the Tridentine heresie a Colos 1.29 God the Father did decree by the testimonie of Paul that his only begotten sonne from all eternitie b Heb. 1.10 the Creator of heauen and earth c Colos 1.16 of Angells and men d Heb. 1.3 the brightnesse of his glorie and Character of his person e Heb. 2.16 should take on him not the nature of Angells but of men f Heb. 7.25 wherein he alone without any fellow helpers might fully finish the whole saluation of man God the sonne g Rom. 9.5 God aboue all blessed for euer though Arrius reuiued burst for griefe h 1. Tim. 3.16 reuealed in the flesh approued in the spirit True God true man brought forth without a father By a maide whom God begate without a mother i Heb. 7.3 As he was shadowed out by Melchisedech and therefore k 1. Tim. 2.5 the onely one Mediator betweene God and man in the fulnesse of time fulfilled the decree of his Father reconciling God displeased with man that was lost by his owne accord The meanes whereby saluation is procured to man by the excellencie of his person the sanctitie of his nature obedience of his life and sacrifice of his death did alone deserue eternall saluation not infusing into him so much grace wherby man himselfe might merit saluation to himselfe m Rom. 4.24.25 but imputing the merit of his death which he might lay hold on with a thankefull and holy minde God the holy Ghost proceeding from them both did lay open to the minde of man saluation which the Father decreed the Sonne deserued and sealed it vp in his heart n Ephes 1.14 giuen not as a pledge but as an earnest which Austin obserueth out of the Apostle o Austin in this place because that mony which was borrowed when it is paide againe the pledge is restored but the earnest when the price is paide againe is not restored because it is part of the price which is not to be taken away but is to be supplied as p Aquin. in this place Aquine teacheth out of Austin Therefore the spirit of Christ giuen to man the earnest of heauenly inheritance is not paide backe againe So the Apostle hath set three foundations of mans saluation more sure then heauen and earth 1. The eternall decree of the Father 2. The infinite merit of the Sonne 3. The irreuocable earnest of the spirit So the worke of our saluation is from God alone the knowledge of saluation from the word of God alone hence he is called the word of saluation q Gal. lib. 2. de sanitate tuenda Galen writeth that the cause of many diseases in the body as hereditarie proceedes from corrupt seede and from putrified nourishment The disease of the soule is hereditarie from corrupt seede as Iob saith which is encreased by custome of sinning as with impure nourishment Now as the diseases of the bodies are cured by contraries so the diseases of soules which God being r Pet. 1.23.2.2 dead begetteth againe by immortall seede being againe begotten feedeth them with pure nourishment being sicke diseased healeth them with holesome medicines that is with the pure word of God who is to be accounted the true Father Pastor and Phisition of the soule Yet he vseth men to that purpose as instruments whom he sendeth and moueth that first they preach forgiuenesse and absolution from all their sinnes promised freely by faith in Christ to the penitent and after enioyne two things to him that is forgiuen One that he pay backe againe the dutie of holinesse to the blessed trinitie alone for so vnspeakeable a blessing of saluation The other that he afford all the helpe of charity to man for Gods sake being the liuely Image of God setting before the obedient at the last inward peace vpon the earth and an eternall inheritance in the heauens So the men of God doe raise vp a man that is sorrowfull with the promise direct a man that goeth astray with the commandement comfort him that is fainting with the reward but the men of God doe speake outwardly the spirit of God doth worke inwardly They do beate these things into their eares the spirit doth ingender faith hope and loue in the heart faith which doth apprehend the promise hope which looketh for the reward loue which keepeth the commandement Å¿ Colos 1.12 For God doth not finde man fit but maketh him fit to participate the inheritance of the Saints in light whom he draweth being vnwilling and tooke him resisting out of the power of darkenesse and placed him being thus deliuered in the kingdome of light the kingdome of the sonne of his loue t Ephes 2.1 For hee found man not yet regenerated dead in sinnes not halfe dead but starke dead not like to the man with the palsie who lay sicke on his couch but to Lazarus who lay foure daies stinking in his graue So that euery sinner before he heare the powerfull voice of Christ speaking inwardly to him lyeth putrified and consumed in the graue of his sinnes Whence a sinner riseth and commeth forth as Lazarus for the power of the Lord is in both not the power of the dead u Austin in tracta of Iohn 49. as Austin doth expound Saint Paul So that hee hath neede not of helping grace whereby hee recouereth health but creating grace whereby he is againe brought to life And a sinner is meerely passiue and can bring no more help to his conuersion then Lazarus brought to his rising againe In whom Christ doth not helpe his weake wil but create a new x Galat. 6.15 Ephes 2.10 hence the conuersion of a sinner is called new creation not in respect of the naturall faculties and of morall virtues which sinne only corrupteth but of spirituall graces which sinne hath blotted out as the master of the sentences obserued out of Austin Therefore the image of God imprinted in the soule in respect of the substance is deformed in respect of the qualities is cleane put out y Greg. Nyss de orat Dom. Serm 5. as Gregorie Nyssen teacheth The restoring then of the image blotted out is the rising againe of man being dead This is the nature this is the disposition of the Apostles doctrine it doth depresse man that it may extoll God it doth cast off corrupt nature that it may bring in sauing grace A man therefore must liue in God yea farther by God before he can either will or thinke any good a meere passiue subiect of grace at the first while being as it were made warme by the spirit of Christ hee beginneth to will his owne conuersion and is made a voluntarie instrument of grace by no imbred or infused force of the will but by the power of the seede of grace and of the new life which hee had from God Paul doth thus distinguish betweene a man to be converted and converted He maketh him
4. about the profession of the oath of orthodox faith annex to the Con Trent sub Innoc 3. a new Creede But shee was displeased with the foure Euangelists because they passed by their Pope as a vnknowne man And therefore she created a fift Euangelist who by the helpe of the Monkes might coyne a fift Gospell fitter for their purpose than the other They deemed the true Iesus the sonne of Marie crucified by Gods decree vpon Mount Caluarie for the saluation of men to be but halfe a Sauiour Therefore they deuised Francis Peter Barnardons sonne as if hee had beene pierced with the same wounds of Christ and in the same parts and consecrated him in the Laterane Councell to be the Typicall Iesus Shee thought the twelue articles of the faith gathered together by Christs 12. Apostles not to be sufficient for saluation And therefore published twelue new articles of the faith composed in the Councell of Trent and brought by Pope Pius the fourth into the forme of a Creede Paul the fift being the furtherer of it O holy mother the Church but ô father far more holy In the meane time she preached Christs great loue bounty toward the Pope and the Popes reuerence and obsequiousnes toward Christ But seing Babylon that old whore had learned to trimme and paint hir-selfe but to dissemble her inward affections and cunningly to cloake her hatred with loue and her loue with hatred euery wise-man is to forecast being taught by former hurt and mischiefe not any more what shee doth pretend but what shee doth intend Shee knoweth that the Scripture is a reuealer of her idolatrie luxurie couetousnes pride and crueltie Shee fretts and chafes that no portion of honour and gouernment but of labour and paines is allotted vnto the Pope by Christ his Testament Shee is greeued at the heart that shee is foretold by the Apostles to be mysticall Babylon and the Pope to be that Antichrist Shee abhorres the Scripture as a theefe doth the gallowes shee despiseth the Apostles as her accusers shee hates Christ as her Iudge but with a secret hatred as shee loueth Antichrist with a secret loue whose enemie shee doth earnestly counterfeit hir-selfe to be that shee may seeme to be at familiar enmitie with him So shee doth counterfeit hirselfe to be a most dutifull worshipper of the Scripture as of the former Councells and doth often alledge it as the Diuell doth turned to a contrary sense and doth alledge it but as a falsifier fraudulently corrupted and shee is inwardly vext that such a blow is giuen to her head by the Scriptures not as they be expounded by vs but as they be vnderstood by those Synodes But shee takes nothing more greeuously then that in the supremacie of her iurisdiction .i. in the chiefe article of her publike religion that two of their chiefest founders as shee calls them be so silent witnesses in this cause S. Peter 1 Pet 5. S. Paul S. Peter who did plainly forbid superioritie to any one Priest ouer the Clergie styled himself most truly most humbly not an Arch-priest but a fellow-priest S. Paul who when of purpose he sent an Epistle to the Romanes made no mention at all of the Pope and the prerogatiue of the Church of Rome nor of the after-borne articles of the faith which shee in great plenty brought in afterward And when as of set purpose he had reasoned of the perpetuall gouernment of the militant Church and had gathered together many vnities one God one faith one spirit one body one Lord hee ouer-past one visible head Ephes 4. being forgetfull of their Peter And no maruell when as Peter himselfe was forgetfull of himselfe He did rather diuide the gouernment of the Church among all the Bishops and would rather haue it an Aristocraticall gouernment with many vnder Christ than Monarchicall vnder one as the practise of the Church next following for many ages did approue For that the fiue Patriarches had equall authoritie both Balsamon doth witnes and the Councell of Neece doth confirme And Francis Duarene writes that Boniface the third Francis Duar. de sacris benef lib. 1. cap 10. not before the 607. yeares not without much adoe could obtayne of Phocas to be created the vniuersall Bishop The Pope then is indebted to a King-killer for all the glory of his kingdome and yet he seemeth to giue thanks to Christ as if by his word Feede my sheepe hee had ordeyned the Bishops of Rome in Peter as he writes himselfe a fellow-minister to be Kings so many ages before they were borne Cic. ad PetuÌ„ ep 9. â— 8. As Cicero when as a false decree of the Senate was brought into Armenia and Siria as made against his minde writes that thanks were giuen him from foraigne Kings because he had named them to be Kings by his consent whom he knew not that they were not onely named but not so much as to bee borne But the Nicene Councell doth greatly discontent the Romane Bishop whom he maketh but equall to the Bishop of Alexandria For therefore the Bishop had corrupted that Canon which had restreyned the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome nor being therewith content did adde many yeares after fifty false Canons to twentie true of the Nicene Councell that hee might make the whole world beleeue that his supremacie which was apparantly shortned by the Nycene Fathers being aliue were enlarged by them being dead As the same Cicero doth pleasantly sport himselfe with Antonie Philip 1. when as he had published certaine false decrees of Caesar that the Citizens that were sent into banishment of him aliue should be recalled being dead and that the Citie that was denyed them of him aliue should be granted being dead and that many immunities and priuiledges that were taken of him being aliue should bee sold of him being dead by which meanes Antonie did affect both an infinite and hurtfull power So the Pope doth publish many acts as proceeding from Christ as from the Apostles as from the Nicene Fathers whereby hee doth vsurpe most proud and cruell gouernment in the Church And he fetcheth them from the dead for they were neuer made by them when they were aliue In like manner hee bringeth in the Chalcedon Fathers being dead Coâ—up of a Can of Chalcedon denying that which they affirmed when they were aliue Iudging say the Fathers of Chalcedon that the See of Constantinople in matters Ecclesiasticall bee as well aduanced in matters ecclesiasticall as the Romane being the next vnto it Which words are falsly recited Distinct 22. Renovantes or rather filthily corrupted in the Canon Law while he addeth a negatiue to the last words which altereth the sense of the whole Canon into a cleane contrary yet notwithstanding let it not be aduanced in matters ecclesiasticall as shee but let her be the next vnto it What should I make many words The first six generall Councells which may be thought to
Pauls authoritie one of them that S. Peter without doubt was a Catholike but Paul if he be not warily expounded seemes to smell of heresie Thother that places out of Paul by the testimonie of Peter were hard to be vnderstood and had need of a Romish Commentarie Peter I said made mention of the hardnes but not of the commentarie In whose Epistle say they whatsoeuer soundeth against the Romane faith therein wee do not attaine to the true sense that which the Rhemists haue obserued Rhem testam argument epist in gene For he in the first chapter say the Fryers did commend the faith of the Church of Rome whereto Cyprian denieth that vnfaithfulnes can haue accesse But in the 11. chapter I say Epist 50. he warned the same Church that if it departed from the bountifulnesse of God it should take heed lest as the Church of Israel was cut off so shee were not cut off also It may therefore be cut off be it spoken by Cyprians leaue For it is in act cut off when it is fallen from that foundation which is placed in the only mercy of Christ apprehended by faith That faith therefore of the Church which Paul the Apostle so much commended and taught by his writings is one and the faith of this Church which Paul the Pope hath left so deformed with his vnwritten traditions is another And yet shee glorieth much as I said that Paul is hir founder I had rather they would vse him as an author But she will neuer doe it Shee maketh more accompt of Pauls Bulls than Paules Epistles which the ancient Fathers did rightly tearme the key of the Scripture Which most of the popish sort do so feare that they cannot reconcile Paul and S. Iames together but oppose them one against thother The reconciling of Paul and James as if Iames the Apostle had concluded that a man is iustified by his workes before God not with faith alone against the Apostle Paul when as Paul doth not vnderstand the same faith and the same iustification which Iames doth For hee requireth faith placed in the heart this reiecteth faith bragged on in the tongue Hee requireth a liuely faith this reiecteth a dead faith Hee doth enforce a heauenly faith which layeth hold on the promise this casteth of a diuelish faith which doth onely acknowledge Christs historie without application hee doth commend and extoll fruitfull faith working by loue this doth rightly condemne a barraine faith voide of the duty of holinesse he doth set forth the iustification before God which Aquinas calleth the righteousnes of imputation Iames the iustification before men whom the same Aquinas calleth the righteousnesse of declaration Moses from whom either Apostle drew his testimonie doth expound ech and doth take vp the controuersie begun by the Aduersarie The imputation of righteousnesse whereof Moses maketh mention Gen 15.6 went thirty yeares before that worke for which they dreame that Abraham was iustified before God Which circumstance of time Paul most earnestly weighing concludeth that faith was imputed to Abraham to obtaine righteousnesse before God 15 yeares as Moses noteth before hee begat Isaac and other 15 yeares at the least before he would haue sacrificed him They know not well how to loose themselues out of this indissoluble knot whosoeuer thinke that righteousnes was imputed to Abraham before God because he killed his sonne who was not as yet borne when as the Holy Ghost doth pronounce him to be righteous which S. Iames himselfe v 23 seemeth to vnderstand as Oecumenius gathereth out of the place that Abraham was the image of iustification which is wrought by faith alone when it was imputed to him for righteousnesse ver 23. ver 21. that he beleeued and of that iustification also which is by workes when hee would haue offred his sonne Isaac vpon the Altar Therefore faith did make perfect the person of Abraham and the worke did iustifie the faith and declare ech to be perfect Is this a fight is this an opposition especially betweene two holy Apostles who writ their Epistles with the instinct of the same spirit But no one thing doth more neerly gaule the Synagogue then that Paul the Apostle by the direction of the spirit writ the commentarie of the mysterie Apoc 9. 2 Thess 2. 1 Tim 4.1 which S. Iohn afterward set forth of that great Antichrist whom hee maketh to be the falling starre i. an apostata from the faith or rather the prince of the apostacie as Paul expounds it Iohn calls him the Angell of the bottomlesse pit the key-keeper of hell the beast arising out of the earth and counterfeyting the lambe with two hornes and in his voyce resembling the Dragon Therefore in shew the Vicar of Christ in deed his aduersarie in ambition aboue Kings Gods emulus as Paul explaines it Iohn in order the 7. King of the Romane state Apoc 13. the reviued image of the former beast to be after reuealed within the Empire decayed as Paul doth interpret it Iohn sitting in the common place Lord of the seauen hill'd Citie in the speciall place in the temple of God A description of the Pope that is in the Church of God as Paul doth expound it for Kings thrones are called Bishops seates Therfore he is in office a Bishop in name Romane or Latine in his disposition a great hypocrite and a notable dissembler by his cunning an inchanter and bewitcher of soules by his worship an Idolater by his malitious practise a murtherer giuen ouer to sinne sold ouer to destruction as both of them define Water is no liker water than Antichrist to the Pope But S. Paul being not therewith content defineth Antichristianitie to be not iniquitie but the mysterie of iniquitie And doth after diuide it into three parts 1. Curious speculations 2. Absurd superstitions 3. Iewish ceremonies whereof it is wholy compounded which who so holdeth doth not hold the head as the Apostle speaketh I beseech thee Christian Reader tell me what is more like than old and new Antichristianitie What is become of them who deny that Poperie hath his beginning from the antient heresies which being of the same age with the Apostolike truth in many things as Tertullian saith was wounded with the Apostolike style as shall be made manifest in the discourse following I do therfore more disdaine than admire that the Apostle Paul doth so exceedingly displease the Romane synagogue who did foreshew that Poperie should be patcht together of Paganisme Idiotisme and Iudaisme A little Glasse of Christ and Christianitie BVt I purposing to set out all the force and nature of Antichrist and Antichristianitie in latine I thought good to set before it a liuely and short forme of Christ and Christianitie which the Apostle defineth to be the mysterie of godlines that the truth of the Gospell being brought into light out of the labyrinth as it were of discoursing might put to flight with her authoritie and countenance
to be altogether the seruant of sinne because he is ouercome of sinne this free in part because he is made free by the Sonne not appointing him free in part lest he make him sacrilegious nor this altogether a seruant lest he might make him sluggish He doth not therefore take from the vnregenerate all power of willing but all power of well-willing that he may not lift vp the crest of his naturall pride and he granteth to the regenerate some power of well-willing that he may not weaken the strength of spirituall diligence And that God may giue life to the dead and renew and repayre the lost image of God z Ephes 3.10 he doth fasten and imprint the true knowledge of God and our selues into the minde and righteousnesse and holinesse into the will of man he doth enlighten the blinde with the light of his wisdome shining into him he doth couer him being naked with the robe of his righteousnes put vpon him and being vnsauorie he doth season him with the salt of his holinesse infused into him Whereby a 1 Cor 1.30 Christ is said to be made of God to the faithfull man wisdome righteousnes and sanctification Paul makes mention of a twofold righteousnesse and life of a Christian one whereby hee liueth before God thother whereby he liueth before men b Gal 2.20 By faith before God by apprehending of Christ c Gal. 5.6 by loue before men by the practise of holinesse So that good workes are not the cause of iustification but iustification is the cause of good workes as d Aug de Spi li. Austin affirmeth neither do we attaine faith by virtues but virtues by faith as Bede gathereth out of Gregorie One order is in morall matters another in heauenly one in Aristotle another in Paul e Arist 3. ethi There a man must doe iust things iustly before he be iust Here a man must be first iust in another before he can do iust things and iustly in himselfe As Christ is made sinne for vs so wee are made the righteousnes of God in Christ f 2 Cor. 5. vlt. For Christ himselfe most holy was made sinne by the imputation of our sinne we sinners therefore are righteous only by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ At g August in Euchirid c. 41. Austin doth expound the Apostle and Anselme Austin He therefore is sinne as wee are righteousnes not ours but wee are Gods not in our selues but in him as he is sinne not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs. So Austin So h Ansel in loc Anselme He is sin saith he as we righteousnesse not ours but Gods not in vs but in him as he is sinne not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs. Both of them doe acknowledge with vs the imputed righteousnes of Christ with the Apostle howsoeuer the Synode of Trent doe make inherent righteousnesse the forme of iustification and the Rhemists too prophanely scoffe at the imputation of righteousnes which Pighius that arch-papist doth confesse A sinner therefore dead in himselfe liueth righteous in Christ and liueth not to himselfe but to God but yet so liueth that he feeleth in himselfe the fight of the spirit and the flesh which the Apostle acknowledgeth not onely in other Christians but in himselfe for the comfort of others I do not that good I will saith the Apostle but the euill I would not that I do which a bad man did not badly expresse I hate and what I hate against my will must be What I would cast away to beare is greife to me But that the Apostle speaketh of the motions of concupiscence whereto the will doth not consent this of the beastly affections whereto the will is wholy addicted Which notwithstanding by the working of the naturall conscience hee saith he hateth But assoone as a man begins to liue in God sinne begins to dye in man For it hath receiued a deadly wound in the roote in respect of guiltinesse while it be cured by perfect buriall it remaines dead not cut off that we may be humbled not imputed lest we should be cast downe Sin dwelleth in vs as a Iebusite subdued not expelled subdued it taketh feare from vs not expelled it shakes off securitie that to striue with it it is farre more safe than to haue no enemie at all In this fight Gods grace doth helpe vs strengthning vs with a double sacrament of Baptisme and the Lords Supper there the fountaine of regeneration is powred out here the bread of life is set before vs there is a healthfull bathe to wash vs when we are fowle here is a spirituall feast to feede vs when we were faint so that from each we may take strength to resist So the power of God is made perfect in our infirmitie which when out of our owne skarres it stirreth vp in vs a courage to fight so from helpe ministred from thence it puts into vs sure hope that we shall ouercome For it bringeth griefe out of the fall for sinne and stirreth vp strife out of griefe with sinne and out of strife bringeth the victorie of sinne So out of poyson it gets a remedy and out of the sicknesse it getteth health Neither doth it in the meane while depriue vs of inward comfort while wee waite for the eternall tryumph But in the fight it shewes vs the propitiation after the fight which endeth in death it presently openeth the holy place of holyest so that neither peace of conscience is wanting to them being aliue and their soules shall haue rest when they are dead Thus it commeth to passe that these broken relikes of sinne in the sonnes of God by Gods grace do much profit when out of them they make an antidote against pride neither are puft vp with the merits of their owne works Wherby the doctrine of Trent ought to be accounted the more abominable which doth decree that eternall life is to be restored to the faithfull for the merit of workes which the Apostle propoundeth not as the reward of a seruant but the inheritance of a sonne not payed for spirituall obedience but giuen to the spirituall generation as Austin expounds the Apostle the crowne of righteousnesse in respect of Christ who merited a crowne of mercy in respect of vs for whom he merited to be giuen by the iust iudge not for the weight of mans merit but for the force of Gods promise to be rendred according to their workes not for their workes Gregor in 7. Psal peniten as Pope Gregorie distinguisheth out of the Apostle The studie therefore of good workes is to be vrged because God shall iudge according to thy works but merit is to be detested because it shall neuer saue thee for good works For whatsoeuer you do well is of God not of the merit of man but of the blessing of God You doe owe it therefore to God as the creature to the Creator as
a captiue seruant to his redeemer acknowledge thy selfe a seruant who of right dost owe dutie vnto thy Lord and whereas God doth call thee his sonne acknowledge grace and forget not nature Neither thinke thou hast deserued any thing if thou haue done well because thou oughtst to haue done so Besides remember that there is some filthines from the flesh mingled with thy worke though good which doth purely flow from the spirit that that very thing that we seeme to liue iustly is a fault if our work when Gods seueritie iudgeth it Gods mercie doe not excuse it before himselfe so that the fault in the worke must first be forgiuen to the penitent by grace before the worke it selfe bee crowned by promise Lastly the Apostle saith that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall bee reuealed that if a man should serue God a thousand yeares and that most zealously he should not deserue for the merit to be halfe a day in heauen Anselm de mensura crucis Anselme said although we die a thousand times although wee performe all the virtues of the minde yet wee can doe nothing worthy of earthly blessinges and such as are present which we daily receiue from God much lesse heauenly and future which wee looke for as Ierome Jerom. in hunc loc Chrysostome and Basill haue taught But take away merite and the desire of virtue will waxe cold It may be in bastardes who serue God with a seruile and mercenarie minde but in sonnes it is not so who worship God the father with a free voluntary spirit which the spirit of adoption hath giuen them who testifieth to their spirites that they be the sonnes of God the inheritors of heauen and coheires with Christ And if the free loue of God whereby he being moued did bring thee backe from death to life and forgaue thee all thy transgressions and healed all thy infirmities and hath crowned thee with his mercies marke what the Prophet saith not with thy merites but with his mercies if this free loue I say shall not drawe from thee free obedience nothing shall euer draw it from thee There be many forceable arguments whereby the Apostle perswadeth vs to liue holily soberly and iustly that with good workes we set forth Gods glory which workes though they appease not God yet they please God and make our election and vocation thereby sure vnto vs. But there is nothing more powerfull then the fatherly loue of God to prouoke to goodnesse the ingenuous mindes of sonnes This is the will of God euen the sanctification and saluation of vs all to the which endes he chose vs from eternitie hee called and iustified vs in time and he shall glorifie vs to eternitie So the mercie of Iehouah toward his sonnes is from eternitie to eternitie for whom he hath preordained saluation in chosing them declared it in calling them begun it in iustifying them and shall perfect it in glorifying them They that being perswaded by the spirit of God doe certainely know that they bee in the grace of God now present and shall be euer hereafter entring into the state of grace by faith and standing therein by faith and glorying vnder the hope of the glorie of God by faith as the Apostle teacheth which place Chrysostome doth thus expound that hee that hath giuen his faith to God that there ought not onely a full perswasion to be assured them of those things which are giuen presently but of those that are to come as if they were now giuen That the state of regeneration should be thought to bee more certaine then of creation The state of the first Adam was changeable of the second vnchangeable whose true and liuely members all the sonnes of God are to be esteemed Wherefore of the state of Christ be vnchangeable the state of them that are truely Christians who being grafted into Christ by faith do liue and shall liue by their faith as the Apostle noteth out of the Prophet must needes be vnchangeable For it was granted to Adam that hee was able not to die as Austin speaketh but to a Christian that he cannot possibly die Three things saith Bernard I consider wherein all my hope doth consist 1. The loue of adoption 2. The truth of the promise 3. And the power of the reward Which do so strengthen and confirme my heart that no want of merites no consideration of our profit no accompt of the heauenly blessing can driue mee from the depth of that hope wherein I am surely grounded Therefore let my foolish thought murmure all it can saying who art thou or how great is that glory or by what merites dost thou hope to obtaine it And I will confidently answere I know whom I haue trusted I am in great assurance because my God in great loue hath adopted me because he is true in his promise and able to performe it Thus Bernard out of the Apostle Who makes it plaine that the state of regeneration is most assuredly confirmed to euery sonne of God not onely by Gods promise but by Gods Oath Whom hee maketh partaker of the right faith and of working loue and of liuely hope and of earnest repentance and of new obedience and calleth him the heire of the promise To whom God as being willing to make the immutable certainety of his counsell knowne plentifully as to Abraham the Father so to Abrahams sonne did not onely promise but sweare that hee would performe that to him which he had promised Heb. 6. For in God it is all one to sweare and to say Yet that we should haue strong consolation who follow after to obtaine the hope set before vs which hee hath appointed as a sure and strong anker entred within the veile i. heauen whither Christ the forerunner is entred before vs he hath confirmed our immutable state vnto vs by two immutable things his promise and his Oath Let the prayer of Christ be ioyned to the oath of God wherein hee praieth to God the father that he would imbrace vs with the same loue that he embraced Christ himselfe i. with eternall loue and would crowne vs with the same glorie as hee crowned himselfe and did not onely pray for vs but died also and rose againe and was receiued into heauen that hee should for euer make intercession for vs. Who hath left vnto vs his holy spirit whereby he hath sealed vnto vs the heauenly inheritance And therefore God hath assured eternall saluation to his sons not onely by promise but by Oath but by prayer and sacrifice of Christ and by the seale of the holy Ghost that wee should not doubt thereof And yet that wicked Councell of Trent decreed that none could know by the certainetie of infallible faith that hee is in the state of Grace much lesse shall bee but that euerie one should bee in doubt and feare of his owne Grace That it seemeth to haue vtterly ouerthrowne all
Britaine What maruaile is it if they raile vpon holy Doctors that doe but write against them when they reuile great Princes that can proscribe them But that is no maruaile that they spare not the good name of a King when they spare not his blood For they be not only byting doggs but deuouring wolues as appeares not only by the gun-powder Treason I should haue said the Iesuites treason but by the cruell death of Henry the third and fourth Kings of France An exhortation to Princes I am grieued at your sluggishnes I am greeued at your slauerie ô yee Kings and Princes who doe endure such sowers of sedition such teachers of periurie such authors of King-killing Beware of these dogs catch these foxes driue away these wolues as my spirit hath aduised you to whom slandering is a sport consening is a game rebellion and conspiracies is meat drinke Foresee that your patience be no longer hurtfull both to you and me Awake out of sleepe at the last and defend my glory together with your owne safetie take the cause of the Gospell in hand and laying aside Antichrist put on Christ Iesus not a false and a faigned Iesus as he is deuised by that Apostata but true and right Iesus as he is preached by the Apostle Doe no longer hold shadowes for bodies shewes for substances preferre not things vaine before those that be sound nor things fraile before eternall Vaine and fraile is the outward shew of Christ which deceiues the eyes sound and eternall is the truth that feeds the soules it is not the forme but the power of the Crosse that brings saluation Let not the glistering shew of Antichrist which wrongs you being aliue and cannot helpe you being dead deceiue your eyes that it may keepe you from Christ from whom you may expect comfort in life and true rest in death Whereby their madnes seemes the more who groueling vpon the ground so dote vpon Antichrist that they neglect the faith of Christ his name onely being reteyned who cannot feele the sauing force of the Crosse nor the inward power of the Spirit nor the heauenly light of the Gospell nor the spirituall glory of my kingdome As if my estate base and contemptible in whom there is no outward forme nor shew to be desired as my Prophet Esay said had caused you to turne both your looking and your liking from me or as if I had suffred the most greeuous anguishes of the soule and the most bitter tortures of the bodie for mine owne sake and had not been wounded for your transgressions and broken for your sins that the chastisement of your peace might reside vpon me and saluation out of my wounds and miseries might come to you For this is the very truth the basenesse of the estate I vndertooke ☜ the weaknes of the flesh I tooke on me the ignominie of the Crosse I endured for your sake seemes vile and contemptible in the iudgement of flesh and blood But if that heauenly maiestie if that power if that glory which through the vaile of humilitie weaknesse and ignominie is transparent to the eye of faith might appeare to your mindes euen as I am described by Iohn a lambe slaine and a lyon inuincible that so I may appeare to you a mighty God in the forme of a weake man How great loue and feare if you beleeue either a heauen or a hell would the vniting of so infinite mercy with such infinite power and iustice stirre vp in your soules Great sinners such as commonly Kings are had need of great grace the preaching whereof shall be as acceptable to you as necessarie when once you shall feele the stinge of an accusing conscience pricking you whereby you might come to heauen by the way of repentance that could not come thither by the way of innocencie But they that vnderstand not the force of their sicknes desire not the force of the remedie And while they feele not the wound inflicted by sinne they looke not for the remedie applied by grace To whom I denounce that I will proue either a most louing Patron or a most seuere Iudge with my right hand to saue them or to be reuenged on them All men whatsoeuer they haue or are owe it all of right to me but Kings and Princes chiefly whom by my speciall fauour and grace I haue aduanced a few ouer so many millions of men and placed them in mine owne throne To what end to what end I pray that they might giue themselues to lust and idlenesse to serue the Dragon to aduance and adorne Antichrist not so not so verily But that they may watch ouer the Church may fight for the Lambe may spoile teare in pieces the Beast if that heauenly quire of Saints in heauen fall down before the lambe sitting on his throne and worship him that liues for euer and cast their Crownes before the throne saying Thou art worthy ô Lord to haue all glory and honor because thou hast made all things and being slaine hast redeemed vs by thy blood vnto God If that innumerable ranke of melodious Angels doe with sweet and loud voices sing of the power wisdome and strength of the Lambe that is slaine and giue him all honor due vnto him What ought you to doe you vnder whose purple robes as yet abideth dust and ashes and who weare but corruptible Crownes vpon your heads what ought yee to do in the cause of your King and Redeemer for since I haue brought those holy soules after the end of all their trauels dangers in my quarrell and battell into the possession of true happines promised and vowed vnto them you that as yet are in the very heat danger of the battell both the necessity of my helpe the expectance of the reward ought to stir you vp to a more feruent desire to defend mine honor Heere I haue a iust grieuous cause to complain that your mutual suspitions quarrels haue made Antichrist weake and contemptible in himselfe to be so dreadfull and mighty Hence it is that that Laterane Idoll hath taken to it selfe the golden head of a swelling title and spread abroad the siluer armes of his pecuniary inrisdiction and strouted out the brazen belly of conspiracy and rebellion and hath mooued and stirred from home those iron feet of violence and pride wherewith he hath not onely trod vpon your crownes but your neckes I tell you plainly the discord of Kings hath encreased Antichrist their amity shall weaken him Is it for your good to admit of spies that may search into your counsels fiery spirits that may cast the seedes of discord betweene neighbor-kings and set them together by the eares Harpeyes that may spoyle you of your treasures Horse leeches that may sucke your blood secret traytors that with faire words may cut your throats who when they haue laught at you in their sleeues that they haue left you lead and taken your golde that
a King but makes a Cardinall equall with him very fondly The Bishop of Ely was somtime Cardinall of S. Pauls Church as now Bellarmine is Cardinall of the Church of Rome Yet notwithstanding being as well learned hee would not compare himselfe for modestie sake with the Cardinall when well he might For though as he is Bishop of Ely he is inferior to Bellarmine yet as he was Cardinall of S. Pauls Church he was nothing inferior And yet the Cardinall is so mad as to compare himselfe to the King the Bishop of Elies Lord. But let vs returne to the argument It is famous that which the Fathers all with one consent § 146 write vpon this place To feede the same which to teach that to feed is the same which to teach which is not proper to Peter alone but common to all Apostles and Ministers that all the Apostles were equally shepheards of the whole flocke that Iames and Iohn were no more Peters sheepe than Peter was Iames and Iohns sheepe who are equally called pillars to feede and to rule are not synonimaes but by Peterâ— interpretation they be contrary That Peter was thrice confirmed by name because Peter denyed Christ thrise by name Not therefore for honors sake as you say but for comfort or if for honor not that it was enlarged vpon Peter aboue the rest but that it was restored to Peter of whom Christ required a threefold confession of loue that with his threefold confession he might blot out his threefold deniall Excellently said Chrysostome When Christ said to Peter Feed my sheepe it was Christ his purpose Chrysost l. 2. de sacerd to teach Peter and all the rest how much he loued the Church to that end that we with all our minds should take care for the same and else-where in his 87 homilie marke well the words said he feed my lambes .i. feed my faithfull people not yours I haue demanded if you loued me that loue which you professed towards me shew toward them feede them not your selfe Woe to the shepheards of Israel that feede themselues Ezec 34. cap. Ezec 34. not my flocke woe to the shepheardes that scatter the sheepe of my flocke Hearken Paul the fift that feede themselues who seeke their owne profit and glory not the glory of God not the saluation of the faithfull ouer whom they haue charge § 147 Neither did Austen speake lesse elegantly when it was spoken to Peter saith he Aust de agon cap. 3. it was spoken to all Do you loue me feede my sheepe And elsewhere as my sheepe not as thy sheepe Tract in Ioh. 131. seeke my glorie in them not thine owne my gaine not thine Heare Paul the fift you thinke that Kings are not Christ his sheepe but your owne You seeke not the glory of Christ in teaching them but your owne in subduing them How the Pope feedeth You doe not endeauour to gaine sheep to Christ but to seeke wooll for your selfe Yea you doe not only clippe the flocke but deuour the flocke while you deliuer doctrine pernitious to the faith of subiectes to the safty of Kings to inward and outward peace And do you loue Christ you loue your owne selfe Christ you doe not loue no more truly then your Lord Apollyon whose vicegerent you are vpon the earth I might if I would ioyne other fathers to Chrysostome and Austen I might alleadge out of your owne men Marsilius Patauine and Cusan who appoint the feeding to be by word and by example by sound preaching good example and make it common not onely to all Apostles but to all Ministers Bellarmine farre otherwise Bellar lib. 1. de pant cap. 16. He said to Peter Feede Therfore Peter alone must feed He said once feede my sheepe sheepe i. Priests Byshops and Apostles who haue bred Lambes twise Lambes first vnderstanding Iewes and then Gentiles Therefore he committed the vniuersall flocke to Peter and because to feede is the same which to rule therefore he gaue to Peter the vniuersall principality ouer the flocke § 148 A cleare and euident place saith Stapleton that by sheepe Pastors Staepl doctr punc con 2. Byshoppes and Apostles are signified by lambes the rest of the faithfull So happy is Bellarmine that he neuer coyned so ridiculous or idle a conceit but some or other would take it vp Mald in Ioh 21. and commend it ouer to fooles Marke saith Maldonatus if this subtilty cast-not learned men into a laughter Lambes sheep confounded Ioh. 17. the name of the Lambe is a little more kinde and carrieth a greater shew of loue Feede is not to rule but there is no difference in the thing but in the word For whereas you say that to feede is all one with to rule whence you seeme with Bellarmine to fetch the vniuersall Monarchy of Peter it is not only a hungrie but a swelling and proud interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to rule but to feede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not Rectors but Pastors And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are sinononyma the former word Christ vsed in the 3. place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now assume out of Iohn being rightly translated and what will you then conclude that it was giuen in charge to Peter that he should feede the flocke therefore to rule the flocke But be it so let feede and rule be all one to rule when it is enioyned to Byshoppes is that which to direct that is to rule with wisedome and counsell not with power and gouernment But Bellarmine doth thus interpret Christ feede Peter i. rule and gouerne Baronius goeth farther Baronius maketh feede to kill in the excommunication of the Venetians to Paul the 5. there is a double ministery of Peter to feede and to kill for the Lord said to him feede my sheepe and hee heard a voice from heauen kill and eate This killing is not crueltie saith he but pietie and sinceritie § 149 very well Paul the 5. The Pope doth kill in pietie out of his loue and pietie forsooth doth kill men which Seneca doth call cruell pietie But he killeth them that he may hide them in his entrailes saith he I thinke so hee will haue the Pope not onely to fleece the flocke but swallow it vp at a bit Baronius doth vse the words of charity but the examples of crueltie For hee propoundeth Gregorie these uenth and Alexander the third his Countrymen of Sene to be imitated by Paul the 5. Christian Kings must be very secure I warrant you whenas the Pope doth once beginne to play Gregories and Alexanders prankes As Bellarmine doth stretch out his to rule to the head and throate he doth it somewhat more wâ—â—â—ly but with as little honesty For when he had written in his letters to his friend Blackwell that no Pope had euer commanded that the Prince should be killed and the Authour of the Apologie had excepted
limitation of the ciuill to him the bond of the spirituall obedience is the disioynting and loosing of the ciuill Is not Bellarmines deceit euident enough who vnder the pretence of spirituall obedience hath taken the ciuill cleane away So he playeth the iugler Ciuill obedience taken away to deceiue the Papists sight and that with a twofold tricke One whereby he perswadeth that for the shew of ciuill obedience they thinke the spirituall may bee abiured by them the other whereby vnder the shew of spirituall obedience he cleane taketh away the ciuill Hence ariseth those new and strange interpretations § 177 of Bellarmine in the schoole of Diuinitie Bellarmines new and strange interpretations Let not obedience be shewed to man contrary to the obedience of God that is let not obedience be shewed to the King contrary to the obedience of the Bishop And we must rather obey God than men that is we must rather obey the Pope than Kings I appeale to your owne consciences ye Papists whether you thinke this to be the Apostles commentarie that in respect of spirituall obedience which consisteth in faith deuotion loue and feare of God a sinfull mortall man should be aduanced into the seat of God What if the Pope command which God forbiddeth that wee take from Caesar the things that are Caesars by Gods owne gift his sword scepter crowne subiects and life is not this vnder the shew of spirituall obedience to forbid ciuill obedience And to command that obedience be giuen to the Pope commanding vniust things against Gods obedience who hath enioyned your subiection to the King Rom 13. This ought not to appeare spirituall obedience to you but spirituall cousenage whereby vnder the cloake of spirituall obedience which the Pope hath gotten by the gift of men he loose the bond of ciuill dutie which is due to the King by the gift of God § 178 I beseech you ô yee Christian Kings and Princes whether you thinke it be for your good A caue at for Kings that such positions as these be setled into your subiects mindes That such a catechisme as this not only lye close hidden in books but be openly taught in your Vniuersities Churches There be none so dangerous trecheries to Princes as those which are hid vnder the cloake of duty and coloured with the name of catholike religion Vnder the pretence whereof Bellarmine hath cherished rebellion in the subiects of the Venetian common-weale which professeth Popery as hee hath done at this time in the subiects belonging to the most excellent King of Great Britaine A Troiane or a Tirian to him are all alike Beware ô yee Kings lest the mischiefe intended to one fall vpon all the rest Saturnine is an ill egge of an euill bird as in the proofe of the article of supremacie he is a corrupter of Gods will so in the practise of it he is an enemy of princely gouernment And as you had him ere while a manifest forger so now you haue him an open traytor § 179 Here Calander both your discourses said he the one against the Pope the other for the King giue me iust occasion of two doubts one how the spirituall and ciuill obedience is distinguished in the word of God the other whether the former Councells did cast of this spirituall power which the Pope doth generally vsurpe Which two points being briefely and plainly discust will cleare the whole controuersie and satisfie any man that is not contentious Then Patriott You do wisely Calander saith he to call euery thing to her beginning for euery thing as it is first so it is true and that which is right sets out both â—â—lshood and it selfe First therefore I answer about the distinction of the double power the Spirituall and Ciuill Chrysost de verbis Esa Vidi Dâ—m hem both which Christ ordayned I call that Spirituall which concernes the soules and that Ciuill which rules the bodies That 4. Power distinguished Christ committed to his Minister this to his Magistrate somtime to more somtime to few often to one That is called Episcopall gouernment this Princely or that is spirituall this ciuill Each as I said is of God To whom it is committed and how performed The Holy Ghost hath appointed Bishops to rule the Church of God Act 20. and Wisdome saith By me Kings doe raigne and Law-makers appoint iust things Therefore Kings doe rule by God as Bishops do feede Gouernment belongs to them Ministerie to these But these you will say haue Gouernment also I confesse it Bernard de consid ad Eug But these haue an inward gouernment ouer mens soules they haue an outward ouer mens bodies Bishops haue the key of the word and sacraments to be exercised not in the name of the King Matth 16. but in the name of Christ nor the key only of knowledge The difference of gouernment between Princes and Bishops Rom 13. Chrysost ex Paul ibid. but of discipline and that not after their owne pleasure but after Gods will Kings haue the sword to be drawne in defence of godlines and iustice whereby they command those things that be true and good forbid such as be false and euill and punish the wicked of what calling soeuer and defend the righteous The weapons of Bishops are spirituall of Kings corporall Therefore Bishops ought to teach to admonish to reproue to depriue of the seales of grace and to driue from the communion of the faithfull those that grieuously and publikely offend till they repent Chrysost ibid. Kings ought to restreyne them according to the qualitie of the offence either of libertie or goods with losse of limmes or of life it selfe Therefore the gouernment of Bishops is by perswasion of Kings by compulsion of a Bishop directing of a King constreyning A King rules men a-against their will a Bishop with their wills Jerom. al Heliâ— in Epitap Nâ—potiani Hee doth gouerne by feare this bringeth to libertie He reserueth the bodies for death this keepeth the soules for life Either of them doth punish not only theeues murtherers adulterers periured men traytors but also blasphemers Idolators Heretickes Schismatickes whether they be of the Laity or Clergie but he with the corporall sword the byshoppe with the spirituall Either of them haue equally a care of holinesse and honesty the one that he may teach by precepts the other that hee may ordaine by lawes Either of them is practised about holy things but not vpon holy things For they are not subiect either to the wil of the Pastor or gouernment of the King The King is conuersant about holy and diuine things not in the administration and execution thereof as Vzias but in appointing and ordering them as Ezechias A byshoppe is conuersant about holy things in the doing and executing of them to preach the word to Minister the sacraments and vse the keies Good lawes are made to settle truth by the counsell and faithfulnesse of the