did they did discouer them though not so distinctly they saw them though it were as it were c Hebr. 11. 13. a farre off Euen as we see those things that are taught vs concerning the end of the world the resurrection of the dead the day of iudgement and the life to come which yet distinctly we doe not see so did they see those things which since by the effecting of them in Christ are become distinct and plaine to vs. Therefore St. Austin saith d August de nat grat c. 44. Ea sides iustos sanauit antiquos quae sanat nos id est mediatoris Dei â—emiâ—um hominis Jesâ— Christi fides sanguinis eius sides crucis eius sides mortis resurrectionis 〈◊〉 The same faith saued the iust of old that saueth vs the faith of the Mediator betwixt God and Man euen the man Iesus Christ the faith of his bloud the faith of his crosse the faith of his death and resurrection hereby signifying that they beleeued all these points of faith as well as we though being things to come they were not as yet so cleare and manifest vnto them As for the Scriptures which he alleageth because they make nothing against this therefore they make nothing against vs. He bringeth the Apostle saying that e Ephes 3. 5. the mysterie of Christ in other generations was not knowen vnto the sonnes of men as now it is reueiled vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets Be it so it was knowen then but it was not so knowen as it was reueiled and made knowen to his Apostles Let him take this from Thomas Aquinas so expounding the words f Tho. Aquin. in Ephes cap. 3. lect 1. â—â—et mysteria Christi Prophetis Patriarchis fuerint reuelata non tamen it a clarè sicut Apostolis Nam Prophetis Apostolis fuerunt reuelata in quadam generalitate sed Apostolis manifestata sunt quantum ad singulares determinatas circumstantias Though the mysteries of Christ were reueiled to the Patriarchs and Prophets yet not so clearly as to the Apostles for to the Prophets and Patriarchs they were reueiled in a kinde of generality but tot he Apostles they were manifested as touching particular and definite circumstances And hereby the answere is ready to the words of our Sauiour Christ g Mat. 13. 17. Many Prophets and iust men haue desired to see the things which yee see and haue not seene them and to heare those things which yee heare and haue not heard them For h Aug. cont lit Petil. l. 2. c. 37. Omnes superiorum temporum iusti Prophetae cupicbant videre coplâ—tum quod reuelante spiritu futurum esse cernebant vnde ipse Dominus ait Quoniam multi iusti c. they desired clearly and perfectly to see those things which they beleeued and with their eyes to behold the promised Sauiour in whom all their hope and ioy was fixed and to heare the gracious words that should issue from his mouth which notwithstanding they obtayned not i Iohn 8. 56. Your father Abraham saith our Sauiour elsewhere desired to see my day and he saw it and reioyced He saw it and yet still desired to see it because as yet he saw it not as he did desire to see He desired to see with his eies Christ come in the flesh but so he saw him not yet by faith he so foresaw his comming as that it was great ioy and gladnesse to him Three other Texts he quoteth not to proue his purpose but only to let vs see that he is able for a neede to cite the Scripture Two of those he appropriateth to the Apostles which appertaine to all the faithfull To shew that the Apostles were taught by Christs owne mouth he alleageth the wordes of Christ citing a sentence of Esay the Prophet k Iohn 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God whereas it is plaine that the words are spoken not of being outwardly taught by the mouth of Christ but of being inwardly taught by l Mat. 16. 17. the reuelation of the Father nor contayne any thing peculiar to the Apostles but common to all the Elect as both by the course of Christs speech appeareth and by the words themselues as they are set downe by the Prophet m Esa 54. 13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord. So to the Apostles also he referreth the words of St. Paul of n Rom. 8. 23. hauing receiued the first fruits of the spirit whereas to be partaker of the first fruits of the spirit is the condition of euery regenerate man in which manner St. Austin generally applyeth it o August de Peccat Merit Remiss l. 2. c. 7. Nunc ei similes esse iam coepâ—mus primitias habentes spiritus Wee haue now begunne to bee like him by hauing the first fruits of the spirit and not only in the new but in the old Testament also because of vs both the Apostle witnesseth as we haue heard before that p 2. Cor. 4. 13. * John 15. 15. we haue the same spirit of faith In the third place Christ saith to his Apostles â— I haue called you friends for all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowen to you But what will M. Bishop conclude hereof Will he argue that because Christ taught his Apostles all points of faith more plainly and clearely therefore the ancient Patriarchs knew not all points of faith Nay we will argue to the contrary that sith Christ maketh knowen to his friends all his fathers secrets as M. Bishop speaketh therefore God made knowen all those secrets to Abraham because Abraham was q Esa 41. 8. Iames 2. 23. called the friend of God and such a friend as that he saith of him r Genes 18 17. Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe And seeing Abraham is called Å¿ Rom. 4 11. 12. the Father of all that beleeue as in the steps of whose faith we are to walke how can we doubt but that God reueiled vnto him all that faith which concerneth vs vnto eternall life In a word St. Austin saith againe of all those fathers and of vs t Aug. cont 2. Epist Pelag. l. 3. c. 4. Eadem sides in illis qui nondum nomine sed reipsa fucrunt Christiani in illis qui non solum sunt sed â—â—cantur in vtrisque eadem gratia per Sp. Sanâ—um There is the same faith both in them who before-time not yet in name but indeede were Christians and in them who not only are but also are called so and in both the same grace by the holy Ghost From which words it may be obserued what will become of those two absurdities which M. Bishop hath taken vpon him to obserue in me For first if those old Fathers were indeede Christians and therefore members of
Rome keepâ— entirely the same faith In which sort the Donatists also would not haue denyed all other Churches to be called Catholike that with their Church of Africa kept entirely the same faith and therefore I said rightly before that the name is now by the Papists Donatistically applyed not only to one particular Church of Rome as M. Bishop falsly repeateth to put the sot if he could from himselfe to me but also as I added to men bearing the name of Catholikes only for communicating with that Church As for vs we apply the name Catholike no more to the congregations of the Protestants then we doe to all that professe in truth the communion of one vniuersall Church The name of Protestants being casuall and arising by occasion in these Northerne parts may haply be inclosed and confined within the bounds of Europe but the Church of Christ cannot be so inclosed and o Aug. Epist 48. Erit Anathema quisquis annunciauerit Ecclesiam praeter communionem omnium gentium cursed is he saith St. Austin that preacheth the Church otherwise then in the communion of all nations No otherwise doe wee preach the Church wee limit it not to our selues wee say the Papists ought not to limit it to themselues There are questions betwixt them and vs but how many Christian Churches are there in the world which neither know them nor vs nor haue euer heard any thing of the quarrels that are betwixt vs How many Churches are there in the East which haue heard of the Pope and his proceedings and will by no meanes endure to hold communion with him He will say that those Churches doe not accord with vs in iudgement of all points of faith Be it so no more did Cyprian and p Aug. cont Gaudent lib. 3 art 10. Quando rebaptizabat Cyprianus ab hâ—reticis venientes Ecclesia CarthagineÌ„sis Episcopus tunc Ecclesiâ— Romanae Stephanus Episcopus in â—odem baptismâ— quem foris accepâ—raÌ„t suscipiebat â—aereticos ambo haec diuersa facienâ—es in vnitate Catholica permanebant Stephanus Bishop of Rome agree in all points and yet they were both members of one Catholike Church How many differences of opinions are there found amongst the Fathers and yet we doe not therefore diuide them into many Churches They may erre and we may â—rre but we beleeue that wheresoeuer the Gospell of Christ is read and published there Christ hath a people to whom hee reuealeth all truth that shall be necessary vnto eternall life In a word they professe the same Christ they reade the same Gospell and Scriptures that we doe and therein our faith both hath beene from the beginning and doth now continue dispersed and spread ouer the whole world W. BISHOP §. 2. SEcondly M. Abbot is much mistaken in his comparison of the name of Iew with the name Catholike for â—o omit first that such examples proue nothing but doe only serue for shew or explication and moreouer that it can hardly be shewed that the name of Iew was a name of such honour at any time for that peoples honourable name was Israelites and were not called Iewes till towards the declination and wane of their estate Neither was it euer any peculiar and proper title of the people of God for God had many good seruants that were neuer called Iewes as may be gathered by Iob the Husitâ— Naaman the Syrian the widdow of Sarepta a Sydonian and by a great number Luc. 4. vers 16. of Prosilites and finally by that which the Apostle teacheth Many Gentiles were saued without the law Rom. â— vers 14. Lastly most vncertaine it is of what name the Prophet Isay speaketh when he saith It shall be left for a name cap. 65. vers 13. of curse All these impertinencies of his example being too too many I doe remit him but cannot pardon his grosse fault in the maine point of the comparison for the name Iew according to the vsuall signification of the word being the name of a certayne people of one race and kindred and hauing a law giuen them by Moyses which should continue only for a prescript time and end at the coÌ„ming of Christ is not like the name of Catholike which is no speciall name of the people of any one Countrâ—y but is attributed and doth agree to all sorts of men of what Countrey or nation soeuer that do embrace the true Christian faith And is inseparably linked and so fast ioyned and riueted with the Christian profession and religion that it shall neuer faile fall or be separated from it so long as Christs faith standeth nor euer be contemned of the faithfull whiles Christs true religion flourisheth which is proued inuincibly out of the very Etymologie of the name Catholike and that according to M. Abbots owne interpretation in the same place who doth expound it to signifie that Church which is through the whole world and shall be to the worlds end If the name Catholike shall continue to the worlds end the true title of the Church who then but miscreants and Heretikes can take it for a name of curse reproch and shame Is it not vntill this day set downe in the Apostles Creede as the honourable title and epithite of the true Church I beleeue the holy Catholike Church Must he then not be rather an Apostata then a Scholler of the Apostles that blusheth not to anouch the very name Catholike to be the proper badge of Apostataes and Heretikes which the Apostles ascribe and appropriate vnto true Christianity If any proude and false fellowes doe vsurpe that name and challenge it to themselues wrongfully as many did euen in S. Augustines time when M. Abbot confesseth it to haue beene in greatest estimation let such vsurping companions be rebuked sharply and conuicted of their insolent and audatious folly but the name Catholike which the Apostles thought worthy and fit to be placed in the articles of our Creede and principles of our religion must alwaies remaine and be among true Christians a name very glorious and desireable We therefore say with S. Augustine We receiue Tract 32. â—â— Iohannem Lib. 1. coâ—t Gaudent c. 33. the holy Ghost if we loue the Church if we be ioyned togither by charity if we reioyce in the Catholike name and faith And they that doe not ioy in that name but mocke at it doc blaspheme as the same most holy Authour intimateth The name Iew being taken in the Apostles sense for one of what nation soeuer that fulfilleth the iustice of the law neuer was nor neuer shall be a name of reproch so that M. Abbot is driuen to hop from one sense of that name to another to make it applyable to his purpose R. ABBOT SVch examples saith he proue nothing but serue only for explication And what of that As though it were vnlawfull for me to vse explication and I were bound to proofe only His first exception then is wholly idle and of no effect
true picture of a very wilfull and absurd wraâ—gler who seeketh by vaine cauillation to obscure that which by reason and truth he cannot disproue What though all the Apostles did not write when as the writings of some might sufficiently set forth the preaching of all because they all preached the same thing And what though none of them wrote particularly all the words which he vttered when as it sufficeth vs that amongst them they wrote all the points of faith which they vttered in those wordes If M. Bishop were asked whether they haue not in Scripture and Tradition all which the Apostles taught would he not say yea And can he then tell vs particularly all the speeches and discourses and sermons that they made from day to day Peter amongst the Iewes and Paul amongst the Gentils at Rome at Corinth at Ephesus in Galatia and the rest Iohn in â— sia Thomas in India Matthias and Andrew in Aethiopia and the other Apostles otherwhere If he would thinke him a foole that should aske him this question and doth hold it sufficient that they haue all the points of doctrine though they haue not all the wordes he must giue vs leaue to thinke him scant wise that when wee say what the Apostles taught they committed all to writing would vnderstand vs otherwise And this meaning he himselfe that it may appeare that he doth but famble and palter presently declareth when yeelding of his courtesie that the Apostles left the Gospell in writing and many other most diuine and rare instructions in their Epistles a rare commendation of them as if he spake of Granatensis his Dux peccatorum or Parsons Resolution and therefore that I needed not cite Irenaeus to witnesse that he addeth his exception but that they wrote all which they preached or all things necessary to saluation Irenaeus saith not a word So then he knoweth well enough that when we say that all which the Apostles taught they committed to writing wee meane thereby all things necessary to saluation all points of faith and doctrine by them preached and which it concerneth vs to know and beleeue vnto eternall life But of this saith he Ireneus saith not a word The wordes of Ireneus which I cited are these a Iren. adu haer lib. 3. c. 1. â—on enim per alios dispositionem salutis nostrae cognouimus quà m per eos per quos I uangâ—lium peruenit ad nos quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scriptaris nobis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam sidei nostrae futurum By no other haue we knowen the order or way of our saluation but by them by whom the Gospell came to vs which verily they then preached and afterwards by the will of God they deliuered the same to vs in the Scriptures to be the foundation and pillar of our faith Now I hope M. Bishop will not deny but that the gospell which the Apostles preached contained all points of faith necessary to saluation If therefore they haue deliuered vnto vs in writing the gospell which they preached surely they haue deliuered to vs in writing all points of faith necessary to saluation He playeth vpon a distinction betwixt the Epistles and the Gospell as if the Epistles were no part of the Gospell which the Apostles preached but if they be not so he should tell vs what they be and how the Apostle professeth b Phil. 3. 1. to write in his Epistle the same things which he had before preached and how Christ preached c Mat. 4. 23. the Gospell of the Kingdome and taught men d Mar. 1. 15. to beleeue the Gospell before there was any written Gospell and before the greatest part of the history was in act and how St. Paul challengeth the Galathians for being e Gal. 1. 6. remoued to another Gospell when yet they receiued no other story concerning Christ but doctrine contrary to that which is contained in the Epistles f Aug. de Ciu. Dei l. 17. c. 17. Fatentur ex Sion missam suisse legem Christi quod Euangelium nos vocamus The Gospell as St. Austin telleth vs is the law of Christ and are the Epistles of the Apostles no part of the law of Christ The Gospell is called by St. Paul g 2. Cor. 5. 19. the word of reconciliation and is expounded by St. Ambrose to be h Ambros in Rom. c. 1. Euangelium Dei est bonum nuncium Dei quo peccatores ad indulgentiaÌ„ conuâ—cantur the glad tidings sent from God whereby sinners are called to pardon and forgiuenesse and doe not the Apostles in their Epistles teach this word of reconciliation and glad tidings from God If then the Apostles left the Gospell in writing and the Gospell containe all points of faith necessary to saluation then that which the Apostles left in writing containeth all points of faith necessary to saluation Albeit to follow M. Bishop in his owne distinction if we take the Gospell as he doth for the writings of the foure Euangelists St. Austin saith thereof that i August in Ioan. tract 49. Ipse sanctus Euangelista testatur multa Dominum Christum diâ—isse socisse quâ— scripta non sunt Electa sunt autem quae scriberentur quae saluti credentium sufficere videbantur of those things which our Lord Iesus said and did choise was made of so much to be written as seemed sufficient for the saluation of them that beleeue And to the same purpose Cyril also saith k Cyril in Ioan lib. 12. c. 68. Non igitâ—r omnia quae Dominus fecit conscripta sunt sed quâ— scriâ—â—â—tes sufficere putarunt tam ad mores qâ—à m â—d dogmaâ—a vt recta fide operibus vir 〈…〉 rutilâ—ntes ad regnum coelorum perueniamus All things which Christ did are not written but what the writers thought sufficient both for manners and doctrine that shining with true faith and vertuous workes we may attaine to the heauenly Kingdome The Gospels then containe that doctrine and faith that is sufficient to saluation albeit God would prouide for vs not only sufficiently but abundantly and hath in the Epistles of the Apostles giuen vs large and cleare declaration of the doctrine of Christ that is contained in the Gospels As for that which M. Bishop alleageth vnder the name of Ireneus to proue the contrary it is a most wilfull and impudent falsification He most sagely counsaileth all men saith he when any controuersie in religion ariseth to make their recourse to the most ancient Churches where the Apostles had conuersed and from them to take their resolution He citeth for this Euseb hist Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 19. But that which is of Ireneus is by my Booke Cap. 18. and no matter at all tending to that effect as hee alleageth Ireneus is there brought in mentioning l Euseb hist l. 5. cap. 18. Cum puer adhuc in Asia
for no other but a madde and frantike dreame and yet perforce must vse it because hee knew no better shift therefore he thought good to colour it the best he could by curtolling the wordes alleaged naming only imputation of righteousnesse whereas the Apostle nameth imputation of righteousnesse without workes But let him take the wordes as the Apostle setteth them downe and then giue vs his answere and we shall apparantly see him to be a most impudent man making no conscience of that he saith but studying only to blinde the Reader from seeing that truth which he himselfe knoweth not how with any probable shew to contradict Yet he telleth vs for conclusion that there is only a bare sound of wordes for the Protestants the true substance of the text making wholly for the Papists So then the sound of the wordes by his confession is for vs but inasmuch as the wordes are very plaine and cleare how may we be informed that the true substance and meaning of them is wholly for the Papists when as they containe in shew a flat contradiction to the doctrine of the Papists Wee see here the vse of that caueat which the Rhemists haue giuen to their Reader aduertising him o Rhem. Testam ArgumeÌ„t of the Epistles in generall to assure himselfe that if any thing in Pauls Epistles sound to him contrary to the doctrine of their Catholike Church he faileth of the right sense By this meanes if Saint Paul say it is white yet we must not thinke that he meaneth it to be white if it please their Church to call it blacke And therefore though here he speake of imputation of righteousnesse without works and bring testimony of ancient Scripture for confirmation thereof yet he must not be taken to meane that there is any such or any other but the imputation of the righteousnesse of workes because there is no other approued by the Roman Church Well may we thinke the iudgement of God to be fearefull vpon them who are so blinde as to be led with such fopperies and grosse deceipts CHAP. X. That eternall life is meerely and wholly the gift of God and cannot be purchased by merit or desert ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE PAul teacheth that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ c. to Hee telleth vs againe and againe c. W. BISHOP IN the same place you had a large solution of this obiection but he that hath made a couenant with hell will not looke vpon that which might helpe him to heauen We teach with the Apostle and with his faithfull interpreter Saint Augustine That eternall life is the gift of God both originally because we must receiue grace by the free gift of God before we can doe any thing that doth deserue the ioyes of heauen and also principally the whole vertue and value of our merits doe proceede of the dignity of Gods grace in vs which doth eleuate and giue such worth to our workes that they thereby deserue life euerlasting Notwithstanding if we take not hold on Gods grace when it is freely offered vs and doe not concurre with it to the effecting of good workes we shall neuer be saued and this our working with the grace of God deserues heauen both which are prouedly this sentence of the same Apostle God will render to euery man according to Rom. 2. vers 6. 7. 8. his workes to them truly that according to patience in good workes seeke glory and honour and incorruption life eternall to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but giue credit to iniquity wrath and indignation where you may see in expresse termes eternall life to be rendered and repaid for good workes to such men as diligently seeke to doe them and to others who refuse to obey the truth and rather choose to beleeue lies and to liue wickedly eternall death and damnation R. ABBOT WHether M. Bishop or I may bee thought more likely to flatter himselfe in an opinion of hauing made a couenant with hell I leaue it to be esteemed by the whole processe of this worke and the God of heauen shall make it one day more fully to appeare Against his solution of the obiection here propounded he knoweth well that I a Of Merits sect 8. haue returned a replication which sheweth the same to be infirme and vaine and seeing he can fortifie it no further the bare repeating of it is no other but womanish and idle talking The Apostle telleth vs that b Rom. 6. 23. eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free grace or gift of God through Iâ—su Christ our Lord. We teach saith M. Bishop that eternall life is the gift of God originally and principally Thus by his shifting termes of originally and principally he limiteth the Apostles wordes and deludeth a maine Theoreme and Canon of Christian faith leauing it to be vnderstood that though eternall life be originally and principally the gift of God yet totally and absolutely it is not so Which iâ— it be true it must necessarily follow that as the Apostle saith truly that eternall life is the gift of God because in part it iâ— so so a man may truly say against the Apostle that eternall life is not the free gift of God because in part and in some sort it is not so And if no man may dare in this wise to gainsay the Apostle then wee must acknowledge that which Origen saith that c Origen in Rom. 4. Stipendia inquit peccati mors Et non addidâ—â— similitèr vt dicâ— et stâ—pendia aâ—â—â— iustitiae vita aterna sed ait Gratia autem Deâ— vâ—â—a aetâ—rna vt stâ—pend â—m quod vtique debiâ—o mercedi similé est retributionem poenâ— esse docâ—â—â—t mortis vâ—tam verâ— aternam soli gratiae consignareâ— the Apostle hauing said that the stipend of sinne is death did not adde in the like sort that the stipend of righteousnesse is eternall life but eternall life is the grace of God that he might teach that the retribution of punishment and death is a stipend which is like to a debt or wages but might assigne life eternall to grace only And thus the Apostle himselfe teacheth vs to conceiue when he saith d Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace then it is not of workes otherwise grace is no grace For e August coÌ„t Pelag. Celest lib. 2. c 24. Gratia Dei non eriâ— gratâ—â— vllâ— modo nisigratâ—ita fuerâ—t omni modo grace saith Austin shall not be grace in any respect except it be free in euery respect f Idem Epist 120. c. 19. Haec est gratia quae gratis datur non meritâ—s operantis sed miseratione donantis That is grace saith he which is freely giuen not for the merits of the worker but by the mercy of the giuer Thus Hierome saith g Hieron Epist ad Demâ—trâ—ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non opâ—ruâ— retributio sed donamis est
they see others fall by resting on their owne strength Now therefore be it that some who not are but see me to be in grace and to stand doe afterwards fall and be cut off this maketh nothing against the assurance of them who are indeede in grace and doe truly beleeue in the name of the sonne of God who i 1. Iohn 5. 11. beleeuing the record that God hath witnessed of his sonne that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne are hereby taught k Vers 13. 15. to know that they haue eternall life and that they haue the petitions that they desire of him And thus Gregory saith as touching the heauenly City Ierusâ—lem which is aboue that l Gregor Exposit in 1. Reg. l. 1. c. 1. Moral Quam familiariter dilâ—git suam esse indubitantèr credit Suam naÌ„que hanc ciuitatemesse cognouerat qui dicebat scimê° quia si terrestris nostra domus c. he that entirely loueth it doth vndoubtedly beleeue it to be his owne For saith he he knew this City to be his that said m 2. Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolued we haue a building which is of God a house not made with hands eternall in heauen And thus saith Leo that n Leo de Resurrect Domini ser 2. Quam idcò vsque ad celerrimâ—m resurrectionem voluit esse mortalem vt credentibus in cum nec persecutio insuperabilis nec mors posset esse terribilis cùm ita dubitandum non esset de consortio gloriae sicut dubitandum non crat de communione naturae Si ergò incunctantèr corde credimus quod â—re profitemur nos in Christo crucifiâ—i nos sumus mortui nos sepulti nos etiam die tertia suscitati Christ would haue his flesh to continue in case of mortality vntill his resâ—rrection that to them that beleeued in him neither persecution might be vnconquerable nor death might be terrible for that they were no more to doubt of being partakers of glory with him then they were to doubt of his being partaker of the same nature with them If saith he we stedfastly beleeue with the heart that which we professe with the mouth we are crucified in Christ we are dead we are buried we are also the third day raised againe from the dead o Ibid. serm 1. Non haesitamus diffidentia nec incerta expectatione suspendimur sed acceptâ— promissionis exâ—rdiâ— fidei oculis quâ— sunt futura iam cernimus natura pronectiâ—ne gaudentes quod credimus iam tenemus We stagger not by distrust saith he againe neither doe we hang in vncertaine expectation but hauing receiued the beginning of the promise we now see with the eyes of faith the things that are to come and reioycing for the aduancement of our nature we euen now hold that which we beleeue This is the assurance of the faithfull euen an vndoubted beleefe and knowledge that the heauenly City is theirs a certaine and vndoubted expectation of the glory of Christ whereby they reioyce as being in him already raised againe from the dead and as already holding and possessing that which they doe beleeue Howsoeuer therefore men are to be shaken out of all carnall security and presumption of their saluation yet the godly security and presumption of faith is not to be denyed and the more we grow in faith the more doth the soule grow secure and vndoubted of God to be our God presuming not of our selues where indeede we see nothing but cause of feare but of God only to say of him p Psal 71. 14. I will goe forth in the strength of the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteousnesse only And againe q Psal 124. 7. Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord which hath made heauen and earth In a word one truth agreeth with another and therefore M. Bishop in opposing some formall speeches of the holy Ghost against other the like formall speeches which in their true meaning stand very well and agree together doth no other but deforme the truth and wickedly taketh vpon him the patronage and maintenance of falshood and vntruth CHAP. XIII That the good workes and sufferings of this life are not meritorious or worthy of the blisse of the life to come ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE PAul saith The sufferings of this time are not worthy of the glory that shall be reueiled c. to Paul saith nothing for those points c. W. BISHOP I Say that M. Abbot hath gotten such a custome of abusing Gods word that hee scarce alleageth one sentence of it without one paltry shift or other The wordes of S. Paul truly translated are Our sufferings are not worthy to the glory or as our English phrase is are not to be compared to the glory of c. that is our labours or paines are not either so great and waighty or of so long endurance as be the ioyes of heauen yet through the dignity which we receiue by being made members of Christ and by the vertue of Gods grace wherewith those workes be wrought and by the promise of God both we are accounted worthy of heauen according to S Pauls owne phrase Which persecutions 2. Thessal 1. v. 5. you sustaine that you may be counted worthy the Kingdome of God and our sufferings meritorious of life euerlasting which S. Paul doth very precisely teach where he saith that our tribulation which for the 2. Cor. 4. vers 17. present is momentary and light yet worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall waight of glory in vs we not considering the things that are seene but that are not seene and elsewhere is bold to say That 2. Tim 4. vers 8. God had laid vp for him a crowne of iustice which our Lord will render to me in that day a iust Iudge and not only to me but to them also that loue his comming If God as a iust Iudge render the ioyes of heauen as a crowne of iustice then were they before iustly deserued and the sufferings of them that deserued them were in iust proportion worthy of them Thus briefly any indifferent Reader may perceiue how farre S. Paul being rightly taken is from affording any reliefe vnto the Protestant cause They doe now as many vnlearned and vnstable men did euen in his owne time witnesse Saint Peter depraue and misuse certaine sentences of his 2. Pet. 3. vers 16. hard to be vnderstood to their owne perdition and to the deceiuing and vndoing of their followers for in all his Epistles being vnderstood as he meant them there is not one word or sillable that maketh for the Protestants or any other Sectaries and plenty there are of plaine texts for the most points of the Catholike faith A tast whereof I will giue you as soone as I shall haue made an end of answering vnto this his idle discourse
which he seldome vseth But hee saw that to bee a worke too hard for Hercules and therefore to delude his Reader and to leade him from the matter he flieth vp to the old farne-daies of Abel Noe Abraham c. as though they had reuealed vnto them all those particular points of faith which Christ taught his Apostles and the same religion and manner of worshipping God that wee Christians haue which is flatly opposite to the doctrine of S. Paul who testifieth That the mistery of Christ vnto Ephes 3. vers 4. other generations was not knowne vnto the sonnes of men as now it is reuealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets in the spirit Those ancient Patriarkes as men looking a farre off at the dayes of Hebr. 11. v. 13. Christ the light of the world did not discouer so distinctly the mysteries of the Christian faith as the Apostles who were * Ioh. 6. v. 45. taught by his owne mouth and made to know a Ioh 15. v. 15. all his Fathers secrets and had b Rom. 8. v 23. the first fruits of the spirit in best sort to vnderstand them and carry them away To be short our Sauiour hath decided this question and saith in expresse words Many Prophets and iust men haue Math. 13. v. 17. desired to see the things that you see and haue not seene them and to heare the things that you heare and haue not heard them Obserue then how absurdly M. Abbot behaueth himselfe in this matter First he vseth tergiuersation in leaping so farre backe from the point of the question seeking communion with the Catholike Church some thousands of yeares before there was any Church Catholike Secondly in auouching the ancient founders of the first world to haue beleeued clearly and particularly all the articles of faith that we beleeue or else why doth he conclude that the Roman faith is not Catholike because in that old and hoare-headed world some branches of their faith were not sprong vp and of full growth They did not saith he worship Idols and Images they did not pray to Saints c. But good Sir did they beleeue that all their children were to be baptised and that all persons of riper yeares among them were to receiue the holy Sacrament of Christs body yea can M. Abbot demonstrate that they had perfect faith of the most holy and blessed Trinity beleeuing distinctly in three Persons and one God or that the Redeemer of the world Christ Iesus was to be perfect God and perfect Man the nature of man in him subsisting without the proper person of man in the second person of the Trinity which are the most high misteries of our Christian faith I am not ignorant that albeit those ancient Patriarkes and Prophets had not cleare and distinct knowledge of many articles which we are bound to beleeue yet they beleeued some few of them in particular and had a certaine confuse and darke conceit by figures and tipes of most of the rest R. ABBOT I Was neither deceiued my selfe M. Bishop neither did I goe about to deceiue others the case being so plaine as that a man of vnderstanding cannot easily be deceiued therein If the Catholike Church be but one from the beginning to the end and of this Church from the beginning to the end there be but one faith as hath beene shewed who is so blind as that he seeth not that the Catholike faith now must be the same with the faith of all the Patriarchs and Fathers since the world beganne It was not Catholike then because it was peculiar only to some few whom God enlightened or to one only nation which he specially selected but it was the very same which afterwards became Catholike by being preached and spred ouer the whole world Now then most cleare it is that if our faith be the same with the faith of Abel of Enoch of Abraham and the rest of those times then our faith is the Catholike faith euen the faith which the Apostles preached through the world and if the faith of Popery be not the same then is Popery falsly termed the Catholike faith M. Bishop blameth me for recoiling to the beginning of the world and telleth me what it is that I should haue proued when by recoiling if I must so call it to the beginning of the world I proue that which he requireth howsoeuer he vnder pretence of calling for proofe would make his Reader beleeue that he seeth no proofe But he well enough seeth the worke too hard for Hercules as he calleth it by this proofe very readily dispatched for if there be but one faith of the Church from the beginning to the end and our faith be that which was in the beginning then is our faith that which was spred ouer the world and shall continue to the end As though saith he they had reuealed vnto them all those particular points of faith which Christ taught his Apostles and the same religion and manner of worshipping God that wee Christians haue I answere him that all particular points of faith were reuealed vnto them but not all circumstances of all particular points nor so clearly as to vs and the same religion and manner of worshipping God in substance was deliuered vnto them though in outward rites and ceremonies we differ from them Christ was a Apoc. 13. 8. the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world b Aug. Epist â— ChristuÌ„ DeuÌ„ in carne venturum morituruÌ„ resurrecturum in coelum ascensuruÌ„ c. inque illo remissionem peccatorum salutemque aeternam credentibus futuram esse omnia gentis illius promissa omnes prophetiae Sacerdotia Sacrisicia templâ— cuncâ—a omninò Sacramenta sonuerunt All the promises of that time saith St. Austin all the Prophecies the Priest-hood the Sacrifices the Temple and all the Sacraments did tell them that Christ should come God in the flesh that he should die that he should rise againe and ascend into heauen and that all that beleeue should haue remission of sinnes in him These are particular points of faith and these they beleeued albeit the manner and circumstances of the Birth the Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ were not reueiled vnto them as they are in the Gospell liuely described and set forth to vs. For as in the first draught of the painter there is to be discerned the whole feature proportion and parts of the body which he hath in hand to paint which remaine afterwards by filling and garnishing to bee brought to full and perfect forme so the whole frame of Christian faith was in the beginning made knowen to the Patriarchs and Fathers of the first world though the same remained more and more clearly to be reueiled vntill by the comming of Christ it should receiue full and perfect light It skilleth not therefore which he saith that those ancient Patriarchs did not so distinctly discouer the mysteries of Christian faith as the Apostles
of St. Thomas as they did the mildnesse of Dauid But against that if of his I oppose the exposition that Thomas Aquinas maketh of the Apostles wordes concerning the Iewes that they were beloued for their Fathers sakes vnderstanding the same of the elect of that nation l Tho. Aquin. in Rom. c. 11. Lect. 4. Quod non est sic intelligendum quasi merita praestita patribus fuerint causa aternae electionis 〈◊〉 sed quâ—a Deus ab aterno elegit gratis patres filios hoc tamen ordine vt filij propter patres consequerentur salutem noÌ„ quasi merita patrum suffiâ— creat ad siliorum salutem sed per quandam abundantiam diuine gratiae 〈◊〉 hoc dicit quae in tintum patribus est exâ—â—bita vt prop ter promissiones eis factas etiam fily saluarentur Which saith he is not to be so taken as if the merits bestowed vpon the Fathers were the cause of the eternall election of the children but for that God from euerlasting chose freely both the Fathers and the children in such order notwithstanding as that the children for the Fathers sakes should obtaine saluation not as if the merits of the Fathers should suffice for the saluation of the children but he speaketh it according to an abundance of Gods grace and mercy which was so farre yeelded to the Fathers as that the children should be saued by vertue of the promises or for the promises sake made vnto their Fathers Here is then the true reason why they alleaged vnto God for themselues the names of the Fathers not for the merits of the Fathers but because of the promises that God had made vnto them Whereof we haue this for a certaine demonstration that wee no where finde any of the Fathers mentioned in that sort but only such to whom the promises of God haue in speciall manner beene made neither Abel nor Enoch nor Noe nor Iob nor Moses nor Esay nor any of the rest but only Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid to whom God vouchsafed to doe that honour by speciall couenants and promises to tie himselfe both to them and to their seede Yea and it is further to be obserued that this was no ordinary manner of praying amongst them as wherby to begge of God remission of sinnes and eternall life as we see that Popish prayer doth but when God in anger and displeasure seemed ready m Deut. 9. 25. 26. to destroy their nation and so to forget the promise made vnto their Fathers or when they would seeke any fauour at Gods hands for the iustification of that promise then would they alleage to God the names of their Fathers as it were to put him in minde of those things which he had promised Thus doth Moses himselfe declare the meaning of that prayer in another place when he saith n Exod. 32. 13. Remember Abraham Isaac and Iacob thy seruants to whom thou swarest by thine owne selfe and saidst vnto them I will multiply your seede c. In which sort the three children in the fiery furnace are brought in praying vnto God in the Apocryphall additions to Daniel o Song of the three children Vers 35. 36. Take not away thy mercy from vs for thy beloued Abrahams sake and for thy seruant Isaacs sake and for thine holy Israels sake to whom thou hast spoken and promised that thou wouldest multiply their seede c. And thus it is said that p 1. Chro. 13. 23 the Lord had mercy on them and pittyed them and had respect vnto them because of his couenant with Abraham Isaac and Iacob So concerning Dauid also we reade that q 2. Chro. 21. 7. the Lord though he were much prouoked yet would not destroy the house of Dauid because of the couenant that he had made with Dauid and because he had promised to giue a light to him and to his sonnes for euer This couenant and promise Salomon pleadeth in his prayer vnto God r 2. Chro. 6. 16. Lord God of Israel keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father that which thou hast promised him and againe Å¿ Vers 17. Let thy word be verified which thou spakest vnto thy seruant Dauid And thus the Church of the Iewes in time of affliction remembreth God concerning Dauid t Psal 89. 49. Lord where are thy old louing kindnesses which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth By all which we see that it was not vpon the persons or vertues of Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid that those ancient faithfull rested themselues in their prayers but vpon the word the couenant the promise of God which he in mercy had vouchsafed to make vnto them And hereby we learne what to conceiue of those latter wordes which M. Bishop alleageth out of the Psalme u Psal 132. 11. Lord remember Dauid and all his mildnesse Where to make the wordes seeme somewhat the more effectuall to his purpose wee see how hee groundeth himselfe vpon an errour of translation For the wordes of the Psalme truly translated are not Remember Dauid and all his mildnesse but remember Dauid and all his affliction or trouble as not only x Hieron translat Psal iuxta Hebr. Memento Dauid omnis afflictionis cius Hierome in his translation opposed to the Septuagint in Greeke but also their owne interpreters y Pagn Ar. Mont. Vniuersa afflictionis eius Pagnine and Arias Montanus haue translated it Where vnder the name of affliction we vnderstand that feruent burning zeale and carefull trauell of minde wherewith Dauid was possessed and euen perplexed and anguished through desire that he had for the building of the Temple of God and for the setling of the Kingdome and state accordingly as God had promised vnto him With which desire he was so vehemently affected as here it is expressed as that hee sware and vowed to the Lord not to enter into his house nor to climbe vp to his bed not to suffer his eyes to sleepe nor his eye lids to slumber till he found the place for building the Temple of God the house of God wherin he would rest and dwell amongst them Salomon the sonne of Dauid whom I doubt not to haue beene the authour of this Psalme for that z Psal 132. â— c. a part hereof was vsed by him in a 2. Chro. 6. 41. the dedication of the Temple recommendeth herein to God the remembrance of this care and craueth successe thereto and that God would verifie in him all that he had thereupon said and promised to Dauid in that behalfe I haue before shewed how Chrysostome giueth the effect of this prayer in Salomons name b Chrysost in Psal 131. Quoniam genus ab co duxi quoniam cum tibi acceptum suissâ—t cius studâ—um diligentia dixisti te cius genus regnam erecturum propterea nunc haec paâ—la conuenta à te exig mus Idem habet Basil in Psal cund Because I am
him bring in Iacob 5. v. 14. the Priests of the Church and let them pray ouer them anoiling them with Oile in the name of our Lord c. Confesse therefore your sinnes one to Ibidem 16. another These and an hundred more plaine texts recorded in that fountaine of life wherein our Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse tearmes to wit Thereall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament That Priests haue power to pardon sinnes That Christ built his Church vpon S. Peter That good workes doe in iustice deserue eternall life That we are iustified not by faith alone but also by good workes That in extremity of sicknesse wee must call for the Priest to anoile vs with holy Oile That we must confesse our sinnes not to God alone but also vnto men these and diuers such like heads of our Catholike faith formally set downe in holy Scripture the Protestants will not beleeue though they bee written in Gods word neuer so expresly but doe ransacke all the corners of their wits to deuise some â—dde shift or other how to flie from the euidence of them Whereupon I conclude that they doe not receiue all the written word though they professe neuer so much to allow of all the bookes of Canâ—nicall Scripture For the written word of God consisteth Lib. 2. de Trinitate ad Const not in the reading but in the vnderstanding as S. Hierome testifieth that is it doth not consist in the bare letter of it but in the letter and true sense and meaning ioyned togither the letter being as the body of Scripture and the right vnderstanding of it the soule spirit and life thereof he therefore that taketh not the written word in the true sense but swarueth from the sincere interpretation of it cannot be truly said to receiue the written word as a good Christian ought to doe Seeing then that the Protestants and all other sectaries doe not receiue the holy Scriptures according vnto the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition they may most iustly be denyed to receiue the sacred written word of God at all though they seeme neuer so much to approue all the Bookes Verses and Letters of it which is plainly proued by S. Hierome vpon the first Chapter to the Galathians R. ABBOT I Haue noted a §. â— before in this Chapter that St. Austin faith of the Prophets and faithfull of the people of the Iewes that though not in name yet in deede they were Christians as we are As they were Christians then with vs so are we now Iewes with them not according to M. Bishops vnderstanding of the name of Iewes to whom I may well say as Austin said to Iulian the Pelagian b August coÌ„â— Iulian. l. 4. c. 3. Cùm insana dicis rides phrenetico es similis When thou speakest madly and laughest thou art like to a frantike Bedlem but according to the Apostles construction thereof c Rom. 2. 29. He is a Iew which is one within and d Phil. 3. 3. we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Iesus and haue no confidence in the flesh We must be Iewes by vnity of faith with them as they were Christians with vs because they with vs and wee with them make but one body and one Church whereof though there be diuers Sacraments yet there is but one faith from the beginning to the end receiued first by the Patriarches written afterwards by the Prophets written againe more clearly by the Apostles so that e Ephes 2. 20. vpon the foundation not foundations but one foundation because one euen one written doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets the houshold of God are built and our faith resteth wholly thereupon I haue walked no rounds I haue broken through no brakes of thornes but haue kept a direct and euen way and haue so strongly builded all this as that I scorne M. Bishops poore paper-shot as much too weake to throw it downe To him I know these things are rounds and mazes he knoweth not which way to get out of them they are brakes of thornes he lyeth fast tyed in them God giue him grace to yeeld to that which he seeth himselfe vnable to reproue He is very angry it seemeth as touching the last point that I should say that the Protestants receiue and beleeue all the written word He saith that therein I begge that which is principally in question and thinketh that I haue little wit or iudgement to thinke that they would freely grant me that But our vsage and debating of questions with them is sufficient to put that out of question We vse the Scriptures our selues we translate them for common vse we reade and expound them publikely in our Churches we exhort men to reade them priuately in their houses wee instruct them to receiue no doctrine but what they see there wee make the same written word the soueraigne Iudge of all our controuersies wee defend the authority and sufficiency thereof against the impeachments and disgraces which Papists haue cast vpon it What may we doe more to make M. Bishop beleeue that we receiue and beleeue the written word Surely if I tell him that the Sunne shineth at noone day he will not beleeue it if it seeme to him to sound any thing against the Pope But he will giue instance to proue that we doe not so first for that we reiect diuers bookes of the old Testament Wherein he saith vntruly for the bookes of the old Testament are the bookes of Moses and the Prophets the Psalmes f August coÌ„t Gaudent lib 2. cap. 23. Non habent Judaei sicut legem Prophetas Psalmos quibus Dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis To which saith Austin our Lord Iesus gaue testimony as his witnesses of which we reiect none the other bookes that are adioyned to these we doe not reiect but we reade them and commend them yea we say as much of them as M. Bishop vouchsafeth to say of Pauls Epistles and the rest that they contayne many most diuine and rare instructions but yet we giue them no authority for confirmation of matters of faith because Christ and his Apostles haue giuen no testimony or witnesse of them and the primitiue Church in that respect hath expresly disclaimed them as I haue shewed at large g Of Traditions sect 17. before and resteth hereafter in this booke to bee shewed againe Secondly he bringeth sundry texts of the new Testament to proue that we doe not rightly vnderstand and beleeue all that is written in Gods word wherein he saith their Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse termes First to proue the reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament he citeth the wordes This is my body which shall be giuen for you c. But if the Romish doctrine be here deliuered in expresse termes how is it that their owne Scotus saith that
nihilo inquit saluos faciet illos haud dubiuÌ„ qum iustos qui noÌ„ proprio merito sed Dei saluantur clementia He will saue them for nothing as who are saued not by their owne merit saith he but by the mercy of God For y Gregor Moral l. 8. c 9. Iusti perituros se absque ambiguitate praesciunt si remota pietate iudiceÌ„tur quia hoc ipsum quoque quòd iustè videmur viuâ—re culpa est si vitaÌ„ nostram cum iudicat hanc apud se diuina miserecordia non excusat iust men saith Gregory know before-hand that they shall perish without doubt if God set mercy aside in the iudging of them because euen that which seemeth our iust life is but sinne if Gods mercy when he iudgeth it doe not excuse the same Hitherto then it appeareth that I want no armour or weapons to fight against him yea who seeth not him rather to be a beggarly companion who taketh vpon him to contradict me vpon no other but only his owne word As for pouerty of spirit he sheweth his prophanenesse in iesting at it because Christ hath pronounced a blessing to it z Mat. 5. â— Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen But now before he giue ouer that text he will finde a weapon there to fight against me In the next verse saith he it is plainly shewed that God did grieuously punish all them who liued wickedly notwithstanding they held the right faith The wordes of that verse are these a Vers 18 The wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Where it being manifest that the Apostles wordes haue reference to Gentiles and Heathens who had no knowledge of God but only by natures light the Apostle accusing them for suppressing and drowning euen that which they vnderstood or might vnderstand by the creation of the world I might question with what discretion it is that M. Bishop attributeth vnto them the holding of the right faith But not to trouble my selfe or the Reader further then is needfull I let that passe and looke to his inferences that he maketh out of those wordes Whence it followeth first saith he that men may haue a true faith without good workes Which though it haue no manner of sequele from the Apostles wordes there being nothing as I haue said which importeth the hauing or holding of true faith yet with great opportunity he mentioneth because he giueth me occasion to shew that though the righteousnesse of God be only from faith to faith yet that faith wherein this righteousnesse consisteth neuer is nor can be without due correspondence of good workes and godly life And to this belongeth that which the Apostle saith that b Rom. 3. 31. by faith we establish the law because we doe not by faith establish the law if we preach such a faith as may stand with the contempt of the law and wilfull neglect of the commandements of God Surely if faith may be without charity and it be by an after-supply of charity that wee haue the will to keepe Gods commandements then should not the Apostle say that by faith but rather by charity we establish the law But because without saith there is no charity and charity is the necessary sequele of the regeneration of faith therefore the Apostle rightly saith that by faith we establish the law as whereby we c Gal. 3. â—4 Ezech. 36. 26. 27 receiue the promise of the spirit of God the effect and d Gal. 5. 22. fruit whereof is charity whereby e Rom. 7. 22. we delight in the law of God as touching the inward man and are grieued at the remainder of carnall concupiscence whereby we are hindered that f Gal. 5. 17. we cannot doe the things that we would The faith which the Gospell teacheth is that and no other wherof we reade that g Acts 15. 9. by faith God purifieth our hearts which is called h Gal. 5. 6. faith working by loue of which St. Iohn saith i 1. John 3. 3. Euery one that hath this hope purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure k Ephes 3. 17. by which Saint Paul againe saith that Christ dwelleth in our hearts and l Rom. 8. 10. if Christ be in you saith he the body is dead as touching sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake As for that faith which is without workes it is by equiuocation only called faith as the picture of a man is called a man this being yeelded to custome of speech and to the conceipt of men who giue names oftentimes for semblance and shew where there wanteth the substance and truth of them To which purpose the wordes of Leo Bishop of Rome are very remarkeable m Leode Quadrages serm 7. Charitas robur fidei fides fortitudo est charitatis tunc verum nomen verus est fructus ambarum cum insolubilis manâ—t vtriusque coÌ„nexio Vbi enim non simul fuerint simu desunt quia inâ—icem sibi inuamâ—n lumen sunt donec desiderium credulitatis impleat remuneratio visionis incommutabilitèr videatur ametur quod nunc sine side non diligâ—tur sine dilectione non creditur Charity is the strength of faith and faith is the strength of charity and then is there the true name and the true fruit of both when there abideth an insâ—parable coniunction of them for where they are not both together they are both wanting because they are the helpe and light each of other vntill reward of seeing fulfill the desire of beleeuing and that be vnchangeably beholden and loued which now is neither loued without faith nor beleeued without loue Where we see a difference signified by Leo betwixt the true name of faith and that which is vulgarly termed faith so that though sometimes we speake of faith without workes applying the name of faith to the outward profession of faith as he himselfe also doth yet n Idem de Collect. eleemos serm 4. Multis quibus auserre non potuit fidem sustulit charitatem agro cordis ipsorum auaritiae râ—dicibus occupato spoliauit fructu operum quos non priuauit consâ—ssione labiorum the true name of faith is not appliable where there is not charity ioyned with it neither can there be true beleefe where there is no loue Hereto accordeth Gregor in Ezech. hom 22. Fidem Spem Charitatem â—tque operationeÌ„ quamdiu in hac vita viuimus aequales sibi esse apud nosmetipsos inuenimus c. Nam nunc quantum credimus tantum amamus quaÌ„tum amamus tantum de spe praesumimus De fide quoque operatione Ioannes Apostolus faâ—etur dicens Qui se dicit nosse Deum c. Notitia quippe Dei ad fide pertinet mandatorum custodia ad operationem Cùm ergò
worthy to be noted how M. Bishop trippeth and crosseth himselfe who hauing first told vs that the whole value of our merits whereby we deserue eternall life proceedeth of the dignity of Gods grace in vs presently altereth the case and saith that we must concurre with grace to the effecting of good works and this our working with the grace of God deserues heauen Surely if the whole value of our merits doe proceede of the dignity of Gods grace then the desert of heauen ariseth not of our working with grace or if the desert of heauen doe arise of our working with grace then it doth not wholly arise from the dignity of grace But hereby wee may see that all the wordes which they vse as touching grace are but hypocrisie and deceipt and that their true resolution is that the desert of heauen issueth out of the free will of man vsing grace as a toole or instrument for the doing of workes whereby to deserue the same Thus of gift they make no gift and turne all wholly into merit and by the free will of man doe vtterly ouerthrow the grace of God carrying notwithstanding in the meane time a conscience of shame of that they teach and colouring all with good workes as Pelagius the Heretike and his followers in the same case were wont to doe But M. Bishop will proue all that he saith by another sentence of the same Epistle to the Romans r Rom. 2. 6. God will render to euery man according to his workes c. where he saith we may see in expresse termes eternall life to be rendered and repaid for good works Where wee rather see his pertinacy in errour who rather chooseth to make the Apostle to contradict himselfe then to yeeld to the truth plainly deliuered by the Apostle But nothing can be deuised more fit for answere to him or more effectuall to stoppe his mouth then that which Gregory Bishop of Rome hath purposely set downe for satisfaction to those wordes f Gregor in Psalm Poeâ—itent 7. Quòd si illa Sanctorâ— soelicitas miserecordia est nö meritis acquiritur vbi erit quod scriptum est Et tu reddes vnicuique secundum opera sua si secundum opera redditur quomodo miserecordia a stimabitur sed aliud est secundum opera reddere aliud propter ipsa opera reddere In co enim quod secundum opera dicitur ipsa operum qualitas intelligitur vt cuiâ—s apparuerint bona opera eius sit retribut o gloriosa Illi namque beatae vitae in qua cum Deo de Deo viuitur nullus potâ—st aquari labor nulla opera comparari praesertim cùm Apostolus dicat Non sunt condignae passiones c. If the felicity of the Saints bee mercy saith he and be not obtained by merits how shall it stand which is written Thou shalt render vnto euery man according to his workes If it be rendered according to workes how shall it be esteemed mercy But it is one thing saith he to render according to workes and another thing to render for the works themselues For in that it is said according to workes the very quality of the workes is vnderstood so as that whose good works shall appeare his reward shall be glorious For to that blessed life wherein we shall liue with God and of God no labour can be equalled no workes can be compared for that the Apostle telleth vs The sufferings of this time are not comparable in worth to the glory to come that shall be reueiled on vs. Where we see how he setteth it downe as a thing without question to be confessed that eternall life is mercy only and is not to be purchased or gained by merits and that the Scripture in saying that God rendereth to euery man according to his workes doth not import that God in giuing reward vnto good workes doth any thing for the workes sake as if he regarded the merit or value thereof but respecteth only the quality of our workes as vsing the same for a marke only wherby he will take knowledge of them to whom he intendeth to shew mercy At these wordes of Gregory me thinks I see how M. Bishop biteth the lippe and chafeth in his minde to heare him thus distinguishing like a Protestant and seriously approuing that which he with scorne hath reiected being spoken by M. Perkins t Of Merits sect 17. O sharpe and ouer-fine wit saith he doth God render according to the workes and doth he not render for the workes What M. Bishop will you mocke Gregory in the same sort and twite him with a sharpe and ouer-fine wit He hath taught vs to distinguish thus he telleth vs that it is one thing to render for workes another thing to render according to workes which sith you admit not why doe you dâ—ale so impudently in chalenging to your selues a full and perfect agreement with the ancient Church of Rome I might further enlarge this matter out of Gregory by sundry speeches tending to the disabling of all humane works but that it followeth more properly to speake thereof in the thirteenth Chapter CHAP. XI That concupiscence or lust is sinne euen in the very habit and first motions of it ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE HE telleth vs againe and againe that concupiscence is sinne to lust is to sinne c. to S. Paul saith of the spirit of adoption c. W. BISHOP THe Apostle telleth vs againe and againe that our Sauiour Christ Iesus was made 2. Cor. 5. v. 21. sinne and yet no Christian is so simple as to take him to be properly sinne but the host or satisfaction for sinne so when the Rom. 8. vers 3. Apostle calleth concupiscence sinne wee vnderstand him with S. Augustine that it is not sinne properly yet so called not vnaptly both because it is the effect L. b. 1. cont duas Epist Pelag. cap. 10. Lib. 1. de Nupt Concupisc cap. 23. and remnant of originall sinne and doth also pricke vs forward to actuall sinne but if by helpe of the grace of God we represse it we are deliuered from the infection and guilt of it Which S. Paul in the very same Chapter declareth when he demandeth Who shall deliuer me Ibid. vers 25. from this body of death he answereth presently the grace of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. And againe that profound Doctor S. Augustine argueth very soundly out of the same sentence where concupiscence is called sinne but now not I worke it any more but the sinne that is in me that the Apostle could not meane sinne properly which cannot saith he be committed Lib. 6. cont Iulian. c. 23. without the consent of our minde but that had no consent of the minde to it because it was not the Apostle that did worke it Now how can that be the euill worke of a man if the man himselfe doe not worke it as the Apostle saith expresly not I doe
regnare in cordibus bonorum potest The Apostle saith not Let it not be but Let it not reigne because it cannot but be but it may be without a kingdome in the hearts of good men M. Bishop saith that because it cannot but be in euery good man therefore it hath dominion ouer euery good man but Gregory saith it cannot but be indeede but yet it may be and be without dominion in the hearts of good men But somewhat more largely and effectually he speaketh hereof in another place y Ibid. l. 21. c. 3. Peccatum in mortali corpore non esse sed regnare prohibuit quia in carne corruptibili non regnare potest sed von esse non potest Hoc ipsum namque ei de peccato tentari peccatum est quo quia quaÌ„diu viuimus perfectè omnimodo non caremus sancta pradicatio quoniam hoc expellere plenè non potuit ei de nostri cordis habitaculo regnum tulit vt appetitus illicitus etsi plerunque bâ—nis nostris cogitationibus occultè se quasi fur inserit saltem si ingreditur non dominetur The Apostle forbiddeth sinne not to be but to reigne in our mortall body because it may be without reigning in corruptible flesh but it cannot but be there For euen to be tempted of sinne saith he is sinne vnto it which because we cannot be altogether without so long as we liue here the holy preaching for that it cannot fully expell and driue it out taketh away from it the kingdome out of the habitation of our hearts that vnlawfull desire albeit as a theefe it priuily thrust in it selfe many times amongst our good thoughts though it enter into vs yet may not haue dominion ouer vs. In which wordes as we see particularly against that which M. Bishop here saith that the motion and sting of concupiscence which Gregory calleth vnlawfull desire or lust though it cannot be auoided of the faithfull in this life yet is not therefore said to haue dominion ouer them the more absurdly doth he make application of his speech to St. Paul as though concupiscence because he could not be deliuered from it had therefore dominion ouer him so we see also as touching the maine question here in hand that that motion or sting euen the very temptation of sinne from which we cannot be freed so long as we continue in this life is sinne in vs though it haue not any kingdome or dominion ouer vs. Which is to be obserued against the collection which he maketh of the wordes of St. Iames as though there were no sinne vntill concupiscence gaine our liking and consent which is false if that be true which Gregory saith that the very temptation of sinne that is the first motion of concupiscence is sinne so well doe Gregory and he accord as touching the meaning of St. Iames his wordes which to haue no such meaning as he pretendeth I haue plentifully shewed z Of Original sinne sect 6. otherwhere And that it may be the more fully vnderstood that Gregory in the point here handled bare the same minde that we doe it shall not be amisse to set downe what he hath further said to declare his iudgement therein a Greg. Moral lib. 18. c. 5. ScienduÌ„ est quòd sunt peccata quae à iustis vitari possunt sunt nonnulla quae etiam à iustis vitari non possunt Cuius enim cor in hac corruptibili earne consistens in sinistra cogitatione non labitur vel si vsque ad consensus foueam non mergatur Et tameÌ„ haec ipsa praua cogitare peccare est sed dum cogâ—tationi resistitur à confusione sua animus liberatur Mens ergò iustorum etsi libera est à peruerso opere aliquandâ— tamen corruit in peruersa cogitatione Et in peccatum ergò labitur quia saltem in cogitatione declinatur tamen vnde semetipsampostmodum flendo reprehendat non habet quia antè reparat quà m per consensum cadat We are to know saith he that there are sinnes which the iust cannot auoide and there are sinnes which may be auoided by them For whose heart is there abiding in this corruptible flesh that doth not fall by sinister thought though he be not drowned so farre as to the pit of consent And yet the very cogitation of euill things is sinne albeit whilest the cogitation is resisted the minde is deliuered from it owne confusion The minde therefore of the iust although it be free from euill worke yet sometimes falleth by euill thought It falleth therefore into sinne because there is a declining at least in thought and yet it hath not whence afterwards with teares to reproue it selfe because it first recouereth it selfe before it fall by consent There is no obscurity in these wordes there is here a plaine confession that the euill cogitation before consent and without consent is sinne that to decline in thought is to fall into sinne and that this is the sinne which the iust cannot auoide so long as they liue here And to this purpose it maketh much which elsewhere the same Gregory telleth vs by occasion of those wordes of the Apostle which M. Bishop before vrged a Idem exposit in 1. Reg. lib. 6. cap. 2. Propè finem Peccatum quod se non operari perhibuit motum carnis intellexit Peccatum autem in se inhabitans originalem culpam c. Ex originali culpa fit peccatum motionis carnis c. Manens in nobis illa culpa nunc doctoris virtute perdi non potest Now it is not I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me By the sinne saith he which the Apostle saith he worketh not he meaneth the motion of the flesh and by sinne dwelling in him he meaneth originall sinne and of originall sinne is caused the sinne of the motion of the flesh that sinne continuing in vs cannot now by the power of any teacher be destroyed Here is the roote originall sinne still dwelling and abiding in vs and the motion of the flesh the immediate effect thereof it selfe also sinne the same so abiding as that by no teaching it can be destroyed and why then doth M. Bishop tell vs that originall sinne after baptisme remaineth not and that that which remaineth is no sinne Surely the faithfull man will vse Dauids confession with the same mind that Dauid did b Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me and Gregory taketh it that Dauid meant thereby that c Idem iâ— Euangel hom 39 Nam cùm Propheta diâ—at Ecce in iniqâ—itatibus c. sine culpa in mundo esse non potuit qui in mundum cum cuâ—pa venit he could not be without sinne in the world who came with sinne into the world and expoundeth his wordes to this effect d IdeÌ„ in Psal Poenitent 4. Opus est Domine vt miserearis quia ab ineunte
Clerklike he shall thereby saue his life and shall not a iust Iudge frame his sentence accordingly Will M. Bishop say that he is no iust Iudge in such a case that dismisseth him with life that hath iustly deserued death If he will not say so then let him be so wise here as to vnderstand that iust iudgment proceedeth not alwaies by deserts but it is the part of a iust Iudge to iudge by lawes Now we know that as with men so with God there are lawes of rigour and extremity and there are lawes also of fauour and mercy The law of workes is a law of rigour k Rom. 4 15. a law which causeth wrath because l Gal. 3. 22. it concludeth all vnder sinne by reason whereof m Vers 10. so many as are of the workes of the law are vnder the curse for it is written n Deut. 27. 26. Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them and there is no man that continueth to doe all because o Iam. 3. 2. in many things we offend all Therefore the ministery of this law is called p 2. Cor. 3. 7. 9. the ministery of death the ministery of condemnation and the iudgement which proceedeth according to this law is called by St. Austin q August in Ioan. tract 22. Judicium damnationis the iudgement of damnation because no man escapeth damnation that vndergoeth this iudgement Against this iudgement Dauid prayeth when he saith r Psal 143. 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord c. that is as St. Austin expoundeth it Å¿ August de Temp. ser 49. Ne stâ—â— mecum in iudicio eâ—â—gendo à me omnia quae praecepisti omnia quae iussistâ— Nam me inuenies reum si in iudicium intraueâ—is mecum Opus est ergò mihi miâ—â—râ—câ—rdia tua potiùs quà m liquidissimo iâ—diciâ— tuo Stand not with me in iudgement to require of me all that thou hast willed and commanded for thou wilt finde me guilty if thou enter into iudgment with me I haue need therefore of thy mercy rather then of thy meere iudgment The Apostle St. Paul bearing the same minde and dreading the same iudgement desireth at that day t Phil. 3. 9. to be found in Christ not hauing saith he mine owne righteousnesse which is by the law but the righteousnesse which is by the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith And hereby he leadeth vs to the consideration of another law which hee calleth elsewhere u Rom. 3. 27. the law of faith the tenour whereof is expressed by the wordes of our Sauiour x Iohn 6. 40. This is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day This is a law of mitigation and mercy whereby is administred grace and righteousnesse and life which could not be obtayned by the former law To this law are annexed and thereupon depend many fauours and gracious promises which God hath made vnto the faithfull grounded vpon Iesus Christ the Mediatour of the new Testament in y 2. Cor. 1. 20. whom they are all Yea and in him Amen first granted for his sake and for his sake faithfully performed Now these things being thus decreed and established by law God as a iust Iudge dispenseth these fauours and graces accordingly euen by iust iudgment consisting here not in examination of merits but in discerning the markes and qualities whereby God will haue them knowen to whom by law the couenant of this grace and mercy doth appertaine This iudgement St. Austin calleth z August in Ioan tract 22. Iudicium discriminationis a iudgement of distinction whereby God putteth a difference betwixt the good and the euill accordingly as the same St. Austin expoundeth those wordes of Dauid a Psal 43. Vulg. 42. 1. Iudge me O God c. b August in Psal 42. Distet intereum qui in te credâ—t eum qui non credit Par infirmitas sed dispar conscientia Par labor sed dispar desiderium Let there be difference betwixt him which beleeueth in thee and him which beleeueth not There is infirmity alike but the conscience is vnlike They are equall in trauell and labour but they differ in desire And by this iudgement God maintaineth the cause of the righteous against the wicked their cause being iust howsoeuer their merit be nothing and therefore yeeldeth that to the iustification of their cause which yet they cannot claime by desert of workes And thus the Apostle in respect of the faithfull calleth c 2. Thess 1. 5. it the iust iudgement of God whereby he vouchsafith them the Kingdome of God for it is iust with God saith he to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs. It is iust with God and iust iudgement because it is so ordered and decreed in the law of faith that they shall be reckoned worthy of the Kingdome of God that doe suffer affliction for the testimony thereof And so the same Apostle being himselfe to receiue sentence of death as a malefactour at the hands of an vniust Iudge comforteth himselfe in the goodnesse of his cause and the testimony of his conscience that hauing fought a good fight and finished his course and kept the faith he should of a iust Iudge at that day receiue a crowne whereby against that vniust sentence his iustice and vprightnesse in that behalfe should be made apparant and manifest to the whole world This iudgement then proceeding by the law of faith is tempered and mingled with mercy as I haue d Of Merits sect 19. elsewhere shewed God accepting what wee haue done but not requiring what wee haue not done testifying our righteousnesse such as it is but neuer questioning our sinnes For e Aug. Epist 29. Cum Rex iustus sederit in thronâ— quis gloriabitur se castuÌ„ habere cor aut quis gloriabitur se esse immunem à peccato Quae igitur spes est nisi miserecordia superexultet iudicium when the iust King shall sit vpon his throne saith Austin who shall glory that he hath a cleane heart or that he is free from sinne and therefore what hope is there vnlesse mercy surmount iudgement And so in another place f Idem in psal 129. Apud te propitiatio est Nam si non esset apud te propitiatio si iudex soluÌ„ esse velles miserecors esse nolles obseruares omnes iniquitates nostâ—as quâ—reres â—as quis sustineret quis ante te staret dâ—ceret Innocens sum quis staret in iudicio tuo spes ergo vna est quoniam apud te propitiatio est There is mercy with thee for if there were not mercy with thee
rebelleth against the law of the minde and holdeth vs captiue to the law of sinne l Gal. 5. 17. it lusteth against the spirit and these are contrary one to another so that we cannot doe the things that we would and therefore cannot fulfill the law Why will M. Bishop goe about to dispute against so certaine so cleare and manifest truth Now then vnderstanding the iustification of the law as he doth of the righteousnesse commanded by the law it is true that the end of Gods sending his Sonne was that sinne might be condemned in the flesh that the power and life thereof in vs might be abolished and it vtterly destroyed that sinne being taken away the iustification or righteousnesse of the law may be entirely and perfectly fulfilled in vs for euer This we say that God hath intended to doe and hath already begunne to bring it to effect but he hath begunne only and noâ— perfected this worke nor will doe till this body of ours raised againe from death and out of the dust of the earth haue cast the slough of sinne and become clothed with immortality and incorruption In the meane time m August de ciuit Dei l. 19. c. 27. Ipsa iustitia nostra tanta â—st in hac vita vt potiùs remissione peccatorum constet quà m perfectione virtutum our righteousnesse in this life saith St. Austin consisteth rather in the forgiuenesse of sinnes then in the perfâ—ction of vertues and n Greg. Mor. l. 5. c. 9. Ipsa perfectio nostra culpa non caret nisi hanc seuerus iudex in subtili laÌ„ce examinis misericorditèr penset our very perfection saith Gregory is not free from blame vnlesse God in the precise ballâ—nce of his examination doe mercifully waigh the same And from Gregory did St. Bernard learne to say that o Bernard in fest omn. SaÌ„ct fer 1. Si districtè iudicetur iniusta inuenietur omnis iustitia nostra minus habens Sir Greg Mor. l. 9. c. 11. l. 21. cap. 15 all our iustice or righteousnesse if it be narrowly sifted will be found vâ—iust and defectiue because p August coÌ„t Iulian l. 2. Memores conscij illa ipsa corpora vitioruÌ„ omnium esse materiem pro qua polluti sordidi nihil in nobis munduÌ„ nihil innocens obtinem ex Plilario being polluted and filthy by reason of the corruptions of our sinnefull bodies as Austin alleageth out of Hilary we haue nothing in vs cleane nothing innocent q Hilar. in psal 118. Gimel Et nisi glorificatâ— in naturaÌ„ spiritus corpore vita vera in nobis non potest esse natura neither can there be in vs saith he the nature of the true life vntill the body be glorified into the nature of the spirit Now seeing the case of our righteousnesse in this life iâ—â—aâ—h certayne it is that the righteousnesse of the law is not so fulfilled in vs in this life as that thereby we can be iustified in the sight of God Yea r Leo in Anniuers suo ser 1. In isto seculo si iniquitates Dominus obseruaret nullus iudiciùm suum sustineret in this world saith Leo according to the words of the Psalme if the Lord would take knowledge of iniquities none should be able to beare his iudgement and therefore it remaineth which the same Leo elsewhere saith that Å¿ Leo Epist 81 In quo solo homo se inuenit innocentem in Christ only a man findeth himselfe innocent or iust t Greg. Moral lib. 3. cap. 11. Per hoc cuncta iustificat quod eum qui sine peccato est pro peccatoribus damnat God hereby iustifying vs as Gregory saith for that for vs sinners he condemneth him who is without sinne u Idem in Ezech hom 7. Justus aduocatus noster iustos nos defendet in iudicio quia nosmetipsos cognoscimus accusamus iniustos Our iust Aduocate therefore saith the same Gregory will in iudgement defend vs for iust if we know and accuse our selues to be vniust x Idem in EuaÌ„gel hom 25. Paratus est poenitentiam nostraÌ„ nobis ad innoceÌ„tiam deputare God being ready for his sake to repute vnto vs our penitency for innocency Here is then our iustification before God not in that the righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in vs but in that vpon our true repentance God reputeth vs innocent for Christs sake and in Christ whom as a sinner he condemned to death and punishment for our sakes Now by that that hath beene said appeareth the answere to his next place y Rom. 13. 8. 10. Loue is the fulfilling of the law and he that loueth his neighbour fulfilleth the law For what is said of iustice or righteousnesse must be also vnderstood of loue because our righteousnesse inherent consisteth in loue and according to the measure of our loue so is the measure of our righteousnesse z August de Nat. Grat. c. 70. Charitas inchoata inchoata iustitia est charitas prouecta prouecta iustitia est charitas magna magna iustitia est charitas perfecta perfecta iustitia est Charity begunne saith Austin is righteousnesse begunne charity increased is righteousnesse increased great charity is great righteousnesse perfect charity is perfect righteousnesse Sith then our iustice or righteousnesse is very defectiue and vnperfect as hath been shewed the like must be conceiued of our loue and therefore though loue be the fulfilling of the law yet in vs it is not the fulfilling of the law because in vs it is vnperfect and farre short of that which the law requireth As we haue the beginnings of loue so we haue the beginnings of fulfilling the law but that is not sufficient to iustification by the law because the law requireth absolute a Gal. 3. 10. continuance in all that is written therein Therefore St. Austin very directly to our purpose saith b Aug. Epist 29. Plenissima charitas qua iam augeri non potest quamdiu hic homo viâ—it est in nemine Quamdiu autem augâ—â—â—i potest prosectò illad quod minus est quà m debet ex vitâ—o est Ex quo vitio non est iustus in terra qui facit bonum non peccat Ex quo vitio non iustificabitar in coâ— spects Dei omnis viuens The most perfect charity which can now no further be increased so long as a man liueth here is found in none and so long as it may be increased that that is lesse then it ought to be is by reason of some vice or corruption in vs by reason whereof there is not a man iust vpon earth that doth good and sinneth not by reason wherof no man liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God In a word loue is the fulfilling of the law when as there is loue according to the tenour of the law The law saith c Deut. 6. 5. Luke 10. 27. Thou shalt
the soule going from the body he shall hold it with him for euer without any change that neither being exalted it can come downe to punishment nor being drowned in eternall punishments can thence forth rise to any remedy of saluation If after death there be no deliuerance if there be no change but as the Angell either good or badde receiueth the soule out of the body so it continueth for euer either exalted to ioy or drowned in punishment then there can be no Purgatory then there can be nothing but either heauen or hell where they that come shall abide for euer Hee citeth for this the same wordes of Salomon that we doe and of which Olympiodorus a writer of the same time saith k Olympiodor in Ecclesi asâ— cap. 11. In quocunque loco seu illustri seu tene 〈◊〉 depreâ—edatur â—omo cum moritur mâ—ode gradu atque ordine poriâ—â—net in aeternum nam vel requieseâ—â— in lumine foelicitatis aeterae cum iustis Christo Domino vel in tenebris cruciatur cum iniquis huius mundi principâ— Diabolo In whatsoeuer place either lightsome or darke a man is taken when he dyeth in the same degree and order he abideth for euer for either he resteth in the light of eternall felicity with the iust and with Christ our Lord or else he is tormented in darkenesse with the wicked and with the Prince of this world the Diuell But Gregory againe writeth an Epistle to his friend Aregius a Bishop to comfort him concerning the death of some belonging to him wherin it is worthy to be obserued how consonantly he carrieth himselfe to the doctrine of the Scriptures Amongst other wordes wee reade these l Gregor lib. 7. indict 2. Epist 111. Indecens est de illis taedio afflictionis addâ—ci quos credendum est ad veram vitam moriendo perue nisse HabeÌ„t for sitan illi iustam longi doloris excusationem qui vitam alteram nesciunt qui de hoc seculo ad mâ—lius transitiâ— esse non confidunt nos autem qui nouimus qui hoc credimus docemus coÌ„tristarinimium de obâ—â—ntibus no debemus ne quod apud alios tenet pietatis speciem hoc magis nobis in culpa sit Nam dissidetâ—c quodamodâ— genus est cotra hoc quod quisque pradicat torqueri moestitia dicente Apostolo Nolumus autem vos ignorare fratres c. Hac itaque ratione perspecta studendum nobis est vt sicut dixâ—mus de mortâ—â—â— non esslâ—gamur sed affectuÌ„ viuentibus impendamus quibus pictas ad 〈◊〉 sit ad sâ—uct◠〈◊〉 It is vndecent for vs to giue our selues to long affliction of sorrow for them whom wee are to beleeue to haue come by death vnto the true life They haue haply iust excuse of long sorrow who know not any other life who doe not beleeue the passage from this world to be to a better world but wee who know who beleeue and teach this are not to be too heauy for the dead least that which with others carryeth a shew of piety be to vs rather a matter of blame For it is in a manner a kinde of distrâ—st to be tormented with heauinesse contrary to that which he himselfe doth teach Hereof he citeth the wordes of Saint Paul to the Thestalonians which I haue before set downe and then addeth This therefore seeing we know wee are to haue care as I haue said not to be afflicted for the dead but to bestow our affection vpon the liuing to whom our piety or denotion may be profitable and our loue may yeeld fruit Surely he leaueth no place for Purgatory that teacheth to beleeue that the faithfull in death doe attaine vnto true life and that their passage from this world is to a better neither doth he acknowledge any vse of Prayers of Masses and Trentals and other Offices and Obsequies for the dead who saith that our deuotion and loue yeeldeth no fruit or profit to them He would not haue bidden Aregius not to be afflicted for the dead but to bestow his affection vpon the liuing if hee had thought the dead to be in a Purgatory where they should and might be releeued by the deuotions of the liuing Thus he beleeued and taught where he taught aduisedly according to the Scriptures and thus wee beleeue accordingly and what hee casually taught otherwise wee reckon it for wood and straw and stubble which hee built vpon the true foundation which now the day-light of the Gospell hath reueiled and the fire of Gods word consumeth though hee himselfe by the faith of the said foundation hath attained peace And this wee hold to be the only true application of the Apostles wordes and most fitting to the processe of the text the Apostle making himselfe a builder by his preaching laying Christ for the foundation of his doctrine and therefore consequently vnderstanding gold siluer pearles wood hay stubble to be the rest of the doctrine that is preached concerning Christ either true signified by gold and siluer and pearles or false signified by wood and hay and stubble So did Tertullian of old vnderstand it m Tertul. coÌ„t Marc. l. 5. Super quod prout quisque superstruxerit dignam scilicet vel indignam doctrinam opus â—ius per ignem probabitur merces â—iâ—s per ignem rependetur As euery man saith he buildeth vpon the foundation doctrine worthy or vnworthy his worke shall be tryed by fire his reward shall be repaied him by fire In the like sort doth Ambrose expound it n Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. Tria genera posuit praeclara in mundo in quibus bonam doctrinam significauit c. Tria alia genera posuit sedfriuola In his corrupta vana doctrina designata di nâ—scitur He setteth downe three kinds of things that are excellent in the world gold siluer pearles by which he signifieth good doctrine three other things he setteth downe which are but base wood hay stubble and by these corrupt and vaine doctrine is designed Now if by these things doctrine bee designed then the fire whereby triall must be made of these things must be vnderstood accordingly That cannot be of the Popish Purgatory fire for it cannot in this sense bee fitted to Purgatory fire which the Apostle saith Euery mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declareâ— because it shall bee reueiled by fire for it is not declared or manifested by Purgatory fire whether doctrine bee true or false sith it selfe is so obscure and darke as that no man knoweth where it is Is it made manifest to vs by Purgatory fire whether ours or the Popish doctrine bee the more true Nay but by the word of God this triall is made and thereby it appeareth what is truth and what is falshood what is right and what is wrong and the truth as the gold and siluer is approued and iustified thereby but errour and false doctrine as wood and
Christs mediation hee held it needfull to request other farre meaner then himselfe to pray for him All this is good saith a good Protestant for to instruct vs to request the helpe of other mens prayers that are liuing with vs but not of Saints who are departed this world Yes say we because the Saints in heauen are more charitable and desirous of Gods honour and of our spirituall good then any friend we haue liuing and therefore more forward to assist vs with their prayers They are also more gracious in the sight of God and thereby better able to obtayne our requests All which may easily be gathered out of S. Paul who saith that charity neuer faileth but is maruailously encreased 1. Cor. 13. ver 8. Ephes 2. ver 19. in that heauenly Country Also that we are not strangers and forraigners to the Saints but their fellow Cittizens and the houshold seruants of God with them yea we are members of the same body wherefore they cannot choose but tender most dearely all our sutes that appertaine vnto the glory of God and our owne saluation They therefore haue finally no other shift to auoide praying to Saints but to say that though all other circumstances doe greatly moue vs thereto yet considering that they cannot heare vs it is labour lost to pray to them To which we reply and that out of S. Paul that the Saints can heare vs and doe perfectly know our prayers made vnto them For the Apostle comparing the knowledge of this life with that of the life to come saith In part wee know and in part wee prophesie but 1. Cor. 13. ver 9. â—0 12. when that shall come which is perfect that shall be made voide which is in part And a little after VVe see now by a glasse in a darke sort but then face to face Whence not I but that Eagle-eyed Doctor S. Augustine De Ciuitat Dei lib. 22. cap. 29. doth deduce that the knowledge of the heauenly Cittizens is without comparison farre more perfect and clearer then euer any mortall mans was of things absent and to come yea that the Prophets who were indued with surpassing and extraordinary light did not reach any thing neare vnto the ordinary knowledge of the Saints in heauen grounding himselfe vpon these expresse wordes of the Apostle We prophesie in part that is imperfectly in this life which shall be perfect in heauen If then saith he the Prophets being mortall men had particular vnderstanding of things farre distant from them and done in other Countries much more doe those immortall soules replenished with the glorious light of heauen perfectly know that which is done on earth though neuer so farre from them thus much of praying to Saints R. ABBOT WE collect saith he as though it were any thing to vs what they collect when the question is what the Apostle teacheth It is true that the Apostle heartily craueth the Romans a Rom. 15. 30. to helpe him in their prayers and hopeth by the helpe b 2. Cor. 1. 11. of the Corinthians prayers to be deliuered from great dangers but what of that Marry saith he hence we reason thus If such a holy man as Paul was stoode in neede of other mens prayers much more neede haue we poore wretches of the prayers of Saints But doth not the wise man see that he here maketh a rodde to whip himselfe for if such a holy man as Paul was standing in neede of other mens prayers yet craued not any prayers of the Saints that were dead but only of the brethren that were aliue doth he not teach vs to doe the like that though we be to begge the helpe of other mens prayers yet we begge the same of the liuing only not of them that are dead Yea but the Saints in heauen saith he are more charitable and desirous of Gods honour and our spirituall good more forward to pray for vs and more gracious in Gods sight to obtaine our requests But why then say I did not St. Paul rather seeke to the Saints in heauen then to men liuing vpon the earth Why did he not say O Abraham Isaac Iacob pray for vs Why did he not desire God that by the merits and intercession of the holy Virgin of Saint Stephen St. Iames St. Ioseph and such others he would haue mercy vpon him Why did he seeke to them that were farre meaner then himselfe when hee might haue gone to those that were superiors to himselfe and more gracious in Gods sight Did not he know that charity is maruelously increased in that heauenly Countrey that they tender dearely all our sutes that they can heare vs and doe perfectly know our praiers made vnto them Why did he omit then rather to craue their prayers then the prayers of the Romans the Corinthiaus and others to whom he wrote M. Bishop cannot here answere any thing to giue satisfaction to any reasonable man yea it plainly appeareth by the Apostles example that all his collections are but vaine and phantasticall speculations Against which we oppose briefly that it is c Iam. 5. 15. the prayer of faith which saueth and true faith hath it seate d Rom. 10. 10. in the heart and God heareth euery mans prayer e 1. Kings 8. 39. as he knoweth his heart and f Ibid. he only knoweth the hearts of all the children of men and therefore the Saints know not our prayers because they know not our hearts And thus the Prophet Esay saith g Esay 63. 16. Abraham knoweth vs not and Israel is ignorant of vs. Wherupon St. Austin concludeth h August de cura pro mort gerenda c. 13. Si tanti Patriarchâ— quid erga populum ex his procreatum ageretur ignoraâ—erunt quibus Deo credentibus populus ipse de illorum stirpe promissus est quomodomortui suorum rebus atque actibus cognoscendis adiuâ—aÌ„disque miscentur Quomodo dicimus cis fuisse consultum qui obierunt antequam venirent mala quae illoruÌ„ obitum consecuta sunt si post mortem sentiunt quaecunque in vita humanae calamitate contingunt Et paulò pòst Ibi sunt ergò spiritus defunctor um vbi non vident quaecunque agâ—tur aut euenâ—â—nt in ista vita hominibus If so worthy Patriarches did not know what was done as touching the people that was descended of them to whom beleeuing God the same people was promised to come of their stocke how haue the dead to doe with the knowledge or helping of the state and doings of theirs and how doe we say that they were prouided for who died before those euils came which ensued after their death if after death they vnderstand what euils befall in the calamity of this life He concludeth The soules of the dead are there where they see not what things are done or happen to men in this life This M. Bishop cannot abide to heare of from St. Austin because he thinketh