those that will be perfect by the workes of the Law God will condemne for vnperfect for not fulfilling the whole Law And for this cause it was that Saint Paul concludeth hereof thus By the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in the sight of God Romans 3. And thus much by proofe of Scripture concerning this point now let vs heare the ancient Fathers 6 Saint Augustine writing against the Pelagian heretikes saith a August in his first Booke against the Pelagians Who will grant you that any man can doe that thing that no man was euer able to doe Againe he saith b Against that 2. Epistle It is impossible that the Law should be fulfilled by flesh Saint Hierome also against the same heretiques wrote thus c Hier. to Cresiphontus against the Pelag. Ye will say Gods Commandements be easie yet you are not able to shew vs any man that euer fulfilled them altogether And these Pelagians Saint Augustine called the new heretiques whereby it seemeth that they were the first Authors of this heresie And notwithstanding their great Doctor Saint Thomas of Aquine proueth it an heresie by saying d Thomas of Aquin 3. Galat. It is impossible for flesh and bloud to fulfill the Law yet commeth their Master Harding and saith e M. Hard. Apolog chap. 19. Diuis 1. We beleeue that God commandeth vs nothing vnpossible to vs otherwise how could he iustly punish for not doing that Commandement which by no meanes we are able to fulfill Wee are sure that God punisheth no man vniustly for there is none iniquity in God To which we answere 7 God is iust and perfect in nature and therefore he gaue a iust and perfect Law and such a one as man might haue kept had he kept himselfe in that perfect estate wherin God created him but if through his owne default hee hath lost the freedome both of power and will so as that he cannot now but breake his Law God is not vniust in punishing him for it And it is most certaine that to the intent man might see what a miserable estate he had brought himselfe into Gal. 3.19 Rom. 3.20 this iust Law was giuen For as Saint Paul saith Galat. 3. It was added because of transgression and Rom. 3. By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne And this is it which Saint Augustine saith f August in his Preface to the Galathians The Lord gaue a iust Law to vniust men to make manifest their sinnes and not to take them away Againe he saith g Vpon the 118 Psal To this purpose was the Law giuen that of great it might make little that it might shew vnto thee that thou hast no strength of thy selfe to fulfill the Law And so being needy vnworthy and poore might flee vnto grace and cry Haue mercie on me O God for I am weake The Pelagians saith he h In his booke of Grace and Free-will cap. 4. thinke themselues cunning men when they say as we heard right now Master Harding said God would not commaund the thing that he knoweth a man is not able to doe To which Saint Augustine answereth thus h In his booke of Grace and Free-will cap. 4. God commaundeth vs to doe some things that we are not able to doe that we might vnderstand what we ought to craue of him Also their Saint Bernard speaking of that which God in his Law requireth of vs to be performed saith i Bernard vpon the Canticles the 53. Sermon In commaunding impossible things God made not men transgressours but humble that euery mouth might be stopped and all the world in danger vnto God because no flesh shall be iustified in his sight And thus much for the answering that sort of Papists which hold that men are iustified and saued by their good workes Now let vs see what wee can say to the other sort 8 Another sort there are which hold that wee are iustified by faith and workes together And they ground their opinion vpon the words of Saint Iames. chap 2. Iames chap. 2.24 where hee saith Ye see how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely And hereupon they conclude that in the sight of God we are iustified by faith and workes together whereas it is euident by the words doing before Saint Iames had no such meaning and therefore their mis-vnderstanding him hath caused them to erre For they not considering that there be two manners of iustifications the one before God the other before men Mat. 23. Mat. 23. suppose that Saint Iames speaketh there of iustification before God but how can this possibly be seeing as we heard before hee said in the same chap. He that faileth in one point of the Law Iames 2. chap. 10. and 3.2 is guiltie of all And in the chap. following in many things we sinne all Now seeing he saith that in many things wee sinne all and hee that breaketh one point is guilty of all it is cleare he did not meane iustification before God but before men And this appeareth also most euidently from the beginning of the 2 chap. to the 17. verse of the same Where he hauing to deale with the Atheists of his time such as of whom there are too many euery where in whom albeit there appeare no fruit of a true and iustifying faith but the contrarie yet let any well disposed man reproue them for the same streight way they breake forth into these speeches and say I hope I haue as good a faith as you and I hope to be saued as well as the best of you all To such said Saint Iames Iames chap. 2.18 Thou hast the faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes Now in that he saith shew me and I will shew thee it is without all contradiction he speaketh of the outward iustification before men and not that by workes neither by faith and workes together we are iustified before God 9 Againe whereas against those Athiests hee opposed that outward signe of Abrahams faith by offering to sacrifice his sonne Isaac at the commandement of God yet although his faith thereby was manifested to the World to be a true faith hee was neither iustified before God by that worke neither by it and faith together but euen by the faith alone Rom. 4.2.3.4.5.6.7 For as the Apostle Saint Paul saith Rom. 4. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God For what saith the Scriptures Abraham beleeued God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Now to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteous Euen as Dauid declareth the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne So that hereby we see it most manifest that iustification before God consisteth in faith alone without workes euen as he also proueth as apparantly where he absolutely and vtterly excludeth all kinde of workes for being wholly or any part of the cause of iustification in that he saith Rom. 11. If it be of grace it is no more of workes If it be of workes it is no more of grace That is to say it is of the one but not of both And therefore in the third Chapter of the same Booke he closeth vp the doctrine of iustification thus Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law And thus much by proofe of Scripture touching this point also Now let vs heare the iudgement of the Fathers 10 Saint Augustine saith k August in â—â—s 83. qâ—â—stioâ—s Quest 76. Glossa ordinaria Abrahrns was iustified by faith without works Saint Hilary saith l Hila. 9. Can. Ma. 8. It moued the Scribes that sinnes was forgiuen by man for they onely beheld man in Christ Iesu and that to be forgiuen of him which the Law could not release fides enim sola iustificat for faith onely iustifieth Saint Hierome saith m Hier. 10. cap. Rom. They not knowing that God iustifieth sola fide by faith onely supposed themselues to be iust by the workes of the Law which they neuer obserued Theophilact saith n Theop. 3 cap. Gal. Because no man is iustified by the Law c. Now he doth plainly shew that fidem ipsam vel solâ—m faith it selfe yea euen alone hath power to iustifie Saint Chrisostome saith o Christost 4. Hom vpon the 1. to Tim. chap. 1. Who could hardly beleeue that enemies that sinners that such as were not iustified in the Law nor by workes that they by and by haue ex sola fide by faith onely obtayned the chiefe merite It seemed to the Iewes said heâ— an incredible thing that a man that had spent all his former life vainely and disorderly hauing passed the same in wicked workes that afterwards hee should be said to be saued sola fide by faith onely Againe he saith thus of them p In his Hom. vpon th 3. chap. to the Gala. They said who so stayeth himselfe sola fide by faith onely is accursed Contrariwise Saint Paul proueth who so stayeth sota fide by faith onely is blessed Moreouer he saith q Vpon the 4. chap. to the Rom. the 8. Ser. That a man destitute of workes should be iustified by faith that peraduenture may seeme to be well but that a man beautified with vertue and good workes should neuerthelesse by them not be iustified sed sola fide but by faith onely truely this is wonderfull And hereof it is that their Doctor Maister Harding is compelled thus to confesse r D. Har. in his booke A detection of sundry foule errours liâ—s c. in fol. 357. Wee are iustified freely without workes that may deserue the grace that God giueth To conclude Saint Origen saith Å¿ Origen 3. Bâ—â—â—ke 3. chap. Rom. Rom. 4 5. If we require an example who was iustified sola fide by faith onely without workes I suppose that the same theefe doth suffice And indeed this iâ— that remedyâ— whereby God doth saue his elect which hee calleth at the last houre whether on their death bedde or on the gallows-tree And this it is which Saint Paul saith Rom. Rom. 4.5 4. By faith God doth iustifie the vngodly And as hee sheweth that faith is the onely meanes whereby God doth saue the vngodly Gal. 3.11 Hab. 2.4 whom he vouchsafeth to call so Galla. 3. aluding to these words of the Prophet Habakkuk chapter 2. The iust shall liue by his faith hee proueth that the most righteous shall be saued by their faith onely or else they shall neuer be saued And thus much for the answering the other sort of Papists also which will haue men to be saued by faith and workes together 11 But now Christian Reader what shall wee say shal we conclude that we are iustified by such a faith as the Papists charge vs with which is generall with all the wicked which not onely is without the fruits of a true and liuely faith but hath the contrary God forbid But wee say that we are iustified by faith that is by such a faith as Saint Paul saith 2. Thess 3.2 1 Cor. 13. chap. All men haue not 2 Thess 3. Yea by that faith which hee saith worketh by loue and which Saint Iames saith James 3.17 Is full of mercie and good fruits chapter 3. Euen by the same faith which is manifested vnto men and approued of God to be a true faith which at the day of iudgement shall be tried by the fruits thereof and all iudged thereby at which time euery one that is found to haue had it shall as the Apostle Saint Peter saith 1. Ep. 1. chap. Receiue the end of his faith euen the saluation of his soule The rest that had not this fruitfull faith shall be damned as appeareth in the 25. Chapter of Saint Matthew 12 True it is that the generall sort because they beleeue Christ to be the Sauiour of the world and haue their names deriued from him to be called Christians thinke verily they shall all be saued Yea though many of them liue worse then the very Infidells But what reason haue they so to delude themselues seeing that not a few but many which preach Christ and the Christian faith shall be damned because howsoeuer they preach well and teach the truth their liues are not correspondent Our Sauiour Christ speaking of Christians and the time of triall who be true Christians indeed Matth. 7. saith Matth. 7.22.23 Not euery one that saith vnto mee Lord. Lord shall outer into the Kingdome of heauen but he that doth my fathers will which is in heauen Many will say vnto mee in that day Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out Deuills and by thy name done many great workes and then saith Christ I will professe vnto them I neuer knew you Depart from mee yee that worke iniquitie And here wee see those miracle-mongers the Papists specially included who as we proued in our second Chapter worke their miracles in the name of Christ to draw men to Antichrist And as touching their conuersation of life their Saint Bridgit bringeth Christ thus reproaching them for the vilenesse thereof saying t Bridgit in her sixt Booke of Reuelation 15. chap. Their conuersation and life stinketh like a Where in my sight So that as she saith in another place v In her first Booke chap. 50. The simple sort by their bad example they hurle downe headlongs 13 But now haply they will obiect and say are wee singular
follow Beware saith he left there be any man that spoile you through Philosophie and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the World and not after Christ And thus much touching the first Authours of Purgatory and the first place of Scripture that the heretiques brought and Montanus and his Adherents afterwards to confirme the doctrine as also to shew how it tendeth to the vtter confounding of the vertue of Christs death and passion and faith in him and how it did corrupt the Church and confound the iudgements of some ancient writers Now let vs briefly take a view how it hath also confounded the iudgements of the Papists themselues 14 First What confusion the doctrine of Purgatory hath wrought amongst the Papists themselues for the number of hels Sillius saith There beten Aeneas saith but nine Gelasius but seauen Aquines but foure Diuers of the Papists will haue fiue of which Paradise to be one which their Paullinus saith is Abrahams bosome and is in the hell of the damned Secondly touching the place where Purgatory should be Polidore saith It is in Mount Aethne in Cicilie Another saith Saint Patrike placed it in Ireland The Manachies say It is in the Globe of the Sunne Others say It is in the Globe of the Moone Some say It is vnder the South Pole Others say It is vnder the North Pole but some others say It is vnder the City of Romes for there is a deepe hole where Christ went downe with his Crosse on his backe By which we see that hell mouth is in Rome Thirdly touching the degrees of Purgatory Lutzenburge saith Purgatory is the highest of the foure hels Vaâ—â—a saith It is the highest saue one Herolt saith It is the lowest saue one Smith saith It is the lowest of all and Cardinall Allen saith It is in the lower Romes as the best learned iudge Fourthly what Christ did in Purgatory Smith saith Christ did in his soule suffer there for the sinnes of our soules Allen saith It is blasphemie to say that the Diuels had power to torment the soule of Christ Smith saith Christ preached to the soules and brought them all out with him Martion saith Christ did not deliuer all for Abel Enoch Abraham and others durst not come at him lest he would tempt them and punish them Most of the Papists say He deliuered all But Hermes saith They came not all forth till the Apostles descended and preached vnto them also Another saith Christ deliuered the Sodomites and Kaine that reprobate Allen saith Purgatory doth not belong to any but to the faithfull The master of the Sentences saith Iust men goe not into Purgatory at all Allen saith The good must passe there-through before they come to eternall ioy Smith saith After Christs resurrection the soules went no more to Purgatory Allen affirmeth that the Apostles went thither Now as touching the element wherewith the soules are purged some say it is onely fire Allen holdeth it to be both fire and water and that they shall be tormented as well with extreame cold as heate Sir Thomas More saith In Purgatory there is no water Ruffensis saith In Purgatory there is good store of water The last question is whether Diuels or Angels be the executioners Ruffensis and Albertus say They be holy Angels but Sir Thomas More saith They be Diuels Therefore Christian Reader I now referre the matter to be iudged by thee whether the Doctrine of Purgatory be such as any in his right wits will thinke he may build his faith thereon or beleeue that there is any such purging place And the rather for that it tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of the power of all that Christ hath done for mans saluation and whereof that errour of prayers for the dead is an appendix CHAP. XIII The conclusion of the former twelue Chapters Containing an answere vnto two sorts of Papists the one affirming that we are iustified and saued by the workes of of the Law the other that wee are saued by faith and workes together That because no man can fulfill the Law no man can be iustified by the Law That God was not vniust in giuing such a Law as he knew no man was able to fulfill That to seeke to merit saluation is the high way to damnation 1 SO farre and wide Christian Reader as the Romish iurisdiction and Kingdome of Antichrist did extend it selfe this Doctrine of iustification by faith without the workes of the Law was impugned Some teaching that men by their good workes are iustified and for their good workes saued Others that we are iustified and saued by faith and workes together to both which we answere 2 All good workes are said to be the workes of the Law because God commaunded them in his Law for diuers good ends and purposes the iustification by which confisteth of two parts First in not omitting any one thing whatsoeuer the Law hath commanded Secondly in not committing any one thing whatsoeuer the Law hath forbidden which as it is in Leuiticus the eighteenth Chapter Leuit. 18.5 If a man doe he shall liue in them But contrariwise if he doe not obserue and doe all and also doe nothing to the contrary hee is so farre from being iustified by the Law that he is accursed and condemned by it 3 The affirmatiue part is proued in the seauen and twentieth Chapter of Deuteronomie Deut. 27.26 Where it is said Cursed be hee that confirmeth not all the wordes of this Law to doe them and all the people shall say So be it The negatiue part is proued Ezek. 18.11.13 Ezekiel Chap. 18. in these words If he doe any one of these things though he doe not all shall he liue seeing he hath done all these abhominations he shall surely die the death By which it is cleare that whosoeuer omitteth any one thing which the Law requireth or committeth any one thing whatsoeuer the Law prohibiteth hee is culpable of the whole And this is it which the Apostle Saint Iames saith Chapter 2. Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Law Iames 2.10 and yet faileth in one poynt is guiltie of all Therefore now the question is whether any man can thus absolutely fulfill the Law Wee say no man can Contrariwise the Papists say that a regenerate man may And their Doctor Master Harding will proue it both by the words of Christ and also of the Apostle Saint Iohn * M. Harding in Apol. chap. 19. Diuis 1. The words of Christ Matthew 11. after their Translation be these My yoke is sweete and my burden light And the words of Saint Iohn 1. Epistle 5. Chapter be these His Commandements be not heauy Now the words of Christ that goe before those his words be these Come vnto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will ease you And then it followeth Take my yoke vpon you c. Shewing that if any were afflicted in his conscience and found himselfe
of the matter and the meanes saith * Ambrose vpon 1 Cor. first Chap. In Christ Iesus is grace giuen for as much as this with GOD is decreed that who so beleeueth in Christ is saued sola fide by faith onely without workes receiuing freely forgiuenesse of sinnes And thus wee see the case to stand cleare that faith without workes is the onely meanes of iustification and saluation 18 Now then Christian Reader this doctrine of iustification by faith in Christ without workes being so easie and clearely to bee proued the truth is it not a Worlds wonder to see that so many wise and learned men should impugne it And that a Cardinall one of the Popes Pen-men Master Allen should ascribe so much vnto good workes as to say x In D. Fulkes answere Page 239. They cleanse before hand stayeth the soule from death and lifteth it vp vnto eternall life Regard not the iangler that will say mens workes doe not purge sinne and winne heauen Which doctrine being true what is it but that wee are iustified and saued by the workes of the Law whereby not onely all those testimonies of the ancient Fathers are proued false but also all those Scriptures which before we cited are confounded and these that follow which shew that we are iustified and saued onely by faith in Christ without workes are to no purpose 19 Saint Paul Ephesians 2. saith Ephes 2.8 For by grace are yee saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should glorie in himselfe Also Galatians 2. he saith We which are Iewes by nature Galat. 2.15.16 and not sinners of the Gentiles know that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen wee I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ and not by the workes of the Law Galat. 3.23.24.25.26 because that by the workes of the Law no flesh shall be iustified And chap. 3. he saith Before faith came wee were kept vnder the Lawe and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterwards be reuealed wherefore the Law was our Schoolemaister to bring vs to Christ that wee might be made righteous by faith But after that faith is come wee are no longer vnder a Schoolemaister for ye are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus And therefore as he saith Romans 4. Roman 4. If they which are of the Law bee heires faith is made voyde and the promise of God is made of none effect And yet as he saith Galatians 2. I doe not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnesse be by the Law then Christ died without a cause So that by the doctrine of the Romish Church we see plainely that faith is made voyde the promise of God made of none effect the death of Christ needlesse and the whole matter of our iustification and saluation to consist onely in our owne deseruings And indeede to the very same effect are these words of their Cardinall Allen y Allen in Fulke pag. 154 The death of Christ doth not discharge vs of satisfaction for our sinnes nor of any other good worke whereby a man may procure his owne saluation Also the Pope saith thus in Bernardine Rosetus * Bernard We can demerite eternall life with works Therefore we ought to presume and hold for a certaintie that after this life wee shall assuredly haue eternall life for the reward of good workes And in the Summary de Grat. Sanct. Good workes demerite three things namely eternall life increase of grace and remission of sinnes 20 Truely I cannot but admire to see that men which would faine be saued will either be saued by that onely meanes whereby they shall be damned or else they will not be saued For by the workes of the Law wee see they will procure their owne saluation purge their soules from sinne deliuer them from death and lift them vp into euerlasting life And therefore as they depend vpon the Law so they must looke to haue the reward of the Law which is the curse and condemnation of it For as Saint Paul sayth Galat. 3.10 Galatians 3. As many as are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law Galat. 5.4 to doe them And chapter the fift he sayth Yee are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the Law yee are fallen from grace Rom. 9.30.31 And Romans 9. he sheweth this to be the cause of the condemnation of the Iewes For sayth he What shall wee say then that the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse 32. haue attained vnto righteousnesse euen the righteousnesse which is of faith but Israel which followed the Lawe of righteousnesse could not attaine to the Law of righteousnesse Wherefore sayth hee because they sought it not by faith 33. but as it were by the workes of the Law for they haue stumbled at the stumbling stone as it is written Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and a Rocke to make men fall and euery one that beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed But therefore the same iudgement is fallen vpon them Iohn 9.39 which Christ sheweth Iohn 9. himselfe came to inflict vpon those obstinate Iewes and Scribes and Pharises who sought saluation by the workes of the Law and not by faith in him I am come sayd he vnto iudgement into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde And this blindnesse we see to be now in the Papists For notwithstanding the Apostle Saint Paul saith plainely thus of Christ 2 Corinth 5. God made him to be sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him they cannot see how this righteousnesse should serue the turne For as their Cardinall Allen sayth y In the said booke pag. 154 The death of Christ doth not discharge vs of satisfaction for our sinnes nor of any other good worke whereby a man may procure his owne saluation And further for those that cannot attaine vnto satisfaction the second part of our first Chapter doth shew that the want that is in them is made out by the ouer-plus of the righteousnesse of others For as the sayd Cardinall saith z In the said book pag. 239. The Church of God hath instructed thee that all workes whereby man may procure helpe to himselfe or others be the workes of the faithfull And thus we see that the same iudgement which Christ laid vpon the Iewes Scribes and Pharises he hath laid vpon them that they so little accounting of him should trust to be made righteous by themselues and others that so they might be depriued of his righteousnesse 21 Againe the Apostle Saint Paul 1.
fall before any of the rest tooke the more care of him and paines with him and vsed greater motiues to incourage him to constancie it doth not therefore follow Peter Peter none but Peter Nay we see it most euident to be altogether no such matter onely it was a subtill illusion whereby they did cunningly conueigh all power in the Romish iurisdiction to the Pope and by which they labour still to retaine it and not onely that power which they faine Peter to haue had aboue the other Apostles but euen that also which God himselfe hath aboue all for thus doe they write * See Chap. 1. Sect. 3. In the Pope there is all manner of power aboue all power as well of heauen as of earth Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath power ouer the Angels both good and bad Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath power to commaund the Angels and hath power ouer the dead Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath so great power both in Purgatory and also in Hell that hee may deliuer by his Indulgences and place in the heauen and habitation of the blessed as many soules as he will Againe * Ibidem The Pope is all and aboue all By which what else will they proue but that the Pope is the God of all power and consequently an almighty God Moreouer thus doe they write * Ibidem It is sacriledge to doubt of the Popes power for he is the cause of causes therefore we must make no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause And hereby they will proue him to be an eternall God But forasmuch as they fain the Pope to haue receiued al his power from Peter let them shew vs first in what place of Scripture they find Peter to haue receiued this power froÌ„ Christ secondly where any of all the Apostles haue thus written of Peters power if they can shew none then it is certaine Peter neuer had that power and therefore the Pope could not receiue it from him and yet notwithstanding doe they further write thus * Cha. 1. Sect. â— The Pope hath the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God Againe * Ibidem Our holy Father the Pope is an vndoubted and true God on earth Therefore * Sect. 4. Those things hee doth hee doth them as God * Sect. 2. And is to be taken for God and worshipped with diuine honour as God And to ratifie the truth heereof they close vp the whole with this title * Sect. 2. Our Lord God the Pope Therefore forasmuch as none is to be found in any part of all the Christian Churches in the vniuersall world that doth claime to himselfe the essentiall properties and prerogatiues of God but the Pope it is without all contradiction none but the Pope is that Antichrist The man of sinne and sonne of perdition fore-told by Saint Paul 2 Thessalonians 2. That should sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to be God To be briefe as they cannot shew any one Scripture by the authoritie whereof the Pope may iustly claime from Peter these essentiall prerogatiues of God or the title of God so can they not shew by any one place of Scripture that Christ cuer gaue to Peter any such titles or dignities as the Pope yet further claimeth from him as to be called the Vicar of Christ Supreame head of the Church or Prince of Priests Nay albeit the contrary may be directly proued in that when as the strife was risen amongst the Apostles about supreame principalitie Luke 22. Christ himselfe tooke in hand the matter and thus resolued them saying Luke 22.24 Matth. 20.25 Marke 10.24 Matth. 20. Marke 10. It shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you shall be your seruant and whosoeuer will be chiefe of you shall be seruant to all the rest yet will they haue Peter to be the Prince of all the Apostles that so they might deriue that dignitie to the Pope to make him Prince of all Priests Therefore for the knitting vp of all that hitherto we haue intreated of and the manifest opening and clearing of the whole matter and of all that we haue said concerning this point this I say that forasmuch as wee haue proued this maine fundamentall principle not to stand vpon a sound ground whatsoeuer is built thereon can not stand For seeing Christ gaue no greater principalitie to Peter then hee did to any of the other Apostles it was not possible that Peter could be the supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church And that it may also appeare how vnlawfull it was for Peter or any but Christ alone so to be Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome himselfe plainely proueth from Saint Paul as may appeare where hee reprehending Iohn Bishop of Constantinople for attempting to be supreame head of the Church gaue him to vnderstand that therein he declared himselfe to be the fore-runner of Antichrist And to shew him that he was neuer able to answere that iniurie done to Christ he demaunded of him this question saying z Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 38. If Saint Paul would not haue the members of the Lords body to bee subiect to any head but to Christ no not to the Apostles themselues what wilt thou answere to Christ the head of the vuiuersall Church at the last iudgement that thus goeth about by the name of Vniuersall Bishop to make all his members subiect to thee Whom doest thou immitate in this so peruerse a name but Lucifer that would haue beene head ouer all the Angels in heauen By which hee proueth this saying of Cardinall Cusanus a Cusanus ad Bohemos epist 2. The members vmted to the Chaire ioyned to the Pope make the Church to be but an Antichristian delusion and the Pope for taking vpon him to be supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church to be that great Antichrist which the Church of Rome should take for her other husband besides Christ whereby she should proue her selfe to be indeed the whoore of Babylon mentioned by the Angell in the seauenteenth chapter of the Reuelation For it is manifest by Saint Paul Romans 7.2 That she that hath two husbands at once is an whoore And therefore this maketh the case to stand cleare that Rome cannot be the Mother of all Christian Churches vnlesse wee may conclude that all Christian Churches are the children of an whoore which God forbid 13 The Church of God vnder the Law The Church vnder the Law had God onely to her husbaÌ„d as the Church vnder the Gospel hath Christ onely had none other Head or husband but God himselfe as appeareth by the Pâ—ophet Esay 45.5 where hee said to the Church of the Iewes Hee that made thee is thine husband whose name is the Lord of Hostes So by the words of Saint Paul it appeareth as plainely that vnder the Gospell
the sinnes of others Thirdly to stay their soules from death Fourthly to purchase Heauen And lastly to lift vp and place their soules in Heauen They will haue all by their owne deseruings or they will haue none all by merits or else no bargaine therefore let vs see what wee can say further vnto them touching this point 25 Our Sauiour Christ Matthew 5. saith Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Now this word Poore is a metaphor taken from a man that is so very poore as that hee hath not wherewith to sustaine his owne life but is faine to seeke to others for succour And such are they which finde themselues so greatly destitute of soules sustenance as that they are glad to seeke to others for reliefe euen to God for his mercy and to Christ for his merites 26 Such a blessed poore man was Saint Basil as may appeare by these his words h Basil vpon the 32. Psalm He that trusteth not in his owne good deeds nor hopeth to be iustified by his workes hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercies of God Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Augustine as appeareth by these his words i Aug. vpon the 142. Psal Lord for thy name sake shalt thou quicken mee in thy righteousnesse Not in mine not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast mercy on me Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Hierome as appeareth by these his words k Hier. 64. of Esay If we behold our owne merits wee shall be driuen to desperation Yea and notwithstanding Saint Bernard acknowledgeth himselfe also to be one of these poore Publicans in that he saith of himselfe l Ber. vpon the Psal qui habitat My merites is the mercy of God yet they will rather be condemned with the proud Pharises then be iuslified with the poore Publicans To be briefe whereas their Master Harding saith m D. Harding in his booke A direction of sundry soule errours lies c. in fol. 357. Wee are iustified freely without workes that may deserue the grace that God giueth Here he hath condemned their doctrine of iustification by workes to be most false and erroneous but in that that hee includeth that workes may deserue the grace that God giueth he hath proued himselfe a notable heretique For as Saint Augustine saith n Aug. in his 46. Epistle Vnderstand that the forenamed Epistle to Sixtus an Elder of the Church of Rome is written against the Pelagians the new heretiques which affirme the grace of God to be giuen according to merits that he that glorieth should not glorie in the Lord but in himselfe that is in man and not in the Lord. And therefore in another place hee saith o In the same Epistle Let no man say that for the merits of his workes or for the merits of his prayers or for the merit of his faith the grace of God is giuen vnto him And so that which those heretiques say be counted true namely that according to our merits the grace of God is giuen then the which nothing can be more false But as he saith in another place p In his booke of predestination of Saints chap. 9. They that glorie should not glorie in their owne merits which they perceiue to be like vnto the merits of them that shall be damned but should glorie in the Lord. Whereupon saith Saint Ambrose q Ambrose in his 1. booke and 5. chapter of the calling of the Gentiles Like as there is none so detestable outragious as can restraine the free gift of grace so can there be no worke so excellent that this which is freely giuen should be due vnto them by action of debt for then the redemption of Christ should in deed be no thing worth neither should the worthinesse of mans workes be inferiour to the mercie of God Whereupon their Writer Waldensis saith r Walden in his booke against Wilelesse I take him therefore to be the sounder Diuine the faithfuller Catholique and more agreeable to the holy Scriptures that vtterly denieth all such kinde of merits And thus much for the conclusion of the twelue Chapters referring the whole matter to be iudged by all that shall reade them Whether they can possibly be true Catholique Christians which in stead of one God will haue hundreds as appeareth in our first Chapter and in stead of one Sauiour to haue many thousands as appeareth in the same Chapter That will haue the Pope to be the very Vicar of Christ whom in our second Chapter wee proued to be that great Antichrist shewed by Saint Paul 2 Thessa 2. to be the Arch-enemie of Christ and all true Christians That will haue Rome to be the Mother of all Christian Churches which in our third Chapter we proued to be that Babylon which the Angel in the seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation calleth The mother of Whordomes and abhominations of the earth That will haue his Church as it is now Christian to be the true Church of Christ Which in our fourth Chapter we proued to be the same idolatrous Church professing Christ mentioned by the Angell in the 13. Chapter and 17. Chapter of the Reuelation That will haue their Church to be the most auncient Apostolique and Catholique Church which in our fifth Chapter we proued had no being at all for the space of sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ That will haue the succession of Vniuersall Popes to descend from Saint Peter which we proued in our sixth Chapter to descend but from Boniface the third Bishop of Rome of that name made Vniuersal Pope by that Murtherer Phocas â—he Emperour in the yeare of Christ 607. In which yeare the first Vniuersall Pope being made the Popish Church must needes first begin For as before Christ was there could be no Christian Church so before there was an Vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church Therefore their Church hauing her first beginning but sixe hundred and seauen yeares after Christ the antiquity thereof is ouerthrowne our Church proued to be more ancient by sixe hundred and sixe yeares That will haue the Popes supreame title and dignitie approued of by generall consent of Councells and Fathers which in our seauenth Chapter we proued to be gain said and withstood by Councells and Fathers till the yeare of Christ 607. That will haue Peter to be made supreame Head of all the Apostles by Christ himselfe the contrary whereof wee proued in our eighth Chapter by Christs expresse Commaundement and therefore the Pope cannot claime his Supremacie from Peter That will haue the true Church knowne by retaining seauen Sacraments which in our ninth Chapter we proued that to Saint Chrisostomes time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christs Incarnation it was knowne by retaining onely two Sacraments and afterwards no Christian Church knowne by the iust number of seauen till Antichrist was borne in Rome That will haue the idolatrous Masse to be the ordinance of Christ which in the same Chapter we proued cannot be because it tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion as also because it was not begun to be framed till about one hundred and nineteene yeares after Christ and not finished of more then sixe hundred yeares after And confessed by their Iohannes Boemos to be inuented by certaine Bishoppes of Rome whose names wee haue produced in the same Chapter as himselfe nominated them That will haue those words in the sixt chapter of Saint Iohns Cospel touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud to bee meant of a corporall kinde of eating which heresie wee proued in our tenth Chapter Christ reproued the carnall Capernaites for As also will haue those words in the sixe and twentieth Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospel Take eate this is my Body to be literally vnderstood that they might worship the bread for Christ and make an Idoll of it That will haue Saints prayed vnto and worshipped which as we proued in our eleuenth Chapter is to robbe God of two speciall parts of his glory Lastly that will haue men to make a better satisfaction for sinne then Christ hath made for them be better purged from their sinne in the fire of Purgatory then Christ hath by his bloud or be holden from life and libertie for euer which as we proued in our twelfth Chapter tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all that Christ hath done for the saluation of man kinde To conclude we see in this Chapter of Conclusion they will haue men to seeke iustification by the workes of the Law that so they might be brought vnder the curse and condemnation of it for not fulfilling all that the Law requireth They will haue men to purchase heauen by their owne deseruing thereby to proue his death to be needlesse and faith in him of none effect And notwithstanding that case to stand cleare that these be paâ—â— of those Antichristian lies wherewith Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. shewed the great Antichrist should deceiue those that loued not the truth But had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse They bash not to say The Pope cannot be holden with any Religion of a lie FINIS