by anie man and much lesse by words and glosses deuised by a fantasticall head Quod si et i am bodierno die c. Yea and if at this date it could be that anie man by strong testimonie of scriptures were able to prooue unto me that there is not anie thing in the sacrament but bread and wine yet there is no neede that anie man should set vpon me with so bitter minde for I am alas to much inclining to this part as farre as I canperceiue the nature of my olde Adam But by such furies as Carolostadius rageth and is mad about this matter it mooueth me so much that in defending my opinion I am made more stubborne In these wordes Luther being in an heat against Carolostadius a vaine tumultuous person acknowledgeth his owne weakenes of both sides But by our answerer he is charged with his honestie as labouring to peruert the sacrament thereby to hurt the Pope Yet neither anie desire of peruerting the sacrament or end of hurting the Pope is confessed in those words For Luther laboured not to peruert the sacrament but to finde out the trueth if he might not to hurt the Popes person but to oueithrowe the papacie which is the Kingdome of Antichrist although he acknowledgeth that his affection is caried sometimes on the one side sometimes on the other side contrarie to his persuasion Wherein he is an honester man to confesse his owne infirmitie then the answerer is to quarell and cauill with him therefore For the saying which he citeth out of his epistle ad Ioh. Heruagium Printer of Argentine he sendeth vs to seeke it in Gesners Bibliotheca where is onelie the title at the moste but where it is to be found among Luthers printed workes neither he nor we can tell and therefore how honestlie he hath dealt with it I can not saie But to this he ioyneth certaine other sentences of Luthers taken out of a treatise called a defense of the wordes of the supper against the phanaticail spirits of sacramentaries in which treatise it cannot be denied but Luther as he erred in the matter so was he caried farre beyond the bondes of charitie and modestie in declaiming against the contrarie parte yet not also much as the answerer would haue men think by falsifying his wordes and mangling his sentence after his vsuall manner As in the first clause he maketh Luther to saie accursed be their char tie and concord where his wordes be Illa charitas concordia that charitie and concord vnder pretense of which as he vntruely gathered gods trueth should be defaced The second sentence in which he derideth the diuers expositiones of Carolostadius Zuinglius and Oecolampadius more by happe then by cunning he hath hit vpon Luthers wordes who yet els where confesseth that the interpretation of Zuinglius and Oecolampadius came both to one end As for Carolostadius fantasie is as much reiected of vs as of Luther and the papists Now come we to the third place wherein it is somwhat long to shew the fooletie of this answerer which wil take vpon him out of another mans notebooke to set downe Luthers wordes as though he had read thē himselfe euen as he plaieth with al other writers sayings almoste that come thorough his fingers olde new Yet to discouer his vaine pride and to shame his fellow papists that boast of his great learning and much reading I will set forth the matter somewhat more at large this is the answerers saying p. 22. And againe in the same worke he hath these wordes To expound the wordes of Christ as the sacramentaries do this is the signe of my bodie is as absurd an exposition as if a man should interpret the scripture thus In the beginning God made heauen and earth that is the Cuckow did eate vp the titling or hedgesparow together with her bones Againe in S. Iohn And the word was made flesh that is a crooked staffe was made a kite This saith the answerer but in deede Luthers wordes are farre otherwise and to another end then to shew the absurditie of our exposition although he haue the wordes of a Cuckow and a crooked staffe a titling and a kite as you shall see plainlie Age verò audiamus quo pacto verbis Christi c. Goe too let vs heare how they take awaie our sense from the wordes of Christ and thrust in their owne They affirme that the word is is all one with the word signifieth as Zuinglius writeth And the word my bodie is the same that the signe of my bodie as Oecolampadius writeth The words therefore and minde of Christ after the text of Zuinglius do sound thus take ye eat ye this doth signifie my bodie after the text of Oecolampadius take ye eate ye this is the signe of my body Now they are as certaine that these sentences are true they do as stedfast lie persist in them in their hartes as a reede is wont to do being shaken hither and thither of the winde as I said Therefore by and by they glorie that we haue no testimonie of scripture that the bodie of Christ is in the Lordes supper but a litle while after they humble them selues againe and desire to be taught and promise that they will followe vs if we shall prooue by scripture that the bodie of Christ is present in his supper And truelie they doe a great and earnest matter but the same thing commeth to passe as if when I had a litle before denied that God created heauen and earth and had subscribed to the opinion of Aristotle Plinie other ethnikes of the eternitie of the world and some man setting him-selfe against me should bring forth that saying of Moses In the beginning God created heauen and earth and I now to confute mine aduersarie should expound the wordes of Mosesthus God that is the Cuckow created that is deuoured heauen and earth that is the titling all and wholl together with the bones and fethers and so should fayne this sentence of the wordes of Moses In the beginning the Cuckow deuoured the titling all and wholl together with the bones and feathers and should vtterlie cast awaie that In the beginning God created heauen and earth would not this seeme to be a peece of cunning Yet truelie not vnworthie nor vnknowne of Iesters Also it should be like as if I would denie the sonne of God to be made man to him that should laie against me that saying of Saint Ihon. 1. The word was made flesh I would answere the word signifieth a crooked stafe and flesh a kite and the sentence is a crooked stafe is made a kite But if my conscience did reprooue me and crie against me Master Martyne you expound the text too peeuishlie and crookedlie but c. and I should keepe in that but vntill shame died my cheekes with redde and yet would say fie on the false traytor take awaie thy but
sttetch forth the Doctors meaning when you will be so impudent with their wordes The Apostles said In hoc credimus quia a Deo exîsti Quae rogo haec verbi huius admiratio est quod se exisse à Deo professus sit Tanta tam deo propria vos O Sancti beati viri ob fidei vestrae meritum claues regni caelorum sortitt ligandi atque soluendi in caelo in terraius adepti gestacsse per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Dei filium 〈◊〉 ad id quod à Deo exisse dixit nunc primùm vos veri intelligentiam assecutos protestamini In this we beleeue that thou art come out from God What admiration I praie you is this of this word that he professeth that he came out from God so great thinges and so proper to God O ye holie and blessed men which had obteined the keies of the kingdome of heauen for the worthinesse of your faith and haue obtained right of binding and loosing in heauen and earth had you seene done by our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God And doe you now first protest that you haue obtained the vnderstanding of the trueth as concerning that he said he came forth from God In these wordes it is apparant that all the Apostles haue the keies as well as Peter and right or authoritie of binding and loosing but that the whole right thereof is in them as though God had resigned his right to them or giuen them equall right with him-selfe S. Hilarie neuer said nor thought The latter sentence toucheth not the cōtrouersy between vs. For we graunt the power of binding and loosing forgiuing and retaining to be ratified in heauen but that the wordes of Christ be of an absolute power properlie to doe that which is the office of God alone we cannot learne by this or anie other saying of Saint Hilarie ALLEN But I will adde S. Chrysostomes testimonie thereunto the rather because our aduersaries doe abuse his wordes sometimes against confession which necessarilie hangeth on the authority of Priesthood in remission and retaining sinnes as anon I shal declare That I be not ouer tediuose I will report his saying in English onelie Those saith he that dwelleth in earth and are conuersant amongst men haue receiued power and commission to dispose and dispense such thinges as be in heauen yea these men haue receieud power such as neither God either gaue to Angelles for it was neuer said to them whatsoeuer you bind in earth it shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer you loose in earth it shall be loosed in heauen Earthlie Princes in deed haue power to binde but that pertaineth to the bodies of their subiectes onelie but that which I now talke of that is proper to the Priests touching the verie soule it selfe and is so ample that it reacheth to the heauens aboue yea that so largelie that whatsoeuer the Priestes doe beneath the verie selfe same God wil allow and ratifie in heauen aboue and so the Lord will confirme the iudgement and sentence of the seruants Thus farre speaketh Chrysostome His words be so plaine that to stand long on them for farther proofe of my matter then the verrie face of the sentence doth importe it were vaine For man maie here rather maruell to see such strange power vpon Christes wordes giuen to the holie order and yet that to be so litle esteemed of wicked men and so litle regarded euen of the honester sort of simple folkes that few either seeke after their iudgement in cause of their soules or duelie honour that power in them which passeth all other prelacie that euer either man or Angell receiued in this great contempt I saie of most holie things wickednes is rather to be wondered at and lamented then by long reasoning to be confuted The sequele of true thinges is so plaine in it selfe the diuerse places of scripture so answere iustlie ech to other the fathers so consonantlie confirme the knowne meaning of the same and the verie tearmes of so many scriptures writen at diuerse times by sundrie of the Euangelists so fall vpon one vndoubted sense that we may rightly conclude the power to be in all cases giuen to the Apostles of remission of sinne FVLKE The wordes of Chrysostome are large enough of themselues although you had not augmented them with your additions and explications beside that you haue altered the number in the text of Mat 16. where in lieth a mysteric For Chrysostome by these wordes spoken in the singular number to Peter prooueth the authoritie that is common to all Priests What soeuer thou shalt binde whatsoeuer thou shalt loose The summe is that the power and dignitie of Priests is exceeding great which maketh a mortall man to come neere to the blessed and incorrupted nature of God as he saieth before But if an absolute and proper power of remitting sins were graūted to them they come not one ly neere but are translated in deede into the diuine na ture which is intollerable blasphemy That the Lord ratifieth in heauen confirmeth the sentence of his seruants giuen vpon earth it is to be vnderstoode that God approoueth the sentence which he before hath appointed them to pronounce As if the Queene in England should protest that shee is content to ratifie and confirme whatsoeuer her embassadour doth in France acding to his commission and the instructions receiued from her thee neither resigneth her authoritie to her embassadour neither giueth him equall power with her selfe but onelie maketh him the interpreter and declarer of her will and pleasure which shee is content to ratifie and not otherwise ALLEN And vpon such knowne termes I make this argument against the aduersaries They truelie and properlie doe remit sinnes vpon whose sentence in earth the pardon of God immediatelie ensueth in heauen but Gods pardon vndoubtedlie followeth the priests pardon in remission in earth Claue non errante Ergo they assuredlie remit sins The Maior is manifest the Minor hangeth vpon plaine scripture thrise tolde which first appointed man to loose in earth and then that God shall in the same instant forgiue in heauen God shall confirme the sentence of his seruants saith S. Chrysostome Mans iudgement saith Hilarie shall be as a sentence preiudiciall to God in heauen And thus farre for the wordes of Christ at this present and farther strength shal more and more be gathered vnto them by diuerse partes of all the processe following FVLKE You make such argumentes for your friendes and not against your aduersaries For what aduersarie would you choose vnto your selfe so simple that could not espie these grosse faults of your syllogisme For first your Maior is false which you saie is manifest But you haue not yet prooued that they doe properlie remit sinnes vpon whose sentence in earth the pardon of God immediately ensueth in heauen that is whose sentence on earth is ratified confirmed in heauen That they doe
haue beene hither to frustrate and the strength of the Turke is increased by our warres The second is that vnder pretext of making warre against the Turke the Popehath vsed to rake mony to gether for their pardons And he concludeth that without repentance and the ouerthrow of the Popes tyrannie there is no hope to preuaile in warre against the Turkes because God is not on our side butiustlie incensed against vs. Quantòrectius saith he faceremus c. How much better should we do if first with our praiers yea rather by changeing the wholl course of our life we reconcile God vnto vs And then that the Emperours the princes would restraine that Idole of Roome from tyrannie deceit and destroying of souies For that I also maie once prophecie although I know I shall not be heard Except the Pope of Rome be brought vnder all Christendome is vndonne Let him flie as Christ hath taught into the mountaines he that can or with confidence let him offer his life to death vnto the Romish murtherers The Popedome can worke nothing but sinne and destruction what will you more But who shall subdue the Pope Christ by the brightnes of his comming and none other Lord who hath beleeued our preaching he that hath eares to heare let him heare and let him absteine from the Turgish warre while the name of the Pope preuaileth vnder heauen I haue said By this you maie see that Luther fauored not the empire of infidelitie but sheweth by what meanes it maie be resisted Againe he forbiddeth not defense against the Turke but inuasion of the Turke when we maie be at peace with him For that it is lawfull to fight against the Turke in our owne defense he sheweth his opinion in consut Rat. Latomianae where he derideth the follie of Latomus and the diuines of Louane which racked the decree of Pope Leo to this sense that it was needles to answer the aduersaties of religion which is as great wisedome of the schoole of Louane in proceeding against Luther as if when the Turke doth set vpon vs which is no waies lawfull for him and yet he will not be staid we should send the diuines of Louane embassadors vnto him which should saie vnto him It is not lawfull for thee to fight and if thou do we will condemne thee and so suffer him to raunge at his pleasure and yet boast that we haue gotten the victorie Nay saith he let vs laie aside praiers and all spirituall armour and cease to resist the deuill denouncing vnto him and saying It is not lauful for thee to trouble the Church of God So that Luther by these wordes declareth his iudgement that it is as lawfull for vs and as necessarie with bodelie armour to defend our selues against the Turke assailing vs as it is to fight against the deuill with spirituall armour and to confute enemies of the trueth by the word of God For a fourth example of impietie you adde when he reprehended the Pope for defining beside scripture that the soule is immortall and calleth it a monster of the dunghill of Rome what ground of impietie doth he not laie In deed if Luther should denie the immortalitie of the soule as Pope Iohn the 23. did and was therefore conuicted and condemned in the Counsell of Constance wee would accurse Luthers memorie as much as the Popes But if Luther reprehended the Pope for deliuering that vpon the creditte of his owne definition and authoritie which is manifestlie grounded vpon the authoritie of holie scriptures what a slaunderous penne haue you He was charged by the Collectors art 37. to haue saide thus Certum est in manu Ecclesiae c. It is certaine that it is not in the hand of the Church or of the Pope at all to decree articles of the faith nay nor yet lawes of manners and good workes To this article Luther answereth thus Probo hunc sic c. This article I prooue thus 1. Cor. 3. No man can lay any other foundation beside that which is alreadie laide which is Iesus Christ. Here thou hast the foundation laid by the Apostles but euerie article of faith is part of this foundation therefore none other article can be laid then is alreadie laid There may be builded vpon as the same Apostle saith And therefore the Pope ought to be laide and builded vpon the same foundation but not to lay any foundation for all things to be beleeued are fully set forth in the scriptures Yet I permit that the Pope may make articles of faith to them that beleeue in him such as these are That the bread and wine are transsubstantiated in the sacrament That the essence of god doth neither beget nor is begotton That the soul is the substantiall forme of the bodie That he him seife is the Emperour of the world King of heauen and an earthly God That the soull is immortall And all those infinite monsters in the Romish dunghill of decrees that such as his faith is such may be his Gospell such his beeleeuers such his Church and that like lippes may haue like lettice and the cup a couer meete for it But we which are Christians and not Papanes doe know that there is nothing pertaining either to faith or good manners which is not abundantlie set forth in the holie scriptures that there is neither authoritie nor place for men to decree any other thing These wordes declare that what doctrine is true and needefull to be knowne must be receiued from God by the holie scriptures not from the Popes decrees or from any mortall mans authoritie It is maruaile you doe not charge Luther with holding the pluralitie of Gods because here prehendeth the Pope for defining that the essence of god can neither beget nor be begotton as wel as with denying the immortality of the soul. both which articles are to be taken out of the holie scriptures not from the authoritie of the Popes definition For though the Pope define any thing which is true yet it must not be receiued vpon his creditte but vpon the authoritie of Gods worde And seeing the Popes decrees doe containe such a number of vntruethes the articles of faith from the Popes decrees may receiue discredit rather then authoritie But all thinges must be examined according to the worde of God writen which is the truth yea euen the scripture comming from the mouth of the deuill Againe I wish the reader to consider how truelie you saie that Luther calleth that opinion of the immortalitie of the soule a monster of the dunghill of Rome when he speaketh of the infinite monsters of falsehoode that are found in the dunghill of the Popes decrees where of he maketh no expresse mention in answere to this article The last example of impiety is when Luther affirmeth and mantaineth that neither man nor Angell on earth can laie any one lawe vpon any one Christian further then he will him-selfe What foundation say you
euen in that sermon you quote requiring confession of secret faultes to be made onelie to God and not to men Sed confunderis erubescis peccata tua effari Atqui oportebat maximè apud homines ea dicere inuulgare Confusio enim est peccare non est confusio confiteri peccata nunc autem neque necessariùm presentibus testibus confusio confiteri Cogitatione fiat delictorum exquisitio absque teste sit hoc iudicium Solus te Deus confitentem videat Deus qui non exprobat peccata tua sed soluit peccata propter confusionem Nunquid sic grauaris retrocedis verùm ego scio quòd conscientia non sustinet sua delicta But thou art ashamed and abashed to vtter thy sinnes Yet thou oughtest moste of all to declare and publish them before men For it is ashame to sinne it is no shame to confesse thy sinnes But now it is neither necessarie to confesse in the presence of witnesses Let examination of thine offences be made in thought let this iudgement be without a witnesse let god only see thee making thy confession god which casteth not thy sinnes in thy teeth but too seth thy sinnes for thy shame what and arte thou greeued to doe so much and goest backe yet I know shy conscience cānot abide her owne offences These wordes a man would thinke should be plaine enough against the necessitie of auricular confession but that you haue found out a moste impudent interpretation of them to saie that by confessing to God he meaneth the close consistory of the priests iudgement who occupieth the seate of God and of this exposition the Master of the sentences should be author other schoolemen should be approouers Verelie whosoeuer inuented it or whosoeuer haue alowed it Chrysostome crieth out plainly that it is not his meaning which requireth the examination to be in thought alone and the iudgement without witnes which cannot be if the priest doe heare it And although he count it greater perfection to make open confession before men yet he denieth it to be necessarie Again in his commentarie vpon the Epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 12. Hom. 30. more plainlie after he hath exhorted men to count all their sinnes seuerally before God and to make an hartie confession of our vnworthines he addeth Non 〈◊〉 tibi vt te prodas in publicum neque vt te a pud alios accuses sed obedire te volo Prophetae dicenti reuela domino taunt viam Ante Deum ergo confitere peccata apud verum iudicem cum oratione delicta tua pronuncia non lingua sed conscientiae tuae memoria tunc demum spera misericordiam te posse consequt sihabueris in mente peccata tua contiuuò nunquam malum aduersus proximum in corde retinebis I say not to thee that thou oughtest to bewraie thy selfe abroad nor that thou shouldest accuse thy selfe before other men But I will haue thee obey the Prophet saying open thy wait before the Lorde Confesse thy sinnes therefore before God prononnce thy offences before the true iudge with praier not with thy tongue but with rememberance of thy conscience and then hope that thou maist obteine mercie if thou shalt haue thy sinnes in minde continuallie thou shalt neuer reieine euill in thy heart against thy neighbour We must confesse our selues before the consistorie of that true iudge where we neede not to pronounce with our tongue but in our constience our sinfull state which is not the close consistorie of popish shrift where without the tongue the priest can know nothing Yet again the same Doctor vpon the 50. Psal. Hom. 2. writeth moste plainlie Pecoata tua dictio vt deleas illa si confunderis elicui dicere quia peccasti dicito eaquotide in anima tuas non dico vt confiter 〈◊〉 seruo tuo vt exprobret dicito deo qui curateoe Haec enim si non dixeris ignorat ea Deus nunquid à te vultea 〈◊〉 Cùm faciehas ea practo erat cùm admitteres 〈◊〉 are non erubuisti confiteri erubescis dicito in 〈◊〉 vs in illa requiem habeas dicito ingemiscens lachrimans Declare thy sinnes that thou maiest 〈◊〉 them out if thou be ashamed to declare to any that thou hast sinned declare them dailie in thine owne soule I doe not saie that thou oughtest to confesse them to thy fellow seruent that he may cast thee in the teeth declare them to God which doth heale them For if thou shalt not declare them is God ignorant of them Or would he know them by thee when thou didest them he was present when thou didest commit them he knew Thou waste not ashamed to sinne and art thou ashamed to confesse declare thy sinnes in this life that thou maist haue rest in that life declare them groning and weeping With what conscience could the Master of the sentences first or any man after him wrest these words of Chrysostome to so contrarie a meaning But what durst they not doe which had giuen ouer them selues whollie to mainteine the corrupt customes of the Romish Church how concrarie soeuer they were either to the holie scriptures or to the testimonies of the auncient Doctors But you haue an inuincible argument to prooue plainlie that his onelie purpose was to bring men to confession and penance sacramentall you meane to Popish shrift For there he chargeth them saie you that they did not wcepe nor lament nor confesse their sinnes which he could not doe rightlie if those thinges were onelie inwardlie in cogitation and heart to be done For how could he knowthat they did not make confession Yes Master Allen beeing their pastour and ouerseer of their soules he might know by their outward sinfull and carelesse conuersation that they did not weepe nor lament nor confesse their sinnes before God For if they did dailie examine themselues as he chargeth them they would not haue bene so loose in life as they were and therefore you haue not so much as obscurelie prooued your purpose lest of al that it was Chrysostomes onelie purpose to driue his people to shrift which if it had beene a necessarie institution of Christ as you holde he would not haue beene so daintie for any offence of the weake as you make him to cal men vnto it vpon necessitie of saluation He that feared not openlie to reprehend the Empresse would he haue beene afraide of the peoples displeasure No no Master Allen Gods institution necessarie to saluation maie not be concealed though heauen and earth should runne together about the publishing thereof ALLEN But whosoeuer list see the moste assured and vndoubted meaning of this holie Father touching confession to apriest whereon I stand the longer because our aduersaries would picke quarells with Gods Church vpon certeine particles of his sentence let him read the second and third booke of the dignitie of priesthoode where he doth not onelie attribute more dignitie to that order then
same that Christ said it to be we beleeue the same The whol discourse of the Doctor in that place is contrarie to the error of the carnall presence where he sheweth that the sacrament is the Image of Christ as man is the Image of God though he be not equall with God as the sacrament is not equall with Christ but an insensible thing yet neuerthelesse by grace is called and beleeued to be that which Christ said of it This saying of Epiphanius do we allow and vse as an inumcible argument against transsubstantiation and the carnal manner of presence as was well tried when in the conference at the tower it was opposed vnto your client Campian who had nothing but vaine wordes to anoide it being a place which he neither vnderstood in the authors tongue nor after it was expounded in English could tell the argument or occasion of it To the places cited out of Chrysostome I answered that albeit they be sometimes hyperbolicall yet as he vnderstood them and doth manie times expounde him selfe we confesse them to be true and yet no carnall presence prooued by them as In Mat. H. 83. which our answerer citeth in these wordes Sed quoniam ille dixit hoc est corpus meum credamus etiamsi sensui absurdem esse videatur Because Christ hath said this is my bodie we must beleeue it although it seeme absurd to our sense The saying is good and catholike but yet it is not altogether Chrysostomes neither in this homilie nor in the Hom 60. ad Pop. Antioch which also he quotech for it The wordes of Chrisostome in Math. Ho. 83. of the translation of Trapezuntius be these Quoniam ergo ille dixit hoc est corpus meum nulla teneamur ambiguitate sed credamus oculis intellectus id perspiciamus Because then he hath said this is my bodie let vs not be holden with anie doubtfulnesse but let vs beleeue and behold it with the eies of vnderslanding And ad pop Antioch Ho. 60. of Germanus Brixius translation these are his wordes Quoniam igitur verbum dicit hoc est corpus meum pareamus credamus intellectualibus ipsum occulis intueamur But because the word saieth this is my bodie let vs borh obey and beleeue and beholde him with the eies of vnderstanding A third place he cyteth out of this father in I. Cor. ho. 24. in these wordes Hoc idem corpus cruentatum lancea vulneratum quod in caelum extulit This is the verie same bodie whose blood was shed and which was wounded with the speare and which he carried vp with him We graunt as much that we receiue in the sacrament the verie same bodie of Christ that was crucified wounded dead and caried into heauen yet not comming downe to vs but we as Chrisostome saith in the same homelie by faith made Egles and ascending vp into heauen where Christ is yet the wordes be not altogether as our answerer citeth them for immediatelie after the word vulneratum followeth Fontes sanguinis aquae 〈◊〉 so orbi salutares scaturiuit Flowed forth 〈◊〉 of bloode and water healthful to all the world But he were to be pardoned that hath nothing of his owne reading but is faine to cite all out of other mens notes if he were not such a proude and malepert censurer of other men To proceede after these quotations and citations of the auncient Doctors he commeth to his aduersaries to shew how contrarie they are in vnderstanding of this text of scripture This is my bodie they haue found out saith he a new exposition affirming that it must be construed this is onelie the signe of my bodie for which they haue neither scripture nor auncient father for warrant or example But which of your aduersaries good sir giueth this construction This is the signe of my bodie some do interpret it and for that you maie haue warrant of auncient Doctors more then euer you read if you durst denie it but this is onelie the signe by which you meane a bare signe to exclude all true feeding vpon Christ in his supper none of the Protestantes your aduersaries did euer affirme What Libertines Anabaptists and other fantasticall heades haue imagined we haue nothing to doe with it no more then with the eight seuerall expositions numbred by Luther or those 84. gathered by Claudius de Xanctes from all which we disclaime and from all other sauing from one which is the true interpretation And yet it is certaine that Luther an enemie to this trueth streineth much Claudius ten times more the words of the Christian Protestants to so great numbers of interpretations Among whome if eighty more do vtter the same sense in diuers wordes you will make no lesse then 80. interpretations But because M. Chark acknowledgeth Luther to be illuminated singularlie by the holie ghost and he is compared to Elias by the common phrase of all Protestants our answerer taketh paines to repeat diuers bitter sayings of his against our interpretation of those wordes of Christ as which he had reuealed to him by his holie spirite A wife matter as though Luther being singularly illuminated by the holie ghost is made a Pope by M Charke that he can not erre in anie thing or being compared by some Protestants and in some respects for it is a lowd lie that he is compared by al Protestantes to Elias may not be deceiued in anie point as Eliashim-selfe was But doth our answerer trow you cite more truelie out of Luther then he did of late out of the olde writers that we might thinke perhaps he hath read the latter more diligentlie although he hath beene litle conuersant in the former I will giue you a taste by one or two places and first that which he citeth out of Luthers epistle ad Argentinenses wherein he clippeth and geldeth out diuerse wholl sentences at his pleasure or rather as his note booke did lead him So that it is plaine he hath read no more in Luther then in the auncient Doctors The wordes are these Hoc diffiteri nec possum nec volo c. This can I not nor will denie but if Carlostadius or anie manels could for fiue yeares past haue persuaded me that there had bene nothing in the sacrament but bread and wine he should haue bound me to him by a great good turne For I haue taken great care and anxietie in discussing this matter and haue endeuoured with all my power and synowes siretched out to ridde my selfe of the same Seeing I did well perceiue I might verie greatlie and especiallie hurt the papacie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Moreouer I had two men which did write vnto me of this matter more rightlie and sharplie then Carolostadius nor sowresting the wordes after the capacitis of their owne 〈◊〉 But I do se my selfe captine no waie being left to escape For the text of the Gospell is too plaine and strong and such as cannot easilie be ouerthrowen
Can anie thing be spoken more abiect or more contradictorie to the scriptures and Fathers then this Can hell be more opposite to heauen then the carnalitie of this Apostata to the spiris of all saintes See you not how this fellow insulteth how he chafeth how he raileth but will you see also how he lieth how he falsifieth how he slaundereth For Luther saith not that mariage in comparison of virginitie is as golde he saith not that the state of virginity and continencie is as stinking dong c. But the comparison he maketh is betweene the state of matrimonie and the popish spirituall or Ecclesiasticall state of which he saith de vsu vel abusu c. of the vse or abuse of the states at this present we saie nothing but of the condition and nature of the states in them-selues and doe conclude that matrimonie is as gold but the spirituall state meaning of the popish Church is as doung because that setteth forwarde to faith this vnto impietie And lest you doubt what spirituall state he speaketh of he calleth it expresselie in the same discourse spiritualis status in papatu the spirituall state in poperie And for a more manifed discouerie of this impudent slaunderer I will set downe his wordes in the same place more at large yealding reasons why he doth so highlie prefer mariage before that popish state speaking nothing of virginitie or continencie or true chastitie as this shameles cauiller doth crie out Nemo igitur obiicies tua sententia coelelis permanebit sed quisque matrimonium contrahet quaeres huic Paulino textui aduersaretur Respondeo De spiriiuali nunc statu loquor ad matimonium comparato non de coelibatu Status spiritualis nulli prorsum rei accommodus est sed perditissimus praestaretque neminem spiritualem quemque coniungtam esse Porrò coelibatus vera continentia aliud est ac spiritualis status de hoc nihil omnino hîc Paulus agit de vera n. castitate loquitur Nullus enim statuum impudentior ad libinem promptior est Ecclesiastieo spirituali statu vt hodiernus dies contestatur Quòd siex illis coelibes quidam essent non tamen vtuntur calibatu ad Pauli institutum normam vt nequaquam castitas esse queat cuius hîc 〈◊〉 mentionē facit Isti enim ex castitate meritum iactantiam magnificentiam coram Deo hominib faciunt in eafidunt idquod cūfide pugnat D. Paulus verò exeafacilitatem quandam seruitutem ad verbum Dei fidem effecit Spiritualis verò status non ex labore suo viuit Arcadico iumento segnior c. Thou wilt obiect by thy sentēce therefore shall no man remaine continent but euerie one shal marie which thing is contrarie to the text of Saint Paule I answer I speake now of the spirituall state being compared to matrimonie not of continencie or virginitie The spirituall state or the spiritualtie is good for nothing in the world but is moste wicked and it were better that there were neuer a spirituall man and that all were maried But as for virginitie truecontinency it is an other thing then the state of the spiritualtie of which Saint Paul in this place speaketh nothing at all for he speaketh of true chastitie For no state in the world is more shameles and more prone to filthie lust then the ecclesiasticall and spirituall state as this daies experience doth testifie And if anie of them were continent yet they vse not their continencie to the purpose and rule of Saint Paull so that it can not be that chastitie whereof Saint Paull maketh mention in this place For these men of their chastitie do make a desert a boasting and magnificense before God and men and put their trust therein which is contrarie to faith Whereas Saint Paul thereof hath made a certaine easines and seruice vnto the word of God but the spirituall state liueth no of their labour being more slow then an Asse c. Thus hast thou reader Luthers iudgement out of his owne sayings by which thou maist must needes acknowledge what iniurie this falsarie hath donne vnto him in saying that Luther affirmeth the state of virginity or continencie to be as stinking dung promoting to impietie when Luther speaketh of the Popish spiritualtie whose doctrine and manners are blasphemous and wicked like the olde heretikes called Apostolici and Origeniani turpes which boasted of continencie and performed nothing lesse as Epiphanius and other do testifie The second of these last 4. that Christ and Saint Paull did not counsell but dissuade virginitie vnto Christians You aske if anie thing can be more contrary to Christs and Saint Paules sayings Master Charke answereth you sufficientlie the counsel pertaineth not to all but vnto those that haue the gift the rest are dissuaded from the attempt And for them that haue the gift Master Charke saith it is more profitable for them manie waies to absteine Luther saith Nec ideo coelibatum virginitatem reprobare mihi animus est nec inde quenquam ad iugale vinculam inuitare Quisque pro dono suo diuinitut impertito vt potest feratur Neither is it my minde to reiest continencie and virginitie nor to prouoke anie man from thence vnto wedlock Let euerie man beare him-selfe according to the gift that he hath receaued of God as he can What would you saie more that all men are here exhorted vnto virginitie euen those that haue not the gift of continencie it seemeth you would by alledgeing the saying of Saint Ierome Quasi hortantis c. it is the voice of our Lord as it were exhorting and stirring vp his souldiers to the rewarde of chastitie he that can take it let him take it he that can fight let him fight conquerre and triumph And whome doth Ierome meane by his souldiers all men in differently or those onely whom God hath armed with the grace gift of continencie If you 〈◊〉 say all S. Ierome in the wordes going immediatelie before in the same place will tel you another tale Qui potest capere capiat vt vnusquisque consideret vires suas vtrum poffit virginalia pudicitiae implere praecepta Per se enim castitas blanda est quemlibet ad se alliciens Sed considerandae suntvires vt qui potest capere capiat He saith he that can take it let him take it that euerie man maie consider his strength whether he be hable to fulfill the precepts of virginitie and chastitie For chastitie in deede of it selfe is pleasant and alluring euerie man vnto it But men must consider their strength that he which is hable to take it maie take it You see here that Christ exhorteth none but them that are hable by his grace and that all haue not strength to containe those that haue the strength Luther also exhorteth to vse it they that haue it not are commaunded by the Apostle to
solùm peccata omnia quorum nunc remissio fit in baptisme que reos faciunt dum desideriis vitiosis consentitur 〈◊〉 peccator verumetiam ipsa desideria vitiosa quibus si non consentitur nullus peccati reatus contraehitur quae non in ista sed in alia vita nulla erunt eodem lauacro baptismatis vniuersa pur gantur Not onelie all sinnes whereof there is no we remission in baptisme which make men guiltie while they consent to vitious desires and to sinne but euen those vitious desires also to which if consent be not yealded no guilte of sinne is contarcted which not in this life but in the other life shall be none at all are altogether purged in the same lauer of baptisme Now whether a Christian man neede to saie forgiue vs our debtes for his vitious or wicked desires although he consent not vnto them you define out of Saint Austine that he neede not And quote Ep. 200. ad Asell where he saieth that if we did not at all follow our concupiscence and although the desires of sin be in vs while we are in this mortall bodie yet if we giue consent to none of them there were not for which we should say to our Father which is in heauen forgiue vs our debtes Yet should we not be such as we shall be after this mortall hath put on immortallity for then there shal be in vs no desires of sinnes Secondly you quote conc 3. in Ps. Where he answereth this question in these words Quantum quidemegs sapere possum c. As farre as I can perceiue the whole guilt of the disease and infirmitie from whence those vnlawfull desires are mooued which the Apostle calleth sinne is loosed by the Sacrament of baptisme with all those that obeying it we haue done saide or thought neither should this disease hereafter hurt vs though it be in vs if we yealded obedience to none of the vnlawfull desires thereof at anie time either in worke speach or secretassens vntill the sicknes it selfe be healed when that which we pray for is fullfilled either when we say thy kingdome come or when we saie deliuer vs from euill Thirdlie you quote de perfect iustisiae c. vltimo Where against the Pelagians which holde that a man might be iust without actuall sinne although he could not be without concupiscence which is called sinne because it is sin to consent vntoit and is mooued against our wil he hath these words Subtiliter quidemista discernit c. He that so saith discerneth these things subtillie but let him be aduised what is done in the Lordes praier where we saie for giue vs 〈◊〉 debtes Quòd nist fallar which except I be deceiued it were no neede to saie if we did neeur consent neuer solitle to the desires of the same sinne either in slipping of tongue or in delight of thought but onelie we should saie Lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill Lastlie you quote Cont. 〈◊〉 Epist. Pel. lib. 1. cap. 13. Nec propter ipsum 〈◊〉 iam c. Neither for this concupiscence whose guilt is alreadie confumed in the lauer of regeneration the baptized saie in their praier forgiue vs our debtes c Out of all these places this I may gather First that Saint Augustine doth not so constantlie affirme as you saie as a Doctrine most certaine but modestly deliuereth his opinion saying as farre as my wisdome serueth and except I be deceiued Secondliehe speaketh not of those motions that be in vs which consent to some though not to al of thē but in case we neuer consented to anie of them Thirdly he rendereth his reason because they he alreadie forgiuen to theregenerate in baptisme And sorthlie he calleth them vnlawfull desires of sinne against which we praie to be deliuered So that all thinges weighed as you haue Saint Augustine in some sort fauorable to the wordes of your assertion in this piont yet he is not so ranke and full one your side in the sense of the matter as you would bear vs in hand Now followe a number of cauillations against M. Charkes wordes which I will brieflie runne ouer First where he saieth Are not all the first motions of iust meerely naturall and euer more of some cause giuen by vs and dwelling within vs namelie the corruption of Adam This fonde 〈◊〉 saie you includeth two contraries for of they be meerlie naturall then are they not of anie cause giuen by vs. This fonde argument saie I hath two faultes One is ambiguitie sought where it needes not in the word meerelie naturall which Master Charke sheweth to be by corruption of nature and then the consequent followeth not for to that corruption cause is giuen by vs and in vs in the sinne of Adam Secondlie you saie that it is false that all first motions of iust are meerely naturall for in lewde men they are often voluntarie Iump as you are wont to saie For if will goe before them then are they not first we speake of motions which goe before will and therefore are called first motions wherefore your example of awaking a madde dogge and distinction of naturall in the roote and voluntarie in the branch doe not excuse but increase your heape of waste words as when you be awake you maie perceiue Another cauillation you haue that Master Charke deceitfully auoideth the simulitude of first motions with the pulse because they be not like in all thinges which is vntrue but because they are not like in qualitie in the which they are compared For the first motions vnto sinne are euill vitious vnlawfull as Saint Augustine calleth them so is not the motion of the pulse therefore not like But while he reasoneth against your example of the pulse he vttereth three foúle absurdities most grosse errors if we beleeue you Which are they saie on take heed you lie not The first is that he placeth concupiscence of the flesh whereof we talke in the resonable part of the minde and 〈◊〉 in the sensitiue parte That is false for his wordes are you cannot conclud from that part of our soule whereby we haue life and sense onelie to that part where in our reason and affections are placed In these wordes he denieth not concupiscence vnto the sensitiue part but extendeth it to the reasonable parte where also the affections are where vertues and vices haue their seat in as much as the reasonable soule is distinguished into two pars the one that vseth reason the other that should obeie reason And therefore you speake verie grosselie and falselie when you saie The first motions are nothing els but the rebellions of our sensitiue partes And your reason is as grosse in diuinitie as your position is in philosophie because it is called flesh and the concupiscence of the flesh c. where flesh signifieth the whole corruption of man as it is manifest by the workes of the flesh rehearsed by Saint Paull in the text you
the sense and true meaning of thinges them-selues And this is Chrisostomes meaning not of traditions altogether without the compasse of the scriptures and yet held necessarie to saluation For of the sufficiencie of the scri ptures he speaketh in diuers places and namelie vppon that cleere text 2. Tim. 3. Hom 9. of the scripiure he saith Siquid vel diseere velignorare opus sit illic addiscemus If anie thing be needefisli to know or not to know in the scriptures we shall learne But because you saie those wordes of Saint Paulare cleere 2. Thess. 2. for vnwritten tradititions I praie you what argument can you conclude out of them Saint Paul deliuered to the Thessalonians something by preaching and something by writing ergo he deliuered something that is not contained in the holie scriptures written either by himselfe or anie other of the holie men of God appointed for that purpose Who is so childish thinke you to graunt you this consequence therefore for anie thing you haue brought or can bring or anie thing that the fathers haue said or can saie the word of God writ ten is perfect and hable to make a man wise to saluation by faith in Iesus Christ which is to be had sufficientlie in the holie scriptures as Christ him-selfe doth witnes Iohn 5. 39. And so the former conclusion doth still stand It is great iniquitie to receiue traditions altogether beside the holie scripture as necessarie to saluation which must needes argue the holie scriptures of imperfection and vnsufficiencie Neither doth the consent of Antiquitie refute this assertion of Master Charke seeing the auncients as it is said spake either of doctrine not expressed in word but contained in deede in the scriptures or els of rites and ceremonies the perpetuall obseruation where of is not necessatie to eternall life as is prooued by the discussing of manie of them which the elder fathers do father vpon the tradition of the Apostles as much as anie other that they name And if you saie they were deceiued in such as are abolished how shall we know that 〈◊〉 not in such as are retained For in their 〈◊〉 they were all generallie receiued as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well such as are discontinued as those 〈◊〉 remaine 〈◊〉 if any man will aske you what be these Apostolicall 〈◊〉 in particuler you could alleadge him testimonies 〈◊〉 auncient fathers for a great number But you referr 〈◊〉 Saint Cyprian Serm. de ablut pedum Tertullian 〈◊〉 milit and Saint Hieron dialog contra Luciferianos 〈◊〉 say he shall finde store Belike your note booke 〈◊〉 you thither although you listed not to take so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your selfe but turne it ouer to your 〈◊〉 Howbert he that is disposed to read the sermon 〈◊〉 Cyprian shall finde no store at all but of the necessitie of washing offcete which ceremonie was taken by the example of Christ yet is not thought necessarie in the Popish Church at this daie Tertullian in deede hath some prety store yet not to mantaine popish traditions so much as to ouerthrow them For he 〈◊〉 some things that are taken out of the scripture as to renounce the deuill in Baptisme c. some that are growne out of vse manie hundred yeares agoe as that the baptized should taste of milke and honie that they should abstaine from washing seauen daies after That men should signe their forheade at euerie steppe and proceeding going forth and comming home at putting on of apparell and at pulling on of shooes at washings at table at lighting of candells at beddes at stooles at all times and places Saint Hierome also in the person of the heretike rehearseth traditiones and among them such as Papistes do not obserue namelie the mixture of milke and honie geuen to them that are newlie baptized On the Lords daie and during the wholl time of Pentecoste neither to kneele in praiers nor to fast These are parte of those Apostolical traditions in particular which if they had beene necessary to saluation must haue beene perpetuallie continued If they were vntruelie ascribed to the Apostles what wartant can we haue of any other seeing the most auncient writers commend these as much as anie other for Apostolicall traditions Yet a few other examples you wil adde out of Saint Augustine whoe prooueth baptisme you sare by tradition of the Church lib. 10. de gen ad lit cap. 23. to this answere hath beene made sufficientlie in the 11. section that Saint Augustine doth not defend baptisme of infants onelie by the custome of the Church but also by the scriptures Likewise you saie he prooueth by the same tradions that we must not rebaptize those which are baptized of heretikes lib. 2. de bapt capt 7. lib. 1. cap. 23. lib. 4. cap. 6 It is true that he perwsadeth him selfe that this custome of not rebaptizing came from the Apostles tradition yet doth he by many arguments out of scripture prooue that such are not to be baptized againe which haue beene once baptized although by heretikes and therefore he saith of the same matter Hoc planè verum est quia ratio veritas consuetudini praeponenda est Sed cùm consuetudini veritas suffragatur nihil oportet firmius retineri This is plainlie true that reason and truth is to be preferred before custome but when truth consenteth with custome nothing ought more steadefastlie to be 〈◊〉 You see therefore that he buildeth not onelie vppon custome or tradition which is the matter in question but vppon trueth and reason which is founded by the holie scriptuers Your middle quotation de bap lib. 1. cap. 23. you may correct against your nextreplie for there are but 19. Chapters in that booke Againe you saie He prooueth by tradition the celebration of the Pentecost commonlie called Whitsontide ep 11 c. 1. If it were as you saie it is but a matter of ceremony not necessarie to saluation but in the power of the Church to alter as many like which are abrogated But in trueth he prooueth it not as you say by tradition For these are his wordes Illa autem quae non scripta c. But those thinges which are kept beeing not written but deliuered which are obserued thoroughout all the worlde it is giuen to be vnderstoode that they are retained as commended and decreed either by the Apostles them-selues or by generall Councells the authoritie of which is moste whollesome in the Church as that the passion of our Lord and his resurrection ascension into heauen and the comming of the holie ghoste from heauen are celebrated with yearelie solemnitie You see by his owne wordes that he is not certaine whether he should laie this ceremoniall celebration vpon deliuery of the Apostles or vpon decrees of general coun cells And whencesoeuer they came the matter is not great in such thinges as of their owne nature are indifferent and therefore alterable by discretion of the Church in all times Whether the Apostles were baptized which is
surelie lamentable to remember The storie is recorded by Victor and the wordes of the sorowfull people vitered in the waies as their holie Bishops did passe towards their banishment he reported thus A meruailous preasse of faithfull people that the high waies could not receaue came downe the hills with tapersin their handes and laid their deare children at the Martyrs feete so they termed the witnesses of Gods trueth then and pitifully complained thus Alas to whome do youleaue vs so desolate whiles your selues go to the crowne of martyrdome who shall now baptize these poore babes in the fountes of liuelie water who shall loose vs tied in the bandes of our offences by pardon and reconciliation who shall prescribe to vs the due of penance for our finnes past For to you it was surelie said whatsoeuer you loose in earth it shal likewise be loosed in heauen Such you see was the carefulnes of the people then in that litle lack of so necessarie a thing where now in so long desolation of moste holic thinges and our greatest comfort few there be that take anie griefe of so much miserie at all and that hartelie lament the case almost none If we assuredlie beleeued as it is surelie true that all which passe this present life in the bondes of mortall sinne shouldeuerlastinglie perish without all hope of mercie and then to be vndoubtedlie bound in their offences whome the priestes of the holie Church had not loosed in this life excepting onelie the case of extreame necessitie where by no means possible mans ministerie can be obtained then truelie besides the feare of our owne dangerous state our hartes would bleede for pitie and compassion of so manie that depart this present world in the debt of eternall damnation not onelie of our Christian breethren commonlie but of our deerest and best beloued particularlie FVLKE That heresie hurteth much where it destroieth not altogether it was cleerelie seene in the blinde time of Antichristes greatest exaltation ioyned with so sharpe persecution and strong delusion in which although there were manie whose hearts were not infected with that deadlie poison yet there were few which openlie shewed their full detestation of it which you should lesse maruaile at in so generall a plague as that was considering how few you do acknowledge to be found on your side in this short time of small trouble and weake meanes as you count them of persuasion The pitiful complaint of the Christians in Africa for the banishment of their Catholike Bishopps although the time were such as all things were not sound therein yet maketh it no resemblance with your case which are not banished by tyrantes and heretikes as they were but rather being tyrantes and heretikes do wilfullie withdraw your obedience from a Christian Catholike Prince and from the execution of her Godlie lawes ALLEN It is not my timerous conscience nor scrupulous cogitation that raiseth this feare but it is the graue sentence of Gods ordinance it is Saint Augustines owne iudgement that mooueth me of pitie tomooue and of duetie to admonish my breethren and friendes of a thing that pertaineth to all so neare Saint Augustine concerning the manifolde miseries of the Christian people in the absence of their true Pastours in times of persecution doth liuelie set forth the godlie endeuours of faithfull folks in these wordes Do we not consider when the matter is brought to an extreame issue and where it can not be by flight auoided what a wonderful concurse of Christian men of euerie kinde state and age is vnto the Church where some crie out for baptisme some for reconciliation or absolution for so I interpret ipsius panitentiae actionem which also maie meane a request to haue penance appointed of the Priest and all generallie call for comfort confession and bestowing of the holie sacraments In which extremitie if there lack such as should minister these thinges vnto them Quan tum exitium sequetur eos qui de isto seculo vel non regenerati exeunt vel ligati quantus èst etiam luctus fidelium suorum qui eos secum in vitae aeternae requie non habebunt what vtter destruction shall fall on them that must passe this life either not christened or els fast bounde in sinne And what passing sorow will it be for their faithfull friendes which shall not haue their companie in eternall rest and ioy Thus farre said he for proofe that the Pastours should not forsake their flock and thus saie haue forsaken their pastours the lacke is like in both But ours so much worsse because it was procured willinglie and theirs the more excusable because it was both borne of necessitie and lamented Christianlie FVLKE It is neither your timerous conscience nor Saint Augustines iudgement but your traiterous affection towardes the state of your natiue countrie and your ambitious desire to be aduanced in the multitude of your disciples that mooueth you to complaine that the flockes haue now forsaken their pastours where as in olde time the pastors did in times of heresie forsake their flocks For admit you were that you are not name lie shepheardes where as you are wolues how haue the flockes forsaken you rather then you forsaken them should they haue followed you into Flaunders Fraunce or Italie or els should they haue stucke to you manfollie haue by force defended you that you needed not to haue beene chased awaie although rather hope of preferment by speadie alteration of the state then feare of punishment in so milde a gouernment caused the greatest numbers of you to turne the soile ALLEN Neither may we thinke our selues here much to be relieued by them that pretend the like practise of such thinges as nowe we lacke For that euer augmented the sorow and iust dolour of the faithfull Much it is God knoweth to want their Pastours and priestes so deare and with them for most part all the due of Christianitie but to susteine in steade thereof a kind of apish imitation of such holie functions which in deede by what pretence of holines soeuer it be vsed is and alwaies hath beene accounted moste detestable that is the great calamitie which wasteth moste in all tempestuous times of Gods religion For the onelie vse acquaintance and familiaritie of this false face or resemblance of trueth and holy actions of the Church driueth many into a kinde of contentation and rest in such things as them selues otherwise do abhor at least turneth away sheirearnest appettie and desire of those matters which no man can without perill of damnation misse It is not yet meant herebie that euerie sacrament is frustrate alwaies that is by such made or ministred although for the moste they be so profaned that they be not onelie nothing beneficiall but also damnable both to the geuer and receiuer but my meaning is that euen those sacramentes which be of necessitie that by Gods speciall mercie they maie be receiued of such as be not otherwise
of his godhead which is proper vnto it Andwhatsoeuer in holie scripture is read to be exercised of him through the might of Gods spirit by the vertue of his annointing by the finger of God by the sending of the Father by power receiued from aboue by Priesthood praiers or sacrifice by the Sonne of man of the head of the Church or iudge of the liuing and dead whatsoeuer is in this sort said to be done it is not otherwise lightlie meant but in respect of Christs humanitie by which and in which he worketh the same not as by the proper and naturall power or force thereof but as by iurisdiction receiued of the blessed Trinitie and imploied vpon the sonne of man for the procuring of saluation to his people whereof he is become in our very nature the head FVLKE This generall rule is so abridged with the exception lightlie that it is hard to bring anie instance against it but Allen would haue his starting hole in it Neuerthelesse seeing he concludeth the examples before remembred to be included within this rule we maie be bolde to charge him with a spice of Nestorianisme seeing those workes which are certaine to haue beene the workes of the Mediator God and man he ascribeth to the onelie humanitie by iurisdiction receiued from the blessed Trinitie whereby it should followe that the worke of Christe in this respect should not differ from the workes of Moses Elias Dauid or anie of the Prophets whoe receiued iurisdiction from the blessed Trinitie whereby they performed manie workes which the same blessed Trinitie had appointed for the procuring of saluation vnto his people ALLEN Therefore no Christian man maie doubt but as our Sauiour by the omnipotent power of his Godhead might and did forgiue sinnes to the penitent so likewise that as he was Priest the sonne of man he might by the right of his office vnction and ministerie in the vertue of the holie Ghost remitte sinnes also And for that cause principallie in the Prophet Esay it is said Spiritus Dominisuper me eò quòd vnxerit me ad annunciandum mansuetis misit me vt mederer contritis corde praedicarem captiuis indulgentiam clausis apertionem The Spirit of the Lord vopn me because he hath annointed me and sent me to signifie vnto the meeke that I should heal the contrite in heart to preach pardon to the prisoners and freedome to the closed The which place of the Prophet our Sauiour applied vnto him selfe in the Church of Nazareth and is to be vnderstanded onelie of preaching and pardoning by the holie vnction of the Spirit of God and his Fathers calling And therefore it must needes according to Saint Augustines iudgement concerne the shape of his seruice and manhood taken on him in which he preached so that yet it pleased him to affirme that his Doctrine was not his owne but his Fathers that sent him and healed the contrite in heart which is nothing els but to forgiue sinnes to the penitent after such a sort that it might well appeare to be receiued and practised by the vnction of the Spirit of God and sending of his Father whereby the Sonne of man might doe that as Gods minister in his manhood in earth which both he and his eternall Father with the holie Spirit of them both doe worke by their owne one and equall authoritie in heauen euerlastinglie FVLKE And seeing he willeth vs to note the ground of the cause which is that Christ as he was Priest and the sonne of man might remit sinnes by a ministeriereceiued by vnction of the holie Ghost it is not lightlie to be passed ouer That the sonne of man had power vpon earth to forgiue sinnes he him-selfe affirmeth Mat. 9. 6. but this was the power of his godhead which was not restreined nor abased by the shape of a seruant in which he appeered on earth That he was authorized by vnction of the holie Ghost to preach remission of sinnes vnto the penitent it pertaneth indeede vnto him in respect of his manhood although Saint Augustine in the place by Allen quoted saieth not so but citeth the place of Esaie to prooue that Christ in respct of his humanity was inferior to the holy Ghost but that this is all the power that Christ had vpon earth to remit sinnes it is not prooued by anie argument For this ministerie of reconciliation to remit sinnes by preaching of the Gospell doth remaine still with the Church the other that was proper to his Deitie no mortall man without Sacriledge can arrogate or vsurpe ALLEN And though God hath neuer 〈◊〉 mans fall vsed the meanes and seruice of man to his restore againe and to the reliefe of his lackes and therefore hath giuen authority by his holie spirite and vnction to diuerse of the olde law to offer sacrifice praier and procure remission to the people of all their offences and no lesse 〈◊〉 occasion serued and the matter required to correct their misdeedes by iudgement and iurisdiction giuen vnto them for which soueraigne calling they were called the annointed of God an externall ceremonie of anoyting being solemnelie annexed thereunto yet our Lord an Master whether you consider his high Priesthoode by which in moste ample manner through commission receiued he maie procure our pardone or his calling to be head of the Church by which he ruleth and keepeth all the bodie in due subiection and order or his ministerie of preaching whereby farre aboue all the Prophets and preachers of the olde law he openeth to his flock the Church the secret mysteries of Gods trueth Christ I saie in all these respectes being man is yet much more abundantlie blessed and anointed without comparison aboue all his fellowes and copartners as the holy Prophet Dauid doth testifie Vpon whose wordes touching that matter Saint Hilarie writeth thus Vnxit te Deus Deus tuus oleo exultationis prae participibus tuis non secundùm sacramentum aliud quà m secundùm dispensationem assumpti corporis Vnctio enim illa non beatae illi incorrupt in natura dei man enti natiuitati profecit sed sanctificationi hominis assumpti Nam in Actis ait Petrus vnxit illum Deus in spiritu sancto virtute Thus he meaneth in English God etien thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of ioy farre aboue thy copartners not in anie other meaning but according to the dispensation of a bodie receaued For that vnction could not be beneficiall to the holie vnspotted and euerlasting natiuitie in the nature of his Godhead but onelie it was agreeable to the mysterie of his manhood and flesh assumpted in his temporal natiuitie whereof Saint Peter speaketh in the Actes that God hath annointed him with the holie ghost and with power The holie Father also Saint Cyrill agreeth hereunto confessing that all this honour power and authoritie which the Prophets haue signified so long before by the annointing of the sonne of God came vnto Christ in consideration
truelie forgiue sinnes it is graunted but not that they doe properlie forgiue sinnes beeing but Gods seruants appointed to declare his forgiuenes Secondly your Minor bringeth in a fourth tearme Claue non errante beside that it is ambiguous that you saie Gods pardon followeth the preists pardon for if by following you meane succeading later in time or depending vpon the priests pardon your Minor is false wtih Claue non errante if you meane as I haue explicated in your Maior the worde ensueth it is true Last of all your conclusion ioyneth not your two extreames together as it ought to doe but leaueth out the worde which is of most importance and question among vs namelie this tearme Properlie For you should couclude that Priestes doe truelie and properlie remit sinnes which in respect of the worde properlie is false But as you set it downe with the worde assuredlie it is graunted For we acknowledge that the lawfull minister elder or priest of the Church doth truelie and assuredlie remit sinnes but yet not properlie So you misse the cushion and make a shew in your Maior as though you would reason directlie but in your Minor you giue backe with Claue non errante in your conclusion you fly quite from the question Where you interpret your Minor so that God in the same instant forgiueth in heauen you rid vs of one doubt of the posteritie in time But where you saie out of Saint Hilarie that mans sentence shall be as a sentence preiudiciall to God in heauen you giue vs to vnderstand that Gods sentence dependeth vpon mans sentence which is horrible blasphemie neither doe I beleeue that you are able to shew any such saying of Saint Hilarie for out of the places before alledged there is no such thinge to be seene or gathered That the same power of remitting and reteining sinnes which was giuen to the Apostles was nor bestowed on them in respect of their priuate persons but as they were publike officers and that therefore the like authoritie is committed by Christes graunt to all Priestes of Christes Church whoe in this matter are the Apostles successours THE FIFT CHAP. IF I had here to doe onelie with the learned it were enough that is alreadie prooued for the power preheminence giuen to the Apostles in remission of sinnes thereupon to ground most assuredlie the like right in the same cause to perteine to all Bishoppes and priestes of Christes Church But we studie to helpe such as cannot by this so farre consider that the power giuen to his Apostles or to any of them is one eternall power not ceasing in their persons but during in their succession to the worlds ende For I haue my selfe met with many such as could be content as they saide to acknowledge vpon so plaine scripture the singular priuiledge giuen to the Apostles and thereupon if they might haue had an Apostle they would not haue sticked to haue made there confession and sute to him for the remission of their sinnes but because I had not the like wordes of Christ spoken to all priests particularlie they thought it was no reason that any such challenge should be made for them nor any such charge to be giuen to others to confesse their sinnes vnto them This simplicitie of the common sorte or rather this rude frowardnes rising vpon contempt and disobedience to Gods Church is mainteined euen of the more learned sort whoe haue charged them-selues in all behauiour to be so populare and so plausible that euen against knowne order of things they will drawe backe from the light of the trueth with the common rude and vnlearned reasons of the people For Iohn Caluine a man borne to sedition and the Churches calamitie mainteineth the madnes of the multitude by this reason The Apostles saith he had the holy ghost whereof our priests haue no warrant But enquire of them whether they haue the holie ghost if they saie yea demaund of them further whether the holie Ghost may erre if they confesse that the holy ghost can not erre then they prooue themselues not to haue the holie Ghost because it is well seene that they may erre and doe erre both in loosing and binding many otherwise then Gods sentence will allow But brieflie to satisfie all sides in this case I shall declare the like power to be left by Christes meaning to al Bispopes and priests no lesse then to the Apostles them-selues to whome Christ then presentlie spake that both the peoples lacke of vnderstanding may be corrected and the false and craftie conueiance of their captaine may be to his shame and the diuells plainlie disclosed FVLKE It seemeth that those which you met with which would not acknowledge the same power to be in the ministers of the Church that was in the Apostles concerning remitting of sinnes were some of your owne chickens whome ignorance the mother of Popish deuotion had blooded vp in such phantasticall and soolish errors But least you should seeme to fight onelie with the simple sorte you saie the same opinion is vpon popularitie and plausibilitie mainteined euen of the more learned sort yea of Iohn Caluine him-selfe but you dare not set downe where or in which of his writings lest your impudencie should be manifestlie conuinced In deede Instit. lib. 3. Cap. 4. Sect. 20. he denieth that ignorant Popish confessours or shrift priests haue the power of the keyes which are voide of the spirit of God that is of the giftes of the holie ghost that they may know who me to binde whome to loose but he acknowledgeth the power of remitting sinnes to be perpetuall in the true preachers and faithfull ministers of the Ghospell And therefore you take needelesse paines to prooue this matter against him vnles you will take vpon you to defend the ignorance of your priesthoode and answere the arguments that he bringeth against it ALLEN First this is plaine that whatsoeuer Christ after his resurrection or before did institute for the commoditie of the people and weale of the wholl Church that did not decaie in the persons of them to whome Christ presentlie spake the wordes for ells all sacraments had beene ended and all gouernment ceased at the death of them to whome in person that charge was first giuen by Christ. For example Christ in his institution of the holie Sacrament of the altar spake onelie to his twelue to those present persons he onelie said presently hoc facite do this yet in their persons the Church was so instructed and all priests so authorized that the same soueraigne worke hath vpon that warrant beene truelie practized of the Church and by vaine imitation followed by their aduersaries euen till this daie And in deede the verie wordes of the instruction did importe no lesse for it is said Mortem Domini annunciabitis donec 〈◊〉 You shall set forth Christes death till his comming which could not be if the ministerie had decayed with their persons to whome Christ
the Doctors The schoolemen in deede be authors of that double keie you speake of namelie the keie of iurisdiction or gouernment and the key of order But the auncient Doctors knew no such distinction The keies of power or auctoritie the keie of knowledge the Scripture speaketh of and so doe the auncient doctors How be it euen as your fathers the Scribes Pharises lawier did take away the keies of knowledge and shut vp the kingdom of heauen from men neither entring in them selues nor suffering other that would so do you for you haue taken away the key of knowledge of the Scriptures by which as Chrysostome saith in opere imperfecto the kingdom of heauen is opened in steed thereof forged a key of straunge and tyrannicall iurisdiction which neither Christ nor Peter nor any of his godly successors did know or exercise This ancient writers words are these Regnum coelorum est beatitudo coelestis ianua autem etus est Scriptura per quam introitur ad eam Clauicularij autem sunt Sacerdotes quibus creditum est verbum dicendi interpretandi Scripturas Clauis autem est verbum scientiae Scripturarum per quam aperitur hominibus ianua veritatis Adapertio autem est interpretatio vera The kingdome of heauen is the heauenly blessednes the gate thereof is the Scripture by which men goe into it the key-keepers are the priests to whome is committed the word of preaching and interpreting the Scriptures And the key is the word of the knowledg of the Scriptures by which the gate of truth is opened vnto men The opening is the true interpretation of the scriptures These two keies of authoritie and knowledge will make a sufficient minister of the Gospell that is able to open and shut binde and loose forgiue and retaine sinnes and where these want or either of them there can be no good minister of Christ to open the kingdome of heauen that men maie enter therein But now let vs see the reason you giue why you attribute more power to a simple priest in remitting of mortal sinnes in shrift then to the Popes high iurisdiction by pardons The cause is saie you that the effect of remission of sinnes proceedeth from Christ more abundantlie in the grace of sacraments then by the high iurisdiction without the sacraments This is nakedlie affirmed without anie proofe in the world as other positions before and after But in deed there is no reason that the effect of remission of sinnes shoud proceede more large from the sacrament of penance as you call it then from the iurisdiction of the Pope if it had the same foundation which you would beare men in hand it hath For if Peters and the Popes iurisdiction be builded vpon Tu es Petrus and to thee I will giue the keies and what soeuer thou bindest or loosest shall be bound in heauen c. Why should not all mortall sinnes be subiect to his iurisdiction as well as to the priestes power in penance The wordes be as ample to Peter Math. 16. as to the Apostles Ioh. 20. If Peters key of iurisdiction papall be not grounded vpon this text as you aduouched lib. 1. cap. 4. Sect. 7. tell vs where he hath it anie where els committed vnto him If it be committed by this text certainlie the key of iurisdiction is as large as the key of orders Therfore either he forgiueth mortall sinnes by his iurisdiction or els his iurisdiction is no greater then anie other mans that hath anie key committed vnto him ALLEN There is another key of Regiment and rule of the Church or some principall portion thereof which is called the key or power of iurisdiction Now by this power of regiment and rule as no man can take vpon him to consecrate so no man out of the sacrament of penance can take vpon him to absolue anie man of deadlie sinnes and damnation due therefore For though some do thinke that Saint Paull did absolue the incestuous Corinthian both of his sinne and damnation with all temporall punishment due therefore after assured repentance of the partie out of the sacrament of penance yet I cannot agree in anie case thereunto because the sacrament of confession hath euer beene of necessitie since Christes institution thereof and because the remission of sinnes is so proper a worke vnto God that no creature could euer worke the same absolutelie without sacramēt sauing only the humanitie of Christ to which the acts of diuinity as being vnited to the godhead were communicated vpon which it is certaine that Christ our sauiour might remit sinnes absolutelie out of all externall sacraments by his word and will onelie which beeing the power of excellencie was as Diuines do thinke communicated to no other creature in what iurisdiction or preheminence soeuer he should be placed and in the act of absolution remission of sinnes proceedeth ioyntlie from that one excellent person beeing both God and man Neither is it to be thought that Saint Paull did pardon the foresaid Penitent anie other waies then by the handes of the ministers and Priestes of the Corinthian Church For though the confession and penance of the partie were publike as the sinne it selfe was open yet the vsage of the Apostie and open practize of the Corinthian Church towards him was no lesse a sacrament then then it is now beeing secret Therefore I doubt not but Saint Paull spake especiallie to the Priestes of the Corinthians when he willed them to confirme their charitie towards the sinner and to forgiue him by their ministerie whome he thought in absence worthie to receiue the grace and pardon at their handes whereof we shall speake more hereafter in place conuenient We do not then exalte the Pope or Bishops in this case anie thing so farre as heresie seemeth or the simplicity of manie men conceiueth whereas they maie wel vnderstand that we giue more authoritie to the most simple Priest aliue in respect of his order and because of the sacrament by which he worketh then to the Pope or highest Potentate in the world considering but onelie his iurisdiction And therfore Saint Peter him self who receiued both the keies as also other Apostles and Bishops hauing as well the keie or power of Orders as the keie of iurisdiction and regiment of their subiects maie do the actes of both the keies that is to saie maie as well lawfullie minister sacraments of all sortes as also exercise iurisdiction vpon their subiects in such thinges as we hereafter shall declare But out of the sacraments onelie by the vertue of their iurisdiction to absolue men of mortall sinnes though they be subiect vnto them they can not nor as I think euer Pope or Prelace tooke vpon him anie such preheminence And therefore let this be the first point of our consideration that the Popes Pardons or Indulgences which he giueth in respect of his iurisdiction which also as moste men do thinke he might giue when he
make satisfaction to the Church when there appeereth iust cause so to doe But let vs see how manie vntruthes you do boldlie aduouch which are besides this authoritie First that these Bishops had thought not to haue giuen peace to them that had fallen till the houre of death came But that is not so for they saie onelie they had determined that they should haue performed the penance that was enioyned for a long time vnto them vnto the ful except danger of infirmitie required to giue peace at the point of death Their wordes are these Totheir brother Cornelius Bishoppe of Rome Statueramus quidem iampridem frater charissimè participato inuicem nobiscum consilio vt qui in persecutionio 〈◊〉 supplantati ab aduersario lapsifuissent ac sacrificiis se illicitis maculassent agerent diu poenitentiam plenam si periculum infirmitatis vrgeret pacem sub ictu mortis acciperent Nec enim fas erat aut permittebat paterna pietas diuina clementia ecclesiam pulsantibus claudi dolentibus deprecantib speisulutaris subsidium denegari vt de saculo recedentes sine communicatione aut pace domini dimitterentur cùm permiserit ipse qui tegem dedit vt ligata in terris etiam in Coelis ligata essent solui autem possent illic que hîc prius in Ecclesia soluerentur Sed cum videamus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infestationis appropinquare coepisse crebris atque assiduis ostensionibus admoneamur vt ad cert 〈◊〉 quod nobis hostis indicit armati parati simus plebem 〈◊〉 nobis diuina dignatione commissam exhortationibus nostris praeparemus omnes omnino milites Christi qui arma desiaerant praelium flagitant intra castra domini colligamus necessitate cogente censuimus eis qui de Ecclesia domini recesserunt sed poenitentiam agere lamentari ac dominum deprecari à primo lapsus sui die non destiterunt pacem dandam esse eos ad praelium quod imminet armari instrui oportere We had decreed indeed long since moste deer brother by aduise taken amongst our selues that such as in the trouble of persecution were supplanied by the aduersarie and fallen and had defiled themselues with vnlawfull sacrifices should doe full penance a long time and if daunger of infirmity did vrge they should receiue peace at the point of death For it was not lawfull neither did the Fatherlie pietie and clementie of God permit that the Church should be shut vp to them that knocke and that aid of healthfull hope should be denied to them that sorrowed and praied for it that departing out of the world they should be sent awaie without anie communicaiion or the Lordes peace seeing he hath permitted which made the lawe that those things that are bound in earth should also be bound in heauen that those things also might be loosed there which were loosed here in the Church But for as much as we see that the daie of another trouble beginneth to approch and are admonished by often and dailie shewings or visions that we should be armed and prepared vnto the battell which the enemie doth denounce vnto vs we should also prepare the people by gods voutsafing committed vnto vs with our exhortations and should gather in anie wise all the souldiers of Christ which call for armour and desire to fight into the Lordes campe necessity compelling vs we haue thought good that peace is to be graunted to them which haue departed out of the Lords Church but from the daie of their falling haue not ceased to shew repentance and to lament and to intreat our Lord and that they also ought to be armed and furnished against the battell which is at hand These are the words of Cyprian his fellow Bishops which you haue abridged at your pleasure if your note booke did not deceiue you to set down that you haue done as the very words of the epi stle Out of which you gather beside that I haue noted before power to inioyne penance and to release the same againe But where you saie they take vpon them cleerelie to inioyne what they list and how long they list that is not so but what is iust and conuenient and so likewise vpon iust cause they release the same or some parte thereof Againe you slaunder them in saying they take vpon thē to pardon after death for there is no such word or matter in all the Epistle They released and receiued them to the communion being in daunger of death but after death they receiued no man to the communion Nay they decreed that whereas Geminius Victor who had made Geminius Faustinus a clergie man his executor contrarie to the decrees of their synods there should be no oblation made for his falling a sleepe nor anie praier frequented in the Church in his name So farre of was it that they would pardon anie man after death when no repentance auaileth The scripture they doe rightlie applie for the establishing of the discipline of excommunication receiuing againe into the fellowship of the Church such as were fallen vpon their repentance as for the sacrament of penance you say wel they exercized discipline without it for such a sacrament they knew not but they claimed no iurisdiction to receiue offenders without good tokens of their repentāce as their words be manifest Where you saie they claimed iurisdiction by their onelie letters to giue them in absence peace pardon of their inioyned penāce as though their letter did resemble the Popes pardons in writing you speake beside the booke for they doe not giue peace by these letters onlie but signifie vnto Cornelius what they thought necessary to be done vpō what reasons left they might be thought to light in loosing the sinews of discipline toward so notorius offenders Your conclusion follow eth not vpon this example Cyprian and his fellow Bishope did vpon necessary cause release the time of penāce enioyned to certaine greeuous offenders and receiued them to the communion vpon certaine perswasion of their répentance therefore the Pope and his popelings maie giue pardon of paine due for sinnes remitted where hone is due and in the sacrament of penance when no such sacrament can be prooued out of the scripture neither doe you rightlie alledge Christes wordes as those holie Fathers did for they alledged them for the discipline of excommunication and absoluing which is necessarie to be vsed in the Church but you to maintaine a tirannical iurisdiction to loose that which other men haue bound without good cause as they did but for manie often times as they did neuer Therefore there is as great oddes betweene their practize of discipline and these Popes pardons as there is distance betweene their ages which is more then a thousand yeares ALLEN And now to make vp this matter for the true meaning of the said text which we now prooue to pertaine to the establishing of the true title of
effectuall in all mens cases that no man can follow Christ herein that his blood should be shed for remission of sinnes or the paine due for the same And verie excellentlie writeth Leo the first Bishop of Rome against the blasphemies of Nestorius and Eutiches concerning the effect of martirs suffrings in these wordes Dicant quo sacrificio reconciliati dicant quo sanguine sint redempti Quis est vt ait Apostolus qui tradidit seipsum pro nobis oblattonem hostiam Deo in odorem suauitasis Aut quod vnquam sacrificium sacratius fuit quam quod verus aeternvs pontisex altari crucis per immolationem fuae carnis imposuit Quamuis enim multorum sanctorum in conspectu domini pretiosa mors fuerit nullius tamen insontis occisio redemptio fuit mundi Acceperunt iusti non dederunt coronas de for titudine fidelium exempla nata sunt patientiae non dona iustitiae Singulares quippe in singulis mortes fuerunt nec alterius quisquam debitum suo fine persoluit cum inter filios hominum vnus solus dominus noster Iesus Christus qui verè erat agnus immaculatus extiterit in quo omnes crucifixi omnes mortui omnes sepulti omnes sunt etiam suscitati de quibus ipse dicebat Cum ex altatus fuero à terra omnia traham ad meipsum Fides enim vera iustificannimpios creans iustos ad humanttatis suae 〈◊〉 a participem in illo acquit it salutem in quo solo homo se inuenit innocentem liberum habens per gratiam deide potentia eius gloriari qui contra hostem humani generis in carnis no sirae humilitate congressus his victoriam suam tribuit in quorum corpore triumphauit Let them tell by what sacrifice they be reconciled with what blood they be redeemed who it is as the Apostle saith which gaue himselfe for vs an oblation and sacrifice of sweete sauour vnto God or what sacrifice was euer more holie then that which the true and eucrlasting high Priest laid vpon the altar of the crosse by the sacrificing of his owne stesh For although the death of manie Saintes hath beene precious in the sight of the Lord yet the slaughter of no giltles person was the redemption of the world The iust men haue receiued they haue not giuen crownes and of the valeantnes of the faithful are growne examples of patience not gifts of righteousnes For the deathes in euerie one were singular nei ther did anie man by his end paie the debt of another seeing among the sonnes of men there was but one alone our Lord Ie sus Christ which was truelie the immaculate lambe in whom all are crucified all dead all buried all also raised againe Of whome he himseife said when I shall be exalted from the earth I will draw all things vnto my selfe For true faith which iustifieth vngodlie men and maketh them iust being drawne to the partaker of his humanitie obteineth saluation in him in whome alone man findeth himselfe innocent hauing libertie by the grace of God to boast of his power which encountring with the enemie of mankinde in the basenes of our flesh giueth the victorie to them in whose bodie he triumphed If the Romish Antichristes that followed Leo the Bishop of Rome in place had followed and allowed this his doctrine they would neuer haue deuised nor manteined this encrease of their treasure by the merites and sufferings of Saints whose martirdome profited the Church by the examples of patience to the confirming of faith not communicating of Iustice to the en crease of merite Whose deathes were singular and proper to them-selues to receaue the crownes of glory which Christ had merited for them not common by waie of desert to gaine crownes for other or to satisfie for the debt of other For that was the power efficacie and effect of the onelie sacrifice of our sauiour Iesus Christ to satisfie for the sinnes of his people and to purchase the crowne of eternal glory for them The conformitie therfore of the members vnto the head in suffering and the suffering of Christ in his members prooueth no satisfaction necessarie to be wrought by the members to make the passion of the head effectual for them that are saued and much lesse the want of workes satisfactorie in some to be recompensed by the aboundance of paines penance in other neither doth Saint Paul confesse anie such thing whose sufferings did otherwise benefite the Church then by satisfying for the paine due to other that wanted workes satisfactorie Neither doth the communion of Saints fauour anie such in which all power of spirituall life by ioynts and sinewes is conueied from the head to the members euerie member yeldeth to the rest the dutie of loue and seruice which is appointed vnto it But to satisfie for an others sinnes is not the office of anie member of the Church neither hath S. Paul where you quote or anie where els either the wordes or meaning of anie such merite or satisfaction of anie man for himselfe much lesse for other The ordinarie ministrie of men for such end purposes as it is ordeined of God is to be thankefully embraced but he hath no where appointed men to sacrifice or satisfie his iustice for sinne albeit he hath committed to men the worde of reconciliation the keies of the kingdome of heauen to keepe and exercise his sheep to feed his mysteries to bestowe and full power to binde and loose according to his worde and not according to their affection will and pleasure ALLEN Let no man maruell that in such a face of Gods iustice as we see by the inioyning of great penance in the Church after sinnes be remitted and by Gods own often scourgies temporal both in this world and the next let no man I saie maruell that yet there be waies of Gods mercie and meanes through the ministerie of man to turne awaie the wrath of our Lord and by other helpes to satisfie his iustice againe Onelie let the partie in all his insufficiencie be zealous deuous and diligent as he maie and God himselfe will a thousand waies seeke of his owne mercie to satisfie himselfc with his sonnes paines applied by the trauaile of other the faithfull that haue beene and be in his Church to the helpe and releife of that member that hath nothing left but loue and the felowship of holie Saints whereby he maie craue mercie and pardon Let them consider that doubt of this point howe often God hath as it were determined to plague the people of Israell which he chese to be his peculiar and yet in the midst of his decree and iustice hath giuen mercie and grace at Moses and Aarons requests Yea how often he hath as it were procured the iust to stand betwixt him and the people whome he meant to punish Mansuetum habemus dominum solùm occastonem arripere vult mox omnem praese
after his wordes set dowen in the section last before in which he speaketh neither of the deserts of the liuing nor of the deade able to answere his iustice for other but altogether of the mercie of god which taketh occasion euen of his loue which he beareth towards his Saints that are departed to shew compassion vpon them that are aliue this for his couenants sake although Chrysostome seemeth to speake of the intercession of them that are departed which yet prooueth no merit or satisfaction For to become an humble suter for a benefit or a pardon is not to deserue a benefit or to satisfie for an offenders trespace And this benefit he giueth saieth Saint Cyrill vpon this text vnto the memorie of holie men that sometime he forgetteth the euills which their posteritie haue committed To the like effect speaketh Saint Hierome that which God giueth of his mercie is no merit or satisfaction to his iustice ALLEN And suerlie if in the daies of olde where neither so much grace nor mercie was to be found nor Christ which is the fountaine of all pardon was not yet offered vp to paie the debtes of his brethren sinnes nor the communion of Saint was yet so fullie established whereby the merits of one might redound to an other nor the Church so honoured with the gift of Gods spirite for remission of mans offences nor the priesthood of God so credited with the keies of the kingdome if afore all these things were no otherwise wrought but in base figurse such waies were found out and that by Gods owne procurement of mercie and grace in the midest of intoyned penance and punishment what neede we to doubt but their now be many meanes made in this happie societie of Saints so to remit the bond of satisfaction to some that Gods iustice maie be answered againe by other of this happie household in the aboundance of their holy workes which the Church holdeth moste holilie for to be a perfect and euerlasting treasure to satisfie Gods righteousnes and procure mercie to the needie which by loue zeale deuotion do deserue the same If God remitted of olde temporall paine vnto his people at the call of Moses and Aaron and for his childe Dauids sake that was dead what will not he mercifullie forgiue by our high priests procurements whose pardons and punishments Christ hath solemnlie promised he woulde ratifie and allowe in heauen aboue What will he not do in respect of the paines and aboundant passions of his own childe Iesus that hath yet in the Catholike Church his death so duely represented for the remission of our daily debts what can be denied to the intercession of so manie Saints to the chast combate of so manie Virgins to the bloodie fight of so manie Martyrs to the stout standing of so manie Confessours what mercie maie not the Church craue and doubtles obteine for anie of ber children either in penance ' in this world or in paine in the next that hath in her treasure such abundance of satisfaction first in our head Christ Iesus through whose gratious workes all other mens paines are become beneficiall either to themselues or their bretheren and then in the store of al holy saints trauilles not yet wasted in procuring mercie for others besides moe waies of grace and remission that our mother the Church hath in readines to relieue her children that doe continue in her happie lappe and in the societie of her communion with humble submission of themselues to the powers ordeined of Christ for the gouernment of their soules with request for this pardon at their handes to whome be giuen the bestowing and disposing of the inestimable treasure of so blessed a ministerie FVLKE The grace and mercie of God in Iesus Christ was as largelie to be found for the saluation of his people in the daies of olde as in these daies Iesus Christ was yesterdaie and to daie is the same and for euermore And the Lambe was slaine from the beginning of the worlde as touching the effect of his death vnto all Gods elect and the communion of the Saints was as fullie established to the receiuing of al vertue of life from Christ their heade and to the mutuall seruice of loue and ministring of gods gifts one to another but not to merite at all either for themselues or for other Such meriting is dishonorable to the heade from whome euerie member receaueth life and all power and offices thereof ac cording to the measure of euerie member to the encrease and building vp of the wholl bodie in loue The Church of olde had also the ministerie of remission of sinnes and the keies of the kingdome of heauen and that not in base figures onelie but insufficient effect to the euerlasting saluation of Gods people And therefore to saie that all these things were none otherwise wrought but in base figures is to denie the saluation of all the fathers that died before the incarnation of Christ. For base figures could haue but base effectes base figures could not worke eternall life The ministerie figures of the law separated from Christ are in deede the weake and beg gerlie elements of the worlde but beeing referred to Christ and made effectuall by his death through faith in the partakers they are of the same power and riches vnto euerlasting saluation that the ministerie and sacraments of the new Testament But admit that nothing was wrought to them but in base figures yet it followeth not that after the incarnation and actuall death of Christ there should be any more meanes to remit the bond of satisfaction by answering Gods iustice then in that onelie sacrifice obedience and suffring of Christ or that the Church should haue such a store house of mans merites to satisfie Gods righteousnes or that men by loue zeale and deuotion may deserue Gods mercie these popish positions can neuer be prooued Againe whatsoeuer God remitted at the praier of Moses and Aaron and for his couenant made with Dauid or whatsoeuer he gaue to the memorie of that holie man he remitted and gaue for Iesus Christs sake in whome onelie his iustice was satisfied and he well pleased But your high priest with his Antichristian pardons and punishments which are grounded vpon the merites of men or coloured with the merites of Christ which yet are rent and rorne from the effect of his death Christ will destroy with the breath of his mouth and abolish with his glorious appearing For the death and passion of his sonne Iesus Christ God wil be merciful to his seruants that by faith take holde of the power of his death but neither by masses nor pardons doth he bestow the vertue thereof The good workes and sufferings of the saintes be examples of vertue and patience not merits or gifts of righteousnes The death of Christ answering Gods iustice and reconciling vs to his fauour hath made that good workes of his saintes which are the giftes of his grace