe beleeue the Gospell proceedeth not from the outward teaching of man but from the inward instruction of the holy Ghost as I haue out of the same Austen already prooued Yea the selfe same father declareth in the same chapter that he speaketh of himselfe as being a Manichee not as being a Christian. What faith Saint Austen wouldest thou say to him that should answere thee I doe not beleeue it but for the authority of the Church And this sense is confirmed because S. Austen coÌ„fesseth in the very same chapter that the authoritie of the Gospel is aboue the authoritie of the Church And in the chapter aforegoing after he hath told vs what kept him in
Athanasius that albeit the words be not expressed in the scriptures yet haue they that meaning which holy writ approoueth Answere ô papists if ye can if not repent for shame and yeeld vnto the truth The eight Article Of the impossibilitie of keeping Gods commandements in popish sense TOuching this article the reader must seriously obserue with me this adiunct in popish sense because it is both emphaticall and of great moment For I will not affirme simply and absolutely that Gods children can not keepe his commandements in a godlie sense and Christian meaning but this I constantly denie and at this presēt intend in God to proue the same effectually against all Iesuits and Iesuited papists That none haue kept do keepe or can keepe Gods commaundements in popish sense and meaning viz. that none are so pure holy and free from sinne that they can stand with God in iudgment and challenge eternall life as of debt due vnto them for their holy life Marke well gentle reader my discourse for I hope in God to hit the naile on the head and to set downe that which will be as heauie to the papists heart as a piece of lead The Apostle telleth vs in plaine and very expresse words That the best liuers vpon earth are sinners In multis enim offendimus omnes For we all offend in manie things But certes if it be true as it is most true indeed for S. Iames being inspired with the holy Ghost cannot lie That the holy Apostles committed many sinnes then doubtlesse it is not in euerie ones power to keepe Gods commandements neither will it helpe the papists to distinguish after their wonted manner of mortall and veniall sinnes For besides that I haue proued alreadie in the sixt Article that euery sinne is mortall in it owne proper nature both the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the transgression of the law and also the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a declining from the right way doe euidentlie conuince the same For it can neuer be trulie said that hee performeth and keepeth the law which transgresseth the law or swarueth from the same It is the truth which S. Paul alledgeth out of the law Cursed is euerie one that abideth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to doe them It is also the truth which S. Iames saith That whosoeuer keepeth the whole law and yet faileth in one point is become guiltie of all To which may be added innumerable texts both of the old and new testament that the best liuers vpon earth doe sinne and transgresse Gods commaundements Holy Moses telleth vs in the first booke of his Pentatench That when God saw that the wickednes of man was great on the earth that all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were only euill continually then it repented God that he had made mā on the earth Iob telleth vs That God found no stedfastnes in his Saints yea he saith farther That the heauens are not cleane in his sight And he addeth these wordes How much more is man abhominable and filthie which drinketh iniquitie like water The kingly Prophet saith that in Gods sight none that liueth can be iustified VVise Salomon saith that no man living is able truely to say he is cleane from sinne The same wise man saith in like maner that the iust man sinneth many times Esay saith that all our righteousnes is as filthie clouts Esdras saith he was ashamed for his own sinnes and for the sinnes of the people because their trespasse was growne vp vnto heauen Saint Paul sheweth at large that all men are sinners and that no man is able to be iustified by his workes All saith hee both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne There is none righteous no not one they haue all gone out of the way they haue all beene made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Now we know that whatsoeuer the law saith it saith to them which are vnder the law that euery mouth may be stopped and all the world be subiect to the iudgement of God There is no difference for all hane sinned and are depriued of the glory of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Againe in another place he hath these words For they being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God going about to stablish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the rightenesse of God the case is cleere and euident For as the Prophet saith If God should marke our iniquities and reward vs after our deeds none of vs were able to endure it Now let vs heare S. Austens graue sentence concerning this controuersie Diliges inquit proximum tuum sicut teipsum Deum vero ex toto corde ex tota anima ex tota mente vt omnes cogitationes tuas omnem vitam omnem intellectū in illū conferas à quo habes ea ipsa quae confers Cum autē ait toto corde tota anima tota mente nullam vitae nostrae partem reliquit quae vacare debeat quasi locum dare vt alia ve velit frui Thou shalt loue thy neighbour saith he as thy selfe but God with thy whole heart with thy whole soule and with thy whole mind that thou maist cōferre vpon him all thy thoughts and all thy life all thine vnderstanding of whom thou hast receiued the selfe same which thou doest conferre or giue But when he saith with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy mind he hath left no part of our life which may be vacant and as it were giue place to haue fruition of any other thing The same Saint Austen saith againe in another place That this commaundement of louing God with all our heart cannot be perfecty fulfilled of any man in this life These are his wordes In quae plenitudinc charitatis praeceptum illud implebitur Diliges dominū Deum tuū ex toto corde tuo ex tota anima tua ex tota mente tua Nam cum est adhuc aliquid carnalis concupiscentiae quod vel continendo froenetur non omnimodo ex tota anima diligitur Deus Non enim caro sine anima concupiscit quamuis caro concupiscere dicatur quia carn aliter anima concupiscit Tunc erit iustus sine vllo omnino peccato quia nulla lex erit in mēbris eius repugnans legi mentis eius sed prorsus toto corde tota anima tota mente diligit Deum quod est primum summumque praeceptum Cur ergo non praeciperetur homini ista perfectio quamuis cam in hac vita nemo habeat Non enim rectè curritur si quo currendum est nesciatur In which fulnesse of charitie that commaundement shall bee fulfilled Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy
God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mind For whiles any part of carnall concupiscence is remayning which may be suppressed by containing God so long is not in euery respect loued with all the soule For the flesh coueteth not without the soule albeit the flesh be sayd to couet because the soule coueteth carnally Then shall the iust bee without any sinne at all because there shall be no law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind but he shall loue God wholy with all his heart with all his soule and with all his mind which is the first chiefest commandement VVhy therefore should not this perfection be cōmanded vnto man although no man can haue it in this life For they cannot run aright who know not whither they should run Out of these words of this holy father and great learned writer I gather these worthy lessons First that by Gods holy commaundement all men are bound to loue God with all their heart with all their soule and with all their mind Secondly that whosoeuer suffereth any part of his life to be vacant and to haue fruition of any other thing cannot fulfill this precept of louing God Thirdly that this precept of loue cannot be perfectly kept in this life Fourthly that originall concupiscence remaining in the regenerat is the hinderance and breach of this commaundement Fiftly that this perfection of loue is lawfully commaunded albeit none liuing doth or can attaine vnto it And consequently that it is not possible to any pure mortall man perfectly to keepe Gods commandements Aquinas the Popes great doctor and canonised saint graunteth freely and affirmeth constantly That the precept of louing God with the whole heart cannot be kept perfectly in this life These are his owne expresse words Respondeo quod praceptum aliquod dupliciter potest impleri Vno modo perfectè alio modo imperfectè Sequitur intendit Deus per hoc praeceptum vt homo Deo totaliter vniatur quod fiet in patria quando Deus erit omnia in omnibus vt dicitur 1. Cor. 15. ideo plenè perfectè in patria implebitur hoc praeceptum In via autem impletur sed imperfectè I answere that the precept may be fulfilled two wayes one way perfectly another many vnperfectly God intendeth by this precept to haue man wholy vnited to himselfe which shall be effected in heauen when God shall be all in all And therefore this precept shall be fulfilled perfectly and fully in the countrey but in the way it is fulfilled vnperfectly That is to say perfectly in heauen which is called our countrey and vnperfectly on earth which is tearmed the way Out of these golden wordes of the famous schoole-doctour Aquinas whose doctrine two Popes haue authorized for authenticall I obserue these points of great importance First that God by commaunding all men to loue him with their whole hearts did intend to vnite all men wholy vnto himselfe so as no part of their loue should be left vacant to be bestowed otherwise Secondly that this precept of louing God as wee are bound can be kept perfectly in heauen onely Thirdly that it is not impossible in this life to keepe Gods commaundements in a godly sense and meaning because we may keepe them in some sort and measure though not in that high and perfect degree which the law requireth at our handes For our great popish doctour marke well his wordes saith plainely and constantly In via impletur preceptum sed imperfectè The precept is fulfilled in the way or in this life but vnperfecty So that when the papists triumphing before the victorie cry out against vs with open mouths That we charge God with impietie affirming him to haue commaunded to man things imposible they may as well and with as much right and reason exclaime against their owne deere doctor Aquinas and consequently against their owne holy fathers the Popes Vrbanus the fourth and Innocentus the fift who haue commanded and strictly charged to receiue his doctrine as sent from heauen concerning both faith and maners For my selfe doe here teach the selfe some doctrine with Aquinas as his owne expresse wordes very flatly purport For my wonted manner is to confute poperie by the testimonies of best approoued popish writers Bernardus the Popes deere monke and reuerend Abbot iumpeth with Aquinas in these expresse wordes Quomodo ergo iubenda fuit quae implenda nullo modo erat Aut si placet tibi magis de affestuali datum fuisse mandatum non inde contendo dummodo aquiescas tu mihi quod minimè in vita ista ab aliquo hominum possit vel poterit ad impleri Quis enim sibi arrogare id audeat quod Paulus ipse fatetur non comprehendisse nec latuit preceptorem precepti pondus hominum excedere vires sed iudicauit vtile ex hoc ipso suae illos insufficientiae admoncri vt scirent sanè ad quem iustitiae finem niti pro viribus oporteret Ergo mandando impossibilia non preuaricatores homines fecit sed humiles vt omne os obstruatur subditus fiat omnis mundus Deo quia ex operibus legis non iustificabitur omnis caro coram illo Accipientes quippe mandatum sentientes defectum clamabimus in coelum miserebitur nostri Deus sciemus in illa die quiae non ex operibus iustitiae quae fecimus nos sed ecundum suam misericordiam saluos not fecit How then was it commanded which by no meanes could be performed or if thou rather thinke that the commaundement was giuen of affectuall charitie I will not contend with thee therein so thou also wilt yeeld vnto me herein That no man in this life is able to keepe and performe the same For who dareth to challenge that to himselfe which Paul confesseth hee could neuer attaine vnto neither for all that was the commander ignorant that the weight of the commandement did surpasse the power and reach of man but he deemed it a thing profitable for them that hereby they should be admonished of their insufficiencie and might know to what end of righteousnesse they ought with their best indeuours to applie themselues Therefore by commaunding things impossible he made not men preuaricatours but humble that euery mouth might bee stopped and all the world made subiect vnto God because by the workes of the law no flesh can be iustified in his sight But after that we haue receiued the commandement and thereby perceiue our owne want we must cry vp to heauen and God will haue mercie on vs and then shall we know that he hath saued vs not for the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his owne free mercy Thus writeth their own deere Abbot Bernardus out of whose wordes I obserue many excellent documents First that God hath giuen vs those commaundements which we cannot possibly keepe and performe Secondly that