desire to be taught the rule of faith out of an humble and a religious meaning here you may learne it it was a question worth his asking a point worthy your learning Mr LEECH Why said he what other ground of faith then the pure word of God I demaunded then who shall interpret this word Hee replied the spirit What spirit good Sir The spirit of God only which privat men thinke they haue Against which rule I except for that it was the common plea of all condemned Heretiques Wherefore I required a triall of this pretended spirit for I cannot admit that to be God his spirit in any private man which consenteth not with the spirit of the Catholique Church And thus you see M.D. Airay that what you formerly reiected out of my rule as Popish you must necessarily admit as true that is Ecclesiasticall Tradition annexed to the sacred Canon for the discerning of private spirits Otherwaies each Heretique will sense Scripture in the mould of his owne braine ANSVVER That the word of God is the ground of beleefe in God sacred Scripture it selfe proveth in manifold and pregnant places as in the olde Testament in the Proverbs Prov. 2.9 They make a man vnderstand righteousnes and iudgement and equity and every good path Esay 8.19.20 in Esay should not a people enquire at their God at the law and at the Testimonie they that speake not according to this word there is no light in them by Malachie Mal. 4.4 Remember the law of Moses which I commanded all Israell with the statutes and iudgements in the new Testament in S. Paul 2. Tim. 3.15 The Scriptures are able to make a man wise vnto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus in S. Peter 2. Pet. 1.19 We haue a most sure word of the Prophets wherevnto we must giue heed as to a light that shineth in darknesse till the day starre arise in our hearts Luc. 1.4 in S. Luke They containe the certainty of those things whereof we are instructed and in S. Iohn Ioh. 5.39 These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ the sonne of God and in beleeuing yee might haue eternall life and by Christ himselfe sealing this point Search the Scriptures for in them you haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee but to this also the Fathers with all reverence haue agreed Basil Ep. 80. ad Eust Med. Let the Scriptures be arbitrators betweene vs saith Basill in his 80 Epistle and whosoever holds consonant opiniōs to those heavenly oracles let the truth bee adiudged on their side We are to enquire for iudges saith Optatus Contra Parmenianum de coelo quaerendus est Iudex Optat. cont Parmen l. 5. the Iudge must bee had from heaven but saith hee wherefore need we to knock at heauen when we haue a iudge wohm wee finde in the Gospell The Scripture is the rule of faith saith Tertullian contra Hermogenem Tertull. cont Hermog Chrysost in 13. Homil. in 2. Corinth It is a most exquisit rule saith Chrysostome in his 13 homily vpon the second to the Corinths It is an inflexible rule Greg. Nyss Grati. de ijs qui adeunt Hierosolymā saith Gregorius Nyssenus And S. Austin ample for this in many places in his booke de bono viduitatis testifieth that the Scripture pitcheth downe the rule of our faith And not only the Ancient Fathers but the Schoole-men haue succeeded in the same resolution Aquinas writeth expresly Aq 1. qu. 1. art 8. that our faith must rest vpon the Canonicall bookes of Scripture Durand agreeth with this Durand pref in senten that the maner of our knowledge exceed not the measure of faith and the holy Scripture expresseth the measure of faith Sum part 3. tit 18. c. 3. Nay Papists haue acknowledged this Antoninus confesseth that God hath spoken but once to vs and that in Scripture so plentifully that hee voucheth Gregory in the 22 book of his Moralls thus God needeth to speake no more concerning any necessary matter Al. 1. sent quaest 1. art 3 1. Coroll seeing all things are found in Scripture Alliaco consenteth to this The verities of Scripture bee the Principles of divinity quoniam ad ipsas saith he fit vltima resolutio Theologici discursus Bell de verbo Dei lib. 1. c. 2. In one word Bellarmin agreeth to all these Testimonies in his first book de verbo Dei Sacra Scriptura est regula credendi certissima tutissima This may serue to shew you that there is no other ground of faith then the worde of God Scriptures Fathers Schoolemen nay even our Adversaries being witnesses Deut. 32.31 as Moses speaketh You demaund who shall interpret this word It is replied the spirit of God which spirit the elect doe know certainly that they haue not only thinke as you traduce the speech of this reverēd Doctor but they assure thēselus that they haue the spirit and hee that knoweth not this ◠Cor. 3.16 is ignorant as Paul teacheth by an interrogatiō Knowe yee not that yee are the Temples of the holy Ghost and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you But against this rule you except for this was you say Chrysos prolog in Epist ad Rohan 3. de Lazar. the plea of al Heretiques It is false Heretiques and the devill did vrge Scripture but these could never for wāt of Gods spirit compare Scriptures together The privat spirit even every Priuat man of himselfe saith Chrysostom only by reading may vnderstand yea need nothing else but to read Chrysos hom 13. in Gene◠by which he meaneth to confer one place of Scripture with another And the same Father giveth the reason Scriptura seipsam exponit auditorem errare non sinit The scripture expoundeth it selfe and suffereth not the hearer to be deceived Distinct 37. Relatum So speaketh Chrys 13. hom in Genes The Canon Law is most plaine herein Non enim sensum extrinsecus alienum extraneum sed ex ipsis Scripturis sensum capere veritatis oportet For we must not from without them seeke a forraine and strange sense but wee must out of the Scriptures themselues receiue the meaning of the truth And a clowde of witnesses do testifie the same Wherefore it is no way necessary that we aske helpe of Tradition which is as I formerly spake the cittie of refuge for all runnagate points in your religion Popish Tradition in the Church soiourning only as the deuill doth to deceiue as a treacherous stranger not to be acquainted with or as an Infidell not to be conversed with and therefore D. Airay taught you the truth when you heretically thought you might mould the sense of scripture in the brain of the brasen head Tradition Mr LEECH And now M. D. Airay being thus overthrowne in the rule of his faith proposed vnto me a question of
him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the churches yet whosoever heareth and receiveth false doctrine willinglie receiveth and heareth his owne damnatiō And for the Catholique Church you bragge of c Lactantius lib. 4. Institutio cap. vlt. Lactantius hath given warning of such boasts singuli haereticorum coetus suam esse Ecclesiam Catholicā putant The Celestial Oracle heauenly spirit true catholique Church I say and wil confirme it by al maner of arguments they never taught that point as you seek to mainetaine it concerning Evangelicall Counsels of Perfection Mr LEECH Or I may speake with our blessed Sauiour advising exhorting counselling yea out of the whole masse of mākind inviting nay inciting some to that angelical gift of virginall chastity qui potest capere capiat hee that can aspire to the top of angelicall integrity let him become a votary of virginall Chastity ANSVVER The strangest exposition of wordes that ever I read or heard Virginall chastity the word virginall is out of tune a weake wired chastity to ascend the top of angelicall integrity Paule did not only approue but appoint Ministers and yet asketh the question 2. Cor. 2.16 Quis idoneus ad haec And though Christ not only was a virgin but did allow of virgins yet hee may pronounce this speech Qui potest capere capiat without any such inference or cōsequence You deliver no gold without drosse no place of Scripture without some wrested and impertinent glosse But in your sermon you shall receiue more satisfaction Mr LEECH This is S. Paule his sapientia inter perfectos apostolicall wisdome for men of angelicall perfection These easilie disclose and discouer the worlds foolishnes impostures when they paragon them with heavens remuneration treasures These are the salt of the earth the light of the world stars fixed in the spheare of heauen the Church militant not wandring in their motion towards heauen the Church triumphant ANSVVER The auncient writers doe not so expounde those words Al shew that the Apostle doth therein distinguish betweene the beleevers vnbeleevers as may be seene by the connexiō but more especially a Chrysost in 1. Cor. 2.6 Chrysostome thus expoūdeth perfectos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he calleth them perfect which did beleeue S. Hierome expoundeth so Theodoret so the whole currēt of expositors vnderstand a kinde of perfection in beliefe not in life Aquinas hath such a restriction that agreeth with the rest and all this sheweth that your speech is meere Pelagianisme wherin you magnifie the arme of flesh and the nature of mankinde and so seeme to approoue a perfit perfection which you do most vnperfectly It is S. b De peccat mer. remission 15. Augustines advise Cum dicitur cuiusque perfectio qua in redicatur videndū est When perfection saith he is named we must cōsider wherein it is named Perfectus est aliquis sapientiae auditor non perfectus Doctor a man may be a perfect hearer of righteousnes not a perfect doer or as some think a perfect knower why we knowe but in part 1. 1. Cor. 15. Cor. 15. Yes we knowe perfectly perfectione viae non perfectione patriae by the perfection of the way here not by the perfection of our Country hence say the Schooles Perfectione ordinis non finis saith d Iunius Iunius perfectione partium non graduum saith e Lomb. Lombard perfecti viatores non perfecti possessores saith f Aug. in Ps 38. Austin perfect travellers in righteousnes not perfect possessors and this so limited by that good Father as that hee alloweth it only pro consortio humanae societatis pro huius vitae capacitate pro statu viatoris pro huius vitae modulo only for a perfection sufficient to converse and hold society with mankind a perfection for the model capacity of this life for the state of passengers and wayfaring men and concludeth g Ad Bonif. lib. 3. Omnium in carne nostra imperfecta perfectio the perfection of all men while they are in the flesh is vnperfect Iohn Baptist had not a greater among the sonnes of womē but whosoever was least in the kingdome of God al the celestiall spirits is farre beyond him Inter natos mulierum non autem inter choros coelestium spirituum h Bern. serm 38. in Cantie saith S. Bernard among sonnes of women not amōg armies of Angels Not Iohn Baptist a Prophet nay more then a Prophet Who had for his cloathing haire for his habitation a desert for his meate wild locusts for his title the praecursor for his preaching Repentance for his ministration Baptisme the vsher and harbinger of our Saviour had not he angelicall perfection If hee that so faithfully attended his Master had it not how should you that haue fled from your Master attaine vnto it I say not * Esay 14.12 ô Lucifer how didst thou fall but O Lucifer whether wouldst thou rise Is it obedient humility to be so proud Spirituall poverty to desire to be so pompous Angelicall chastity to be so luxuriant I acknowledge that there bee some that are salt of the earth lights of the world roses in the field lillies in the vallies terrae gemmula coeli stellulae yet far from Angelicall integrity They may climb a step but not to the top of Iacobs Ladder Mr LEECH These are our best pilots amongst men their godly cōversation ought to be our holy imitation These guid by their examples the barkes of our bodies wherein the eternall treasures of our soules are caried as in earthen vessells through the perilous rockes of the seas of this world that they may ariue safely at the designed hauen of heauē when they flit from the bed of this mortall body ANSVVER Pilots they may be and yet as the i Ovid. de Trist lib. 1. Poet of his Pilot spake Rector in incerto est nec quid fugiátue petátue Denotat ambiguis ars stupet ipsa malis So I of the best they haue their slidings falls faults trances appolexies If you haue read over S. Austin you may finde the distinction betweene peccatum crimen sinne in generall which no man is freed frō and hainous notorious scandalous sinne culpable in the eies of men crying in the eares of heauen In his k Enchir. ad Laurent Enchiridion ad Laurentium he affirmeth this the life of holy men may be found though not without falt yet without an offensiue fault and more whosoever teacheth is Hereticall Beware in defending your perfect Pilots you make not shipwrack of a good conscience the mast of your faith is shaken let not the anker of your hope be broken Mr LEECH These are beacons on a hill the hill of the Church whose liues as lightes and burning lamps forewarne and so forearme vs against all invasion of any spirituall enimies These are entia transcendentia men soaring aboue the ordinary pitch of men celestiall
find nothing which they could calūniate And for his learning let l Hosian trist cat cent 16. p. 837. Andreas Masius speake for him whom you haue reason to beleeue who reporteth of him that there was more divinity in one page of Luther then sometimes in a whole booke of some Father The Magdeburgenses though they seeme to be censorious and Aristarchicall were very speciall servants of God for liues most honest for knowledge most learned the eares that heard them blest them and the eies that saw them gaue witnesse vnto them and as Iob speaketh of himselfe so I of them They brake the iawes of the vnrighteous man and pluckt the pray out of his mouth Neither they nor Doctor Benefield did blaspheme Gods spirit as you slaunder them Neither was Gods spirit promised to lodge onely in the Fathers of the Church but even iointly in all the members of the Church And yet for the Fathers wee doe reverence them as much or more then the Papists doe as the KINGS most excellent Maiestie m In his Premon to his booke in his Premonition doth professe Mr LEECH This is right the Puritan cut as D. Bancroft observeth against the Presbyterian faction in some whole Chapters of his Survay And yet after he had thus censoriously handled the Fathers vpon my private conference with him in stead of the Fathers which I called for he offred vnto me two English pamphlets one whereof was entituled the Apologie of the Church of England whereat I could not but smile in regard of his simplicity though inwardly grieved much at the times misery when a statizing Pamphleter who would flie vpon the wing of his penne vnto the height of some ambitious designment shall bee compared nay preferred before the ancient Orthodox divines that painefully laboured in the vineyard of the Church against the brunt of all heresies ANSVVER That you came to Doctor Benefield to bee enformed about this doctrine it is true you came even then when you knew the instant approach of the Act was at hand the very next Saturday before the Vespers which time being vnseasonable did abridge him of any large or ample discourse with you Otherwise I assure my selfe that as no suiter came to that good Emperour Titus that returned discontented so none shall euer come to this worthy Doctor to aske counsell or conference that shall returne vnsatisfied The two bookes that you were offered either of them might haue enformed you that you held an opinion cōtrary to the Church of England to whose Doctrine you subscribed The one which you call the Apologie of the Church of England Oportet esse memorem was a booke entituled The Catholike doctrine of the Church of England an exposition of the Articles of religion professed here published by authority The other Reverēd Mr Perkins reformed Catholique such a booke and such an Author that your Bishop could wish hee had never beene Priest it hath so entoiled him he n In the beginning of his answere cōfesseth that he neuer saw any booke of like quantity published by a Protestant to containe either more matter or to be delivered in better method For Mr Rogers hee liueth worthy of much commendation for that necessary paine and his learned labour will liue long after him M. Perkins he is asleep in the Lord his holynes of conversation soundnes of learning actions labours life death haue sealed him A blessed servant of God I would others were as free from being flying wanderers as he or M. Perkins from being statizing Pamphleters You smiled you say at the Doctors simplicity but vnlesse you repent the world will laugh and hisse at your folly Was it simplicity indeed as simplicity is taken for integrity veritas est simplex the greatest attribute of truth is to be simple and so he might well prefer the simple positiue truth in one of those bookes before all the iugling expunged impostured Copies which you vrge for the Fathers The name of the Orthodoxall Fathers in matter of controversie I hold to be nomen verendum reverendum and the current of the Fathers in the true Copies for the first 500 yeeres or thereabout after Christ is like Iordan which passeth sweetly and quietly through Canaan but for their Current in some points after that time it is I will not say like to Iordan falling into mare mortuum but it is much hindered corrupted and abused I had here ended this point but that your Marginal vrgeth a testimony from that most wise and learned observation of dangerous Positions and proceedings published and practised for the Presbyteriall discipline First you may please to vnderstande that there was want of good manners in neglecting the reverence you owe to that rightly honourable AVTHOR whose eminent place in the State My Lords Grace of Cāterbury painefull Government in the Church carefull authority over our Vniversity and other his honorable respects do adorne him with the cōfluence of many Titles yet this sacred Prelat graue Counsellour our noble Chauncellor must passe so vnregarded by you But what do you ground out of that note His Grace wrote against the ambitiously factious and Paradoxically furious Presbytery Doctor Benefield none such his Profession an honourable Bishops Chaplaine his Positions mainely against Presbytery declare so much Haec nota nihil notat praeter notam malitiae CHAP. 7. Mr LEECH THis solemne lecture reade in publicke schooles by an inceptor in divinity for so venerable a degree enforced me now evē as I would not openly betray the truth of this doctrine vnto a more plaine ample and personall defence inciting mee also nay inflaming me with some extraordinary desire for the reiection and depulsion of his infirme reasons ANSVVER IT is observed a Plin. nat hist lib. 11. c. 37. that in the falling sicknesse the eies though opē see nothing when the minde is darkened dim-sighted so seemeth it with you when in your declining and falling away you could not see or like the deafe adder would not heare charme the charmer never so wisely You say you were inflamed with an extraordinary desire for the reiection of the infirme reasons of the lecture I marvaile you should be in such a heat It had beene wel if with David you had cryed out My heart is hot and the fire is kindled within me that was a heat that tooke fire from the altar but yours was no such spirituall heat b Albert. in comp Theol. Albertus observeth that many sinnes are deciphered by many sicknesses luxury by a feaver envy by a leaprosie Anger by a phrēsie and pride by an inflammation take head of prowde heat such inflaming will breede flashing I would be sorie from my hart to heare that you should turne Melancholy Dominican or lowsie Franciscan or lazy Capuchine but of all others a Iesuiticall incendiary for he is the wilde fire of the world in mind ravenous as a wolfe in head crafty as a Fox in heart
Thyest quod nulla posteritas taceat sed nulla probet exceeding any particular Scythian Scillian Marian Tartarian Barbarian Iewish Turkish villany yet it was plotted by Catholiques Anticoton conspired by Catholiques acted Ioh. Mariana and to be acted by Catholiques and maintained as a lawfull doctrinall position by Catholiques Heretofore it was a Catholique doctrine held tyrannous in a king to kill a Priest but now it is thought a meritorious point in a Priest to kill a king and you must iustifie it If you iustifie not it they will not iustifie you Mr LEECH And if this blowe haue not hit home to the finall deciding of this quarrel depriving his heresie of al breathing let him or any or all his complices and especially those six well selected doctours who haue so farre engaged their credits by interessing themselues so deepely in the quarrell warde and answere the blow which they haue publikely received Doctor Benefield for all of them put togither haue not yet diverted the stroke Or if the cause which the principall Actor vndertooke will abide so much as the least touchstone of tryal let him vpon what grounds and confidence soever he stādeth as I dare boldly chardge challeng him he standeth vpon none but hereticall divulge his lecture vnto the cēsure of the world ANSVVER Your challēdge is received But why were not those many challēages answered by you which were offered by the ingenious and learned students of Christ-church and by the ingemminated motions of the Reverend Deane that you shoulde sit to answere or oppose in the scholasticall forme of Disputations about this point The sixe Doctors need not to raise their forces to encounter you One of them whom it most cōcerneth hath opposed more then you and Rome will ever answer His lecture is divulged to the worlds censure so it was desired by the Rightly Honorable and most reverend Bishop Ravis whose great care before his death was that your ignorant scandalous Pamphlet they were his owne wordes might receiue a rigid answere The learned and painefull lecture is able to satisfie any who giue i 1. Tiim 4.1 no heed vnto spirits of errour doctrines of Divels which speake not lies through hypocrisie having their consciences seared with a hot yron With that lecture the places of Scripture be truely expounded the question as in the sight of God truely discussed in the Appendix the ancient Fathers most sufficiently answered Mr LEECH Meane while for the honor of God confusion of Sathan to preserue Christ his word the word of verity from the infectiō of Heresie for the iust defence of this doctrine the due reproofe of hereticall innovatiō I haue thought good here to insert a true coppy of the Sermon preached by me in Oxford to iustifie Evangelicall Counsailes vpon the occasion aboue mentioned Anno Dom. 1608. 27. die Iunij ANSVVERE k Chem. in loc Commun loc de Cons Evang. Luther about to cōfute this very doctrine vseth these words In perpetuam rei memoriam maximè verò in Redemptoris gloriam ista sunt memori mente servanda exaggeranda adversus impudentissimos rabulas Papisticae abominationis defensores I wil not bee so bitter But to the glory of God dischardge of my conscience and satisfying of those great and honorable friends that did importune me to this businesse I follow you line by line to see whether your coppy bee right You say you haue endevored to reproue hereticall innovation I say so much dicit Scaurus negat Varius vtri creditis you must put your selfe vpon God and the Country Mr LEECH Reade it deare Christian brother severely iudge of it impartially and God graunt it may effect in thee what I wish hartily and that is if thou feelest thy selfe called and thy soule mooved effectually to practise the same Amen ANSVVER Wish faithfully pray religiously then no doubt God will giue you vnderstanding in al things which you must haue in your selfe before you cā wish it or teach it to others I lament you should so oppose your selfe to the doctrine of Christs holy Catholique Church in a mercenary respect and discontented humour burthen your soule with so fowle a sinne as this is truely iudged to be even Apostasie All such to the life S. Paule doth decipher and giveth order against such 1. Tim. 6.3 4.5 If any man teach otherwise and consenteth not to the wholesome doctrine which is according to Godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothing he doateth or languisheth about questions and strife of words whereof commeth envy strife raylings evill surmises vaine disputations of men of corrupt mindes destitute of the truth which thinke that gaine is Godlinesse Fly such and feare such So I wish you so I counsell you so I pray for you and seale my counsell wishes and prayers with Amen Mr LEECH THE SERMON PREACHED IN defence of EVANGELICALL COVNSAILES and the Fathers ANSVVER It was and ever will be true Causa patrocinio non bona peior erit In that it is Bellarmines doctrine all your authorities gathered from him you are his advocat hee your author But I know not whose the Sermon is he made it but preached it not you preached it but made it not Mr LEECH AND I saw the dead both great and small stande before God Apoc. 20.12 the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their works This verse naturally floweth into three streames of Christian Doctrine The first is a generall citation of all And I saw the dead both great and smal stand before God The second is a particuler examination of all vpon a two-fold evidence brought in liber conscientiae librū praescientiae the booke of conscience and the booke of God his eternall prescience the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life A finall retribution involved in the act and particuler manner of the iudgement and the dead were iudged of those things which were writtē in the books according to their workes ANSVVER AS the Surgion seeking to heale some vlcerated partes of a corrupted body doth not apply his Kataplasmes vnto every mēber but vnto those that are worse affected so must I deale with your sermon seeke to cure only those partes that are most tainted In this first Passage if by the rules of Criticisme I should examine it I shoulde finde it guilty of diverse errors but chiefly of your mistake in calling the first part of your text a Citation which is an appearance or a vision of the appearāce the effect of the citation I saw the dead both great and smal your best helpe here wil be to let it be dispensed with per metonimiam satis impropriam Mr LEECH The generall citation more particularly wrappeth in it the persons appearing the dead the extent of
some stricter courses as Abraham is tied to marry Iohn to liue single Peter to forsake all Philip to keepe somewhat for his daughter Some quoad viam in this life may goe further then other mē as hauing greater graces from aboue and a richer talent committed to them quoad gradum as in this life there is of Christian perfection so some degrees in the life to come of Coelestiall glorification may be obtained by Gods infinit mercy Wee confound not therefore precepts and Counsells vnderstanding the word aright yet distinguish them as in our Vniversity the generall statuts which binde all and the particular which tie only those of such a qualitie and degre Whence it appeareth that wee hold not the like necessity as you conceit who never knewe what we held for the generall precept necessarily bindeth al the particular being that which in regard of indifferēcy of the courses to bee vndergon some call a Counsell but so that the same act may be Consilium in electione praeceptum in opere and they only can and if they can must performe these who are extraordinarily disposed and furnished beyonde other men And that this is true doctrine faith and reason doe both ioine in the proofe For if all bee too little can somewhat bee too much And Canst thou helpe me with thy oile Tertull. saith Tertullian that art a sinner wantest for thy own Lamp No our conclusiō must be that we are ready to cōfesse as Christ taught his servants to professe Luk. 17.10 we haue done nothing but that which was our duty to do In the old Testament iust Noah faithfull Abraham meeke Moses true harted David beloved Daniel could do no more did professe no more Tom. 2. Epistolar lib. 2. adver Pela And in the new Testament Ecce Apostolos omnes ardentes c saith S. Ierom beholde all the Apostles and all beleevers come short of that they should and whosoever hold that they may do more an Ostracisme must be had for them for they are too iust Hier. Comment in 19. Mat. And for the Fathers so heaped wrested there be as many that call these Precepts as Counsels I will trouble the reader but with some Virginity by the Decretals is called a precept Lib. de Incar verbi Dei In edit Comel Greek and Hierome calleth Virginity virginale praeceptum and so Athanasius speaking of Virginity Chrysost in Tit 3. col 1636. in huiusmodi praeceptis tātum Christus valuisset vt pueri virginitatem c. And concerning Poverty the iniunction of Christ to the young man is called a precept by S. Chrysostome Austin ep 84. G. 4. Hilary Can. 18. in Matth. in Tit. 3. Vides vt ideo praeceperit ei vt Christum sequeretur S. Austin in his Epistle 84. hath much to this purpose Hilary on the place calleth it vtile relinquēdi seculi praeceptū Euseb lib. 3. historiae c. 31. Cocc Thes Cath. Tom. 2. l. 4. art 3. p. 383. Aug. de dat Christ c. 17. Greg. Moral lib. 26. c. 25. by Euseb in his history Praeceptum Domini antea traditū by Saluianus as Coccius cōfesseth imperativum officiū And to omit others S. Austin doth so plainely distinguish the difference in his 3. booke de Doctrina Christiana the 17. chapter betweene praeceptum commune omnium and particulare praeceptum aliquorum Gregory doth so absolutely deliver in his 26. booke of Morals the 25. chapter the distinctiō of generale praeceptum and particulare that nothing is more resolutely and positiuely taught by that reverend Father And yet neither Gregory nor the other Fathers nor we are guilty of being Apostolici we abhorre their sect heresie and yet thinke Precepts and Counsels both to inioine necessity The Apostolici mentioned in Augustin are not branded with any Character but that which is the indelible marke of Monks to refuse the societie of those that haue possessions wiues therfore were they condemned but no worde of Precepts and Counsels in that chapter of Austin Epiphanius Aust ad quod vult Deum haeres 40. in his Chapter of Apostolici hath no worde of Counsailes Precepts neither do I finde any part of their heresie to concerne this point Secondly we teach that Coūsailes containe not in them perfection First not the perfection of a few for all are called to perfectiō 2. Cor. 13.11 Ephes 4.3 Col. 1.28 Paul inviteth all the Corinthians and afterwards all Christians as in the Epistle to the Ephesians giving reason hereof to the Collossians because perfection is the end of all preaching If all are called and commanded to be perfit then Counsels of perfection serue not as you teach for some few But I step a degree further there is no perfection in Counsels you affirme it Pag. 41. Parag. The defence in these words they are not in thēselues perfections but dispositions directions prepaparations to perfection So that in denying them to haue perfection in them we are no more guilty for Iovinians heresie or Virgilantius then you are According to the way Act. 24.14 which you call heresie so worship wee the God of our fathers beleeving all things writtē in the Law and Prophets In which Oracles of truth of the Law Gospell we finde no lawfulnes to vow single life Ramus wel observing Ram. lib. 2. de relig de talibus perpetuae virginitatis votis fides nulla nulla in sacris literis est litera Whatsoever was heresie in Iovinian we detest and yet in this equalling of mariage with virginity we are no more Iovinianists thē S. Austin Clem. Alex. strom l. 7. c. 6. who equalled Abrahams maried state with Iohns single life or Clemens Alexandrinus who affirmeth that the coniugall parties doe over-match the virginall profession in perfection of holy life giveth instance in the Apostles-Vigilantius heresie we are no way tainted with and Espencaeus Espens l. 1. de con pag. 3. more charitable thē many of the calumnious Papists did professe he thought it a slander to the Churches reformed to be accused of Vigilantius heresie Lastly to answer to your obiection if we hold none we thwart all antiquity I deny your inferēce for neuer did antiquity maintain any such profession of Monkish Counsellors They were free from the newe bond of humane ordinances Polyd. Virg. l. 7. Inv. c. 1. and vowes as Polidor Virgill testifieth and they had both goods possessions and wiues as S. Austin teacheth Aug de haeres ad Quod vult Deū haer 40. The professiō of every Christian God hath appointed it vnto him he must keep Centinell follow his vocation seeke to giue holy example by his profession not outwardly only but inwardly acknowledging according to our Saviours interpretation that the law requireth the exactest obedience and that wee are not able in this life to do so much as is commāded not in the lest precept and therefore workes of supererogatiō
the third in the Lateran Councell within these 400 yeeres that the Councell of Trent proposed Images not only to be worshipped Pol. Virg lib. 6 c. 13. de inventi which as Polydor confesseth all the Fathers condemned but it also inioined men to yeeld them divine honour These and infinit more alterations in religion falling from God truth falling from them doe shew that the name of their opinions deserueth not a Catholique title but is meere Popery You lay for your ground that it is probable only that Popery truly conceiued is the very Catholique faith yet notwithstanding you conclude for your finall resolution that Popery is the necessary consequent vpon the true grounds of divinity Can this stand together that Popery dependeth necessarily vpon the grounds of divinity and yet it is but probable that it is the Catholike faith This your third vnconsiderat consideration is my absolute resolution that either the Catholike faith is not a necessary cōsequent as the grounds of divinitie which is absurd to thinke or Popery is not the Catholique faith which I verily beleeue and haue proued by many testimonies Mr LEECH The fourth Motiue The Protestants subvert the truest meanes of piety and perfection PErfection is not absolute in this life but graduall that is to say men are perfit in a degree some more some lesse according to their cooperatiō with divine grace To which ende and purpose there are Consilia perfectionis Counsailes of perfection as Virginity Pouerty c. which remoouing the impediments of perfection are excellent meanes to conduct vs therevnto in as much as they withdraw vs from the loue of the flesh and of the world which are our capitall enemies assaulting vs with their continuall delights and pleasures But the Protestants being in the number of them of whom the Apostles by prophetick spirit spake long before that they would not suffer wholsome doctrine renounce the advise of their Saviour qui potest capere capiat they reiect the monition of S. Paul consilium do they cast behinde thē the common iudgement of ancient Fathers in this point And whereas themselues are now caried away with the evill current of this worst age they feare not not only to disclaime the Fathers but irreligiously to slander them D. Benefield in his lecture as as men bewitched with the errors of their time Hence it is that the plausibilitie of the fift gospell seeketh not to cast any raines vpon the fervour of nature but yeeldeth passage rather and helpe vnto her precipitate course S Paul was of a contrary opinion witnesse his owne words castigo corpus c. Antiquity was of another disposition witnesse S. Hierom in his epistle vnto Pope Damasus and vnto the virgin Eustochium Witnesse S. Gregory Nazianzen in his funerall oration vpon S. Basill witnesse the whole quire of ancient Church Carnem legibus fraenavit which with a sweet heauenly harmony aswell in practise as in doctrine hath commēded vnto vs the restraint of lawfull things with a singular austerity of life These things being wholly opposite vnto the delicacy of Luthers spirit are reputed Popish by him and by his carnall sectaries whose single faith not clogged with the burthen of pious workes can more easily mount vnto heauen Thus are they lulled a sleepe in the cradle of security dreaming of a victory without any striving at all If this be the way vnto happinesse the Way it selfe hath misled vs our guides haue seduced vs our teachers haue misinformed vs the austerity of so many Saints registred in the canon of Gods word and recorded in the Calender of the Church hath beene practised in vaine and the late gospell is more profitable then the former But whether I may rely more safely vpon the first or last I remit me vnto the consideration of any man that hath the sense of true piety lodged in his breast ANSVVER PErfection wee teach thus All true beleevers haue a state of perfection in this life and that this perfection hath two parts first the imputation of Christs perfect obedience which is the ground and fountaine of all our perfection whatsoever Secondly sincerity or vprightnesse And this standeth in two things first in the acknowledging of our imperfection and vnworthinesse in respect of our selues secondly in a constant purpose endeavor and care to keepe the commandements of God So farre are we from perverting the true meanes of perfection as hath beene often answered needeth no more to be answered but that your odious Tautology doth expect some kind of answer We refuse not that which is called by the Apostle wholsome docrine but that which the same spirit hath called Doctrinam Daemoniorum Doctrine of Devills the texts of Scripture are often and fully satisfied and the Fathers plainely and truly interpreted so that it is most contrary to our practise to disclaime the Fathers to slander them as you slander vs But especially seeing herein you cast this imputation on D. Benefield his Lecture see his answer Praefatione ad Academicos Oxonienses § 4. ad 7. where how vntruly you taxe him and how vnworthily the Papists haue dealt with the Fathers may appeare How many points of the Popish Religion doe directly tend to subversion of pieety to maintenance of sinne and liberty of life Haue not they variety of dispensations for any sinne licēces for all things vnlawful and as if Popery consisted but of this triplicity impudence ignorance and indulgence it is maintained they may beleeue as the Church beleeveth never need to learne what the Church holdeth they may iustifie the allowance of Stewes for a common wealth so Harding teacheth Hard. confut Apol. p. 161. they professe that Papists are discharged of all bond of allegeance towards Princes if they be not of the same religion so the Iesuits hold they professe that debtors may except against their creditors choose whether they pay them if they be not of the same Religion Ovand 4. d. 13 Sam Ang. p. 101. nu 15. Caiet 22 ae p. 144. Greg. de val Tom 3. pag. 1090. so Ovandus professeth that prisoners may breake iaile as Caietan averreth that Children may marry without consent of their Parents as Gregory de valentia maintaineth that the Sabaoth may be broken obedience neglected an oath infringed murther iustified and what not Your fifte Gospell wee are not to bee taxed with we only acknowledg the 4 rivers of that Paradise of God The fift was the worke of a monk of your own of the same stamp with Alcoranum Frāsciscanum and our Ladies Psalter all manner of blasphemies abound in both You vrge S. Paul his castigo corpus doth not every true Christian seeke to practise this among vs letting blood in the swelling veines of pride launcing the impostume of greedy desires quenching the fire of filthy lusts and all the firy darts of the Devill Saint Hieroral whom you vrge did worthilie practise this I confesse and had that good father not
bee translated with the Preface of his Bul vpon feare of a curse commanding all to approue onely this of his I aske seeing these translations differing in so many hundred places some meerely coÌ„tradicting each others and seeing all of these are commaunded vpon no lesse theÌ„ the Thunderboult of Anathema Bellum papaâ—â— to which of these must Papists adhere for their resolution in doubts I am sure Doctor Morrice being asked that Question was not able to answer and being againe pressed to this was as silent as before shewing thereby the translations insufficiencie This Motiue you had from Gretzer who maketh himselfe sport with our later translations fitter for a stage then a matter of such consequence InterpretatioÌ„ And concerning interpretation of Scripture if you go no farther then the Rhemists Testament it were enough to pay him in his owne kinde These such other more absurd be the coÌ„moÌ„ wordes of the Rhemists translation Be not these dainty words to instruct the vnlearned Agnition for acknowledgmeÌ„t Azimaes for vnleavened bread Didrachmes for tribute mony the Dominicall day for sunday for Preaching Evangelize for a young scholler a Neophyte Paraclite for a Comforter victimes for sacrifice many many more And for the place you lay to the chardge of our translatioÌ„ First I may answer it as Bellarmine doth answer Chemnicius concerning a place in Ecclesiastes Non numerando verbo sed expendendo sensum eorum exprimendo which kinde of Translation S. Hierome approveth Secondly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed in the original text Mat. 19 doth not only signifie caepio actiuely but also passiuely capax sum wherevpon Erasmus traÌ„slates it non omnes sunt capaces and the Syriae according to your owne Fabritius Boderianus rendreth it omnes non sufficienter capiunt not so much because they will not but because they haue not the gift and therefore cannot To a man that will admit reason the next words inforce it All receiue not this saying or word yet some do what are they that receiue it they to whom it is given Is it not manifest then that a peculiar gift inableth a man to such a course of life and not any thing of himselfe S. Augustine which both the Rhemists and your Gregory Martin vrge to maintaine this your frivolous exception is wrested contrary to his meaning his words are these All men take not this saying but they to whom it is given Quibus enim non est datum aut nolunt aut non implent quod volunt This nolunt you referre to the gift as though all might take it if they would and if they do not it is no aversment But S. Augustine vnderstands it of the effect of the gift as if hee shoulde haue said They that haue not such a gift let them vowe what they will they inioy not the fruit of it either they minde not to do what they are enabled for or if they purpose any such matter they faile because the groundworke which should come from aboue is wanting whervpoÌ„ S. Augustine in another place saith Aust in Psal 147. Paucorum est virginitas in carne omniuÌ„ debet esse in corde But your Rhemists vrge Origen It is given to all that aske it It is true but looke what Doctor Fulke answereth out of Origen Tract 7. in Matth. Vtile est autem scire quid quis debeat petere The places you wrest out of Luther be to be interpreted as by circuÌ„staÌ„ces of the places may be collected of the ordinary streÌ„gth of meÌ„ For he denieth not a peculiar gift CoÌ„science is to bee made of doing that which God enableth vs to do yet presumption is to be feared if we vndertake that which we cannot performe It is better to marry then to burne and S. Augustines conclusion is firme Lib. de sancta virginit cap. 18. Melior est in Scriptura Dei veritas quà m in cuiusquam mente virginitas And this is not against Christs gospel or S. Paul his advise for the same Act is in the choice and election a CouÌ„sell and in the performance and practise a precept neither do Protestants lesse care or endeavor to fulfill in generall the Precept then in particular each man enabled to exercise his gift in the CouÌ„sell or branch of the generall precept Knowing that punishmeÌ„t is certainly due to neglect of both And therefore this is my fift resolution and pillar in the building of my faith that Papists vnderstand not scripture fully nor interpret truely who haue so many wrested opinions and manifested Corruptions Mr LEECH The sixt Motiue The Protestantes are Iovinianists and therefore Heretiques and not Catholiques even for this cause S. Augustine as a Register of the Cotholique Church doth witnesse that Iovinian broached this hereticall fancy Heres 82. See the perorat of S. August his treatise vide Ambros 10. lib. epist epist 80 81. contrary to the receiued opinion of the whole Church There is no more merit in the virginity of Nonnes and other continent persons then in chast mariadge The very same opinion is defended Counsailes of perfection denied by Iovinian and imbraced by the Lutherans and Caluinists and they both conspire with Iovinian in this hereticall tenent that there is no greater perfection in a virginall theÌ„ in a coniugall estate And though it pleased Doctour Feild to say Pag. 143. We doe not approue any privat opinion of Iovinian contrary to the iudgement of Gods Church yet both he his Grace of Cant. who approued his booke speake herein against their owne conscience yea mine owne experience in this particular businesse informeth me otherwaies theÌ„ they pretend And I desire no better witnesse to convince them then S. Augustine who writeth of this matter in the name of the vniversall Church According to whose relation compared with the generall opinion of Lutherans Calvinists I doe confidently affirme that the Protestants are Heretiques in this behalfe and that for this cause besides many others which I spare to deale in at this present they are exiled out of the society of the auncient Catholike Church For S. Augustine protesteth in the peroration of his aforesaid treatise that whosoever doth maintaine any of these Heresies which he hath recorded before he is not a Catholique Christian and therefore an Hereticall companion Which censure doth necessarily fall vpon my Calvinian iudges and vpon all such as concurre with their irreligious opinion ANSVVER THe privat opinions of Iovinian disagreeing from the iudgement of the holy Catholique Church we approue not The opinioÌ„ for which you tearme vs Heretiques is noted by S. Austin to haue beene an equalling of married with single life S. Augustin numbreth this among their heresies not so much because he thought it to be a heresie for in many places that good Father doth equallise matrimony with virginity but he mentioneth it rather because S. Ierom had not long before written against that point