of her head And as she had true repentance of her former life so no doubt but she had also a firme purpose to leade a new life So that in her conuersion all those vertues met together which we hold to concurre to iustification and among the rest the preheminence worthily is giuen to loue as to the principall disposition She loued our Sauiour as the fountaine of all mercies and goodnesse and therefore accounted her precious ointments best bestowed on him yea and the humblest seruice and most affectionate she could offer him to be all too little and nothing answerable to the inward burning charity which she bare him Which noble affection of hers towards her diuine Redeemer no question was most acceptable vnto him as by his owne word is most manifest for he said That many sinnes were forgiuen her because she loued much But M. Perkins saith that her loue was no cause that moued Christ to pardon her but onely a signe of pardon giuen before which is so contrary to the text that a man not past all shame would blush once to affirme it First Christ saith expresly that it was the cause of the pardon Because she had loued much Secondly that her loue went before is as plainly declared both by mention of the time past Because she hath loued and by the euidence of her fact of washing wiping and anointing his feete for the which saith our Sauiour then already performed Many sinnes are forgiuen her So that here can be no impediment of beleeuing the Catholike Doctrine so clearlie deliuered by the holy Ghost vnlesse one will be so blindly led by our new Maisters that he will beleeue no words of Christ be they neuer so plaine otherwise then it please the Ministers to expound them And this much of the first of those reasons which M. Perkins said were of no moment R. ABBOT I wished thee gentle Reader before to obserue that which here plainly thou seest that by the Romish doctrine there is one faith hope charity before iustification which must prepare a man in iustification to receiue and is the cause for which in iustification he doth receiue another a faith which is the cause why God endueth him with faith a hope which is the cause for which God endueth him with hope a charity which is the cause for which God bestoweth vpon him the gift of charity A strange doctrine and the same for which Pelagius was of old condemned a August epist 46. that vpon our merits the grace of God is bestowed vpon vs. M. Bishop will say that they make no merits of these yet he himselfe knoweth that their schooles do make them merits ex congruo though not ex condigno merits which are of force to moue God and which it is conuenient that God should respect though they do not fully deserue grace And this merit b Bellarm. de iustif lib. 1. cap. 17. Fides suo quodaÌ„ modo meretur remissionem peccatorum iustificat per moduÌ„ dispositionis ac meriti Bellarmine himselfe affirmeth as before was said But let vs know why they account them not properly merits The reason indeede is because they say they are not the effects of any infused grace for they make them intrinsecally the acts onely of mans free will though adioyning the shew of a counterfeit grace which doth as it were put a hand vnder the arme to helpe lift it vp for the acting thereof Yet M. Bishop at randon not knowing what he saith calleth them diuine qualities contrary to the doctrine of his owne schooles For if faith hope and charity before iustification be diuine qualities and essentially the works of grace there can nothing hinder but that they should be as properly meritorious as those infused graces wherein they affirme iustification to consist But now he must vnderstand that the Fathers did not take merit so strictly as that they giue him way to shift off from himselfe the assertion of Pelagius They vnderstood it so largely as that c August epist 105. Si excusatio iusta est quisquis ea vtitur non gratia sed merito liberatur if a man can but plead a iust excuse for his deliuerance he that vseth it is not deliuered by grace but by merit if there be but d Cont. 2. epist Pelag. lib 1. cap. 19. Pro meritis videlicet voluntatis bonae ac sic gratia nö sit gratia sed sit illud c. gratiam Dei secundum merita nostra dari a good will before grace then grace is not grace but is giuen vpon merit And if he will say that they affirme not any good will before grace let him remember that Pelagius affirmed such a preuenting grace as they do but S. Austine professeth to know no grace but iustifying grace as hath bene shewed e Cha. 1. sect 5. before so that if before iustifying grace there be any good will or good worke then the grace of God is not freely giuen but by merit according to the doctrine of Pelagius Yea Bellarmine himselfe confesseth that the f Bellarm. de grat li. arbit lib. 6. cap. 5. Gratiam secundum merita nostra dari intelligum patres cùm aliquid sit proprijs viribus etiamsi nâ—n sit meritum de condigno ratione cuius datur gratia Fathers do vnderstand the grace of God to be giuen by merits when any thing is done by our owne strength in respect whereof grace is giuen though the same be not any merit de condigno of condignity or worth Such are the faith hope and charity that they teach before iustification which therefore as I haue said are denied to be merits de condigno because they proceede from our owne strength Yea say they but not without the helpe of God But so Pelagius also said as we haue shewed in the place before quoted in the question of Free wil and therefore in that they say nothing to free themselues from saying that which the Fathers condemned in Pelagius that according to our merits the grace of God is bestowed vpon vs. And this M. Bishop will proue by the example of the woman who in the Pharisees house washed the feete of Christ of whom our Sauiour saith g Luk. 7.47 Manie sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much She was iustified therefore saith he because of her loue M. Perkins answereth that that because importeth not any impulsiue cause of the forgiuenesse of her sinnes but onely a signe thereof as if Christ had said It is a token that much hath bene forgiuen her because she loueth much But M. Bishop like to bad disposed persons who face the matter most boldly where their cause is woorst saith that this is so contrary to the text that a man not past all shame would blush once to affirme it The text of it owne accord yeeldeth this construction and no other The creditour forgiueth to one fiue hundred talents to the other fifty whether of
two cities Babylon and Hierusalem comprehending vnder the name of Babylon all that liue according to the flesh and vnder the name of Hierusalem all that liue according to the spirit h Idem in Psal 64. Duas istas ciuitates duo faciunt amores Hierusalem facit amâ—r dei Babyloniam facit amer seculâ— The loue of the world maketh Babylon and the citizens thereof The loue of God maketh Hierusalem and the citizens thereof This earthly citie being the whole corps and societie of the wicked taketh the name of it from Babylon the great Citie of Assyria which was for the time the principall part thereof i De ciuit dei li. 16 cap. 17. In Assyria praeualucrat dominatus impiae ciuitatis huius caput erat Babylon illa cuius terrâ—genae ciuitatis nomen apâ—issimum est 〈◊〉 est confusâ—â— In Assyria saith S. Austin preuailed the dominion of the wicked citie the head thereof was Babylon whose name that is Confusion fitteth the citie of earthly kind and disposition That Babylon wholy sauoured of the flesh affecting altogether the state and kingdome of this world full of abhominable idolatrie couetousnesse pride crueltie vncleane and filthie lust persecution and hatred towards the people of God whom it held a long time in subiection and bondage to it selfe Now as that Babylon being the most auncient state of earthly minded men was the head of that companie and societie of the wicked not because all vniuersally were outwardly subiect vnto it but because all were ioyned inwardly in conformitie of affection with it so Rome arose vp afterward to be another head of the same bodie k Ibid. Roma coâ—â—â— velut altera 〈◊〉 Occideâ—te Babylonia as it were another Babylon in the West as S. Austine speaketh l Ibid lib. 18 cap. 2. Babylonia quasi prâ—mâ— Roma Ipâ—â— Roma quasi secunda Babylonia estâ—â— cap. 22. veluâ— prioriâ— filia Babyloniâ— Babylon saith he was as it were a first Rome and Rome is as it were a second Babylon and as the daughter of the former Babylon It was Babylon then euen from the first originall of it though as did Babylon so Rome also shold in the latter states therof grow to be in higher degree of confusion then it was in the beginning All this the holy Ghost most plainely confirmeth in the description deliuered by m Apoc 13.1 17.3 c. S. Iohn First it is to be obserued that S. Iohn according to the example of the Prophet Daniel doth by the tearme of n Dan 7.3 c. a beast import some earthly kingdome state and gouernement therefore named a beast to signifie the same to be led wholly with beastly carnall affection to those things that concerne the flesh and sauour of the flesh Secondly by o Cap. 17.1.3 a woman a harlot he noteth a citie which is the place and pallace of such a state giuen to fornications both spiritual by idolatry and corporall by luxuriousnesse wantonnesse and filthie lust which sitteth and hath aduancement by the preheminence of that kingdome state and gouernment Thus the Angell plainely distinguisheth the woman and the beast when he saith p Ver. 7. I will shew thee the mysterie of the woman and of the beast that beareth her of which S. Iohn had said before q Ver. 3. I saw a woman sit vpon a scarlet coloured beast Albeit we are so to take this distinction as that withall we vnderstand that the same is not alwaies precisely obserued but that the woman and the beast are vsed sometimes indifferently for the same and either of them to signifie the whole Now of the woman the Angell saith r Ver. 18. The woman which thou sawest is the great citie which raigneth ouer the kings of the earth Againe she is said Å¿ Veâ— 1. to sit vpon many waters which saith the Angel t Ver. 15. are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues But there was no citie that raigned ouer the kings of the earth and ouer those many nations and peoples but onely the citie of Rome Rome therefore is the woman that is there meant This appeareth further by that he noteth of the situation of this citie vpon the seuen heads of the beast which saith the Angell are u Ver. 9. seuen mountaines or hils vpon which the woman sitteth M. Bishop telleth vs that those seuen hils are not to be taken literally but that is a very witlesse shift The Angell by way of exposition deliuereth that by seuen heads are meant seuen hils we must take it vpon M. Bishops word that by seuen heads are not meant seuen hils but somewhat else but what he cannot tell himselfe What an absurd toy is this that the Angell so expounding it we should be sent to him againe to know what he meaneth by seuen hils But this toucheth them to the quicke because the citie of Rome is famous for seuen hils for which Tertullian calleth the people of Rome x Tertul. Apol. cap 35. Ipsos Quâ—rites ipsam vernaculam septem collium plebem conuenio the natiue or home-borne people of seuen hils wherof they had their y Idem de idololat septimontium which was z Jbid. in Annot Ren. Liur Septimontium dies festus appellatur mense Decembri c. quod in septem monubiâ— fierent sacra a festiuall day in the moneth of December vpon which day they performed sacrifices and deuotions vpon those seuen hils and was so named as Varro obserueth a Varro de ling. Latin lib. 5. Dies septimontium nominatus est ab hu septem montibus in quibus vrbs sita est of those seuen hils vpon which the citie stood Seeing then there is no city in the world to which this marke of seuen hils can be applyed but onely the citie of Rome they haue no way to excuse Rome from being the whore of Babylon here described but onely by saying that those hils are not properly to be vnderstood thereby bewraying the miserie of their cause to euery man that doth not wilfully yeeld himselfe to be blinded by them The Angell further expoundeth those b Ver. 9. seuen heads to signifie seuen kings of which fiue are fallen saith he one is and another is not yet come that is saith the Rhemish Diuines though they said it before they were aware c Rhem. Test Ann. Apoc. 13. â— fiue were before Christ one present and one to come Whereby they crosse that absurd shift of theirs vsed in the place which we haue here in hand that d Annot. Apoc. 17.9 seuen is a mysticall number signifying vniuersally all of that sort wherof he speaketh and that the seuen heads hils or kingdomes are all the kingdomes of the world persecuting the Christians being heads and mountaines say they for their height in dignitie aboue others For if the seuen heads be taken in that generalitie of construction then there is no place left for
it is a thing receiued m Aug. de praedest sanct cap. 5. A quo nisi ab illo qui te aâ— ceruit ab alio cui non donauit quod donauit tibi Of whom saith S. Austin but of him who hath not giuen to another that which he hath giuen vnto thee Who as he also answereth the Pelagian heretike obiecting the same place n â—acuâ— de perfect instit prepe fiâ—em â—â—â—p rat 〈…〉 inspireth the loue whereby we chuse He addeth further that vainely it should be sayd Chuse life if grace would haue made them do it infallibly without their consent Where we may wonder at his absurd manner of speech Who was euer so mad as to say that God maketh a man to chuse life without his consent which is the same as if he should say that he should make him consent without consent for how should chusing be without consenting We deny not consent but we say with S. Austin o Aug. epâ—st 107. Vâ—catione illa alta atque secreâ—a siâ— eius agit se sunt vt eidem lege atque doctrinâ— accommodet assensum It is God who by his secret calling worketh the mind of man to giue consent We say with S. Bernard p Bernard de grat ex l b arbit Non quod vel ipse consensus ab ipâ—so fit c fecit volentem noâ— est volunt vt suâ— consentienteÌ„ Consent is not of man himselfe but God maketh a man willing that is consenting vnto his will q In Cant â—er 57. Illius disiderâ—uÌ„ tuum creat quod tu eius properas sermoneÌ„ admittere inde est quòd ipse festinit inirare It is his desire of thee that causeth thy desire of him and that thou art forward to receiue his word it commeth of his forwardnesse and hasting to enter into thee 12. W. BISHOP Vnto these two places of the old Testament one vnder the law of Nature and the other vnder Moses law lâ—t vs couple two more out of the new Testament The first may be those kind words of our Sauiour vnto the Iewes Ierusalem Math. 23. Ierusalem c. how often would I haue gathered together thy children as the hen doth her chickens vnder her wings and thou wouldest not Which do plainly demonstrate that there was no want either of Gods helpe inwardly or of Christs perswasion outwardly for their conuersion and that the whole fault lay in their owne refusing and withstanding Gods grace as thâ—se words of Christ do plainly witnesse And thou wouldest not R. ABBOT If M. Bishop were put to the framing of an argument from this place and to bring in this conclusion that man hath Free vvill to conuert and turne to God I suppose it would trouble him very sore The words do rather import that howsoeuer Christ himselfe be amongst vs and speake vnto vs yet our Free will auaileth nothing to make vs to hearken to him but we still refuse and rebell vntill God do worke it in vs to obey and to hearken to his call And thus Moses to giue a reason why the people of Israel profited not by the sight of so manifold signes and wonders which the Lord had done before them and for them sayth a Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day Christ speaketh those words out of his humane affection he sheweth his loue towards them as man he signifieth his paines and labour bestowed amongst them and what occasion he had to complaine as Esay had foretold b Esa 49.4 I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing The words do no more import Free will then all other places of Scripture that do declare and set forth the rebellion of mans nature against God But yet M. Bishop telleth vs that hereby it is signified that God vsed all meanes that concerned him for the sauing of them they by their Free will crossed his purpose herein The words saith he do plainly demonstrate that there was no want either of Gods helpe inwardly or of Christs perswasion outwardly for their conuersion But they do not demonstrate so much yea by diuerse places of the Gospell we see they are very farre from that demonstration For if there wanted no inward helpe for their conuersion how was it sayd by our Sauiour Christ c Mat. 11.25 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent of the world d Cap. 13.11 To them it is not giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen e Mar. 4.11.12 all things are to them in parables that they seeing may see and not discerne and they hearing may heare and not vnderstand least at any time they should turne and their sinnes should be forgiuen them How was it sayd by the Euangelist S. Iohn f Iohn 12.39 Therefore could they not beleeue because Esay saith againe He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand with their heart and should be conuerted and I should heale them How doth S. Paul say g Rom. 11.7 The election hath obtained but the rest haue bene hardened according as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see c. These things being so apparant and plaine how doth M. Bishop tell vs that there wanted no helpe of God inwardly for their conuersion but the want was onely in their owne Free will Surely h Aug. de corrept grat ca. 14. Cui volâ—nti saluuâ— fâ—cere nullum hominuÌ„ resistit arbitriuÌ„ sic enim vâ—lle nolle in volentis aut nolentis est potestate vt diuinam volumtatem non impediat nec superet potestatem De his enim qui faciunt quae non vult facit ipse quae vult c. De ipsis voluntatibus hominum quod vult facit where God is willing to saue as S. Austin saith there no will of man resisteth For to will or to nill is so in the power of him that willeth or nilleth as that it neither hindereth the will of God nor ouerruleth his power because euen of the wils of men he maketh what he will i Euchirid ad Laurent ca. 103 Dum tamen credere non cogamur aliquid omnipotentem DeuÌ„ voluisse fieri factumque non esse qui sine vllu amâ—iguitatibus si in coelo in terra quaecunque voluit fecit profectò facere noluit quodcunque non fecit In no wise may we thinke saith he that the Almightie God would haue any thing to come to passe and that the same doth not come to passe who if he do whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth as the truth instructeth vs surely had no wil to do whatsouer he hath not done If therfore God had willed the conuersion of the people of Ierusalem and had inwardly
we vse al the good helpes thereto that may be vsed the other is so familiar to vs as that without any teacher without any example to instruct vs we can learne it of our selues Why doth he vtter these absurd paradoxes so contrarie to the common sence and experience of all men It is true that in Baptisme there is a medicine applied for the curing of this Originall maladie which medicine taketh effect according to the purpose of the grace of God It doth not by and by worke in all it worketh in some sooner in some later as he thinketh good to giue it effect by whom it was first applied Sometimes after many yeares he maketh the same workefull by his effectuall calling which from infancie hath lien as it were fruitlesse as if it neuer had bene done But when it doth worke it worketh not all at once it worketh but by degrees it hath still somewhat Å¿ 2. Cor. 4.16 to renew from day to day and neuer effecteth a full and perfect cure so long as we liue here This followeth afterward to be proued at large and therefore I will but briefly propound it in this place Now all these fancies hath M. Bishop vttered in answering the first point of M. Perkins his argument Let vs now come to the second point M. Perkins saith that concupiscence maketh a man to sinne M. Bishop saith it doth not make a man to sinne vnlesse he consent vnto it But the Apostle telleth vs that concupiscence doth make a man to do euill and it hath bene shewed that that euill is sinne euen before there be giuen any consent vnto it This euill consisteth in euill motions and thoughts t Ephiphan haer 64 Origen Obrepunt circa cor nostrum etiaÌ„ non volentibus nobis c. which arise in vs whether we will or not neither u Ambr. de fuga seculi lib. 1 ca. 1. Non in potestate nostra est cor nostruÌ„ â—ostrae cogitationes quae improuitò offusae mentem animuÌ„que confundunt atque aliò trahunt quà m tis proposueris c. Ipso in tempore quo cleuare mentem paramus insertis inanibus cogitationibus ad terrena plerunque deijcimur Et paulo prius vt quod studeas vi tare hoc cogites animoque voluâ—s are our harts and thoughts in our owne power for the auoiding therof but that euen vnawares they ouercast the mind and throw it downe to the earth whilest it is tending towards heauen and that runneth in the fancie which we make speciall labour to put out Yea oftentimes they grow to that absurditie and wickednesse as that we could not beleeue but vpon our owne experience that there were in vs so corrupt a spring as to yeeld so lothsome and filthie streames which make the true faithfull man ashamed of himselfe and to condemne himselfe in the sight of God howsoeuer nothing thereof appeare to the eyes of men But with M. Bishop these things are nothing he will neuer crie God mercie for any such because he hath therein done him no trespasse yea the Trent Councell telleth vs that herein is x Concil Trident Sess 5. In renatis nihil odit Deus nihil eos ab ingressu coeli ramoratur nothing that God hateth nothing that hindereth vs from entring into heauen Which seeing God requireth all the thought to be bestowed in his loue and thereby denounceth it to be a sinne to haue any of our thoughts wandering away from him these men would neuer thus affirme and teach but that y Rom. 11.8 a spirit of slumber hath closed their eyes that they see not that truth against which they haue resolued to bend themselues The third point of M. Perkins argument is that concupiscence intangleth a man in the punishment of sinne This M. Bishop saith is contrarie to that that he had sayd before that the guilt of Originall sinne is taken away in the regenerate But here is no contrarietie because in the continuall rebellion of concupiscence a mans conscience seeth punishment thereby due vnto him if God should require the same but yet by faith comforteth himselfe that it is remitted vnto him for Christs sake And that which M. Perkins spake he spake it out of the Apostles words who of concupiscence saith that z Rom. 7.13 it wrought death in him that is made him in himselfe guiltie of death and thus intangled him in the punishment of sinne although in Christ he saw deliuerance because a Cap. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Let M. Bishop therefore discharge M. Perkins of the lie and take the whetstone to himselfe as being farre more iustly due vnto him The last point of the argument is that concupiscence maketh a man miserable taken out of the words of the Apostle b Rom. 7.24 Wretched man or miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death or from this body of death M. Bishop hereto answereth that miserable is vnderstood two maner of waies either by being in disgrace with God or by reason of the danger of sinne and the miseries of this world But of the danger of sinne the Apostle acquitteth himselfe c 2. Tim. 4.18 The Lord will deliuer me from euerie euill worke and will preserue me vnto his heauenly kingdome and d Rom. 8.39 neither things present nor things to come shall separate vs from the loue of God As for the miseries of this world they are here drawne in by head and shoulders there being here no shew of any matter that should moue the Apostle thus to complaine in respect thereof But the thing is plaine that he calleth himselfe miserable as S. Austin plainely teacheth by reason of e Agust con Iulian lib 6. cap. 7. Noâ—nèâ—â—oncedâ—s hominem miseruÌ„ quicunque ille fuerit aduersus talem clamasse qu theatem velle adiacet mihi c. qua voluntas bona aut non ibi sit aut valere nihil possit an inward euill qualitie whereby the will being good could not auaile to do the good that he would He calleth himselfe miserable by reason of that from which he desired to be deliuered which is the body of death Now the body of death is that which before he hath called f Rom. 6.6 the body of sinne and elsewhere g Col. 2.11 the body of the sinnes of the flesh By the body of sinne is vnderstood concupiscence which is as a body consisting of many members and parts which are the diuerse lusts of diuerse sinnes and thereby is a body of sinnes euen consisting of all maner of sinnes For we may not here vnderstand the body properly as of the body which dieth as if the Apostle had desired a dissolution and end of life because h August de perfect iustit Rat. 17. De corpere mortis huius non omnis liberatur qui finit hanc vitam euery one that dieth is not thereby
occulitur quasi abeūtis absentia indicitur the presence of God coming to a man is when he becōeth known to him his hiding of himself is termed the absence of him as going away in neither of which we are able sufficiētly to cōceiue or cōprehend him Wherby we may see with how great discretiō this place was brought to proue that gods work in mās repētāce is not certainly known to him Now therfore the word of God is warrant to a faithful man to assure himself of his Saluatiō For it biddeth him to d Mar. 1 15. beleeue the Gospell the Gospell is that e Ioh. 3.15.16 whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life He is therefore to beleeue that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life He is therfore to beleeue of himself that because he beleeueth in Christ he shall haue euerlasting life Or if he do not beleeue of himselfe beleeuing in Christ that he shall haue euerlasting life he beleeueth not the Gospell that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life And thus the strength of M. Bishops argument is very feeble neither is it onely vaine in it selfe but he hath dealt as absurdly in the handling of it 3. W. BISHOP The second is It is no article of the Creed that a man must beleeue his owne Saluation and therefore no man is bound there unto M. Perkins answereth That euerie article of the Creed containes this particular faith of our owne Saluation namely three First saith he to beleeue in God is to beleeue that God is our God and to put our trust in him for our Saluation Answer I admit all this and adde more that M. Perkins be no longer ignorant of the Catholike knowledge of the Creed that we must also loue him with all our heart and strength thus we vnderstand it more fully then he Yet find not out that thirteenth article Thou must beleeue thine owne particular Saluation For albeit I beleeue and trust in God yet not being sure of my loue towards him I am not assured of Saluation for as S. Iohn testifieth He that loueth not 1. Iohn 3. abideth in death So I answer to the second article named by M. Perkins that is I beleeue that God of his infinite mercie through the merits of Christs passion doth pardon all those who being heartily sorie for their sinnes do humbly confesse them and fully purpose to leade a new life that I my selfe am such a one I do verily hope because I haue as farre forth as I could to my knowledge performed those things which God requires of me but because I am but a fraile creature and may perhaps not haue done all that so well as I ought or am not so well assured of that which by Gods helpe I haue done I cannot beleeue it for in matter of faith as you shall heare shortly there can be no feare or doubt The like answer is giuen to the article of life euerlasting Mat. 19. I beleeue that I shall haue life euerlasting if I fulfill that which our Sauior taught the young man demaunding what he must do to haue life euerlasting to wit if I keepe all Gods commandements but because I am not assured that I shall do so yea the Protestants though falsly assure vs that no man by any helpe of Gods grace can so do I remaine in feare But saith M. Perkins the diuell may so beleeue the articles of the Creed vnlesse we do apply those articles to our selues First I say the diuell knowes to be true all that we do beleeue and therefore are said by S. Iames to beleeue but they want a necessarie condition of faith that is a godly and deuout submission of their vnderstanding vnto the obedience of faith and so haue no faith to speake properly Againe they trust not in God for Saluation nor indeuour not any maner of way to obtaine Saluation as Christians do and so there is great difference betweene their beleefe in the articles of the Creed and ours R. ABBOT To this argument M. Perkins iustly saith that the pillars of the Church of Rome do not vnderstand the Creed who hauing corrupted all points of Christian faith must needs frame the articles of the Creed to the same corruption Whether they were the Apostles or other after them that layed together this briefe of faith they intended not therein a narration of common historie but a profession of priuate hope And that may appeare by the phrase wherein they haue expressed this beleefe I BELEEVE IN GOD THE FATHER I BELEEVE IN IESVS CHRIST I BELEEVE IN THE HOLIE GHOST For well doth M. Perkins note that to say I beleeue in God is all one as to say I beleeue that God is my God and I haue an assured confidence and trust in him to be saued by his mercie M. Bishop mentioneth the answer in superficiall and generall termes that to beleeue in God is to beleeue that God is our God and to put our trust in him for our Saluation and in this sort admitteth it but to that purpose as M. Perkins spake it he will by no meanes admit it because so to admit it should be to graunt the point in question He can be content that we in common beleeue God to be our God by right of soueraigntie and authoritie but he will not endure that any man shall say as M. Perkins intended I beleeue that God is my God by affection of loue He will like well enough that we put our trust in him for our Saluation so as to looke to be saued by him if we be saued and haply to cary some probable opinion that we shall be saued but in no case will suffer vs to conceiue so of our selues as to say with the Apostle a 1. Thess 5.9 God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine Saluation by the meanes of Iesus as M. Perkins meant To beleeue that God is our God is to beleeue that he is our life our peace our strength our deliuerance and Saluation not only that he is these things in himselfe but that he is indeed the same to vs assuredly perswading our selues that because God is ours therefore whatsoeuer is his is ours that is for vs and for our vse his mercie his power his prouidence to watch ouer vs and to preserue and keepe vs to himselfe both in life and death This did God import when by his new couenant he bound himselfe to his heires of promise saying b Ierem. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people whereupon they shall be emboldened to say c Esa 25.9 Lo this is our God we haue waited for him and he will saue vs we will reioyce and be ioyfull in his Saluation And thus doth S. Austin teach vs to make d August in Psal 32. conc 2. An temerè dicimus faciendo nobu Deum possessionem c. Dicat anima secura dicat Deus
to offend Christ the maister of beleeuers with the sinne of vnbeleefe this is for a man being in the house of faith to be without faith So that by Cyprians iudgement to haue faith is for a man to beleeue his owne Saluation and not to beleeue his owne Saluation is to be without faith But Saint Bernard handleth this point most pregnantly of all other p Bernard in Annunciat ser 1. Necesse est primo omnium credere quod remissionem peccatorum habere non possis nisi per indulgentiam Dei c postremò quòd aeternam vitam nullis potes operibus promereri nisi gratis detur illa c. Verum haec non omnino sufficiunt sed magis initium quoddam velut fundamentum fidei sunt habenda Ideeque sicredis peccata tua non posse deleri nisi ab eo cui soli peccasti benefacis sed adde adhuc vt hoc credas quia per ipsum tibi peccata donantur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibit in corde nostro Spi. sanctus dicens Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua Sic enim arbitratur Apostolus gratis iustificari hominem per fidem Sic de vita aeterna habeas necesse est testimonium spiritus quòd ad eam sis diuino munere peruenturus It is necessarie for thee to beleeue that thou canst not haue forgiuenesse of sinnes but by the mercie of God and that by no works thou canst obtaine eternall life vnlesse it also be giuen thee But these things are not sufficient nay they are to be accounted but the beginning and as it were the foundation of faith Therefore if thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot be put away but by him to whom onely thou hast sinned thou doest well but adde hereto to beleeue THAT BY HIM THY SINNES ARE FORGIVEN THEE This is the testimony that the holy Ghost giueth in our heart saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for thus doth the Apostle define that a man is freely iustified by faith So also as touching eternall life it is needfull that thou haue the testimony or witnesse of the spirit THAT THOV SHALT COME VNTO IT BY THE GIFT OF GOD. Here then it is plaine that without any thirteenth article of the Creed the faith wherby the Apostle saith a man is iustified is such a faith as whereby I beleeue mine owne Saluation whereby I beleeue that my sinnes are forgiuen me and that I shall attaine by the very gift of God vnto euerlasting life But saith M. Bishop I beleeue and trust in God Yet not being sure of my loue towards him I am not assured of Saluation Where he plainly sheweth that he hath no loue towards God because where loue is it cannot but be certainly felt and knowne and if he loued God he could not but assure himselfe thereof Now therefore it is no maruell that he hath no assurance of Saluation when there wanteth in him the certaine and infallible effect of that faith whereby he should be assured of Saluation For true faith is the fountaine of our loue towards God whilest beleeuing God to be such and so mercifull vnto vs it swaloweth vp our affections and draweth our loue and deuotion vnto him Which is not vnfelt in vs but by the feeling thereof in our selues we gather a further confirmation and assurance to our selues that we are beloued of God Both which S. Bernard well declareth saying of the faithfull man q Bernard epist 107. Vermis vilissimus odio dignissimus sempiterno tamen confi lit amari quia se sentit amare immo quia se amari praesentit non redarâ—are confunditur A vile worme and worthy to be hated euerlastingly yet assureth himselfe that he is beloued because he feeleth himselfe to loue nay because he first feeleth himselfe to be beloued therefore he is ashamed not to loue againe So againe he saith that r Jdem in Cant. ser 69. Amor Dei amorem animae parit c. Ex eo quod se diligere sentit eti am diligi non ambigit the loue of God breedeth in the soule loue towards God and by feeling it selfe to loue it is also out of doubt that it selfe is beloued Now what a miserable case is M. Bishop in that neither is sure of his loue towards God nor dare assure himselfe of Gods loue towards him If he had not a senselesse and dead heart he could not but much grieue and lament at his owne estate And yet forsooth he telleth vs that he doth beleeue and trust in God but therein he lieth vnto God For Å¿ Cyprian de duplici martyr Non credit in deuÌ„ qui non tu cosolo collocat totius faelicitatis suae fiduciam he doth not beleeue in God that doth not place the confidence of his felicity in God onely which he doth not place in God onely but partly in God and partly in himselfe He doth not trust in God that doth not rely wholly vpon Gods mercy and thereby looke for that at his hands for which he trusteth in him so as to account himselfe deceiued by him if he faile thereof which neuer hath befallen to any not shall befall that doth put his trust in God M. Bishop diuideth this trust betwixt God and himselfe and so trusteth in God as that he maketh that for which he professeth to trust in God to hang chiefely vpon himselfe and therefore no maruell if he haue no assurance of Saluation because he incurreth rather the curse denounced by the Prophet t Ierem. 1â— 5 Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme For what doth he else when he leaueth the whole worke of God as we haue heard before to be confirmed and made good by his own free wil Now as touching that other article of beleeuing in Christ to haue by his merits remission of sinnes S. Austine teacheth vs that u August in Ioan tract 29. de verb. dom ser 61. Credendo in cum ire membru â—ius incorporari c. Quoquo modo vnitur in eum menibrum in corpore â—ius efficitur to beleeue in Christ is to be vnited vnto Christ to be made one with him to be incorporated to be members of his body He expoundeth it to be all one with that which Christ saith in the Gospell of x Idem in Ioan. tract 26. Credere in Christum hoc est manducare panem viuum eating his flesh drinking his bloud which whosoeuer doth y Iohn 6.54.56 dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him he hath eternall life and Christ will raise him vp at the last day Thus the Gospell of Christ instructeth vs and he that beleeueth in Christ because he beleeueth the Gospell must beleeue that he is a member of Christ one with Christ and Christ with him that he dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him that Christ hath giuen vnto him eternall life and will raise him vp at the
bapt cont Donatist lib. 6. ca. 1. CharactereÌ„ dominicuÌ„ multi lupâ— lupis insigunt qui videntur quideâ— intus esse veruntamen ad â—llâ—m ouem quae etiam ex mulâ—â—â—na est non pertinere morum suoruâ—a fructibus â—â—â—â—ncuntur many woolues in sheeps clothing lying in wait to make a spoile Now we are to distinguish them that truly are in Christ from them that are not so Of them that truly are in Christ in present state of iustification our speech here is that they can neuer wholly be cut off the rest we know are cut off from that l Luc. 8.18 which they seemed to haue but indeed had not which if they had had indeed as they seemed to haue m Mat. 13.12 they should haue had more giuen that they might haue abundance and not be cut off from that they had It is therefore nothing against vs which M. Bishop alledgeth that fruitlesse branches which indeed are not in Christ though they will seeme to be are cut off from seeming any longer to be that which in truth they neuer were Euery one that truly is a branch in Christ bringeth forth fruit in him euery branch that bringeth forth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit Euery one therfore that is truly a branch in Christ as euery true beleeuer is shall continue a branch in him for euer that it may be verified which the Prophet saith n 〈◊〉 92. â—3 Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God They shal stil bring forth fruit eueÌ„ in age shal be fat and flourishing By this the answer is plaine to the other place If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and shall wither and be cast into the fire For hereby is imported what befalleth to them who carying semblance to be in Christ beare no fruit in him who because they are not truly that which they seeme to be therefore abide not in that which they seeme and either by death or by other occasion become o August epist 39 Separantur multi ab ecclesia sed cùm moruntur qui tamen â—ùm viuunt per sacrameâ—toruÌ„ commionem vâ—â—tansque Catholicae vâ—â—â—â—r ecclesia coâ—â—lati corporally separated from the Church to which they before but onely seemed to be coupled It is true then that if a man abide not in Christ though for the time he seeme to be in Christ he is cast forth and perisheth but it followeth not therefore that any man that faithfully beleeueth in Christ and therefore truly is in Christ doth not abide in him Nay our Sauiour himselfe teacheth vs the contrary when he saith p Io n. 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him For what is it to eate the flesh of Christ and to drinke his bloud but q August in Ioan. tract 25 6 to beleeue in Christ r De doct Câ—rist l b 3 cap. 16. Figâ—ra est praecipiâ—â—s paâ—liom Domini esse communicandum suâ—â—itur atque vitatèr recodendum in memâ—ria quòd caro eius pro nobis crucifixa vubierata sit to be partakers of his passion and with comfort and vse to lay vp in our minds that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs Euery one then that truly beleeueth in Christ eateth his flesh drinketh his bloud and therefore abideth in Christ and Christ in him No man therefore that truly beleeueth in Christ is euer cut off or cast forth to wither or to be throwne into the fire Now to an indifferent Reader I might alledge and it easily appeareth by the vse of that terme of abiding that by abiding in Christ is meant our very being in Christ which is therefore so expressed because no man is in Christ truly and indeed but the same abideth in him for euer So that the meaning of Christes words shall be If any man be not truly ingrafted into me as the true vine to grow vpon me and to bring forth fruit by me he is cast forth as a dead and vnprofitable braunch shall come to nought But it booteth not to alledge this to a wrangler who whatsoeuer appeare otherwhere will not here vnderstand it otherwise then to serue his owne turne Against him therefore the other solution is plaine that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ the same abideth in him and therefore shall neuer be cut off so that yet he is farre enough from any demonstration to proue any who are truly members of Christ are wholly and for euer cut off from him Let vs see whether the rest will affoord him any better demonstration Are we not by faith saith he made members of Christ by our aduersaries own confession Yes M. Bishop but yet not by euery kind of faith for S. Iames saith Å¿ Iam. 2.19 The deuils beleeue and yet they are not thereby the members of Christ We are made the members of Christ only by true and liuely faith whereby Christ dwelleth in our hearts of which it is that the Apostle saith t Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus You wil not say M. Bishop that by euery faith a man is spiritually made a meÌ„ber of Christ because you say that there is faith without charity and you dare not say that without charity a man may be a member of Christ Which being so how vainly doth he alledge that u Mat. 13.20 our Sauiour saith in the parable of the sower concerning them that receiue the word in stonie ground that with ioy they receiue the word but haue no root and for a time beleeue and in time of temptation reuolt For though it be said that they beleeue yet it followeth not that they beleeue with that faith whereby they should become the members of Christ For Herod in that sort beleeued the word preached by Iohn Baptist x Mat. 6.20 whom he reuerenced as a lust and holy man and heard him gladly and did many things accordingly and yet he was not therefore a member of Christ By conuiction of conscience men oft times receiue the word cannot but beleeue and acknowledge the truth thereof when yet they embrace it not with affection of loue and therefore haue not that y Gal. 5.6 faith which worketh by loue which onely is true faith And how can he perswade vs that true members of Christ are by Christ himselfe compared to the stony ground We are perswaded that onely the good ground are the true members of Christ as for the rest they are z August in Ioan. tract 3. Infra sect 10. as bad humors in the body as S. Austine saith but members they are not And how should there be true faith in them of whom Christ saith They haue no root Can true faith grow where there is no root for it to grow vpon Nay S. Austine telleth vs
now he maketh of it Which meaning of his cannot in any sort be true because it is faith which first heareth and beleeueth and receiueth the words of God thereby prescribeth vnto charity the way that it is to go and the duty that it is to performe without which what is charity but a wild a wandering affection easely swaruing and caried away from the due respect and loue of God so that by faith it is that charity pleaseth God and d Heb. 11.6 without faith it is vnpossible to please God Now seeing with God we cannot thinke that the greater is accepted for the lesse but rather the lesse for the greater not the mistresse so to speake for the handmaides sake but rather the handmaid for the mistresse sake we must needes make faith not the handmaide as M. Bishop doth but the mistresse because by faith it is that charity is acceptable vnto God But he telleth vs that S. Iames doth demonstrate charity to be the life and as it were the soule of faith when he saith Euen as the body is dead without the soule so is faith without charitie But he wrongeth his Reader in citing thus falsly the words of S. Iames. For S. Iames saith not so is faith without charity but so is faith without workes Now charity cannot be without works but if there might not be workes without charity S. Paul would not haue said e 1. Cor. 13.3 Though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body to be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing Charity is inwardly the affection of the heart seene onely to God but workes are outwardly visible and apparant to men and therefore there is a difference to be made betwixt charity and workes which wholy ouerthroweth all that M. Bishop here goeth about to prooue For the faith whereof we here dispute is inward in the heart because with f Rom. 10.10 the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse But that which is without cannot be the life or soule of that which is within nay it selfe hath from within all the life that it hath and if it receiue not life from within it is altogether dead Workes therefore being outward and issuing from within if they be true can by no meanes be said to be the life of faith that is within But that which S. Iames saith he saith it of workes He saith nothing therefore to prooue that charity is the life and soule of faith But how then will he say doth Saint Iames make workes as it were the life and soule of faith Very well according to that meaning of faith which he there intendeth For he speaketh of faith as it is outwardly professed to men g Iam. 2.14.18 Thâ—u saiest thou hast faith shew me thy faith I will shew thee my faith Now in this respect workes are rightly said to be the lifâ— of faith not charitie but workes because charity cannot be discerned by the eies of men but workes of behauiour and conuersation are discerned Yea there may be a profession of the faith and works thereunto correspondent outwardly when yet there is neither faith nor charity within Yet where it is so men outwardly to men and to the Church go for no other but liuing mâ—mâ—â—â—s of the Church vntill such time as the winde of temptation bloweth them away and discouereth them to haue bene but chaffe when in semblance they seemed to be good corne But where there is outward profession of faith and there is not conuersation thereunto agreeing a man is accounted but a dead branch fit to be cut off his profession wanteth that that should giue it life and grace he is euery mans by word and reproch his hypocrisie is detested of all men and therefore is much more lothsome vnto God In a word S. Paul speaketh of faith in one meaning as it is inward in the heart to God S. Iames speaketh of faith in another meaning as it is outward in the face to men If we vnderstand it according to Saint Paul it is faith that giueth life to all the rest as afterwards shall further appeare If we vnderstand it according to Saint Iames workes are the life of faith and giue it name and being because a man is not accounted faithfull for his words vnlesse there be also workes agreeable to his words Now therefore Maister Bishops comparison whereby he would make charitie as the life and soule and faith as the body cannot be made good out of this place nay indeede it cannot be made good at all For that which must be as the life and soule must be the internall and essentiall forme of the thing But h Bellarm. de iustificat lib. 2. cap. 4. Forma fidei extrinseca noÌ„ intrinseca quae dei illi non vt sit sed vt moueaturâ— sit res actuosa operans charitie is to faith a forme onely extrinsecall and outward not an inward forme saith Bellarmine not giuing it his being but onely his mouing actiuitie and working Charity therefore cannot be called the life and soule of faith Now because it is but an outward and accidentall forme the mouing and working that it giueth vnto faith is but outward and accidentall For the proper and naturall act and motion of a thing cannot proceed from an accidentall forme Faith therefore hath it owne inward essentiall forme whereby it hath life being within it selfe whence proceedeth a motion working that is proper to it selfe And thus doth the Apostle set it down distinctly as a vertue absolute in it self wheÌ„ he saith i 1. Cor. 13.13 Now abide these three faith hope and loue Where to say that faith is as the body and loue as the soule is to make the Apostle to speake absurdly as if a man for two should reckoÌ„ a body a soule According to this distinction doth the scripture still set forth faith in the nature of faith to be the instrument of our iustification before God eueÌ„ according to that life soule that is that proper essentiall forme whereby it hath the being of faith which yet in iustifying vs receiueth charity as an accidentall forme to be vnto it an instrument for mouing and stirring abroad in the performance of all duties recommended vnto vs both to God and men Thus Bellarmine perforce wresteth from M. Bishop yea and from himselfe also this assertion of faith being likened to the body and charity to the soule Yet M. Bishop once againe will assay to proue it by S. Paul making charity a more excellent gift then faith reckoning faith hope and charity and concluding the greatest of these is charity But this testimony auaileth him nothing at all for it followeth not that because the eie is a more excellent member then the eare therefore the eie is as the life and soule to the eare or the eare the instrument of the eie No more doth it follow that because charity is
distinction is very plainly intimated by S. Paul when he saith r Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he had to reioice but not with God He denieth not but Abraham was iustified by workes and that he had wherein to glory and to stand vpon his iustification but yet not with God He might do it in respect of men but with God he could not do it So saith Origen vpon those words hauing first put difference betwixt iustification by faith seene onely to God and iustification by works which may be approoued of men ſ Origen in Rom. ca. 4. Abraham si ex operibus iustificatus est habet quidem gloriam ex operibus venientem sed non illam quae apud Deum est If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath the glory which commeth by works but not that which is with God And this distinction is apparant also by S. Austine who speaking as touching inherent iustice and righteousnesse of workes saith t Aug. de Temp. ser 49. Quamdiu viuitur in hac vita nemo iustificatus est sed In conspectu Dei. Nō frustrae addidit In conspectu tuo nisi quia potest esse iustificatus in cōspectu hominū Referet in conspectu Dei Non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis viuens So long as we liue in this life no man is iustified but in the sight of God Not without cause was it that Dauid added In thy sight For it may be that a man may be iustified in the sight of men but let him speake as touching Gods sight and no man liuing shall be iustified in thy sight Where sith S. Austine as touching iustification by workes denieth that any man in this life is iustified in the sight of God it must necessarily follow that that iustification which is by workes must not be vnderstood in the sight of God but onely in the sight of men Now then to speake of iustification before men as S. Iames doth it is true that both faith and workes do concurre and ioine in the act of iustification The faith that inwardly in the heart iustifieth to God and is outwardly professed with the mouth to men is not sufficient to approoue a man outwardly to men and to the Church of God to the sight and conscience whereof euery faithfull man is bound to acquit and cleare himselfe vnlesse it be accompanied and adorned with vertuous and vpright conuersation In this respect therefore it may be said that the better part in some sort is attributed to workes that faith is made perfect by workes that faith is as the body and good workes as the soule and that faith without workes is dead euen as the body is dead without the soule Men specially haue an eie to workes and thereto attribute more then to words He is taken for a halting and halfe Christian that maketh shew of faith and liueth not accordingly Men account him as a carion a dead carkasse lothsome detestable he is euery mans byword as I said before and his name continually carieth reproch with it Hereby it appeareth also that faith though haply it be in the heart yet is here respected onely as it is professed to men For it cannot be that the worke of the hand should giue life to the faith of the heart but rather receiueth life from it Yea M. Bishop himselfe telleth vs that charity within is the life of faith within and therefore workes which are without cannot be said to be the life of faith but as faith it selfe also is without There may be workes whereby a man outwardly may u Luk. 16.15 iustifie himselfe to men as the Pharisees did which yet are dead workes because there is neither faith nor charity to giue them life from the heart Now S. Iames must so be vnderstood as that not charity which is habitually and inuisibly within but works which are outward and apparent must be the life of faith He speaketh therefore of faith as it is outwardly professed which hath it life and grace and honour amongst men by the outward fruites of good workes correspondent to it selfe Very guilefully therefore doth M. Bishop turne his speech from workes whereof S. Iames speaketh to charity there being here so different a consideration to be had of the one and of the other yea he himselfe naming charity the fountaine of good workes and thereby importing that charity as the fountaine differeth from the good workes that issue therefrom The place that he alledgeth to the Corinthians x 1. Cor. 13.2 Though I haue all faith c. is nothing to this purpose because we speake here of a faith that is common to all the faithfull but the Apostle there speaketh of a faith that is peculiar onely to some whereof he hath said the chapter going before y Cap. 12.9.10 To one is giuen the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another is giuen faith meaning the faith whereby miracles are wrought as he himselfe addeth Though I haue all faith so that I could remooue mountaines c. His purpose is to teach men not to be proud of speciall gifts of the spirit but to respect the end and vse thereof which is performed by loue without which they are onely idle shewes As touching the comparison of faith and charity there hath bene enough said z Sect. 22. before For our present state faith hath the preferment and all in all hangeth vpon our faith which is the heart and life of whatsoeuer else is in vs towards God It is faith that giueth God his glory that acknowledgeth him to be that that he is that so setteth him before vs as to draw all our affections vnto him our loue our feare our hope our delight our selues wholy both body and soule The promises of God in speciall manner are made to them that beleeue and trust in him Therefore that God esteemeth more of our charity then of our faith is not the Apostles assertion but M. Bishops fond collection and that which the whole course of Scripture doth gainsay But supposing it to be so the consequence that M. Bishop draweth therefrom is very ridiculous If God esteeme more of charity then of our faith a man is more iustified by charity then by faith As if he should say A man esteemeth more of his eies then of his eares therefore he heareth better with his eies then with his eares A thing may simply absolutely be preferred before another and yet the other in some respect vse may be preferred before it Thus may it very well be said as touching this comparison of faith with charity as before is said Further he alledgeth that God to shew how acceptable Abrahams fact was to him saith Now I know that thou louest me The true text is a Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest me but thus M. Bishop shufleth and shifteth the best he can to gaine somewhat to charity against faith
concupiscence to be restrained and bridled Therefore he saith f De Temp. Ser. 45. Plenitudo est virtutis quòd lex dixit Ne concupiscas Hoc modo impleri non potest The perfection of vertue is that which the law saith Thou shalt not lust this now in this life cannot be fulfilled And againe g Ibid. Ser. 49. Hoc dicit legem implere hoc est non concupiscere Quis ergo hoc qui viuit potest To fulfill the law is not to iust and who is there liuing that can so do It is manifest then by S. Austin that that commandement requireth a perfection which in this world we neuer are able to attaine vnto because it doth not onely forbid consent but euen the very hauing of any euill motions or affections contrarie to the law And by those motions we do not onely breake the commandement Thou shalt not lust but we faile of yeelding loue to God with all our heart with all our soule c. because euil motions and lusts do occupie some part of the heart and soule and withhold the same from God Therefore S. Austin saith againe h Aug. de perf iust Cùm est aliquid concupisceÌ„tiae carnalis quod vel continendo fraenetur non omnimodò ex tota anima diligitur Deus Neque enim caro sine anima concupiscit quamuis caro concupiscere dicatur quia carnaliter anima concupiscit so long as there is any part of carnall concupiscence by continencie to be bridled God is not perfectly loued with all the soule for the flesh lusteth not without the soule although the flesh be said to lust because the soule lusteth according to the flesh Now therefore albeit it be true that a man may resist such euill motions and deny consent vnto them yet is he not therby freed froÌ„ transgression of the law But yet M. Bishop falsely alledgeth S. Austin to that purpose who in the place i August Confess lib. 10 cap. 30. Saepe etiam in somnis resistimus c. Potens est manus tua abundantiore gratia tua lasciuos motus etiam mei sopotu extinguere c Lugens in eo quod incomsummatus sum sperans perfecturum te in me misericordias tuas vsque ad pacem plenariam quam habebunt tecum interiora exteriora meacùm absorpta fuerit mors in victoriam cited not the seuenth as he quoteth but the thirtieth Chapter affirmeth indeed that somtimes men resist those concupiscences euen in their sleepe that it is in Gods power to make him alwaies so to do He signifieth his longing desire after that puritie and perfection but his expectation of it onely then when death shall be swallowed into victorie howsoeuer God be able if so it were his pleasure to giue it euen now also in the meane time And indeed there is no man liuing to whom can be attributed that perfection to be altogether and wholy free from consent of sinfull lust There is no man that fighteth so warily but that sometimes yea many times he receiueth grieuous wounds and findeth cause to cry mournfully vnto God for the cure thereof A man resisteth in one thing and is ouertaken in another at one time he checketh those corrupt desires with which as nets he is strongly intangled at another This is the state of all flesh and of this we haue cause to complaine so long as we liue here 41 W. BISHOP Iac. 3.2 1. Ioan. 1. We do offend in many things and if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues But if we could obserue all the law we should offend in nothing nor haue any sinne ergo Answer I graunt that we offend in many things not because it is not possible to keepe them but for that we are fraile and easily led by the craft of the diuell into many offences which we might auoyde if we were so warie and watchfull as we ought to be againe although we cannot keepe our selues from veniall offences yet may we fulfill the law which is not transgressed and broken vnlesse we commit some mortall sinnes For veniall sinnes either for the smalnesse of the matter or want of consideration are not so opposite to the law as that they violate the reason and purport of it although they be somewhat disagreeing with it But of this matter more fully in some other place R. ABBOT There is no doubt but if all impediments were taken away whereby we are hindered from keeping the commandements of God it should be possible enough perfectly to fulfill the same It is true which S. Austine saith that a August de spâ— lit cap. 19. Non vitio suo non implebatur lex sed vitio prudentiae carnis it is not by any default of the lawe that we fulfill it not but by default of the wisedome of the flesh which as the Apostle saith is b Rom. 8.7 enmitie against God and is not subiect vnto the law of God nor indeed can be We are by our frailtie led into many offences saith M. Bishop and we might auoyde the same if we were so warie and watchfull as we ought to be But so long as this frailtie hangeth vpon vs and by the weaknesse and corruption of flesh we are not so warie and watchfull as we ought to be why doth he attribute vnto vs a power and ablenesse to fulfill the lawe And what is that that he saith but euen the deuice of the Pelagian Heretickes who affirming c Hieron Epist ad Ctesiphont Hominem posse esse sine peccato si velit c. Cùm ab eis quaerimus qui sint quos absque peâ—cato putent noua stropha eludere cupiunt veritatem se non eos dicere qui sint vel fuerint sed qui esse possint that a man may be without sinne if he will and being demaunded who they were whom they tooke to be without sinne by a wily shift answered that they said not what men are or what they haue bene but what they may be Euen thus M. Bishop being vrged by the confession of the Apostles themselues that in many things we all offend and sinne that is do trespasse and breake the commandements of God confesseth it to be true but yet notwithstanding saith that it is vnpossible to keepe them But as Hierome answered the Pelagiaâ—s so we answer him d Jbid. Qua est argumentatio ista posse esse quod nunquam fuerit Posse fieri quod nullum fecisse testeris dare nescio cui quod in Patriarchis Prophetis Apostolis fuisse nequeas approbare What a reason is this that that is possible to be which neuer was and may be done which thou bearest witnesse that neuer any man did and to giue to euery man that which in the Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles thou art not able to make good To be short as it is not possible for a man being feeble and weake and sicke to beare a
though any do by occasion name charitie for the wedding garment as men by diuers occasions speake diuersly thereof yet no man was euer so absurd as expresly to exclude true faith from being one part of it as M. Bishop doth And if any do speake sometimes of a faith without charitie and fruites of good workes they speake thereof as we do as being onely a bastard faith a false and fained faith an idle outward receiuing and professing of the faith or doctrine of faith not that true faith which the Apostle speaketh of to which he assigneth our iustification in the sight of God The like foolish argument he maketh from the i Mat. 25.1 foolish virgins he may well call it the like because indeed they are all naught They had faith saith he true but they had not true faith they had not that faith which the Apostle speaketh of wherein our iustification is affirmed to consist For of that faith the Protestants say truly that it cannot be lost because God hath made vnto it the promise of eternall life and therefore Christ prayeth for it that it may neuer faile They had a forme or shew of faith as they had k 2. Tim. 3.5 a forme or shew of godlinesse but neuer knew the power thereof His tale of perfection is an idle dreame as we shall see hereafter if God will As for them that apply this text to the profession of virginitie they do apparent wrong therein the very text it selfe giuing to vnderstand that therby is described the kingdome of heauen by which in these parables euery where is vnderstood the whole state of the outward and militant Church professing to seeke the kingdome of heauen To take it otherwise is to offer violence to a very plaine and manifest text Vnder the name of Virgins all are comprehended who by profession and promise of faith and baptism haue vndertaken to be l 2. Cor. 11.2 virgins that is entire and faithfull vnto Christ By the lampe is imported that outward profession to men the oyle signifieth true faith and a good conscience inwardly to God Howsoeuer the lampes of foolish virgins of idle and emptie professors giue them credit with men so as that they are not barred from the companie and conuersation of the wise yet in the sleepe of death they shall go out and shall not serue to light them to go to God then shall they too late seeke and wish for that the oportunitie whereof before they carelesly omitted Then shall they cry Lord Lord as the other did before but it shall not boot them to cry when the doores shall be shut against them Thus doth Christ giue the same to vnderstand of hypocrites in generall which before he had done of hypocriticall and false teachers and what he saith here he expresseth more fully by the other Euangelist that when they shall cry m Luk. 13.25 Lord Lord open to vs and Christ shall answer vnto them I know you not whence you are then they shall begin to say We haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets Where we see them pleading that they haue heard Christ preach and they haue bene partakers of his Sacraments but they cannot plead for themselues that they haue beleeued in him therfore he shall answer theÌ„ again I tell you I know ye not whence ye are depart from me ye workers of iniquitie His fourth argument is of n Ioh. 12.42 many amongst the chiefe rulers of the Iewes who beleeued in Christ but yet confessed him not because of the Pharisees lest they should be cast out of the synagogue for they loued the praise of men more then the prayse of God Here we see faith indeed as he saith but we see no necessitie that faith should be vnderstood here to be without charitie Here is weake faith and weake loue too much yet entangled and tyed in the nets of carnall and earthly respects but he hath no ground to affirme that there is no loue Yes saith he for charity prefers the glory and seruice of God before al things in the world whereas these men were afraid to confesse Christ Indeed o 1. Ioh. 4 18. perfect charitie casteth out all feare and perfect faith breedeth perfect charity but there is a beginning of true faith and loue which being yet little and weake and hauing not yet ouermastered all worldly regards is for a time timorous and fearefull to confesse Christ yet groweth to strength by litle and little till it resolue to cleaue vnto him with losse of all other things Such was the faith of Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathea who were two of these chiefe rulers the one p Ioh. 3.2 coming to Iesus by night the other a disciple also q Cap. 19.38 but secretly for feare of the Iewes who yet afterwards being stirred vp with those things which they beheld saw in the death of Christ more boldly shewed themselues in his behalfe and in the end forsooke all for the following of his seruice In the meane time they shewed loue also to Christ though weakly r Cap. 7.50.51 the one in speaking in his behalfe Å¿ Luk. 23.51 the other in withholding his consent from the counsell and deed that was acted against Christ both in yeelding themselues to be his disciples and to be instructed by him Such was the faith and loue of the Apostles themselues who were euery while affrighted and in his greatest distresse t Mat. 26.56 all forsooke him and fled But he that u Cap. 12.20 breaketh not the brused reed nor quencheth the smoaking flaxe till he bring foorth iudgement into victorie wheresoeuer he seeth true faith and vnfained loue though yet weake and feeble watereth and cherisheth and vndersetteth the same that it may grow to strength x Aug. in Ioan. tract 53. Videte quemadmodum Euangelista notauerit improbauerit quâ—sdam ques tamen in eum credidisse dixit qui in hoc ingressu fidei si proficerent amorem quoque humanae gloriae proficiendo superarent The Euangelist saith S. Austin noteth and reproueth some of whom notwithstanding he saith that they did beleeue in Christ who if they did grow forward in this beginning of faith wold by growing forward ouercome the loue of humane glory which the Apostle had ouercome who saith God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ This growth there is wheresoeuer there is true and vnfained faith and because it cannot grow without loue it groweth to the ouercoming of all contrarie loue til it cleaue wholy vnto God Thus the Gospel expresly teacheth concerning some of these chief rulers and we cannot doubt but that the like befell in the rest of them that did truly beleeue in Christ They beleeued but their faith was weake and their loue was according to their faith til increase of faith brought further strength of loue and they learned by faith
and loue to preferre the seruice of Christ before all the glory of this world Albeit it is not to be omitted that S. Iohn somtime following the Hebrew phrase vseth the terme of beleeuing in Christ abusiuely applying it to them who by the miracles of Christ and his manifest declaration of the truth were conuicted in conscience to acknowledge him to be of God but yet did not at all in their hearts submit themselues vnto him Thus he saith in another place that y Ioh. 2.23 many beleeued in the name of Christ when they saw his miracles which he did to whom yet he did not commit himselfe because he knew what was in them Thus might it be said of some of those chiefe rulers that they beleeued in Christ that is were perswaded in their minds that he spake the truth but yet preferring their credit and reputatiō with men gaue no regard vnto it But that there is another manner of beleeuing in Christ which is that wherof we speake not incident to them who cōtinue wholy possessed with such respects Christ himself sheweth saying z Ioh. 5.44 How can ye beleeue which receiue honor one of another seek not the honor that cometh of God alone They might therfore in some meaning be said to beleeue in Christ when yet they had no true faith which as appeareth by these words cannot be separated from loue and seeking of the honour that cometh of God alone which wheresoeuer it is begun beginneth to looke vnto God and winding by degrees out of all other regards yeeldeth it selfe entirely to follow him Therfore the distinction of faith being obserued which the Scripture it selfe enforceth vpon vs M. Bishop hath yet alledged nothing to proue that true faith and charitie may be diuided or that any man may be said truly to beleeue in whom there is not also loue to righteousnesse and good works 51. W. BISHOP Cap. 2. 5 This place of S. Iames What shall it profit my brethren if any man say that he hath faith but hath not works what shall his faith be able to saue supposeth very plainly that a man may haue faith without good workes that is without charitie but that it shall auaile him nothing Caluin saith that the Apostle speakes of a shadow of faith which is a bare knowledge of the articles of our Creed but not a iustifying faith Without doubt he was litle acquainted with that kind of faith by which Protestants be iustified but he directly speakes of such a faith as Abraham was iustified by saying That that faith did worke with his works and was made perfect by the workes Was this but a shadow of faith But they reply that this faith is likened vnto the faith of the Diuell and therefore cannot be a iustifying faith that followeth not for an excellent good thing may be like vnto a bad in some things as Diuels in nature are not onely like but the very same as Angels be euen so a full Christian faith may be well likened vnto a Diuels faith when it is naked and voyd of good works in two points first in both there is a perfect knowledge of all things reuealed secondly this knowledge shall not stead them any whit but only serue vnto their greater condemnation because that knowing the will of their master they did it not And in this respect S. Iames compareth them together now there are many points wherein these faiths do differ but this one is principall that Christians out of a godly and deuout affection do willingly submit their vnderstanding vnto the rules of faith beleeuing things aboue humane reason yea such as seeme sometimes contrary to it But the diuell against his will beleeues all that God hath reuealed because by his naturall capacitie he knowes that God cannot teach nor testifie any vntruth Againe that faith may be without charitie is proued out of these words of the same 2. chapter Euen as the body without the spirit is dead so also faith without works is dead Hence thus I argue albeit the body be dead without the soule yet it is a true natural body in it selfe euen so faith is perfect in the kind of faith although without charity it auaile not to life euerlasting Lastly in true reason it is manifest that faith may be without charity for they haue seuerall seates in the soule one being in the will and the other in the vnderstanding they haue distinct obiects faith respecting the truth of God and charity the goodnesse of God Neither doth faith necessarily suppose charity as charity doth faith for we cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard Neither yet doth charity naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnes of God and of his benefits and loue towards vs into which good and deuout considerations few men do enter in comparison of them who are led into the broad way of iniquity through their inordinate passions This according to the truth and yet more different in the Protestants opinion for faith layes hold on Christs righteousnes receiues that in but charity can receiue nothing in as M. Perkins witnesseth Pa. 85. but giues it selfe forth in all duties of the 1. and 2. Table Now sir if they could not apply vnto themselues Christs righteousnes without fulfilling all duties of the 1. and 2. Table they should neuer apply it to them for they hold it impossible to fulfill all those duties so that this necessary lincking of charity with faith maketh their saluation not only very euill assured but altogether impossible for charity is the fulnesse of the law which they hold impossible Rom. 12. and then if the assurance of their saluation must needs be ioyned with such an impossibility they may assure themselues that by that faith they can neuer come to saluation R. ABBOT That faith may be without charitie and good workes it is true and we doubt not thereof according to the meaning of faith of which S. Iames speaketh which Caluin very iustly and rightly saith is but a shadow of faith For it plainely appeareth by the text that he speaketh of faith as only professed before men as before hath bene alledged Therefore he compareth it a Iam. 2.16 to the good words of him that wisheth wel to the poore man but doth nothing at all for him To this tendeth his question b Ver. 14. What auaileth it though a man say that he hath faith and his other demand c Ver. 18. shew me thy faith The vttermost that he extendeth it to by instance is a meere historicall faith d Ver. 19. Thou beleeuest that there is one God His purpose is to shew that faith if it be truly professed hath a root within from whence spring by obedience the fruites of al good workes and if it giue not foorth it selfe by workes it is no true faith Whereas M. Bishop saith that S. Iames speaketh directly of such a faith as Abraham was iustified
semblance of name as a man tearmeth a hand of stone for in like sort is a dead hand for all parts of the bodie are defined by their office and facultie Therefore when they lye dead they are not the same but retaine onely the shew and shadow of the name The argument therefore must be turned against himselfe that as the dead body is not a true naturall bodie but onely by equiuocation is so called euen so a dead faith is no true faith but onely by equiuocation for some semblance to men it carieth the shew and shadow of the name of faith Yet he will not so giue ouer but as hauing set the stocke vpon it he will winne it in this period or else he will loose all Indeed he is like a sheepe tangled in the briars the more he struggleth and striueth the faster he tyeth himself He saith that faith charity haue seueral seats in the soule faith in the vnderstanding and charity in the will But that is not so for as hath bene before said true and vnfained faith which the Scripture commendeth for iustification is a mixt action of the vnderstanding and will Yea the Apostle expresly placeth faith in the heart which is the seate of the affections l Rom. 10.10 With the heart saith he man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse If thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued No maruell that M. Bishop cannot tell what true faith is who knoweth no other faith but onely a faith of the head consisting in speculatiue fancies and imaginations of the braines and descending no lower then the tongue whereas the Apostle speaketh of a faith of the heart a feeling faith which by feeling gathereth to it the affection and will which is not onely an act of knowledge and vnderstanding as M. Bishop dreameth but implieth an affecting desiring embracing seeking of that which it beleeueth a ioying and reuiuing of it selfe therein So I alledged before out of Oecumenius that the faith whereof Saint Paul speaketh is not a bare assent as is the faith of diuels and M. Bishops Catholike faith but m Oecumen in lac cap. 2 Consecutionem ex affectu procedentē hath some further consequence arising from the affection Againe they haue distinct obiects saith he faith respecting the truth of God and charitie the goodnesse of God Indeed the truth of God is the obiect of our faith but what is the matter of that truth but the promise of God concerning his goodnesse towards vs n Psal 27.13 I should vtterly haue fainted saith Dauid but that I beleeue verily to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing o Ferus in Mat. ca. 8. Fides quam Scriptura commendat nihil aliud est quà m fidere gratuita Dei miserecordia The faith saith Ferus which the Scripture cōmendeth is nothing els but to trust to the free mercie of God So then the goodnesse mercy of God is properly and truly the obiect of our faith Yea and how should the goodnesse of God be the obiect of our charitie but by being first the obiect of our faith For therefore do we loue the goodnesse of God or loue God for his goodnesse towards vs because first we beleeue the same neither can we so loue but by beleeuing For charitie consisting simply in affection apprehendeth nothing in God of it selfe but receiueth all from faith which is it as Chrysostome noteth p Chryso in Rom. hom 8. Conuenientem de Deo opinionē accipit whereby we conceiue a due and conuenient opinion concerning God Loue is not a reciprocall action the passage thereof is meerely from him that loueth to the thing that is loued Thus therefore it is in our loue to God but what we conceiue backe againe of him towards vs it is by faith and not by loue Yea M. Bishop himselfe verifieth this in that he saith We cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard For what is all our hearing but onely by beleeuing that which we heare First therefore we heare of Gods goodnesse his mercy his truth c. and by beleeuing that which we heare our affections are drawne vnto him First therfore all these are the obiects of our faith and consequently become the obiects of our loue His next difference is a meere begging of the question We say that faith though it do not presuppose charitie as a thing precedent yet alwayes supposeth and inferreth it as an immediate and necessary consequent For faith receiueth Christ q Ephes 3.17 to dwell in our hearts who commeth not but accompanied with grace and with the fruites of the spirit which alwayes grow and increase according to the increase and growth of faith Great faith hath feruent loue weaker faith hath weaker loue but alwayes hath a measure of loue answerable to it selfe Now by this that hath bene said it appeareth how vntruly M. Bishop saith for his last difference that charitie doth not naturally flow out of faith whereas indeed common sence in diuinitie doth instruct him that the original thereof is from thence and onely from thence For if we cannot loue God but by hearing beleeuing him to be that that he is then it is faith which setting God before vs such a one as he is wise mighty iust merciful louing and gracious vnto vs enamoreth our hearts and breedeth in vs affections correspondent to his grace neither is there any spark of loue but what ariseth from this ground Yea M. Bishop himselfe confesseth so much but that his wits are so besotted with his minion of Rome that he knoweth not what he saith Charitie saith he doth not naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnesse of God and of his benefites and loue towards vs. Which is as much as if he should say it doth not naturally flow out of faith but doth naturally flow out of faith For whence is this consideration of Gods goodnes c. but from faith Do we consider these things any otherwise but as by faith we first apprehend and beleeue the same It is faith as hath bene said which affecteth and seasoneth the hart with the sweet tast and feeling of those considerations and thereby allureth and draweth vs to love him of whom we haue receiued so great loue And for want of faith it is that it cometh to passe which M. Bishop to make vp his sentence impertinently complaineth of that few men enter into these good and deuout considerations yea he and his by oppugning and destroying true faith do helpe to draw men backe from considering of these things Now all that hitherto he hath sayd he telleth vs is according to the truth whereas indeede there is not a word true as hath appeared and if it had beene true yet he had gained nothing thereby because it followeth not that those things which are deuided in facultie and
giuing to vnderstand that that former was not the whole meaning of Christes words r Beda in Luc. cap. 17. We are vnprofitable seruants because the sufferings of this time are not worthy of the glory to come as in another place which crowneth thee in mercy and compassion He saith not in thy merits because by whose mercy we are preuented that we may humbly serue him by his gift we are crowned to reigne with him What M. Bishop no more faith no more trust in you do you alledge Authors when they condemne your doctrine euen in the places whence you cite them Leaue of leaue of Act. 26.14 it is hard for you to kicke against the prickes You fight against the Gospell of Christ against the truth of God and do not you doubt but it will preuaile against you and the conquest thereof shall be your vtter confusion if you hold on your course 5. W. BISHOP And thus we fall vpon the third property of M. Perkins meritorious worke which is That it be done to the profit of another and say that albeit God in himselfe receiue no profit by our workes yet doth he in the administration of his holy common-weale the Church wherein good mens seruices do much pleasure him And in this sence it is said of S. Paul That by cleansing our selues from wicked workes 2. Tim. 2. Math. 5. we shall become vessels sanctified and profitable vnto our Lord. Againe God is glorified by our good workes That seeing your good workes they may glorifie your Father which is in heauen Finally God doth reioyce at the recouerie of his lost children Ioh. 15. ver 8. Luk. 15. If then good men trauailing painfully in Gods Vineyard do yeeld him outwardly both honour ioy and commoditie that may suffice to make their worke meritorious R. ABBOT As touching this condition we contend not with Maister Bishop concerning his exposition thereof Merit must be done by the will and for the vse and behoofe of him at whose hands it must merit So Christes obedience by the will of the Father to the praise of the glory of his grace did merit and deserue at his Fathers hands in our behalfe Onely it is to be added that it must fully satisfie the vse and behoofe whereto it is intended and not faile in any point thereof Now because a Aug. Euâ—hirid cap. 64. Sic spiritu Dei extitantur vt etiam spiritu suo c. tanquaÌ„ filij hominuÌ„ quibusdaÌ„ motibus humanis deficiant ad seipses c. the children of God are so moued by the spirit of God as that by their owne spirit as the sonnes of men through humane motions and affections they sometimes faile and fall backe to themselues and therefore do not so entirely and perfectly serue the vses of the Lord to yeeld either glory to God or loue to their brethren as they ought to do therefore neither do they attaine to this condition of merit nor can in any sort bind God to repay them for that broken seruice that they haue done nay if he would call matters to strict reckoning and account he hath rather occasion of quarell against them for disgracing and defiling the works that he hath wrought in them 6. W. BISHOP M. Perkins fourth property is That the worke and reward be equall in proportion If he vnderstand Arithmeticall proportion that is that they be equall in quantity to wit the one to be as great or of as long continuance as the other then we denie this kinde of equality to be requisite to merit there is another sort of proportion called by the Philosopher 5. Ethic. Geometricall and the equality of that is taken by a reasonable correspondence of the one vnto the other as when a good office is giuen vnto a Citizen of desart it may be that the honour and commodity of the office is farre greater then was the merit of the man yet he being as well able to discharge it as another and hauing better deserued it is holden in true iustice worthie of it In like manner in a game where maisteries are tried the prize is giuen vnto him that doth best not because the value of the reward is iust as much woorth as that act of the man who winneth it but for that such actiuitie is esteemed woorthy of such a recompence Now the crowne of heauenly glory is likened by Saint Pule vnto a Garland in a game where he saith 1. Cor. 9. 2. Tim. 2. That we all runne but one carieth away the prize And he that striueth for the maisterie is not crowned vnlesse he striue lawfully It is also resembled vnto places of honour Math. 25. Ioh. 14. I will place thee ouer much And I go to prouide you places Grace is also in many places of Scripture compared to seede Math. 13. 1. Ioh. 3. For the seed of God tarieth in him But a little seed cast into good ground and well manured bringeth forth abundance of corne Briefly then such equality as there is betweene the well deseruing subiect and the office betweene him that striueth lawfully and the crowne betweene the seede and the corne is betweene the reward of heauen and the merit of a true seruant of God And thus much of M. Perkins first Argument more indeede to explicate the nature and condition of merit then that his reason nakedly proposed did require it R. ABBOT The proportion that maketh merit or desert must be Arithmeticall wherein the worke must fully equall the reward though not in greatnesse and continuance yet in value and woorth If the one in that sort do not counterpoise the other the one cannot be said to be deserued by the other But there is no proportion at all either Arithmeticall or Geometricall betwixt that that is finite and that that is infinite therefore none at all betwixt the worke of man and the reward of heauen the one being euery way finite the other in continuance infinite So then Maister Bishops Geometricall proportion and reasonable correspondence is excluded also because a Fulgent ad Monim lib. 1. TantuÌ„ ibi graetia diuinae retributionis exuberat vt inceparabiliter atque ineffabiliter omne merituÌ„ quamuis bonae ex Deo datae humanae voluntatis operationis excedat the grace or gift of Gods reward as Fulgentius saith doth so much there abound as that incomparably and vnspeakeably it exceedeth all the merit of the will and worke of man albeit it be good and giuen vnto him of God There is no reasonable correspondence where the one incomparably and vnspeakeably exceedeth all the merit and desert of the other The same is imported by Saint Bernard who hauing said that mens merits are not such as that life eternall is due vnto theÌ„ of right giueth reason therof beside that that I mentioned before b Ber. in Annunciat Ser. 1. Quid sunt omnia merita ad tantaÌ„ gloriam For what are all merits to so great
all Christians but voluntarily to be followed as a matter of speciall perfection by such as will so as that without this a man may be saued and come to eternall life but by the doing of it he meriteth a release of his owne and other mens sins and an eminent and more then ordinary degree of glory in euerlasting life But the text plainly sheweth that this cannot be there meant and that the lesson that Christ taught him did concerne a dutie necessary for the obtaining of eternall life The question that he moueth to Christ is l Mat. 19.16 Good master what shall I do to obtaine eternall life Our Sauiour answereth If thou wilt enter into lift keepe the commaundements He professeth himselfe so to haue done from his youth and addeth what lacke I yet What is it whereto he supposeth somewhat yet to be lacking Euery man seeth whereto it is to be referred What lacke I yet to the obtaining of eternal life Accordingly then the answer of Christ is to be construed If thou wilt be perfect that is lacking nothing to the obtaining of eternall life go sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me That this is the meaning of the perfection here spoken of appeareth by the two other Euangelists who thus set downe the answer of Christ m Mark 10.21 One thing is lacking vnto thee n Luke 18.22 Yet lackest thou one thing sel all that thou hast c. Wherto did he lacke one thing but to that whereof he made the question to the obtaining of eternal life Christs words then in effect are Thou hast not yet all that is needfull to the obtaining of eternall life but if thou wilt be perfect lacking nothing thereto go sel all that thou hast c. Now if we vnderstand it as M. Bishop would haue vs then there was no cause why the man should go away so sorowful at that that Christ said For the thing that he desired was to haue eternal life and if he might haue had eternall life without the forgoing of his riches it would haue fully satisfied him But by M. Bishops doctrine it might be said to him that he troubled himselfe in vaine for the words of Christ were but a counsell and not a commaundement and that there was not any necessitie of doing that that was sayd vnto him They that wold be of a high degree of perfection aboue others must so do but if he would rest in a lower degree he might continue as he was and yet obtaine eternall life But the yong man conceiued not so he knew that Christs words imported a conditiō of obtaining eternal life according to the question that he had moued to him and therefore was very sorowfull And hereto accord the words of Christ ensuing Verily I say vnto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen It is easier for a camell to go through the eie of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God Why doth Christ vse these words but that the yong mans respect of his riches did hinder him not from a state of perfection aboue others as M. Bishop dreameth but wholly from entring into the kingdome of God Furthermore it is to be considered how improbable a thing it is that to a man who knew as yet only the Iewish religion had no knowledge of the faith of Christ our Sauior wold giue at first a direction of perfection aboue others in Christian profession He was as yet no disciple of Christ he beleeued not in him and is it credible that he would teach him at the first dash of a ruler according to M. Bishops vnderstanding to become a Monke Nay it appeareth plainly that whereas the man had a zeale of God and no doubt in true meaning did walk according to the Law so farre as he had the true vnderstanding thereof our Sauior Christ wold instruct him that that was not sufficient for the obtaining of eternal life but he must be content vpō his calling and commandement to renounce all that he had to cast off al vaine loue and confidence of worldly things and to become one of his disciples and followers In a word he teacheth him to be of the same mind that the Apostle S. Paul professeth as touching himself o Philip. 36.8 As touching the righteousnes of the law I was vnrebukable but I think all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue counted all things losse and do iudge them to be dung that I might win Christ. For so it is that morall workes whether of Iewes or of Gentiles are not auailable in the sight of God they want their forme and life and perfection vntill the same be giuen vnto them by the faith of Christ p Ambr. in psal 1 Virtutes sine fide folia sunt videntur virere sed 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 Vertues without faith are bu◠leaues saith S. Ambrose they shew greene but they cannot profite vs. Therefore the faith of Christ teacheth vs to renounce all trust and confidence thereof and to trust onely vpon him This is the perfection whereto Christ calleth this yong man as if he should haue said vnto him Thou doest well in that which thou doest but that is not enough if thou wilt haue good of it become my disciple and to that end be content to forgo all that thou hast and come and follow me Where to know how these words do belong to vs it must be considered that this man was called to a corporall and outward following of Christ according to the flesh by meanes whereof he must necessarily forgo the vse of those great possessions that he had Thus the Apostles had partly done already and were afterwards fully and wholly to do being to be corporally employed to preach the Gospell through the world thus Christ calleth this yong rich man to do the same But our following of Christ now cōsisteth not in changing of our places but in giuing him our affections neither is performed by the foote but by the heart neither is it a matter of speciall dutie belonging onely to some but vniuersally concerneth all that belong to him As is then our following of Christ so is our selling of all that we haue a matter of the heart and affection whilest in the midst of all that we haue we haue our minds so vntied free from the loue and respect of worldly things as that we are ready to forgo all when the cause of Christ and his Gospell shall require vs so to do And this M. Bishop out of their owne grounds must be forced to confesse whether he will or not For by Bellarmine we vnderstand that to be a Monk is q Bellar. de Monach cap. 2. Status Episcoporum est status perfectionis adeptae status religiosorum est status
somewhat otherwise his proportion halteth and goeth so lame as that it cannot carry him whither he would faine goe He telleth vs that they now raigne in heauen but we answer him that they raigne and are Kings spiritually in heauen by hauing a victorie and triumph ouer their spirituall enemies not by hauing a dominion and soueraigntie ouer vs. We are taught to acknowledge the Saints and Angels for our a Reu. 6.11 9.10 brethren and fellow-seruants who because they are no other therefore will not take vpon them to be our Lords neither can we without offence â—ender our seruice and deuotion to them Therefore S. Austine saith as we haue seene before b Aug. de vera relig cap. 55. sup We honour them not by seruice but by loue they are to be honoured by imitation not to be worshipped by religion And of the Angels Origen saith that c Origen contra Cels lib. 5. Hoc nobis Angelos Dei reddit satis propitios vt libentèr pro nobis faciant omnia quòd benè affecti sumus erga DeuÌ„ quod Filium eius verbum coÌ„plectimur c. contendentes indies ad clarioreÌ„ eius notitiaÌ„ c. Et paulo ante Ne quis audeat preces offerre nisi soli Domino Deo qui vnus omnibus abundè sufficiat per Seruatorem nostrum Dei Filium c. this is it that gaineth their fauour to vs and maketh them willingly to do all things for vs when they see vs well affected towards God and that we embrace his Sonne Iesus Christ striuing daily to grow more and more to the knowledge of him but no man may dare to offer his prayers but onely to the Lord God who is abundantly sufficient for all by our Sauiour the Sonne of God Now therefore as seruants and subiects to their fellow-seruants and subiects yeeld affection and loue but none setteth vp to other a royall throne to honour them as Princes so we giue our loue and affection to the Saints we testifie and commend their vertues we lay before vs their good example we acknowledge their blisse we desire and long for the fruition of their companie but we make them not our spirituall Princes and Soueraignes and therefore we giue them no dutie or seruice of religion which is the royaltie of God knowing that they would hide their faces and exceedingly abhorre to haue the same offered vnto them And hereby we see how idlely M. B. goeth on in his tale that as good subiects testifie their loyaltie and affection towardes the Prince by honouring the regall throne so good Christians giue testimony of their dutifull estimation and deuotion towards those heauenly creatures by giuing honour vnto their Images For neither haue we the conditioÌ„ of subiects in respect of the Saints neither do we owe any such deuotion or duty to them neither haue the images that are set vp in their names that reference to them as the royall throne hath to the Prince We honor the chaire of estate because of the Princes vse therof for maiestie and state but seeing the Saints are in heauen what haue they to do with blockish idols here on earth or if they were vpon the earth what vse should they haue of them And therefore it is an idle and fond question which he asketh why we yeeld not ciuill reuerence to the representations of Gods Saints aswell as to the shadowes of secular maiestie because we haue no ciuill conuersation with the Saints as we haue with Princes neither is there any ciuill vse of those counterfeit idols as there is of the Princes chaire of state Neither are we therfore fallen out with the Saints as he vainely cauilleth but rather we labour to be and hope to be the same that they are And because we hope so to be and are neither so impious nor so foolish as to think that men hereafter should set vp idols to vs to worship vs thereby therefore we hold it for impietie and folly to vse any such superstition to the images of the Saints As for Princes though they be sinfull men yet we haue learned of Christ concerning them d Mat. 22.21 to giue to Caesar the things that are Caesars and as they are vnto vs the shadowes of the maiestie of God so to giue vnto them ciuiliy some shadowes of the honour that belongeth vnto God 19. W. BISHOP M.P. makes a third point of difference that we may not worship God in any such image in which he hath apeared vnto men In this we do not differ vnlesse he takes it otherwise theÌ„ he deliuereth it Those images we hold more reuereÌ„d then any others as representations nearer approching vnto the Diuinity yet because they do not expresse the Deitie God is not directly apprehended nor worshipped in them but onely by collection as for example The forme of a graue old man in Daniel doth not represent Gods person but we gather by that auncient forme Gods eternity wherby we arise to a more perfect coÌ„ceit of God whoÌ„ we adore now other images of Christ and his Saints do carry our minds directly vpon their proper persons whome in their images we adore and worship after their degrees But we worship images with farre meaner reuerence than any of the Saints in regard onely that they do represent such personages and do induce vs more to loue and honour them and do stirre vp our dulnesse more often and ardently to honour God in the Saints and the Saints in their degrees as also to imitate their holy example as hath bene said more then once that all may vnderstand how farre off we are froÌ„ giuing Gods honour vnto either Saint or Image But this point of difference is made to bring in a common argument of theirs to wit that the worshipping of the golden Calfe is condemned as flat idolatrie * Exod. 32. and yet the Israelites worshipped not the Calfe but God in the Calfe To which we say they did not worship the true God in the Calfe but the God of the Egyptians which was taken by them to haue the shape of a blacke Calfe with white spots See S. August * Lib 18. De ciuit cap. 5. And therfore making the golden Calfe to represent this false God and attributing their deliuerance vnto that supposed God * 1. De nat Deor. Verse 4 and not vnto the God of Israel committed idolatrie which the text proueth most manifest these be thy Gods that brought thee out of Egypt M. Perkins answereth that the meaning is nothing else but that the golden Calfe was a signe of the presence of the true God such glosses without any authority of the auncient Fathers is ridiculous being against the plaine text but saith he we must not thinke theÌ„ so mad as to take a Calfe made with their eare-rings to be their God no but we may well think them so vngratefull vnto the true God their deliuerer that they did ascribe their deliuerance not