Father bestowes a farme vpon his Son freely Who may by often presenting his Father of the pleasing fruits growing on the same deserue his further fauour Yea he may by the commodities reaped out of that farme buy any thing that it shall please his father to set to sale as well as if he had neuer receiued the farme from his fathers gift Which is so common a case and so sensible that euery man of meane witte may easely reach vnto it euen so by good manuring the giftes which God freely bestoweth vpon vs we may both merit the increase of them and according to his owne order and promise purchase thereby the kingdome of heauen which is plainely proued by that parable Mat. 25. Of the talents giuen by a King to his seruants the which they imploying well and multiplying were therefore esteemed worthy of farre greater and withall to be made pertakers of their Lordes joyes M. PERKINS then was not a little ouerseene to put for the first propriety of merit that it must be donne by a man and of a man himselfe The second That a man must doe it of his owne free will and pleasure and not of due debt carrieth in shewe an opposition but in deede there is no contradiction in it for a man may and euery honest man doth of his owne free will and pleasure pay his due debt but let vs pardon the disorder of wordes his meaning being nothing else but that the payment of that which is otherwise due debt cannot be any meritorious worke to which S. Augustine doth answere in these wordes Serm. 3. de verb Apost O great goodnesse of God to whome when we did owe seruice by condition of our estate as bond-men doe to their Lord yet hath he promised againe and againe the rewarde of friendes In which there is couched a comparison which being laide in the light will much helpe to the vnderstanding of this matter He that hath a slaue or bond-man may lawfully exact of him all kinde of seruice without any wages Bread and a whippe saith a Philosopher serue for a slaue Now suppose the Master to be soueraigne gouernour of a state then if it please him to make his man free and withall a member of his common weale the same man by performing many good offices to the state may justly deserue of his prince as great rewarde and promotion as any other of his subjects and yet may his Lord and olde Master say trulie to him all this that thou hast donne or couldst doe is but due debt vnto me considering that thou wast my bond man so fareth it with vs in respect of God all that we can doe is due debt vnto him because he hath made vs and endowed vs with all that we either be or haue yet it hath pleased him as a most kinde Lord to set vs at liberty through Christ and to make vs Citizens of the Saints and as capable of his heauenly riches as the Angelles if wee will doe our endeuour to deserue them and whereas hee might haue exacted all that euer we could doe without any kinde of recompence yet hee of his inestimable goodnesse towardes vs doth neither binde vs to doe all we can doe and yet for doing that little which he commaundeth hath by promise bound himselfe to repay vs a large recompence by which wee may well vnderstand those wordes of our Sauiour Luke 17. When you haue donne all these thinges that are commaunded you say that you are vnprofitable seruantes we haue donne that we ought to doe True By our natiue condition we were bounde to performe not only all these thinges that be now commaunded but whatsoeuer else it should haue pleased God to commaund and this we must alwaies confesse to preserue true humility in vs yet God hath bettered our estate through Christ and so highly aduaunced vs that we not only be Citizens of the Saints but his sons and heires and thereby in case to deserue of him a heauenly crowne and this is S. Ambrose exposition vpon the place S. Chrysostome pondering these wordes let vs say taketh it for a holsome counsaile for vs to say that we be vnprofitable seruants least pride destroy our good workes and then God will say that we be good and faithfull seruants as it is recorded Mat. 25. vers 21. Againe we may truly say when we haue donne all thinges commaunded that we are vnprofitable seruants as venerable Bede our most learned countriman interpreteth Because of all that we doe In Luc. 17. no commodity riseth vnto God our Lord in himselfe who is such an infinite ocean of all goodnesses that he wanteth nothing Whereupon Dauid saith That thou art my God because thou standest in neede of no good that I can doe Psal 15. And thus we fall vpon the third property of M. PERKINS meritorious worke Which is That it be donne to the profit of another and say that albeit God in himselfe receiue no profit by our workes yet doth he in the administration of his holy common weale the Church wherein good mens seruices doe much pleasure him Andin this sence is it said of S. Paul That by cleansing our selues from wicked workes 2. Tim. 2. Math. 5. Ioh. 15. v. 8. we shall become vesselles sanctified and profitable vnto our Lord. Againe God is glorified by our good workes That seeing your good workes they may glorifie your father which is in heauen Finally God doth reioyce at the recouery of his lost children Luke 15. If then good men trauayling painefully in Gods Vine-yarde doe yeelde him outwardly both honour joy and commodity that may suffice to make their worke meritorious M. PERKINS fourth property is That the worke and rewarde be equall in proportion If he vnderstande Arithmeticall proportion that is that they be equall in quantity to witte the one to be as great or of as long continuance as the other then we deny this kinde of equality to bee requisite to meritte there is another sort of proportion called by the Philosopher S. Athic Geometricall and the equality of that is taken by a reasonable correspondence of the one vnto the other as when a good office is giuen vnto a Citizen of desart it may be that the honour and commodity of the office is farre greater then was the meritte of the man yet he being as well able to discharge it as another and hauing better deserued it is holden in true justice vvorthy of it In like manner in a game where masteries are tryed the prize is giuen vnto him that doeth best not because the value of the rewarde is just as much worth as that act of the man who winneth it but for that such actiuity is esteemed worthy of such a recompence Now the crowne of heauenly glory 1. Cor. 9. is likened by Saint Paul vnto a Garland in a game where he saith That we all runne but one carrieth away the prize And He that striueth
if he be not in state of grace it is long of himselfe and no want on Gods parte The second place hath not so much as any shewe of wordes for him thus he speaketh Let no man aske an other man Tract 5. in Epis Ioan. but returne to his owne hart and if he finde Charity there he hath securitie for his passage from life to death What neede was there to seeke charity in his hart for security of his saluation if his faith assured him thereof therefore this text maketh flat against him The next Author he citeth is Saint Hylarie in these wordes Sup. 5 cap. Mat. The Kingdome of heauen which our Lord professed to be in him selfe his will is that it be hoped for without any doubtfulnes of vncertayne will at all is an addition otherwise there is no iustification by faith if faith it selfe be made doubtfull First he saith but as we say that the Kingdome of heauen is to be hoped for without anie doubtfulnesse for wee professe certayntie of hope and deny onely certayntie of faith as M. PERKINS confesseth before And as for faith we say with him also it is not doubtfull but very certaine What maketh this to the purpose that a man must beleeue his owne saluation when S. Hilary speaketh there of faith of the resurrection of the dead His last Author is S. Bernard Epist 107. Who is the iust man but he that being loued of God loues him againe which comes not to passe but by the spirit reuealing by faith the eternall promise of God of his saluation to come which reuelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace by which the deedes of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdome of heauen together receiuing in one spirit that whereby he may presume that he is loued and loues againe Note that he saith the reuelation of the spirit to be nothing else but the infusion of spirituall graces and comfort whereby a man hath some feeling of Gods goodnesse towardes him by which as he saith he may presume but not beleeue certainlie that he is loued of God But let S. Bernard in the same place interpret himselfe there he speaketh thus as I cited once before It is giuen to men to tast before hand somewhat of the blisse to come c. Of the which knowledge of our selues now in part perceiued a man doth in the meane season glory in hope but not yet in security His opinion then is expresly that for all the reuelations of the spirit made by faith vnto vs we are not assured for certainty of our saluation but feele great joy through the hope we haue hereafter to receiue it This passage of testimonies being dispatched let vs now come vnto the fiue other reasons which M. PERKINS produceth in defence of their opinion The first reason is That in faith there are two thinges the one is an infallible assurance of those thinges which we beleeue This we graunt and therehence proue as you heard before that there can be no faith of our particular saluation because we be not so fully assured of that but that wee must stand in feare of losing of it Apoc. 3. according to that Holde that which thou hast least perhaps an other receiue thy crowne But the second poynt of faith puts all out of question For saith M. PERKINS it doth assure vs of remission of our sinnes and of life euerlasting in particular Proue that Sir and we neede no more Iohn 1. It is proued out of S Iohn As many as receiued him he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God namely to them that beleeue in his name This text commeth much too short he gaue them power to be the sonnes that is gaue them such grace that they were able and might if they would be sonnes of God but did not assure them of that neither much lesse that they should so continue vnto their liues end I omitte his vnsauoury discourse of eating and beleeuing Christ and applying vnto vs his benefittes which he might be ashamed to make vnto vs that admitte no part of it to be true I confesse that therein faith hath his part if it be joyned with charity and frequentation of the Sacraments This is it which S. Paul teacheth Gal. 3. That not by the workes of Moyses lawe but by faith in Christ Iesus we receiue the promises of the spirit and shall haue hereafter the performance if we obserue those thinges which Christ hath commaunded vs. But what is this to certainty of Saluation But saith he it is the property of faith to apply Christ vnto vs and proues it out of S. Augustine Beleeue and thou hast eaten Againe Send vp thy faith and thou maist holde Christ in heauen c. To which Tract 25. in Ioh. and such like authorities I answere that we finde Christ we holde Christ we see Christ by faith beleeuing him to be the sonne of God and redeemer of the world and Iudge of the quicke and the dead and wee vnderstand and disgest all the mysteries of this holy worde But where is it once said in any of these sentences that we are assured of our saluation we beleeue all these poyntes and many more but we shall be neuer the neare our saluation vnlesse we obserue Gods commaundements The seruant which knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Luke 12. Ioh. 15. Then you are my friends saith our Sauiour when you shall doe the things which I commaund you which we being vncertaine to performe assure not our selues of his friendship but when to our knowledge we goe as neare it as we can and demaund pardon of our wantes wee liue in good hope of it The second reason is Whatsoeuer the holy Ghost testifieth vnto vs that certainly by faith we must beleeue but the holy Ghost doth particularly testifie vnto vs our saluation ergo the first proposition is true The second is proued thus S. Paul saith the spirit of God beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The Papists to elude this reason alleage that it doth indeede witnesse our adoption Rom. 8. by some comfortable feeling of Gods fauour towarde vs which may often be mistaken whereof the Apostle warneth vs when he saith beleeue not euery spirit but trie the spirits whether they be of God or no. But saith M. PERKINS by their leaue 1. Ioh. 4. the testimonie of the spirit is more then a bare feeling of Gods grace For it is called the pleadge and earnest of Gods spirit in our harts And therefore it takes away all doubting as in a bargaine the earnest giuen puts all out of question 1. Cor. 1. I answere first out of the place it selfe that there followeth a condition on our parts to be performed which M. PERKINS thought wisedome to conceale For S. Paul saith that the spirit witnesseth with our
ought to doe and consequently doth not so well but that nowe and then he sinneth at the least venially and that therefore the said holy Doctor had just cause to say Li. 9. confess c. 13. Woe be to the laudable life of a man if it be examined without mercy Al which notwithstanding just men may out of that charity which they haue in this life doe many good workes which are pure from all sinne as hath beene proued They alleadge yet another place out of S. Augustine That belongeth vnto the perfection of a iustman Lib. 3. conduas Epist Pelag. c. 7. to knowe in truth his imperfection and in humility to confesse is True that is as he teacheth else where First that the perfection of this life is imperfection being compared with the perfection of the life to come Againe that the most perfect in this life hath many imperfections both of witte and will and thereby many light faultes Now come we vnto S. Gregory our blessed Apostle out of whose sweet wordes ill vnderstood they seeme to haue sucked this their poison Lib. 9. morall cap. 1. He saith The holy man Iob because he did see all the merit of our vertue to be vice if it be straightly examined of the inward iudge doth rightly adde if I will contend with him I cannot answere him one for a thowsand I answere that by our vertue in that place is to be vnderstood that vertue which we haue of our owne strength without the aide of Gods grace which we acknowledge to be commonly infected with some vice that S. Gregory so tooke it appeares by the wordes both going before and following before he writeth thus A man not compared to God receiued iustice but compared vnto him he leeseth it For whosoeuer compareth himselfe vnto the author of all good leeseth that good which he had receiued for he that doth attribute the good vnto himselfe doth sight against God with his owne giftes And after thus To contend with God is not to giue to God the glory of his vertue but to take it to himselfe And so all the merit of this our vertue which commeth not of God but is attributed vnto our selfe as proceeding onely from our selues is the very vice of pride and cannot be prejudiciall vnto true good workes al which we acknowledge to proceede principally from the grace of God dwelling in vs. He saith further with S. Augustine that in this life we cannot attayne vnto perfect purity such as shall be in heauen read the beginning of his first and second booke of Morales and there you shall finde him commending Iob to the skyes as a good and holy man by his temptations not foyled but much aduanced in vertue Now before I depart from this large question of justification I will handle yet one other question which commonly ariseth about it it is WHETHER FAITH MAY BE WITHOVT CHARITY I PROVE that it may so be first out of these wordes of our Sauiour Many shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord Math. 7. haue we not prophecied in thy name haue we not cast out Diuels haue we not done many miracles to whome I will confesse that I neuer knewe you depart from me all yee that worke iniquitie That these men beleeued in Christ and perswaded themselues assuredly to be of the elect appeareth by their confident calling of him Lord Lord and the rest that followeth Yet Christ declareth manifestly that they wanted charity in saying that they were workers of iniquity Math. 22. 2. When the King went to see his guestes He found there a man not attired in his wedding garment and therefore commaunded him to be cast into vtter darknes This man had faith or else he had not beene admitted vnto that table which signifieth the Sacraments yet wanted charity which to be the wedding garment besides the euidence of the text is also proued where in expresse tearmes Apoc. 19. The garments of Christs Spouse is declared to be the righteousnes and good workes of the Saintes And that with great reason for as S. Paul teacheth 1. Cor. 13. Faith shall not remayne after this life With what instrument then trow you will the Protestants lay hold on Christs righteousnes That charity is that wedding garment S. Hierome vpon the same place doth witnesse saying That it is the fulfilling of our Lordes commaundements And S. Gregory doth in expresse wordes define it Hom. 38. in Euang. What saith he must we vnderstand by the wedding garment but charity So doe S. Hilary and Origen and S. Chrysostome vpon that place Can. 22. in Math. Tract 20. in Math. Math. 25. 3. The like argument is made of the foolish Virgins Who were part of the Kingdome of God and therefore had faith which is the gate entrance into the seruice of God Yea in the house of God they aspired vnto more then ordinary perfection Hauing professed Virginity yet either caried away with vayne glory as S. Gregory takes it Or not giuing themselues to the workes of mercy spirituall and corporall as S. Chrysostome expoundes it briefly not continuing in their former charity for faith once had cannot after the Protestants doctrine be lost were shut out of the Kingdome of heauen albeit they presumed strongly on the assurance of their saluation as is apparant By their confident demaunding to be let in for they said Lord Lord open vnto vs. Ioh. 12. 4. Many of the princes beleeued in Christ but did not confesse him for they loued more the glory of men then the glory of God What can be more euident then that these men had faith whē the H. ghost saith expresly that they beleeued in christ which is the onely act of faith And yet were destitute of charity which preferreth the glorie and seruice of God before al things in this world Cap. 2. 5. This place of S. Iames. What shall it profit my bretheren if any man say that he hath faith but hath not workes what shall his faith be able to saue Supposeth very playnlie that a man may haue faith without good workes that is without charity but that it shall auayle him nothing Caluin saith that the Apostle speakes of a shadowe of faith which is a bare knowledge of the articles of our creede but not of a justifying faith Without doubt he was litle acquainted with that kinde of faith by which Protestants be justified but he directly speakes of such a faith as Abraham was justified by saying That that faith did worke with his workes and was made perfect by the workes Was this but a shadowe of faith but they reply that this faith is likened vnto the faith of the Diuell and therefore cannot be a justifying faith that followeth not an excellent good thing may be like vnto a badde in some thinges as Diuels in nature are not only like that the very same as Angels be euen so a full Christian faith may be well likened
answere is the most extrauagant of all the rest as being furthest off from the true sence of the Scripture examine any one of the places and a babe may discouer the incongruity of it Namely Christ saith that great is their reward who are reuiled and persecuted for his sake Assigning the reward vnto their constant bearing and enduring of tribulation for Gods sake and not to his owne merittes imputed and if you desire a formall sentence fitting this purpose take this 1. Cor. 3 Euery man shall receiue his reward according vnto his owne proper labour And not according to Christs merittes imputed vnto him So a doer of the worke shall be blessed in his deede And not in the imputation of an others deede Iacob 1. In stead of our second reason blindly proposed by M. PERKINS I will confirme the first with such textes of Holy write as specifie playnelie our good workes to be the cause of eternall life Math. 25 Come vnto me yee blessed of my father possesse a Kingdome prepared for you And why so For when I was hungry yee gaue me meate And so forth the like is in the same Chapter of the seruants who imployed well their talentes for their Lord said vnto them Because you haue beene faithfull in fewe thinges I will place you ouer many And many such like where good workes donne by the parties themselues are expresly said to be the very cause why God rewardeth them with the Kingdome of heauen Therefore he must needes be holden for a very wrangler that doth seeke to peruert such euident speeches and would make the simple beleeue that the cause there formally specified is not to be taken for the cause but doth onely signifie an order of thinges But if any desire besides the euidence of the text to see howe the auncient Fathers take it Let him reade Saint Augustine Where he thus briefly handleth this text Come yee blessed of my Father In psal 49 receiue What shall we receiue A Kingdome For what cause Because I was hungry and you gaue me meate c. Of the reall imputation of Christs merittes there vvas no tydinges in those dayes And that iuditious Doctor found that good workes was the cause of receiuing the Kingdome of heauen Here by the way Master PERKINS redoubleth that common slaunder of theirs that we take away a part of Christs mediation For saith he if Christs merittes were sufficient what neede ours It hath beene often told them but they will neuer learne to vnderstand it I will yet once againe repeate it We hold our Sauiours merits to be of infinite value and to haue deserued of God all the graces and blessinges which hath or shall be bestowed vpon all men from the beginning of the world vnto the end of it yet his diuine will and order is that all men of discretion hauing freely receiued grace from him doe meritte that crowne of glory which is prepared for them not to supply the want of his merittes which are inestimable but being members of his misticall body he would haue vs also like vnto himselfe in this point of meriting and further desirous to trayne vs vp in all good works he best knewe that there could be no better spur to pricke our dull nature forward then to ordayne and propose such heauenly rewardes vnto all them that would diligently endeuour to deserue them The man seemes to be much ignorant in the matter of Christes mediation I will therefore helpe him a little It consisteth in reconciling man to God which he performed by paying the ransome of our sinnes in purchasing vs Gods fauour and in ordayning meanes how all mankinde might attayne to eternall life in the two first poynts we doe for the most part agree to witte that our sinnes are freely pardoned through Christes passion and that we are as freely justified and receiued first into Gods grace and fauour although we require other preparation then they doe yet we as fully deny any merit of ours to be cause of either as they doe Marry about the meanes of attayning to heauen we differ altogether for they say that God requires no justice in vs nor merit at all on our partes but only the disposition of faith to lay holde on Christes righteousnes and merittes but we say that Christes righteousnes and merit are incommunicable vnto any meere creature but that through his merittes God doth powre into euery true Christian a particular justice whereby he is sanctified and made able to doe good workes and to merit eternall life Which ability we receiuing of Gods free gift through Christes merits doth much more magnifie both Gods grace and Christes merittes for the greater that the gift is the greater is the glory of the giuer And to argue that to be a derogation vnto his mediation and merits whith he hath appoynted to be very instrument of applying the vertue of them to vs is indeede vnder colour of magnifying Christs merittes to vndermine and blowe out all the vertue of them But saies M. PERKINS what should we talke of our merittes who for one good worke we doe committe many bad which deface our merits if we had any True it is as it was once before said that euery mortall sinne blotteth out all former justice and merit but by repentance both are recouered againe but must we not speake of any good because we may happe to doe euill that is a faire perswasion and well worthy a wise man Let vs to our third Argument God hath by couenant and promise bound himselfe to reward our workes with life euerlasting Therefore good workes doe in justice deserue it for faithfull promise maketh due debt Math. 20. The couenant is plainely set downe where God in the person of an housholder agreeth with his workmen for a penny a day that is to giue them life euerlasting for trauayling in his seruice during their life time as all auncient interpretours expound it Whereupon Saint Paul inferreth Heb. 6. that God should be vnjust if he should forgette their workes who suffered persecution for him 2. Thes 1. And saith If it be just with God to render tribulation to them that persecute you and to such as are persecuted rest with vs Vpon the same ground S. Hierome saith Li. 2. cont Iouin c. 2. Great truly were the iniustice of God if he did only punish euill workes and would not as well receiue good workes To all these and much more such like M. PERKINS answereth that couenant for workes was in the olde Testament but in the newe the couenant is made with the workman not with the worke Reply All that I cited in this Argument is out of the newe Testament where expresse couenant is made for working and workes as you haue heard And as it was said in the olde lawe Math 19. Doe these thinges and thou shalt liue so is it said in the newe If thou wilt enter into life keepe the
in outward things and as it is in vs also it doth consist chiefely in inward worshippe by faith hope charitie and religion in whose kingdome Vowes hold a honorable ranke but a great part of this worship among vs dependes of outward things for be not the two onely parts of Gods worship amonge Protestants as M. P. sayeth in this question Baptisme and our Lords Supper both which partly consist in outwardly both speaking and doing And is not faith which is the roote of all Christian Religion gotten by outwarde preaching and hearing But it would wearie a willing man to trayle after all M. P. his impertinent errors Let vs then at length come vnto the principall poynt in controuersie Catholikes saith he maintaine such Vowes to be made as are not agreeable to the rules afore-named The first is that of Continencie whereby a man promiseth to God to keepe chastity in a single life that is out of the state of Wedlocke This kinde of Vowe is flat against the word of God as he sayeth which he prooueth first out of S. PAVL If they can not containe then let them Marrie True if they haue not Vowed Chastitie before * 1. Cor. 7. as the common Christians of Corinth to whom S. PAVL there speaketh had not For such if they can not liue otherwise chastelie it is better they marrie then be burned that is defiled with incontinencie But to them who had Vowed chastitie before S. PAVL writeth in an other stile That if they but desire to marrie they incurre damnation * 1. Tim. 5 because they haue made frustrate and broken their former saith and promise made vnto God of their chastetie So that this first text is a Furlong wide at the least from the marke The second is much like * 1. Tim. 4. It is a doctrine of diuels to forbid to marrie truth if one should hold mariage in it selfe to be wicked therefore condemne it in all sorts of persons as Mountanus the Manichees did But we haue a more reuerende opinion of marriage than the Protestants themselues For we with the Apostle * Ephes 5. hold it to be a great Sacrament they that it is a morall contract onely Notwithstanding we maintaine that such persons who being of ripe yeeres haue aduisedly Vowed chastitie may not marrie not because marriage is not honorable but for that they haue solemnlie promised to God the contrarie which we also hold to be better than if he had married And so to vse S. AVGVSTINES words He forbiddeth to marrie who sayeth it to be euill but not he who before this good thing preferreth a better And a little after you see saith he that there is great difference betweene perswasion to Virginitie by preferring the greater good before the lesser and forbidding to marrie by accusing lying together for issue The first is the doctrine of the Apostles which we teach the latter only of deuils Lib 3. cont Faust Manich cap. 6. M. P. His third and last text is * Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honorable among all and the bed vndefiled The strength of this place lyeth a double corruption of the text For this verbe is is not in the text nor cannot be the course of the Apostles speech requiring a verbe of the Imperatiue Moode as both the sentences besore and after do conuince Againe if you will haue the Apostle saye that Marriage is honorable among all men wee must also needes take him to say that the bedde is also vndefiled among all which was not true Also that their conuersation was without couetousnesse c. For there is no reason why this word is should be ioyned with the one more than with the other And nothing but passion doth cause them to make the middle sentence an affirmatiue when they turne both the other into exhortations The second corruption is in these words among all when they should translate in all and the adjectiue being put without a substantiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must in true construction haue this worde things joyned with it and not men wherefore the text being sincerelie put into English it would carrie no colour of their error For the Apostles saying is Let Marriage be honorable in all things and the bed vndefiled Here is no willing of anie man to marrie but onely a commandement to them that be marryed to liue honestlie in marriage to keepe as he else where sayeth their vessels in sanctifycation and not in dishonour and then shall their marriage bee honorable in all things that is in all poynts appertaining to Matrimony So that now you see that M. P. is not able to bring any one place out of Scripture to disprooue the Vowe of chastitie the Scripture being so barren for him he shall belike recompence it with the abundant testimonie of antiquitie in fauour of his cause but oh vnhappie chance he hath cleane forgotten in this question the recorde of the auncient Church What was there not one Father who with some one broken fragment of a sentence or other would releeue you in this your combat against the Vowe of Chastitie I will helpe you to one but I feare me you will scarse thanke me for my paines It is such a one as is neither holy nor father but the auncient Christian Epicure IOVINIAN who as S. AVGVSTINE hath recorded * Heres 82 ad Quod vult and S. IEROM * Lib. 1. cont Ioui did hold that Virginitie of professed persons men and women was no better then the continencie of the married So that many professed Virgins beleeuing him did marrie yet himselfe did not marrie as Fryer Luther did not because hee thought chastitie should be rewarded in the life to come with a greater crowne of glorie but because it was fit for the present necessitie to auoyde the troubles of marriage see just the verie opinion of M. P. and our Protestants But this heresie saith S. AVGVSTINE in the same place was quickly suppressed and extinguished it was not able to deceiue any one of the Priestes And in an other place * Lib. 2. reâ—roct 22. thus he speaketh of IOVINIAN Holy Church most faithfully and valiantly resisted this monster So that no maruaile if that M. P. could finde small reliefe in antiquitie for this his assertion which the best of them esteemed no better than a monstrous sacrilegious heresie But M. P. hath an argument that shall neuerthelesse demonstrate the Vowe of perpetuall chastitie to be intollerable For sayth he this Vowe is not in the power of him that Voweth for continencie is the gifte of God who giueth it not vnto all but vnto whom he will when he will and as long as he will And if wee object that by prayer and fasting the gift of continencie may be obtained of God he aunswereth that it cannot because it is not necessarie to saluation We replie that it is necessarie for all them that haue Vowed chastitie And be it