accidentally and secondarily to perfection whereas k Thom. Aquin. 22. ae Articul 5. perfection doth consist esentially in precepts and that precepts doe auaile primarily and essentially to perfection And although the beginning the author the counsellour the name the definition of Euangelicall Counsels are not to be found in the Scripture yet they would make vs beleeue that these things are there to be found though they varie in regard of the Author thereof For Antoninus Archbishop of Florence makes Saint Dominick a Spaniard the first inuentor of Euangelicall Counsels and describes not onely Saint Dominicks conformitie with Christ in his birth in his miracles in his authoritie and power therefore was hee called Dominicus and his visions which he saw stuft full with fond lies and impious fables of horrible blasphemies but hee tells vs also ouer and besides strange things of him before hee was borne for l Antoninus histor part 3â— titul 23. c. 1. § 1. Sed apertius pronunciatus fuit declaratus particularius in pictura quadam quae reperta est in ecclesia Sancti Marci Venetiae vbi antequam Dominicus nasceretur in mundo imagines duorum dopictae cernebantur à cunctis quarum vna erat admodum religiosi in habitu ordinis praedicatorum cum lilio in manu alter a similitud nem habebat Apostoli Pauli proâ—â— pingi consneuit super quam scriptum erat agios Paulus id est sanctus sub figura vero ad pedes sic per istum itur ad Christum Super figuram alteram scriptum erat Agios Dominicus sub istovero Facilius itur per istum nec mireris de scriptura huiusmodi quia doctrina Pauli ficut caelerorum Apostolorum erat doctrina inducens ad fiâ—â—em obseruantiam praeceptorum Doctrina Dominici ad obseruantiam consiliorum ideo facilius per ipsam itur ad Christum he was more manifestly declared and particularly described by a certaine picture which was â—ound in the Church of S. Marke as Voniâ—â— where before Saint Dominicke was borue the images of two men were seene of all men whereof the one did represent a man very religious in the habit of the order of the Preaching bretheen with a Lillie in his hand the other had the resemblance of the Apostle Paul as he is vsually pouâ—â—raied on the which was written Saiâ—â— Paul and this vnderneath By this man may ye come to Christ vpon the other image was written S. Dominick and vnderneath But by this you may come â—â—sier neither must you maruell at this saith Antonius for Saint Pauls doctrine as of all the other Apostles led but to faith and the keeping of the Commandements but Sainâ— Dominicks doctrine should leade men to the obseruing of Euangelicall Counsels and therefore the easier way to come to Christ by him O intollerable blasphemie But some goe higher and make the Apostles inuentors professors obseruers yea and Counsellors of Euangelicall Counsels and so reiect the former opinion which makes the Apostles to bee leaders but to faith and the keeping of the Commandements and not of Counsels Surely the Apostles were no obseruanâ—ins of Euangelicall Counsels they neuer begd but laboured with their hands and the greatest part of them were married Indeede there was an error of those that called themselues m Epiphanius haeres 61. August haeres 40 Apostolici as imitators of the Apostles and termed themselues Aporactici because they renounced their wiues and goods dwelling onely in Cilicia and Phrygia being the of-spring of the Tatian and Eucratian hereticks who made the obseruation of these things necessary affirming that none could be saued that liued not single and in pouerue as the Apostles did and reiecting those that did it not Such Apostolici there were but no such Apostles But some goe a straine higher and make our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ not onely a Commander or rather Counsellour but also a chief obseruer of Euangelicall Counsels But n Isa 40.13 who hath been his Counsellor who hath taught and instructed him o Isa 9.6 who is the Wouderfull Counseller the mighty God the euerlasting Faâ—her To what end should he haue practised Counsels what either to shew any imperfection of the Law by any new edition or additioÌ„ to that Law which is most perfect or else to â—â—â—it an higher degree of glory in heauen surely neither and therefore Christs example is vnfitly alleâ—ged for the practise of Euangelicall Counsels which he neuer practised Secondly they erre in the baptizing of heir Counsels naming theÌ„ Euangelicall for they say these Counsels are of the Law which they deuide into precepts and Counsels and so parts thereof and secondly they say the Eunuches Isa 56. were obseruers of Euangelicall Counsels vnder the Law Thirdly they recommend nothing but works now all works are of the Law and if of the Law they then are precepts not Counsels If then they are of the Law they should bee called Law-Counsels and if Legall then not Euangelicall because of the maine difference of the Law and the Gospell But as they are not Euangelicall nor of the Gospell so are they not Legall nor of the Law according to their owne position and rule because they say they are Euangelicall and therefore cannot be of the Law by reason of the difference aboue mentioned Secondly the Law first commâ—unds alwaies and neuer counsels Secondly it bindes men to the obseruation thereof And thirdly all men Fourthly it threatneth punishment Now Counsels say they first commaund not but counsell onely Secondly they are arbitrarie Thirdly they are not for all men but onely for some men Fourthly they threaten no punishment and therefore Counsels cannâ—â— be of the Law by their owne rule Thirdly they erre in the difference which they put betweene Precepts and Counsels first that a Counsell is kept with greater difficultie then a precept which is false for it is harder to loue his enemie which is a Precept of perfection then to giue all his goods to the poore which is a Counsell of perfection Secondly Counsels are arbitrary which is also false for p Iunius in Bellarm 1172. Consilium diuinum infert necessitatem humanum minimè Humane Counsels are arbitrarie Diâ—ine necessary as those Counsels are nay humane Counsels are not arbitrary but necessarie if they bee the Counsels of a superiour to an inâ—â—â—iour as of a father to his sonne of a Master to his seruant of a King to his subiect they are as much as a commâ—ond how much more are the Counsels of the â—reâ—â—or to his creature the King of Kings to his seruants of God to man whose Counsels are his will his will is his Law and Commandements and therfore necessarie Thirdly a Counsell not obserued hath no punishment yes it hath q Prâ—u 1.26.27 28.30 Because ye haue set at naught all my Counsell I will laugh at your calamitie c. whâ—â—â— your destruction commeth then shall they call vpon me but I will
voice from whence Saint Cyprian inferres l Cypri de â—pere Elâ—emosia The Martyrs that none can bee without sinne that there remaines as yet to those which are healed some wounds that whosoeuer saith he is without sinne is either proud or senselesse Not the Martyrs for it is written of all of them m Reuel 7.14 That they washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe Then had they them soiled and distained and haue not found any thing in themselues wherewith to make them white n Reuel 14.5 These are such in whose mouth was found no guile Surely saith Saint Austin o August de peccat merit lib. 2. c. 7. because they haue reproued themselues sincerely and therefore no guile was found in their mouth For if they said that they had had no sinne they should deceiue themselues and truth should not be in them and where truth is not there is vntruth X. Not the whole Church The whole Church which so long as it warres in this vale of miserie beleeues by an article of faith the remission of sinnes not surely the sinnes of others but her owne sinnes for sinnes are pardoned to none but to the Church This is her voice p Canticles 1.5 I am blacke but comely She is not saith Saint q Bernar. in Cant Serm. 25. Bernard without some spot of blacknesse but surely here in the place of her pilgrimage for the time will 〈◊〉 when the Spouse of glory will make her glorious without spot without wrinkle and such like things But if she should now say that she hath no blacknesse at all she should deceiue her selfe and truth should not be in her Neither saith she so but contrariwise she cries incessantly vpon God in all her members r Mat. 6.12 Forgiue vs our trespasses in her most holy members For as Saint Austin saith Å¿ August in Psal 142. The excellent Rammes amongst Christe sheepe haue receiued commandement to pray so Then how much more the rest whereof none can say that he is without the contagion of â—â—â—ne that he neede not pray euen so Not Moses not Samuel not Elias not Iohn Baptist not Saint Peter not Saint Paul not Saint Iohn not any one of those that haue obtained good witnesse and testimony from God in the Scripture This voice this language â—aith t Gregor Nysse de orati domin Serm. 5. Gregorie of Nyssen appertaines vnto them all If they were now in the world liuing on earth in this humane frailty the necessitie of sinning would impose vpon them a necessitie of praying in regard of their sinnes past Forgiue vs our sinnes and in respect of their sinnes to come Leade vs not into tâ—ntation and that not onely for others but also for themselues not onely in humilitie as the Pelagians said but also in truth for saying they were sinners by humilitie and not being sinners truly they should lie through humilitie and in lying they should bee sinners as it hâ—th beene decided of old by u Concil Mileuit can 6.7.8 the Councell held at Mileuiâ—um in Numidia with denunciation of Anatheâ—â— and curse against those that made the Apostles and other Saints confessors of their sinnes for humblenesse sake in 〈◊〉 not in truth x Canon 8. Quis enim ferat â—rantem non hominibus sed ipsi Dâ—minâ— mentiâ—nâ—em It were saith the Councell to lie vnto God and not vnto men Let vs therefore conclude this argument with Saint Ieromâ— and say y Hieron ad Rusticum epist 44. If Abraham Isaac Iacob the Prophets also and Apostles haue not beene without sinne If the purest wheate hath had his straw and chaffe what can bee said of vs of whom it is written z Jerem. 23.28 What is the chaffe to the wheate saith the Lord CHAP. VIII I. The places aboue mentioned are expounded and vnderstood of veniall sinnes by Bellarmine II. Euery sinne is mortall in his nature which appeares III. If it be measured to God IIII. To the Law V. And to the death of Iesus Christ VI. All sinnes are veniall by grace to him that is in Christ Iesus VII Are notwithstanding some greater then othersome VIII The last Argument Neuer any Monke kept neuer could haue kept the Law BEllarmine a Bellar. de monach c. 13. §. 32.36 expounds all these places of veniall sinnes without the which we are not or are very rarely in this life notwithstanding for all this we may be iust and doe workes of supererogation II. This man when hee writ thus was doubtlesse cauterized and seated in his conscience in regard of the feeling of sinne And thus it is that now adaies they sew cushions vnder the elbow of the poore abused world and crie Peace peace to them for whom there is no peace they make many soules liue that should not liue flattering them in their sinnes by a wretched distinction of sinnes into mortall and veniall a distinction contrary vnto the Scripture which speaking of sinne in generall without distinction without limitation saith b Rom. 6.23 that the wages of sinne is death and denounceth plainely that c Ezech. 18.4 the soule that sinneth it shall die Let sinne be measured to God to the Law to Christ Iesus and they will finde that it is so III. To God d Psal 51.4 Against thee thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight saith Dauid vnto God and the most holy men must say the like with him for can a man sinne without transgressing the Law of God and therefore without offending God And who will say that a trespasse against God is a veniall sinne Among vs men the sinne and offence multiplies according to the proportion of the person which is offended and of the place where it is committed The wrong done to a priuate person either in word or deede may bee repaired and satisfied by an honourable amends or by a pecuniarie fine and amercement but to thinke ill of his Prince is a crime of high treason to speake ill of him deserues not the gallowes not the sword but the pinsers the wheele the fire the extremest torments If a sonne rebell against his father if the seruant disobeieth his Master if the subiect despiseth the commandements of his Soueraigne the father thinkes he hath iust occasion to disinherit his son the Master to vse hardly his seruant the Lord to reiect his subiect to pursue him to prâ—scribe him to put him to death And the Creator of all the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords the Father the Redeemer the Sauiour of vs all shall bee wronged and iniured in words in thoughts in bad and wicked deedes and actions by his creatures by his seruants by his children by his subiects and shall be wronged and offended in his owne house and in his presence and some one or many of euill seruants shall call and crie vnto their fellow-mates and companions that it
by tradition from our fathers not with corruptible things as siluer and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish and without spot As many titles and names of God so many arguments for God against vs. r Isai 66.2 To whom will I look to him that trembleth at my word His Counsell is his word He is our Lord and Father ſ Mal. 1.6 A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his master If then I bee a Father where is mine honor and if I be a Master where is my feare This honor and feare consists principally in that we obey his voice that we say vnto him with Samuel t 1. Sam. 3.10 Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth He is our shepheard and we are his sheepe and this is the marke of his sheepe u John 10.27 My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me Hee that heareth him not is none of his x Iohn 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods words yee therefore heare them not because ye are not of God said Christ vnto the Iewes y 1. Pet. 2.9 We are a chosen generation a peculiar people saith Saint Peter and Saint Paul z 1. Cor. 6.19.20 Yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price And therefore we ought not to haue any will but his whose wee are to follow it in all things If these Counsels depended on our wil we should be our owne against the Apostle and against the right whereby the slaue is subiect in all things to him that hath purchased him and is despoiled of all libertie and disposing of his owne will I appeale now vnto the conscience of the Author of the Pastorall Letter that he tell me vpon his soule if he thinke that God can Counsell a thing vnto man whereunto man is not bound to yeelde and render quicke and speedie obedience which hee may reiect without putting his soule in danger The clause of his conclusion sheweth euidently that he thinketh so For if he esteemes not his pretended Counsels to be Commandements If he beleeues that they may bee reiected without offending God with what equitie conscience hath he stormed and thundered against those yea made a seisure of the possessions of those that haue reiected them V. But whatsoeuer hee thinkes the truth shall bee alwaies one and the same and if hee will denie it shee will defend her selfe and will get her selfe credit against his credit Hee saith that Saint Pauls aduice and iudgement is a Counsell She saith euen by the mouth of Saint Paul that it is a Commandement for the Apostle hauing said both touching marriage and single life a 1. Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to euery man as the Lord hath called euery one so let him walke Which is an expresse Commandement and altogether necessarie in a Common-wealth and in the Church b 1. Cor. 7.25 he addes and so ordaine I in all Churches where he vseth a Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to ordaine and commaund precisely as it appeares by the 25 verse where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning virgins I haue no Commandement of the Lord. This will more euidently appeare by a like manner of speech which the Apostle vseth in this very same Chapter vers 12. where being asked if the partie that beleeueth ought to remaine with the party that beleeueth not who is ioyned to him by mariage he saith but to the rest speake I not the Lord. For God had set downe nothing thereof in the old Testament and the Lord had not giuen any Commandement thereof to his Disciples because the religion was yet limited within the borders of Iudea there was not then any diuersitie nor difference of religion betweene the husband and the wife But the Gospell hauing been carried vnto the Gentiles it happened that one while the husband did imbrace it another while the wife the one or the other remaining an Infidell Now the aduice that the Apostle giues them is a formall and flat Commandement * 1. Cor. 7.12 If saith he any brother hath a wife that beleeueth not and shee bee pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away c. They are words of command the reasons which hee addes to his aduice doe witnesse it First The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife Vers 14. and the vnbeleeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband So that their mutuall coniunction and conuersation cannot defile the partie which beleeueth Vers 15. Secondly But if the vnbeleeuing depart let him depart a brother or a sister is not vnder bondage in such a case And then if the vnbeleeuing remaine and consents to dwell with the beleeuing the beleeuing is bound in such a case Thirdly God hath called vs to peace wherefore he that beleeueth ought not to disturbe the peace of the house Fourthly For what knowest thou Vers 16. O wife whether thou shalt saue thy husband Or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt saue thy wife Now all are bound by Gods Commandement to doe all that which can saue a soule from death Vers 17. But as God hath distributed to euery man as the Lord hath called euery one so let him walke And who can denie but that euery one is bound to follow the gift and calling of God Behold how impertinent it is to conclude that the Apostles iudgement is a Counsell left to a mans deuotion and will and not a Commandement because it is he that hath giuen it first and that the Lord had said nothing thereof before him VI. Notwithstanding let vs see what this pretended Counsell is The Apostle saith d 1. Cor. 7.39.40 Cui vult nubat Beatior autem si sic permanserit secundum meum consilium puto autem quod ego spiritum Deihabeam The virgin is a◠liberty to be maried to whom she will but she is happier if she so abide after my counsell I thinke also that I haue the Spirit of God This translation is the Authors of the Pastorall Letters translation wherein there is a notable falsehood for the Apostle speaketh here of a widdow The wife is bound by the Law as long as her husband liueth but if her husband be dead she is at liberty to be maried to whom she wil c. And the Author of the pastoral letter expoūds these words of a virgin that hath not the right and power to marrie her selfe to whom she will being vnder the fathers authoritie and power vnto whom alone the liberty of giuing her in marriage appertaineth as the Apostle declareth e 1. Cor. 7.38 Qui iungit virginem suam benè facit qui non iungit melius facit He that giueth her in marriage namely his virgin doth well but he that giueth her not in marriage doth better A Text alleaged by the Author of the Pastorall Letter against himselfe for
20.3 Till the thousand yeeres should be fulfilled Who would now suffer himselfe to be swaied and caried away with this error should with good reason bee held and condemned for an heretick Doth not Stapleton tell vs y Staplet lib. â— de authorit Scripturae c. 2. §. 5. that Clement the Roman Tertullian Origen Irenaeus Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius Theophylact Ambrose Bernard were of opinion that the soules doe not enioy the vision of God before the day of iudgement Another adds to these z Senens lib. 6. annot 345. Iustine Martyr Lactance Victorinus Prudentius Arethas Iohn Pope of Rome Is not this an horrible errour VI. a Canus locorum Theolog. lib. 7. c. 1. num 1. §. Sancti namque Canus expounding S. Pauls words b Rom. 5.12 In whom all haue sinned saith that from these words All the Saints doe affirme with one consent that the Virgin Marie was conceiued in sinne Chrysostome Eusebius Remigius Ambrose Austin Bernard Bede Anselme Erardus Martyr Saint Antonie Doctor Bonaâ—enture Thomas of Aquin Vincentius Hugo de Sancto Victor why then doth not he himselfe follow this consent and opinion Let he himselfe say why Although no author hath contradicted it Infirmumest tamen ex omnium patrum consersu argumentum The argument notwithstanding taken from the consent of all the Fathers is weake and the contrarie opinion is more probably and holily held and maintained Of late then and newly haue they left and forsaken the vniuersall beleefe of all the Saints the space of 1400 yeeres and c Salmeron Iesuit in Rom. c. 5. disp si §. Deinde Salmeron the Iesuite tells vs that we must answere to this whole multitude that which one alleages and obiects that which is written of Gods word d Exod. 23.2 Exod. 23. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill neither shalt thou speake in a cause to decline after many to wrest iudgement Let this suffice for an answere to those that say we may not speake of the Scripture but onely as the holy Fathers expound it for if it were so we ought and should be Millinaries with many of the holy Fathers we should beleeue against all Scripture that the soules of the faithfull departed see not God vntill the vniuersall resurrection with the Fathers wee should race out of the catalogue of festiuall dayes that of the conception of the Virgin Marie the mother of Christ and hold with the Scripture that she was conceiued in sinne for so all the holy Fathers haue held VII The Romish Church should giue vnto the people the Eucharist vnder both kindes for so haue they beene instituted and giuen by the Master receiued and recommended by the Apostles celebrated by all the Fathers and of the whole Christian Church the space of 1400 yeeres wee ought to detest the new Fathers of Constance who haue presumed against Christs institution the doctrine of the Apostles the practice of the whole Church for so many ages to take away the cup to bereaue and depriue the Christians of the Sacrament of the bloud which the Sonne of God hath shed for them in the remission of their sinnes VIII To crie out alwaies the Fathers the Fathers to make great shew of the Fathers to relie on them to shelter themselues vnder the exposition of the Fathers and yet not follow the Fathers is to doe like e Matth. 26.49 Iudas which betraied Christ in speaking to him with great reuerence and kissing him or like the souldiers f Mat. 27.18.30 who hauing clothed our King and Sauiour Christ with a scarlet Robe and giuen him in his hand a Reede in stead of a Scepter they bowed their knees before him made a shew to adore him but forthwith did spit vpon him tooke the Reede and smote him on the head with it CHAP. VII I. What opinion wee are to haue and what iudgement to make of the Fathers in what and how farre they are to be beleeued II. The Author of the Pastorall Letter tyes and bindes the exposition of the Scriptures vnto the Pastors and Doctors hauing lawfull succession III. What is their authoritie charge and dutie IIII. They are not to bee heard vnlesse they speake according to the Scriptures V. Many vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell High-Priests Bishops and Popes hauing succession haue been Idolaters Hereticks Sorcerers VI. The obiection taken from the words of Malachie is contrary to the opponent I Doe not pretend to abate or diminish in any wise the authoritie of the Fathers I say that they haue been great men of God that they haue serued God and his Church in their time with great profit that their writings are of great vse and that by the reading of them a man may become wiser and holier And I hold for certaine that they are bound in the bundle of life and doe raigne in heauen with Christ Iesus their King for whose sake God hath been mercifull vnto them But when men make a buckler of their errors and when men say that we may not speake of the Scripture but as they are interpreted by them we are inforced to say the truth that first they all were men and not God secondly they were all disciples of the truth and not Author of the same all Interpreters of the law not Law-giuers all our fellow-Brethren and fellow-Seruants and not our Masters Thirdly that we ought to beleeue them in matters of fact or of things done in their time and that which they assuredly know when they speake of things not by heare-say but which themselues haue seene and knowne these certain things Fourthly that in matters of faith they are not to bee beleeued if they proue not their doctrine by the bookes of faith because as a Canus cent 3. sequent c. 4. Canus saith All the Saints those onely excepted who haue digested and committed vnto writing the Canonicall bookes haue spoken by human spirit and haue sometimes erred in things which appertaine to faith The reason is b 1. Cor. 13.9 They knew onely in part and prophesied in part c Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh in in them as well as in vs. The Apostles onely were priuiledged with an extraordinarie measure of the holy Ghost to leade them without any imperfection d Iohn 16.13 in all truth Fifthly that the Spirit of Christ Iesus is not dead with them but is as yet in his Church enlightning it in the truth and sanctifying her by the truth in so much as although there were no writings of the Fathers the people of God for all that should not leaue to know vnderstand the Scriptures to know the voyce of Christ and follow it Sixthly that the writings of the Fathers are as much or more obscure then the holy Scriptures if it might bee said without blasphemy that there were obscurenesse in those bookes which were dictated by him e Iohn 1.9 Who is the light
Iudge must bee present and visible we answere that that is not necessarie How often doe Emperours decide controuersies new sprung in their Prouinces by the authoritie and Iurisdiction of the Soueraigne Court without budging from their place How often haue the Popes remaining in Rome or in Auignon ended the differences of Christians a great distance from them by their Decreâ—all Epistles and doe as yet make knowne their will vnto al the world by their Bulls without stirring from their seate The King whom God preserue and blesse with all temporall and spirituall blessings for his glory is the supreme and Soueraigne Iudge of all this Kingdome although he be visibly and corporally but in one place of the same at one time from the place where hee is hee signifies by his Proclamation what his pleasure is vnto the which all his subiects must yeeld and agree A King who is but a man hath such a power and shall not the King of Kings haue it a mortall man absent in body shall bee acknowledged of all his good subiects for supreme Iudge and his will declared in writing shall bee a Law vnto them and shall not the Lord Iesus God-Man and Man-God be accepted of for Soueraine Iudge nor his writings for lawes vnlesse he make and shew himselfe visible and present What impietie But God be thanked our Iudge conteined indeede in heauen in regard of his bodie Acts 3.21 is alwaies euery where with his Church in regard of his Deitie and God-head alwaies present in the same in common and generall and in euery member of the same in particular by his holy Spirit by his grace by his vertue by his counsell by his helpe and assistance by his conduct and guiding and by his holy and wholesome word so farre forth that hee saith m Matth. 28.20 Lâ—e I am with you alwaies euen vnto the end of the world for * Matth. 18.20 faith he where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them It is he then that iudgeth vs by his word which is his voice which all they that are his sheepe heare which they know and follow n Iohn 10.27 My sheepe heare my voice saith Christ and I know them and they follow me And doe not thinke that he speakes there onely of his sheepe of then or that time when he fed them with the foode and refection of his mouth he speakes of all those that shall be gathered together vnder his Sheepe-hooke vntill the ende of the world according to that he said before vers 16 Other sheepe haue I which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepheard They that are not contented with this voice and heare it not they would not onely not heare our Lord Iesus although he should returne here in the flesh but also they would crucifie him againe as the Priests Scribes Pharisees and the Elders of the people did for if that so he should returne here on earth hee would say no other thing then that which he hath said alreadie and would not speake more plainely and perspicuously then he hath spoken in the holy Scriptures Therefore according as he hath commanded vs to call none our Doctor o Matth. 23.10 For one is our Doctor and Master euen Christ we will adhere and sticke fast vnto him alone and will say vnto him with Saint Peter and the other disciples Iohn 6.68 Lord to whom shall wee goâ— thou hast the words of eternall life and wee beleeue and are sure that thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God V. The publike ministeriall Iudge is he which hath a publike and lawfull calling and authoritie from God to iudge not of the Scripture nor of the sense thereof for being immediatly from God the Law of the supreme Iudge and the most perfect rule of all godlinesse whereby all men are iudged and ruled it cannot be iudged of men by any meanes but of the doctrines of men the which he examines by the touchstone of the Scriptures and by them markes and considers if they are of God or no such are Pastors and Doctors considered apart in their Schooles and Churches and together in the Presbyterie Synods Councels Nationall and Occumenicall whose whole authoritie is limited by the holy Scriptures against and besides which they may not ordaine any thing Gal. 1.8 being to speake properly and fitly Clerks Truch-men Heralds Messengers and Ambassadours of God towards their brethren and not Iudges their iudgement being of seruice not of soueraigntie of direction not of authoritie compelling p Ephes 2.20 For we are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and not vpon the hand of humane opinions Wherefore if Christ Iesus himselfe hath confirmed his doctrine by the Scriptures q Luk. 24.27 beginning at Moses and all the Prophets r Act. 15.16.17 If the Apostles assembled together in Ierusalem refuted by the Scripture the heresie of those which mingled the Law with the Gospell If Saint Paul Å¿ Act. 17.2.3 Act. 26.22 Act. 28.23 proued his Gospell by the writings of Moses and of the Prophets surely they that are not furnished with such authoritie are bound to iustifie their doctrine by the Scriptures without the which t Orig. in Hierem â—om 1. our sense meanings and interpretation are not faith In regard of which the Apostle saith that the Spirit of Prophets are subiect to the Prophets 1. Cor. 14.32 And u Gerson de exam doctri Consid 5. num 17. Gersâ—â— saith That we must giue more credit and beleeue soeuer a simple man not authorized excellently skilled in the Scriptures then the declaration of the Pope for it is certaine that we must soâ—â—er beleeue and rather giue credit vnto the Gospell then vnto the Pope x Panerm in cap. significat extra de electiâ— Panâ—rmus saith In matters which concerne our faith the saying of a prâ—â—ate man is to be preferred before the Popes saying if it be confirmed with the best reasons of the old and new Testament Another most excellently and euidently y Picus Mirand de fide â—rd cred Theâ—re 6. A simple peasant or swaine a childe an old woman are more credible and 〈◊〉 to her beleeued thou the grand Prelate or Pope and a thousand Bishops of these speake contrary and against the Gospell those for and according to the Gospell The reason is verie good the Gospell is of the Master and ought to bee receiued with all obedience of faith by whomsoeuer it is preached the Pope and the Bishops are but seruants in the Masters house where they haue no other charge then to serue the children of the house according to the will of the heauenly Father comprehended in the Scriptures otherwise they are no Pastors but Impostors VI. As the publike ministerial iudgement is without proportion and measure inferior to
in se sernasse noe eam imposuisse Apostolis noque sub voto ab ipsis fuisse inceptam Euâ—â—gelica seu Apostolica docet historia sed contrarium euidentius Manifestat Pope Iohn the 22 who according to the opinion that they haue conceiued of Popes could not erre q Ibid. c. 4. Cum â—â—ter assertioâ—â—â— huiusmâ—di pertinacem cum scripturae sacrae contradicaÌ„t expressè deinceps erroneam fore censendam baereticam de fratrum nostrorum consilio hoc perpetuo declaâ—amus edicto affirmes the same so farre forth that he pronounceth that the contrarie opinion is contrarie to the Scriptures erronious and heretical and makes a perpetuall Edict and Decree for it IX These Counsels saith Beâ—armine are workes but a Counsell is not a worke It is that which perswades or disswades the worke the one goeth and mâ—rcheth before as the cause the other commeth after as the effect Iethro gaue good counsell to Moses concerning the gouernement of the people his cousell was one thing that which Moses did according to his counsell was another thing sometime the counsell is giuen and there followes no worke Christ gaue a good counfell to the Church of Laodicea who made no account of it Reuel 3.18 r 2 Sam. 17.23 Achitopel hangd himselfe seeing that the counsell of Chusai was preferred before his owne These examples doe shew plainely enough that Counsell is not a worke He adds that the Counsell of perfection is a good worke If that were so the Law of God which is the perfect rule of euery good worke would make mention thereof X. He distinguisheth betweene Counsell and Precept saying that Counsels are better and more difficult to bee kept then Precepts are Falsely and fondly for there is no one Counsell but is easie to be obserued And there is no Precept the perfect keeping whereof is not impossible There are now adâ—ies some Monkes and Friers which eate no flesh Å¿ Hieron aduers Jouian lib. 2. The Pythâ—goreans did not cate any thing that did moue or liue The Priests of Egypt seruing their false gods did abstaine from flesh and wine did eate bread rarely did not eate eggs and millâ—e saying that eggs were liquid flesh and milke was blood of another colour The Gymnosophists did nourish and sustaine themselue with apples and rice In Crete the prophets of Iupiter did abstaine from flesh and all sodden meates t Philo Iudaeus The Essens amongst the Iewes did taste of nothing before Sun-set some of them fasted three daies other some sixe daies without taking of any refection when they did eate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bread and salt was their onely meate and cleare water their onely drinke Their table was pure of al beasts hauing bloud What order amongst all the Monkes leades so austere a life The Monkes and Friers of these daies doe abstaine from marriage The Priests of Egypt neuer had to doe with women The Essens also did abstaine from them Many Fiers liue poorely beg their bread and possesse nothing What doe they which the Cynick Philosophers haue not done before them u Hieron aduers Iouian lib. 2. Antisthenes sold all that he had distributed it vnto the poore reseruing nothing for himselfe but his cloake to couer him His Disciple Diogenes did we are two cloakes against the cold had his bag and wallet for his granarie his bottomlesse tubbe for his house his bread for his trencher the palme of his hand for his cuppe hee had nothing but that which he got by begging and did reserue nothing till the morrow whence he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A carelesse man who is onely for the present day that cares not for the morrow We haue found among the Heathen not in Cloysters men keeping and obseruing Counsels exactly Let them but name vs one man liuing in Monasteries which hath exactly kept the Commandements It is a Counsell to enter into a Monastery and become Monke The great number of them which become Monkes and the multitude of Priests which liue without lawfull wiues is an apparent demonstration that there is nothing more easie to be done then that It is a Commandement x Matth. 5.48 to loue our enemies Now experience shewes that there is nothing more hard then this it being the highest degree of the loue of Christ y Rom. 5.8 10. which died for his enemies Therefore we may easily see that the Commandements of God are better and more difficult then all â—â—eir Counsels XI The second difference betweene Precepts and Counsels is that a Precept is generall prescribed and giuen vnto all a Counsell is particular giuen and belonging onely to some Thomas Aquinas in his small Treatise of this subiect and set downe in the ende of the Pastorall Letter is of a contrary opinion and iudgement and striues with might and maine to proue by the Scriptures and Fathers Pag. 10. ve 11.12 that it is a generall doctrine propounded to the whole world and therefore we must take the Counsell giuen vnto the young man as if God himselfe had propounded to all according to that which our Sauiour saith vnto his disciples z Mark 13.37 What I say vnto you I say vnto all c. What saith Thomas Aquinas Is it not the doctrine of the Church of Rome that single life is a Counsell as the Apostle saith I giue Counsell concerning virgins 1. Cor. 7.25 but the Apostle giueth this Counsell vnto all if it be a Counsell a 1. Cor. 7.7 I would that all men were euen as I my self To marrie to auoide fornication say they is an indulgence or Counsell and to this end doe they apply the Apostles words b 1. Cor. 7.6 I speake this by permission or Counsell not of commandement This Counsell also is generall for hee ordaines e 1. Cor. 7.2 that to auoide fornication let euery â—â—n haue hit owne wife and let euery woman haue her owne husband Therefore this second difference is vaine and of no moment XII In like manner the third and fourth differences are of no moment For though the Counsels of men are arbitrable and put to the choice and freewil of him to whom they are giuen to doe them deferre them or leaue them The Counsels of God are not left to mans discretion and wil but carrie with them a necessitie and binde vnto punishment those which reiect them as much as Precepts doe For when God speakes the seruant must hearken if he doe it he shall receiue a reward of free grace if he do it not he shall be iustly punished being a thing most iust that the creature which hath not vouchsafed to follow the Counsell of his Creator the childe that of his father the seruant that of his master man who is but a worme the Counsell of his God all mightie all wise wholly good should be disdained and contemned of him driuen and thrust out of his house and cast into vtter darkenesse where