it is a thing receiued m Aug. de praedest sanct cap. 5. A quo nisi ab illo qui te aâ— ceruit ab alio cui non donauit quod donauit tibi Of whom saith S. Austin but of him who hath not giuen to another that which he hath giuen vnto thee Who as he also answereth the Pelagian heretike obiecting the same place n â—acuâ— de perfect instit prepe fiâ—em â—â—â—p rat 〈…〉 inspireth the loue whereby we chuse He addeth further that vainely it should be sayd Chuse life if grace would haue made them do it infallibly without their consent Where we may wonder at his absurd manner of speech Who was euer so mad as to say that God maketh a man to chuse life without his consent which is the same as if he should say that he should make him consent without consent for how should chusing be without consenting We deny not consent but we say with S. Austin o Aug. epâ—st 107. Vâ—catione illa alta atque secreâ—a siâ— eius agit se sunt vt eidem lege atque doctrinâ— accommodet assensum It is God who by his secret calling worketh the mind of man to giue consent We say with S. Bernard p Bernard de grat ex l b arbit Non quod vel ipse consensus ab ipâ—so fit c fecit volentem noâ— est volunt vt suâ— consentienteÌ„ Consent is not of man himselfe but God maketh a man willing that is consenting vnto his will q In Cant â—er 57. Illius disiderâ—uÌ„ tuum creat quod tu eius properas sermoneÌ„ admittere inde est quòd ipse festinit inirare It is his desire of thee that causeth thy desire of him and that thou art forward to receiue his word it commeth of his forwardnesse and hasting to enter into thee 12. W. BISHOP Vnto these two places of the old Testament one vnder the law of Nature and the other vnder Moses law lâ—t vs couple two more out of the new Testament The first may be those kind words of our Sauiour vnto the Iewes Ierusalem Math. 23. Ierusalem c. how often would I haue gathered together thy children as the hen doth her chickens vnder her wings and thou wouldest not Which do plainly demonstrate that there was no want either of Gods helpe inwardly or of Christs perswasion outwardly for their conuersion and that the whole fault lay in their owne refusing and withstanding Gods grace as thâ—se words of Christ do plainly witnesse And thou wouldest not R. ABBOT If M. Bishop were put to the framing of an argument from this place and to bring in this conclusion that man hath Free vvill to conuert and turne to God I suppose it would trouble him very sore The words do rather import that howsoeuer Christ himselfe be amongst vs and speake vnto vs yet our Free will auaileth nothing to make vs to hearken to him but we still refuse and rebell vntill God do worke it in vs to obey and to hearken to his call And thus Moses to giue a reason why the people of Israel profited not by the sight of so manifold signes and wonders which the Lord had done before them and for them sayth a Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day Christ speaketh those words out of his humane affection he sheweth his loue towards them as man he signifieth his paines and labour bestowed amongst them and what occasion he had to complaine as Esay had foretold b Esa 49.4 I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing The words do no more import Free will then all other places of Scripture that do declare and set forth the rebellion of mans nature against God But yet M. Bishop telleth vs that hereby it is signified that God vsed all meanes that concerned him for the sauing of them they by their Free will crossed his purpose herein The words saith he do plainly demonstrate that there was no want either of Gods helpe inwardly or of Christs perswasion outwardly for their conuersion But they do not demonstrate so much yea by diuerse places of the Gospell we see they are very farre from that demonstration For if there wanted no inward helpe for their conuersion how was it sayd by our Sauiour Christ c Mat. 11.25 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent of the world d Cap. 13.11 To them it is not giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen e Mar. 4.11.12 all things are to them in parables that they seeing may see and not discerne and they hearing may heare and not vnderstand least at any time they should turne and their sinnes should be forgiuen them How was it sayd by the Euangelist S. Iohn f Iohn 12.39 Therefore could they not beleeue because Esay saith againe He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand with their heart and should be conuerted and I should heale them How doth S. Paul say g Rom. 11.7 The election hath obtained but the rest haue bene hardened according as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see c. These things being so apparant and plaine how doth M. Bishop tell vs that there wanted no helpe of God inwardly for their conuersion but the want was onely in their owne Free will Surely h Aug. de corrept grat ca. 14. Cui volâ—nti saluuâ— fâ—cere nullum hominuÌ„ resistit arbitriuÌ„ sic enim vâ—lle nolle in volentis aut nolentis est potestate vt diuinam volumtatem non impediat nec superet potestatem De his enim qui faciunt quae non vult facit ipse quae vult c. De ipsis voluntatibus hominum quod vult facit where God is willing to saue as S. Austin saith there no will of man resisteth For to will or to nill is so in the power of him that willeth or nilleth as that it neither hindereth the will of God nor ouerruleth his power because euen of the wils of men he maketh what he will i Euchirid ad Laurent ca. 103 Dum tamen credere non cogamur aliquid omnipotentem DeuÌ„ voluisse fieri factumque non esse qui sine vllu amâ—iguitatibus si in coelo in terra quaecunque voluit fecit profectò facere noluit quodcunque non fecit In no wise may we thinke saith he that the Almightie God would haue any thing to come to passe and that the same doth not come to passe who if he do whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth as the truth instructeth vs surely had no wil to do whatsouer he hath not done If therfore God had willed the conuersion of the people of Ierusalem and had inwardly
this diuision of fiue before Christ one present and one to come because the meaning must be all that are past all that are present and all that are to come The other exposition which they bring is as vaine and ridiculous as that For as they reckon e Ibid. fiue empires kingdoms or states that were persecutors of Gods people before the time of Christ as of Egypt Canaan Babylon the Persians and Greeks so they may reckon many more as cruelly minded towards them as these were the Philistines the Amalekites the Ammonites the Moabites the Ismaelites the Edomites the Assyrians and because there are so many more then fiue therefore they cannot accord with the summe here where there are but fiue Yea and the text plainely reiecteth this manner of account because the seuen heads here spoken of are heads of one beast and therefore cannot be applyed to diuers states But by one of these heads or kings it shall appeare what all the rest are Of the king that was in the time of Christ and of S. Iohn there is no question but that it was the Emperor of Rome who was in a manner the king of the world and therefore f Luk. 1.2 gaue foorth commaundement a little before the birth of Christ that all the world should be taxed There is no other king to be spoken of at that time but onely this king Seeing then that the sixt king is head of the Romane state and all the seuen kings are heads of one and the same state it must needes be that those fiue kings which were before Christ were also heads of the Romane state Now in this sixt head we see that the name of king is not vnderstood of them onely who haue the very title of kings but of such as haue the place and authoritie of kings that is the highest and supreme gouernment of the state And as the sixt head or king was not only one man but the whole succession of the Emperors so we must vnderstand that the other fiue heads or kings were not fiue seuerall men but fiue seuerall titles and states of the highest gouernors of the state And fully so many we find in the Romane gouernment before the Emperours and the time of Christ which were kings so called Consuls Decemuirs Tribunes Dictators euery of which for their times successiuely were the supreme Officers in the Empire and kingdome of the Romanes Seing then that this cannot be iustified in any other state or citie but onely in the citie of Rome it is hereby manifest againe that Rome must be the Babylâ—â— here intended by S. Iohn Furthermore this beast is described also to haue g Vers 3. ten hornes and those ten hornes are expounded to be h Vers 12. ten kings which shall grow out of the beast that is out of the same state or kingdome Now there was no other state but onely the state of the Romane Empire whence those kings might arise yea and S. Ierome witnesseth that i Hieron in Da. 7. Dicamus quod omnes Scriptores ecclesiasticâ— tradedirunt c. decem futuros reges qui â—â—bem Romanâ—â— inter se diuidant all Ecclesiasticall Writers haue deliuered that those ten kings shall diuide amongst them the Romane Empire Therefore Bellarmine also confesseth that k Bellarm de Antichrist cap. 5. Orientur quidem ex Romano imperio sed non erunt Romani Imperatoris sicut â—ornua ipsa ortuntur ex bestia sed bestia ipsa non sunt the ten kings shall arise out of the Romane Empire but shall be no Emperors of Rome euen as the hornes grow out of the beast but yet are not the beast If then it be certaine as it is most certaine and cannot be denyed that the state of Rome is it whence those ten kings must grow how can we make doubt but that the State of Rome is it which is here set foorth vnto vs vnder the name of Babylon To say nothing that there was no other state or gouernment to which it can so rightly be applyed that it was l Vers 6. drunken with the bloud of Saints and of the martyrs of Iesus Christ The description fitteth so liuely and apparantly as that the auncient Fathers Tertullian and Hierom haue made vndoubted construction thereof concerning the citie of Rome m Tertul. contra Judaeos lib 3 contra Marcion Babylon apud Ioannem nostruÌ„ Romanae vrbis figuraem portat Babylon with S. Iohn saith Tertullian carieth the figure of the citie of Rome n Hieron ad Algal q. 11. Romanum imper â—l aeternum putant Vnde infronte purpuratae mereâ—â—icis secundum Apocalypsâ—o Ioannis scriptum est nomen blasphemiae hoc est Romae aeternae They thinke saith Hierome that the Romane Empire shall be eternall wherupon according to the Reuelation of S. Iohn in the forehead of the purple harlot is written a name of blasphemie that is Rome euerlasting In another place speaking of his dwelling in Rome he saith * Jdem praefat in lib. Didymi de Sp. sancto Cùm in Babylone versarer purpuratae merciricis essem ceâ—onus iure Quiritum vâ—uerem When I remained in Babylon and was an inhabitant of the purple harlot and liued after the law or fashion of the Romanes And againe writing to Marcella in the name of Paula and Eustochium to perswade her to come from Rome to Bethlehem vseth argument therof from that which in the Reuelation is written concerning Rome o Jaem ad Marcellam Lege Apocalypsin Ioannis quid de muliere purpurata scripta in eius fronte blasphemia septem monâ—â—bus aquis multu Babylonis cantetur exitu contuere Reade saith he the Reuelation of S. Iohn and he hold what is there said of the purple harlot and the blasphemie written in her forehead of the seuen hils and many waters and of the end of Babylon and thereupon applyeth to it the sentence here prefixed Go out of her my people saith the Lord c. Of which place Ludouicus Viues giueth this obseruation that p Ludo. Viues in August de ciui Dei lib. 18 ca. 22 Hieronymus ad Marcillam scribens non aliam existimat describi à Ioanne in Apocalypsi Babylorem quà m vrbem Pâ—nam Hierome writing to Marcella thinketh that there is no other Babylon described by Iohn in the Reuelation but onely the citie of Rome In another place also speaking namely to the citie of Rome he saith q Hieron adu Iouin li. 2. Maledictionem tibi saluator in Apocalypsi comminatus est Our Sauiour in the Reuelation hath threatened a curse vnto thee Thus they conceiued that all that is said of Babylon of the purple harlot of the name of blasphemie of the seuen hils of the many waters of the curse threatned to Babylon and the finall destruction of it to be wholy vnderstood of the citie of Rome We wil therefore take nothing here of M.
the fire but still we say what is this to satisfaction We still require his proofe that for the vertue and woorth of these fruites it is that God is appeased towards vs. But that cannot be for a man cannot bring forth good fruite except first of all he be made a good tree for e Chap. 7.17 an euill tree cannot bring forth good fruite And if he must first be a good tree that he may bring forth good fruite then God must first be appeased towards him which is by the faith of Iesus Christ f Rom. 3.25 whom God hath set forth to be our reconciliation or attonement through faith in his bloud Our good fruites then are not the causes but the effects of Gods being appeased towards vs. If we haue none we are sure that we are in state of iudgement and damnation and the sentence of Saint Iohn taketh hold of vs but if we haue them we are not to account them the redemption of our sinnes but testimonies of the remission and forgiuenesse thereof Yea but Saint Iohn saith M. Bishop seemeth to confute the laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith Where or in what words Marry because he saith Say not in your hearts we haue Abraham to our father We may imagine that he had a vizard on his face whē he wrote this that the paper might not see him blush Why what is there in these words against the laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith Forsooth he saith to them it will not helpe you to say that ye are the sonnes of Abraham who was father of all true beleeuers Well but what is this yet to laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith It is as much saith he as if he had said trust not to your faith hand off ye generation of vipers This is a strange construction that say not in your hearts we haue Abraham to our father should be as much as to say Trust not to your faith But it grew at Rome and we know that things farre fetched are woont to be very strange As for vs we conceiue in our simplicity that Iohns meaning was to reprooue them for flattering themselues for that carnally they were the seede of Abraham as if that were sufficient security for them towards God when as in the meane time they neglected the repentance and faith and workes of Abraham The true children of Abraham are they g Rom. 4.12 who walke in the steps of the faith of Abraham and h Iohn 8.39 do the workes of Abraham which they not regarding could not be accounted the sonnes of Abraham whose of-spring was reckoned according to the spirit not according to the flesh Thus doth our Sauiour testifie of them that they beleeued not saying vnto them i Math. 21.31 Publicans and harlots shall go before you into the kingdome of God For Iohn came vnto you in the way of righteousnesse and ye beleeued him not but Publicans and harlots beleeued him and ye though ye saw it were not moued with repentance afterward that ye might beleeue him Now is it not a wonder that whereas it is apparent that they had no faith yet Iohn Baptist should say vnto them Trust not to your faith Well all this is nothing he cannot serue the Popes turne that will not notably cogge and lye The rest of his commentarie accordeth with this where he foisteth in the satisfying of Gods iustice there being nothing in the words of S. Iohn that foundeth to that effect 14. W. BISHOP Cor. 7.10 The 7. obiection with M. Perkins Paul setteth downe sundrie fruites of repentance whereof one is reuenge whereby repentant persons punish themselues to satisfie Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of their sinnes M. Perkins answereth A repentant sinner must take vengeance of himselfe and that is to vse all meanes to subdue the corruption of nature and to bridle carnall affections which kind of actions are restrainments properly but no punishments directed against the sinne but not against the person Reply I neuer saw any writer so contradict himselfe and so dull that he doth not vnderstand his owne words If this subduing of our corrupt nature be restrainments onely from sinne hereafter and not also punishments of sin past how then doth the repentant sinner take vengeance of himselfe which you affirme that he must do Reuenge as euery simple body knoweth is the requitall of euill past We graunt that all satisfaction is directed against sinne and not against the person but for the great good of the man albeit that for a season it may afflict both his bodie and mind too as Saint Paules former Epistle did the Corinthians but this sorow being according vnto God doth much benefit the person as the Apostle declareth For besides this reuenge taken on himselfe to appease Gods wrath it breedeth as it is in the text following in our corrupt nature that loueth not such chastisement A feare to returne to sinne least it be againe punished for where there is no feare of paines much pleasure thither our corruption will runne headlong It stirreth vp also in vs Indignation against sinne and all the wicked instruments of it A defence and clearing of our selues with the honester sort And an emulation and desire to flie as farre from sinne as other our equals and consequently A loue of vertue and honest life which freeth vs frō that sorow and all other troublesome passions all which are plainly gathered out of the same text of S. Paul R. ABBOT The Greeke fathers Chrysostome Theophylact Oecumenius and Hierome amongst the Latines do referre the reuenge there spoken of by the Apostle to the punishment of the incestuous man whereby they maintained the authority and due regard of the lawes of God But we further very willingly yeeld that by reuenge is also meant a wreaking of a mans anger as I may terme it vpon himselfe being offended and grieued at himselfe for the sinne that he hath done and therefore bending himselfe to crosse and thwart those desires by which he was led vnto it This the Scripture teacheth vs by the termes of a Math. 16.24 denying our selues b Col. 3.5 mortifying our earthly members c 1. Pet. 4.1 suffering in the flesh d Gal. 5.24 crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts of it and e Rom. 6.6 destroying of the body of sinne Thus men occasion requiring giue themselues ouer to fasting and weeping and mourning and forbearing of accustomed delights yea and to open rebuke and shame with men hauing by publike offence made themselues a scandall to the Church This reuenge we denie not we say that hereby we testifie both to God and men the displeasure and offence that we haue taken against our selues we teach others to take heed and carefully to shun those occasions whereby we haue fallen we labour hereby that the tēptations of sin may no more in the like sort preuaile against vs but we are still
that it is both lawfull and very commendable for men and women of ripe yeares and consideration hauing well tried their owne aptnesse to vow virginity if by good inspirations they be therunto inwardly called My first reason is this that which is more pleasant and gratefull vnto God may very well be vowed to him but virginity is more acceptable to God than mariage The first proposition is manifest and hath no other exception against it but that which before is confuted to wit if we be able to performe it The second is denied by them which we prooue in expresse termes out of Saint Paul * 1. Cor. 7. He that ioyneth his virgin doth well but he that ioyneth her not doth better and againe of widowes They shall be more happy by Saint Pauls iudgement if they remaine vnmarried This may be confirmed out of Esay Isa 56. Where God promiseth the Eunuch that holdeth greatly of the thing that pleaseth him that hee will giue him in his houshold and within his walles a better heritage and name then if they had bene called sons and daughters I will saith God giue them an euerlasting name And also out of the booke of Wisedom * Cap. 3. Blessed is the Eunuch which hath wrought no vnrighteousnesse c. for vnto him shall be giuen the speciall gift of faith the most acceptable portion in our Lords temple for glorious is the fruite of God Which is also plainely taught in the Reuelations * Reu. 14. where it is said that no mā could sing that song but 144000. and the cause is set downe These be they which haue not bene defiled with women for they are Virgins To these latter places M. P. answereth pag. 241. that to the Eunuch is promised a greater reward but not because of his chastitie but because he keepeth the Lords Sabboth and couenant But this is said vnaduisedly for to all others that keepe Gods commandements shall be giuen a heauenly reward but why shall they haue a better heritage and more acceptable portion then others but because of their speciall prerogatiue of chastitie M. P. then answereth otherwise here that the single life is better more happie because it is freer from common cares of this life and yeeldeth vs more bodily ease and liberty to serue God But 1200. yeares ago S. Augustine of set purpose confuted this error in sundry places of his learned Works specially in his treatise De Virginitate in these Chapters 13. 23. 24. 25. where he accounteth him no Christian that doth cōtradict Christ promising the kingdome of heauen to Eunuchs * Mat. 19. And in the 25. Chapter more vehemently exclaiming O impious blindnesse why dost thou cauill and seeke shifts why dost thou promise temporall commoditie only to the chast and continent when God saith * Esa 16. I will giue them an euerlasting name And if thou wouldest perhaps take this euerlasting for a thing of long cōtinuance I adde inculcate often repeate that it shal neuer haue end What wouldest thou more This eternall name whatsoeuer it be signifieth a certaine peculiar and excellent glorie which shall not be common to many albeit they be placed in the same kingdome c. Which in the 29. Chapter he confirmeth out of that place of the Apocalypse cited aboue in these words The rest of the faithfull shall see you and not enuie your state but ioy in it so be partaker of that in you which they haue not in themselues for the new song which is proper vnto you they cannot sing but shall heare it and be delighted with your so excellent a blessednesse but you because you shal both sing and heare it shal more happily reioyce and raigne more pleasantly Which may be also confirmed out of the Apostle in the same place where he assureth that the single life is better for the seruice of God saying that a woman vnmarried and a virgin think of the things which belong vnto our Lord how she may please God and be holy both in body and spirit And our blessed Sauiour teacheth * Math 19. That some become Eunuches for the kingdome of heauen which to be taken there properly for the reward in heauen S. Augustine with the rest of the Fathers teacheth * De virginit cap. 23. What could be spoken more truly or more perspicuously Christ saith The truth saith the wisedome of God affirmeth them to geld thēselues for the kingdome of heauen who do of a godly determination refraine from mariage And contrarily humane vanity doth contend by impious temerity that they who do so do it to auoid the necessary troubles of matrimony and that in the kingdome of heauen they shall haue no more then other men R. ABBOT M. Bishop here taketh vpon him to proue the vow of virginity to be lawfull but yet we see it is with certaine cautions conditions to be therein obserued First he wil haue them to be of ripe yeares consideration and well to try their owne aptnesse Secondly it is lawfull if by good inspirations they be thereunto inwardly called But put the case that these cautions be not obserued that some vow rashly and vnaduisedly without triall of their own aptnesse without any good inspirations calling them to it or hauing vpon some triall iudged themselues apt yet afterwards finde it otherwise what shall they do not being now able to keep that which they haue vowed Marrie let them sinke or swim let them burne till they be consumed let them be brothels and harlots and what they wil they haue vowed and they must stand to it but marry they must not As for that which he saith of good inspirations inwardly calling them it is a meere begging of the question We deny that there are any good inspirations inwardly calling to that which we are not outwardly taught by the inspired word of God The spirit word of God go iointly together and where the word giueth vs not warrant and direction for that we do they are illusions and not inspirations by which we are led Now of vowing virginity or single life the word of God hath neither precept nor example All exercises of true righteousnesse we find amongst the people of the Iewes we find amongst them all the spirituall intendments significations of their ceremoniall vowes but of this vow of single life virginity we find nothing saue only amongst their sectaries in the corruption of their state religion as namely the Pharisees who for one of their exercises of great holinesse a Epiphan haer 16. Quidā eorū cùm se exercebant praescribehant sibi decennium aut octennium aut quadriennium virginitatis continentiae vowed continencie and virginitie sometimes for ten yeeres sometimes for sixe or for foure yeeres as Epiphanius reporteth of them But yet M. Bishops argument will put the matter wholy out of doubt That saith he which is more pleasant and gratefull to God
faithfully performe what he did vndertake But far otherwise haue you dealt M. Bishop in your marrow and pith as you cal it of many large volumes contracted and drawne into a narrow roome You haue made Bellarmine specially your Rabbine your magister noster you take all vpon his word if he say it you will sweare it if he haue once written it you will write it againe without any further examination whether it be true or false We are beholding to you for translating so much of him into English for their sakes that do not vnderstand the Latine tongue But Bellarmine mocketh and abuseth you M. Bishop as he doth euery one that giueth him any trust He was a man of corrupt and euill conscience wholy prostituted to Antichrist and sold to his deceits by which means he maketh you to ly many times when you do not thinke ye lie For which cause I would aduise you when you will write any more bookes out of Bellarmine to make due triall of that which he saith It may haply doe you good to make you detest his fraud and falshood and to hate that profession which cannot be vpholden but by such meanes There is cause you should so do who from many large volumes can gather no better marrow no sounder pith then that which you haue sent vs for the marrow and pith of many large volumes Your marrow is but dust your pith is but rottennesse there is nothing in your booke fit to satisfie the conscience of a man desirous to be instructed in the truth It will I hope sufficiently appeare that you haue neither grounds from the word of God nor any approued testimonie of antiquitie to warrant any man to embrace that which you maintaine He that readeth your booke as it becometh a good Christian to do and conferreth it with M. Perkins booke and our defence thereof to iudge without partialitie I presume he will take you for a leud and naughtie man impudent and vnshamefast regarding onely to vphold a side without any entire regard to learne or to teach the truth In your postscript you tell vs that you are sorie M. Perkins being dead that your booke commeth forth too late to do him any good Whereby we conceiue that you haue a good opinion of it but we must tell you as touching doing him good in your sence he was not a man so weake as to be moued with such a toy Indeed if he had liued we need not doubt but it would haue done him much good and bene great ioy to him to see that in the marrow and pith of many large volumes there should be so little matter of moment to be said against that which he had written so little and so bad as that we hope that your preseruatiue will become your owne poison and the bane of that which you thought to strengthen thereby M. BISHOPS ANSWER TO MAISTER PERKINS HIS EPISTLE DEDICATORY MAster Perkins in his Epistle Dedicatory saith It is a policie of the diuel to think that our religion the religion of the present church of Rome are all one in substance or that they may be vnited Before I am to deliuer my opinion concerning this point I had need to be informed what this Author meaneth by these words our Religion For there being great diuersities of pretended Religions currant in the world all contrary to the Church of Rome how can I certainly know whether of them he professeth Wherefore good sir may it please you to declare what religion you vnderstand when you say our Religion Is it that which Martin Luther a licentious Frier first preached in Germanie or rather that which the martiall minister Zuinglius contended with sword and shield to set vp in Zwitzerland or perhaps that which Iohn Caluin by sedition wrought into Geneua expelling the lawful magistrate thence and by the ayde of Beza a dissolute turnecoate spread into many corners of France Or if by your Religion you meane onely to comprehend the Religion now practised in England yet are you farther to shew whether you vnderstand that established by the State or the other more refined as it is thought by many and embraced by them who are called Puritans for of their leauen sauoureth that position of yours That the article of Christs descent into hel crept into the Creed by negligence and some other such like in this booke These principall diuisions of the new Gospell to omit sundry subdiuisions being famous and receiued of diuers in England according to each mans fantasie it is meet you expresse whether of them you speake of that it may be duly considered how the Romane Religion and it agree and what vnion may be made betweene them Now if you meane the hotchpotch and confusion of all these new Religions together as by the opposition here vnto the Church of Rome and by the articles following may be gathered then I am cleare for you in this that there can be no more concord between these two Religions then there is between light and darknes faith and infidelitie Christ and Belial Notwithstanding I thinke that the reason by you produced to proue the impossibilitie of this 〈◊〉 is of no value to wit that they of the Romane church haue razed the foundation for though in words they honor Christ yet in deed they turne him into a PseudoChrist and an Idoll of their owne braine A very sufficient cause no doubt of eternall breach and diuision if it could be verified But how proue you that we Romane Catholikes who beleeue Iesus Christ to be perfect God and perfect man and the onely Redeemer of mankind make him a false Christ and an idol or before you go about to proue it tel me I pray you how this can wel stand with your owne definition of a reformed Catholike in your Preface There you affirme him to be a Catholike reformed to your liking that holdeth the same necessary heads of Religion with the Romane Church Now can there be any more necessary head of Religion then to haue a right faith in Christ can any other foundation be layd besides Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 3. If then your reformed Catholike must agree with the Romane Church in necessarie heads of Religion as you hold he must either the Romane Church razeth not the foundation and maketh not Christ a PseudoChrist as you say here or else you teach your disciples very perniciously to hold the same necessary heads of Religion with it But to leaue you to the reconciliation of these places let vs examine briefly how you confirme your paradox that the Church of Rome maketh Christ a false Christ which you go about to proue by foure instances The first is because the seruant of his seruants may change and adde to his commaundements hauing so great power that he may open and shut heauen to whom he list and bind the very conscience with his owne lawes and consequently be partaker of the spirituall kingdome of Christ Here are
of the points in question laying open the absurditie of Poperie and clearing the doctrine on our part from those lies and slaunders wherewith in corners you labour to depraue it might seeme verie likely to drawe many to the knowledge and approbation of the truth It should seeme there was some sore for that both you and your friend were so carefull to apply a plaister but your plaister by the grace of God wil make your sore a great deale worse when men shall further see how sincerely he hath dealt to deliuer truth out of the word of God and doctrine of the ancient Church and what base geere you haue brought as the marrow and pith of many large volumes for the contradicting and oppugning of it The more and greater the points are of difference betwixt the Church of Rome and vs the more doth it concerne your Catholikes if they tender their owne saluation to looke into them which if they doe they will cease to thinke basely of our religion and will begin to honour it and imbrace it as the truth of God They will see that there is in it a true reformation indeed a iust departure from the horrible idolatries and superstitions of the Romish Sinagogue and it shall grieue them that they haue so long dishonoured God by holding fellowship with him who hath no true fellowship with Iesus Christ That you thinke basely thereof M. Bishop we wonder not He that doateth vpon a harlot is wont to scorne and thinke basely of honest matrons The Scribes and Pharisees thought basely of our Sauiour Christ no maruell if you doe the like of the Gospell of Christ who liue and thriue by traditions as they did As for old rotten condemned heresies how silly a man you haue shewed your selfe in the obiecting thereof it hath appeared partly alreadie in the answer of your Epistle and shall appeare further God willing in the answer of your booke and wee will expect hereafter that you learne more wit then to babble and prate of heresies you know not your selfe what THE THEAME OF M. PERKINS Prologue And I heard another voyce from heauen say Go out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sinnes and receiue not of her plagues Reuel 18.3 M. BISHOPS ANSWER TO M. Perkins Prologue Sect. 1. THe learned know it to be a fault Exordium Coâ—mune to make that the entrie vnto our discourse which may as properly fit him that pleadeth against vs but to vse that for our proeme which in true sence hath nothing for vs nay rather beareth strongly for our aduersarie must needs argue great want of iudgement Such is the sentence aboue cited out of S. Iohn by M. Perkins for it being truly vnderstood is so farre off from terrifying any one from the Catholike Roman Church as it doth vehemently exhort all to flie vnto it by forsaking their wicked companie that are banded against it For by the purple Harlot in that place is signified as shall be proued presently the Roman Empire as then it was the slaue of Idols and with most bloudie slaughter persecuting Christs Saints Those of the Church of Rome being as nearest vnto it so most subiect to that sacrilegious butcherie Wherefore that voyce which S. Iohn heard say Go out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sinnes c. can haue none other meaning then that all they who desire to be Gods people must separate themselues in faith and manners from them who hate and persecute the Roman Church as did then the Heathen Emperours and now do all Heretikes Vnlesse they will be partakers of their sinnes and consequently of their plagues This shall yet appeare more plainely in the examination of this Chapter Where I will deale friendly with my aduersarie and aduantage him all that I can that all being giuen him which is any way probable it may appeare more euidently how little he hath to any purpose out of this place of the Apocalipse whereof all Protestants vaunt and bragge so much both in their bookes and pulpits Well then I will admit that in the 17. and 18. Chapters of the Reuelation by the whore of Babylon is vnderstood the Roman state and regiment which in lawfull disputations they are not able to proue the most iuditious Doctor S. Augustine and diuerse others of the ancient fathers with the learned troupe of later interpreters expounding it of the whole corps and societie of the wicked And as for the seuen hils on the which they lay their foundation they are not to be taken literally the Angell of God in the very text it selfe interpreting the seuen heads of the beast to bee aswell seuen Kings as seuen hils But this notwithstanding to helpe you forward I will grant it you because some good writers haue so taken it and therefore omit as impertinent that which you say in proofe of it What can you inferre hereunto Marry that the Roman Church is that whore of Babylon Faire and soft good Sir how proue you that Thus. The whoore of Babylon is a state of the Roman regiment ergo the Roman Church is the whoore of Babylon What forme of arguing call you me this By the like sophistication you may proue that Romulus and Remus were the purple Harlot which to affirme were ridiculous or which is impious that the most Christian Emperours Constantine and Theodosius were the whoore of Babylon because these held also the state of the Roman Empire and regiment To make short the feeble force of this reason lieth in this that they who hold the state and gouerne in the same kingdome must needs bee of like affection in religion which if it were necessarie then did Queene Marie of blessed memorie and her sister Elizabeth carrie the same minds towards the true Catholike faith because they sate in the same chaire of estate and ruled in the same kingdome See I pray you what a shamefull cauill this is to raise such outcries vpon A simple Logician would blush to argue in the parâ—â—ies so loafty and yet they that take vpon them to controle the learnedst in the world often fall into such open fallacies Well then admitting the purple Harlot to signifie the Roman state we do say that the state of Rome must bee taken as it was then when these words were spoken of it that is Pagan Idolatrous and a hot persecutor of Christians Such it had bene a little before vnder that bloudie tyrant Nero and then was vnder Domitian which we confirme by the authoritie of them who expound this passage of the Roman state The commentarie on the Apocalipse vnder S. Ambrose name saith The great whoore sometime doth signifie Rome specially which at that time when the Apostle wrote this did persecute the Church of God 〈◊〉 Cap. 178. but otherwise doth signifie the whole citie of the Diuell And S. Ierome who applieth the place to Rome affirmeth Libr. 2. cont Jâ—â—â—n that she had before his dayes
blotted out that blasphemie written in her forehead because then the state was Christian which before had bene Heathen so that vnto the partie Pagan and not vnto the Church of God he ascribeth these works of the wicked Harlot which also the very text it selfe doth conuince for it hath That she was drunk with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus Verse 6. Now the Church of Rome had not then by the confession of all men drawne any bloud of Christs Saints but in testimonie of his truth had powred out abundance of her best bloud Wherefore it is most manifest that the harlot could not signifie the Church of Rome so pure and free from slaughter but the Roman Empire which was then full gorged with that most innocent and holy bloud Againe that whoore is expounded Verse 18. To be a citie which had kingdome ouer the Kings of the earth But the Church of Rome had then no kingdom ouer the earth or any temporall dominion at all but the Roman Emperours had such soueraigne commaundement ouer manie Kings wherefore it must be vnderstood of them and not of the Church Now to take kingdome not properly for temporall soueraigntie but for spirituall Iurisdiction as some shifters do is to flie without any warrant from the natiue signification of the word vnto the phantasticall and voluntarie imagination And whereas M. Perkins saith pag. 5. that Ecclesiasticall Rome in respect of state princely dominion and crueltie against the Saints is all one with the heathenish Empire he both seeketh to deceiue and is greatly deceiued he would deceiue in that he doth apply words spoken of Rome aboue 1500. yeares ago vnto Rome as it is at this day and yet if that were granted him he erreth fouly in euery one of his particles For first touching princely dominion the Roman Empire held then all Italy all France all Spaine all England a great part of Germanie of Asia and also of Africke hauing their Proconsuls and other principall Officers in all those Countries drawing an hundred thousand millions in money and many other commodities out of them Wherefore in princely dominion and magnificall state it surmounted Ecclesiasticall Rome which hath not temporall dominion ouer the one halfe of that one kingdome of Italy more then an hundred degrees And as for persecution the Empire slue and caused to be slaine more Saints of God in one yeare then the Church of Rome hath done of reprobates and obstinate heretikes in 1600. yeares R. ABBOT WE see that M. Bishop hath some skill in Oratory but it seemeth he hath learned one precept aboue the rest of extenuation or diminution to giue semblance of making light of his aduersaries arguments and not to be touched therewith when notwithstanding hee is galled with them and wounded at the heart Of this lesson he maketh good vse throughout his whole booke but here in the beginning hauing his wits yeâ— fresh he goeth somewhat beyond it and will make his Reader beleeue that that text of the Apocalipse which M. Perkins propounded for the matter of his Prologue Go out of her my people c. is so farre from making against them as that it is an aduertisement to all men to forsake the societie and fellowship of all them that shew themselues aduersaries to the Church of Rome The Apostle telleth vs a 1. Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies that they which are approued may be knowne Because there must be heresies there must be heretickes men giue vp to reprobate sence obstinate and wilfull in their wicked fancies euen then when they are b Tit. 3 11. condemned in themselues Otherwise such is the light and euidence of Scripture in directing that admonition as a caueat against the Church of Rome at least wise to euerie mans eyes and sight there is that probabilitie thereof as that a man would not beleeue but that the handling of this point should haue made M. Bishop to tremble and feare and to surcease from going any further in the rest specially seeing that for the safeguard of his minion of Rome he is faine to go so directly contrarie to the euidence that stood against him Yet we see how gloriously hee carieth himselfe here in the beginning and maketh shew of great largesse and of giuing his aduersarie all the aduantage he can But let him remember what Solomon saith c Prou. 25.14 A man that boasteth of false liberalitie is like clouds and wind without raine His words shew more courage then wisedome and he giueth his aduersarie no aduantage at all but what hee must haue whether he will or not The question is whether Babylon and the whoore of Babylon mentioned in the Reuelation be to be vnderstood of Rome or not He alledgeth out of Austin and some other ancient though not indeed so ancient writers and out of a learned troupe of later interpreters as it pleaseth him to terme them that by Babylon is vnderstood the whole corps and societie of the wicked But his maister Bellarmine hauing mentioned that exposition for answer to our obiection leaueth it and saith d Bellarm de Aâ—tichrist cap. 13 secunâ—o dici potest meâ— iudiciomeliùs per mercâ—â—â—em intell giâ—â— mam It may be sayd and in my iudgement better that by the harlot is vnderstood Rome So had he before sayd that S. Iohn e Ibid. cap. 5. Explicat mulierem esse vrbem magnamquae sedet super septem câ—lles id est Romanâ— declareth that the woman is the citie that sitteth vpon seuen hils that is saith he Rome The verie cleere light of the truth made him to confesse that in the description of the whoore of Babylon Rome must necessarily bee vnderstood he must shift otherwise as hee might but he saw that to denie this would be no shift Yea and the exposition that M. Bishop bringeth maketh nothing to the contrarie For although we vnderstand that Babylon do import the whole corps and societie of the wicked yet we are also to vnderstand that this corps and societie hath a head from whence the name is deriued to the whole body and therefore the notification of the body specially being a body so confused must needs be by the description of the head The affirming I say of Babylon to be the whole corps and societie of the wicked doth not exclude Rome from being meant by the whoore of Babylon because the head is necessarily implied in the whole body and Rome is described and set forth vnto vs as being the head of that societie And that the head is here properly meant is inuincibly manifest because the speech is here of f Apoc. 14.8 17.2 her that maketh all nations drunke with her fornications and is therefore to be distinguished from the body of the wicked of all nations which are made drunke by her But for declaring of this point S. Austin in sundrie places diuideth the whole body of mankind by g August in Psal 26. 61.
heads of which by S. Iohns account the Emperour was but the sixt Sith then that Rome was the purple harlot vnder the Emperor which was the sixt head it followeth that there remained after the Emperor a seuenth head of the Romane state vnder which Rome was to continue to be the purple harlot That Babylon spoken of by S. Iohn must be possessed by a beast as head thereof in the time of those ten kings to which the Empire shall be diuided which z Apoc. 17.13 shall giue their power and authoritie to the same beast There was no such diuision of the Empire nor any such ten kings in the time of those heathen Emperours Therefore sith Rome was Babylon vnder the heathen Emperours it must continue to be Babylon after them Yea that Babylon must be destroyed with that destruction which S. Iohn describeth at large in the 18. Chapter But Rome was not so destroyed in the time of those heathen Emperours Therefore it abideth still vnder the name of Babylon expecting the time of that destruction To be short it is without all controuersie and D. Sanders confesseth it that a Sander visib Eccles monarch lib. 8. demonstr de Antich 38. Joannes in Apocalypsi dicit Reges terraecum Babylone quae sedes ciuitas Antichristi est fornicasas esse Babylon mentioned by S. Iohn is the seate and citie of Antichrist Because therefore that Rome is that Babylon whereof Saint Iohn speaketh Rome must be the seate and citie of Antichrist Rome was not the seate and citie of Antichrist in the time of the heathen Emperors Therefore it remained afterwards so to be It appeareth therefore how vainely these men please themselues with a shadow of an answer that Rome was the purple harlot in the time of the heathen Emperours inasmuch as thereof it followeth that she is afterwards also the purple harlot because it is apparant that the purple harlot must be after the time of those Emperors and there are not two purple harlots but onely one That therfore which M. Bishop alledgeth vnder the name of Ambrose is so farre from making any thing for him as that it maketh wholy against him because it proueth that Rome was that great whore at that time when the Apostle did write this So doth that also of Hierome because it sheweth that it was Rome that had that blasphemie written in her forehead As for that that he saith that b Hieron adu Iouâ—n lib. 2. Scriptam in fronte blasphemiam Christi confessione delesti by the confession of Christ she had blotted out that blasphemie it helpeth M. Bishop nothing She had taken away the imputation thereof for the time but that eclypse of the light or rather of the darknesse of the beast hindred not as before was said but that she might return to be the same that she was before Yea when presently after he saith that Christ in the Reuelation had threatened a curse vnto her and in his Epistle to Marcella hath applyed to her that which is said of the destruction of Babylon as we haue seene before he giueth vs plainely to vnderstand that his words yeeld no exception but that Rome might still be Babylon because that curse and destruction but vnder the name of Babylon could not befall vnto her But M. Bishop hath yet some foolish reasons to perswade vs that these things cannot be meant of the Church of Rome First the purple harlot was then drunke with the bloud of the Martyrs but the Church of Rome had not then drawne bloud of any Absurd shifter that will thus go about to delude the vnheedie and ignorant Reader Who would thinke him in his wits to argue thus that the Church of Rome now cannot be the purple harlot because the Church of Rome that then was had shed no bloud of any Martyr The Church of Rome then had not that headship wherein she should be the purple harlot She was afterterwards to be the purple harlot when she shold be fallen from that that she was then and should vsurpe the state and dignitie of them by whom the bloud of Martyrs then was spilt which hauing sithence done by her head the Pope she hath played the butcher of Gods Saints vnder him aswell as the citie of Rome did before vnder the heathen Emperor Hereby his other exception falleth in like sort because we speake not of the Church of Rome that then was but of that that is growne since by degenerating from that Church That Church raigned not ouer the kings of the earth neither was this latter Church of Rome to raigne ouer kings in that sort as the city of Rome then did it is sufficient that by raigning then ouer the kings of the earth the place is described where the purple harlot should afterwards sit though her kingdome were to be of another kind For that kind of gouernment which was the Empire was wholy to be abolished and those ten kings before spoken of were to arise out of the ruines thereof but in the place of the Empire another kind of kingdome was to be set vp in name whereof those tenne kings should submit themselues vnto the beast Some title the beast that is Antichrist must haue whereby to chalenge superioritie ouer those ten kings which the title of Imperiall iurisdiction being extinguished should in likelihood be the spirituall iurisdiction which hath succeeded in the same place Which M. Bishop would gladly seeme to fasten vpon the first Church of Rome but alas that Church knew no such matter it is a meere vsurpation long after presumed by the Pope Now by this spirituall iurisdiction he would not deny but that the Pope and Church of Rome hath raigned ouer the kings of the earth onely hee will not haue it to be called a kingdome and thinketh it to be but shifting to take it so Yet Thomas Aquinas who we hope hee will say was no shifter was put to such a shift as that he was faine to call it not a kingdome onely but an Empire Who perceiuing it by constant agreement of all antiquitie that in the dissolution of the Romane Empire should bee the arising of Antichrist and seeing what the case of the Empire in his time was asked the question c Thom. Aquin. in 2 Thes cap. 2. Lect 1. Quomodo est hâ—c quia iamdus genteâ— Ã Romano imperio recesserunt tamen necdum veniâ— Antichristâ—â— Dâ—cendum est quâ— I◠〈…〉 cessauit sed est commâ—taâ—â—â— de temporalâ—â—â— spirituale â—deo dâ—cendam est quoâ— discessio à Romano imperio debâ—â— intelligi non solum à temporâ—li sed à spirituali How is it that the nations long since are fallen away from the Roman Empire and yet Antichrist is not come Whereto he answereth that the Empire is not ceased but is changed from temporall to spirituall and that the falling away must not be onely from the temporall Empire but also from the spirituall Wheâ—e if he had not
abominations or if they haue in any part bene deuised by others yet she hath licked all those monstrous and ilfauoured bastards to their forme The Church of Rome I say that now is we apply nothing to the Church of Rome that then was which he fondly inculcateth without cause The mother we confesse was a chast matron but the daughter is growne to be a filthie harlot W. BISHOP But that it is now become idolatrous M. Perkins doth proue by his second reason gathered also I warrant you right learnedly out of the text it selfe where it is said that the tenne hornes which signifie ten kings Cap. 17. ver 16. shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked which as he saith must be vnderstood of Popish Rome For whereas in former times all the kings of the earth did submit themselues to the whore now they haue begun to withdraw themselues and to make her desolate as the kings of Bohemia Denmarke Germany England Scotland and other parts In these his words is committed a most foule fault by grosse ouersight and ignorance in the very text What be England Scotland Denmarke as for Bohemia ruled by a Catholike Emperor it must be omitted as also many States of Germany be these Kingdoms your principall pillars of the new Gospell comprehended within the number of the ten mentioned there in S. Iohn which hate the harlot Yes marry Why then they are enemies of Christ and Satans souldiers for in the 13. verse it is said of these that they shall deliuer their power vnto the beast which signifieth either the diuell or Antichrist and shall fight with the Lambe and the Lambe shall ouercome them because he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Is not this doating in an high degree to infame so notoriously them of whom he wold speake most honor and to make the speciall Patrons of their new Gospell the diuels captaines and fiercely to wage battell against Christ Iesus See how heate of wrangling blindeth mens iudgements R. ABBOT The direct conclusion intended by M. Perkins is that S. Iohns prophecie was not accomplished in heathenish Rome whereupon it remaineth to be vnderstood of the Church of Rome The argument which he vseth to that purpose is inuincible and M. Bishop cunningly ouerslippeth it without saying any thing directly to it He chargeth M. Perkins with most foule fault and grosse ouersight and ignorance in the text and with being blinded with heate of wrangling when he himselfe poore soule knoweth not what he saith or if he do know then carieth himselfe most impudently therein The case is plaine if we do but consider that the beast and the harlot belong both to one as S. Iohn giueth vs to vnderstand by describing a Apoc 17.3.7 the woman to be sitting vpon the beast in respect whereof the Rhemish Diuines do name b Rhem. TestaÌ„ Annotat. Apoc. 131. the whore and the beast and Antichrist all as one So Ferus their Preacher of Mentz saith c Ferus in Mat. 24. Abhominationem disolationis quae est regnuÌ„ Antichristi Ioannes in Apocalypsi nunc quâ—deÌ„ per Bestiam cui draco potestatem suam dedit nunc per mulierem bestâ—â— insidentem intelliga c. The abomination of desolation which is the kingdome of Antichrist Iohn in the Apocalypse vnderstandeth sometimes by the beast to which the Dragon gaue power sometimes by the woman sitting vpon the beast and making all to drinke of the wine of her fornication S. Iohn then giueth vs to vnderstand that ten kings should arise out of the dissolution of the Empire as hath bene said Of these ten kings he saith d Ver. 13. These haue one mind and shall giue their power and authoritie to the beast Hereupon it shall follow that together with the beast e Ver. 14. they shall fight against the Lambe that is against Iesus Christ Afterward it shall come to passe that those ten kings f Ver. 16. shall hate the whore that sitteth vpon the beast and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire For that it may appeare how they shall giue their power to the beast and yet hate the whore that is submit themselues to Antichrists state and gouernment and yet hate the Babylon wherein he hath raigned he addeth g Ver. â—7 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to do with one consent for to giue their kingdome to the beast vntill the words of God be fulfilled So then vntill the words of God be fulfilled and he haue performed what in his secret iudgement he hath thereof decreed those ten kings shall submit themselues to the whore to the beast that is to Antichrist raigning in his Babylon But when God hath finished his worke otherwise then the kingdome of Antichrist shall be ouerthrowne the kings that before were subiect shall withdraw their obedience from him they shall hate the whore of Babylon the citie of the beast of Antichrist and hauing stript her of the state and dominion wherby she was aduanced and raigned ouer them they shall furiously bend themselues against her vntill they haue vtterly destroyed her These things we see cannot belong to the dayes of the heathen Emperours as before is said because the diuision of the Empire and these ten kings were not in those times It remaineth therefore that the prophecie belongeth to times afterwards succeeding Now being so vnderstood as necessarily it must be we see the same in part alreadie fulfilled in the Church of Rome and God in his good time will fulfill the rest The Empire hath bene diuided into many kingdomes those kings haue all submitted their scepters to the power and authoritie of the Bishop of Rome He hath plaid the Lord and tyrant ouer them and they haue patiently suffered him so to do Yet God at length hath opened some of their eyes alreadie and they haue learned to see the deceits of Antichrist and to hate the same The like mercie he will shew to the rest in his good time and they shall ioyntly apply themselues to worke the confusion of that wicked strumpet So then they whom God hath alreadie called are not now as M. Bishop cauilleth the enemies of Christ and Satans souldiers they were so so long as they gaue their power and kingdome to the beast but now they are Gods armie and the captaines of the Lords hoast to fight his battels against the beast and the whore vntill they haue wrought his iudgement vpon them Weigh the text gentle Reader and consider well how readily it yeeldeth thee that that we say thereof and hereby conceiue in what a pitifull case M. Bishop was when he was faine to passe it ouer as he hath done Yet his fellowes are beholding to him that he layeth lustily about him with words and seemeth to haue a good courage howsoeuer if he weighed the place at all it could not be but that in
Archbishops got their places by Simonie and abused them to luxurie and all excesse He complaineth that d Iutâ—stiâ—a insinabilu est plaga ecclesia c. A turpi vita à turpi questu à turpi commercio à negatio denique perambulante in tenebris the plague of the Church was inward and incurable and that by filthie life by filthie lucre by filthie companie and by the matter that walketh in the darke that is by Simonie He concludeth thus e Superest vt tam de medio siat daemonium meridianum ad seducendos siqui in Christo residus sunt adhuc permanentes in simplicitate sua Ipse est Antichristus qui se non solùm diem sed etiam meridiem mentiâ—tur It remaineth that the noone-walking diuell be brought forth to seduce if there be any in Christ yet continuing in their simplicitie The same is Antichrist who shal counterfeit himselfe to benot onely day but noone day and shall be exalted aboue all that is called God c. Againe hauing vpon another occasion afterwards entred into the like discourse of the strange declination of the state of the Church he endeth in like sort f In Psal Qui habitat ser 6. superest vt reueletur homo peccati c. It remaineth that the man of sinne be reuealed the son of perdition c. He saw not that the Pope was Antichrist yet he saw that the Church was then by the gouernment of the Pope as a horse sadled and bridled and fully furnished for Antichrist to get vp and ride vpon Yea and it appeareth by that that M. Perkins secondly citeth that he did not thinke S. Peters chaire to be vncapable of Antichrist in that he saith g Idem epist 125. Bestia illa de Apocalypsi cui datum est os loquutus blasphemias bellum gererecum sinctu Petri sedem occupat tanquam leo paratus ad praedam The beast spoken of in the Reuelation to which is giuen a mouth speaking blasphemies and to make warre with the Saints possesseth the chaire of Peter as a Lion readie to the prey He spake this indeed of the Antipope but yet it appeareth that he saw the time then fitting for the kingdome of Antichrist and that Antichrist might be likely to sit in Peters chaire and therfore was not farre from seeing and deeming that the Pope was Antichrist But what he saw not others had seene before that time when h Auent Annal. lib 5. Plerique tum Hildebrandum pro contione Antichristum esse praedicant titulo Christi inquibat Antichristi negotium agitat In Babylonia in templo dei sedeâ— Super omne id quod col tur extollitur quasi deus sit se errare noÌ„ posse gloriatur c. Quicquid dixerit legem Dei putat c. many in their Sermons as Auentinus saith did publikely deliuer that Hildebrand was Antichrist that vnder the title of Christ he did the businesse of Antichrist He sitteth in Babylon said they in the temple of God he is exalted aboue all that is worshipped as if he were very God he boasteth that he cannot erre whatsoeuer he saith he taketh it to be the law of God The same Auentinus mentioneth that i Ibid. Plerique omnes boni aperti iusti ingenui simplices tum imperium Antichristi coepisse quòd ea quae Christus seruator noster tot annos antè nobis cantauit euenisse eo tempore cernebant memoriae literarum prodidere almost all good and plaine men that dealt iustly ingenuously and simply did then deliuer in writing that the kingdome of Antichrist was then begun for that they saw that those things were then come to passe which Christ our Sauiour had spoken of so many yeares before Long after that he bringeth in Eberhard the Archbishop of Iunauia of whom I spake before saying k Idem lib. 7. Sub Pont. maximi titulo pastoris pelle lupum saeuissimum nisi caeci sumus sentimus HildebraÌ„dus ante annos centum et septuaginta primus specie religionis Antichristi imperij jundamenta iecit c. Flamines illi Babyloniae soli regnare cupiunt ferreparem non possunt c. Qui seruus seruorum est dominus dominoruÌ„ perinde acsi deus foret esse cupit c. Ingentia loquitur quasi vera Deus esset c. Vnder the title of the highest bishop the garment of a shepheard we perceiue if we be not blind a most cruell wolfe Hildebrand saith he a hundred and seuenty yeares ago did first vnder shew of religion lay the foundation of the Empire of Antichrist c. Those Priests of Babylon desire to raigne alone they can indure no equall He that is the seruant of seruants coueteth to be Lord of Lords euen as though he were God He speaketh great words as though he were God euen that wicked man whom they are wont to call Antichrist in whose forehead a name of blasphemie is written I am God I cannot erre Thus l Matthew of Paris sheweth how Robert Grosthead bishop of Lincolne in the time of king Henry the third being extremely afflicted and grieued to see the desolation and confusion of the Church by the practises of the Bishop of Rome a little before his death called some of his Cleargie to him and by argument and reason informed them that the Pope was Antichrist for that he was m a destroyer of soules for that he by his n Non obstante violated and ouerturned all the constitutions of the holy Fathers for that he multiplied o mischiefes and inconueniences in the Church c. I omit many other that might be brought particularly acknowledging and testifying this point but by these it may appeare that both before the time of S. Bernard and after it was a thing amongst good men coÌ„monly beleeued and spoken that the Pope was Antichrist Yea M. Perkins well obserueth that the reason whereby S. Bernard proued Anacletus the Antipope to be Antichrist proueth all the Popes since to haue bene Antichrists because they haue not bene elected according to that forme whereby he then iustified Innocentius to be the true bishop of Rome that is with consent of the Emperor the Princes of Christendome and the whole Cleargie being since chosen by the Cardinals onely And this he further confirmeth by a decree of Pope Nicholas the second for the election of the Pope that it shall be with the liking of the p Dist 33. In nomine saluo seÌ„per honore reuerentia Imperae toris ista siant Emperour and performed by q Electio Romani Pontificis in potestate Cardinalium Episcoporum sit ita vt siquis Apostolicae sedi sinc praemissae concordi canonica electione eorum ac deinde sequentium ordinum religioseruÌ„ Clericorum Laicorum consensu inthroni zatur non Papa vel Apostolicus sed Apostataeus habeatur the Cardinall Bishops but with the consent of the rest of the Cleargie and Laitie and
to the hope of euerlasting life should stand in doubt of that Saluation that God hath promised vnto him The very place and occasion of the speech might haue made M. Bishop to forbeare to vse the same to that purpose that he hath done but that he is stil like his maister Bellarmine so that it carrie some shew it neuer skilleth whether it be right or wrong 7. W. BISHOP Another reason of this vncertaintie De cor gra cap. 13. yeeldeth Saint Augustine in these words In this place of temptation such is our infirmitie that assurednes might engender pride To this agreeth S. Gregorie Lib. 9. moral cap. 17. saying If we know our selues to haue grace we are proud So that to strike downe the pride of our hearts and to humble vs and to make vs trauaile more carefully in the workes of mortification God doth not ordinarily assure men at the first of their owne Saluation but to cheere vp their hearts on the other side doth put them in great hope of it like to a discreet and good Lord who will not at the first entrance into his seruice infeofe his seruant in the fee simple of those lands which after vpon his good deserts he meaneth to bestow on him This is another kind of Doctrine then that which M. Perkins in his last supply deliuered to wit That if we regard our owne indisposition we must despaire because we be not worthie of his mercie Not so good Sir Because we know that he bestoweth mercie vpon the vnworthie at the first iustification of a sinner but will not admit into the Kingdome of heauen any vnworthie but giues men grace while they liue to worke that they are made worthie of his heauenly Kingdome according to that Apoc. 3.4 They shall walke with me in whites because they are worthie but of this more fully in the chapter of Merits R. ABBOT The place of Austin is true as touching immediate and perfect assurance such as is free from all assault and impeachment of doubt and feare For this is a place of temptation and weaknesse as he truly saith by reason whereof as we neuer attaine to a perfection of righteousnesse against sinne so we neuer attaine to a perfection of assurance against doubting But yet as we haue a measure of true righteousnesse against sinne wherein we doubt not but God accepteth vs so haue we also a measure of true and comfortable assurance against all feare and doubt whereby our hearts do rest perswaded that God for euer will preserue vs. Thus God as a wise and carefull father both giueth comfort to his children and yet prouideth to keepe them within their bounds that tasting the ioy of his Saluation and finding it thenceforth bitter and grieuous vnto themselues to be distracted by perplexities and feares from the quiet enioying thereof they may the more carefully endeuour to cleaue fast vnto him and beware of doing any thing that should interrupt their ioyful peace He knoweth how readie we are by the corruption of our nature to abuse the comforts and assurances that he giueth vnto vs and therefore so ordereth the same as that somtimes out of our nature somtimes by other afflictions they are nipped and sneaped that they grow not proud and ranke to the decaying and destroying of themselues And as somtimes by his admirable wisdom he maketh sin the whetstone of righteousnesse so by affliction and trouble of mind by distrusts and fearfull doubts he whetteth sharpeneth our faith and assurance which by fighting increaseth and the longer it wrastleth the stronger it waxeth whilest a August de verb. Dom. ser 36 Fides fundit erationem fusaoratio impetrat fidei firmitatem faith specially when it is assaulted powreth forth prayer and powring forth of prayer obtaineth further strength of faith And as a man in danger of drowning catcheth for hold to saue himselfe so whilest the comfort of life maketh offer to go from vs we take the better hold thereof and it becommeth so much the more precious and deare vnto vs. But as we do not approue sinne for that it is vsed sometimes for a helpe of righteousnesse so no more do we commend doubting for that it is vsed for the increase of faith but as against the one so against the other we fight and labour to abandon it wholy from vs that we may say b Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse c Nay in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come nor any creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus therefore we so take the words of Austin as that we leaue place for that which elsewhere he saith that c August in Psal 32. Non est ista remeriâ—as affectus est desiderij dulcedâ— spei Dicat anima omnino securaÌ„ dicat Deus meus es tu qui dicit animae salus tuaego sum God saith to the soule of the faithfull I am thy Saluation whereupon it is boldly to say to him Thou art my God which saith he is no rashnesse or presumption but affection of desire and sweetnesse of hope For that voice of God whereby he saith to our soule d Psa 35.3 as Dauid for himselfe prayeth I am thy Saluation what is it else but e Rom. 8.16 the spirit that giueth witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God The words of Gregorie if there be any such for in the place by him cited they are not may import how readie our corruption is to misconuert the graces and gifts of God but to denie to the faithfull man the knowledge of Gods grace in himselfe is to bereaue him of all stedfast hope and to quench in him all true conscience of thankfulnesse towards God because he cannot hope that knoweth nothing wherupon to hope nor hartily giue thanks that knoweth not whether he haue cause to giue thankes or not And how doth S. Iohn say f 1. Iohn 4.13 By this we know that we are in him and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirit if we do not know that he hath giuen vs of his spirit and how should we not know that we haue receiued grace if we know that we haue receiued the spirit of grace But of this matter sufficient hath bene spoken in the former section Now whereas M. Bishop saith that God doth not ordinarily assure men at the first of their owne Saluation if he meane that God doth not at the first offer any such assurance he saith vntruly For God speaketh by the same word in the beginning and in the end and therfore both in the beginning and in the end giueth the same assurance although our faith being perhaps weake
doth not by and by so fully firmely lay hold therof Therfore whereas he compareth God to a master who wil not at the first entrance into his seruice infeofe his seruaÌ„t to the fee simple of those lands which after vpon his good deserts he meaneth to bestow vpon him he doth wrong to the maiesty of God thus to limit his bounty to the prouident and wary courses of men occasioned partly by their ignoraÌ„ce vncertainty of other mens future condition partly by their impotency and vnablenes to preuent help that that haply may proue amisse For man knoweth not what the behauior of his seruaÌ„ts hereafter wil be wheras he inteÌ„deth his gift no otherwise to him but vpon his good behauior neither is it in his power to better it if he become of worse qualitie then he expected but God from the beginning knoweth our mould and making and that there is no good qualitie to be expected of vs but what the power of his owne hand graciously worketh in vs and therefore his promise is what he will do for vs not what he would haue vs to do for our selues and as he freely giueth vs the inheritance so taketh vpon himselfe g Col. 1.12 to make vs meete to be partaâ—ers of his inheritance To which purpose S. Austin notably speaketh wholy ouerthrowing M. Bishops comparison h August in Ps l. 109. Promisit hominibus diu â—itatem mortalibus immortalitatem peâ—catoribus iustifiâ—ationem abâ—xtis glorifiâ—ationeÌ„ Quicquid promisit indigma promisit vt non quasi operibus merces promitteretur sed gratiae à suo nomine gratis duetur quia hoc ipsum iustè viuere inquentum homo potest iustè viuere non meriti humani sed beneficij diuini est God promised to men fellowship with God immortalitie to vs being mortall iustification to vs being sinners glorification to vs being abiects and castawayes Whatsoeuer he promised he promised to vs being vnworthie that it might not be promised as a vvages or reward for workes but being grace by name might be gratis and freely giuen because to liue iustly so farre as man can liue iustly is not a matter importing mans merite but the benefite and gift of God Let M. Bishop therefore learne hereby that God doth not rest vpon our good behauiour to infeofe vs to the fee simple of the land of the liuing but that good behauiour it selfe is a part of that blessing whereto by his free promise he hath infeofed vs. The originall of which infeofment consisteth in the grace of Gods election the liuerie and seisin in the grace of his adoption wherein he hath made vs his children and i Tit. 3.7 heires as touching hope of euerlasting life which therefore we expect by title of inheritance not by purchase of merit hauing receiued for k Ephes 1.14 earnest and pledge thereof the spirit of Christ sanctifying and preparing vs thereunto Which sanctification notwithstanding he so measureth out vnto vs whilest we liue here as that he leaueth vs nothing whereof to glorie in our selues but when we measure our selues to his iudgement we see still that there is that corruption remaining in vs for which he might take occasion iustly to condemne vs that therefore l Bernard in Cant. serm 50. Vt sâ—ramus in die illa quia non ex operibus iustitia c. we may know at that day as Saint Bernard saith that not for the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but of his owne mercie he hath saued vs. Rightly therefore doth M. Perkins say that in regard of our selues and our owne indisposition we haue to despaire of our Saluation euen to the verie death as being vnworthie thereof But saith M. Bishop Not so good Sir because we know that he bestoweth mercie vpon the vnworthie in the first iustification of a sinner But what is that to giue vs hope to say that God in Baptisme sheweth mercie to vs though vnworthie if it be true which he addeth that he will not admit into the kingdome of heauen any vnworthie when as after Baptisme we are all so farre from being worthie thereof Nay saith he God giues men grace while they liue to worke that they are made worthie of his heauenly kingdome But where is that man that hath receiued so great grace as that he may be thought to be made worthie of the heauenly kingdome Iohn Baptist saith of Christ m Mar. 1.7 I am not worthie to loose the latchet of his shoe and who is he then of whom it may be sayd that he is worthie to raigne with Christ in his kingdome of glorie The Centurion of whom Christ gaue testimonie that n Mar. 8.10 he found not so great faith no not in Israel yet confesseth of himselfe o Vers 8. I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe who is he then of whom we may be perswaded that he is worthie to enter vnder the roofe of heauen p Chrysost in Col. hom 2 Nemo talem vitae conuersationem ostendit vt regno dignus esse possit sed hoc totum est donum Dei No man sheweth such conuersation of life saith Chrysostome as that he is worthie of the heauenly kingdome but this is wholy the gift of God How then shall we beleeue M. Bishop that any man so worketh as that thereby he is made worthie of the heauenly kingdome As for the place which he citeth out of the Reuelation it is at large to be handled as is this whole point concerning worthinesse in the question of Merits and therefore thither I referre the Reader for the explication thereof 8. W. BISHOP The fift reason for our opinion is taken out of M. Perkins second exception to wit howsoeuer a man may be assured for his present state yet no man is certaine of his perseuerance to the end And therefore although we might be assured of our Iustification yet can we not be certaine of our Saluation For he onely that perseuereth to the end shall be saued M. Perkins answer is that prayer doth assure vs to perseuer to the end for God bids vs pray that we fall not into temptation and promiseth an issue forth 1. Cor. 10. So then the assurance depends vpon prayer and not vpon our former faith What then if we do not pray so as we should may not the enemie then not onely wound but kill vs to it cannot be denied and therein as in diuerse other workes of pietie many haue bene too too slacke as the pitifull fall of thousands haue taught vs. Oh saith M. Perkins it cannot be that he which was once a member of Christ can euer after be wholy cut off O shamelesse assertion and contrary to many plaine texts and examples of holy Scriptures Iohn 15. Doth not our Sauiour say in expresse words That euery branch in me not bearing fruit he will take it away And againe If any abide not in me he
faithfull an assurance of Saluation be it by faith be it by charitie let not that here be the question Is there to the faithfull by S. Austines iudgement any assurance of Saluation He could not tell how directly to denie it and yet with a Romish and impudent face passeth it ouer as if there were no such thing The onely shift that he insinuateth is this that this assurance spoken of by S. Austine is by charity and not by faith But what then is there assurance by charitie No such matter for he hath told vs before that charitie is seated in the e Sect. 6. darke corners of the will and we cannot tell whether we haue it or not And so whereas the Apostle and by him S. Austine say that we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren he contrariwise saith We cannot know that we are translated from death to life because we cannot know that we loue the brethren in both points absolutely contradicting both the one and the other But to his foolish question I answer him that the affirming of the assurance of faith is no deniall of the meanes and helps from which it gathereth and increaseth this assurance Faith giueth assurance of Saluation by the word of God not onely by apprehending the promises of life Saluation but also by obseruing such marks and tokens as the word of God setteth down to describe thē to whom this Saluation doth appertaine which whē a man findeth in himselfe his faith thereby giueth him the cōfort of Saluation because it beleeueth that which the word of God hath deliuered concerning them in whom those signes marks are found Therfore it doth not only looke to that which Christ saith that f Iohn 3.16 whosoeuer beleeueth shal haue euerlasting life but because Christ also saith g Iohn 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word therfore the faithfull man delighting in the word of God beleeueth concerning himselfe that he is of God Because the Apostle saith h Rom. 10.13 Euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued therfore the faithfull man vnfainedly calling vpon the name of the Lord beleeueth of himself that he shal be saued And so whereas S. Iohn saith that we know that we are translated frō death to life because we loue the brethren it is our faith whereby we take this knowledge that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren for how should we know it but that our faith beleeueth that which the word of God hath taught vs in that behalfe How idlely then doth he argue that we need not seeke for charity for assurance of Saluation if we be assured thereof by faith when charity it selfe is appointed for a helpe of that assurance which we haue by faith when from charity it is in some part that faith by the word of God conceiueth a reason of that assurance But by his answers to these places the Reader may esteeme of his wilfulnesse in all the rest How miserable is the case of those men who being so fast bound with the bonds of truth as that they know not which way to stirre yet haue no heart nor conscience to giue assent to that which they are no way able to resist 15. W. BISHOP Sup. 5. cap. Mat. The next Author he citeth is S. Hylarie in these words The Kingdome of heauen which our Lord professed to be in himselfe his wil is that it be hoped for without any doubtfulnesse of vncertaine will at all is an addition otherwise there is no iustification by faith if faith it selfe be made doubtfull First he faith but as we say that the Kingdome of heauen is to be hoped for without any doubtfulnesse for we professe Certaintie of hope and denie onely Certaintie of faith as M. Perkins confesseth before And as for faith we say with him also it is not doubtfull but very certaine What maketh this to the purpose that a man must beleeue his owne Saluation when S. Hilary speaketh there of faith of the resurrection of the dead His last Author is S. Bernard Who is the iust man Epist 107. but he that being loued of God loues him againe which comes not to passe but by the spirit reuealing by faith the eternall promise of God of his Saluation to come which reuelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace by which the deeds of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdome of heauen together receiuing in one spirit that whereby he may presume that he is loued and loues againe Note that he saith the reuelation of the spirit to be nothing else but the infusion of spirituall graces and comfort whereby a man hath some feeling of Gods goodnesse towards him by which he saith he may presume but not beleeue certainly that he is loued of God But let S. Bernard in the same place interpret himselfe there he speaketh thus as I cited once before It is giuen to men to tast before hand somewhat of the blisse to come c. Of the which knowledge of our selues now in part perceiued a man doth in the meane season glory in hope but not yet in securitie His opinion then is expresly that for all the reuelations of the spirit made by faith vnto vs we are not assured for Certaintie of our Saluation but feele great ioy through the hope we haue hereafter to receiue it R. ABBOT The words of Hilarie are very plaine that a Hilar. in Mat. cap. 5. Regnum coelorum vult Dominus sine aliquae incertae voluntatis ambiguitate sperari alioqum iustificatio ex fide nulla est si fides ipsa sit ambigua without doubting we are to hope for the kingdome of heauen and that it is the will of Christ that we do so Whereof he addeth a reason Otherwise there is no iustification by faith if faith it selfe become doubtfull which if we will accommodate to that that goeth before it must import thus much that we cannot by our faith be iustified to the obtaining of the kingdome of heauen if we do not vndoubtedly beleeue to obtaine the same M. Bishop answereth first that Hilarie saith but as they say No doth Why do they say that without doubting we must hope for the kingdome of heauen He saith yea but forgetting the prouerb that a liar must beare a braine For in the leafe b Sect. 10. before he hath set it downe for a principle confirmed as he saith by aboue an hundred texts of holy writ that the faithfull must stand in feare of their owne Saluation There cannot be certaine and vndoubted hope where there is a necessitie of feare If a man must stand in feare then can he not hope without doubt Thus he knoweth not what he saith nor what to say We must feare and we must not feare we must doubt and we must not doubt there is Certaintie and
though any do by occasion name charitie for the wedding garment as men by diuers occasions speake diuersly thereof yet no man was euer so absurd as expresly to exclude true faith from being one part of it as M. Bishop doth And if any do speake sometimes of a faith without charitie and fruites of good workes they speake thereof as we do as being onely a bastard faith a false and fained faith an idle outward receiuing and professing of the faith or doctrine of faith not that true faith which the Apostle speaketh of to which he assigneth our iustification in the sight of God The like foolish argument he maketh from the i Mat. 25.1 foolish virgins he may well call it the like because indeed they are all naught They had faith saith he true but they had not true faith they had not that faith which the Apostle speaketh of wherein our iustification is affirmed to consist For of that faith the Protestants say truly that it cannot be lost because God hath made vnto it the promise of eternall life and therefore Christ prayeth for it that it may neuer faile They had a forme or shew of faith as they had k 2. Tim. 3.5 a forme or shew of godlinesse but neuer knew the power thereof His tale of perfection is an idle dreame as we shall see hereafter if God will As for them that apply this text to the profession of virginitie they do apparent wrong therein the very text it selfe giuing to vnderstand that therby is described the kingdome of heauen by which in these parables euery where is vnderstood the whole state of the outward and militant Church professing to seeke the kingdome of heauen To take it otherwise is to offer violence to a very plaine and manifest text Vnder the name of Virgins all are comprehended who by profession and promise of faith and baptism haue vndertaken to be l 2. Cor. 11.2 virgins that is entire and faithfull vnto Christ By the lampe is imported that outward profession to men the oyle signifieth true faith and a good conscience inwardly to God Howsoeuer the lampes of foolish virgins of idle and emptie professors giue them credit with men so as that they are not barred from the companie and conuersation of the wise yet in the sleepe of death they shall go out and shall not serue to light them to go to God then shall they too late seeke and wish for that the oportunitie whereof before they carelesly omitted Then shall they cry Lord Lord as the other did before but it shall not boot them to cry when the doores shall be shut against them Thus doth Christ giue the same to vnderstand of hypocrites in generall which before he had done of hypocriticall and false teachers and what he saith here he expresseth more fully by the other Euangelist that when they shall cry m Luk. 13.25 Lord Lord open to vs and Christ shall answer vnto them I know you not whence you are then they shall begin to say We haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets Where we see them pleading that they haue heard Christ preach and they haue bene partakers of his Sacraments but they cannot plead for themselues that they haue beleeued in him therfore he shall answer theÌ„ again I tell you I know ye not whence ye are depart from me ye workers of iniquitie His fourth argument is of n Ioh. 12.42 many amongst the chiefe rulers of the Iewes who beleeued in Christ but yet confessed him not because of the Pharisees lest they should be cast out of the synagogue for they loued the praise of men more then the prayse of God Here we see faith indeed as he saith but we see no necessitie that faith should be vnderstood here to be without charitie Here is weake faith and weake loue too much yet entangled and tyed in the nets of carnall and earthly respects but he hath no ground to affirme that there is no loue Yes saith he for charity prefers the glory and seruice of God before al things in the world whereas these men were afraid to confesse Christ Indeed o 1. Ioh. 4 18. perfect charitie casteth out all feare and perfect faith breedeth perfect charity but there is a beginning of true faith and loue which being yet little and weake and hauing not yet ouermastered all worldly regards is for a time timorous and fearefull to confesse Christ yet groweth to strength by litle and little till it resolue to cleaue vnto him with losse of all other things Such was the faith of Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathea who were two of these chiefe rulers the one p Ioh. 3.2 coming to Iesus by night the other a disciple also q Cap. 19.38 but secretly for feare of the Iewes who yet afterwards being stirred vp with those things which they beheld saw in the death of Christ more boldly shewed themselues in his behalfe and in the end forsooke all for the following of his seruice In the meane time they shewed loue also to Christ though weakly r Cap. 7.50.51 the one in speaking in his behalfe Å¿ Luk. 23.51 the other in withholding his consent from the counsell and deed that was acted against Christ both in yeelding themselues to be his disciples and to be instructed by him Such was the faith and loue of the Apostles themselues who were euery while affrighted and in his greatest distresse t Mat. 26.56 all forsooke him and fled But he that u Cap. 12.20 breaketh not the brused reed nor quencheth the smoaking flaxe till he bring foorth iudgement into victorie wheresoeuer he seeth true faith and vnfained loue though yet weake and feeble watereth and cherisheth and vndersetteth the same that it may grow to strength x Aug. in Ioan. tract 53. Videte quemadmodum Euangelista notauerit improbauerit quâ—sdam ques tamen in eum credidisse dixit qui in hoc ingressu fidei si proficerent amorem quoque humanae gloriae proficiendo superarent The Euangelist saith S. Austin noteth and reproueth some of whom notwithstanding he saith that they did beleeue in Christ who if they did grow forward in this beginning of faith wold by growing forward ouercome the loue of humane glory which the Apostle had ouercome who saith God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ This growth there is wheresoeuer there is true and vnfained faith and because it cannot grow without loue it groweth to the ouercoming of all contrarie loue til it cleaue wholy vnto God Thus the Gospel expresly teacheth concerning some of these chief rulers and we cannot doubt but that the like befell in the rest of them that did truly beleeue in Christ They beleeued but their faith was weake and their loue was according to their faith til increase of faith brought further strength of loue and they learned by faith
turne Because he had no great skill to answer he thought it wisedom to take heed what he did obiect But yet out of that sentence truly alledged we may take somewhat to this point The words are p Gal. 3.11 The iust shall liue by faith According to these words true faith is said alwayes to imply and containe eternall life Our Sauior Christ speaketh as of a thing presently had q Ioh. 3.36 He that beleeueth hath eternall life r Cap. 5.24 he is passed from death to life But without charitie there can be no state of eternall life because Å¿ 1. Ioh. 3 14. he that loueth not abideth in death If then wheresoeuer there be true faith there be eternall life and without charitie there can be no eternall life it must necessarily follow that wheresoeuer there is true faith there is also charitie and loue bringing forth the fruites of good workes and seeking to winne others by example of iust and holy life M. Bishops answer we see giueth checke to the holy Ghost The holy Ghost saith The iust shall liue by faith Not so saith M. Bishop he liueth by faith hope and charitie and not by faith alone Further I trouble not my selfe with his idle words which containe nothing but a begging of the matter in question and are applied onely to an argument of his owne deuice CHAPTER 5. OF MERITS 1. W. BISHOP OBserue that three things are necessary to make a worke meritorious First that the worker be the adopted sonne of God and in the state of grace Secondly that the work proceed from grace and be referred to the honour of God The third is the promise of God through Christ to reward the work And because our aduersaries either ignorantly or of malice do slaunder this our doctrine in saying vntruly that we trust not in Christs merits nor need not Gods mercy for our saluation but wil purchase it by our owne works I wil here set downe what the Councell of Trent doth teach concerning Merits Sess 6. cap. vlt. Life euerlasting is to be proposed to them that work wel and hope wel to the end both as grace of mercie promised to the sonnes of God through Christ Iesus and as a reward by the promise of the same God to be faithfully rendred vnto their workes and merits So that we hold eternall life to be both a grace as well in respect of Gods free promise through Christ as also for that the first grace out of which they issue was freely bestowed vpon vs. And that also it is a reward in iustice due partly by the promise of God and in part for the dignitie of good workes vnto the worker if he perseruere and hold on vnto the end of his life or by true repentance rise to the same estate againe In infants baptized there is a kind of merit or rather dignitie of the adopted sonnes of God by his grace powred into their soules in baptisme wherby they are made heires of the kingdom of heauen but all that arriue to the yeares of discretion must by the good vse of the same grace either merit life or for want of such fruite of it fall into the miserable state of death R. ABBOT M. Bishop setteth downe three things which he saith are necessary to make a work meritorious but giueth vs no ground at all whereby we may rest perswaded that where those three things do concurre a man may be said to merit or deserue at Gods hands He leaueth vs still to wonder that a sinfull wretch offending and prouoking God from day to day should dare to talke of merite and desert with God but that we know that heresie and ignorance make men bold to frame the maiestie of God to their owne brainsicke and senslesse conceits The conditions and circumstances by him mentioned we alwayes teach and require in our doctrine of good workes but farre are we from finding merit in any of them For first the adopted sonne of God standeth bound by dutie to do all things to the honor of his Father and there can be no merit in doing that which a man by dutie is bound to do Secondly if the worke proceed from the grace of God the work is Gods and not mans and therfore man can therby merit nothing Thirdly if the reward depend vpon promise then it ariseth not of the merit or worth of workes especially there being by the frailtie of the worker and the bountie of the promiser that disproportion betwixt the worke and the reward as that it is meerly absurd to imagine that the one should be merited and deserued by the other These things God willing shall further appeare in the processe of this question In the meane time M. Bishop here challengeth vs for slaundering their doctrine with some matters of truth as that they trust not in Christs merits that they need not Gods mercy for their saluation but will purchase it by their owne workes Now we wote well that they vse speech of Christes merits and Gods mercie and of trusting therein because they know that if they abandoned the mention hereof they would soone grow odious and hatefull to all men For the cuppe of poison of the whore of Babylon they must vse a couer of such good words least they make men loth to drinke thereof But let it be examined how they teach these things and their falshood will soone appeare By trust in Christs merits men conceiue the placing of the confidence of saluation immediatly therein as the proper cause for which God accepteth vs to eternall life who our selues are miserable sinners and altogether vnworthy thereof But their trust in Christs merits is that he hath purchased for vs grace if we list by free will to merite heauen for ourselues thereby to be iust before God in our selues and worthy of the kingdome of heauen as M. Bishop in the former question of a Sect. 2. Iustification hath declared So then the effect of Christs merits is tied onely to this life and thenceforth we are to depend vpon that which here we do for our selues by wel vsing that grace which the merits of Christ first purchased for vs. Therefore one Richard Hopkins translating into English a booke of Granatensis as touching prayer and meditation giueth it one where for a marginall note that our Sauiour Christ is our Aduocate for the time of this life but after our departure out of this life he is no more our Aduocate but our Iudge for the time is past saith he of dealing with God by an Aduocate c. and we shall haue our definitiue sentence according to our workes Whereby it appeareth what reckoning they make of the mercie of God which they also pen vp within the compasse of this life and denie it that place which the Apostle giueth it b 2. Tim. 1.18 at that day Yea so little vse is there with them of Gods mercie as that M. Bishop doubteth not to demaund
no fained imagination but a cleare truth as hath bene before shewed The contrarietie and opposition that he conceiueth therin is his owne fond dreame no doctrine of ours We do not say that Christes merits are really in vs neither did Master Perkins giue him any word whereof to imagine it but onely that by imputation they are made really ours because they were vndertaken and done for vs euen as Christ the doer thereof is become really ours euen h Ierem. 23 6. the Lord our righteousnesse Whereas he saith that to say that Christ onely is the person in whome God is well pleased is to giue the lye to many texts of Scripture which testifie that God hath bene pleased towards Abraham Moses c. we suppose he doth not well vnderstand himselfe It is said of many that God was pleased with them or they pleased God but the question is in whome for whose sake by whose mediation God was well pleased towards them and that was onely in Christ onely for Christs sake accordingly as the Apostle Saint Paule saith of all the elect i Eph. 1.6 He hath made vs accepted in his beloued and Saint Peter that our k 1. Pet. 2.5 spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And this prerogatiue the voyce of the Father giueth him from heauen l Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased namely towards Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Dauid and all towards whom he is well pleased Which seeing it was the plaine meaning of M. Perkins and M. Bishop acknowledgeth it to be true that Christ is he for whose sake God is pleased in all others what is it but childish and idle cauilling to make a question there where by his owne confession none is to be made Now where we say that we haue no righteousnesse to iustifie vs before God but only the righteousnesse of Christ nor any merit whereby to presume of heauen but onely the merit of Christ all our owne works being blemished and stained with sinne he biddeth vs tremble at that which thereupon necessarily followeth And what is that Marry that as we haue no righteousnesse but by imputation so we must looke for no heauen but by imputation But why should we not thinke that the merit of Christs obedience and righteousnesse is of sufficient value and estimation to purchase for vs the kingdome of heauen and euerlasting glorie Is it sufficient to purchase grace for vs to merit heauen for our selues and is it not sufficient it selfe to merit heauen for vs And if we haue no merit of our owne what should hinder but that we may say with Saint Bernard m Bernard in Cant. Ser. 61. Ego fidenter quicquid ex me mihi deest vsurpo mihi ex visceribus Domini quoniam misericordia effluunt c. Meritum proinde meum miserationes Domini Non planè sum maritiinops quamdiuille miserationum non fuerit Quòd si misericordiae Domini multa multus nihilo minus ego in meritis sum Whatsoeuer is wanting to me of my selfe I boldly take it vnto me out of the bowels of the Lord for they flow out with mercy My merit is the Lords mercy I am not poore in merit so long as he is not poore in mercy and if he be rich in mercie then am I also rich in merits Yea Bellarmine M. Bishops maister after that he hath swet and trauelled mightily to auouch the righteousnesse and merit of workes in the end being quite spent is content to retire into our port and draweth to this conclusion that n Bellar. de iust lib. 5. cap. 7. Propter incertitudinē propriae iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benig nitate reponere because of the vncertaintie of our owne righteousnesse and the perill of vaine glory the safest way is to repose our whole trust in the onely mercy and goodnesse of God Now if there be no saluation no heauen without merits and a man haue no merits of his owne by what merits shall the mercy of God saue him but onely by the imputation of the merits of Christ And will M. Bishop say of him that as he hath no merits but by imputation so he shall haue no heauen but by imputation Shall this be all the comfort of that which Bellarmine commendeth for the safest course to flie to the sole and onely mercie and goodnesse of God Yea saith M. Bishop for God as a most vpright iudge will in the end repay euery man according to his woorth What and do you M. Bishop expect that God in the end should repay heauen to you according to your woorth Go foole go leaue off this talke of merit and woorth learne to know God learne to know thy selfe learne to say with Chrysostome o Chrysost in Coloss hom 2. Nemo talem vitae conuersatio nem ostendit vt regno dignus esse possit sed totum donum est ipsius D◠No man sheweth such conuersation of life as that he may be worthy of the kingdome but it is wholy the gift of God Was not p Mar. 1.7 Iohn Baptist worthie to loose the latchet of Christs shoe and dost thou thinke to be worthie to raigne with Christ But I leaue him here to be whipped with his own rod his owne conscience wil one day sting him sufficiently with the remembrance of these assertions As for the Protestants let him take no care for their worthinesse We beleeue that there is for vs in Christ a reall worthinesse for which we shall receiue a reall heauen But let him take heed lest whilest he feedeth himselfe with a conceipt of woorth where there is none he be deluded with a conceipt of heauen in his end and indeed find none nor euer attain to that which is prepared for them that maintaine the truth of the Scripture and glorie of God to their owne comfort But of worthinesse there will be further occasion to speake hereafter As for the place of Austine which he alledgeth as good to stand for him it was written by him when he was newly conuerted from the heresie of the Manichees in such words and phrases as seeme plausible to humane vnderstanding and iudgement which comparing one man with another expresseth to it selfe the difference by termes of worthie and vnworthie deseruing and hot deseruing howsoeuer to the sight and iudgement of God woorth desert are farre from all The purpose of S. Austine in that place is to shew the ordinarie course that God taketh that he will first haue vs to trauell in his seruice before we receiue the reward thereof as the Apostle declareth in saying q 2. Tim. 2.6 The husbandman must labour before he receiue the fruites But that S. Austine in maturitie and ripenesse of iudgement was very farre from M. Bishops fancie of merit may sufficiently appeare by one sentence of his where he saith
merit Therefore S. Bernard hauing said that b Bernard in A 〈◊〉 câ—at ser 1. Non talia sunt hominum meritaâ—i propter ea vita aeterna debeatur ex â—ure c. Nam merita omnia Dei donu sunt ita homo magis propter ipsa Deo debitor est quà m Deus homâ—â— the merits of men are not such as that life eternall by right is owing for them giueth this for one reason thereof because all merits are the gifts of God and so man is rather a debter to God for them then God to man So Origen saith that c Origen in Ro. cap 4. Vix mihi suâ—deo vllum opus esse posse quod ex debito remunerationeÌ„ Dei deposcat eùm etiam hoc ipsum quòd agere aliquid possumus vel cogitare vel proloqui ipsius doâ—â— larguione faciamus he can hardly be perswaded that there can be any worke which by debt may require reward at Gods hands in asmuch as it is by his gift that we are able to do or thinke or speake any thing that is good By this reason S. Austine though according to the language of his time he vseth the name of merit yet taketh away the true nature of merit by bereauing the righteousnes of man of hauing any thing due vnto it d Aug. Epist 105. Tibi tanquaÌ„ debita redderetur si ex te tibi esset iustitia cuâ— debetur Nunc de plenitudine eius accepimus non solùm gratiam qua nunc iustè in laboribus vsque in fineÌ„ viuimus sed etiam gratiaÌ„ pro hac gratia vt in requie posteà sine fine viuamuâ— Eternall life saith he shold be rendred as due vnto thee if of thy selfe thou hadst the righteousnesse to which it is due but now of his fulnesse we receiue not onely grace now to liue iustly in our labours to the end but also grace for this grace that afterwards we may liue in rest without rest Here is then nothing due vnto vs and therefore no merit because whatsoeuer righteousnes is in vs it is onely Gods gift vnto vs. This reason in sundry places he giueth against opinion of hauing God e Idem in Psal 32. in Ioan. tract 3. a debter vnto vs by our doings against the conceipt of f In Psal 43. in fine our worthinesse or thinking that we haue any thing due vnto vs for the good workes that we performe because of God it is that we haue all But M. Bishops head is sufficient to answer this and that with greater depth of wit assure your selfe then is to be found in the heeles of any Protestant whatsoeuer A man saith he may by the good vse of a thing receiued by free gift merit and deserue much euen at his hands that gaue it For example forsooth The father bestowes a Farme vpon his sonne freely who may by often presenting his Father of the pleasing fruites thereof deserue his further fauour yea by the commodities thereof he may grow to be able to buy any thing that his father shall set to sale Surely this reason is very farmerlike and smelleth more strongly of the cart then it doth of the Bible But for answer if a man bestow a thing vpon another and the same can make no good vse thereof but by his hand and helpe that gaue it him is he not in all that redoundeth to him bound to him by whose gift he first enioyed that which he hath and by whose onely hand he maketh vse and profite of it If a father bestow a farme on his sonne and the sonne can do no good therewith but by the father if he increase nothing raise nothing but what is raised and increased to him by his father if he be not able of himselfe so much as to stirre a hand to helpe himselfe but his father doth all for him shall we thinke that by the increase and profit that ariseth therof the sonne meriteth and deserueth any thing at his fathers hands can he giue the Father any thing but what was first the fathers gift to him Euen so is the case with vs. God hath bestowed vpon vs his calling and grace but what are we the neerer if his hand do not stil work for vs who hath said g Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing who in the beginning and to the end h Phil. 2.13 worketh in vs both to will and to do so that i Rom. 15.18 we haue nothing to speake of but what Christ hath done by vs k Cyprian ad Quirin lib. 3. ca. 5. De nullo gloriandum quando nostruÌ„ nihil est nothing to reioice or glory of because we haue nothing of our owne l Aug in Ioan. tract 5. Nemo habet de suo nisi mendacium peccatum nothing of our own but lying and sinne so that we can yeeld nothing to God but what is his m Esa 26.12 who hath wrought all our works for vs n Rom. 11.36 of whom and for whom and through whom are all things that he may be blessed for euer Therfore the auncient Church taught against Pelagius the heretike that o Aug. epist 106. Gratiam Dei adiutorium eius etiam ad singulos actus dari the grace of God is giuen to euery seuerall action p Hieron ad Ctesiphont Sciamus nos nihil esse nisi quod donauit in nobis ipse seruaueâ—it c. semper largitor semper donator est Non sufficit mihi quod semel donauit nisi semper donauerit Peto vt accipiam cum accepero rursus peto We must know saith Hierome that we are nothing if he himselfe do not keepe in vs that which he hath giuen God is still giuing still bestowing it sufficeth me not that he hath once giuen vnlesse he be still giuing I pray to receiue and when I haue receiued I pray againe This is it that we are here to vnderstand that not onely the first grace but whatsoeuer consequently we haue or do towards God it is altogether and wholy of the gift of God and therefore in nothing can we be said to merit or deserue at Gods hands because we cannot binde God as a debtor vnto vs by any thing that is his owne But Maister Bishop maketh no more account but this that God hath giuen him a Farme and by the well husbanding of it he must grow rich and then make a further purchase of God againe His Farme is the grace of God which he must manage by free will and so fill his bagges with merites that when God shall set heauen to sale he may be able at once to buy a whole Kingdome for himselfe But if this be all let him take heede least of a rich Farmer he become a poore begger and his purchase be to be turned out of doores Let him thankfully acknowledge the gift of God but if he thus braue the matter with God with termes of
onely reasonably but fully worthy of euerlasting life that they haue a right to heauen and deserue it worthily and that God by his iustice oweth it vnto them These are downe-right lads that sticke not to vtter their mindes but M. Bishop he commeth in paltring with his Geometricall proportion and reasonable correspondence and like a young nouice is abashed to say all and by that meanes if good heede be not taken is likely to marre the market of merit to the harme of himselfe and the rest of them Hitherto then it appeareth that M. Perkins did rightly assigne those foure conditions or circumstances to be required in a meritorious work which standing good as they do there can be no merit because all the good that we do is Gods because in all we do but our duty because that that we do doth not fully satisfie our duty nor hath any due proportion or correspondence to the reward of heauen 7. W. BISHOP Exod. 20. His second testimonie is God will shew mercy vpon thousands in them that loue him and keepe his commandements Hence he reasoneth thus Where reward is giuen vpon mercy there is no merit but reward is giuen vpon mercy as the text proueth ergo Answere That in that text is nothing touching the reward of heauen which is now in question God doth for his louing seruants sake shew mercy vnto their children or friends either in temporall things or in calling them to repentance and such like but doth neuer for one mans sake bestow the kingdome vpon another vnlesse the party himselfe be first made worthy of it That confirmation of his that Adam by his continuall and perfect obedience could not haue procured a further increase of Gods fauour is both besides the purpose and most false for as well he as euery good man sithence by good vse of Gods gifts might day by day increase them And that no man thinke that in Paradise it should haue bene otherwise S. Augustine saith expresly That in the felicity of Paradise Jn Eâ—chir cap. 25. righteousnes preserued should haue ascended into better And Adam finally and all his posterity if he had not fallen should haue bene from Paradise translated aliue into the Kingdome of heauen this by the way R. ABBOT What when God promiseth mercy to thousands in them that loue him and keepe his commandements doth he meane his mercy to their children only and not to themselues and is the mercy that is promised only for earth and not for heauen Here M. Bishop as it appeareth was hardly bested when he could find no way to get out but by such a sencelesse and absurd shift But to take away that corrupt glose of his the Prophet Dauid expresly referreth all reward to Gods mercy a Psal 62.12 Thou O Lord art mercifull or mercy O Lord is to be ascribed vnto thee for thou rewardest euery man according to his work Which words are generall of euery man not signifying that which God doth to some for others sake but that which euery man receiueth for his owne worke and import not onely reward of temporall things because they are the words which the Scripture euery where vseth to signifie the reward that shall be giuen at that day Now then there is no merit either in things temporall or eternall because it is of mercy that God rewardeth euery man according to his workes And thus of Gods eternall mercy the same Prophet alluding to the words of the commaundement saith in another place b Psal 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is for euer and euer vpon them that feare him and his righteousnesse towards their childrens children euen such as keepe his couenant and thinke vpon his commandements to do them It is Gods mercy then whereby to them that feare him and keepe his commaundements he giueth reward for euer and euer shewing himselfe iust also in performance of the same promise of his mercy to their childrens children But could not the blind man here see how by his owne answer he doth circumuent himselfe The place he saith must be vnderstood of temporall graces and benefits not of the reward of heauen So then by mercy God bestoweth the reward of temporall benefits but by merit he bestoweth the Kingdome of heauen Now how strange a thing is it and improbable that merits should extend to the purchase of the Kingdome of heauen and yet should not serue to purchase temporall benefits here vpon the earth c Hieron Si tanti vitruÌ„ quanti pretiosissimum margaritum If glasse be of so great price how much more woorth is a most pretious iewell If earth be so much woorth as that mercy onely can yeeld it shall we thinke that we haue merit to deserue heauen But we will leaue the man to his folly it may be when he hath better considered of the matter we shall haue of him some wiser answer In the meane time we acknowledge that God doth not for one mans sake bestow the Kingdome of heauen vpon another but yet of mercy he bestoweth it both vpon the one and vpon the other both vpon the fathers and vpon the children euen all that feare him and keepe his commaundements And fith of mercy he bestoweth it certaine it is that they haue no merit to deserue and chalenge it whosoeuer they be that loue him and keepe his commaundements That which he saith of Adam he saith it without booke and hath no warrant for that he saith As for the place of Austine though it containe nothing but what is probable yet we answer to it by a rule which the same S. Austine hath prescribed otherwhere that d Aug de peccat mer remiss lib. 2. ca. 36. Vbi de re obscurissima disputatur noÌ„ adiuuantibus diuinarum scripturarum certis clarisque documentu cohibere se debet humâ—â—a praesumptis nihil faciins in alteram parteÌ„ declinando where there is controuersie of a very obscure matter there being no certaine cleare instructions of holy Scriptures to helpe vs therein humane presumption is to stay it selfe doing nothing by inclining either way 8 W. BISHOP Now to the third Argument Rom. 6. Scripture condemneth merit of works The wages of sinne is death True But we speake of good workes and not of bad which the Apostle calleth sinne where were the mans wits but it followeth there That eternall life is the grace or gift of God This is to purpose but answered 1200. yeares past by that famous Father Saint Augustine in diuers places of his most learned Workes I will note one or two of them First thus here ariseth no small doubt De grat lib. arb cap. 8. which by Gods helpe I will now discusse For if eternall life be rendred vnto good workes as the holy Scripture doth most clearly teach note how then can it be called grace when grace is giuen freely and not repayed for workes and so pursuing the points of difficultie at large in
whom he chose without workes that euen they also who haue swet with much labour and haue receiued no more then the last may vnderstand that they haue receiued a gift of grace not a wages for their workes Thus M. Bishop seeth hire and wages to be a matter of fauour and the reward of works in some sort so called to be nothing else indeed but a gift of grace And if he will vnderstand it otherwise let him heare the resolution of Marke the Heremite saying k Mark Herem De his qui putant ex operibus se iustificari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some not keeping the commandements yet thinke they beleeue aright againe some there are who keeping the commandements hope to receiue the kingdome of heaueÌ„ as a wages due vnto them both of these faile of obtaining the same M. Perkins answereth secondly that the kingdome of heauen is properly an inheritance but is called a reward onely by figure resemblance To this M. Bishop replieth that it is an inheritance because it is onely due to the adopted sonnes of God But that is not all for it is not so called onely because it is only due to the adopted sonnes of God but because by vertue of their adoption they haue the title of it euen by being new borne the sonnes of God For inheritance is a matter of birth and though a man be of neuer so good desert yet can he haue no title of inheritance thereby The younger brother may be of better desert then the â—â—der yet that cannot make him his fathers heire Where the thing is by desert a man can haue no title to it till he haue deserued it but what is by inheritance a man hath the right of it before he can do any thing towards the deseruing of it When therfore the Scripture setteth foorth vnto vs eternal life vnder the coÌ„dition of inheritance it plainly teacheth vs that we attaine not vnto it by any merits or workes but that before any works God by adopting vs to be his children giueth vs the state prerogatiue thereof And therfore wheras M. Bishop saith that it is our heauenly Fathers pleasure that all his sonnes coming to the years of discretion should by their good cariage either deserue it or else for their bad behauior be disinherited he speaketh at all aduenture quite contrarie to the nature of the thing whereof he speaketh And see how improbably he speaketh in respect of humane courses to which he alludeth what is there no remedy but that a son must either deserue his inheritance or else be disinherited Are fathers wont to measure their children by that rule Is there no meane betwixt these two Surely the behauiour of the heire is seldome such as may be said to deserue the inheritance whereto he is borne and yet fathers do not disinherit their children for not deseruing There is an indifferent behauior of sonnes that yeeldeth no desert and there is many times behauior whereby they ill deserue and yet by birth the right of inheritance standeth good vnto them And this is our title euen our new birth in Iesus Christ wherby we are l Tit. 3.7 made heires of euerlasting life when as notwithstanding our behauiour is such as that being strictly examined we well know that we deserue the contrarie As for that which he saith of disinheriting it is sometimes found with men who cannot reclaime their sonnes from euill courses or fashion them to their owne desire which what Father wold not do if it were in his power to do it to auoyde the disinheriting of his sonne but with God who hath the hearts of his children in his hands and can dispose them to his owne will it is neuer found but in this case it holdeth which the Apostle saith m Rom. 11.29 The gifts calling of God are without repentance that is as S. Austine saith n August de Praed Sanct cap. 16. Sine mutatione stabilitèr fixa sunt They are firmely setled without any change The third answer M. Perkins addeth not for any distrust of the two former but to giue further strength vnto them and this answer is indeed a castle that al M. Bishops Canon-shot is not able to shake He saith that it is more extraungant then the rest and furthest off from the true sence of Scripture and I know not what but all his extrauagant tearmes will not helpe him to auoid the force of it It is first to be noted how he peruerteth M. Perkins his words for M. Perkins denieth not but that eternall life is the reward of our works but saith if it be granted to be a deserued reward it is not for our works but for Christs merits imputed vnto vs. It is then the reward of our workes not for the desert of our workes but because Christ by his merits hath purchased it and we in him receiue it for reward of our works To his merits only the reward is assigned and giuen to our vse for his workes sake is it that any reward is promised or yeelded to our works For o 2. Cor. 1.20 in him all the promises of God are yea and Amen for his sake they were first made and for his sake they are performed The father giuing vnto vs his son p Rom. 8.32 together with him giueth vs all things q 1. Ioh. 5.11 He hath giuen vnto vs eternall life but this life is in his Son in his obedieÌ„ce in his merits eternal life is the reward of our works If it be said r Mat. 5.11.12 Blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you for my names sake great is your reward in heaueÌ„ it is for Christs sake that it is said Blessed are ye great is your reward in heaueÌ„ If it be said Å¿ 1. Cor. 3.8 Euery man shal receiue his reward according to his labor it is for Christs sake that it is so said If it be said t Iam. 125. The doer of the word shall be blessed in his deed it is for Christs sake that he shall be blessed in his deed For if we consider our persons the Father u 1. Eph. 6. hath accepted vs in his beloued in Iesus Christ and x 3. Mat. 17 in him is well pleased towards vs. If we look to our workes our sufferings our seruice all our spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God not by their owne woorth not by our desert but y Pet. 2.5 by Iesus Christ by his merits by his deserts and therefore by his merits haue the reward allotted vnto them Thus M. Bishop fighteth hard and getteth no ground he thinketh poore man that he hath troden M. Perkins vnder foote but M. Perkins liueth triumphantly in heauen and he liueth a base conquered man here vpon the earth and by his defending of Merits secludeth himselfe from that mercie whereby he should attaine heauen and perpetuall ioy and felicitie 15. W. BISHOP In stead of our second reason
Esuriuâ— c. Quid tam vile quid taÌ„ terrenum quà m frangere panem esueriente Tanti valet Regnum coelâ—ruÌ„ Si non habes facultateÌ„ frangendi paneÌ„ c. da calicem aquae frigidiae mitte duo miâ—uta in gazophylacium TaÌ„tuÌ„ emiâ— vidua duobâ—s minuus quantuÌ„â—mit Petrus relinquens reâ—â—a quantum emit Zachâ—us dando dimidium patrimonium Tanti valet quantum habueris for what thing He answereth I was hungry and ye gaue me to eate What is there so base saith he what so concerning the earth as to breake bread to the hungry At so much is the Kingdome of heauen valued vnto thee If thou haue no ability to breake bread to the hungry c. yet giue a cup of cold water cast two mites into the treasury The widow for two mites bought as much as Peter forsaking his nets as Zachee did in giuing halfe his goods It is valued vnto thee at so much as thou hast Thus the purpose of this iuditious Doctor is directly against Maister Bishops cause of receiuing the Kingdome of heauen shewing how base and of how little woorth the things are whereto God notwithstanding of his vouchsafing grace returneth the Kingdome of heauen that we may know that it is not for our merits sake that he bestoweth the same As for the imputation of Christes merits M. Bishop knoweth no vse of it because he yet knoweth not himselfe but he will then know the vse of the merits of Christ when he commeth to know how vainly and fondly he hath presumed of his own To the true Church of Christ it was neuer strange tidings that Christes merits should be imputed vnto them whose hope hath alwaies bene to finde fauour at Gods hands by vertue of that merit that he hath performed for them 16 W. BISHOP Here by the way M. Perkins redoubleth that common slaunder of theirs that we take away a part of Christes mediation For saith he if Christes merits were sufficient what neede ours It hath bene 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 blessings which haue 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 do merit that crowne of glory which is prepared for them not to supply the want of his merits which are inestimable but being members of his mysticall body he would haue vs also like vnto himselfe in this point of meriting and further desirous to traine vs vp in all good works he best knew that there could be no better spur to pricke our dull nature forward then to ordaine and propose such heauenly rewards 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 ordaining meanes how all mankinde might attaine to eternall life in the two first points we do for the most part agree to wit that our sinnes are freely pardoned through Christes passion and that we are as freely iustified and receiued first into Gods grace and fauour although we require other preparation then they do yet we as fully denie any merit of ours to be cause of either as they do Marry about the meanes of attaining to heauen we differ altogether for they say that God requires no iustice in vs nor merit at all on our parts but only the disposition of faith to lay hold on Christes righteousnesse and merits but we say that Christes righteousnesse and merit are incommunicable vnto any meere creature but that through his merits God doth powre into euery true Christian a particular iustice whereby he is sanctified and made able to do 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 Christs merits 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 which he hath appointed to be the very instrument of applying the vertue of them to vs is indeede vnder colour of magnifying Christes merits to vndermine and blow out all the vertue of them But saies Maister Perkins what should we talke of our merits who for one good worke we doe commit 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 iustice and merit but by repentance both are recouered againe but must we not speake of any good because we may hap to do euil that is a faire perswasion and well worthy a wise man R. ABBOT To say that they take away a part of Christes mediation is no slaunder but truth as by M. Bishop himselfe appeareth in this very place To M. Perkins saying that if Christ did sufficiently merit eternall life for vs then he should do more then is needefull in making vs able to merit for our selues he answereth that though Christes merits be of infinite value and haue deserued of God all graces and blessings yet his diuine will and order is that we also merit that crowne of glory But to what end when he hath merited it already Marry not to supply the want of his merits but as being members of his mysticall body he would haue vs like vnto himselfe in this point of meriting Thus we must thinke that M. Bishop is like vnto Christ in this point of meriting or rather we must think him an impious wretched man thus in meriting to consort himselfe and his with the Sonne of God and to bring in these prophane nouelties into the Church which neither Scripture nor councell nor father nor any antiquitie was euer acquainted with Where hath he euer read that Christ would haue vs like vnto himselfe in this point of meriting What is this but to affirme him in a kinde of generality * Our conformity and likenesse to Christ wherin it standeth see of satisfaction Sect. 2. onely to be Iesus Christ but that otherwise he hath left it to euery man to be a Iesus Christ a Redeemer and Sauiour for himselfe because it is his will to haue vs like vnto himselfe in this point of meriting by which it is that he is become Iesus and a Sauiour vnto vs It is by meriting I say that Christ is vnto vs Iesus a Sauiour and therefore if we be like vnto him in meriting it cannot be auoided but that we also are Sauiours Yea and for this matter of meriting necessary it was that he that should be our Redeemer should be God because none
but God no Angell no Archangell no creature whatsoeuer could merit at the hands of God and yet this man sticketh not blasphemously to affirme that in this point of meriting we are like vnto the Sonne of God And all this meriting for ought he saith remaineth still needlesse and causelesse because for shame he dareth not deny that in words which indeed he doth deny that Christs merits are inestimable and haue deserued all graces and blessings for vs. Which being graunted to what end should we be like vnto Christ in meriting Nay we rightly conclude thereof because God doth nothing idlely that therefore he doth not appoint vs to merit that for our selues which Christ hath already merited in our behalfe Wheras he saith that God desirous to traine vs vp in all good workes best knew that there is no better spurre to pricke forward our dull nature then to ordaine and propose such heauenly rewards we acknowledge that so farre he saith truly but where he addeth that they are proposed to such as wil endeuour to deserue them I must remember him of the sentence of Marke the Hermite before alledged that a Marc. Herem Supra sect 14. some keeping the commandements expect the Kingdome of heauen as a wages deserued or due vnto them and that these faile of the Kingdome of heauen Now here M. Bishop in his brauery sitteth him downe in his chaire and taketh vpon him to teach M. Perkins as a man much ignorant in the matter of Christes mediation but if M. Perkins had knowne it in no better sort then he teacheth him we might haue taken him indeede for a very simple and ignorant man True it is which he saith that the office of Christes mediation consisteth in reconciling man to God and that he performed this by paying the ransome of our sinnes by purchasing Gods fauour and ordaining meanes how all mankinde might attaine to eternall life But he saith very vntruly that in the two first points for the most part we agree for they are farre from agreeing therein with vs or with the truth of the Gospell of Christ They do not hold that our sinnes are freely pardoned or that we are freely iustified albeit he is ashamed to confesse that they hold it otherwise For what is it to say freely but b Rhem. Testam explication of words in the end for nothing as his Rhemish Maisters haue expounded it and they do not hold that our sinnes are pardoned or we iustified for nothing but for works And that appeareth by that he addeth next although we require other preparation then they do For the workes of preparation they make to be the cause of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and iustification as he himselfe hath c Of Iustification Sect. 21. before disputed onely he thinketh the matter handsomly salued that workes are the cause of iustification but not the merit of works and with this iugling deuice he addeth that they as fully denie any merit of ours to be cause thereof as we do Wheras the Scripture saith nothing of the merit of workes but absolutely excludeth workes from being any part of the cause of our iustification before God neither opposeth each to other grace and merits but grace and workes not saying If it be of grace it is not of merits but d Rom. 11.6 If it be of grace it is not of workes otherwise grace were no grace Therefore these words of his are but words of hypocrisie and falshood and vsed onely to blinde the vnskilfull Reader and to conceale that venime and poison that would otherwise easily be espied Albeit his maister Bellarmine sticketh not to tell vs that e Bellarm. de iustificat lib. 1. cap. 17. Iustificat per modū meriti suo quodā modo meretur remissionē peccatorum faith which is one of their preparations doth iustifie by way of merit and doth in some sort merit forgiuenesse of sinnes that we may know that very vntruly and against his owne knowledge M. Bishop affirmeth that they as fully deny merit to be the cause of forgiuenesse of sinnes or iustification as we do About the meanes of attaining to heauen he saith we differ altogether For they say saith he that God requires no iustice in vs. Where as he hath sought to cleare his owne part with a lye so doth he with a lye seeke to disgrace ours We do not say that God requireth no iustice in vs we only deny that the iustice which God requireth in vs is the cause of our iustification before God or can yeeld vs any merit towards God and therefore in this respect we desire f Phil. 3.9 to be found in Christ and by faith to stand vnder the couerture of his merits and righteousnesse and in the imputation thereof to be accepted vnto euerlasting life Now against this he saith that Christes righteousnesse and merits are not communicable vnto anie meere creature But he saith he knoweth not what for what should hinder but that what Christ hath done for vs should be communicated and imputed vnto vs And is not Christ himselfe communicated vnto vs g Esa 9.6 borne vnto vs giuen vnto vs become h Iohn 17.23 one with vs Accordingly therefore he is i 1. Cor. 1.30 of God made righteousnesse vnto vs euen k Ierem. 23.6 the Lord our righteousnesse that we may say l Psal 71.14 I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteousnesse onely But he will haue it that through Christes merits grace is giuen vnto vs to do good workes and to merit eternall life One part whereof we acknowledge to be true that through Christes merits grace is giuen vnto vs to do good workes because good workes are the way wherein we are to walke to that eternall life which he hath merited and purchased for vs. But the other part thereof is false and we denie that he hath appointed vs by our good workes to merit for our selues eternall life It is a Romish fancie which we maruell they so busie themselues to cōmend to others when none of them dare presume of it in himselfe M. Perkins by sound argument hath confuted it and M. Bishop is content againe barely to affirme it without either proofe of his owne part or disproofe of that that is said against it In a word we do not finde in Scripture that Christ died for our good workes that they might merit but onely for our sinnes that they might be pardoned This is the auncient receiued faith of the Church of Christ but the other is a nouelty which antiquity neuer imagined but is lately deuised in the Church of Rome He saith that they by this doctrine of Merits do much more magnifie Gods grace and Christes merits then we do And why For the greater the gift is saith he the greater is the glory of the giuer But I answer him that the gift is greater in that Christ giueth himselfe to be
mentall reseruations to lye to periure forsweare theÌ„selues As for our own country we must tell him that the dissension betwixt Protestants Puritanes was neuer so mortall and deadly amongst vs as was the dissention of the secular Priests Iesuites amongst them the one in no sort to be coÌ„pared to the other If there might be such a garboile more then hellish or diuellish amongst them without preiudice of their religion what preiudice should it be to vs that there is some matter of difference amongst vs He wil say that the maine matter amongst them was but a matter of circumstance of gouernment and so his wisedome knoweth if he list that the matters of controuersie amongst vs are onely matters of ceremonie and forme He will say that they all accorded in the religion established by the councell of Trent and so let him know that we on both parts subscribe to the same articles of religion established amongst vs. He vvill say that there is some controuersie about the meaning of some of those articles amongst vs and so let him remember that there is great question of the meaning of some of the articles of the Trent religion amongst them In a word wee are able alwaies to iustifie that in substantiall points of faith there is no so great difference amongst vs but that there is greater to be proued to haue bene continually amongst them But now M. Bishop hauing lightly passed ouer those obseruations of M. Perkins commeth himselfe to set vs downe a course for the attaining of the true and right sence of holy Scripture For the first part whereof he bestirreth his Rhetoricall stumpes by way of declamation to shew vs how necessary it is that in the Christian Church there should be a Iudge for the deciding and determining of controuersies and questions that arise about the Scriptures and if in matters of temporall iustice Iudges be appointed and euery law-maker do ordaine gouernours and Iudges for the declaring and executing of his lawes and God tooke this course amongst the people of Israel in the old testament he telleth vs that surely Christ in the new testament would not leaue his Church vnprouided in this behalfe Where we will seeme for a time not to know his meaning but will simply answer him that Christ in this behalfe hath prouided for his Church hauing giuen thereto f Ephe. 4.11.12 Pastours and teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministery and for the building vp of the body of Christ till we all meete together in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a persit man As in ciuill states there are appointed magistrates and gouernours in townes and cities for the resoluing and deciding of causes and questions of ciuil affaires so hath God appointed the ministers of his word euery one according to the portion of the Lords flocke committed vnto him to deliuer what the law of God is and to answer and resolue cases and doubts as touching faith and duty towards God g Tit. 1.9 to be able to exhort with wholsome doctrine and to improue them that speake against it to be the same to the people as God of old required the Priests to be h Malach. 2.7 The Priests lippes should preserue knowledge and men should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes If of these i Acts. 20.30 any arise speaking peruerse things to draw Disciples after them the rest are warned k Ver. 28. to take heede to the Lords flocke and therfore are by common sentence iudgement to condemne such that thereby the people of God may take knowledge to beware of theÌ„ But if in the Church any controuersie or question depend parts being taken this way that way so that the vnity of faith and peace of the Church is endangered therby the example of the Apostles is to be imitated and in solemne assembly councel the matter is to be discussed and determined the Bishops and Pastors gathering themselues together either in lesser or greater companie as the occasion doth require and applying themselues to do that that may be for the peace and edification of the Church And this hath bene the care of godly Christian Princes that l 〈◊〉 17.8 9. 2. â—â—â—on 1â— 8 as amongst the Iews there was a high court of iudgement established for the matters of the Lord to the sentence whereof they were appointed to stand yea and he that did presumptuously oppose himselfe was to die for his contempt so there should be in their Christian States consistories of iudgement assemblies and meetings of Bishops for considering and aduising of the causes of the Church and what could not be determined in a lesser meeting should be referred to a greater to a Councell prouinciall or nationall or general By their authoritie they haue gathered them together they haue sometimes bin themselues present and sitten with them as moderators and after as princes haue by their edicts ratified and confirmed what hath bene agreed vpon as we may see in m Euseb de vit Constant li 3. ca. 13. Prolatas sententias sensiâ—â— excipete vitissim ferre openi virique parit c. quid ipse sentiret eloquâ— Constantine the great in the Councel of Nice in n Synod in Trullo per tot Praesidente eodem piâ—ssimo Impeâ—tore c. Conueniente Synodo secu dum Imperialem sanctioneÌ„ Constantine the fourth in the sixt Synod at Constantinople in Trullo in o Toletaâ— concil 3. Princips omnes regâ—raâ—â—â— sui pontifiâ—es in vnuÌ„ conuenire mandauit c. pâ—â—tet Reccaredus the King of Spaine in the third Councell of Toledo Now therefore albeit the Empire being diuided and many Princes of diuers dispositions possessing their seuerall kingdomes and states there be no expectation or hope of a generall councel yet M. Bishop seeth that we hold it necessary that in euery Christian state there should be Iudges appointed for the causes and matters of the Lord of the Church euen as in our church of England we haue our soueraigne Synods prouincial or national the sentence whereof we account so waighty as that no man may dare vpon peril of his soule presumptuously to gainsay the same But yet with all for the excluding of his issue he must vnderstand that in causes matters of faith and of the worship of God we make these to whom this iudgement is coÌ„mitted not lawgiuers at all but Iudges only As therfore the Iudge is not his owne mouth but the mouth of the law not to speak what he liketh but what the law directeth nor to make any other construction of the law but what is warranted by the law euen so the Iudge ecclesiasticall is to be the mouth of God not p Ezech. 13.3 to follow his owne spirit nor q Ierem. 23.16 to speake the vision of his own hart but out of
may be vowed vnto God but virginity is more acceptable to God then mariage therefore it may be vowed He nameth an exception to the first proposition if we be able to performe it and saith that it is before confuted but his confutation commeth too short and it still standeth good that continency is a thing whereof we cannot promise the ability to our selues and therfore cannot make any lawfull vow thereof But letting that passe let vs examine the proofes of his minor proposition that virginity is more acceptable to God then mariage He bringeth first the words of S. Paul b 1. Cor. 7.38 He that ioineth his virgin in mariage doth well but he that ioineth her not doth better and concerning the widow c Ver. 40. she shall be more blessed if she so abide in my iudgment We heare the words but yet we see not any proofe therein of that which M. Bishop would proue by them We know that liberty is better and more blessed then bondage and yet liberty is not more acceptable to God then bondage or the free-man then the bondman d Act. 20.35 It is a more blessed thing as our Sauiour saith to giue then to receiue and yet it followeth not that he that giueth is more acceptable to God or more blessed with God then he that receiueth S. Paul himselfe giueth vs to vnderstand in what respects he meaneth better and more blessed First when he saith e Ver. 26. It is good for the present necessity that mariage be forborne by them that can forbeare f Hieron cont Heluid sub fineÌ„ Quae est ista necessitas Vae praegnantibus lactentibus in die illa Jdeò sylua succressit vt postea recidatur Ideò ager seritur vt metatur Iam plenus est orbis terra nos non capit Quotidie bella nos secant morbi subtrahunt naufragia absorbent c. What is this necessitie saith Hierome Woe saith he to them that be with child and to them that giue sucke in that day Therfore the wood groweth that it may afterwards be cut downe Therefore is the field sowed that it may afterwards be reaped The world is full the earth containeth vs not warres are still hewing vs downe diseases take vs away shipwrackes swallow vs vp He giueth hereby to vnderstand that the Apostle meaneth this necessitie of the troubles that are incident to the faithfull by persecutions other temporal calamities the bearing wherof is so much the more easie by how much the lesse a man is distressed and distracted with care of wife children hath therby no hinderance but that either by life or by death he may freely do that that shall be according to God Againe to signifie his meaning the Apostle further saith g Ver. 28. The maried shall haue tribulation in the flesh but I spare you h Ver. 32. I would haue you to be without care The vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord but the maried careth for the things of the world how he may please his wife i Ver. 35. I speake for your commoditie that ye may cleaue to the Lord without separation By all which words the Apostle importeth that there are many cares and distractions incident to mariage whereby a man is holden to the respect of the things of this life and of the world that he cannot so wholy addict himselfe to God From these distractions single life if a man will so vse it is more free and giueth a man full liberty of applying himselfe entirely to those things wherin consisteth the seeking of the kingdome of heauen Thus therefore single life is better and more blessed because there is in it greater oportunity of following those good things wherein consisteth the attainment of eternall blisse Thus the father doth better that continueth his daughter being so willing vnmarried because he leaueth her at full liberty to bestow her self to the Lords vse Thus the widow is more blessed if she so abide because she is more free to serue the Lord. But M. Bishop telleth vs that twelue hundred yeares ago S. Austine of set purpose confuted this error and specially in his Treatise de Virginitate whence he nameth sundry chapters 13. 23. 24 25. Where it appeareth that M. Bishop neither vnderstandeth what we say nor what it is that S. Austin confuteth S. Austines speech his against the k Aug. de sanct Virgiuit cap. 13. Qui putant continentiae bonum non esse necessarium propter regnum coeloruÌ„ sed propter praesens seculum quod scilicet ceniugid terrenis curis pluribus atque arctioribus distenduntur qua molestia virgines continentes carent who thinke that the benefite of continencie is not needfull for the kingdome of heauen but onely for this present world because mariage is distracted with many earthly and troublesome cares the incumbrance whereof virgins and continent persons do auoide in a word as afterwards he expresseth it that l Ibid. cap. 24. Praesenti vitae vâ—le esse non futurae it is profitable for this life not for the life to come Now when we say that single life where the gift of continency is is more helpfull and yeeldeth greater oportunity to the seruice of God do we make it profitable for this life only and not for the life to come Hath the seruice of God a reference onely to this world and do we follow Châ—ist onely for a benefit in this life Indeed we should be far wide if we thought that the end to which the Apostle driueth shold be an idie voluptuous life but we determin that the preferment of continency single life so coÌ„cerneth this present life as that it specially respecteth eternal life We recken not of the preferment thereof in respect of this life but all the account that we make of it is in respect of the life to come knowing that by how much the more industriously and incessantly we apply our selues to the worke of God so much the greater reward of glorie we shall haue with him not by reason of anie merite or desert but by the heauenly disposition of that voluntarie grace and mercy which hath promised that m 1. Cor. 15.58 our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord because n Cap. 3.8 euery man shall haue his wages according to his worke S. Austin therefore in confuting them that say that the benefite of continencie is onely for this life saith nothing against vs. He accouÌ„teth him no Christian saith M. Bishop that doth contradict Christ promising the kingdom of heauen to Eunuches Though those be no words of Austin yet we will aske him for what Christ doth promise them the kingdome of heauen Doth he promise it to them for being Eunuches Surely then many should come to the kingdome of heauen who neuer had anie beliefe thereof It is not then their being Eunuches that Christ respecteth but
pollutam nec in malè blandiâ— mortiferis huius mundi voluptatibus vsque ad exitum vitae suae absque remedio poenitentiae infoelici perseuerantia colligatam not such only as are chast in body but rather or specially euery Church which keepeth or holdeth pure faith not polluted with the adulterous commixtion of heretickes nor vnhappily continuing to the end without repentance in the dangerously flattering and deadly pleasures of this world and citeth the place before mentioned to the Corinthians for declaration therof Thus we dissent then froÌ„ Austin as touching the application of those places of Scripture which he alledgeth to his purpose the reader may perceiue that it is not without cause that we so do Another thing wherein we cannot accord with him is that he assigneth vnto virgins a speciall glory peculiar to themselues and eminent aboue all others which vnder correction of so learned a father we hold to be a very fabulous and vaine conceipt For although virginitie and single life do yeeld the oportunitie of greater reward by giuing liberty of greater worke yet it followeth not that they haue any thing so appropriated vnto theÌ„ but that in married estate they that do the like worke may rest in expectation of the like reward The portion of all that Å¿ Gal. 3.9 are of the faith is to be blessed with faithfull Abraham t Luk 16.22 to be caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome u Mat. 8.11 to sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God Abraham and Isaac and Iacob were maried men and therefore virgins shall haue their place all one with those that haue bene married Our Sauiour Christ told his Apostles who all saue Iohn were married that x Mat. 19.28 they should sit vpon twelue seates to iudge the twelue tribes of Israel He gaue them seates indifferently he gaue not Iohn a speciall seate higher then all the rest and shall we thinke that other virgins shall haue seates aboue all them They are mentioned as hauing y Reâ— 21.14 their names written alike vpon the twelue foundations of the Church and shall we say that one of their names was written in letters of gold and all the rest with inke Moses a married man and Elias a virgin z Luk. 9.31 appeared with Christ not in any diuerse but both in the same glorie Therfore Ignatius a virgin also saith of himselfe a Ignat. ad Philadelph Opio dignus Deo inueÌ„tus ad vestigia eorum qui nuptijs operam dederunt in regno mutuirit stiut Abraham Jsaac Iacob Ioseph Esatae alioruÌ„ Prophetarum siâ—ut Petri Pauli alicruÌ„ Apostolorum qui nuptijs operaÌ„ dederunt I wish being found worthy of God to be found in Gods kingdome at the feet of them that were maried as of Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Esay and the other Prophets as of Peter and Paul marke that he reckoneth Paul for a married man and other the Apostles who were maried men In a word it was but S. Austins too great opinion of virginitie in the flesh that made him without any good grounds to entertaine that conceipt of some different and speciall glory in name thereof to be assigned vnto virgins Truth saith the wisedome of God saith that they who of religious purpose do forbeare mariage and vse the gift of continencie do make themselues chast for the kingdom of heauen but truth doth not say neither doth the wisdome of God say that in name of virginity or continency they haue greater reward then others but only as they vse the same more earnestly to seeke the kingdome of heauen which if the married do alike as they they shall haue reward alike But saith M. Bishop the Apostle assureth that single life is better for the seruice of God And what had not M. Perkins said so much to him do not we say the same but we adde that it is better and more commodious where the gift of continencie is but where the gift of continencie is not there marriage is much better for the seruice of God Againe we say it is most commonly not alwaies so for b Chrysost in 1. Tim. hom 10. Ita assum possunt nuptiae vt perfectiori vitae impedimento non sint mariage saith Chrysostome may be so taken as that it shall be no hinderance to perfect life euen as the Ecclesiasticall historie saith of Spiridion a bishop that c Soz omen li 1. cap. 11. Vxorem habebat liberos non tamen propterea res diuinas negligeÌ„tiùs obijt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he had wife and children and was thereby no whit the worse about things pertaining to God As for the words which he citeth out of the book of Wisdom beside that they are no canonical Scripture they make nothing for him They are an allusion to the words of Esay only signifie that to the Eunuch that worketh righteousnes shal be giuen that excellent gift that belongeth vnto faith a portioÌ„ or state in the Lords temple which is a thing acceptable and blessed aboue all things and that d Psal 27.4 one thing aboue all things to be desired but as touching comparison of portions in the house of God it intendeth nothing 14. W. BISHOP Secondly all the Protestants doctrine for mariage against vowes is notably confuted by S. Paul * 1. Tim. 5. where he saith That there were then certaine widowes who when they waxed wanton against Christ would marrie hauing damnation saith he because they made void and cast away their first faith which was as S. Augustin * De sanct vir cap. 23. and the rest of the Fathers expound it they had vowed continencie but would not performe it Now these young widowes if the Protestants doctrine were true not hauing the gift of continencie did very well to marry and were in no sort bound to keepe their vowes which was not in their power but the Apostle doth not acquit them of their vow but teacheth that they were bound to keepe it in that he pronounceth damnation to them if they marrie R. ABBOT To all that is here said I haue fully answered before in the 7. SectioÌ„ The ProtestaÌ„ts indeed say they make it good that those yoÌ„g widowes not hauing the gift of continency did well to marry and were by the Apostle willed to marrie lest haply any of them should by waxing wanton against Christ fall into the like damnation as some other had done An impious and diuellish tyrannie it is when any haue vowed rashly that that is not in their power to tye them to their vow and so to cause them by filthy lust and vncleannesse to runne into damnation who by repentance of their vnaduised rashnesse and vsing the remedy ordained by God should keepe themselues in purenesse and peace of conscience to saluation 15. W. BISHOP Thirdly the example of our heauenly Sauior who
which the Apostle gaue for the direction of Christian life 18. W. BISHOP The next place is * Pro. 30.8 Giue me neither riches nor pouerty Answer The Prayer is good and fitteth the persons of honest men who liue in the world and was of some perfection too in the state of Moses law in which it was made as disswading from couetousnesse of great riches but it commeth too short of the perfection of the Gospell wherein we are counselled to esteeme as dung all worldly riches R. ABBOT He blamed M. Perkins answer in the former Section as deuoid of natural wit and sence but I pray thee gentle Reader if thou light vpon him to aske him where his wits were when he gaue this answer To the one part he answereth a Pro. 30.8 Giue me not riches but to the other part Giue me not pouerty which is the thing vrged against him he answereth nothing We are counselled in the Gospel he saith to esteem as dung all worldly riches True therfore we say Giue me not riches But yet in the Gospell we are taught to pray for that that is conuenient according to our place and condition when we say Giue vs this day our daily bread and therefore we say Giue me not pouertie whereupon it is added Feede me with foode conuenient for me The praier saith he fitteth the persons of honest men that liue in the world Hypocrite who taught thee this distinction of praiers Hath the spirit of God set it down as a praier of the wisest man and is it now come to be posted ouer to I know not what honest men It was of some perfection he saith in the state of Moses law but commeth too short of the perfection of the Gospell Hypocrite the Apostle hath taught vs that b Rom. 15.4 whatsoeuer things were written before time were written for our learning and must we vpon the word of an idle Sophister be perswaded that that praier is too base for vs to learn And what were not men taught in the state of Moses law to esteeme as dung all worldly riches Did not Dauid say c Psal 62.10 If riches increase set not your heart vpon them Did not Solomon say of riches d Prou. 23.5 Wilt thou cast thine eies vpon that that is nothing Did not Esay say e Esa 40.6 All flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field Were they not as fully taught to despise the world and to ioy in God as we are But the man so dreameth of perfection perfection as that we may very well thinke that there is some very great imperfection in his head In a word therefore God hath taught a man to say Giue me not pouerty but they teach a man to say I will vow pouerty and what do they then but teach a man to contrary that which God hath taught 19. W. BISHOP M. Perkins his third reason is taken out of Deut. 28.22 where pouerty is numbred among the curses of the law none of which are to be vowed Answer It is one thing to be punished with pouerty for transgressing of Gods law and another I trow for the loue of God to giue away all we haue to the poore The former was a curse in the law of Moses the latter is a blessing and the first blessing in the Gospell * Luc. 6. Blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Which sentence albeit it may be applied very well vnto humility yet more literally signifieth voluntary pouerty as by the sentence opposed against it is manifest * Ver. 23. Woe be to you rich men c. R. ABBOT The words of Moses are a Deut. 28.44 The stranger shall lend to thee and thou shalt not haue to lend to him b Ver. 48. Thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger and thirst and in nakednes and in need of all things Christ hath taught vs before that it is a blessing to haue wherof to giue and Moses teacheth vs that it is a curse to be in want not to haue wherof to lend what is then the vow of pouerty but the renouncing of a blessing and the voluntary vndergoing of a curse M. Bishop answereth that it is one thing to be punished with pouerty for trāsgressing the law of God another for the loue of God to giue all to the poore But then is it done for the loue of God when God calleth vs to the doing of it otherwise it is no matter of the loue of God but of humane presumption and selfwil Therfore his answer here is al one as if he shold say It is one thing for a man to be accursed of God another thing voluntarily to lay Gods curse vpon himself and how wel that serueth his turne let himselfe iudge Yet he will proue that it is a blessing yea the first blessing in the Gospel And how forsooth because Christ saith c Luke 6.20 Blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdom of heauē We may see the poore man was driuē to poore shifts when he was faine to vse this text for the making good of his vow of pouerty If his leisure had serued him he would haue turned to the fift of Mathew and there haue seen our Sauior expounding himself d Mat. 5.2 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heauen Now a man would think that M. Bishops learning should haue taught him long before this that a man may be rich in worldly goods and yet poore in spirit and that vndoubtedly Abraham the father of all beleeuers was such a one Yea saith he it may wel be applied to humilitie yet more literally it signifieth voluntary pouerty And how may that appeare forsooth by the sentence opposed against it it is manifest Wo be to you rich men But I maruel what strings M. Bishop hath to tie this argument together Christ saith Wo be to you rich men therfore that which he saith before Blessed are ye poore must necessarily be vnderstood of volūtary pouerty What doth Christ absolutely meane wo to all that be rich When he expoundeth the poore to be poore in spirit doth he not teach vs proportionably to vnderstand the rich This childish collection is reproued by our Sauior Christ whē his disciples being astonished at that which he said e Mark 10.23 How hardly do they that haue riches enter into the kingdome of God he answereth f Ver. 24. Children therby reprouing their weaknes of vnderstanding how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God The wo then is not to all that are rich but to such as trust in riches but there are men who g 1. Tim. 6.17 are rich in this world who yet are not high minded and trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God Christ hauing shewed the end of the man that trusted in riches addeth
all Christians but voluntarily to be followed as a matter of speciall perfection by such as will so as that without this a man may be saued and come to eternall life but by the doing of it he meriteth a release of his owne and other mens sins and an eminent and more then ordinary degree of glory in euerlasting life But the text plainly sheweth that this cannot be there meant and that the lesson that Christ taught him did concerne a dutie necessary for the obtaining of eternall life The question that he moueth to Christ is l Mat. 19.16 Good master what shall I do to obtaine eternall life Our Sauiour answereth If thou wilt enter into lift keepe the commaundements He professeth himselfe so to haue done from his youth and addeth what lacke I yet What is it whereto he supposeth somewhat yet to be lacking Euery man seeth whereto it is to be referred What lacke I yet to the obtaining of eternal life Accordingly then the answer of Christ is to be construed If thou wilt be perfect that is lacking nothing to the obtaining of eternall life go sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me That this is the meaning of the perfection here spoken of appeareth by the two other Euangelists who thus set downe the answer of Christ m Mark 10.21 One thing is lacking vnto thee n Luke 18.22 Yet lackest thou one thing sel all that thou hast c. Wherto did he lacke one thing but to that whereof he made the question to the obtaining of eternal life Christs words then in effect are Thou hast not yet all that is needfull to the obtaining of eternall life but if thou wilt be perfect lacking nothing thereto go sel all that thou hast c. Now if we vnderstand it as M. Bishop would haue vs then there was no cause why the man should go away so sorowful at that that Christ said For the thing that he desired was to haue eternal life and if he might haue had eternall life without the forgoing of his riches it would haue fully satisfied him But by M. Bishops doctrine it might be said to him that he troubled himselfe in vaine for the words of Christ were but a counsell and not a commaundement and that there was not any necessitie of doing that that was sayd vnto him They that wold be of a high degree of perfection aboue others must so do but if he would rest in a lower degree he might continue as he was and yet obtaine eternall life But the yong man conceiued not so he knew that Christs words imported a conditiō of obtaining eternal life according to the question that he had moued to him and therefore was very sorowfull And hereto accord the words of Christ ensuing Verily I say vnto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen It is easier for a camell to go through the eie of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God Why doth Christ vse these words but that the yong mans respect of his riches did hinder him not from a state of perfection aboue others as M. Bishop dreameth but wholly from entring into the kingdome of God Furthermore it is to be considered how improbable a thing it is that to a man who knew as yet only the Iewish religion had no knowledge of the faith of Christ our Sauior wold giue at first a direction of perfection aboue others in Christian profession He was as yet no disciple of Christ he beleeued not in him and is it credible that he would teach him at the first dash of a ruler according to M. Bishops vnderstanding to become a Monke Nay it appeareth plainly that whereas the man had a zeale of God and no doubt in true meaning did walk according to the Law so farre as he had the true vnderstanding thereof our Sauior Christ wold instruct him that that was not sufficient for the obtaining of eternal life but he must be content vpō his calling and commandement to renounce all that he had to cast off al vaine loue and confidence of worldly things and to become one of his disciples and followers In a word he teacheth him to be of the same mind that the Apostle S. Paul professeth as touching himself o Philip. 36.8 As touching the righteousnes of the law I was vnrebukable but I think all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue counted all things losse and do iudge them to be dung that I might win Christ. For so it is that morall workes whether of Iewes or of Gentiles are not auailable in the sight of God they want their forme and life and perfection vntill the same be giuen vnto them by the faith of Christ p Ambr. in psal 1 Virtutes sine fide folia sunt videntur virere sed 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 Vertues without faith are bu◠leaues saith S. Ambrose they shew greene but they cannot profite vs. Therefore the faith of Christ teacheth vs to renounce all trust and confidence thereof and to trust onely vpon him This is the perfection whereto Christ calleth this yong man as if he should haue said vnto him Thou doest well in that which thou doest but that is not enough if thou wilt haue good of it become my disciple and to that end be content to forgo all that thou hast and come and follow me Where to know how these words do belong to vs it must be considered that this man was called to a corporall and outward following of Christ according to the flesh by meanes whereof he must necessarily forgo the vse of those great possessions that he had Thus the Apostles had partly done already and were afterwards fully and wholly to do being to be corporally employed to preach the Gospell through the world thus Christ calleth this yong rich man to do the same But our following of Christ now cōsisteth not in changing of our places but in giuing him our affections neither is performed by the foote but by the heart neither is it a matter of speciall dutie belonging onely to some but vniuersally concerneth all that belong to him As is then our following of Christ so is our selling of all that we haue a matter of the heart and affection whilest in the midst of all that we haue we haue our minds so vntied free from the loue and respect of worldly things as that we are ready to forgo all when the cause of Christ and his Gospell shall require vs so to do And this M. Bishop out of their owne grounds must be forced to confesse whether he will or not For by Bellarmine we vnderstand that to be a Monk is q Bellar. de Monach cap. 2. Status Episcoporum est status perfectionis adeptae status religiosorum est status
meanes giue ouer till he had left vs this stinke of Images This is one of the grosse and palpable abhominations of the kingdome of Antichrist the filth whereof there is no man but seeth saue onely they a 2. Cor. 4.4 in whom being vnbeleeuers the god of this world hath blinded their mindes that the light of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ which is the Image of God should not shine vnto them By this the Church of Rome hath matched all the idolatries of the heathen and brought all their iugling deuices into the Church abusing the ignorance and simplicity of the people as grossely and damnably as euer they did But in this field I haue walked at large before in b Sect. 12. answer of the Epistle to the King and therefore I will here tye my selfe to those things which Master Bishop giueth vs occasion to consider of M. Perkins in his third conclusion affirmeth a lawfulnesse of making Images to testifie the presence and effects of the maiestie of God when God himselfe hath so commanded as he exemplifieth in Moses his making of the brazen serpent in figure of Christ crucified the Cherubin set ouer the mercy seate God there promising his presence and signifying the attendance of Angels to do him seruice Concerning this point Tertullian being vrged by idol-makers with the example of the brasen serpent answereth very rightly c Tertul. de Idol Benè quod idem Deus lege vetuit similitudinem fieri extraordinario praecepto serpentis similitudinem interdixit Si eundem Deum obserues habes legem eius Ne feceris similitudinem Si praeceptum factae posteà similitudinis respicis tu imitare Mosen Ne feceris aduersus legem similitudinem nisi tibi Deus iusserit It is wel that the same God both did forbid by law that any likenesse should be made and by extraordinarie commandement did appoint the likenesse of a serpent If thou worship the same God thou hast his law Thou shalt not make the similitude or likenesse of any thing if thou looke to the coÌ„mandement of making a similitude afterward do thou imitate Moses do not against the law make an image vnlesse God command thee also God giueth not lawes to himselfe but to vs what he commandeth to the contrarie by his owne authoritie is no iustification of our presumption For this cause M. Perkins obserueth that in the commandement it is said Thou shalt not make TO THY SELFE any grauen image to thy selfe that is saith he vpon thine owne head or vpon thine owne will and pleasure M. Bishop saith that this is a wilfull peruerting of the words which cannot signifie but to thine owne vse that is to adore Thus he cannot abide that they should be restrained from doing somewhat of their owne heads and at their owne will it is death to them to be hedged from that walke Yet Moses gaue it for a lesson from God d Deut. 12.8.32 vulg Hoc tantuÌ„ facito Domino Ye shall not do euery man what seemeth good in his owne eyes What I command thee that onely do to the Lord thou shalt put nothing to nor take ought therefrom Whereby it appeareth that M. Perkins exposition containeth a truth that to the Lord or by way of seruice to God no image might be made but what God himselfe commaunded neither doth the text declare any thing to the contrarie but that that is the true meaning of the words which he expoundeth In his fourth conclusion he saith that the right Images of the new Testament are the doctrine and preaching of the Gospell and all things that by the word of God do thereto appertaine whereby e Gal. 3 1â— Iesus Christ is described before our eyes as the Apostle saith euen as crucified amongst vs. This saith he is an excellent picture whereby Christ with his benefites is liuely represented vnto vs. These are Metaphoricall pictures saith M. Bishop not belonging to this purpose But why doth he admit that which M. Perkins citeth out of Origen affirming that Christians haue no other f Origen contra Celsum lib. 8. Simulachra Deo dicanda sunt non fabrorum opera sed à verbo Dei dedolata formataque in nobis videlicet virtutu ad imitationem primogeniti totius ereaturae in quo sunt iustitiae temperantiae fertitudinis sapientiae pietatis caeterarumque virtutuÌ„ exempla Hae sunt statuae Deo dicata in animuÌ„ virtutes exertentium quibus deceÌ„tèr honorari credimus omniuÌ„ huiusmodi statuarum archetypum primuÌ„ c. The images to be dedicated to God are not the workâ—s of Carpenters but hewed by the word of God and framed in vs namely vertues to the imitation of him who is the first borne before all creatures in whom are the examples of iustice fortitude temperancie wisedome pietie and other vertues These are Images dedicated to God in the minds of them that exercise such vertues wherewith we beleeue the principall of all such Images the image of the inuisible God who is God the onely begotten to be conueniently honoured He knew no other images lawfull amongst Christians but onely such as wherein we beare the image of God and of his Son Iesus Christ but this M. Bishop thought not good to take knowledge of As for that which he saith that he beleeueth not our doctrine to be as M. Perkins hath set downe because the Magistrates publikely take away pictures from Catholikes and teare them downe and burne them he must vnderstand that it is nothing to vs what he beleeueth Our Magistrates know how to put difference betwixt the lawfull vse of things the vnlawfull abuse they know well how such pictures and images are by Papists turned to Idols and therefore to shew the detestation of the dishonor that thereby is done to God they burne them and teare them and deface them being found with them that they may no more be abused to such idolatrie Where otherwise they are found and are not subiect to their superstitious and false deuotions our Magistrates do nothing against them because they are not offended at the hauing but at the abusing of them By reason of those idolatrous fancies it is that our more feruent disciples as he calleth theÌ„ cannot abide a Crosse staÌ„ding by the high way side or in any other place They carie therein a true zeale to God though not alwaies so aduisedly managed as it ought to be But if any of priuate fancie proceed to the demolishing and destroying of such publike monuments we approue it not and they that do it deseruedly receiue their check We are well enough perswaded that they who first began the erecting of those Crosses did it meerely in the honour of the name of Christ that where before had stood the ensignes of false and idoll Gods g Ezec. 16.25 at the head of euery way there might be lifted vp a trophee and standard as a monument and token of the exaltation
their more earnest seeking the kingdome of heauen And thus the other sentences which he alledgeth out of Austin in the maine drift of theÌ„ contrarie nothing that we say onely in two respects we differ from him and he from vs. First we hold the texts of Scripture which he bringeth to be verie vnsufficient for the proofe of that which he inteÌ„deth For the words of the Prophet Esay are not spoken of Eunuches as for following some speciall kind of life in the Church but for imbracing the common faith and religion of the Church and are properly referred to them who properly truly are called Eunuches M. Bishop to make them serue his turne falsifieth and corrupteth them the text being in this sort o Esa 56 3. Let not the sonne of the stranger which is ioyned to the Lord speake and say The Lord hath surely separated me from his people neither let the Eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree for thus saith the Lord vnto the Eunuches that keepe my Sabboths and chuse the thing that pleaseth me and take hold of my couenant euen vnto them I will giue in mine house and within my wals a place and a name better then of sonnes and daughters or otherwise better then to the sons and daughters I will giue them an euerlasting name that shall not be put out Which words and the rest that follow do manifestly tend to take away froÌ„ them of whom he speaketh all opinion of separation from the people of God or of being excluded from hauing name and portion in his house The Gentiles were p Eph. 2.12 aliens and strangers from the commonwealth of Israel and thereby strangers from the couenants of promise but God giueth to vnderstand that in Christ this difference shall be taken away and whosoeuer of the Gentils shall cleaue to the Lord and embrace his couenant their prayers shall be acceptable vnto him and they shall haue like place in the house of God Againe God gaue it as one part of his blessing vnto Abraham that q Gen. 22.17 his seede should be multiplied and as one branch of that blessing he promised vnto the seed of Abraham r Deut. 7.12.14 If they should hearken vnto his lawes and obserue them they should be blessed aboue all people and there should be neither male nor female barren amongst theÌ„ Wherefore to be barren and without children was with them a matter of much sorow and shame and as a token of not being beloued of God but Å¿ Cyril in Esa lib. 5. com 3. Gloria eorum in parâ—ubus parturitionibus conceptionibus their glory as Cyril citeth was in birthes and bringing forth and conceiuing Now vpon the Eunuch or gelded man the law of Moses had layd it as a matter of curse and reproach that t Deut 23.1 he should not come into the congregation of the Lord he should haue no place amongst them in their assemblies which were sacred and holy to the Lord. This therefore might seeme to stand still as a bar against such froÌ„ being reckened amoÌ„ngst the people of God but God signifieth that in Christ this barre also should be taken away Cyril expoundeth the words thus u Cyril vt supra Siquis sit Euâ—uchus id est careus liberis sobole ne dicat apud seipsum ego sum lignum aridum id est ne molestè ferat orbitatem Apud DeuÌ„ enim nihil est nec eum veijciet If any man be an Eunuch that is wanting children and issue let him not say with himselfe I am a drie tree that is let him not take grieuously his being depriued thereof For with God this is nothing neither will he for that cause reiect him He saith indeed afterwards x Jbid. Nihil etiam nocet imò necesse esse dico vt mentionem faciamus nunc eorum qui se propter regnum coelâ—rum Eunuchos reddiderunâ— quibus cratio ae Deo hoc loco habita non abire accoÌ„modari potest It is not hurtfull yea it is necessarie I say that we here make mention of theÌ„ who haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauen to whom the speech here vsed by God may not impertinently be applied but he plainely enough importeth that the proper construction of the wordes is that that he hath before deliuered God therefore willeth the Eunuch not to account himselfe a drie tree as not y Psal 91.12 to be planted in the house of God and as being depriued of the blessing of the people of God but to know that howsoeuer there lay vpon him a note of exclusion by the Law yet now if he would ioyne himselfe in faith religion to the people of God he shold be altogether as one of theÌ„ and howsoeuer his name might seeme to die for want of sons daughters yet he should haue a name better then the name of sons and daughters euen an euerlasting name which shal neuer be put out but be glorious with God for euer Men ioy much in the continuance of their name by their issue and posterity by sonnes daughters but to be named amoÌ„gst the people of God and called one of his is a farre greater name then the name of many sonnes and daughters Otherwise if we reade it a better name then to the sonnes and daughter it hath reference to the people of the Iewes who for being of the seede of Abraham were peculiarly reckoned for the children for sonnes and daughters Thus is it said of them by our Sauiour Christ z Mat. 8.12 The children of the kingdome shall be cast out and againe a Cap. 15.26 It is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs Therfore he giueth to vnderstand that the Eunuch by being the child of God through the faith of Iesus Christ hath a more glorious name then if he were named of Abrahams seede in the title whereof the Iewes so proudly vainely reioyced In a word the maine drift of the Prophets words generally of strangers and particularly of Eunuchs is to signifie in Christ the pulling downe of the whole b Eph. 2.14 partition wall of all legall separations that we should know there is an end of those differences and vncleannesses which the law imputed and that now c Gal. 3.28 there is neither Iew nor Greeke bond nor free male or female no difference of maimed or whole but all are one in Christ Iesus and d Act. 10.35 in euery nation and of euery sort of men he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him This is the true and proper effect and meaning of that place neither can it without wresting and violence be expounded of Eunuchs in that sence as S. Austin speaketh of theÌ„ And wheras S. Austin so taketh the words as that God should giue to these Eunuchs a better name then to sonnes and daughters which to expresse M. Bishop translateth very