that it is both lawfull and very commendable for men and women of ripe yeares and consideration hauing well tried their owne aptnesse to vow virginity if by good inspirations they be therunto inwardly called My first reason is this that which is more pleasant and gratefull vnto God may very well be vowed to him but virginity is more acceptable to God than mariage The first proposition is manifest and hath no other exception against it but that which before is confuted to wit if we be able to performe it The second is denied by them which we prooue in expresse termes out of Saint Paul * 1. Cor. 7. He that ioyneth his virgin doth well but he that ioyneth her not doth better and againe of widowes They shall be more happy by Saint Pauls iudgement if they remaine vnmarried This may be confirmed out of Esay Isa 56. Where God promiseth the Eunuch that holdeth greatly of the thing that pleaseth him that hee will giue him in his houshold and within his walles a better heritage and name then if they had bene called sons and daughters I will saith God giue them an euerlasting name And also out of the booke of Wisedom * Cap. 3. Blessed is the Eunuch which hath wrought no vnrighteousnesse c. for vnto him shall be giuen the speciall gift of faith the most acceptable portion in our Lords temple for glorious is the fruite of God Which is also plainely taught in the Reuelations * Reu. 14. where it is said that no mā could sing that song but 144000. and the cause is set downe These be they which haue not bene defiled with women for they are Virgins To these latter places M. P. answereth pag. 241. that to the Eunuch is promised a greater reward but not because of his chastitie but because he keepeth the Lords Sabboth and couenant But this is said vnaduisedly for to all others that keepe Gods commandements shall be giuen a heauenly reward but why shall they haue a better heritage and more acceptable portion then others but because of their speciall prerogatiue of chastitie M. P. then answereth otherwise here that the single life is better more happie because it is freer from common cares of this life and yeeldeth vs more bodily ease and liberty to serue God But 1200. yeares ago S. Augustine of set purpose confuted this error in sundry places of his learned Works specially in his treatise De Virginitate in these Chapters 13. 23. 24. 25. where he accounteth him no Christian that doth cōtradict Christ promising the kingdome of heauen to Eunuchs * Mat. 19. And in the 25. Chapter more vehemently exclaiming O impious blindnesse why dost thou cauill and seeke shifts why dost thou promise temporall commoditie only to the chast and continent when God saith * Esa 16. I will giue them an euerlasting name And if thou wouldest perhaps take this euerlasting for a thing of long cōtinuance I adde inculcate often repeate that it shal neuer haue end What wouldest thou more This eternall name whatsoeuer it be signifieth a certaine peculiar and excellent glorie which shall not be common to many albeit they be placed in the same kingdome c. Which in the 29. Chapter he confirmeth out of that place of the Apocalypse cited aboue in these words The rest of the faithfull shall see you and not enuie your state but ioy in it so be partaker of that in you which they haue not in themselues for the new song which is proper vnto you they cannot sing but shall heare it and be delighted with your so excellent a blessednesse but you because you shal both sing and heare it shal more happily reioyce and raigne more pleasantly Which may be also confirmed out of the Apostle in the same place where he assureth that the single life is better for the seruice of God saying that a woman vnmarried and a virgin think of the things which belong vnto our Lord how she may please God and be holy both in body and spirit And our blessed Sauiour teacheth * Math 19. That some become Eunuches for the kingdome of heauen which to be taken there properly for the reward in heauen S. Augustine with the rest of the Fathers teacheth * De virginit cap. 23. What could be spoken more truly or more perspicuously Christ saith The truth saith the wisedome of God affirmeth them to geld thēselues for the kingdome of heauen who do of a godly determination refraine from mariage And contrarily humane vanity doth contend by impious temerity that they who do so do it to auoid the necessary troubles of matrimony and that in the kingdome of heauen they shall haue no more then other men R. ABBOT M. Bishop here taketh vpon him to proue the vow of virginity to be lawfull but yet we see it is with certaine cautions conditions to be therein obserued First he wil haue them to be of ripe yeares consideration and well to try their owne aptnesse Secondly it is lawfull if by good inspirations they be thereunto inwardly called But put the case that these cautions be not obserued that some vow rashly and vnaduisedly without triall of their own aptnesse without any good inspirations calling them to it or hauing vpon some triall iudged themselues apt yet afterwards finde it otherwise what shall they do not being now able to keep that which they haue vowed Marrie let them sinke or swim let them burne till they be consumed let them be brothels and harlots and what they wil they haue vowed and they must stand to it but marry they must not As for that which he saith of good inspirations inwardly calling them it is a meere begging of the question We deny that there are any good inspirations inwardly calling to that which we are not outwardly taught by the inspired word of God The spirit word of God go iointly together and where the word giueth vs not warrant and direction for that we do they are illusions and not inspirations by which we are led Now of vowing virginity or single life the word of God hath neither precept nor example All exercises of true righteousnesse we find amongst the people of the Iewes we find amongst them all the spirituall intendments significations of their ceremoniall vowes but of this vow of single life virginity we find nothing saue only amongst their sectaries in the corruption of their state religion as namely the Pharisees who for one of their exercises of great holinesse a Epiphan haer 16. Quidā eorū cùm se exercebant praescribehant sibi decennium aut octennium aut quadriennium virginitatis continentiae vowed continencie and virginitie sometimes for ten yeeres sometimes for sixe or for foure yeeres as Epiphanius reporteth of them But yet M. Bishops argument will put the matter wholy out of doubt That saith he which is more pleasant and gratefull to God
because we account not Cyprians writings as canonicall but consider them by the Canonicall Scriptures and what therein agreeth to the authoritie of holy Scripture we receiue it with his praise but what agreeth not by his leaue we refuse it Albeit because we find Cyprian elsewhere acknowledging in the name of all the faithfull that p Cyprian de orat Dom. Ipsum habemus apud PatreÌ„ AduocatuÌ„ pro peccatis nostris we haue Christ with the Father to be the Aduocate for our sinnes thereby confessing the effect of Christs redemption to be extended to the whole course of our life we dare not conceiue howsoeuer his words be very harsh that his meaning was so bad as thereby it may seeme to be And to iustifie himself to conceiue no otherwise but that the washing and cleansing of vs from our sinnes amidst all our almes and deuotions consisteth not in that which we do but in the bloud of Christ he saith in another place c Idem ser de ablut pedum Clementissime magister quoties ego doctrinae tuae transgressus sum regulas quoties edicta tua Domine sancte contempsi cùm diceres mihi Reuertere non sum reuersus cùm minareris non timâ—â— cùm bonus esses lenis exasperans fui Vltra septuagies septies in coelum coram te peccaui Quis tot sordes abluet quiâ— abradet stercora coÌ„globata Quicquid dicat Petrus necesse est vt ipse nos abluas neque enim lauare nos possumus sed in omnibus quae agimus indulgentiae tuae lauacro indigemus c. Apud te fons vitae est et miserationum quae à seculo sunâ— profunditas infinita abluisti nos baptismo lauasti sanguine tuo semper lauas quotidiana peccata donando O mercifull Lord how often haue I transgressed the rules of thy doctrine how often O holy Lord haue I despised thy commaundements and when thou saidst vnto me Returne I haue not returned when thou threatnedst I feared not when thou wast good and gentle I haue prouoked thee beyond seuentie times seuen times I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Who shall wash away so much filth who shall take away the mucke that is thus growne together Let Peter say what he will in refusing to be washed we haue need that thou wash vs for we cannot wash our selues but in all things that we do we stand in need of the washing of thy pardon and mercie With thee is the well of life and the infinit depth of mercies which haue bene from euerlasting thou hast washed vs in baptisme thou hast washed vs in thy bloud thou alwayes washest vs by forgiuing our daily sinnes By these words he giueth plainly to vnderstand that he did not think the washing and cleansing of vs to consist in the merit of our almes but in the forgiuenesse of our sins He confesseth that in all that we do we stand in need of pardon and therefore cannot be imagined to thinke that any thing that we do is a satisfaction for our sinnes In the other words therefore we must conceiue his purpose to be onely to note and set forth the acts and affections of them who truly and faithfully seeke remission of their sins by the mercie of God in the bloud of Iesus Christ albeit being instant and earnest as men are wont to be to presse that that he had in hand he runneth into inconuenient phrases and speeches which otherwise stand not with the rule of Christian saith Those workes of mercie and compassion towards our brethren are the true fruites and effects the consequents and companions of that contrite and broken heart that repentance and faith to which God hath made the promise of his mercy and therfore because in the doing thereof we find mercy he so speaketh thereof as if by the works themselues we obtained that mercie when yet it is not for the workes sake that God accepteth vs but for Christs sake whom by our workes we shew that we vnfainedly seeke and do truly beleeue in him And as for the place of Scripture which he alledgeth though by error of the scribe perhaps it be that there is noted in the margent the fourth of Tobie yet these words not being found in Tobie and the words that are in Tobie being cited afterwards he therein alludeth vndoubtedly to a saying of Solomon in the Prouerbes but forcing the text and putting in almes and faith in steed of mercy and truth Which words of Solomon if a whining aduersary by instance and importunitie will vrge vpon vs to expound of the mercie and truth of man it must be read and construed according to the same meaning which is already expressed d Prou. 16.6 In mercie and truth iniquitie shall be forgiuen that is where mercy and truth are there is forgiuenesse of sinnes as to note the conditions of the persons whose sins are forgiuen not the thing by vertue whereof they are forgiuen But we haue no warrant of any other Scripture in any other meaning to tie it to our mercie and truth and therefore must vnderstand it of the mercie and truth of God of which the Prophet Dauid speaketh when hauing signified the forgiuenesse of the sinnes of Gods people and the nearnesse of his saluation to them that feare him he addeth for the cause thereof e Psal 85.10 Mercie and truth are met together Of which also the Euangelist S. Iohn saith f Iohn 1.17 Grace and truth that is mercie and truth come by Iesus Christ Thus then by mercie and truth iniquitie is forgiuen not by any merite or worke of ours not by any satisfaction that we can make but by the mercie of God truly performing the promise that he hath made of the remission of sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ As for the booke of Tobie noted as I said in the margent and from whence Cyprian afterwards alledgeth other words of almes deliuering from death and purging all sinne it is not of sufficient authoritie to proue vnto vs any matter of faith the auncient Church testifying of it and the rest of the same sort as Hierome and Ruffinus haue recorded that g Hieron prolog galeat Igitur sapientia Solomonis Jesu filij Sirach liber Iudith Tobias non sunt in Canone Sic Ruffin in expos Symb. they are not canonicall and S. Austine affirming that h August deciuit Dei lib. 17. ca. 20. Aduersus contradictâ—resnoÌ„ tanta firmitate proferuntur qua scripta non sunt in Canoâ—e Iudaeâ—rum the writings which are not in the Canon of the Iewes as none are but what they had written in their owne tongue are not with so great authoritie alledged in matters of question and contradiction Albeit we will not disauow those words in that meaning as I haue before expressed that almesdeeds deliuer from death and purge vs from sinne as arguments for proofe that we are deliuered from death and
either M. Bishop was not well awake or his wits here in the beginning of his booke were not yet wel come to him when he passed them ouer with this opinion that they were all for them But he thought he had a long way to go and was loth in the beginning to put himselfe out of breath 7. W. BISHOP 1. Cor. 25. The first I haue saith he laboured more abundantly then all they yet not I but the grace of God which is in me attributing the whole worke to grace To which I briefly answer that they do corrupt the text to make it seeme more currant for them the Greeke hath only He son emoi which is with me not which is in me so that the words in true construction make much more for vs then against vs S. Paul affirming the grace of God which was working with him to haue done these things And so S. Augustine whom they pretend to follow most in this matter expoundeth it Yet not I De grat lib. arb cap. 15. but the grace of God with me that is not I alone but the grace of God with me And by this neither the grace of God alone neither he alone but the grace of God with him thus S. Augustine The like sentence is in the booke of Wisedome Send that wisedome from thy Holy heauen Cap. 9. that it may be with me and labour with me R. ABBOT Corruption of texts is not wont to be but for aduantage It is no aduantage more to vs to reade a Cor. 15.10 the grace of God which is in me then to reade the grace of God which is with me The ancient father Hierome readeth it both wayes one where b Hieron adu Iouinian lib. 2. the grace of God which is in me another where c Idem ad Princip explanat Psal 44. adu Pelag lib. 2. the grace of God which is with me as betwixt which in effect there is no difference To reade the grace of God which is in me though it do not here literally answer the Greeke yet hath no other meaning but what the Apostle elsewhere iustifieth by the same phrase of speech d Gal. 2.20 Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me yea and in the same place immediatly before we haue literall example of it e 1. Cor. 15.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His grace which is in me The words in true construction saith M. Bishop make much more for vs then against vs. And why so Forsooth because S. Paul affirmeth the grace of God which was working with him to haue done these things But how is that for them For if his meaning be that because it is sayd that grace did worke with him therefore it must be also vnderstood that he did worke with grace he must remember that he hath sayd before f Ibid. By the grace of God I am that I am and therefore that it was of grace it selfe that he did worke with grace As if he should haue sayd I haue laboured more abundantly then they all yet I can attribute nothing to my selfe herein but all to grace because it is the worke of grace in me whatsoeuer I haue done in working with grace g Oecumen in 1 Cor. cap. 13. Veritus ne rectum opus sibi attribueretur gratiae Dei ipsum fere acceptum Fearing least the worke should be ascribed to himselfe saith the Scholiast he referreth it to the grace of God To which purpose the same Apostle elsewhere saith h Rom. 15.17 I haue whereof to reioyce in Christ Iesus in the things that pertaine to God for I dare not speake of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me c. Where Photius thus obserueth i Photius apud Oecumen in Ro. cap. 15. Ostendit quòd nihil erat ipsius sed totum Christi He sheweth that nothing is his but all wholy is Christs If all wholy be of Christ then is no part to be ascribed to the Free will of man The Pelagians vrged this place to the Corinthians with the same pretence that M. Bishop doth Let him take the answer of Orosius as spoken to him k Oros Apologet de arbit libert Quid incaute praesumptor aspicis quia dixerit mecum Attende quia praemiserit Non ego Qua propter tu haec aâ—o verba Non ego mecum gratia Dei media est cuius est verè velle perfiâ—cre pro bona voluntate et tameÌ„ voluÌ„tate hominis Vnde ille confisus est vt diceret mecum quia dixerat Non ego Jn voluntate ergo hominis gratia diuinae virtutis operatur quae hoc ipsum velle donauit Ita conscientia hominis profitetur vt dicat Non ego gratia Dei largitur vt mecum Thou heedlesse presumptuous man what doest thou looke at that he saith with me Marke well that he hath first said Not I. Betwixt not I and with me commeth in the middest the grace of God whose indeed it is both to will and to worke for the making of a good will albeit the will be the will of man Wherefore he was bold to say with me because he had sayd not I. So then the grace of Gods power worketh in the will of man which hath giuen to it to will the same Whereupon the conscience of man professeth and saith not I but the grace of God giueth him that he may say with me Paul then saith and may say with me but it is not by any proper act of his owne Free will but by the onely gift and worke of grace whereby he attaineth to say with me And no otherwise would S. Austin haue spoken if he had not fallen into hucksters hands who vse him onely for aduantage and not for truth For hauing in hand to shew that God calling vs and iustifying vs onely by his grace vseth thenceforth our will and worke to accompanie his grace in going forward with the worke of our saluation giueth for example hereof the Apostle S. Paul who professing that by Gods meere grace he was all that he was towards God sheweth that hauing receiued this grace it was not idle in him but he laboured more abundantly then all the rest but adding yet not I but the grace of God with me l August de grat li. arbit cap. 5. Id est non solus sed gratia Dei mecum ac per hoc nec gratia Dei sola nec ipse solus sed gratia Dei cum illo Vt autem de coelo vecaretur tam magna efficacissima vocatione conuerteretur gratia Dei erat sola c. that is saith Austin not I alone but the grace of God with me and therefore neither the grace of God alone nor he himselfe alone but the grace of God with him Now the next words are But that he was called from heauen and by that mightie and most effectuall calling was
we vse al the good helpes thereto that may be vsed the other is so familiar to vs as that without any teacher without any example to instruct vs we can learne it of our selues Why doth he vtter these absurd paradoxes so contrarie to the common sence and experience of all men It is true that in Baptisme there is a medicine applied for the curing of this Originall maladie which medicine taketh effect according to the purpose of the grace of God It doth not by and by worke in all it worketh in some sooner in some later as he thinketh good to giue it effect by whom it was first applied Sometimes after many yeares he maketh the same workefull by his effectuall calling which from infancie hath lien as it were fruitlesse as if it neuer had bene done But when it doth worke it worketh not all at once it worketh but by degrees it hath still somewhat Å¿ 2. Cor. 4.16 to renew from day to day and neuer effecteth a full and perfect cure so long as we liue here This followeth afterward to be proued at large and therefore I will but briefly propound it in this place Now all these fancies hath M. Bishop vttered in answering the first point of M. Perkins his argument Let vs now come to the second point M. Perkins saith that concupiscence maketh a man to sinne M. Bishop saith it doth not make a man to sinne vnlesse he consent vnto it But the Apostle telleth vs that concupiscence doth make a man to do euill and it hath bene shewed that that euill is sinne euen before there be giuen any consent vnto it This euill consisteth in euill motions and thoughts t Ephiphan haer 64 Origen Obrepunt circa cor nostrum etiaÌ„ non volentibus nobis c. which arise in vs whether we will or not neither u Ambr. de fuga seculi lib. 1 ca. 1. Non in potestate nostra est cor nostruÌ„ â—ostrae cogitationes quae improuitò offusae mentem animuÌ„que confundunt atque aliò trahunt quà m tis proposueris c. Ipso in tempore quo cleuare mentem paramus insertis inanibus cogitationibus ad terrena plerunque deijcimur Et paulo prius vt quod studeas vi tare hoc cogites animoque voluâ—s are our harts and thoughts in our owne power for the auoiding therof but that euen vnawares they ouercast the mind and throw it downe to the earth whilest it is tending towards heauen and that runneth in the fancie which we make speciall labour to put out Yea oftentimes they grow to that absurditie and wickednesse as that we could not beleeue but vpon our owne experience that there were in vs so corrupt a spring as to yeeld so lothsome and filthie streames which make the true faithfull man ashamed of himselfe and to condemne himselfe in the sight of God howsoeuer nothing thereof appeare to the eyes of men But with M. Bishop these things are nothing he will neuer crie God mercie for any such because he hath therein done him no trespasse yea the Trent Councell telleth vs that herein is x Concil Trident Sess 5. In renatis nihil odit Deus nihil eos ab ingressu coeli ramoratur nothing that God hateth nothing that hindereth vs from entring into heauen Which seeing God requireth all the thought to be bestowed in his loue and thereby denounceth it to be a sinne to haue any of our thoughts wandering away from him these men would neuer thus affirme and teach but that y Rom. 11.8 a spirit of slumber hath closed their eyes that they see not that truth against which they haue resolued to bend themselues The third point of M. Perkins argument is that concupiscence intangleth a man in the punishment of sinne This M. Bishop saith is contrarie to that that he had sayd before that the guilt of Originall sinne is taken away in the regenerate But here is no contrarietie because in the continuall rebellion of concupiscence a mans conscience seeth punishment thereby due vnto him if God should require the same but yet by faith comforteth himselfe that it is remitted vnto him for Christs sake And that which M. Perkins spake he spake it out of the Apostles words who of concupiscence saith that z Rom. 7.13 it wrought death in him that is made him in himselfe guiltie of death and thus intangled him in the punishment of sinne although in Christ he saw deliuerance because a Cap. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Let M. Bishop therefore discharge M. Perkins of the lie and take the whetstone to himselfe as being farre more iustly due vnto him The last point of the argument is that concupiscence maketh a man miserable taken out of the words of the Apostle b Rom. 7.24 Wretched man or miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death or from this body of death M. Bishop hereto answereth that miserable is vnderstood two maner of waies either by being in disgrace with God or by reason of the danger of sinne and the miseries of this world But of the danger of sinne the Apostle acquitteth himselfe c 2. Tim. 4.18 The Lord will deliuer me from euerie euill worke and will preserue me vnto his heauenly kingdome and d Rom. 8.39 neither things present nor things to come shall separate vs from the loue of God As for the miseries of this world they are here drawne in by head and shoulders there being here no shew of any matter that should moue the Apostle thus to complaine in respect thereof But the thing is plaine that he calleth himselfe miserable as S. Austin plainely teacheth by reason of e Agust con Iulian lib 6. cap. 7. Noâ—nèâ—â—oncedâ—s hominem miseruÌ„ quicunque ille fuerit aduersus talem clamasse qu theatem velle adiacet mihi c. qua voluntas bona aut non ibi sit aut valere nihil possit an inward euill qualitie whereby the will being good could not auaile to do the good that he would He calleth himselfe miserable by reason of that from which he desired to be deliuered which is the body of death Now the body of death is that which before he hath called f Rom. 6.6 the body of sinne and elsewhere g Col. 2.11 the body of the sinnes of the flesh By the body of sinne is vnderstood concupiscence which is as a body consisting of many members and parts which are the diuerse lusts of diuerse sinnes and thereby is a body of sinnes euen consisting of all maner of sinnes For we may not here vnderstand the body properly as of the body which dieth as if the Apostle had desired a dissolution and end of life because h August de perfect iustit Rat. 17. De corpere mortis huius non omnis liberatur qui finit hanc vitam euery one that dieth is not thereby
prepared for them that loue him c. but who shall attaine to that blessed banquet saith he by God so prepared God onely knoweth and reuealeth it by his spirit to very few Which answer of his giueth him no euasion at all For if we do vnderstand the words concerning the ioyes of heauen and that blessed banquet of which he speaketh the Apostles words must import that we know the same to be giuen vnto vs. For how shall we be said to know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God if we do not know that they are giuen vnto vs Neither may we conceiue it as he doth to know that such things are prepared for the faithfull and righteous for that the diuels themselues also know Balaam a wicked castaway knew so much when he said n Numb 23.10 Let my soule die the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like vnto his Saul knew so much when o 1. Sam. 10.10 he prophecied as the p Hieron tradit Hebraic in lib. Regum Prophetasse eum ibi Iudaei dicunt de futuro seculo de Gog Magog de praemijs iustorum poena impiorum Iewes say of the world to come of the rewards of the iust and punishments of the vniust We haue therefore receiued the spirit of God that we may know not onely that such things are prepared of God but that we may know that God hath giuen the same vnto vs. But the Apostle there meaneth not onely the ioyes and blisse of heauen but all the gifts of God whereby the same are wrought and effected vnto vs. The originall of all which gifts is the giuing of Christ vnto vs whereof the Prophet speaketh q Esa 9.6 Vnto vs a child is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen in whom r 2. Cor. 1.20 all the promises of God are yea and are in him Amen for his sake first made and in him performed whom the Father giuing to vs and for vs Å¿ Rom. 8.32 hath together with him giuen vs all things the gift of t 1. Iohn 4.13 the spirit the gift of u Act. 5.31 repentance the gift of x Eph 2.8 faith the gift of y Rom. 5.17 righteousnesse the gift z 2. Tim 1.7 of loue the gift of a Phil. 1.29 suffering for Christ the gift of b 2. Pet. 1.3 all things pertaining to life and godlinesse the gift of c Rom. 6.23 eternall life All these things Oecumonius compriseth when he expoundeth the things which eye hath not seene c. to be d Oecumen in 1. Cor. ca. 2. Quae praeparauâ— Deus c. Christum videlicâ—t saluteÌ„ quae per incarnationem facta est Christ and the Saluation which is wrought by his incarnation euen as Chrysostom doth vnderstand the same of e Chrys in Cor. 1. hom 7. Quoniam per eam quae videtur esse stultitia praedicationis orbem terrae superabit gentes allicientur et Dei ad homines erit reconciliatio tanta nobis accedent bona the surprising of the world by the foolishnes of preaching as the world accounteth it of the conuersion of the Gentils of the reconciliation of God to men and the great benefits that should come therby euen as the Apostle saith f Eph. 1.3 all maner spiritual blessings in heaueÌ„ly things In a word we are to vnderstand in the Apostles words g Cap. 3.5.8.9 the vnsearchable riches of Christ preached vnto the Gentils a mystery which from the beginning of the world was hid in God not opened to the sons of men eie had not seene it neither had mans heart conceiued it nay to the very h Vers 10. Angels principalities and powers it was not knowne so that when it was done i 1. Pet. 1.12 they did euen desire and delight to looke into it The accomplishment of which riches is the glorie ioy of heauen which yet we know not nor can conceiue as the Apostle S. Iohn saith k 1. Iohn 3.2 Now are we the sonnes of God but yet we know not what we shall be we know not the glorie and happinesse that he hath prepared for vs for we are l Col. 3.3 4. now dead and our life is hidden with Christ in God but when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie for we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like vnto him for we shall see him as he is In the meane time the Apostle saith that by the spirit we know the things that are alreadie giuen vs of God not by speculation onely of vnderstanding but by practicke and experimentall and effectuall knowledge m 2. Pet 1.3.4 whereby we are made partakers of the diuine nature and n Col. 3.10 renewed to the image of him who first created vs. These things therefore we know in our selues when we know the things that are giuen vs of God and consequently do know our faith repentance hope loue in which consisteth that newnesse and communion with God As for the blisse and glorie of heauen though yet we know it not yet we know that God hath giuen vnto vs the interest and title of it alreadie and by faith do stand assured through the spirit that he will in due time giue vs the full sight and fruition of it Which indeed none can know but they that haue it reuealed vnto them from God but God reuealeth it by the spirit in his word to all those that do beleeue in him As for the place of Ierome which M. Bishop alledgeth to the contrarie it sheweth his wretched vnfaithfulnesse but maketh nothing against vs. Ionas had preached destruction to Niniue within fortie dayes The king of Niniue calleth his people to repentance to sackcloth and ashes to fasting and mourning and crying mightily vnto God for o Ionas 3.9 who knoweth saith he if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce wrath thereby signifying that albeit God had by peremptorie sentence threatned their destruction yet by repentance and earnest intreatie they might haply find mercie Hereupon Hierome saith p Hieron in Ion. cap. 3. Illud quod dicitur Quis scit c ideo ambiguum ponitur incertum â—t dum homines dis bij sunt de salute fortiùs agant paenitentiam magis ad misericordiâ—m improuocent Dâ—um That that is sayd Who knoweth if God will turne is therfore set downe vncertaine and doubtfull that whilest men are doubtfull of their safetie they may the more earnestly repent and the rather moue God to take mercie on them Now what a reason is this that because God threatning destruction to wicked and vngodly men leaueth it in doubt whether he will spare them that they may the more earnestly repent and call for mercie therefore the faithfull and godly man whom God hath deliuered from euerlasting destruction and called
faithfull an assurance of Saluation be it by faith be it by charitie let not that here be the question Is there to the faithfull by S. Austines iudgement any assurance of Saluation He could not tell how directly to denie it and yet with a Romish and impudent face passeth it ouer as if there were no such thing The onely shift that he insinuateth is this that this assurance spoken of by S. Austine is by charity and not by faith But what then is there assurance by charitie No such matter for he hath told vs before that charitie is seated in the e Sect. 6. darke corners of the will and we cannot tell whether we haue it or not And so whereas the Apostle and by him S. Austine say that we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren he contrariwise saith We cannot know that we are translated from death to life because we cannot know that we loue the brethren in both points absolutely contradicting both the one and the other But to his foolish question I answer him that the affirming of the assurance of faith is no deniall of the meanes and helps from which it gathereth and increaseth this assurance Faith giueth assurance of Saluation by the word of God not onely by apprehending the promises of life Saluation but also by obseruing such marks and tokens as the word of God setteth down to describe thē to whom this Saluation doth appertaine which whē a man findeth in himselfe his faith thereby giueth him the cōfort of Saluation because it beleeueth that which the word of God hath deliuered concerning them in whom those signes marks are found Therfore it doth not only looke to that which Christ saith that f Iohn 3.16 whosoeuer beleeueth shal haue euerlasting life but because Christ also saith g Iohn 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word therfore the faithfull man delighting in the word of God beleeueth concerning himselfe that he is of God Because the Apostle saith h Rom. 10.13 Euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued therfore the faithfull man vnfainedly calling vpon the name of the Lord beleeueth of himself that he shal be saued And so whereas S. Iohn saith that we know that we are translated frō death to life because we loue the brethren it is our faith whereby we take this knowledge that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren for how should we know it but that our faith beleeueth that which the word of God hath taught vs in that behalfe How idlely then doth he argue that we need not seeke for charity for assurance of Saluation if we be assured thereof by faith when charity it selfe is appointed for a helpe of that assurance which we haue by faith when from charity it is in some part that faith by the word of God conceiueth a reason of that assurance But by his answers to these places the Reader may esteeme of his wilfulnesse in all the rest How miserable is the case of those men who being so fast bound with the bonds of truth as that they know not which way to stirre yet haue no heart nor conscience to giue assent to that which they are no way able to resist 15. W. BISHOP Sup. 5. cap. Mat. The next Author he citeth is S. Hylarie in these words The Kingdome of heauen which our Lord professed to be in himselfe his wil is that it be hoped for without any doubtfulnesse of vncertaine will at all is an addition otherwise there is no iustification by faith if faith it selfe be made doubtfull First he faith but as we say that the Kingdome of heauen is to be hoped for without any doubtfulnesse for we professe Certaintie of hope and denie onely Certaintie of faith as M. Perkins confesseth before And as for faith we say with him also it is not doubtfull but very certaine What maketh this to the purpose that a man must beleeue his owne Saluation when S. Hilary speaketh there of faith of the resurrection of the dead His last Author is S. Bernard Who is the iust man Epist 107. but he that being loued of God loues him againe which comes not to passe but by the spirit reuealing by faith the eternall promise of God of his Saluation to come which reuelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace by which the deeds of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdome of heauen together receiuing in one spirit that whereby he may presume that he is loued and loues againe Note that he saith the reuelation of the spirit to be nothing else but the infusion of spirituall graces and comfort whereby a man hath some feeling of Gods goodnesse towards him by which he saith he may presume but not beleeue certainly that he is loued of God But let S. Bernard in the same place interpret himselfe there he speaketh thus as I cited once before It is giuen to men to tast before hand somewhat of the blisse to come c. Of the which knowledge of our selues now in part perceiued a man doth in the meane season glory in hope but not yet in securitie His opinion then is expresly that for all the reuelations of the spirit made by faith vnto vs we are not assured for Certaintie of our Saluation but feele great ioy through the hope we haue hereafter to receiue it R. ABBOT The words of Hilarie are very plaine that a Hilar. in Mat. cap. 5. Regnum coelorum vult Dominus sine aliquae incertae voluntatis ambiguitate sperari alioqum iustificatio ex fide nulla est si fides ipsa sit ambigua without doubting we are to hope for the kingdome of heauen and that it is the will of Christ that we do so Whereof he addeth a reason Otherwise there is no iustification by faith if faith it selfe become doubtfull which if we will accommodate to that that goeth before it must import thus much that we cannot by our faith be iustified to the obtaining of the kingdome of heauen if we do not vndoubtedly beleeue to obtaine the same M. Bishop answereth first that Hilarie saith but as they say No doth Why do they say that without doubting we must hope for the kingdome of heauen He saith yea but forgetting the prouerb that a liar must beare a braine For in the leafe b Sect. 10. before he hath set it downe for a principle confirmed as he saith by aboue an hundred texts of holy writ that the faithfull must stand in feare of their owne Saluation There cannot be certaine and vndoubted hope where there is a necessitie of feare If a man must stand in feare then can he not hope without doubt Thus he knoweth not what he saith nor what to say We must feare and we must not feare we must doubt and we must not doubt there is Certaintie and
know not whether you haue any foundation to build vpon or any matter to build with you know not if you haue builded any thing whether the same be likely to stand or fall and what is this else but to be a foole As for vs we know that we must keepe his words that he commandeth vs to watch and pray to prepare oile to keepe our lamps burning and such like but these admonitions serue not to shake our faith but rather instruct and sharpen it They do not propound conditions for vs to performe to make vp the worke of God in vs but aduertisements and instructions what those lawes are whereof God hath said p Ierem. 31.33 I will put my lawes in their hearts q Ezech 36.27 and cause them to keepe my statutes faith being hereby moued to begge of God r August de spir lit ca. 13. Lege operaÌ„ dicit Deus fac quod iubeo lege fidei dicitur Deo Da quod iubes Ideo enim iubet lex vt admoneat quid faciat fides to giue what he commandeth and assured that he will to the end performe what he hath promised and seeing in his visitations and corrections his fatherly prouidence and care to effect the same whilest thereby he awaketh vs out of our security and causeth vs to make vse of the admonitions of holy Scripture to fight against the diuell and sinne and to exercise our selues in all godlinesse and vertue 20. W. BISHOP The fift and last reason is this The Papists teach assurance of hope Rom. 5. euen hence it followeth that he may be infallibly assured for the property of a true and liuely hope is neuer to make a man ashamed Answer Hope indeed of heauen makes a man most couragiously beare out all stormes of persecution and not to be ashamed of Christes Crosse but to professe his faith most boldly before the bloudy tyrants of the world our hearts being by charitie fortified and made inuincible And this is that which the Apostle teacheth in that place and saith before Ver. 2. that the faithfull glory in the hope of the sonnes of God and do not vaunt themselues of the Certaintie of their Saluation This Certaintie of hope is great in those that haue long liued vertuously specially when they haue also endured manifold losses much disgrace great wrongs and iniuries for Christes sake for he that cannot faile of his word hath promised to requite all such with an hundred fold But what is this to the Certaintie of faith which the Protestants will haue euerie man to be endued with at his first entrance into the seruice of God when as Saint Paul insinuateth Heb 6. that godly men partakers of the holie Ghost yea after they haue tasted the good word of God and the power of the world to come that is haue receiued besides faith great fauours of Gods spirit and felt as it were the ioyes of heauen haue after all this so fallen from God that there was small hope of their recouerie R. ABBOT This last reason taken from the doctrine of the Papists concerning hope I do not hold to haue bene fitly applied against them For with them as there is not that faith so neither is there that hope which the Scripture teacheth neither can they be said to teach assurance of hope who professedly deliuer that a man must alwaies stand in feare and doubt of that that he should hope for and that he hath no more but onely a probable opinion of any thing in himselfe whereof to conceiue hope Therefore the Councell of Trent saith that a Concil Trident. Sess 6. cap. 9. Sicut nemo pius de Dei miserecordia c. dubitare debet sic quilibet dum seipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem indispositionera respicit de sua gratiae formidare ac timere potest as no man may doubt of the mercie of God and of the merit of Christ so euery man whilest he considereth his owne infirmitie and vndisposednesse hath to stand in feare of his owne being in grace So Andradius affirmeth that their b Andrad Orthod explicat lib 6. sub finem Ita certa est spes vt semper cum metu dubitatione coniuncta sit copulata hope is alwaies ioined and coupled with feare and doubt not onely meaning that it is so but also that it ought so to be accordingly as Maister Bishop hath before deliuered though vntruly c Sect. 10. that there are aboue an hundred texts in holy writ whereby to proue that the faithfull must stand in feare of their owne Saluation The Certaintie of hope therefore that Maister Bishop nameth by occasion that it was named to him is nothing else indeed but meere vncertaintie it being a thing sencelesse to reckon a Certaintie where a man is bound to stand in feare So that their hope is but a conceit of selfe-seeming probability whereby they imagine that haply â— may be 〈◊〉 them but yet doubt least it be otherwise in 〈…〉 â—en vulgarly men talke of hope where they hau◠〈…〉 for that they hope But the hope which the Scâ—◠〈…〉 of is another matter importing a patient and 〈…〉 of that that we beleeue we shall receiue 〈…〉 the promises of God concerning forgiuenesse 〈…〉 â—â—â—erning our blisse and happinesse to come It 〈…〉 God vndoubtedly will make good whatsoeuer he 〈…〉 â—sed but as yet we see not the effect and performaâ—â—â—â—ereof Hope therefore expecteth and waiteth looking 〈◊〉 the Lord to reueale his righteousnesse and to make the truth 〈◊〉 his word and promise fully to appeare and in this expectation is content with patience to beare the crosse and to endure the afflictions and troubles that are incident to the faith and profession of the name of Christ Thus saith Chrysostome that d Chrysost hom de fide spe charit Quiâ—quid fides credendo acquirit hoc spes sustinendo praesumit what faith getteth in beleeuing that hope presumeth of in enduring and suffering This hope therefore is not vncertaine and doubtfull but by the direction of faith fully resolueth of the accomplishment of that that it hopeth for It is not as Hilarie well noteth e Hilar. in Psa 64. Spem oporiet non ex mani esse praesâ—mptam ne magâ— sâ—t incerrâ—ruÌ„ praesumptio quam expectatio cognitorum a presuming of things vncertaine but an expectation of things knowne vnto vs. For that cause is it that Saint Paul saith that f Rom. 5.5 hope maketh not ashamed Which Maister Bishop not vnderstanding expoundeth as if the Apostle had said that it maketh a man not to be ashamed of the crosse of Christ but Saint Paul respected a further matter to signifie the infallible assurance and Certaintie of hope that it neuer putteth a man to shame it neuer giueth him occasion to be ashamed as hauing hoped for that whereof in the end he is deceiued g August in Psal 36. conc 2. Confunditur
plaine to the words which he alledgeth for God shall render to the faithfull h Math. 16.27 according to their workes because good workes are the proper markes whereby God will take knowledge of them that are iustified and saued onely by faith in Christ For whom God hath iustified and saued vpon them he setteth the seale and marke of his Spirit working in them another nature and i Ephes 2.10 creating them in Christ Iesus vnto good works whereby he will thenceforth know them to belong to him and thereby at that day will put difference betwixt them and other men So that to speake of saluation in that sort as we commonly vnderstand it for the finall blisse and saluation that we expect in heauen faith alone in it selfe is not sufficient to saluation because though we be interested to it onely by faith yet somewhat else is required to prepare vs and fit vs to be partakers thereof And to speake of saluation in grosse faith alone excludeth not sanctification and good workes but includeth them as a part of that saluation whereof we are made partakers by faith alone so that rightly are we said to be saued by faith alone because nothing else doth giue vs anie title and it selfe alone doth giue vnto vs all other things that are necessarie to saluation 25. W. BISHOP 5. Reason There be many other vertues vnto which iustification and saluation are ascribed in Gods word therefore faith alone sufficeth not Ecclesiast 1. Rom. 8. Luk. 13. 1. Ioh. 3. The Antecedent is proued first of feare it is said He that is without feare cannot be iustified We are saued by hope Vnlesse you do penance you shall all in like sort perish We are translated from death to life that is iustified because we loue the brethren Againe of Baptisme Vnlesse you be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Lastly we must haue a resolute purpose to amend our euill liues Rom. 6. For we are buried together with Christ by baptisme into death that as Christ is risen from the dead c. so we may also walke in newnesse of life To all these many such like places of holy Scripture it pleased M. Perkins to make answer in that one Rom. 8. You are saued by hope to wit that Paules meaning is onely that we haue not as yet saluation in possession but must wait patiently for it vntill the time of our full deliuerance this is all Now whether that patient expectation which is not hope but issueth out of hope of eternall saluation or hope it selfe be any cause of saluation he saith neither yea nor nay and leaues you to thinke as it seemeth best vnto your selfe S. Paul then affirming it to be a cause of saluation it is best to beleeue him and so neither to exclude hope or charitie or any of the foresaid vertues from the worke of iustification hauing so good warrant as the word of God for the confirmation of it R. ABBOT Iustification before God is no where in all the Scripture ascribed to any other vertue saue onely faith the promise of saluation is sometimes adioyned to other vertues as fruits and marks of them whom God hath saued but neuer as causes thereof as in the question of merits shall appeare We may well thinke that M. Bishop was here shrewdly put to his shifts that in all the Scripture could find no plainer proofes to serue his turne M. Perkins propounded but one place for them he thought himselfe to lay on loade and yet cannot bring vs any thing whereby it is said that we are iustified but onely faith His first place is taken out of an Apocryphall Scripture and yet such as it is it saith nothing for him First his translation is false for the words as their owne Arias Montanus translateth them are these a Eccles 1.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non poterit â—racundus vir iustificari A man giuen to much anger cannot be iustified that is cannot be acquitted of doing amisse cannot be cleared of committing offence because as S. Iames saith b Iam. 1 20. the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God euen in like sort as the same Ecclesiasticus after saith c Eccles 23.11 he that sweareth vainely shall not be iustified and againe d Cap. 26.30 a victualler shall not be iustified of sinne For so is the Scripture wont continually to vse the word of iustifying for acquitting clearing discharging holding or pronouncing guiltlesse and innocent approuing allowing acknowledging for iust and such like as where it is said e Esa 5.23 which iustifie the wicked for reward f Mich. 6.11 shall I iustifie the false ballance g Luk. 10.29 he willing to iustifie himselfe c. Secondly therefore if the words be taken as he translateth them he that is without feare cannot be iustified he is as farre off from his purpose For the words import to the same effect that he that is without feare shall not be found innocent he shall not be found free from great sinne because the want of feare maketh a man bold to runne into all sinne but a verie senslesse man is he that would go about hereby to proue that a man is iustified by feare Againe he bringeth the words of Christ h Luk. 13.3 Vnlesse ye repent do penance saith he according to their foolerie ye shall all likewise perish And what of this Ergo forsooth a man must bee iustified by doing of penance Yea and is doing of penance a matter of iustification now But Ambrose sayeth that the Apostle calleth them l the blessed of whom God hath decreed i Ambros in Ro cap. 4. Beatos dicit de quibus hoc sanxit Deus vt sine labore aliqua obseruatione sola fide iustificentur apud Deum Et paulò post Nulla ab his requisita poenitentiae opera nisi tantum vt credant that without labour or any obseruâ—tion they are iustified with God onely by faith there being required of them no labour of penance but onely to beleeue Why then doth Maister Bishop tell vs that we are iustified by doing of penance Our Sauiour spake nothing there in their behalfe and verie absurdly doe they applie that that was meant of inward conuersion and repentance to outward and ceremoniall obseruation of doing penance As for repentance it setteth foorth the subiect capable of iustification by faith but is it selfe onely an acknowledgement of sinne no healing of our wound The feeling of paine and sicknesse causeth a man to seeke for remedie but it is no remedie it selfe Hunger and thirst make a man to desire and seeke for foode but a man is not fed by being hungrie By repentance we know our selues we feele our sicknesse we hunger and thirst after grace but the hand which we stretch foorth to receiue it is faith onely without which repentance is nothing but
because the mercie of God alone sufficeth not Now it were wickednes thus to crosse and contradict the Apostles words and therefore doth he conclude that al is wholy to be ascribed vnto Gods mercie See then the good dealing or rather the lewd falshood of M. Bishop and his fellowes who teaching for the maintenance of their doctrine of merits that good works are principally indeed of God but yet partly of our selues do alledge S. Austine for the defence thereof who constantly teacheth to the vtter ouerthrow of merits that our good workes are wholy and onely of the grace of God and in no part of our selues This is one thing for which we iustly detest them as setting vp the glorie of man in stead of the glory of God the righteousnesse of man in stead of the righteousnesse of God and so by bearing men in hand with a merit of eternall life do bereaue them of Gods mercie by which onely they should attaine the same And yet all this is graced and shadowed with goodly faire words as we see here by M. Bishop who hauing said that the grace of God is principally the cause of our saluation and therein implied that our free will also is partly though not principally a cause thereof yet addeth that the grace of God is the onely fountaine of merit and all good workes If grace be the onely fountaine of all good workes then all good workes proceed onely from grace and if onely from grace then what can we merit or deserue thereby If we merit and deserue thereby then they are partly of vs and of our free will then grace is not the only fountaine of merit and all good works Therfore let him not lye in this sort let him speake as he meaneth acknowledge that which they al maintaine that good works are therfore our merits because they proceed from our Free will and are no otherwise our merits neither do we otherwise deserue by them but as they proceed from our free will Yea when the grace of God hath done all that appertaineth to it to do all is nothing with them vnlesse man adioyne thereto the worke of his owne free will Either let him renounce his doctrine of Free wil or else let him leaue with colourable words thus to delude and mocke the simple and ignorant reader in saying that which he thinketh not that the grace of God is the onely fountaine of merit and all good works 9. W. BISHOP Ad Eph. 2. Ad Tit. 3. Now to those texts cited before about iustification We are saued freely not of our selues or by the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done I haue often answered that the Apostle speakes of workes done by our owne forces without the helpe of Gods grace and therefore they cannot serue against workes done in and by grace R. ABBOT The oftennesse of his answer sheweth the corruption of his conscience that was not moued with so often repeating a manifest vntruth What was it the Apostles meaning to teach the Ephesians that they were not saued by the workes which they did when they yet were a Eph. 2.1 dead as he saith in trespasses and sinnes or had the Ephesians any such opinion that the Apostle should need to reforme in them Did they renounce their former workes to come to Christ that they might be saued by him and did they afterwardes grow againe to a conceipt of being saued by their former workes These are grosse and palpable vntruths neither hath the Scripture any thing at all that may giue any shew for warrant of such constructiō Nay as hath bene before said when the Apostle hauing said b Ver. 9. Not of workes lest any man should boast addeth as a reason and proofe hereof c Ver. 10. for we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes c. as if he should haue said We cannot be said to be saued by workes because our workes are none of ours but Gods works in vs he plainely sheweth that not onely workes before grace but after also are excluded from being any cause of our saluation The place to Titus likewise resteth our saluation only vpon d Tit. 3.5 Gods mercy and therefore leaueth no place to our good workes and therefore it is vsed by S. Bernard not only in this day for an exception against workes before grace but e Bernard in Cant. ser 50. that we may know at that day that not for the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but of his owne mercie he hath saued vs. 10. W. BISHOP Now to that text which he hudleth vp together with the rest although it deserued a better place being one of their principall pillars in this controuersie it is Rom. 8. The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glorie to come The strength of this obiection lieth in a false translatiō of these words Axia pros tein doxan equall to that glory or in the misconstruction of them for we grant as hath bin already declared that our afflictions and sufferings be not equall in length or greatnesse with the glorie of heauen for our afflictions be but for the short space of this life and they cannot be so great as will be the pleasure in heauen notwithstanding we teach that this shorter and lesser labour imployed by a righteous man in the seruice of God doth merite the other greater and of longer continuance and that by the said Apostles plaine words 2. Cor. 4. for saith he That tribulation which in this present life is but for a moment and light doth worke aboue measure exceedingly an euerlasting waight of glory in vs. The reason is that iust mens works issue out of the fountaine of grace which giueth a heauenly value vnto his workes Againe it maketh him a quicke member of Christ and so receiuing influence from his head his works are raised to an higher estimate it consecrateth him also a temple of the holy Ghost and so maketh him partaker of the heauenly nature as S. Peter speaketh which addes a worth of heauen to his works 2. Pet. 1. Neither is that glory in heauen which any pure creature attaineth vnto of infinite dignitie as M Perkins fableth but hath his certaine bounds and measure according vnto each mans merits otherwise it would make a man equall to God in glorie for there can be no greater then infinite as all learned men do confesse R. ABBOT These words of S. Paule to the Romanes a Rom. 8.18 The afflictions of this time are not worthy of the glorie that shall be reuealed vpon vs are verie directly cited and are as pregnant to the matter here in hand M. Bishop saith that that text is one of our principall pillars in this controuersie and indeed it is so strong a pillar as that all M. Bishops strength is not able to shake it from vpholding that which we professe to teach by it But yet pro forma he
the question of Vowes 19. W. BISHOP The fift reason is taken out of those texts which teach that men are worthy of eternal life They shall walke with me in whites Apoc 3. Sap. 3. 2. Thess 1. Luk. 20.35 because they be worthy God proued them and found them worthy of himselfe That you may be esteemed worthy of the kingdome of God Now if men be worthy of eternall life it must needs be granted that they haue deserued it M. Perkins answereth that they were indeed worthy but not for their owne merits but for Christs imputed vnto them This is his onely refuge yet hath he not nor cannot shew any one text in Scripture that speaketh so But to refell him turne onely to the places and there you shal find that this worthinesse rose of good workes as Christ saith Apoc. 3. I know thy workes and find them not full yet there be some amongst you who haue not defiled their garments but haue their works full they shall walke with me in whites because they be worthy 2. Thess 1. and by sustaining persecutions they were made worthy of that kingdome And in the words following the Apostle signifieth that it is as iust for God to requite good workes with the ioyes of heauen as he doth punish wicked with the paines of hell R. ABBOT M. Perkins for obiection proposeth the place of the Reuelation a Apoc. 3 4. They shall walke with me in white for they are worthy as whereby they would proue merit because a man cannot be worthy but he must merit deserue M. Bishop out of his store addeth two other places of the new Testament but they are such as whereby is ministred vnto vs a very ready and pregnant answer to the first The place of Saint Luke is by their owne vulgar translation thus b Luk. 20.35 Qui digni habebuntur that is They who shall be accounted worthy The words of Saint Paule are c 2. Thess 2.5 Vt digni habeamini that ye may be esteemed worthie of the kingdome Whereby we conceiue and vnderstand what mans worthinesse is Gods dignation Gods acceptatioÌ„ Gods vouchsafing to take him as worthy for Christs sake though in respect of himselfe he be not worthy To this M. Bishop saith This is his onely refuge yet can he not shew any one text of Scripture that speaketh so But we answer him that all those texts of Scripture which do thus speake of God reputing or esteeming or accounting worthy do import so much vnto vs. For if our worthines stand in Gods esteeming and accounting of vs we may not of the title of worthinesse conclude that by perfection of reall qualitie we are that for which he is content in mercie and fauor to accept vs. We are accordingly worthie as we are iust We are iust to speake of perfect iustice not by righteousnesse of workes but onely by Gods imputation of righteousnesse without workes as we haue seene before In like sort therefore we are worthy d Bernard in Dedicat. Eccles ser 5 Nos sumus sed ipsius dignatione non dignitate nostrae by Gods vouchsafing acceptance not by our worthinesse as S. Bernard saith And hereto agree the confessions of the faithfull Iacob saith e Gen. 32.10 I am lesse then all thy mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant that is as we reade it I am not worthy thereof according to that which Chrysostome saith f Chrysostom de compunct cordis Etsi millies moriamur etsi omnes animae virtutes expleamus nihil tamen dignum gerimus ad ea quae ipsi à Deo percepimus Though we dye a thousand deaths though we fulfill all the vertues of the soule yet do we nothing worthy in comparison of those things which we our selues haue receiued of God Iohn Baptist g Mat. 11.11 then whom there arose not a greater amongst womens children yet saith of himselfe in respect of Christ h Mat. 3.11 I am not worthie to beare his shoes i Mar. 1.7 I am not worthy to vntie the latchet of his shoe The Centurion of whose faith our Sauiour testifieth that k Mat. 8.10 he had not found so great faith no not in Israel yet saith of himselfe l Ver 8 I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe m Bernard in Dedicat. Eccles Ser. 5. Lege ô homo in corde tuo lege intra te ipsum de teipso testimonia veritatis hac communi luce iudicabis te indignuÌ„ Reade O man saith S. Bernard in thine owne heart reade within thy selfe concerning thy selfe the witnesse of truth and thou wilt iudge thy selfe vnworthy of this common light Thus holy men haue spoken thus they haue thought and if our vnworthinesse be such to these things shall we dreame of a worthinesse to the crowne of heauen n Psal 31.16 Saue me saith Dauid for thy mercies sake that is saith S. Austine o Aug. in Psal 30. Hoc est non in mea iustitia non in meis meritis sed in tuâ— misericordia non quia ego sum dignus sed quia tu misericors not in my righteousnes not in my merits but in thy mercie not because I am worthy but because thou art mercifull Againe the same S. Austine saith in another place p Idem in Psal 41. Nobis Deus omnia bona praestat quia bonus est non quia nos digni sumus quia ille misericors est non quiae in aliquo promeruimus God yeeldeth vnto vs all good things because he is good not because we are worthy because he is mercifull not because we haue meririted in any thing The Prophet acknowledgeth God giuing deliuerance q Psal 44.26 for his mercies sake or as the vulgar Latin readeth for his names sake Saint Austin againe expoundeth it r Aug in Psal 43. Hoc est gratis propter nomeÌ„ tuum non propter merituÌ„ meuÌ„ quia tu digna turus es facere non quia ego digâ—us sum cui facias That is freely for thy names sake not for my merit because thou shalt vouchsafe to do it not because I am worthy to whom thou shouldest do it Thus doth S. Austine oftentimes giue checke to M. Bishops conceipt of worthinesse by occasion of those phrases so often vsed for thy names sake for thy mercies sake for thy righteousnesse sake So Basil expoundeth the same phrase Å¿ Psal 143.12 For thy mercies sake t Basil in Psal 142. Non quòd ego dignus sim sed propter benignitatem tuam not because I am worthy but because of thine owne goodnesse Now if M. Bishop will haue no saluation but that he wil be worthy of it let him heare what S. Bernard saith u Bernard in Dedicat. Eccles Ser. 5 Quòd si nos puerili animositate gratis saluari nolumus merito non saluamur Excludit miseriae dissimulatio
eased of the same burden The voice of Christ to the sicke of the palsie b Mat. 9.2 Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee doth it not giue him present release from the bond thereof Dauid saith c Psal 32.3 Whilest I held my tongue from acknowledging and confessing my sinnes my bones were consumed in my mourning all day for thy hand was heauie vpon me day and night and my moisture was turned into the drouth of Summer I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and did not hide mine iniquitie I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne By which wordes he giueth vs to vnderstand that the forgiuenesse of his sinnes vpon his repentance and confession thereof was the taking away of the grieuous malady wherwith he was so sore afflicted and vpon experience hereof vttereth those words in the beginning of the Psalme d Ver. 1. Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne as to note that one part of that blessing is to be released from the temporall punishments that are due to sinne Yea and to that purpose he addeth also after e Ver. 6. Aug. Pro hac Pro qua hac pro ipsa venia peccatoruÌ„ For this that is saith S. Austin for forgiuenesse of sinnes shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maist be found surely in the ouerflowing of many waters they shall not come neere him Where by many waters he vnderstandeth the manifold crosses and afflictions of this life wherwith we are tossed to and fro by reason of our sinnes and signifieth that the godly man by obtaining forgiuenesse of sinnes obtaineth deliuerance and freedome from the punishment thereof Forgiuenesse of sinnes then is not vnderstood with reseruation of temporal satisfaction neither doth any thing remaine in the nature of punishment to him that by repentance and faith becometh partaker of that mercie As for his distinction of mortall and veniall sinnes applyed to the petition of forgiuenesse of sinnes we know no such neither is any such to be approued as f Of Iustification Sect. 41. before hath bene shewed By Gods hearkening to our prayer all sinnes become veniall if God heare not our prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes all sinnes continue mortall Our Sauiour Christ knew no such difference as M. Bishop maketh that God when he heareth vs crying vnto him Forgiue vs our trespasses doth forgiue vs some sinnes wholy and othersome but in part or that our prayer should be a speciall meane in some sinnes to obtaine pardon of the fault and release of punishment and in othersome not so No neither did S. Austine euer dreame that God did forgiue sinnes with a reseruation of the punishment thereof he knew well that forgiuenesse altereth the case and nature of afflictions as hath bene before shewed Master Bishop citeth him saying that g Aug. Enchir. cap. 71. De quotidianis breuibus leuibusque peccatis sine quibus haec vita non ducitur quotidiana oratio fidelium satisfacit c. Delet omnino haec oratio minima quotidiana peccata Delet illa à quibus vita fidelium sceleratè etiam gesta sed poeniten â—â—in melius mutata discedit si quemadmodum veraciter dicitur Dimitte nobis c. ita veracitèr dicatur sicut nos c. id est si siat quod dicitur For the daily short and light offences without which this life is not led the daily prayer of the faithfull satisfieth But as he saith so of these daily and light offences so he saith of other also in the next words It blotteth out also those from which the life of the faithfull wickedly led but by repentance changed to better is departed if as it is truly said Forgiue vs our trespasses so it be truly said As we forgiue them that trespasse against vs that is if it be done which is said So then as it satisfieth for the one so it satisfieth for the other also as for the lesser so for the greater and for both obtaineth pardon at Gods hands But Master Bishop here doth meerely abuse his Reader by an equiuocation of the name of satisfaction For Satisfaction with Saint Austine as with all the auncient Ecclesiasticall Writers importeth the meanes whereby we are to intreate and obtaine of God pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes but with Master Bishop and his fellowes it importeth a punishment still remaining for sinnes past and already pardoned to be endured either in this life or after death in Purgatorie as he hath before expressed in the beginning of this Chapter Saint Austines meaning then is that the daily prayer of the faithfull sufficeth to obtaine pardon at Gods hands for our daily and common trespasses yea and for greater offences also when by repentance and amendement of life we forsake them but no meaning hath he either that the saying of the Lords prayer should be a recompence to God for our trespasse or that our trespasse being pardoned there should still remaine a satisfaction to be performed for it Now here Master Bishop further denyeth that in the Lords prayer we vse onely plea of pardon for saith he we are taught also to pardon others euen as we will looke to be pardoned And what then what because we are taught freely to pardon others shall we hereupon conceiue that God is hired by our pardoning others to giue pardon vnto vs Our Sauior Christ noteth therby the affection of them to whom it belongeth to vse the plea of pardon he saith not any thing to be construed to the impeachment and derogation of the freenesse of the pardon Meekenesse and readinesse to forgiue is h Gal. 5.22.23 a fruite of the spirit i Rom. 8.15 of adoption by which we cry Abba Father in the voyce of which spirit onely it is that God hearkeneth vnto vs. k Aug. Enchir. cap. 71. EoruÌ„ est dicere Pater noster c. qui iam tali patri regene rati sunt exaqua Spiritu sancto It is for them to say Our Father which art in heauen saith Saint Austine who now are regenerate and borne againe to such a Father of water and of the holy Ghost If we speake not by this spirit our voice is as the voice of strangers and God giueth no regard vnto it Therefore our forgiuenesse of others is not alledged as the cause for which God is moued to forgiue vs but we present it to him as the mark of his spirit which he hath set vpon vs as the token that we are his childreÌ„ to whoÌ„ he hath assigned it for a portioÌ„ to be made partakers of the forgiuenes of sins to whoÌ„ Christ hath ministred coÌ„fort boldnes so to pray His 2. exception is very vaine also for although the Lords prayer contain not all things necessary to saluatioÌ„
of both difficult and doubtfull texts of Scripture traditions are most necessary M. Perkins his answer is that there is no such need of them but in doubtfull places the Scripture it self is the best glosse if there be obserued first the analogie of faith which is the summe of religion gathered out of the clearest places secondly the circumstance of the place and the nature and signification of the words thirdly the conference of place with place and concludeth that the Scripture is falsly termed the matter of strife it being not so of it selfe but by the abuse of man Reply To begin with his latter words because I must stand vpon the former Is the Scripture falsly termed matter of strife because it is not so of his own nature why then is Christ truly called the stone of offence or no to them that beleeue not S. Peter sayth Yes No sayth M. Perkins 1 Pet. â— because that cometh not of Christ but of themselues But good Sir Christ is truly termed a stone of offence and the Scripture matter of strife albeit there be no cause in them of those faults but because it so falleth out by the malice of men The question is not wherefore it is so called but whether it be so called or no truly that which truly is may be so called truly But the Scripture truly is matter of great contention euery obstinate heretike vnderstanding them according to his owne fantasie and therefore may truly be so termed although it be not the cause of contention in it selfe but written to take away all contention But to the capitall matter these three rules gathered out of Saint Augustine be good directions whereby sober and sound wits may much profit in study of Diuinitie if they neglect not other ordinary helpes of good instructions and learned commentaries but to affirme that euery Christian may by these meanes be enabled to iudge which is the true sence of any doubtfull or hard text is extreme rashnesse and meere folly S. Augustine himselfe wel conuersant in those rules endued with a most happie wit and yet much bettered with the excellent knowledge of all the liberall Sciences yet he hauing most diligently studied the holy Scriptures for more than thirtie yeares with the helpe also of the best commentaries he could get and counsell of the most exquisite yet he ingeniously confesseth That there were more places of Scripture that after all his study he vnderstood not then which he did vnderstand * Epist 119. cap. 21. And shall euery simple man furnished onely with M. Perkins his three rules of not twise three lines be able to dissolue any difficultie in them whatsoeuer Why do the Lutherans to omit all former heretikes vnderstand in one sort the Caluinists after another the Anabaptists a third way and so of other sects And in our owne country how commeth it to passe that the Protestants find one thing in the holy Scriptures the Puritans almost the cleane contrary Why I say is there so great bitter and endlesse contention among brothers of the same spirit about the meaning of Gods word If euery one might by the ayd of those triuial notes readily disclose all difficulties and assuredly boult out the certaine truth of them It cannot be but most euident to men of any iudgement that the Scripture it selfe can neuer end any doubtfull controuersie without there be admitted some certain Iudge to declare what is the true meaning of it And it cannot but redound to the dishonor of our blessed Sauior to say that he hath left a matter of such importance at randon and hath not prouided for his seruants an assured meane to attaine to the true vnderstanding of it If in matters of temporall iustice it should be permitted to euery contentious smatterer in the Law to expound and conster the grounds of the law and statutes as it should seeme fittest in his wisedome and not be bound to stand to the sentence and declaration of the Iudge what iniquitie should not be law or when should there be any end of any hard mater one Lawyer defending one part another the other one counseller assuring on his certaine knowledge one party to haue the right another as certainly auerring not that but the contrary to be law both alledging for their warrant some texts of Law What end and pacification of the parties could be deuised vnlesse the decision of the controuersie be committed vnto the definitiue sentence of some who should declare whether counsellor had argued iustly and according to the true meaning of the Law none at all but bloudy debate perpetuall conflict each pursuing to get or keepe by force of armes that which his learned counsell auouched to be his owne To auoid then such garboiles and intestine contention there was neuer yet any Law-maker so simple but appointed some gouernour and Iudge who should see the due obseruation of his Lawes determine all doubts that might arise about the letter and exposition of the Law who is therefore called the quicke and liuely law and shall we Christians thinke that our diuine Law-maker who in wisedome care and prouidence surmounted all others more than the heauens do the earth hath left his golden lawes at randon to be interpreted as it should seeme best vnto euery one pretending some hidden knowledge from we know not what spirit no no it cannot be once imagined without too too great derogation vnto the soueraigne prudence of the Sonne of God In the old Testament which was but a state of bondage as it were an introduction to the new yet was there one appointed vnto whom they were commanded to repaire for the resolution of all doubtfull cases concerning the Law yea and bound were they vnder paine of death to stand to his determination and shall we be so simple as to suffer our selues to be perswaded that in the glorious state of the Gospell plotted and framed by the wisedom of God himselfe worse order should be taken for this high point of the true vnderstanding of the holy Gospel it selfe being the life and soule of all the rest R. ABBOT It is truly said by Thomas Aquinas that a Thom. Aquin. sum p. 1. q. 39. art 4. c. In proprietatibus locutionum non tantum attendenda est res significata sed etiam modus significandi in propriety of speeches we are not only to regard the thing signified but also the manner of signification A speech may be true yet true only in some manner of signification which therefore in propriety of speech is not true because the thing properly of it selfe is not that that the speech importeth it to be Christ saith M. Bishop is truly called the rocke of offence Be it so yet it is true only in some manner of signification in which it is that the Scripture so calleth him in proprietie of speech it is not true because Christ of himselfe and properly is not so He becommeth so
cannot pray But the Apostle S. Peter in this and all other respects willeth q 1. Pet. 3.7 husbands to dwell with their wiues as men of knowledge giuing honor to the wife as to the weaker vessell that saith he your prayers be not interrupted So farre was he from thinking the societie of the faithfull husband and wife to be the interrupting of their prayers as that he instructeth carefully to preserue it that their prayers may not be interrupted And who doubteth but that those lessons of holy Scripture wherby we are taught r Luk. 18.1 to pray alwaies and not to waxe wearie ſ 1. Thes 5.17 to pray continually t 1. Tim. 2.8 to pray euery where do concerne the married as well as the vnmarried and therefore do import that mariage hindreth not but that we may so do Surely it concerneth the holy men of God to pray as much as it concerneth vs euen the Patriarchs Prophets and other iust and righteous men neither can we doubt but that religiously and holily they performed that deuotion vnto God and yet they liued in mariage and their wiues were partakers with them in this godly seruice How is it come to passe that mariage is a blot and hinderance to our prayers seeing it was none to theirs or if mariage be no bar against the prayers and deuotions of other faithfull people what ayle Priests and religious persons that they cannot pray performe other seruice to God if they be married Vntill the time of Salomon who first ordered the attendance of the Priests by turnes the high Priest of the Iewes whō it concerned to be most pure holy of any creature vnder heauē yet in maried estate performing the offices therof presented himself daily vnto God bearing the figure and person of Iesus Christ our high Priest the Sonne of God and wearing a frontlet wherein it was engrauen u Exod. 28.36 Holinesse to the Lord. Moreouer after the diuiding of their courses it is not found that euer the Priests in the time of their ministration were forbidden the company of their wiues What then is it but superstitious hypocrisie that maketh Romish Priests to say they cannot holily doe their seruice vnto God if they be maried as they were It is well obserued by Clemens Alexandrinus that x Clem Serom. lib. 3. Apostoli epistolae cum de matrimonio liberorum procreatione innumerabilia praecepta contineant nusquā honestū moderatumque matrimonium prohibuerunt sed legis cum Euangelio seruantes conuenientiam vtrunque admittunt c. the Apostles Epistles though giuing innumerable precepts of marriage and procreation of children and gouerning the house yet do no where forbid or abrogate honest and modest mariage but keeping an accord betwixt the law and the Gospell do admit both of the maried and the vnmarried Now if there be an accord to be kept in this behalfe betwixt the law and the Gospell and that the Apostle did keepe then it is manifest that he determined not mariage to be any hinderance to sacred ministrations in the Gospell because in the law it was not so In a word both Priests and religious if they haue not the gift of continencie are by mariage to be fitted to the seruice of God which in the pollutions of incontinencie they cannot do as they ought to do Master Bishop saith they are bound to chastitie but that is not true They are bound from mariage but to chastitie they cannot be bound If they haue not the gift of continencie they cannot be chast but are polluted and defiled both in body and soule with vnchast and lewd affections But such pollution and vncleannesse is no let with them to the seruice of God onely mariage is a let polluted and defiled let them be but maried they may not be 16. W. BISHOP We will close vp this point with some sentences taken out of the auncient Fathers in prayse of Virginitie which M. P. in all this question vouchsafeth scarce once to name as though Virgins and Virginity were no English words or not as plaine as continencie S. Cyprian De habitu Virginum intitleth Virgins to be the most noble and glorious persons of Christs flocke and addeth that they shall receiue of God the highest reward and greatest recompence S. Chrysostome * Lib. 3. cont vitup vit neces citeth Virginitie to be the top of perfection and the highest tippe of vertue And Athanasius De Virginitate in the end bursteth out into these wordes O Virginitie a treasure that wasteth not a garland that withereth not the Temple of God the Pallace of the holy Ghost a precious stone whose price is not knowne to the vulgar the ioy of the Prophets the glorie of the Apostles the life of Angels the Crowne of Saints S. Ambrose Lib. 1. de Virginibus paulò post init Virginity is a principall vertue and not therfore commendable that it is found in Martyrs but because it maketh Martyrs Who can with humane wit comprehend it which nature doth not hold within her lawes it hath fetched out of heauen that it might imitate on earth neither vnfitly hath it sought a manner of life in heauen which hath found a spouse for her in heauen This surmounting the clouds the starres and Angels hath found the word of God in the bosome of his Father c. See who list to read more to this purpose the rest of the Fathers in their workes of virginity of which most of them haue written And S. Ierome who is behind none of the rest in his bookes against Iouinian and Heluidius all which do most diligently exhort to vow virginity do teach how to keepe it and most vehemently inueigh against all them that do breake it And if any be so mad as to credit rather our fleshly ministers than all that honorable and holy Senate of the auncient Fathers he deserueth to liue and die in perpetuall darknesse In this matter I haue stayed somewhat longer because our carnall teachers with the lewd example of their dissolute Disciples haue corrupted our age with fleshly and beastly liberty In the other points I will recompence it with breuity R. ABBOT M. Perkins rather nameth continency then virginity because virginity noteth properly the state of the body but continencie is the vertue of the minde which gouerneth and preserueth the integritie of the body As for those great commendations which the fathers by him mentioned and other of them do giue to virginity we so much the lesse respect them by how much the more the same fathers haue made it appeare vnto vs as a Sect. 12. before we haue seene that those commendations were but snares and aduantages taken and vsed by Satan for the intangling of many thousand soules to sin to their owne damnation Their immoderate and excessiue opinion and extolling thereof drew many thousands to vndertake the profession of single life who when they neither could performe what they
which the Apostle gaue for the direction of Christian life 18. W. BISHOP The next place is * Pro. 30.8 Giue me neither riches nor pouerty Answer The Prayer is good and fitteth the persons of honest men who liue in the world and was of some perfection too in the state of Moses law in which it was made as disswading from couetousnesse of great riches but it commeth too short of the perfection of the Gospell wherein we are counselled to esteeme as dung all worldly riches R. ABBOT He blamed M. Perkins answer in the former Section as deuoid of natural wit and sence but I pray thee gentle Reader if thou light vpon him to aske him where his wits were when he gaue this answer To the one part he answereth a Pro. 30.8 Giue me not riches but to the other part Giue me not pouerty which is the thing vrged against him he answereth nothing We are counselled in the Gospel he saith to esteem as dung all worldly riches True therfore we say Giue me not riches But yet in the Gospell we are taught to pray for that that is conuenient according to our place and condition when we say Giue vs this day our daily bread and therefore we say Giue me not pouertie whereupon it is added Feede me with foode conuenient for me The praier saith he fitteth the persons of honest men that liue in the world Hypocrite who taught thee this distinction of praiers Hath the spirit of God set it down as a praier of the wisest man and is it now come to be posted ouer to I know not what honest men It was of some perfection he saith in the state of Moses law but commeth too short of the perfection of the Gospell Hypocrite the Apostle hath taught vs that b Rom. 15.4 whatsoeuer things were written before time were written for our learning and must we vpon the word of an idle Sophister be perswaded that that praier is too base for vs to learn And what were not men taught in the state of Moses law to esteeme as dung all worldly riches Did not Dauid say c Psal 62.10 If riches increase set not your heart vpon them Did not Solomon say of riches d Prou. 23.5 Wilt thou cast thine eies vpon that that is nothing Did not Esay say e Esa 40.6 All flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field Were they not as fully taught to despise the world and to ioy in God as we are But the man so dreameth of perfection perfection as that we may very well thinke that there is some very great imperfection in his head In a word therefore God hath taught a man to say Giue me not pouerty but they teach a man to say I will vow pouerty and what do they then but teach a man to contrary that which God hath taught 19. W. BISHOP M. Perkins his third reason is taken out of Deut. 28.22 where pouerty is numbred among the curses of the law none of which are to be vowed Answer It is one thing to be punished with pouerty for transgressing of Gods law and another I trow for the loue of God to giue away all we haue to the poore The former was a curse in the law of Moses the latter is a blessing and the first blessing in the Gospell * Luc. 6. Blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Which sentence albeit it may be applied very well vnto humility yet more literally signifieth voluntary pouerty as by the sentence opposed against it is manifest * Ver. 23. Woe be to you rich men c. R. ABBOT The words of Moses are a Deut. 28.44 The stranger shall lend to thee and thou shalt not haue to lend to him b Ver. 48. Thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger and thirst and in nakednes and in need of all things Christ hath taught vs before that it is a blessing to haue wherof to giue and Moses teacheth vs that it is a curse to be in want not to haue wherof to lend what is then the vow of pouerty but the renouncing of a blessing and the voluntary vndergoing of a curse M. Bishop answereth that it is one thing to be punished with pouerty for trāsgressing the law of God another for the loue of God to giue all to the poore But then is it done for the loue of God when God calleth vs to the doing of it otherwise it is no matter of the loue of God but of humane presumption and selfwil Therfore his answer here is al one as if he shold say It is one thing for a man to be accursed of God another thing voluntarily to lay Gods curse vpon himself and how wel that serueth his turne let himselfe iudge Yet he will proue that it is a blessing yea the first blessing in the Gospel And how forsooth because Christ saith c Luke 6.20 Blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdom of heauē We may see the poore man was driuē to poore shifts when he was faine to vse this text for the making good of his vow of pouerty If his leisure had serued him he would haue turned to the fift of Mathew and there haue seen our Sauior expounding himself d Mat. 5.2 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heauen Now a man would think that M. Bishops learning should haue taught him long before this that a man may be rich in worldly goods and yet poore in spirit and that vndoubtedly Abraham the father of all beleeuers was such a one Yea saith he it may wel be applied to humilitie yet more literally it signifieth voluntary pouerty And how may that appeare forsooth by the sentence opposed against it it is manifest Wo be to you rich men But I maruel what strings M. Bishop hath to tie this argument together Christ saith Wo be to you rich men therfore that which he saith before Blessed are ye poore must necessarily be vnderstood of volūtary pouerty What doth Christ absolutely meane wo to all that be rich When he expoundeth the poore to be poore in spirit doth he not teach vs proportionably to vnderstand the rich This childish collection is reproued by our Sauior Christ whē his disciples being astonished at that which he said e Mark 10.23 How hardly do they that haue riches enter into the kingdome of God he answereth f Ver. 24. Children therby reprouing their weaknes of vnderstanding how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God The wo then is not to all that are rich but to such as trust in riches but there are men who g 1. Tim. 6.17 are rich in this world who yet are not high minded and trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God Christ hauing shewed the end of the man that trusted in riches addeth
manner represented A simple man indeed that hath not learned to put a difference betwixt the creature and the Creator nor vnderstandeth that that which is yeelded to the pleasing of our curious fancy in the one yet may iustly be condemned as a wicked presumption to be attempted in the other God hath forbidden to make any similitude to him He hath not limited vs any meaning wherein we may do it What is it but wilful contempt in vs to say that in this or that meaning we will do that which he hath absolutely said we shall not do 8. W. BISHOP The first point then being obtained that such images of God may be made I come to the second That all holy Pictures may be placed in Churches which I proue by the argument that M. P. made for our first obiection In Salomons temple were erected Cherubins which were images of Angels on the mercie seate where God was worshipped and vpon the walles and very doores of the same pictured To this M. P. answereth that they were erected by speciall commaundement from God who prescribeth the very forme of them and the place where they should be set and therby Moses had a warrant to make them let them shew the like warrant for their images if they can Secondly saith he the Cherubs were placed in the most inward place of the Temple and so were remoued from the sight of the people and the Cherubs without the vaile though they were seene yet were they not worshipped Reply This mans wits were gone a wool-gathering when proposing to himselfe the Cherubs erected in Solomons Temple he answereth of the Cherubs made by Moses 350. yeares before a most grosse ouersight and a shamefull shift but such as men desperately defending vntruths must needes vse For if he had answered directly he had not had a word to say for neither did God prescribe the forme of them nor giue any speciall commandement to Solomon to make and erect any such Cherubs as he that pleaseth to reade the Chapter may see and there they were placed not onely in the inward but also in the outward parts of the Temple vpon the walles and very doores that they might be seene of all the people which M. P. finding flitted from thence and did flie vnto another which because it spake of Cherubs he thought would serue to blind his simple followers Moses indeed had an expresse precept for the making of them as he had for the Curtaines and Curtain-rods and euery particular belonging to the Tabernacle But Solomon without any speciall commandement out of his high and holy wisedome vnderstood that he might most lawfully and laudably imitate that heauenly patterne of Moses and as the building was farre more sumptuous and stately so in the number and quantitie of pictures exceeded which is a sufficient instruction and warrant for all men after his daies to make and set Images in the Church And this finally M. Perkins seemes to graunt when he saith that these Cherubs without the veile were there to be seene but not to be worshipped so that we haue gotten one steppe further that Images may not only be made but also be set vp in the Churches which is fortified by the testimonie of Tertullian in the place cited before where he saith that our Sauiour was pictured vpon holy Chalices which were vsed at the Altars and of Sozomenus who witnesseth that our Sauiours picture was taken into the Church S. Gregory Naz. * Epist 49. maketh mention of images in the Church of Diocaesarea trimmed vp by himselfe Saint Basil * Orat. in Barl. pointeth to that holy mans picture standing in the Church Damasus * In vita Silue shewes how Constantine in the Church of S. Iohn Laterane erected a siluer Image vnto our Sauiour Saint Chrysostome in demonstrat quòd Christus sit Deus And S. Aug. * Ser. 19. de Sanct. do teach that the Crosse was on the holy Tables and vsed at all holy functions And the reason why images should principally be set in Churches is very pregnant For where should holy pictures of holy men be more properly bestowed then in holy places and the Church being a resemblance of heauen as S. Paule teacheth * Heb. 9. is most conueniently decked vp with Images the representations of heauenly creatures that men entring into that holy place may by the view and consideration of such an heauenly shew retire their minds from worldly businesse and lift them vp vnto the soueraigne Monarch of both heauen and earth R. ABBOT There is some wit in gathering wooll but M. Bishop spendeth his time in gathering mosse and therein is little wit For some colour of setting vp their idols in Churches to be worshipped they full simply alledge the Cherubins that were set vp in the temple which Solomon built which M. Bishop saith were the images of Angels and that they did represent the Angels we will not deny but a Ioseph Antiq. lib. â— cap. 2. Hae Cherubicae effigies quâ—naÌ„ specie fuerint nemo vel conâ—â—cere potest vel eloqui of what shape they were no man saith Iosephus can coÌ„iecture or affirme any thing Our English translatioÌ„ readeth one where that they were b 2. Chr â— 10 like children but by the testimonie of Iosephus being himselfe an Hebrew it appeareth that that signification of the Hebrew word is not certaine and the same word being no where else found in the Hebrew text leaueth it the more doubtfull what construction may be made of it And the doubt is so much the greater for that in the vision of Ezechiel there is expresly noted a difference betwixt the face of a Cherub and the face of a man c Ezech. 10.14 Euery beast saith he had foure faces the first was the face of a Cherub the second was the face of a man c. But to let that passe to the obiection M. Perkins answereth that those Cherubins were erected by speciall commandement of God who had prescribed both the forme of them and the place where they should be set and thereby Moses had warrant to make them which they haue not for their Images Here M. Bishop alledging that M. Perkins proposing to himselfe the Cherubins erected in Solomons temple answereth of the Cherubins made by Moses 350. yeares before falleth into a great rage and cryeth out a most grosse ouersight and shamefull shift but such saith he as men desperatly defending vntruths must needes vse and if he had answered directly he had not had a word to say Now who would thinke that so wise a man would take so great paines to bewray his owne ignorance who would thinke that in such heate he wold charge another man with grosse ouersight when he himselfe doth so grossely ouersee himselfe God commanded Moses to make the Arke and the propitiatorie or mercy seate which was the couer of the Arke according to the fashion that he had shewed him Withall he appointed
idolatrie or in perill thereof Take away the feare of superstition and against images or pictures we say nothing If therefore some of the Fathers not fearing or suspecting that heathenish abhomination wold get place in the Church were more secure in this behalfe and doubted not to adorne their Churches or other places with pictures images of Christ and his Apostles of Saints and Martyrs we wonder not thereat but yet how rare a matter this was may appeare by the poore store of examples that M. Bishop bringeth thereof That of Tertullian was onely p Tertul. de pudicitia ProcedaÌ„t picturae Calicum vestrorum si vel in illis perlucebit interpretatio pecudis illius ouis perditae à Domino requisitae humeris eius reuectae a picture vpon the chalice of a shepheard carying his lost sheepe vpon his shoulder as in figure of Christ seeking mankind recouering him to God of which kind of picture no man maketh any question The second example is of the Image that stood in the street at Cesarea Philippi which in the time of Iulian the Apostata was broken in peeces by the Paganes and the Christians q Sozomen hist lib. 5. cap. 20. Christiani cùm eius fragmenta collegissent in Ecclesia posueruÌ„t tooke vp the fragments thereof and set it in the Church Gregorie Nazianzene mentioneth certaine r Gregor Naz. Epist 49. Nequâ— enim si statuae deijciantur hoc nos excruciat c. images in the Church of Diocaesarea but what they were or whose they were it appeareth not but by his words of trimming not the images but Å¿ TempluÌ„ quod exstruximus omneque nostrum in eo exornando studium the Church it appeareth that they were onely for the ornament thereof Basil onely mentioneth an image or picture that did represent the t Basil Orat. de Barlaam Abibo certaminum ac victoriarum Martyris à vobis posita imagine victus c. Video manus ad ignem luctam exactiù◠à vobis descriptam c. burning of the hand of Barlaam the Martyr more liuely set foorth then he could by words declare it of which kind M. Bishop may see many in the stories of our Martyrs Their Pontificall is but a bastard witnesse and of too late yeares to tell vs what Constantine did he must bring vs better proofe or else we beleeue not that which he reporteth by it though to vs it be nothing The last instance out of u Chrysost demonstrat Quòd Christus sit Deuâ— In fronte nostra figuratur sic in sacramensa in sacerdotum ordinationibus sic iterum cum corpore Christi in mysticis caenis fulget Chrysostome and x August de sanct Ser. 49. Cum crucis charactere Altaris sacramenta confistuntur Austin though that out of Austin de Sanctis be a meere forgerie concerneth onely the signe of the Crosse vsed at the Sacrament as before was said not any standing image either of the Crosse or of him that was crucified and therefore is wholy impertinent to the matter here in question Hereby then the Reader may suppose that the vse of Pictures and Images in the Primitiue Church was not great but specially of those standards whereof our question is principally intended and by which idolatrie hath specially bene committed inasmuch as there are so few certaine and pregnant examples thereof to be found But whether it were greater or lesse experience hath since taught vs to misdoubt that which they misdoubted not We haue found it to be true which the author of the booke of Wisedome saith that y Wisd 14.10 images are a snare to the feet of the vnwise and that z Cap. 15.5 the sight of an image stirreth vp the desire of the ignorant so that he is in loue with the forme that hath no life euen of a dead image a August Epist 40. Cum his sedibus honorabili sublimitate locantur vt à precantibus immolantibus attendantur ipsa similitudine animatorum membrorum atque sensuum quam uis insensata exanima affiâ—iunt insumos animos vt viuere ac spirate videantur When they are honorably set vp in places aloft saith S. Austin that they may be beholden of men praying and offering vnto them euen by the very semblance of liuing members and senses albeit they be senslesse and without life they so affect weake minds as that they seeme to be aliue and to take breath b Idem in Psal 113 Ducit infirmo quodam affectu rapit infirma corda mortalium formae similitudo membrorum imitata compago post Quis adorat vel orat intuens simulachrum qui non sic assicitur vt ab eo se exaudiri putet ab eo sibi praestari quod desiderat speret The similitude of the forme saith he againe and imitation of the frame of the members leadeth and draweth by an infirmity of affection the weake hearts of men and who worshippeth or prayeth beholding an image but he is so affected as that he thinketh the same heareth him and hopeth that that which he desireth shall thereby be done for him Hauing then found this by experience to be true we are carefull to shunne all the danger of such superstition and therfore where we find Images subiect to such abuse as in the hands of Popish Recusants we deface and destroy them and otherwise that there may be no occasion of such abuse we eschew and auoide the setting vp of the like as haue bene vsually worshipped amongst theÌ„ chusing rather to garnish our Churches with sentences of Scripture or with such Imagerie as Solomon did the temple wherof there may be no daunger then with glorious standards and images of men which may againe giue occasion of stumbling and falling to the weake minds of simple and ignorant men As for M. Bishops reason why images of holy men should be placed in Churches it standeth vpon so fickle ground as that it must needes fall He alledgeth that the Apostle Heb. 9. maketh the Church to be a resemblance of heauen But that which the Apostle there saith is not of our Churches nor can be drawne thereto but is spoken of the Sancta sanctorum the most holy place of the temple of Hierusalem into which onely the high Priest entred in figure of Iesus Christ once in the yeare wherby saith he c Heb. 9.8 the holy Ghost signified that the way into the holiest of all that is into heauen was not yet opened while as yet the first tabernatle was standing Hence then we argue against M. Bishop out of his owne grounds that seeing in the most holy place of the temple which was indeed the resemblance of heauen there were admitted no images of holy men therefore in our Churches though they be granted to carrie a resemblance of heauen which he cannot proue yet it followeth not that Images should be admitted to haue any place Yea and the
before was said but what was the reason that knowing those Scriptures whereof we speake they could neuer light vpon Master Bishops heauenly shew of the Images of dead men h Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 4. ca. 31. Sine simulachris castiùs dij obseruarentur Cuius sententiae suae testem adhibet inter caetera gentem Iuâ—eam Varro the heathen Romane alledgeth them for example that religion is more purely and holily obserued without Images Tertullian mentioneth out of Cornelius Tacitus that when Pompey ouercame the Iewes and i Tertul. Apolo cap 16. Tacitus refert Câ— Pompoâ—um cùm Hierusalem cepisset praetereaque templum adisset speculandis Judaicae religionis arcanis nullum illic simulachruÌ„ reperisse entred into the Temple to view the secrets of their religion he found no Image therein King Agrippa telleth Caligula that in it k Philo de legat ad Caiâ—â—n NulluÌ„ ibi simulachrum vel in occulto vel in propatulo there was no Image neither secretly nor openly in respect whereof being strictly holden as a point of their religion he disswadeth the same Caligula from attempting to set vp his Image therein as he went about to do Clemens Alexandrinus saith that l Elem. Alex. in Protrept Qui noÌ„ opera hominum aurea aenea argentea eburnea lignea lapidea hominum qui mortui sunt adorant simulachra quae inanâ— consilio adorantur ab hominibus sed fanctas vlnes tollunt ad coeluÌ„ c. the Iewes worshipped not mens workes of gold of brasse of siluer of Iuorie of wood and stone namely the Images of dead men which men vpon vaine perswasion worshipped but did holily lift vp their hands to heauen This the Iewes practised this they most religiously obserued and what should be the reason hereof if the Scriptures which Master Bishop alledgeth do make for the defence of the worshipping of Images Surely because they did thus for the keeping of the commaundement of God we must necessarily take Master Bishops worshipping of Images to be the inuention of the Diuell 18. W. BISHOP The third reason proposed by M. Perkins in fauour of the Catholikes is It is lawfull to kneele downe to a chaire of estate in the absence of the King Therefore much more to the Images of God and his Saints in heauen glorified being absent from vs. To this he answereth that it is but a ciuill worship to kneele to the chaire of estate and that very commendable to shew our loyaltie vnto our Prince but kneeling vnto the Images of Saints is religious and therfore not alike Reply He proposeth our argument to the halfes or else this answer had bene preuented For thus runneth our reason As the chaire of estate is to be worshipped with ciuill reuerence in respect of the teÌ„porall Prince whom it representeth euen so the Images of holy personages that raigne now in heauen are to be worshipped with a holy and religious kinde of curtesie for as Temporall honour is due vnto a Temporall Prince so religious and spirituall honour is due vnto spirituall and most holy personages And as a good subiect testifieth his loyaltie and good affection towards his Prince by honoring his regall throne So doth a good Christian giue testimonie of his dutifull both estimation and deuotion toward those heauenly creatures by giuing honour vnto their Images At leastwise why do not the Protestants exhibite ciuill reuerence aswell vnto the representations of Gods Saints as to the shadowes of the secular Maiestie vnlesse it be because they are fallen out with the Saints of God and are become adorers of sinfull men R. ABBOT We may here conceiue that images are brought to great distresse in that from arguments in the schooles they are faine to flie to the ceremonies of the Court It should seeme strange that formalities obserued to Princes in their Courts for maiestie and royall state should be made patternes of religious deuotions to be practised in the Church But a man in danger of drowning is glad to catch at euery twigge and this desperate cause of Images hauing no manner probabilitie of any approued reason or example for the iustifying of it is glad to shift any way and setteth foorth shadowes and ghostes to make shew of armed and fighting men M. Bishop saith that M. Perkins answer had bene preuented if the argument had bene well proposed but now that he hath proposed it what doth it containe but onely a begging of that to be graunted him which is denied in M. Perkins answer The thing that he should haue proued is that there is a like respect of religious worship to Saints as of ciuill reuerence to Princes and he onely affirmeth it but reason he hath none But to take such stuffe as he bringeth vs first we tell him that the chaire of estate is not bowed vnto for that it representeth the Prince as he very idlely and fondly dreameth but for that it is the Princes seate it being holdeÌ„ for a matter of princely maiestie that there be a reuerence performed to those things which serue in speciall manner for the Princes vse In which sort at the Princes table though the Prince not yet come vnto it yet the seruice is done vpon the knee as with bowing and obeisance also at the tables of inferiour States where we suppose M. Bishop is not so madde as to thinke that either the meate or the table or any thing else doth represent them in respect of whom this duty is performed On the other side no such duty is done to the Princes image because it is not a matter of the Princes vse and if we should see M. Bishop kneeling to it we should either thinke him drunke or take him for a foole No argument therefore can be drawn from the honour done to Princes to approue the honour that is done to Saints because in that kind wherein it is required to be done to Saints it is absurd and ridiculous to be done to Princes Yea M. Bishop may as wel conclude that the Saints should haue their cloth of state and carry scepters in their hands and that our Lady the Queene of heauen as they call her should haue Ladies to beare vp her traine because Kings and Queenes haue so as that we are therefore to kneele to Saints images because we kneele to the cloth of state Well yet Master Bishop telleth vs that as temporall honour is due to a temporall Prince so religious and spirituall honour is due vnto spirituall and most holy personages But vainely and absurdly for how should his proportion stand when he putteth Princes on the one side and subiects on the other Let him say as he should say As temporall honour is due to a temporall Prince so and much more religious and spirituall honour is due to him who spiritually and in way of religion is our Soueraigne and Prince If he can prooue that the Saints are appointed to be spiritually our Kings and Soueraigne Lords he saith