cal the Scriptures and vnwritten which they call Traditions Traditions And the traditions say they were either deliuered by the Apostles themselues to some special men and therfore are called Apostolike or else are set downe by the Church and for that cause called Traditions of the Church Traditions equall with the word Now traditions are made equall and to be receiued with as great reuerence as the Scriptures euen by the Councel of Trent Ses 4. decre 1 Preferred before the word the most modest Papists But there are others who in their excesse of impietie preferre the trâ— ditions before the word written and make them of greater force than it as Pighius in his Ecclesiasticall hierarchie Eccl. Hierar lib. 1. cap. 4. Thesi 9. In his preface Wolfgangus Screckius Nay in that he wil by traditions haue all doctrines tried he manifestly subiecteth the pure written woorde of God to the prophane deuises of man BVt to take away the proppes of this their ruinous building let vs see what grounds or foundations for so Melchior Canus a learned Papist termeth them they lay of this their doctrine Obiection Melchior Canus in his common places of Diuinitie and Bellarmine in his controuersies lib. 3. cap. 3 Bellar. lib. 4 〈◊〉 of Gods worde dâ— written and others also set this downe as a most neceâ—â—â—rie principle That the Church is more ancient than the Scriptures As in trueth the Church was more than two thousand yeres before there was any written word of God in bookes and therefore Bellarmine inferreth That the Scriptures are not simply necessary Answere First this ground doeth not vpholde that which is in controuersie among vs. For they shoulde prooue traditions to bee a part of Gods worde so that without them Gods word could not bee counted perfect And to proue that they tel vs that it was more than two thousand yeeres before the woord was written Which maketh nothing for them vnlesse they can shew vs that this word which is now written is not that same that before was deliuered by tradition vnto the fathers of that old world For the question betweene vs and the Papists is not of the maner of deliuering Gods word whether it were deliuered by word or by writing but of the matter namely whether Gods word be any thing else than that is written in the old and new testament which we deny but they affirme it because the word was so long time vnwritten yet the church was not then without the word So that because the word was reuealed after an other manner the Papists wil haue it another word Whereas in trueth that same word that was from the beginning Iohn 1.1 what word that is that is written is that verie word of God that was so long after the beginning written for the Iewes and is now deliuered vnto vs. Wee must therefore take heede that they deceiue vs not by the double signification of the word Scripture which sometime expresseth the manner of deliuering the word namely by writing and so we confesse the scripture was not so ancient as the church by mo than two thousand yeares but sometime the word Scripture signifieth the word it selfe which is deliuered vnto vs as it is commonly now taken and in this place must so be vnderstoode And so hath the word written beene from the beginning That is to say that the selfe same word which God by word of mouth as we say and by tradition did teach the patriarkes hee afterwards did cause to be written which word wee call the holy scriptures And further also we must remember that one manner of deliuering the word of God Diuerse maners of deliuering the word at diuerse times is fit for one time and an other manner of deliuering it for an other time As may appeare by that which hath beene said how that God hath in his infinite wisedome seene it needefull to deliuer it one way afore the Lawe in an other sort vnder the Lawe and the Gospell although not in like measure in both these latter times So that this argument cannot stand good The scriptures haue not beene written in the first age amongst the patriarkes therefore they are not necessary now amongst vs in these dayes to whom God hath by them reuealed his word Which argument is strongly confuted by Chrysostome that learned and ancient Father In Matth. hom 1. But to these men who are as Tertullian calleth the Heretikes of his time lucifugae scripturarum De resurrect carnis such as shunne the light of the scriptures and flee from it I may say as the same Tertullian speaketh in an other place De prescript Beleeue without the Scriptures that yee may also beleeue against the Scriptures Let them seeke the desert of their owne deuises and follow the trod of their owne traditions to finde out some couert for their superstitions but let vs content our selues to dwell in the cities of the Lawe the Prophets the Gospel and the Apostles which are the Scriptures and not goe out of them In Mich. li. 1 as Saint Ierome speaketh For euery word of God is pure Prou. 30.5 6 hee is a shield to those that trust in him Put nothing to his word lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a liar That this VVorde is sufficient CHAP. 2 THE PROTESTANTS This word is sufficient NOw this written word of God because it is sent vs froÌ„ that most gratious God that hath loued vs and chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laide Eph. 1.4 that we might be holy with out blame before him and is brought vnto vs by that most excellent Prophet In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss 2.3 and therefore can teach vs Heb. 3.2 who also is faithful and therefore wil deale truely with vs yea who so heartily loueth vs that hee died for vs and therefore doubtlesse will be careful to teach vs what behooueth vs to knowe Seeing also the Apostle saint Paul doeth testifie that he kept nothing backe that was profitable Acts 20.20 27 but shewed them all the councell of God We therefore beleeue the Scriptures to be written Ioh. 20.31 that wee might beleeue and beleeuing might haue eternall life 2. Tim. 3.16 And that the whole scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse 17 That the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes that is that the Scripture is so sufficient and perfect that it hath no want it needeth no supply nothing must be added THE PAPISTS BVT the Church of Rome knowing that Tertullian wrote truely De resurrect carnis That Heretikes if they be made to proue that they say by the Scriptures can not stand do find fault that they should be so straitly limited and tethered that
2. I haue spokē in the answere vnto his secōd argument But heere it appeareth that such heretikes did then trouble the church Last of al not al the vehemēt speeches of the fathers are to be taken or vnderstoode as they sound but they must be warely red and wisely examined by the touchstone of Gods word And then it will appeare that the Fathers either may well bee taken or iustly refused And thus hauing I trust in the iudgement of the indifferent Reader sufficiently confirmed the trueth answered the Scriptures alleadged to the contrary and shewed some causes why the fathers should in this point be read with good aduise and iudgement it now onely remaineth that I lay open the absurditie of that shift wherein they trust much and which indeede is the chiefe strength of their cause For being pressed with the testimonies out of scriptures especially out of saint Paul which plainely testifie that we are iustified by faith Rom. 3.28 without the workes of the law first they deuised this answere that S. Paul speaketh of the ceremoniall laws that we are iustified without them but not without doing the works of the law morall or of the commaundements But this being so vntrue an answere that master Bellarmine himselfe is ashamed of it De iustificat lib. 1. cap. 19. and reasoneth against it Master Bellarmine bringeth another answere namely that the Apostle speaketh of the workes before faith So that he would haue the wordes of the Apostle thus to sound Wee are iustified by faith without the works of the law that were done before we beleeued And for the credit of this interpretation he would faine father it vpon S. Augustine and S. Ierome De gr lib. arb ca. 7. de praedest sinctor cap. 7. In praefat ps 31 Ier. ad Ctesiphontem contra Pelagianos but most vntruely as he that examineth those places shall easily see that S. Augustine and S. Ierome in those places doe not so expound those wordes of saint Paul neither giue vs anie rule so to expound them Neither yet doe Chrysostome Ambrose Theophilact or Primasius vpon those words either in the third to the Romans or second to the Galathians so expound it Rom. 4.4 Or yet S. Ierome vpon the Galathians And in the Epistle that he writeth against the Pelagians to Ctesiphon he denieth that those words may be vnderstood of the law ceremoniall but concerning this exposition which master Bellarmine bringeth there is no word As for the reason that Bellarmine hath out of S. Paul to prooue this his exposition let vs consider of it Vnto him that worketh saith S. Paul the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt Therefore saith M. Bellarmine he speaketh onely of those workes that are done by the power of free will without grace How little S. Paule dreamed of free will hath in the former chapter beene declared And that hee doeth not in these wordes expound what he meant before by the workes of the lawe the text it selfe prooueth For hauing said that Abraham beleeued God and that was counted to him for righteousnes therevpon the Apostle inferreth that if he had beene iustified by workes his iustification had bin of debt not of grace So that he doth not heere expound his former wordes but beginneth in this fourth chapter an other argument by the example of Abraham being already iustified and a holie man to prooue iustification by faith without workes euen by forgiuenesse of sinnes or couering them And as I haue shewed master Bellarmines interpretation to stand vppon no good ground but that the place aledged maketh against himselfe so that which we gather out of S. Paules words to be the most true meaning namely that workes neither before nor after our first iustification as they call it can merit the circumstances of the place do proue the whole course of his doctrine He instructeth the Rom. Galath in this doctrine who were already become christians already were iustified He doth not only shew that the works of the law do not iustifie but telleth vs that the nature of the law is to make vs to know sin Rom. 7.7 Rom. 4.15 to cause wrath euen after we be iustified And S. Paul himselfe teacheth so much in that he counted al that was in him to be but losse yea dung That he might win Christ Philip. 3.8 9 be found in him not hauing his own righteousnesse which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through Christ Marke heere how the Apostle saint Paul in these wordes which were written almost thirty yeeres after his conuersion still relieth vpon the righteousnesse that is by faith and he calleth it Gods righteousnesse and refuseth that which commeth by workes and that he calleth mans righteousnesse Now of this which is said I trust I may thus reason Saint Paul excludeth from iustification not only the works that are done before we beleeue but also the works which we afterwards doe therefore master Bellarmines interpretation is not true If then workes cannot iustifie as hitherto I haue taught wee may say with saint Augustine Wo bee euen to the commendable life of man Confess lib. 9. ca. 13. if thou Lord setting mercie aside examine it For Enarrat psal 109. as he saieth in an other place Whatsoeuer God hath promised hee hath promised to them that are vnworthie that it shuld not be promised as wages for good works but grace according to the name of it should be freely giuen Confess lib. 9. cap. 13. O therefore that all men that with Saint Augustine I may wish that godly wish would know themselues and they that reioyce Ad Ctesiphontem contra Pelagianos would reioyce in the Lord. For this onely perfection is left to men that they knowe themselues to be vnperfect as truly and godlily saint Hierome writeth Of iustification by Faith and what Faith is CHAP. 26 THE PROTESTANTS ANd this Iustification which by our workes we can not deserue yet by faith we do obtaine Not because our faith can of it selfe worke any such effect What faith is But it beeing a liuely and certain perswasion of our heart and conscience that God for Christ Iesus his sake forgiueth vs al our sinnes and in him accounteth vs holie and righteous doeth thus iustifie vs not as that that worketh our iustification but as that which apprehendeth and taketh holde of that righteousnes that Christ hath wrought for vs. And so by faith he being made ours is vnto vs wisdome 1. Cor. 1.30 and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption And being thus iustified by faith Rom. 5.1 wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ THE PAPISTS BVT our aduersaries because they like not that Christ shoulde bee the onely salue for our sores neyther will they haue faith to bee the hande that applieth this soueraigne medicine
to our maladies But they are content to confesse that it doeth iustifie yea Bellar. de iustif li. 1. ca. 15. Con. Trid. Sess 6. cap. 6. Orth. explica li. 6. and that faith doth somewhat merit our iustification because it doeth prepare and dispose the hart to iustification or as Andradradius saith because it goeth before to open as it were the doore to hope and charitie and is the beginning and foundation of iustification but that it iustifieth as the instrumentall cause that maketh vs to rest and settle our selues for our iustification onely vpon Christ without any regarde to the merit and woorke of Fayth they will not graunt A great cause of the difference betwene vs and the papists in this question is that we agree not in the signification of the worde what it is to be iustified This therefore is the question whether wee that are not only by nature sinners but also euen after our regeneration haue that Lawe in our members rebelling against the lawe of the minde Rom. 7.27 Bellar. de Amiss grat li. 5. ca. 13. which saint Paul calleth sinne and the papists themselues confesse to be euil damned and hated of God whether I say we being such sinners shal appeare righteous before God in hauing our sinnes pardoned couered and not imputed vnto vs and Christs righteousnesse accounted ours or in that goodnes or holines or those good workes which Gods grace worketh in vs. We say that Christ by faith is made ours Christ I say with all his holinesse and righteousnesses Ephe. 1.7 By whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace And in this assurance we stand euen before Gods iudgment seat without feare and say with the apostle Who shall laie anie thing to the charge of gods chosen Rom. 8.33.34 It is God that iustifieth who shal condemne vs. It is Christ that is dead yea or rather is risen againe Who is also at the right hand of God and also maketh request for vs. And in this faith and assured perswasion we haue peace of conscience here and are in Christ and for his sake accounted righteous elsewhere euen before him that shall iudge the quicke and the dead They teach vs that after baptisme sinne is so killed within vs Popish iustification that we are able to doe such workes as doe merit iustification and eternall life That iustification is not by works but by imputation Gen. 22.18 And by this righteousnesse that is in vs we are made so iust and righteous that we are so iustified before God To confirme that which we teach we haue the promise made to Abraham That in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed In his seede I say not in our selues we must all be blessed And that Christ is this seede saint Paul to the Galathians doth affirme Gal. 3.16 Secondly the iustification of the people of the Iewes which they by their sacrifices obtained is a right pattern of our iustification For though the bloud of of the beasts could not make them holy yet the sacrifice being offered for them according to the law Hep. 9.9 did worke so much that they who before were accounted vncleane and might not appeare before the Lord nowe were accounted cleane and might serue before him Euen so we though wee bee not in our selues yet by this our sacrifice that hath offered him selfe a sweete smell vnto God the father wee are accounted cleane and without sinne Rom. 5.2 and haue by him accesse vnto that grace wherein we stand Thirdly this iustification is commended vnto vs by Dauid Psal 32.1.2 Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie And for this cause he stirreth vp his soule to praise the Lord Psal 103.3 because saith he He forgiueth al thine iniquities It is promised by Ieremie I will forgiue their iniquities Iere. 31.34 and remember their sinnes no more And the Prophet Hose teacheth the people to pray for it Hose 14.2 saying thus Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously Where this is also by the way to be marked that the prophet here biddeth vs come to God with such words as if he had said Your works are euill and cannot helpe they cannot merit Yet come with good words be suiters for grace Fourthly our sauiour Christ doth commend vnto vs this iustification which we haue by him apprehend by faith Whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish Iohn 3.16 but haue euerlasting life Of whom the apostles also haue learned that we are iustified by faith that righteousnes is imputed vnto vs that we are accounted righteous Rom. 3.28 Rom. 4.3.11 Lastly we see how the apostle doth exclude works frō iustifying than which there can be no stronger argumēt against this inherent iustification which the papists contend for or for the imputation of righteousnes by faith in Christ Iesus which we according vnto the scriptures doe preach And therefore he doth not onely exclude works in generall from iustification Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.11 Rom. 4. Iustified by faith without the workes of the law But also those works that Abraham did after his first calling when now he was regenerate euen then I say attributing iustification to faith and not to his workes And likewise for his owne works long after he was regenerate Phil. 3.9 he reiecteth them that he might attaine vnto righteousnesse by faith So little did he trust vnto that inherent righteousnesse that he counted it but dung and so wholie did he depend on that righteousnes that we haue by faith in Christ Iesus But of this I haue spoken in the end of the former chapter And I trust this may serue the turne to shew how farre we are from that inherent righteousnes and keeping of the law which our popish Pharisees dreame of especially if we consider what great perfection the law requireth to be in our workes Master Bellar. his profe for inherent iustice De iustif li. 2. cap. 3. Rom. 5.19 and what want through our corruption there is in the same But master Bellarmine bringeth some arguments to proue this inherent righteousnesse The first is out of these words As by one mans disobediēce many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made iust Of this argument because I haue spoken at large towards the latter ende of the 23. chapter I leaue the reader to that place His second argumēt is this Al are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24.25 throgh the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set to be a reconciliation In which place by grace master Bellarmine vnderstandeth that righteousnesse that God hath giuen or infused into vs for so he speaketh But saint Augustine in that place vnderstandeth
they may beleeue or receiue nothing but that is in the scripture Andrad Orthod explic lib. 2 And therfore they neither shame nor fear to charge the word written with insufficiencie Bellarm. li. 4 cap. 4 Gods word not sufficient For so doeth Bellarmine in flat terms And therfore he Melchior Canus the Censure of Collen the rest of them doe out of this principle gather an vnanswerable argument as they imagin for traditions because say they the Scripture spâ— aketh not of many things necessary to bee beleeued Are not these such workmen as the Apostle willeth vs to take heede of Phil. 3.2 Beware of euill workemen yes verily for they are deceitfull workemen 2. Cor. 11.13 if you marke them wel For wheras they shoulde trie their worke by the line and the square they contrariwise trie their rule by their worke And whereas they should reiect all doctrines that are not agreeable to the word of God they make that to bee GODS worde that will alowe of their doctrine so that traditions must needs be Gods word because they maintaine that which the Scripture aloweth not of The argument for traditions and against the sufficiencie of the Scriptures Many things there are necessary to be beleeued that are not expresly set downe in the Scriptures yea many things that are neither plainely neither obscurely in the Scriptures say all the Papists namely Canus in his second and third grounds Lib. 3. cap. 3 Therefore the Scriptures are not sufficient For answere the antecedent or first part of the argument is vntrue For whatsoeuer is to be beleeued is either plainly set downe or necessarily to be gathered out of the Scriptures otherwise our Sauiour Christ should not seeme to haue plainely dealt with the Iewes when hee biddeth them Search the Scriptures making no mention of any traditions and addeth his reason Iohn 5.39 They the scriptures beare witnesse of mee but this is manifest by the places before alleaged Contra lit Pâ—â— il lib. 3. cap. 6 Wherefore S. Augustine doth account him accursed yea he so pronounceth him that will teach any thing either of Christ or of his Church or anie thing else that appertaineth either to faith or to our life besides that which we haue receiued in the Scriptures of the lawe and the Gospel Marke how he saith the Scripture serueth vs for all turnes Therfore the Authour of the vnperfect work vpon Mathew euen in the beginning Hom. 1 compareth the Scripture to a Store-house of some rich man wherein one may find whatsoeuer he wanteth so saith he in this booke euery soule may finde that which is necessarie And Athanasius alluding to the place of S. Paule 2. Contra gentes Tim. 3.16 saith The holy scriptures giuen by inspiration are sufficient to teach vs all trueth It is therefore far better that we with Tertullian should adore the fulnes of the Scriptures Cont. Hermogenem Lib. 3. cap. â— than be partakers with those heretikes of whom Irene complaineth who when by the Scriptures they were conuinced accused the Scriptures themselues as if something were amisse in them and that they are not of authoritie sufficient they are diuerse and the trueth can not in them be found of them that knowe not the traditions for they were deliuered not by writing but by word which are the very words of the church of Rome So that a man can not so aptly paint out our popish heretikes as if he take his patterne by those ancient heretikes For not one Ape is liker to an other than they are The Scripture a sure Rule CHAP. 3 THE PROTESTANTS The scripture a sure rule ANd seeing that God by his prophet Dauid hath testified Psal 19.8 that the Lawe of the Lorde is perfect and hath by the Prophet Esay sent vs to aske councel in doubtfull cases Esay 8.20 To the Lawe and to the Testimony Yea and our Sauiour Christ Luc. 16.17 when Diues mooueth Abraham to send some to his fiue brethren to teach them sendeth them to Moses and to the Prophets to learne of theÌ„ vers 29 and telleth the Saduces That they erre Math. 22.29 because they knowe not the Scriptures Lastly seeing the Apostle S. Paul incourageth Timothie to keepe well that he had learned because saith hee 2. Tim. 3.15 thou hast knowen the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise vnto saluation Wee therfore willingly confes constantly beleeue that we haue a most sure word of the prophets 2. Pet. 1.19 to the which we do wel if we do take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day star arise in our hearts And therefore wee doe account this Worde written to bee the most certaine and infallible rule of our faith or conuersation THE PAPISTS BVt the Papists who can get nothing but by the crooked measures of their traditions to bring them into credit with men do highly commend them sometime comparing them to Theseus his thread Screckius prefaâ— whereby he was directed out of the laborinth and vnto the Touch stone whereby all doctrine shoulde be tried Ibidem and make it as great a fault to breake traditions Andrad Orthod explic lib. 5 lib. 3 as if Christ with his owne mouth had spoken them yea somtime greater so make them at the least equall to the written word that is to the vndoubted word of GOD. And on the other side do altogether deface and disgrace the Scriptures calling them Inke-Diuines that sticke to them Eckius de scripturis and comparing them to a Leaden rule Eccl. Hierar so doeth Pighius or a nose of waxe Explic. dial 4 as the Censure of Collen doth most prophanely both the which blasphemous godlesse reproches against the Scriptures are defended by Andradius Li. 2. orthod Explication as catholike and sound sayings because hee thinketh as they doe that they may bee changed and drawen to any interpretation Bellar. lib. 4 de verbo non scripto cap. 4 5 And therfore they teach that the verie Scriptures without traditions are not altogether necessarie And all this is to perswade the simple that the Scriptures are not a certaine Iudge of faith or rule of life Argument The argument whereby they indeuour to seduce men and to drawe them to their opinion is this Whatsoeuer rule of faith or life may be changed and according to mens affections expounded is vncertaine and deceitful but the Scripture is such therefore it is an vncertaine rule Answere Which I answer thus First the maior or former proposition is not simply true but with these additioÌ„s whatsoeuer may aptly or without doing violence to the words be so drawen vnto sundry opinions is an vncertaine râ—â—â— And hereby will soone be gathered the falsenesse of the minor which affirmeth the scripture to be such For although out of one
hee commeth at length to the authoritie of man And hee will prooue what men will say in his behalfe where God keepeth silence And the first that he bringeth in is Innocentius that liued at the least foure hundred yeares after Christ What was it no Sacrament for foure hundred yeares and nowe vpon a sudden is it become a sacrament howe doeth hee proue it to bee a sacrament He bringeth no reason hee hath no proofe no neither yet doeth hee so much as say it is a sacrament properly so called but that it is Genus Sacramenti A kinde of Sacrament What then if we graunt to master Bellarmine that which Pope Innocentius sayeth If it bee a kinde of Sacrament as hee sayeth is it therefore a sacrament truely and properly as maister Bellarmine saieth I denie that argument and maister Bellarmine will not proue it And yet to helpe his bad cause hee lowdly and lewdly belyeth Innocentius his woordes in that hee affirmeth that Innocentius saieth expresselie and plainlie that this oynting is that sacrament explaned by saint Iames. But Innocentius hath no such wordes no neither yet any thing like But M. Bellarmine to deceiue them that can not looke into the fathers doth many times falsifie them to make his cause to seeme better And nowe what cause hath this seconde Achylles of the Catholikes for Eckius did bestow that name first vpon himselfe as you may see in his Enchiridion in the title of the church in the margent what cause I saie hath this challenging champion thus to brag against Kemnitius that hee durst not so much as name this Innocentius When his testimonie is examined the cracke is great but he doth not hit the marke that maister Bellarmine would haue him to leauell at As for Kemnitius if he haue but his due praise we must needes confesse that by his learning and trauell he hath more beaten downe the walles of that popish Babilon than that all the papists if they ioine togither hand in hand shall be able with all their skill and cunning to raise it vp againe Of Innocentius the third because he came so late he is not worth the answering for he liued about 1200. yeares after Christ in time of ignorance and much superstition As for the Councels which he alleageth the first is the Nicene councell translated into latine out of the Arabic tongue But since that canon is not amongst those canons which wee haue in the tomes of the councels and in those coppies that hitherto haue beene counted the true councels we neede not much regarde those farre fetched authorities His second authoritie is out of the councell of Cabilon and some other particular councels and although he commend their antiquitie yet the first of them was almost 800. yeares after Christ And those which I haue examined make not for his purpose For they proue not that this annointing is a sacrament properly so called Now for the fathers master Bellarmine needeth no aduersary he confesseth his want of proofe out of them For he deuideth the fathers into two sortes The one he confesseth doe not plainly saie that it is a sacrament Why then doth he produce them He hath taken in hand to proue that anoyling as it is vsed in the popish church is a true and proper sacrament If they will not proue this they maie holde their tongues For to this end only are they to be alleaged An other sort there are who speake it plainely as he telleth vs. But they are of no credit neither are once named among the ancient fathers The eldest of them is about 800. yeares after Christ And for his examples of some few men what they haue done it is no proofe to vs that we ought so to doe They might haue their reasons that might well induce them to it They might also doe therein as in many things many haue done of a blinde zeale and foolish deuotion How or in what sort they haue done that which they did I wil not take vpon me to iudge as for their doings they ought not to be an example to any man so that we should be bound to follow them But hee wil proue by reason that it must needs be a sacrament Bellarm. de sac vnct li. 1. cap. 5. For since God hath by a sacrament holpen vs in the entraunce into the church and also in our continuance in the same we maie not imagine that his prouidence shall faile vs at our going out of the church these are maister Bellarmine his wordes I might briefly answere that we are not to teach God what we thinke conuenient that he should doe but to see what he hath done and to content our selues therewith and to frame our selues to performe the same But if God faile in his prouidence if their anoyling be not a sacrament then must we imagine that God had no due regarde of the fathers of the old world or of the patriarkes or of the godly vnder the law For vntill Christs time master Bellarmine will confesse they had not this Sacrament Yea the Apostles and all other the Godly and constant Martirs in Christs church had not that sacrament Neither yet did they make complaint for want of the same but comfortably and patiently indured all torments with great ioy although they had not this anoyling nor anie hope to haue it no neither once thought of it Lastly our Sauiour Christ to prepare vs against death telleth vs that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life and to cause vs not to feare it he saith that he is the resurrection and the life Many notable lessons did our Sauiour Christ giue to his disciples before he left the world to goe to his father which are recorded by Saint Iohn from the twelfth to the seuenteenth chapters And although he vse all arguments to comfort them yet he neuer once thought of this anoyling which yet then if he had purposed to leaue vnto his church anie such Sacrament it had beene good time to haue deliuered them for their comforte To be short whatsoeuer he commaunded vs to vse for the strengthning of our faith with boldnesse we may and with comfort and readinesse we ought to doe But it is farre from either true or sound comfort in the agony of death or a sufficient weapon to withstand the assaults of Sathan and conflicts of conscience to haue standing by thee some Idol pastor whose greatest good that he either can or will doe vnto thee is to grease some parts of thy body Let the world esteeme of these things as they will But this is certaine that it is only true obedience that hath the promise of blessing And without the commandement there can be no obedience either in our duties towardes God or our conuersation amongst men For obedience is nothing els but an earnest applying of our selues to doe that which is pleasing vnto God and which he hath commanded It is also far from the maiestie of
doe in vs let vs giue glory vnto him only by whom we may doe al things and without whom we can doe nothing Philip. 2.13 Phil. 4.13 Iohn 15.5 And we may iustly be ashamed of such foolish reasons God helpeth vs therefore we haue free will We may perchance conclude thereupon that we doe somewhat but how little it is that we doe nay how we doe very nothing without Gods good grace in the workes of Godlinesse in all this Chapter is I hope sufficiently declared But nowe for the conclusion of this Chapter I woulde gladlie knowe of them that so stiflie maintaine free will howe they can cleare themselues from the Pelagian heresie so hated of all the Godly so often condemned by Councels and so mightilie confuted by Saint Augustin in many of his bookes Orth. explic lib. 4. Andradius answereth this matter fully They confesse saith hee our strength to bee so weake he speaketh of them that made the censure of Colen that vnlesse it be made strong by Gods grace wee can neither doe nor will anie perfect good thing But the Pelagians will grant thus much And yet S. August calleth them hereticks oftentimes enemies of the grace of Christ yea new heretickes enemies to the crosse of Christ such as fought against forsooke yea persecuted the grace of Christ And yet I say they grāted asmuch as the papists doe First they cōfesse that by grace they were holpen that they might become Gods children Aug. ad Bon. li. 1. cap. 3. Yea that they were alwaies holpen by Gods grace in euery good worke And that grace helpeth euerie bodies good purpose Cap. 19. Now let the reader iudge wherin the popish Pelagians Lib. 4. cap. 6. differ from those old condemned Pelagians They seeme to be birdes of one nest What doth S. Augustine out of whom I haue alleadged this confession of the Pelagians I say what doth he think of their words he liketh them wonderful wel In so much as doubtles saith he a man would thinke this were spoken like a catholicke Ibidem How then fel it out that stil he was accounted an hereticke and his fauorites S. Augustine although he could not mislike much of that he saide yet he could not but condemne their intent and meaning And therefore when he had said it was spoken like a catholicke he addeth If they would not thinke of merit in this their good purpose to which merit reward should bee giuen as of duty not of grace Now I pray you to what end doth the church of Rome defende this doctrine of free wil Is it not that the doctrine of merits may follow Yes I warrant you That is it they so earnestly contend for For thereby they gaine both credit and coyne So that they seeme then to agree in their words and in their intent Seeing therefore this doctrine of free wil doth so conspire with the Pelagian heresie and so dissent from the word of God as hath beene shewed let vs say with saint Augustine Thinking we beleeue thinking we speake thinking we doe whatsoeuer we doe Aug. de bon seuerantiae cap. 13. but concerning the true waie of godlines and seruice of God we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God And therefore we liue more safely when we yeeld all to God and commit not our selues in part to him and in part to our selues Ibidem ca. 6. as the same saint Augustine saith els where That by our workes we cannot be iustified and against the doctrine of merites CHAP. 25 THE PROTESTANTS BEcause no righteousnes can stand before God but that which is perfect the rule of perfection is to loue the Lord our God with all our heart Luc. 10.27 soule strength and thought our neighbour as our selfe We therfore must needs confesse that the workes that are done by vs whilest we carrie about this bodie which is a heauy burden to the soule Wisd 9.15 are so defiled with cōcupiscence which the Papists thēselues confesse to be euill and hated of God that neither wee can so freely and zealouly serue God as we would neyther whollie respect Gods glorie therein as we should But find our selues too colde and carelesse in good things and that wee alwaies will haue some respect to our selues in doing the same And therefore wee are compelled with the prophet Dauid to say Psal 130.2 If thou O Lorde straitly markest iniquities O Lorde who shall stand We knowe Iob 14.18 Iob 15.15 that hee that found wickednesse in his Angels and no stedfastnes in his faints yea in whose sight the heauens are not cleane no more the childe but of a day olde he I say wil easily finde out Iob 14.4 that none can make cleane that that is conceiued of vncleane seed Iob 15.14 neither can hee be iust that is borne of a woman according to the course of nature But we confesse with the prophet Esay Esa 64.6 we haue al bin as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthie cloutes Yea and if it might be that we might liue here so 1. Cor. 4.4 that we knew nothing by our selues and yet we are not thereby iustified how much lesse then shall wee seeke to iustifie our selues by our workes wherein by reason of our corruption we must needs finde and feele manifolde wants Which imperfection euen in our best workes is sufficiently declared in that neither the sacrifices of the Iewes neither yet the praiers or spirituall sacrifices of the Christians can of themselues bee acceptable vnto God but only through Iesus Christ our Lord whose mediation they shuld not need if of themselues they were perfect But hee must season them he must sanctifie them he must offer thē that they may be acceptable vnto God THE PAPISTS BVT the Papists trusting too much in their own power to doe good and not considering truely what maner of worke that is which may iustly be called a good worke to what end and with what affection it must be done do teach that a man may doe such workes Concil Trid. Sess 6. ca. 32 Cens Coloniens dial 5. as that hee may merit thereby Iustification and eternall life euen as a due reward And that this is a point of Gods infinite mercy that he promiseth eternal life to them that worke well Dialogo 1. Nay Cens Colon. dial 5. that by Christes passion and the holy ghost there is giuen to our workes a certaine infinitenes to the end that partly being holpen by such a gift they might worthily deserue eternall life wherein they haue in fewe wordes many blasphemies As that there may seeme to be some proportion betweene the rewarde and the worke they haue deuised how the worke it self shall haue in it a certaine infinitenesse that is an exceeding excellencie And yet S. Paul saith Rom. 8.18 that the afflictions of this present
time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. And if all we can suffer here haue no comparison with that glorie what infinite goodnesse can wee imagin our works may haue And whereas the Scriptures in this matter of iustification do take all the glorie from our workes Rom. 3.26 27.28 and giue it vnto God they so part stakes betweene God and their good workes that their workes being holpē but in part that is but a little by grace doe woorthily deserue eternall life So it seemeth that they will not be much beholding to God for their saluation as the indifferent Reader may soone perceiue Who if they continue in this their blasphemie Aug. in Psal 31. praefat and bragge thus of their merites they shal without question fall from grace And if they will needs seek to establish their owne righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 they can not be partakers of Gods righteousnesse And if they will not haue it by faith without the workes of the lawe Rom. 3.28 they can neuer haue it Yet to say our owne workes cannot saue vs Act. Monum Fox lib. c. 1117. hath bin counted heresie Now that our aduersaries are in this point so stiffe vpon so small a ground it being so necessary a point of religion that without true knowledge thereof they cannot be saued I cannot but maruell For besides that which before I haue said of the imperfection of our works which is confessed by themselues for Andradius confesseth that the Iesuits of Colen say that it cannot be Orthod explic lib. 5. that we can loue God perfectly and sufficiently in this life besides that imperfection I say which is in any thing that we can do which cannot answere for that perfect righteousnes which God iustly may require of vs there are sundry other great reasons to induce vs to detest that doctrine as a thing most dāgerous for christians to giue eare vnto Luc. 17.9 Our sauiour Christ when he hath by the parable of the seruant taught vs that it is our duetie to do that which he commaundeth vs he addeth this So likewise yee 10. when you haue done all those things that are commanded you say we are vnprofitable seruauntes wee haue done that was our dutie to doe If then it be our dutie to keepe Gods commaundements yea and that not once but that so long as wee liue In luc li. 8. wee must doe it as Saint Ambrose saieth In luc ca. 17. and if as Theophilact saith that wee are bounde to keepe all Gods commaundements I would faine learne of some of our aduersaries howe the doing of that thing which wee alwaies ought to doe can satisfie Gods wrath for neglect of such dueties as we haue not done and such sinnes as wee haue committed contrary to Gods lawe for if now I keepe the commaundement it is my duety nowe and alwayes to doe it Can this then bee any recompence to satisfy God for such times as I haue omitted my duetie It cannot be it hath no likelihoode of trueth Nay if he worke not saieth Theophilact hee is woorthy of many stripes Luc. 17. and if he worke let him content himselfe that he is not beaten Therefore let him not seeke for reward or honor for it Therfore seeing euery worke that wee do is a sacrifice that then must be offered a duty that then must be performed and that also very short I warrant you of that wee should performe if it were well sifted how can we say that such a worke can merite eternall life Or if that worke can but serue that duety that then is required what recompence shall wee make for all other our sinnes For it is a question amongst themselues whether Christ by his death did take away any sinnes but only originall sinne For Ambrose Catharinus an archbishop In his booke de Incruento sacrif and a great man at the Councell of Trent doeth plainely write that Christ died onely for originall sinne As for actuall sinnes they must be taken away by masses and such helps saith he Now if we had no other hope but such paltry popish deuises to take away our sinnes wherein we continually offend we were the most miserable of all creatures But to returne to the wordes of our sauiour Christ Out of them we may reason thus If our most perfect obedience be but duety it is not merit but it is but duety therefore no merit This whole argument is necessarily to be gathered out of the words themselues as you see the forenamed fathers doe testifie Which place also is very strong against their most blasphemous doctrine of their workes of supererrogation For if all wee can doe Against workes of Supererrogation Cap. 20. bee scarce our owne dutie then can it not serue for others to satisfie for their sinnes And yet is this doctrine defended by them as by Nichol Burne in his booke yea and by master Bellarmine who is so little ashamed thereof that as it were a doctrine that must needes be graunted vnto him he endeuoureth thereby to prooue that we may keepe Gods lawe A man saieth he may doe more than God commaundeth De iustificat lib. 4. cap. 13 therefore much more may hee fulfill the law Now if you will knowe the mystery of this great abhomination it is this as they tel vs. Whereas some men say they haue beene so godly that they haue done mo good workes than they needed these are as it were the treasure of the church which the Pope may at his pleasure bestow And so he doth for the pardons and indulgences haue their vertue from these workes So that if there bee no such workes then the Pope like a false merchant hath deceiued the world for many yeeres as still he doeth For his pardons Agnus Dei his grana benedicta and such baggage haue no vertue but from their workes of supererrogation And here I can but wonder at the whorish forehead of the church of Rome in this thing Shee can in no wise abide the imputation of Christes righteousnesse for our iustification shee may not heare of it All Popish Writers write against it And yet their doctrine of merites especially of the workes of supererrogation what is it but the imputation of other mens merites as they think to satisfie for vs and for our iustification Shal Christes righteousnesse imputed to vs be absurd to teach and to teach the imputation of mans workes a sound doctrine We may see by this that in the church of Rome that doctrine is best that is most gainefull For the Pope can gaine but little worldly wealth by preaching the imputation of Christes righteousnesse vnto vs But by this doctrine of the workes of supererrogation hee gaineth much For because it is the treasure of the church whosoeuer will haue thereof must pay well for it to the church that is to the pope But howe doth master Bellarmine proue that we
can doe more than wee neede Because that Christ bid one that said he had kept all the commandements Mat. 19.22 Sell all he had and giue it to the poore I will not presse master Bellarmine here with the iudgement of the fathers who finde this to be a commaundement and therfore not more than neede Confess li. 13. cap. 19. And saint Augustine seeth it to be a law against couetousnes But who so euer will consider of the place maie easilie see that our sauiour Christ did purpose by this commaundement to let him see his owne ignorance of his estate and that he knew not his owne wants Not meaning that it should be a commandement of that he was not by Gods lawe bound to performe but rather a rule whereby he might trie how far he was from keeping the second table of the commaundements and therfore that he might euen condemne himselfe to be much shorter of keeping the first table As for his proofe out of Chrysostome Hom. 8. de poenitentia Manie doe more than they are commanded it is true that Chrysostome saieth so but it is also true that he speaketh of such things as are not simply of themselues good works but indifferent of themselues But the vse or abuse of them doth make them good workes or euill His examples that hee bringeth are of virginitie that it is not commaunded but this master Bellarmine omitteth of purpose because it maketh agaynst their doctrine of vowes neither is it commaunded saieth hee that men should not possesse any thing Yea I knowe that the Scribes and Pharisees did many things that God neuer commaunded as also the Iewes in the time of Esay Esa 1.12 to whom it was sayde Who required these things at your handes And this is also an answere to that which out of Augustine he alledgeth What biddest thou De verbis Apost ser 18. That wee should not bee adultresses Commaundest thou that In louing thee we doe more than thou commaundest For hee also speaketh of keeping virginitie But master Bellarmines antecedent is thus to bee vnderstoode that wee doe mo good workes than God commaundeth or else his argument is to bee denied For we see by experience that the Papists doe an infinite number of things that God neuer commaunded For which as they haue no warrant of God so shall they haue no praise of him And they may doe a thousand such workes and bee neuer a whit nearer keeping Gods lawe but much further off rather For the more that men satisfie themselues with their owne works Mat. 15 23 the lesse care they haue to keepe Gods commaundements as our sauiour Christ teacheth vs. And maister Bellarmines antecedent beeing thus vnderstoode as I haue saide that wee may doe more good workes than God hath commaunded is false For in that it is not a good worke if it bee besides Gods worde And this is all that hee sayeth in that place for the woorkes of Supererrogation Thus we see this rich doctrine hath a poore proofe But if there were nothing to conuince the wickednesse of that doctrine but this one thing that they will seeme to mende that rule of perfection that God hath made and take vpon them to prescribe more perfect rules than God hath set downe it argueth in them too prophane sawcinesse But thus much by the way of this kind of worke For my purpose is not to make of it any seueral discourse because that if it bee prooued that wee cannot iustifie our selues by our workes De iustif lib. 5. ca. 5. it will followe that wee can much lesse helpe others Nowe master Bellarmine finding this weapon too sharpe this place to strong agaynst their merits would faine wrest it out of our hands And first he telleth vs that saint Ambrose willeth vs to knowe what wee are of our selues Wee must knowe the grace but not bee ignorant of our nature saieth saint Ambrose It is true he writeth so and that vpon iust occasion For the very beginning of that sentence is Peferre not thy self because thou art called a sonne and then followeth thou must confesse the grace and not forget thy nature As if he should say thinke no wrong that thou art called an vnprofitable seruant seeing thou art called a sonne Thou art a sonne by grace because God hath chosen thee but if a man looke on thy worke it is not woorth praysing But what is this to answere the argument Nothing at all Maister Bellarmine perchance thinketh that if he bring in the fathers as witnesses they will speake as hee woulde haue them Yet not Ambrose onely but also Augustine and Chrysostome Li. 8. in Luc. de verbis Apost ser de humilitate 18. in Oziam in the places by him cited and Theophilact vpon these wordes doe teach that Christ would not haue vs proude of our good workes that it is our dutie alwayes to worke and as Ambrose saieth We owe him our seruice therefore let vs not boast of our worke But as Theophilact sayth If anie thing bee giuen vs let vs be glad of it hee that giueth it oweth vs nothing But the seruant oweth to his master the keeping of all that he commandeth So all this still strengtheneth my argument that all that we can do it is but our duetie and therefore no merite And although in respect of our election we may iustly reioyce that wee are Gods deare children yet when we looke vpon our selues wee must needes confesse vs to bee vnprofitable and vnperfect Secondly the repugnancie betweene grace and merite set downe by saint Paul Merit and grace ouerthrowe one another Rom. 11.6 is a strong argument against iustification by workes If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace or if it bee of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Wherein we see how plainly the Apostle opposeth the one against the other that we cannot be said to bee iustistied by grace if we may attribute anie part of our iustification to workes Neither will their common answer serue that saint Paul speaketh of the first mercie that God sheweth vs as that we are called to be Christian men or women by grace without our workes but that hereby hee excludeth not the workes that afterwardes we do from merite For seeing our aduersaries must needs confesse that after our first calling yea and continually so long as we liue we must acknowledge that but by grace wee cannot bee saued this grace which themselues dare not but confesse taketh away merit so that if grace bee free and without workes in our first iustification it can neuer stand with workes in the rest of our life The mistrust of their workes For still must this bee true if it bee of grace it is not then of workes if of workes then not of grace Thirdly the great mistrust which I see themselues doe put in this their doctrine
of iustification by workes maketh me who see no cause to like of it the more to shunne it For maister Bellarmine no meane man for learning among them when hee hath taken much paines to deceyue other with this doctrine Bellar. a Lutheran iustif li. 5. cap. 7. yet himselfe dareth not trust it and therefore setteth downe a verie good rule which if Caluine or Luther had written it it must needes haue beene called hereticall Because saith he of the vncertaintie of our owne righteousnesse and the daunger of vaine glorie the safest way is to put our whole confidence in Gods mercie and goodnesse Vnto which his good and true doctrine wee say Amen and yet I hope we shall not be called heretikes The safest way to saluation is that we seek let others passe what perillous places it shall please them These and such other considerations doe make me muse that euer men will forsake God Ierem. 2.13 the fountaine of liuing waters to digge them pits euen broken pits that can holde no waters that they will leaue the plaine and safe way and choose the way that hath greatest daunger wherein they deale not onely foolishly for themselues but wickedly also with them that they leade into these blinde wayes And I would haue all men to marke this well that that doctrine which vpon paine of saluation and damnation they teach men must beleeue is daungerous by their owne confession and the contrarie most safe A great argument to teach vs that they care not so much for the saluation of mens soules as to get of men profit and credite And therefore they are the lesse to be trusted or esteemed in other poynts in controuersie who deale so vnchristianly in the most necessarie article of our religion For you must vnderstande there are two wayes to eternal life or rather to speake with the Apostle two kindes of righteousnesse The one so hard to hit that no man or woman excepting onely Christ Iesus God and man could go it so full of snares and traps that none but hee could continue in it This is that righteousnesse of the Lawe Rom. 10.5 which Moses describeth thus The man that doeth these things shall liue thereby And this righteousnesse did our Sauiour Christ speake of to the expounder of the lawe that came to him to aske What shall I doe to inherite eternall life Luke 10.25 He sent him to the lawe For if wee will be saued by workes we must keepe the lawe But then must we knowe That whosoeuer keepeth the whole lawe Iam. 2.10 and yet fayleth in one poynt he is guiltie of all Nowe this vngone and vnbeaten way so hard for vs to hit so vnpossible to keepe the church of Rome teacheth vs that wee must keepe and yet neuer any of her dearest darlings could get to heauen that way But the righteousnesse that is by fayth knoweth that Christ discended into the deepe and died for our sinnes and ascended into heauen to iustifie vs and bring vs thither For if thou confesse with thy mouth the Lorde Iesus Rom. 10.9 and beleeue in thy heart that God raysed him vp from the dead thou shalt bee saued But this righteousnesse pleaseth not our aduersaries because all the glorie of working is giuen from themselues This way they thinke too base because it is not garnished with their workes and strewed with their merits And yet This is the way Esâ— ie 30.21 walke ye in it As for that middle way which themselues haue deuised which ioyneth Christes righteousnesse and theirs together as though hee onelie could not saue them it is no good way for it maketh to wander from the path of Gods worde and is daungerous by their owne confession Take heede therefore of it for it is the way that leadeth to death and damnation Of this way I may say as saint Augustine doth of them that seeke for worldly happinesse by good workes Aug. in psal 31 praefat M. Bellar. Argument for merits Math. 5.12 De. iustif 5 cap. 3. Although saith he thou stir thine armes in good works and thou seeme most skilfully to rule thy boat yet thou runnest vpon the rockes But nowe let vs see what arguments maister Bellarmine vseth to prooue this their doctrine of iustification by workes Great is your reward or wages or hire in heauen Eternall life saith he is the wages therefore doubtlesse workes are the merits Master Bellarmine reasoneth thus Eternall life is your wages therfore your works haue deserued it The weaknesse of this argument appeareth at the first but yet for the more cleare vnderstanding of this such other places a worde or two may be added That God giueth vs eternall life for wages wee will not denie if it be vnderstood aright Admit therefore that a man hireth two workmen to worke with him the one of them a sufficient workeman who doeth his worke The other can worke little or nothing yet he that hired him biddeth him worke also and doe his best and he shall haue his wages also Nowe the one of these who is the woorkeman his hire or wages is due to him for his worke hee hath deserued it the others wages is due also and hee may challenge it not because he hath â— aâ— ned it by his worke but hee that hired him hath made himselfe his debter by his promise We see then not euerie wages is deserued Wee are that euill workeman wee can doe nothing worthie of our wages yet God by promise is indebted vnto vs. Therefore although our rewarde or wages be great yet is it not deserued of our part Praefat. in Psal 31. Our wages is called grace saith saint August If it be grace it is freely giuen What is the meaning of this it is freely giuen It costes vs nothing Thou hast done no good and forgiuenesse of sins is giuen to thee It is then no good argument to say eternal life is our wages therefore we haue deserued it His second argument God shall reward euery man according to his worke Therefore the workes are meritorious The scriptures we confesse vse often so to speake but not to establish merit but to shake off security And to this end they tell vs that if the worke be good it shall haue the reward of a good worke if it be euill Rom. 2.6 it shall be punished And so doth Saint Paul vsing the selfe same words which are also alleadged by maister Bellarmine expound himselfe vers 7. To them which by continuance in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortality 8. eternal life But vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnes indignation and wrath Thus then we see that this according to the worke doth not signifie according to the merit of the worke but according to the quality of the worke And these kinde of speeches are very like to that that God said to Cain and perchance are grounded vpon it If thou
according to promise And out of the reuelation Apoc. 2.10 Be thou faithful vnto the death and I will giue thee a crowne of life How can he proue merites out of it Is this a good argument I will giue thee therefore thou hast deserued it Two or three places more he there alleadgeth but out of that I haue said it is easie to answere them His fift sort of places are such as promise to good workes eternall life And out of them he reasoneth thus Promise of rewarde for a worke doeth make that he that doth the worke maie bee saide to merite his rewarde That the reward is due but yet not deserued I shewed before in the answere to his first argument and I need not heere to repeat it His sixt argument is taken from those places that speake of our worthines and are of two sortes 2. Thess 1.5 Luc. 20.35 For two of them namely that That yee maie be counted worthy of the kingdome of God and that also They shal be counted worthy to inioy that world and the resurrection of the dead doe answere themselues For that may be accounted worthy which of it selfe is not so in truth As in our workes is seene which are accounted of not as they proceed from vs but as they are presented before God in the name of Christ and their imperfection couered with his perfect obedience The other two places seeme more pertinent to his purpose but yet being rightlie vnderstood prooue nothing for him The first is in the booke of wisedome which booke although it is not Canonicall yet because the place alleadged seemeth like vnto the words that he alleadgeth out of the reuelation they may both receiue one answere Wisdom 3.5 Apocal. 3.4 God proueth them and findeth them worthy for himselfe The other place is They shall walke with me in white for they are worthy First that this worthines doth many times signifie an aptnes or fitnes it cannot be denied Who saith Salomon can iudge 2. Cron. 1.10 this thy great people worthily Where by worthely he meaneth not as they deserue for they were a stubborne and bad people many times but as is fit or meete to gouerne them And so the Apostle willeth vs to walke worthy of God worthy of our calling worthy of the gospell that is as becommeth Gods children them that are called and fit for the professours of the gospell And this fitnes is said to be in vs in respect of the new man that is begun within vs not in respect of perfection that we doe or can attaine vnto And yet if we should indeed be worthy we must be perfect which heere we cannot be And in this sence you see his argument hath no necessity Men are worthy of loue that is fit to loued therefore they haue deserued it for this fitnesse is not of themselues Secondly although we be called worthy in respect of our election in Christ or in respect of the fruits of the spirite which God commendeth in vs although they haue their wants that we might not be discouraged but go on forwards in the wayes of godlinesse yet this argument will not hold We are worthy of loue therefore our workes haue deserued this loue or made vs worthy For our worthinesse hangeth nothing vpon our works but that God wil vouch vs to be so esteemed But in respect of our works we must confesse with the prophet Dauid Psal 53.3 There is none that doth good no not one And therefore we must pleade euen the best of vs mercy and forgiuenesse not merite or worthinesse Super Cantic ser 61. My merit saith Saint Bernard is the Lordes mercy neither am I without merite so long as hee is not without mercie His seuenth argument is grounded vpon those places of scripture that say that God accepteth no persons But must he needes therefore respect the worthinesse of the worke If there be with him no difference betweene Iew and Gentile bond or free male or female must merites needes be established I haue often said that God respecteth vs and our workes but not for our goodnesse but for his mercy sake For this must needs be true that S. Paul teacheth vs according to the consent of the scripturs that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Rom. 3 2◠Therefore as saith S. August let mans merits be silent which were lost through Adam De praedest Sanct. ca. 1◠and let the grace of God through Iesus Christ raigne as indeede it doth raigne Now for the Fathers if I should answer to euery testimony alleadged out of them it would be too long especially considering how largely I haue already handled this question Onely thus much woulde I admonish the christian Reader that when he readeth them he should remember they be but men Dial. 3. Impatib And if Theodoret said truly of the doctrines of the church the decrees of the church are to be prooued and not to be pronounced in maner of a iudgement then how much more should we reiect whatsoeuer any men speake without a good warrant Then also as they were men so were many of them great Philosophers might somwhat perchance smel of that infection speake more of mans worthines than had bin expedient for christian religion Aduersus Hermog Orat. 21. In so much as not without great cause did Tertull. cal philosophers The patriarchs of heretikes And G. Nazian cōpareth the subtilties of philosophy which he saith came vnhappily into the church vnto the whips wherewith the Aegyptians did scourge the Israelits Ser. de Arian In which kind of reasoning the tongue fighteth the words are speares the speech is the sword there is no end of contention all the day long as the same father saith in an other place And no maruel for the Philosopher is gloriae animal De anima euen the creature of glory as Tertull writeth No doubt therfore but they might be somwhat caried away with her intising words especially to thinke wel of that thēselues do Thirdly as I haue said in the former chapter the absurdities of thē that did teach that God moued man wrought in or by him as a workeman might do in or by a stocke or stone they not hauing so much as will thereto made the fathers to speake more not only of mans freewil as before I taught but also of the reward of them that worke according to the same And that this did the rather moue the fathers to speake somwhat too largely vpon this matter vnlesse they be warely red it may be gathered euen by that place that M. Bella. out of Origen alleadgeth Lib. 2. in Rom. in ca. 2. first saith he let heretikes be excluded that say that the nature of soules is good or bad let thē heare that God wil reward them not according to their nature but according to their merits Now cōcerning the vnderstāding of these words Rom
also that we should performe to no other but to him those seruices and offices that are due vnto God amongst which inuocation or praier is one Secondly that commandement which more particularly toucheth this point Psal 50.15 Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee is flatly broken if we doe call vpon any other Thirdly the prophet Dauid doeth seeme to make it a property belonging to God only to heare our praiers Thou that hearest our praiers to thee shall all flesh come Psal 65.2 And therefore if wee will be heard we must pray to God only Fourthly Cont. Arian Orat. 2. Athanasius proueth Christ to be God because he is praied vnto in distresse Whose argument had not beene good if any other besides God might haue beene praied vnto Fiftly faith only belongeth to this life so that the Saintes haue it not in the life to come De iustif li. 2. cap. 4. 7. as maister Bellarmine himselfe affirmeth very truely but praier without faith auaileth not and How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Therefore the saints after this life cannot pray for vs or at the least their praiers cannot auaile Sixtly as it is not an office laid vpon the saints to pray for vs in all the scriptures so they regard nothing in the life to come but only Gods glory as may appeare by the exercise of singing praise to God only as in the Apocalips manie times is ascribed vnto them So little care they haue of their owne priuate estate much lesse of our affaires but of those things only that belong to gods glory Thus then we see concerning this first point in controuersie concerning praier that we must not pray vnto any creature but to God only De beatitud Sanct. li. 1. cap. 19. Popish argumentes for inuocation Gen. 48.16 But yet let vs see how M. Bellar. wil proue that we maie praie to the creatures Iacob saith of Iosephs children The angell that deliuered me from all euill blesse the children therefore Iacob praieth vnto the angel That which there he calleth the angel is God as appeareth not only by the words because before he called him God but also Chrysostome expounding this place vers 15. In Genes Hom. 66. Iob. 5.1 not once naming the angell maketh him to aske al these things of God And that which he alleadgeth out of Iob is of like force Call now if any will answere thee and to which of the saints wilt thou turne for many of the Hebrews vnderstand this of the saints that are aliue as if he had said what good man is of thy mind or wil take thy part Some expounde this place of the angels but so as they make Eliphaz to aske this question to whom amongst the angels Iob wil turne scoffingly As if he had said if thou shouldst aske of them it were in vaine they would not answer thee But howsoeuer it is it is certaine that heere is no mention of inuocation or praier vnto the angels Philippus Presbiter in Iob. but rather as it seemeth by Phillippus Presbiter vpon this place a taunting reproofe of Iob if he beleeued not Eliphaz his words But howsoeuer it is expounded heere is no good argument for inuocation or praier vnto angels For the Godly haue often turned themselues vnto the angels but not to pray vnto them As for that that Moses said Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy seruantes Exod. 32.13 respecteth not the merits of these fathers but the promise made to them as in that place appeareth for it followeth To whome thou swarest by thine owne selfe and saidst to them I wil multiply your seede Which words doe plainely burden God with his promise made to them Neither doth that which maister Bellarmine alleadgeth out of Theodoret proue any thing ◠o the contrary For he saith that Moses vsed the helpe or defence of these patriarkes And why not rather in respect of Gods promise which we know hee is able and ready to performe then of their merits Theod. quest 67. in Exod. So that if there were any inuocation or praier to them as there is not it is onlie a request that God will remember them and therefore this place belongeth not to the matter now in question but if there were any praier vnto them we see that it cannot bee concluded out of this place that Moses would haue God to regarde their merites But maister Bellarmine will helpe the matter with a testimonie out of the Psalmes Lord remember Dauid and al his kindnes Psal 131.2 There saith maister Bellarmine Salomon praieth in respect of his father Dauids merits but the word vpon which his whole argument dependeth that heere is translated kindnes may be trāslated Affliction And S. Hierom trāslating the psalms according to the Hebrew doth so translate it And how can he thinke with such vncertaine proofe to make good so bad a cause But I hasten to that argument that coulde neuer yet be answered for so maister Bellarmine saith And it is this We may desire them that are aliue to pray for vs therefore we maie pray to the saints that are departed If maister Bellarmine had not liked so well of this argument I should not haue thought it worth any answere For to praie one for another whilest we are aliue is both warranted and commaunded of God but to praie to them that are gone wee haue neither commaundement nor promise And there is greate difference betweene praiers which the papists woulde make to them that are dead and such requestes as the godlie haue made or we may make to them that are aliue to praie for vs. But maister Bellarmine will strengthen his argument by remoouing the causes that maie hinder this inuocation or rather their intercession for vs. First if wee saie they will not praie for vs hee answereth they haue greater loue than they had and therefore they will But what manner of loue they haue to vs ward is not described in the Scriptures And therefore we cannot of that their loue which is vncertaine gather any certaine argument But sure I am their loue towards God and our sauiour Christ is so great that they will not rob either God of his glory or Christ of his office of mediation And they cannot pray for vs because as before I haue shewed euen out of maister Bellarmine that they want faith And whether they know that we pray or not it is vncertaine As for the wrong that is done vnto God if any but he be praied vnto which maister Bellarmine imagineth to be the fourth let why they cannot pray for vs he answereth that if that be any hinderance to Gods glory Coloss 2.23 it also is against Gods glory that they who are aliue should request other to pray for them Which his answere how foolish it is the very wemen and children maie easily perceiue how the one hath commandement the other must