of Dauid Who though the eternall punishment due to the guilt of his sinns was for giuen yet was punished temporally by the death of his Sonne For these are the words in Scripture after his sinne was forgiuen Because thou hast caused the name of God to be blasphemed the Child that is borne to thâ—e shall dye In lyke sort Dauids sinne in numberring his People being remitted him yet was he put to chuse for his temporall punishmeÌ„t and satisfaction either Warre Famine or Pestilence Now the guilt of eternall damnation for sinne being remitted there remaineth a temporall punishment And this teÌ„porall punishment thus reserued is the sole subiect of Indulgences Therefore an Indulgence as heare the word is taken is a mercifull relaxation or remission of temporall punishment due for sinne by applying the super abundant satisfaction of Christ after the sinne it selfe and guilt of eternall damnation due to mortall sinne is remitted by the Sacrament of Confession or for want thereof by perfect Contrition The ground and foundation of Indulgencs is cheifly the treasury and satisfaction of Christs death which is of that infinity greate valew an pryce seeing euery drop of his bloud was able to redeeme a thousands Worlds in regard of his Diuinity being vnited to his Humanity as that it can ueuer be exhausted For we reade that Christ dyed for all Also that Christ is apropitiation for our sinns and not for our sinns only but for the Sinns of the whole World But it is certaine that the pryce of Christs death was not actually applyed to all Men hitherto liuing since then it would follow that all Men which hitherto haue liued should haue bene saued Therefore it followeth that theare yet remayneth a greate abundance of the pryce of Christ passion if it were not in finite as indeede it is to be applyed and still will remaine The dispenser of this treasury of the Church is the Heade of Christs Church who hath power to apply this treasury for the absoluing of Men from their temporall punishment due to their Sinns allready remitted by Sacramentall Confession according to the authority geuen him in those words Whatsoeuer thou losest vpon earth shal be losed in Heauen with which place accord other places of the Euangelists Now these words being generall they do extend as well to the punishment due for sinne as to the sinne itselfe seing the punishment is as remissible as the Sinne And as to the one are applyed Christs Meritts so to the other Christs â—atisfactions The Cause why any Indulgence is granted to any Man ought to be iust and reasonable or otherwyse the Indulgence granted is of no valew for seing the Pope is not Lord of this spirituall treasure of the Church but only the distributer thereof therefore this distribution he cannot make without a iust reasonable and lawfull Cause The Partie receauing the benefit of an Indulgence ought at the tyme of receauing it to be in state of grace since otherwise he can reape no benefit by any Indulgence to which state he is brought by true Contrition of his former Sinns although not perhaps forgeuen in respect of eternall damnation in the Sacrament of Confession And heare is discouered the trissling vanity falshood of our Aduersaries in affirming that the Catholicks teach that the Pope can giue a fore hand an Indulgence to any Man for any sinne which hereafter is to be committed Since wee see that the obiect of an Indulgence is the temporall punishment only and not the punishment of damnation and this for a sinne allready committed and not hereafter to be committed of which a Man being in state of grace and consequently not one who beareth a present resolution to commit any sinne hereafter is remitted by his Indulgence applyed to hym vpon iust and reasonable Causes We are further heare to admonish that the Partie receauing an Indulgence ought to performe entyrely and precisly all things enioyned hym by his Indulgence Whether it be prayer Alms fasting c. According to that vsuall saying Indulgentia tantum valent quantum sonant Wheare it is taught that the Merits and suffrings of some greate Saincts as of our Blessed Lady S Iohn Baptiste and some others do concurre to the encrease of this spirituall Treasure of the Church which is the foundation of Indulgences this is to be vnderstood in this sense to wit that because their Meritts works and sufferings haue their vertue and valew only from the Meritts of our Sauiours Passion And that they onely concurre to the increase of the treasure as they depend vpon the meritts of Christ therefore it may be truly said that primatiuely and Originally only the Meritts and Passion of Christ do make this spirituall treasure from whence Indulgences do flowe Ad hearto that if S. Paule might truly say in a researued sense Ad imple ea quae desunt passionum Christi in earne mea pro corporâ—â—ius quod est Ecclesia I do fullfill those things that do want of the passion of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church words which if any Catholicke should haue auerred of any one Sainct without the warrant of the Apostle he should haue bene mighrely calumnâ—ated and wronged by the Protestants then followeth it that the afflictions and sufferings of S. Paule as receauing their force from Christs PassioÌ„ may be said without any indignitie to Christ to encreasse this spirituall treasure of the Church For these former words do not import that there was any defect in the Passion of Christ but that the sufferings of S. Paule did fulfill the plenitude of Christ his Passion and his members for the benefit of those to whom they are to be communicated For as Christ being the inuisible and supreme heade of his Church doth with his Church make but one mysticall body so his sufferings with the sufferings of his members receauing all their force and efficacy from the Passion of Christ do make as S. Austin affirmeth one common and publâ—ke Weâ—le or one publike treasure And according hereto it is that we fynd offered S. Paules afflictions sometymes for the Colossians at other times for the Corinthians he desiring at one tyme to dye for the Romans at an other tyme to become an Aâ—athemâ— for them To proceede further The Old Testament it selfe warranteth this mutuall communication of one suffering for an other And in this sense it is said of Gods Church there entituled Ierusalem that it is as a Citty whose participationes in it selfe That is As in a publicke Citty there is a generall trafficke for the publicke benefit of euery particular Citizen So in the Citty of God which is his Church there is a communion or participation of all the spirituall works thereof to the generall benefit and behooâ—e of eich particular Man And vpon this ground it is that Dauid said in respect of the communication of one Mans sufferings for an other
the old Testament and absolutly to abandon and disclayme from the New And therefore let vs returne backe to Michaeas and the Doctour to acquaint them with this our finall resolution OCHINVS Michaeas and M. Doctour My selfe and Neuserus haue in the secretts of our soules passed our impartiall censures vpon this our Conference And we both acknowledge the full weight of Michaeas his resons in disprouall of your instances of our owne former euading answeres And our Conclusion is that we both assure our selfs that the ProtestaÌ„t Church had neuer any visible existence for these many last seuerall ages at the least And in deed I confesse when I do consider how Christ by his power wisdome and goodnes had established and founded his Church washed it with his bloud and enriched it with his spirit and discerning how the same is funditus auersa vtterly ouerthrowne I cannot but wonder and being desirous to know the cause I find there haue bene Popes who haue preuayled in vtter extirpation and ouerthrow of Christ his Church Here you haue my ceusure accompanyed with the true Reason thereof NEVSERVS I do fully conspyre in iudgment with Ochinus mooued thereto through the strenght and validity of Michaeas his Arguments And yet I hope this is no blemish eyther to you M. Doctour who haue most learnedly handled this poynt nor to our selfs but only to the weaknes of our cause for there are some vntruths so palpable and iniustifiable and among them rang the supposed visibility of our owne Church that neyther learning Art or the bestfiled words which commonly 〈◊〉 the eare of credulity are able to set a good gayne vpon them Therefore Michaeas to be snort in beleiung that the Protestant Church for many centuryes hath bene wholy inuisible Ochinus and my selfe are wholy yours MICHAEAS I much reioyce thereat and I hope notwithstanding both your former acerbity of speeches that now vpon your second and more serious renew of this point the acknowledgment of this one Truth wil be a good disposition for your further encertaynment of the Catholicke fayth since a dislike of the Protestant Church implyeth in itselfe a fauorable respect to the Catholicke Church which Church hath euer bene houored with a perpetuall visibility OCHINVS Stay Michaeas Not so You are ouer hasty your praeÌ„ is as yet not gotten and your credulous expectation ouerrunne your iudgment Know you therefore first that touching your Church at the stearâ—e whereof that Romish Antichrist doth sit we hould it not as aboue we protested to be the Church of God And then it matâ—reth nothing with vs whether your sayd Antichristian Church haue euer since it first being bene visible or no For though we teach that the true Church must euer be visible yet we teach not conuertibly that what Church hath euer bene visible the same is the true Church Furthermore Michaeas and M. Doctour take both you notize that the confessed want of a continuall visibility and of the administration of the word and Sacraments ministreth to vs a great suspicion whether the Church of Christ be that Church of God which is so much celebrated by the Prophets of the Old Testament and consequently whether Christ be the true Messias of the World For if he had so been doubtlesly he would not so quickly haue repudiated his intemerate and chast spouse for so the true Church of God is after his departure from hence NEVSERVS What Ochinusâ—ath â—ath deliuered though perhapps with amazement to you both I do here iustify And as it is euident that the former Prophecyes haue not been actually performed in Christ his Church So we must needs rest doubtfull at the least through want of the performance of the sayd Predictions whether Christ be that Redeemer of the World which was promised to the Fathers of the old Law And whether he had true authority to erect this Church of which he hath made himselfe Head â—or certainly the auncient Predictions deliuered in a propheticall spirit touching the Messias and his Church are infallibly to be performed in the Messias his Church MICHAEAS How now my Maysters Is this the fruit of my refelling your Churches Visibility Tends your approbation of my former discours to this Whether ayme these strange and fearefull speeches of yours Will you disclayme from Christ as your Redeemer because the Prophecyes of the old Testament touching the expansion latitude and continuall visibility of the Church of God are not performed in the Protestant Church And will you not confesse the sayd predictions to be fulfilled at all because they are not fulfilled by that way and meanes as your selfs would haue them Take heed do not obliterate and deface those fayre impressions charactered in your soules at your Baptisme neyther now diâ—auoâ—â— your then taken first now O mercifull God how ignorant are you in these matters And then more miserably ignorant it that partly through learning you are become ignorant Do you thinke to honour the Father by dâ—shonoring the Sonne euen that Sonne in whome the Father tooke such ineffable contentment Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi complacui Certayne it is that if you perseuer in iudgment as your words import you deny him for your Sauiour who had a Father without a Mother a Mother without a Father The first argued his Diuinity the second his immaculate and pure Natiuity Quod de Deo profectum est 〈…〉 eus est Dei Filius Vnus Ambo You deny him whose body was framed of such an admirable and delicate constitution and temperature as that the earth did then contrary to it accustomed manner euen power it influence vpon Heauens To be shorâ— you deny him who gaue himselfe 〈◊〉 Redemption for all who tasted death for all who tooke away the sinnes of the World and finally who was Sauiour of the world and reconciliation for our sinnes In the tyme of whose Passion death did euen â—euiâ—e and Eclips did enlighten Lux in tenebris lucet tenebrae eum non comprehenderunt But why labour I to celebrate his byrth who is from all eternity or to performe his exequies who cannot dye Mors illi vltrà non dominabitur And by you assured that who contemne Christ the Redeemer of all flesh must needs contemne God the Authour of all flesh And where you call the Pope that Romish Antichrist see how malice seeleth vp the eye of your iudgement you mantayne is seems that the true Christ and Messias is not yet come How can the Pope then by your doctrine be Antichrist since Antichrist you know is to come after not before the true Christ Againe for prouffe that the Pope is Antichrist you no doubt will make show to rest vpon the wrested authority of the New Testament And shall not then the said New Testament be of the like authority with you to proue that Christ is the true Messias OCHINVS Tush Michaeas This is but
Greeke word or phrase carieth with it a greater grace emphecy and force then the same in Latin or English will beare But this I euer auerre that to be ready vpon euery little occasion to prostitute or staule forth ones Greeke a disteÌ„perature peculiar to Protestants as if he tooke a pride in that he is skilfull in coniugating of typtò This man I say deserues to be verberated throughout all the moodes and tences of the word for such his folly This course being among all graue learned men iustly censured for an exploded vanity But now M. Doctour to descend to your reason touched aboue and drawne from the authority of the holy Scripture Here I say you haue taken your last Sanctuary not in that the Scripture maketh for you and against vs but that by this meanes you may the better reiect all other authorities though neuer so forcible reduce the triall of all coÌ„trouersies to your owne priuat Iudgments since you will acknowledge no other seÌ„ce of the scripture theÌ„ what the Genius of ProtestaÌ„cy doth vouchsafe to impose vpon the Letter thus by your faire pretended Glosse of the Scripture in this your last extremity you Protestants well reseÌ„ble that Man who being ready to fall thinketh not how to preuent the fall but how to fall in the fayrest and easiest place The like I say you do vnder the priuiledge of the reuealing spirit interpreting the Scripture the vaine fluctuating vncertainty of which Spirit to discouer though this place be not capable therof were indeed to cut in sunder the cheife Artery which giueth life to the huge Body of Heresie since once take away this Priuate Spirit Heresie is but like a dying laÌ„pe which hath no oyle to feede it Only I will here pronouÌ„ce that as some haue thus left written That must be good which Nero persecuteth so here I do iustify by the contrary that it must be euill and false which the Priuate Spirit affecteth and manteineth But let vs proceed herein further and dissect the veine of this your last most despayring tergiuersation First then wee are to call to minde that it hath euer beene the very countenance and eye of all innouation in religion to seeke to support it selfe by misapplyed and racked Texts of Scripture a practise so anciently vsed though in these later dayes it hath receaued more full groath as that it was obserued by Augustine Hierome Tertullian and finally by old Vincentius Lyrinensis who thus expressely writeth not only of his owne times but euen in a presaging spirit of our times An Haeretici diuinis Scripturae testimoniis vtantur Viuntur planè vehementer quidem Sed tantò magis cauendi suâ—â— Now this being so you are forced M. Doctour for your last retire and refuge to compart in practise with all ancient and moderne Hereticks Secondly the Scripture cannot prooue it selfe to be scripture and consequently it is not able to decide all controuersies which assertion of mine is warranted by your prime men M. Hooker thus teaching Of things necessary the very cheifest is to know what bookes wee are bound to esteeme holy which poynt is confessed impossible for the scripture it selfe to teach And according hereto you Protestants do not agree which Bookes be Canonicall Scripture which Apocriphall For doth not Luther and diuers of the Lutherans recite as apocriphall the booke of Iob Ecclesiastes the Epistle of S. Iames the Epistle of Iude the secoÌ„d Epistle of Peter the secoÌ„d and third of Iohn and finally the Apocalipes All which bookes are neuerthelesse acknowledged by Caluin and the Caluenists for canonicall Scripture Thirdly euen of those bookes which all Protestants ioyntly receiue as Canonicall Scripture the Protestants doe coÌ„demne as most false and corrupt not only the present originals but also all Translations of the said bookes whether they be made in Greeke Latin or English as apeareth from the reciprocall condemnations of one anothers Translation for the more full discouery of which point I referre you M. Doctour to the perusing of a booke some few yeares since written by a Catholicke Priest and Doctour of diuinity entituled The Pseudoscripturists Fourthly the very text and letter of such bookes as you all acknowledg for Canonicall Scripture are more cleere for our Catholicke Faith and in that sence are expounded by the ancient Fathers then any the Countertexts are which you produce to impunge our doctrine For some tast I will exemplify the perspicuity of the letter in some few points And first for the Primacy of Peter we alleadge Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church c. expounded With vâ—by Augustine Hierome Cyprian others For the Reall Presence we insist in our Sauiours words This is my Body this is my Blood taken in our sense by Theophilact Chrysostome the Cyrils Ambrose and indeed by all the ancient Fathers without exception For Priests remitting of sinnes we vrge that whose sinnes you shall renut they are remitted vnto them and whose sinnes you shall reteine are reteyned which passage is interpreted in our Catholicke sence by Hierome Chrisostome Augustine and others For Necessity of Baptisme Except a a Man be borne againe of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of Heauen Of which our Catholicke exposition see Augustine Chrisostome Ambrose Hierome Cyprian c. For Iustification by works Do you see because of works a man is Iustisied and not by Faith only expounded with vs to omit all others for breuity by Augustine Lastly to auoid prolixitie for vnwritten Traditions we vsually alleadge those words of the Apostle Therefore Brethren hold the Traditions which you haue receiued either by steach or by Epistle interpreted with vs Catholicks by Damâ—scene Basill Chrysostome c. Thus farre for a â—ast herein in which Texts and diuers others omitted you are to note M. Doctour first that the Texts themselues are so plaine and literall that the very Thesis or Conclusion it selfe mantained by vs is conteined in the Words of the said Texts and therefore you Protestants are forced by way of answere commonly to expound those texts figuratiuely Secondly you are to be aduertised here that as we can produce many Fathers expounding these and other like places in our Catholicke sence so you are not able to alleadge any one approoued Father among so many interpreting but any one of the said passages of scripture in your Protestant Construction Thirdly and lastly you are to obserue that such texts as the Protestants vrge against these other Catholicke Articles defended by vs are nothing so literall plaine and naturall for their purpose but for the most part are vrged by them by way of inference and deduction which kinde of proofs is often false and sometimes but probable Neither can you or
they alleadge any one Orthodoxall Father of the Primitiue Church a circumstance much to be considered and insisted vpon interpreting such your testimonies in your construction And thus farre of this point where for greater expedition I do but skimme the matter ouer D. WHITAKERS I do not much prize the authorities of the ancient Fathers in interpreting the Scripture And furthermore you are to conceiue that seing the scripture hath not viâ—am vocem which we may heare Therefore we are to vse certaine meanes by the which we may finde out which is the sence and construction of the scripture For to seeke it without meanes is meerely ' enthysiasticòn et Anabaptisticum Now the meanes according to my iudgment and M. Doctour Reinolds are these following The reading of the scriptures the conference of places the weighing of the circumstances of the Text Skill in tongues diligence prayer and the like And who hath these and accordingly practiseth them is assured of finding the true and vndoubted meaning of the most difficult passages of the scripture and thereby is able to determine any controuersies in Religion CARD BELLARM. I do grant that these are good humane meanes for the searching out of the intended sence of the scripture But I will neuer yeild them to be infallible as here you intimate theÌ„ to be since this is not only impugned by experience of Luther and Caluin who would no doubt equally vaunt of their enioying these meanes and yet irreconcileably differ in the construction of the words of our Sauiour touching the Sacrament of the Eucharist but also it is most contrary to your owne assertion deliuered in one of your bookes euen against my selfe where you write of the vncertainty and perhaps falshood of these Meanes in this manner obserue what the meanes are such of necessity must the interprteation be but the meanes of interpreting obscure places of scripture are vncertaine doubtfull and ambiguous therefore it cannot otherwise fall out but that the interpretation must be vncertayne and if vncertaine then may it be false Thus you M. Doctonr and if I haue in any sort depraued your words then here challenge me for the same Now what say you to this Can it possible be that your selfe should thus crosse your selfe Or may it be imagined that your penne at vnawares did drop downe so fowle a blot of contradictioÌ„ O God forbid The ouersight were too greate Therefore we will charitably reconcile all and say that D. Whitakers Bellarmines aduersary in writing hath only contradicted the learned D. Whitakers cheife ornament of Cambridge But enough of this point from whence the weakenesse of this your last refuge to only scripture is sufficiently layd open MICHEAS I grant I am not conuersant in the authorities of the New Testament as they haue reference to the controuerted points of these dayes since my cheife labour hath beene employed in diligently reading the Law and the Prophets neuerthelesse I am acertayned M. Doctour that seuerall passages of the said Law and Prophets in a plaine and ingenuous construction do greatly fortify some Opinions defended by the Church of Rome I will insist for greater compendiousnes in two opinions taught as I am informed by the sayd Church within which two many other controuersies if not all are implicitl infolded The first is touching the euer Visibility of the Church in the time of the Messiâ—s Now what can be more irrefragably prooued then this article out of those words of the Psalmist He placed his Tabernacle in the Sunne As also out of that passage of Daniell Akingdome which shall not be dissipated for euer and his kingdome shall not be deliuered to an other people Agayne out of the Prophet Esay A Mountaine prepared in the top of Mountaines and exalted aboue Hills And finally more out of Esay Her Sunne shall not be set nor her Moone hid In all which predictions by the words Tabernacle a Kingdome a Mountaine her Sunne is vnderstood the Church in the time of the Messias according to the expositions of all our learned Iewes and Rabbins interpreting and commenting the sayd Prophesies The second article may be the Controuersie touching Free-will which I heare is mainteined by the Church of Rome but denyed by the Protestants within which question diuers others to wit of Predestination Reprobation the keeping of the Commandements Works c. are potentially included Now how euidently is Free-will prooued out of the writings of the Old Testament And first may occurre that of Ecclesiasticus He hath set Water and fire before thee stretch forth thy hand to whether thou wilt Before man is life death good and euill what liketh him shal be giuen him what more conuincing D. WHITAKERS Micheas I make smale accoumpt of that place of Ecclesiasticus neither will I beleeue the freedome of Mans will although he should affirme it a hundred times ouer that before man were life and death MICHEAS I did not expect M. Doctour that you should expunge out of the Canon of Scripture any part of the Old Testament but since you discanon this booke I will alleadge other places which were euer acknowledged for the sacred word of God by vs Iewes and to pretermit that text in Genefis of Caine hauing liberty ouer sinne as a place strangely detorted by some and diuers other texts in the old Testament proouing the same What say you of the like passage in Deuteronomy I call heauen and earth in record this day against you that I haue set before you life and death c. choose therefore life Where you see the very point of which you are so diffideÌ„t is ingeminated and reinforced Thus M. Doctour you see how much these sacred Testimonies do wound you herein as also do diuers other passages by me here omitted euicting Mans Free-Will though all of them haue bene accordingly interpreted by all ancient Iews and Rabbins as more fully you may see in Galatinus D. VVHITAKERS Touching your testimonies produced out of the old Testament and interpreted in the Papists sence by your owne Iewish Rabbins as witnesseth Galatinus take this for my answere I do not regard or neede your Galatinns neither do I rely vpon the testimonies of the Hebrewes And further knowe you both that it is as cleare that the scripture maketh for vs who are the Professours of the Ghosple as it is cleare that the Sunne shineth in his brightest Meridian Since we Protestants are d the little flocke we haue the vnction from the Holy one and can cry Abba Pater from all which the Papists are wholy excluded And this is sufficient to ouerthrow the proudest Romanist breathing CARD BELLARM. Sweete Iesus that thinges sacred should be thus prophaned and that the words of the scripture should be thus detorted from the intended sence of the scripture when all proofes whatsoeuer from the vninterrupted practise of Gods Church from the ioynt and most frequent
we shall losse you so soone Only I would entreate you to haue in your discourses wheresoeuer you shall hereafter come a tender and gentill touch of the Protestant Church of all the true and constant members thereof And herewith Worthy Michaeas I take my last farewell MICHAEAS M. Doctour of your selfe I will euer speake answerably to your desarts Nobly and with great respect Since you are a Man whose barke is richly fraught with learning Morality And what defects haue bene committed by you in this dispute I do wholy ascribe them to your want of a good cause not to your want of good parts And if there haue bene any words misplaced by vs on eyther syde sâ—t the thought of them vanish away since they were spoken Antagonisticeâ— and in heaâ—e of disputation And so in all kindnes Christian charity I leaue you with this my aduise that you will not aduenture your saluation vpon your owne priuate conscience preferring it before the Iudgement and conscience of the vniuersall visible Catholicke Church As for you two fagotts of Hell-fire I grant my eyes euen sparkle forthâ—râ—ge in behoulding of you And I account contrary to the place of the burning bush the place wherin you stand to be cursed ground â—or since your Sunne is so fâ—rie of you I meane your excepted false Messias what can you looke but for a winter of could dispayre and damnation Therefore I will take leaue with you in the phraze of the Apostle to Elymas the Magitian and what greater Magicke then for one to be enchaâ—ted to beleiue that Christ is a seâ—ucer O you full of all subtilty and mischeife the Sonns of the Deuill enemyes of all iustice who cease not to peruert the right wayes of our Lord Adieu OCHINVS You enioy Michaeas the liberty of your Tongue but â—age you well NEVSERVS Let him go I will nor take leaue with him such opprobrious speeches he vseth against vs. OCHINVS Now M. Doctour Michaeas is gonne And now we haue the more freedome of speech among our selfs without feare of being ouerheard I know that not only yonder black-mouthd Michaeas but your selfe also rest much disedisyed at our abâ—enunciation of Christianity But M. Doctour come to the point We see the Prophecyes of the old Testament which must euer remayne sacred permanent and 〈…〉 uiolable do shew that the Church of God in the dayes of the Messias must euer be visible knowne and conspicuous and must in all ages without any intermission enioye a publicke and externall administration of the Word and Sacraments And this is abundantly confessed not only by vs all in the front of this our disputation but by all learned men whosoeuer We now notwithstanding such necessity therof cannot but confesse that the accomplishment of the sayd Prophecyes hath not bene effected in the Church of Christ at leâ—st in the Protestant Church how then can the Church of Christ be that true Church of the Messias which is so gloriously deliueaâ—ed with the penalls of the Prophets Now what other resultancy can be out of the premises then that the Church of Christ as wanting the fulfilling of the former diuine Oracles is not the true Church of God and consequently that Christ is the true Messias Sauiour of the World except we will grant which I neuer will the Papists Church as hauing by relation of Michaeas the Prophecies performed in it to be the sole Church of God Therefore so farre as toucheth my selfe I do renounce my former Christian fayth and will embrace the auncient Law of Moyses and as intending to be seruiceable to that Religion I will teach the doctrine of Circumcision and will instantly write a booke of the lawfulnes of Polygamie or plurality of Wyues aunciently practized by the â—ewes in the old Testament though now by Christians houlden as vnlawfull and altogether proâ—â—ibited NEVSERVS By the Lord of Heauen I cannot see how this difficulty can otherwyse be salued then either by denyinge the Gospell of the New Testament or by granting the Church of Rome to be the true Church which my Soule abhorrs to do For as concerning the perpetuall Visibility of the Protestant Church It cannot be made good notwistanding our great ventitation thereof afore in our Words And therefore it were honesty in vs now in the end to pull of our Visards through which wee spooke to Michaeas and plainly confese the truth herein And here M. D. to take a short view of all the discours passed and to examine it impartially a monge our selfs We cannot but obserue that the Exemples produced by you were most insufficient first because they were no Protestants at all Secondly in that admitting them for Protestants they but only serue as Michaeas well noted to iustify the Visibility of Protestants only for those tymes neither you nor wee being able to produce but only for for me sake any one confessed Example of Protestancy for the space of six hundred yeers at the least Againe when Ochinus and my selfe perceaued that no true instances of Protestancy could be giuen I grant we vsed diuers euasions and inflexious to and froe and all for the sauing of our Churches honour As first to pretend though God knowes a silly pretence that all Relations and testimonyes of Protestants in former ages were by the Popes industry and tyranny vtterly extinct That fayling then we made show for in our priuat iudgments we could not really thinke it That the Protestants in former tymes were forced to lye secret and latent in regard of the supposed then raging Persecution That playne answere not seruinge then we thought good to inuolue and roule our said euasion touchinge Persecution in a certaine obscure and darke sentence to wit That the Church was in the Papacy the Papacy in the Church and yet the Church was not the Papacy a forme of words as Michâ—as truly â—â—id forged by vs Protestants only to cast a â—yst in the eyes of the vnlearned The next we fled for our surest but indeed sham full refuge vnto the Scripture pretending our Church to be consonant to it and therefore euer visible a cours which indifferently lyeth open to euery Heretyke After all which if you remember M. D. your selfe did politikly touch vpoÌ„ that opinion though not with any greate approbation of it which for sauing our Church from it vtter ruine teacheth that the Papists Church and Ours are all one But did you marke how Michaeas neuer ceased till he had ferretted vs out of all our former Connyhoales be in the end irrephably and choakingly prouing from our owne learned Mens penns the mayne question now controuerted among vs Now M. D. seeing I am irrefragably resolued not to admit the Papists Church for the true Church though perhapps it hath enioyed the fulfilling of the forementioned Prophecyes I do therefore conspyre in iudgment herein with Ochinus and ame determined to haue this Country from whence I will retyre myselfe into the Palatinate where
others particularityes where Michaeas hath offended against the Soueraignty of Princes VICE-CHANCELOVR My L. I will You haue di 〈…〉 gled Michaeas to your sollowers that the Pope hath full authority to detâ—one Kings and Princes though neuer so absolute at his pleasure And further Papists teach that the spirituall Iurisdiction residiâ—g in the Pope ought to haue that predominancy ouer all temporall authority which the soule hath ouer the body To be short this poynt to wit that your Popisâ— Religion doth teache rebellion insurrection of the subiects against their lawfull Prince is so cleare as that we may well say Papistry and Disloyalty are almost Termini conuertibiles for though some disloyall Men are not Papists yet euery Papist in that he is a Papist is to his soueraigne Protestant Prince disloyall MICHAEAS You are glad M. Viach to moysten this your drye accusation in the froath of many idle and splenfull words Your accusation stands vpon two poynts First you charge me in particular for disseminating of disloyalty in your Vniuersity That being only said you make in lieu of further proofe thereof a subâ—â—ll transition to the doctryne of other Catholicks in that poynt As if what were wanting to the perfecting of my supposed Cryme therein ought to be made vp by the accession and application to me of other Catholicke Doctours wrytings of that subiect Now to the first I answere It is a most false Calumny forged in your owne brayne and wrought vpon the anuile of Maliâ—e For produce if you can the parties to whom I euer vttered such a Doctrine the Place or the Tyme Where or when such speeches were deliuered Thus we see that this your report as being in it selfe most false is wholy disuested of all Circumstances necessarily attending vpon euery humane Action For euen to reâ—cyle the secrets of my soule herein I did in all my discourses with your Scholars purposely auoyde as a seamarke all such questions of State so vnwilling I euer was but to touch vpon those dangerous sands And for the greater demonstration of my Innocency herein and of my Loyalty to his Maiesty of England I here acknowledge and in this acknowledgement I do for the tyme depose and put of the person of Michaeas and speake in my owne person the Authour of this Treatise and in the name of all other Priests and Catholicks of England all layalty and fidelity to our most gracious and dread soueraigne King Charles and to his most illustrious and worthy Queene beseeching the Almighty to graunt him a fruitfull bed and to make him Parent of many noble Children And further I humbly pray to the Highest that he may in all tranquillity and true happynes raigne ouer vs many yeres and after his dissolution of Body that he may equall in euerlasting Be atitude the greatest Sainct of his Predecessours now in Heauen This is my Protestation made in all sincerity and in which by Gods grace euen to my last gaspe I intend to continue and perseuer But now to resume my former shape of Michaeas Touching the first point of my accusation M. Vice-Chancelour you see how cleere and innocent I am I will now hasten to the second branch contayning as you say the doctrine of Disloyalty taught euen by all the Doctours of the Roman Church First I answere It is a most iniust slander obtruded vpon them by you since not any one Catholicke Doctour teacheth nor aone good lay Catholicke beleiueth that the Pope can at his ny pleasure depose Princes and transferre Kingdomes and states as to him best liketh Secondly I reply that seeing you neuer cease to vpbraid our Catholicke Religion with the foule stayne of disloyalty this being your other Protestants common Theame wherein you so much ryout in malignant exagerations Therefore as awakened by your so often ingeminated accusation herein I do auouch pardon me most Reuerend Iudge if being thus prouoked I enter into a Subiect perhapps vngratefull to you that the Protestants do by infinit degrees stand more reprehensible in this poynt of disloyalty and disobedience towards their Prince then we Catholicks do And this I will prooue if I may be suffered at this present against you M. Vice-Chancelour first from the positions and speculatiue assertions of the most learned Protestants and after from the actuall insurrections and rebellions of Protestants against their lawfull Princes VICE-CHANCELOVR This is the Scene Michaeas of men of your disposition that when you are truly charged with your owne faults then in place of better answere you insimulate by way of recrimination your Aduersaryes within the same faults But it seemes by you that dotage is the accustomed Attendant of old age or that you take a delight and complacency to haue the subiect of disloyalty often in your mouth as you euer haue it in your hart But begin at your pleasure to charge vs Protestants if you can either with the doctrine or practize of disloyalty My Lord-Iudge I know will giue you leaue who in the end shall perceaue that all what you can imagine in this point is but meete imagination and no reall Truth And so in your discours you will resemble that Man who dreames he doth but dreame MICHAEAS O wound not M. Vice-Chancelour my reputation with these Philippicks and declamatory Inuectiues so much hurtfull euen to the speaker for quomodo placabit Patrem iratus in fratrem And rest satisfyed that I do not solace myselfe as you suggest in this vnpleasing Text but do acquaint my selfe with discourses of that subiect with the like intention that the morall Philosopher doth busy himselfe with the nature of Vice which is the better to auoid Vice L. CHEIFE-IVSTICE Michaeas I must needs now say that you do infinitly wrong our Religion by ascrybing both to the chiefe Doctours and Professours of it this odious Cryme of Disloyalty and Rebellion No no. Our Gospell which cometh from God best teacheth our duty towards the Lieutenants of God I presume that herein you rest but vpon the bare and naked speeches of others of your owne Religion our designed enemyes But you must remember that as things which are seene by reflexion are imperfectly seene so reports and bruits taken only at the rebound of partiall mens mouths deserue but a light eare But seeing it is the part of a Iudge to heare all sides with an indifferent eare you may Michaeas at your pleasure begin your discours of this your assumed Argument where I doubt not but M. Vice Chancelour will sufficiently repell all your reasons and answere to your examples to the greater Honour of our Religion which is a free from all stayne and blot of disloyalty as an intemerate virgin is free from any defyled touch Therefore Proceede MICHAEAS My L. I will And I must entreate your Patience herein as desirous to abstayne from geuing the lest iust offence to your L. And touching this subiect I dowbt litle but that howsoeuer you are as yet perswaded
Churches is taught as true and warrantable doctrine by diuers learned Protestants as by Cempnitius by Luther and Brentius Iacobus Andreas c. But now I will conclude this discourse touching Images with a most authenticall and strange miracle wrought by the Image of Christ and recorded by Eusebius Theophilact and Zozemene all auncient graue Wryters whose authorityes herein if we reiect we reiect by the same reason the proofe of all other things recorded by auntient Historiographers It was this The woman whom our Sauiour cured of the bloody flux caused to be made a brazen Image of Christ at the foote whereof did spring a strange hearb the which hearbe after it did ascend so high as to touch the scirt of the Image it had vertue to cure all diseases Which vertue no doubt God would not haue imparted to the Hearbe but only in manifestation that due respect might lawfully be giuen to the Image of Christ And thus far touching the Catholicke doctrine of Images Touching Prayer to Saincts TOuchinge Prayer to Saincts I will deliuer the Catholicke doctryne thereof in certaine Propositions which Propositions may searue as certaine graduall stips or degrees of this Controuersye The first Proposition may be this It is not lawfull to pray to Saincts as authours or principall dispensours of diuine benefitts to obtaine from them either grace or glorye or the meanes of obtaining our Eternall felicitie much lesse the Crawne of glory or heauen it selfe Since in this sense to pray to them were according to the iudgment of S. Austin and all Catholicks to make Saincts Gods And therefore if at any time the words directed to Saincts should sound otherwyse as when we say Our Lady healpe me c. We are heare to insist in the sense not in the naked words That is Our Lady healpe me by her intercession and prayers to her sonne and no otherwyse Euen as we fynd that S. Paule saith of hymselfe If I may saue some of them meaning of the Gentills And againe the sayd Apostle saith of hymselfe To all Men I am become all things that I might saue all meaning to saue all not as God but only healping them and furthering their Saluation by his preaching to them and by his prayers for them Which words of the Apostle being truly vnderstoode may searâ—e well to stop the Mouths of the Protestant Ministers for their often mistaking and misinterpreting of the Catholicke Doctrine touching prayer to Saincts The second Proposition Saincts are not our immediate Mediatours by way of intercession with God But whatsoeuer they demande or obtayne of God for vs they demaund and obtayne it through Christ and his Merits And according hearto we find that all the Prayers of the Church which are made to Saincts end with this clause Per Christum Dominum nostrum For we willingly acknowledge that no Man coÌ„meth to the Father by the Sonne And that their is but one Mediatour of Redemption though all the Saincts may be tearmed our Mediatours by way of Intercession The third Proposition The Saincts which reigue with Christ do pray for vs and this not only in generall but in particular That is for particular Men and for the particular Necessityes of the same Men. This is proued first from those words in Ieremy If Moyses and Samuel shall stand before me my Soule is not towards this People From whence it is inferred that Moyses and Samuel then being dead might and were accustomed to pray for the People of Israel Secondly the same is proued from the Example of Angells who do pray for vs and haue a care of vs in particular as appeareth out of seuerall passages of Scripture But if the Angells do pray for vs then much more Saincts seing so far forth as appertayneth to this function nothing is wanting to the Saincts in Heauen which Angells haue for they are endued with Intelligence or Vnderstanding and with Will they are euer in the presence of God they loue vs vehemently and finally they are equall euen with Angells Besids some priuiledges they haue in this point which are wanting in Angells to wit that Saincts are more conioyned and vnited members of the body of the Church and that they haue tryed our dangers and Miseries which Angells haue not Thirdly the former Proposition is proued from the many apparitions of Saincts which haue euidently testified that they do pray for vs euen in particular Of diuers such particular Apparitions See Eusebius Austin Basill Gregory Nazianzene Gregory Nyslene and Theodoret all which testimonyes of so auncient and reuerend Fathers to reiect touching matter of fact by answearing that all such relations are fabulous is in effect and by necessarie inference to take away all authority of Ecclesiasticall and humane Historyes The fourth and last Proposition Saincts and Angells are religiously and profitably inuoked and prayed vnto by liuing Men. This is proued First Wee reade that Iacob blessing the sonns of Ioseph thus saith The Angell which hath deliured me from all Euill blesse these Children wheare we see that Iacob expressly inuoketh these Angell Againe we reade thus in Iob. Call if any will answeare thee and turne to some of the Saincts Wheare by the word Saincts he meaneth Angells according to the exposition of Sainct Austin Secondly this last Proposition is proued from that that in both the Testaments the Liuing were inuoked and prayed vnto by liuing as in the first Booke of the Kings and in the last of Iob. In lyke sort in the Epistle to the Romans S. Pauli thus saith Brethren I beseach you that you all healpe me in your prayers for me to God Which Kynd of prayer the Apostle vseth in the Epistle to the Ephesians in the first to the Thessalonians in the second to the Thessalonians in his epistle to the Colossians to the Hebrewes So familiar and vsuall was this to S. Paull Therefore from hence I conclude that now it is lawfull to inuoke and pray to the said Men being now Saincts and raigning with Christ This Inference is most necessarye demonstratiue For if it be not now lawfull to pray to them It is either because the Saincts now in Heauen will not healpe vs with their intercession to God But this is not so seing the Saincts in Heauen enioye greater Charity then they had heare vpon earth Or els in that the Saincts cannot healpe vs with their prayers And this lesse true for if they could afore healpe vs with their prayers they being then but Pilgrims much more now they being arryued into their Country Or els because they do not know what we pray or demaund of them But this is false for looke from whence the Angells do know the Conuersion of sinners for which they so much reioyce in Heauen as we reade in S. Luke from the same source or wellspring
of knowledge the Saincts do know our prayers Or lastly because we offer iniury to God and Christ if we pray to any other then to him alone But this is the least of all true seing by the same reason it should not be lawfull for vs to pray to the liuing that they would pray for vs And then consequently Saint Paul should haue beene most iniurious to God and Christ in praying to the Romans the Ephesians the Thessalonians the Colossians and the Hebrews to pray for him to God Therefore as it is no iniury but an honour to Kings when their friends are honored and Embassadours are sent to them Euen so heere there is no iniury done to God but honour when the Saincts of God are honored by praying vnto them not as to Gods but as to the friends of God since otherwise it would follow that he should commit an iniury to God as is aboue sayd who should desire entreate the prayers of the liuing This argument is vnanswerable and the rather since the Saincts in Heauen are members of the same Church of which the liuing are they also wholy relye vpon the same intercession of Christ with the liuing for what they desire for vs that they desyre of God through the merits of our Sauiour Christ This doctrine of Inuocation of Saincts is further prooued from seuerall auncient Councells whose places for greater breuity I referre the Reader to As to the Epistle of the Bishops of Europe written to Leo the Emperour which epistle is adioyned to the Councell of Calcedon the Councell of Chalcedon it selfe the sixt generall councell the seauenth generall couÌ„cell besides diuers others That the auncient Fathers of the Primatiue Church beleiued practized this doctrine of praying to Saincts is euident from the references herein the margent See then hereof Dionisius Areopagita Ireneus Eusebius Athanasius h Basill Chrysostome Gregory Nyssene Hilary Ambrose Ierome Austin and others This point of the Fathers iudgment and practize herein is so manifest as that we fynd it to be thus confessed of them by the learned Protestants M. Fulke thus sayth I confesse that Ambrose Austin and Ierome did hould Inuocation of Saincts to be lawfull The sayd D. Fulke doth further thus write In Nazianzen Basill and Chrysostome is mention of Inuocation of Saincts And yet more fully the same D. thus confesseth Many of the auncient Fathers did hould that the Saincts departed do pray for vs. In which generall condemnation of the Fathers herein D. Whitguift the Archbishop of Canterbury thus coÌ„spireth with the foresayd D. Fulke Almost all the Bishopps and Wryters of the Greeke Church and Latin also for the most part were spotted with the doctrine of Inuocation of Saincts and such like points To conclude D. Couell thus 〈…〉 peth with the former Protestants saying Diuers both of the Greeke and Latin Church were spotted with the errour about the Inuocation of Saincts Now that the Protestants do not only confesse the auncient Fathers iudgment hearein but that also diuers of them do beleiue the doctrine 〈◊〉 selfe to be true is no lesse cleare For we find Luther hymselfe thus to wryte De intercessione diuorum cum tota Ecclesia Christiana sentio Sanctos a nobis honâ—randos esse inuocandoâ— With whom agree Oâ—colampadius Latimer and diuers Protestants in Polonia Now I will end this poynt in setting the iudgment of learned Fathers and Catholicks touching the manner how Saincts do heare out prayers Which is that Saincts as being in Heauen euen from their first beginning of their beatitude and happines do see all things in God as in a cleare glasse which belong vnto them any way according to that Quid est quod ibi nâ—sciunt qui scie tem omâ—â—a sciunt And therefore they see and heare our prayers directed vnto them And hence it is that the holy Soules before our Sauiours Incarnation and Ascention being in Lyâ—bus Patrum were not prayed vnto because they then not being in Heauen could not heare the prayer of the liuing made to them And therefore no maruayle if neither in the old Testament nor in the new we find no expresse examples of prayer made to Saincts To the former maner how saincts do see the actions of the liuing and do heare their prayers I may adioyne an other manner of hearing theÌ„ allowed taught by S. Austin other Fathers Which is that God out of his speciall fauour and loue to his Saincts doth open and reueale to them the particular states and prayer of their friends yet liuing in the World Now how agreable it is to all force of Reason that Saincts in Heauen should know the affayres of their liuing friends is seuerall wayes proued First because the Angells in Heauen reioyce at the conuertion of a sinneâ— Therefore the Angells know the particular states of liuing Men. But if the Angells do then by the same Reason the Saincts doe seeing so far as concerne this poynt theare is no difference betweene the Angells and the Saincts Secondly the Nature of their beatitude requireth such knowledge of the affayres of their liuing friends For seeing their Happynes is a mayne Ocean of all ioyes no kind of happines being to them wanting which is requisite for them to haue therefore it followeth that for their greature measure of their felicity they are to haue notice of the miseryes wants prayers of their liuing friends And this the rather seing Nature is not abolished but betered and perfected by grace from whence we may gather that the Saincts in heauen do not abandon reiect the cares states of their liuing friends but do still retayne though with greater perfection their former naturall desire to know releiue the state of their said friends Thirdly This priuiledge of Saincts knowing the state and hearning the prayers of the liuing best sorteth to the nobility and worth of their beatificall and happy Vision of God For if God hath honored diuers of his friends whyles they liued in this world with the guyft of Prophecy as he did Daniell Ezechiel Esay Dauid and many others wheareby diuers of them reuealed many things to come meerely depending of Mans freewill and therefore not forseene in their causes as also did tell at the very tyme they were donne things donne in places far distant and remote from them How can it then otherwyse be but that his diuine Maiesty is most willing to communicate vnto his Saincts the state and prayers of the liuing To the force of which Reason S. Austin subscribeth in theese words Yf the Prophet Elizaeus absent in body did see the brybe his seruant Geizi did take of Nâ—man syrus c. How much more in that spirituall bodye shall Saincts see all things c. When God shal be All in all vnto vs Lastly the damned spirits and
deuills being far absent from their Witches southsayers and coniurers do neuerthelesse heare their inuocations and coniurations As is warranted by all Experience Shall any Man then thinke that the blessed Saincts of Heauen are depryued of hearing the prayers and intercessions which the faythfull heare vpon Earth do make vnto them since otherwyse it would follow that spirituall substances by their losing of Heauen I meane the deuills by their fall did obtayne greater prerogatiues and excellencye then the soules of the Saincts do by gayning and ascending vp to Heauen an absurdity incompatible with the goodnes wisdome and Charity of God And thus much touching the doctryne of Prayer to Saincts The Catholicke doctrine touching Iustification by works Merit of works and Works of Supererogation TOuching Iustification by Works the Catholicks teach as followeth Iustification wheareby a Man being afore wicked and the Sonne of Wrath is become the Sonne of God is wrought by the healpe of Gods grace without any meritte of works on our syde and by the spirit of fayth and Charity infused by God in vs in the very Act of our Iustification Thus our Aduersaries may see that we do not ascribe our first Iustification to any of our works at all though they most wrongfully traduce vs to the contrary For we willingly acknowledge those words of the Apostle It is not of the willer or of the runner but of God who sheweth Mercy Secondly the Catholicks teach that after a Man iustifyed being of wicked become good he may encrease his first iustification by works That is he being already made iust by Gods grace and mercy may by his works become more Iust Which works are not those which are performed by the force of Nature as the Pelagians did teach and the Protestants do falsly charge the Catholicks but as they are performed by the spirit and grace of God and as they receaue their force vertue from our Sauiours Passion Concerning the merit of Works more particularly the Catholicks teach as followeth whose doctrine herein for greater perspicuity I will set downe in certaine propositions Which propositions do contayne certaine condicions necessarily requyred that Works may merit The first proposition is this That works may merit it is requyred that the partye who worketh be in state of grace and an adopted Child of God Thus we exclude all works from meriting which are performed by one who is not in state of grace that is who wanteth true fayth true hope true charity for such Works are performed by force of Nature only not by force of Gods grace The second proposition That works do merit a free liber all promise or Couenant of God is necessary by which his promise of reward made vnto good Works God in a manner obligeth himselfe to reward good works according to his promises Heere our Aduersary may see that we willingly confesse that no works of ours of themselues can merit as we abstract from them the promisse of God for without this promisse and Couenant of God made out oâ— his most mercifull bounty to remunerate good works we do willingly say with the Apostle The passions of this life are not condigne to the glory to come that shal be reuealed vnto vs. The third proposition That Works do merit it is according to the most probable opinion necessarily requyred that they cheifly preceede from actually or virtually Charity loue towards God That is that they be vndertaken cheifly and primatiuely for the honour and loue we beare to God From whence it followeth that no works which are not seasoned with this condicâ—on of Charity in God but haue to themselues only peculiar and lesse principall ends c 〈…〉 merit The fourth and last proposition which is implicitly included in the former Propositions That Works do merit they must take their worth and dignity from the 〈…〉 ritis of our Sauiours Passion and from thence receaue as it were a new tincture and dye Thus we see that originally and principally it is Christs meriâ—ts which do merit for vs and that our works are but once of the meanes whereby we apply Christs meritâ—s vnto vs. That the doctrine here set downe touching merit of works is sutable to the doctrine of the Catholicke Roman Church is euident euen from the authority of the Councell of Trent where we thus reade To them who worke well to the end of their life and do hope in God eternall life is giuen both as a grace and fauour mercifully promised to the Sonns of God through the meritts of Christ Iesus as also as a reward proceeding from the promisse of the same God faythfully to be giuen to their good Works and Meritts c. Thus the Councell The certainty of this doctrine of merit of works receaueth it cheife proofe from the holy Scripture and this from the testimonyes of Scripture of seuerall kinds First then from those places where eternall life is called Merces a wage or reward As Mathew Reioyce for your reward is great in Heauen Againe Call the workemen and pay them their hyre besides diuers others of like nature Secondly from those places wherein a heauenly reward is promised to men according to the measure proportion of their Works as where it is said The Sonne of Man shall come in the glory of his Father and shall render to eueryone secundum opera sua according to his works In like sort it is said God will render to euery one according to his works besides many other like places here omitted Thirdly from those testimonyes of Scripture which expresse the reason that works are the cause why eternall life is giuen thus we read Come you blessed of my Father possesse the Kingdome prepared for you es 〈…〉 iui enim dedisti mihi manducare for I was hungry and you gaue me to eate Againe in the same place Quia in pauca fuisti c. Because thou hast been faithfull ouer few things I will place thee ouer many things enter into the ioy of thy â—ord And in the Apocalyps These are they which are come out of great tribulation c. ideo sunt ante throâ—um Dei therefore they are before the throne of God In all which places the particles Enim Quiâ— Ideo are causases that is implying our shewing the reason and cause of a thing Fourthly from those texts in which a reward is promised to good Works euen by force of Iustice According hereto we reade God is not vniust that he should forget your worke As also that be thou faythfull euen vnto death and I will giue thee the Crowne of life See of this nature other texts quoted in the margent Fiftly and lastly from those passages wherein there is mention made of dignity or worth As where we reade The workeman is worthy his wage Agayne vt digni habeamini regno Dei c. That you may be had worthy the Kingdome of
God for which you suffer See the like texts noted in the margent That the auncient Fathers mantayned the doctrine of merit of works see for greater breuity Ignatius Ireneus Basill Chrysostome Nazianz Nyssene Cyprian Ambrose Austin Ierome The iudgment of the auncient Fathers touching merit of works is discouered besides by their owne testimonyes euen from the acknowledgment of the Protestants For first we find D Humfrey to confesse in this s 〈…〉 rt Ireneus Clemens and others called Apostolicall haue in their wrytings merit of Works In like sort the Centurists thus charge Chrysostome Chrysostome handleth impurely the doctrine of iustification and attributeth merit to works They also t 〈…〉 censure Origen Origen made works the cause of our iustification Brentius in like sort saith that Austin taught assiance in mans merits towards remission of Sinns Luther styleth Ierome Ambrose Austin and others Iustice Workers of the old Papacy D. Whitakers thus wryteth of the age of Cyprian Not only Cyprian but almost all the most holy Fathers of that tyme were in that errour as thinking so to â—ay the payne due to sinne and to satisfy Gods iustice D. Whitguift as afore of praying to Saincts so of merit of works thus confesseth Almost all the Bishopps and Wryters of the greeke Church and Latin also were spotted with doctrine of merit Bullenger confesseth the great antiquity of the doctrine of merit in these words The doctrine of Merit satisfaction and iustification of works did incontinently after the Apostles tyme lay their first foundation To conclude this point M. Wotton no obscure Protestant reiecteth the authority of Ignetius the Apostles scholar touching merit of works in this sort I say plainly this Mans testimony is nothing worth because he was of little iudgment in Diuinity Thus farre touching our Aduersary acknowledgments of the Fathers iudgment herein Now that some learned Protestants do teach and beleiue the doctrine of Merit of Works to be true and Orthodoxall doctrine is no lesse euident then the former point For it is taught as true doctrine by the Publike Confessions in their Harmony by M. Hooker by Melanctâ—on and by Spandeburge the Protestant To the former doctrine of merit of Works I will adioyne the doctryne touching works of Supererogation Which doctrine is greatly exagirated and depraued by many Protestants who are not ashamed to traduce the Catholicks and to diuulge both by penne and in Pulpit that the Catholicks do hould that their works can do more then merit Heauen But this is the Protestant◠〈…〉 lumny since the Catholicks do not hould or beleiue any such thing Therefore I will sette downe the true definition of an Euangelical Counsell distinguished from a Precept seing vpon Euangelicall Counsells works of Supererogation are grounded An Euangelicall Counsell of Perfection is called any good Worke Which is not commanded by Christ but only commended by him and poynted on to vs by hym As the Vowe of Chastity of Pouerty of Obedience and diuers other good Works not commanded by God It differeth from a Precept First because the subiect of a Precept is more facill and easy then that of a Councell Secondly in that a Counsel doth include in it the Performance of a Precept and something more then a Precept Thirdly in that Precepts are common to all Men to performe Counsells are not so Fourthly Precepts of their owne nature do oblige Men to their performance Counsells are in the choyce of one to performe or not performe Lastly Precepts being obserued are rewarded being not obserued the transgression is punished Whereas Counsells being obserued and kept haue a greater reward being not kept no punishment followeth Thus far touching the definition of an Euangelicall Counsell Which in other words may be also thus defined An Euangelical Counsell is any such good Worke of high Perfection to the performance whereof we are not bownd as that we sinne in not doing of it Now whereas it is commonly obiected against the doctrine of Euangelicall Councells That we are so obbliged to God as that we cannot euer do more then we ought to do It is therefore heare to be conceaued that if we consider Gods benefitts bestowed vpon vs we willingly acknowledge that Man can not do more good then he ought no not the thousand part of that he ought to do in that Man cannot render or retaliate any thing of equall valew and worth to Gods benefitts Neuerthelesse Yf we consider the Law and Commande imposed by God vpon vs then man may be sayd to do more then indeede he is obliged by Gods Law to do For although Man cannot exceede or equall Gods benefits with his owne works yet he is not become guilty hearby seing Men is not obliged to performe more then that only which God commaundeth Euangelicall Councells take the cheife and first proufe from sacred Scripture As wheare it is said There are certaine Eunuchs who haue gelded themselfs for the Kyngdome of Heauen Which place is expounded of the Euangelicall Counsell of Chastity by Cyprian Chrysostome Austin and others A second text to omit diuers others for breuity is that where our Sauiour sayth to the yong Man Yf thou wilt be perfect go and sell all that thou hast and giue it to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Which text is interpreted of the Euangelicall Counsell of pouerty by S. Ambrose S. Ierome and S Austin The foresayd doctrine is further confirmed by the authority of the auncient Fathers For b 〈…〉 es their expositions of the foresaid places of Scripture this doctrine is further taught by Origen Athanasius Basil Chrysostome Nazianzene Cyprian Ambrose Ierome and finally by Austin who speaking of Precepts and Counsells vseth the very Word Supererogation thus saying of precepts and Counsells Dominus debitum imperat nobis in his autem si quid amplius supererogaueritis in reddendo reddet nobis The doctrine of Euangelicall Councells is warranted and taught besydes by the former auncient fathers of the Primatiue Church euen by diuers learned Protestants According hearto we find it is mantayned for true doctryne by M. Hooker by D. Coâ—ell and by Bucer And thus fâ—r breifly of Iustification by Works of merit of Works and of works of Supererogation The Catholicke Doctrine touching Indulgences THe Viâ—ulency of Protestants against the doctrine of Indulgences is most remarkable Wherefore for their better conceauing of the state of this Question or Indulgences this following in the Catholicke Doctrine First that Mortall sinne is remitted by the Sacrament of Confession so far forth only as concerneth the guilt or offence of God and the punishment of eternall damnation yet so that this eternall punishment by Gods Mercy is turned into temporall punishment as appeareth by the example