strength is to loue him pro viribus according to his strength He saith somewhat but he sayes not all for God lookes not to that which the sinner apostat bankrupt of his graces can now doe He askes and exacts that which man whom hee hath created according to his image inricht with all his blessings made a guardian of all his goods doth owe him That man hath receiued of God his bodie his soule all his faculties all the powers of his soule he owes then himselfe wholly vnto God and there is nothing in him which ought not to be incessantly bandied and bent to his seruice and to the seruice of his neighbour for his sake without reseruation and exception of degree without restriction of condition without limitation of time All that which man thinkes saies doth ought to be thought said done for Gods glory and there r 1 Cor. 10.31 is no place time action in the which hee ought not but procure and aduance his glory He is bound and obliged to him in a threefold manner First by right of Creation for he is bound to doe all that Adam did in his state of innocencie Adam by bond of nature did loue God with all his heart with all his soule with all the faculties of his soule with all the powers of all his faculties Euery man ought to doe as much we haue wasted and consumed Gods goods and by our owne fault are brought to that extremitie that we haue not wherewith to pay But pouertie and specially that which proceeds from bad husbandry and vnthriftinesse is no acquittance and binds not the creditor to cancell and blot out our bill and obligation and cannot hinder the creditor to aske iustly that which is his due Secondly by right of redemption we are the redeemed of our Lord Iesus he hath purchased vs with his owne pretious blood And there is nothing in vs for the which he hath not spilt his bloud nothing therefore but ought to bee for him but we are bound to dedicate and consecrate to his glorie in the highest degree and with the greatest intention that can be possible to the creature This is the argument of the Apostle Saint Å¿ 1. Cor. 6.19 20 Paul Ye are not saith he your owne far ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit which are Gods We ought therefore to glorifie God in all that with belongs vnto him wee ought to giue him all that which hee hath purchased and bought hee hath purchased and bought whole man all that is in man is his therfore he ought to dedicate himself to him in heart with his mouth and in effect saying with Dauid t Psal 103.1 Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name This is not arbitrable and at the will and pleasure of man but necessarie Thirdly by expresse commandement euery commandement is of necessite The Commandement is u Luk. 10.27 Thou shalt lone the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy minde A Commandement which comprehends all the degrees and all the perfection of the loue of the creature towards his Creator For if there be any degree of loue which God hath not commanded surely the Law of God is not perfect and Dauid shall haue deceiued vs in saying x Psal 19â— The Law of the Lord is perfect and naming it y Ps 119.105 a 〈◊〉 vnto his feets and alight vnto his path for there should bee certaine degrees of charitie the which he could not see by the light of the same law God himselfe should haue deceiued vs z Deut. 12.32 forbidding vs to adde to his Law or diminish from it and propounding it to vs in his Law as a perfect rule of all perfection conuenient and sutable to the creature in the highest degree and place It should also follow that it is not the image of holinesse which was in Adam before he did cast himselfe headlong from the height of himselfe that chartie is not a Rom. 13.10 that fulfilling of the Law against that which we haue learned of Saint Paul there being some charitie which the Law doth not commaund or some perfection which surpasseth the bounds and limits of charitie and climes higher then the loue of God and of our neighbour can doe That God could not exact of man a perfect charitie God not being able to demaund iustly that which man might iustly refuse him as not being bound to doe it These are the absurdities in the which they implicate and iâ—tangle themselues which doe expound the word of God according to their fancies and humor and restraine them only to the qualitie of our charitie God hauing extended them to the quantity by the word All. For he which hath made al will haue all or will not haue at all hee will haue no parther hee which hath giuen vs all our strength demaunds all being more then reasonable and iust that wee should imploy them all in and to his seruice as well as to our owne Let vs now retort vpon Bellarmine his owne exposition All are commanded to loue God with all their strength that is to say omni virtute proviribus with al their power according to their strength saith he Now the Monkes and Friers can doe nothing but that which is according to their force and strength therefore they can doe nothing but that which they are commaunded to doe and so the Counsels vanish away Againe wee must loue God according to our strength and force but our heart hath his strength our soule hath hir force our mindes haue their powers wee must therefore vnite and knit all this strength and might and put them together in working to do the Lords businesse we must not doe like b Acts 5.1 2. Ananias and Saphira who hauing vowed and dedicated all their possession to God kept backe part of the price of the same and reserued it for themselues We haue made a vow to him of all that wee are and that haue we done in our Baptisme we will then pay our vow all of vs ought to doe it he that keepes backe from him a part of himselfe or the least parcell of any part goes not roundly to work with him and is accursed by the holy Ghost crying c Ierem. 48.10 Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord deceitfully that is to say He that is slacke and remisse to doe the worke of the Lord and slacke indeed is he that goeth not to work with all his strength powers and faculties that diuides and shares them out betweene the heauen and the earth betweene sinne and pietie betweene man and God d Rom. 1.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom bee glory for euer Amen VII Let vs prosecute the refutation and goe on with it There are say
as it is written r Rom. 3.4 Let God bee true but euery man a lyer We see therefore that the word father is taken ambiguously by the Author of the Pastorall Letter and that from this ambiguitie a thousand impertinent false blasphemous conclusions might be inferred Moreouer the proposition is false if it bee not limited for can we be God like Christ Can we be Prophets Priests and Kings of the Church as Christ is In a word can wee bee mediatour betweene God and man as Christ is what are not these things proper to Christ and vncommunicable to all creatures IIII. The resemblance likenes which we must haue with Christ is in the holinesse of his life in that which concernes his godlinesse towards god and his charitie towards men according to the Law Å¿ Ephes 4.24 Col. 3.10 The new man which is renewed in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse after the image of him that created him The argument then will be good in this sort if we say that euen as Christ hath been so conscientious so scrupulous and holy in his vocation that hee hath not taught any thing but that which he hath heard of God his Father so our Pastors and Doctors ought not to teach any thing but that which they haue heard of God their Father that is to say that which is contained in the holy Scriptures And againe as Christ although authorised in his doctrine by that heauenly voice t Matth. 17.5 Heare him submits his doctrine to the touch-stone of the Scriptures and exhorts the people to examine it by the Scripture saying u Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures they are they which testifie of me Our Teachers and Doctors which haue not such an authoritie and should resemble Christ in humilitie and reuerence towards the Scripture ought and must submit their doctrine to the like examination and exhort the people to search the Scriptures to see and examine if it be so And if the people ought not to heare any other doctrine then that of their Father contained in Scripture remembring that notable sentence of Saint Augustine x August contra lit Petilia lib. 3. c. 6. Si angelus de caelo vobis annunciauerit preteâ—quâ—â— quod in Sâ—xipturiâ— legalibus Euangelicis accepisti anathema sit If an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that which you haue receiued in the Scriptures Legal or Euangelicall let him be accursed V. Let vs now retort and returne the argument against the Author of the same and say VVe may not speake of the Scripture otherwise then we haue heard of our Fathers we haue no other Father then God therefore we may not speake of the Scripture then as we haue heard it of God the Maior is his as we haue seene the Minor is his also For by this argument hee proues that children desirous to dwell in a cloyster ought not to obey their carnall parents which thwart their desires saying to the fathers Know yee not Pag. 20. that God forbids in Saint Matthew y Matth. 23 9. Nolite vobis vocare patrem super terram vnus enim pater est vester qui est in caelis Call no man your Father vpon the earth for one is your father which is in heauen The conclusion therefore is good according to his arguing and according to truth and therefore we wil heare none but God speaking to vs in the Scripture and will not heare the Fathers be they neuer so holy if they preach not to vs the word of God contained in the Scriptures VI. For so hath God expressely commanded vs in his word saying z Ezech. 20.18.19 Walke ye not in the statutes of your fathers neither obserue their iudgements nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke in my Statutes and keepe my Iudgements and doe them Conformably to this an ancient Father saith a Hier. in Ier. cap. 7. nec parentum nec maiâ—rum error sequendus est sed authoritas scripturarum c. We must not follow the errors of our fathers nor of our ancestors but we must follow the authoritie of the Scriptures And another b Bernard ad Abbat epist 91. Auant and farre from me and you let them be which say we will not be better then our forefathers The former saith againe of himselfe c Hier. contra Iouini As often as I do not interpret the Scriptures but that I speake freely of mine owne sense and reason let who will reprehend and reproue me Saint Austin said as much of Saint Hierome of all Catholike authors and particularly of himselfe as we haue seene in the Preface he tells vs ouer and besides of himselfe d August de Trinit lib. 3. in proaem Doe not thou subiect and submit thy selfe to my letters as to the Canonicall Scripture Of Saint Cyprian e Idem contra Crescou lib. 2. cap. 32. I account not the letters of Cyprian as Canonicall but I examine them by the Canonicall Scripture That which in them is conformable to the authoritie of the holy Scripture I receiue it with his praise and commendation that which is not conformable to it I reiect it with his good liking Of S. Ambrose and of the rest of the Doctors that were before him f Idem Epi. 112 Doe not thinke that wee must follow the sense and opinion of any man as the truth of the Canonicall Scripture Of all them which haue written from the Apostles time to his time g Idem contra Faustum Mani lib. 11. c. 5. In the small bookes or short Treatises of them which are come since the Hearer or Reader hath his free iudgement to approoue that which is pleasing and good or to reprooue that which is vnpleasant and offensiue Cardinall Caietan the most learned of all the Cardinals and Bishops of his time hath the like speech in his preface on Genesis for hauing said h Caiet praefat in 5. lib. Mos That this authoritie is reserued only to the sole authors of the holy Scripture that we beleeue the thing to be so because they haue so written it layes downe this principle and maxime i Deus non alligauit expositionem scripturaruÌ„ sacrarum priscorum doctorum sensibus that God hath not tied the exposition of the holy Scripture to the sense of the ancient Doctors k Si quando occurrerit nouus sensus textui conformis quanquam à torrente doctorum alienus aequos se praebeant censores And therefore he intreates them which shall find in his Commentaries a new sense or meaning conformable and agreeable to the text to iudge iustly and vprightly although it bee against the torrent and streame of the Fathers l Andrad defens Synod Trident. lib. 2. Andradius maintaines the selfe same principle and improues the allegoricall expositions of the Fathers reprehends many expositions that they giue of the literall sense pronounces that they
bonum à Christâ— nobis non imperatum sed demonstratum non mandatum sed commendâ—tum c. Bellarmine tells vs that The Counsell of perfection is a good worke not inioyned but demonstrated and shâ—wed not commanded but recommended by Christ different from a Precept in respect of the matter or subiect in the forme and in the end In the matter two waies first because the matter of a Precept is easier that of a Counsell more difficult Secondly because the matter of the Precept is good that of Counsels better and perfecter In the subiect because the precept is common to all the Counsell is not In the forme The precept bindes by his owne vertue and power but the Counsels depend on the free iudgement and free will of man In the end because the precept promiseth reward to the obseruer of it threatneth penalty and punishment against the transgressor but the Counsels not obserued hath no penaltie and obserued haue a greater reward The like in substance is written and set downe by the Author of the Pastorall Letter though more obscurely and confusedly III. They forge and inuent lyes and afterwards they define distinguish and amplifie them as truth They define them Counsels of perfection and not onely the name but the thing also is vnknowne in the Scripture That is certaine this may be easily proued by concluding arguments necessarie and indissoluble The greatest perfection that men yea the elect Angels can attaine vnto is that whereby man is made like vnto God and that is commanded to all by our Lord Iesus saying d Matth. 5.48 Be perfect euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect Let them remaund and send packing their Sophistrie to them which seeke by their disputations the glorie of the world in their victorie not the glorie of God in the victorie of the truth let them not abuse the world with the distinction e Bellar. de Monach c. 13 §. 5. of a necessarie perfection which Christ commaunds to all and of a profitable perfection which hee recommended vnto the rich man counselling him to sell all that hee had to giue it to the poore and to follow him for there is no such beneficiall and profitable perfection as that which make vs perfect as God is perfect there is no perfection so great so to be followed as that which is commanded Christ say they counselled the rich man to sell all that hee had and giue it to the poore that was something but Christ commaunds all f Matth. 5.44 to loue their enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully vse you and persecute you This is a great deale more for a man may bestow all his goods to feede the poore and not haue charitie g 1. Cor. 13.3 according to the testimonie of Saint Paul but none can loue their enemie and not haue charitie IIII. Now charitie h Col. 3.14 is the bond of perfectnesse a bond which doth keepe vs perfectly to God as it is written i 1. Iohn 4.16 God iâ— loue and hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him A bond which in God vnites vs one with another makes vs one and the same body in Christ imparts and communicate to euery one that which is in all and makes common to all that which is in euery one It makes thy gift mine and my gift thine and so by the communication of gifts and of all the graues which God hath imparted to euery one it perfecteth the bodie of the Church This is the intention of the Apostle saying k 1. Cor. 3.22 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cophas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and yet are Christs and Christ is Gods This is so manifest a truth that Bellarmine himselfe confesseth it faying l Bellar. de Monach c. 2. §. 2. that the true perfection confisteth in charitie we know that it hath many degrees but her highest degree is no other thing then that which shee is namely charitie There is also none but knoweth that without any exception of degrees charitie is commanded and recommended commended to all men as being m Rom. 13.10 1. Tim. 1.5 the endâ— and fulfilling of the Law to the fulfilling of the which we are bound Therefore charitie being the best perfection and charity being the excellentest and greatest perfection and no worke being acceptable vnto God but that which springeth from faith which worketh by charitie he that seekes for a better and greater perfection by I know not what Counsels is but ill counselled and aduised and hee that perswades himselfe that he may attaine vnto it is ignorant of two things of the excellent perfection of charitie and of the great imperfection of his owne nature an enemie to charitie for n Rom. 8.7 the carnall minde is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can bee V. The whole Law is comprised in charitie and this charitie consists in two points o Mark 12.30 31. The first and the greatest is Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy minde The second like vnto this is Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe This is that which euery man must doe this is all which the holiest and perfectest man can doe p Eccles 12.13 Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole dutie of man saith Salomon Wherefore there remaines nothing else to be done God hauing commanded that all the parts of man and all his strength powers and faculties be incessantly and for euer exercised in charity towards him and in charitie towards his neighbour according to him To what purpose then is this cauilling so much To what ende O Bellarmine so great a cloud of expositions diuisions corollaries to darken the Sunne Tell me if man can do more then loue God with all his heart with all his soule with all his minde with all his strength The Angels the Saints that are with God can they doe more then that If no creature heauenly nor earthly If Iesus Christ Man in as much as man though holy without measure could do no more to what purpose then these Counsels After that the whole soule the whole boast the whole minde all the powers and faculties haue been and are imploied and occupied in the loue due to God doth there remaine in vs any part any facultie that may be spared to be imploied and busied in Counsels not commanded not due VI. He thinks to shift off this and saith q Bell. de Monach c. 13. §. 11. that to loue God with all his heart and with all his soule is nothing else but to loue him truely sincerely without faining without dissimulation and that to loue him with all his
they Counsels of perfection If there bee any they are of God or of men If from God all men must follow the for if the requests and desires of Kings are commandements as an Heathen man saith how much more then are the Counsels of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords who looketh vnto none but such e Esay 66.7 as tremble at his word Christ Iesus said to the Church of Laodicea f Reuel 3.18 I counsell thee to buy of me goldâ—â—ied in the fire that thou maiest bee rich and white â—â—â—ent that thou maiest bee clothed and that the shame of thy unkednesse doe not appeare and anoint thine eyes with eye-salue that thou maiest see This is the onely place of the whole Scripture in the old and new Testament where God giueth counsell vnto man the Creator to his creature the Lord to his seruant the King of heauen to his subiects dwelling on earth And this Counsell is such an expresse commandement that the Lord hath spewed that Church out of his mouth for not following of the same for he that giues counsell to another desires and wishes that hee would conforme himselfe to it and is sorry yea angry and much offended when it is reiected when especially it is a good and wholesom counsell giuen by the superiour to his inferiour by the father to the son the King to his subiect to hasten to end and to vrge this we say al men are bound g Rom. 12.2 Ephes 5.17 to know and proone what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God to doe the fame according to the prayer which euery one makes vnto God Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen All the Counsels of God are the will of God wherefore all men are bound to vnderstand them to proue and doe them All that which wee are bound vnto to doe is a commandement the Counsels of God are things that wee are bound to doe therefore the Counsels of God are commandements Againe God wills and requires that all men practise his Counsels God wills not and requires not that all men should shut vp and mew themselues in a cloister abstaine from marriage carrie a wallet or scrip and go like vagabonds from dore to dore from towne to towne to begge and craue almes for such a life would bee the ruine and destruction of the Commonweale and of the Church Therefore to abstaine from mariage liue in pouertie nourish and sustaine himselfe with the labour and sweat of other men to mew himselfe vp in a Monastery separated from the company of men is not a Counsell of God VIII There are Counsels of perfection If there bee all must aspire vnto them euery man is inclined to it by nature euery one tends and inclines vnto perfection by a naturall principle and instinct euery Christian tends and makes towards the Christian perfection by a spirituall instinct by a principle of grace euery Christian is bound to it by commandement is drawne to it by promise is incited and incouraged by the example of all the Saints h Phil. 4.8 9. Brethren saith the Apostle whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are louely whatsoeuer things are of good report of there bee any vertue and if there bee any praise thinke on these things Those things which yee haue both learned and receiued and heard and seene in me doe and the God of peace shall be with you If the Counsels are of this ranck and number the Apostle commaunds all men and women to doe them to them that doth them hee makes a promise from God that the God of peace shall be with them If they are not of this number they are neither true nor venerable nor iust nor pure nor louely nor of good report there is no vertue nor praise in them And therefore they are not to bee done but to be eschewed and auoided This is the expresse commandement of our Master Doctor and Sauiour Iesus Christ i Matth. 5.48 Be perfect euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect this is also the expresse commaundement of Saint Paul k 2. Cor. 13.11 Bee perfect l Heb. 6.1 Let vs goe on vnto perfection To this ende the Scripture hath beene giuen vs m 2. Tim. 3.17 That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished vnto all good workes For this ende the Lord hath giuen vs Pastors and Doctors n Ephes 4.13 till wee all come in the vnitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of God S. Paul made towards this perfection and laboured to come to it by o Phil. 3.13 14. forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth vnto those things which are before he pressed towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Noah Iob Abraham all the Saints of the old and the new Testament haue done the like for which cause the Scripture termes them perfect God who accepts in his children the will and willingnesse the pronenes of their mindes and forwardnesse for the deede honouring their holy indeuor and affection with the name of perfection which they did aspire vnto and now enioy and possesse Wee â—ake now if the perfection of Counsels bring to the Monkes and Friers any greater perfection then the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ vnto which all Christians shall attaine and come vnto a perfect man If that cannot bee what vse haue Counsels If it can be there will be some perfection out of Christ and without Christ and some greater perfection then the perfect stature of Christ which is impossible We aske againe if a man in this life can attaine vnto a greater perfection then that which was in Noah Iob Abraham Moses in the Patriarches the Prophets and Apostles If any man shall bee aduanced and exalted in glorie aboue them in the life to come If this be absurd and false to what end and purpose is this warbling and pratling of Counsels which brings to no man any greater excellencie aduantage then that which infinite Saints haue attained vnto which haue neuer bin Monks neuer made vow of continencie neuer carried the bag and wallet neuer followed the Monasticall deuotions Abraham Isaac Iacob Noah Moses c. were great men and rich and liued in the state of matrimony The holy Apostles haue neuer followed any other rule then that which is common to all Christians Pouertie and the forsaking of their goods was neuer imposed to them by Christ and they neuer bound themselues to it by vow as the whole history of the Gospell teacheth vs and p Extrâ—â— Iob. 22. Tit. 14. c. 5. Quia quorundam neque Christum exprepriationem praedictam â—mnis iuris cuinâ—cunque rei proprietatem eius vsuÌ„
For there are some Eunuches which were so borne from their mothers wombe and there are some Eunuches which were made Eunuches of men and there be Eunuches which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it Bellarmine saith that Christ giues not here a Precept but a Counsell and hee proues that because Christ forbids not marriage and therefore commaunds not chastitie because that Christ also hath said He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it Whereupon he allegeth Saint o August de Tempore ser 61. Pag. 9. Austins words which are also alleaged in the Pastorall Letter to the same purpose in these words A Counsell is one thing and a Precept is another thing A Counsell is giuen to the end that Virginitie be preserued that men abstaine from wine and flesh that all things be sold and giuen vnto the poore but this precept is giuen to the ende that iustice be obserued and maintained At least it is said of virginity He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it but it is not said of iustice He that is able to doe it let him doe it but euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the sire He that doth and keepeth a Counsell shall haue a greater glorie but he which keepeth not the Precept cannot auoide the punishment The Author of the Pastorall Letter adds to this The whole world is bound to the one vnder paine of euerlasting torments the whole world is stirred vp and drawne to the other both by the authoritie as also by the loue of the Sauiour who giues this Counsel as when he commends in Saint Matthew the continent vnder the name of an Eunuch he stirres vp and incourageth al the world to it Qui potest capere capiat He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it Thus they proue that these words containe a Counsell and not a Commandement Now that chastitie doth not onely conferre a corporall benefit but also hath a reward in heauen it appeares by these words saith Bellarmine there be Eunuchs which haue made themselues Eunuches for the Kingdome of Heauens sake Wee are to see therefore if there be a Counsell or a Precept in these words of Christ and if by the Kingdome of Heauen Christ vnderstands a certaine reward reserued in heauen for those that abstaine from marriage V. Iesus Christ hauing declared that whosoeuer shal put away his wife except it be for fornication and shall marry another committeth adultery The Apostles said If the case of the man be so with his wife it is not good to marrie and so condemned marriage as hurtfull vnto man whereupon our Sauiour Christ takes occasion to shew the necessitie of marriage and who those are that can and ought to abstaine from it All men saith he cannot receiue this saying saue they to whom it is giuen That is to say p Maldon in Mat. 19. vers 16. I lest non omnes praestare possunt vt siat sine vxore qâ—ia carent dono continentiae Sic ferè omnes exponunt quibus equidem non â—ssentior All cannot take vpon them to be without wiues because they haue not the gift of continencie as almost all expound it whereunto saith Maldonat I cannot consent nor agree And wherefore my friend is it not a Maxime of some of your side that q Salmeron Iesuit in proem epist 3. d. Pauli disput 6. in fine in 1. Ioan. 3. disput 25. §. 3. Est incuitabile argumentum veritatis est infallibilis regula iudicandi What is taught of all or almost of all is an vnauoideable argument of truth an infallible rule of iudging But whether Maldonat consents to it or no it is the true sense of Christs words who continuing his discourse teacheth who they are to whom it is behouefull and expedient not to marry saying that there are but three sorts of them first the Eunuchs which were so borne from their mothers wombe that is to say which are naturally weake and vnable Secondly Eunuches which were made Eunuches of men where of there was anciently a great number among the Pagans and Gentiles Thirdly Eunuches which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake That is to say who hauing receiued of God the gift of continencie and being called thereunto do abstaine willingly from matrimonie not for their particular commoditie but for the kingdome of heauens sake for the aduancement of the Kingdome of Christ Iesus or as Saint Paul expounds it r 1. Cor. 7.34.35 to haue care for the things that belong to the Lord and to attend vpon the Lord without distraction The Apostles seeing the libertie of diuorcement restrained and limited iudged that if a man might not put away his wife for euery cause it were better not to marry Iesus Christ corrects this error and declares vnto them that none but three sorts of men can liue without a a wife Eunuches so borne Eunuches so made of men and such men as being capable of marriage haue receiued of God the gift of continencie They saith the Apostle Å¿ 1. Cor. 7.9 that can containe and burne not Moreouer he enacts that those abstaine from marriage not because of tribulations that doe accompanie it neither for the ease of the flesh nor for particular commoditie but for the kingdome of heauen for the edification of the Church called commonly in the Gospell t Mat. 13.24 the kingdome of heauen for the u 1. Cor. 10.31 glory of God which ought to be the ende of all our actions to whom we must adde a third condition that he be called thereunto according to the doctrine of the Apostle x 1. Cor. 7.24 Let euery man wherein hee is called therein abide with God Adam had the gist of continencie in his state of innocencie and notwithstanding if he had not sinned be should haue rendred vnto his wife due beneuolence whom God had giuen him in his innocencie and hee should haue begot of her children in Paradice because that by Gods calling hee was ordained to be the Father of mankind Wherefore Christ concludes this speech with a Commandement and not with a Counsell He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it For they that can abstaine from mariage by the gift of continencie by their calling vnto continency by the heauenly end of their gift and calling those I say are bound by Gods Commandement to abstaine from it It is no more an arbitrable thing left to their choice but necessarie We must say of all the rest whatsoeuer they be He which is not able to receiue this saying let him not receiue it He that hath not the gift of continencie let him marry for it is not expedient for him to saluation to liue without a wife Let vs reduce our Sauiors words into a syllogisme and the sense thereof
is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The same ancient Fathers doe teach me that the merits of the faithfull are the mercies of God the merits of Christ to whom eternall life is giuen for a reward to the ende he giue vs it of pure grace But let vs consider a little neerer the wordes To make himselfe an Eunuch for the Kingdome of heauens sake say they is to merit heauen by single life Falsely for if it were so the vestall virgins among the Romans the Priests of Cybele grand necce to the false gods the Monks among the Turkes should merit eternall life Falsely againe seeing that heauen is replenished and filled with those which haue liued and died in the state of mariage Falsely againe againe seeing God promiseth nothing vnto Eunuchs but on condition h Isai 56.4 that they chuse the things that please him and take hold of his Couenant It is not therefore for their single life which makes theÌ„ nor more nor lesse acceptable vnto God i Act. 10.34 1. Tim. 4.8 who is no respecter of persons but for their godlines wherof the Apostle speaketh that bodily exercise profiteth little such is single life but godlinesse is profitable vnto al things hauing promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come VIII What is then to make himselfe an Eunuch for the Kingdome of heauens sake I haue already told it but because they will not beleeue me let others say what it is k Lyra in Mat. 19. vt liberiùs continentes vacent contemplationi diuinae Lyrinensis That the continent and chaste may apply and giue their minde more freely to diuine contemplation A man must not beleeue him vnlesse he proue it by Scripture and therefore he adds as it is written l 1. Cor. 7.32.33 Hee that is vnmaried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how he may please the Lord but hee that is married careth for the things that are of the world how hee may please his wife and he is diuidâ—d Ferus a Frier whose authoritie ought not to be small among the Friers and Monkes m Ferus in Mat. 19. vers 11. Doe not preferre thy selfe before another for thy continencie for it may bee that the marriage of another is more acceptable vnto God then thy chastitie for here thou hast expressely set downe before thee that all continencie is not acceptable vnto God For thou hast heere three sorts of chaste men of them that are Eunuches by nature Item of them that are made Eunuches of men whereunto it seemeth that we must adde those that liâ—e continently by constraint and against their will or which refraine themselues from it to bee praised of men Neutri autem Deo placent sed tantum bi qui propter regnum coelorum continent vt scilicet liberiùs Deo vacent ac curare possint quae Domini sunt None of these please God but they only that abstaine an refrain for the Kingdom of Heauens sake to the end they may more freely serue God and haue more care of the things that belong to the Lord. This is that wee say Continencie to him that hath that gift is more commodious for the seruice of God then marriage But hee that hath not that gift will serue God better being married then being vnmarried and burning But we will speake more largely of this matter hereafter IX Such hath been the exposition of this place vntil now all hauing vnderstood it as if Iesus Christ spake there of Eunuches that should make themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake in the Church of Christ But I intreâ—â— the Reader to consider two things first that Christ speakes of that which is past not of that which is to come of that which happened among the Iewes not of that which should happen among Christians for he saith There be Eunuches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake and saith not that shall make themselues Eunuches Secondly that Saint Paul saith euidently n 1. Cor. 7.25 Concerning virgines I haue no commandement of the Lord. With what truth If God hath spoken thereof in Isaiah and the Lord Iesus in Saint Matthew It is will they say a Counsell but euery Counsell of God is a Commandement and if God had giuen this Counsell the Apostle would haue said I haue no Commandement but I haue a Counsell of the Lord according vnto that which he protests elsewhere saying o Act. 20.27 I haue not shanned to declare vnto you all the Counsell of God Now he saith manifestly p Ephiphan baeres 16. Quidam eorum cumse exercebant praescribebant sibi decennium aut octennium aut quadriennium virginitatis continentiae that it is his aduice an iudgement whereof the Lord had imparted nothing vnto men before him Wherefore it seemeth that these words concerning Eunuches containe neither a precept nor a Counsell of the Lord but that the Lord rehearseth there simply that which certaine Iewes did then and had done since the corruption of the state and of the religion among them For wee reade that the Pharisees which had introduced many superstitions in the Church and particularly the doctrine of merit when they did exercise themselues they prescribed vnto themselues tenne or eight or foure yeares of virginitie and continencie And then q Idom heres 15 they did carrie their phylacteries that is to say the fringes and borders of purple vpon their garments to the ende that they which saw them should take heede to touch them as being for the time sanctified and separated from the world and that did they imitating therein the Essenes r Ioseph de belle Iud. lib. 2. c. 7. that despised marriage The one and the other for the Kingdome of heauens sake that is to say thinking to merit by it eternall life whom our Lord reproues of rashnesse in that they sought the Kingdome of God by continencie which surpasseth the strength of man and is a gift of God which is giuen but to few All men saith Christ cannot receiue this saying saue they to whom it is giuen He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it That is to say No man can comprehend that which those men striue to doe saue they to whom it is giuen of God as when he saith t Mat. 13.9 Who hath eares to heare let him heare Which is as if hee should haue said No man hath eares to heare and vnderstand the holy mysteries saue he to whom it is giuen for so hee expounds it in the eleuenth verse It is giuen vnto you to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen X. Let vs now retort the Argument against our aduersaries They tell vs that he which shall keepe the Counsels shall haue a greater glory and doe proue it by this Text. Let vs grant vnto them this for
not answere They would none of my Counsell therefore shall they eate of the fruit of their owne way r Psal 107.11 Because they contemned the Counsell of the most High therefore he brought downe their hears with labour they fell downe * Bernard super Cant. serm 65. Euangelium appellasti ad Euangelium ibis and there was none to helpe Counsels therefore not obserued haue punishment Lastly they appeale vnto the Scripture for their pretended Euangelicall Counsels vnto the Scripture they shall goe which is not for them but against them for that of Saint Paul 1. Cor 7. is not Counsell but his aduice and iudgement and his iudgement is a Commandement yea admit it were a Counsell it is a Counsell of the holy Ghost and therefore a Commandement and it is maruell that they alleage Saint Paul as a Counseller of Euangelicall Counsels seeing that Antonius makes him but a Teacher of Faith and of the Law as wee haue seene And Christs Counsels to the young man Matth. 19. and to the Church of Laodicea Reuel 3. were no Euangelicall Counsels for beâ—ides that that of Saint Matthew is called a Precept by Å¿ August in epist 89. quaest 4. Saint Austin and many moe yea a generall precept by Guilielâ—â—s de S. Amore and that a man may obserue that Counsel of giuing all to the poore and yet haue no reward and so no Counsell for t 1. Cor. 13.3 if a â—â—â—gine all to the poore and 〈◊〉 no lour iâ— proâ—ireth him nothing both of them are the Counsels of Christ God and Man and therefore Commandements both of them necessarie and not arbitiary both of them not obserued threaten punishment for the one was excluded out of the King dome of heaueÌ„ the others were spued out of Christs mouth for not obseruing his Counsell euen by the Papists confession We say therefore that these places will not serue their tuâ—â—e for their pretended Counsels and the distinction betweene the Precept of God and the Counsell of God is friuolous and improper according to their sense and meaning Indeede there may bee a verball and nominall distinction of the Counsels and precepts of God but there can be no reall distinction of them Precepts are Counsels and Counsels are Precepts at least particular precepts giuen to some in particular for some time and some circumstance for so Saint Austin with some of the Fathers yea and Schoolmen and Papists too call Counsels particular Precepts and therefore Pope Nicolas the sixth confesseth u Decret lib. 5. tit 12. cap. 3. Nonnulla Consilia Euangelica sub verbo prohibitione praecepti that there are some Euangelicall Counsels expressed vnder the terme and prohibition of Precepts But this point of Euangelicall Counsels with that of the Scripture is more largely handled in this first Volume of Iacobs Vow the basis and ground of the ensuing volumes the second beginning with the Treatise of Vowes which shal come forth God willing as soone as time and leisure will permit which first Volume I haue translated because I found the matter and subiect thereof learnedly handled and very necessarie not onely for those that are without but also for those that are among vs who may see in this Treatise as in a glasse the errors of the Church of Rome in the points of the Scripture and Euangelicall Counsels with the refutation thereof I alwaies liked that sentence of an ancient Father It is saith he an act of modesty not to aduance your owne inuentions but to declare that which you haue receiued of those that haue gone before you therefore I neuer made vow that I would not put my hand to any Translation or Paraphrase as Du Bartas did which he did not long obserue for he translated that roiall and diuine x The Lepanto Poâ—m of our dread Soueraigne as he himself confesseth in the Preface thereof but haue had a desire to translate this booke following therein the president and example of great men Diuines Knights Lords Ladies yea and Princes too that haue done the like The reason which hath moued mee deare Brethren to shroud this translation of mine vnder your names is because yee are both vnto mee brethren of race of place and of grace which containes more then can bee expressed and is enough yea more then enough to moue me to dedicate this booke vnto you and therefore as God hath ioyned you both together in one of the neerest societies that can be so haue I ioyned you both together in this Dedication For as y Hieron ad Chromat Non debet charta diuidere quos amor mutuns copulauit Hierome saith this paper must not separate you whom mutuall loue yea brotherhood hath combined together whose life loue and affection as Saint Ambrose speakes z Ambros in obit Fratris sui satyri indiuiduus spiritus indiuiduus affectus are vnseparated and vnseparable so that as you enioy a certaine communion among your selues so here you shall not haue a diuision Accept then this small present which though it bee but small proceedes from no small affection as a pledge of my vnfained and brotherly loue and giue to this stranger thus homely apparrelled in this English habit and speaking his English tongue yet somewhat fearefull to set foote in forren ground giue him your hand at his first entrance in token of welcome intertaine him courteously and conuerse with him familiarly so shall you finde in him both profit and pleasure Thus commending and recommending him to your kind acceptance and you in my prayers to God I beseech him to performe and finish that good work which he hath begun in you that so you may proceede on in faith and godlinesse making not your gaine godlinesse but godlinesse your gaine and laying vp for your selues treasures in heauen and that as you are here combined together in brotherhood by consanguinitie and in grace in faith and in loue vnfained one to another by one spirit so heires together of one promise here on earth so ye may at last as heires of God and ioynt heires with Christ possesse that spirituall and euerlasting inheritance in the Kingdome of heauen whose King is the Trinitie whose Law is charitie whose Measure is eternitie Amen London April 30. 1617. Your brother in all Christian duties to be commanded IOHN BVLTEEL THE AVTHOR TO THE READER WHen I first intended this worke I had no other purpose then to refute a certaine small Treatise of Cardinall Sourdis Archbishop of Bourdeaux which he intituled THE PASTORALL LETTER and directed it to all those of his Diocesse of Bourdeaux pretending to shew that parents haue no authority to hinder their children from following Euangelicall Counsels and children are not bound to aske their parents leaue therein that is to say that children may steale themselues away from their parents and may become Monkes not onely without their parents consent and will but also against it Whereof there was a notable example
ser 50. Nec latuit praeceptorem praecepti pondus hominum excedere vires sed iudicauit vtile ex hoc ipso suo illes insufficieâ—tiae admoneri vt scirent sanè ad quem iustitiae finem niti pro viribus oporteret Ergo mandando impossibilia non praeuaricatores homines fecit sed humiles c. The Master was not ignorant saith Saint Bernard that the burden of the Commandement did surpasse the strength of man but hee thought it good and necessarie that by the very same they should be warned of their insufficiencie that they might know to what ende and marke of righteousnesse they ought to make towards with all their strength and power commanding therefore things impossible he hath not made men preuaricators but humble that euery mouth may be stopped and all the world may become subiect to the iudgement of God because that by the workes of the Law there shall be no flesh iustified in his sight for receiuing the CoÌ„mandements and feeling our defect and want wee will crie vp to heauen and God will haue mercy vpon vs and wee shall know in that day that hee hath saued vs not by the workes of righteousnesse that wee haue done but according to his mercie Secondly because he vnderstands not the language of the Scripture hee restraines the choice to voluntarie and free things to the obseruation of the which man is not bound and compelled by any Law Hee might haue read the words of the Prophet Moses saying to the people of Israel touching the Law x Deut. 30.19 I call heauen and earth to record this day against you that I haue set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both then and thy seede may liue As also Ioshuahs words to the same people y Ioshua 24.15 If it seeme euill vnto you to serue the Lord chuse you this day whom ye will serue Conformably to this Dauid saith z Psal 119.30 I haue chosen the way of truth thy iudgements haue I laid before me And Saint Cyrill expounds the Prophets words of them which chuse and retaine Christs Testament as Lyrinensis of those that liue righteously and vprightly with their neighbour VII He expounds as falsely these words I will giue vnto them a name better then of sons and of daughters a Bellar. de monach c. 9. parag 3. 9. maintaining that by sons and daughters God meanes those good and godly persons that are married which are Gods sons and daughters and that God promiseth to those which are virgins a greater good and a greater glory then to these What could he say more impertinently then this For to be a sonne and a daughter of God is the common name of all the faithfull and their highest and most excellent title and degree of honour from whence depends all their prerogatiue glory ioy and consolation both in life and death and it is not a name of an inferiour qualitie appertaining onely to some lesse priuiledge Witnesse our Sauiour Christ when he saith To as many as receiued him to them b Iohn 1.12 gaue he power to become the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Witnesse God himselfe saying by his Prophets and by his Apostle c Isa 52.11 Ierem. 31.1.9 2. Cor. 6.17.18 Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the vncleane thing and I will receiue you and will be a Father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie d Rom. 8.17 And if children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ saith the Apostle What may we What can we hope desire wish more It is that which is giuen to honest and good men married persons by Bellarmines confession what remaines then to the Monkes what haue the Friers else a name saith he more excellent then of sonnes of God why then they are not sonnes of God And to maiden Virgins a name better then of daughters of God why then they are not Gods daughters what other name shall we giue them for he which is not the childe and sonne of God is the sonne of rebellion the childe of wrath whose father is the Deuill a name saith he better then of sonnes What greater or better name I pray you can wee haue on earth then to bee sonnes and heires of a King except we were Kings And what better or greater name in heauen then to bee Gods sonne and heire without being God The Angels are called e Iob 1.6 2.1 the sonnes of God The Saints are called the sonnes of God he which is the Sonne of God by nature was manifest in the flesh that we might be made the sonnes of God by grace The holy Ghost is sent into our hearts to assure vs that wee are the sonnes of God f Rom. 8.15.16 Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father The Spirit it selfe bearâ—th witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God And there is no name in the Scripture so expresse so significatiue and of so large extent for it comprehends in it all the good that God bestowes on his elect and chosen people vnto whom he giues all his blessings in the name title and state of children and out of this state and condition he giue them no spirituall wholesome and sauing blessing VIII Now we shall finde the true sense and meaning of this place if wee adde thereunto that which goes before and that which followes after which hath been industriously and wittingly omitted by Bellarmine lest it should haue hindred hiâ— bad cause The words going before are Let not the sonne of the stranger that hath ioyned himselfe to the Lord speake saying The Lord hath vtterly separated me from his people neither let the Eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree Here then the stranger and the Eunuch fearing God are ioyned together both of them bewailing their miserie The one because he was separated from Gods people The other because he was a drie tree The Eunuch is first comforted by the wordes of this place whereupon Bellarmine grounds his Counsels The stranger is comforted in the verses following in these words Also the sonnes of the stranger that ioyne themselues to the Lord to serue him and to loue the name of the Lord c. euen them will I bring to my holy mountaine and make them ioyfull in my house of prayer c. The Gentils called by the Prophet the sonnes of the stranger g Ephes 2.12 were at that time without Christ being aliens from the Common-weale of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and without God in the world As for the Iewes God made a promise to Abraham their father saying h Gens 22.17 In blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand
this time and put the case that this vntruth be true Saint Paul saith t 1. Cor. 7.2 That to auâ—ide fornication let euery man haue his owne wife and let euery woman haue her owne husband This is an expresse Commandement as it shall be shewne and seene in his place notwithstanding u Bellar. de clericis c. 21. §. 6. adde non esse praeceptum Apestoli sed consilium pag. 10. Bellarmine cries out This is not a precept of the Apostle but a Counsell Let vs suppose also that this second falsehood be truth and let vs argue in this manner He which doth the workes of a Counsell shall haue a greater glory saith our Cardinall He that hath his owne wife to aâ—oide fornication doth a worke of Counsell according to Bellarmine Wherefore our Cardinall and Bellarmine must conclude wil they nill they that he who to auoide fornication hath his owne wife shall haue a greater glory If Bellarmine sayes true the Vrseline virgins which they feede with vaine hope of a greater glory in shew onely should marry to auoide fornication and not giue men occasion to speake ill of them CHAP. XVII I. The first obiection taken from the words of Christ Mat. 19. Goe and sell that thou hast II. The Author of the Pasterall Letter giues vs to vnderstand that these words are no Counsell but a Precept III. It is a shame for their Bishops to speake of this Counsell and not to follow it IIII. These wordes do nothing auaile the Vrseline virgines nor any order of Monkes because they sell nothing and giue nothing to the poore V. The young man asking our Lord Christ what good thing he should doe to haue eternall life our Sauiour sends him to the Commandements and the reason why VI. The young man saying that he had kept all the Commandements from his youth vp lied VII Thinking that the Law was not giuen but to the outward man VIII Why he asked what he lacked yet IX In what sense it is said that Christ loued him X. A refutation of Bellarmines exposition of these words If thou wilt be perfect c. XI The true meaning of these words XII The words Goe and sell that thou hast c. are a particular Commandement of Charitie XIII Bellarmines reply refuted by three reasons XIIII The words Come and follow me are a Commandement of faith and not a Counsell Christ is followed two manner of waies XV. The promise And thou shalt haue treasure in Heauen imports not any merit of a singular reward as Bellarmine saith XVI In what sense the Apostles said vnto Christ that they had forsaken all and followed him XVII All Christians are commanded to forsake all to follow Christ and in what manner THe a Hieren aduers Pelag. lib. 1. truth may be assaulted but cannot be ouercome saith Saint Ierome men take paines to hide it to cast a mist ouer it to supplant it and to oppresse it but all in vaine For as the prouerb is Shee is the strongest and makes her selfe knowne found such of all yea of her enemies hauing the skil to make vse of their owne weapons to their ruine as Dauid did who tooke vp Goliahs sword slew him and cut off his head therewith we neede no other proofe for this time then our Cardinals words alleaging an argument for the pretended Counsels and ouerthrowing them by the same argument The first obiection Pag. 8. Hauing made a distinction betweene Precepts and Counsels he proues his distinction saying that our Sauiour Christ himselfe shewes it vs in b Mat. 19.16 Saint Matthew 19. and Saint Mark 10. where one asked him what good thing he should doe that he might haue eternall life He said vnto him Thou shalt doe no murder Vers 18. Vers 19. Vers 20. Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnesse Honour thy father and thy mother And thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe The young man saith vnto him Vers 21. All these things haue I kept from my youth vp what lacke I yet This answere is no sooner made but see the Counsell of our Sauior If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me This is Bellarmines first obiection II. Here say you is the Counsell of our Lord. How shall I beleeue that which you say for you say so indeede but by your words you shew that it is a Precept for you adde Pag. 9. Whereupon our Sauiour pronounceth this fearefull sentence against rich men Amen dico vobis diues difficile intrabit in regnum caelorum c Mat. 19.23 Verily I say vnto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen d Luk. 18.24 Quam difficile qui pecunias habent in regnum Dei introibunt How hardly shall they that haue riches enter into the kingdome of God Let vs adde for the explanation of this matter the sequele of Christs words And againe I say vnto you It is easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heauen Whereupon Saint Ierome e Hieron aduers Pelag. lib. 1. In this that which can be done is not said but that which is impossible is compared with the impossible for as a Camell cannot go through the eye of a needle so a rich man shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen It is a terrible sentence pronounced against this rich man who went away sorrowfull for hee had great possessions Sorrowfull saith Saint f Hieron in Mat. 19. vers 22 Haec est tristitia quae ducit ad mortem c. Chap. 11. Ierome of that sorrow which worketh death and the reason of this sorrow is rendred because he had great possessions that is to say thornes briers and bushes that choked the seed of the Lord. Let vs now remember the difference heretofore specified betweene a Counsell and a Precept A Precept not obserued hath punishment but a Counsell not obserued hath us punishment This is the first difference whence I argue in this manner that which not being obserued threatneth punishment is no Counsell but a Precept Christs words not kept by this young man threatned punishment against him For Christ declares him excluded not of the Kingdome of heauen for the not obseruing of them therefore Christs words to this young man were no Counsell but a Precept The maior of this is Bellarmines and the Authors of the Pastorall Letter The minor thereof is also taken out of the same Letter For wherefore should this sentence haue been terrible and dreadfull to this rich man if hee might haue left the obseruation of the words of our Lord without danger of punishment The second difference betweene a Counsell and a Precept is that A Precept obserued hath a reward a Counsell obserued hath a
certaine Scribe came and said vnto him Master I will follow thee whither soeuer thou goest and he refused him Hee that had been possessed with the Diuell and was deliuered by Christ i Mark 5.18.19 prayed him that hee might be with him but Iesus suffered him not But most commonly to follow Christ is to deny himselfe to take vp the crosse of Christ to rest in him with a true and liuely faith and depend on him in life and death This following is common to all commanded to all men k Mat. 16.24 Whosoeuer saith hee will come after mee let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me The Lord would haue this young man to follow him specially in this manner and therefore wee haue said that these words were a commandement of faith for it is with the feete of faith that wee follow the Lord goe to the Lord and obey the Lord. There being therefore no other following of Christ then that which was corporall and of few persons which hath ceased and that which is spirituall common to all the faithfull which is perpetuall there is nothing in this text for the Monkes and Friers For to follow Christ is not to frame and apply himselfe vnto the iudgement and will of another as Bellarmine falsely saith but to frame himselfe vnto the will of Christ alone l Mat. 23.10 who is our only Doctor and teacher whom we must heare and our only patterne whom wee must imitate and our Lord whom wee must obey There is no more due vnto the others how holy soeuer they haue been then to S. Paul that saith m 1. Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me euen as I also am of Christ XV. The promise annexed to this commandement is And thou shalt haue treasure in heauen whence Bellarmine inferres that to giue all deserueth a singular and speciall reward This man turnes all the promises that God makes to them which obey him into salaries and wages due and iustly giuen to the merits of men as if the creature could merit of his Creator man which is but a little worme could make God beholding to him and could purchase to himselfe for a little money that glorie which eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the thought of man How much better n Ferus in Mat. c. 19. Ferus expounding this promise Admirable saith he is the goodnesse of God he might exact without any remuneration and damne the disobedient but behold he allures by promises and makes himselfe a debtor he who is debtor to none but vnto whom all creatures are indebted what other thing then can I say then that which Dauid saith o Psal 106.1 Praise yee the Lord O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is good for his mercie â—ndureth for euer let Israel say he is good God then promiseth vnto men eternall life to draw them to their dutie and hee doth that as a Father whereas hee might compell them as a Iudge He promiseth them that which he owes them not to the end they giue and render that which they owe he giues them that which he promised them not for their merit but for his mercie sake He giues them I say a treasure in heauen this treasure is nothing else but eternall life which onely the rich man asked for which only the Lord promised and was it not enough and more then enough an exchange without proportion of earth for heauen of a treasure of durt and mud for a treasure of an vnspeakable price of the vanitie of riches for the eternall weight of a glorie exceedingly excellent This treasure signifies no other thing in the holy Scripture I will say vnto him that beleeueth otherwise and that seeketh eternall life in his oyle in his gold in his siluer and other corruptible things as S. Peter said vnto Simon Magus p Acts 8.20 Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money XVI The rich man hearing that Christs words did import a condition without the which he could not obtaine life euerlasting discouers his hypocrisie and shewing that his money was dearer and more precious to him then his God and the treasure he possessed here on earth was better to him and more esteemed then that which was promised him in heauen goes away sorrowfull and giues Christ occasion to pronounces dreadfull sentence against him and against all rich men that set their hearts on riches and put their trust and confidence in them that they shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen q Mat. 19.27.28 Then answered Peter and said vnto him Behold wee haue forsaken all and followed thee what shall we haue therefore And Iesus said vnto them Verily I say vnto you that yee which haue followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his glorie ye shall also sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel r Bellar. de monach c. 9. §. 32. This is as much saith Bellarmine as if Peter had said Behold wee haue done that which this young man will not doe what wilt thou giue vs therefore Whereunto our Sauiour said not I will giue you nothing for I spake but to this young man and that not in earnest but only that he might not know that he lied He answered not so but said Verily I say vnto you c. This glosse spoiles the text and is contrarie to the truth For the Apostles sold not all they had and gaue not all to the poore for although they had left their ordinary vocation whereby they might haue got their liuing and had left the care of their domesticall businesse to follow Christs calling they renounced not for all that the possession the right and prerogatiue nor left the vse thereof when they were in those places The historie sheweth plainly that after Å¿ Mat. 9.10 Luk. 5.29 Matthew had followed Christ he made him a great feast in his owne house Yea Peter that said these things had yet his house as it is written t Mat. 8.14 When Iesus was come into Peters house he saw his wiues mother laid and sicke of a feuer Christ telling his disciples what should befall them at his death saith he not u Iohn 16.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in propria The houre commeth yea is now come that ye shall be all scattered euery man to his owne And being vpon the Crosse said vnto Iohn touching the Virgin x Iohn 19.27 Behold thy mother is it not said that from that hower that Disciple tooke her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto his owne home They had therefore yet their houses and therfore Bellarmine imputes vnto them a lie in making them say Behold we haue done that which this young man will not doe For they had not sold all nor giuen all but it appeares by the last Chapter
marriage doth well but he that giueth her not in marriage doth better Item the widdow is happier if she so abide IF therefore these Counsels are giuen by God 7 7. Obiection Pag. 10. who will make difficultie to ioyne his Counsell with that of the eternall wisdome saith the Pastorall Letter grounding a false conclusion vpon a false exposition of Christs words a Mat. 19.12 There hee Eunuches which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it b Mat. 19.21 Goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore We will therefore correct this conclusion and say If these Counsels are not giuen by God as it appeares sufficiently by the exposition of the foresaid places A Bishop one that esteemes himselfe Gods Ambassadour who therefore should counsell nothing say nothing but that which he hath heard of God should haue made difficultie yea should haue abstained from giuing Counsell in a matter that is not of his Commission Moses being asked touching things that God had not reuealed vnto him c Leuit. 24.11 as the punishment of the blasphemer d Numb 27.5 the succession of daughters in their fathers goods and possession where no male children are and such like things would neuer giue his iudgement and aduice much lesse giue any Counsell yea and much lesse ordaine any thing before he had asked Counsell of the Lord. The Prophets lesson is e Ezech. 3.17 Heare the Word at my mouth f Ierem. 1.7 whatsoeuer I command that thou shalt speake and their prophecying was nothing else but a repetition of the lesson of their God word by word to the people The Apostles lesson was g Mat. 28.19.20 Goe and teach all Nations teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you Their practice was h 1. Cor. 11.23 I haue receiued of the Lord that which also I deliuered vnto you Their instruction to others was i 1. Pet. 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the Oracles of God and these words say wee are wholly contained in the holy Scripture wherein there is no mention at al of Monkish Counsels and notwithstanding they that are not Prophets nor Apostles vsurping more then hath been permitted euen to the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists doe counsell vs to follow their Counsels doe exhort vs yea vrge vs to the obseruation thereof without God without Christ without Scripture pretending therein notwithstanding the Scripture and the name of eternall wisedome surely not without infolding themselues in impietie in cloaking with the name and title of eternall wisedome a doctrine which is altogether sensuall and earthly and calling the Counsell of God an intollerable yoke wherewith men haue charged the consciences of Saints set at liberty by our Lord Iesus Christ A Counsell notwithstanding that our Cardinal ioyneth with that of God and that if we beleeue him after the imitation of Saint Paul who speaking of virginitie saith II. 1 1. Cor. 7.25 Consilium autem do Pag. 10. tanquam misericordiam consecutus Yet giue I counsell as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord. But Saint Paul confesseth that he hath not ioyned his Counsell vnto any counsell comming from the Lord writing these words which goe immediatly before Now concerning virgins I haue no commandement of the Lord. Wherefore hee ioyneth not his Counsell to Gods Counsell according to Saint Pauls imitation Hee will say that it sufficeth that he imitates Saint Paul and that Saint Paul saith I giue Counsell c. But I answere him that Saint Paul hath written in Greeke and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say I giue my iudgement and not I giue Counsell His iudgement which he authorizeth by his fidelitie in the seruice of God by the mercy he hath obtained of the Lord to be faithfull by the Maiestie of the holy Ghost by whose inspiration he giues it l 1. Cor. 7.25 I giue my iudgement saith he as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull III. An aduice therefore that he giues not as a priuat man neither also as one of the troupe of Pastors but as he that hath obtained mercy of God to be an Apostle and very faithfull in his charge as he who was according to the Lords promise guided by the holy Ghost into all truth to bee not able to erre in his aduice and iudgement m 1. Cor. 7.40 Now saith he I thinke also that I haue the Spirit of God n Arist ethic ad Nicomach lib. 6. c. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aduice is a right iudgement of that which is seemely and right is that which is of a true man Among men who more true and vpright then an Apostle guided and inspired by the holy Ghost which is the Spirit of truth yea the truth it selfe Let them now shew me if a good and vpright aduice and iudgement giuen by an Apostle faithfull in his charge and office hauing authoritie of the Lord Iesus to bee heard without replying as guided by the holy Ghost into all truth can be reiected without punishment I argue therefore after this manner That which can not be reiected with impunitie is no Euangelicall Counsell according to that we haue heard heretofore that A Counsell not obserued hath no punishment Now the iudgement of the holy Ghost giuen by the mouth of a faithfull Apostle is such a one as that it cannot bee refused without punishment therefore such a iudgement is no Euangelicall Counsell But let it bee a Counsell it is a good Counsell giuen by the good Spirit of God to man to his creature to the work of his hands by the heauenly Father to his childe that is earthly IIII. A Counsell properly is of the inferiour to his superiour or of a man to his equall the superiour armed with power and authoritie counselleth not but commandeth that which hee iudgeth to bee right and good and if he vseth words of Counsell his meaning is that they take and keepe them as Commandements yea all the world knoweth that the prayers and intreaties of great men are commandements to all them that are vnder their power and authoritie Now God is the great of great ones the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings o Isa 40.22.23 It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie It is he that is our Father and we are his children p Jsa 64.8 wee are the clay and thou our potter saith the Church vnto him and we all are the worke of thine hand He is our Lord and we his seruants our Shepheard and wee his sheepe our Redeemer and wee are q 1. Pe. 1.18.19 those whom he hath redeemed from our vaine conuersation receiued