locall circumscription it is no instance against M. PER. rule that locall circumscription cannot be seuered from a true body But because he taketh locall circumscription so nicely as we see he doth I would gladly haue him to resolue vs one question thereof and his answer shall shew the nullity of his owne exception He hath told vs a Preface to the Reader sect 2. before that the body of Christ is in one place circumscribed and in another vncircumscribed circumscribed in heauen and in the Sacrament vncircumscribed Now let him tell vs how the body of Christ in heauen hath locall circumscription To speake of Physicall and material heauens it is true of Christ which the Apostle saith b Ephe. 4.10 He is ascended far aboue all heauens and therefore aboue that highest heauen which M. Bishop nameth to vs beyond which there is neither vacuum nor locus properly so called but the incomprehensible habitation of diuine light which our thoughts are in no sortable to conceiue How then is the body of Christ locally circumscribed where yet there is no Physicall or naturall place Let him giue vs answer heereof and then we will answer him that looke what giueth locall circumscription to the body of Christ in heauen the same also giueth locall circumscription to the highest heauen Vnderstand the highest heauen gentle Reader as M. Bishop doth for the vttermost sphere of the materiall globe of this visible world beyond which is that heauen into which we beleeue our Lord Iesus to haue ascended and where we hope to dwell with him This exception being frustrate let vs see the rest where M. Bishop standing nicely and precisely vpon termes of schooles telleth vs that M. PERKINS makes himselfe a common mocking-stocke to euery simple Logician of whom notwithstanding I dare boldly say that hee was as good a Logician as Doctour Bishop is though writing to the people he vsed his words accordingly He saith that quantity is the common essence of euery body and who knoweth not saith M. Bishop that no accident as euery quantity is can be of the essence of a substance as Christs body is Well Sir but yet quantity giueth existence to euery body which is enough to M. PER. purpose and to be the subiect of quantity or indued with quantity is the common and true essence of a body If he will say nay we desire him of his courtesie to take the paines to send vs without quantity the true definition of a body Albeit his reading might serue him to vnderstand that there are few learned men or none at all so strict in termes but that they call by the name of essentiall properties whatsoeuer doth immediately and necessarily issue from the essence of a thing though according to Logicke rules it be no part of the essence thereof And thus M. PERK saith againe that to be circumscribed in place is an essentiall property of euery quantity which saith M. Bishop no man would say that cared what hee said And why Because all numbers saith hee which be quantities haue no relation vnto any place But hee might easily haue conceiued that M. PER. as I said before spake according to vulgar vse which for the most part vnderstandeth quantity of the magnitude and greatnesse of bodies in which meaning it is a property flowing out of the essence of euery quantity not onely to be apt to be circumscribed with a place but to be circumscribed and determined locally according to that meaning of locall circumscription which I haue before expressed Therefore in this sort it is not a meere accident to a substantiall body to be circumscribed but it is proprium quarto modo agreeing alwaies to euery body and to nothing but a body necessarily arising of the dimensions of the length breadth and thicknesse of a body and the deniall whereof is the taking away of the nature of a body As for his allegation of the almightie power of God how idle it is it hath beene c Preface to the Reader sect 8. before declared For God doth not by his omnipotency contradict himselfe neither doth his power serue to make good the fantasticall dreames of giddy headed men to be said to destroy the nature of a thing and yet to leaue it still continuing the selfe-same thing But it is woorth the noting how M. Bishop heere plaieth the micher and stealeth by two allegations vsed by M. Perkins very pertinent to the matter heere in hand It is for the illocality of the body of Christ that M. Bishop pleadeth the omnipotency of God but M. Perkins bringeth in Leo Bishop of Rome saying that d Leo. epist. 70. Nulla ratione extranostri est corporis veritatem the body of Christ is in no sort without the truth of our body This he passeth by without any mention of it as if he had not seene any such thing The words of Saint Austin he vouchsafed to take some knowledge of but applieth them generally to all bodies whereas Saint Austin also spake of the body of Christ making a difference betwixt Christ as God and man e August in Ioan. tract 31. In terra loquebatur tamen in caelose esse dicebat sic venit vt inde non abscederet sic redijt vt nos non derelinqueret Quid miraminâ— Deus hoc facit Homo enim secundù m corpus in loco est de loco migrat cum ad alium locum venerit in eo loco vnde venit non est Deus autem implet omnia vbique totus est non secundum spatia tenetur locis Christ saith he spake vpon earth and yet said he was in heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen He so came as that he departed not from thence he so returned as that he did not forsake vs. Why do ye wonder heereat saith he God doth this For man according to his body is in a place and departeth from the place and when he is come into another place is not in that place from whence hee came but God filleth all things and is whole euery where and is not conteined in â—ace of place Thus doth Saint Austin distinguish the God-head and man-hood of Christ making the body of Christ of the same condition with our bodies so as that it leaueth one place whensoeuer it commeth to another The church of Rome therefore affirming a body of Christ without extention or space of place that is a ghost in stead of a body impugneth the article of our faith whereby we beleeue that he was conceiued and borne of the substance of the Virgin Mary according to the truth and condition of our bodies 5. W. BISHOP By this is confuted also his second instance Christ is ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father therefore his body is not really and locally in the Sacrament This followeth not Chrysost lib. de sacerd because it is in both places at once as Saint Chrysostome in
articles of the Creed to beleeue the remission of his owne sinnes vnto euerlasting life The first as he alleageth is thus p August de bono perseuer cap. 22. De vita aeterna quam filijs promissionu promi sit non mendax deus ante tempora a terna nemo potest esse secuâ—usmisicum â—oÌ„summata fuerit ista vita quae tentatio est super terram sed faciet nos perseuerare in se vsque in huius vitae â—nem cui quotidie dicin us Ne nos inferas in tentationem Of life euerlasting which God that cannot lie hath from euerlasting promised to the children of promise no man can be secure before his life be ended which is a temptation vpon earth But what M. Bishop did your breath faile you that you could goe no further did you not thinke the end of the sentence as woorthy to be repeated as the beginning Goe on man tell out your tale for Saint Austin addeth further But he wil make vs to perseuere in him vnto the end of this life to whom we daily say Lead vs not into temptation What could Saint Austin deuise to speake more agreable to our assertion than this is We say that respecting our selues we haue no security wee are continually beset with danger and feare many occasions we haue of distrust and despaire and with these temptations we haue to wrastle the whole course of this life but amidst all our distractions and feares this is stil the support of our faith that he wil make vs to perseuere in him to the end of our life to whom we daily say Lead vs not into temptation q 1. Thess 5.24 Faithfull is he saith the Apostle who hath called you who will also doe it In the other place Saint Austin saith that r â—e corrept gratia cap 13. CredenauÌ„ est quâ—sdam de filijs perditionis non accepto do no perseuerantiae vsque in finem in fide quae per dilectionem operatur incipe re viuere aliquandiu fideliter aciustè viuere postea cadere c. we are to beleeue that some of the children of perdition not hauing receiued the gift of perseuering to the end doe begin to liue in faith that worketh by loue and for a while doe liue faithfully and iustly and afterwards doefall away But this Saint Austin speaketh according to men and as seemeth to the eies of men and of that profession of faith which by outward fruits carieth for the time the semblance of true faith For to the eies of God I haue Å¿ Of the certainty of saluation sect 10. before shewed out of Austin that reprobates are neuer effectually called neuer iustified neuer partakers of that healthfull and spirituall repentance whereby man in Christ is reconciled vnto God Therefore Gregory Bishop of Rome faith that t Gregor Moral l. 25. c. 8. Specie tenus credunt quotquot certum est electorum numerum summamque transire Ad fidem specie tenus regni veniunt qui a numero regnicaelestis excluduntur they who are not of the number of the elect doe beleeue but only in shew do in shew onely come to the faith of the kingdome u Ibid. lib. 34. cap. 13. Aurum quod prauis eius persuasionibus quasi lutum sternipotuerit aurum ante dei oculos nunquam fuâ—t Qui enim seduci quandoque non reuersuri possunt quasi habitam sanctitatem ante oculos hominum videntor amittere sed eam ante oculos dei nunquam habuerunt that the gold which by Satans wicked suggestions commeth to be troden vnder feete like dirt was neuer gold in Gods sight that they who can be seduced neuer to returne againe seeme to lose the holinesse which they had after a sort before the eies of men but indeed they neuer had it in the sight of God Behold heere M. Bishop one of your owne Bishops of Rome either a correctour if you will so haue it or as we will rather say an expounder of Saint Austins words but wholly aduerse and contrary to you denying vnto reprobates that faith and holinesse which you so confidently attribute vnto them So that in fine we see that M. PERK not by forced exposition or vaine illations but directly and according to truth hath charged you with impious violation of the first principles of the faith 8. W. BISHOP Hence he proceedeth to the tenne Commandements But before I follow him thither I may not omit heere to declare how the Protestant Doctors doe foully mangle and in manner ouerturne the greatest part of the Creed Obserue first that according to their common doctrine it is not necessary to beleeue this Creed at all because it is no part of the written word secondly that Caluin doubteth whether it were made by the Apostles or no being then no part of the written word Cal. lib. 2. Instit cap. 16. sess 18. not made by the Apostles it must by their doctrine be wholly reiected Now to the particulars 1. Concerning the first article I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth they doe erre many waies First they doe destroy the most simple vnity of the God-head Confess fidei gener by teaching the diuine essence to be really distinguished into three persons If the diuine nature be really distinguished into three there must needes be three diuine essences or natures ergo three Gods Caluin also saith In actis Serueti pag. 872. that the Sonne of God hath a distinct substance from his Father Melancthon that there be aswell three diuine natures as three persons in locis de Christo Secondly they ouerthrow the Father in the God-head by denying the Sonne of God to haue receiued the diuine nature from his Father as Caluin Beza and Whitakers doe See the Preface Thirdly how is God almighty if he cannot do all things that haue no manifest repugnance in them But he cannot after the opinion of diuers of them make a body to be without locall circumscription or to bee in two places at once which notwithstanding some others of them hold to be possible In colloq Marpurg art 29. Li. 1. cont Scargum cap. 14. Dialog de corpore Christi pag. 94. De consil part 2.276 as Zwinglius Oecolampadius Andreas Volanus c. Fourthly though we beleeue God to be maker of heauen and earth yet neuer none but blasphemous Heretikes held him to be true authour and proper worker of all euill done vpon earth by men Such neuerthelesse bee Bucer Zwinglius Caluin and others of greatest estimation among the Protestants See the Preface 2. And in IESVS Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. They must needes hold Christ not to be Gods true naturall Son which denie him to haue receiued the diuine nature from the Father againe thy make him according to his God-head inferiour to his Father See the Preface 3. Borne of the Virgin MARY Many of them teach that Christ was borne as
the dignity and worthinesse of our workes And if he say that this is all of God doth he any more than the Pharisie did who said y Luk. 18.11 I thanke thee O God that I am not as other men are c. z Hieron adu Pelag. lib. 3. Ille agit gratias deo quia illius misericordia non sit sicut caeteri homines Hee thanketh God saith Hierome that by his mercy hee is not like other men hee acknowledgeth his righteousnesse to bee the gift of God but yet hee is reiected whilest with M. Bishop hee flattereth himselfe in opinion of the value and estimation the dignitie and worthinesse of his workes Now the Protestants indeed are not of that Pharisaicall humor thus to plead the reputation of their owne workes and doe take M. Bishop therein to be a foolish vaine man and yet they doe not therfore debase and vilifie the vertue of the grace of God as hee obiecteth as not allowing it to be sufficient to help the best minded man in the world to doe any worke that doth not mortally offend God but doe confesse and teach that the faithfull by the grace of God do many good workes very highly pleasing vnto God whilest a Psal 103.13 as a father pitieth his children so the Lord is mercifull to them that feare him remembring whereof we be made and considering that we are but dust and being ready when he seeth our willing indeuours to pardon the obliquities the defects and deformities of our doings the same being perfumed by faith with the sweet incense of the obedience of Iesus Christ So then according to rigour of iudgement the Protestants say b Esay 64.6 All our righteousnesse is as a defiled cloth c Dan. 9.7 To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnesse but to vs shame and confusion of face They subscribe that which Gregory saith d Greg. Moral l. 8. c. 9. Iustise peritaeros absque ambiguitate praesciunt firemota pietate iudicentur quia hoc ipsum quò iustè videmur viuere culpa est fi vitam nostram cù iudicat hanc apud se diuina misericordia non excusat The iust know that without all doubt they shall perish if they bee iudged without mercy because euen our iust life as it seemeth is but sinne if Gods mercy doe not excuse it when he shall giue iudgement of it But yet the Protestants know also that by the mediation of Iesus Christ e Rom. 12.1 the giuing vp of our bodies to be a liuing and 〈◊〉 sacrifice is accepble vnto God and that f 1. Pet. 2.5 we are made aspirituall house and holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices which are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ In a word the Protestants know that the Saints of God g Apoc. 4.10 cast their crownes down before the throne of God as arrogating no part thereof to themselues but ascribing all to God and therefore cannot but condemne M. Bishop and the Papists though not of Atheisme yet of Pelagianisme and heresie for that they teach men to keepe their crownes in part vpon their owne heads and to take some part of glory to themselues to the derogation of the glory of God 2. W. BISHOP First he argueth thus He that hath not the Sonne hath not the Father and he that hath neither Father nor Sonne denies God now the present Roman religion hath not the Sonne that is Iesus Christ God and man For they in effect abolish his man-hood by teaching of him to haue two kindes of existing one naturall in heauen whereby he is visible touchable and circumscribed the other against nature whereby he is substantially according to his flesh in the hands of euery Priest inuisible and vncircumscribed Answer M. PER. and all Protestants know right well that we beleeue Iesus Christ to be perfect God and perfect man and therefore wee haue both the Sonne and the Father and his reason against it is not woorth arush for we do not destroy the nature of man by teaching it to haue two diuers maners of existing or being in a place When Christ was transfigured before his Apostles hee had another maner of outward forme and appearance than hee had before yet was not the nature of man in him thereby destroyed and after his resurrection hee was when it pleased him visible to his Apostles and at other times inuisible and yet was not his manhood thereby abolished as M. PER. would make vs beleeue no more is it when his body is in many places at once or in one place circumscribed and in the other vncir cumscribed For these externall relations of bodies vnto their places doe no whit at all destroy their inward and naturall substances as all Philosophie testifieth wherefore hence to gather that we denie both the Father and the Sonne to be God doth sauour I will not say of a silly wit but of a froward will peeuishly bent to cauill and calumniate R. ABBOT As touching the existing of the body of Christ we beleeue what the holy Scripture hath taught vs The body of Christ locally circumscribed and therein we rest as the ancient godly fathers did neither will we listen to the franticke dreames of new deuising heads who for the maintenance of one absurdity not sparing to vndergoe another haue broached a maner of the being of the body of Christ according to the fancies of Marcion Manicheus Apollinaris Eutyches and such other like Heretikes who howsoeuer they admitted the name of a body yet denied the truth thereof What other is it but a fantasticall body which they affirme to be in their consecrated host where there is the sauour and tast of bread the colour and appearance of bread to sense and feeling no other but bread and yet there is no bread but a body of flesh and blood as they tell vs or rather a body which hath neither flesh nor blood M. Bishop coloureth the matter by telling vs of a diuers maner of existing or being in a place but why doe neither Scriptures nor Fathers tell vs of this diuers maner of existing or being I know that to make some shew of antiquity they alleage a few sentences of the Fathers farre enough from the purpose but this matter could not haue so passed with a by-sentence or two when there were so many and so great occasions fully to declare it and to insist vpon it if it had beene beleeued then as it is taught now They cleerely and plainely taught that a Aug. in Ioan. tract 50. secundum carnem quam verbum assumpsit ascendit in coe um non est hic Christ according to his body is ascended into heauen and is not heere and against the Manichees that b Idem cont faust Mauich l. 20. c. 11. sacundum praesentiam corporalem simul in sole in luna in cruce esse non posset Christ according to bodily presence could not at once be in the
with his owne rodde and to shew that he careth not what he saith so that it serue his present turn howsouer it crosse him otherwhere Yet further Caluin noteth elsewhere that Christ could not get any other to be his disciples then some certaine poore fellowes of the refuse and dregges of the people Marke the text gentle Reader vpon which Caluin giueth that obseruation o Luk. 7.29 Then all the people that heard and the Publicanes iustified God being baptised with the baptisme of Iohn but the Pharisees and the interpreters of the law despised the counsell of God against themselues and were not baptised of him Heereupon hee saieth p Calu. ibid. Hoc quidem primo aspectu Euangelij gloriam valde obscurat immò deformat quòd discipulos Christus nō nisi ex faece populi quisquilijs colligere potuit qui autem sanctitate vel doctrina praestabant ipsum repudiabant sed dominus hoc initio specimen edere voluit ne vel illius aetatis homines vel posters Euangelium aestimarent humana probatione This at first sight obscureth the glory of the Gospell yea disgraceth it that Christ could get no other disciples but of the dregges and refuse of the people and that they who excelled in learning and holinesse did refuse him But God by this beginning would giue token that neither they then nor others afterward should esteeme the Gospell by humane approbation Now why doth M. Bishop dislike of this obseruation What doth he finde that Christ had Popes to be his Disciciples or that like a Pope he had Cardinals fellowes to Kings and Emperours to attend him The Pharisees could say by way of preiudice against him q Ioh. 7.48 Doth any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beleeue in him but this people which know not the law contemptuously pointing at them which n Idem de bono perseuer ca. 14. Quoniam vt crederent non erat eis datum etiam vnde crederent est negatum followed him are cursed Yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe saith to his father r Matt. 11.25 I thanke thee O father Lord of heauen earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent of this world and hast opened them to babes See heere the wise the Prudent the Rulers the Pharisees they all refuse Christ but the people the poore babes sinners ſ Matt. 9.10 21.32 publicans and harlots they are noted to receiue him And is M. Bishop offended that these are tearmed dregges and refuse or whatsoeuer they were doth not his wit serue him to vnderstand that Caluin speaketh comparatiuely according to the conceite of the world which held these to be but refuse and dregges in comparison of the other Had he neuer read the words of the Apostle t 1. Cor. 1.26 Brethren yee see your calling that not many wisemen after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mighty and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things that are that no flesh should reioice in his presence Harken heere M. Bishop foolish things weake vile despised things that are not what are these in account but dregges and refuse God hauing so disposed that it might appeare that the calling of his grace is not afforded according to any degrees of worldly titles What shall we then hold it but a pange of a distempered braine which M. Bishop sheweth in his censure following seeme not these execrable notes to issue from the pen of some malicious Iew or ranke Atheist Yea but these he telleth vs are but flea-bitings in comparison of those that fellow And what are those forsooth vpon the words of our Sauiour u Matt. 26.39 Father if it be possible let this cup passe from mee Caluin obserueth first that this praier of Christ was vnaduisedly made But that is first according to M. Bishops woont a meere vntruth Praier vnaduisedly made is a matter oferrour and sinne but this Caluin calleth x Caluin ibid. Votum abruptum fuisse fatemur Votum illud subitò elapsum castigat ac reuocat a desire abruptly conceiued which by and by more plainely he tearmeth a desire sodeinely passing from Christ which may be without sin and so was in Christ being drawen out of his pure and vndefiled soule only by horrour of his passion and extreme importunity of his greefe y Mat. 26 37. He began faith Saint Mathew to be sorrowfull and grieuously perplexed z Mar. 14.33 He was afraid saith Marke and in great heauinesse and said My soule is verie heauy euen vnto death Now being thus infinitely surcharged with griefe euen vnto deathes doore his agony being such and so crushing the whole power of nature as that a Luk. 22 44. his sweat was like droppes of blood trickling downe to the ground he praieth as Saint Marke speaketh that if it were possible that houre might passe from him Abba Father all things are possible vnto thee take away this cup from me O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe away from mee thus by instinct of vncorrupted nature shrinking backe from the feeling and experience of that to which notwithstanding by voluntary obedience he both before and then present did submit himselfe saying Neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt be done b Caluin ibid. Eadem vehementia praesentem coelestis decreti memoriam illi abstulit vt non reputaret in ipso momento se hac lege missum esse generis humani redemptorem The same vehemency of griefe saith Caluin tooke away from him the present remembrance of the heauenly decree so that in the very moment hee did not weighwith himselfe that vpon this condition namely with condition of drinking this cup hee was sent to be the Redeemer of mankinde By which words Caluin doth not import that Christ had habitually forgotten Gods decree but that by meanes of the excesse of his griefe hee did not for the present actually fixe his minde vpon it c Ibid. sicut saepegrauis anxietas caliginem oculis obducit ne simul in mentem veniant omnia as saith he great heauinesse doth often cast a mist before the eies so that all things come not to minde at once Now M. Bishop reporteth these words as if Caluin had said that Christ absolutely had forgotten the decree then which hee intended nothing lesse and not contented therewith hee addeth another falsification that he remembred not for the time that he was sent to be the Redeemer of mankinde whereas Caluin addeth with this condition namely with condition of vndergoing that heauy burden So far was Christ heere from forgetting that he was sent to be the Redeemer of mankinde as that his words may
our confidence in them which we are to put in God onely and not increatures of which notwithstanding the Church consisteth Which exposition wee acknowledge conteineth the very trueth agreeable to Gods word and doe wish that they would alwaies continue constant therein But they doe heerein as their vsuall maner is what by euidence of truth they are forced to say in one place for the maintenance of their owne traditions and superstitions they vnsay it or qualifie it in another And in this sort M. Bishop heere dealeth who first inclining somewhat to that construction alreadie mentioned and telling vs that to beleeue in a thing is to make it our Creatour by giuing our whole heart vnto it alleageth notwithstanding that some ancient Doctours take the words to beleeue in not so precisely but say that wee may beleeue in the church and in Saints heereby to make way to his absurd conceits which none of the ancient Doctours dreamed of it is true indeed that Epiphanius and Cyril haue vsed that maner of speech by adding the preposition in to the rest of the articles I beleeue in one holy Catholike church in one Baptisme in the remission of sinnes in the resurrection of the body in the life eternal but yet making thereof no other construction than we do as if the article were away To beleeue in the church was with them as M. Bishop saith to beleeue certainly in the Catholike church to be the onely true company of Christians and thereof we contend not wee beleeue the same as well as they though not in M. Bishops meaning which neuer was any part of their meaning that the Catholike church should be meant in any speciall maner of the church of Rome But whereas he addeth it is another part of their construction that to the lawfull gouernours thereof that is as he intendeth to the Pope and his Cardinals and Bishops it appertaineth to declare both which bookes be Canonicall and what is the true meaning of all doubtfull places in them he verie shamefully abuseth the ancient Doctours of whom there is not one that hath noted any such matter to be conteined in the Creed If hee know any let him acquaint vs therewith if hee know none let him confesse to his Reader as he must that he hath sought to deceiue him with a lie The same I say of beleeuing in Saints for which of the ancient Doctours hath taught vs out of our Creed that we are to beleeue in them He telleth vs what they meant by it that wee beleeue the Saints in heauen to heare our praiers to be carefull to pray for vs and to be able to obteine by intreatie much at Gods hands But what a strange man is he that will tell vs what men meant by words which they neuer spake Surely to beleeue in Saints is no antiquitie but nouelty and the deuice of him who by beleeuing in Saints seeketh to draw men away from beleefe in God The Apostle telleth vs that f Rom. 10 17. Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Thereupon Basil gathereth thus g Basil Ethit reg 80. Si quicquid ex fide non est peccatum est fides verò ex auditu auditus autem pâ—r verbum Dei est ergo quicquid extra diuinam Scripturam est cùm ex fide non sit peccatum est If whatsoeuer is not of faith bee sinne and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God surely whatsoeuer is beside the Scripture of God because it is not of faith is sinne Let M. Bishop then shew vs some word of God some warrant of Scripture that it is one point of faith to beleeue in Saints or if hee cannot so doe we must rest perswaded as we are that to beleeue in Saints is to sinne against God And if we may not beleeue in Saints then neither may we pray vnto them for h Rom. 10.14 how shall they call vpon him saith the Apostle in whom they haue not beleeued And seeing praier is i Grego Moral lib. 22. cap. 13. Vera postulatio non in oris est vocibus sed in cogitationibus cordis not a matter of the lippes but of the heart how can wee beleeue that the Saints in heauen heare our praiers when as the word of God telleth vs that k 1. King 8.39 it is God only which knoweth the hearts of all the children of men Againe seeing God hath himselfe named vnto vs the Mediator by whose intrety l Mat. 3.17 Ephe. 3.12 for whose sake he wil accept vs and in whom he will be m Iohn 14.13 glorified for the granting of our requests who n Rom. 8.34 sitteth at the right hand of God and o Heb. 7.25 euer liueth to make intercession for vs how can we call it faith and not rather impudent presumption that we of our owne heads should set vp euery Saint in heauen to be a Master of requests and disturbe that order which God himselfe hath appointed for our accesse to him Admit that in generality they pray for the consummation of their brethren they pray in fellowship of loue not by authority of mediation as ioined in affection with vs not as by specialtie of fauour appointed to be patrons for vs for in that respect it is true which Saint Austin telleth vs that p August in Psam 64. Solus ibi ex his qui carnem gustaverunt interpellat pro nobis of all that haue beene partakers of flesh it is Christ onely in heauen that maketh intercession for vs. To conclude we haue heard before out of the Catechisme that our beleeuing in God requireth all our confidence and trust to be placed in God onely Accordingly Cyprian saith that q Cyprian de dupl martyr Non credit in deum qui non in eo solo collocat totius felicitatis suae fidutiam he beleeueth not in God that placeth not the confidence of all his happinesse in God onely But beleeuing in Saints cannot be vnderstood but to import putting of trust and confidence in them Therefore we cannot beleeue in Saints but with the ouerthrow of our beleefe and trust in God And that the Popish beleeuing in Saints importeth the putting of their trust and confidence in them it plainly appeareth as by other their offices of deuotion so specially by their Ladies Psalter wherein they blasphemously vse to the Virgin Marie those words whereby Dauid professed his trust in God r Psalter Mariae Psal 7. Domina in te speraui de inimicis meis libera animam meam Psal 10. In domina confido propter dulcedinem misericordiae nominis sui psal 21. Quia ego speraui in gratia tua sempiternum a me opprobrium abstulisti Psal 45. Domina refugium nostrum tu es in omni necessitate nostra Psal 53 Domina in nomine tuo saluum me fac O Lady in thee haue I hoped deliuer my soule from mine enemies I
expresse tearmes teacheth O miracle O goodnesse of God! he that sitteth aboue with his Father at the very same instant is touched with the handes of all men Real presence denied by our beleefe of Christs ascension and giueth himselfe to them that will receiue and embrace him See more of this in the question of the blessed Sacrament where M. PER. citeth the very same authorities which he heere repeateth see my answer to to them there R. ABBOT It is a true argument and very consequent Christ is ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of God the father therefore hee is not really and locally in the sacrament The connexion is Saint Austins a August in Ioan tract 50. Conuersatus est secundum corporis praesentiam quadraginta diebus cum discipulis suis eis deducentibus videndo non sequendo ascend it in caeluÌ„ non est hîc He is ascended into heauen and is not heere as touching the presence of his body Saint Austin saith that because he is ascended therefore as touching his body he is not heere M. Bishop saith that notwithstanding his ascension he is still heere according to his body Whether now may we thinke is more likely of these two to bee beleeued But M. Bishop to saue himselfe will set Chrysostome and Austin together by the eares Forsooth Chrysostome reporteth it as a miracle that he who sitteth aboue with his father at the very same instant is touched with the hands of all men and giueth himselfe to them that will receiue and embrace him What Chrysostomes minde was in this behalfe appeareth by that which otherwhere he saith that b Chrysost op imperf hom 11. In vasis sanctifacatis non est verum corpus Christi sed mysterium corporis eius continetur in the holy vessels not the true body of Christ but the mystery of his body is contained And by this mystery of his body Saint Austin saith that e August epist 23. Secundum quendam modum sacramentum corporis Christi corpus Christi est after a certaine maner it is the body of Christ and Cyprian saith that d Cyprian de resurrect Christi Quod videtur nonane virtute Christs corpus censetur in name and power it is accounted the body of Christ. As therefore Saint Austin saith that e August in Psal 33. conc 2. Ipse se portabat quodammodo cum diceret Hoc est corpus meum Christ did in some sort beare himselfe in his owne hands when he said This is my body in some sort he saith or after a sort not verily and indeed so Chrysostome intendeth that he who sitteth at the right hand of God is after a sort touched in the Sacrament with the hands of all the partakers thereof not as touching the reality but as touching the mysterie of his body yet so wherein consisteth the miracle which Chrysostome mentioneth as that he indeed giueth himselfe spiritually and by faith to all them that are truely willing to receiue him And in what meaning Chrysostme spake those words we may easily conceiue by other words which he vseth in the very same place f Chrysost de sacerd lib. 3. Dum conspicis dominum immolatum Sacerdotem sacrificio incumbentem ac preces fundentem tum verò turbam circumfusam pretioso illo sanguine intingi ac rubefieri etiamnè te inter mortales versari atque in terra confistere censes annon potiùs evestigiò ad caelum transferris annon omnem ca niâ—câ—gitationem abijcreâ—s mente â—ura circumspieâ—â—quae in ceâ—â— sunt O miraiu um O dâ—â— bemgintatem qâ—â— cum patre sursum sedet in illo ipsotemporis articulo on nium manibus pertractatur aâ— sâ—â—pâ—â— tradit wâ—â—tibus ipsum excipere accâ—mâ—lecti fit autem id nullis praestigijs sed apertis acâ—â—reumspâ—tientibus circumsistentium omnium occutis When thou seest the Lord offered the Priest leaning to the Sacrifice and powring foorth praier and the people round about died and made red with that pretious blood doest thou thinke that thou art amongst mortall men or standing vpon the earth Art thou not foorthwith lift vp to heauen Doest thou not cast away all carnall cogitation and with pure minde behold those things which are in heauen aboue Then vsing the words which M. Bishop hath alleaged he addeth And this is done not by collusion but so as that the standers by with open eies behold all that is done Let M. Bishop now tell vs doe the standers by with open eies see Christ offered Are they made red with the bloud of Christ Must they thinke that they are indeed carried vp to heauen and are not vpon the earth If he cannot deny but that these words are vsed by excesse and vehemencie of speech to drawe the mindes of his hearers to diuine and heauenly meditation of the mysteries then in hand can hee deny but that wee haue iust cause to vnderstand the other words in the very same sort The other testimonies cited by M. PER. out of Vigilius Fulgentius Austin doe make the same good because they shew that Christ according to his manhood is not really vpon the earth M. Bishop biddeth vs see his answeres to those authorities but as yet we doe not see them and if euer we do see them we shall see him as wise or rather as wilfull in them as he hath beene in all the rest 6. W. BISHOP Thirdly he reasoneth thus The Church as it is beleeued is not seene In that we beleeue the Catholike Church it followeth that it is inuisible because things seene are not beleeued We answer that the persons in the Catholike Church are and euer were visible euen to Iewes and Heathens who persecuted them but the inward indowments of those persons that is their faith hope and charity their assistance by Gods spirit and such like Christian qualities are inuisible to be beleeued And euen as a man is truely said to be visible though he consist aswell of an inuisible soule as of a visible body so the Church is visible for the vsible persons visible teaching and administring of Sacraments in it albeit the inward qualities of it be not visible R. ABBOT a Origen in Cant. hom 1. Ecclesiam coetum omnium aduerte sanctoâ—um Et hom 2. Ecclesia ante constitutionem mundi sic enim dicit Paulus sicut elegit nos in Christo c. The holy Chatholike church is the company of Gods saints whom he hath elected in Christ before the foundations of the world and b Gregor in Cantic cap. 3. Secundum praescientiae suae gratiam Christus sanctam ecclesiam de in aeternum permansurissanctis construxit whom he hath by the grace of his foreknowledge appointed to continue with him for euer It is c Ephe. 1.23 the body and d Reuel 21 9. Spouse of Christ e Reuel 5 9. redeemed and f 1. Pet. 1.2 sprinkled with his bloud g
hold it impossible for him to remooue thence at any time before the last iudgement for feare they should otherwise be inforced to confesse that his body may be in two places at once which is to make him not Lord of the place but some poore prisoner therein And as for Christs sitting one the right hand of his Father they are not yet agreed what it signifieth See Conrad * L. 2. Insti c. 14 ss 3. Caluin plainely saith that after the latter iudgement hee shall sit there no longer That God shall then render to euery man according to his workes as holy Scripture very often doth testifie all the packe of them doth vtterly denie R. ABBOT I doe not know any of our writers that denieth Christ in his resurrection resumed his blood againe but that Christ in his resurrection by his almighty power resumed his bloud againe He quoteth M. Caluin and M. Perkins affirming the contrary but I could not finde that which he mentioneth of them For my part I resolue that if any of them or any other haue said so they haue erred therein because I beleeue that it is true both of the whole and euery part of the body of Christ which Dauid saith a Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption Saint Austin resolueth that b Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 22. ca. 19. Non quòd existimeÌ„ corpori cuiquam periturum quod naturaliter inerat of our bodies there shall nothing perish that is naturally belonging thereto and groundeth vpon the words of Christ that c Ibid. cap. 14. 20 Luk. 21.18 not a haire of our head shall perish If then it be so in our bodies much more are wee so to conceiue of the body of Christ that nothing at all perished that did belong to the substance of it As for the now remaining of the print of the nailes in the hands feete of Christ of the wound in his side M. Bishop can giue no reason why Caluin might not well account it an old wiues dreame For whereas he alleageth that Christ after his resurrection did shew the same to his Disciples it may well be answered that so Christ after his resurrection did eate and drinke with his Disciples and yet it doth not follow that therefore now Christ doth eate and drinke Both these Saint Austin holdeth to be of like vse to giue to his Disciples assurance of his resurrection whereas now there is no such vse and therefore no reason of the remaining of them d August de ciui dei lib. 22. cap. 19. Quando ille à suis ita deberet attendi vt pâ—ssâ—t agnosci Quò pertinuit etiam vt contrectantibus ostenderet suorum vulnerum cicatrices vt etiam cibum potumque sumeret non alimentorum indigentia sed ea qua et hoc poterat potestate He was so to be seene of them saith he as that he might be knowen Thereto it serued that to them handling him he shewed the skarres of his wounds as also that he did eate and drinke not for want of food but by that power whereby he could so doe at his owne pleasure But of Christ ascending he saith e August in Psal 23. Contrecta cicatrices senties reparatas immortalitati redditam humanam infirmitatem The heauens gaue way to Christs body in his ascension Handle his skarres and thou shalt perceiue them to be repaired and that humane infirmity is restored to immortality That in the ascension of Christ the heauens opened way and passage to his body we beleeue and that necessarily it was so because Christ had a true body which was glorified in taking possession of heauen where is the place of glory albeit in the glorifying of it f August epi. 57. Cui profectò immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit he gaue it immortality but tooke not from it the nature of a body so that g Ibid. sub finem In aliquo cali loco propter veri corporis modum it is in some certaine place of heauen because of the condition of a true body Thus Saint Austin saith that he ascended h Idem in Psal 23. Patefactis sibi caelestibus the heauens being made open for him So where the Psalme saith Lift vp your heads O yee gates Saint Hierome saith that i Hieron in Psal 23. Ipse dominus nunc regna caelestia repetens nunciatur c. Tollite portas c. Hoc est reserate caelestes aditus pateat aeternalis ingressus therby is set foorth Christ ascending to heauen and expoundeth the words thus Open yee the entrances of heauen let the euerlasting entry be set open As for M. Bishops foolish Philosophy we regard it not in this case we would know of him by his Philosophy how Saint Steuen said k Act. 7.56 Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man slanding at the right hand of God We wish him to remember that in the measuring of matters of faith by rules of Philosophy Tertullian saith that l Tertul. adu Hermog Philosophi haereticorum patriarch Philosophers were the Patriarchs of heretikes the Apostle therefore giuing warning m Col. 2.18 Beware lest any man spoile you through Philosophy and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not according to Christ We aske him againe how it standeth with his Philosophy that n 2. Kin. 2.11 Elias in a whirlewind ascended into heauen We beleeue that the heauens yeelded him way to goe thorow and M. Bishop will not say that he had as yet a glorified body to goe otherwise What he will affirme otherwise The soules of the faithfull in heauen before Christs incarnation let him prooue it or else he shall not finde vs very hasty to beleeue it Now that Elias ascended into heauen the text plainly affirmeth as I haue alleaged and therefore we beleeue vndoubtedly that he did so The same Elias with Moses o Luk. 9.31 appeared vnto Christ in glory and to his Disciples which glory they could not bring with them from the Popish Limbus patrum and therefore wee cannot doubt but they brought it with them from heauen We cannot doubt therefore but that the soules of the faithfull that died before the incarnation of Christ were receiued into heauen For as by the faith of Christs death and resurrection they were acquitted from hel euen so doe we beleeue that by the faith of Christs ascension they were receiued to heauen And of faith the Apostle telleth vs that p Heb. 11.1 it is the subsistence of things hoped for the demonstration or euidence of things which are not seene to which in effect and after a sort the things are which yet indeed are not By faith Abraham so long before q Iohn 8.56 saw the day of Christ and was glad thereof To faith Christ was r Reuel 13.8 the
lambe slaine from the beginning of the world To faith therefore Christ from the beginning of the world was ascended into heauen because they so beleeued in him as if he were already ascended In effect then Christ was the first that ascended into heauen because no other ascended but by the faith of his ascension As for the places cited by M. Bishop they make nothing to the contrary as which belong properly to the question of the resurrection of the dead to signifie that Christ is the first that Å¿ Rom. 6.9 rose from death to die no more and in whom all the rest shal so rise againe but as touching the state of the soules departed it prooueth nothing As touching the being of Christ in heauen Christ vntill his second comming abideth in heauen onely we teach nothing but what hee himselfe hath taught If M. Bishop will call it a locking of him in heauen it is not we that locke him but he himselfe hath locked himselfe who hath told vs that t Iohn 12 8. we shall not haue him alwaies with vs that u Acts 3.21 heauen must containe him vntill the time that all things bee fulfilled which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his Prophets since the world began x Heb. 10.12.13 that he is at the right hand of God hencefoorth expecting or waiting till his foes be made his footestoole To affirme then that Christ is in heauen only and not vpon the earth and that he so abideth vntill the time that he shall come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead is not to locke vp Christ in heauen but to iustifie the words of Christ They may rather be said to locke vp Christ who of their owne heads so tie him by the words of the Priest as it were by a charme to their consecrated hoast as that y See the Answer to the Epest sect 14. so long as the forme of bread continueth he may by no meanes be released though he passe by the stomacke into the draught though he be eaten by mice or dogges or swine though he be cast into the dirt and teach it to be heresie to affirme the contrary Of the meaning of Christs sitting at the right hand of his father I know no difference at all but that all acknowledge it to import the exaltation of the humane nature of Christ to the communion and fellowship of the maiesty and glory of God so as that all creatures both in heauen and earth are made subiect vnto him He referreth vs to Conrad some wizard or other but if that which Conrad saith be not woorth his reporting we hold it not woorth our seeking nor list to looke after euery foole which will sucke fancies out of his fingers ends and then make vs the authours of them As for that which Caluin saith How Christ shall continue or cease to sit at the right hand of God that after the last iudgement Christ shall no longer sit at the right hand of God in that meaning wherein he speaketh it it is very true not for that there shal be absolutely any end of his kingdome which the Angell saith z Luk. 1.33 shall continue for euer and shall haue no end but he shall thenceforth reigne only in personall vnion with the Godhead who now raigneth by delegated office a Iohn 5.22.27 hauing all iudgement committed vnto him in that he is the Sonne of man For wee must vnderstand that God who ruleth and gouerneth the world yet doth it not now immediately by himselfe but vseth thereto the ministery and seruice of men and Angels and performeth all things by meanes But for the execution of this gouernement he hath specially exalted his sonne euen the man Iesus Christ in whose obedience and humbling of himselfe hee tooke that delight as that as it were in hew thereof he would set him vp according to his humane nature b Ephe. 1.21 farre aboue all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and aboue euery name that is named not onely in this world but in that that is to come c Mat. 28.18 giuing vnto him in special manner all power both in heauen in earth that as he had purchased the church with his pretious blood so for the behoofe of the church hee might haue a soueraignty and dominion ouer all creatures to limit their power to determine their courses to command or compell their seruice to doe by them and with them whatsoeuer is to be done till he fully and for euer accomplish the perfection thereof Which being done and the end come and all rule and authority and power abolished there shall be a cessation of that commission because there shal be no further vse therof d 1. Cor. 15.24 he shal deliuer vp the kingdome to God the father and with vs according to his manhood shall bee subiect vnto him that put all things vnder him that God may be all in all Not for that he is not now according to his manhood subiect to the father but he is now in such sort subiect as that for the father in his manhood he exerciseth a kingdome of power for the confusion of his enemies and preseruing of his from the force of them Not for that hee shall not then also raigne for euer God and man but hee shall not raigne in that sort as man because all aduersary power being vtterly abolished and for euer there shall bee no neede of such a kingdome his reigning being thencefoorth the enioying of them whom he hath redeemed purchased not the rescuing or defending of them And thus doth Saint Austin set downe from some ancients a stinting of the kingdome of Christ as now he raigneth e August lib. 83. q 69. Oportet eum regnare donceponat omnes inimicos suos sub peaibus suis quâ—a talis regni quale habent principes armatorum nulla exit causa hoste ita subiecto vt rebellare non possit Nam vtique dictum est in Euangelio Et regni cius non erit finis secundum quod regnat in aeternum secundum autemâ—d quòd aduersus diabolum sub eo militatur tamdiu erit vtique ista militia donec ponat c. postea verò non erit cum pace perpetua perfruemur He must raigne till he put all his enemies vnder his feet because there shall bee no cause of such a kingdome as haue Princes or Captaines of armed men when the enemy shall be so subdued as that he cannot rebell for it is said indeed in the Gospell Of his kingdome there shall be no end according to that he raigneth for euer but according to that we warre vnder him against the diuell so long shall this warfare be till he put all his enemies vnder his feete afterwards it shall not be when as we shall enioy euerlasting peace Thus and no otherwise doth Caluin say that Christs sitting at the right hand of God is but for
therefore we may not doubt but that the fellowship of the grace of God as God himselfe hath ordeined is to be imparted vnto them We know that many things by the law were called holy which yet were not capable of inward and spirituall holinesse and therefore albeit wee say by the Apostles phrase that the children of the faithful are holy vnto God euen from their mothers wombe yet is there no necessitie to vnderstand this holinesse of any grace of inward regeneration as they wilfully vnderstand it it being sufficient both to the Apostles words and to our meaning that they be reckoned as belonging to Gods houshold partakers of his vocation and calling designed to his vse and in case to be made partakers of his holinesse That the remainder of originall sin is properly sinne in the regenerate and that it infecteth and staineth all our good works so as that it should preuaile against vs to condemnation saue onely that God imputeth not the same vnto vs it hath beene at large before declared and M. Bishop for shame should no more gainesay it till he haue made good that that there he hath said against it As for his Sacrament of penance we know it not Repentance Christ hath taught vs but Sacrament of penance he hath taught none and therefore iustly may wee leaue it to them that haue beene the deuisers of it For remission of sinnes which wee commit after baptisme wee looke backe alwaies in our repentance to baptisme it selfe where it was sealed vnto vs not for the present onely but for euer that h 1. Ioh. 2.2 if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiation for our sinnes 14. W. BISHOP 11 The resurrection of the bodies Whether Farel the first Apostle of the Geneuian Gospel doubted thereof or no let his successor Caluin tell you who answereth Farels letter thus Epist ad Farellum That the resurrection of this our flesh doth seeme to thee incredible no maruell c. Againe many of them teach that Christ tooke not his bloud againe which he shed vpon the crosse yea some of them are so gracelesse as to say that his pretious bloud wherewith wee were redeemed Vide Conradum lib. 1. art 20. rotted away on the earth 1600. yeeres agoe If then it bee not necessarie to a true resurrection to rise againe with the same bloud why is it necessarie to rise againe with the same bones and flesh the one being as perfect a part of a mans body as the other R. ABBOT The epistle wherein are the words mentioned by M. Bishop importing a doubt of the resurrection of the bodie was not written to Farel as he falsely quoteth but to one a Caluin epist. 103. Quòd res tibi incredibilis videtur huius carnis resurrectio nihil mirū Lelius Zozimus an Italian who seemeth to haue beene but meanely perswaded of some other points of Christian doctrine After two epistles to this Zozinus in the former whereof these words are there follow two epistles to Farell But what drowsie fit was M. Bishop in to take Farels name from an epistle that followed after and by forgery to adde it to the epistle that went before But this is one of the Romish holy fraudes whether true or false it skilleth not so that it be fit to serue the turne What wee thinke of Christs resuming his bloud againe I haue b Sect. 10. before shewed As for Conrades reports of the opinions of some of our men concerning the same they little mooue vs without better testimonie because wee know what the guise of Romish Sycophants in that case is wont to be 15. W. BISHOP 12 Life euerlasting First Captaine Caluin holdeth it for very certaine that no soule doth enter into the ioyes of heauen wherin consisteth life euerlasting vntill the day of doome These be his words 3. Institu 25. sess 6. The soules of the godly hauing ended the labour of this war-fare doe goe into a blessed rest where they expect the enioying of the promised glorie And that all things are holden in suspence vntill Christ the redeemer appeare Whose opinion is yet better than was his predecessor Luthers For he teacheth in many places Enarra in Gen. cap. 26. In Ecclesi c. 9. v. 10. that the soules of the godly departing from their bodies haue no sense at all but doe lie fast asleepe vntill the latter day Take this one for a taste Another place to prooue that the dead feele or vnderstand nothing wherefore Salomon thought the dead to be wholy asleepe and to perceiue nothing at all And again The sleepe of the soule in the life to come is more profound than in this life And Luther with this one position of his as that famous historiographer Iohn Sleidan recordeth ouerthrew two points of Popery to wit Lib. 9. hist. praying to Saints for they are so fast asleepe that they cannot heare vs and praying for the dead For they in Purgatorie slept also so soundly that they felt no paines A meet foundation surely to build such false doctrine vpon In 20. Luc. hom 35. But Brentius is most plaine in this matter who ingeniously confesseth that albeit there were not many among them that did professe publikely the soules to die with the bodie yet the most vncleane life which the greatest part of their followers did lead doth clearely shew that in their hearts they thinke no life to be after this yea that many such speeches doe sometimes proceed from them Finally it is a grosse errour of theirs to thinke that euery meane godly man shall be then made equall in glory with the Apostles which Luther teacheth whereas cleane contrary S. Paul declareth In 1. c. Petri 1. 1. Cor. 15.42 that as one starre differeth from another in glory so also shall be the resurrection of the dead I omit heere many other particularities that I be not ouer tedious For these their bickerings against the very principles of our Christian faith not leauing any one article of our Creed vnskirmished with all will serue any indifferent man for a warning to beware of their prophane doctrine that leadeth the high way to Infidelitie They vse to crie out much against the Antichrist of Rome for corrupting the puritie of the Gospell as the wicked Elders did against the adulterie of Susanna but the iudicious Christian may easily espie them themselues to be the true fore-runners of Antichrist indeed by their so generall hacking and hewing at euery point of the ancient Christian faith Thus much concerning the Creede now let vs passe to the Commandements R. ABBOT Note well The soules of the faithfull affirmed by Caluin and Luther to be in heauen gentle Reader the wilfull impudencie and malice of this man He saith that Caluin denieth to soules departed the ioyes of heauen vntill the day of doome and yet in the words by him cited hee seeth that hee
is sinne it being the vse and worke of our warfare a Heb. 12.4 to fight against sinne and the grace and power of God assisting vs whereby we ouercome sin He alleageth that S. Iames calleth it only temptation and then first sinne when it conceiueth and I answer him that S. Paul calleth it sinne before it be temptation b Rom. 7.8 sinne wrought all maner of concupiscence in me and therefore in temptation it is sinne See heereof the question of originall sinne handled at large before and of this place of S. Iames the sixt section 33. W. BISHOP Now to conclude this passage if you please to heare to what height of perfect obseruance of the Commandements the Euangelicall Preachers haue brought their followers in Germany vnto by teaching the Commandements to bee impossible and that onely faith iustifieth and that good works haue no reward in heauen and such like Iacobus Andreas a famous Lutheran shall enforme you De planetis who writeth thus That the whole world may see these men alienated from the Papacie and to put no confidence in works De Planetis therefore they doe no good worke at al. In stead of fasting they feast and are drunken day and night in lieu of Almes they oppresse and pill the poore they haue changed praying into cursing and blaspheming the name of God so prophanely that no Turkes nor Saracens commit the like impietie against Christ for humilitie there raigneth pride disdaine crueltie and riot in apparell c. and much more to the same purpose And that this truth may be confirmed by the testimony of two sound witnesses Musculus a man of no smal account among them thus reporteth of his brethren in the Lord. De prophetia Christi Such now adaies is the condition of the Lutherans that if any man list to behold a great number of Knaues robbers malitious persons coseners vsurers and such like deceiuers let him but enter into a Citie where the Gospel is taught and there he shall finde good store of them and a little after Surely it is true that among Heathens Iewes Turkes and other Infidels none can bee found more vnruly and that lesse esteeme of honesty and vertue than the Euangelicall brethren with whom all things passe currant and nothing almost is blamed except vertue For the diuell hath shaken off all their bands and turned them loose R. ABBOT And what M. Bishop are there not thinke you The vertuous conuersation of Papists as many knaues in Rome as in any city of the Lutherans What are there no Minions Courtisans there that serue for the vse of the Pope his Cardinals Did you not remember what was said of Rome by one of your owne Poets Viuere qui sanctè cupitis discedite Roma Depart from Rome all yee whose care is to liue holily Did you not consider that it was easie for vs to retort your words to your selues and to say If you please to heare what good effects the Popish doctrine of iustification by works doth bring foorth looke to the Iesuits Catechisme to Watsons Quodlibets and to the rest of those bookes of the same argument written by Popish Priests concerning the Iesuits who are the Puritane-Papists and the verie quintessence of their religion and yet are there described to be no other but Epicures Atheists fornicatours Sodomites coseners traitours proud malitious contentious couetous and what not Now wee know that the Iesuites will say that you are as leaud and naught as you haue described them to be Like will to like and get you both together there is no such goodnesse in either of you as that you should take vpon you to question our goodnesse And if I should rippe vp this matter of your vertues to the full I should but cause a lothsome and filthie stinke troublesome both to my selfe and to the Reader Therefore I rest my selfe with that answer that I haue a Sect. 15. and of satisfaction sect 19. before giuen vpon the like occasion Onely I must note it for one of M. Bishops Sycophants tricks that hee reckoneth it amongst our doctrines that good works haue no reward in heauen 34. W. BISHOP Hauing done with the Creed and ten Commandements we must now come to our Lords praier Master PER. beginneth with it thus The Lords Praier is a most absolute forme of praier now in this wee are taught to direct our praiers to God alone Our father c. and that onely in the name and mediation of Christ for God is our father onely by Christ therefore to vse any mediation of Saints is needlesse Ans We allow our Lords praier to be a most perfect forme of praier yet hold that many other sort of praiers may be made vnto God very acceptably as sundry other praiers vsed by Christ and set downe in the Gospell doe teach vs and therefore to argue that because one praier of Christs making is directed to God that no other may bee made to any Saint is very childish Wee gather praier to Saints out of S. Pauls requesting the Romans and Corinthians and others to pray for him and out of the mediation of the woman of Cananea to Christ for her daughter and the Disciples speaking to Christ for her with such like both out of the old and new Testament For if it had been either needlesse or bootlesse to haue praied vnto God any otherwise than in the name and by the mediation of Christ then S. Paul would not haue requested the helpe of mortall mens praiers to God for him and if poore sinners praiers may helpe vs much more may the intercession of the glorious Saints do who are in far greater fauor with God See the question of intercession of Saints Againe if that only forme of praier were to be vsed neither were it lawfull to pray to Christ himselfe neither could it bee prooued thereby that we should praie in Christs name For there is no expresse mention of Christs name neither any petition for Christs sake For God may bee truely called our Father in that he immediately createth and giueth vs our soules which is more than our bodies that we receiue from our carnall fathers R. ABBOT If the Lords praier be a most perfect forme of praier The Lords praier excludeth praier to Saints as M. Bishop alloweth it to bee then are we perfectly thereby directed both to whom and for what we are to praie It cannot bee called a most perfect forme of praier wherein there is any want of either of these things To adde any thing to that that is perfect is to denie the perfection of it and to take away any thing from it is to make it maimed and vnperfect Seeing then by the most perfect forme of praier we are instructed to pray no otherwise but to God onely it followeth necessarily that praier to Saints is vnlawfull because it is exorbitant from that most perfect forme M. Bishops exception heereto is
very childish and vaine that other praiers may be made vnto God very acceptably and that other praiers are vsed by Christ and set downe in the Gospel because in other praiers there may bee nothing and in the praiers set downe in the Gospel there is nothing but what is consonant and agreeable to this form For though praier be conceiued in other words yet it varieth not from this forme so long as wee pray to no other but to whom in this forme wee are directed nor for any other thing but what in this praier is concluded And albeit M. Bishop can alleage that in the Gospell and otherwhere there are other praiers vsed and set down beside the Lords praier yet in the whole course of Scripture can hee finde vs no example of any praier but to God alone If hee did bring vs example of praier to Saints somewhat it were but now it is idle that he alleageth that there are praiers in other words But he telleth vs that they gather praier to Saints out of S. Pauls requesting the Romans Corinthians others to pray for him And well indeed they may if they can prooue that S. Paul in the same sort praid to the Romans others to pray for him as they pray to the Saints in heauen to pray for theÌ„ But if that which S. Paul did were but a familiar request of mutuall charitie wheras their praier to Saints is a seruice of religious dutie and hee did beseech them onely as fellow members of the same body to giue assistance to his praiers not as Mediatours as they make the Saints to obteine for their sakes the acceptance thereof then doth M. Bishop shew himselfe a ridiculous man that will draw from the one of these a conclusion of the other Or if he will needs confound the one of these with the other it shall be well that his disciples that craue the help of his praiers do take their ghostly father and set him vp like sweete S. Rood and deuoutly kneele downe and pray vnto him But if to craue ech others praiers be piety and to doe that ech to other which they doe to the Saints be damnable idolatrie then it is apparent that they gather that which was neuer sowed and doe colourably alleage these instances for the abusing and blinding of simple men As for a Matt. 15.22 the woman of Canaan we reade that she praied to Christ for her daughter but we doe not reade that her daughter praied to her and wee finde that by her praier she shewed her compassion but that shee tooke vpon her any power of mediation wee doe not finde b Chrysost ex varijs in Math. locis hom 17. Vide prudentiam mulieris non rogat Iacobum non obsecrat Ioannem neque pergit ad Petrum nec intendit ApostoloruÌ„ chorum non quaesiuit mediatorem sed pro omnibus illis poenitentiam accepit comitem quae aduâ—cati locum in pleuit sic ad summum fontemperrexit But whereas hee addeth the disciples speaking to Christ for her hee sheweth little discretion therein because it appeareth not that they spake for her but onely requested their master to send her away as being offended at her importunate crying And so little helpe is there out of this example for praier to Saints as that Chrysostom rather giueth vs hereby a note to except against it Behold saith he the wisedome of this woman she requesteth not lames she intreateth not Iohn she goeth not to Peter she looketh not to the company of the Apostles she seeketh for no mediatour but in stead of them all she taketh repentance for her companion which supplied the place of an aduocate and so went to the well-head And whereas he hath before demanded of her c Ibid. Dic mihi mulier quemadmodum ausa es cùm sis peccatrix iniqua accedere ad Chrisium Ego inquit nouâ— quid agam c. propterea descendit propterea carnem assumpsit honâ—o factus est vt ego ei audeam loqui Tell me woman how durst thou being a sinfull and wicked woman thus come to Christ he bringeth her in answering I know what I doe therefore descended he from heauen therefore did hee take flesh and became man that I might be bold to speake vnto him It should seeme then that it is a point of godly wisedome neither to goe to one Saint nor other but to goe directly to Christ himselfe and not to be terrified by the conscience of our sinnes because for that purpose he became man that wee might be bold to come to him and to seeke of him the remission thereof But M. Bishop addeth another wise reason and well beseeming his learning If it had been either needlesse or bootlesse to haue prated vnto God any otherwise than in the name and mediation of Christ then S. Paul would not haue requested the helpe of mortall mens traiers vnto God for him As if S. Paul when hee requested them to pray for him did intend that they should pray otherwise for him than in the name and by the mediation of Iesus Christ He praieth for them and they pray for him not to be heard ech for others sake but all to be heard for Christs sake d Aug. cont epis Parmen l. 2. c. 8. Sic oratio pro in uicemmembroruÌ„ omniuÌ„ adhuc in terra laborantium ascendit ad caput in quo est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris Thus as Austen saith the praier of all the members labouring vpon the earth ech for other goeth vp to the head who is gone before into heauen in whom is the propitiation for our sinnes Now therefore M. Bishop very vainly inferreth that if poore sinners praiers may helpe vs much more may the intercession of the glorious saints because poore sinners praiers doe not helpe vs by way of mediation but onely in louing care they ioyne themselues to pray with vs that we may both be helped for Christs sake whereas Popish intercession of Saints intendeth not so much that the Saints should pray for vs for Christs sake as that Christ should accept vs for the Saints sake As for the fauour of the Saints wee know God fauoureth vs no lesse than hee fauoureth them being redeemed with the same bloud and by one spirit sealed to the same hope and no more will hee suffer an elect to perish on earth than he will suffer a Saint to perish in heauen Whatsoeuer M. Bishop will plead for their fauour sure we are that they haue no fauour in this respect and therefore without assuming any thing to themselues they haue left vs to depend vpon Christs fauour as they haue done Now heere againe see saith he the question of the intercession of Saints whereas he hath taken paines to skip ouer that question also and hath said nothing of it But remembring himselfe hee goeth further heere and saith that if that onely forme of praier were to be vsed neither were
calum vtique integrum Cum vid eritis filium hominis c. certè vel tunc videbitis quia noÌ„ eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum certè vel tunc videbitis quia gratia eius non consumitur morsibus They thought saith Austin that he would impart to them his very body but he telleth them that he will goe vp to heauen euen whole When ye shall see the sonne of man ascend where he was before surely then ye shall see that he doth not impart his body in that maner as you thinke ye shall then vnderstand that his grace is not deuoured by morsells Now if the ascending of Christ into heauen were an argument for the reforming of their fancy and correcting of their error then it must needs be a misconstruction of eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ whereby the same is said to be done by his being really present vpon the earth And that it might not be so vnderstood he further saith k vers 63. The words which I speake vnto you are spirit and life it is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing thereby aduertising them as S. Austin giueth to vnderstand that l Aug ibi Quomodo quidem edatur quisnam sit manducandi modus ignoratis they knew not in what sort his flesh was eaten or what the maner thereof is and that they should spiritually conceiue the doing of it in such maner as was before expressed out of Austin And hereof Origen saith m Ori. in Leuit. hom 7. Est in nouo testameÌ„to litera quae occidit eum qui non spiritualiter aduertit Nam si secunduÌ„ literamsequaris id quod dictum est Nisi manducaueritis carnem c. litera illa occidit There is in the new Testament a letter which killeth him that doth not spiritually listen to it for if thou folow according to the letter that which is written Except yee eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood that letter killeth Therefore S. Austin deliuering certaine rules whereby figuratiue speeches are to be knowen doth by his rule find that this speech of Christ is not properly or literally to be vnderstood but by a figure n Aug. de doct Christ l. 3. c. 16. si flagitium aut facinus videtur iubere aut vtilitatem beneficentiaÌ„ vitare figurata est Nisi manducaâ—eritis carnem filij hominis c. facinus vel flagitium videtur iubere figura ergò est praecipiens passioni domini esse coÌ„municandum suauitèr atque vtiliter recondendum in memoria quod carâ— eius pro nobis crucifixa vulnerata sit If any speeche seem to command a hainous or wicked act or to forbid well doing or any profitable thing it is a figuratiue speech Where Christ saith Except yee eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood c. he seemeth to command a hainous thing It is therefore a figure instructing that we are to communicate of the passion of the Lord and sweetly and profitably to lay vp in minde that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs. In which sort S. Bernard also expoundeth that o Bernar de verb. Habac. super custodiaÌ„ c. sub edendi corporis sus mysterio discipulos ad communâ—â— andum passionibus suis aumonens vnder the mystery of eating his body Christ admonisheth his disciples to communicate of his passions Here is therefore no other but a spirituall action of the heart and soule which requireth no reall presence because the spirit of man by faith climbeth vp to heauen and looketh backe vnto the crosse of Christ and there receiueth nourishment and strength of him to liue by him for euer 58. W. BISHOP Thirdly Christ said in most cleere tearmes this is my body this is my blood What could be more certaine or more perspicuous R. ABBOT The words as wee expound them out of the circumstance of the text and the consent of ancient fathers are indeed perspicuous and cleere yeelding this meaning This bread is my body this wine is my blood that is the signe the sacrament the participation of my body and blood But M. Bishop for his life cannot make any certaine and definite meaning of them whereby their transubstantiation and reall presence may be made good If the words be so perspicuous and cleere for them how commeth it about that they haue so tossed and tumbled them and yet there is no certaine meaning thereof concluded amongst them till this day I need not stand hereupon hauing before said what is sufficient for this purpose in the eight and fortieth section 59. W. BISHOP Fourthly These words of the institution are recorded by three Euangelists and by S. Paul and they all vniformely deliuer it to be not the figure of Christs body but his body and that his body which should be giuen for our redemption on the crosse ergo it was that his true reall body which was nailed to the crosse for vs. R. ABBOT Euen so three Euangelists and S. Paul doe vniformely deliuer that the cup is the bloud of Christ or the new testament in his bloud as hath been a Sect. 50. before said and yet M. Bishop will not say I hope that the cup is really the bloud or testament of Christ That the Sacrament is the figure of Christs body is no new speech S. Austin saith that b Aug in Psal 3. Conuinium in quo corporu sanguinis sui figuram discipuâ—usuis coâ—mendauit tradidit Christ commended and deliuered to his disciples the figure of his bodie and bloud Tertullian expoundeth thus c Tertul. cont Marcion â—â— 4. Acâ—eptum panem corpus suum fecit dicâ—â—do hoc est corsus meum id est figura corporis mei This is my body that is to say a figure of my body Gelasius the Bishop of Rome saith that d Gelas cont Eutych Nest. Et certo imago similitudo corporis sanguinis domini in actione mysteriorum celebratur an image and semblance of the body and bloud of Christ is celebrated in the administration of the Sacraments Chrysostome saith that e Chrysost Opimperf in Mat. hom 11. In quibus non verum corpus Christi sed mystâ—rium corporu eius continetur in the sacred vessels not the true body of Christ but the mysterie of his body is conteined The ancient Liturgies doe vsually call the Sacraments f Constit Clem. l. 7. c. 26. Antitypa corporis c. Iacobâ— Liturg Typus corporis sanguinis Christi tui the signes of the body and bloud of Christ and so g Carol. Magn. epist. ad A cuin Panem fregit calicâ—m paâ—iter dedit eis in figuram corporis sanguinis sui Charles the great stileth them in his epistle to Alcuinus It should not therefore seeme strange to M. Bishop that wee also should expound the sacrament to
This deniall of a third place M. Higgons z Book 1. part 1. ch 2. § 4. num 10. acknowledgeth and noteth me in his margent for citing the places where it is denied but seeketh to auoid it by saying that Austin thereby onely denied against the Pelagians any third place of eternall rest heere vpon earth after the day of iudgement for children dying without baptisme for this is the briefe of the differences that hee hath there set downe But this will not serue his turne because Austin doth not meerely deny their third place but from the absolute denial of a third place inferreth that their third place cannot be a August de peccat mer. remiss l. 1. cap. 28. Non est vllus vlli medius loâ—us vt possit esse nisi cum diabolo qui non est cum Christo Hinc ipse dominus volens auferre de cordibus malè credentium istam nescio quam medietatem quam conantur quidam parunlis non baptizatis tribuere c. definitiuam protulit ad haec ora obstruenda sententiam vbi ait Qui mecum non est contra me est There is not any middle place for any man saith he that he may be but with the diuell that is not with Christ He addeth Heereupon the Lord himselfe also willing to take away from the hearts of misbeleeuers this I know not what middle place which some seeke to assigne to children vnbaptised hath to stop their mouthes pronounced a definitiue sentence where he saith He that is not with me is against mee There is then no middle place for infants vnbaptised because there is not after death any middle place for any man and therfore doth the Lord pronounce that definitiue sentence from which how M. Higgons will shift Purgatory I cannot well tell The other sentence is as plaine b August Hypognostic lib. 5. Da mihi praeter hunc alterum locum vbi vitae possit requies esse perennis PrimuÌ„ enim locum fides Catholicorum diuina authoritate credidit regnum essâ— coelorum c. Secundum Gehennam vbi omnis Apostata vel à fide Christi alienus aeterna supplicia experietur Tertium penitùs ignoramus imò nec esse in Scripturis Sanctis inuenimus Giue me beside this that is the kingdome of heauen any other place where there may be perpetuall rest of life For the first place the faith of catholick men by diuine authority haue beleeued to be the kingdome of heauen The second hell fire where euery Apostata and alien from the faith of Christ shall feele euerlasting punishments A third we are vtterly ignorant of yea wee finde by the holy Scriptures that there is none such Where we see that S. Austin taking in hand to refute the third place affirmed by the Pelagians distinguisheth generally how many places there be and resolueth that that third place of theirs cannot be because there is no third place Heauen and hell he saith he findeth in the Scriptures but third place he findeth none and therefore maketh vs confident against beleeuing any Purgatory because in the Scriptures we find none The Papists say they find it there but they say vntruely they finde it in their owne constructions forced vpon the Scripture but in the Scripture it selfe they finde it not All the places which they alleage haue their iust and perfect vse euen by the exposition of the fathers themselues without any Purgatorie to be inferred thereby 37. In the same chapter num 12. he toucheth me again for that wheras Austin reuerenceth Epiphanius as a holy man and famous in the Catholike faith it seemeth good to me to iustifie Aerius a damnable heretike against him But I reuerence Epiphanius as farre as Austin did or teacheth me to doe I acknowledge hee was a holy man and famous in the Catholike faith but yet I say of him as S. Austin saide of Ambrose another holy man and famous in the Catholike faith c August con Pelag. Cele lib. 1. cap. 43. Quantis praedicat laudibus quamlibet sanctum doctuÌ„ virum nequaquam tamen authoritati Canonicae Scripturae comparandum Though he were a holy and learned man yet is he not to be compared to the authoritie of the Canonicall Scripture I dissent from Epiphanius as Austin himselfe did concerning fasting daies as I touched a little before who denieth that to be Apostolike tradition which Epiphanius affirmeth to be so I iustifie Aerius against Epiphanius in one point as in another point S. Hierome did as I haue shewed also d Sect. 21. before not reiecting a truth for that either an heretike hath affirmed it or a Catholike doctour hath denied it but therefore embracing it wheresoeuer I finde it because God hath taught it And although Aerius for Arianisme were iustly to be accounted a damnable heretike yet doe I not thinke that M. Higgons can make good his word which before hee hath giuen that for those matters wherein we approoue him there were beside Epiphanius and Austin many other that did condemne him Epiphanius indeed doth so and Austin professing to follow Epiphanius transcribeth the same from him but Philaster and Theodoret writing of heresies mention no such matter neither doe I thinke that M. Higgons can bring vs any father or story of those times that taxeth Aerius in that behalfe Yea I may not omit that which I pointed at before that when Dulcitius mooued the question to Austin e Aug. ad Dulcit quaest 2. Vtrum oblatio quae fit pro quiescentibus aliquid eorum conferat animabus c. Ad quod multi dicunt quòd si aliquis beneficij in hoc locus esse possit post mortem quantò magis sibi anima ferret ipsa refrigeria sua per se illic confitendo peccata quà m in eorum refrigerium ab alijs oblatio procuratur Whether the offering that is made for the dead doe auaile their soules any thing he setteth downe the opinion of many in that time concerning that point Many say to this matter that if heerein any good were to be done after death how much rather should the soule it selfe obtaine ease to it selfe by confession of sins there than that for the ease thereof an offering should be procured by other men which opinion hee would neuer haue set downe neither would Saint Austin haue let it goe without hard censure if it had beene then publikely taken for heresie so to thinke yea Dulcitius would neuer haue mooued the question thereof if Purgatory had been a knowen and vndoubted point of faith as M. Higgons would faine haue it thought to bee But this is not all that hee hath heere to blame me for for in the margent he chargeth me that I peruert the sense of Epiphanius as though the church had praied for the Saints c. If they did not so what is it then that Epiphanius reporteth Epiphanius reporteth saith he that when we make a memoriall of