learned then he is of a contrary mind Let no man deceaue himselfe and say I do pennance secretly I do it in the sight of God God who Aug. 50. bom bom 49. pardoneth me knoweth I doe it in my hart Then without cause was it sayd Those things which you loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Then without cause were the keyes giuen to the Church of God Do we frustrate the Ghospell Do we euacuate the word of Matth. 18. v. 18. c. 26. v. 19. Christ As though all these thinges were in vaine if by God alone without the help and ministery of the Priest our sinnes could be remitted For as the Commandment our Sauiour gaue to his Apostles to baptize saying Goe teach all Nations baptizing them c. had beene wholy in vaine if all men were not bound to receaue the Sacrament Matth. 28. â— 19. of Baptisme if any entrance to Christianity any badge or cognizance of a Christian could be obtained without this lauer and regeneration of water and the holy Ghost Againe as the authority he gaue them to preach were to little purpose if men not sufficiently instructed Marc. 16. v. 15. were not obliged thereby to giue eare to his word so idle and in vaine were the commission he granted to his Apostles to retaine and forgiue sinnes if all who offended after Baptisme be not tyed to submit and make knowne their offences vnto them which for two seuerall reasons they are bound to do 6. The first is mentioned by Boetius If thou desire the Boetius de Consola l. 1. prosa 4. help of thy Phisitian it is requisite thou discouer thy disease But as many as are swollen with the impostume of sinne ought to seeke remedy for the recouery of their soules Therefore it is necessary they lay open their soares to the spirituall Phisitians appointed for their cure The second reason is because Priests are made by the vertue of this Commission not only Phisitians but spirituall Iudges also to vnderstand the quality and haynousnes of our crymes to know what medicinable peÌ„nance they should apply to discerne what sinnes are to be remitted and Arist 8. Polit. what retained Now seeing Aristotle teacheth and naturall reason approueth it to be true That it is impossible for them to iudge discreetly who haue no knowledge of the case all that are entangled with the snares of sin must giue notice of them to the Priests tribunall whome God hath placed in iudgment-seat to pronounce in his person sentence of absolution 7. And least any should gainesay with Caluin this Nazi ora ad Ciues timore perculsos Hier. epad Helio Aug. l. 20. de ciu Dei cap. 9. Apoc. 20. iudiciall power graunted to Priests besides the words of Christ which clearely conuince it the authority of the Fathers maketh it vndenyable S. Greg. NazianzeÌ„ auerreth That the law of Christ hath subiected Princes to his Throne and Empyre S. Hierome sayth That Priests hauing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen iudge as it were before the day of iudgment S. Augustine vpon these wordes of the Apocalips I saw seates and those that sate vpon them and iudgment was giuen vnto them writeth thus This may not be thought to be spoken of the last iudgment but by the seates are meant the Rulers thrones of the Church and the Persons themselues by whome they are gouerned And for the iudgment giuen them it cannot be better explained then in these words Whatsoeuer yee bind on earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shall be loosed in Heauen 8. Hence we inferre the exact enumeration of all Sparks p. 329. 330. 331. grieuous crimes the third point M. Sparkes impugneth For as they that haue many strifs in law to be determined by the examination and sentence of the Iudge ought to vnfold them al in particuler to receaue his iudgment and verdict of them so they that are burdened with sundry faults which be offences and iniuryes committed against God if they will come to an attonement with him they must make them all knowne to such as are ordained to reconcile them to his fauour to such as participate to vse S. Gregoryes words the principality of Diuine iudgment Greg. ho. 26. in Eâ—ang who in place of God may detaine sinnes to some release them to others When a souldiour hath receaued many woundes in warre it is not inough to tell his Surgeon or Phisitian in generall manner that he is wounded but he must shew Aug. serm 66. de tem the seuerall woundes and dangers of them or els no wise Surgeon will venter to apply his plaisters or vndertake to cure them euen so it is not sufficient for such as are wounded in Soule with diuers deadly sinnes to complaine in generall that they are grieuous sinners but they must particulerly specify the number quality and haynousnes of euery mortall crime that their spirituall Phisitian may thereby discerne what holsome salue whatsatisfactory pennance what good counsell and aduise he should minister vnto them And therfore S. Gregory Nyssen sayth That as in corporall infirmityes there are sundry kindes of Nyss epist ad Episco Mytil S. Tho. in Supplem ad 3. p. q. â— art 2. medicines according to the diuersity of diseases so whereas in the disease of the soule there is great variety of affections sundry sorts of medicinable cures ought to be adhibited The reason heereof S. Thomas alleadgeth because one disease is more dangerous by the contagion of another and that medicine which is holesome to that may be noyson to this kind of infirmity So that by the approued doctrin of both these learned writers euery penitent ought to make a particuler rehearsall of all haynous faults euen of such as be secret and hidden To which the same S. Gregory vehemently Nyss orat in muliereÌ„ peccatrie Audacter inquit osteÌ„de illi quaesunt recondita animi arcana taÌ„quam oeculta vulnera medico retege Hier. super Mat. cap. 16. exhorteth in another place that thereby the Priest may be perfectly acquainted with the whole state of their soules vnderstand the manifold varietyes of their spirituall diseases For as S. Hierome sayth Then the Bishop or Priest knoweth who is to be bound and who is to be loosed when he heareth the variety of sinnes 9. And this manner of confessing all particuler offences is that which Christ commanded which the figures of the old Testament betokned which the Apostles meÌ„tioned which in al succeeding ages hath byn deuoutly obserued in the Church of God Touching Christs commandment I haue already shewed that it is impossible for Priests to pronounce iudiciall sentence impossible to apply soueraigne medicines impossible to know what they should loose what retaine and consequently this Commission bootles vnles the Penitent were bound distinctly to name his sinnes vnto him Concerning the figures I let passe the confession God exacted of Adam of
hier cap. 4. Concil Agâ—â—hens can 14. Aug. ser 19. de Sanctis Optatus lib. cont Parm. Peter Mart. in his com places in English pag. 227. Cartwrig in his 2. reply p. 264. Centurist Centur. 4. col 409. Centur. 3. cap. 4. colum 83. Greg. Nazi in ep 8. ad Simplician Fulke in his reioynder to Bristowes reply p. 28. Calu. in Haeb. c. 7. v. 9. pag. 9. 4. in tract theolog pag. 389. Neither M. Higgons nor any Catholike writer euer maintained any such intention of helping all The Patriarches Prophets and Martyrs are remembred and not desired to be holpen the damned who dye in mortall sin are neither holpen nor remeÌ„bred as you may often read in S. Augustine and generally in all the rest howbeit you guilfully misconstrue some of their sayings to be meant of the mitigation of their paines But there are some of a middle sort who depart this life neither deadlywounded nor perfectly recouered of the infirmityes of sinne these only they intended to relieue as M. Higgons proueth and you without iugling should haue laboured to disproue 15. Your answeres to his former two differences are as full fraught with vntruth as this with fraudulency and deceit For you reply to the first We haue Altars in the same sort the Fathers had c. To the second We admit the Eucharist to be rightly named a Sacrifice Both cunning escheats You haue spirituall Altars only they had corporall and externall By nature common stones by blessing Holy and immaculate S. Gregory Nissen On which we Sacrifice vnto one God which were consecrated with Chrisme and the signe of the Crosse S. Augustine S. Dionyse and the Councell of Agatho Which were seats and receptacles of the body bloud of Christ Optatus Sayings disliked by Peter Martyr M. Cartwright and the Centurists who also affirme That the Altars erected within the first 400. yeares after Christ from Iewish obseruation crept into the Church 16. Secondly they had true and proper Sacrifices vnbloudy victimes propitiatory Hosts as I haue largely demonstrated in the Controuersy of the Masse They had A Sacrifice offered to God the Father wherin the Priest supplyeth as S. Cyprian according to the Centurists superstitiously writeth the roome of Christ. They had a Sacrifice The name whereof as M. Fulke affirmeth they tooke of Iewes and Gentils and not from Scripture They as Caluin sayth forged a Sacrifice in the Lords supper without his Commandment and so adulterated the supper with adding of Sacrifice And in another treatise The ancients quoth he are not to be excused for it is apparent they haue heerein swarued from the pure and proper institution of Christ. 17. Now M. Field haue you I pray such Altars such Sacrifices as these Such Altars as Crept into your Church from the Iewish custome Such Sacrifices as were forged without our Lords Commandment Such as adulterated his supper Such as swarued from the pure and proper institution of Christ If you haue let your hart abhorre these villanous inuectlues pronounced against them by the principal Captaines of your sect If not let your Pen retract your former asseueratioÌ„ Let it disclaime from the Altars and Sacrifices of the Fathers and be content to haue no society with them in these as your men account Superstitious abuses 18. In fine the chiefe Ring-leaders of the Protestants Centu. loc citat profession do not only reiect the Altars condemne the Sacrifices but they controle also the very manner of prayer the Fathers vsed for the Dead Therefore they practised some other kind then those foure which M. Calu. l. 3. Inst c. 5. §. 10. Bulling Decad. 4. serm 10. Field his consortes allow Caluin sayth About one thousand three hundred years ago it was receaued as a coÌ„mon custom to vse Prayers for the dead c. But they were all I confesse beguiled with errour Bullinger writeth I know â—he Ancients prayed for the dead I know the excellent Doctour S. Augustine the eloquent S. Chrysostome and many other old and renowned men what they haue left written of this matter I know the Fathers affirme prayer for the dead to be a TraditioÌ„ of the Apostls And S. Augustine Aug. ser 32. de verb. Aposto Centu. 3. c. 5. col 138. Osiand Cent. 3. l. 1. c. 5. p. 10 Hosp in hist Sacr. pag. 167. Spark p. 371. 372. Fulke in c. 10. 1. ep ad Cor. sect 8. prope finem Fulke in his Confutation of Purgatory pag. 262. writeth It is obserued in the vniuersal Church that Sacrifice be offered for the dead I know Aerius was condemned because he disauowed these Prayers But I aske whether the Fathers did well heerin or no The Centurists and Osiander blame Tertullian because he approued Oblations for the Dead and Anniuersary-prayers in their Obite-dayes Hospinian affirmeth of S. Cyril He sayd indeed according to the preuailing custome of his tyme that the Sacrifice of the Altar is a great help to soules Of S. Augustine D. Sparkes He was both greatly carryed by the sway and opinions of the multitude in determining the auaylablenes of prayers for the dead Whereupon in the very next page he sayth I may lawfully discent from him in that case M. Fulke auerreth Prayer for the dead was the drosse of Augustine and Chrysostome Tertullian sayth he S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierome and a great many more do witnesse That Sacrifice for the dead is the Tradition of the Apostles 19. Another where he sayth But of memories of the Dead and prayers for the dead also we will not striue but that they were vsed before the tyme of Bede Ephrem Ambrose but without warrant of Gods word or authorityes of Scripture Indeed Is this the cause you reproue a custome so general supported by the greatest Pillers both of the Greeke Latine Church because they want the testimonyes of holy Writ for such is your common excuse repeated in another place We must not belieue Chrysostome without Scripture affirming that mention of the dead in the celebration of the Lords supper was ordained by the Apostles Would not a man thinke this Ghospeller meant to imbrace S. Chrysostome and admit those ancient Writers if they countenanced their assertions with the authority of the Ghospell Would not a man thinke he would then submit his iudgement vnto theirs No other sense I wis can be picked from his wordes notwithstanding farre other is his meaning this is a veile to couer his shame a disguised glosse of speach to pretend the awe and reuerence of Gods word when as neither God nor man neither humane writing nor heauenly Oracles doth he regard vnles they sound very tuneable to his straine Which that you may not condemne as a forgery deuised by me read the sayings of these Fathers and confront with them his answeres 20. S. Augustine first proueth that prayer for the dead disagreeth not from Scripture Not from that of S. Paul We ought all to be summoned before the tribunall
to your iust and vpright iudgement command me to come before you And in his Epistle to Renatius the Priest Idem in Epist ad RenatuÌ„ praesbit In rela S. Synod Chalâ—ed ad B. Papam Leonem I beseech thee sayth he to perswade the most holy Archbishop Leo that he vse his Apostolicall authority and command our appearance before his Councell For that holy Seat holdeth the sterne of gouernement ouer all Churches of the world 14. The Embassage of the Fathers of the Chalcedon Councell was To haue their decrees confirmed by Leo Saying we are suppliants vnto you and doe you honour our iudgement with your decrees as we haue ioyned to our head conformity in things that be good so let your Highnesse performe that which beseemeth to your children To the same purpose Marcianus the Emperour Osiand in Epist CeÌ„t. â— p. 182. prayed him to confirme the fayth which there was defined The petition of the first Councell held at Arles to Pope Siluester in the tyme of Constantine the Great was this That for the Rogâ—â—nus igitur tuis decretis nostruÌ„ bonora iudicium sicut nos capiti in bonis adiccimus consonantiaÌ„ sic summitas tua filiis quod decet adimpleat ex Epist 59. Leo. 60. eiusdeÌ„ Habetur inter Ep. Hormisdae Tom. 1. Epist Rom. Pont. Extat in decret Agapeti to 2. Concil 553. or 45â— according to the later Edition Sozon l. 8. c. 3. Socrates lib. 5. c. 15. Theod. Eccl. Hist lib. 5. cap. 23. Theod. ibid. vniforme obseruation of Easter day throughout the world he according to the custome should direct his letters to all Iustinus the Emperour referred the questions of fayth presented him by the Bishop to Hormisda the Pope requesting his resolution And the Emperour Iustinian after he had humbled himselfe to Pope Agapetus adored his Holynesse he beseeched him to adnance Meâ—â—as a Catholike to the Catholike to the Patriarchall seat of CoÌ„stantinople insteed of Anthimus the Heretike S. Iohn Chrysostome the Patriarch of Constantinople and Theophilus the Bishop of Alexandria intreated Damasus the Pope of Rome that Flauianus long vsurping the seat of Antioch might at length after the death of Paulinus be installed in his Bishoprike and pardoned his former fault And although he were much fauoured by all the East who cleaued vnto him and by Theodosius the Emperour who allowed him as farre as he could yet he twise commauÌ„ded him to repayre to Rome and neuer could he be canonically or peaceably enthroned vntill he sent Acatius the famous Bishop of Beroea with other illustrious Prelates to the sea Apostolike by whom he obteined the consent and approbation of the Pope 15. Not the suites of Emperous only not the supplication or intreaty of forren Bishops but the iurisdiction also and authority which the Pope hath alwayes practised witnesse his soueraignty ouer the whole flocke of Christ. For he made lawes which did bind the whole Church he called Councells censured Princes excommunicated Bishops deposed Patriarches restored them to their seats who were vniustly depriued of their dignityes For example a Leo. Epist 1. ad Episcop Camp c. Leo writeth to the Bishops of Campania of Picenum and of Tuscia how he and his Predecessours constitutions obliged them all The same b Leo ep 87. Ep. 93. ad Turb Leo summoned to a generall Councell the Bishops of Tarracone Lusitania France and Carthage c Nicep l. 13. c. 34. Innocentius the first thundred the sentence of Excommunication against Arcadius the Emperour and Eudoxia the Empresse Agaynst d The Centuristâ— Cent. 5. Col. â—â—â— Theophilus also Bishop of Alexandria e Liberatus c. 18. Felix excommunicated Acatius the Patriarch of Constantinople f Euseb l. 5. ca. 24. Victor the 15. Pope after S. Peter not somewhat Popelike as g Sparks in his answere to M. Iohn Albins preface M. Sparkes scoffeth at him exceeding his bounds but by the priuiledge of his supreme transcendent authority censured in like manner all the Bishops of Asiae for dissenting from the Roman Church in celebrating the feast of Easter h Zona in vita Iustin. Agapetus the Pope deposed Anthimus i Galas Ep. ad epis Darda Leo Dioscorus k Theod. l. 5 histo c. 23. Damasus Flauianus three Patriarches one of Constantinople another of Alexandria the third of Antioch And on the other side l Conc. Chal. act 1. Leo restored Theodoret the famous Bishop of Cyrus to his sea deposed by the 2. Councell of Ephesus m Cyp. l. 3. ep 13. S. Cyprian wrote to Pope Stephen to depose Marcian the Bishop of Orleance and install another in his roome n â—elas ep ad Epis Dardaniae Socrat. l. 2. c. 15. Cent. 4. col 550. Iulius the first of that name restored to their Bishoprikes Athanasius of Alexandria Paulus of Constantinople and other Catholike Bishops of the East expelled by the Arians And this he did as the Centurists coÌ„fesse out of Socrates fraetus Romanae Ecclesiae prerogatiua By the prerogatiue of the Roman Church And Sozomenus sayth of the same Iulius When for the dignity of his Sea the care of all appertayned vnto him he restored euery one to his Church Zozom l. 3. c. 7. Euag. l. 1. c. 4. Phot. l. de 7. Syn. Leo ep 47. Leo ep 84. idem ep 87. Gela. ep ad Epi. Dard. Galf. l. 9. cap. 11. Leo ep 84. Greg. l. 4 ep 52. Innocent 1. ep 26. ad Con. Mile extat inter epi. Aug. Conc. Cbal act 1. Patet ex Leo. ep 55. ad Pulch. Basil epist 52. ad AthanasiuÌ„ Conc. Nicenum 1. c. 6. ex Nicolao 1. ep ad Mich. Imp. vide S. Greg in Regist epi passim Idem S. Greg. in Regis l. 12. c. 15. vsum tibi pallij ad sola missarum solemnia agenda concedimus Bedel â— hist c. 19. 2. hist c. 8. God win in the Catal of Bishops Beda l. 2. c. 17. Fox act p. 185. 16. In fine the Pope of Rome hath alwayes had his legates presidents and chiefe in all Oecumenicall Councells as Hosius Vitus and Vincentius in the first Councell of Nice S. Cyril in the Councell of Ephesus Paschasius and Lucentius in the Councell of Chalcedon He hath had his Vicars generall in all forrayne and remote Countreyes Anastasius Bishop of Thessalonica in Grece Potentius in Afrike Acatius Patriarch of Constantinople in Egypt Dubritius Arch-bishop of Wales primate of Britany in England To him as to the highest Iudge the weightyest causes from all partes of the world haue been still directed Without him no generall Councell can be kept or assembled By him tumultuous Synods haue been euer disanulled From him most ample priuiledges dignityes and prerogatiues haue byn granted to Bishops Pathiarches Kings and Princes To mention some particulars From him the Patriarch of Constantinople had the preeminence of the highest Sea after Rome iurisdiction ouer Egypt
senteÌ„ce is or ought to be guided therfore not the Iudge himselfe that pronounceth sentence For in all Courts Common-wealths or publique Tribunals besides the written Law or outward euidence by which verdict is giuen some speaking-Iudge or other Magistrate is requisite who as the liuely rule or square of Iustice to vse Aristotles words ought to expound and deliuer the true meaning of the law so much more in the Church of God which is a Kingdom a Citty a Campe well ordred Arist l. 5. Etb. l. 4. Polit. Plat. l. de repub de lege Read Philo Iud. l. de legat ad CaiuÌ„ prope finem the like must needs be graunted especially seeing Plato writeth That good Gouernours are more to be regarded accounted of then good lawes because a good law without a good Iudge which may execute it is a dead law but a good Iudge without a written law is both to himselfe and others a liuely law The reason heereof is manifest because it belongeth to the Iudge who may decide and end debates 1. To heare vnderstand and compare togeather the arguments of the parties in strife 2. By explayning the true sense and meaning of the law to deliuer a definitiue sentence agreable therunto 3. To compell and inforce the contentious to accept and obey his censure But this neyther Scripture nor any written law can performe Therefore some other intelligent authenticall publike Arbiter is likewise necessary 5. M. Whitaker our Protestant-writer and Hunnius a Lutheran Doctor both agree That the holy Ghost as speaking VVhitak cont 1. q. 5. cap. 8. Hunnius in act Col. Ratis sâ—sâ— 9. in Scripture or the voice of God as vttered therin is this publike and soueraygne Iudge Very vainely very idly The voyce of God as speaking in Scripture is no way distinguished from the Scripture no more then the commaundement of the King promulgated in his law is any way different from the law Therfore as besides the King speaking in his law eyther himselfe speaking in a more liuely manner or some other Iudge is requisite to satisfy the doubts which arise of the law so besids the holy Ghost speaking precisely by Scripture eyther himselfe speaking in a more distinct and publicke fashion or some other infallible Iudge is necessary to end the controuersies which arise Hunnius ibidem Reyn. c. 2. diuis 2. p. 63. 64. out of Scripture Hunnius addeth That the Scripture it selfe or the voyce of God deliuered by learned Ministers and expounders of the word By them sayth Reynoldes who haue in vnder Christ committed vnto them is at least a sufficient and competent Iudge As vainely as idly as before 6. For who are they to whom Christ hath giuen this commissioÌ„ of Iudgmet They are as M Reynolds subnecteth Reyn. loâ—o citato of two sorts The one priuate the other publike Priuate all the faythfull and Spirituall Publike the assemblies of Pastours and Elders Of these I reason thus Eyther he alloweth both or one of these sortes supreme soueraigne infallible authority to decide debates and expound the word without further appeale and so admitteth another Iudge besids Scripture or he assigneth them not the Soueraignty of Iudgment as himselfe and all other Protestants define but the ministery of interpreting the written will and sentence of the Iudge And so maketh the Church a maymed wauoring imperfect Common-wealth without any iudiciall visible and publike Tribunall without any profitable meanes of setling peace in tyme of discord For seeing these Ministers neyther in priuate nor publike are as they confesse so assisted alwayes by the holy Ghost but that they may being men subiect to errour sometymes propound their owne dreames insteed of Gods vndoubted truthes who shall determine whether the voyce of Christ or sentence of our Iudge be truly deliuered by them or no a Rein. c. 2. diuis â— pag. 64. The written will or letter of Scripture It cannot speake or declare her Iudgment b VVhitaker cont 5. q. 5. c. 9. 13. The diligent Reader and conferrer of places He may both read conferre amisse c Hunn in act Col. Ratis ses 9 The pious Magistrate and executioner of Iustice May not he both execute and commaund an errour d Sutclif in his answere to the sixth c. of his Suruey A Generall Councell proceding according to Gods word And who shall iudge when it proceedeth according to his word The parties who contend and stand in debate Then they must be plaintiffs and Iudges both And whilest ech of them swayeth on his owne side what end of strife What decision of truth Such as Lawyers such as Attournyes make in behalf of their clients who would neuer end their Plea vnlesse some vmpire were appointed to arbitrate the cause Now to go forward 7. The Iudge of Controuersyes ought to be infallible because it must breed a certaine and infallible assurance as M. Whitaker agreeth with vs in doubts of VVhitak cont 1 q. 5. cap. 8. â— 3. c. 11. fayth but albeit the Scriptures be so in themselues yet in respect of vs they are fallible they may be erroneously printed corruptly translated falsly suborned not well expounded not rightly vnderstood And although the voice and doctrine of the Church may be somety me fallible in respect of vs as one obiected against this argument An obiectioÌ„ made against the Church solued because a particular pastour may deliuer vnto the people his own phantasies for the Churches decrees he may perswade them and they may giue credit vnto him that his priuat assertions are the generall and Catholike doctrines that they were taught by the auncient church and that many miracles haue bin wrought in confirmatioÌ„ of them yet here is a notable disparity between this and that fallibility for this proceedeth not from the repaire to our iudge either true or so taken but from a falsifier and wrong relatour of the iudges sentence that immediatly commeth from appealing to their true reputed iudge This happeneth to the ignorant only or Catecumens who begin to belieue to others the Catholike tenent in necessary poynts is so generally known as they cannot be deluded That to the learned also and most expect in matters of religion for such they are who often misconster wrongfully expound the holy scriptures This may easily be discouered and auoided by conference with other pastours by perusing the Churches decrees or hearing the oracle of her voice which can manifestly explaine herself and disproue those forged relations That can hardly be espied more hardly be auoyded because priuat interpreters by conferring reasoning and disputing the case without submission to the Church are often tymes more confirmed strengthned in their erroneous expositions neither can the Scripture open her own meaning and condemne their false constructions Our danger therfore of being deceaned is litle or nothing to be feared their 's very pernicious and irremediable 8. The Iudge of Controuersies
as they ought to do which ignorance of theirs partly proceedeth from the weaknes of our Vnderstanding partly from the depth and sublimity of the misteryes proposed partly also from the vnsearchablenes of Gods wayes and secrecy of his vnacquainted motions of which Iob sayd If God come vnto me I shall not see him and if he depart away from me I shall not vnderstand it Wherfore Iob. 9. â—â— Field lib. 4. cap. 7. seeing No man as M. Field doth witnes proueth a thing doubtfull by that which is as much doubted of as it selfe No man can be assured of the true sense and signification of Scripture by the internal working of God in his hart which is as much to be doubted of and alike hard to be discerned as the very sense it selfe and meaning of the Scripture 23. Secondly we are counsailed Not to belieue euery 2â— Ioâ— 4. â— spirit but to proue the spirits if they be of God But if the spirits must be brought to the touch-stone of triall if they must be approued and iudged by some other well knowne vndoubted authority they are not themselues the triall and Iudge of our differences Nay suppose we were assured of the inspiration assured of the holy Ghost speaking in our harts yet that speach is inuisible that motion inuisible that iudgement inuisible it cannot heare the causes examine the arguments or pronounce any desinitiue VVhitaâ—â—â— adu Stâ—pl l. 2. â— 6. sentence at all by which the contentious may be silenced the innocent acquited the guilty condemned The testimony of the spirit sayth Whitaker being priuate and secret is vnfit to teach or refell others if vnfit to teach vnfit to refell then wholy vnfit wholy vnable to cleare doubts decide Controuersyes or end the quarrells of the paâ—tyes in strife 24. Thirdly The rule and guide of our beliefe ought to haue some neere affinity and connexion with that which it guideth The measure as the Philosophers teach must be alwayes proportionable to the thing measured But the inward inspiration hath no such affinity and proportion with our Catholike fayth because that is secret this publique that particuler this vniuersall that meerly interiour and working only in the hart this exteriour Hooker of Ecclesi Policy lib. 1. sect 14. lib. 2. sect 8. lib. 3. sect 8. pag. 149. 147. lib. 2. sect 7 pag. 116. VVhitak aduers Staplet lib. 2. c. 4. pag. 330. p. 29â— ZaÌ„cb in his confess cap. 1. Brent in prolegom Kemnit in exam Conc. Tri. Aug. l. con ep FuxdaÌ„ c. 5 de vtil cre â—en c. 14. also and professed by the word of mouth In so much as that cannot possibly be a competent rule or proportionable measure to mete or square out the misteryes of our sayth Fourthly M. Hooker a Protestant of no smal account constaÌ„tly auoucheth with whoÌ„ M. Whitak other sectaryes heerin agree that the outward letter sealed with the inward witnesse of the spirit is not a sufficient warrant for euery particuler man to iudg and approue the Scripture to be Canonicall the ghospel itself to be the ghospell of Christ but the authority of gods Church as he acknowledgeth is necessarily required therunto Therefore neither are they sufficient to iudge of the sense or meaning of the Scripture for that saith S. Augustin which we obey and belieue testifying this book to be the Ghospell the same must we belieue witnessing this to be the sense of the Ghospel because it were no lesse then madnes to repaire to the Catholike Church for the approbation of Gods word run to her rebells for the sense of his word to her publick censure for that their priuat iudgment for this yea a meer madnes to thinke that euery Sectary should be indued with a diuine spirit to interpret holy writ and that the whole Church of Christ all her pastours and doctors ioyntly vnited should be depriued of the same 25. Fyfthly The ordinary way by which God instructeth vs in matters of belief is by publik preaching Fayth saith S. Paul is by hearing it is to be receaued from the lipps of the preists from the mouth of Saints Ad Rom. 10. vers 17. Malae 2 Luc. 1. Ad Ephes 4. from the pastors and teachers whome Christ hath appoynted in his Church and not from priuate reading of Scripture ioyned with the secret inspiration For that noble man of Aethiopia the Eunuch disigeÌ„tly perused the oracles of God and wanted not without doubt the inward operation of the holy Ghost being so religious as he had bin on pilgrimage at Hierusalem to adore and Act. 8. v. 30. 3â— so deuout as he read the Scriptures riding in his chariot yet when S. Philip asked him Trowest thou that thou vnderstandest the things that thou readest he said And how can I vnlesse some man shew me Therfore besides the outward reading inward working a publike interpreter and expoundeâ— is necessary for the true vnderstanding of holy writ 26. Sixthly The standing to the Iudgment of the hidden Spirit is the very roote of dissention and fountaine of discord in the vain chalengers and boasters therof it affoardeth euery sectary his priuate weights his particuler forge to coyne and allow what doctrine he pleaseth it licenseth the members to controle their heads the schollers to contradict and chang their masters Tertul. de praescript cap. 420 principles which Tertullian reproueth in the Heretiks of his dayes saying That hath bin lawfull to the Valentinians which was lawfull for Valentinus that to the Marcionites which to Marcion of their own accord to alter and innouate their belief Of their owne accord he sayth because the teaching of the holy Ghost is vniforme and the same he could not be author of such chops and changes of such schismes diuisions And yet they al pretended as our Ghospellers August tract 4â— in Ioanâ— Laâ—â—h ep ad Antwerp tom 2. Germ. Ieâ— fol. 10â— do his heauenly illumination There are innumerable sayth S. Augustine who do not only boast that they are Videntes or Prophets but will seeme to be illuminated or enlightned by Christ but are Heretikes And Luther the ring-leader of Protestants conformably writeth There is no Asse in this tyme so soâ—rish and blockish but will haue the dreames of his owne head and his opinion accepted for the instinct of the Holy Ghost and himselfe esteemed as a Prophet Whence it commeth as he immediatly before complayneth That there be as many sects Osiand in confut Script Melancth contra ipsum edit l. cont Nicticor Aug. ep 222. ad CoÌ„sent and Religions among vs as there be men That such variances arise betweene the professours of the same Religion as Osiander a Protestant telleth vs That among the Confessionists only there were twenty different opinions concerning the formall cause of iustification and that euery one is affirmed to be deduced and proued out of the word of God by the holy Ghost surely as they imagined secretly
things spoken if to Luc. 10. v. 16. Matth. 18. v. 17. all be graunted the spirit of Prophesy If members must iudge of their heades and people examine their Pastours doctrine 10. In fine to rippe vp the bowells and breake the very sinewes of this answere in pieces the inward Spirit which moueth the Collatour in the exposition of Gods word may be caused three seuerall wayes 1. God may inspire it 2. The Diuell suggest it 3. The discourse of reason gather and collect it Now aread me this doubt you that ground your fayth hereon how do you know the perswasion you follow to be an inspiratioÌ„ 2. Cor. 1â— vers 14 from God a suggestion of Satan or a discourse of reason The Diuell may transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light many falshoods as the Philosopher teacheth may seeme more probable then truthes Diuers haue beene vndoubtedly perswaded that the spirit of God guided them aright when they were ignorantly missed by the spirit of deceit wherein if you belieue not me belieue a iudicious learned ProtestaÌ„t belieue M. Hooker a famous writer of your owne who hath published these wordes in print Such as are readiest to cite for one thing fiue hundred Hook in his 2. Book sess 7. fol â—18 sentences of holy Scriptur what warrant haue they that any one of theÌ„ doth meane the thing for which it is alleadged Is not their surest ground most commonly eyther some probable coniecture of their owne or the iudgment of others taking those Scriptures as they do which notwithstanding to meane otherwise then they take them it is not still altogeather impossible So that now and then they ground themselues on humane authority euen when they most pretend diuine Who could say more against the vanity of our Sectaries against their obstinate arrogancy in expounding the word by their owne priuate sense and iudgmeÌ„t for if amongst fiue hundred sentences they haue no warrant for one to meane the thing for which it is alledged Yf now and then they ground themselues on humane authority euen when they most pretend diuine by the pretence no doubt and direction of the spirit what notes doth he or his mates assigne what marks do they propose to discerne the Diuine spirit of God from the humane spirit of man or illusion of the Diuell 11. Marrie some Protestants prescribe the Analogie of Scripture That the spirit ought to be tried by Canon of holy writ which is nothing els then to allow the circle so often hissed out of schooles by the spirit to interpret the Scripture and by the Scripture to discerne the spirit Nothing els then to make a faire shew where no hope can be had of escape For either I vnderstand before the sense of the Scripture to which I iudge my spirit agreable or vnderstand it not Suppose I vnderstand it in vaine is the instruction of the spirit Suppose I know it not how shall I iudge of the conformity of my spirit to that which I do not my selfe conceaue Others therfore teach That the spirit needeth not the touch stone of Scripture but may by it self be descried as black from white light from darknesse If this be so why are we commaunded Not to trust euery Spirit when none can deceaue vs Why is it â— Ioan. 4. v. 1. IbideÌ„ sayd Trie the Spirits when they need no triall How falleth it out so many mistake the spirit of truth How is our sight so dimmed that we cannot perceaue the distinction of spirits the darke night from the clearest day 12. We for example beleeue with Protestants the Councell of Nice we beleeue the mystery of the holy Trinity the Incarnation of Christ and with the same spirit which they count erroneous we beleeue the CouÌ„cell of Lateran of Florence the Reall presence the Sacrifice of the masse neither can we see any difference in this our spirit Not we perchance but you the sharp-sighted eagles who soare so high as to gaze on the sunne you no doubt can bewray the different markes Aske then the Lutheran what cloudes of darknesse he discouereth in the spirit of defiance he hath with the Caluinist from the bright beames of light which ioyntly shine in poynts of their agreement he answereth None at all Aske the Caluinist what foggie mist he espieth in his spirit of variance from the Lutheran he answereth none at all Aske the diuine spirited Protestant Aske the Puritan the like question The Protestant contendeth that the spirit which causeth him to dissent from the Puritan is the spirit of light the illustration of the Holy Ghost The Puritan protesteth the same of his And wheras the one must needs be a Satanicall illusion sith it wholy crosseth and contradicteth the other who seeth not that the spirit of truth cannot by it self be discerned from the spirit of deceit no not by the grand-maisters themselues and boasters of the spirit 13. When our Ghospellers are thus beaten out of all their forts or strong holds of succour when they are conuinced that neither Scripture alone nor perusall of places nor examination of Greeke Hebrew fountains nor prayer to God with the direction of the priuate spirit can safely conduct them to the true knowledge and Rein. â— 2. diuis 2. p. 62. 〈◊〉 in act Col. Ratis ses 14. p. 1â—2 Vvhâ—taker desa Scrip. Controu 1. q 4. c 4. q. 5. â— 8. Ioan. â—o v. 17. 1. Cor. 2. v. 15. sense of Scripture will you heare their last and most desperate refuge Listen and learne to detest their fraud Albeit say they these former helpes be not alwayes effectuall to the reprobate or wicked sinner yet they are sufficient inough to the elect of God If the Lord sayth Reynolds take delight in vs he will bring vs to the food of life he will giue vs the bread of our soules and make vs learned in the Scriptures For it is written quoth Hunnius Whitaker My sheep heare my voyce and The spirituall man iudgeth all things O yee children of darknesse O yee enemyes of light How long will yee seeke these cloudy euasions How long will yee runne from one maze of obscurity into another As from search of Scripture to secret prayer from secret prayer to priuate spirit from priuate spirit to hidden grace And how shall I learne who is endued with this celestiall grace in whome God is pleased How shall I know the spirituall man or sheep of Christ Eccles 9. v. â— Salomon sayd No man can tell whether he be worthy of loue or hatred S. Paul I am guilty of nothing yet in this I am not iustified But thou more wise then Salomon more illuminated then 1. Cor. 4. v. 4. S. Paul describe me the markes shew me the badge and cognizance of Christ that I may see whether I am a sheep of his flocke or no. Thou sayst if I had a strong feruent fayth if I belieued aright I should be infallibly acertainted of
and made for his purpose Or if they already belieued as others mantain then nothing doubting of the truth he preached they searched only for their confort and confirmation to nourish and strengthen their beliefe to arme themselues the better against the assaults of the enemy Both which are allowable vpon these supposal neither are warrantable for the faithfull to iudge and censure their Pastours doctrine 18. To the second and third instance I answere S. Iohn wrote to those that had receaued the fayth and needed not another maister to teach them a new doctrine contrary thereunto Isay prophesied of them that were to receaue it and both as S. Augustine commenteth speak of the inward vnction of Gods grace and inspiration of Aug. tract 3. in ep 1. Ioan. l. de gra Christi c. 13 14. the Holy Ghost which togeather with the outward preaching sweetly moueth strengtheneth and confirmeth the faythfull not to examine iudge or try but humbly to belieue and ioyfully to imbrace the message of truth deliuered vnto them Shall I repeate S. Augustines wordes Shall I propound the question he maketh to S. Iohn vpon occasion of this speach wherein he excellently refuâ—eth this obiection of Protestants Thou saâ—est Tract 3. vbi supra quoth he his vnction teacheth you of all thinges why then didst thou write that Epistle Why didst thou teach them Why didst thou instruct See heere my Brethren a great mistery the noâ—se of our words passe vnto the eares the Maister is within c. Outward instructions are helps and admonitions he hath his chaire in heauen who teacheth the hart Christ teacheth his inspiration teacheth where his inspiration and vnction is not in vaine is the sound of words without 19. Besides if we read that place of Isay All shall be taught of God as our Aduersaryes presse the Greeke I answere Cyril in 〈◊〉 loâ—â—â— againe with S. Cyril That it is a Prophesy of Christs comming to teach Christians in his owne person who before taught the Iewes by the mouth of his Prophets If we read All shal be docible of God as Maldonate more faithfully Maldonat in cap. 6. Ioan. gathered out of the Hebrew and Chaldean word it was spoken as he notably proueth by the testimony of Leontius Ammonius and S. Iohn Chrysostome for that God of himselfe is most ready to instruct and the Euangelical Law more fit to be infused into the hart by the vnction of the holy Ghost then to be vttered by wordes or imprinted in bookes 20. Lastly M. Whitaker M. Reynolds and their adherents VVhitaker 1. cont q. 5. Cap. 8. Reyn. c. 8. diuis 1. Basil Epist 80. Tul. l. 3 de leg Aug de nup. coÌ„ cup. â— 2. c. 33. Opt. l. 5. cont Parmen Aug. coÌ„c 2. in Psal 35. obiect sundry Fathers allowing the sufficiency of Scripture to end disputes to whose authorities I shall answere in my next discourse Now I reply to the testimonyes of S. Basil S. Augustine and Optatus S. Basil summoneth his Aduersaryes to the arbitrement of holy Writ in a thing most clearely reuealed concerning the Trinity in which case he may call the Scripture arbiter or Iudge as the Lawyers sometimes tearme the ciuil law or Iustinian the compiler of them Vmpier and Iudge And as Tully calleth The Law a dumbe Magistrate and the Magistrate a liuely Law After which sort S. Augustine sayth Let Christ iudge let the Apostles iudge c. Optatus likewise in the question of Rebaptization prouoked the Donatists to the Iudgement of Gods written word because there were most euident testimonyes thereof and because the Donatists would admit no indifferent tryall by any lawfull sentence but still appealed as S. Augustine witnesseth froÌ„ one another from Melchiades the Pope to the assembly of Bishops from the Bishops to the Emperour from the Emperour to others disclayming from all by whome they were vanquished Secondly I answere That these and many other Fathers ofteÌ„ referre themselues to the vmpiershippe of Scripture for that it is the silent and outward law by which the voyce of our speaking Iudge ought and alwayes is vttered and pronounced and for that it directeth vs to the Church the true soueraigne and liuely Iudge of all debats 21. Thus we are so farre from derogating from the prerogatiue of holy writ as we graunt it is A perfect light and lanterne to our feete The entire rule and square of fayth The supreme and absolute Iudge of Controuersies Thus we graunt it is the Mine of truth the fountain of life the sea of wisdom the Armary of the holy Ghost It is the promptuary of God fully stored with all spirituall treasures yet such as are to be dispensed by the Opta l. 5. con Parm. Stewards of his house It is as Optatus noteth The will and Testament of Christ yet to be interpreted by those his executours whom he appointed to expound his mind and dispose of his legacy It is the booke of heauen signed with seauen seales as Origen sayth but not to be opened Orig. hom 12. in Exo. by any but by the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda or them to whoÌ„ he giueth commission It is as another auerreth The light of the world not to be hidden vnder the bushell of any priuate or phantasticall braine but to be placed on the candlesticke of Gods Church to giue light vnto all her obedient children Esay 35. vers â— 22. After this manner the repaire to Scripture is a plaine easy generall and certaine high-way In which fooles cannot erre or step awry whereas the search our Sectaries applaud is as you see hidden darke variable vnconstant not publike not vniuersall It hath byn the path of Heretiks to damnable errours It is a field to theÌ„selues of interminable strifes and it may be to all that follow it as well a trayne to drawe them vnto the wiles of perdition as a line to guid them to the port of blisse to the true knowledg of God as shall more amply appeare by the Chapter ensuing THE SECOND CONTROVERSY THAT All things necessary to Saluation are not contained in Scripture AGAINST D. Reynolds D. Bilson D. Field CHAP. I. ARIGHT wise and laudable endeauour it hath beene amongst the learned of all ages rather to imprint their chiefest points of doctrin in the minds Casar l. 6. de Bello Gallico â—lut in vita Numae And in his first oratioÌ„ of the fort or vertues of Alexan. and memories of well disposed auditours then engraue them in curious tables or blaze them with the pennes of industrious writers So we read that our ancient Druides renowned for learning throughout all the world neuer coÌ„mitted anything to the casualty of writing but entrusted all the riches of their knowledg to the treasurie of their disciples harts Pithagoras Socrates and many other famous philosophers are deseruedly praysed and commended for the like What doe I speake of men God himself long taught and instructed
Eue of Cain by which Tertullian S. Ambrose and others confirme Gen. 3. 4. Tertul. l. 2. ad Mar. Amb. l. de para c. 14 l 2. de Cain Abel c. 9. Chrys l. 3. de sacer Numb 9. v. 5. Lenit 5. v. 5. our doctrine I come to the Leuiticall Priests who being ordained by God to iudge of corporall Lepers al such as were insected with this disease were tyed to present themselues vnto them to acquaint them with their infirmityes and according to their iudgement to be admitted or expelled the Tents Whereupon S. Chrysostome vseth these wordes The Iewish Priests had leaue to iudge or try such as were purged from corporall leprosy but to our Priestes it is graunted not to try the purged but al â—ogeather to purge not the leprosy of the body but the infection of the soule The second figure is that confession which God commanded in the 5. Chapter of Numbers and 5. of Leuiticus where the circumstance of the text and Hebrew phrase most clearely demonstrate an expresse and distinct manner of Confession as Petrus Galatinus learnedly proueth by the refragable testimonies of many ancient Rabbins But if the Hithuaddu Gala. l. 10 cap. 3. figure required a particuler confession how much more the thing figured by it 10. Of which the Apostles likewise mention S. Luke Many of these that beleeued came confessing and declaring their Act. 19. V. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meschthahhin Sachel cuthebin deeds Or as the Greeke Hebrew or Syriacke word importeth Numbering their sinnes And it followeth that S. Paul to whome this Confession was made caused them that had imployed their time in the study of curious matters to burne their bookes which he could not haue done vnles they distinctly specifyed their faults vnto him S. Paul himselfe sayth God hath giuen vs the ministery of reconciliation c. Which is not only meant of the office of reconcilement 2. Cor. 5. V. 18. by publique preaching the word but by ministring also of the Sacrament as Caluin is pleased to allow acknowledging these wordes to be spoken of the Calu. l. 4. Instit c. 1. â— 22. Iac. 5. Orig. hom 2. in Leuit. Beds m hunc loc Conc. Laodic Can. 2. Sexta Syn. Can. 102. Basil in Regulis breuior inter 288. Leo ep 91. ad Theod. ep 80. ad Episc Campan Pausimus in Vita S. Ambros power and vse of keyes S. Iames exhorteth Confesse your sinnes one to another which Origen and Venerable Bede directly expound of Sacramentall Confession to a lawfull Priest Bede sayth The vncleanesse of the greater leprosy let vs according to the law open to the Priests and at his pleasure in what manner in what time he shall command let vs be carefull to be purified 11. The continuall practise of the Catholik Church euer after approued the same long before the tyme of Innocentius the third For of the custome of the Greeke Church not only the Councell of Laodicea and the sixth Synod but S. Basil also testifyeth who liued many hundred yeares before him It is necessary to confesse sinnes vnto them to whom the dispensation of the misteries of God is committed The vsage of the Latin Church S. Leo describeth in his Epistle to Theodorus and in his Epistle to the Bishop of Campania where he mentioneth secret confession to Priests to be the institution of Christ And Paulinus writeth of S. Ambrose That he wept so bitterly hearing secret confession as he wrong teares from the Penitent The practise of the Church of France and Germany is witnessed by the Councels assembled at Turin at Paris at Rhemes at Wormes and at Mogunâ—ia Concil Tu. 10. 3. c. 22. Concilium â—â—hem can 12. 16. Concil Paris c. 32. 46. VVorms cap. 25. Mogun cap. 16. Aug. ep 180 Victor l. 2â— de â—ersecutione Vanda. Orig. hoÌ„â— 17. in Luc. hom 32 in Leuit. Cyp. ser 5. de Laps Atha in illa Verba Profecti in pagum Chrysost bom 33. in 10. l. 2. 3. de Sacerdo Lactantius de vera sapien lib. 4. prope fineÌ„ Hier. in c. Isa l. 2 ep 18. ad Demetriadem Pacian ep â— ad Symp. Tertul. de Paniten cap. 7. Iero. ep ad Marcel 10. Damas de haeres c. 80. Guido de haeres Mat. Paris in Henric. 3. Haynâ—o in Psal 31. Bern. in medita c. 9. Damia ep 1. Sparkes p. 322. p. 329. Hugode de S. Vict. l. 2. part 14. cap. 1. where the same manner of Confession is generally defined The doctrine vsage of the Church of Africke S. Augustine Bishop of Hippo shall declare saying It is a pittifull case when by the absence of Gods Priests men depart this life either not baptized or not absolued from their sinnes Which the very people of that Country vnderstood when they lamented the banishment of their Priests by the Arian Heretikes as Victor reporteth in this manner Who shall baptize these Infants Who shall minister pennance vnto vs and loose vs from the bands of sinnes 12. It would be too tedious to set downe the words of Origen S. Cyprian S. Athanasius S. Chrysostome Lactantius S. Hierome For Lactantius assigneth Confession and penance a note of the true Church S. Hierome tearmeth it The second table after shipwracke Pacianus and Tertullian do the like who liued notwithstanding many yeares before Innocentius the third So did the Montanists whom S. Hierome the Messalians whom S. Iohn Damascen the lacobites whom Guido and Matthoeus Parisiensis record to haue byn condemned they in former ages these in the yeare of our Lord 600. for affirming That we are to confesse our sins to God only and that Confession of sinnes to a Priest is not needfull So did Haymo so did S. Bernard Petrus Damianus Hugo de Sancto Victore who estsoones inculcate the necessity of Confession to the Preists of Gods Church In so much as D. Sparks shewed small sparks of grace when he affirmed our Confession first imposed as necessary in the Lateran Councell by Innocentius 3. about the yeare of our Lord 1115. No sparks of fidelity in citing Scotus and Antoninus as witnesses hereof who witnesse it not but witnesse the contrary For they both teach with vs that the generall Councell of Lateran determined the circumstance of tyme when Confession should be made and grant withall that the substance it Sozom. l. 7. c. 16. Sparkes p. 330. 331. Chrysoft hoâ—â— 4. de Lazar. hom 3â— in ca. 12. ad Haeb. in Psal â—0 Cassiâ— Costa 20. eap 8. Aug. l. 10. Confess c. 3. selfe and manner of Canfession was ordained by God 13. In lik sort he wrongfully abuseth Necturius Patriarch of Constantinople auouching him to haue abrogated secret Confession whereas it appeareth out of Socrates and Nicephorus that Nactarim only disanulled publike Confession to a publike and determinate Priest by reason of great scandall that theron ensued left euery one iudicio conscientiasuâ— To the Iudgment
these hauty speaches in Leo and I thinke that the Mistery of iniquity so wrought through his ambitious adaduancing Peter that of the Egges which he cherished two of the most venemous Cockatrices were bred that euer poysoned the Church of Christ The one the Popes Supremacy c. The other the worshiping of Saints 31. What sayth he of Saint Hierome Hierome to Reyn. c. 4. diuis 3. fol. 134. Hieron ad Aug. ep 11. inter ep Aug. Reyn. c. 4. diuis 1. fol. 133. Rein. c. 4. diuis 1. fol. 116. 117. mayntaine his quarrell agaynst Augustine wrote of affection more what he fancied then of discretion what be thought And when we Catholikes alleadge that sentence of his Paul not had security of preaching the Ghospell vnlesse it had beene approued by the sentence of Peter c. Mayster Reynolds answereth That we discouer the nakednesse of the Fathers c. And prayse the beauty of their blemishes and thinke them best clad when they are naked most Thus of Saint Hierome What of Saint Chrysostome That which Peter might haue done as Chrysostome supposeth would infer a greater Primacy then Peter had if it were true but the Scripture sayth it not The Fathers write some thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of prayse and commendation c. Wherein if their words should be rigorously sifted Reyn. c. 4. diuis 3. fol. 132. cap. 4. diuis 2. fol. 123. Ibid. c. 7. diuis 9. fo 285. Bern. l. 2. de Conside the truth is somtymes ouerlashed Of Maximus of Isidore of Theodoret what Father Maximus did dote Isidore ouershot himselfe by slip of memory Theodoret serued his owne cause 32. Is Saint Gregory then Is Saint Bernard of more credit with him Gregory quoth he was somewhat troubled Gregory had a louing affection to Rome Will you giue me leaue to thinke of him as Christ of Peter That he knew not what he sayd That worthy passage is cited out of Saint Bernard vvriting of Eugenius Thou art the Prince of Bishops thou the Heyre of the Apostles Thou art for Primacy Reyn. c. 6. Diuis 4. fol. 226. Abel for gouernement Noe for Patriarch-ship Abraham for order Melchisedech for dignity Aaron for authority Moyses for Iudgement Samuel for power Peter for vnction Christ. Mayster Reynoldes answereth Your men esteeme this place of Bernard very highly and make a feast of it I maruell they are not ashamed to alleadge it For to call the Pope heyre of Saint Peter it were a great excesse of speach much greater to call him heyre of the Apostles But to call him Christ that is so great that any modest man who were Bernardes friend would rather lay his cloake vpon it then discouer it much lesse make boast of it Was euer heard a more audacious fellow who durst open his mouth agaynst heauen it it selfe and disgrace the vvritinges of so many Saints 33. And who art thou O Reynoldes that I should belieue thee before those Cyprians those Chrysostomes those Gregoryes those Bernardes whome thou reprouest Who art thou that I shold rather iudge the greatest faults in them then the least spot or blemish in thee Shall I deeme Leo ambitious Hierome naked Gregory troubled Cyprian to haue varyed from the word of God and only Reynoldes to haue vnderstood it aright Can any man be perswaded that Chrysostome ouerlashed Maximus doted Isidore ouershot himselfe Theodoret serued his own cause and Iohn Reynoldes spake sincerly that Bernards shame deserued a cloake and Reynoldes beauty was worthy to be displayed Can a man thinke so many godly Popes miscaryed with affection all Ecclesiasticall Hystories wide and only Reynoldes to hit the marke Truly he were eyther sottishly peruerse or frowardly blind whosoeuer would seeme so partiall on his side whosoeuer I say vpon the slanderous deposition of such a faythlesse witnesse should depriue the Pope of his soueraygne dignity ouer the whole Church which God and his Saintes haue imparted vnto him The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE THE TWELVTH CONTROVERSY FREETH The true worshippe of Saints of their Shrines and Reliques from Idolatry Agaynst D. Bilson D. Reynoldes and D. Fulke CHAP. 1. THE Prince of darknesse our professed enemy as he alwayes enuyed the glory of God and repined at the felicity and happynesse of man so he euer sought to impayre the honour of the one deface the dignity preheminence of the other To this end he leuied See Irae l. 1. c. 22. ler. in Catal Epip baer 68. his infernall forces first agaynst the Diuine Maiesty it selfe agaynst the first person in Trinity stying vp Simon Magus Basilides and others to deny the first article of our Creed That God the Father created beauen and earth Then agaynst the second person he banded Ebion Chrinthus Arius who robbed our Sauiour Christ of his Diuinity and Equality with his Father Agaynst the third he armed Concil 2. Constant cont Mac. Ambr. l. 1. de fide c. 1. 2. c. Macedonius who impiously impugned the Diuinity of the holy Ghost Agaynst them all iointly Sebellius who wickedly gainsayed the distinction of the Persons But when this diabolicall battery could no way preuayle he mounted his Ordinance agaynst the blessed Angels and Saintes of God He suggested Eustachius in the yeare of Basil in orat con Sabellium our Lord 300. Eunomius and Vigilantius about the same tyme to fight agaynst the honour the vniuersall Church exibited vnto the happy soules which raygne in heauen whose poyson Wicklisse after swallowed vp and is now disgorged by M. Caluin M. Bilson M. Reynoldes M. Fulke Calu. l. 1. Inst c. 11. §. 11. Bils 4. p. pag. 157. 561. 571. Rey. de ldol Rom. Eccl. 1. l. c. 8. Fulke in c. 14. Act. sect 2. in c. 19. Apoc. sect 4. Rey. ibid. c. 6. 8. and all moderne Protestants chiefly vpon this fond perswasion That there be only two sorts of honours Ciuill and Dixine the one proper to God the other peculiar to mortall men And seeing the seruants of God already departed cannot be reuerenced with Ciuill honour because they are absent nor with Diuine for feare of Idolatry no true worship but only as M. Reynoldes yieldeth an honest commemoration or decem burialt can belong vnto them This is the maine ground of M. Caluin of M. Fulke of whosoeuer which being once razed the Rampier of their defence and Fortresse of their folly is wholy ouerthrowne 2. First then I will deduce out of the cause it selfe and off-spring from whence honour ariseth out of Scriptures reasons vndeniable another kind of worship besides Ciuill and Godly which without danger of Idolatry may be allotted to Saintes Albeit Aristotle sayth Adoration and honour is in him that honoureth yet it hath for Etb 9. c. 2. his marke and obiect the excellency of the person worshipped in testimony whereof this signe of reuerence is submissiuely exhibited And therefore as there be three sortes of
Priests nor by the Prophets it is euidently deduced that God was accustomed to make answer al these wayes or els it were an impertineÌ„t partition so in this present S. Augustine affirmeth It could not be truly sayd that they should not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come except there were some who although not in this world yet in the next might be forgiuen And S. Gregory is so plaine in our behalfe as M. Fulke confesseth Purgatory is holden by him for the least and lightest offences Howsoeuer his Pew-fellow M. Field seeme to outface the contrary against Theophilus Higgons S. Bernard also thought so well of the pregnancy of this text as thereby alone he refuteth the heresy of the Apostolikes Who belieued not sayth he any purging fire to remaine after death but the soule as soone as it is diuorced from the body to be translated to rest or to damnation I omit Venerable Bede Rabanus and others who follow their stepes heerin Bed in 3. Mar. Rabanus l. 2. de inst Câ—er c. 44. 1. Cor 3. v. 12. Psal 96. 1. Cor. 3. 13. lbidem 1. Cor. 3. 15. Ambr. Sedul in hunc locuÌ„ Aug. l. de fide oper c. 16â— Greg. l. 4. dial c. 39. 9. With S. Matthew S. Paul accordeth in his first Epistle to the Corinthians If any man build vpon this foundation gold siluer pretious stones wood hay stuble c. where for the manifestation of these works he assigneth three kinds of fires The generall fire which goeth before the face of our Lord to deuoure his enemyes in the day of doom saying It shal be reuealed in fire Then the fiery triall of Gods Iudgement of which he addeth The worke of euery one of what kind it is the fire shaltrye Lastly he concludeth of the fire of Purgatory If any mans worke burne he shall suffer detriment but himselfe shal be saued yet so as by fire Now whether we vnderstand by wood hay and stubble the curious and vnprofitable doctrine of good and faythful Preachers with S. Ambrose and Sedulius vpon this place Or the veniall sinnes and fraile imperfections of al true Christians with S. Augustine S. Gregory and others yet the fire by which the builders of these workes are punished and saued cannot be wel interpreted but of the purging fire of the next life Fulk in â— 3. 1. ad Cor sess 6. Basi de spiritu Sanct. c. 15. Chrys Theod. in hunc locuÌ„ Stapleton in Anti. Apost in 1. ad Cor. c. 3. 10. Not of the fire of temptation heere vpon earth as M. Fulke surmiseth because S. Paul expresly treateth of a fire immediatly ensuing the day of our Lord or that day as the Greeke readeth which is also taken for the day of Iudgment often in Scripture and so interpreted heer by the Grecians themselues by S. Basil S. Chrysostome and Theodoret. Besides the fire of temptation doth not refine and purify the vncleane only but tryeth the iust and perfect seruants of God generally more then the vnperfect Neither can it be expounded of the triall and examination of Gods iudgment after death as others insinuate For of that he spake before through that all must passe be they neuer so defiled be they neuer so pure through this only such as are either stayned with the spots or obnoxious to the punishment of their offences past 11. By the tryall of Gods iudgment no paine is inflicted but an approbation is made or a redargution of workes by this sauing fire besides the redargution or burning of the worke the worker also suffereth detriment or paine and penalty as the Greeke explaineth The triall of Gods Iudgment is swift and momentany not lengthned by our offences the triall of fire is shorter or longer according to the mixture of sinnefull drosse with our gold or pretious metall as Origen S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Augustine excellently teach who conformably Orig. hom â— in Exo. Cypr. l. 4. ep 2. ad Anton. Ambr. in hunc locuÌ„ Aug. in Psal 37. Tertul. l. 5. cont Marc. c. 6. Hier. in Amos 4. Greg. l. 4. dial c. 39. August in Psal 37. expound this place of S. Paul of the fire of Purgatory with whome all the Greeke and Latin Fathers with the Armenian Embassadours after long disputation agreed in the generall Councell of Florence and before them Tertullian S. Hierome S. Gregory and others Tertullian sayth He shal be saued by fire S. Augustine demanding why some are sayd to be saued by fire replyeth because they build vpon the foundation haye wood stubble but if they would build gold siluer and pretious stones they might be secure from both fires Not only from that euerlasting which shall torment the impious eternally but from that which shall amend them who shal be saued by fire c. and then Ita planè c. Euen so truely although they be saued by fire yet that fire wil be more paynefull or grieuous then any thing that can be suffered in this life Which sentence is so cleare in our behalfe as M. Fulke could find no colour to gloze it but peremptorily answereth To the authority of S. Augustine I oppose his owne Iudgment vpon better Fulke in c. 3. 1. Cor. sect 6. aduise and examination of the text As though S. Augustine euer retracted that exposition yea he often repeateth and inculcateth the same in sundry places as I shall declare heereafter 12. But what opposition I pray doth M. Fulke find in his writings He obiecteth that S. Austine in his Enchiridion Fulke ibid. to Laurence interpreteth that fire of the fire of temptation in this life And what then Shall one place preiudicate the truth of others and of so many so often ratified and neuer repealed Shall we not rather imbrace them both Aug. l. 1 de Trin cap. vlt. l. 12. CoÌ„fes c. 31. Fulke in c. 31 ad Cor. sect 5. Gen. cap. 3. vers 7. and admire the fruitfulnes of Gods sacred word which out of the same text as S. Augustine himselfe teacheth sometyme begetteth diuers literall senses not repugnant one to the other But heere sayth M. Fulke the text will not beare the former construction The Apostle taketh fire Allegorically as all the rest of the words foundation gold siluer c. wood hay stubble I answere it is an idle collection because some words are vsed Metaphorically therefore all Almighty God spake figuratiuely in the history of our Gen. 3. v. 6. Fore-fathers sinne saying And the eyes of both were opened for they were not blind before Did he therefore vse Field lib. 3. pag. 99. Fulke in c. 3. 1. ad Cor. sect 6. a figuratiue speach in the same place when he sayd The woman sawe that the tree was good to eate c. And she eate and gaue her husband c. So albeit a Metaphore be vsed in the words wood hay stubble you cannot heereupon conclude the same of the sauing
of Christ that euery Ibid. pag. 304. 2. ad Cor. cap. 5. Fulke in c. 5. 2. ad Cor sect 1. Matth. 12. S. Chrys in c. 15. 1. ad Cor. ho. 14. Fulke â—-Purg pag. 251. Iob. cap. 1. 4. Reg. 19. Chrys in Ep. ad Philip hom 3. Fulke ibid. p. 236. 237. one may receaue the proper thinges of his body c. M. Fulke answereth Augustine holding that errour without authority of Scripture that prayers were profitable to the dead is driuen to inuent a distinction how they may seeme to stand with this text not be contrary to the Scriptures S. Gregory and Venerable Bede conuinceth prayers for the Dead out of the place of S. Matthew cited aboue M. Fulke Gregory and Bede sought not the true meaning of Christ in this Scripture but the confirmation of their plausible errours S. Chrysostome produceth two seuerall places in confirmation thereof one out of Iob the other out of the booke of Kings M. Fulke to the former replyeth I deny not but that Chrysostome doth alleadge this example of Iob sacrificing for his children for prayers to profit the dead c. Those good men in that declyning state of the Church to superstition c. are driuen to such simple shifts to vphould their plausible errours as it is great pitty to see To the later Chrysostome alleadgeth Scripture but he applyeth it madly and yet he often applyeth it to the same purpose Then cyting the text out of the booke of Kings which S. Chrysostome bringeth he bemoaneth him in this sort Alas good man what manner of reason is this So he O Chrysostome ô Augustine ô Gregorie haue your prayers watchings trauels industry al your naturall tallents and supernaturall guifts in searching the true sense of Scripture beene so meanly imployed as they deserue to be controlled pittyed bemoaned now by the new Ghospellers new Apostles new Peters new Pauls of this our vnhappy age 21. But to pursue this matter against my Aduersaryes could a more shrewd Inditement be drawne to conuict M. Fulke of desperate audacity then this which is Idem in his confut of Purg. pag. 362. c. 303. 393. taken out of his owne wordes In challenging to himselfe the supreme Censour-ship of iudging reiecting and condemning Fathers Scriptures Traditions or whatsoeuer els doth distast his humour Or could a more indifferent Iury be impanelled to giue verdict of M. Fields hypocrisy then these his owne fellow-sectaryes who would neuer haue darkened the foresayd lights of the Church had they taught the same kind of Commemorating the dead which M. Field mentioneth and all Protestants defend For that would Sparkes haue renounced S. Augustine Spark p. 371. 372. Fulke in his confut of Purg. p. 349. in cap. 5. 1. ad Cor. sect 1. Calu. l. 3. Inst cap. 5. §. 10. Zuing. tom 1. Epicheresis de Can. Missae fol. 185. Field in oppend 1. par pag. 13. and deliuer of him He was greatly carryed by the sway and opinions of the multitude He went further then either he had warrant for out of the Canonicall Scriptures or out of any vnforged and vncounterfeited president Of that would M. Fulke haue sayd Augustine blindly defended it Augustine held it without authority of Scripture Of that would M. Caluin write The old Fathers wanted both commandment of God and authenticall example They were carryed away into errour euen as vnaduised lightnes of beliefe is wont to rob mens wits of Iudgement Of that would Zuinglius affirme If it be so as Augustine and Chrysostome say I do not thinke the Apostles for any other cause then to yield to their infirmity permitted some to pray for the Dead Would the fornamed and many other Protestants reprehend the Fathers disgrace the Apostles resist the current of all Antiquity for countenancing a point of Protestants profession No M. Field no man of sense can thinke your men so senslesse as to condemne in their Predecessours which themselues vphold 22. Neither can it be defended that this Prayer for the Dead reproued by your Ghospellers in the ancient Fathers was made by them as you seeke another way to escape Either for the mititagion of the paines of men in hell or for the admittance of the Iust into the Heauenly Pallace and presence of God out of some wrong conceit that no iudgment passed on them vntill the generall day of Resurrection For both these were particuler fancies of priuate men as you M. Field your selfe seem to auoch and it is euident to all that are Field in appen 1. part fol. 4. 12. 13. 16. Bulling Decad. 4. serm â—0 Fulke in his confut of Purg. p. 78. 310. acquainted with antiquity But the ancient Commemoration of the Dead reprehended by our new Reformers was generally receaued by all the Fathers It was as Bullinger writeth obserued in the vniuersall Church It was as M. Fulke sayth the common errour in S. Augustines and S. Ambroses dayes The preuailing custome as * Hospin in hist Sacra p. 167. Vrbanus Regius in 1. par operum in loc Commun c. 18. de Missae negotio f. 7â— Fulke in his answer to a counterfeit Cathol p. 44 Aug. l. 21. de ciu Dei c. 23. 24. de cura pro mort c. 1. another testifyeth in the tyme of S. Cyril The vniuersall obseruation as Vrbanus Rhegius reporteth and ancient custome of the whole Catholike Church Againe this is affirmed by the Fathers to be a Tradition of the Apostles which those errours neuer were 23. For gainesaying this as vnprofitable for the Dead Aerius was condemned as M. Fulke witnesseth yet neuer any was censured by the Church for deniall of those To mantaine this S. Augustine and others distinguish three sorts of men departed and make the middle only as I specifyed aboue partakers of benefit To allow those no such distinction is necessary for none are so euill whose paines may not be mitigated none so good whose ioyes may not be increased or felicity hastned Lastly this is confessed by our * Fulke in his confut of Purgat in the places before cited Kemnitius 3. p. exam pag. 93. 107. Vrbanus Regius part 1. operum in loc Commun cap. Casaubon in the answere to the epist of Card. Peron to the 3. instance fol. 33. in English Aduersaryes to haue beene defended by S. Dionyse S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Basil S. Athanasius S. Cyril S. Gregory Nissen S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostome S. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Augustine and many more who neuer dreamed but some of them stoutly impugned the former errours of which M. Field could not be ignorant 24. Therefore as I cannot but iudge him both a deep dissembler and deceitfull iugler in seeking these grosse and palpable euasions so I truely honour his Maiestyes plaine and sincere dealing who freely protesteth That it was a very ancient custome in the publike prayers of the Church to make commemoration of the deceased to desire of God rest for their soules
contrary As quoth he a man vpon the top of a high tower is afraid to fall and trembleth to thinke therof when notwithstanding being inuironed with the battlements he is without danger of falling not afrayd that he shal fall so the true beleeuer trembleth with the horrour of the conceit of falling away from God knowing the end of them to be most vnhappy that so do when yet he reposeth assured trust in God that being compassed about with his protection and dwelling vnder his defence he himselfe shall be preserued for â—uer What miserable stuffe is heere Will men otherwise prudent otherwise wary iudicious hazard their soules with such palpable iuglers Vpon such open and manifest cheating trickes For if the battlements be so high strongly layd that one cannot ouerturne if he would the feare proceedeth meerly from the deceaueable fancy and imagination of the mind such as often surpriseth vs in our sleep without any cause or ground at all But heere in our case the feare ariseth not from the meere conceit or troubled phantasy but from the perill and danger of the thing it selfe from the danger we are in of Psal 2. v. 12. Apoc. 3. v. 11. Rom. 11. v. 20. 21. loosing our saluation if we do not worke and liue as we ought Heer God doth not warne vs to apprehend discipline least the imagined horrour or thought of perishing afflict our harts but least our Lord be wrath and we perish out of the iust way least another take and bereaue vs of our crowne least we be cut off as the naturall boughes the nation of the Iews who were not abandoned by meere apprehension but truly and really cut off from Christ therefore he putteth vs in feare of the like separation otherwise these graue and earnest admonitions should be rather foolish iests or idle scoffes then heauenly counsayles and aduises from God For as it were a foolery to warne him who securely sleepeth in his bed and feareth the skirmish of warre the dangerous swimming or flying in the ayre of which he dreameth to beware he be not killed by his enemyes be not drowned in the sea or dash not his head against a wall And that I may insist in his owne example as it were a meere vanity seriously to bid him take heed he fall not who by reason of the battlements could not expose himselfe to any danger of falling so a vanity it were and foolery also in these diuine watchmen or seÌ„tinells of God to put vs in feare of loosing that which according to Protestants we cannot loose Away then with this base trumpery away with these ridiculous examples more agreable to the bench of Montebankes to beguile the simple then befitting the chayre of Doctours the seat of Abbot in his defence c. 3. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum fol. 620. Rom. 11 v. 33. 2. ad Tim. 2. v. 10. Aug. l. 6. hypogn c. 7. 2. Tim. 2. v. 9 August tract 12. in Ioan. Aug. l. â— hypog c. 8 August l. de corrept gra c. 13. Bernard serm 1. in Septuag Professours and professours of Diuinity to instruct the vnlearned I keep on my course 4. Another Argument which we propose is that no man can be certaine of his saluation according to Protestants vnles he be certayne also of his eternall election and predestination But this the Apostle recounteth among the most hidden misteryes and secrets of God Odepth of the riches of the wisedome and of the knowledge of God how incomprehensible are his iudgments and his wayes vnsearcable For who hath knowne the mind of our Lord or who hath beene his Counsailour Againe The sure foundation of God standeth hauing this seale Our Lord knoweth who be his By the sure foundation the best Interpreters vnderstand the decree of God the predestination of his elect which he hath sealed vp as a hidden secret reserued only to himselfe Our Lord saith S. Augustine knoweth who remaine to the crowne who remaine for the fire he knoweth in his flowre the wheate he knoweth the chaffe he knoweth the seed he knoweth the cockle And none but he Therfore he writeth in another place Let no man glory let no man despaire for our Lord only knoweth who be is And againe Who among the multitude of the faithful as long as he is conuersant in this mortality may presume that he is in the number of his predestinate Who saith S. Bernard can affirme I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate to life I am one of the number of the children Certainty truely we haue not the confidence of hope solaceth vs. S. Prosper and S. Prosper ad 12. obiect Vincent Greg hom 38. in Euang Gregory affirme the like If these men if S. Bernard had no certainty if S. Augustine were ignorant of his election how do Protestants arrogate the knowledge heerof If it seemed so vnsearchable to that heauen-rapt Apostle S. Paul how do earth-creeping Ministers attaine vnto it If God hath sealed it with his owne signet how do they enter his secrets how breake they vp his seale without his particuler warrant 5. Our Aduersaryes answere to this argument and to the authority of the Fathers That no man by any appreheÌ„sion or light of flesh and bloud can say I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate no man by iudgment of reason or humane Abbot cap. 3. sect 11. f. 331. sect 12 fol. 337. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum knowledge can conceaue it yet by ordinary fayth God doth ordinarily in some measure or other reueale the secret of his election vnto the faythfull Lesse fayth then had S. Paul lesse S. Augustine lesse S. Bernard lesse Iob and King Dauid then euery ordinary Protestant to whome this secret was not at the least by ordinary fayth euer opened or disclosed Againe no article of our beliefe not Christ crucifyed not his Incarnation Passion and Resurrection are knowne vnto vs Matt. 16. v. 17. 1. Tim. 3 v. 16. Coloss 1. v. â—3 6. â—7 â—8 August vbi supra by any other meanes then by the light of Fayth Flesh and bloud as Christ sayd vnto S. Peter hath not reuealed this vnto vs. And yet S. Paul writeth of them That they are preached manifested and made knowne to vs that the secret decree of predestination is hidden and vnknowne Therefore he auerreth it to be hidden and vnknowne by the ordinary illustration of fayth by which the former mysteryes are only manifested and knowne and of which S. Augustine must needs be expouÌ„ded who doth not say Who among the carnall or fleshly men guided by sense or reason but who among the faythfull that is by the ordinary beames of Fayth may presume that he is predestinate neither can it euer sincke into the brayne of any but some brainsicke Minister that either he or S. Bernard or any other Father should so earnestly inculcate the vnknowne certainty of our election to sense reason or
Ioan. 2. v. 5. Ibid. c. 4. v. 11. Charity whereof you haue the rash verdict of Protestants that it can neuer be perfect wil you now heare the iudgmeÌ„t of S. Iohn He that keepeth his word to wit the commaÌ„dment of our Lord in him in very deed the Charity of God is perfected If we loue one another God abydeth in vs and his Charity in vs is perfected Will you heare the sentence of Christ Greater loue then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friendes But this hath beene acomplished by innumerable Martyrs Ioan. 15. v. 13. of our Roman Church they then haue arriued to the highest pich or degree of Charity After this sort S. Augustine teacheth that not only the Charity of Christ but the Charity also August tract 5. 6. in 1. IoaÌ„ c. 3. Item l. de perf iust tom 3. ex sent sent 311. despir lit c. 5. vlt. l. de doct Chri. cap. 39. l. 1. de pec mer 23. remis c. Hiero. l. 2. comm in lament Ierem haec de Hier. Cent. 4. c. 10. col 1250. of S. Steuen the charity of S. Paul was perfect in this life accordingly in his booke of the perfection of Iustice and els where very often But most perspicuously S. Hierom He is truly and not in part perfect who disgesteth in the wildernes the discomfort of solitude and in the Couent or Monastery the infirmities of the brethren with equall magnanimity Which sentence because the Madgeburgian Protestants could not with any dawbing besmeare but that the beauty thereof would discouer it selfe they sprinkle it with the aspersion of an vnâ—itting or bastardly kind of speach and so cassiere it amoÌ„g other of his errours But these reproachfull censures of such an eminently learned Saint rebound back with disgrace of the censurers honour of the censured and our acknowledged triumph with which I go on to establish it further with a Theologicall proofe 4. It is a strong grounded opinion among Deuines that the actuall and supernaturall loue of some feruent zealous persons heere vpon earth exceedeth in essentiall perfection the burning charity of sundry inferiour Saints in heauen whose Charity notwithstanding Protestants graunt to be perfect for as the habituall grace and Charity of such as haue exercised many acts of loue often receaued the sacraments and augmented their inward habit surpasseth the grace and renouation of Baptisme which infants dying before the vse of reason haue only obtayned So their actuall charity which is often answerable to the habituall and by the help and supply of Gods speciall concurrence may sometyme be greater surmounteth also the actuall loue of young children who now reioyce and triumph in the Court of blisse such was the loue of our B. Lady of S. Iohn Baptist S. Peter and S. Paul 5. To this Argument of the Schoolemen I find no reply in any of our Reformers writings but to the aforesayd passages of Scripture they commonly answere that VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Campiâ— fol. 251. VVher in are the marginall nots out of his reply so Duraeus the workes of the faythfull are perfect and pleasing to God by acceptation They please him quoth Whitaker as if they were entiere and pure because he looketh vpon our persons he doth not make search into the worth and merit of the worke Verily in this later clause you say most truly he maketh not search into the worth merit of your workes whch you denounce to haue no merit in them which you proclayme to be mingled with the corruption of sinne yet your persons perdy because you are Protestants are so amiable in the eyes of that supreme Monarch that the things you do delight and content him as entiere and pure howsoeuer they be in themselues impure And whereas the Publicans humility Mary Magdelens teares the Chananeans fayth S. Peters sorrow endeared them to Act. c. 10 v. 35. God wheras all other good persons are accepted to him by reason of their workes He that feareth God and worketh iustice is acceptable vnto him only Protestants are such darlings as their works are not regarded by reason of their persons He that sayd to Abraham Because thou hast done Gen. 21. v. 16. 17. Sophon 1. v. 12. this things and hast not spared c. I will blesse thee blesseth them without reference to their doings He that searcheth Hierusalem with lamps that is diligently sifteth his holyest Saints maketh no such narrow scrutiny into his Protetestant fauourites he with whome there is no acception of persons accepteth the persons of Protestants without any exception Go you and vaunt of this extraordinary fauour and passe yee without search or examination to your peculiar heauen God grant that we and our workes being weighed in the ballance of Gods iust triall be not found too light as Baltassars were or fayling in any duty Abbot c. 4. sect 45. August de spir lit c. 35. Aug. de temp serm 49. Hier. l. 1. aduers Peâ—ag l. 3. de Fulg. l. 1. ad Mon. Orig. ad Rom. c. 6. we are bound to accomplish Against which M. Abbot declameth as a thing impossible because S. Augustine telleth vs That there is no example of perfect righteousnes among men That this is the perfection of man to find himselfe not to be perfect To whome he also addeth the authorityes of S. Hierome of Origen calling our righteousnes in this life vnperfect wanting of perfection and an image or shadow of vertuâ— Likewise of the Apostles tearming himselfe according to S. Augustine vnperfect a trauailler to perfection not as one that was come vnto it Thus he not vnlike the Stoickes whome S. Hierome and S. Augustine reprehend for their doting phrenzy in cauilling that he who profiteth in wisedome cannot be sayd to haue any wisedome vntill he come to be perfect therein 6. But as concerning the matter in hand I briefly reply with our Angelicall Doctour S. Thomas and with August coâ—t â— ep Pelag. l. 3. 6. 7. Augu. de spir lit c. 36. Hier. l. â— cont Pela Aug. ep 26. S. Thom. q. 24. art 8. Baâ—nes Lor. â—lij in eum articul all other Deuines commenting vpon him That there is a threefold degree of perfection The first is of them who are so firmely rooted in charity as they detest all thinges contrary repugnant to the law of God that is al mortall and deadly crymes by which charity is extinguished this degree all the iust who are in the fauour of God attayne vnto The second is that which excludeth not only euery grieuous sinne but as much as our humane frailty with Gods grace can do euery little imperfection euery superfluous care let or impediment which diuerteth our minds or withdraweth our harts from the loue of soueraigne goodnes to this not all the iust but some religious and zealous persons by continuall mortification and abnegation of
Lord without blame Scan I pray these foure things First that they walked not in any one only but in all the commandments Secondly that they were iustifications which made them iust Thirdly before God Fourhly without blame viz. without any vicious defect or culpable imperfection which might eyther stayne the splendour of their iustice or hinder their ful complete obseruation of the law which God required at their hands 4. Lastly the keeping of the commandments is the sole marke and true cognizance of a beleeuing Christian Ioan. 14. v. 15. v. 21. â— Ioan. 2. v. 3. 4. If you loue me keepe my commandments He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loueth me And In this we know that we haue knowne him if we obserue his commandments He that sayth he knoweth him and keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him Wherefore if Protestants cannot obserue the Commandments they are not Abbot c. 4. sect 43. fol. 566. 568. VVbitak l. 8 aduers Duraeum Fulke in c. 1. Luc. sect 7. Ioan. 14. sect 1. Perkins in the 4. cha of bis reform Cath. louers nor knowers of God or if they challenge his loue and boast of his knowledge not fullfilling his law they are lyars blasphemers and the truth is not in them Their Ministers stinged with this sharpe censure begin to startle and perswade their fauourits that they keep the law correspondently to the proportion of their loue and knowledge that is haltingly weakly imperfectly as their loue is halting their knowledge imperfect Are these the new Apostles diuine lightned Reformers who sit in the sun-shine of their Ghospell and rise to illuminate the world with their radiant beames And do they confesse their beames of truth to be dimmed with clouds their flames of loue frozen with cold with such misty clouds with such nipping frost as violate the precept of knowing the commandment of louing God For as their raw and imperfect obseruations which hath been demonstrated before in the precedent Controuersy are of their owne nature true breaches of the law so their lame knowledge their imperfect loue is a transgression of the precept of loue a preuarication of the commandment of beliefe which is the supernaturall knowledge of God whereof S. Iohn speaketh But if they violate the precept of fayth as often as they beleeue with what conscience can they exercise an act of beliefe who are charged neuer to infringe the will of God With what hart can they iudge that precept imposed when neyther in this life nor in the next for then fayth ceaseth and vanisheth away it can be euer accomplished With what tongue can they bragge of true beliefe for this is commaÌ„ded wheras theirs transgresseth the commandment of God With that false stringed tongue with that hollow hart with that seared conscience with which they presume to auerre that the Father of heauen doth esteeme and account their breaches obseruations their violations accomplishments of what Isa 5. v. â—0 he commandeth forcing him to vnder go for the loue of their persons that heauy curse he threatneth to others Wo be vnto you that call euill good and good euill esteeming darknes light and light darknes accounting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter 5. Yet on the other side if abhorring these blasphemyes they dare pronounce their knowledge or beliefe such as it fulfilleth the precept of fayth as far as it ought thence we argue that they may likewise obserue the precept Rom. 13. v. 10. of charity as far forth as they ought and by consequence wholy obserue and fulfill the law For Charity is the fulnes of the law the summe or knot of perfection on which the Concil Arausic c. vlti Hilar. in Psal 118 whole law and Prophets depend Hence it is defined in the secoÌ„d Arausican Councell That all the Christned hauing receaued grace by Baptisme Christ ayding and cooperating may and ought if they will diligently labour to fullfill all things which belong to saluation S. Hilary saity It is not hard if the will be prompt to obey the precept of our Lord. S. Hierome No man doubteth of this but that God hath commanded things possible S. Augustine Neyther Hier. l. 3. cont Pela Aug. ser 61. 191. de tempo Aug. lib. de natur gratia cap. 43. Cent. 2. 4. col 58. Author respon ad quaest 130. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 61. Ibidem col 61. Obedientiam legalem reâ—atis omnino possi bilem esse magno errore iudicauit Cent. 3. c. 4. col 78. Orig. hom â— super Exod. Videtur asseuerare quòd baptizati per omnia possint legem implere Cypr. ser de Baps. Christ. God who is iust can command things impossible nor condenme man who is pious for that which he could not auoyd And agayne Thinges impossible God commandeth not but by coÌ„manding warneth thee both to doe what thou art able and to aske what thou art not able and he helpeth thee that thou mayest be able Yet because Protestants will strayne their wits to bow these sayings to some crooked sense I will stand to the iudgement of such as their owne fellow Protestans furnish me withall and whome they iudge to hold with vs without exception 6. For the Century-writers affime that the authour of Replyes extant among the workes or Iustin with full mouth breaketh into these words What is all the iustice of the law to loue God more then himselfe and his neighbour as himselfe which truely is not impossible to men that are willing Of Clemens Alexandrinus mayster to Origen they auouch He with great errour iudged the legall obedience to be altogeather possible to the regenerate Then passing to the three hundred years of Christ thus they deliuer their generall verdict of the Fathers of that age They held concerning the law very exhorbitant opinions as Tertullian in his booke against the Iewes disputeth that the Saints in the old testament as Noë Abraham Melchisedech others were iust by the iustice of the natural law Hence with the like error I vse the Centurists phrase Origen heer and there inculcateth many things of the possibility of the law as in his eyght homily vpon Exodus where expounding the Decalogue he seemeth to asseuere that the baptized may according to all things fulfil the law The same sayth the Authour of homilyes vpon the Canticle The diuine word is not mis-shapen or without order neyther doth it command things impossible And Cyprian because sayth he we know that which is to be done and can do that which we know thou conimandest me o Lord that I loue thee this both I can and ought to do Hitherto the Centurists producing witnesses against themselues THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The possibility of keeping the Law is maintayned by other reasons and obiections answered FIRST it were no lesse then tyranny to punish men euerlastingly for not keeping the Commandments if it be not
my whole hart I in al my hart will search thy commmandments Howbeit he busied also Iudith â— 17. 2. Reg. 5. v. 1â— himselfe in the affayres of the common wealth and was often distracted with temporall cares And the priestes and people prayed God with al their hart although they were sometyme interrupted with other cogitations All Israell is sayd 4. Reg. 23. v. 25. to follow Absalom with al their hart albeyt they managed some other affayres no doubt and affected some other thing besides him Of Iosias God himselfe witnesseth There was no king before him like to him that returned to our Lord in all his hart and in all his soule and in all his power according to the law of Moyses neyther after him did there arise the like to him 6. In fine Protestantes obserue the precept of Faith by which they are likewise commaunded to beleeue withall their hart Yf thou beleeue with all thy hart thou maiest Act. 8. v. 3â— notwithstanding they giue humane credit to many other authentical histories or probable reportes without hinderance thereof so they may accomplish the commandment of louing God with all the powers of their soule when this loue ouerswayeth the loue of all other thinges when they make him the principall obiect of their hart and summe of their desires when they neyther imbrace nor execute any thing oppofite or disagreable with his frendiship which diuers haue and euery one may by the prerogatiue of Grace atteyne vnto Thirdly S. Paul professeth I can all thinges in him that strengthneth me therfore he could by the strenght of grace fulfil the commaundments or els you derogate both from the authority of the Apostle who affirmeth it and from the power of grace by vertue whereof he many accomplish whatsoeuer Moreouer Philip. 4. v. 13. God maketh this promise vnto vs I will put my spirit in the middest of you and I will make that you walke in my preceptes and keepe my iudgements and doe them Christ testifieth the performance I haue manifested thy name to the men whome thou Ezech. 36. v. 27. gauest me c. and they haue kept thy word Yet notwithstanding the possibility S. Paul speaketh of notwithstanding the promise of God the Father notwithstanding the accomplishment the Sonne mentioneth do they breath vpon Ioh. 17. v. 6 the earth and vaunt of Christianity who depose against them that neuer any fulfilled the law That it is not possible for man to accomplish it 7. Thus much for the mayntenance of our doctrine Now to the obiections of aduersaries First they vrge out S. Paul Cursed be euery one that abideth not in all things that be Gal. 3. v. 10. written in the booke of the law to do them But no man can obserue euery iote of the law without some litle or veniall default therefore he is obnoxious to that damnable curse Iac. 2. v. 10. For whosoeuer shall keep the whole law and offendeth but in one is made guiltie of all Truly they haue framed an excellent Argument to proue themselues accursed who freely confesse they cannot keep any one precept of the law much lesse the whole But we to whome the coÌ„mandments by Gods Hier. Ep. ad Pâ—efiph 1. Iob. 3. v. 6. 9. grace are possible according to S. Hierome we who by the seed of God dwelling in vs do not sinne but arriue to the full accomplishment of the law and of all thinges written and conteyned therein we I say are free from that malediction for veniall sinnes do not in that sense breake or violate the law neyther doth S. Paul pronounce that curse of them as appeareth by the playne text of Deuteronomy whence he reciteth those words but of mortal and deadly crimes of Idolatry incest murder c. which are indeed grieuous breaches traÌ„nsgressions of the Law Therfore Deuâ— 17â— v. 26. he that obserueth the rest and coÌ„mitteth any one of those is liable to the curse of the law he is made guilty as S. Iames witnesseth of the whole not that he who stealeth should be guilty of adultery or he who is an adulterer is therein a murderer or that he who traÌ„sgresseth one coÌ„maundement shal be as seuerely punished tormented in hell as if he had brokeÌ„ al but the sense is that he who offeÌ„deth in one eyther incurreth the wrath and indignation of God the vniuersal authour enacter of them al or caÌ„ haue no more Aug. ep 26 hope of obtayning saluatioÌ„ then if he were guilty of al or that he sinneth as S. Augustine interpreteth against the general great coÌ„mandment of loue Charity the summe the band the plenitude and perfection of them all for the breaking of the band is the dissoluing of the whole 8. I answere agayne that S. Pauls argument here alleadged inferreth the possibility of keeping the law for which we dispute he reasoneth to this effect Whosoeuer wil be iustified by the workes of the law must fullfill the whole taske of the law But without faith in Christ no man can by the force of nature vndergo or do the whole taske of the Law Therfore without faith through the strength of nature no man can be iustified by the workes of the law Hence he inferreth Christ hath deliuereth vs froÌ„ the eurse of the law he doth not meane as Protestants falsify him that he hath discharged vs from the obseruation of the law as from a thing vnpossible but that he inspireth fayth and affordeth grace from the Storehouse of of his merites whereby we may keepe the law and so eschewthe malediction or curse of transgression which the delinquentes incurre 9. Secondly it is opposed Now therefore why tempt you God to put a yoake vpon the neckes of the disciples which neyther our Fathers nor we haue beene able to beare I answere that S. Act. 15. v. 10. Peter there calleth not the obseruation of the decalogue but the ceremoniall law of the Iewes a yoake insupportable because it was very hard and difficult as S. Thomas S. Thom. in 2. dist 28. q. 1. at 4. ad 3. Lyran. in bunolocuÌ„ Rab. Moy. 3. duct dub cap. 56. 57. Abulen in c. 1. Ruth q. 24. Ios 11. v. 15. and Lyranus note to be fulfilled For all their precepts were as Rabby Moyses and Abulensis recount them 600. or there about amongst which were 218. that were affirmatiue and 365. negatiue commandements then the obligation of them was strictly and punctually to be obserued the transgression capitall and punished with all seuerity yet King Dauid Zachary Elizabeth Moyses Iosue c. fulfilled them for of Iosue the Scripture giueth testimony He accomplished all thinges he omitted not of all the commandementes not so much as one worde which our Lord had commanded Moyses Now Christ hath exempted vs from that combersome yoke from that Burthen as S. Augustine calleth it of innumerable Ceremonies yet not which Libertines pretend from the * Aug.
to be vnderstood as if God did it or commaunded it to be done but that he hath permitted it only yet iustly So Tertullian calleth God not the doer but the permitter or sufferer of euill And Fulgentius No man iustly sinneth although God iustly permitteth him to sinne Epiphaniuâ—s Rupertus vse the same distinctioÌ„ whome I ioyne to the rest that you may abhorre the impudency of Caluin who so often carpeth at this auncient and long approued solution wherein I bewray both his and other heretikes hatred towards God For where they read in holy writ any mystery which redoundeth to the honour of his name they cloud or extenuate it with metaphoricall constructions as the Reall Presence in the SacrameÌ„t the remission of sinnes and inward iustice of our soules Where they discouer any sentences which may seeme to darken the beames of his glory they sticke fast to the letter and eagerly presse the rigour of the words as heere when he is sayd to â—arden to blind to giue men ouer to a reprobate sense Far otherwise all deuout and faythfull Interpreters of Gods word Otherwise S. Chrysostome who teacheth that God susteyned Pharao with much patience willing to reduce him vnto pennance For if he had not desired this he would not haue shewed so much lenity Otherwise Rupertus who commenting vpon this very allegation of Pharao to this purpose I haue raysed or set thee vp expoundeth it not with our Sectaries of his creation but of his aduancement to his Kingdome permittendo videlicet non agendo as much to say by permitting not by doing Otherwise Theodoret reciting diuers mutations of Pharaos will how sometimes he would dismisse Israel other tymes he would Theod. 9. 17 in Exodum not all these saith he Moyses recorded to teach vs that neyther Pharao was of peruerse nature neither did our Lord God make his mind hard and rebellious for he that now inclineth to this part now to that plainly sheweth freewill of the mind 11. Concerning the latter wounds obiected against vs that God made al things for himselfe euen the wicked man to the euill day To this purpose haue I raysed thee c. they are spoken not of the chief and principall purpose for mostly intended as the cause of his creation but of the euent or after-end Fulgent l. 1. ad Mon. to which he was consequently appoynted foreseeing his iniquity For although God be not the author as S. Fulgentius saith yet he is the ordeyner and disposer of euill wills so far forth as he ceaseth not to worke good of euill Which he receaued of his maister S. Augustine Of so great wisdome and power is God that al things which seeme coÌ„trary to his wil make towards those issues Aug. li. 22. de ciu Dei cap. 1. or ends which he himselfe both good and iust foreknew After this manner God inclineth the harts of all obstinate sinners either to exercise his seruants or make known his patieÌ„ce or to giue a greater lustre to vertue by her contrary vice After this manner not vnlike to the prouident skillfull work man who turneth that to some base which he cannot fashion to a more noble vse so God conuerteth the peruersenes of the impious to manifest his iustice whome without preiudice to their liberty he cannot winne to partake of his mercy Lastly after this manner he worketh all things according to the counsaile of his will because whatsoeuer is done good by himselfe or bad by others he directeth to the scope of his holy designs or rather because all things which he doth for sinnes which he doth not are no thinges but meere defects and priuations are Hierom. in â—om super hunc â—oâ—â—m full of wisdome counsaile freedome and prouidence So S. Hierome interpreteth this place saying God worketh all thinges according to the counsaile of his will not that all thinges which be done are accomplished by the will counsaile of God els sinnes might be imputed to God but because al thinges which he doth by counsaile and will he doth because for both they are full of the wisdome and power of him that doth them Where now was Caluin l. 3 Iâ—stit cap. â—3 §. 4. 7. lib. de aeterna Dei praedest fol. 916. Chrysost hom de interdict arb ad AdaÌ„ quae habetur post hom in Genes Caluin sup 8. Pros lib. 2. de vo cat genâ— cap. 1. 12. Caluin lib. Instit c. 17 18. lib. 2. c. 4. l. 3. c. 23. Augu. tract 53. in Ioan. Fulk in cap. 6. Mat. sect 6 Aug. ep 8â— q. 2. Fulk in cap. 12. Ioan. sect â— Aug. tract 3â— in Ioan. Con. ValeÌ„t cap. 2. Caluins iudgement or Fulkes witts whiles perusing the Fathers they discouered not these expositions But what maruell though they marked not their Comments who so ouerth wartly crosse their very words and meaning For compare a little the sayings of these men with those of the Fathers 12. Caluin By gods predestination Adam fell he both knowing and so ordeyning S. Chrysostome It is manifest that God would not haue Adam sinne who before his fall did fense and arme him Caluin Man falleth the prouidence of God so appoynting S. Prosper The ruine of no man is disposed by diuine ordination Caluin God willeth commandeth and inforceth to sinne S. Augustine God neither forceth commaundeth nor willeth sinne Fulk The text is plaine Lead vs not into temptation wherby is proued not only a permission but an action of Gods in them that are lead into temptation S. Augustine Lead vs not into temptation that is Suffer vs not by forsaking to be lead into temptation Fulke Gods election and reprobation is most free of his owne will not vpon the foresight of the merits of either of them S. Fulgentius Because God by foreknowledge saw the sinnes of men he dictated the sentence of predestination Fulke speaking of some incredulous The neither would nor could be willing to beleeue because they were reprobate S. Augustine If any man aske why they could not beleeue I answere roundly because they would not And the Valentine Councell defineth that the reprobate are not punished because they could not but because they would not be good By these and diuers other oppositions you may see how contrary the new inuentions of Protestants are to the doctrine of the Church You haue reade how repugnaÌ„t to the Scriptures how reproachfull and derogatory from the passion of Christ You haue reade what atheismes what execrations what sacriledges they conteyne against God himselfe against his infinite loue 13. Let me therfore intreate euery sober Christian who is touched with the zeale of his creators honour to abandon those bookes farced with such impieties to infernall flames to detest those Ghospellers who make Caluin l. â— Instit. c. 4. §. 2. Idem ergo facinus Deo sathanae homini assignari videmus noÌ„ esse absurduÌ„ Deus clauuÌ„ tenet Caluin l. 1. c. 18. 6. 1. Caluin lib.
was an hungred and you gaue me to drinke c. Get you away froÌ„ me you cursed c. I was an hungred and you gaue me not to eate I was a thirst and you gaue me not to drinke For this cause the Apostle Matth. 25. v. 34. v. 41. 1. Cor. 4. v. 17. Tertult l. de râ—sur carnis c. 40 in Scorp cap. 13. Aug. ep 105. Chrysost hom 3. de Lazaro auerreth the sufferances of his life to win or cause faluation Our Tribulation which presently is momentary and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs where for worketh our Protestants corruptly translated heretofore prepareth albeit they haue since corrected it because it is in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is potently or forcibly worketh In liew whereof Tertullian readeth perficiet in nobis shall perfect and accoÌ„plish in vs an eternall weight of glory yet not physically as the efficient but morally as the meritorious cause which winneth and purchaseth the laurell of be atitude as sinnes procure the bane of endles misery Whereupon S. Augustine Euen as death is rendred for astipend to the merit of sinne so is euerlasting life as a stipend to the merit of iustice And S. Chrysostome By good workes we deserue heauen as by euill hell THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The same is strengthned by other reasons authorities and the Obiections satisfied THE third Argument to support the merit of workes is drawne from those places of Scripture which testify the singular valew prerogatiue of Almes-deeds Tob. 1â— v. 9. and Eccles 3. v. 33. Prou. 25. v. 27. Pro. 16. v. 6. Dan. 4. v. 24. that it deliuereth from death purgeth sinnes maketh vs find merit and life euerlasting Giue almes and behold all things are cleane vnto you By mercy and faith sinnes are purged By mercy and truth iniquity is redeemed Redeeme thou thy sinnes with almes and thy iniquities with the mercies of the poore which place by the Protestants former and by their later translation set forth by commaundement of his Maiesty is thus adulterated Breake of thy sinnes by righteousnes For although the Hebrew or rather Chaldeack word Peruk of Perak the roote signifieth sometime to breake in pieces to deuide to rend in sunder and also to redeeme yet neuer properly to breake off or cease to do couering by righteousnes as our sectaries wrest it not extinguishing by almes deeds as the Verbe inforceth the remaynes of sinne But albeit the Chaldeake word had beene ambiguous as in no indifferent mans iudgement it is in that place yet the Latine word Redime redeeme at least the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath no other natiue signification then ransome or redeeme thy sinnes should haue taken all doubt and ambiguity away had those Protestant translations syncerely followed the originall fountaines as they pretend 2. The fourth and last reason is insinuated in holy writ in these very textes which commend some vertuous and heroicall actes as better in themselues more gratefull vnto God then others although both the faith be equall inhabitant grace by which they are wrought 1. Cor. 7. v. 38. â—bidem v. 39. 40. Matt. 19â— v. â—1 For so S. Paul sayth He that ioyneth his virgin in matrimony doth well and he that ioyneth not doth better Likewise speaking of the widdow Let her marry to whom she will only in our Lord but more blessed shall she be if she so remaine In like manner to distribute all our goodes to the poore and follow Christ is of it selfe more perfect then to enioy the riches of the world and bestow them in his seruice Yf thou wilâ— be perfect go and sell the thinges that thou hast and giue IoaÌ„ 15. v. 13 to the poore c. To sacrifice our liues in testimony of our faith is more precious in the eies of God then to releeue the poore with a cup of cold water Greater loue then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friends In so much as there is some valew some worthines in the act of Martyrdome which is not in almesdeeds some dignity in voluntary pouerty which is not in rich liberality some excellency of merit in virginity beyond the degree or holines of wedlocke wherein least our aduersaries should wrangle that they are more excellent and worthy only as they are signes of greater faith both our Sauiour and the Apostle speake absolutely without any condition of greater or lesser prerogatiue of faith Therefore the thinges considered in themselues are better more grâ—tefull and meritorious all other circumstances being equally weighed For as conditionall assertions cannot be absolutely In conc Mediolan Ambros Epist 81. Ambr. ibid. ep 8 c. Aug serm 143. de teÌ„p Diuersa specits claritatis quia diuersa suÌ„t merita charitatis Centur. 5. c. 4. col 518. Aug. l. 3. de peccat meritis Contur c. 4 4. col 301. Amb. l. 2. ad Marcel Cent. 3. 4. col 86. Orig l. 10. ep ad Rom. Cent. 4. c. 4. Col. 192. Cbrom in concion de Beat. Cent. 4. c. 10 col 1250. Ierom aduer Iou. Cent. 3. c. 4. col 86. Tertul l. de Ieiunio Cent. 2. c. 4 col 64. vnderstood no more can absolute and irrestreyned be expounded conditionally vnles we peruert the ten our of Gods sacred lawes and shake the whole fabrike of diuine oracles in peeces Whereupon very religiously S. Ambrose Bassian and other Bishops without any condition of more feruent faith absolutely auouch Mariage is good by which the posterity of Irumane succession is propagated but Virginity is better whereby the inheritance is gotten of our celestiall Kingdome and the succession is found out of heauenly merits Also the same S. Ambrose with Bassian and the rest a little before It is a wild and rusticall howling to awaite or looke for no fauour of virginity no prefermeÌ„t of chastity to be willing promiscuously to confound all thinges to abrogate the degrees of diuers merits and bring in a certeine pouerty of celestiall remunerations S. Augustine You see that clarity is promised to the bodies of Saintes and a various lustre of clarity for the various merits of charity But of him S. Ambrose Origen Chromatius S. Hierome Tertullian and S. Ignatius the Apostles Scholler I alleadge no other then the words of the Centuristes It is apparant say they that Augustine was of this mind that Virgins deuoted to sanctimony haue more merit with God then the faithfull married folkes For because Iouinian thought the contrary that they haue no more merite this he reprehended in him Ambrose to insolently pronounceth of the merit of virgins Origen maketh virginity a worke of perfection Chromatius extolleth voluntary Pouerty and sayth that by the merite thereof the riches of the heauenly Kingdome are obteyned Hierome de striuing too much for Virginity is somewhat vniust or aduerse to marriage Tertullian attributeth merit to Fasting It appeareth out of the Epistles of