it is a thing receiued m Aug. de praedest sanct cap. 5. A quo nisi ab illo qui te aâ— ceruit ab alio cui non donauit quod donauit tibi Of whom saith S. Austin but of him who hath not giuen to another that which he hath giuen vnto thee Who as he also answereth the Pelagian heretike obiecting the same place n â—acuâ— de perfect instit prepe fiâ—em â—â—â—p rat 〈…〉 inspireth the loue whereby we chuse He addeth further that vainely it should be sayd Chuse life if grace would haue made them do it infallibly without their consent Where we may wonder at his absurd manner of speech Who was euer so mad as to say that God maketh a man to chuse life without his consent which is the same as if he should say that he should make him consent without consent for how should chusing be without consenting We deny not consent but we say with S. Austin o Aug. epâ—st 107. Vâ—catione illa alta atque secreâ—a siâ— eius agit se sunt vt eidem lege atque doctrinâ— accommodet assensum It is God who by his secret calling worketh the mind of man to giue consent We say with S. Bernard p Bernard de grat ex l b arbit Non quod vel ipse consensus ab ipâ—so fit c fecit volentem noâ— est volunt vt suâ— consentienteÌ„ Consent is not of man himselfe but God maketh a man willing that is consenting vnto his will q In Cant â—er 57. Illius disiderâ—uÌ„ tuum creat quod tu eius properas sermoneÌ„ admittere inde est quòd ipse festinit inirare It is his desire of thee that causeth thy desire of him and that thou art forward to receiue his word it commeth of his forwardnesse and hasting to enter into thee 12. W. BISHOP Vnto these two places of the old Testament one vnder the law of Nature and the other vnder Moses law lâ—t vs couple two more out of the new Testament The first may be those kind words of our Sauiour vnto the Iewes Ierusalem Math. 23. Ierusalem c. how often would I haue gathered together thy children as the hen doth her chickens vnder her wings and thou wouldest not Which do plainly demonstrate that there was no want either of Gods helpe inwardly or of Christs perswasion outwardly for their conuersion and that the whole fault lay in their owne refusing and withstanding Gods grace as thâ—se words of Christ do plainly witnesse And thou wouldest not R. ABBOT If M. Bishop were put to the framing of an argument from this place and to bring in this conclusion that man hath Free vvill to conuert and turne to God I suppose it would trouble him very sore The words do rather import that howsoeuer Christ himselfe be amongst vs and speake vnto vs yet our Free will auaileth nothing to make vs to hearken to him but we still refuse and rebell vntill God do worke it in vs to obey and to hearken to his call And thus Moses to giue a reason why the people of Israel profited not by the sight of so manifold signes and wonders which the Lord had done before them and for them sayth a Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day Christ speaketh those words out of his humane affection he sheweth his loue towards them as man he signifieth his paines and labour bestowed amongst them and what occasion he had to complaine as Esay had foretold b Esa 49.4 I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing The words do no more import Free will then all other places of Scripture that do declare and set forth the rebellion of mans nature against God But yet M. Bishop telleth vs that hereby it is signified that God vsed all meanes that concerned him for the sauing of them they by their Free will crossed his purpose herein The words saith he do plainly demonstrate that there was no want either of Gods helpe inwardly or of Christs perswasion outwardly for their conuersion But they do not demonstrate so much yea by diuerse places of the Gospell we see they are very farre from that demonstration For if there wanted no inward helpe for their conuersion how was it sayd by our Sauiour Christ c Mat. 11.25 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent of the world d Cap. 13.11 To them it is not giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen e Mar. 4.11.12 all things are to them in parables that they seeing may see and not discerne and they hearing may heare and not vnderstand least at any time they should turne and their sinnes should be forgiuen them How was it sayd by the Euangelist S. Iohn f Iohn 12.39 Therefore could they not beleeue because Esay saith againe He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand with their heart and should be conuerted and I should heale them How doth S. Paul say g Rom. 11.7 The election hath obtained but the rest haue bene hardened according as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see c. These things being so apparant and plaine how doth M. Bishop tell vs that there wanted no helpe of God inwardly for their conuersion but the want was onely in their owne Free will Surely h Aug. de corrept grat ca. 14. Cui volâ—nti saluuâ— fâ—cere nullum hominuÌ„ resistit arbitriuÌ„ sic enim vâ—lle nolle in volentis aut nolentis est potestate vt diuinam volumtatem non impediat nec superet potestatem De his enim qui faciunt quae non vult facit ipse quae vult c. De ipsis voluntatibus hominum quod vult facit where God is willing to saue as S. Austin saith there no will of man resisteth For to will or to nill is so in the power of him that willeth or nilleth as that it neither hindereth the will of God nor ouerruleth his power because euen of the wils of men he maketh what he will i Euchirid ad Laurent ca. 103 Dum tamen credere non cogamur aliquid omnipotentem DeuÌ„ voluisse fieri factumque non esse qui sine vllu amâ—iguitatibus si in coelo in terra quaecunque voluit fecit profectò facere noluit quodcunque non fecit In no wise may we thinke saith he that the Almightie God would haue any thing to come to passe and that the same doth not come to passe who if he do whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth as the truth instructeth vs surely had no wil to do whatsouer he hath not done If therfore God had willed the conuersion of the people of Ierusalem and had inwardly
meus es tu quidicit animae nostrae salus tua ego sum c. God our God to make him our possession as he speaketh and therefore without doubting to say vnto God Thou art my God because he saith to our soule I am thy Saluation And indeed no man can with a true heart say vnto God Thou art my God whose soule doth not with inward comfort heare God saying vnto him by his word I am thy Saluation Seeing therefore that M. Bishop cannot deny but that to say I beleeue in God is as much as to say I beleeue that God is my God he must graunt that for a man to professe to beleeue in God is to professe the assured beleefe of his owne Saluation The first degree of faith is credere Deum to beleeue that God is The second degree is credere Deo to beleeue God that is to beleeue that his words and promises are true But credere in Deum to beleeue in God addeth further to trust in God according to that word and promise and to beleeue the same not onely generally and indefinitely but particularly and to his owne vse firmely resoluing that God will do to him according to that that he hath promised and therefore to his repentance and faith according to his promise will giue euerlasting life Thus Eusebius Emisenus distinguishing those phrases rightly saith that e Euseb Emissen de symb hom 2. no man is approued to haue beleeued in God but he that hath deuoutly trusted in him which is that that the Prophet Dauid nameth to put trust in his mercie whereby we stedfastly expect at his hands and of his meere goodnesse to receiue all things for our safetie and Saluation But M. Bishop making shew to admit that which M. Perkins saith addeth more that he might not be ignorant of the Catholike knowledge of the Creede that we must also loue God with all our heart and strength and thus saith that they vnderstand it more fully then we do Where we may obserue what a wise construction he maketh for himselfe For he telleth vs by and by that he is not sure whether he loue God or not and afterward againe that charitie is seated in the darke corners of the will and a man cannot be sure that it is in himselfe So then because to beleeue in God is to loue God with all his heart and strength and M. Bishop doth not know whether he loue God or not it must needs follow that for ought he knoweth he doth but lie so often as he saith I beleeue in God This doth he gaine by his vnderstanding this point more fully then we do But we respect not here any largenesse or fulnesse but rather proprietie of vnderstanding It is true indeed that Saint Austin sometimes declareth beleeuing in God by the loue of God and other such signes and tokens thereof not as properly to define what it is to beleeue in God but rather to shew who they are that truely doe beleeue in God that men may not flatter themselues with opinion of beleeuing when indeed they doe not beleeue Thus doth he say that f August in Psal 77. Adhaerere ad â—enè cooperandum bona operanti Deo to beleeue in God is to cleaue vnto God to worke well with him working that that is good in vs that g De verb. dom ser 61 Jlle credit in Christum qui sperat in Christum diligit Christum he that beleeueth in Christ both hopeth in Christ and loueth Christ that h In loan tract 29. Quid est crederem eum Credendo amare credendo diligete c. to beleeue in Christ is in beleeuing to affect in beleeuing to loue Christ But it is one thing to describe a thing by adioyned properties and effects another thing to define it out of the nature and proprietie of it selfe We doubt not but that faith and loue are alwayes conioyned and true beleefe in God doth alwayes infallibly bring forth the loue of God but yet as diuerse members of the body necessarily concurring for the perfecting of the whole haue euerie one their seuerall office the eye to see the eare to heare c. so these vertues of the soule namely faith and loue though they alwayes meete and neuer are diuided yet in office and act are distinct each from other neither is to beleeue the same as to loue nor to loue the same as to beleeue For we do not make the question that Christ asked the man that had beene blind i Iohn 9.35 Beleeuest thou in the Sonne of God to be the same with that that he demaunded of Peter k Cap. 21.15 Louest thou me Now therefore to beleeue in God is in it selfe to haue a full affiance and assured trust in him that he will saue vs and accordingly the summe of that that I professe to beleeue in the Creed is that God is my God and Father by the mediation of Iesus Christ through the sanctification of the holy Ghost whereby he hath made me a member of his Catholike Church which is the communion and society of his Saints to which and all the members whereof and so namely to me he will giue remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes and a happy resurrection of the body to be partaker with the soule of euerlasting life And that this is a matter of beliefe without any thirteenth article of the Creed let him learne of Dauid saying l Psal 27.13 I beleeue to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Which what is it else but to say I beleeue mine owne Saluation And let him learne of Fulgentius that it was not proper to say so for m Fulgent ad Monim lib. 1. Justus ex fide viuens fiductaliter dicit Credo vt lere bona Domini c. the iust liuing by faith saith he boldly saith I beleeue to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Let S. Austine also teach him this matter of beleefe n August in Psal 148. Quid tibi promisti Deus ò homo mortalis Quia victuri es in aeternum Non credu Crede crede Plus est taÌ„ quod fecit quam quod promisit God hath promised thee O man that thou shalt liue for euer Doest thou not beleeue it Beleeue it beleeue it for that that he hath already done for thee is a greater matter then that that he hath promised To the same effect Cyprian speaketh o Cyprian de mortalit Deus tibi de hoc mundo recedenti immortalitatem pollicetur atque aeternitatem tu dabitas hoc est Deum omnino non nosse hoc est ChristuÌ„ credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere hoc est in ecclesia constitutum fidem in domo fidei non habere God hath promised vnto thee when thou departest out of this world immortality and eternity and doest thou doubt thereof This were not to know God this is
and loue to preferre the seruice of Christ before all the glory of this world Albeit it is not to be omitted that S. Iohn somtime following the Hebrew phrase vseth the terme of beleeuing in Christ abusiuely applying it to them who by the miracles of Christ and his manifest declaration of the truth were conuicted in conscience to acknowledge him to be of God but yet did not at all in their hearts submit themselues vnto him Thus he saith in another place that y Ioh. 2.23 many beleeued in the name of Christ when they saw his miracles which he did to whom yet he did not commit himselfe because he knew what was in them Thus might it be said of some of those chiefe rulers that they beleeued in Christ that is were perswaded in their minds that he spake the truth but yet preferring their credit and reputatiō with men gaue no regard vnto it But that there is another manner of beleeuing in Christ which is that wherof we speake not incident to them who cōtinue wholy possessed with such respects Christ himself sheweth saying z Ioh. 5.44 How can ye beleeue which receiue honor one of another seek not the honor that cometh of God alone They might therfore in some meaning be said to beleeue in Christ when yet they had no true faith which as appeareth by these words cannot be separated from loue and seeking of the honour that cometh of God alone which wheresoeuer it is begun beginneth to looke vnto God and winding by degrees out of all other regards yeeldeth it selfe entirely to follow him Therfore the distinction of faith being obserued which the Scripture it selfe enforceth vpon vs M. Bishop hath yet alledged nothing to proue that true faith and charitie may be diuided or that any man may be said truly to beleeue in whom there is not also loue to righteousnesse and good works 51. W. BISHOP Cap. 2. 5 This place of S. Iames What shall it profit my brethren if any man say that he hath faith but hath not works what shall his faith be able to saue supposeth very plainly that a man may haue faith without good workes that is without charitie but that it shall auaile him nothing Caluin saith that the Apostle speakes of a shadow of faith which is a bare knowledge of the articles of our Creed but not a iustifying faith Without doubt he was litle acquainted with that kind of faith by which Protestants be iustified but he directly speakes of such a faith as Abraham was iustified by saying That that faith did worke with his works and was made perfect by the workes Was this but a shadow of faith But they reply that this faith is likened vnto the faith of the Diuell and therefore cannot be a iustifying faith that followeth not for an excellent good thing may be like vnto a bad in some things as Diuels in nature are not onely like but the very same as Angels be euen so a full Christian faith may be well likened vnto a Diuels faith when it is naked and voyd of good works in two points first in both there is a perfect knowledge of all things reuealed secondly this knowledge shall not stead them any whit but only serue vnto their greater condemnation because that knowing the will of their master they did it not And in this respect S. Iames compareth them together now there are many points wherein these faiths do differ but this one is principall that Christians out of a godly and deuout affection do willingly submit their vnderstanding vnto the rules of faith beleeuing things aboue humane reason yea such as seeme sometimes contrary to it But the diuell against his will beleeues all that God hath reuealed because by his naturall capacitie he knowes that God cannot teach nor testifie any vntruth Againe that faith may be without charitie is proued out of these words of the same 2. chapter Euen as the body without the spirit is dead so also faith without works is dead Hence thus I argue albeit the body be dead without the soule yet it is a true natural body in it selfe euen so faith is perfect in the kind of faith although without charity it auaile not to life euerlasting Lastly in true reason it is manifest that faith may be without charity for they haue seuerall seates in the soule one being in the will and the other in the vnderstanding they haue distinct obiects faith respecting the truth of God and charity the goodnesse of God Neither doth faith necessarily suppose charity as charity doth faith for we cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard Neither yet doth charity naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnes of God and of his benefits and loue towards vs into which good and deuout considerations few men do enter in comparison of them who are led into the broad way of iniquity through their inordinate passions This according to the truth and yet more different in the Protestants opinion for faith layes hold on Christs righteousnes receiues that in but charity can receiue nothing in as M. Perkins witnesseth Pa. 85. but giues it selfe forth in all duties of the 1. and 2. Table Now sir if they could not apply vnto themselues Christs righteousnes without fulfilling all duties of the 1. and 2. Table they should neuer apply it to them for they hold it impossible to fulfill all those duties so that this necessary lincking of charity with faith maketh their saluation not only very euill assured but altogether impossible for charity is the fulnesse of the law which they hold impossible Rom. 12. and then if the assurance of their saluation must needs be ioyned with such an impossibility they may assure themselues that by that faith they can neuer come to saluation R. ABBOT That faith may be without charitie and good workes it is true and we doubt not thereof according to the meaning of faith of which S. Iames speaketh which Caluin very iustly and rightly saith is but a shadow of faith For it plainely appeareth by the text that he speaketh of faith as only professed before men as before hath bene alledged Therefore he compareth it a Iam. 2.16 to the good words of him that wisheth wel to the poore man but doth nothing at all for him To this tendeth his question b Ver. 14. What auaileth it though a man say that he hath faith and his other demand c Ver. 18. shew me thy faith The vttermost that he extendeth it to by instance is a meere historicall faith d Ver. 19. Thou beleeuest that there is one God His purpose is to shew that faith if it be truly professed hath a root within from whence spring by obedience the fruites of al good workes and if it giue not foorth it selfe by workes it is no true faith Whereas M. Bishop saith that S. Iames speaketh directly of such a faith as Abraham was iustified
to the contrary to keepe the fire of his spirit continually burning in our hearts c Iob. 33.16.17 opening our eares by his corrections to cause vs to cease from our euill enterprises and to heale our pride and to keepe back our soule froÌ„ the pit which is the same that the Apostle saith d 1. Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world And whereas M. Bishop alledgeth that thousands pitifully fall away we answer him that they which finally fall did neuer truly stand though they seemed to stand nor euer did truly beleeue though they seemed to beleeue but euen of their fals doth God also make vse to make those that are truly his to stand the faster striking thereby a dread feare into their hearts wherby they abhorre to think of that befalling in theÌ„selues which hath befallen in the other that they may the more instantly call vpon him and embrace the meanes whereby they should firmly apprehend take hold of him We say the same that M. Perkins doth that it cannot be that he that is once indeed a member of Christ can euer after be wholly cut off But this disliketh M. Bishop much so that he exclaimeth O shamelesse assertion Where we may more iustly cry out of him O shamelesse man that maketh Christ lâ—sse affectionate kind to the spirituall members of his mysticall body then he himselfe is to the earthly members of his own natural body M. Bishop wil not suffer any member of his body to putrifie rot away if he can saue it and wil he make vs beleeue that Christ suffereth his members to rot away froÌ„ him Shal we think that Christ doth lesse respect a faithfull soule theÌ„ any of vs doth respect a finger or a toe e Ambros de Iacob vit beat l. 1. ca. 6. Poterit ergo ille te damnare queÌ„ redâ—miâ— a mâ—rte pro quo se obâ—uâ—it cuiuâ— vitam mortis suae mercedem esse cognoscit Nonne dicet Quâ— vtilitas in sanguine meo fidamno quem ipse saluaâ—â— Can Christ condemne thee saith Ambrose to the true beleeuing man whom he himselfe hath redeemed froÌ„ earth and whose life he knoweth to be the reward of his own death Wil he not say What profit is there in my bloud if I condemne him whoÌ„ I haue saued He is faithful wil not deny himself he wil not vndo that which he hath done nor blot out his owne name or suffer it to be blotted out which he hath written by his spirit in the heart of euery one that beleeueth He wil not dismember himself or receiue a maime in that f Ephe. 1.23 body which generally in the whole respectiuely in euery part is the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Seeing therfore euery true beleeuer is truly a meÌ„ber of this body helpeth to make vp this fulnesse of Christ it caÌ„not be that Christ should suffer any true beleeuer to perish but quickeneth cherisheth euery such meÌ„ber with his spirit of life healeth the wounds and sicknesses thereof that it may neuer die But of this point further in the section next saue one here it shall suffice to examine those texts examples of holy Scriptures which he saith are coÌ„trary to that that M. Perkins here affirmeth Which if they be many and plaine as he saith we may think him a very silly man that of those many could make no better choise then he hath done The first place is that of our Sauiour Christ g Iohn 15.2 Euery branch in me not bearing fruit he will take away Wherein the Reader may easily see that he doth but only abuse the simplicitie and ignorance of such as cannot espie his fraud He telleth vs of taking away the branches that beare no fruit wheras the matter in question is of the perseuerance of those branches that do bring forth fruit We doubt not but the branches which beare no fruit shal be taken away but we speake of branches which as touching present state do bring forth fruit of theÌ„ our Sauior addeth h Ibid. Euery branch that beareth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit The branch then that beareth fruit shall perseuer shall neuer be cut off because the Father purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit But M. Bishop will vrge that Christ saith Euery branch in me therby to signify that eueÌ„ those branches which do not beare fruit are in Christ yet are cut off taken away But there is no necessitie of any such construction the words are rather to be taken as we read theÌ„ Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me For euery man is compared to a branch naturally we are al branches of a wild vine as we grow froÌ„ the corrupted stocke of Adam bring forth none but sowre vnsauourie fruit so that to bring forth good fruit we had need to be transplanted remoued from the stocke of Adam to be ingraffed into Christ And this may the words of Christ import that the Father taketh destroyeth euery branch that stil coÌ„tinueth to bring forth fruit in AdaÌ„ and is not implanted into Christ to bring forth fruit in him Which construction if we follow as it carieth most probability then here is nothing said of any to be cut off that is a branch in Christ the true vine but of branches taken and cast away that are not in him But yet graunting him that reading of the words which he desireth yet he is no whit the nearer to his purpose thereby For men are diuersly vnderstood to be in Christ some by semblance shew other some in deed and truth some by outward calling profession only other some by grace and inward regeneration some according to the flesh and in the eie of the Church other some according to the spirit and power of Christ in the eie of God The Church is the floore wherein is both corne chaffe the field wherein groweth both wheat and tares the net that catcheth all sorts of fishes both good bad the pasture where feed both sheepe and goates the banquet house that entertaineth all guests that come both clothed vnclothed all yet comming vnder the name of friends all saying Lord Lord all professing themselues to take part with Christ i August de vâ—â—t eccles cap. 13. Vnde appellat sâ—nas nisi propter malignitatem morum Et easâ—eÌ„ vnde filias nisi propter cemmunionem sacramentorum cap. 12. Propter sacramenta quae cum sanctis communiter habent in eu est quaedam forma pietatis cuius virtuteÌ„ negant all children by communion of Sacraments whereby there is in them a shew of godlinesse but many thornes by malignity of behauiour whereby they deny the power thereof all sheepe in outward complement couplement to the Church but k De
as he propoundeth and vnderstandeth it it is not true nor was euer intended by M. Perkins to be true and iustly is it denied by all Protestants that we can performe whatsoeuer God commandeth as in the next question God willing shall appeare in the handling of that point But the proposition as M. Perkins expresseth it is Whatsoeuer we are commaunded in the Gospell that we must and can performe The reason whereof he taketh from a distinction of the commaundements of the law and the Gospell because the Gospell is the ministerie of spirit and life giuing vs to do whatsoeuer it doth coÌ„mand which the law doth not Now M. Bishop confoundeth Law and Gospell and maketh the proposition generall and without exception being stil desirous to shew himselfe like himselfe But that God in the Gospell commandeth vs to beleeue the remission of our sinnes and life euerlasting Maister Perkins sheweth by the words of Christ Repent and beleeue the Gospell being the briefe summe of the ministerie and preaching of Christ and the same in effect as if he had said Repent you of your sinnes and beleeue the tidings that God hath sent vnto you of the forgiuenesse thereof by Iesus Christ through faith in his name For the declaring of which point he sheweth that to beleeue the Gospell is not onely generally to beleeue that Christ is a Sauiour and that the promises made in him are true for then the diuels may be said to beleeue the Gospell and we suppose that Maister Bishop hath more wit and grace then to say that Christ in saying Beleeue the Gospell did commend nothing to vs but what the diuels may do and therefore that the repentant is hereby willed particularly to beleeue for himselfe to haue the forgiuenesse of his sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ Which declaration being very effectuall to the point this Hickscorner because he knew not what to answer to it passeth ouer with Spectatum admissi c. and Where is it written in that Gospell beleeue your owne particular Saluation shew vs once faith he but one cleare text for it and we will beleeue it euen as the Iewes said of Christ a Mat. 27.42 Let him come downe from the crosse and we will beleeue in him Though he had come downe from the crosse yet would they not haue beleeued in him because they had seene him do greater works then that and yet they did not beleeue and euen so Maister Bishop whatsoeuer is shewed him remaineth still b Psal 58.4 like the deafe adder that stoppeth his eares refusing to heare the voice of the charmer charme he neuer so wisely But tell vs Maister Bishop in what sence it is that the repentant man is willed to beleeue the Gospell Do not make the beleeuing of the Gospell a thing incident to the diuell because we shall then hold you a partaker with the diuell This you would haue told vs and not onely haue recited the place but spoken to that that was inferred vpon it had you not resolued to play the part of a lewd sycophant and sought to carie the matter with bare words The Gospell is c Luk. 2.10 1â— the glad tidings of great ioy that vnto vs a Sauiour is borne d Esa 9 6. vnto vs a child is borne vnto vs a sonne is giuen e Ambrosi deâ—â— de lib 3 cap â— Propâ—ciaâ—â—â— â—â—â—is hoâ—ceâ—â— creâ—â—◠〈◊〉 increaâ—â— that is vnto vs that do beleeue To beleeue the Gospell is to beleeue this and how do I beleeue vnto vs if I beleeue not vnto me Therefore by beleeuing the Gospell I beleeue that Christ is borne and giuen a Sauiour vnto me f Mat. 1.21 to saue me being one of his people g 1. Thess 1.10 from my sinnes and from the wrath to come The Gospell is that h Act. 10.43 through the name of Christ euery one that beleeueth in him shall haue forgiuenesse of sinnes i Iohn 3.15 euery one that beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life If I beleeue the Gospell I beleeue this and therefore because I beleeue in Christ I beleeue that I shall haue forgiuenesse of sinnes that I shall not perish but haue euerlasting life If I beleeue in Christ and yet beleeue not this that I haue euerlasting life I beleeue not the Gospell because the Gospell saith k Ibid. ver 36. He that beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life l 2. Iohn 5.10 He that beleeueth not God saith S. Iohn hath made him a liar because he beleeueth not the record that God witnessed of his Sonne and this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne Vnto vs saith he namely vnto vs that beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God as afterwards he expoundeth If then I beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God and do not beleeue that God hath giuen vnto me eternall life I make God a liar in not beleeuing the record that God hath witnessed of his Sonne Therfore he addeth m Ver. 13. These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life Where is now this pelting Sophister that asketh vs where it is written in the Gospell to beleeue our owne particular Saluation It is written there where it is written to them that beleeue to know that they haue eternall life But saith he I beleeue in Christ and hope to be saued through his mercy and merits But take heed you lie not M. Bishop take heed you lie not vnto God You haue told vs before that n Sect. 3. to beleeue in God is to loue God with all your heart and that you are not assured of your loue towards him How then can you dare to to say that you beleeue in God You haue told vs that o Sect. 6. hope and charitie are seated in the darke corners of the will and that you haue but a coniecture and probable opinion therof in your selfe why then do you here tell vs an vncertaine tale of you know not what that you hope to be saued through the mercie and merites of Christ Againe whereas you say that you hope to be saued through the mercie and merits of Christ you therein againe dissemble with Christ because notwithstanding the mercie and merits of Christ you hang your Saluation vpon that that you are to merit and do for your selfe and make your owne Free will the finisher and perfecter of that that by Christ is onely but begun You will haue the mercie and merits of Christ to serue to make you able to saue your selfe and it you do so you will thanke your selfe but you will haue nothing further to thanke Christ for And so whereas you would auoid to be like vnto the foole you shew your selfe a foole outright building so as that you know not whether you build or not you
not thus haue sayd with so great faith and humilitie saith S. Austin but that he did alreadie beare Christ in his heaâ—â— Wâ— doubt not but he had conceiued of Christ that he was the Sonne 〈◊〉 God the Sauiour of the world and with this faith came vnto 〈◊〉 The profession of his faith is here mentioned according to the present occasion It followeth not that because the act of faith is no further expressed here therefore there was nothing further in his faith for his iustification towards God Yea we hope M. Bishop will not say that he could be iustified without beleeuing the remission of sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ which yet is not expressed here and therefore what doth he but absurdly and childishly to bring vs this example to shew what is meant by iustifying faith In the other places as touching beleeuing that d Mat. 16 16. Ioh. 20.32 Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God the question is what is meant by beleeuing that Iesus is Christ If no more but an act of vnderstanding barely to assent vnto it then the diuels professe as much e Mar. 1.24 O Iesus of Nazaret I know thee who thou art euen the holy one of God But that we may not make that beleefe a matter common to the diuell we must vnderstand it to be a compounded action not of the vnderstanding onely but of the heart of the will and affections as appeareth by the third place which to this purpose he citeth f Rom. 10.9 If thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue with thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued for with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse c. So to the Eunuch desiring to be baptized Philip saith g Act. 8.37 If thou beleeue with all thine heart thou mayest I beleeue saith he that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God Beleefe therefore in these speeches importeth such a beleefe as whereby Christ is to our heart that which we beleeue him to be whereby we beleeue to our owne vse and comfort that which we beleeue It is such a faith as desireth seeketh embraceth holdeth ioyeth in that which it beleeueth because therein it seeth and apprehendeth peace whereby we so beleeue that Iesus is Christ as that according to that we beleeue him to be we beleeue in him and put our trust and confidence in him This is implied in the words that Iesus is Christ that is the promised Messias and Sauiour in whom is promised vnto vs and in whom we looke to find blessing peace immortalitie and euerlasting life Notably to this purpose S. Austin saith h August in Psal 130. Hoc est credere in Christum diligere Christum non quomodo daemones creâ—ebant sed non diligebaÌ„t Christum ideo quamuis crederent dicebant Quid nobis tibi est fili Dei Nos autem sic credamus vt in ipsum credamus diligentes eum non dicamus Quid nebis tibi est sed potius diâ—amus Ad te pertinemus tu redimisti nos Omnes qui sic credunt tanquaÌ„ lapides sunt viui de quibus templuÌ„ Dei ad fiâ—aâ—um est tanquam ligna imputribilia quibus arâ—a illa compacta est quae in diluuâ—o merge non potuit This is to beleeue in Christ euen to loue Christ not as the diuels beleeued and loued not and therefore albeit they beleeued yet said What haue we to do with thee thou sonne of God But let vs so beleeue as that we beleeue in him louing him and let vs not say What haue we to do with thee but rather let vs say We belong to thee thou hast redeemed vs. All that thus beleeue are as liuely stones of which the temple of God is builded and as those neuer putrifying plankes and timber whereof the Arke was compacted that could not be drowned in the flood Such a faith must M. Bishop confesse to be meant in the places by him alledged that with Austin he may make a difference betwixt the faith of true Christians and the faith of diuels By this the answer is plaine to the last place which mentioneth only the subiect and matter of the Gospell but of the manner of beleeuing expresseth nothing Only in that it is said that Christ died for our sinnes there is implied a particular application of that which by the Gospell we beleeue as where the same Apostle saith i Rom. 4.25 He was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification which we cannot be sayd truly to beleeue vnlesse we beleeue our selues to be redeemed and iustified from our sinnes by the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ Now then we deny not but that the beleefe expressed in the articles of the Creed is that iustifying faith by which we must be saued yet not according to that historicall meaning which M. Bishop maketh of them but according to that true meaning of beleeuing in God which the Scripture teacheth whereby a man can truly say I beleeue in God which M. Bishop cannot tell whether he can say or not and therefore we are sure that he cannot say But though he cannot say it yet let him not repine at vs that can and if he list not to haue any part in that faith whereby he should apply to himselfe the righteousnesse and merit of Christ to the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life let him leaue it vnto vs and we will ioy therein and make it indeed the corner stone of our religion because thereby Iesus Christ is our foundation and corner stone of whom we presume all things towards God who can presume nothing of our selues But at his conclusion of this point I could not but smile where mentioning this faith layed as the corner stone of our religion which the sycophant as the Popes parrot to speake what he teacheth him termeth irreligion he inferreth this being so what morall or modest conuersation what humilitie and deuotion can they build vpon it It made me call to mind the morall and modest conuersation of their Popes the humilitie and deuotion of the most of their Cardinals and Bishops the sweet and cleanly life of their Votaries both religious and secular and by them to consider what good fruits M. Bishops faith hath brought forth amongst them It made me remember a storie that I haue heard out of Boccace of a conuerted Iew of whom he that conuerted him would by no meanes heare that he should go to Rome fearing that the sight of the behauiour that he should see there would make him renounce Christianitie againe It made me thinke of the nobles of the Sultan of Babylon who seeing enormous behauiours so to abound at Rome refused to become Christians saying k Mâ—t. Parisan Henrico 2. Quia Romae tot scaturiunt enormitates dicebant Quomodo ex vno fonte aequa dulcis salsa poterit emanare Vbi
workes in the state of corruption and all good workes in the state of grace for in his first conclusion distinguishing foure estates of man he affirmeth that in the third of man renewed or as we speake iustified there is libertie of grace that is grace enableth mans will to do if it please such spirituall workes as God requireth at his hands Yet lest he be taken to yeeld in any thing Pag. â—0 he doth in shew of words contradict both these points in another place For in setting downe the difference of our opinions he saith that mans will in his conuersion is not actiue but passiue which is flat opposite vnto that which himselfe said a little before in his first conclusion that in the conuersion of a sinner mans will concurreth not passiuely but is co-worker with Gods grace R. ABBOT M. Bishop vnderstandeth not the principall point in controuersie and therefore thinketh that M. Perkins yeeldeth to the principall point in controuersie when he doth nothing lesse It was neuer any point of controuersie whether man in the state of corruption haue freedome of will in ciuill or morall workes for none of vs euer hath denyed it Neither was it euer any point of controuersie whether man in the state of grace haue freedome of will to good workes for there is not one of vs but alwaies hath affirmed it so that M. Bishop knoweth not indeed what he disputeth of As for that libertie of grace he expoundeth it also out of his owne blind fancie and not out of our doctrine For we do not meane thereby that grace enableth mans will to do if it please such spirituall works as God requireth at his hands but that grace worketh in the will of man to please to do such spirituall workes as God requireth at his hands For he doth not hang his worke vpon the suspended if of our will but a Phil. 2.13 worketh in vs to will and b Ezech 36.27 August de Praedest sanct cap. 10 Ipse facit vti illi faciant quae praecepit Et cap. 11. Promissit facturum se vt faciaÌ„â— quae â—ulci vt fiant causeth vs to do the things that he commaundeth vs to do But M. Bishop here imagineth that M. Perkins contradicteth in one leafe that which he yeeldeth in another He saith one where that mans will in his conuersion is not actiue but passiue But let M. Bishop learne of S. Austine that c August quaest veâ— Test 14. Qui verba suppronit quaestionis aut imperituâ— est aut tergiuersator qui calumniae magis studeat quam doctrinae he that concealeth the words of the point in question is either an vnlearned ideot or a wrangling crauen that studieth more to cauill then either to teach or learne The words of M. Perkins are these The Papists say Will hath a naturall cooperation we deny it and say it hath cooperation onely by grace being in it selfe not actiue but passiue willing well onely as it is moued by grace whereby it must first be acted and moued before it can act or will Where he very plainely affirmeth the cooperation of mans will in his conuersion but saith truly that it is of grace it selfe that it doth cooperate with grace He saith that in it selfe it is not actiue but passiue but though in it selfe it be onely passiue yet he acknowledgeth that it becommeth actiue also by being acted or moued by grace Now how is this contrarie to that which he saith in the fift conclusion that mans Free will concurres with Gods grace as a fellow or co-worker in some sort and is not passiue in all and euery respect In some sort saith he it is a co-worker with grace and is not passiue in all and euery respect How is that Mans will must first of all be acted and moued by grace and then it also acteth willeth and moueth it selfe How can M. Bishop deuise to haue a man speake more agreably to himselfe But he playeth the lewd cousiner and whereas the whole point of the controuersie lieth in these words by it selfe or in it selfe he guilefully omitteth the same and maketh M. Perkins absolutely to say that mans will in his conuersion is not actiue but passiue when he saith that in it selfe it is not actiue but passiue declaring that by grace it is made actiue So in the other place where it is said that mans will is a co-worker in some sort and is not passiue in all and euery respect he leaueth out those termes of restraint as if M. Perkins had made the will simply and of it selfe a co worker with grace and not passiue in any respect The contradiction therefore was not in M. Perkins his words but in M. Bishops head or rather in his malicious and wicked heart which blind-foldeth him to make him seeme not to see that which he seeth well enough 5. W. BISHOP The like contradiction may be obserued in the other part of libertie in morall actions for in his third conclusion he deliuereth plainely man to haue a naturall freedome euen since the fall of Adam to do or not to do the acts of wisedome Iustice Temperance c. and proues out of S. Paul that the Gentiles so did yet in his first reason Pag. 19. he affirmeth as peremptorily out of the eight of Genesis that the whole frame of mans hart is corrupted and all that he thinketh deuiseth or imagineth is wholy euill leauing him no natural strength to performe any part of morall dutie See how vncertaine the steps be of men that walke in darknesse or that would seeme to communicate with the workes of darknesse For if I mistake him not he agreeth fully in this matter of Free will with the Doctrine of the Catholike Church for he putting down the point of difference saith that it standeth in the cause of the freedome of mans will in spirituall matters allowing then freedome of will with vs in the state of grace whereof he there treateth for he seemeth to dissent from vs onely in the cause of that freedome And as he differeth from Luther and Caluin with other sectaries in granting this libertie of will so in the very cause also he accordeth with Catholikes as appeareth by his owne words For saith he Papists say mans will concurreth with Gods grace by it selfe and by it owne naturall power we say that mans will worketh with grace yet not of it selfe but by grace either he vnderstandeth not what Catholikes say or else accuseth them wrongfully for we say that mans will then onely concurreth with Gods grace when it is stirred and holpen first by Gods grace So that mans will by his owne naturall action doth concurre in euery good worke otherwise it were no action of man but we farther say that this actioÌ„ proceedeth principally of grace wherby the wil was made able to produce such actions for of it selfe it was vtterly vnable to bring foorth such spirituall fruite And this I
take to be that which M. Perkins doth meane by those his words that the will must be first moued and acted by grace before it can act or will He mistooke vs thinking that we required some outward helpe onely to the will to ioyne with it or rather that grace did but as it were vntie the chaines of sinne wherein our will was fettered and then Will could of it selfe turne to God Not vnderstanding how Catholikes take that Parable of the man wounded in the way Luk. 10. betweene Ierusalem and Ierico who was not as the Papists onely say but as the holy Ghost saith left halfe and not starke dead Now the exposition of Catholikes is not that this wounded man which signifieth all mankind had halfe his spirituall strength left him but was robbed of all supernaturall riches spoyled of his originall iustice and wounded in his naturall powers of both vnderstanding and Will and therein left halfe dead not being able of his owne strength either to know all naturall truth or to performe all moral duty Now touching supernaturall workes because he left all power to performe them not being able so much as to prepare himselfe conueniently to them he in a good sence may be likened vnto a dead man not able to moue one finger that way of grace and so in holy Scripture the father said of his prodigall Son Luk. 15. He was dead and is reuiued Yet as the same sonne liued a naturall life albeit in a deadly sinne so mans will after the fall of Adam continued somewhat free in actions conformable to the nature of man though wounded also in them as not being able to act many of them yet hauing still that naturall facultie of Free-will capable of grace and also able being first both outwardly moued and fortified inwardly by the vertue of grace to effect and do any worke appertaining to saluation which is as much as M. Perkins affirmeth And this to be the very doctrine of the Church of Rome is most manifestly to be seene in the Councell of Trent where in the Session are first these words in effect concerning the vnablenesse of man to arise from sinne of himselfe Euery man must acknowledge and confesse that by Adams fall we were made so vncleane and sinfull that neither the Gentiles by the force of nature nor the Iewes by the letter of Moses lawe could arise out of that sinfull state After it sheweth how our deliuerance is wrought and how freedome of will is recouered in speciall and wherein it consisteth saying The beginning of iustification in persons vsing reason is taken from the grace of God preuenting vs through Iesus Christ that is from his vocation whereby without any desert of ours we are called that we who were by our sinnes turned away from God may be prepared by his grace both raising vs vp and helping vs to returne to our owne Iustification freely yeelding our consent vnto the said grace and working with it So as God touching the heart of man by the light of the holy Ghost neither doth man nothing at all receiuing that inspiration who might also refuse it neither yet can he without the grace of God by his Free will moue himselfe to that which is iust in Gods sight And that you may be assured that this doctrine of the Councell is no other then that which was taught three hundred yeares before in the very middest of darknesse as Heretikes deeme 12. q. 109. Art 6. see what S. Thomas of Aquine one of her principall pillars hath written of this point in his most learned Summe Where vpon these words of our Sauiour Ioh. 6. No man can come to me vnlesse my Father draw him he concludeth it to be manifest that man cannot so much as prepare himselfe to receiue the light of grace but by the free and vndeserued helpe of God mouing him inwardly thereunto And this is all which M. Perkins in his pretended dissent auerreth here and goeth about to proue in his fiue reasons following the which I will omit as being all for vs. And if any man desire to see more to that purpose let him reade the most learned workes of that famous Cardinall and right reuerend Archbishop Bellarmine R. ABBOT Here is another contradiction framed vpon the anuile of M. Bishops ignorance whilest he vnderstandeth not that workes morally good may be spiritually euill and whilest they a Luk 16.15 are highly esteemed with men for the substance of the act yet may be abhominable with God by the vncleannesse of the heart Which if he had duly considered he might well haue seene that both these assertions may stand together that man hath freedome of will to do the outward acts of morall vertues and yet that all that man deuiseth frameth or imagineth is wholy euill because his morall vertues without grace are in Gods sight but so many corruptions of good workes being poysoned in the roote of vnbeleefe and wholy diuerted from their true and proper end so that God hath no respect to them because in them there is no respect at all to God This followeth afterwards more fully to be handled towards the end of this question but in the meane time we see how simply he collecteth of this latter point that M. Perkins leaueth a man no naturall strength to performe any part of morall dutie and as if he had very wisely handled the matter addeth his epiphonema So vncertaine are the steps of them that walke in darknesse very fitly agreeing to himselfe who neither vnderstandeth what the aduersarie saith nor what he himselfe is to say for his owne part Whereupon it is that he conceiueth that M. Perkins fully agreeth with the Romish Church in this matter of Free will whereas they are as farre different one from the other as heauen is from earth The agreement forsooth is in that M. Perkins granteth Free will in the state of grace But so did Luther Caluin and so do we all as far as M. Perkins doth The Papists say that man hath in his owne nature a power of Free wil which being only stirred and helped can and doth of it selfe adioyne it selfe to grace to accept thereof and to worke with it This is it that we denie we say that freedome of the will to turne to God and to worke with him is no power of nature but the worke of grace that it is in no sort of man himselfe but wholy and onely the gift of God that howsoeuer God do offer grace yet that man hath no power in himselfe or in his owne will to assent and yeeld vnto it but it is God himselfe that withall worketh in him to accept thereof that to the conuersion of a sinner there ariseth nothing from the motion of his owne will howsoeuer assisted and helped of God but what God by his Spirit doth worke in it Vpon this point onely Luther and Caluin and we all insist to chalenge all wholy vnto God
there is in it any naturall facultie of Free will to assent and yeeld it selfe to the grace of God If it be not subiect to the law of God nor indeed can be shall we say by plaine contradiction that it hath in it whereby to assent and giue it selfe in submission vnto God Free vvill requireth integritie in iudgement of vnderstanding in election of will in obedience of affection but here man is vtterly disabled in all these What facultie of iudgement hath he to conceiue and approue the things of God who in all his thoughts is onely euill and in his very wisedome is enemie vnto God t Ierem. 10.14 Euerie man is a beast by his owne vnderstanding his mind altogether u Ephes 4.18 darknesse and ignorance and as he auaileth nothing that offereth light to the blind or bringeth him into the cleerest Sunne-shine vnlesse he can make him see so it booteth not that God doth set his light before man and causeth it most cleerely to shine vnto him vnlesse he x Psal 119.18.27 open the inward eye of the soule and make him to vnderstand not leaue him to vnderstand if he will but make him to vnderstand To this purpose is the second reason of M. Perkins that y 1. Cor. 2 14. the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God that they are foolishnesse vnto him that he cannot know them because they are only spiritually that is z Vers 10.12 by the spirit to be discerned If there be no free wil in spiritual things without iudging discerning and vnderstanding thereof and there be no discerning or vnderstanding thereof but onely by the a Vers 16. spirit and mind of Christ surely in nature there can be no Free will that can be helpefull vnto vs to the attainment of spirituall life and the power therof serueth but to condemne for folly the counsels and instructions thereto tending the wisedom whereof it is not able to apprehend Let grace do what may be done yet nature perceiueth nothing of the spirit if the same spirit of grace worke not therein to perceiue Now where the vnderstanding is capable yet what peruersenesse and crosnesse still remaineth in the will It hood-winketh the mind and maketh it seeme to it selfe not to see when it doth see it shutteth the gates and intercepteth the passages of the vnderstanding shunning to admit any thing whereby it should be checked and interrupted in it course b August de verb. Apost ser 13. Imâ—â—a mens odit etiam ipsum intellectum homo aliquando nimium mente peruersa timet intelligere ne cogatur quod intellexerit facere it hateth and is afraid to vnderstand that it may not he vrged to do when it doth vnderstand Yea where the conscience is conuicted by knowledge and vnderstanding yet the will being entangled with it owne respects how mightily doth it struggle and fight against God and neuer ceaseth fighting till God do c Ose 14.5 heale the rebellions of it not by putting it in case to yeeld if it will but working in it to will and to yeeld vnto him And when will hath now begun to yeeld what vnto wardlinesse doth it find in the affections which as a swift and mightie streame do euery while ouerbeare both the iudgement of the vnderstanding and the resolution of the will so that d Gal. 5.17 we cannot do the things that we would The peruersenesse whereof if it preuaile so much with men iustified and in the state of grace as that it causeth many bitter lamentations for ouersights thereby committed contrarie to the intendment of the will how much more do they like flattering Dalilaes bind all our strength and ouercome all the power of nature when the will as yet hath receiued no fortification of inward grace to resist and fight against them Seeing therefore the heart is on the one side so blind that it cannot see and on the other side so peruerse as that one while it will not see another while crosseth whatsoeuer it doth see we may well say as S. Austin doth e August coneduas epist Pelag lib. 4. cap. 6. Quid potestis boni sacere de corde non bono vt autem habeatis cor bonum Daboinquit c. What good may a man do out of a heart that is not good but to haue our heart good we must looke to him that saith I will giue you a new heart and will put into you a new spirit so that till the heart be renewed and made good there is no doing good and therefore no assenting to the grace of God The third argument of M. Perkins he omitteth with the rest and yet lighting vpon some idle deuice afterwards he thought good to set it downe in steed of an obiection which shall be examined in the place which he hath giuen it The fourth reason is taken from that that the Scripture in the conuersion of a sinner ascribeth all to God and nothing at all to mans Free will as appeareth from the termes of f Iohn 3.3 new birth g Gal. 6.15 new creature h Tit. 3.5 regeneration c. Whereby is argued that as man conferreth nothing to his generation and birth so neither doth he to his regeneration and new birth As man doth nothing for himselfe in his creation so hath he nothing whereby to steed himselfe to become a new creature Whereto agreeth the definition of the ancient Church i Fulge a ad Monimum lib. 1. Null itenus sinimus immo salisbriter prohibemus tam in nostra fide quà m in nostro opere tanquam nostrum nobis aliquid vin licare We in no wise suffer nay according to wholsome doctrine we forbid whether in our faith or in our workes to chalenge to our selues any thing as our owne We haue to chalenge nothing as our owne and therefore it is not our act of Free will but Gods worke in vs to assent to the grace of God How then doth M. Bishop say that this is nothing against him who saith in effect the same that Pelagius did k Aug. cont Pelaeg Celest lib. 1. cap. 25. Quod possumus omne bonum facere dicere cogitare illius est qui hoc posse donauit quod vero bené vel agâ—mus vel loquimur vel cogitamus nostrum est It is of God that we are able to do or speake or to thinke any thing that is good but to do or to speake or to thinke it is our owne because if we beleeue him the grace of God leaueth it to our owne Free will either to accept or refuse to do or not to do to worke with it or not to worke M. Perkins fift reason is taken from the iudgement of the auncient Church which how far it auaileth we shall see anone but he that well weigheth these reasons and the circumstances of them as M. Perkins hath set them downe will surely thinke that
Paule plant and Apollo water yet God onely giueth the increase and neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth which is in vaine spoken if he that is planted or watered be any thing by his owne Free will but God onely that giueth the increase Another comparison he vseth of the earth What more dead saith he then the earth and yet it being tilled and sowne doth bring foorth and beare goodly corne Whereof he maketh application thus Now the word and grace of God is compared by our Sauiour to seed and our hearts to the earth that receiue it What maruell then if we otherwise dead yet reuiued by this liuely seed do yeeld plentie of pleasing fruite Where we see how loth he is that the Pelagians in any absurditie should go beyond him As before he made one roote so here he maketh one ground of Free will common and indifferent to good and euill and which is strange maketh it as naturall to this ground or earth to bring foorth fruite of the seed of Gods word as it is to the tilled ground to yeeld corne of the seed that is sowne vpon it Moreouer of grace he maketh no other matter but the seed which is the word of God r August contr Pelag. Celest lib 1. cap. 7. Epist 107. Gratiam Dei poâ—â—â— in lege atque doctrina the law and doctrine and exhortation euen as Pelagius did and that by this seed of Gods word Free will is reuiued to bring forth plentie of pleasing fruite But our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell maketh foure sorts of ground and thereof one onely good ground which is not good of it selfe but made good hauing nothing in it whereof to bring foorth fruite of the seed or Gods word Å¿ Esa 32.15 vntill the spirit be powred vpon it from aboue that of a wildernesse it may become a fruitfull field So that the grace of God consisteth not in the seed of the word but importeth a spiritual and heauenly influence of the blessing of God altering and changing the nature of the soyle of mans heart that it may be fit to receiue the seed and to fructifie thereby For otherwise the Scripture teacheth vs that mans heart is a t Prech 36 26. stonie heart that his u Esa 48.4 forehead is brasse and his necke an iron sinew and that to bestow labour vpon him by the word of God is but as to wash x Ierem. 13.23 an Aethiopian or a Leopard to take away the blacknes and spots of them or to y Amos 6.12 plow vpon the rocke where there is no entrance neither for plow nor seed Therefore howsoeuer the seed be sowne it auaileth nothing neither can the will of man fructifie thereby vntill it do z Ioh. 6.45 heare and learne of the Father to come to Christ a August de Praedest sanct cap. 8 Nihil est aliud quà m donum accipere à Patre quo credat in Christum that is vntill it receiue a gift of the Father whereby to beleeue in Christ b Idem de peccat nun remis li. 2. cap. 17. Sciat quam verè non de terra ista sed spiritualiter dictum sit Dominus Dabit c. it being meant not of the very earth saith Austin but spiritually which is said The Lord will yeeld his sweetnesse and our land or earth shall giue increase as to note that not by any power of our Free will but onely by his sweet and heauenly dew c Ose 10.12 the raine of righteousnesse d Ezech. 34.26 the raine of blessing which he raineth vpon vs we bring foorth the seed of the word of God 10. W. BISHOP Hauing hitherto explicated the state of the question and solued such obiectioÌ„s as may be gathered out of M. Perkins against it before I come to his solution of our arguments I will set downe some principall places both out of the Scriptures and auncient Fathers in defence of our doctrine because he proposeth but few for vs and misapplyeth them too Genes 4. First then God saith to Caine If thou do well shalt thou not receiue a reward But if thou do euill thy sinne will presently be at the gates but the appetite of it shall be vnder thee and thou shalt beare dominion ouer it Here is plaine mention made of the power which that euill disposed man Cain had not to sinne if he had listed which was no doubt by the assistance of Gods grace and on the other side that grace did not infallibly draw him to good but left it to his free choice whether he would follow it or no. And because they who secke out all manner of starting holes wrest these words of ruling and bearing sway as spoken of his brother Abel and not of sinne first to see their iniquitie marke the text where is no mention of Abel neither in that verse nor in the next before but expresse mention is made of sinne in the next words before therefore those Pronounes that are to be referred to the words next before must needes in true construction be referred to sinne and not to his brother Besides this plaine construction of the text S. Augustine followeth saying as it were to Cain Lib. 15. de ciuit Dei cap. 7. Hold thy selfe content for the conuersion of it shall be to thee and thou shalt rule ouer it What saith he ouer his brother God forbid that so wicked a man should rule ouer so good Ouer what then but he shall rule ouer sinne See how manifestly that worthy Doctor hath preuented their cauill And if it were need I might ioyne with him that most skilfull Father in the Hebrew text S. Hierome * In quaest Hebraicè who in the person of God expoundeth it thus Because thou hast Free will I admonish and warne thee that thou suffer not sinne to ouercome thee but do thou ouercome sinne R. ABBOT M. Perkins he saith proposed but few places for them and misapplied them to and therefore he will himselfe set downe some principall places both out of the Scriptures and fathers in defence of their doctrine But what ill hap had he at first to light vpon an example whereby as Austin noteth it is so manifest a August de ciuit Dei lib. 15. ca. 16 Spiritus sanctus operatur intrinsecus vt valeat aliquid medicina quc adhibetur extriâ—fecus Aâ—equm etiamsi Deus ipse vtens creatura sibi sub ect vinaeâ—qua specie humanâ— sensus alloquatur humanos c. nec interiore gratia mentem regat atque agat nihil prodest homini omnâ—s praedicatio veritatis Facit hoc Deus à vasis misericordiae irae vasa discernens c. Et cap. 7. Hoc ipsum cùm Deus locutus esset ad Cain quid ei prosuit c. that howsoeuer God himselfe do speake to the sense of man either to his outward or inward senses yet if he
voluit vt homo non recedat ab eo Cyprian leaueth vs nothing wherein to glorie as our owne that he sheweth that not to depart from God is no otherwise but giuen of God in that he teacheth that it is to be begged of God for he that is not led into temptation doth not depart from God This saith he is not in the strength of Free will as now it is It was in man before his fall but after the fall of man God would not haue it belong saue onely to his grace that we come vnto him neither would he haue it belong saue onely to his grace that we do not depart from him Thus he conceiued and obserued as touching Cyprians meaning out of Cyprians owne words and bereaueth M. Bishop of Cyprians warrant for that which he would father vpon him by some words obscurely vttered in another place c Jbid cap. 6. Tâ—â—â—res viâ—â—â—us si totum Deo damus non autem nos illi ex parte nobu ex parte commutimus Quod vidit iste venerabilâ— Martyr c. Cyprian that worthy Martyr saw well enough saith he that we liue most in safetie when we ascribe all to God and do not commit our selues partly to God and partly to our selues By these three therefore M. Bishop hitherto hath gained nothing but by Cyprian whose words seeme to make most for him he gaineth least of all But now he vrgeth the confession of some of our best learned that all Antiquitie excepting onely S. Austin beleeued and taught Free will To this purpose he alledgeth a place out of the Centuries which he calleth a large long lying historie marry speaking but by roate as children do or as the clowne did of Aristides who giuing his voyce to the banishment of the same Aristides and being asked of him vnknowne d Plutarch Apophiheg whether he knew him against whom he gaue his voyce answered that he knew him not but it was trouble vnto him to heare him tearmed a iust man For so M. Bishop knoweth not the Centuries alas poore man what should he meddle with such great bookes but he hath heard that Protestants were the Authors thereof and that is enough to warrant him to giue his voyce against them But his fellowes know that they haue good cause to speake well of the Authors of those Centuries because by them they haue bin able to say more for themselues then euer they were before so faithfully did those men deale in the compiling of that storie Now they say indeed as he alledgeth from his Author that Clement Alexandrinus doth euery where teach Free will and that not onely the Doctors of that age were in such darknesse but also that it did much increase in the ages following Where taking the matter to be simply as they say and as M. Bishop doth obiect what doth he gaine more by that obiection then the Pelagians did e Prosper Epist ad August Obstinationem suaÌ„ vetustate defendunt A nullo vnquam ecclesiasticorum ita esse intellecta ve nunc sentiuntur affirmant who defended their obstinacie by antiquitie and affirmed that none of all the ecclesiasticall Writers that were before did so expound the Scriptures as Austin did namely against the Free will and merits of man and that examining the opinions of the more auncient Fathers they were found to be in a manner all of one mind against him But this he tooke to be no sufficient argument but freely professeth of his doctrine f Aug. de bono perseuer cap 18. Hoc scâ—onemineÌ„ contra istam PraedestinationeÌ„ c. nisi errando disputare potuisse I know that no man without error could dispute against it He excuseth the ancients that were before him g De Praedest sanct cap. 14. Priusquam ista Haeresis oriretur non habuerunt necessitatem in hac difficili ad soluendum quaestione versari c. vnde factuÌ„ est vt de gratia Dei quid sentirent breuiter quibusdam scriptorum suorum locis transeuntèr attingerent immorarentur vero in eis quae aduersus alios inimicos Ecclesiae disputabant c. frequentationibus aut orationibus simplicitèr apparebat Dei gratia quid valeret Non enim poscerentur à Deo quae praecepit fieri nisi ab illo donaretur vt fierent that before the heresie of the Pelagians began they had not any such need to deale much in that question and therefore what they thought of the grace of God they touched but briefly and by the way in some places of their workes but stood more vpon those things which they handled against other enemies of the Church Yet he saith that by their supplications and prayers it plainely appeared what grace doth because they would not haue asked of God those things which he hath commanded to be done but that they held that the doing thereof is the gift of God h De bono perseuer cap. 23. No oraret Ecclesia vt daritur infidelibus fides nisi Deum crederet auersas aduersas hominuÌ„ ad se conuertere voluntates nec oraret Ecclesia vt perseueraret in fide Christi nisi crederet Dominum sic in potestate habere cor nostrum vt bâ—â—uÌ„ quod non tenemus nisi propria voluntate non tamen teneamus nisi ipsi in â—oâ—is operetur velle that the Church would not haue prayed to God as it alwaies did to giue men repentance faith obedience perseuerance but that it beleeued that God so hath our heart in his power as that he worketh in vs to will the good that we cannot haue without our will He further obserueth that i Ibid cap. 20. Didicimus singulas quasque haereses intulisse Ecclesiae proprias quaestiones cotra quas diâ—igentiùs defenderetur Sâ—riptura diuina quam si nulla talis necessitas cogeret Quid auteÌ„ coegit loca Scripturarum quibus Praedestinatio commendata est copiosiùs enucientius iâ—â—o nostro libere defendi nisi quod Pelagiani dicunt c. all heresies haue brought their seuerall questions into the Church by occasion whereof as touching those points the truth of Scripture was the more diligently defended and that by occasion of the Pelagian heresie the places of Scripture concerning Predestination and grace of God were by his labour more plentifully and plainely defended then they were before And to conclude out of all Antiquitie before him he bringeth onely k Ibid cap 19. foure or fiue testimonies out of Cyprian Ambrose and Gregorie Nazianzene whereby to iustifie what he taught Now by this answer of Austin to the Pelagians M. Bishop and his fellowes must receiue their answer If it were no preiudice to him that the Fathers before him taught otherwise then he did it is no preiudice to vs teaching the same that he taught He professed himselfe l De nat gra cap. 61 to be free in the writings of any such men and that it was
not foorth except it conceiue So then saith M. Bishop it is not sinne of it selfe But we deny his argument for a mother bringeth foorth a woman and yet she her selfe is a woman also A woman bringeth not foorth a woman except she first conceiue and yet she is a woman before she do conceiue and sinne bringeth not foorth sinne except by consent it first conceiue and yet it is sinne before conception There is nothing in Saint Austins words but standeth well with that that before hath bene said that concupiscence being the habite of sinne doth by gaining the consent of the will bring foorth actuall and outward sinnes which is the true meaning of that place of Iames. And that he did not otherwise conceiue but that concupiscence is sinne M. Bishop might very well haue seene if he had but read the words a few lines before the place which he citeth where speaking of the same being in vs he saith z Jbid. Non tan tùm inesset verùm granitèr obesset nisi reaetus qui nos obstrinxerat per remissionem peccatorum solutus esset It should not onely be in vs but also greatly hurt vs but that the guilt thereof is acquitted by the forgiuenesse of our sinnes We would haue M. Bishop tell vs how it should hurt vs if it be not sinne for we suppose that there is nothing in man that can hurt him but onely sinne especially the hurt being such as S. Austine anone after speaketh of a Tantum quis inest pertraheret ad vltimanâ— mortem to draw vs onely by being in vs to euerlasting death The place of Cyril affirmeth the being of lust b Cyrilâ—â— Ioan. lib. 4. cap. 51. Feruens cupiditas ante peccandi actum insidet ante peccandi actum before the actuall sinne but hath nothing for M. Bishops turne to proue that lust also is not sinne nay in the words immediatly following he proueth that it is sinne affirming that c Vt hoc anigmate perdiscamus nullo nos pacto mundos vnquam futuros nisi omnem turpeÌ„ ex animo cupiditaetem cijciamus by circumcision we should learne that we shal not be cleane vnlesse we cast out of our mind all filthy lust For if lust it selfe do make vs vncleane it must needes be sinne because nothing can make a man vncleane but onely sinne That which M. Perkins addeth to illustrate this point Such as the fruit is such is the tree was very fitly spoken to the matter in hand For the fruite hath it whole nature and qualitie from the tree neither is it any thing but what it is by that that it receiueth from thence If therefore the actions of concupiscence be sinne concupiscence which is the tree must needes haue the nature and condition of sinne But M. Bishop answereth that not concupiscence but the will of man is the tree Which is all one as if he should haue said that not the will of man but the will of man is the tree For it hath bene before shewed that concupiscence is nothing else but the corrupted will of man which doth not bring foorth either euill or good indifferently but is of it selfe an enticer only vnto bad vntil God do create it anew and by his owne hand do worke in it to will that that is good In a word the holy Scripture as on the one side it calleth the motions of concupiscence d 1. Pet. 2.11 the lusts of the flesh so it calleth also the effects deeds of those lusts the workes of the flesh thereby shewing that concupiscence signified by the name of e Gal. 5.9 flesh and importing the corruption of the whole mind and will of man is rightly said to be the tree or euill root whence all euill workes and all wickednesse do spring 7. W. BISHOP Lib. 5. contr Iulian. cap. 3. But S. Augustine saith That concupiscence is sinne because in it there is disobedience against the rule of the mind c. I answer that S. Augustine in more then twenty places of his works teacheth expresly that concupiscence is no sinne if sinne be taken properly wherefore when he once calleth it sinne he taketh sinne largely as it comprehendeth not onely all sinne but also all motions and enticements to sinne in which sence concupiscence may be termed sinne but it is so called very seldome of S. Augustine Lib. 6. cap. 5. but more commonly an euill as in the same worke is to be seene euidently where he saith That grace in Baptisme doth renew a man perfectly so farrefoorth as it appertaineth to the deliuerance of him from all manner of sinne but not so as it freeth him from all euill so that concupiscence remaining after baptisme is no manner of sinne in S. Augustines iudgment but may be called euil because it prouoketh vs to euill To this place of S. Augustine Tract 41. in Ioan. I will ioyne that other like which M. Perkins quoteth in his fourth reason where he saith that sin dwelleth alwaies in our members The same answerserueth that sin there is taken improperly as appeareth by that he seates it in our members for according vnto S. Augustine and all the learned the subiect of sinne being properly taken is not in any part of the bodie but in the will and soule and in the same passage he signifieth plainely that in baptisme all sinnes and iniquitie is taken away and that there is left in the regenerate only an infirmitie or weaknesse R. ABBOT That place of Austin doth very pregnantly shew that concupiscence is truly and properly called sinne and giueth a reason thereof out of the true nature of sinne which before hath bene declared a August contr Julian lib. 5. ca. 3. Sicut coecitas cordis peccatum est quo in Deum non creditur poena peccati qua cor superbum digna animaduersione punitur causa peccati cùm mali aliquid coeci cordis errore committitur itae concupiscentia carnis aduersus quam bonus concupiscit spiritus peccatum est quia inest illi inobedientia contra dominatum mentis poena peccati est quia reddita est meritis inobedientis causa peccati est defectione coÌ„sentientis vel contagione nascentis As blindnesse of heart saith he is both a sinne whereby man beleeueth not and the punishment of sinne wherewith the pride of the heart is iustly reuenged and the cause of sinne whilest any euill is committed by the error of the heart so blinded so the concupiscence of the flesh against which the good spirit desireth is both sinne because there is in it a disobedience against the rule of the mind and the punishment of sinne because it was rendred to the desert of him that obeyed not and the cause of sinne either by the default of him that consenteth vnto it or by infecting of him that is borne of it Concupiscence then is sinne as blindnesse of heart is sinne But
2. ex Hilar. in Psal 118. Gimel Nos in hoc terreni morti câ—â— corporis habitaculo mundos esse non posse that we cannot be cleane in the tabernacle of this earthly and carion body x Jbid. ex homil quadam de lib. sancti Iob. Memores conscuÌ„ illa ipsa corpora vitiorum omniuÌ„ esse materiem pro quae polluti sordidi ni il in nebis munâ—uÌ„ nihil innotens obâ—inemus that our bodies are the matter of all vices by reason whereof being polluted and defiled we haue nothing in vs innocent nothing cleane not as to condemne the substance of the bodie die but y Ibid. pugnandi necistias contra malum non sub stantiam sed sub stantie vitium vitium substantiae the vitious quality of the substance and to signifie that therewith we still continue in part stained and defiled so long as we continue vpoÌ„ the earth Now there is nothing wherby we are vncleane polluted defiled but onely sinne Seeing therfore by the remainder of Original sinne that is by concupiscence we continue after baptisme vncleane polluted defiled it followeth necessarily that co câ—piscence after baptisme is properly and truly sinne And if concupiscence be not sinne without consent then by S. Austines iudgement the Apostles must be said to liue without sinne For he affirmeth of them that they were z Contr. duas Epist Pelag. lib. 1. cap 11. Apostolos dicimus à prauorum libidinum consensione liberos c. free from any consent to euil lusts meaning it after they had receiued that great measure of the holy Ghost And so much he affirmeth particularly of the Apostle a Ju Joan. tract 41. Faciebat vt concupiscentia non consentiret Vide Bernard in Cantic Ser. 56. Paul But to affirme that the Apostles were free from sinne is b De nat grat cap 36. Omnes sancti si interrogari potuissent vna voce clamassent si dixerimus quia peccatum non habeâ—â—â—â— c. contrary to the doctrine of S. Austine Concupiscence therfore by S. Austines iudgement must necessarily be sinne And hereto agree also the iudgements of the rest of the Fathers Cyprian calleth it in the regenerate c Cypri de rat circumcis Huius contagio corruptelae Babyloniae fornax domesticum malum de quo â—ruhescent quicunque mundè corde regere in decore suo videre desiderant insaniens bestia corrupti anhelitus catenis ferreis in vltimis animae recessibus alliganda a corruption the fornace of Babylon a domesticall euill of which they will be ashamed who desire with pure heart to see the king in his beautie a raging beast of stinking breath to be tied vp with iron chaines in the furthest passages of the soule He saith againe of the d Idem de teiun et tentat Christi Nec originali nec personali nec personalicaeruere delicto holy Prophets and Priests that they wanted neither Originall nor personall sinne and thereby confesseth that in holy men Originall sinne continueth still Ambrose calleth concupiscence euen in the regenerate e Ambros de Apol. Dauid ca. 11. Deplorauit in se Dauid inquinamenta naturae Et ibid. cap. 13. Iniquitas operatrix cuâ—pae delicti radix seminarium peccatorum mala radix affectus erroris a defilement of nature iniquitie the worker of default and trespasse the seed-plot of sinnes an euill roote an affection of errour Bernard in the like sort calleth it f Bern. de sex tribulat Quod in homine pimum ab hac macula immune ab hoc contagio poterit inueniri Tribulatio dum resistirur contaminationi concupisceÌ„tiae repugnatur De corde exit pestiferum virus Huic multisariae pesti resistere Fomes totius nequitiae Fornax ambitionis c omnium denique vittorum affectibus vehementer acceâ—sa a contamination a blot a contagion a pestilent poyson a manifold pestilence the cherishment of all naughtinesse a fornace strongly burning with the affections of ambition auarice enuie wilfulnesse lewdnesse and all vices He againe maketh it euen by it selfe g Bernar in Cant. ser 56. Pauli animae ab aspecta complexu dilecti vnus tantummodo paries obsistebat videlices lex peccati Ipsa est carnis concupescentia c. paries primus concupiscentia secundus consâ—nsus c. a wall which so long as it is in vs excludeth and shutteth vs out from God as of Paul for example he saith that this one wall hindered his soule from the sight and embracing of his beloued Sauiour By all which the Reader may esteeme what consciences they had in the Councell of Trent that set it downe to the world as an article to be beleeued that concupiscence is h Concil Triden Sess 5. In renatis nihil quod odit Deus nihil ab ingressu coeli remoratur not a thing that God hateth that it is not a thing that hindereth from entring into heauen These speeches cannot be thus applied to any thing but sinne We haue no cause to be ashamed of any thing before God but onely sinne God cannot but hate all spirituall corruption all filthinesse all iniquitie all contagion and vncleannesse of the soule and seeing concupiscence is a wall that shutteth vs out from God it must needs be sinne because nothing can diuide vs from God but onely sinne Now therefore as touching the two places which M. Bishop citeth in the second section wherein S. Austin denieth concupiscence to be sinne the answer is plaine by Austin himselfe i De nupt Concupis lib. 2. cap. 34. Quia remissa est in remissione peccatorum non iam regeneratis in peccatum reputatur because it is forgiuen to the regenerate by remission of sinnes it is not now reputed to them for sinne It is sinne in it owne nature but because the guilt thereof is pardoned therefore and in that respect onely it is not accounted sinne And hereby the answer is plaine to that other cauill which they borrow also from S. Austin that k Epist 200. Si nocti eorum adhiberemus assensum non esset vnde diceremus patri nostro qui in coelis est Dimitte nobis c. for concupiscence or the desires and motions thereof we do not say forgiue vs our trespasses so long as we giue no consent vnto them For the reason that S. Austin giueth of that assertion is l Cont. 2. epist Pelag lib. 1. cap. 13. Nec propter ipsam cuius iam reatus lauaecro regenerationis absumptus est dicunt in oratione Baptizati Dimitte nobis c. Et cont lit Petil. lib. 2. ca. 103. Neque de his peccatis hoc petimus quae nobis in Baptismo taem dimissa sunt because the guilt thereof is alreadie taken away in Baptisme because the same are alreadie forgiuen and pardoned in Baptisme thereby insinuating that concupiscence and the motions thereof in themselues are such as for which we should say forgiue
people of Israel are directed to you Mine owne heart good Sir tels me so How dare you build vpon the perswasion of our owne heart any such assurance Ierem. 17. When as in holy writ it is recorded Wicked is the heart of man and who shall know it Are you ignorant how Saul before he was Saint Paul being an Israelite to whom those words appertained perswading himselfe to be very assured of his faith was notwithstanding fouly deceiued and why may not you farre more vnskilfull then he be in like manner abused Moreouer suppose that this motion commeth of the holy Ghost and that he truely saith The Lord is God how long knoweth he that he shall be able to say so truely Math. 22. When our Sauiour Christ Iesus assureth vs that many be called but few of them are chosen to life euerlasting how knoweth he then assuredly that he being once called is of the predestinate M. Perkins saith that he who beleeueth knoweth that he beleeueth Be it so if he beleeue aright and medle no further then with those things which be comprehended within the bounds of faith But that the Certaintie of Saluation is to be beleeued is not to be begged but proued being the maine question he saith further that he who truely repenteth knoweth that he repeateth he knoweth indeed by many probable coniectures but not by certaintie of faith as witnesseth that holy person If God come to me Iob. 9. as he doth to all repentant sinners I shall not see him and if he depart away from me I shall not vnderstand it Which is sufficient to make him thankefull yea if he receiued no grace at all yet were he much beholding vnto God who offered him his grace and would haue freely bestowed it vpon him if it had not bene through his owne default And thus our first Argument stands in his full strength and vertue that no man can assure himselfe by faith of his Saluation because there is no word of God that warranteth him so to do R. ABBOT He was beholding to M. Perkins that their reasons being no better then they be he did vouchsafe here to giue them the first place By the first of these reasons they labour to defeate vs of all profitable vse of the word of God denying vs libertie to beleeue any thing particularly of our selues because the word of God doth no where speake namely and particularly to any of vs. M. Perkins rightly answereth that God hath appointed the ministerie and preaching of his word for the particular application thereof whilest thereby it is layed to the heart and conscience of euery particular man so as that by the word of Christ deliuered out of the Gospell by the minister Christ himselfe in effect saith Cornelius beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued Peter beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued M. Bishop somewhat deformeth the answer by his butcherly and slouinly handling of it as his manner is but though in more words it is to the same meaning that I haue mentioned Now M. Perkins intended not in that answer that the minister speaketh to euerie man particularly one by one but that speaking to the assembly he laboureth to make euerie man conceiue of that that is spoken as particularly spoken to himselfe For the word of God being as a Proclamation in writing common to all the minister is as the voyce of the crier to giue notice to that congregation that the matter of the Proclamation concerneth them and euery of them saying in effect a Act. 13.26 To you is the word of this Saluation sent b Cap. 3 26. Vnto you hath God raised vp his sonne Iesus and hath sent him to blesse you in turning euery one of you from your iniquities c Cor. 5.50 Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christ steed that ye be reconciled to God d 2. Act. 2.28 Amend your liues euery one of you c. Therefore as euery man conceiueth the proclamation according to the matter of it no lesse to concerne him then as if it had bene spoken in particular to him alone so doth the minister leaue euerie man alike interested in the message of Saluation what he saith to all men he saith to euerie man what to penitents to euery penitent what to beleeuers to euerie beleeuer what to sinners to euery sinner Therefore somtimes he speaketh in the singular number as to one that it may be knowne that he speaketh to any or euerie one e Eph. 5 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light f Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be safe euen thou or thou or thou or whosoeuer it be amongst you Thus God gaue his law to all Israel speaking to all as if he had spoken namely and particularly to euery one g Exod. 20. â— Thou shalt haue no other gods Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vaine c. euerie man was therein to conceiue that he himselfe was spoken to Thus the message both of life and death both of Saluation and damnation is deliuered that thereby euerie man particularly may take knowledge of his owne estate Therefore a man duly hearing the word of God and receiuing it not as the word of the minister h 1. Thes 2.13 not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God and accordingly beleeuing it as from God from that which he beleeueth generally frameth a conclusion to be beleeued priuatly as touching himselfe The minister saith i Luc. 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall perish This he beleeueth and therefore beleeueth as touching himselfe Except I repent I shall perish The minister saith k Mar. 1.15 16.15.16 Repent and beleeue the Gospel and ye shall be saued This he beleeueth and therefore also beleeueth of himselfe If I repent and beleeue the Gospell I shall be saued Now the minister sometimes hath occasion to speake to some one man alone and then he himselfe out of the generall deduceth a particular to that one man as Paul doth to the iayler l Act. 16.31 Beleeue thou in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued For by what authoritie Paul spake this to the iayler by the same authoritie doth the minister in the like case speake the same to any other man For Christ said nothing namely as touching the iayler that if he did beleeue he should be saued but onely sayd m Iohn 3 15. whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Thence the Apostle inferreth Beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued because whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Vpon the same warrant therefore the minister saith to any man vpon the like occasion Beleeue thou and thou
to himselfe Thus doth M. Perkins referre the assurance to the ministerie of the word and thus to the partie and no otherwise after then he had done before But to distinguish true assurance of the heart from carnall presumption and floating fancies swimming in the head he noteth it to be accompanied with the spirit of grace and of prayer or rather to issue therefrom by which the heart is so seasoned and conformed to the voyce of God as that his word doth still rebound from it by ioyfull acceptance and affectionate desire and prayer and purpose and promise of that that is vttered thereby So that when God saith q Psal 27.8 Seeke ye my face the faithfull soule answereth to God Thy face Lord will I seeke When God saith r Zâ—ch 13.9 Thou art my people it soundeth from it backe againe Thou art the Lord my God When Christ saith Å¿ Mar. 9.23 If thou beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth it answereth Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe When God requireth to t Psal 40.7 8. do his will it saith to him Lo I come ô my God I am content to do it yea thy law is within my heart This is the fruit and effect of that u Rom. 8.16 spirit of adoption which giueth witnesse to our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God x 1. Ioh. 5.6 beareth record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life Which we do not wonder that to M. Bishop it seemeth rather an old womans dream then a discourse of a learned man because y Act. 17.18 1. Cor. 2.14 the things of God seeme but babling and foolishnesse to prophane carnal men And out of that prophanenesse issueth that speech of his that followeth How know you honest man that those words of God spoken by the Prophet 2000. yeares past to the people of Israel are directed to you c. Where many an honest faithful soule is ready to answer him Good Sir because z Rom. 15.4 whatsoeuer things were written before time were written for our learning that we through patience comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope because I find that the Scripture it self doth applie to euery of Gods faithful people that that was sayd to Iosuah a Iosuah 19. Heb. 13.5 I will not faile thee nor forsake thee teacheth thereupon euerie faithfull soule to say as Dauid did b Psal 118.6 The Lord is on my side I wil not feare what man can do vnto me therfore I c 1. Cor. 7.27 hauing obtained mercy to be faithfull do in like sort take to my selfe whatsoeuer God hath any where spokeÌ„ for the comfort of his elect the rather because I know that God d Eph. 46. being one Father of all carieth without respect of persoÌ„s the like regard to all his childreÌ„ Neither is it mine own hart that giueth me this assuraÌ„ce for mine own hart could minister no such comfort vnto me but being cast down with the acknowledgement of mine own misery God gaue me a hart to hearkeÌ„ to the voice of Christ deliuered by the minister out of the Gospel e Mat. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that labor are heauy laden I wil refresh you I found in him indeed that refreshing and ioy f Iohn 16.22 that no man shall take from me And though I be a sinner yet that dismaieth me not for g 1. Tim. 1.15 Christ came into the world to saue sinners repentant sinners of which by the grace of Christ I am one And though Paul were deceiued wheÌ„ he builded himselfe vpoÌ„ himself yet wheÌ„ he built vpon Christ as I do he was not deceiued And whereas you aske me Sir whether I know how long I shal say so I must tel you that my assured trust coÌ„fidence is that God wil neuer forsake the worke which he hath begun because he hath said that h Rom. 9.33 he that beleeueth in Christ shall neuer be confounded or ashamed that is i August in Psal 36. conc 2. Infra sect 20. Iohn 10 2â— his hope shall not be deceiued Christ hath taught me that his sheepe which heare his voice of which I am one shal neuer perish but that he will giue vnto them eternall life And howsoeuer I know that the wickednes corruption of mine own heart is such that being left vnto my self I shold soone fall away froÌ„ God yet I look vnto that promise that God hath made to al his faithful seruaÌ„ts k Ierem. 32.40 I wil put my feare into their harts that they shal not depart from me resting my selfe not onely in this that I haue appreheÌ„ded Christ but much more in that l Phil. 3.12 that he hath appreheÌ„ded me not only in this that I know God but much more in this m Gal. 4.9 that I am known of God Neither doth it touch me that you say that many are called but few are chosen for many are called which come not indeed though they seeme to come thereby shew that they are not chosen but there is a calling n August de praedest sanct ca. 16. Ex vocante non quacunqut vocatione sed qua vocatione fit credens whereby God so calleth as that he maketh a man to beleeue of which Christ saith o Iohn 6.45 Euery one that heareth and learneth of the Father cometh vnto me of which S. Paul saith p Rom. 8 30. Whom he hath predestinate he hath called whom he hath called he hath iustified glorified Of which inward and effectuall calling he hath made me partaker opening the eares of my soule to hearkeÌ„ vnto him subduing the affectioÌ„s of my hart to the obedience of his wil. And because q Ibid. 11.29 the gifts calling of God are without repentaÌ„ce therfore I rest vndoubted that r Ibid. 14.8 if I liue I shal liue vnto the Lord if I die I shall die vnto the Lord whether I liue or die I am the Lords Å¿ Ibid. 8.39 neither shall any thing separat me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus many an honest faithful christian wold answer M. Bishop stop his mouth as the poore t Ruffin hist lib. 1. cap. 3. simple man did the mouth of the proud philosopher in the couÌ„cell of Nice that he could not tell for his life what to reply against him But let vs aske him in the behalfe of this honest man whereas he saith u Sect. 3. afterwards that he beleeueth that he shall haue life euerlasting if he fulfill that which Christ taught the yong man in the gospell to wit if he keep all Gods coÌ„mandements how he knoweth that those words of Christ spokeÌ„ to the yong man so many huÌ„dred yeares past are directed vnto him or that there is any such condition made with him that if he keepe the coÌ„mandements
occulitur quasi abeūtis absentia indicitur the presence of God coming to a man is when he becōeth known to him his hiding of himself is termed the absence of him as going away in neither of which we are able sufficiētly to cōceiue or cōprehend him Wherby we may see with how great discretiō this place was brought to proue that gods work in mās repētāce is not certainly known to him Now therfore the word of God is warrant to a faithful man to assure himself of his Saluatiō For it biddeth him to d Mar. 1 15. beleeue the Gospell the Gospell is that e Ioh. 3.15.16 whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life He is therefore to beleeue that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life He is therfore to beleeue of himself that because he beleeueth in Christ he shall haue euerlasting life Or if he do not beleeue of himselfe beleeuing in Christ that he shall haue euerlasting life he beleeueth not the Gospell that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life And thus the strength of M. Bishops argument is very feeble neither is it onely vaine in it selfe but he hath dealt as absurdly in the handling of it 3. W. BISHOP The second is It is no article of the Creed that a man must beleeue his owne Saluation and therefore no man is bound there unto M. Perkins answereth That euerie article of the Creed containes this particular faith of our owne Saluation namely three First saith he to beleeue in God is to beleeue that God is our God and to put our trust in him for our Saluation Answer I admit all this and adde more that M. Perkins be no longer ignorant of the Catholike knowledge of the Creed that we must also loue him with all our heart and strength thus we vnderstand it more fully then he Yet find not out that thirteenth article Thou must beleeue thine owne particular Saluation For albeit I beleeue and trust in God yet not being sure of my loue towards him I am not assured of Saluation for as S. Iohn testifieth He that loueth not 1. Iohn 3. abideth in death So I answer to the second article named by M. Perkins that is I beleeue that God of his infinite mercie through the merits of Christs passion doth pardon all those who being heartily sorie for their sinnes do humbly confesse them and fully purpose to leade a new life that I my selfe am such a one I do verily hope because I haue as farre forth as I could to my knowledge performed those things which God requires of me but because I am but a fraile creature and may perhaps not haue done all that so well as I ought or am not so well assured of that which by Gods helpe I haue done I cannot beleeue it for in matter of faith as you shall heare shortly there can be no feare or doubt The like answer is giuen to the article of life euerlasting Mat. 19. I beleeue that I shall haue life euerlasting if I fulfill that which our Sauior taught the young man demaunding what he must do to haue life euerlasting to wit if I keepe all Gods commandements but because I am not assured that I shall do so yea the Protestants though falsly assure vs that no man by any helpe of Gods grace can so do I remaine in feare But saith M. Perkins the diuell may so beleeue the articles of the Creed vnlesse we do apply those articles to our selues First I say the diuell knowes to be true all that we do beleeue and therefore are said by S. Iames to beleeue but they want a necessarie condition of faith that is a godly and deuout submission of their vnderstanding vnto the obedience of faith and so haue no faith to speake properly Againe they trust not in God for Saluation nor indeuour not any maner of way to obtaine Saluation as Christians do and so there is great difference betweene their beleefe in the articles of the Creed and ours R. ABBOT To this argument M. Perkins iustly saith that the pillars of the Church of Rome do not vnderstand the Creed who hauing corrupted all points of Christian faith must needs frame the articles of the Creed to the same corruption Whether they were the Apostles or other after them that layed together this briefe of faith they intended not therein a narration of common historie but a profession of priuate hope And that may appeare by the phrase wherein they haue expressed this beleefe I BELEEVE IN GOD THE FATHER I BELEEVE IN IESVS CHRIST I BELEEVE IN THE HOLIE GHOST For well doth M. Perkins note that to say I beleeue in God is all one as to say I beleeue that God is my God and I haue an assured confidence and trust in him to be saued by his mercie M. Bishop mentioneth the answer in superficiall and generall termes that to beleeue in God is to beleeue that God is our God and to put our trust in him for our Saluation and in this sort admitteth it but to that purpose as M. Perkins spake it he will by no meanes admit it because so to admit it should be to graunt the point in question He can be content that we in common beleeue God to be our God by right of soueraigntie and authoritie but he will not endure that any man shall say as M. Perkins intended I beleeue that God is my God by affection of loue He will like well enough that we put our trust in him for our Saluation so as to looke to be saued by him if we be saued and haply to cary some probable opinion that we shall be saued but in no case will suffer vs to conceiue so of our selues as to say with the Apostle a 1. Thess 5.9 God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine Saluation by the meanes of Iesus as M. Perkins meant To beleeue that God is our God is to beleeue that he is our life our peace our strength our deliuerance and Saluation not only that he is these things in himselfe but that he is indeed the same to vs assuredly perswading our selues that because God is ours therefore whatsoeuer is his is ours that is for vs and for our vse his mercie his power his prouidence to watch ouer vs and to preserue and keepe vs to himselfe both in life and death This did God import when by his new couenant he bound himselfe to his heires of promise saying b Ierem. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people whereupon they shall be emboldened to say c Esa 25.9 Lo this is our God we haue waited for him and he will saue vs we will reioyce and be ioyfull in his Saluation And thus doth S. Austin teach vs to make d August in Psal 32. conc 2. An temerè dicimus faciendo nobu Deum possessionem c. Dicat anima secura dicat Deus
to offend Christ the maister of beleeuers with the sinne of vnbeleefe this is for a man being in the house of faith to be without faith So that by Cyprians iudgement to haue faith is for a man to beleeue his owne Saluation and not to beleeue his owne Saluation is to be without faith But Saint Bernard handleth this point most pregnantly of all other p Bernard in Annunciat ser 1. Necesse est primo omnium credere quod remissionem peccatorum habere non possis nisi per indulgentiam Dei c postremò quòd aeternam vitam nullis potes operibus promereri nisi gratis detur illa c. Verum haec non omnino sufficiunt sed magis initium quoddam velut fundamentum fidei sunt habenda Ideeque sicredis peccata tua non posse deleri nisi ab eo cui soli peccasti benefacis sed adde adhuc vt hoc credas quia per ipsum tibi peccata donantur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibit in corde nostro Spi. sanctus dicens Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua Sic enim arbitratur Apostolus gratis iustificari hominem per fidem Sic de vita aeterna habeas necesse est testimonium spiritus quòd ad eam sis diuino munere peruenturus It is necessarie for thee to beleeue that thou canst not haue forgiuenesse of sinnes but by the mercie of God and that by no works thou canst obtaine eternall life vnlesse it also be giuen thee But these things are not sufficient nay they are to be accounted but the beginning and as it were the foundation of faith Therefore if thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot be put away but by him to whom onely thou hast sinned thou doest well but adde hereto to beleeue THAT BY HIM THY SINNES ARE FORGIVEN THEE This is the testimony that the holy Ghost giueth in our heart saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for thus doth the Apostle define that a man is freely iustified by faith So also as touching eternall life it is needfull that thou haue the testimony or witnesse of the spirit THAT THOV SHALT COME VNTO IT BY THE GIFT OF GOD. Here then it is plaine that without any thirteenth article of the Creed the faith wherby the Apostle saith a man is iustified is such a faith as whereby I beleeue mine owne Saluation whereby I beleeue that my sinnes are forgiuen me and that I shall attaine by the very gift of God vnto euerlasting life But saith M. Bishop I beleeue and trust in God Yet not being sure of my loue towards him I am not assured of Saluation Where he plainly sheweth that he hath no loue towards God because where loue is it cannot but be certainly felt and knowne and if he loued God he could not but assure himselfe thereof Now therefore it is no maruell that he hath no assurance of Saluation when there wanteth in him the certaine and infallible effect of that faith whereby he should be assured of Saluation For true faith is the fountaine of our loue towards God whilest beleeuing God to be such and so mercifull vnto vs it swaloweth vp our affections and draweth our loue and deuotion vnto him Which is not vnfelt in vs but by the feeling thereof in our selues we gather a further confirmation and assurance to our selues that we are beloued of God Both which S. Bernard well declareth saying of the faithfull man q Bernard epist 107. Vermis vilissimus odio dignissimus sempiterno tamen confi lit amari quia se sentit amare immo quia se amari praesentit non redarâ—are confunditur A vile worme and worthy to be hated euerlastingly yet assureth himselfe that he is beloued because he feeleth himselfe to loue nay because he first feeleth himselfe to be beloued therefore he is ashamed not to loue againe So againe he saith that r Jdem in Cant. ser 69. Amor Dei amorem animae parit c. Ex eo quod se diligere sentit eti am diligi non ambigit the loue of God breedeth in the soule loue towards God and by feeling it selfe to loue it is also out of doubt that it selfe is beloued Now what a miserable case is M. Bishop in that neither is sure of his loue towards God nor dare assure himselfe of Gods loue towards him If he had not a senselesse and dead heart he could not but much grieue and lament at his owne estate And yet forsooth he telleth vs that he doth beleeue and trust in God but therein he lieth vnto God For Å¿ Cyprian de duplici martyr Non credit in deuÌ„ qui non tu cosolo collocat totius faelicitatis suae fiduciam he doth not beleeue in God that doth not place the confidence of his felicity in God onely which he doth not place in God onely but partly in God and partly in himselfe He doth not trust in God that doth not rely wholly vpon Gods mercy and thereby looke for that at his hands for which he trusteth in him so as to account himselfe deceiued by him if he faile thereof which neuer hath befallen to any not shall befall that doth put his trust in God M. Bishop diuideth this trust betwixt God and himselfe and so trusteth in God as that he maketh that for which he professeth to trust in God to hang chiefely vpon himselfe and therefore no maruell if he haue no assurance of Saluation because he incurreth rather the curse denounced by the Prophet t Ierem. 1â— 5 Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme For what doth he else when he leaueth the whole worke of God as we haue heard before to be confirmed and made good by his own free wil Now as touching that other article of beleeuing in Christ to haue by his merits remission of sinnes S. Austine teacheth vs that u August in Ioan tract 29. de verb. dom ser 61. Credendo in cum ire membru â—ius incorporari c. Quoquo modo vnitur in eum menibrum in corpore â—ius efficitur to beleeue in Christ is to be vnited vnto Christ to be made one with him to be incorporated to be members of his body He expoundeth it to be all one with that which Christ saith in the Gospell of x Idem in Ioan. tract 26. Credere in Christum hoc est manducare panem viuum eating his flesh drinking his bloud which whosoeuer doth y Iohn 6.54.56 dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him he hath eternall life and Christ will raise him vp at the last day Thus the Gospell of Christ instructeth vs and he that beleeueth in Christ because he beleeueth the Gospell must beleeue that he is a member of Christ one with Christ and Christ with him that he dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him that Christ hath giuen vnto him eternall life and will raise him vp at the
be no assurance by faith of our owne Saluation vnlesse we beleeue it with the like infallible Certainty as we do the truth of the word of God 5. W. BISHOP The thâ—rd reason for the Catholikes is that we are bidden to pray daily for the remission of our sinnes But that were needlesse Math. 6. if we were before assured both of pardon and Saluation M. Perkins answereth First that we pray daily for the remission of new sinnes committed that day Be it so What needs that if we were before assured of pardon Marrie saith he because our assurance was but weake and small our prayer is to increase our assurance Good Sir do you not see how you ouerthrow your selfe If your assurance be but weake and small it is not the assurance of faith which is as great and as strong as the truth of God We giue God thanks for those gifts which we haue receaued at his bountifull hands and desire him to increase or continue them if they may be lost But to pray to God to giue vs those things we are assured of by faith is as fond and friuolous as to pray him to make Christ our Lord to be his Sonne or that there may be life euerlasting to his Saints in heauen of which they are in full and assured possession And so these three Arguments by M. Perkins propounded here for vs are very substantiall and sufficient to assure euery good Christian that he may well hope for Saluation doing his dutie but may not without great presumption assure him by faith of it R. ABBOT The comfort of the faithfull mans praier is the same assurance that Dauid had a Psal 4.3 When I call vpon the Lord he will heare me it being a promise of God to his people b 50.15 Call vpon me and I will heare thee in which sort our Sauiour Christ giueth vs incouragement to pray saying c Iohn 14.13 Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne Therefore S. Iohn saith d 1. Iohn 5.14 This is the assurance that we haue of him that whatsoeuer we aske according to his will he heareth vs and if we know that he heareth vs we know that we haue the petitions that we aske of him Being therefore bidden to pray for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and hauing the promise of God e Ierem. 31.34 I will be mercifull vnto them and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more we beleeue and by faith stand assured that when we do pray to haue our sinnes forgiuen vs God heareth vs and giueth vs pardon and forgiuenesse thereof We do not then teach at randon the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes but in such tenure and forme as we are directed by the word of God according to which S. Austine saith of himselfe f August cont Iulian. Pelag. lib 6. ca. 5. Qua gratia liberor vt scio ne intrem in tentationeÌ„ c. atque vt exaudiar cum confortâ—hat meis dicens Dimitte nobis c. By the grace of God I am freed I know that I enter not into temptation and that I am heard saying with my fellowes Forgiue vs our trespasses g Psa 32.6 For this therefore that is h August in Psal 31. Pro hac pro ipsa venia peccatorum for forgiuenesse of sinnes shall euery one that is godly saith Dauid make his praier vnto thee in a time when thou maiest be found so being assured that in the great water flouds they shall not come nigh him Our faith then assureth vs not of forgiuenesse of sinnes without praier but that God forgiueth vs when we pray so that his obiection being framed to our doctrine aright is as if he should say Seeing faith assureth vs of forgiuenesse of sinnes when we craue it of him by praier what need we pray Which was one of Wrights drunken reasons whereby he would haue laied an absurditie vpon our Church being himselfe an absurd blind-asinus and not vnderstanding what we say But to make the matter more plaine it is to be noted that in three respects we continue daily to aske of God forgiuenesse of sinnes of which M. Perkins hath noted two First as S. Austine saith i August de vera fals paenit ca. 5. Quia quotidimana est offensio oportet vt sit quotidiana etiam remissio because we daily commit offence we haue need daily to craue pardon But what needs that saith M. Bishop if we were before assured of pardon I haue answered him that our assurance before hand and alwaies is that our praier obtaineth it at Gods hands Therefore we pray and by faith do rest assured that vndoubtedly we haue that for which we pray Secondly we pray for forgiuenesse not for that we haue no assurance thereof but for that we desire greater assurance and more comfortable feeling of it that as forgiuenesse with God is full and perfect so the same may accordingly be sealed in our hearts Our faith being weake giueth but weake assurance and therefore we begge of God that our hearts may be enlarged that k Bernard in Annunciat ser 1. supra sect 3. the testimonie of the spirit may more freely sound vnto vs Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Now here saith M. Bishop Good Sir do you not see how you ouerthrow your selfe And why so Forsooth if your assurance be but weake and small it is not the assurance of faith which is as great and strong as the truth of God But good Sir we haue alreadie shewed you that therein you tell vs a sencelesse and vnlikely tale The truth of God is alwaies alike not subiect to alteration neuer increased or diminished but our faith is greater and lesse somtimes hath a full and sometimes a wane and to vs the truth of God is according to our faith and according to our apprehension feeling of it Wherein we are variable and diuerse euen after the manner of Peters faith of whom S. Austine saith l August de verb. Dom. ser 13 Illum vidite Petrum qui tunc erat figura vestra modo fidit modo titubat modò immortaleÌ„ confitetur modoÌ„ timet ne moriatur Peter was the patterne of vs all sometimes he beleeueth sometimes he wauereth one while he confesseth Christ to be immortall another while he is afraid least Christ should die The poore distressed man saith in the Gospell m Mar. 9. Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe n August de verb. Dom. ser 36. Credo inquit ergò est fides Sed adiuua incredulitatem meam ergo non est plena fides He saith I beleeue therefore there is faith saith Austine helpe my vnbeleefe saith he therefore there is not yet full and perfect faith If there be true faith and yet with faith a remainder of vnbeleefe then the assurance of faith cannot be said to be as great and strong as the truth
knowne of the partie that hath it but true repentance cannot But how must we conceiue of faith when it is rightly taken Forsooth he telleth vs that it is a light of vnderstanding and so being like a lampe may be easily scene But true faith is not onely a matter of vnderstanding but a mixt action of the vnderstanding and will and consisteth not onely in knowing but in seeking and desiring and embracing the thing that we vnderstand Therefore Oecumenius obserueth that the faith recommended by S. Paul beside stedfast assent importeth a Oâ—cumen in epist Iac. cap. 2. Consecutionem ex affectu procedentem cum firmo assensu no mine fidei vocamus a further matter prooceeding out of the affection So we saw before that Bernard maketh it to be such as whereby a man beleeueth that his sinnes are forgiuen him Which M. Bishop might haue learned also of Ferus one of their owne Prophets though a more faithfull Prophet then commonly theirs are who faith that b Ferus in Mat. cap 27. Credere est confidere DeuÌ„ per Chrâ—stum peccata non imputaturum to beleeue is to trust that God for Christs sake wil not impute our sinnes But that we may see the spirit of giddinesse wherewith this man is caried vp and downe he himselfe but a little before hath told vs that godly and deuout submission of the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith is a necessarie condition of faith properly so called Faith then is not only a light of vnderstanding but implieth godlinesse deuotion and submitting of the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith which because it cannot be without repentance hope and charitie it necessarily followeth that if a man knoweth that he hath faith he knoweth also that he hath godlinesse deuotion obedience repentance hope charitie and so M. Bishops replie euen by himselfe is vtterly ouerthrowne And to this purpose S. Austin telleth vs that c August de verb. Dom ser 61 Qui fidem habet sine spe dileâ—â—ane Christum essâ— credâ— non in Christum credit a man cannot beleeue in Christ without hope and loue and S. Bernard that d Berâ—ard in Cant serm 24. Mors fiâ—es separatio esi charitatis the separation of charitie is the death of faith and Origen that e Oriâ—enan Ro. ca 4 Scieâ—s fidei speâ— insenâ— ibiater conarere hope cleaueth inseparably vnto faith Then if a man know that he hath faith he cannot be ignorant that he hath also hope and charitie without which there is no true faith It is therefore a meere fiction of M. Bishop that a man may know that he hath faith but he cannot know that he hath true repentance because repentance requireth hope and charitie which forsooth are seated in the darke corners of the will and cannot certainly be discerned What a fond toy is this that a man hopeth and knoweth not that he hopeth that he repenteth and knoweth not that he repenteth that he loueth and knoweth not that he loueth Surely where these things are they are knowne and if they be not known it is because they are not For f 2. Cor 2.11 the spirit of man knoweth the things that are in man he discerneth what is in himselfe though not alwayes the measure and quantitie thereof Otherwise how doth S. Iohn say q 1 Ioh. 3.14 By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren How shall we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren if we cannot know that we loue the brethren h August iâ— Ioan. epist tract 5. Attendat in cor vidcat si habeat charitatem tunc dicat natus sum ex Deo Let a man looke into his heart and see if he haue charitie and then let him say I am borne of God saith S. Austin but to what end if a man cannot see and know whether he haue charitie or not The same S. Austin saith i De ver Apost ser 6. Si quis spiritum Christi non habet non se fellat hic non est eius Ecce adiuuâ—nâ—e ipsius misericordia spirâ—tum Christi habemus ex ipsa dilectione iustitiae integra fide catholica fide spiritum Dei nobis inesse cognoscimus If a man haue not the spirit of Christ let him not deceiue himselfe he is none of Christs Behold saith he by the helpe of Gods mercie we haue the spirit of Christ By the loue of righteousnesse and true faith the Catholike faith we know that there is in vs the spirit of God How shall we know by the loue of righteousnesse that the spirit of God is in vs if we cannot know that there is in vs the loue of righteousnes But to infringe that idle deuice M. Perkins alledgeth the words of S. Paul k 2. Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether you are in the faith For to what end is this spoken if we cannot know whether we are in the faith or not But M. Bishop saith that they accord that it may be tried whether a man haue faith or not importing therefore that the place is nothing against them But he may not so auoide for the being in the faith whereof the Apostle speaketh signifieth more then he intendeth thereby Which appeareth plainely by the words which the Apostle addeth Knovv ye not that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates thereby shewing that to proue a mans selfe vvhether he be in the faith is to proue whether Christ be in him because the faith of which he speaketh is that l Bernard in ocâ—aua Pasch ser 1 Eacommendatur fides per quaÌ„ Christus in cordibus nostris habitat liuely faith vvhereby Christ dwelleth in our hearts And m Rom. 8.10 if Christ be in you saith the same Apostle the bodie is dead as touching sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake which cannot be without repentance hope charitie and such other vertues wherewith the spirit of Christ endueth them in whom Christ doth dwell He therefore that knoweth himselfe to be in the faith as the Apostle meaneth it knoweth Christ to be in himselfe he knoweth himselfe to be dead to sinne and aliue to righteousnesse and that he is not without repentance hope charitie and other vertues wrought in him by the spirit of Christ As for that other meaning of the place which M. Bishop speaketh of if he had set it downe I doubt not but we should haue taken him tardie therein as well as we do in all the rest To the other place of the same Apostle 1 Cor. 2.12 that we haue receiued not the spirit of this world but the spirit which is in God that we may know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God he answereth that the Apostle meaneth it of those things whereof he there speaketh The things which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard c. God hath
bapt cont Donatist lib. 6. ca. 1. CharactereÌ„ dominicuÌ„ multi lupâ— lupis insigunt qui videntur quideâ— intus esse veruntamen ad â—llâ—m ouem quae etiam ex mulâ—â—â—na est non pertinere morum suoruâ—a fructibus â—â—â—â—ncuntur many woolues in sheeps clothing lying in wait to make a spoile Now we are to distinguish them that truly are in Christ from them that are not so Of them that truly are in Christ in present state of iustification our speech here is that they can neuer wholly be cut off the rest we know are cut off from that l Luc. 8.18 which they seemed to haue but indeed had not which if they had had indeed as they seemed to haue m Mat. 13.12 they should haue had more giuen that they might haue abundance and not be cut off from that they had It is therefore nothing against vs which M. Bishop alledgeth that fruitlesse branches which indeed are not in Christ though they will seeme to be are cut off from seeming any longer to be that which in truth they neuer were Euery one that truly is a branch in Christ bringeth forth fruit in him euery branch that bringeth forth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit Euery one therfore that is truly a branch in Christ as euery true beleeuer is shall continue a branch in him for euer that it may be verified which the Prophet saith n 〈◊〉 92. â—3 Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God They shal stil bring forth fruit eueÌ„ in age shal be fat and flourishing By this the answer is plaine to the other place If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and shall wither and be cast into the fire For hereby is imported what befalleth to them who carying semblance to be in Christ beare no fruit in him who because they are not truly that which they seeme to be therefore abide not in that which they seeme and either by death or by other occasion become o August epist 39 Separantur multi ab ecclesia sed cùm moruntur qui tamen â—ùm viuunt per sacrameâ—toruÌ„ commionem vâ—â—tansque Catholicae vâ—â—â—â—r ecclesia coâ—â—lati corporally separated from the Church to which they before but onely seemed to be coupled It is true then that if a man abide not in Christ though for the time he seeme to be in Christ he is cast forth and perisheth but it followeth not therefore that any man that faithfully beleeueth in Christ and therefore truly is in Christ doth not abide in him Nay our Sauiour himselfe teacheth vs the contrary when he saith p Io n. 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him For what is it to eate the flesh of Christ and to drinke his bloud but q August in Ioan. tract 25 6 to beleeue in Christ r De doct Câ—rist l b 3 cap. 16. Figâ—ra est praecipiâ—â—s paâ—liom Domini esse communicandum suâ—â—itur atque vitatèr recodendum in memâ—ria quòd caro eius pro nobis crucifixa vubierata sit to be partakers of his passion and with comfort and vse to lay vp in our minds that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs Euery one then that truly beleeueth in Christ eateth his flesh drinketh his bloud and therefore abideth in Christ and Christ in him No man therefore that truly beleeueth in Christ is euer cut off or cast forth to wither or to be throwne into the fire Now to an indifferent Reader I might alledge and it easily appeareth by the vse of that terme of abiding that by abiding in Christ is meant our very being in Christ which is therefore so expressed because no man is in Christ truly and indeed but the same abideth in him for euer So that the meaning of Christes words shall be If any man be not truly ingrafted into me as the true vine to grow vpon me and to bring forth fruit by me he is cast forth as a dead and vnprofitable braunch shall come to nought But it booteth not to alledge this to a wrangler who whatsoeuer appeare otherwhere will not here vnderstand it otherwise then to serue his owne turne Against him therefore the other solution is plaine that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ the same abideth in him and therefore shall neuer be cut off so that yet he is farre enough from any demonstration to proue any who are truly members of Christ are wholly and for euer cut off from him Let vs see whether the rest will affoord him any better demonstration Are we not by faith saith he made members of Christ by our aduersaries own confession Yes M. Bishop but yet not by euery kind of faith for S. Iames saith Å¿ Iam. 2.19 The deuils beleeue and yet they are not thereby the members of Christ We are made the members of Christ only by true and liuely faith whereby Christ dwelleth in our hearts of which it is that the Apostle saith t Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus You wil not say M. Bishop that by euery faith a man is spiritually made a meÌ„ber of Christ because you say that there is faith without charity and you dare not say that without charity a man may be a member of Christ Which being so how vainly doth he alledge that u Mat. 13.20 our Sauiour saith in the parable of the sower concerning them that receiue the word in stonie ground that with ioy they receiue the word but haue no root and for a time beleeue and in time of temptation reuolt For though it be said that they beleeue yet it followeth not that they beleeue with that faith whereby they should become the members of Christ For Herod in that sort beleeued the word preached by Iohn Baptist x Mat. 6.20 whom he reuerenced as a lust and holy man and heard him gladly and did many things accordingly and yet he was not therefore a member of Christ By conuiction of conscience men oft times receiue the word cannot but beleeue and acknowledge the truth thereof when yet they embrace it not with affection of loue and therefore haue not that y Gal. 5.6 faith which worketh by loue which onely is true faith And how can he perswade vs that true members of Christ are by Christ himselfe compared to the stony ground We are perswaded that onely the good ground are the true members of Christ as for the rest they are z August in Ioan. tract 3. Infra sect 10. as bad humors in the body as S. Austine saith but members they are not And how should there be true faith in them of whom Christ saith They haue no root Can true faith grow where there is no root for it to grow vpon Nay S. Austine telleth vs
heart that he followed Christ but onely to make a commodity to himselfe Of Simon Magus S Luke saith indeed that x Act. 8.13 he beleeued but so as that Peter perceiueth amidst his beleeuing that y Ver. 21.23 his heart was not right in the sight of God that he was in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie whereby it appeareth that his beleeuing was no more but z Occumen in epist Iacob cap. 2. Et de simplici assensu fidem dicere solemus a bare assenting as Occumenius calleth it to the doctrine of faith and not that true and effectuall beleeuing whereof we speake Such members of Christ doth he make doing wrong to Iesus Christ onely to hide his owne shame that he might not be thought to maintaine a wrong The like he affirmeth of all Arch-heretikes the first they were of the faithfull expresly contrary to that which S. Iohn saith a 1. Iohn 2.19 They went out from vs but THEY VVERE NOT OF VS for if they had bene OF VS they would haue continued with vs. Which being so plainly affirmed by the Apostle we may maruell that M. Bishop should say the contrary but that he hath harnessed his face and his conscience that it may be no blush nor scruple to him to auouch one lie for the vpholding of another What his exception is to that place of Iohn we shal see in the next section but one where he hath taken vpon him the answer of it 9. W. BISHOP But what need we further proofe of this matter seeing that this is cosengerman if not the very same with one of that infamous heretike Iouinians erronious articles condemned and registred by S. Hierome Heres 82. lib. 2. cons. Iouin and S. Augustine who held that iust men after Baptisme could not sinne and if they did sinne they were indeed washed with water but neuer receiued the spirit of grace his ground was that he which had once receiued the spirit of grace could not sinne after which is iust M. Perkins proposition so that to vphold an errour he falleth into an old condemned heresie And which is yet more absurd in the next confirmation he letteth slip at once a brace of other heresies these be his words And if by sinne one were wholy seuered from Christ for a time in his recouery he is to be baptized the second time Where you haue first rebaptizing which is the principall errour of the Anabaptists and withall the heresie of the Nouatians who held that if any in persecution denied Christ after baptisme there was no remedie left in Gods Church for their recouerie but must be left to God so saith M. Perkins for that of rebaptizing he seemes to bring in ex absurdo so that the common saying is verified in him one absurditie being graunted a thousand follow after But doth he know no other meanes then Baptisme to recouer one cut off from Christ hath he forgotten that corrupted sentence of the Prophet wherewith they begin their Common praier What houre soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne c. With them repentance and with vs the Sacrament of Penance serue a man at any time of his life to be reconciled to Christ R. ABBOT We may here take knowledge of the absurd folly of this prater who hauing before chalenged M. Perkins for affirming that sinne is alwaies in the regenerate corrupting all his works goeth about here to lay vpon him an imputation of maintaining that the regenerate cannot sinne Surely both these cannot stand together and if M. Perkins hold the one he must needs be a stranger to the other But thus he bableth without feare or wit neuer regarding how one part of his speech hath coherence with the other As touching Iouinian if he simply taught that which Hierome and Austine affirme that the regenerate cannot sinne he erred greatly therein and we ioine with Austine and Hierome in the condemning of that opinion But if they did misunderstand his opinion and that he held onely this as in likelihood he did that the regenerate cannot finally and vtterly fall away by sinne or sinne that sinne which is vnto death a 1 Iohn 3.9 and onely meant as S. Iohn doth Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not neither can he sinne because he is borne of God he erred no whit at all nor affirmed any thing therein but what Hierome and Austine haue affirmed as well as he and M. Bishop knew well enough that it is this onely that M. Perkins deliuered not that the regenerate cannot or do not sinne whose fals we confesse to be very many and to themselues very grieuous from day to day but that the regenerate doth not so sinne as vtterly to be cut off from Christ that the faithfull man doth neuer finally or wholly fall away from the grace of God To which purpose S. Bernard saith b Bernard de implic haerint vincul c. Noâ—â— Dominus qui sunt etus propositum Dei manet immobile Et si horrendorum crimirum nos Dauid muritur etsi Maria Magdalene sep â— saemonijs cumulatur ets priaceps Apostolorum in profundum negationis submergitur non est tamen qui de manis Dei possit cruere The Lord knoweth who are his and the purpose of God abideth vnmoueable Although Dauid be branded with the brand of horrible sinnes although Mary Magdalen be fraught with seuen deuils although Peter the chiefe of the Apostles be drowned in the depth of denying his maister Christ yet there is none that can take them or pluck them out of the hands of God not that it is incident to the faithfull to walke in malicious and wilfull sinne but when by occasion or temptation he falleth the Lord c Luc. 22.61 looketh vpon him as he did vpon Peter that he may repent the d Psal 37.24 Lord putteth vnder his hand and lifteth him vp againe We see therefore how little trust is to be giuen to him who sticketh not to deliuer so manifest and apparant vntruth He is like the cariers horse that brooketh not to go out of his accustomed way we had had no booke of him if he had bene tyed to speake nothing but what is true Now M. Perkins for assertion of the perseuerance of the faithfull addeth further that if a man be a member of Christ he cannot be wholly cut off not so much as for a time much lesse for euer For if he could wholly be cut off for the time then at his returne he ought to be baptized againe which being absurd to affirme it followeth that a man cannot wholly be cut off In which confirmation M. Bishop saith that he hath let slip a brace of other heresies Where we may conceiue that he was mightily a-dreamed of heresies the night before he wrote this and they ranne so thicke in his head that he imagined euery man that he met with to be an heretike Surely M. Bishop if
act of faith it is in that prayer to beleeue that God will giue that which he is assured of before hand such foolish petitions cannot please God and therefore after their doctrine it is to be denied that any faithfull man may pray for his Saluation but rather thanke the Lord for it But to answer directly he who prayeth must beleeue he shall obtaine that which he prayeth for if he obserue all the due circumstances of prayer which be many but to this purpose two are required necessarily the one that be who prayeth be the true seruant of God which first excludeth all those that erre in faith touched in these words What you of the faithfull shall desire when you pray shall be giuen you The other is when we request matters of such moment that we perseuer in prayer and continue our sute day by day of these sutes of eternall Saluation we must take these words of our Sauiour to be spoken We must alwayes pray Luk. 1â— and neuer be wearie and then no doubt but we shall in the end receiue it But because we are in doubt whether we shall obserue those necessarie circumstances of prayer or no therefore we cannot bee so well assured to obtaine our sute although we be on Gods part most assured that he is most bountifull and readier to giue then we are to aske But saith M. Perkins S. Iohn noteth out this particular faith 1. Iohn 5. calling it Our assurance that God will giue vnto vs whatsoeuer we aske according to his will But where find we that it is Gods will to assure euery man at the first entrance into his seruice of eternall Saluation is it not sufficient to make him an assured promise of it vpon his faithfull seruice and good behauior towards him R. ABBOT The argument is very pregnant and cleere Christ hath taught vs to a Mat. 11.24 beleeue that we shall haue that that we pray for We are to pray for forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life We are therefore to beleeue that we shall haue forgiuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life Nay saith M. Bishop we must pray for our Saluation therefore we are mâ— assured of it He forbare to answer strictly by the very termes of the argument because therein his notable impudencie and wâ—â—â—ll contradiction to the word of Christ had verie notably appeared For then he must haue answered thus We must pray for our Saluation therefore we must not beleeue that we shall haue Saluation directly against the words of Christ instructing vs to beleeue that we shall haue that that we pray for But to take that which he doth say I answer him againe that our praying for Saluation is an argument that we are not yet assured of it by possession but it hindereth not but that wee are assured thereof in hope We are not assured of it as a thing in present but yet we are assured of it as a thing to come As for his conceipt that we are not to pray for anie thing that we haue assurance to obtaine the follie and blinde ignorance therein bewrayed is sufficiently discouered before in the fifth Section We beleeue the promise of God as touching our Saluation not doubting but that he will make vs partakers thereof according to his promise to those that doe beleeue in him but as yet we enioy not this Saluation He leadeth vs on in the hope and desire of it and by our prayer we vtter our desire still resoluing that he will effect it but yet still begging and crauing till hee doe effect it So then we thanke God that he hath called vs to this hope and we reioyce therein but still we begge the accomplishment of that that hee hath taught vs to hope for But to leaue this as handled before he will further giue vs as hee saith a direct answer and that is that hee that prayeth must beleeue hee shall obtaine that vvhich he prayeth for if he obserue all the due circumstances of prayer But we answer him that it is not for the perfection of our prayers that God accepteth vs but for the true affection of our hearts We manie times faile in the due circumstances of prayer and much faintnesse and weaknesse we shew therein when yet we beleeue that God mercifully respecteth vs therein by the intercession of Iesus Christ Now of these circumstances he setteth downe two as necessarily required the one that he that prayeth be the true seruant of God the other that he perseuere in prayer And what of these Marrie saith he because we are in doubt whether we shall obserue those necessarie circumstances of prayer or no therefore we cannot be so well assured to obtaine our suite Behold he is in doubt whether he be the true seruant of God or not and we may therein see the blindnesse wherein Poperie holdeth men not discerning the miserie of their owne estate He knoweth no faith but what is incident to diuels and damned men he cannot tell whether he haue any true hope towards God any loue any true repentance whether he be the true seruant of God whether God heare or regard his prayer but walketh altogether in the darke and knoweth not whither he goeth But true faith yeeldeth a man whereof to say b Psal 116.16 Behold O Lord for I am thy seruant c 119. vers 125. I am thy seruant O giue me vnderstanding that I may I keepe thy commandements d 143. ver 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant c. As for perseuerance in prayer saith expecteth it also of him that e Psal 10.17 prepareth the heart and f Zach. 12.10 powreth vpon vs the spirit of grace and of prayer g Rom. 8.26 which maketh request for vs that is h August epist 105. Quia interpellare nos facit nobis interpellandi gâ—â—nendi inss rat affectum maketh vs to make request for our selues and inspireth into vs the affection of prayer with sighes and grones that cannot be expressed If the faithfull man in these things depended vpon himselfe he should haue iust cause to feare and doubt his owne perseuerance but he saith with the Apostle i 2. Tim. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day euen my selfe my faith my hope my prayer my soule my life knowing my selfe to be a verie vnsafe keeper of my selfe Yea he prayeth also for perseuerance and because he is willed to beleeue that he shall haue that that he prayeth for therefore he beleeueth that he shall perseuere and the word of Christ assureth him that he shall so doe because he saith k Mar. 11.24 Beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall be done vnto you To which purpose Saint Bernard well saith l Bernard in Cant. ser 32. In bonis Domini quatenus fiduciae pedem porrexeris eatenus possidebis In
Christ we be to follow Paul then by our faith we are to beleeue of our selues as he beleeued of himselfe and what he wrote in that behalfe we are to take it as written for our learning not as a matter particular and peculiar to himselfe The other place is most notable where Paul first propoundeth it as f 1. Tim. 1.15 a true saying and worthie by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners He addeth Of whom I am chiefe that is of which sinners whom Christ would saue I was a chiefe I was the formost man g August in Psal 70 Primus non tempore sed malignitate not in time but in badnesse as S. Austine expoundeth it Notwithstanding for this cause I was receiued to mercy saith he that Iesus Christ should shew on me being the chiefe all long suffering to the ensample of them that should in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life Now how doth the place import that Paul should be an ensample to them that beleeue in Christ but that all that beleeue in Christ may learne in him not to be dismaied at the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of their sinnes whereof they haue seene the like in him but with him to receiue that true saying that Christ came into the world to saue sinners and therefore resolue that he would saue them as he had saued him that they should not feare to say euen as he could say Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me h August de Temp ser 49. Talem se peccatoreÌ„ consitetur fuisse vt omnis peccator propterea de se non despereâ— quia Paulus meruit indulgentiaÌ„ He confesseth himselfe such a sinner saith Austine as that therefore no sinner may despaire of himselfe because Paul obtained pardon It was not therefore the vnskilfulnesse of a sectarie but true diuinitie that made Maister Perkins to make that vse and application of the Apostles words but it was M. Bishops absurdity to say that the place importeth only that Paul was made an example of patience without expressing how or what patience he meaneth there being no patience there spoken of but the patience of Christ bearing with men long in great and fearefull sinnes and yet at length of his owne mercy calling them to be partakers of his saluation 16. W. BISHOP M. Perkins 2. Reason That which we must aske of God in praier that we must beleeue shall be giuen vs but in prayer we must aske the merits of Christes righteousnesse to our selues ergo Answer Of the Maior much hath bene said before here I admit it all due circumstances of prayer being obserued and denie that we must pray that our Sauiour Christ Iesus merits may be made ours in particular for that were greatly to abase them but good Christians pray that through the infinite value of those his merits our sinnes may be forgiuen and a iustice proportionable vnto our capacitie may be powred into our soules whereby we may lead a vertuous life and make a blessed end But it is goodly to behold how M. Perkins proueth that we must pray that Christs righteousnesse may be made our particular iustice because saith he We are taught in the Pater noster to pray in this manner forgiue vs our debts and to this we must say Amen which is as much to say as our petition is graunted I thinke the poore mans wits were gone a pilgrimage when he wrote thus Good Sir cannot our sinnes or debts be forgiuen without we apply Christes righteousnesse to vs in particular we say yes Do not then so simply begge that which is in question nor take that for giuen which will neuer be graunted But a word with you by the way Your righteous man must ouer-skip that petition of the Pater noster forgiue vs our debts for he is well assured that his debts be alreadie pardoned For at the very first instant that he had faith he had Christes righteousnesse applied to him and thereby assurance both of the pardon of sinnes and of life euerlasting Wherefore he cannot without infidelity distrust of his former iustificaâ—ion or pray for remission of his debts but following the famous example of that formall Pharise in liew of demaunding pardon Luc. 18. may wel say O God I giue thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men extortioners vniust aduouterers as also these Papists Fearing the remission of my sinnes or the certaintie of my saluation but am well assured thereof and of Christes owne righteousnesse to and so forth But to go on with M. Perkins discourse Here we must note that the Church of Rome cutteth off one principall duty of faith for in faith saith M. Perkins are two things first knowledge reuealed in the word touching the meanes of saluation Secondly an applying of things knowne vnto our selues which some call affiance the first they acknowledge So then by M. Perkins owne confession Catholikes haue true knowledge of the meanes of saluation then he and his fellowes erre miserable The second which is the substance and principall they deny Answer Catholikes teach men also to haue a firme hope and a great confidence of obtaining saluation through the mercy of God and merits of Christes Passion so they performe their duty towards God and their neighbour or else die with true repentance But for a man at his first conuersion to assure himselfe by faith of Christes righteousnesse and life euerlasting without condition of doing those things he ought to do that we Catholikes affirme to be not any gift of faith but the haynous crime of presumption which is a sinne against the holy Ghost not pardonable neither in this life nor in the world to come See S. Tho. 22. q. 21. art 1. R. ABBOT The Maior proposition he graunteth yet with this limitation all due circumstances of praier being obserued But his circumstances as he intendeth them are but a Labyrinth to intricate and perplexe the consciences of men and to bereaue them of all ioy and comfort of their praiers We beleeue that a Psal 145 18. God is nigh vnto all them that call vpon him in truth We know that many are the weakenesses and imperfections of our praiers many our distractions in that deuotion but yet we beleeue that God respecting the truth and not the measure of our hearts pardoneth the same for Christes sake who is our high Priest b Exod. 28.38 to beare the iniquitie of our holy offerings to make them acceptable before the Lord. To the Minor proposition he answereth that we must not pray that Christes merits may be made ours in particular for that were greatly to abase them As though the Prophet Dauid did abase God in making him his in particular saying c Psal 18.2 The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse my God and my strength my shield the horne of my saluation and my refuge with infinite other speeches of
iustificari hominem per fidem but go fâ—rther yet to beleeue that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is saith he the testimonie that the holy Ghost giueth in our heart saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For thus doth the Apostle suppose that a man is iustified freely by faith Of imputed righteousnesse enough hath bene said before the point here is of particular faith whether a man beleeue his owne sinnes to be forgiuen him S. Bernard saith yea and saith it so plainly as that M. Bishop could not tell for his life what directly to answer to it But forsooth S. Bernard addeth conditions on our party saith he which M. Perkins craftily concealeth and here he bringeth words following a mile after where S. Bernard hath broken off the point formerly in hand which was to set forth the condition of a true iustifying and sauing faith And what I pray are the conditions that he addeth Forsooth truth of conuersion bewailing of our sinnes and confessing them and afterwards following holinesse and peace Where we see a glosing sycophant which will make the simple Reader beleeue that he giueth an answer when indeede he giueth none For when we teach the beliefe of the forgiuenesse of sinnes do we teach a man vnconuerted to beleeue the same The penitent sinner confessing and bewailing his sinnes to God and carefull as hauing felt the sting of sinne thenceforth to auoid the same is the proper and onely true subiect of this disputation of iustification by faith We denie that faith hath place in any other man and therefore denie that any other can haue the true beliefe of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes Of the conuerted man then of him that truly repenteth and forsaketh his sinne S. Bernard saith and we say that the faith whereby he is iustified is a faith whereby he particularly beleeueth the forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes What is M. Bishop now but a wrangling Sophister that thus in a mist of idle discourse seeketh to steale away where indeede he is so fast holden that he cannot vntie himselfe In like sort he dealeth with the other place of Cyprian who encouraging faithfull Christians against the terrour and feare of death saith f Cyprian de Mortal Deus tibi de hoc mundo recidenti immortalitateÌ„ pollicetur tu dubitas fluctuasi Hoc est DeuÌ„ omninò non nosse hoc est ChristuÌ„ credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere hoc est in ecclesia constitutum fideÌ„ in domo fidei non habere God hath promised immortality vnto thee when thou departest out of this world and doest thou wauer and doubt thereof This is not to know God this is by the sinne of vnbeliefe to offend Christ the maister of beleeuers this is for a man being in the Church to be without faith in the house of faith The words are manifest He propoundeth the promise of God particularly requireth the same accordingly to be beleeued not to beleeue it so he affirmeth is to be without faith in the house of faith God promiseth to thee and doest thou doubt this is not to haue faith Cyprian then teacheth such a confidence in the promises of Christ as is to be without all wauering or doubt Yea saith M. Bishop we are secure on Christes side that he will neuer faile of his word and promise but the cause of feare lies vpon our owne infirmities Thus he is like the mother that strangleth her child so soone as she hath brought it forth He setteth vp confidence with one hand and throweth it downe with another nay he setteth it vp with one hand and throweth it downe with both What is it to vs that Christ is true of his word if we may not beleeue that his word doth appertaine to vs what confidence can it yeeld that Christ faileth not of his promise so long as we must feare least our infirmities disable vs of hauing any part therein And would Cyprian talke so idlely to bid men not wauer or doubt when they might answer they had cause to feare and doubt by reason of their owne infirmities Would he bid men not doubt to go out of the world because of the promise of God when their owne infirmities might be a sufficient cause to make them feare their departure out of this world But Cyprian knew well that we can haue nothing but feare from our selues and therefore teacheth vs to build our selues wholy vpon the promise of God that howsoeuer our owne infirmities doe offer vs occasion of distrust yet resting vpon the truth of God we beleeue with Abraham g Rom. 4.18 vnder hope against hope that God will performe what he hath spoken for his owne sake as he saith by the Prophet h Ezech. 36.22 Not for your sakes but for my holy names sake I will do it saith the Lord. Yea but we bid them not doubt saith Maister Bishop as if they were as likely to be condemned as saued But how so when they see and know in themselues that for which they may be condemned and cannot know any thing whereupon they may rest the hope of saluation For you say Maister Bishop that a man cannot tell whether he haue repentance hope charity praier whether he be iustified and in the state of grace or not and therefore how should he but thinke himselfe more likely to be condemned then otherwise You say you animate them and put them in the good way of hope by twenty kinds of reasons But how can you put them in hope when you teach them to feare That one reason whereby you impose feare carieth more sway in the conscience then all those twenty kinds of reasons whereby you perswade hope And when you teach that a man cannot tell whether he haue any hope or not what can there rest but horrour and despaire at leastwise anguish perplexity trembling and feare saue onely in consciences that are benummed and astonished and haue no feeling of themselues In a word in death there can be no hope but setting aside the respect of our selues to depend vpon the promise of God and to say with Hilary out of the Psalme i Hilar. in Psal 51. Spes nostra in miserecordia Domini in secuâ—um in secuâ—â—m seculi Our hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer 18. W. BISHOP M. Perkins hauing thus confirmed his owne partie why doth he not after his manner confute those reasons which the Catholikes alledge in fauour of their assertion Was it because they are not wont to produce any in this matter Nothing lesse It was then belike because he knew not how to answer them I will out of their store take that one principall one of the testimonie of holy Scripture and by that alone sufficiently proue that the faith required to Iustification is that Catholike faith whereby we beleeue all that to be true which by God is reuealed and not any other particular beleeuing Christs Righteousnesse to be ours
How can this be better knowne then if we see weigh and consider well what kind of faith that was which all they had who are sayd in Scriptures to be iustified by their faith S. Paul saith of Noe That he was instituted heire of the iustice Heb. 11.7 which is by faith What faith had he That by Christs Righteousnesse he was assured of Saluation No such matter but beleeued that God according to his word and iustice would drowne the world and made an Arke to saue himselfe and his familie as God commaunded him Abraham the Father of beleeuers and the Paterne and example of iustice by faith as the Apostle disputeth to the Romans What faith he was iustified by let S. Paul declare who of him and his faith Rom. cap. 4. hath these words He contrarie to hope beleeueth in hope that he might be made the father of manie Nations according to that which was sayd vnto him So shall thy seed be as the starres of heauen and the sands of the sea and he was not weakned in faith neither did he consider his owne bodie now quite dead whereas he was almost an hundreth yeares old nor the dead Matrice of Sara in the promise of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthened in faith giuing glorie to God most fully knowing that whatsoeuer he promised he was able also to do therefore was it reputed to him to iustice Lo because he glorified God in beleeuing that old and barren persons might haue children if God sayd the word and that whatsoeuer God promised he was able to performe he was iustified The Centurions faith was verie pleasing vnto our Sauiour who sayd in commendation of it That he had not found so great faith in Israel What faith was that Marrie that he could with a word cure his seruant absent Math. 8. Say the word only quoth he and my seruant shall be healed S. Peters faith so much magnified by the auncient Fathers and highly rewarded by our Sauiour was it any other Math. 16. Then that our Sauiour was Christ the Sonne of the liuing God And briefly let S. Iohn that great Secretarie of the holy Ghost tell vs what faith is the finall end of the whole Gospell These things Iohn 20. saith he are written that you may beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God and that beleeuing you may haue life in his name With the Euangelist the Apostle S. Paul accordeth verie well Rom. 10. saying This is the word of faith which we preach for if thou confesse with thy mouth our Lord Iesus Christ and shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from death 1. Cor. 15 thou shalt be saued And in another place I make knowne vnto you the Gospell which I haue preached and by which you shall be saued vnlesse perhaps you haue beleeued in vaine What was that Gospell I haue deliuered vnto you that which I haue receiued that Christ died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures was buried and rose againe the third day c. So by the verdite of S. Paul the beleefe of the articles of the Creed is that iustifying faith by which you must be saued And neither in Saint Paul nor any other place of holy Scriptures is it once taught that a particular faith whereby we apply Christs Righteousnesse to our selues and assure our selues of our saluation is either a iustifying or any Christian mans faith but the verie naturall act of that vgly Monster presumption which being layd as the verie corner stone of the Protestants irreligion what morall and modest conuersation what humilitie and deuotion can they build vpon it R. ABBOT What the reason was why M. Perkins here propounded no obiections of the Papists M. Bishop might haue conceiued because he had a Chap. 3. Of the Certaintie of Saluation before noted and confuted the best that are alledged by them If he had not so done yet it should not be likely that he had therefore omitted them because he knew not how to answer them because this which M. Bishop bringeth for their principall reason is but a verie weake and simple reason The thing that he would proue thereby is that iustifying faith is that Catholike faith as he calleth it whereby we beleeue all that to be true which God hath reuealed He abuseth the name of Catholike faith whereby hath bene wont to be imported the true and sound doctrine of the Catholike Church comprised in bookes taught in Pulpits and schooles professed by the mouth which a man may preach to others and himselfe be voide of iustifying faith Thus Vigilius saith hauing discoursed of some points of doctrine b Vigil cont Eutych lib. 1. Haec est fides professio Catholica quam Apostoli tradiderunt Martyres roborauerunt fideles hucusque custodiunt This is the Catholike faith and profession which the Apostles deliuered the Martyrs haue confirmed and the faithfull keepe vntill this day Iustifying faith is the priuate act of the heart and conscience of the man that is iustified which though it be grounded and built vpon it yet cannot but absurdly be termed the Catholike faith But M. Bishop perhaps by Catholike faith meaneth that iustifying faith whereby he and his fellow Catholikes must hope to be iustified By which meanes he hath matched the diuel with himselfe and his Catholikes and hath made him a Catholike For if it be the only faith of a Catholike to beleeue all that to be true which God hath reuealed what hindereth the diuell to be a Catholike seeing he beleeueth and to his griefe well knoweth that all is true that is reuealed by God This is that which we rightly call historicall faith the obiect whereof is the word of God in generall and it is no more but credere Deo to beleeue God in that which he speaketh which is incident to diuels and damned men This historicall faith is presupposed and included in iustifying faith but the proper obiect of iustifying saith is c 2. Cor. 5.19 God in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe or the promise of Gods mercie to vs in Christ Iesus whereby we do not onely beleeue the promise in generall to be true but do trust in God and expect good at his hands according to that promise for Christs sake This faith therefore is called d Rom. 3.22 Phil. 3.9 the faith of Christ that is whereby we beleeue in Christ and is further expressed to be e Act. 3.16 faith in his name f Rom. 3.25 faith in his bloud Of which S. Austin saith g August in Ioan. tract 35. Fides Christi est credere in eum qui iustificat impium credere in mediatorem sine quo interposito non reconciliamur Deâ— credere in saluatorem qui venit quod perterat quaerâ—re atque saluare c. The faith of Christ is to beleeue in him that iustifieth the vngodly to beleeue in the Mediator without
Christiani fonteâ— iustitiae ha erirâ— tenentuâ— inâ—eniunt la â—c m toxicatum How can water both sweet and salt flow out of one fountaine Where Christians are bound to draw at the fountaine of iustice there they find a poysoned brooke It made me call to mind the good vsage and behauiour of the Spaniards in the west Indies where by their extreme villanies and cruelties they haue made the name of Christian religion to stinke amongst those poore and vnbeleeuing soules It made me consider the humilitie and deuotion and great vertue that the Iesuits and Seculars bewrayed the one of the other in the late contentions that were amongst them It put me in mind of the morall and modest conuersation of Weston the Iesuite and his fellows in hunting the diuell in Sara Williams and many pretie trickes about that matter Surely M. Bishop if the faith and religion which we professe did bring forth such vgly monsters as your Popes haue bene or did nourish such execrable villanies and filtheries as are practised amongst you we might iustly grow suspicious of it But thankes be to God that though our fruits be not such as they ought to be yet the face and state of our Church and common wealth is such as that we may boldly tell you that it is not for a harlot to compare with an honest matrone nor for you to make comparison betwixt vs and you 19. W. BISHOP The second difference in the manner of iustification is about the formall act of faith which M. Perkins handleth as it were by the way cuttedly I will be as short as he the matter not being great The Catholikes teach as you haue heard out of the Councell of Trent in the beginning of this question that many acts of faith feare hope and charity do go before our iustification preparing our soule to receiue into it from God through Christ that great grace M. Perkins Doctor like resolueth otherwise That faith is an instrument created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnesse for his iustification This ioyly description is set downe without any other probation then his owne authoritie that deliuered it and so let it passe as alreadie sufficiently confuted And if there needed any other disproofe of it I might gather one more out of his owne explication of it where he saith that the couenant of grace is communicated vnto vs by the word of God and by the Sacraments For if faith created in our hearts be the onely sufficient supernaturall instrument to apprehend that couenant of grace then there needs no Sacraments for that purpose and consequently I would faine know by the way how little infants that cannot for want of iudgement and discretion haue any such act of faith as to lay hold on Christ his iustice are iustified Must we without any warrant in Gods word contrarie to all experience beleeue that they haue this act of faith before they come to any vnderstanding R. ABBOT By those acts of faith feare hope charitie going before iustification the Councell of Trent doth expresly consort it selfe with Pelagius the heretike This faith feare hope charitie we must know not to be the effects or workes of any infused grace which before iustification is none but they are the proper actes of mans free will onely assisted by some externall or outward grace as they by collusion call it which as I haue shewed before in the question of a Sect. 5. Free will Pelagius the heretike affirmed and graunted as well as they But hereby they directly crosse the rule of S. Austine that b August de fide oper cap. 14. Sequuntâ—r iustificatum â—on praecedunt iustificandum good workes follow in a man being iustified but they go not before iustification He saith they do not go before they say they do go before onely they are not properly meritorious Meritorious they are also c Bellarm de iustific lib. 1. ca 17. Fides suo quodaÌ„ modo meretur remissioneÌ„ peccatorum in some sort but not properly meritorious ex condigno as the new faith hope and charitie are in the iustified man Let the Reader well obserue it that there is one faith hope and charitie before iustification another faith hope and charitie infused when a man is iustified But of that we shall heare more anone Here the speciall matter is as touching M. Perkins his description of faith to be an instrument supernaturall created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnesse for his iustification This M. Bishop saith is set downe without anie proofe and is alreadie sufficiently confuted but where Surely we haue seene much for proofe on M. Perkins side but M. Bishops confutation yet we haue not seene Yea where M. Perkins did notably demonstrate this act of faith out of the Gospell M. Bishop passed it ouer without anie further answer but onely to say d Chap. 3. sect 16 He might be ashamed to vse this discourse to vs who admit no part of it to be true in which sort he might easily answer any thing that he list not to admit for truth But what is it that he would haue to be proued For that faith is an instrument to apprehend and receiue it is plaine because it is e Aug. in Ioan. tract 50. Quomodo tenebo absentem quomodo in coelum manuÌ„ mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam fidem mitte tenuisti the hand which we stretch to heauen to take hold of Christ and to hold him sitting there it is the mouth whereby we eate and drinke Christ because f Ibid. tract 26. Qui credit manducat to beleeue is to eate it is the stomach wherby we digest him for g Tertul. de resur carn fide digerendus he is to be digested by faith it is h Bernard in Cant. ser 32. In bonis Domini quatenus fiduciae pedem pâ—rrexeris eatenus possidebis the foot wherby we enter possession of the benefites of Christ and possesse so farre as we stretch the same it is i Idem in Annunc ser 3. Dominus oleum misericordâ—ae nisi in vase fiduciae non ponit the vessell whereinto God putteth the oyle of his mercy k Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 33. Fide illum accipimus By faith saith Austin we receiue Christ it is l Ambros in Psâ—l 43. Fidei tactus est quo tangitur Christus by faith saith Ambrose that we touch Christ and m Cyprian lib. 2. epist 2. Quatum fidei capacâ— afferimus tantum gratiae inundanin haurimus looke how much faith we bring to receiue saith Cyprian so much we draw of the abundant grace of God This being plaine the question then must be of the thing that is to be receiued Now the thing to be receiued is the thing wherby we are to be iustified The thing whereby
now he maketh of it Which meaning of his cannot in any sort be true because it is faith which first heareth and beleeueth and receiueth the words of God thereby prescribeth vnto charity the way that it is to go and the duty that it is to performe without which what is charity but a wild a wandering affection easely swaruing and caried away from the due respect and loue of God so that by faith it is that charity pleaseth God and d Heb. 11.6 without faith it is vnpossible to please God Now seeing with God we cannot thinke that the greater is accepted for the lesse but rather the lesse for the greater not the mistresse so to speake for the handmaides sake but rather the handmaid for the mistresse sake we must needes make faith not the handmaide as M. Bishop doth but the mistresse because by faith it is that charity is acceptable vnto God But he telleth vs that S. Iames doth demonstrate charity to be the life and as it were the soule of faith when he saith Euen as the body is dead without the soule so is faith without charitie But he wrongeth his Reader in citing thus falsly the words of S. Iames. For S. Iames saith not so is faith without charity but so is faith without workes Now charity cannot be without works but if there might not be workes without charity S. Paul would not haue said e 1. Cor. 13.3 Though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body to be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing Charity is inwardly the affection of the heart seene onely to God but workes are outwardly visible and apparant to men and therefore there is a difference to be made betwixt charity and workes which wholy ouerthroweth all that M. Bishop here goeth about to prooue For the faith whereof we here dispute is inward in the heart because with f Rom. 10.10 the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse But that which is without cannot be the life or soule of that which is within nay it selfe hath from within all the life that it hath and if it receiue not life from within it is altogether dead Workes therefore being outward and issuing from within if they be true can by no meanes be said to be the life of faith that is within But that which S. Iames saith he saith it of workes He saith nothing therefore to prooue that charity is the life and soule of faith But how then will he say doth Saint Iames make workes as it were the life and soule of faith Very well according to that meaning of faith which he there intendeth For he speaketh of faith as it is outwardly professed to men g Iam. 2.14.18 Thâ—u saiest thou hast faith shew me thy faith I will shew thee my faith Now in this respect workes are rightly said to be the lifâ— of faith not charitie but workes because charity cannot be discerned by the eies of men but workes of behauiour and conuersation are discerned Yea there may be a profession of the faith and works thereunto correspondent outwardly when yet there is neither faith nor charity within Yet where it is so men outwardly to men and to the Church go for no other but liuing mâ—mâ—â—â—s of the Church vntill such time as the winde of temptation bloweth them away and discouereth them to haue bene but chaffe when in semblance they seemed to be good corne But where there is outward profession of faith and there is not conuersation thereunto agreeing a man is accounted but a dead branch fit to be cut off his profession wanteth that that should giue it life and grace he is euery mans by word and reproch his hypocrisie is detested of all men and therefore is much more lothsome vnto God In a word S. Paul speaketh of faith in one meaning as it is inward in the heart to God S. Iames speaketh of faith in another meaning as it is outward in the face to men If we vnderstand it according to Saint Paul it is faith that giueth life to all the rest as afterwards shall further appeare If we vnderstand it according to Saint Iames workes are the life of faith and giue it name and being because a man is not accounted faithfull for his words vnlesse there be also workes agreeable to his words Now therefore Maister Bishops comparison whereby he would make charitie as the life and soule and faith as the body cannot be made good out of this place nay indeede it cannot be made good at all For that which must be as the life and soule must be the internall and essentiall forme of the thing But h Bellarm. de iustificat lib. 2. cap. 4. Forma fidei extrinseca noÌ„ intrinseca quae dei illi non vt sit sed vt moueaturâ— sit res actuosa operans charitie is to faith a forme onely extrinsecall and outward not an inward forme saith Bellarmine not giuing it his being but onely his mouing actiuitie and working Charity therefore cannot be called the life and soule of faith Now because it is but an outward and accidentall forme the mouing and working that it giueth vnto faith is but outward and accidentall For the proper and naturall act and motion of a thing cannot proceed from an accidentall forme Faith therefore hath it owne inward essentiall forme whereby it hath life being within it selfe whence proceedeth a motion working that is proper to it selfe And thus doth the Apostle set it down distinctly as a vertue absolute in it self wheÌ„ he saith i 1. Cor. 13.13 Now abide these three faith hope and loue Where to say that faith is as the body and loue as the soule is to make the Apostle to speake absurdly as if a man for two should reckoÌ„ a body a soule According to this distinction doth the scripture still set forth faith in the nature of faith to be the instrument of our iustification before God eueÌ„ according to that life soule that is that proper essentiall forme whereby it hath the being of faith which yet in iustifying vs receiueth charity as an accidentall forme to be vnto it an instrument for mouing and stirring abroad in the performance of all duties recommended vnto vs both to God and men Thus Bellarmine perforce wresteth from M. Bishop yea and from himselfe also this assertion of faith being likened to the body and charity to the soule Yet M. Bishop once againe will assay to proue it by S. Paul making charity a more excellent gift then faith reckoning faith hope and charity and concluding the greatest of these is charity But this testimony auaileth him nothing at all for it followeth not that because the eie is a more excellent member then the eare therefore the eie is as the life and soule to the eare or the eare the instrument of the eie No more doth it follow that because charity is
Ibid. Conuersus quisque ad Dominum DeuÌ„ suum ex toto corde suo et ex tota anima suae mandatum Dei non haebebit graue when a man shall be conuerted vnto God with all his heart and with all his soule he shall finde the commaundement of God not heauie vnto him But that affection that conuersion is yet but begun So long as concupiscence possesseth any part of the soule all the soule is not yet conuerted vnto God Very vainely therefore doth M. Bishop deale when from that which we haue yet but in part for the fulfilling of the law he inferreth the fulfilling of the whole law But to make vp the matter he bringeth some authorities of the auncient Church as much to his purpose as that that he hath said already That that Basil saith Å¿ Basil in illud Attende tâ—bi JmpiuÌ„ est dicere spiritus praecepta seruari noÌ„ posse that it is impious to say that the commaundements of the spirit cannot be obserued for so the words are is spoken of those things which by no meanes can be done As where the spirit saith Looke to thy selfe if a man will expound it of bodily looking and viewing of himselfe it is that that cannot be done For the eie as he saith cannot see it selfe it cannot see the head nor the backe nor the face nor into the bowels Now it were wickednesse as he saith to say that the spirit commaundeth any thing in this sort But we say not so of the commaundements of God for we teach that by the grace of Christ we fulfill them in part already and shall do it perfectly when the impediment which is the remainder of originall corruption shall be done away But so long as the t Gal. 5.17 flesh lusteth against the spirit so that we cannot do the things that we would so long it is vnpossible for vs to obserue the righteousnesse of the law according to the full measure and perfection thereof Hereby the answer is plaine to the place that he alledgeth out of Austine For we beleeue that God hath not commaunded any thing vnpossible meaning as he doth absolutely and wholy vnpossible We say as he saith u Aug. de sp lit cap. 35. Siue exemplo est in hominibus perfecta iustitia tamen impossibilis non est Fiâ—ret enim si tanta voluntas adhiberetur quanta sufficit tantae res Effet autem tanta si nihil eorum quae pertinent ad iustitiaÌ„ nos lateret ea sic delectarent animuÌ„ vt quicquid aliud siue voluptas siue dolor impedit delectatio illa superaret Quod vt non sit non ad impossibilitatem sed ad iudicium Dei pertinet There is no example of perfect righteousnesse amongst men and yet it is not vnpossible For it might be performed if there were so great will put to it as is sufficient for so great a matter And there should be so great will if on the one side nothing were hidden from vs of those things which belong to righteousnesse and on the other side the same did so delight the mind as that that delight did ouercome all other impediments of pleasure or paine Which that it is not so is not to be referred to any impossibility of the thing but to the iudgement of God x Ibid. cap. 36. Nullo modo dicendum est Deo deesse possibilitatem qua voluntas sic adiunetur humana vt iustitia omni ex parte modò perficiatur in homine Quando quidem si nunc velit in qucquaÌ„ etiam hoc corruptibile induere incorruptionem atque hic inter homines morituros eum iubere viuere minimè morituram vt tota penitâ—â— vetustate consumpta nulla lex in membris eius repugnet legi mentis deumque vbique praesentem ita cognoscat sicut eum sancti postea cognituri sunt quis demens audeat affirmarâ— non posse Sed quare non faciat c. est aliquid in abdito profundo iuditiorum Dei vt etiam iustorum omne os obstruatur in laude sua non aperiatur nisi in laudem Dei For God as he saith afterwards wanteth not power so to assist the will of man as that euen now righteousnesse may in euery sort be made perfect in him And if it were the will of God that euen now this corruptible in any man should put on incorruption and he would appoint that he should liue here immortall amongst mortall men so as that all oldnesse being vtterly consumed there should be no longer any law in the members to rebell against the law of the mind and that he should so know God as the Saints hereafter shall know him who would be so mad as to affirme that God cannot do it But why he doth it not somewhat there is in the secrecie and depth of his iudgement that euery mouth euen of the iust may be stopped in their owne praise and not be opened but to the praise of God Thus therefore the commaundements of God are not vnpossible to be done because God can make vs able perfectly to fulfill the same Yea it is in his power euen in this life to bring vs to this perfection if it were his will and pleasure so to do But in his wisedome he hath thought good to giue vs in this life only some tast and beginnings thereof whereby we very well see and vnderstand that there is no impossibility in the rest The reason why he doth so is because he will haue vs yea euen the most iust and righteous of vs fully to vnderstand by our defects that our saluation is not of our merits or workes but onely of his mercy But in his due time he will giue vs fully to be satisfied with that righteousnesse with the tast onely whereof he now prouoketh rather then asswageth our hunger and thirst Euen y Ibid. Primum praeceptuÌ„ iustitiae quo iutemur diligere Deum ex toto corde c. in illa vita complebimus cùm videbimus faecie ad faciem Sed ideo nobis hoc etiam nunc praeceptum est vt admoneremur quid fide exposcere quò speÌ„ praemittere et obliuiscendo quae retrò sunt in quae anteriora extendere debeamus that great commaundement of righteousnesse to loue the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soule with all our minde whereto is consequent that other of louing our neighbour as our selfe we shall fulfill in that life when we shall see face to face But therefore euen now is that commaunded vnto vs that we should thereby be aduertised what to aske and pray for in faith to what to send our hope before vs and to what to follow hard forward forgetting that that is behind Now therefore as it is most easie for a man that hath sound and perfect eies to discerne the light which yet is vnpossible for him that is blinde so long as he continueth so so when God
For then is this small righteousnesse for the modell or little measure of it perfect according to this infirmitie when it knoweth what there is wanting vnto it Therefore the Apostle calleth himselfe vnperfect and perfect vnperfect in bethinking how much he wanteth to righteousnes the fulnesse whereof he yet hungreth and thirsteth after perfect both for that he is not ashamed to confesse his imperfection and for that he goeth well forward to come to perfection Now how should we here acknowledge imperfection if we be perfect according to the vttermost of that perfection that is required of vs here How can we take vpon vs to know that there is somwhat wanting to our righteousnesse when we must beleeue it to be such as faileth not in any duty which we are bound to performe How did the Apostle think that he wanted much to righteousnesse when his righteousnesse wanted nothing that it ought to haue How is it said that he was not ashamed to confesse his imperfection when yet there was no imperfection for him to confesse Nay how is it that M. Bishop is not ashamed to seeke by Austin to auouch such a Paradoxe so contrarie to sence so contrarie to conscience so contrarie to the confessions of all the faithfull crying with one voyce e August in Psal 142. Quare hoc dicitis c. Quoniam non iustificabitur c. Forgiue vs our trespasses and that for this very cause as S. Austin saith because no man liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God The same S. Austin telleth vs that f De spir lit cap. 35. Sine exēplo est in hominibus perfecta iustitia there is no example of perfect righteousnesse amongst men that g De Temp. ser 49. Ipsa est perfectio hominum inuenisse se non esse perfectum this is the perfection of man to find himselfe not to be perfect h De spir lit ca. 36. In ea quae perficienda est iustitia multum in hac vita ille profecit qui quā longè sit à perfectione iustitiae proficiendo cognouit that he hath much profited in righteousnesse who by profiting knoweth how farre he is from perfection of righteousnesse that S. Paule was i De peccat mer. remiss lib. 1. cap. 13. Perfectus viator etsi nondum erat itineris perfectione peruentor perfect as a trauellers to perfect righteousnesse not as one that was come vnto it because k De nat grat cap 12 Benè proficientes dicuntur perfecti viatores they that go well forward or profit well are called perfect trauellers These speeches are euident and plaine and will M. Bishop tell vs that S. Austin affirmeth in this life a perfect righteousnesse not failing in any dutie which we are bound to performe To the same purpose S. Hierome also saith that l Hieron contra Pelag li. 1. Haec est hominis vera sapientia imperfectum esse se nosse atque vt ita loquar cunctorum in carne iustorum imperfecta perfectio est it is mans true wisedome to know himselfe to be vnperfect and that there is but an vnperfect perfection of all that are righteous in this life And againe that m Ibid. lib. 3. Vera absque omni sorde perfectio in coelestibus reseruatur quando sponsus loquetur ad sponsam Tota pulchra es amica mea macula non est in te true perfection which is without all filth or vncleannesse is reserued vnto heauen when the bridegroome shall say to the bride Thou art all faire my loue and there is not a spot in thee So saith Fulgentius that n Fulgent ad Monim lib. 1. Diuinorū munerum nondum est perfecta perfectio vtpote vbi omnis perfectus perfectionis est indigus there is yet no perfect perfection of the gifts of God as where euery perfect man is yet wanting of perfection And this made Origen to say that o Origen ad Ro. cap. 6. Jn praesenti vita puto quòd formā atque vmbram virtutū tenere possimus ipsas verò virtutes tunc cùm venerint illa quae perfecta sunt ideo iustus magis vt mihi videtur in vmbra virtutum quà m in ipsis virtutibus viuit in this life we may haue the image and shadow of vertues but the vertues themselues when the things that are perfect shall come and therefore that the iust man liueth rather as he thinketh in the shadow of vertues then in the vertues themselues To which words accordeth that of Hierome alluding to that of the Apostle whereto Origen alludeth that p 1. Cor. 13.9.10.12 we know in part and we see through a glasse in a darke speaking and when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away q Hier. contra Pelag. li. 3. Mūdum cor quod posteà sit visurum Deum vitae immaculatae beatitudinē in vmbra possidemus imagine Quamuis Patriarcha sit aliquis quamuis Propheta quamuis Apostolus dicitur eis à Domino Saluatore si vos cùm sitis mali c. We haue saith he but in a shadow and an image the cleane heart that shall after see God and the happinesse of vnspotted life Though a man be a Patriarch though a Prophet though an Apostle yet is it said to them by our Sauiour If ye being euill c. Where is he now that telleth vs of such a perfect righteousnesse in this life as faileth not of any dutie that we are bound to performe when as there is here none but vnperfect perfection no man but that wanteth of perfection when as we haue here but the image and shadow of vertues no perfection without some filth or vncleannesse none but which leaueth vs still in case to be called euill Whereby appeareth againe the absurditie of his third collection that our perfection yeeldeth such good workes as merit euerlasting life It is true that S. Austin vseth the name of merit but that by the name of merits he meaneth simply good workes to which God hath promised reward and not any merit properly so called shall hereafter appeare in the question of merits In the meane time how farre he was from that opinion of meriting which M. Bishop here would fasten vpon him may appeare by the words cited by him out of Hilary against the Pelagian heretickes r Aug. contra Iulian. lib. 2. ex Hilar. in Psal 51. Spes in misericordia Dei in seculum in seculum seculi Non enim illa ipsa iustitiae opera ad perfectae beatitudinis sufficient meritum nisi misericordia Dei etiam in hac iustitiae voluntate humanarum demutationum motuum non reputet vitia Our hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer for the very workes of righteousnesse are not sufficient to the meriting of perfect blisse vnlesse the mercy of God euen in this will of righteousnesse
and frailty it becommeth defectiue and faulty if God call it to precise and strict examination iudgement Euen as elsewhere he saith againe y Ibid cap. 11. Omnis humana iustitia iniustitia esse câ—nuincitur si districtè iudicetur Prece ergò post iustitiaÌ„ indâ—get vt quae succumbere discussa poterat ipsa iudicis pietate conualescat All the righteousnesse of man is conuicted to be vnrighteousnesse if it be strictly iudged it needeth therefore praier after righteousnesse that that which being sifted might quaile by the meere piety of the Iudge may go for good Where I hope that M. Bishop though he will say much yet will not say that Gregory meant that we should pray that the righteousnesse which we do of our owne strength by the piety and clemencie of the Iudge may stand for good And if he dare not so say then it followeth that of that righteousnesse which in this life we attaine to by the gift of God Gregory saith that it is found to be defectiue and to come short of perfect righteousnesse and thereby to be vnrighteousnesse if seuere and strict account be taken of it which more peremptorily he affirmeth elsewhere saying z Ibid. ca. 18. Si remota pietate discutimur opus nostrum paena dignuÌ„ est quod remunerari praemijs praestolamur c. Restat vt postquaÌ„ bonuÌ„ opus agitur lachrymae expiationis exquâ—raÌ„tur quatenus ad aeterna praemia meritum recti operis subuebat humilitas postulationis If we be iudged without mercy our worke is worthy to be punished which we expect to haue rewarded Therefore the teares of expiation as he speaketh are required that humble praier may lift vp the merit of our good worke to the obtaining of eternall reward So that howsoeuer he commend Iob as well he might sure I am that both Iob and he condemne M. Bishop as a proud Pharisee maintaining the righteousnesse of man against the righteousnesse of God to the impeaching of the glory of God Which he doth also by his quillet of attributing good workes principally to the grace of God not wholy but principally that so he may reserue some place at least to the free will of man because he cannot endure that no part of glory should redound to man To be short it appeareth both by that that is said here and that that hath bene a Sect. 4.44 45. before alledged that Gregory doth not bereaue man only of that perfection that shall be in heauen but also of that that is required by duty ought to be in him here vpon the earth 50. W. BISHOP Now before I depart from this large question of iustification I will handle yet one other question which commonly ariseth about it it is Whether Faith may be without Charity I prooue that it may so be first out of these words of our Sauiour Manie shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord Math. 7. haue we not prophecied in thy name haue we not cast out diuels haue we not done many miracles to whom I wil confesse that I neuer knew you depart from me all yee that worke iniquity That these men beleeued in Christ and perswaded themselues assuredly to be of the elect appeareth by their confident calling of him Lord Lord and the rest that followeth yet Christ declareth manifestly that they wanted charity in saying that they were workers of iniquity 2. When the King went to see his guests Math. 22. He found there a man not attired in his wedding garment and therfore commanded him to be cast into vtter darknesse This man had faith or else he had not bene admitted vnto that table which signifieth the Sacraments yet wanted charity which to be the wedding garment besides the euidence of the text is also proued where in expresse termes Apoc. 1â— The garments of Christs Spouse is declared to be the righteousnesse and good works of the Saints And that with great reason for as S. Paul teacheth 1. Cor. 13 Faith shall not remaine after this life With what instrument then trow you will the Protestants lay hold on Christs righteousnesse That charity is that wedding garment S. Hierome vpon the same place doth witnesse saying That it is the fulfilling of our Lords commandements And S. Gregory doth in expresse words define it Hâ—m â—8 in Euang. Can. â—2 in Mat. Tract â—â—m Maâ—â— Math. 25. What saith he must we vnderstand by the wedding garment but charity So do S. Hilary and Origen and S. Chrysostome vpon that place 3. The like argument is made of the foolish Virgins who were part of the Kingdome of God and therefore had faith which is the gate and entrance into the seruice of God Yea in the house of God they aspired vnto more then ordinarie perfection hauing professed Virginitie yet either caried away with vaine glorie as S. Gregory takes it or not giuing themselues to the workes of mercy spirituall and corporall as S. Chrysostome expounds it briefly not continuing in their former charitie for faith once had cannot after the Protestants doctrine be lost were shut out of the kingdome of heauen albeit they presumed strongly on the assurance of their saluation as is apparent by their confident demaunding to be let in for they said Lord Lord open vnto vs. Iohn 12. 4. Many of the Princes beleeued in Christ but did not confesse him for they loued more the glory of men then the glory of God What can be more euident then that these men had faith when the holy Ghost saith expresly that they beleeued in Christ which is the onely act of faith and yet were destitute of charitie which preferreth the glorie and seruice of God before all things in this world R. ABBOT That there may be faith without charitie we make no question but the question is of that faith whereby we are iustified or wherin standeth our iustification before God It is to be knowne that faith is of diuers sorts there is a faith which is called a Tit. 1.1 the faith of the elect as being peculiar vnto them and for which men are called b Ephe. 1.1 faithfull and there is a faith by which the c Iam. 2.19 diuels also are said to beleeue and yet are not to be called faithfull There is a faith whereby we d Ibid. beleeue that there is one God and there is another faith whereby e Iohn 14.1 we beleeue in God There is a faith whereby Simon Magus f Act 8.13.21 beleeued whose heart was not right in the sight of God and there is a g Act. 15.9 faith whereby God purifieth the heart There is a h Iam 2 20. dead faith and there is a i Gal. 2.20 faith whereby we liue and Christ liueth in vs. There is a k 1 Tim. 1.5 faith vnfained and thereby we vnderstand that there is also a fained faith There is a faith that consisteâ—h in l
semblance of name as a man tearmeth a hand of stone for in like sort is a dead hand for all parts of the bodie are defined by their office and facultie Therefore when they lye dead they are not the same but retaine onely the shew and shadow of the name The argument therefore must be turned against himselfe that as the dead body is not a true naturall bodie but onely by equiuocation is so called euen so a dead faith is no true faith but onely by equiuocation for some semblance to men it carieth the shew and shadow of the name of faith Yet he will not so giue ouer but as hauing set the stocke vpon it he will winne it in this period or else he will loose all Indeed he is like a sheepe tangled in the briars the more he struggleth and striueth the faster he tyeth himself He saith that faith charity haue seueral seats in the soule faith in the vnderstanding and charity in the will But that is not so for as hath bene before said true and vnfained faith which the Scripture commendeth for iustification is a mixt action of the vnderstanding and will Yea the Apostle expresly placeth faith in the heart which is the seate of the affections l Rom. 10.10 With the heart saith he man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse If thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued No maruell that M. Bishop cannot tell what true faith is who knoweth no other faith but onely a faith of the head consisting in speculatiue fancies and imaginations of the braines and descending no lower then the tongue whereas the Apostle speaketh of a faith of the heart a feeling faith which by feeling gathereth to it the affection and will which is not onely an act of knowledge and vnderstanding as M. Bishop dreameth but implieth an affecting desiring embracing seeking of that which it beleeueth a ioying and reuiuing of it selfe therein So I alledged before out of Oecumenius that the faith whereof Saint Paul speaketh is not a bare assent as is the faith of diuels and M. Bishops Catholike faith but m Oecumen in lac cap. 2 Consecutionem ex affectu procedentē hath some further consequence arising from the affection Againe they haue distinct obiects saith he faith respecting the truth of God and charitie the goodnesse of God Indeed the truth of God is the obiect of our faith but what is the matter of that truth but the promise of God concerning his goodnesse towards vs n Psal 27.13 I should vtterly haue fainted saith Dauid but that I beleeue verily to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing o Ferus in Mat. ca. 8. Fides quam Scriptura commendat nihil aliud est quà m fidere gratuita Dei miserecordia The faith saith Ferus which the Scripture cōmendeth is nothing els but to trust to the free mercie of God So then the goodnesse mercy of God is properly and truly the obiect of our faith Yea and how should the goodnesse of God be the obiect of our charitie but by being first the obiect of our faith For therefore do we loue the goodnesse of God or loue God for his goodnesse towards vs because first we beleeue the same neither can we so loue but by beleeuing For charitie consisting simply in affection apprehendeth nothing in God of it selfe but receiueth all from faith which is it as Chrysostome noteth p Chryso in Rom. hom 8. Conuenientem de Deo opinionē accipit whereby we conceiue a due and conuenient opinion concerning God Loue is not a reciprocall action the passage thereof is meerely from him that loueth to the thing that is loued Thus therefore it is in our loue to God but what we conceiue backe againe of him towards vs it is by faith and not by loue Yea M. Bishop himselfe verifieth this in that he saith We cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard For what is all our hearing but onely by beleeuing that which we heare First therefore we heare of Gods goodnesse his mercy his truth c. and by beleeuing that which we heare our affections are drawne vnto him First therfore all these are the obiects of our faith and consequently become the obiects of our loue His next difference is a meere begging of the question We say that faith though it do not presuppose charitie as a thing precedent yet alwayes supposeth and inferreth it as an immediate and necessary consequent For faith receiueth Christ q Ephes 3.17 to dwell in our hearts who commeth not but accompanied with grace and with the fruites of the spirit which alwayes grow and increase according to the increase and growth of faith Great faith hath feruent loue weaker faith hath weaker loue but alwayes hath a measure of loue answerable to it selfe Now by this that hath bene said it appeareth how vntruly M. Bishop saith for his last difference that charitie doth not naturally flow out of faith whereas indeed common sence in diuinitie doth instruct him that the original thereof is from thence and onely from thence For if we cannot loue God but by hearing beleeuing him to be that that he is then it is faith which setting God before vs such a one as he is wise mighty iust merciful louing and gracious vnto vs enamoreth our hearts and breedeth in vs affections correspondent to his grace neither is there any spark of loue but what ariseth from this ground Yea M. Bishop himselfe confesseth so much but that his wits are so besotted with his minion of Rome that he knoweth not what he saith Charitie saith he doth not naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnesse of God and of his benefites and loue towards vs. Which is as much as if he should say it doth not naturally flow out of faith but doth naturally flow out of faith For whence is this consideration of Gods goodnes c. but from faith Do we consider these things any otherwise but as by faith we first apprehend and beleeue the same It is faith as hath bene said which affecteth and seasoneth the hart with the sweet tast and feeling of those considerations and thereby allureth and draweth vs to love him of whom we haue receiued so great loue And for want of faith it is that it cometh to passe which M. Bishop to make vp his sentence impertinently complaineth of that few men enter into these good and deuout considerations yea he and his by oppugning and destroying true faith do helpe to draw men backe from considering of these things Now all that hitherto he hath sayd he telleth vs is according to the truth whereas indeede there is not a word true as hath appeared and if it had beene true yet he had gained nothing thereby because it followeth not that those things which are deuided in facultie and
faith concerning which it is said of Abraham f Gen. 15.6 He beleeued the Lord and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse there followeth alwayes charitie as a necessary and infallible consequent and companion thereof 53. W. BISHOP The Protestants bold asseuerations that they cannot be parted are great but their proofes very slender and scarce worth the disprouing The first He that hath not care of his owne hath denied his faith 1. Tim. 5. therefore faith includeth that good worke of prouiding for our owne Answer That faith there seemes to signifie not that faith whereby we beleeue all things reuealed or the Protestants the certaintie of their saluation but for fidelitie and faithfull performance of that which we haue promised in Baptisme which is to keepe all Gods commandements one of the which is to prouide for our children and for them that we haue charge of so that he who hath no such care ouer his owne charge hath denied his faith that is violated his promise in Baptisme There is also another ordinary answer supposing faith to be taken there for the Christian beliefe to wit that one may deny his faith two wayes either in flat denying any article of faith or by doing some thing that is contrarie to the doctrine of our faith Now he that hath no care of his owne doth not deny any article of his faith but committeth a fact contrary to the doctrine of his faith so that not faith but the doctrine of faith or our promise in Baptisme includeth good workes Ioh â— 2 There are among you that beleeue not for he knew who beleeued and who was to betray him Opposing treason to faith as if he had said faith containeth in it selfe fidelitie This argument is farre fetched and little worth For albeit faith hath not fidelity and loue alwaies necessarily ioyned with it yet falling from faith may well draw after it hatred and treason yea ordinarily wickednesse goeth before falling from the faith and is the cause of it which was Iudas case whom our Sauiour there taxed for he blinded with couetousnesse did not beleeue Christes doctrine of the blessed Sacrament and by incredulitie opened the diuell a high way to his heart to negotiate treason in it â— Ioh 2. 3. They obiect that Who saith he knowes God and doth not keepe his commandements is a lyer Answer He is then a lyer in graine who professing the onely true knowledge of God yet blusheth not to say that it is impossible to keepe his commandements but to the obiection knowing God in that place is taken for louing of God as I know ye not that is I loue you not Our Lord knowes the way of the iust Math 7. 25. Psal 1. Ioh. 14. that is approues it loues it so he that knowes God keepes his commaundements as Christ himselfe testifieth If anie loue me he will keepe my word And he that loueth me not will not keepe my words Lastly they say with S. Paul That the iust man liueth by faith But if faith giue life then it cannot be without charitie Answer That faith in a iust man is not without hope and charity by al which conioyned he liueth and not by faith alone But faith is in a sinful and vniust man without charity who holding fast his former beliefe doth in transgressing Gods commandements breake the bands of charity And so it remaineth most certaine that faith may be and too too often is without the sacred societie of charitie R. ABBOT The Protestants asseuerations are indeed very bold but not vpon slender proofes Their proofes are stronger then that any such silly disputers as M. Bishop is shall be able to disproue them As for his proofes to the contrarie thou hast seene gentle Reader how miserable and poore and beggerly they be See now what choise he maketh of our arguments culling out those that he was best able to deale with and what slender shifts he maketh to auoid them a 1. Tim. 5.8 He that prouideth not for his owne saith S. Paul and namely for them of his houshold he denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell It must follow therefore that there can be no faith where this worke of charitie is wilfully cast off M. Bishop telleth vs that by faith is here meant either fidelitie as touching the performance of that we haue promised in baptisme or else the doctrine of faith But let him expound it as he list of either of them it shall yeeld an illation consequence of that which we affirme For seeing the introduction of iustifying faith is b Mark 1.15 repentance from dead workes iustifying faith must alwayes imply a conscience and care of conforming a mans selfe to the doctrine of the Gospell and to the promise and vowe that he hath made in baptisme of obedience vnto God and therefore where dead workes still raigne it cannot be said that iustifying faith hath there taken anie place Therefore he that shaketh off the yoke of the doctrine of the Gospell and by his conuersation disclaimeth the promise that he made in baptisme plainely sheweth that howsoeuer he professe the faith yet that he hath no true faith abiding in him And this the Apostle teacheth of him who is so inhumane and barbarous as that the commandement of God cannot moue him to prouide for them the care of whom euen infidels by instinct of nature do know and conceiue to belong vnto them But we would gladly vnderstand how M. Bishop diuideth the articles of faith from the doctrine of faith For what do the articles of faith containe but onely the doctrine of faith That then contrary to the doctrine of faith must needs also be contrary to the articles of faith He therfore that by his deeds denieth the doctrine of faith denieth in effect also the articles of his faith howsoeuer with his tongue outwardly to men he make shew to confesse the same M. Bishops answer then taketh not away the strength of this argument but rather addeth further force and strength vnto it But it is plaine by the very words that the Apostle vnderstandeth faith as it is opposed to infidelitie affirming that such though they be c Hieron in 1. Tim. cap. 5. Fideles nomine beleeuers in name as Hierome speaketh yet in deed are not beleeuers Therefore Chrysostome expounding the words by that saying of the same Apostle d Tit. 1.16 They professe that they know God but by their deeds they denie him inferreth e Chrysost in 1. Tim. hom 14. Quomodo hutuâ—nodicredit qui Deum abâ—egauitâ— How doth he beleeue that hath denied God The argument therefore is firme and sure that howsoeuer there may be an outward profession of faith yet indeed there is no faith wheresoeuer there wanteth a correspondence of good workes In the second place it is strange to see how M. Bishop making choise of his aduersaries weapons yet is foyled in his owne choise The argument he saith
one of vs. Where my portion raigneth I beleeue that I also raigne where my bloud ruleth I beleeue that I also haue dominion where my flesh is glorified I know that I also am glorious Albeit I be a sinner yet I doubt not of this fellowship of grace Albeit my sinnes hold backe yet my substance namely being now of his flesh and his bones requireth it Albeit mine owne defaults doe exclude me yet fellowship of nature putteth mee not away I might despaire because of my exceeding great sinnes and corruptions my defaults and infinite negligences which I haue committed and dayly without ceasing doe commit in thought and word and worke and euery way that humane frailtie can sinne but that thy Word O my God became flesh and dwelt amongst vs. But now I dare not despaire because he being obedient vnto thee vnto death euen the death of the crosse hath taken away the hand-writing of our sinnes and fastening it to the crosse hath crucified sinne and death Now securely I take breath and heart againe in him who sitteth at thy right hand and maketh intercession for vs. By these words and many other that might be alledged out of that booke the Reader may iudge of the construction that M. Bishop maketh of the words cited by M. Perkins We see nothing here but confession of sinnes in himselfe no other hope but onely forgiuenes of sins in Christ Surely these are not the speeches of a man dreaming of an ablenesse giuen vnto him to deserue eternall life No no it was neuer heard of in the world that the meaning of these words My hope is wholly in the death and merite of Christ should be that we hope to be able by Christ to merite and deserue saluation vntill these brazen faced hypocrites were hired and set to worke by Antichrist for the confusion of soules by making them to leane vpon the broken staffe of their owne merites in steed of the onely sauing merite of the bloud of Christ The faithful haue alwayes in their end betaken themselues to this hold and many returning vnto God euen at the last gaspe hauing nothing in themselues to comfort themselues haue securely reposed their hope in the merit and death of Christ and with ioy and comfort haue gone to God who if they had vnderstood hope in Christ according to M. Bishops exposition thereof of being to be made able by Christ to merite heauen would haue bene rent and torne in peeces with perplexitie and feare neither could haue conceiued any comfort thereof at all But let him alone he shall one day vnderstand the vntruth of his answer when he shall be glad to make vse of those words which we haue spoken of or the like without that good sence as hee calleth it which now his senslesse and dead heart imagineth of them The place of Basil is as cleare as the light yet he laboureth to cast a mist before it also but cannot so doe it but that hee is forced in part to acknowledge the truth on our behalfe k Basil in Psal 114. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is layd vp eternall rest saith he for them that striue lawfully in this life not to be rendered according to debt for workes but prouided according to the grace of the bountifull God for them that trust in him Where apparently Basill alludeth to the words of the Apostle l Rom. 44. To him that worketh that is to him that hath the righteousnes of workes the reward is not imputed * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by fauour but by debt and therefore the phrases being borowed from the Apostle must with him haue the same meaning as with the Apostle they haue His meaning then is plaine that that eternall rest is not rendered by way of debt but by way of fauour and grace and neuer hath any ecclesiasticall writer vnderstood those phrases otherwise Onely M. Bishop telleth vs that Basils meaning is that it is not rendered according to the debt of workes that is according to the iust rate of workes but in a fuller measure and aboue our merites But his masters of Rhemes reiect this commentary of his and doe tell him that our workes are m Rhem. Testam Annot. 2. Tim. 4. fully worthy of euerlasting life God then doth not exceed the rate of our workes as they say but giueth onely what we are fully worthy of what we fully and iustly merite and deserue thereby Yea and they saw well that to teach otherwise as M. Bishop doth is to ouerthrow merite For if God do giue vs aboue our merits then we do not merite that which God giueth or if we do merite it then it cannot be sayd to be aboue our merites But it is aboue our merites sayth M. Bishop therefore it followeth necessarily that we doe not merite or deserue it Yea wee haue seene before out of Fulgentius and Bernard that Gods reward doth so incomparably exceede all the merite and worke of man as that eternall life is not due thereunto by right neither should God doe any wrong if hee did not giue it and therefore the sentence of Basill is true according to the Apostles intendment of those termes which he vseth that eternall life is not rendered by way of debt for workes but by grace that is freely bestowed to them that trust in him M. Bishop telleth vs that hee maketh eternall life to be the prize of the combat but what of that seeing hee giueth vs to vnderstand that this prize is with fauour and mercie proposed and with the same mercie and fauour rendered to them that fight the combat Therefore hee sayth in another place n Basil de humilit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing left thee O man to glorie of whose glorying and hope consisteth in this that thou mortifie all that is thine and seeke in Christ the life to come whereof hauing the first fruites we are now therein liuing wholly by the grace and gift of God There is then with Basil no merit no debt in any sort because we liue wholy by the grace and gift of God so that M. Bishops exposition is but a meere falsification of Basils words M. Perkins further alledgeth a saying of Austin He crowneth thee because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits M. Bishop answereth that S. Austin was too wise to let any such foolish sentence passe his pen. He questioneth the matter What congruitie is it to say thus He directeth a better forme of speech It had bene better sayd thus Now if the sentence be S. Austins what will men but take M. Bishop for a foole that wold so vnaduisedly befoole S. Austin and take vpon him to correct his words when he had no cause The place indeed is misquoted either by M. Perkins mistaking or by the ouersight of the Printer for in steed of Psal 102. he hath quoted Psal 120. by misplacing of the figure a very small and easie ouersight But S.
21.18 When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gird thee and leade thee whither thou wouldest not Thus spake he saith S. Iohn signifying by what death he should glorifie God Where when he saith Whither thou wouldest not there is plainly approued in Peters martyrdome a shrinking and drawing backe a resistance and opposition of the will so that though willingly he did vndergo it yet it was in some part also against his will Whereupon S. Austin maketh this collection e August in Psal 30. conc 1. St Petrus Apostolus tanta perfectione quò nollet ductus est volens nolens mortuus est sed volens coronatus est quid mirum si est aliquis pauor in passione etiaÌ„ iustorum etiam Sanctorum Pauor est ex humana infirmitate spes ex diuina promissione If Peter the Apostle being of so great perfection was led whither he would not and dyed with his will against his will but with his will receiued the crowne what maruell is it if there be some feare in the suffering euen of iust men euen of the Saints There is feare by humane infirmitie and hope by the promise of God And this resistance this feare this shrinking backe the same S. Austine imputeth to the corruption of sinne f Idem Epist 120 Mente seruiens legi Dei carne autem trahens desideria peccati quibus obedire vetat Apostolus mentis quidem ratione concupiscit homo dissolui esse cum Christo sed id sensu carnis recusat refugit A man saith he in mind seruing the law of God and in the flesh carying still the lusts of sinne which the Apostle forbiddeth to obey by reason of the mind desireth indeed to be loosed and to be with Christ but by sence of the flesh refuseth and shunneth it Now what ground hath M. Bishop to except Iohn and Stephen in their martyrdome from the coÌ„mon condition of the Saints and why should he thinke that Iohns preaching and reprehending of Herod was without that spot of resistance and feare when his martyrdome was not And why should we imagine that that weaknesse of the flesh which hath his worke in the martyrdome of the Saints had not the like also in Abrahams oblation of his son being a thing without doubt as crosse to his nature and will as his owne death was But saith M. Bishop Our Sauiour saith that g Mat. 6.22 Luk. 11.34 if the eye be simple the whole body is light some not hauing any part of darknesse in it It is true if the eye be wholy single and cleare but where is the eye that is so cleare Where is he that saith not with Dauid h Psal 13.3 Lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death i 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy law k Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 18. Tota opera nostra in hac vita est sanare oculum cordis vnde videtur Deus It is our whole worke or indeuour in this life saith S. Austin to heale the eye of the heart wherewith we should see God If it be our whole worke in this life to heale our eyes then we expect not in this life to haue them fully whole In the meane while therefore because it is Gods prerogatiue which S. Iohn speaketh of l 1. Ioh. 1.5 God is light and in him is no darkenesse at all it must needs be as S. Hierome collecteth thereof m Hieron contr Pelag. lib. 2. Quando dicit nullas tenebras in Dei lumine reperiri ostendit omnia aliorum lumina sorde aliqua maculari that all our lights are spotted and darkened with some filth But he telleth vs yet further that very reason teacheth vs that a mans action for substance and all due circumstances may be perfect And it may be indeed that his broken reason so teacheth him howsoeuer his conscience be contrarie to his reason But our reason teacheth vs that if there be yet darknesse in the vnderstanding and waywardnesse in the will and in both a stooping and inclining to the weaknesse and corruption of the flesh as indeed there is then all our workes fauour of our earthly vessels and nothing can come from vs but certainely carieth a blot and imperfection with it And therefore it was no silly shift of M. Perkins but a true defence that neuer any man did any one action with all his due circumstances because n Deut. 6 5. Aug. de perfect iustit Cùm est aliquid conâ—upiscentiae carnalis quod vel continendo fraenetur non omnimodo ex tota anima diligitur Deus all the soule which God wholy requireth in euery action of his seruice cannot be wholy bestowed therein so long as concupiscence possesseth any part thereof as perpetually it doth so long as we continue in the warfare of this life But here in stead of that fourth obiection proposed by M. Perkins M. Bishop bringeth vs foorth a leaden dagger of his owne If greater reward be due vnto them that do better workes then a reward is due vnto them that do good workes But a greater reward is prouided for them that do better workes the conclusion should be Therefore a reward is due vnto them that do good workes In stead wherof in the end of this idle discourse he bringeth in this Whereof followeth most manifestly that there be merits and rewards But I pray you M. Bishop whereof doth that follow do merits follow in the conclusion when in the premisses there is no mention of them But we must pardon you it seemeth your trauelling to Rome hath iogged your Logicke out of your head and therefore such conclusions may easily slippe you But the direct conclusion of your argument we graunt therefore a reward is due vnto them that do good workes onely with this exception that it is due by the mercifull promise of God not by vertue of any our merit or desert and more your argument proueth not Now he taketh great paines in the handling of this worthy argument to proue inequality of reward and all to no purpose because we deny not but that as God in this life diuersly distributeth his graces to some in greater measure to some in lesse so in the life to come he will sort his rewards accordingly that it may be true which is written that o 1. Cor. 3.8 euery man shall receiue his wages according to his labour But whether greater wages to greater labour or lesser wages to lesser labour both are promised for Christs sake as hath bene shewed and God will performe the same p Ezech. 36.22 for his owne names sake and not for any merit of ours whereby he standeth bound vnto vs. As for the terme of merits which he alledgeth out of the Fathers what we are to conceiue thereof followeth anone after to be declared Of virginity and widowhood we are to intreat in
the fire but still we say what is this to satisfaction We still require his proofe that for the vertue and woorth of these fruites it is that God is appeased towards vs. But that cannot be for a man cannot bring forth good fruite except first of all he be made a good tree for e Chap. 7.17 an euill tree cannot bring forth good fruite And if he must first be a good tree that he may bring forth good fruite then God must first be appeased towards him which is by the faith of Iesus Christ f Rom. 3.25 whom God hath set forth to be our reconciliation or attonement through faith in his bloud Our good fruites then are not the causes but the effects of Gods being appeased towards vs. If we haue none we are sure that we are in state of iudgement and damnation and the sentence of Saint Iohn taketh hold of vs but if we haue them we are not to account them the redemption of our sinnes but testimonies of the remission and forgiuenesse thereof Yea but Saint Iohn saith M. Bishop seemeth to confute the laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith Where or in what words Marry because he saith Say not in your hearts we haue Abraham to our father We may imagine that he had a vizard on his face whē he wrote this that the paper might not see him blush Why what is there in these words against the laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith Forsooth he saith to them it will not helpe you to say that ye are the sonnes of Abraham who was father of all true beleeuers Well but what is this yet to laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith It is as much saith he as if he had said trust not to your faith hand off ye generation of vipers This is a strange construction that say not in your hearts we haue Abraham to our father should be as much as to say Trust not to your faith But it grew at Rome and we know that things farre fetched are woont to be very strange As for vs we conceiue in our simplicity that Iohns meaning was to reprooue them for flattering themselues for that carnally they were the seede of Abraham as if that were sufficient security for them towards God when as in the meane time they neglected the repentance and faith and workes of Abraham The true children of Abraham are they g Rom. 4.12 who walke in the steps of the faith of Abraham and h Iohn 8.39 do the workes of Abraham which they not regarding could not be accounted the sonnes of Abraham whose of-spring was reckoned according to the spirit not according to the flesh Thus doth our Sauiour testifie of them that they beleeued not saying vnto them i Math. 21.31 Publicans and harlots shall go before you into the kingdome of God For Iohn came vnto you in the way of righteousnesse and ye beleeued him not but Publicans and harlots beleeued him and ye though ye saw it were not moued with repentance afterward that ye might beleeue him Now is it not a wonder that whereas it is apparent that they had no faith yet Iohn Baptist should say vnto them Trust not to your faith Well all this is nothing he cannot serue the Popes turne that will not notably cogge and lye The rest of his commentarie accordeth with this where he foisteth in the satisfying of Gods iustice there being nothing in the words of S. Iohn that foundeth to that effect 14. W. BISHOP Cor. 7.10 The 7. obiection with M. Perkins Paul setteth downe sundrie fruites of repentance whereof one is reuenge whereby repentant persons punish themselues to satisfie Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of their sinnes M. Perkins answereth A repentant sinner must take vengeance of himselfe and that is to vse all meanes to subdue the corruption of nature and to bridle carnall affections which kind of actions are restrainments properly but no punishments directed against the sinne but not against the person Reply I neuer saw any writer so contradict himselfe and so dull that he doth not vnderstand his owne words If this subduing of our corrupt nature be restrainments onely from sinne hereafter and not also punishments of sin past how then doth the repentant sinner take vengeance of himselfe which you affirme that he must do Reuenge as euery simple body knoweth is the requitall of euill past We graunt that all satisfaction is directed against sinne and not against the person but for the great good of the man albeit that for a season it may afflict both his bodie and mind too as Saint Paules former Epistle did the Corinthians but this sorow being according vnto God doth much benefit the person as the Apostle declareth For besides this reuenge taken on himselfe to appease Gods wrath it breedeth as it is in the text following in our corrupt nature that loueth not such chastisement A feare to returne to sinne least it be againe punished for where there is no feare of paines much pleasure thither our corruption will runne headlong It stirreth vp also in vs Indignation against sinne and all the wicked instruments of it A defence and clearing of our selues with the honester sort And an emulation and desire to flie as farre from sinne as other our equals and consequently A loue of vertue and honest life which freeth vs frō that sorow and all other troublesome passions all which are plainly gathered out of the same text of S. Paul R. ABBOT The Greeke fathers Chrysostome Theophylact Oecumenius and Hierome amongst the Latines do referre the reuenge there spoken of by the Apostle to the punishment of the incestuous man whereby they maintained the authority and due regard of the lawes of God But we further very willingly yeeld that by reuenge is also meant a wreaking of a mans anger as I may terme it vpon himselfe being offended and grieued at himselfe for the sinne that he hath done and therefore bending himselfe to crosse and thwart those desires by which he was led vnto it This the Scripture teacheth vs by the termes of a Math. 16.24 denying our selues b Col. 3.5 mortifying our earthly members c 1. Pet. 4.1 suffering in the flesh d Gal. 5.24 crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts of it and e Rom. 6.6 destroying of the body of sinne Thus men occasion requiring giue themselues ouer to fasting and weeping and mourning and forbearing of accustomed delights yea and to open rebuke and shame with men hauing by publike offence made themselues a scandall to the Church This reuenge we denie not we say that hereby we testifie both to God and men the displeasure and offence that we haue taken against our selues we teach others to take heed and carefully to shun those occasions whereby we haue fallen we labour hereby that the tēptations of sin may no more in the like sort preuaile against vs but we are still
p See hereof Tertul. de poenitentia and the collections of Beatus Rhenanus in the argument of that booke publike coÌ„fession of their sinnes They had their place appointed them in the Church where they stood lamenting and mourning with weeping and teares cast themselues to the ground praying to God for themselues and commending themselues to the prayers of the assembly It was prescribed them by watching by fasting by course and vncouth apparell to afflict and humble themselues that euery way their griefe and sorrow might be seene Which being duly performed the Church was satisfied and taking compassion on them restored them againe to brotherly societie and to the communion of the Church and hereof first was the name of satisfaction taken vp It was not therefore a satisfaction whereby they meant to make God a iust recompence for their sinnes or as by paying a price of woorth and value to merit and purchase their owne pardon but onely a satisfaction whereby the Church would be certified of their true repentance towards God as not enduring that any man shold be accounted a member amongst them who by sinne had made himselfe a stranger to God vntill they saw reason to be perswaded that God would be pleased to be reconciled to him againe They could not looke into the heart to see any mans repentance and sorrow but by mens deuout submitting themselues to the ordinances of publike censure and discipline they would be induced to the perswasion thereof and being thereof perswaded they receiued him againe whom before they had reiected Hereof Saint Austin saith very plainely to shew the the end of it q Aug. Enchir. cap. 65. Cor concritum humiliatum Deus noÌ„ spernit Verum quia plerunque dolor alterius cordis occulius est alteri neque in aliorum notitiaÌ„ per verba vel quaecunque alia signa procedit cùm sit eoram illo cui dicitur Gemitus metâ— Ã te non est absconditus râ—ctè constituuntur ab ijs qui Ecclesiae praesunt temporae poenitentiae vt fiat etiam satis Ecclesiae in qua remittuntur ipsa peccata extra cam quippe non remittuntur A contrite and humbled heart God despiseth not but yet because commonly the griefe of one mans heart is secret to another and cometh not by any words or signes to the certaine knowledge of others being in the sight of him to whom it is said My groning is not hid from thee therefore rightly are there appointed certaine times of penance that the Church also may be satisfied wherein sinnes are forgiuen because out of it there are none forgiuen Here is the true vse of those publike satisfactions It is true that God yeeldeth to the contrite and broken heart remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes but in scandalous trespasses he will haue the knowledge thereof to be taken in the forgiuenesse of the Church A man in that case sinneth not against God onely but also against the Church in prouoking Gods anger as before was said not onely against himselfe but also against them in corrupting others so much as in him lyeth by his euill example in causing aduersaries by that occasion to speake euill of the Church God therefore would that as the Church is interested in the wrong so it should also be interested in the forgiuenesse thereof so as that in this case no man is to presume of forgiuenesse with God who is not so much as in him lieth reconciled to the Church of God This our Sauiour Christ hath confirmed in the Gospell r Mat. 18.18 Whatsoeuer ye bind on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Å¿ Iohn 20.23 Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained So then the forgiuenesse of the Church is to be accounted as it were an admission to forgiuenesse with God and a man taketh the one to be to him a confirmation of the other Now the Church is to forgiue according to the same rule as God forgiueth onely him that is penitent and grieued for his sinne and therefore in such sort as hath bene said requireth satisfaction for certificate and assurance of such repentance And this is specially that satisfaction which is so much spoken of in the writings and records of the auncient Church But yet will M. Bishop say the matter is not sufficiently cleared because howsoeuer the name of satisfaction might haue originall from hence yet we find them to haue applied the same to God also and to haue taught men by such and such works to satisfie and appease the wrath of God And we deny not indeed but that so they haue done but yet we say that they neuer spake of satisfaction in any such meaning as the name of it now importeth in the Church of Rome Farre were they from hauing any thought that any thing they did could be a satisfaction that is a iust and sufficient and worthy recompence for their sinnes but yet they called repentance by the name of satisfaction as to note that it is the thing wherewith God is satisfied that is contented and appeased not for the thing it selfe but for that he hath promised to accept those passions and teares and workes which are the issues and streames of a broken and contrite hart carefully seeking his mercy and humbly crauing remission and pardon in the name of Iesus Christ In this sence they translated the name of satisfaction from the Church to God and from publike to priuate repentance neuer imagining that any man would be so mad as to conceiue merit there where they taught the sinner to aske mercy where they taught that the whole effect of that that is done consisteth in Gods mercy through the merit of Iesus Christ t Hesych in Leuit 7 lib. 2. Christus nobis propitiatio factus est ergo in ipso omne poenitentiae sacrificium ministratur agituâ— omne quod ex poenitentia quis consequitur ad eum refertur Christ is made our attonement saith Hesychius therfore all the sacrifice of repentance or penance is administred and done in him and all that a man obtaineth by repentance is referred to him It is not then for our repentance sake but for Christs sake that in repentance we obtaine that mercy that we do obtaine And to that purpose very notably serueth that which Chrysostome mouing question in the name and behalfe of a sinner and making answer thereto very learnedly and religiously speaketh in this sort u Chrysost de poenit hom 3. Siue in Hypouâ—uemate in EsaiaeÌ„ Cùm omnem vitam in peccatis detriuerim si me poenituerit fiamne saluus Prorsus fies Vnde hoc liquet Ab ipsa Domini tui benignitate non ex tua poenitentia mihi sumo fiduciam Poenitentia enim tua non praeualet tantam abstergere malorum eluutem Poenitentia si sola fuerit meritò tibi metuendum est sed
they as then being not able to beare it he reserued that to be deliuered vnto them afterward of which high mysteries S. Iohn recordeth not much in his Gospel after Christs resurrection and so many of them must needs be deliuered by Tradition vnwritten R. ABBOT More faults then lines saith M. Bishop but very slender proofe doth he bring of any fault First he cauilleth that the text is mangled and things put in instead of miracles The words are thus a Ioh. 20.30 Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this booke but these things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Son of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name Where we translate the Greek relatiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in the neuter gender these things because it hath not reference only to miracles mentioned in the former verse but to the matter of the whole book S. Iohn here intending to set foorth the end purpose of all that he hath written For being b Hier. Proem in Matth. Cum esset in Asia tam tunc haereticorum seminae pullularent Cerinthi Hebionis caeteroruÌ„ qui negant Christum in carne venisse coactus est ab omnibus penè tunc Asiae Episcopis multaruÌ„ Ecclesiarum legationibus de diuinitate saluatoris altiùs scribere in Asia as Ierome saith and the seeds of heretickes beginning to grow of Cerinthus Ebion and others denying Christ to haue come in the flesh he was forced by almost al the bishops of Asia and by messages from other churches to write more deeply then the other Euangelists had done of the diuinity of our Sauior Christ Here then he signifieth that he hath so done these things saith he are written that ye may beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Son of God Therefore Cyrill saith hereof c Cyril in Ioan. lib. 12. cap 61. Quasi repetendo quae scripsit intentionem EuaÌ„gelij manifestat As it were repeating or recounting the things which he hath written he manifesteth the intent of his Gospell The first fault then pretended by M. Bishop is no fault because the relatiue implieth generally what the Euangelist hath written according to the intent and purpose of his Gospell The second fault is ridiculously alledged for wheÌ„ M. Perkins collecteth that by faith we be saued how doth he meane it or how doth any man meane it but d Acts. 3 16. by faith in the name of Christ As touching the third point it hath bene e Of Iustification Sect. 18. before declared that to beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Son of God importeth the applying vnto vs of the merit and righteousnes of Christ For as a man may f Thom. Aquin. 22 q. 2. art 2. ad 3. Credere Dâ—uÌ„ non conuenit infidelibus sub ea ratione qua ponitur actus fidei Non enim credunt Deum esse sub his conditionibus quas fides determinat beleeue that there is a God or that God is and yet be still an infidell wanting that beleefe therof which is properly the act of faith as Thom. Aquinas noteth so a man may in some sort beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Son of God yet not so beleeue it as the Scripture nameth it for the act of iustifying faith because he beleeueth it not vnder such conditions as are determined by the doctrine of faith If it be taken only for an act of vnderstanding as the Papists take it a maÌ„ may beleeue it without any fruit because the diuels so beleeue but the beleefe of the heart which the Scripture intendeth importeth affiance and trust and inward feeling and comfort of that which it beleeueth whilst therby we apply vnto our selues the benefite of the merit passion of Christ expecting therby the remission of our sins But now froÌ„ noting of faults M. Bishop cometh to a finall answer that because S. Iohn speaketh of miracles not of doctrine therefore these words proue nothing for the sufficiency of the written word Where M. Perkins exception still standeth vnremoued that because by miracles without doctrine we caÌ„not attaine to that faith wherby we beleeue that Christ is the Son of God therfore the words of the Euangelist cannot be restrained to miracles only For others did miracles as great yea g Ioh. 14.12 greater then Christ did as by example we see when h Act. 5.15 by the shadow of Peter and by i Chap. 19.12 napkins and handkerchifes from Paules body the sicke are healed which we reade not of Christ himselfe By miracles therfore Christ is not discerned vnlesse by doctrine accoÌ„panying the same he be made known vnto vs therefore the words of the Euangelist must be referred to the doctrine also whereby he teacheth to make vse of the miracles of Christ So S. Austin referreth the words both to those things which Christ did and said k Aug. in Joan. tract 49. Sanctus Euangelista testatur multa Dominum Christum dixisse fecisse quae scripta non sunt Electa sunt auteÌ„ quae scriberentur quae saluti credentium sufficere videbantur The holy Euangelist testifieth that Christ both did and said many things which are not written and for the ouerthrowing of M. Bishops answer and iustifying of our assertion he addeth but those things were chosen to be written which seemed sufficient for the saluation of them that beleeue Cyril speaketh more expresly l Cyril in Ioan. lib. 12. cap. 68. Non omnia quae Dominus fecit conscriptasunt sed quae scribentes sufficere putarunt tam ad mores quà m ad dogmata vt recta fide operibus virtute rutilantes ad regnum coeloruÌ„ perueniamus Al things which Christ did are not writteÌ„ but what the writers thought to be sufficient as well touching conuersation as doctrine that shining with right faith and vertuous works we may attaine to the kingdom of heauen It is not then our collection only but thus these ancient Fathers conceiued that of the miracles doctrine of Christ so much was written as is sufficient to instruct vs to faith to the attainment of euerlasting life And this is plainly deliuered in the words of S. Iohn who could not say These things are written that ye may beleeue and beleeuing may haue eternall life if there be not that written by the beleefe whereof we may obtaine eternall life Therefore as touching Saint Iohns Gospell containing all things needfull to saluation we answer him first that indeed we affirme that there is no article of faith necessarie to saluation which is not to be taught and learned out of the Gospell of S. Iohn Secondly there is no cause so to restraine the words as if Saint Iohn would meane onely in his Gospell to comprehend all that should be needfull for the instruction of the Church Nay he hath a plaine reference to those things
for the doing of it but the other not only teacheth by writing or by preaching but ministreth also grace to worke in the heart obedience to that that it teacheth g August de sp lit cap. 20. Propter veteru hominis noxam quae per literam rubeâ—rem minantem minimè fanabitur dicitur illud testamentuÌ„ vitas hoc verò nonum propter nouitatem spiritus qua hominem nouum sanâ—tà vitio vetustatis The old Testament saith S. Austin is so called because of the corruption of the old man which was not healed by the commanding and threatening letter but the other the new because of the newnesse of the spirit which healeth the new man from the old corruption But we would gladly know of M. Bishop how it is true which the Apostle saith that h 2. Tim. 3.16 all Scripture is inspired of God if it be true which he saith that God did not giue his lawes written with inke and paper If the Gospell might well enough haue bene kept in mens hearts without writing why were the faithfull so instant with S. Marke first after with S. Iohn as we haue seene before for the writing of their Gospels Why doth the Apostle tell the Philippians that i Phil. 3.1 it was necessary for them that he should write vnto them the same things that he had preached vnto them if there were no such necessitie Why is S. Iohn in the Reuelation so often commaunded k Reuel 1.11 cap. 2.1 c cap. 14.13 to write to write if tradition might serue as well as writing Surely Irenaeus telleth vs that it was l Jren. â—ib 3 c. 1. Euangelium per voluntatem Dei in Scripturu nobâ—s tradiderunt by the will of God that the Apostles deliuered vnto vs the Gospell in writing as we haue shewed before So likewise we haue heard S. Austin saying that m Aug. supra sect 14. Christ commanded his disciples to write what he would haue vs to reade of his sayings and doings The same S. Austine saith againe that n Idem in epist Ioan. tract 2. Contra insidiosos errores Deus voluit pouere firmamentum in scripturis sanctis contra quas nullus audet loqui qui quoquo modo se vult videri Christianum God would place a bulwarke against deceiptfull errors in the holy Scriptures against which no man dare speake that will in any sort be taken for a Christian man Do these Fathers tell vs that it was the will of God the commaundement of Christ that his lawes should be deliuered vnto vs written with inke and paper and will M. Bishop perswade vs that it was not the will of God But I would further question with him What are they all so perfect in the Gospell at Rome as that they neede no written Gospell Is it so setled in their hearts remembrances by tradition only as that without any Scriptures it might be preserued amoÌ„gst them If M. Bishop say yea he knoweth himselfe to be a lyer If he say no what is the reason that he setteth thus lightly by inke and paper Fie vpon this wilfull blindnesse how strange a thing is it that any man should thus cast a veile ouer his owne eyes He telleth vs further that Christ endowed his Apostles with the blessed spirit of truth with a most diligeÌ„t care of instructing others that all their posteritie might learne of them al the points of Christian doctrin Now thus far he saith true but his purpose is with a little truth to colour a great lye For he addeth that we should giue credit to them aswell for the written as vnwritten word Sycophant what haue we here to do with the vnwritten word The vnwritten word is the matter in question and must it here be presumed before it be proued Let it first be made good that the Apostles meant to leaue behind them any vnwritten word We say that because they had care that all posteritie by them should learne all the points of Christian doctrine therefore they had care that all the points of Christian doctrine should be committed to writing that as S. Luke professeth to haue written to the intent that Theophilus o Luk. 1.4 might thereby acknowledge the certainty of those things wherof he had bene instructed so by his writings and the rest we should acknowledge the certaintie and assured truth of their doctrine and not lye open to the illusions of such impostors and cosiners as M. Bishop is who vnder the names of the Apostles should broach those things which the Apostles neuer thought Whereof we haue a notable example in p Euseb hist lib. 3. ca. 36. Papias who succeeded immediatly after the time of the Apostles who whilest he was not contented with those things which were left in writing but was still hearkening after euery one that tooke vpon him to haue bin a follower of any of the Apostles and enquiring what any of them had said or done swallowed manie gudgeons giuen him by such deceiuers and deliuered * Alia taÌ„quam ex viua trad tione ad se relata et peregrâ—naâ— quasdam seruatoris parabolas doctrinas cum non nullis fobâ—losis adijcit c. Apostolicas dâ—sputationes non rectè accepit c. Quamplurimis â—os se ecclesiasticis viris ciroris causam dedit quiad antiquitatem ipsius respexerunt c. as reported to him by tradition many fabulous things and strange doctrines conceiuing himselfe by that meanes amisse of the Apostles speeches and giuing occasion to many other to erre as he did whilest for his antiquitie they respected him very much This is the end of M. Bishops vnwritteÌ„ word they wil teach vs what pleaseth their Lord god the Pope theÌ„ make vs beleeue it is a part of the vnwritten word But yet he addeth again that our crediting the Apostles shold be more for the meaning of the word then for the word it self Where it is not in any good meaning that he thus nicely distinguisheth betwixt the word it self the meaning of the word leauing it forsooth to be vnderstood that they left the word one way and the meaning of the word another way the one in writing and the other by tradition But what will M. Bishop haue vs thinke that the Apostles would write words and not meane by their words to signifie their meaning Is it likely that they would write one thing and in meaning intend another Did they not write to that very end that in their writing it should appeare to all ages what doctrine they taught Surely they were honest and plaine dealing men they wold not beguile vs they wold not mock vs they haue simply told vs what their mind is There are manie difficulties in their writings and in the whole Scriptures it is true but yet there are perspicuities also so farre as is needful for the clearing of them There is to exercise the strong but yet there
his owne Rhemish translation and tell vs which way he can make good that which he saith a Acts. 4.34 As many as were owners of lands or houses sold and brought the prices of those things which they sold and laid it before the feete of the Apostles The text saith they sold and brought the price of that they sold it saith not that they sold all and brought the price of all Philip was one of them and yet Philip had his b Cap. 21.8 house still and I hope M. Bishop will not thinke but that he had something in his house also wherewith hee gaue entertainment to Saint Paul and those that were with him And who doubteth but that the rest kept their dwelling houses furnished for their owne vse and for the vse of other godly and faithfull brethren as occasion should serue So it is said of Barnabas that c Cap. 4 37. whereas he had a field or a peece of land he sold it but it is not said that he sold all So Ananias and Saphira d Cap. 5.1 sold a possession or a peece of land but they are not said to haue sold all that they possessed And whereas Maister Bishop saith that the same Ananias and his wife made a vow because it is said that e Ver. 4. they lied vnto God he talketh idlely They lied vnto God because they pretended to bring the whole price of that which they sold when they brought but a part thereof But those other faithfull Christians did that which the common state and necessitie of the Church did then require Many poore doubtlesse were then conuerted to the faith of Christ who being now ioined to the Church could expect no reliefe but from the Church They therefore who had wherewith to relieue the necessity of such were to testifie their faith and loue by communicating imparting to them of that they had Here was no matter of Monkery it was an example of the common fruit that should be of true Christianity and piety whensoeuer like occasion should require He sheweth not himselfe a liuely and feeling member of the body of Christ who in the publike want of the Church cannot find in his heart to dispossesse himselfe of somewhat for the succour and comfort of other members Letting these things briefely passe as M. Bishop doth let vs see what argument he collecteth of these examples That which was commended by our Sauiours own both example and doctrine and was practised by the Apostles and most holy Christians may be vowed very laudably But to sell all and giue it to the poore is such We denie his second proposition because it pronounceth that absolutely and simply which in the other proposition is vnderstood respectiuely onely and with exception f Hieron adâ— Iouin lib. 2. Antisthenes venditis quae habebat publicè distributis nihil sibi quà m palliolum reseruauit Antisthenes the Philosopher who was maister to Diogenes sold all that he had as Hierome mentioneth and made publike distribution thereof So doth the same Hierome mention a sect of Philosophers called g Idem in Math. cap. 10. Bactroperitae contempâ—ores seculi omnia pro nihilo duceÌ„tes cellariuÌ„ secum vehebant Bactroperitae who were contemners of the world and set all things at nought onely carying a bagge or wallet with them and yet these did not that which Christ commended or the Apostles practised Christ hath commended it and the Apostles and faithfull Christians by their practise haue taught it when it concerneth vs necessarily for the following of Christ when the commandement of Christ and his cause and Gospell doth require it But to do it voluntarily and of our owne heads when no such cause requireth it it is not a matter of commendation with Christ but of our owne superstitious and fond presumption The former way we may lawfully and laudably vow it yea and we do all vow it in our baptisme to forsake all rather then to forsake Christ to keepe nothing the keeping whereof should keepe vs away from Christ But when the hauing of our wealth hindereth not but that in mind and affection we may follow Christ and keepe our selues faithfull vnto him then to vow the relinquishing thereof is a superfluous and rash vow no seruice of God but a pleasing of our owne fancie and no where commended by Iesus Christ 24. W. BISHOP Now one word of obedience before we end this question This vow saith M. Perkins is against Christian liberty whereby we haue granted vs a free vse of all things indifferent and therefore to be bound to certaine meates and apparell is intollerable but this reason hath bene reproued already * Gal. 5.10 he addeth Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ hath made you free Doth your breath or heart faile you Sir that you stop thus in the middest of a sentence the rest belike discouereth the fraud of it And wrap not your selues againe in the yoke of bondage to wit bind not your selues to the obseruation of Moses law as yee shall do if ye be circumcised All this is good but doth it follow hereof that in the law of grace we should not obey our superiours nor obserue such good orders as holy Church hath approued nothing lesse but happy is that necessitie as Saint Augustine witnesseth which holdeth vs close to those things which be better to do than to leaue vndone otherwise our weaknesse would quickly shrinke backe And againe if Christes sufferings without his obedience as M. Perkins himselfe testifieth Pag. 61. had not bene auaileable for our iustification no doubt but those workes which are garnished with the vertue of obedience are more acceptable in Gods sight Finally M. Perkins saith that wee magnifie these three vowes of chastitie pouertie and obedience And good reason haue we so to do as hath bene shewed but saith he for the vow of Baptisme we haue made no such account of it as they do which is not so We hold indeede that the couenant which we make in Baptisme is no vow but a full and assured promise to beleeue in God to renounce the diuell and all his workes and to keepe all Gods commandements which we keepe or do our best indeuour to keepe at least wee teach not as the Protestants do that they are impossible to be kept for that is enough to discourage any man from endeuouring to keepe them And as touching the vow which he saith we made in our creation wee remember nothing of it nor neuer heard speake of it by any good author not that we make or meane we any vowes when we receiue the B. Sacrament These be but nouelties of words and the rauing of some decayed wits R. ABBOT Christian liberty hath not onely set vs free from the rigour and curse of the law but also from the yoke of externall obseruations that is from placing religion and holinesse the worship and seruice of God and from reputing cleannesse or