ingenders and begets in vs all manner of euill thoughts and desires of which Saint Iames faith x 〈◊〉 1.14 Euery man is tempted when hee is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed Secondly withdrawes vs from good and doth what he can to smother the good and holy motions of the Spirit in vs as Saint Paul saith y Rom. 7.22.23 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captiuitie of the law of sin which is in my members The Spirit also â—usteth against the flesh two manner of waies First hee creates in vs all sorts of good thoughts motions and desires Dauid felt it thus when he said z Psal 16.7 I will blesse the Lord who hath giuen me counfell my reines also instruct me in the night-season a Psal 27.8 When thou saidest Seeke ye my face my hart said vnto thee Thy face O Lord will I seeke Secondly he stops and stayes the bad motions of the flesh to the ende they take not effect or at the least blunts their point that they doe not sinne excessiuely in which fense Saint Iohn saith b 1. Ioh. 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seede remaineth in him To commit sinne is to make a trade and occupation of sinning and to giue himself ouer to euil with an entire and whole consent of the will the which a man renewed cannot doe because with the feede of sinne which is his naturall corruption he hath in him the feede of God which is the gift of sanctification and is mixed in all the qualities of his soule and in all the workes that flow thence The supernaturall knowledge wherein the minde is enlightned is mingled with ignorance and naturall blindnesse which remaines in him so that he hath neede to aske euery day new enlightning of God as Dauid did who said c Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things out of thy Law His faith is mingled with vnbeleefe his confidence with diffidence his hope with despaire witnesse the lunaticks father as wee haue seene before witnesse Iob who complaining of God said vnto him d Iob 13.24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemie And at the same time he cried our e Iob 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him His will purified and corrected is incessantly crossed by a contrary wil which hinders him to doe the good he would doe For as our Sauiour said f Mat. 26.41 The Spirit is willing but the fleshes weak The will in as much as it is sanctified hath a maruellous affection and desire to obey God but the flesh with the which she is chained weakens it and makes her slacke and remisse to doe that shee would doe The affections are neuer so well squared and ordered but there is disorder they can neuer shake off so wel this dust and durt but as g 1. King 18.21 the Israelites did halt on both sides following at one time God and Baal so do they halt betweene heauen and earth betwixt the heauenly goods which cannot bee defiled nor wither and the perishing goods of this world whhose figure passeth away as swift as a weauers shittle I write nothing but that which all the children of God feele in themselues otherwise they should not appertaine vnto the Church Militant Which hath no enemies so cruel vigilaÌ„t pressing hard and difficult to ouercome as those which euery member of the same nourisheth within himselfe and carrieth continually in his bosome as namely lust which saith Saint Iames h Iam. 1.14.15 draweth enticeth conceiueth and bringeth forth sinne and therefore is a sinne like a Serpent that engenders conceiues and brings forth a Viper is a Viper as all that which is conceiued is of the nature of that whereof it is conceiued as the tree that bringeth forth bad and rotten fruit is corrupt and rotten according to Christs saying k Matth. 7.18 A good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruite This naturall contagion doth infect all the good workes of the regenerate with so great a blemish that the Church it selfe confesseth l Isai 64.6 All our righteousnesse are as filthie rags what can we then say yea what ought we to say we I say who as Bernard saith m Bernard de verb. Esaiae serm 5. are not better then our forefathers which haue no lesse truly them humbly spoken so This is the first argument grounded on the great and general deprauation of our nature wherby the workes of the most holiest are so blemished and distained that they can in no wise answere vnto the righteousnesse holinesse and perfection of the Law IIII. The second argument is taken from our knowledge for such as is our knowledge such is our obedience such are all our workes that proceede from it Now our knowledge is verie imperfect n 1. Cor. 13.9.12 For as the Apostle saith of himselfe and of all we know in part and we prophesie in part we see now through a glasse darkely the perfect knowledge being reserued for the Kingdome of heauen which our Lord hath represented by giuing to the blinde man his sight o Mark 8.22 of whom Saint Marke saith that Christ Iesus hauing put his hands vpon him the first time he saw men walking but not as men but as trees but hauing put his hands vpon his eies the second time he saw euery man clearely euen so fareth it with vs we receiue here but the first imposition of hands we often take one thing for another and see the things of God but by halues whence wee must not find it strange if we do them but by halfe and do remaine and stand a farre off from the perfection and righteousnesse of the Law whose first and last Commandement cannot be fulfilled by any man liuing here on earth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy mind and with all thy strength It will haue the soule and the whole soule the heart and the whole heart the thoughts and all the thoughts the strength of the hart of the soule of the thoughts and the whole strength of the same p Aug. lib. 1. de doct Christ c. 22. It leaues no part of our life that may be voide of charitie It commaunds all the degrees of charitie for he that saith All excepts nothing If thou canst adde any thing thereunto there is not all If thou takest away any thing there will not bee all More charitie can bee added day by day vnto our charitie otherwise Saint Iude would not haue praied q Iude 2. Mercie vnto you and peace and loue be multiplied Let Saint Austin speake for vs r Aug. epist 29. Charitie is a
For there are some Eunuches which were so borne from their mothers wombe and there are some Eunuches which were made Eunuches of men and there be Eunuches which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it Bellarmine saith that Christ giues not here a Precept but a Counsell and hee proues that because Christ forbids not marriage and therefore commaunds not chastitie because that Christ also hath said He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it Whereupon he allegeth Saint o August de Tempore ser 61. Pag. 9. Austins words which are also alleaged in the Pastorall Letter to the same purpose in these words A Counsell is one thing and a Precept is another thing A Counsell is giuen to the end that Virginitie be preserued that men abstaine from wine and flesh that all things be sold and giuen vnto the poore but this precept is giuen to the ende that iustice be obserued and maintained At least it is said of virginity He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it but it is not said of iustice He that is able to doe it let him doe it but euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the sire He that doth and keepeth a Counsell shall haue a greater glorie but he which keepeth not the Precept cannot auoide the punishment The Author of the Pastorall Letter adds to this The whole world is bound to the one vnder paine of euerlasting torments the whole world is stirred vp and drawne to the other both by the authoritie as also by the loue of the Sauiour who giues this Counsel as when he commends in Saint Matthew the continent vnder the name of an Eunuch he stirres vp and incourageth al the world to it Qui potest capere capiat He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it Thus they proue that these words containe a Counsell and not a Commandement Now that chastitie doth not onely conferre a corporall benefit but also hath a reward in heauen it appeares by these words saith Bellarmine there be Eunuchs which haue made themselues Eunuches for the Kingdome of Heauens sake Wee are to see therefore if there be a Counsell or a Precept in these words of Christ and if by the Kingdome of Heauen Christ vnderstands a certaine reward reserued in heauen for those that abstaine from marriage V. Iesus Christ hauing declared that whosoeuer shal put away his wife except it be for fornication and shall marry another committeth adultery The Apostles said If the case of the man be so with his wife it is not good to marrie and so condemned marriage as hurtfull vnto man whereupon our Sauiour Christ takes occasion to shew the necessitie of marriage and who those are that can and ought to abstaine from it All men saith he cannot receiue this saying saue they to whom it is giuen That is to say p Maldon in Mat. 19. vers 16. I lest non omnes praestare possunt vt siat sine vxore qâ—ia carent dono continentiae Sic ferè omnes exponunt quibus equidem non â—ssentior All cannot take vpon them to be without wiues because they haue not the gift of continencie as almost all expound it whereunto saith Maldonat I cannot consent nor agree And wherefore my friend is it not a Maxime of some of your side that q Salmeron Iesuit in proem epist 3. d. Pauli disput 6. in fine in 1. Ioan. 3. disput 25. §. 3. Est incuitabile argumentum veritatis est infallibilis regula iudicandi What is taught of all or almost of all is an vnauoideable argument of truth an infallible rule of iudging But whether Maldonat consents to it or no it is the true sense of Christs words who continuing his discourse teacheth who they are to whom it is behouefull and expedient not to marry saying that there are but three sorts of them first the Eunuchs which were so borne from their mothers wombe that is to say which are naturally weake and vnable Secondly Eunuches which were made Eunuches of men where of there was anciently a great number among the Pagans and Gentiles Thirdly Eunuches which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake That is to say who hauing receiued of God the gift of continencie and being called thereunto do abstaine willingly from matrimonie not for their particular commoditie but for the kingdome of heauens sake for the aduancement of the Kingdome of Christ Iesus or as Saint Paul expounds it r 1. Cor. 7.34.35 to haue care for the things that belong to the Lord and to attend vpon the Lord without distraction The Apostles seeing the libertie of diuorcement restrained and limited iudged that if a man might not put away his wife for euery cause it were better not to marry Iesus Christ corrects this error and declares vnto them that none but three sorts of men can liue without a a wife Eunuches so borne Eunuches so made of men and such men as being capable of marriage haue receiued of God the gift of continencie They saith the Apostle Å¿ 1. Cor. 7.9 that can containe and burne not Moreouer he enacts that those abstaine from marriage not because of tribulations that doe accompanie it neither for the ease of the flesh nor for particular commoditie but for the kingdome of heauen for the edification of the Church called commonly in the Gospell t Mat. 13.24 the kingdome of heauen for the u 1. Cor. 10.31 glory of God which ought to be the ende of all our actions to whom we must adde a third condition that he be called thereunto according to the doctrine of the Apostle x 1. Cor. 7.24 Let euery man wherein hee is called therein abide with God Adam had the gist of continencie in his state of innocencie and notwithstanding if he had not sinned be should haue rendred vnto his wife due beneuolence whom God had giuen him in his innocencie and hee should haue begot of her children in Paradice because that by Gods calling hee was ordained to be the Father of mankind Wherefore Christ concludes this speech with a Commandement and not with a Counsell He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it For they that can abstaine from mariage by the gift of continencie by their calling vnto continency by the heauenly end of their gift and calling those I say are bound by Gods Commandement to abstaine from it It is no more an arbitrable thing left to their choice but necessarie We must say of all the rest whatsoeuer they be He which is not able to receiue this saying let him not receiue it He that hath not the gift of continencie let him marry for it is not expedient for him to saluation to liue without a wife Let vs reduce our Sauiors words into a syllogisme and the sense thereof
Iudge must bee present and visible we answere that that is not necessarie How often doe Emperours decide controuersies new sprung in their Prouinces by the authoritie and Iurisdiction of the Soueraigne Court without budging from their place How often haue the Popes remaining in Rome or in Auignon ended the differences of Christians a great distance from them by their Decreâ—all Epistles and doe as yet make knowne their will vnto al the world by their Bulls without stirring from their seate The King whom God preserue and blesse with all temporall and spirituall blessings for his glory is the supreme and Soueraigne Iudge of all this Kingdome although he be visibly and corporally but in one place of the same at one time from the place where hee is hee signifies by his Proclamation what his pleasure is vnto the which all his subiects must yeeld and agree A King who is but a man hath such a power and shall not the King of Kings haue it a mortall man absent in body shall bee acknowledged of all his good subiects for supreme Iudge and his will declared in writing shall bee a Law vnto them and shall not the Lord Iesus God-Man and Man-God be accepted of for Soueraine Iudge nor his writings for lawes vnlesse he make and shew himselfe visible and present What impietie But God be thanked our Iudge conteined indeede in heauen in regard of his bodie Acts 3.21 is alwaies euery where with his Church in regard of his Deitie and God-head alwaies present in the same in common and generall and in euery member of the same in particular by his holy Spirit by his grace by his vertue by his counsell by his helpe and assistance by his conduct and guiding and by his holy and wholesome word so farre forth that hee saith m Matth. 28.20 Lâ—e I am with you alwaies euen vnto the end of the world for * Matth. 18.20 faith he where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them It is he then that iudgeth vs by his word which is his voice which all they that are his sheepe heare which they know and follow n Iohn 10.27 My sheepe heare my voice saith Christ and I know them and they follow me And doe not thinke that he speakes there onely of his sheepe of then or that time when he fed them with the foode and refection of his mouth he speakes of all those that shall be gathered together vnder his Sheepe-hooke vntill the ende of the world according to that he said before vers 16 Other sheepe haue I which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepheard They that are not contented with this voice and heare it not they would not onely not heare our Lord Iesus although he should returne here in the flesh but also they would crucifie him againe as the Priests Scribes Pharisees and the Elders of the people did for if that so he should returne here on earth hee would say no other thing then that which he hath said alreadie and would not speake more plainely and perspicuously then he hath spoken in the holy Scriptures Therefore according as he hath commanded vs to call none our Doctor o Matth. 23.10 For one is our Doctor and Master euen Christ we will adhere and sticke fast vnto him alone and will say vnto him with Saint Peter and the other disciples Iohn 6.68 Lord to whom shall wee goâ— thou hast the words of eternall life and wee beleeue and are sure that thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God V. The publike ministeriall Iudge is he which hath a publike and lawfull calling and authoritie from God to iudge not of the Scripture nor of the sense thereof for being immediatly from God the Law of the supreme Iudge and the most perfect rule of all godlinesse whereby all men are iudged and ruled it cannot be iudged of men by any meanes but of the doctrines of men the which he examines by the touchstone of the Scriptures and by them markes and considers if they are of God or no such are Pastors and Doctors considered apart in their Schooles and Churches and together in the Presbyterie Synods Councels Nationall and Occumenicall whose whole authoritie is limited by the holy Scriptures against and besides which they may not ordaine any thing Gal. 1.8 being to speake properly and fitly Clerks Truch-men Heralds Messengers and Ambassadours of God towards their brethren and not Iudges their iudgement being of seruice not of soueraigntie of direction not of authoritie compelling p Ephes 2.20 For we are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and not vpon the hand of humane opinions Wherefore if Christ Iesus himselfe hath confirmed his doctrine by the Scriptures q Luk. 24.27 beginning at Moses and all the Prophets r Act. 15.16.17 If the Apostles assembled together in Ierusalem refuted by the Scripture the heresie of those which mingled the Law with the Gospell If Saint Paul Å¿ Act. 17.2.3 Act. 26.22 Act. 28.23 proued his Gospell by the writings of Moses and of the Prophets surely they that are not furnished with such authoritie are bound to iustifie their doctrine by the Scriptures without the which t Orig. in Hierem â—om 1. our sense meanings and interpretation are not faith In regard of which the Apostle saith that the Spirit of Prophets are subiect to the Prophets 1. Cor. 14.32 And u Gerson de exam doctri Consid 5. num 17. Gersâ—â— saith That we must giue more credit and beleeue soeuer a simple man not authorized excellently skilled in the Scriptures then the declaration of the Pope for it is certaine that we must soâ—â—er beleeue and rather giue credit vnto the Gospell then vnto the Pope x Panerm in cap. significat extra de electiâ— Panâ—rmus saith In matters which concerne our faith the saying of a prâ—â—ate man is to be preferred before the Popes saying if it be confirmed with the best reasons of the old and new Testament Another most excellently and euidently y Picus Mirand de fide â—rd cred Theâ—re 6. A simple peasant or swaine a childe an old woman are more credible and 〈◊〉 to her beleeued thou the grand Prelate or Pope and a thousand Bishops of these speake contrary and against the Gospell those for and according to the Gospell The reason is verie good the Gospell is of the Master and ought to bee receiued with all obedience of faith by whomsoeuer it is preached the Pope and the Bishops are but seruants in the Masters house where they haue no other charge then to serue the children of the house according to the will of the heauenly Father comprehended in the Scriptures otherwise they are no Pastors but Impostors VI. As the publike ministerial iudgement is without proportion and measure inferior to
bonum à Christâ— nobis non imperatum sed demonstratum non mandatum sed commendâ—tum c. Bellarmine tells vs that The Counsell of perfection is a good worke not inioyned but demonstrated and shâ—wed not commanded but recommended by Christ different from a Precept in respect of the matter or subiect in the forme and in the end In the matter two waies first because the matter of a Precept is easier that of a Counsell more difficult Secondly because the matter of the Precept is good that of Counsels better and perfecter In the subiect because the precept is common to all the Counsell is not In the forme The precept bindes by his owne vertue and power but the Counsels depend on the free iudgement and free will of man In the end because the precept promiseth reward to the obseruer of it threatneth penalty and punishment against the transgressor but the Counsels not obserued hath no penaltie and obserued haue a greater reward The like in substance is written and set downe by the Author of the Pastorall Letter though more obscurely and confusedly III. They forge and inuent lyes and afterwards they define distinguish and amplifie them as truth They define them Counsels of perfection and not onely the name but the thing also is vnknowne in the Scripture That is certaine this may be easily proued by concluding arguments necessarie and indissoluble The greatest perfection that men yea the elect Angels can attaine vnto is that whereby man is made like vnto God and that is commanded to all by our Lord Iesus saying d Matth. 5.48 Be perfect euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect Let them remaund and send packing their Sophistrie to them which seeke by their disputations the glorie of the world in their victorie not the glorie of God in the victorie of the truth let them not abuse the world with the distinction e Bellar. de Monach c. 13 §. 5. of a necessarie perfection which Christ commaunds to all and of a profitable perfection which hee recommended vnto the rich man counselling him to sell all that hee had to giue it to the poore and to follow him for there is no such beneficiall and profitable perfection as that which make vs perfect as God is perfect there is no perfection so great so to be followed as that which is commanded Christ say they counselled the rich man to sell all that hee had and giue it to the poore that was something but Christ commaunds all f Matth. 5.44 to loue their enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully vse you and persecute you This is a great deale more for a man may bestow all his goods to feede the poore and not haue charitie g 1. Cor. 13.3 according to the testimonie of Saint Paul but none can loue their enemie and not haue charitie IIII. Now charitie h Col. 3.14 is the bond of perfectnesse a bond which doth keepe vs perfectly to God as it is written i 1. Iohn 4.16 God iâ— loue and hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him A bond which in God vnites vs one with another makes vs one and the same body in Christ imparts and communicate to euery one that which is in all and makes common to all that which is in euery one It makes thy gift mine and my gift thine and so by the communication of gifts and of all the graues which God hath imparted to euery one it perfecteth the bodie of the Church This is the intention of the Apostle saying k 1. Cor. 3.22 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cophas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and yet are Christs and Christ is Gods This is so manifest a truth that Bellarmine himselfe confesseth it faying l Bellar. de Monach c. 2. §. 2. that the true perfection confisteth in charitie we know that it hath many degrees but her highest degree is no other thing then that which shee is namely charitie There is also none but knoweth that without any exception of degrees charitie is commanded and recommended commended to all men as being m Rom. 13.10 1. Tim. 1.5 the endâ— and fulfilling of the Law to the fulfilling of the which we are bound Therefore charitie being the best perfection and charity being the excellentest and greatest perfection and no worke being acceptable vnto God but that which springeth from faith which worketh by charitie he that seekes for a better and greater perfection by I know not what Counsels is but ill counselled and aduised and hee that perswades himselfe that he may attaine vnto it is ignorant of two things of the excellent perfection of charitie and of the great imperfection of his owne nature an enemie to charitie for n Rom. 8.7 the carnall minde is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can bee V. The whole Law is comprised in charitie and this charitie consists in two points o Mark 12.30 31. The first and the greatest is Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy minde The second like vnto this is Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe This is that which euery man must doe this is all which the holiest and perfectest man can doe p Eccles 12.13 Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole dutie of man saith Salomon Wherefore there remaines nothing else to be done God hauing commanded that all the parts of man and all his strength powers and faculties be incessantly and for euer exercised in charity towards him and in charitie towards his neighbour according to him To what purpose then is this cauilling so much To what ende O Bellarmine so great a cloud of expositions diuisions corollaries to darken the Sunne Tell me if man can do more then loue God with all his heart with all his soule with all his minde with all his strength The Angels the Saints that are with God can they doe more then that If no creature heauenly nor earthly If Iesus Christ Man in as much as man though holy without measure could do no more to what purpose then these Counsels After that the whole soule the whole boast the whole minde all the powers and faculties haue been and are imploied and occupied in the loue due to God doth there remaine in vs any part any facultie that may be spared to be imploied and busied in Counsels not commanded not due VI. He thinks to shift off this and saith q Bell. de Monach c. 13. §. 11. that to loue God with all his heart and with all his soule is nothing else but to loue him truely sincerely without faining without dissimulation and that to loue him with all his
morall and spirituall workes g Mat. 5.16 Let your light sosh â—e before men saith Iesus Christ that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen It is a thing out of all doubt that the Infidels haue neuer done any thing for this end what could they haue done for the glory of God which was vnknowne to them What haue they euer done but for themselues but h Chrys in opere imperfecto in Mat. hom 33. to aduance themselues in honour reputation and credit It was ambition to lade himselfe with thicke clay as the Prophet saith that is great store of riches to ioyne house to house and lay field to field till there be no place It was brokage and couetousnesse To what other ende doe now adaies the best and honestest of our politicians aime at They haue no other ende of their prudence and other vertues or rather images of vertues then themselues If we consider the religious as they terme them they giue almes they pray in publick they vse many repetitions they march with a sad countenance they disfigure their faces and destroy the bodie with much fasting some of them that they may appeare vnto men that they are charitable deuout mortified so did the Pharisees and other hypocrites in Christs time i Mat. 6.2 Verily saith Christ I say vnto you they haue their reward The world hath them in great estimation they haue that which they sought for It is their reward they serue God with hope of reward condigne as they say and well worthie of their meries were it not for this hope they would not bee so feruent and zealous towards God that they would be blotted out of his booke k Exod. 32.32 as Moses or l Rom. 9.3 separated and accursed from Christ for his glorie as Saint Paul To bee short wee are in a time whereof wee may iustly and truely say as Saint Paul said of his time m Phil. 2.21 All seeke their owne not the things which are Iesus Christs Wee are in the last daies and the perillous and trouble some times are come whereof the same Apostle hath prophesied n 2. Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. that men shall be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Of which kinde of men God in his great mercy deliuer quickly the world VIII All these keepe not the Law and cannot doe any good worke Some of them will haue many faire and goodly parts as we say the which being examined will be found to be nothing else then o Ambros de vo cat gentium lib. 2. c. 3. splendida peccata glistering and beautifull sinnes by the which they haue barrenly adorned the life of this age saith Saint Ambrose Wee doe not condemne them for that they are ciuilly sober iust moderate and doe leade an outward life without reproch But the Scripture condemnes them for that they liue without faith without charity and propound vnto themselues no other scope of their actions then themselues and so doe ill and doe good things to a bad ende Christ Iesus condemnes them p Iohn 5.44 How can ye beleeue which receiue honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God onely We doe not condemne them in that they fast austerely pray feruently giue almes largely and doe as they say many pious workes but because doing nothing but that which a Turke and a Iew doth we bewaile them because they runne so fast out of the way seeing they runne not by Christ who is the way to God who is the end of the race and so they labour and toile much yet aduance and goe forward but little As hee that makes haste and runneth a stray out of the Kings high way takes more paines and toiles more then if he were in the right way and notwithstanding he neuer comes where he would I exhort them to turne backe and returne the same way they came towards the Commandements of God to doe according vnto God and for God that which they doe vnder him for themselues and to the ende they may doe it to pray vnto God with Dauid q Psal 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good leade me into the land of vprightnes For as Saint Austin saith It is better to goe softly or to halt in the right way then to march streightly and runne out of the way CHAP. V. I. The vnregenerate man is altogether wicked II. The regenerate man is imperfect and defectiue in his most holy actions and cannot keepe the Law which is proued by foure arguments III. The first argument He hath in him the flesh lusting against the Spirit IIII. The second argument Our imperfect knowledge brings forth imperfect workes V. Bellarmines opinion concerning a double perfection commaunded in the Law confuted VI. That perfection which Bellarmine saith is possible to man in this life hath neuer been found in any man VII The third argument If the regenerate man could keepe the Law he should not neede a Mediatour THe a Psal 14.2 3. Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that did vnderstand and seeke God They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthie there is none that doth good no not one b Ro. 3.13 c. Their throate is an open sepulcher with their tongues they haue vsed deceit the poison of Aspes is vnder their lipps whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feete are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in their waies and the way of peace haue they not knowne The reason of all this is There is no feare of God before their eyes He that feares God feares to doe that which displeaseth God as Ioseph that would not defile his masters bed with held and kept-in with the feare of God c Genes 39.9 How can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God In like manner comforting and assuring his brethren that he would doe them no hurt he tells them d Genes 42.18 I feare God On the other side he which feares not God giues himselfe libertie vnto all wickednesse whensoeuer any occasion is offered That made Abraham say of Gerar e Genes 20.11 Surely the feare of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wines sake They which haue not the feare of God in their hearts are ordinarie adulterers lyars f Ephes 4.17.18.19 walking in the vanitie of their minde hauing the vnderstanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their hearts who
of the holy Ghost Vers 6. Vers 7. which he shed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauior That being iustified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life And that we acknowledging for euer with Saint Peter that g Act. 4.12 there is no saluation in any other there is none other name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued we may referre and attribute to him the whole glory of our saluation in her beginning in her middle and in her ende as to him h Bernaâ— de byrat libero arbitrio Domini est salus imo ipse salus ipse via ad salutem of whom and from whom is the saluation who is the way to saluation yea who is the saluation it selfe i. Iohn 14.6 the way the truth and the life CHAP. XIIII I. A curious question Why doth not God perfect our regeneration here on earth II. The first answere He doth not perfect it that we acknowledging our infirmitie may be humble III. The second answere He doth it not that wee may feele that we haue alwaies neede of Christ to whom we may haue our recourse and refuge IIII. The third answere He doth it not that hauing sought the good fight in this world we may triumph in the other V. The fourth answere He doth it not for the manifestation of his glorie VI. According as these things are handled and declared by Saint Bernard THere remaines yet a question to the which wee will answer and so will we shut vp and finish this Treatise of the Law They that feele not God in themselues doe alwaies seeke some exception some accusation against God and doe aske in manner of expostulation and complaint wherefore doth not God perfect our regeneration in this life Whereunto I could answere with the Apostle a Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that firmed it Why hast thou made me thus But that it may serue both for our instruction and consolation I say that God hath willed it so for our good and saluation and for his glory II. For our good surely as experience teacheth vs that it is expedient for vs to be thus exercised and enured in the combat of the spirit and the flesh Adam crowned by God with glory and honour tooke occasion from the excellencie and dignitie wherein he was created to waxe proud so that mounting and raising himselfe higher then hee should hee was cast downe lower then he would We reade Saint Pauls words writing of himselfe b 2. Cor. 12.7 Least I should be exalted aboue measure through the abundance of the reuelations there was giuen to me a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted aboue measure What Is that happened vnto Adam Hath Saint Paul also been in danger that the like had happened to him What should we bee I pray you that are not so much priuiledged as the Apostle In what danger should wee be to puffe vp to cast away our selues by presumption if wee were perfect considering our inclination to magnifie out selues too much in this so small and so imperfect a measure of Gods gifts in vs. Wherefore as c Exod. 23.29 Deut. 7.22 God draue not out the Canaanites from before his people in one yeere nor in two but by little and little lost the Land become desolate and the beasts of the field multipâ—â—e against thee as also d Judg. 2.22 3.4 that through them I may proue Israel whether they will keepe the way of the Lord to walke therein In like manner God takes not from vs the remainders of sinne that wee being incessantly exercised and troubled by them wee may acknowledge our infirmitie and become humble we may exercise our selues in this combat against our enemies and that we may plow and till the good seede that is in vs with so much the more care hindring it from being choked and smothered by ill weedes seeing we cannot hinder them from growing vp with them This is our first benefit a perfect state in this life would make vs proud carelesse and negligent this carelesnesse would make the vices increase and grow vp anew in vs and pride would make the vertues to decrease in vs. III. Furthermore God will haue vs feele the neede and want we haue of his grace and mercie in all and euery part of our life that we can doe nothing we can begin continue and end nothing without him we cannot be saued but by him we cannot ascend vp to heauen but by Iacobs Ladder we cannot goe to the Father but by Christ And therefore that wee goe to Christ to discharge and vnloade our burdens on him as he himselfe inuites vs al to come vnto him with so sweete so gentle and kinde a voyce e Mat. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie laden and I will giue you rest that being disburdened eased and comforted by him we may confesse f Rom. 6.23 that the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. IIII. Moreouer God hath appointed this world to be the campe place of battell where his Church is exercised in a continual fight as hath appointed heauen to be the place where it shall triumph eternally ouer all her enemies If that part of the Church which is now glorious and without wrinkle in heauen had not been thus Militant in this world it should not be now triumphant in heauen For if there be no enemy there is no victorie no triumph and consequently no crowne no price g 1. Cor. 9.24 Reuel 2.10 for the price the garland the crowne of life is not giuen but vnto conquerors V. And as for God his power and efficacie is better and more knowne when man feeles himselfe supported and vpholden therewith against the assaults which are giuen him by his flesh and the glory of his grace is so much the greater and more sensible that he saues vs notwithstanding our infirmities and great imperfections T' is that which he said vnto S. Paul h 2. Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse And therefore saith the Apostle Most gladly will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest vpon me So much say I so much say all the Saints after him VI. Saint Bernard hath obserued these reasons and hath written them downe i Bernard de scala claustrali siâ—e de modo orandi c. 7. Feare not O Spouse saith he despaire not thinke not that thou art despised if thy Spouse hides his face from thee for a while all these things worke together for thy good and k De accessu recessu lucrum acquiris tibi venit tibi recedit venit ad consolationem recedit ad cautelam ne magnitudo
the Euangelists and Apostles Bellarmine hath found nothing for his Counsels in the Prophets let vs see if hee can finde any thing to serue his turne in the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles For seeing that they properly appertaine vnto the Gospell and to the Christian Church and doe bring so excellent and great a reward to the obseruers of them They ought to bee euidently and plainely recommended in the new Testament II. The Lord Iesus propounding the Parable of the Sower 3 Obiection compares the Church to good ground which hauing receiued seede b Mat. 13.8 brings forth fruit some an hundred folde some sixty folde some thirtie fold By this Parable saith Bellarmine the merit of chast matrimonie of virginitie and of widdow-hood is distinguished and that proues hee by Saint Cyprian Saint Ierom and Saint Austin Whence saith he it appeares that the virgin-like continencie is a greater good and more meritorious towards God then matrimoniall chastity is because that it is a diuine Counsell for that which God commaunds not and notwithstanding recommends and preferrs before all other things without doubt he counsels it III. But this cannot be showne in any wise by our Sauiours words who speakes neither of virginitie nor of marriage nor of widdow-hood but of those onely which heare his word of what condition and state soeuer they be according to the exposition which he himselfe giues c Mat. 13.23 He that receiued the seede into the good ground is he that heareth the Word and vnderstandeth it which also beareth fruite and bringeth forth some an hundred fold some sixtie some thirtie folde It is hee therefore which heares the Word of God and keepes it liuing holily and doing good workes according to that measure of grace which hee hath receiued who seekes here any other sense or meaning forgeth to himselfe chimeraes and fruitlesse imaginations buildes castles in the aire and deceiues himselfe with those which heare him And therefore we obiect against Saint Ierome that which he himselfe saith in his Commentarie vpon this Parable d Hieron in Mat. 13. Canendum est vbicunque dominus exponit sermones suos ne velaliud nec plus quid velimus intelligere quam ab co expositum est Obserue saith he that this is the first parable which is set downe with his interpretation and we must beware in what place soeuer our Lord expounds his words that we vnderstand no other thing nor more then that which hath been expounded by him If hee had kept this rule which he prescribed to others he would haue taken heede and not allowed an hundred folde to virgines sixtie to widdowes and but thirtie only to married folkes Falsely by his leaue and fauour seeing that Abraham who was married and remarried is propounded in the Scripture as e Rom. 4.11 the Father of all them that beleeue f Luke 16.23 in whose bosome Lazarus lyes and of whom Christ Iesus saith g Mat. 8.11 that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of heauen He is then aduanced on high liuing in a glory so eminent and so excellent that all the happinesse of all the faithfull of all nations is described by the part and portion they shall haue therein because the Apostle saith that h Gal. 3.9 they are blessed with faithfull Abraham The Virgin Marie her selfe a daughter of Abraham not onely according to the flesh by birth but also by faith in beleeuing hath no greater glory in heauen then Abraham hath neither doth shee attribute to her selfe any thing aboue him but contents her selfe to haue part in the promises that haue been made to him as we find it i Luke 1.55 in her Canticle It is not for me to play the harbinger in heauen or the Steward to set at table the friends of the Spouse euery one according to his degree but all that which we say and can say is grounded vpon coniecture I say that I gesse coniecture that Abraham who hath been twice married hath the highest degree and ranke of glory in heauen seeing that none enters into heauen but in as much as he hath followed the trace of Abrahams faith Saint Ignatius a single vnmaried man was of this opinion when he said k Ignati ad Philadelp I desire that God finde me worthie to be in the Kingdom of heauen at the feete of them which haue been married as of Abraham Isaac and of Iacob of Ioseph Isaiah and of the other Prophets as also of Peter and of Paul and of the other Apostles which haue been married The Fathers which haue attributed an hundred folde vnto virgins and thirtie vnto the married yea an hundred vnto the Martyrs sixtie to the Virgins and thirtie vnto Widdowes and nothing to the married folkes according to that we reade in Saint Ierome if the Martyrs haue an hundred folde l Hieron in Mat. c. 13. Quod si ita est sancta consortia nuptiarum excluduntur à fructu bono The holy conuersation in marriage is excluded from the good fruite All these Fathers were they an hundred haue intruded themselues into matters which they haue not seene they haue spoken of the things of God without the Word of God they haue spoken by the spirit of man and not by Gods Spirit and therefore I will answere to all that they say and to all that can bee said vntill the ende of the world that which Saint Ierome answered to those which did broach and propound their opinions without Scripture m Jdem in Mat. c. 23. Hoc quia de scripturis non habet authoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur quâ probatur Because this hath not his authoritie from the Scripture it is reiected with the same facilitie wherewith it is proued being able notwithstanding to name for my part both ancient and moderne Doctors Chrysostome Theophylact c. which haue seene no such great and deepe mysterie in this Text let Frier Ferus be heard at this time for them all giuing vs the right vnderstanding thereof This saith hee is diuersly expounded c. but it seemeth that Christ saith and meaneth in this place that the Word of God doth altogether conuert more men in one place then in another as it hath done more good and borne more fruite among the Gentiles then among the Iewes Againe that the same Word of God fructifies more in one man then in another in this man then in that man according as the ground is the more fit and apt IIII. It followeth that wee see in the second place 4 Obiection that which is written in the selfe same Gospell chap. 19. where the Apostles hauing said vnto Christ n Mat. 19.10.11.12 If the case of man be so with his wife it is not good to marrie Christ saith vnto them All men cannot receiue this saying sauing they to whom it is giuen
is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The same ancient Fathers doe teach me that the merits of the faithfull are the mercies of God the merits of Christ to whom eternall life is giuen for a reward to the ende he giue vs it of pure grace But let vs consider a little neerer the wordes To make himselfe an Eunuch for the Kingdome of heauens sake say they is to merit heauen by single life Falsely for if it were so the vestall virgins among the Romans the Priests of Cybele grand necce to the false gods the Monks among the Turkes should merit eternall life Falsely againe seeing that heauen is replenished and filled with those which haue liued and died in the state of mariage Falsely againe againe seeing God promiseth nothing vnto Eunuchs but on condition h Isai 56.4 that they chuse the things that please him and take hold of his Couenant It is not therefore for their single life which makes theÌ„ nor more nor lesse acceptable vnto God i Act. 10.34 1. Tim. 4.8 who is no respecter of persons but for their godlines wherof the Apostle speaketh that bodily exercise profiteth little such is single life but godlinesse is profitable vnto al things hauing promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come VIII What is then to make himselfe an Eunuch for the Kingdome of heauens sake I haue already told it but because they will not beleeue me let others say what it is k Lyra in Mat. 19. vt liberiùs continentes vacent contemplationi diuinae Lyrinensis That the continent and chaste may apply and giue their minde more freely to diuine contemplation A man must not beleeue him vnlesse he proue it by Scripture and therefore he adds as it is written l 1. Cor. 7.32.33 Hee that is vnmaried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how he may please the Lord but hee that is married careth for the things that are of the world how hee may please his wife and he is diuidâ—d Ferus a Frier whose authoritie ought not to be small among the Friers and Monkes m Ferus in Mat. 19. vers 11. Doe not preferre thy selfe before another for thy continencie for it may bee that the marriage of another is more acceptable vnto God then thy chastitie for here thou hast expressely set downe before thee that all continencie is not acceptable vnto God For thou hast heere three sorts of chaste men of them that are Eunuches by nature Item of them that are made Eunuches of men whereunto it seemeth that we must adde those that liâ—e continently by constraint and against their will or which refraine themselues from it to bee praised of men Neutri autem Deo placent sed tantum bi qui propter regnum coelorum continent vt scilicet liberiùs Deo vacent ac curare possint quae Domini sunt None of these please God but they only that abstaine an refrain for the Kingdom of Heauens sake to the end they may more freely serue God and haue more care of the things that belong to the Lord. This is that wee say Continencie to him that hath that gift is more commodious for the seruice of God then marriage But hee that hath not that gift will serue God better being married then being vnmarried and burning But we will speake more largely of this matter hereafter IX Such hath been the exposition of this place vntil now all hauing vnderstood it as if Iesus Christ spake there of Eunuches that should make themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake in the Church of Christ But I intreâ—â— the Reader to consider two things first that Christ speakes of that which is past not of that which is to come of that which happened among the Iewes not of that which should happen among Christians for he saith There be Eunuches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake and saith not that shall make themselues Eunuches Secondly that Saint Paul saith euidently n 1. Cor. 7.25 Concerning virgines I haue no commandement of the Lord. With what truth If God hath spoken thereof in Isaiah and the Lord Iesus in Saint Matthew It is will they say a Counsell but euery Counsell of God is a Commandement and if God had giuen this Counsell the Apostle would haue said I haue no Commandement but I haue a Counsell of the Lord according vnto that which he protests elsewhere saying o Act. 20.27 I haue not shanned to declare vnto you all the Counsell of God Now he saith manifestly p Ephiphan baeres 16. Quidam eorum cumse exercebant praescribebant sibi decennium aut octennium aut quadriennium virginitatis continentiae that it is his aduice an iudgement whereof the Lord had imparted nothing vnto men before him Wherefore it seemeth that these words concerning Eunuches containe neither a precept nor a Counsell of the Lord but that the Lord rehearseth there simply that which certaine Iewes did then and had done since the corruption of the state and of the religion among them For wee reade that the Pharisees which had introduced many superstitions in the Church and particularly the doctrine of merit when they did exercise themselues they prescribed vnto themselues tenne or eight or foure yeares of virginitie and continencie And then q Idom heres 15 they did carrie their phylacteries that is to say the fringes and borders of purple vpon their garments to the ende that they which saw them should take heede to touch them as being for the time sanctified and separated from the world and that did they imitating therein the Essenes r Ioseph de belle Iud. lib. 2. c. 7. that despised marriage The one and the other for the Kingdome of heauens sake that is to say thinking to merit by it eternall life whom our Lord reproues of rashnesse in that they sought the Kingdome of God by continencie which surpasseth the strength of man and is a gift of God which is giuen but to few All men saith Christ cannot receiue this saying saue they to whom it is giuen He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it That is to say No man can comprehend that which those men striue to doe saue they to whom it is giuen of God as when he saith t Mat. 13.9 Who hath eares to heare let him heare Which is as if hee should haue said No man hath eares to heare and vnderstand the holy mysteries saue he to whom it is giuen for so hee expounds it in the eleuenth verse It is giuen vnto you to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen X. Let vs now retort the Argument against our aduersaries They tell vs that he which shall keepe the Counsels shall haue a greater glory and doe proue it by this Text. Let vs grant vnto them this for
sinner but that the wicked turne from his way and liue they turne from their euill waies and returne to God by a true amendment of life and so be saued I should want time if I would make a catalogue of all the benefits that Christians obtaine by the reading of the holy Scriptures If some haue thence taken occasion to sowe and disperse their heresies If others haue made a rampier or fortresse a retraite and place of refuge for their sinnes it hath beene their fault the ficklenes and inconstancie of their braine their ambition and the malice of their harts not the fault of the Scripture And yet they for the most part yea almost al haue been of the learned sort and not ignorant and simple e Alphons de Castro lib. 1. â—eraetic cap. 13. Pauci fuerunt idiotae heraesiuâ— authores of whom few haue been authors of heresies but how many thousand millions haue been instructed in the true faith reformed and saued by the reading of the Scripture By them f Matth. 4.4 Christ refuted the diuell and made him fire thence the Church hath alwaies tooken stones with the which she hath stoned the heretickes that indeuoured to defend themselues by the same Scriptures the abuse of the wicked not hauing the power to hinder the vniuersalitie of the Church from vsing them aright for if that we ought to abstaine from good things for the scandall of the wicked Christ ought not to haue preached because the people said g Iohn 8.48 he had the diuell and were often scandalised and offended at his words and the Gospell should not be preached because h 2. Cor. 2.16 it is the sauour of death vnto death to them that perish and to speake of humane things we should forbid men the vse of wine because it is the drinke of many drunkards CHAP. III. I. The Scripture is perspicuous and plaine to be read of all II. How we ought to vnderstand that there are obscure and difficult things in the Scripture III. The perspicuitie and plainenesse of the Scripture prooâ—ed by the Fathers IIII. An answer to the first allegoricall obiection taken from the Scriptures V. Answere to the second allegoricall obiection taken out of the same Scriptures VI. Answere to the words of Saint Hierom alleaged against the reading of the Scriptures VII All ought to reade the Scriptures according to Saint Hierome VIII Which is proued by reason BVt the a Bell de verbo Dei lib. 2 cap. 15. 16. lib. 3. cap. 1. Scriptures are so obscure that the vnlearned lay-men cannot â—â—â—erstand them O impietie that Christ who is the b Malacb 4.2 Sun of Iustice and c Iohn 8.12 the light of the world should be accused either of ignorance for that he could not speak plainely or of malice in that he would not speake so and that the witnesse which he hath giuen to his word calling that of the old Testament d Psal 119.105 a lampe vnto our feete and a light vnto our paths e 2. Pet. 1.19 and a light that shiueth in a darke place and that of the new Testament the light of the Church f 2 Cor. 4.3.4 which is not hid but to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeue not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should shine vnto them that so the Sonne of God should bee made so weake and vnable and be so belied by the calumnies of men O intolerable blasphemy II. Notwithstanding it is true that there are some very difficult things and deepe points in the Scripture to vnderstand as the mysterie of the Trinitie Christs Incarnation the Resurrection of the flesh the last Iudgement to come but the words by which these points are described in the holy Scripture are as plaine and perspicuous as the Sunne all the obscuritie and darkenesse is in men of whom they that are g Ephes 5.8 without Christ are nothing but darkenesse h 1. Cor. 2.14 receiue not and perceiue not the things of the Spirit of God neither can they know them because they are spiritually discerned They that are in Christ i Ephes 5.8 are light in the Lord and therefore doe comprehend and apprehend them according to the measure of the enlightning some more some lesse all but in part witnesse the Apostle writing of himself and of all like him k 1. Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophecie in part and notwithstanding all sufficiently to saluation III. l In Mat. cap. 4. contra Celsum The Scriptures saith Origen are the fountaine of Iacob The learned drinke as Iacob and his children and the simple and ignorant also as the cattell of Iacob m Gegor 1. They are saith another a riuer wherein an Elephant may swimme and a Lamb may wade ouer A third saith n Isidorus lib. 1. de summo bono cap. 〈…〉 That the Scripture is like Manna common to the perfect ones and to the young ones and doth accommodat her selfe to euery one according to the capacitie of euery ones vnderstanding and iudgement o Fâ—â—â—gent Serm. de confess A fourth compares it vnto a rich banquet wherein are meats for all ages milke for the sustenance of babes and strong meate for them that are of full age and so speake all the Fathers Seeing therefore that all are called to the reading of the Scriptures as to a great feast where the rich man hath prepared meates for all ages surely they that would exclude them and depriue them thereof are mortall enemies of Gods glory and of mans saluation vnto whom will sort well the sentence of execration pronounced by Dauid and Paul but badly applied by the Author of the Pastorall letter p Psal 69.23.24 Rom. 11.9.10 Let their Table become a snare before them and that which should haue been for their welfare let it become a trap let their eyes be darkened that they see not and make their loynes continually to shake Or rather we may apply that vow vnto them that is to say the curse denounced by our Sauiour Iesus Christ against their Grand-fathers for the like matter q Mat. 23.13 Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut vp the Kingdome of heauen against men for ye neither go in your selues neither suffer yee them that are entring to goe in IIII. The Pastorall letter produces Pag. 4. and brings forth allegories against all this not hauing learnt of r Thomas in sum part 1. quaest 1. artic 10 Omnes sensus fundantur super vnum scilicet literaleÌ„ ex quo solo potest traâ—i argumentum non autem ex his quae secundum allegoriam dicuntur Thomas who learned of S. Austin that arguments are onely drawne from the literall sense and not from that which is said by allegorie It presupposeth that which is true That we must reade the Scriptures
they Counsels of perfection If there bee any they are of God or of men If from God all men must follow the for if the requests and desires of Kings are commandements as an Heathen man saith how much more then are the Counsels of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords who looketh vnto none but such e Esay 66.7 as tremble at his word Christ Iesus said to the Church of Laodicea f Reuel 3.18 I counsell thee to buy of me goldâ—â—ied in the fire that thou maiest bee rich and white â—â—â—ent that thou maiest bee clothed and that the shame of thy unkednesse doe not appeare and anoint thine eyes with eye-salue that thou maiest see This is the onely place of the whole Scripture in the old and new Testament where God giueth counsell vnto man the Creator to his creature the Lord to his seruant the King of heauen to his subiects dwelling on earth And this Counsell is such an expresse commandement that the Lord hath spewed that Church out of his mouth for not following of the same for he that giues counsell to another desires and wishes that hee would conforme himselfe to it and is sorry yea angry and much offended when it is reiected when especially it is a good and wholesom counsell giuen by the superiour to his inferiour by the father to the son the King to his subiect to hasten to end and to vrge this we say al men are bound g Rom. 12.2 Ephes 5.17 to know and proone what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God to doe the fame according to the prayer which euery one makes vnto God Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen All the Counsels of God are the will of God wherefore all men are bound to vnderstand them to proue and doe them All that which wee are bound vnto to doe is a commandement the Counsels of God are things that wee are bound to doe therefore the Counsels of God are commandements Againe God wills and requires that all men practise his Counsels God wills not and requires not that all men should shut vp and mew themselues in a cloister abstaine from marriage carrie a wallet or scrip and go like vagabonds from dore to dore from towne to towne to begge and craue almes for such a life would bee the ruine and destruction of the Commonweale and of the Church Therefore to abstaine from mariage liue in pouertie nourish and sustaine himselfe with the labour and sweat of other men to mew himselfe vp in a Monastery separated from the company of men is not a Counsell of God VIII There are Counsels of perfection If there bee all must aspire vnto them euery man is inclined to it by nature euery one tends and inclines vnto perfection by a naturall principle and instinct euery Christian tends and makes towards the Christian perfection by a spirituall instinct by a principle of grace euery Christian is bound to it by commandement is drawne to it by promise is incited and incouraged by the example of all the Saints h Phil. 4.8 9. Brethren saith the Apostle whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are louely whatsoeuer things are of good report of there bee any vertue and if there bee any praise thinke on these things Those things which yee haue both learned and receiued and heard and seene in me doe and the God of peace shall be with you If the Counsels are of this ranck and number the Apostle commaunds all men and women to doe them to them that doth them hee makes a promise from God that the God of peace shall be with them If they are not of this number they are neither true nor venerable nor iust nor pure nor louely nor of good report there is no vertue nor praise in them And therefore they are not to bee done but to be eschewed and auoided This is the expresse commandement of our Master Doctor and Sauiour Iesus Christ i Matth. 5.48 Be perfect euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect this is also the expresse commaundement of Saint Paul k 2. Cor. 13.11 Bee perfect l Heb. 6.1 Let vs goe on vnto perfection To this ende the Scripture hath beene giuen vs m 2. Tim. 3.17 That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished vnto all good workes For this ende the Lord hath giuen vs Pastors and Doctors n Ephes 4.13 till wee all come in the vnitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of God S. Paul made towards this perfection and laboured to come to it by o Phil. 3.13 14. forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth vnto those things which are before he pressed towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Noah Iob Abraham all the Saints of the old and the new Testament haue done the like for which cause the Scripture termes them perfect God who accepts in his children the will and willingnesse the pronenes of their mindes and forwardnesse for the deede honouring their holy indeuor and affection with the name of perfection which they did aspire vnto and now enioy and possesse Wee â—ake now if the perfection of Counsels bring to the Monkes and Friers any greater perfection then the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ vnto which all Christians shall attaine and come vnto a perfect man If that cannot bee what vse haue Counsels If it can be there will be some perfection out of Christ and without Christ and some greater perfection then the perfect stature of Christ which is impossible We aske againe if a man in this life can attaine vnto a greater perfection then that which was in Noah Iob Abraham Moses in the Patriarches the Prophets and Apostles If any man shall bee aduanced and exalted in glorie aboue them in the life to come If this be absurd and false to what end and purpose is this warbling and pratling of Counsels which brings to no man any greater excellencie aduantage then that which infinite Saints haue attained vnto which haue neuer bin Monks neuer made vow of continencie neuer carried the bag and wallet neuer followed the Monasticall deuotions Abraham Isaac Iacob Noah Moses c. were great men and rich and liued in the state of matrimony The holy Apostles haue neuer followed any other rule then that which is common to all Christians Pouertie and the forsaking of their goods was neuer imposed to them by Christ and they neuer bound themselues to it by vow as the whole history of the Gospell teacheth vs and p Extrâ—â— Iob. 22. Tit. 14. c. 5. Quia quorundam neque Christum exprepriationem praedictam â—mnis iuris cuinâ—cunque rei proprietatem eius vsuÌ„
Dei iustitia est beminis iustitia iudulgentia Dei Iâ— sufficeth me in liâ—â— of all righteousnesse that I haue him alone propâ—â—ious against whom alone I haue sinned All that which he hath ordained not to impute vnto â—â—e is as if it had neuer â—eâ—ne Not to sinne 〈◊〉 the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of 〈◊〉 iâ— the 〈◊〉 and gentlâ—â—â—sse of God In a word Saint Ambrose writes that k Ambros de bono mortis c. 2. vita aeterna peâ— catorum remissio est life eternall is the remission of sinnes They are as many blowes of a battle-axe vpon all the satisfactions righteousnesse and merits of men for if he whose sinne is pardoned is not punished with the penaltie of sinne which is eternall death consisting in a totall and euerlasting priuation of the fauour grace and blessing of God he must of necessitie for euer enioy the presence of God wherein life eternall consists To be deliuered from Gods curse is to be saued because to be damned is to be hated reiected and for euer forsaken of God wherefore who is not damned is not hated of God and hee which is not hated of God is beloued of him Now he whom God loues hath alwaies God on his right hand enioyes alwaies his presence and therein eternall happinesse as it is written l Psal 16.11 In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore And therefore is it that Dauid declares that the happinesse the whole felicitie of man life eternall depends vpon the remission of sinnes so much say the Fathers also to this ende that all they may be ashamed who confessing that Iesus Christ hath deliuered them from eternall death by his death deuise that we must do good works to merit life eternall For as S. Bernard saith m Bernard ad milites Templi c. 11. Sic namque mortua morte reuertitur vita quemadmodum ablato peccato redit iustitia Salomon So death being dead life returnes againe as sinne being taken away righteousnesse returneth againe that none say that he is happie because he is no sinner but that they onely esteeme themselues happy which haue obtained the remission of their sinnes VII I should be too long if I should make a catalogue of all the other Saints of the old Testament I will not speake of o 1. King 11.4.5.6 Hieron aduers Iouian lib. 2. Ezechias Salomon the beloued of the Lord who for that he loued many strange women hee turned his heart from the loue of the Lord his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God but went after Ashtareth the goddesse of the Sidoniaâ—s and after Milcom the abomination of the Amâ—rites and did euill in the sight of the Lord. I will not speake of Ezechias who being sicke prayed vnto God and said p Jsai 38 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight when hee giues God thanks for the recouery of his health he confesseth himselfe a sinner and saith q Isai 38.17 Thou hast in loue to my soule deliuered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe I will omit also that the Spirit of God blames him r 2. Chron. 32.25 that he rendered not againe according to the benefite done vnto him for his heart was lifted vp therefore there was wrath vpon him Josias I will not recite that Iosias who in the whole course of his life Å¿ 2. Chron. 34.2 did that which was right in the sight of the Lord toward the ende thereof puffed vp with his prosperitie t 2. Chron. 35.22 Hieron ad Stesiphont in sâ—â—e Daniel hearkned not vnto the words of Neco proceeding from the mouth of God I see Daniel to whom God reuealed all that which should happen to his Church vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem of whom God himselfe testifieth and witnesseth of his singular u Ezech. 14.14 righteousnesse and x Ezech. 28.3 wisedome I see him condemning himselfe and the whole people of sinne and iustifying God in his iust vengeance which he had taken of them y Dan. 9.10.11 We haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lord our God to walke in his Lawes and all Israel haue transgressed thy Law euen by departing that they might not obey thy voyce Esdras I see Esdras the Priest and Scribe making a semblable and like confession to his God and saying z Esdr 9.6.7 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift vp my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our â—eads and our trespasse is growne vp vnto the heauens The whole ancient Church since the dayes of our fathers haue we been in a great trespasse vnto this day VIII Lastly I see the whole ancient Church presenting her selfe before God like a poore malefactor and guilty offendor with this confession a Isai 64.6 But we are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy raggs and we all doe fade as a leafe and our iniquities like the winde A Confession which the ancient Doctors doe iudge appertaines also to the Christian Church Origen Austin Macarius c. b Bernard in festiuit Omnium Sanctor Serm. 1. Iniustitia inuenietur omnis iustitia nostea minus habens and after them Saint Bernard What might be all our righteousnesse before God shall it not be reputed as filthie raggs according to the Prophetâ— and if we iudge according to rigour all our righteousnesse will bee found to be vniust and not currant what then will it be of sinnes seeing that righteousnesse cannot answere for her selfe and therfore crying aloud with the Prophet Enter not into iudgemeÌ„t with thy seruant good Lord let vs haue recourse in al humblenes vnto that mercy which alone can saue our soules c Adrian de Traiecto de Eucharistia fol. 20. Iugiter super pannuâ— vitae quem iustitiae operibus teximus stictamus saniem diuersorum criminum Adrian of Vtrecht saith That our merits are a staffe of reede which breakes and pierces the hand of him that leanes on it they are at an vncleane thing as filthie raggs on this cloth of good life that we thinke to weaue and worke vpon by our workes of righteousnesse we distill continually the corrupt filthy and putrified matter of diuers crimes What confidence then can man haue before God who loues none that is not conuerted to him with all his heart Thus spake hee who since hath been Pope named Adrian the VI. CHAP. VII I. Although that the Spirit hath beene more plentifully giuen vnder the Gospell then vnder the Law yet none hath perfectly kept the Law vnder the Gospell II. Not Zacharie and Elizabeth III. Not Iohn Baptist IIII. Nor the Virgin Marie V. The Fathers haue taught that the Virgin Marie
greater reward There were certaine heretikes in Saint Austins time g August eâ—â—st 89. quast 4. which taught that a rich man remaining in his possessions and riches cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen although he hath done the Commandements of God with his riches Saint Austin answeres and refutes them by the examples of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Our Fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob that are departed out of this world so long before haue escaped the disputations of these men for all these had nâ— small riches as the most faithfull Scripture witnesseth it and notwithstanding euen he who being truely rich became poore for vs hath foretold by a most true promise h Mat. 8.11 Non supra ipsos vel extra ipsos sed cum ipsis that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe in the Kingdome of Heauen not aboue them nor beyond them but with them These words doe minister vnto me a second argument That which being obserued brings not a greater glory then if it were not obserued is no Counsell but to sell all that we haue and giue to the poore procures not a greater glory then is that of Abraham Isaac and Iacob which haue not sold that which they had Therefore to sell what we haue and giue to the poore is not a Counsell The Maior is grounded vpon the definition of a Counsell such a one as is in the Pastorall Letter The minor is of the Scripture witnessing that none shall haue a greater glory then Abraham Isaac and Iacob who haue liued and died abounding in great wealth and substance because as Saint Austin hath obserued They which shall come from the East and West of what qualitie and condition soeuer they be shall be in heauen with them and not beyond them nor before them Therefore the conclusion is necessarie III. Nay furthermore although it were a Counsell all the world may see that the Author of the Pastorall Letter alleageth it against himselfe and ouerthroweth that which he pretends to build by it for if to sell all that we haue is a Counsell of perfection meritorious and worthy of a greater reward and glory why doth he not it himselfe why giues he not ouer his Cardinals Hat why desires he to be called any longer the Prince of the Church with what conscience doth hee possesse and enioy the reuenew of two thousand pounds yeerely why sells hee not all giues not all takes not the scrip and so follow Christ The Pope abounding more in gold and siluer then any King in Christendome the Cardinals whereof some of them are richer then any Prince or Lord in Christendome the Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall persons that are ouerwhelmed in riches and pleasures why doe they not as much Saint Peter of whose succession the Pope boasts i Act. 3.6 had neither siluer nor gold Saint Paul was so poore that k Act. 18.3 20.34 1. Cor. 4.12 1. Thes 2.9 2. Thes 3.8 he got his liuing by making tents The other Apostles were no better at ease l Mat. 19.27 Behold say they vnto Christ we haue forsaken all and followed thee Where shall we finde any of their Bishops which maintaine that they are their successors any one of them that forsaketh his riches to follow Christ who amongst them would be Bishop but to haue riches who amongst them would burden and charge himselfe with that office if that office were not charged with many fat and great benefices These are notwithstanding they who liuing in the world and in pleasure as much as any of the world doe preach pouertie and extreme miserie vnto others like the Pharisees in this point of whom Christ Iesu our Master said m Math. 23.4 They binde heauie burdent and grieuous to bee borne and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselues will not moue them with one of their fingers IIII. As he condemnes himself in alleaging this pretended Counsell as a greater louer of the perishable riches of this world then of the greatest glory of heauen n Mat. 6.20 Where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues doe not breake thorow nor steale Euen so he ouerthrowes his cause which he would recommend He threatens with excommunication â— father and a mother that haue opposed themselues that their daughters should not resort nor giue themselues to the Vrselines It must bee a matter of very great importance for the which a man is excommunicated that is to say cut off from the Communion of Saints and deliuered vnto Satan What haue they done They haue laboured to hinder their daughters entring into the Couent of the Vrseline Nunnes Is that a sinne worthie of excommunication He that opposeth himselfe against the obseruation of the Counsels of Christ is worthy of execration I will say with Saint Paul o 1 Cor. 16.22 Let him bee Anathema maranatha I will say vnto him as Saint Paul did to Elymas p Act. 13.10 O full of all subtiltie and all mischiefe thou childe of the deuill thou enemie of all right cousnesse wilt thou not cease to peruert the right waâ—â—s of the Lord But where are these Counsels Behold here one Goe and sell that thou hast c. Is this Counsell giuen to the Vrselines is it followed and done by the Vrselines Do they sell all that they haue to giue to the poore Doe they not take away and conuey their wealth with them into the Cloyster of the Vrselines Doe they not robbe their fathers and mothers and parents by an impious barbarous and cruell deuotion to inrich the Vrselines Are the Vrselines those poore of whom Christ saith and giue it to the poore Here I appeale vnto the conscience of Monkes Is there any of them all that selles all that he hath an giues it to the poore They which begge among them and others become Monks or are often compelled by their fathers and mothers to become Monkes that their goods and patrimonie remaine in the house to entertaine the greatnesse and honour thereof and enrich their eldest brother Others transporte their patrimony with them into the corporation of the Cloister and make good cheare therewith Is that a selling of all that they haue giuing it to the poore Therefore it is a pure mockerie yea they gull the world by preaching so much the Counsel of Christ and couering with so faire a name the hypocrisie of those which doe not Christs words which sell nothing giue nothing to the poore which seeke all meanes to enrich themselues by making many families poore Such are the Iesuites and such would the Vrselines be shortly if men would let them doe it V. I haue sufficiently proued that Christs words to the rich man are no Counsell in the sense wherein this word is taken in this disputation I will make you now see by the true exposition thereof that they are a particular precept giuen vnto this young Lord. The Euangelists doe declare
and filled with violence then when m Genes 6.2 the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men and tooke them wiues of all which they chose To proue this we neede but enter into great Cities and may iustly cry against them as in old time the Prophet cried against Ierusalem n 〈◊〉 3.1 Wee to her that is gluttenous fi lt his and polluted to the oppressing Citie The strong are within her roaring Lions they are night-wolues which leaue no bones to gnaw vpon in the morning of whom the Prophet Micah prophesied o Mica 2.1.2 Wee to them that deuise iniquitie and worke euill vpon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hand and they couet fieldes and take them by vilence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house euen a man and his heritage The women and maides do paint their faces and tire their heads like p 2. King 9.30 Iezabel They dance as the daughter q Mat. 14.6 of Herodias did They go abroad with a Mercers shop on their shoulders of whom it is written as otherwhiles of the daughters of Sion r Isai 3.16.17 Because the daughters of Sion are haughtie and walke with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they goe and making a tinckling with their feete The Lord will smite with a scabbe the crowne of the head of the daughters of Zion and the Lord will discouer their secret parts There are but few that can say with this young Lord that they haue not committed adulterie that they haue kept the Commandement in regard of the outward righteousnesse of the Law yea few that know the Commandements yea that will heare speake of them few therefore whom our Lord Iesus Christ loueth as he loued this young man although he loued him not with that speciall loue wherof S. Iohn witnesseth that hauing ſ John 13.1 loued his owne which were in the world he loued them vnto the ende Hee loued him because he saw in him a desire to profit but he loued him not as hauing profited much He loued him to conuince him of sin but he loued him not to conuert him from his sinne He loued him to warne and admonish him of that which he should doe but he loued him not to make him to doe it He loued him to instruct him he loued him not to saue him He loued him with that measure of loue wherewith he loued the Doctor of Law who although he asked him which is the great Commandement in the Law in tempting him t Mat. 22.35 hee omitted not to approue the good he found in him and to say vnto him u Mark 12.34 Thou art not farre from the kingdome of heauen But he loued him not with that loue wherewith he loued his disciples x Iohn 15.9.13 As my Father hath loued me so haue I loued you greater loue hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends In a word he loued him with a common loue of a Doctor teaching with mildnesse those which came to him but he loued him not with that speciall loue of a Sauiour wherewith he hath loued none but his Church as it is written y Ephes 5.25.26.27 He loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Louing him therefore with that common loue of a Doctor and Teacher he proceedes to instruct him and saith vnto him X. a Mat. 19.21 If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me What is that to say If thou wilt be perfect It is as much as to say saith Bellarmine b Bellar. de monach c. 9. §. 18. Si nones contentus vita aeterna sed aspiras ad excellentem gradum in ipsa vita aeterna as if thou art not content with eternall life but doest aspire vnto an excellent degree in eternall life O man wherewith can he content himselfe that is not contented with eternall life which is the gaine of the death of the Sonne of God and of all that which God promiseth which God giueth vnto those he loues all that the Saints sigh after the Abstract and epitome of all that which they beleeue all which they desire and indeuour to apprehend all that which they obtaine apprehēd Where hath Christ Iesus taught any not to content himselfe with eternall life Where is it written that to be perfect is as much as not to be content with eternall life as much as to aspire vnto a more excellent degree in eternall life How can such a glosse agree with the Text For let them tell me if this young man had already merited eternall life or no If hee had merited it then it would follow that hee that is no Christian that is not iustified in the bloud of Christ that is not sanctified by the Spirit of Christ that hath not acknowledged Christ but a good Master and Doctor and not for his good Sauiour that neuer followed Christ that refused to follow Christ can merit eternall life Now if eternall life can be gotten without Christ Christ came into the world in vaine in vaine is he dead and hath fully finished the worke of our redemption in vaine If he had merited it how went hee away sorrowfull when Christ counselled him to sell all that he◠had and to follow him How came it to passe that he went not rather away altogether ioyfull and content For hee enquired onely of eternall life and Christ gaue him this testimonie if we beleeue Bellarmine that hee had already merited eternall life there was then great occasion of great ioy And as touching the words Goe and sell that thou hast it was saith Bellarmine but a Counsell which Christ left to his choice either to doe it or to leaue it vndone without danger There was then no subiect no cause of sorrow except they will affirme that the Saints which neuer wore a Monkes Cowle nor euer haunted a Cloister shall haue wherewith to bee sorrowfull in heauen seeing themselues depriued of that more excellent degree of glory which is nothing else but the Aureola in that part there to the end the holy Ghost may be condemned of falsehood in the description of the eternall happinesse which hee setteth downe saying that there shall be no more sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine And if he hath not fulfilled the Law he hath not deserued eternall life as his owne conscience witnessed against him when he went away sorrowfull as our Sauiour Christ declared after he was gone saying d Mark
10.24 Children how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdome of heauen If he trusted in his riches hee was couetous and if couetous an idolater for e Col. 3.5 couetousnesse is dolatrie and f Ephes 5.5 the couetous is an idolater and if an idolater hee hath not kept the Law if he hath not kept the Law he hath not merited eternall life Contrariwise he hath been excluded and debarred from it by the transgression of the Law and namely by his couetousnesse that made him g Iob 31.24 make gold his hope and say to the fine gold Thou art my confidence Whereupon the Lord pronounced that hee shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen when a Carnell can goe through the eye of a needle And if he hath not kept the Law he hath not merited eternall life but for his couetousnesse is punished with euerlasting torment surely the perfection whereof the Lord speaketh is not a more excellent degree of eternall life in heauen but hath another sense and meaning which offereth it selfe euidently in the Text. XI After the young man had said that hee had kept the Commandements to the which the Lord sent him backe hee asketh againe h Mat. 19.20 What lacke I yet Hee had made his first demaund touching the meanes of attaining vnto eternall life He asketh againe if he lacked yet something Of what Surely of the meanes whereby he might haue eternall life For hee was not as yet taught that there were in heauen Aureolae and therfore he made no such demaund He would haue been content to haue laine in Abrahams bosome and to haue sat at table with him in the kingdome of heauen Therefore the Lord answereth to his demaund If thou wilt be perfect that is to say if thou desirest that there be nothing wanting in thee to the obtaining of eternall life Goe and sell that thou hast and giue to the poore c. Either this is the sense of the answere or else the Lord answered not to his question let the other Euangelists be heard and you shall finde that this is the true sense and meaning Saint Marke setteth downe Christs answere in this manner i Mark 10.21 One thing thou lackest Saint Luke in these wordes k Luk. 18.22 Yet lackest thou one thing sell all that thou hast and distribute vnto the poore c. Certainely he lacked this one thing to haue eternall life whereof onely he made the demaund and therefore the sense of our Sauiours words is Thou hast not yet all that is necessary to eternall life wherefore if thou wilt be perfect and desirest to lacke nothing whereby to be saued go and sell all that thou hast c. The Lord therefore speaketh not of a greater perfection then that which is commanded in the Law much lesse of a more excellent degree of glory in heauen For to what purpose should hee haue counselled such a perfection to a man that was a Iew by profession and that was not his disciple For reason would haue required that hee should make him first of a Iew a Christian and so by degrees of a Christian a Monke seeing that to be a Monke or Frier is the highest degree of Christian perfection in this life and hath the highest degree of glory in the life to come as the Monkes doe say XII Now follow the words l Mat. 19.20 Goe and sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me In these words is a twofold commandement and promise the first is a commandement of charitie the second a commandement of faith Of the first Clement Alexandrinus writeth thus m Clemens Alexand stromat 3. lib. 3. Refellit eum qui gloriatur quod omnia à iuuentute praecepta seruauerit non enim impleuerat illud Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum Tunc autem vt qui à Domino perficeretur docebatur communicare impertire per charitatem Pulchrè ergo non prohibuerat esse diuitem sed esse diuitem iniustè inexplebiliter That when the Lord saith goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore hee refutes him which boasteth that he had kept all the Commandements from his youth vp for he had not fulfilled the Commandement Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe But then that he might be made perfect by the Lord he was taught to impart and giue by charitie and therefore he prohibits him not to bee rich but to bee vniustly and vnsatiably rich n Origen in hunc locum Origen saith plainely that if he had kept the Commandement Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe the Lord had not spoken to him of a greater perfection and he alleageth to this purpose a certaine Gospell according to the Hebrewes non ad authoritatem sed ad manifestationem propositae quaestionis not for the authorising but for the clearing of the question propounded where our Lords words are thus set downe o Jbid. Quomodo dicis legem feci prophetas quoniam scriptum est in lege Diliges proximum c. ecce multi fratres tui filij Abrahae amicti sunt stercore morientes prae fame domus tua plena est multis bonis non egreditur omnin◠aliquid ex ea ad cos How saiest thou I haue kept the Law and the Prophets seeing that it is written in the Law Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self and behold many of thy brethren the sons of Abraham are couered with dung and die for hunger and thy house is stuft with store of goods and there goeth nothing out of it to them And then declaring his opinion p Ibidem Verum est ergo quia non impleuit diues mandatum c. It is true saith he that the rich man hath not fulfilled the Commandement Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe for he despiseth many of the poore and hath giuen none of his riches to them And a little after expounding the meaning of the words q Ibid. Volens arguere diuitem illum dominus noster quasi non vera dicentem c. dixit ad eum si vis c. Sic enim apparebis dicere verum si dilixisti aut diligis proximum tuum sicut teipsum The Lord saith he intending to conuince this rich man as one not telling the truth c. saith vnto him If thou will be perfect goe and sell that thou hast and giue to the poore for so it will appeare that thou saiest true if thou hast loued or if thou louest thy neighbour as thy selfe It is therefore a Commandement and a Commandement of charitie XIII Bellarmine gain-saieth this saying that this is not a Commandement of charitie because that r Bellar. de monach c. 9. §. 19. Charitie requires onely that we loue our neighbour as our selues and therefore requires not that we giue all
fires were lighted the sword drawne the publicke power and strength armed with fury with threatnings and with vengeance against the faithfull did abstaine from marriage for the Kingdome of Heauens sake For he who in time of persecution is charged with wife and children and sees himselfe brought to this hard necessitie either to bow the knee before Baal or to be depriued of that wherewith hee should sustaine his family to bee separated by banishment or death from those that are the halfe of himselfe his flesh his bones and his bloud or else to traile and leade them all after him with great feare toyle and continuall danger hath no small tentations hee that faints not nor yeeldes vnto them may well say that hee hath in him a greater strength then that of the world But hee which is alone whether he must flie or must die for the Gospell is farre from these tentations and is rid from all that which might stay him which might diuert or quench the zeale whereby he is carried to a free and constant profession of the Gospell For which cause the ancient Fathers seeing the Church of God pressed and oppressed with this necessitie did by long and vehement orations exhort men and maides to virginitie and many of them did follow their exhortations not by vow but by Gods gift and calling not by superstition and opinion of any merit and greater perfection but to apply themselues the better to the seruice of God with lesse disturbance without shutting themselues into a Monasterie without forsaking their houses without selling their goods or leauing them and without tying themselues to a continuall continencie For the daughters went abroad in publike as the others clothed like others and sometimes too sumptuously which Saint Cyprian reprehends saying Quid ornata quid compta prâ—cedit quasi maritum aut habeat aut quarat Why goeth she forth decked and tricked vp as if she had a husband or else sought one Some of them were very rich and did debate to maintaine their vanitie that they ought to vse their riches The holy man commands them not to sell them but take the vse of thy riches O virgin y Cyprian de habit virg vtere sed ad res salutares vtere sed ad bonas artes vtere sed ad illa quae Deus praece pit quae dominus ostendit DiuiteÌ„ tesentiant pauperes locupletem sentiant indigentes Patrimonium tuum Deo foenera Christum ciba c. saith he vse them but vnto wholesome things vse them but to good artes vse them but in such things as God hath commanded as the Lord hath shewed let the poore feele that thou art rich the needie that thou hast meanes giue thy patrimonie to vsurie vnto God feede Christ c. Iustin Martyrs words are ill translated and altered from their sense For he speaks not there of virgins but of those only which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaine chaste or without defiling themselues with fornication as the Gentiles did among whom it was a hard matter to finde one that had liued without defiling themselues with that sinne whereas Iustin boasteth that hee could shew not those which haue kept Christs discipline as if single life were the discipline of our Lord Iesus Christ but those which haue learned the doctrine of Christ from their infancie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many of all orders men and women of threescore and of seuentie yeeres of age which haue neuer defiled themselues But that hee spake of virgines closely shut vp in a monastery separated from the world vayled and clothed with a particular habit affected by their order bound by the vow of perpetuall continence that they sold all forsake all transported their patrimonie ouer to the Cloisters that they were holier perfecter better then the maried women that they did more then they were commanded that they merited Aureolas by their workes of supererogation This is that which they should proue against vs and this is that wherein all they that vndertake this taske shall come short vnto whom I will say that which Iob said vnto his friends z Ioh 6.29 Turne I pray you let there bee none iniquitie returne I say and yee shall see yet my righteousnesse in that behalfe Come Lord Iesus euen so come FINIS Errata Pag. 2. line 9. the introgation is to be put after these words walk deceiued die Pag 7. l. 18. r. consolations p. 8. l. 4. r. gardiens p. 14. 30 r. their enlightning p. 20. l. 11. put out that p. 21. l. 13. put out defend them aud p. 27. l. 36. r. defining p. 30. l. 27. r. and the people p. 33. l. 15. put out of p 37. l. 28. r. Authors p. 40. l. 24. r. Truch-men l. 26. put out and. p. 46. l. 17. r. sand p. 55. l. 31. r. in the Counsell p. 56. l. 28. put out back Courteous Reader in reading ouer this Booke thou maist chance to meete with some other faults the which I intreate thee to mend with thy peâ—
being a Pharisee touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law blamelesse which things he esteemed gaine as then to him iudging that he was well prouided of all the righteousnesse of the Law necessarie to saluation Euen so the Pharisee p Luk. 18.11.12 God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican I fast twice in the weeke I giue tithes of all that I possesse It might be that he spake truly but he deceiued himselfe in that he thought that God was as man to content himselfe with an outward righteousnesse whereas if he had come to the Schoole of Christ q Mat. 5.21 or else had well considered and pondered the summe of the Law he had learned that God who is a Spirit and that aboue all asketh the heart as he saith r Prou. 23.26 My Sonne giue me thine heart hath giuen a spirituall Law to the spirit of man that he may be serued Å¿ John 4.23 in spirit and in truth Thus Saint Paul learnt it after his conuersion and instructed that the last Commandement t Rom. 7.7 Thou shalt not couet did condemne the first bad motions of the heart did acknowledge and confesse himselfe a sinner and declared that then he began to count all his pretended righteousnesse and all his other prerogatiues u Phil. 3.8.9 but losse and dung that hee might winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ namely the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Ferus giues this reason saying x Ferus in Mat. 19. Adolescens Iudaeorum more praecepta tantum externè aspiciebat ideò in hanc praesumptionem inciderat The young man according to the custome and manner of the Iewes did onely consider the Commandements outwardly therefore he fell into this presumption c. VIII Lastly he asked What lacke I yet y Ibidem looking saith Ferus that Christ would haue told him that he lacked nothing They stumble at this stone which doe referre and restraine the Commandement to outward things only For these doe easily rush headlong into presumption and that is fulfilled in them which is written in the Reuelation z Reuel 3.17 Thou saiest I am rich and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Finally these are more dangerously sicke and more difficultly healed then if they were openly wicked To these therefore this sentence appertaineth a Reuel 3.15 I would thou wert cold or hot What can wee say more smoothly and conformably to the words of Christ vnto the Priests and Elders of the Church as righteous as this young Ruler b Mat. 21.31 Verily I say vnto you that the Publicans and the Harlots goe into the Kingdome of God before you IX But this seemes to disagree with that which we reade in Saint Marke namely that the rich man hauing said that he had kept all the Commandements from his youth c Mark 10.21 Iesus beholding him loued him Now the Lord loueth no liars and therefore it is credible that he said the truth saith d Bellar. de mon. c. 9. §. 24. Bellarmine but truely it is in no wise credible that he was neuer angry with his brother without a cause that he neuer coueted in his heart any thing appertaining vnto his neighbour To be short that he loued his neighbor his enemie yea the stranger an vnknowne man yea his very friend as himselfe that is to say with such an affection sinceritie feruencie earnestnesse readinesse of courage and with such loyaltie as himselfe If he had loued only the poore of his Countrie of his towne of his neighbourhood as himselfe hee had not reserued to himselfe so much wealth Wherefore it is certaine that he lied in respect of the true vnderstanding of the Law but he lied not in regard of the interpretation and meaning that the Pharises gaue leading a blamelesse life from his youth vp among men for the which cause our Lord loued him that is to say according to Lyras exposiposition he shewed him an amiable countenance e Lyra in Marc. c. 10. Ostendit sibâ— vultum amâ—cabilem For the Greeke word f Eustath in Odyss Origen in hunc locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is heere turned to loue among other things signifies to receiue one courteously and friendly Saint Markes words doe beare plainely this sense for he saith not simply that Iesus loued him but that he beheld him and loued him that is to say did behold him with a meeke and louely looke testifying to him that hee did make much esteeme and account of this affection wherewith he was carried to the outward obseruation of the Law For it was prophesied of Christ that g Isai 42.3 Mat. 12.20 a bruised reede shall be not breake and smoking flaxe shall he not quench that is to say he would approue the least appearance of good that he should finde in men intertaining it and not quenching it as it is also written in Zacharie h Zach. 4.10 who hath despised the day of small things And truly it was a good beginning and worthy of praise and commendation to see a young man shunning from his tender yeeres the desires of youth and following after all honest and laudable things among men O that our Christians young and old could represent euery where in their liues the innocent life of this young Ruler that they did not vse their tongues to deceit that they had not their feete so swift to doe euill that their handes were not so full of bloud the widdow should not be so trodden vnder foote the weake should not bee so harried and opprest the simple circumuented the poore despised and Achab should not take away quo iure quâ iniuriâ poore Naboths vineyard Were they but good onely in equall comparison with certaine Heathens that would be profitable to them for they should thereby haue more glory among men and lesse torment in hell But alasse our life iustifieth and excuseth the liues of the Pharisees and Heathen men which haue not sinned halfe so much as we haue done If God blesse some with prosperitie and how many doe we see i Psal 113.7.8 whom he raiseth out of the dust and lifteth out of the dunghill making them to sit with Princes yea with the Princes of his people as Dauid saith Suddenly k Psal 73.6.7.8.9 pride compasseth them about as a chaine violence couereth them as a garment Their eyes stand out with fatnesse they haue more then heart could wish they are corrupt and speake wickedly concerning oppression they speake loftily they set their mouth against the heauens and their tongue walketh through the earth l Genes 6.11 which is now as much nay more corrupt before God