confidence which doth minister necessary and comfortable gladsomnes to the godly afflicted consciences But our Porting all can in no wise allow of this confidence fearyng this thyng forsooth Lest this way be to swift and to easie to the attaynement of saluation as that whiche will drawe awaye the variable mynde of man from labour to slouthfulnesse and therfore it were much better that euery man beyng vncertaine of his owne sauetie should be holden still in feare rather And this perhappes he might seéme to haue spoken not without some reason if eternall lyfe were such a thyng as did depend vpon any couenaunt or condition of workes But whereas now it consisteth wholy in the freé mercy of God whiche neither can deceaue nor hath respect to the worthynesse of him that receaueth this grace but resteth vpon the onely credite of hym that promiseth is not apportioned to our good workes but freély geuen not to them whiche deserue but vnto them which doe beleue in him that doth Iustifie the vngodly what remayneth but that Osorius must either strippe the Scriptures naked of Gods promise towardes vs or of necessitie conclude our trust and assured affiaunce vnder that promise or that him selfe is vtterly ignoraunt what that promise of the Gospell purporteth and so bewraye his singular blockishnesse herein whiche is rather likely to bee true Now I would haue him first make me an aunswere vnto this Whether God haue made vs any promise at all Then whether that promise be the law it selfe or some other thyng ordeined besides and before the law And hereof Paule seemeth to bee a very fitte interpretour who reporteth that the promise was first of all geuen to Abrahā Then that after ii◠C. and xxx yeares the lawe was published and therefore that it could by no meanes make frustrate the Testament which was geuen first For if inheritaūce came of the law then is it not now of promise If we thinke good to beleue Paule rather then Osorius These thinges beyng now graunted I demaunde further if this Gentleman will vouchsafe to teach vs What kynde of couenaunt that was of the promised inheritaūce vnto vs whether he will confesse the same to be freé or not freé If he deny it to be freé then will S. Paule forthwith cry out agaynst him who doth ascribe all that promise made vnto Abraham of the blessyng of the seéde of the inheritaunce of the kyngdome of eternall lyfe vnto grace and not vnto the law yea and so also not onely before the law but euen when hee was not as yet in Circumcision But if he will confesse as he neédes must that the bare promise proceéded not of any couenaunt made in respect of our workes but was freély offred by the freé goodnesse of the geuer onely what reason will Osorius render vnto vs why we should not receaue the same with all assurednesse and most certeine assuraunce called in Greéke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if fayth as Osorius hath described it in his bookes entituled De Iustitia bee deriued of hauyng affiaunce vpon whom may a man settle his affiaunce more safely then vpon God or when more assuredly then when he promiseth simply without condition or what can be of more certeintie then that which is promised by God the Father almightie to all men without exception freély and of his owne accorde yea and that through fayth onely Freély I say whereby the bountifull mercy of God poured vpon all fleshe may shyne more liuely to the comfortable chearefulnesse of afflicted consciences Through fayth I say bycause all thynges depende vpon this one condition That is to say That we all should beleue in the sonne of God in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen I adde also fayth onely not bycause I will exclude good workes from her company simply as though they should not be put in vre but in such sort as that they shall not be esteémed to bee of such valewe as to be able to Iustifie not that beyng Iustified we should not exercise our selues in them But that we geue not vnto them the chief preheminence in Iustification not bycause we should let lowse the reynes to voluptuousnesse and treade the tract of vnbrideled lust or dissolue the seueritie of auncient godly discipline nor that we should vtterly extinguish all vertuous endeuours blot out the glory of honest actiōs or choke vp the light of true Religion and vndefiled sinceritie finally not to the end we should defile the commendable prayses of worthy renowne vnder colour of vnpunishable libertie of sinnyng in deede these are the paynted florishyngs of Osori forge glorious glytteryngs of his Sophisticall talke Wherin this our Simme suttle doth nothyng at all degender from the slye craftinesse of his predecessours Neither is this any new deuise or practize of those whiche when they are ouercharged with argumentes whiche they can not resolue cast vp presently such smocky and confused mistes of wordes and slaunderous reproches of purpose to dazell the eyes of the Readers that they may not seé the open light After the very same fashion Tertullus the Aduocate of the Iewes did behaue him selfe agaynst Paule Whose doctrine when hee could by no meanes emproue he rusheth vpon him like a Iolye Sycophaunte with slaunders and reproches vttered in smoathe and delicate order of speache with lyes vntrue reportes forged accusations and outcryes exclaimyng agaynst him that he was a troublesome man seditious a raiser of new sectes a defiler of the Temple For euen with all the selfe same cōtumelies Tertullus did then reproch S. Paule before Foelix then Presidēt like as now this our Tullian Tertullus with like vanitie and no lesse impudencie doth accuse Martin Luther of all whiche generally hee is as innocent and cleare now as Paule was at that tyme of his araignement Surely good consciences wayeng the matter indifferently cā not be ignoraunt nor Osorius him selfe I suppose will deny if he bee willyng to yelde to the truth but that neuer any such braynesicke thought dyd enter into Luthers head as to geue any scoape to the vngodly to pursue wickednesse but rather that hee was alwayes of this mynde to comfort afflicted consciences and to discouer the most sure founteines of consolation in Christ Iesu Crucified for vs. Whereby you may perceaue most vayne glorious Tertully what maner of Desperation and what kynde of Affiaunce Luther doth teach not that Affiaunce which is enemy to Saluation but that necessary and vndoubted Confidence which is able to approue it selfe allowable by the infallible promises of God and most assured testimonies of holy Scriptures For otherwise if Christian fayth had no other fortresse whereunto it might safely trust I would then fayne know of you where that peace where that reioysing in Christ Iesu is whereof Paule doth certifie them Whiche beyng Iustified by fayth haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ wherein we stand
any good workes How know you this to bee true For I am assured that in Porting all and in Spayne good prouiso is made that no maÌ„ be so hardy to touch any of Luthers bookes if you referre your Assertion to England or Germany I doe not a litle marueile how this monstruous Spynx can cast his eyes ouer so many Seas so many high mountaines and so great distauuce of Countreys and so curiously behold the lyues of men and prye so precisely into their maners vnlesse some Phebus haue cloured vpon this Mydas head not the eares of Osorius but the eares of some lolleared Asse in the truncke wherof he may catche euery blast whatsoeuer any where blowen abroad or deuised in secrete through the reportes of whisperyng Talebearers like a credulous soole beleue the same forthwith But howsoeuer those Lutheranes in EnglaÌ„d and in Germany do exercise them selues in no good workes it goeth very well in the meane tyme with Porting all and Spayne that men lyue there holy and Angellike For I do beleue surely that men in those Countreys do so glytter in sinceritie of life and brightenes of vertues that their very shadowes do shyne in the darke and glyster more lyke Aungels then men that they are such men as plante their feéte no where but that they leaue behynd theÌ„ a certeine wonderfull fragrant sauour of modestie curtesie singular chastitie so make the very heauens in loue with their puritie sweétenes of their vertues But goe to Osorius tell vs at the length a good fellowshyp what the cause should be that such as doe geue eare to Luther will not apply them selues to doe good workes Truely I suppose that bycause he teacheth that meÌ„ are Iustified in the sight of God by fayth onely and not by workes therfore it must be an infallible consequent That whosoeuer attende to Luthers doctrine will forthwith abandone all thought to lyue vertuously and yeld him selfe carelesly ouer to all idlenesse and filthynesse As though with honest and well disposed persons fatherly clemencie shall cause the children to be sluggish to do their duties or as though the voyce of mercy doth at once vtterly abolish all Morall vertues To what ende therefore doth Christ so much not commende vnto vs that fatherly affection in the mercyfull father mentioned in the Gospell towardes his prodigall sonne but also painte him out vnto vs for an example if that doctrine of the freé mercyfulnesse of God be not true or if it be true that it ought not therefore be published bycause many vnchast and corrupt persons will abuse the same Nay rather why ought net the truth of God of greater reason be generally and openly preached for the necessary comfort of the godly Neither behoueth vs to be inquisitiue how much this doctrine doth worke in certeine particular men but rather to know how true this doctrine is of it selfe And accordyng as we doe finde the same to be true and constant so to preach the same accordyng to the capacitie of the hearers But Osorius doth vrge vs agayne with threé Argumentes chiefly as it were with a threé square battell lyke a threé headed Cerberus doth rushe vpon Luther with threé sondry assautes attemptyng to proue by his Logicke that this Luther of whom we speake doth exâ—irpe and roote out all vertue honestie and godly endeuour First by his disablyng of workes secondly through desperation of honestie thirdly by Confidence of false righteousnesse In threé wordes as it were threé lyes And first of all touchyng Desperation and CoÌ„fidence I thinke we haue spoken enough before where we haue so proued both to be falsely imputed to Luther as that we doe yet acknowledge them both in Luther For Luther doth describe CoÌ„fidence but the same which is the true Confidence he teacheth also Desperation I confesse it but the same very comfortable And therein teacheth nothyng els but the same that the EuaÌ„gelistes and Apostles haue alwayes taught For what can be more true and assureâ— Confidence or more comfortable Desperation or more â—onson unt with the Gospell of Iesu Christ and his Apostles then that we beyng in full dispaire of the righteousnesse of our owne workes doe shroude our selues wholy vnder the mercy of Christ and in his freé bounty and elemency That is to say not in workes whiche the grace of Christ hath wrought in vs but for vs As touchyng the brablyng that he maketh about the despising of good workes by what Logicke will hee proue his cauillatioÌ„ And now pause here a whiles good Reader note the passing pearcyng witte nurtured not in the Schoole of Stoicke Philosophy but nooseled by rather I suppose in some swynesty Luther doth strippe our merites and workes naked froÌ„ all Confidence Ergo Luther rendeth in peeces the very sinewes of all godlines setteth at nought and vtterly abolisheth all the efficacie and dignitie of good workes And though Osorius haue not placed his wordes after this order yet the bent of his conclusion tendeth to the same effect For what did Luther els in all his writynges and Sermons but cut of all hope of workes and so by that meanes allure vs to take ankerhold in the onely ayde helpe of the Mediatour if this be the waye to choake vp vertue and to bury her vnder grouÌ„de I confesse that Luther was an abolisher of vertue and S. Paule also as well as he But Osor. doth many tymes deny this Assertion of the Lutherans to be true that our righteousnes hope of our saluation so depeÌ„deth vpoÌ„ Christ as that the same should be Imputed to vs of God accouÌ„ted our own by ImputatioÌ„ through fayth onely For he supposeth this way to be ouer easie and that it will hereof come to passe that no man wil be carefull studious or desirous to accomplish any good worke In deéde I thinke Osorius is of the mynde of many persons whiche vnlesse be continually beaten pricked foreward lyke dull Oxen with goades and cudgels will neuer yeld their bodies to labour but forced as it were with threatenynges and stripes are drawen to the yoke quyte agaynst their willes But this neuer happeneth in natures of mylde and good disposition but rather the contrary so as by leâ—â—ie and remembrauÌ„ce of receaued benefites they are rather encouraged chearefully to doe their duties The bountifulnesse of almighty God is not to be measured after the proportion of mans imagination Neither ought we regarde how the wicked doe interprete thereof but rather what Christ doth coÌ„maunde to be preached how much the will of God will permitte and what thynges true discipline will allow of I know that there hath bene euer great store and that we shall neuer want to great a number of that sorte of people which will wickedly abuse all thynges that otherwise of their owne nature ought chiefly bee embraced Neither is it reason to defraude vertuous personages of their right for the abuses of
if a Turke or Infidell should pleade before the same Christ his Iudge And why bycause the one is very much holpen by yeldyng his fayth to the promise the other hath none other ayde to trust vnto but the rigour of the law But let vs proceéde that we may come at the last to the pricke that is shot at I vnderstand therfore by these wordes of Christ what shal be betyed of thē at the last that haue liued well that vnto those that are founde such in the Iudgement shall geuen possession of eternall life I heare this well But I would fayne know at the length what the Cause should be why this mercyfull Iudge will vouchsafe to reward those workemen so highly For our controuersie consisteth not in this point that reward is geuen but in this for what Cause reward is geuen Whether of any desert or without all desert whether for the proper worthynesse of the workes them selues whiche you call good or rather for the Fayth of the person from whence those workes doe obteine both to bee called good and to bee esteémed for good You will say that the spring of this together working grace floweth vnto vs out of the founteine of Fayth from whence all abilitie to do good deédes is so aboundant within vs whiche being receiued afterwardes through the bountifulnesse of Christ fruites of holy workes do issue out from vs which do make vs worthy to be Iustified and to place vs in the possession of euerlastyng kyngdome I do aunswere that ye do neither speake as much as ye ought nor that altogether true that ye doe speake For albeit we confesse that all the good whatsoeuer we do proceédeth from the bountyfull gift of God yet this is farre wyde from the marke of our controuersie now in hand neither is this matter in handlyng now to know from whence the fruites of good workes do spryng but after they are come vnto vs the question is how much they do auayle vnto vs whether they them selues through their owne worthynesse do worke our Iustification before God or whether they stand destitute of any other ayde whereby they may be Iustified them selues whether doe ye thinke workes of their owne nature so effectuall as to bee able alone to endure the heauye burden of Gods Iudgement or that the operation of the Fayth of the beleuer rather thē of the worke doth present the persons together with their workes to Gods freé Imputation and so accomplish Iustification But I doe heare a continuall ianglyng of this Portingall Coockoe chatteryng alwayes one maner of laye in myne eares Not fayth but workes sayth hee wayed in the ballaūce of Gods Iudgement do purchase either Saluation or Damnatiō vnto vs. Where finde you this Out of the wordes of Christ And those that haue done well shall goe into euerlasting life but those that haue done euill into euerlasting destruction I aūswere it is most true that the Lord speaketh but most vntrue that Osorius concludeth hereof Christ comprehendyng the fruites of workes together with the whole treé and ioynyng the Causes together with the persons doth encourage them with the hope of eternall lyfe which do yeld their endeuour manfully to their vtterest abilitie to performe the rule of the Gospell not defiuyng what the proportion of their workes doe deserue but declaryng how bountyfully and manifoldly he will require their labours whiche haue suffered any kynde of afflictiō for his names sake Osorius framyng hereof meérely false propositions doth with his crafty conueyaunce wrest force those thynges to the workes them selues onely whiche the Lord doth apply to his faythfull that liue vertuously and so at length turnyng awry that is to say From the Concreto to the Abstractum to vse here the termes of Sophistry seueryng the persons from the thyngs doth conclude disorderly after this maner of false conclusion Faythfull and godly Christians liuing vertuously shal be rewarded with eternall lyfe Ergo Good workes by them selues wayed in the ballaunce of Gods Iudgement doe deserue eternall lyfe What cā be more falsely imagined or more foolishly cōcluded thē this lye In deéde workes are the fruites of Christiā fayth and tokens not causes of Saluation Euen as a treé that bringeth forth fruites if the treé be good it appeareth by the fruites not bycause the fruite maketh the treé good but bycause the treé maketh the fruite good In lyke maner the deédes of the godly haue nothyng in them selues that may enable them to stand vpright in Iudgemēt But if they finde any grace or reward the same may not bee ascribed to their owne merite but partly to Mercy partly to Imputatiō through the sonne that is the Redeémer to Mercy I say which doth forgeue our euill deédes to Imputation whiche accepteth our good workes though they be of them selues neuer so vnperfect as though they were perfect and doth reward them with a crowne of glory so that the glory hereof is not now to be ascribed to men but to God not to righteousnesse but to grace not to workes but to fayth not to Iudgement but to mercy For confirmation wherof if we seéke for authoritie who may require any one a more faythfull witnesse or of more approued authority then the Apostle who beyng sent vnto the Gentiles as to his proper peculiar charge what doth he preach vnto thē Not by the workes which we haue done sayth he but for his mercy sake he hath saued vs If wordes may obteine any credite with you what can bee spoken more playnely if the authoritie of the witnesse may preuayle what more assured testimony can be sought for then Paule that speaketh him selfe But Osorius lacketh not a shift of descante here thinkyng thereby to craze the force of veritie For whereas Paule affirmeth that we are saued for his mercyes sake he doth interprete this saying to be verified after this sort Bycause mercy doth endue vs with abilitie and power to worke that hereof those godly deedes of pietie doe ensue which may make vs vs righteous before God and that hereof likewise it commeth to passe that all whatsoeuer true righteousnesse appeareth in vs doth proceede from the mercy and bountie of God and not from our own nature Such is the doctrine that he scattereth abroad euery where in these bookes in those other also which he hath entituled De Iustitia followyng herein as it seémeth his forerunner Hosius who maskyng in the like maze doth affirme that life euerlastyng is geuē to men so farreforth through the grace of God as it is deliuered to mens merites which do issue out of the mercy and grace of God But Augustine will helpe to vnlose this knot easely so will also all the most famous and auncient interpretours of the Greeke Latine Churche who altogether with one voyce doe so ascribe all our saluatiō to the mercy of God not that which is obteined by doyng good deédes
in this corruptible body but which consisteth rather in remission of sinnes and which after this lyfe will supporte the neédy and naked weakenesse of our workes be they neuer so feéble agaynst the importable burden of the rigour of the law Of which mercy Augustine maketh mention in this wise Stand not in Iudgemēt with me O Lord exactyng all thyngs which thou hast cōmaunded me For if thou enter into Iudgement with me thou shalt finde me guiltie Therefore I haue more neéde of thy mercy then thy manifest Iudgement Agayne in an other place treatyng of the last Iudgemēt He shall crown theé sayth he in mercy compassiōs This shall come to passe at that dreadfull day whenas the righteous kyng shall sit vpon his throne to render to euery mā according to his workes who then can glory that hee hath a pure and vndefiled hart or dare boast that he is without sinne And therfore it was necessary to make mention there of the compassions and mercy of the Lord. c. And agayne somewhat more playnly where hee describeth what maner of mercy shal be in the day of Iudgement he doth set it forth in this wise This is called mercy sayth he bycause God doth not regarde our deseruynges but his owne goodnesse that thereby forgeuyng vs all our sinnes he might promise vs euerlasting life Hereunto also may be annexed the testimonie of Basile no lesse worthy to bee noted touchyng the mercyfull Iudgement of God towardes his chosen people you shal heare his owne wordes as they are For if the Iudgement of GOD were so rigorous and precise in it selfe to render vnto vs after our worthynesse accordyng to the workes that we haue done what hope were then or what man should bee saued But now he loueth both mercy and Iudgement that is matchyng mercy equall with him selfe to beare chief rule in the regall seate of Iudgement and so bryngeth forth euery man to Iudgement That is to say if Gods Iudgement should proceéde of it selfe precisely and exactly requityng euery of vs accordyng to the deseruynges of our deédes that we haue done what hope should remayne for vs or what one person of mankynde should be saued But now God loueth mercy and Iudgement And reseruyng mercy for him selfe he hath placed her before the Royall Throne of Iustice as chief gouernesse and so citeth euery man vnto Iudgement You seé here mention made of mercy and the grace of God not that grace onely that doth engender in vs good workes but the same rather whiche doth forgeue sinnes and Sinners through the bloud of his sonne in which forgeuenesse consisteth our whole redemption accordyng to the testimonie of Paule the Apostle In whom sayth hee we obteine redemption through his bloud and remission of sinnes through the riches of his grace c. If I neéded in this matter to vse a multitude of witnesses rather thē substaūce of authority it were no hard matter for me to cite for defence of the Cause infinite testimonies out of Ambrose Ierome Gregory Bernarde others But what neéde I protract the time of the Reader in vouching a nūber whenas it is euident enough already I suppose by those sayinges spoken before that our saluation can by no meanes obteine place in Iudgement without the mercy of God and his freé Imputation The first wherof our Sinnes neéde to be couered withall the next euen our best workes shall want of necessitie Whereupon that saying of Bernarde wherof we made mention before as diuers other Sentences of his to the same effect bee very pitthye Not to sinne sayth he is the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of man is the freé pardon of God Of which pardon Augustine very litle differring from Bernarde maketh rehearsall in these wordes Thou hast done no good thyng sayth hee yet thy sinnes are forgeuen theé hitherto thou hearest the worke of mercy Marke now for Imputation Thy workes are examined and they are founde all faultie and forthwith concluding addeth If God should require these workes after their deseruynges he should surely condemne theé But God doth not geue theé due punishement but graunteth vndeserued mercy Thus much Augustine Euen as though hee would say Our best deédes seéme in none other respect good then as farreforth as they be vpholden by his pardon and freé Imputation who if otherwise should searche all our workes euen to the quicke after the most precise rule of his seuere Iustice hee should surely finde nothing sounde in our best deédes many things lothsome and wicked in our workes all thyngs in vs altogether corrupt and defiled Wherein we do not so aduaunce the mercy of God in his Iudgement as though we would haue all the partes of his Iustice excluded from thence But we doe mitigate rather the frettyng wounde of his Iustice which you do so stiffely mainteyne with your speache applyeng thereunto the sweéte and wholesome playster of his mercyfull Imputatiō For who cā be ignoraūt hereof that God shall Iudge the quicke and the dead with Iustice and equitie And who on the other part is so blind that can not discerne this to bee most false that Osorius mainteineth who rakyng all thynges to amplifie the estimation of pure righteousnes doth so stoutly defende this pointe That all our wordes workes are of such force and value in this Iudgement that of their owne nature they are auaylable towardes the purchase of the euerlastyng inheritaunce or els do procure vs a ready downefall to euerlastyng destruction In deede he speaketh truly in respect of the condemnation of the vnfaithful and vnbeleuyng persons and of them which beyng estraunged from fayth haue not acknowledged Christ in this world and of such as abusing their fayth haue despised Christ and of them also which seékyng to establish their own righteousnesse would not submit thē selues to the righteousnesse of Christ. Neither is it any maruell if God doe execute his Iustice somewhat more sharpely agaynst those persōs whenas their deédes beyng foūde guilty haue no ayde to pleade for them that may stand them in steéde besides Christ. For Christ is nothyng elles but a seuere Iudge to them that are not within the fortresse of Fayth as in effect the Gospell doth denounce vnto vs. Who so hath not beleued the Sonne the wrath of God dwelleth vpon him Iohn 3. But the matter goeth farre otherwise with them that are engraffed in Christ by faith of whom we read in Iohn the same Chap. He that beleueth the sonne hath euerlasting life Wherfore as Christ appeareth not a Redeémer but rather a Iudge to them which without the Castle of Fayth seéke to be rescued by the law so on the contrary part Those that shrowde them selues wholy vnder the assured Target of fayth and protection of the Sonne of God shall not finde Christ a rigorous Iudge but a mercyfull Redeémer The whiche sentence he doth verifie him selfe by his own testimony and
gift of election whereas before there was nothing in the Infantes beyng not yet borne that might eyther deserue to beé aduaunced or to be reiected If you respect the worthines of their workes what had the seély infantes done before they were borne but if this whole matter did depend vpon the determination of Gods vnsearcheable counsell what rewarde here doe mens workes deserue namely whereas God spake to Moyses in playnest maner of speach I will haue mercy on him on whō I will shew mercy and will haue cōpassion on him on whom I haue compassion Whereunto agreéth the testimony of Paule immediately vttered by the same spirite It is not of him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in GOD that sheweth mercy Againe alledging the example of Pharao with semblable reason cōfirmeth the same by the example of Gods seuerity that he debated before of his freémercy And this is the very order of the argument in Paules discourse which neyther Osorius himselfe will deny But it must be diligently considered to what ende Paule applyed those reasons for herein consisteth the whole pithe of our controuersie And whereas Luther Caluine Martyr and their companions bee of opinion that Paule vndertooke this Disputation for this end◠that by settyng downe examples of Gods liberalitie and seueritie he might make manifest that the onely freé mercy and eternall Election of God accordyng to the purpose of his good pleasure did make the true Israelites without any helpe or respect of workes or endeuours◠Osori doth very stoughtly withstand these felowes not denyeng meane whiles Gods Election nor Gods callyng ne yet his Grace as hee sayth but will not graunt this notwithstandyng that the Election of the faythfull consisteth in the freémercy of GOD without speciall respect of workes For this is the whole force of this Prelates Diuinitie Let vs heare his owne wordes as they be This therfore sayth he do we gather out of this place of Paule that neither dignitie of parentage nor worke nor yet the law doth make true Israelites but Gods Election his callyng and his Grace But let vs see whether this so notable mercy of God powred vpon vs without all our deseruynges is geauen vs without any respect of workes No it is not c. First bycause I do not sufficiently conceaue Osorius what you meane by this that you say mercy powred vpō vs with out desertes yet not geauen without respect of workes I would haue you open your meanyng more distinctly If God do powre out vpō his faythfull mercy without merites as you say what other choyse then doe ye want in those that are elect then the very same which cōsisteth of Gods meére mercy good will onely without merites But this you thinke not in any wise sufferable nor to be vttered for this reason as I suppose If Gods Election should consiste of mercy onely without any choyse of such as are chosen Gods Iudgement might be adiudged to be chaunceable and vnaduised Let vs ioyne hereunto the Minor But fortune and vnaduisednesse are not to be imputed to Gods Iudgement For we heare out of Paule Not by workes but of him that calleth who sayth that the elder shall serue the younger Let vs now conclude a Gods name Ergo Gods electiō standeth not by his mercy onely with out some choyse that is say without some especiall discrete regarde of some one thyng in the person that is elected which was not to bee founde in the person that was reiected For in this maner doth Osorius both define and conclude After sūdry ridiculous vayne glorious speaches of his Rhethoricall brauery and vnprofitable scoldyng least he might not seéme to be a Rhetoriciā onely or a leane Logiciā he hath now pyked somewhat out of the Rules of Sophistry wherein he behaueth hym selfe neuerthelesse none otherwise then an Owle amōgest Nightingales For the very principall speciall pointe of that Arte hee either atteyneth not aright or toucheth surely very coldly Which may be easily and playnly perceaued Osorius by this your owne forme of arguyng And I call it playnly your owne bycause no creature cā more nearely resemble his Sire wherein you do neither define rightly nor deuide orderly no lesse foolishly heapyng together false thynges in steéde of true thynges in your maner of arguyng proceédyng from the effectes to causes and as Crabbes crawle backeward so do you for the more part set the carte before the Hoarse First Wheras you say that this word Electiō doth signifie some speciall regard whereby some thyng may be iudged to be in the persons that are Elect that wanted in the reprobate If you define Election in this wise surely we can not allow of it For although no man ought to dought but that God accordyng to his incomprehēsible wisedome euen from the begynnyng was not ignoraunt of the contrary dispositious of all and euery thyng the differences betwixt the faithfull and the reprobate yet is not Election opened sufficiētly hetherto as yet accordyng to the nature of the word These be the effectes of Gods foreknowledge and doe follow Election but make not Election For euen as fire doth not therfore warme bycause it should be whote but bycause it is whote and as a wheéle doth not therfore runne roūde that it may be rounde but bycause it is rounde As August maketh mention euen so the faythfull were not therfore chosen bycause they were lyke to lyue vertuously but they were chosen in Christ bycause they should lyue vertuously beyng thereunto predestinate by God not for the worthynes of their workes that were for seéne should be in them before as Osorius doth dreame but accordyng to the good pleasure of his will If we list to geue credite more to Paule then to Osorius So hath hee chosen vs sayth Paule in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy not bycause we were holy and vnblameable c. What can be more playne then this And yet doth hee not stay there nor so expresse the last maner of Election Whereupon he addeth forthwith Accordyng to the good pleasure of his will to the prayse of the glory of his grace If Gods Election stād accordyng to the purpose of the freé will of God by what meanes will Osorius iustifie that Election cōmeth accordyng to his foreknowledge of workes to come As though Gods Election and foreknowledge did depende vpon our Actions and not rather our actions vpon his Election and foreknowledge Therfore Osorius doth deale falsely whereas he defineth the purpose of God to be a Iudgemēt preordinated before whereby God doth ordeyne some vnto glory and others some vnto destruction accordyng to the choyse of those thynges which he doth see will come to passe First in that he calleth it by the name of Iudgemēt I seé no reason at all why he should so do for as much as Iudgement is properly executed in sinnes
of the Grace of God and so should he haue spoken more aptly in thys wise that the remnaunt were saued according to the Election of workes And how then shall God be sayd to haue mercy on whom he will haue mercye and so harden whom hee will harden if that he will nothing but that whiche is due of verye right nor doth receaue any to mercy vnlesse it appeared that he rewarded them both according to their workes forseéne But what kinde of duety can that be called which is freely geuen or what kinde of mercy is it whiche is not poured foorth vpon any but such as do deserue it If it be of Grace sayth the Apostle now is it not then of workes or els were Grace no more Grace Whereunto Augustine doth further annexe Not of workes done already sayth he but where the Apostle vseth this generall phrase of speech Not of works there he doth meane this to be spokeÌ„ both of workes past and workes to come c. Whereof let Osorius beé well aduised lest whiles he immagine in hys mynde vnder the colour of purging Gods Iustice of due reproche to escape the iutte of a moulehill he breake hys neck ouer a Rock by putting Gods mercy out of doores for what place will there be left for mercy or what office will Osorius assigne vnto her If Gods Iustice doe measure all thinges by lyne and leuell of hys foreknowledge of things to come For Osorius in this disputation of Election and of the purpose of God calling backe all things to the foreknowledge of thinges which God doth perceaue will came to passe Osorius doth not in wordes onely professe but with the whole bent of his skill practize that ouerthrowe of Grace Goe to And what be those goodly workes good Syr whiche God doth foreseé shal come If they be good and righteous what is more agreable to equitie then that the workes which be good should be worthely embraced and accompted prayse worthye But if they be euill that then also they should euen of very right be forsaken And what shall become of Mercye in the meane space but that shee sitt mute in a corner with her handes in her bosome like a dumbe stocke play mumme budget in Osorius Stage of merites But here forthwith will Osorius rayse vp hys Bristles and merueile it is but that we shall heare him belching out agayne in most beastly braying noyse Feuers quartanes tertians furies woodnes frensies helhoundes botches shamelessnes and what soeuer outragies els he hath suckt out of the olde tragicall deuises What will he say haue I euer spoken or imagined any thing of Gods mercy otherwise then becommeth me what kynde of foolehardinesse is this what vnmeasurable and disorderous kynde of liyeng Doe I thrust the grace of God out of doores with what face dare you aâ—ow this vpon me where when in what place in what phrase of wordes to whom in whose presence in whose hearing in what booke can ye approue that I euer vttered any such thing who haue alwayes most reuerently esteemed of the Grace of God and do yelde euery where so much to Gods mercy that I haue affirmed that in Gods mercye onely the whole protection of Gods Iustice doth consiste whiche if were not otherwise fortified with the ayde of mercy could neuer be free from reproche And how is it that I am so sodenly accompted a changeling fugitiue a traytor to Gods grace and a cutthroate of mercy I doe heare you well good Syr surely these bee smoothe wordes that you speake But may I be so bolde by your leaue as to cyte your owne wordes before the Inquisition and to rack the same after the maner of an Inquisitour to seé whether ye approue the same man in deéde which you so boldly pronouÌ„ce to be in wordes you say that ye diminish not so much as the value of a myte of Gods grace and that you doe not so exclude Gods mercy out of doores but that ye rather coÌ„clude all things vnder her as vnder the most especiall and onely fortresse of all other Goe to then Let vs take a taste both of your selfe and your doctrine And forasmuch as there be iiij thinges in the whiche all our saluation and doctrine is chiefly conteyned Namely Election Vocation Iustification the Glory of immortalitie forasmuch also as the whole purporte of the sacred Scriptures and the generall profession of Christian doctrine do consent in this one thing aboue all others that the whole hope and confidence of our Saluation consisteth in no one thing els but in the onely mercy of God promised vnto vs in all these now would I fayne learne how much Osorius wisedome doth yeald vnto mercy whiles he ascribeth so much to Gods Iustice. First as touching Election and Predestination if workes foreknowne do beare the whole sway here and that Gods Election falleth vppon no man but whose whole course of lyfe being knowne before hath made not vnworthy of this honorable dignitie of Election what place I pray you then is left here for mercy seéing this whole worke of Election seémeth to be ascribed to Iustice rather For as Iustice vouchsaffeth none but the good and such as deserue it euen so Grace and mercy doe relieue none for the more part but abiectes outcastes such as are altogether vnworthy therof Moreouer as concernyng VocatioÌ„ and CoÌ„uersioÌ„ if the habilitie of mans Freewill be such accordyng to this new Maister Doctour that it may not onely worke together with God but may also as well preuent the grace of God by some good motioÌ„ as follow it and that Grace is none otherwise either offred vnto vs vnlesse we put forth our willes thereunto before or that it is not otherwise effectuall in vs but whiles we stand fast to our tacklyng and hold fast the helpe offred vnto vs yea and encrease it with our owne strength and that no man is holpen of GOD but who that both willyng hopyng and prayeng doth make him selfe apte thereunto truly whosoeuer teach this doctrine let them set neuer so glorious a face towardes the blazyng of mercy in wordes yet in very deéde they be nothyng els but very Rebelles to Gods Grace or at the least manglers and spoylers of the best part and power of Gods Grace whiles they attribute part to grace and part to Nature The same is also to be adiudged of the worke of Iustification from the whiche though you seème not to exclude the Free-mercy of God altogether yet doe you gelde the most forrible partes therof surely and yeld them ouer to workes flowyng froÌ„ out the fouÌ„teyne of Freewill wherein also you make such a myngle mangle that ye will neither graunt onely fayth in the worke of Iustification nor onely Grace on the worke of Election by any meanes Lastly what shall we say of the reward of Glory for if our workes beyng wayed in the righteous ballaunces of Gods
of them that are forsaken whether do ye think that the same proceéded from the secret purpose of God or of themselues if from thē selues how shall thys appeare for asmuch as Election and Reprobation also are not seperated by any distinction of the Creator or distaunce of tyme and were both together before the foundacions of the world were layed as appeareth most manifestly by the examples of Iacob and Esau and sundry other semblable examples But Osorius will coyne vs here some straunge Oracle to witte That GOD dyd create the nature of the vessels in deede but not the very vessels of wrath as whiche tooke their originall from Sinne and infidelity and not from God the Creatour And who did euer deny this to be true Goe to What monster doe these great bellyed hilles Calue out at the length Forsooth a very wonderfull conclusion God did not create wickednesse Ergo He did not not forme the vessels of wrath But that this creéppled curtoll of Osorius may stād vpright vpō his legges let vs helpe here Osor. haltyng Logicke once agayne For in this wise shall it be able to craule vpon his feéte Onely wickednesse brought to passe that they become vessels of wrath God did not create wickednesse Ergo GOD doth not create vessels of wrath but euery one maketh him selfe a vessell of wrath thorough hys owne wicked will by cause he would not be made the vessell of Mercy First the Maior is not to be graunted simply and absolutely For if this must be yelded vnto for a truth that onely wickednesse doth make the vessels of wrath why should not this also be taken for matter confessed vpon equall relation of contraries to witte that vertue onely doth make the vessels of mercy and withall that it consisteth in the habilitie and power of euery good body that will not be a vessell of dishonour to become a vessell of honour Moreouer where it is sayd that wickednesse doth make the vessels of wrath is not agreable with the truth Dauid did committ agaynst his owne soule not one wickednesse alone no more was Saule beyng a persecutour cleare of his proper wickednes also yet the same Dauid notwithstādyng his wickednesse was a vessell of Election Be the same spoken of Mary Magdalene of the theéfe finally of many of Gods Elect whose horriblenes of Sinne did not make thē vessels of wrath notwithstandyng Besides this also if it be true that Osorius speaketh That wicked men do not make them selues vessels of wrath but through their owne will and wickednesse Tell vs a good felloshyp what offence hadd Esau committed beyng the vessell of wrath not by any action of lyfe but beyng borne euen so by nature Be the lyke spoken of Ismaell Cain the māquelier became worthely abhominable in the sight of God by the murther of his owne brother but before this murther committed and before any priuy grudge conceaued what had he done when in his first oblation both him selfe and his oblatiō was reiected Iudas Iscariotes had not yet betrayed his Maister whenas he was both the vessell of wrath and called also the Sonne of perditiō The Phariseés had not yet vttered any tokē of hatred agaynst Christ when they were called of Iohn Baptist the generation of Uipers What shall I say of Pharao Whose destruction if we behold euen worthely and deseruedly layed vpon him by the Lord who may dought it that his owne Rebellion deserued that he should be rightfully punished but if we respect the secrete former determination of the Deuine reiection and induratiō which was before in the secret mynde of God It is out of all question that the same induration proceéded not of the rebelliō of Pharao but that his Rebellion sprang out of his induration rather as succeédyng thereupon Wherfore if we interpret of the wrath of GOD to be a punishment of Gods seuere Iustice we deny not but that the same falleth vpon none saue such as through their owne wickednesse haue deseruedly procured their owne destructiō And this wrath of God in deéde as it is alwayes righteous so doth it alwayes follow but neuer go before the vngodlynes which is either peculiar to euery person or is parcell of the inheritable infection of the first father Adam But if vnder this vocable Wrathe that will and decreé of the highest God be noted wherewith those are secluded from Election whiche are called the vessels of wrath Then is Osorius raungyng Fable both false absurde wherewith he would seéme to persuade that it is a very easie thyng to be chaunged from wooden and earthly vessels into vessels of siluer and gold if we will our selues and that it is in euery mans owne power to be made a vessell of wrath or a vessell of mercy as him listeth As though Gods will were of no force at all to determine vpon matters but as it is regulated by mans will And as though it were also as necessary then to be made a vessell of mercy whenas mā is not willing to be made a vessell of wrath But such a vessell doth neuer display his lightsomnesse in the house of God as I thinke Osori But to what purpose then belongeth that saying of Paul It is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that taketh mercy If Gods euerlastyng decreé be of no more force in these matters to determine vpon any certeintie but such as must be guided by the raungyng rule of mans will which is as much as accordyng to the old sayd law Quite agaynst the heare Albeit I will not deny in the meane tyme that we are not able to discerne truly betwixt the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy but by good or euill workes that we seé to be in them Yea it cōmeth hereby many tymes to passe that such as sometymes seémed in their owne conceites to be them selues the vessels of wrath beyng afterwardes endued with better Grace doe in processe of of tyme feéle the contrary But this hangeth not now vpon the cobbwebbe of mans will but dependeth wholy vpon Gods Election which beyng alwayes agreable and stable in it selfe is neuer chaūged how variable soeuer the motiōs of men are Therfore if this be the very meanyng of Osorius wordes his Iudgement is commendable enough But it is one thyng to be adiudged somewhat in the opinion of men Osorius an other thyng to be directed by the vnsearcheable counsell of God What then will some man say Did God create his cretures to the end to destroy them did he create his creature to wrath destructiō Is it credible that his will is to harden the hartes of any to wickednesse whose will is to haue all saued or that he who hath predestinate his creatures to glory can cast thē into destruction And can it be possible that he who doth testifie of him self in the Scriptures which will not the death of a Sinner but rather that
sprynges of the comfortable glad tydynges of the Gospell But lysten I pray you to Osorius disputation and wonder a whiles at his deépe insight in Logicke For in matters past recouery sayth he and in most assured confideÌ„ce there is no man that wil be enduced to rayse vp his mynde earnestly to any vertuous endeuour You haue here geuen vs a right Rhetoricall position now marke a concludyng determination more then Catholicke Ergo saith he Whereas Luther doth partly dispoile vs of the hope of righteousnesse and partly doth place the the same wholy in the righteousnesse of Christ which hope ought to be proper and peculiar to ech person what doth he herein els then vtterly subuerte and extinguishe all dueties and endeuours of godlynesse in vs Truely I do not deny but that in all maner of enterprises which happen in vsuall and dayly practize well conceauyng hope doth minister wonderfull courage to the mynde of man the whole force and lyuelynes wherof through DesperatioÌ„ or distrust is many tymes vtterly daunted But to what purpose is this alledged agaynst Luther Whose teachyng Lessons tende to this onely marke not so much to instruct vs in the rules of good lyfe which is the onely peculiar office of the law as to lead vs to know whether we ought in these good workes of ours to repose our affiaunce or elles to ascribe the same wholy to the freé mercy of GOD through Iesu Christ not bycause godly endeuours and vertuous workes are not prayseworthy but whether our workes be of so great estimation as may satisfie Gods iudgement and deserue eternall lyfe so establishe our conscieÌ„ces in sauetie This is the grounde and principall point of the controuersie which ought in this place to be decided For as much therfore as there be two kyndes of Desperation as we haue sayd it behoued you Osorius to haue distinguished the same before you had raysed your Battrye agaynst Luther There be some persons which doe vtterly dispayre of forgeuenes of their sinnes and of the mercy of God towardes them As for example the Desperation of Cain Saul Esau Antiochus Iudas Minerius Latomus Sadolete and such others And this kynde of DesperatioÌ„ belongeth properly to the vngodly and wicked whiche are altogether estraunged from God and nothyng agreable with Luthers doctrine There is besides this an other kynde of Desperation as in the attempt of any enterprise if a man be wholy discomfited to attaine the Maistrie and can not be the foremost will not yet bee discouraged but wil employ his abilitie as much as in him lieth that he may be the second at the left For the Archer that shooteth somewhat neare the sticke Deserueth his prayse though he hitt not the pricke In lyke manner we all euery one of vs doe marche onwarde paynefully in this warrefarre of Gods law as it were in a runnyng game to trye Maistric wherein albeit was neuer founde man whiche could in this lyfe assure him selfe to attayne the appointed goale yet are we not therewith so throwen downe in conceite as to bee in dispayre of our Saluation Neither ought we so to interprete the law as though through the practise and guidyng thereof onely and by no meanes elles we could obteine euerlastyng lyfe The law hath other purposes and endes to direct vs vnto whiche Osorius might haue learned out of Paule and Augustine and diuers others if he would not wittyngly and wilfully haue bene blynd The first Rule and vse of the Law is to represent vnto vs the inestimable righteousnesse of our creatour after whose Image we are created The next to condemne our vnrighteousnesse and abate our pride The other to bee for a tyme in steéde of a Schoolemaister to lead vs to Christ whiche albeit could not of her selfe geue full righteousnes to that people vnto whom it was deliuered first might neuertheles in the meane space through wholesome seueritie hold them backe and keépe them in feare and restrayne the vnbrideled licentiousnesse of their fleshe in some orderly comlynesse lest-they should runne headlong into all execrable and wicked impietie Truly these seéme to me bee the principall vses of the law the absolute and exact perfection wherof as neuer any man of that race hetherto was able to satisfie though vpholdeÌ„ altogether with the gracious ayde of God So if you Osorius can remember any one man sithence that tyme the sonne of God onely except that hath throughly performed all and euery part and duetie required by the law I beseéch you name him or if you caÌ„ name no one of all the ofspryng of AdaÌ„ which hath perfectly accomplished the whole law what moueth you so furiously to rage agaynst Luther who teacheth that all our righteousnes is vnperfect But be it that he hath likewise affirmed as the truth is that our righteousnesse is not onely vnperfect but had condemned all our righteousnesse to be more lothsome theÌ„ the defilynges of a foule menstruous clothe euen as Esay the Prophet did or what if accordyng to the saying of our Lord Iesus Christ hee had adiudged not onely all our deédes and wordes what soeuer though neuer so precisely handled not in the tyme of the old law onely but after the commyng of Christ also neither of vs alone or the rude vnlettered multitude but euen of the Apostles them selues performed to bee altogether vnauaylable to the purchasing of eternall lyfe yea and that theÌ„ selues also were in no better plighte and condition then seruauntes and vnprofitable bondeslaues what a sturre would this Daâ—â—s haue kept But now sithence no man can be ignoraunt of the most manifest sayings of Christ and the Apostles either must Osorius cite these felowes vnto the Chapter house together with the Lutherans or if he do acquyte them he must not from henceforth quarell with Luther in the cause Agayne where the same Lord in the Gospell doth promise a teacher the holy Ghost Which should coÌ„uince the world of sinne and of righteousnesse what shall we thinke that he mente by sendyng this teacher other then that hee purposed to establishe those two thynges especially which Osorius doth seéke chiefly to discredite That is to say that godly hartes beyng enlightened by the inspiration of the holy Ghost may bee instructed to feéle their owne weakenesse that from them selues as froÌ„ their owne power they haue no hope of Saluation and that for the attainement thereof nothyng wanteth in Christ Iesu and how that without Christ all that euer we haue is but in dispayred case but in him all thynges rest most safe and assured Out of the one wherof ariseth vnto vs a very coÌ„fortable Desperation out of the other floweth a most holy Affiaunce A Desperation I say not such a one as doth exclude true trust in Iesu Christ but which doth abrogate vayne confidence of our workes onely Neither doe I here meane the confidence whiche doth let louse the reynes to licentious boldnes and vnpunishable libertie but the same
mercyfull indulgence of God And the same sentence hee doth reiterate agayne in an other place in the selfe same wordes or at least doth cōfirme it with wordes not very much differēt from the same For the sinne sayth he that is committed can not be vndone and yet if God doe not Impute the same it shal be as though it neuer were done c. Surely if the sinne shall not be accompted sinne that hath bene committed no more shall the Sinner bee taken for a Sinner that hath committed the sinne And so it followeth necessaryly hereupon that he must neédes be righteous and blessed Whereby you do perceaue I suppose from whence all this sappe or iuyce of our Righteousnesse and Saluation springeth not out of the workes of our righteousnesse which is none at all but from the onely meére mercy of Gods freé pardon as hath bene declared by the testimony of Bernarde Or if the authoritie of Bernarde cā not obteine so much credite with you yet let the Fayth of Basile Augustine Origene and Ierome persuade you or their auncientie moue you for I perceaue that you are much delighted with antiquitie And first what cā be more notable then the wordes of Basile For he that trusteth not to his owne good wordes neither looketh to be iustified by the deseruyng of good deédes all his hope of saluation he reposeth onely in the meéte mercy of almightie God I will adioyne vnto him a companion of the same iudgemēt and auncientie that notable Clarcke Origene Bycause all thynges sayth he are concluded vnder sinne therfore mans saluation consisteth not in merites of workes but in the freé mercy of God Neither doth S. Augustine differre from them who treatyng of the ende of the last Iudgement seémeth to haue setled all the hope of our sauetie in the onely mercy of God God will crown vs sayth he in the end of the world with mercy and compassions Yeldyng the same in the Latine toung almost which Basile before him dyd expresse most manifestly in the Greéke toung in this wise There is Iudgemēt not without mercy bycause here is no such man to bee founde pure and immaculate without some spotte of sinne yea though hee be an Infante dyeng the same day that he is borne And agayne the same Augustine in his booke De Ciuitate Dei 19. booke and 27. Chapter purposing to declare what accompt may be made of our righteousnes in this transitory life affirmeth it to be such as ought rather to be valued by the forgeuenesse of sinnes then by perfection of vertues And agayne the same Augustine in his first booke of Retractations 19. Chap. All the Commaundementes sayth hee are then reputed to be performed when that whiche is left vndone is pardoned And I know not whether Ierome haue declared the same more euidently who referryng all thyngs to the freé mercyfulnesse of God forgeuyng vs speaketh in this wise In Christ Iesu our Lord in whom we haue our hope accesse and affiaunce by the faith of him not by our righteousnes but by him through whose fayth our sinnes are forgeuen vs. But why doe I stand so long vpon a matter that ought to be without all cōtrouersie when as the generall consent and agreément of all learned Authours and antiquitie can not be founde more constaunt nor for the more part more consonaunt in any one thyng so much as in this The matter therefore beyng so playne it remayneth that of two meére contraries we allow the one and vtterly forsake the other that is to say either that which you doe cauill touchyng righteousnesse or els that which they doe teache vs touchyng Gods gracious forbearyng For these two are farre different eche from other and can not be admitted both for it righteousnesse be obteyned by integritie of workes then what neéde haue we of any further forgeuenesse But if this come vnto us by the onely freé benignitie of the forgeuer I beseé you then for the loue ye beare to your Myter where is now that integritie of workes that vprightenesse that may make our righteousnesse perfect For as farre as I can gesse pardon is not geuen to well deseruynges but reward rather offred as of duety Neither can it be truely sayd That pardon must be craued where no offence is committed But ye will say paraduenture that some imperfections doth lurcke secretly in our deédes though they be wrought by the grace of God which yet wanteth the mercyfulnesse of God It is well sayd truely And why then doth your darkyng penne so cruelly rage agaynst Luther Who franckely of his own accorde doth professe the selfe same thing though in other wordes which you are driuē by force to yeld vnto whether ye will or no. That is to say That our deédes are vnperfect lame blynd naked and so altogether barren and hungry that vnlesse they bee clothed and vpholden by the mercy of freé pardon no defence wil be pleadeable before the Iudgement seate of God and shal be accompted rather in place of sinnes then seéme to deserue any reward of vertue If ye be not satisfied with these testimonies but will obstinately persiste in this your opinion still that our workes may be so absolutely perfect as to deserue I beseéch you make proofe therof by some reasonable authoritie either vouched out of holy Scriptures or out of some approued auncient Authours And if ye can make no soūd proofe in that behalfe deale yet somewhat more soberly with vs. For these your reproches rebukes lyes scoldynges outcries spyttynges cursinges glorious hauty speaches and triflyng wordes make nothyng to the purpose On the other part if ye can neither make proofe vnto vs of this perfect Righteousnesse of workes by any demonstration of your owne workes nor any mā els besides you dare presume to offer him selfe in iudgement to tryed by his workes what els doe ye in chargyng Luther so sharpely when ye so condemne him for a franticke and braynesicke mā Then Tertullus did sometyme accusing Paul to bee a seditous person sauyng that he accused Paule but at one tyme once and your penne vomityng out nothyng els besides furies frensies and madnes of Luther doth so continually crawle in ragyng by degreés as will seéme neuer to make any ende at all thereof vntill ye bryng your selfe amongest the Iewes at the last and crye out as they did Crucifige vpon him Crucifige vpon him Iob a most vpright lyuear did stand in doubtfull feare of all the workes of his life Esay the Prophet doth cōpare all our righteousnesse to a foule menstruous cloth Christ him selfe doth pronounce that all our endeuours and workes are vnprofitable Paule as it were loathyng the remembraunce of his owne righteousnes how glorious so euer his works appeared yet did adiudge them so farre distaunt from true righteousnesse that hee esteemed them no better then doung Dauid durst not presume to enter into Iudgement with God Augustine
at all where so manifold so great treasures of good workes doe flow so plētyfully out of that riuer of fayth which workes do prepare an assured way to perfect righteousnes For what mā is he that dare presume to challenge the name of a righteous man in respect of his vnrighteous dealyng or who is he that repenteth him of his good deédes But let vs marke the sequele of this tale Agayne whenas the same Lord doth say you shall bee my frendes if ye do the thynges that I commaunde you If I do geue credite to Christes wordes and doe earnestly desire to be receaued vnto his frēdshyp I will employ all the power of my soule to fulfill all his Commaundements c. Truely I do commēde you Osorius and accompt you an happy man also if you performe in deédes that ye protest in wordes But what neédeth then to make any playster of Repentaunce for as much as you do accomplish all Gods commaundementes as you say No but I doe apply all the power of my soule that I may accomplish them How so I pray you Bycause I doe beleue Christes wordes and therfore yeld my carefull endeuour that if I doe any thyng amisse I may purge the same with Repentaunce and that I may obserue all his good preceptes to the vtterest of my abilitie Behold now Reader the platforme of Osorius his fayth Whiche by succeédyng encreasinges of dayly buddyng blossomes yeldeth continuall fruites of most beautifull and holy workes cōteined in the sappe braunches and barke of that pleasaūt stocke How commeth this to passe First of all bycause hee is endued with that fayth which fayth is proper and peculiar to holy Church Thē bycause he doth beleue the wordes of Christ Furthermore bycause he doth prepare him selfe through this fayth that he may clense his sinnes with Repentaunce and what shall become in the meane space of righteousnesse of workes in the Confession of sinnes Lastly bycause he doth addresse the conuersation of his lyfe as neare as he can after the line and leuell of Christes rules Go to Let vs compare this platforme of his fayth and the fayth of Luther and Haddon together Osorius a Gods name doth credite Christes wordes Luther and Haddon distrusting Christ hath geuen no credit at all to the wordes of Christ. Osorius beleuyng Christ and esteémyng aright of his wordes gaue him selfe to Repentaunce as became a good Christian mā and so enured him selfe thereunto that hee abhorreth his owne wickednesse and is become obedient to Christes Commaundementes These iollyfellowes haue raunged all their lyfe long in such carelesse securitie as men neuer touched with any remorse of Repentaūce or regarde of amendemēt of lyfe after the doctrine of Christ. Auaunte therefore cursed Luther and his cōpanion Haddon both byrdes of an ill feather with this your vnbelief which could neuer be enduced to haue a will neither to beleue Christ nor to come to Repentaunce nor yet to accomplish Christes preceptes You might at least haue taken example by Osorius patterne and thereby haue learned fayth and bytternesse of Repentaunce But goe to now Bycause Osorius doth triumph so gloriously of the credite that hee geueth to Christes wordes Let vs discusse the truth of his speach and search out the difference betwixt this his fayth whereof he maketh such bragges and Luthers Fayth Take an example The wordes of Christ in the Gospell are these This is the will of my Father that hath sent me that euery one that seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him shall haue euerlastyng lyfe and I will rayse him vp in the last day Iohn 6. And immediatly after the same Christ redoubleth the same wordes agayne and agayne thereby to emprinte thē more deépely into their mindes Veryly veryly I say vnto you he that beleueth in me hath euerlasting lyfe Agayne Iohn the first To as many as beleeued in him he gaue power to be made the Sonnes of God And by by in the 3. Chapter He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath lyfe euerlasting And how oft doe you heare in the Gospell the sondry sentences and the notable titles and Testimonies wherewith the Lord doth aduaūce the fayth of his Elect and the wonderfull commēdation wherewith he doth amplifie the force and efficacy therof Thy fayth sayth hee hath saued thee Be it vnto you accordyng to your faith Math. 9. Be it vnto thee as thou hast beleeued Math. 8. Feare not beleeue onely Mar. 5. Beleeue onely and thy daughter shal be made whole Luc. 8. If thou canst beleeue all things be possible to the beleuing mā Math. 9. And he that beleueth in me shall do the workes which I do and greater workes thē I do shall he do Iohn 14. You doe acknowledge these wordes of Christ I suppose which you can not deny I demaūde of you now whether your fayth or Luthers fayth do agreé better with the wordes of Christ Luthers that doth call backe all thyngs vnto fayth Or yours that doth yeld ouer all to the workes of righteousnesse Whenas the Lord being dayly conuersaunt with the Publicanes as the Gospell reporteth doth preferre the Publicane before the Pharisee Mary Magdalene before Simō Banqueteth his prodigall Sonne more sumptuously then his obedient brother whenas he carrieth vpon his shoulders his scattered and lost sheepe looketh narrowly for his lost groate bindeth vp the woundes of him that fell among theeues offereth him selfe a Phisition to the sicke more gladly then to them that were sounde and whole whenas hee placeth Harlottes and Sinners in the kingdome of God before the Pharisees when hee requiteth their trauaile with equall wages that came to worke the last houre of the day with them that bare the brunte and heate of the whole day in the Vynearde when hee compareth and setteth the last before the first when hee promiseth Paradise to the theefe for his faithes sake onely when he fashioneth Paule of a deadly Enemie to be an Apostle whenas he doth not onely receaue to mercy the Gentiles castawayes by nature excluded from the promise voyde of all hope Reprobates for their Idolatrie but hath them in greater estimation then his naturall Sonnes What did hee meane els by all these examples then to disclose vnto vs the secret mystery of our Iustification Which consisteth rather in forgeuenesse of Sinnes then in doyng good deédes which is to be esteémed by the onely mercy and promise of God wherof we take hold fast through fayth and is not to be wayed by the valew of righteousnes nor any merites of workes Therfore sithence all you opinion doth so wholy discene from this kynde of Doctrine with what face can you affirme that your Fayth is consonaunt with the wordes of Christ and Luthers discrepaunt The Apostle doth in so many places throughout his whole Epistles thunder out as it were that there is no righteousnesse but through the faith of Iesu Christ that no saluatiō is to be obteined
Furthermore who be holy vnblameable before God Euen those truly which are voyde of all crime but accordyng to Luthers doctrine you can not bee voyde of crime for hee denyeth that sinne is extinguished and affirmeth that the flames of all abomination do broyle out therof as out of a whotte flamyng Ouē scorching and cōsumyng all things by meanes whereof no man can bee founde vnblameable without spotte The sutteltie of this Sophisticall cauill tendeth at the last to this end God hath chosen vs sayth the Apostle that we should become holy and vnblameable But according to Luthers doctrine no man can be holy and without fault in this lyfe Therfore hereof ensueth an vnauoydeable conclusion Bycause no man liuyng is cleare frō offence therfore neither Haddon nor any of all the Lutheranes can be reckoned amongest Gods Elect. Packe ye hence therefore as banished outlawes all ye vyle Lutheranes packe ye hence with all your torne ragged workes into the helles of Osorius damnable curse For the gate of Election is not opened to any but vnto Popes Osorians Phigianes Hosianes Eckyans and others the like Lordynges in whose most pure and choise behauiour no droppe of filth can be founde worthy of Reproch If Osorius him selfe had not bene so shamelesse beastly as to blaze abroad this trifling Argumēt it would haue loathed me to haue rehearsed the same in this place nor would I vouchsaued any aunswere thereto but that I thought good to geue the Reader a tast of his blockishe ignoraunce that he might smile at it a whiles or at the least learne by this to esteéme of all other his poppet reasons almost in all his booke for scarsely any founder matter is scattered in any part thereof FIrst of all The Apostle both teache that we are elected and chosen that we should become holy This is true Whereby you may perceaue Osorius that whatsoeuer holynes we be endued withall doth neither goe before nor accompany election but that it ought to follow altogether not in order of tyme onely but in respect of the end and effect thereof For the Apostle doth not say GOD hath chosen vs bycause we were holy or should afterwardes proue holy but that we should become holy so that Gods Electiō is now the cause not the effect of our good workes And if good workes do follow Electiō in order of time I seé no cause to the contrary but by the same reason our Iustification should likewise necessaryly follow For as much as the consideration of them both is all one For whom hath chosen the same he hath Iustified and with the same grace that he hath chosen vs hee is sayd also to haue Iustified vs by one selfe same meane and to one selfe same ende For God hath chosen vs if ye aske here the cause of his freé mercy accordyng to the good pleasure of his will if ye seéke the meane In Christ Iesu If ye looke for the ende to worke good deédes not for the good deédes sake not for any our deseruinges but to the prayse of the glory of his grace Truly none otherwise fareth it in the matter of Iustification For whom God of his freé mercy hath chosen the same also he hath freély Iustified not by any other meanes then in Christ Iesu not bycause he foresawe that we would be holy but to that ende that we should walke circumspectly and holyly in his sight But what emporteth this saying that we should become holy and vnblameable paraduenture Osorius bee of the opinion that the Catharres Celestines and Donatifies were imaginyng that herein our full and absolute regeneration of our renewed nature was signified vnto vs and that we should accomplish such a kynde of thyng as the Grecians do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the which Gods Election and our Iustification could not by any meanes consist Ueryly I could wishe withall my hart that we all could direct the course of our lyfe in such sort accordyng to this Puritanisme of Osorius And that we were all endued with such integritie and Angelicke innocēcie that no part of our life might be defiled with blemish or iust reprehension But what shall we say Such is the condition of mans life such is the weakenesse of the fleshe that euery man hath his infirmitie And we haue not as yet so put of the Nature of man altogether that we should bee forthwith transformed into Angels Goe to then what if it come to passe that in this brickle estate of our frayltie any of vs doe folter and falldowne are we therfore excluded forthwith from our Electiō or haue we by and by lost the benefite of our Iustification I doe not thinke so Osorius For in what sence shall the Electiō of God he sayd to be permanent if it may be cut of and haue an ende or how shall it be called stedfast and assured if it hange vpon the vncerteintie of our frayltie But do not the true elect say you fall at any tyme into deserued rebuke what thē shall euery one that is worthy rebuke be forthwith cast of frō his Electiō A good felowshyp Osorius What if this fall happē before Baptisme You will say that Baptisme doth washe it cleane away What and shall not fayth and Christian Repentaunce clense our offences after Baptisme likewise If there be no forgeuenes of those Trespasses which we Christians doe commit after Baptisme To what ende is that Article in our Christian Creéde wherein we cōfesse remission of Sinnes If no offence be made to what purpose serueth Pardon Surely where nothyng is blame-worthy their Pardon may goe play Let vs seé now will you now dispoyle vs of an Article of our fayth and withall bereue vs of hope of remission that erste bosted so boldly of your strong belief in the wordes of Christ But you say God did chuse vs that we should be vnblameable I do heare you Osorius allow your Obiection if you will likewise accept of myne aunswere Whatsoeuer is forgeuen to the guiltie by Pardon and purged by forgettyng and forgeuyng there is nothyng remaynyng to terrifie that person from Imputatiō or make dismayed for any controllement For that we may so bold to glory as Paule doth What is he that shall accuse the elect of God God is he that doth Iustifie who shall then condemne vs We may lawfully adde hereunto Who shall comptroll vs You seé therfore in what wise Gods elect doe appeare now excusable and righteous not so much through the cleannesse of their deédes as through the bountie of him that Imputeth Not from the begynnyng of vnrighteous nature to speake Augustines own wordes but by conuersion from sinne to righteousnes nothyng blame-worthy but bycause it doth not please the Fatherly clemēcie to exact sharpe and narrow triall of them whom he hath chosen in his Sonne And therefore the Apostle notyng the same thyng sayth Whom he hath chosen in Christ Iesu that they should become holy and
Freewill is altogether prone and enclined to wicked and euill thynges And here you haue the bare title of Freewill But if you demaunde how maÌ„s will is affectioned to good and godly thynges Luther doth affirme that it is neither freé nor effectuall of it selfe or inclinable thereunto will boldly confesse that it is bond seruile altogether captiuate vnlesse it be hoipen Not bycause maÌ„s will is vnable to will or to atteÌ„pt any thyng of it selfe but bycause of her owne power it is not able to will well or do to well in those thyngs that apperteine vnto God Where agayne you may seé the name of Freewill but voyde of vse or substaunce But as concernyng the proper qualitie or operatioÌ„ of freédome albeit it reteine the name of Freewill in the Church in respect of the title bycause it seémeth alwayes freé either to righteousnes or free from sinne yet ought it alwayes to be holden in such sorte freé as not beyng alwayes good yea rather neuer good in deéde vnlesse it be gouerned by the goodnesse of the almightie God Which thyng Augustine doth notably expresse saying Freewill sayth he is nothing worth vnlesse God doe gouerne the same And immediately after To this effect is thy will whiche is called free apt and sufficient that by doing ill it becommeth a damnable bondmayde c. Harken Osorius If it be a bondmayde now is it not freé theÌ„ If by doing ill it bee damnable for that as Augustine reporteth of it selfe it can do nothyng but euill Wherefore is Luther condemned for saying that Freewill doth sinne deadly when it worketh what it caÌ„ of it selfe c. or what can your selfe Osorius discerne other then a title voyde of substaunce in that Freewill wherein you caÌ„ finde nothing effectuall to the purpose that is to say to the worke of Saluation For as much therefore as it so what request is it that this accuser maketh who contendeth so friuolously agaynst Luther for the Mooneshyne in the water and for a title onely whether is it bycause hee taketh away will from men or freédome from will As touchyng the substaunce of the matter there is no quarell agaynst Luther The whole controuersie ariseth then about the forme and qualitie of will Well then Luther doth not deny the will of man as I do vnderstaÌ„d but the freédome of will onely Be it so Osorius yet this may not suffice in the accuser that he which is quilty shall make a simple denyall onely But it behaueth to consider diligently in what sense with what wordes deny all is made what libertie hee meaneth in what maner of persons and in what thyngs that libertie may be knowen to be For neither doth Luther so vtterly abandone from nature of maÌ„ all freédome as though there were no freédome at all or as though it were so fait chayned with yron roapes that it could moue it selfe to no vse Albeit I say he do deny that will is freé and confesse it to be a thyng of name and title onely yet doth he not affirme this so to bee simply a title as though man had no will at all or as though it were neuer or neuer was and neuer should be freé And therefore in the same Article he doth very learnedly annexe these wordes of restrainte Post peccatum After sinne whiche wordes of Luther our Osorius doth very craftely dissemble and skippe ouer Besides this also is added thereunto an exception of tyme to witte Ante iustitiam gratiam .i. Before righteousnesse and grace By whiche playne wordes you might as you are otherwise sharpewitted enough haue easely discerned that Freewill is not so simply nor altogether taken away neither from all men nor out of all order of nature seyng as the state of Adam before sinne was most perfect in that integritie of Freewill also seyng as after grace receaued Freewill is mighty in those persoÌ„s which are made freé through Christ. As for the rest who as yet stickyng fast cloyed in that old puddle of Sinne are not yet come to bee regenerated by grace in these persons if question be moued what Freewill is in them and of what efficacie in her owne nature Luther doth auÌ„swere truely that it is a thyng of title onely and that it sinneth deadly when it worketh what it can of it selfe though she endeuour the best that she can meanyng hereby that albeit Freewill continue to bee called Freewill after her first deâ—â—â—mination and state yet that she hath vtterly lost the very substaunciall operation thereof and so lost the same that whatsoeuer enterprise it attempt yet can it not auayle one iote so much to the very substaunce of the matter vntill the first nature beyng renewed by fayth be fashioned a new into a new creature Well then and what haynous matter at the length conteineth this senteÌ„ce that may prouoke you to barke so cruelly or what haue you espied in this Freewill that may auayle you or any other person to God-ward If there be any thyng declare it I pray you If there bee nothyng wherein then hath Luther offended who perceauyng as truth is that Freewill is altogether vneffectuall to profite vs doth therfore make small accompt therof But your Catholicke stomacke is somewhat queysie perhappes at the sounde of that Hyperbole of Luther not vsually frequented in your Schooles whereby he doth so embase Free-will to be nothing els but a title and a forged fantasie amongest naturall causes As touchyng Luthers frequentyng of Hyperbolicall speaches Admit I would somewhat yeld vnto you yet sithence the Scripture it selfe doth not altogether vnacquaynte it selfe with such kynde of figures reseruyng alwayes the truth of things what waywardnesse is this of those men not to vouchsafe in Luther to expresse certeine wordes with some sharpe vehemencie of speach whenas they them selues meanewhiles either for very blockyshnesse doe not marke or for very malice do not reforme not onely the most friuolous barrennes of words but also the most outragious excesse of speaches wherewith their whole doctrine swarmeth euery where And what maruell is it then if Luther inueighyng agaynst those so monstruous outrages of doctrine waxe somewhat whotte sometymes after a certeine more vehement maner of speakyng But if any man adiudge him worthy to be reprehended in that respect I would fayne haue the same man required if hee will not vouchsafe to Impute that his heate to the vehemeÌ„cie of Gods Spirite which after the purpose of his good pleasure directeth his Instrumentes as him lysteth that hee will yet at the least bethinke him selfe of how great Importaunce the cause was wherein Luther trauayled at that tyme weighe aduisedly the manifold darkenesse and errours of that season and withall enter into a deépe consideration of the vnmeasurable iniuries of his aduersaries Luther did then mainteyne the most iust quarell of Gods grace mercy agaynst the innumerable droues of drousie Monckes who hauyng
vnsearcheable will doth sometymes encline the willes of men to committe horrible mischiefes and after a certeine maner willeth Sinne. Ergo God may be iustly accused of vnrighteousnes iniquity Which Argument applyed in the behalfe of mans nature might seéme to be of some validitie perhappes in the opinion of men But to transpose the same from men to God It can not holde And why so bycause there is great difference betwixt thynges wherof God is the Authour and thynges wherof man is the doer For euen Sinnes them selues and wickednesse as they come frō God are scourges yea and that most righteous and whatsoeuer is decreéd either by his couered or discouered will it is in this respect both holy and righteous bycause the will of God ought alwayes to be accompted for the very foundatiō of all righteousness Upon which matter let vs heare what Augustine speaketh in his thyrd booke De Trinitate euen his owne wordes The will of God is the chief and principall cause of all kindes of actions and motions For there is nothyng done whiche proceedeth not frō that vnsearcheable and intelligible wisedome of the most mightie Emperour accordyng to his Iustice vnspeakeable for where doth not the almightie wisedome of the highest worke as it willeth which reacheth from one ende of the world to an other mightely and ordereth all thynges sweetely and doth not these thynges onely which beyng in dayly practise and by reason of common vse are not much marked or marueiled at but thynges also passing all vnderstandyng and capacitie and whiche for the rarenesse of vse and straungenesse of successe seeme marueilous as are Ecclipses of the Sunne and Moone earthquakes mōsters and vgly deformed vnnaturall shapes of creatures such like Of the which no one thyng commeth to passe without the will of God though it seeme to be otherwise in the Iudgement of many persons And therfore it seemed good to the phātasticall Philosophers to ascribe such vnkindely operations to other causes beyng not able to discerne the true cause thereof which in power surmounteth all other causes to witte the will of God wherefore besides the will of God there is none other principall cause of health sickenesse reward punishment of blessinges and recompences This is therfore the onely chief and principall cause from out the which do flow all thyngs whatsoeuer and is it selfe without beginnyng but endureth without endyng Let vs now gather the Argumēts of Augustine into a short abridgement If the will of God be the souereigne and principall cause of all motiōs what remayneth but that Osorius must either deny that Sinnes are motions or yeld vnto this of necessitie that the same motions are not done without the will of God which will neuerthelesse must be adiudged cleare from all reproche Moreouer if the same motions which are on our behalfe Sinnefull be punishementes for Sinne What should lette why that euē the selfe same sinnes should not seéme to proceéde after a certeine maner frō God without any preiudice of his Iustice at all none otherwise truely then when as God is accompted the creatour of monsters Ecclipses of the Sunne Moone vnpassable darkenes vntymely byrthes and yet notwithstandyng no ioate of his maiesty and integritie empayred But we are vrged here with an Obiection out of the Scriptures where it is sayd that God is not a God that willeth iniquitie Aunswere As though Luther did not perceaue this saying of the Prophet well enough or that he were so impudent at any tyme as that he would cōtrary to the Prophet deny that sinnes raunge immoderately agaynst Gods will We rehearsed a litle earst out of Augustine that somewhat may be done agaynst the will of God which neuerthelesse cā not happen without his will In the one part wherof the vnsearcheable wisedome of his Deuine counsell is playnly discernable in the other the thyng that is naturally wicked displeasaūt in Gods eyes So that the thing which is of it selfe in respect of it selfe naturally euill may become good in respect of Gods ordinaūce in respect of the end whereunto it is directed by God The worke of our redēption from sinne and death is a good worke of Gods mercy But man should neuer haue stoode in neéde of this redēptiō vnlesse death sinne had happened Therfore death and sinne could not execute their malice wtout the foreknowledge ordinaunce of God So also no lesse notable is the worke of Gods Iustice in executyng his iust wrath agaynst Sinners which seueritie of Iustice had neuerthelesse neuer expressed his wonderfull brightnesse if sinne had neuer bene committed But here I suppose Osorius will not deny that men rushe headlong into wickednesse and Sinne if not by Gods prouidence yet by his sufferaūce at the least For it may be that many thynges may happen by a mans permission in the which he that did permit them may be blamelesse notwithstandyng I heare you well aunswere to the same that it is not altogether nothyng that Osorius doth alledge in deéde and yet this allegation of his comprehendeth not all For first I demaunde what if Osorius beyng a Bishop do suffer Gods flocke committed to his charge to starue by defraudyng thē the necessary foode of the word whom of duety he ought to cherish with all diligēce and care What if the Shepheard doe willyngly suffer the maggotte to pester the sheépe or what if the Maister should suffer the seruaunt to perish whose perplexitie he might haue releued by puttyng his hand to in tyme may not we iustly accuse Osorius of fraude for not feédyng or can Osorius acquit him selfe by any slipper deuise of negligence in this behalfe If in cōmon cōuersation of lyfe the man that will not repell iniury when he may be adiudged in euery respect as blameworthy as if he offereth the iniury him selfe by what meanes can God whō you say doth permit sinnes to be done either deémed be excusable in respect of this sufferaunce onely or how can you charge vs as accusing him of iniustice bycause we say that he doth not onely permit but also will sinne after a certeine maner Which thyng Augustine doth very well declare If we suffer sayth August such as are vnder our correctiō to doe wickedly in our sight we must needes be adiudged accessaries to their wickednesse But God doth permitte Sinne to raunge without measure euen before his eyes wherein if he where not willyng surely he would not suffer it in any wise and yet is be righteous notwithstandyng c. Wherfore your allegation of bare Sufferaunce doth neither helpe your cause nor disaduantageth ours any thyng at all But go to let vs somewhat yeld to this word of yours Sufferaunce whereupō ye stād so stoughtely yet will ye not deny but that this Sufferaunce of God is either coupled together with his will or altogether sundered frō it If ye confesse the will and Sufferaunce be ioyned together how can God be
haue sucked this geare rather from Aristotle theÌ„ out of Christes Testament who teacheth in his 3. booke of Ethickes that Election which he calleth vnderstandyng Appetite is euer occupyed about good or euill And because in humaine actioÌ„s where choyse is made betwixt two or moe thinges preéminence is graunted to one of theÌ„ according to the difference of good and euill like as in coÌ„mon musters the Souldier that is most valiaunt in Maioralities and Baylywicks the richest Citizen in choyse of wyues the most beautifull in schooles of learning the most expert in sciences are vsually more esteémed and preferred formost the same surmyseth our Osorius to be betide with the Election of God and hys sacred decrees But here a distinction ought to haue bene made betwixt Gods choyse and mans choyse and the causes thereof likewise ought to be distinguished And therefore in this place especially Osorius doth notably bewray his singuler ignoraunce disputing of those thinges whiche lyke an vnskilfull Sophister he can neyther rightly deuide nor duely define But here perhaps some question will be moued whereas God and nature do nothing without cause what other cause els could there be here if God did not make choyse of the faythfull and of the Reprobates accordyng to the proportion of their workes foreseéne before But this reason can no man discusse better then Paule himselfe who after many his blasphemous persecutioÌ„s of Christ obtayning mercy at the length and yealding the reason of this great mercy doth franckly confesse that it was the onely clemency of God not any workes foreseéne in him before to the end that he might be a president to others of Gods mercy stretched out towardes them which would beleéue To be short if the naturall cause must be throughly searched out which are the very foundacion of Gods predestinatâ—on the Apostle Paule doth knit them vp altogether into iiij chiefe places first GODS POWER hath not the potter power of the clay 2. GODS PVRPOSE or GODS GOOD PLEASVRE for he doth vse both these speaches 3. GODS WILL. He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden whom he listeth 4. GODS MERCY OR LOVE It is not of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. So that you seé playnely that here is no mention made of works at all but that there be other much more weightie causes which will deliuer God cleare of all Rashnesse and vnaduizednes though foreseéne workes haue neuer anye place in the counsell of God I come now to the other argumentes of Osor. For after this sort doth this lumpish logician cauill agaynst Haddon that beautifull blossome of Bucer out of the 2. of Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessel of honor vnto the Lorde that is to say predestinated vnto honour and sanctified Euery man is of power of his own Freewill to purge him selfe Ergo Euery man is of power of his owne Freewill to be predestinate and made a vessell to honour The Maior must be vnderstanded that Paule treated not of the cause of predestination but of the execution and effect of predestination Neyther doth the wordes of the Apostle tend to this end to expresse the cause of predestination but to admonish vs by the effecte of predestination how weé ought to esteéme of the worthines and vnworthiness of persons in the congregation according to the saying of Christ by the fruites you shall know them c. Then the Minor is false for that which they inferre vpon these wordes of Paule as though it were in the power of our owne will to make our selues vessels of honour is not well concluded for it lyeth not in the will of the doer but of the caller not in the clay but in the potter who is of power to fashion the â—lay whereunto him listeth into a vessell of honor or of dishonor Furthermore neyther is our abilitie to be decyded by any hypotheticall proposition no more then if a man would conclude vp on thys hipotheticall proposition If you doe this or that or if you beleeue you shall bee saued Ergo to do this or that or to beleue we are of our selues sufficient inough And why then doth the Scriptures vse thys phrase of speech that men purge themselues if we haue no power of our own selues to purge our selues forsooth because God doth worke in men not as in stockes and stoanes whiche are not moued of any their own feéling or will WheÌ„ God worketh in men he doth so temper their mindes and willes whom himself doth regenerate that they willingly vndertake whatsoeuer they are commaunded After this mauner therefore are they sayde to to purge themselues by this very will not whiche is proper and peculiar to their owne nature but whiche is poured into them by grace And by this meanes at the length such as are regenerate are made afterwardes Gods together workemen and of their own accord leade a vertuous and holy life Finally God in his Scriptures commaundeth to purge our selues when notwithstanding it is he alone that purgeth So doth he commaund the people of Israell by the mouth of his Prophet Moses to sanctifie themselues whereas hee witnesseth of himselfe in an other place that it was he that doth sanctifie the people So also hee commaundeth vs to beleéue when as notwithstanding Fayth is the gift of God and not our owne nor is the cause of our predestination but the effect But let vs proceéde farther to your challenge Osor. wh challenge you haue vndertakeÌ„ to iustifie out of the depth of Diuinitie namely that there is nothing in gods eternall electioÌ„ but is accoÌ„plished vpon certeine conditions of reason and iudgement And yee suppose that the reason of Election is not to be sought els where but from the foreseene workes of the faythfull and reprobate And that if wee graunt not this that then ye think that our assertion of predestination cannot be iustified but that many thinges will ensue thereupon not onely erroneously false but also absurde to bee spoken incredible to be beleued First because Gods iustice cannot be acquired of iust reproche of parcialitie nor his mercy which is retched to all meÌ„ indifferently cleared of vnrighteous dealing You crye out afterwardes that it is both agaynst right reason that he should saue a very few in number and condeÌ„ne an innumerable company besides to destruction Moreouer euen in this choyse it selfe when coÌ„sideration is had why he should chuse these and why he should reiect the others the thyng it selfe doth seeme not to bee cleare of speciall acceptyng of persons nor of a certeyne extreme crueltie c. All which with others the lyke sithence be but weake sproughtes budding out of the sauadge woodbyne of the aduersary not issues of the true stocke will be so much the more easily cut of with the Razour and
Axe of the truth and vtterly rooted out with the vnuanquishable force of Gods scripture Therfore first Let vs heare what discourse he maketh of Gods Iustice and mercy against the Lutheranes For whereas Luther and all good men of Luthers opinion do professe that the regarde of merites is directly cōtrary to Gods libertie and power as touchyng his Election and Predestination Osorius on the cōtrary part doth enforce all his might possible to proue that it is not so vsing these Argumentes especially Whereas we were all wrapped vp in one brake of perdition so that beyng ones defiled with sinne we became all most worthy of euerlastyng destruction for our naturall hatred agaynst Gods law engraffed fast within the nature of our bodies subiect to the outrage of lust God in whō neither any rashnes not vnrighteousnes can fall beyng a most iust Iudge towardes all men indifferently could not of his vnuariable equitie with singular clemēcy so embrace some as he must hate others vnlesse there were some cause or reason to enduce him to extēde his mercy to some and to execute Iudgement agaynst other But God now doth perceaue the whole cause therof to consiste in the maner of liuing and workes not the workes which were already done but which God foresawe should be done For what is there that the wisedome of God in his infinite knowledge doth not comprehende euen as it were present though the same be to be done in the vttermost minute of ages And by this reason it may be that God accordyng to the seuerall conditions of men did of his clemency elect them to eternall life whō he foresawe would be obedient to his Cōmaūdementes And on the other side did exclude them from the fruitiō of his kyngdome which he foresaw would vnthankfully despise his heauenly benefites And by this meanes sayth he Gods Iustice may right well be defended all the defence whereof standeth vpon mercy which otherwise cā not by any meanes deliuered from due reproch What a mockery is this as though if God should follow his owne libertie and will in the order of Predestination without all workes foreseéne before his Iustice could not stand inuiolable nor garded safe enough from all slaunder or suspition of vnrighteousnesse I demaunde then what if God out of this huge lumpe hadd chosen no one man at all whiche he might lawfully haue done if him lysted what if he had duely Iudged to deserued damnation the whole masse of mankynde which did altogether deserue his indignation wrath to speake Augustines wordes could any man cōdemne him of iniustice Goe to May not he that oweth nothyng to any man of his owne meére liberalitie lawfully exempt vndeserued out of this corrupted loste masse whō him listeth or haue mercy on whō he will haue mercy could not hee indurate and reiect whom he would without respect of meritorious workes followyng whenas there was matter more then enough ministred by their former desertes to condemne all to destruction As for example Admitte that a mā haue two debtours whereof the one is indebted vnto him in an exceédyng great summe of money the other oweth not so much by a great deale and the bountyfull creditour vouchsafe to forgeue the greater summe to that first I pray you is there any iust cause here for the other to grudge agaynst the creditour If he doe shall not his mouth be forthwith stopped with that aunswere of Christ in the Gospell Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with myne owne is thyne eye euill bycause I am good The very same doth that place of Paule seéme in my simple capacitie to emply where treatyng of the Election of the yoūger and refusall of the elder and of hardenyng Pharaos hart withall he doth annexe immediatly vnto the same what shall we say then is God vnrighteous makyng this Obiection agaynst him selfe as vnder the person of Osorius after this maner If God did not worke after the proportion of foreseene workes and deseruynges Ergo God may seeme to be vnrighteous in his Election and should offend against Iustice distributiue This Argument the Apostle doth forthwith deny saying God forbyd and withall rendreth a reason of his illation negatiue namely that both propositions bee Iustifiable in God Both that God is not vnrighteous And also that God accordyng to the equitie of his Freewill doth take mercy on whom he will haue mercye not in respecte of anye mans deseruynges but of his owne freé bountyfulnesse benignitie and mercy And therfore for the better establishyng of this his defence he doth forthwith cite the same wordes that were spoken to Moyses I will haue compassion on whom I haue compassion and I will shew mercy to whom I do shew mercy So that hereby you seé good Syr that to the worke of Election and Predestinatiō the Apostle iudgeth Gods will onelye though there were no cause els matter sufficient to acquite his Iustice freé from all flaunder and reproch that in my Iudgement now the defence of Gods Iustice which you haue placed in Gods mercy seémeth more aptly applyed to his will For as he can will nothyng but that which is most righteous so nothyng is truly righteous in deéde but that whiche proceédeth from the will of GOD. So that now it shall not be neédefull at all to be inquisitiue accordyng to the coūsell of Augustine after any other principall causes besides Gods good will consideryng that no hygher cause can be founde of greater importaunce But what can be so well spoken but that some will be founde somewhat scrupulous without cause will not in most brightest Sunneshyne seé wtout a candle Therfore this cauillyng colcouerthwart creépeth yet foreward If it be true sayth hee that Gods Election is directed by his will onely in allowyng or makyng hardharted whom he will that no man cā resist his will It seemeth then that Pharao and others who of indurate contumacy of mynde are wicked whereas in that their wickednesse they do execute the will God that they are not the cause of their owne wickednesse nor that they can chuse but do the wickednesse whereunto they are violently thrust necessitie If it be so what iust quarell can God haue then agaynst those whom him selfe hath made to be stiffenecked wherefore he should condemne thē To be short The substaunce of the Obiection is for the most part knitte vp in this Argument If God do harden mens hartes then should not Pharao be the cause of his owne Sinne consideryng no man can resist the will of God Or to reduce this consequent into a Sillogisme No mā hath iust cause to blame him whom him selfe enforceth to offende God doth iustly finde fault with sinners Ergo God doth compell no mā to sinne nor doth make them endurate I do Aunswere First euen by the self same Obiections wh the Apostle vnder the person of the
Iudgement shall procure vs lyfe or death as Osorius writeth Pag. 145. Agayne if the righteousnesse onely which consisteth of well doyng doth purchase Gods fauour to mankynde Pag. 142. What soppe I pray you shal be left for mercy here to deale withall or what shall remayne at all wherein the Grace of God may be exercized If these be not your owne wordes Osorius deny them if you dare but if they be with what artificiall Argumēt will you persuade vs not to accōpt you for an enemy of Gods grace whiles ye sight so much vnder the banner of his Iustice Yet will not I be so captious a cōptoller of your wordes as to call you by the name of an enemy of Grace though in very deéde I dare scarsely thinke you to be in any respect a sownde frende thereunto hetherto veryly as yet haue you declared your selfe no better And the same euen your owne writings do more then sufficiently denounce agaynst you in that which it is a wonder to seé how lauish prodigall you be in the aduauncyng of the prayses of Iustice for the amplyfieng whereof you can scarse finde any end but in the meane tyme towardes the commendation of Mercy so sparyng a niggard and hardelaced that ye seéme either not to conceaue of the wonderfully Maiestie therof sufficiētly or els very vngratefully not to be acquainted therewith sauyng that ye begyn now at the lēgth to preach somewhat of the excellency therof also takyng occasion of these wordes of Paule What shall we say then Is there vnrighteousnesse with God God forbid for he sayth to Moyses I will haue mercy on him to whom I do shew mercy and I will haue compassion on him on whom I haue compassion In that which place say you Paule doth render a Reason Wherfore no man cā by any meanes accuse God of vnrighteousnesse And doe annexe hereunto a conclusion agreable enough to your defence For the defence of Iustice say you cōsisteth wholy in mercy And agayne But the mercy of God doth acquite his Iustice free from all reproche Whiche reason of yours Osori although perhaps might be allowed in some respect yet doth it not exactly and substauncially enough discusse the naturall meanyng of the Apostle nor sufficiently aūswere the Apostles question Which will euidently and playnly appeare either by the Apostle him selfe or by Augustine the Expositour of the Apostle if we will first note before the marke and state of the question diligently and truely The scope wherof Augustine affirmeth to be this That the Apostle may lay open before vs that the Grace of fayth ought to be preferred before workes not to the end he might seéme to abolish workes but to shew that workes do not goe before but follow grace and to make the same more apparaunt he alledgeth amongest others the example of Iacob Esau Who beyng not as yet borne into the world hauyng done nothyng worthy either to be fauored or to be hated but that equabilitie of estate had made eche of them equall with the other and betwixt whō was no difference of natures or deseruyngs which might procure aduaūcement of the one before the other Finally whenas by orderly course of byrthe and right of first byrthe the elder might haue challenged the prerogatiue of honour before the younger Almighty God vsing here his vnsearcheable Electiō did make this difference betwixt them whereas was no difference of workes or merites as that for sakyng Esau who by no merite after the rule of Iustice had deserued to bee reiected he gaue the preheminēce to the younger turnyng the common order of nature vpsidowne as it were that whereas the younger are wont to be subiect to the elder now contrary to kynde the elder should become seruaunt to the younger Whereupon whē the Apostle sawe what scrupule might arise in the imagination of the hearer or Reader therof he putteth a question vnder the person of one that might argue agaynst it whether God had done any thyng herein agaynst equitie and right or any thyng that he could not iustifie accordyng to Iustice distributiue whereunto him selfe aunsweryng immediately doth with wonderfull vehemency detest that slaunderous cauill and withall acquiteth God freé from all accusation and suspition of vnrighteousnes this not wtout lawfull authoritie of the Scripture What sayth he do we not read spokē vnto Moyses on this wise I will haue mercy on whō I do take mercy and I will haue cōpassion on whō I haue compassion Besides this also addyng forthwith the example of Pharao he doth conclude at the length on this wise Therfore he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth But if our captious accuser will yet persiste in his obstinacie as though it sufficed not for God to do what it pleased him he doth cōfute him with a most manifest Argument of lyke comparison on this wise The Potter fashionyng his vesselles either vnto honour or to dishonour or to what purpose seémeth him best doth not offend at all And shall it be lesse lawfull or God to shew his power vpon his owne creatures then for the Potter vpon his Chalke or Clay Therfore whether God be willyng to haue mercy or to indurate any man he doth nothyng herein but that which is most lawfull and most agreable with equitie You perceaue therfore Gods Iustice sufficiently enough desended I suppose which in all his workes ought by good right be mightly defēded But how it is defēded is now to be seéen Osorius vrgeth stoughtly that Gods Iustice standeth not otherwise to be defended but onely in respect of his Mercy which albeit might be graunted after a sorte yet is not altogether simply and absolutely true and the reason therof is pyked out of Osorius credite rather then out of any Argument of S. Paule Whereas Paule seémeth to referre all this whole defence of Iustice not to mercy but to onely will of God Saying God taketh mercy on whom he will and hardeneth whom he will Albeit I will not in the meane whiles deny but that the Election of the faythfull doth consist vpon mercy alone yet surely the defense of Election is not vpholden but through the will of God onely Likewise also albeit the castyng away of the Reprobates do proceéde from the onely Iustice of God yet will no man say that the defence of this reiection consisteth in Mercy but in the onely will of God And therfore it is the onely will of God which doth defende Mercy in Election and Iustice in reiection For otherwise how could this come to passe that the onely Mercy of God should defēd his Iustice either in the Reprobate in whō scarse one sparckle of Mercy is discernable or els in the Predestination of the faithfull wherein appeareth no execution of Iustice therfore what is it then that may defend Iustice in these Mercy in those other but onely the purpose of Gods will onely wherof S. Paule maketh
he doth that no wrong Thy God he is thy potter what art thou to cōtend with him a weake man with thy most mighty God a lump of clay with the potter for this is the effect of your Argumēt Surely God willeth nothing that he willeth without most iust and righteous reason but in such sort that this very will cannot seeme to proceede from any els where or otherwise be defended in the order of predestination but of works foreseene and of the foreknowne well vsing of good giftes as the schoolemen do say Which saying how false and friuolous it is shal be declared both out of Augustine and more notably out of S. Paule for these are the wordes of Augustine discoursing vpon Esau If so be sayth Augustine that God did therefore predestinate Esau to become vassall to his younger brother because he did foreknowe that he would worke wickednes then did he also predestinate Iacob to become Lord of his elder brother because he did foreknow taht his works would proue good And therfore the saying of the Apostles is false Not of works c. And imediatly after enterlacing many other thinges betweene If you will once graunt quoth he that a man may be chosen or refused for the thing that as yet was not in him but because God did foresee what would be in him it followeth hereupon that he might haue been chosen for the worthines of his workes which God foresaw would be in him though as yet he had done nothing and this saying that they were not yet borne will not preuayle thee at all where it was spoken And the elder shall serue the younger to declare hereby that it was sayde Not of workes because as yet he had wrought nothing at all c. But to let passe August Let vs heare what Paule himselfe speaketh Who debating very largely vpon this poynt of Predestination doth amongst other at the last breake out into this speach touching the same If God willing on the one side to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen hath with great sufferaunce and lenity borne with the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and on the other side do make knowne the riches of his glory towardes the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared to glory c. Let vs more exactly ponder the wordes of the Apostle where he sayth that God was willing therein you heare first that God doth will and withall the cause and reason why he willeth ye perceiue expresly set downe afterwardes But he is sayd to will wrath that is to say willing to shew the seueritie of his Iustice Where I pray you or towardes whom what towardes all creatures indifferently Certes this might he haue done according to his Iustice but this would he not do for his mercy sake Towards whom thē Towardes the vessells of wrath prepared vnto destruction Where you heare the name of a Vessell you doe withall conceaue a Potter bycause no vessells are made without the Potter Moreouer where this worde Prepared is annexed thereby forthwith commeth to remembraunce the will of the Potter not the will of the thyng fashioned For it standeth not in the power of the port it selfe to fashion and forme it selfe after it owne will but the fashioning therof resteth in the will and purpose of the Potter For if any sense or feélyng at all were in earthen vessells would any vessell fashion it selfe into a vessell of dishonour if it had power to fashion it selfe by any meanes into a vessell of houour whereupon it followeth consequently that the order and disposition of fashionyng resteth wholy in the will of the Potter and not in the will of the vessell Now therfore as concernyng the will of the Potter left any mā shall thinke that his will is vnaduised nor directed by equitie and reason The Apostle doth forthwith set downe the cause therewith the mouth of the slaunderous backbyter may be stopped To shew sayth he the riches of his glory towardes the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory c. He doth not say bycause God foresaw the good workes of the godly and the euill doynges of the wicked that these were therfore ordeyned to dānation those other chosen to saluation but hee sayth that those are prepared to destruction whom he would haue to be vessells of wrath the others to glory And yet this notwtstandyng neither vnaduisedly nor contrary to equitie Wherein if any man be desirous to know the reason or the Iustice of God in his predestination let him heare Augustine herein The whole masse of mankinde was subiect sayth he to one state of perdition rightly deseruyng the scourge of Gods Iustice which whether be executed or pardoned proceedeth not of any vnrighteousnesse in God Now it pleased Gods good will of his mercy to make a choyse of some of these and to relinquish other accordyng to his Iustice. If you require a reason hereof the Apostle doth not hyde it from you To make knowen sayth he the riches of his glory towardes the vesselles of mercy which he hath prepared vnto Glory c. Wherein the principall and first cause of doyng is ioyned together with the last end therof In the meane space many meanes are enterlaced betwixt these two For euen as the will of God doth not otherwise preferre his elect to the honour of glory but as it were through many tribulations so neither doth he execute the seueritie of his Iudgement agaynst the Reprobate by by but by long sufferaūce much lenitie and tolleration of their wickednesse But as the afflictions of the elect is not the cause of their saluation so neither the lenitie and long sufferaunce of the wicked is the principall cause that moueth God to exercize the seueritie of his Iustice agaynst them And therfore are they called Vessells the one sorte vessells of wrath the other vessels of mercy prepared either to destruction or to saluatiō first and before either God did with patience endure the wickednesse of the one or with tribulations exercize the Fayth of the other To conclude therfore in few wordes briefly I come agayne to the Argument that was proposed which albeit he choppeth together without all order of teachyng yet in my conceite a mā may briefly reduce it into this forme For out of these wordes of Paule wherewith God is sayd to haue borne with the vessels of wrath in much lenitie Osorius doth gather his cutted Sillogisine with a wonderfull dexteritie of witte Gods deuine Iustice did scourge none but such as with much lenitie he did beare withall first Neither are any destitute of Gods mercy but such as forsake it beyng offred Finally saluation and the mercy of GOD is extended vnto all persones but vnto such as will not them selues be saued The defence of Iustice consisteth wholy in mercy And onely mercy doth acquite Gods Iustice from all reproche Neither doth any man perishe but beyng condēned
the Grace of God offered vnto vs or els not to receaue it I deny the Argument For where the effectuall Grace of God is which worketh in vs not onely by outward callyng but also by the inward renewyng and earnest motion of the mynde as Augustine writeth to Simplician there can be no defect of will And agayne wheresoeuer is any want of will there is not Gods effectuall Grace which is comprehēded within these two partes outward callyng and inward drawyng So that the receauyng of grace is within vs in deéde yet commeth not of our selues but of the grace of God But the Refusall of Grace is both in vs and of vs and yet in such wise as that beyng left ouer to our owne weakenesse we are not able to doe otherwise of our selues There is obiected out of Augustine Hypognosticon 3. booke That we haue lost our freedome not to will but to be able and to performe First by that consent of the learned it is certeine that this booke was neuer made by August 2. the aduersaries do not interprete it aright 3. let the premisses be ioyned with that which followeth For he doth cōfesse that there is a Freewill hauyng Iudgemēt of reason in deéde not by wh it may be apt either to begyn or to end any godly action wtout God but onely in the actions of this present life And forthwith followeth in the same August When we speake of Freewill we do not treate of one part of man onely but of whole mā altogether c. Whereupō their errour is cōdēned which do affirme that corruptiō is wholy includeth within the flesh whereas by testimony of the same Aug. corruption hath defiled that inward powers of the soule likewise whereupō he speaketh in the same place on this wise Freewill beyng defiled the whole mā is defiled wherfore without helpe of the Grace of God he is neither able to begin to do any thyng that may be acceptable vnto God nor yet to performe it The Scripture doth euery where describe the Freedome of will Where it testifieth that God will render to euery man accordyng to his deseruyng whereas it cōteyneth ordinaunces and preceptes of good lyfe where it exhorteth euery where to godlynes forbyddeth to sinne and threateneth punishment Out of all whiche it is most assured that the power of freewill is declared If the whole Scriptures treate altogether euery where of these where be the premisses then First as touchyng merites Augustine doth Aunswere Woe be vnto the lyfe of man thought neuer so commendable if God deale with vs after our deseruynges As cōcernyng reward he doth aunswere after the same maner That reward is geuē in deede to them that deserue it but yet so as to deserue is geuen first from the grace of God and proceedeth not from mans Freewill vnto whō reward is geuen afterwardes That is to say Grace for Grace as Augustine sayth Moreouer as cōcernyng the preceptes and commaundementes in deéde GOD doth commaunde vs to walke in them but he doth promise that he will bryng to passe that we may walke in thē that is to say that he will geue vs both a mynde and feéte to walke withall Where a Recompence is made there is a consideration of merite Nay rather the conclusion would haue bene more correspōdent on this wise Where Recompence doth follow there doth consideration of obedience goe before For of Obedience the Argument is good enough but of Merite starke naught Where Recompence is there is regarde had both of Obediēce and of Merite out of the Maister of Sentēces Wherupon they argue on this maner Hope doth not trust to the mercy of God onely but to our Merites also And therfore to hope beyng voyde of Merites is not to hope but to presume as they affirme This Treatize here toucheth Merites and Obediēce both I aunswere vnto both First of Obedience the Assertion may be graunted But that Obedience is ment here that is made acceptable to God and proceédeth not from the will and abilitie of our Freéwill but from the grace of GOD onely But of Merite if the worthynesse of the worke be regarded we doe vtterly deny it if they vnderstand of Obedience approued and acceptable in the sight of GOD we doe not striue agaynst them so that they will reknowledge this much agayne that this Obedience of ours how ready soeuer it be doth not spryng from our owne abilitie but that we ought to acknowledge it as a gift receaued by the benefite of the heauenly Grace to be his gift onely and none others Agaynst this Masterlyke sentence I will set downe the opinion of Basile He that trusteth not in himselfe neither looketh to be iustified by workes that man hath the hope of Saluation reposed onely in the mercies of God Augustine disputyng agaynst the Pelagians which did say that the same Recōpence which shal be geuen in the ende is a reward of good workes going before doth aūswere That this may be graūted vnto them if they likewise agayne would confesse that those good workes were the gifts of God and not the proper actiōs of mē for those that are such that is to say proper vnto men are euill but yet are good giftes of God c. Whereupō in an other place If thy merites sayth he come of thy selfe they be euill and for that cause are they not crowned and therefore that they may be good they must be the giftes of God And agayne writyng to Sixtus Be there no merites of righteous men yeas truly Bycause they be righteous men but their merites brought not to passe that they were made righteous For they be made righteous when they be Iustified but after the maner of the Apostles teachyng Freely Iustified through the Grace of Christ. And agayne writyng vpon the 94. Psalme If GOD would deale accordyng to mens deseruynges he should not finde any thyng but that he might of very Iustice vtterly condemne c. But these sayinges bycause they apperteyne to the Iudgement of yeldyng Reward do concerne our cause nothyng at all who do not create now of the last Iudgement but of the Grace of Election properly Whiche grace whosoeuer will say is geuen accordyng to the proportion of deseruynges Augustine doth call the same a most pernitious errour It is Furthermore obiected that Augustine writyng vnto Prosper and Hyllary doth not onely in the very title of the booke ioyne Freewill with Grace but also heapyng a nomber of Arguments together doth very earnestly endeuour to confirme that man hath Freewill I do confesse that Augustine in these bookes as many tymes otherwise doth by certeyne Argumentes framed out of holy Scriptures teache Freewill and withall ioyne it with Grace But such Argumentes are they as him selfe afterwardes confuteth Moreouer consideration must be had in what wise he doth ioyne both these together how he doth part them a sūder agayne
Iudge them not worthy to be heard in any wise whiche will affirme that God doth chuse whom he will vnto Saluation out of the whole masse of mankynde for none other cause but bycause it so pleaseth hym Pag. 163. First where hath Luther any such Assertion Why do ye not set it downe good Syr and admit that he hath what is it that your carpyng cauillation cā gnaw at here if you interprete it aright For although Luther seéme in your goodly conceipt to be more then a thousand tymes madd whom ye can neuer name without some gall of raylyng speache yet was he neuer hetherto so foolish as to haue a will to spoyle the most wise workes of God of Reason and counsell in any wise There is with God a most perfect stable vnchaungeable knowledge of all the workes of his owne handes but such a knowledge as doth altogether surmount the greatest reach of our nymblest capacities and seémeth rather to be wōdered at then to be searched out by vs. Surely it is farre beyond the Reason that you make vnto vs. For deliberately notyng with my selfe and entring into a very deépe viewe and consideration of the thynges which are spoken of Election of purpose of Gods prouidēce for this word Predestination as scarse fine enough for a Ciceronian you abhorte neither dare ye so much as once to name in all your bookes hereūto all your drifts seéme to tende that ye suppose that Gods Iustice can by no meanes be defended in makyng a differēce betwixt them whom he reserueth to be saued those whom he adiudgeth to be damned but by foreknowledge of those workes which God doth behold shall be in them As though Osorius would seéme to argue with God with such an Argument as this is There must be alwayes with God a stable assured and vpright reason in euery choyse to be made There can be none other iust cause of Reason of Gods Election and Reprobation but in respect of the merite that must follow Ergo To the attainyng the grace of Election some preparation of merite must needes go before First I do aunswere out of Augustine that it is a most pestilent errour to say that the Grace of God is distributed accordyng to merites this is one of the errours of Pelagius Then as touchyng the Maior There is in deéde with God a perfect sounde vnchaungeable Reason of all his workes But by what reason be ordereth his workes may not be subiect to the Iudgement of the claye as Augustine sayth but of the Potter Now I come to the Minor Which we do vtterly deny for where you make a definition of Gods prouidence in chusing or refusing whom he will to be none other then such as dependeth vpon the foreknowledge of workes this is altogether most brutishe and vnreasonable For albeit that preuēting for eknowledge of things which out Deuines doe call foreknowledge is vnseparably knitte together to the will of him that doth Predestinate yet do we not graunt the same to be the cause of Predestination For first as concernyng the cause efficient for as much as the will of God is the very substaunce of God aboue the which there cā be nothyng more highe there can be no efficient cause thereof rendered either before it in limitation of tyme or aboue it in Maiestie but the materiall and finall cause therof may after a sort be assigned The materiall cause about the which it doth exercise her force is mākynde and those thynges which God doth geue vnto men by Predestination namely Vocation Faith Iustification Glorification The finall cause is two maner of wayes either that which forceth him to doyng by the preuentyng will and reason of the first Agent or els that which is produced out of action And bycause there may be many endes of one thyng it may be that there is one end of Predestination an other end of him that is Predestinated and an other of him that doth Predestinate As for exāple As Saluation and life euerlastyng is the end of Predestination the end of him that is Predestinated is to beleue and to lyue well and the end of him that doth Predestinate is his owne glory and the manifestation of his Iustice power and mercy As we do reade in Salomons Prouerbes God doth make all thinges for himselfe and the wicked man also for the euill day And therfore if it be asked whether God do predestinate for the workes sake it may be aunswered with S. Paule that the holy ones are predestinated not for their good workes but to do good workes so that now the respect of workes be vnderstanded not to be the cause efficient of predestination but the effect rather For thus we heare the Apostle speake Euen as God hath chosen vs in hys sonne frō eternitie that we should become holy to the prayse of hys glory c. not because we were or should be holy sayth he but that we should become holy to the prayse of hys glory c. So that no reason of Election may appeare but that which is to be sought for in the freé liberalitie of hym that doth make the Election neyther that any other last end may be conceaued but the prayse of the manifestation of hys heauenly grace So that as without God there is no cause efficient which may enforce predestination so if weé seeke for the very beginninges of eternall predestination we shall perceaue that S. Paule doth reduce them to iiij principall heades chiefly 1. to hys power Where he sayth hath not the Potter power c. 2. to hys purpose or hys good pleasure For so we reade in the Epistle to the Ephesianes where he vseth both these wordes because he hath predestinated vs sayth he according to the good pleasure of hys will c. And immediately after whē we were predestinated sayth he according to hys purpose c. 3. to hys will Rom. 10. he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden c. 4. to hys mercy or loue Where he sayth Rom. 10. It is neyther of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that taketh mercy Last of all if you demaund further for some reason of Gods Election who shall more liuely expresse the same vnto you then the Apostle Paule writing to the Romaynes on this wise If God sayth he willing on the one side to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne did with much lenity beare with the Vesselles of wrath prepared to destructiō and on the other side to make knowen the riches of hys glory towardes the Vessells of mearcy which he hath prepared to glory c. Unlesse you haue ceased long sithence to be a reasonable man Osorius what more perfect reason can be made vnto you or more manifest of Gods workmanship then this that is here set downe in Paule Whereby you may playnly perceaue that all these councells and workes
doth lye in all his Bookes Hereof therefore canne not be denyed but that he writeth Bookes Or els how could he lye in his bookes if he wrote no bookes at all And yet neither did Luther in that Article affirme symply that the righteous man doth sinne in euery good worke But annexing thereunto an exception conditionall he doth qualifye the sharpenesse of the proposition expounding himselfe with the testimonies of Gregory and Augustine on this wise If God proceed in his iudgement sayth he straightly without all consideration of mercy Meaning hereby not that God should take good workes from righteous men but should despoyle works of that perfection which of it selfe were able to counteruayle the cleare iudgement of God so that the perfection of our righteousnes consist not now in doing well but in acknoledgement of our owne Imperfection and humble confessing the same For this do we heare Augustine speake Vertue sayth he wherewith man is now endued is so farre forth called perfect as the true and humble acknowledgement of mans owne imperfection ioyned with an vnfayned confession of the same doth make it to be accepted for perfect Now what poyson lurketh here I beseéch you worshippfull Syr Unlesse perhappes you thinke thus that because God doth not commaund impossibilities for this cause they that be regenerated may in this life accomplish the law of God fully and absolutely and that your selfe be of the number of them which in this life abcomplish all righteousnes throughly If you thinke thus of your selfe what better aūswere shal I make you then the same which Constantine the great did on a time nippingly to Acesius a Nouatian who denyed that such as were fallen could rise agayne by repentaunce Set vppe your Ladders quoth he and clymbe you vppe to heauen alone Acesius Furthermore where you are wont to obiect in this place impossibilitie of performing the law surely this doth not so much empaire Luthers assertion nor helpe your presumptuousnes sithence Augustine doth aunswere you sufficiently in Luthers behalfe All the cōmaūdemēts of God saith he are thē reputed to haue bene performed when whatsoeuer is left vndone is pardoned And in his booke de perfectione iustitiae debating this question whether the commaundements of God were possible to be kept he doth deny that they be possible to be kept But he affirmeth that neither in this life they be possible to be kept nor to keep them commeth of nature but of the heauenly grace But hereof hath sufficiently bene spoken already before so that it shall not beé needfull to do the thing that is done already It remayneth next now that we enter into the discourse of the holy ceremonyes decreés and ordinaunces of the Church because he complayneth for the suppressing of these also wherein what iust cause he hath to complayne shall hereby apeare If we consider duly and aright the auncient ordinaunces and determinations of the primitiue Church Amongest which auncient ordinaūces of the Church I suppose this was establshed That no man should be abridged from freédome to marry and from eating all kinde of meates fish or flesh as euery man foūd himselfe best disposed It was an auncient ordinaunce also that aswell the lay people as priestes without exception should communicate vnder both kindes the bread and the wine And that nothing should be redde in the Churches besides the scriptures Moreouer that the Scriptures should be read openly to all persons generally in their mother toūg that euery man myght vnderstād it The auncient ordinaūces of the church did neuer admit any more sacramentes then two nor widdowes vnder threéscore yeéres old nor vouchsafed any that were but newly entred into the profession to beare any rule in the congregation nor any els but such as were knowne both godly and prayseworthy aswell for the soundnesse of theyr doctrine as for the continuall course of their liues It was an especiall prouiso of the auntient discipline that no one person should haue any more Cures the◠one nor should receiue out of any Church any greater contribution then should seéme sufficient for necessaryes onely and not to mayntayne prodigality and lust It was also an auncient custome amongst the elders that the newly professed should be applied to reading of lessones and singinge onely And the Priestes in the meane time should apply preaching of the word Amongest other aūciēt ordinaūces that Canon of the counsell of Nyce seémeth worthy to be placed here which prouided that the ouersight of all other churches should beé committed to threé or foure patriarches equally in such wise as that no preheminence of superiority should be amongst them but all to be equall in dignity Adde vnto this the generall discipline of the church which did not hang vpon one mans sleéue onely but was exercised indifferently in all places agaynst all notorions offences without respect of persons Now therefore where Osorius complayneth that the ordinaunces of the auntient and primitiue Church are taken away abolished herein he doth not amisse So do many godly personages more beside Osorius complayne very bitterly of the same But in the meane space I do maruaile much what monstruous deuise this Byshoppe coyneth agaynst vs who neither liketh with the abolishing of the auncient customes of the primitiue Church nor can in any respect disgest those men which do endeuour and desire onely to haue a generall reformation For to saye the trueth whereunto tendeth all the endeuour of those men whome Osorius here wringeth vpon so sharpely but that those auntient decreés and ordinaunces wherewith the Church of Christ was endued at the first might recouer agayne theyr former dignity from which they haue bene lamentably reiected If they could bring this to passe by any meanes nothing coulde please them better But if their harty desires attayne not wished Successe no men are more to be blamed for it Osorius then you your selues who vnder a deceauable and craftie vysor of antiquity practize earnestly and busily alwayes that no Monumēt of auncient antiquitie may remaine but haue forged vs a certeine new face of an vpstart Church with certeine straunge and newfangled Decreés and Decretalles which the true and auncient antiquitie if were alyue agayne would neuer acknowledge otherwise then as misbegotten Bastardes But to proceéde this Rhetoricall amplificatiō waxeth more hotte yet in more choler Moreouer neither contēted sayth he with the lamentable desolatiō of these thynges ye haue dispoyled mā of all freedome of will and haue bounde fast with a certeine fatall and vnauoydable Necessitie all the actoins and imaginations of men be they good and godly or be the perillous and pernitious cōtrary to Nature Reason and the law of God c. Touchyng the freédome of mans will and that fatall necessitie as Osorius tearmeth it bycause aunswere sufficient is made already before It shall be neédelesse to protract the Reader with a new repetition of matters spoken already To be brief and
142. Osori ExpositioÌ„ vpoÌ„ the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romaines Pag. 142. Wherin the sauetie of a Christian consisteth accordyng to Osorius Pag. 142. Phil. 3. The true vnderstaÌ„dyng of iustification accordyng to S. Paule Rom. 7. Rom. 4. Rom. 3. Ephes. 2. Pag. 143. Deut. 4. 5. Rom. 2. A double obseruation of the law Deut. 27. Gallat 3. Iames. 2. Galat. 3. Wherefore the law iustifieth not What workes doe signifie by Paule Rom. 4. 5.2 3.7.9.13 The righteousnesse of the Iewes Pag. 143. The fayth and righteousnesse of Abraham Rom. 4. Gene. 15. Rom. 4. The fayth and righteousnesse of Dauid Psal. 142. The righteousnesse of Iob. The fayth and righteousnesse of Paule Phil. 3. The fayth and righteousnesse of Cornelius before god The riche young man in the Gospell The Pharisie praying in the temple Nathaniell the true Israelite The scope of Paules disputation to the Romaines Workes of the Ceremoniall and Morall law both are excluded froÌ„ IustificatioÌ„ Osori doth take the workes excluded froÌ„ Iustification for the Ceremonies of the law Pag. 142. â— 140. â— Fayth hath no place almost with Osorius Pag. 143. Osori obiection confuted Osori doth erre in the rules of Logicke Osori Paralogisme from the insufficient enumeration of partes The Ceremonies of the law very hardly abrogated in the primitiue church Actes 15. The morall law abrogated not in respect of the vse but in respect of IustificatioÌ„ Psal. 142. Galat. 3. Rom. 4. Osori Iudgement of IustificatioÌ„ The fruite of good workes betwixt the Papistes Protestates to be wayed indifferently The markes of true righteousnesse among the Papistes An exhortatioÌ„ to the Readers The prayse of Cicero and other auÌ„cieÌ„t Philosophers discoursing vpoÌ„ vertue The difference betwene Morall and Christian Philosophy The end of Christian Philosophie Whom Osorius doth chiefly imitate Vertue to be embraced of all men True innocencie in mankynde loste long sithence Osor. obiection coÌ„futed By what meanes we doe recouer true innocencie Psal. 31. How the grace of God doth geue righteousnes to men Bern. in Sermo 23. super Cant. Basil. in Psal. 32. Orig. ad Rom. Lib. 9. Cap. 12. Aug. Epi. 105. Ad Sixtum BauÌ„l in Psal. 32. Aug. de Ciuit Lib. 19. Cap. 27. Aug. Retra Lib. 1 Cap. 19. Ierome Our saluation consisteth not in our owne righteousnesse but in the free mercy of God Iob. Euen the most perfect workes of men of no valew with God Paule Dauid August in Psal. 94. Ier. in Esay Cap. 64. Luther defended agaynst Osorius Osori pag. 141. Cicer. Tuscul Lib. 3. Osori accuseth Luther to be an Epicurean Pag. 141. How absurdely Osorius doth coÌ„pare Luther with Epicurus Osorius Rom. 3. Luther falsely accused to bee the Authour of wicked boldnesse The opinioÌ„ of SchoolemeÌ„ and Papistes touchyng the waye of righteousnes is false wicked Hosius Osorius Rosfenfiâ— against Luther Congruum CoÌ„dignum Conueniencie and worthynes Pag. 141. â— â— Thess. 5. Osori ibid. Oâ—or cauill agaynst the Lutherans workes A threefold lye of Osorius Disablyng of workes DesperatioÌ„ ConfideÌ„ce After what maner Luther teacheth Confidence and DesperatioÌ„ and how not Pag. 141. marg The marke of Osorius accusation coÌ„sidered Pag. 145. Two lyes vttered by Osorius Onely faith doth Iustâ—tie The testimonies of most auncient writers touchyng Onely Fayth An Argument from the propositioÌ„ exponent to the exclusiue The vocable Onely Ambr. in 1. Cor. 1. Chrisost. in Epist. Paul ad Galat. Cap. 3. Chrisosto Homel 4. in Timoth. Basil. in Homel De Humilit Basil. in Psal. 32. Theophil in Epist. ad Rom. Cap. 3. Thom. Aquin in 1. Tim. 1. Lect. 3. Rom. 3. Pag. 145. Osori his Obiection framed out of the Epistle to the Galat. Cap. 5. The Aunswere Bernarde Rom. 2. The summe of Paules disputation compreheÌ„ded in one Syllogisme Gallat 3. Rom. 4. Galat. 2. Right of inheritauÌ„ce is not promised to workes as Paul affirmeth Osori takeÌ„ tardy That is â—o say a scourger Fallacia a dicto secunduÌ„ quid ad Simpliciter Fallacia a non Causa vt Causa Fayth doth iustifie both the persons and the workes Pag. 141. 146. A double lye made by Osorius Pag. 146. Workes are not examined a part by theÌ„ selues in gods IudgemeÌ„t Tit. 3. Collos. 2. Rom. 3. Dauid terrified with the terrour of the law Pag. 146. Osor. obiection in the behalfe of righteousnes by workes agaynst righteousnes of faith Rom. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 5. Pag. 146. Collos. 3. Iohn 11. The Obiection coÌ„futed Fallacia a noÌ„ causa vt causa The words of Christ expounded The person accepted not for the workes sake but the workes for the persons sake An Obiection The Aunswere * Pag. 146. The words of Christ not wel vnderstoode but crookedly wrested by Osorius Osor. fallax a Concreto ad Abstractum Mercy forgeueth our ill deedes Imputation acknowledgeth our well doynges for good An other ObiectioÌ„ of Osorius In what wise Osori doth ascribe SaluatioÌ„ of Gods mercy Hosius August de temp 49. August de Spirit Liter Cap. 33. Basil. in Psal. 32. Ephes. 1. In what thyng our redemption chiefly consisteth Remission Bernard Serm. 23. in Cant. August in prima quinquagena in Prolog Psal. 31. ImputatioÌ„ The defeéco of mercy doth not abolish Iustice Ill workes whom they do condeÌ„ne and whom not Iohn 3. How christ is called a Iudge how a Redemer Luce. 21. Iohn 5. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 1. Gods iudgement two fold according to August De Consens Euang Lib. 2. Cap. 30. The Innocencie of Christ is the righteousnesse of Christians Gods Imputation in respect of Christ and in respect of vs. Of the reckonyng to be made in the last Iudgement The diuersitie of theÌ„ which shal reÌ„der an accompt is distinguished In Osorius writynges order wanteth and in distinguishyng thinges Methode Accordyng to workes For the works sake Osori doth deny that good works to followe Luthers fayth Pag. 146. What maner of workes doe follow Osori fayth Pag. 146. Luthers fayth yeldeth no good workes accordyng to Osorius Pag. 146. Ibidem The fayth and workes of Osorius A shewe of Osorius fayth Iohn 6. Iohn 1. 3. Math. 9. Math. 8. Mar. 5. A comparison betwixt the fayth of Osorius and Luthers Fayth The righteousnesse of sayth accordyng to the Scriptures Osori doth neuer name in his booke this worde ImputatioÌ„ A playne demonstration that Osori geueth small credite to the wordes of Christ. 2. Thess. 2. Apoc. 13. Pag. 146. Osori doth discusse the sayth of Luther Note here the cauill of Osorius The doctrine of Luther touchyng good workes Rom. 14. Aug. in prima quinqua gena ex Prologo Psal. 31. August Workes are not in any other respect accoÌ„pted for good in the sight of god then in respect of Christ thorough faith Good workes are Iustified by fayth Pag. 146. The Argument recoyleth backe vpon Osor. him selfe Pag. 146. Pag. 147. Osori Argument faultie in the forme A twosold kyngdome of Sinne. Rom. 6. The substaunce of the Argument is discussed Iob Esay Dauid Daniell
to your owne saying hath authoritie to dispence with sinnes by vertue of his Bulles not for a day a moneth or for a yeare onely but for euer euer which also keépeth the keyes of heauen at his pleasure wherewith he geueth the kyngdome of heauen vnto some persons and from others locketh it fast which is inuested in the fulnesse of all power is the vndoubted Uicare of God to whose most royall maiestie all and euery other powers and Magistrates must humble yeld submit them selues Whereas I say you allowe of all those titles of dignitie and not onely teache and defend them in this your vnbridled insolēcy but also so lustely couragiously vaūte and rayse vp your crest What doe you els in that blazyng brauerie of speach but coyne to your selfe others a most manifest Idoll which you may worshyp before whom you may prostrate your selfe most lowly humbly make intercessiō vnto And therfore dissemble Ierome as ye liste yet that is your Romish Idoll Your selfe also a manifest Idolatour You must with all willyngly endure all trauaile be it neuer so hard to attaine the fauour and blessyng of that your God perhappes you may picke vp some crommes thereby and through him be promoted so highe that ye may more nearely behold that your earthly God and be enstalled vnder his elbow in his palace wherin you may do sacrifice vnto his Maiestie You say that I do prouoke you to disputation This is vntrue I do not prouoke you but confute your false accusations wherewith you charge vs as mainteinours of a fayth voyde of all vertue and Religion And euer amōg you thrust in the name of Luther What perteineth that to vs Cast out your challenge to some one Deuine in England by name you shall seé how quickly he will take vp your gloue with no labour crush your Sophisticall canes in peéces You do wish me to peruse those your bookes entitled De Iustitia and in thē you say that I may throughly satisfie my selfe touchyng the iustifyeng of fayth Truly I haue perused your Uolumes deuided into threé bookes entitled De Iustitia in the first wherof ye speake much in the commendation of fayth and therein vse testimonies and Argumentes who doth reprehend you herein I pray you And yet all that your endeuour hath obteined no more but to shewe your selfe an vnnecessary arguer in an vndoubted controuersie Of the same stampe also is your second booke wherein you commend much the worthynes of good workes and herein we do nothing dissent from you but will aduaunce the same as much as you will wish vs. But your thyrd booke is almost altogether a Pelagian and beyng throughly poysoned with the heresies of the Greéke Church doth blasphemously inueighe agaynst the freé mercy of God the Father in Christ Iesu and namely agaynst S. Augustine an vnvanquishable patrone of the heauēly grace And therfore this your gaye poppet so gorgiously paynted whiche liketh your selfe so well is partly friuolous ouerwhelmed with to much tattlyng and partly wicked and execrable whiles it practizeth to trāsforme vs from naturall men almost to be Gods Neither am I alone of that opinion for Cardinall Poole also was for the most part of the same Iudgement whō although Rome had maruailously disguised yet all men knew to be farre better man in liuyng and much more expert in Diuinitie then you are he did alwayes withstand your attempt of publishyng in printe that your delicate impe which you as thē did so louyngly embrace and had in so great estimatiō as your owne derlyng And accomptyng the same to be most perillous and pestiferous gaue this famous verdit thereof worthy to be deépely engrauen in the very entrailes of all Christian hartes It is not possible sayth Cardinall Poole it is not possible to yelde to much to the mercy of God nor to abase the strength of man to much If you had had so much grace as to haue conceaued and emprinted in your braynes this doctrine of humilitie abacement you would neuer haue so nakedly stripped Christ of his grace nor so hautely and arrogantly enhaunced the power of mans will ne yet so proudely and boldly reproued and despised S. Augustine But what dare not Osorius doe who accordyng to the nature of his name dare boldly presume vpō all thyngs peraduēture you will demaunde how I knew Pooles mynde herein I will tell you Our familiar very frēd not vnknowen vnto you M. Ascham did sondry tymes aduertize me therof affirmyng that he did heare the same vttered by the mouth of the Cardinall him selfe This also doth trouble you very much bycause I affirmed it to be your own errour as which being imagined in your own braynsicke mazer you would falsely lay to others charge What then did I not say the very truth herein is it not your owne lye your owne haynous acte your owne slaunder yea your owne errour fayned coyned and imagined by your selfe though afterwardes you would poast it ouer to others without cause And yet you spare not to pinche me cruelly for so saying And amongest other scornes reproche me of my stammeryng speach as though I can not speake playnly But in the meane whiles you wryng your selfe by the nose and geue your selfe two foule blowes First of all in the matter it selfe as euen now and els where I haue declared sufficiently Then in the maner of speache where in steéde of barbarous endytyng ye reprehende me for my stammeryng toung Which neuer any person would doe that hath bene enured to write pure and cleane Latine Surely Syr I do speake very playnly and distinctly through the inestimable benefite of God but your toūg doth both stammer and stutte if the report of them be true who haue had conference with you which blemish bycause it proceédeth of nature I would neuer haue obiected against you if you had not first of all vpbrayded me with the same fault wherewith your selfe are naturally encombred At the length you are entred into the treaty of Iustification but first ye snatche at a few sentences of Scriptures which I haue set downe And the same without all reason after a certeine cōtinuall crooked vsage of cauillyng ye writhe and wrest ouerthwartely And therfore I will bid adewe to that your vnmeasurable captious Sophistry and will sift your Diuinitie a whiles which wil appeare to be your own that is to say most foolish detestably corrupt You rehearse out of my writing euē as it is that these workes are vnprofitable to Iustification yet that they ought not be despised bycause Paule doth seéme to verifie both positions Let vs seé what our Doctour Ierome sayth to this for sooth he raungeth abroad to originall sinne altogether besides the cushian He doth cruelly accuse Luther Caluine and Melancthon bycause they do cōdemne all the workes of the most holy men being cōpared with the glory of God And that the same could not be
forgeuen but through the merites of Iesu Christ. What then doth not Paul affirme truly that Iewes and Gētiles are all cōcluded vnder sinne Doth not the Propheticall kyng Dauid likewise lōg before him pronoūce truly There is not one righteous person no not one there is not one that will vnderstand not one that will seeke after god All are gone out of the way they are all together become vnprofitable there is not one that doth good no not one If there be not one righteous mā no not so much as one what shal be come of the worthynes of your workes then yea euen amōgest the most perfect and godly If there bee no man that will vnderstand then also the best workes of the godly are of no value If no mā seéke after God what can be duly performed of any person If all haue declined out of the way where be they that haue walked perfectly in the right way Lastly if there be no person that doth good whether then are all your excellent workemaisters vanished a Gods name if all I say all as well Iewes as Gētiles that is to say if all generally are concluded vnder sinne where can those pretie holy men bee founde of whom ye will neédes haue some but Paule vtterly none at all Through the sinne of one man sinne is poured vpon all fleshe to condemnation These be the expresse wordes of Paule which will not admitte any startyng hole yet your Mastershyp notwithstandyng will vrge a certeine perfection of our workes contrary to the manifest authoritie of sacred Scriptures But this Prelate doth make more accompt of the wordes of Christ our Sauiour saying Not he that sayth Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father shal enter into the kingdome of heauen And then hee demaundeth If the yoke of sinne bee so alwayes fastened vnto our shoulders that it can by no meanes be remoued how we may then obteine the state of righteousnesse through the grace and goodnesse of Christ Your selfe haue told it wise man truely euen through the very same grace and goodnes of Christ which you haue named And therfore Dauid being full of the holy Ghost lifting his hādes vp vnto God cryeth out in this maner Wash me throughly from my wickednes and clense me frō my sinne for I knowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer before me Why should we desire to bee washed if we did not welter in the filthy puddle of sinnes and why should we require to bee clensed and throughly purified if we were not corrupted wholy defiled with the stinckyng dregges of sinne As by the fall of one mā sayth Paule sinne is deriued by way of propaganaciō vpon all men vnto condēnation euen so by the righteousnesse of one good is extended vnto all men to iustification of life Agayne The same Paule God hath shut vp all men vnder vnbelief that he might haue mercy vpon all Frō our selues therfore proceédeth euill vnto damnatiō And from God commeth Iustification vnto lyfe Of our selues riseth vnbelief but mercy issueth from God But let vs heare our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ him selfe most sweétely cōfortyng vs with these wordes Come vnto me all ye that doe trauaile and be heauy laden and I will refresh you And therfore all anguish and grief of sinne all burden of trespasses wherewith we are ouerladen and haled down not onely to the groūde but euen to hell gates spryng out from our owne selues euen so the asswagyng of all sorrowes and ease of all our importable burdens come from Iesu Christ onely If you bee ignorant of these sentences good Syr wherewith the holy scriptures doe euery where swarme so plentyfully what is it I pray you that you vnderstand in the Gospell if you doe know them why doe ye so maliciously inueighe agaynst those learned men and singular seruauntes of God without cause especially being as now departed this life agaynst whom if they could speake for them selues ye durst not mutter one worde For what are you beyng compared with them But to let them passe whom I did not vndertake to defend what extreme amazednesse is this in you to rehearse my wordes and cull them out of purpose to carpe at them and from them to glaūce away to Luther and Caluin if your quarell be to me why do you not let them alone if ye liste to striue with them then also cauill not with me Doth not reason require this and is not my request allowable Surely it is extreme maddenesse to challenge me vnto the Barriers and then to sckyppe ouer away to others and to pursue them with your venymous toung You say further that it seemeth by my maisters doctrine for so it pleaseth you to tearme thē that the force of sinne is not as yet extinguished in vs through the bloud of Christ. Truely you and I both may acknowledge those men whose names you did recite before to be our maisters not in Diuinitie onely but in practize of pietie also But whereas ye would haue them to teache that the force of sinne is not as yet extinguised through the bloud of Christ I doe expresse here your owne wordes This is onely your horrible and most shamelesse slaūder agaynst them For vnto this marke alwayes they bent their whole endeuour to expresse vnto you Iesu Christ liuely before your eyes the same also crucified to emprint throughly in the very bowels of your soules the most precious bloud of Iesu Christ shed for vs vpon the Crosse to preach vnto vs remission of sinnes through his bitter death and passion to beate into the blind and deafe eares of the world this glad tydyngs of the Gospell beyng ouerwhelmed oppressed by your couled generatiō massemongers confessours and mens traditions altogether choaked buried vnder grounde through the silence of holy Scriptures and to disclose agayne abroad into the open light and put miserable captiues in remembraunce of the sayd doctrine beyng vtterly subuerted by the tyrannous trechery of your gallauntes And therfore in all their sermons lessons and writynges they vsed these and such like speaches The bloud of Iesu Christ doth clense vs frō all sinne You do know that you were redemed from your vayne conuersation which you receaued by the traditiō of your forefathers not with transitorie thyngs as gold and siluer but with most precious bloud as of an vndefiled lambe c. neither whoremōgers nor worshippers of images nor adulterers c. shall inherite the kingdome of God And such ye were but you are clensed but you are sanctified but you are iustified through the name of Iesu Christ and through the spirite of our God You heare men clensed from all sinne redeémed from their vayne conuersation washed sanctified and iustified through the bloud of Iesu Christ Ye know likewise that these men did take vpon them alwayes infinite labours and trauaile about the establishyng and enlargyng of the Gospell of Christ
assured and reioyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5. Where is that accesse with confidence and boldenesse through fayth in him Ephe. 3. Where is that accesse to the throne of grace with assured Affiaunce Hebr. 4. To what ende doth our Lord so oft in the Gospell encourage vs to conceaue couragious boldnesse vsing this reason That he alone had ouercome the world for the behofe of all people Iohn 16. If as yet euery one of vs must be enforced to purchase to him selfe the victory by his owne endeuour Where is that fulnesse of ioye in the holy Ghost If employeng our seruice after the maner of bonde seruauntes not as children we must lyue vnder the law and hope to attayne the possession of our inheritaunce as a rewarde of our workes and not thorough freé adoption rather Where is then that Spirite of Adoption cryeng in our hartes Abba Father Wherof S. Paule doth so oftentymes make mention or if you be not yet satisfied with these sentences what aūswere shall we make to Esay the Prophet Where he foresheweth euerlasting ioye vnto them which beyng redeemed by Christ are cōuerted in Syon Where is that cherefulnesse of hart Comfort in steede of mournyng glory in steede of Ashes the oyle of gladnesse in steede of the spirite of sadnesse Promised in the behalfe of the Messias that was yet to come More ouer where the same Prophet doth wonderfully commende the feéte of those which should preach peace to the people what other thyng els doth he note in these wordes then that most excellent glory of the Churche which should aboundauntly flow through affiaunce of the Mediatour vpon all that should beleue on him what meaneth that chearefull Prophecie of Ieremie concernyng the commyng of the Messias and the comfortable consolation of the Gospell to come In those dayes sayth hee Iuda shal be saued and Israell shall dwell with confidence Agayne the same Prophet And I will make them to dwell in Sauetie Whereunto accordeth likewise the saying of the Prophet Ezechiel who prophecying of the raysing vp of a Shepheard and of the blessednesse of that age euen in the same phrase of speache almost doth promise That it should come to passe that men should dwell and rest in securitie without all feare c. Now remayneth to learne of you Osorius what this sayeng to dwell in securitie without all feare doth emporte whiche for as much as your selfe will not confesse to haue relation to the fleshe then it must follow of necessitie that we interprete the same to bee spoken of the Spirite But in what sorte shall it appeare that this saying must bee applyed to the confidence of the Spirite whenas ye shall defraude the Christian fayth of assurednesse of Affiaunce as though ye would dispoyle the world of the benefite of the Sunne Finally what certeinetie of confidence shall remayne if the same doe depende as you say wholy vpon workes and not vpon fayth of the promise freé mercy of him that doth make the promise If you graunt thereunto one of those two ye must neédes confesse either that you ought to obteyne so much by the vprightenes of your workes as shall aūswere and satisfie the Iudgement of God which you can neuer doe or els that the variablenesse of your mynde shall alwayes stagger hether and thether in perpetuall amazed vncerteinetie Doe ye not perceaue Osorius into what streightes this your Diuinitie forceth you Goe ye to therfore Maister Tertullus thinke with your self whether of you two either Luther or Osorius with your Tullianisme doe more stiffely maintaine the doctrine of Desperation Surely S. Paule will teach you a lesson farre vnlike this who abrogatyng all cōfidence in workes which is none at all or at the least most vnassured doth cōclude all thynges vnder fayth onely Therefore through fayth sayth hee that it may be knowen to proceede accordyng to grace That thereby the promise may be assured to the whole seede And wherefore I pray you so through fayth forsooth bycause if the proportion of affiaunce must bee measured by the deseruynges of our workes It is so farre of that any man may possibly conceaue neuer so litle hope of saluation that he shal be forced rather to procure vnto him selfe a headlong downfall into the bottomles gulfe of Desperation And therfore S. Paul discoursing vpō both sortes of righteousnesse aswell of that of the law as that other of fayth after that hee had very exquisitely distinguished the one from the other bycause of the mutuall contrarietie or disagreément betwixt them wherewith they do varie eche from other doth conclude at the length That the Principall substaunce of the whole matter dependeth vpō fayth wholy accordyng to grace And wherfore accordyng to grace verely bycause hauyng abandoned all the righteousnes that commeth by the law which worketh indignation and therfore engendreth vncerteinetie the soule might be established in Grace takyng holdfast of the promise through fayth might attende for nothyng els from whence she should conceaue any other assurednesse of hope to attayne euerlastyng lyfe For as it is an vsuall custome amongest men earnestly to awayte for due performaūce of these thynges that are promised so contrariwise such thyngs as are graunted conditionally are then neuer till then assured but when the conditions are obserued Now if the conditions were such as might bee throughly accomplished accordyng to that absolute perfection of fulnesse wherewith they are limited thē no doubt the law were of it selfe effectuall enough to Saluation For hee that doth keepe the Commaundementes shall lyue by them But as the case standeth now for as much as we are all will we nill we subiect to the breache of the law and that no creature can bee founde whiche dare affirme him selfe able to performe all the conditions annexed to the law of God that I may be so bold to place your Maistershyp one of the number then must we all of necessitie seéke the meanes of our Saluation not from the law but from somewhere els bycause this eternall lyfe must be ascribed to an other mans death and not to our lyfe neither after the opinion of our workes but vnto the freé mercy of God Whiche doth onely ouercome when hee is Iudged Wherein for examples sake let vs heare how Dauid him selfe though neuer so well beloued of God doth as it were tymorously humble him selfe in his prayers beseéchyng God that he will not enter into Iudgement with his seruaūt And where with was hee dismayed I pray you Bycause sayth he no fleshe shal be Iustified in thy sight If so be then this so noble a Kyng and worthy a Prophet standyng to be arrayned before almightie God durst not commit the protectiō of his cause to the deseruyngs of his workes shall then Osorius or Hosius dare bee so bold to doe it We read what remayneth in Recorde of Barnarde beyng otherwise a
prayseworthy man that when her foresawe the ende of his lyfe to approche and that he was then Summoned to appeare before the Iudgement seate of the eternall God that he began to expresse a wonderfull fearefulnesse and to bee very much dismayed in his mynde whom as his frendes standyng about him would haue recomforted and encouraged to cheare him selfe with confidence of the good lyfe that hee had lead in deéde sayth he I perceaue I may seéme to bee in such estimation amongest you but I feare me least the Iudgement of God is farre vnlike the Iudgement of men Truely this was aptly remembred of Barnarde Who albeit knew it well enough before paraduenture yet as then beyng at the pointe of death he perceaued much more effectually Euen as we seé to haue chaunced to many others of this Popishe brood Who though they delite and flatter them selues neuer so much in the glory of their merites and vprightnesse of their workes yet when death knocketh at the doore of their consciences and willeth them to bidde adiew to the worlde then forthwith castyng away all trust of merites and as it were accordyng a recantation of the doctrine they shrowde them selues wholy in the death of Christ and hereupon fasten the chiefest shooteanker of sauety as it were in the most assured hauen of perfect blessednesse Whereby you may vnderstand ye Porting all Prelate how all that your frame of righteousnesse which you builded vpon the deseruynges of workes is vnioynted and shaken in peéces the force wherof was neuer yet of such efficacie and valew in any creature as could not onely not abyde the incomprehensible vnmeasurablenesse of Gods Iudgement but also bee so wholy appalled at the encouÌ„tryng of death that it can not endure the sight thereof but must neédes yelde as throughly vanquished Moreouer sithence this place offereth it selfe to debate of vertues I would wish you to coÌ„sider aduisedly with your selfe what that wellknowen saying of Augustine doth purporte and how farre it doth dissent from this your contentious quarell of righteousnesse whereas treatyng of vertue and charitie he speaketh in this wise Uertue sayth he is a kynde of charitie wherewith we loue that thing which ought to be beloued This charitie appeareth more in some in others lesse in some also nothyng at all But the fulnes thereof whiche can not be increased whiles man liueth in this world was neuer seéne in any for as loÌ„g as it may be encreased truely all what soeuer is lesse then ought to be will admitte a supply commeth of default through which default all flesh can not be Iustified in his sight wherein pause a whiles I pray you with me debate throughly with your selfe whether if that charitie whiche is in Christâ—ans though it be neuer so apparauntly discernable yea after their regeneration also be lame and defectiue what may be thought of them in whom scarse appeareth any meane resemblaunce thereof but what shal be iudged of your selfe Osorius chiefly amongest all other in whom not one sparcke so much of true charitie nor any iote so much of humanitie can be seéne in so much that who so shall read those Inuectiues of yours may easely coniecture that he heareth not the modestie of Osorius a Christian Byshop but rather some Tragicall Orestes furiously ragyng vpon some Stage But to returne to Augustine of whose iudgement in Diuinitie I know not how well Osorius will allow truely what small accoumpt he made of the worthynesse of our righteousnesse he could neuer haue more vehemeÌ„tly vttered then in these wordes wee be to the most vpright life of maÌ„ sayth he if God examine the same settyng mercy aside In like maner Gregory doth very litle varie from Augustine in wordes though nothyng in sence But altogether dissenteth from you Osorius where expoundyng the sayeng of Iob in their Chapter videl Man can not bee iustified beyng compared to God The holy man sayth hee doth perceaue that all the deseruynges of our best workes are faultie if they be wayed in the righteous ballaunce of the iust Iudge And by and by in the xi Chapter as it were redoublyng the selfe saying of Augustine Bycause sayth he if excludyng mercy workes be examined the lyfe of the most righteous wil be founde to folter and faynte vnder the burthen of Sinne. Hereunto may be annexed the consent of Barnarde of whom we made mention before worthy to be noted touchyng the same matter Who makyng a long discourse of the vnrighteousnesse of mans righteousnesse demaundeth a question at the last of what valew all our righteousnesse may be in the sight of God Shall it not be reputed filthy sayth he lyke vnto a foule menstruous clothe according to the saying of the Prophet and if strickte and narrow examination be made therof shall not all our righteousnesse be fouÌ„de vnrighteous nothyng worthe at the last as though the matter were confessed and without all coÌ„trouersie he coÌ„cludeth saying And what shall become then of sinne whenas righteousnesse it selfe hath nothyng to alledge for defence For as much therefore as it is so and that this doctrine is so manifold so manifest confirmed by so many and so famous Authours emprinted in holy writte allowed with so many inuincible testimonies of sacred Scripture published by the approued writynges of the best learned interpretour established with the vnuanquishable authoritie of the holy Ghost ratified with the common consent of the auncient primitiue Church finally so manifestly knowen by experience of all ages where is then that haynous crime that cruell offence that shameles trespasse and that intellerable facte as you say not to bee suffered in Luther Nay rather to speake as the truth is from wheÌ„ce or out of what puddle haue you sucked the shameles impudencie Osorius singular foolishnes vnmeasurable SycophaÌ„ticall rage frantique tragicall furye and so cruell and vnreasonable a custome of raylyng agaynst your Christian brethren without all cause or reason who haue rather deserued well theÌ„ euill at your handes I know not whether this proceéded from any cankred malice lurkyng within you or through corruption of your nature Sure I am that you neuer learned that insolencie out of holy Scriptures or out of the rules of the Gospell or by ensuyng the example of Christ and his Apostles or their mylde and curteous conuersation But perhaps Osorius hath determined with him selfe to leaue to the posteritie some especiall Iewell as a monument of his eloquence as Cicero did his Inuectiues called Phillipica c. Yea it had bene more coÌ„uenient for him to haue chosen some other Methode to treate vpon and farre more seémely to haue bent the rage of his penne agaynst some others rather then agaynst Luther Bucer and others the lyke For if he were willyng to confesse the truth simply what other doctrine doth Luther Bucer Haddon and all others who discourse vpon one selfe same Gospell teache then the very same matter that
S. Paule in so many his Epistles doth so earnestly enforce That is to say That we should ascribe all the hope of our saluatiō in Iesu Christ onely and in him alone repose all our whole ankerhold of righteousnesse not in our selues but in the sonne of God not in the law of workes but in the law of fayth not in the preceptes of godly lyfe as Augustine witnesseth but in the fayth of Iesu Christ not in the letter but in the spirite not in the merites of good deédes but in the mercy of God Finally after that sorte in his mercy that we should not accoumpt this mercy to be mercy at all accordyng to the saying of Augustine vnlesse it bee altogether freély geuen How now are Christiās now a dayes straighted in such brambles that it may not be lawfull to speake franckely in the congregatiō the selfe same which the Prophetes Apostles Christ him selfe the holy Ghost and the purest Authours of auncient antiquitie haue set downe in writyng but that the partie so doyng shal be forthwith detected as though hee practized to subuert all honestie and vertuous endeuour and shal be constrayned to pleade for him selfe as if he were arrayned a cōmō Barretour and had committed some haynous horrible and execrable fact more detestable then high Treason Neither are these all the crimes yet wherewith this Tertullian rayler doth rage in his raylyng but crawleth foreward by enceasing degreées of amplificatiō For beyng not satisfied to haue accused Luther as an vndermyner of all honestye and vertue to haue cutte in peéces the very sinewes of godly exercise and vertuous endeuour besides this horrible accusatiō he chargeth him also with a crime passing all measure intollerable And what is that Bycause sayth he hee doth wrest the mynde and wisedome of Paule to serue his owne lust And redoublyng the same agayne in other wordes bycause he will not seéme to be an vnskilfull Ciceronian hee addeth further And he doth abuse the testimonies of holy Scriptures to establish his owne vnshamefastnesse c. Where Syr I pray you For sooth in sundry places of the Apostle and especially in the Epistle written to the Romanes Wherein bycause it shall not onely bee conceaued in mynde but also perceaued by the viewe how disorderly Luther the Standard bearer of all heritiques and his Cabbenmate Haddon and all the counterfaites of this new Gospell haue alwayes hetherto in the interpretation of that Epistle gropyngly lyke nightowles lumpred in darkenesse Let vs all and euery of vs open our eyes eares now and lysten to this new starte vp Prophet whiles this our most elegant Tertullus sittyng at high deske may instruct vs all blockyshe Asseheades and as it were an other Archymenides with lyne vpon the sande chalke vs out a way and set vp some speciall markes whereby we may finde out the lyuely naturall sence mynde and meanyng of that Epistle And first of all concernyng the Gentiles bycause he may begyn with them as Paule doth he sayth that it is euident enough that they were enlightened with a singular gift of nature endued with excellent vnderstādyng adorned and beautified with wonderfull ornamentes of Nature Who hath euer denyed this Goe to what followeth hereof Wherefore for asmuch as this so great force of nature excellencie of vnderstandyng knowledge in learnyng yea so great worthynesse of reason and capacitie could auayle nothyng at all with the Gentiles to perfect and righteous liuyng for they did exceede in all iniquitie and outragious lust thereby appeareth playnely that nature was voyde of all ayde and helpe to attayne the righteousnesse of eternall lyfe And this much by the waye touchyng the Gentiles From whom after the Apostle had remoued away all confidence whiche was vsually ascribed to the law of nature he turneth his speach forthwith to the Iewes And bycause the Iewes them selues did in lyke maner place their whole affiaunce in those shadowes and outward ceremonies The Apostle likewise yea more sharpely also inueyeth agaynst them declaryng that all those Ceremonies of the law and Ordinaunces prescribed by Moyses did profite them nothyng at all whereby they might bee any iote more restrained from running headlong into all kynde of wickednesse nothyng lesse enclined to all filthynesse of conuersation neither any myte lesse estraunged from vertuous endeuour then the prophane Gentiles whereby appeareth that the effect of Paules Conclusion tēdeth to this end To make this manifest that neither nature nor the Ceremonies of Moses law that is to say washyngs Sacrifices clensinges Circumcision and such like corporall ordinaunces with the cōfidence wherof that people did swell and were puft vp in pride did take away sinne or did any thyng at all auayle to righteousnes By this discourse of Osorius I doubt not gentle Reader but that thou doest sufficiently vnderstand if thou bee of any capacitie what the meanyng of Paule and the whole sence and disposition of his doctrine in this Epistle to the Romanes doth purporte accordyng to Osorius his Diuinitie That is to say That we may learne how that we may not hope for any ayde towards our Saluatiō frō nature or any ordinaūces of the old law which beyng graūted it remaineth further to learne out of this Oracle of our great Maister from whence we ought at length to seéke for the true way of Saluation and in what poynt it chiefly consisteth forsooth in righteousnes saith he that is to say as Osorius doth define it In Eschewyng sinne and earnestly embracyng all godlynesse vertue and pietie vnto the which righteousnesse onely we ought to referre all surety and ankerhold of our saluation And hereupō is coyned a new Oracle not from Delphos in Boeotia but forged by Osorius in the wildernes of Syluain worthy to be Registred to eternitie of all people and tounges For righteousnesse onely sayth he doth reconcile God to mankynde The man hath spoken This mystery beyng exquisitely piked out of the hiddē mysteries of Diuinitie sithence Osorius requireth so earnestly to be graunted him without contradiction what shall become of that Fayth onely wherewith those Lutheranes and Bucerans do prattle so much them selues to be iustified by Nay rather what shall become of any Fayth at all Osorius if the onely righteousnesse of workes doe accomplish the absolute fulnesse of our Iustification Oingenious head and wonderfull deépe conclusion framed through conference of reasons and apt application of the middle proposition with the first and Clarckely concludyng and shuttyng vp the same into one knotte together Unlesse this our deépe Deuine had cunnyngly culled this Argument out of the closet of the Popes own breast as out of some horsepoole within whose bosome all knowledge of God and man is enclosed or vnlesse this Endymyon had soundly snorted in Aristotles Ethickes as it were in the hill Parnassus can any man doubt whether hee could euer haue bene able so happely to haue pearced into the inward and hidden meanyng of the Apostles
feareth that if God behold his workes he shall finde more offences then merites and if he shall deale with vs accordyng to our desertes he shall finde nothyng in vs but damnable Ierome doth so call vs backe froÌ„ all confidence in our deédes that he boldly pronounceth that if we coÌ„sider them in their own nature we should vtterly dispayre What and may it not be lawfull for Luther to vtter his mynde with Christ with the godly Prophetes with the holy Apostles with the learned auncient Fathers Are they commeÌ„ded in the old Gospell for that they spake well and shall Luther Melancthon Bucer and Caluinâ— be reproched in scoffyng wise with a new fouÌ„de name of new Gospellers bycause they thinke and speake the selfe same thyng that they did If Luther were such a kynde of felow as would take part with Epicure and would practize to let louse the reynes to voluptuousnes turning mens myndes vpsidowne and carry them away quyte from vertuous endeuour from loue of godlynesse from their duetie and honest trade of godly lyfe to lust and licentiousnesse and would place all mans felicitie in this corruptible body and the vayne ticklyng delightes therof it were not altogether from the purpose that ye speake Osorius nor you should be much blamed for makyng him companion with Epicure neither would I refrayne my penne so Christ helpe me but would inueigh agaynst him with all my power as sharpely as your selfe But peruse now all Luthers bookes searche sift consider and ponder all Luthers writynges all his exhortations his doctrine his Lessons his Sermons and all his imaginations yea prye narrowly into his lyfe and conuersation if you can shewe out of all these I will not say one place or example but one worde or sillable so much which doth sounde agaynst the loue and practize of vertue which may seéme to rende the sinowes of righteousnesse and holynesse or breéde dislikyng to the embracyng therof or which doe bruyse the fruites of good workes weaken serious trauaile breake of honest industry or hinder godly enterprises from doyng well or by any maner of meanes doe extenuate the feare due to the lawes of God and man Finally where he may seéme to thinke lesse then may bee seéne a perfect Deuine or behaue him selfe more dissolutely in his maners theÌ„ he resembleth in honest iudgement Nay rather if he do not employ all the care possible to rayse vp all men in euery place to the dewe feare of Gods law to true obedience and to all honest conuersation and earnestly emprinte into the sight and myndes of all men the renowne dignitie and worthynesse of vertue picâ—e and godlynes you shall haue the Conquest But euen the same thyng say you Epicurus did I confesse that to be true Osorius which ye reporte of Epicurus and which you haue very finely pyked out of your M. Cicero Who doth deny in his thyrd booke of Tusculane questions That Epicurus was Authour of any voluptuous sentences and with all sayth that he vttered many and soudry notable sayinges seémely enough for a true Philosopher But what doe ye conclude hereof Epicurus doth commende vertue in some place Luther doth also the lyke Ergo Luther is an Epicurean Why doe ye not also conclude agaynst S. Paule that hee is an Epicurean bycause he doth also the selfe same thyng O rare and singular sharpe witted Chrisippus whiche if had not altogether beéne nooseled in his old Gospell could neuer haue knitte such knots together of meére particular propositioÌ„s neither would this woÌ„derfull Logician haue euer coupled Luther with Epicurus But bycause Osorius hath borowed this Argument out of Cicero we will open his iugglyng boxe in fewe wordes and first of all shew what Cicero speaketh next how west this CiceroniaÌ„ doth agreé with Cicero And first as concernyng Cicero Whenas he maketh meÌ„tion of Epicurus senteÌ„ces he doth not reprehend the quicknesse and nymblenes of his witte but rather prayseth him therfore onely he noteth the scope and end of his doctrine Neither doth he condeÌ„ne those senteÌ„ces which Epicurus spake well but bycause he did so define chief Felicitie as though it coÌ„sisted onely in voluptuousnes herein he founde fault with him and not without cause For Epicurus amongest other his sayinges wrate in this maner That mans lyfe could not be pleasaunt if it were not ioyned with vertue he denyed that fortune was of any such force as to apall the courage of a wise man That the meane lyfe of the poore was better then the riche He denyed also that there was any wise man but the same was also happy Truely all those sayings are worthely spoken by him as Tully him selfe reporteth Now let vs see what Argument our Ciceroes Ape will shape out of all this And Luther sayth hee doth offer the same order perhappes exhorte his Auditory in his writyngs and Sermons to the same dueties of lyfe c. If Luther doe so Osorius he doth very well What then will you finde fault with this No but as Epicurus disputyng sometymes gloriously of vertue did notwithstandyng with his preceptes vtterly wipe away vertue euen with lyke craftie conueyaunce Luther doth subuerte and ouerthrowe all dueties of vertue and godlynesse Speake out Parrotte in what place doth Luther subuerte the dueties of vertue Where doth hee blotte out honesty and godly carefulnesse of good men May this be tollerable in you with slauÌ„ders and lyes to deface the good name of a man that neuer deserued it who is also dead to condemne his writynges after you haue geuen him a most cruell wounde to be so voyde of all reason as to be vnable to alledge one Title one place one sillable so much of iust accusation wherfore ye should so do Nor make your slaunderous reproches to carry any shew of truth let vs throughly peruse the begynnynges of Luthers doctrine the proceédyng and dayly increasinges therof let vs sift out the ende and the whole course and purporte of his proceédyng what doth he forth with plucke vp the rootes of vertue which abateth the Affiaunce of mans workes and ascribeth all our saluation to the onely bountie and mercy of God Which doth likewise affirme that the workes of the Saintes in this world if they be examined to the vttermost pricke are not able to counteruaile Gods wrath nor satisfie his iudgement but preacheth that of all partes they neéde mercy directyng vs in the meane whiles to the true marke of assured Confidence is this man to be coupled with Epicurus as though hee should be Authour of the ouerthrow of all honesty or rather shal he be adiudged a good Phisition of the Soule as one that doth minister wholesome medicine agaynst poysoned errours But you will inueigh to the contrary That if that maner of doctrine be admitted wherof Luther is Authour then will all studious care of pietie decay and hauocke will bee made of all godly endeuour and licentious liberty will be
made free for all estates In deéde this may happely chaunce amoÌ„gest some persons for what caÌ„ be so well spoken at any tyme or so circumsplectly handled but that the malice of the wicked will take thereof euill occasion to wrest to their filthy lust So in the tyme of Paules preachyng there wanted not peruerse people which in like maner tooke occasion to slaunder his doctrine with his owne wordes videl Let vs doe euill that good may come thereof There were also some whiche were not ashamed to say that Paule did destroy the law did geue to much scope to libertie Of that kynde of people Peter doth coÌ„playne which with sinister deuises practized to wrest Paules writyngs crookedly to their own confusioÌ„ Shall not good men therfore frequent his Epistles Euen by the same Reason Osorius let not flowers grow in the spryng tyde bycause the Spyder doth aswell sucke poyson out of them as the Beés matter to make theyr honnycombe But if so bee that when good men doe geue vertuous and necessary exhortation of those thynges whiche they do thinke worthy to be embraced accordyng to their duety and profession of their fayth wicked men in the meane space starte vp betwene whiche will abuse the same good thynges to their owne destruction is this the fault of the teacher or rather the fallax of the accident as Logicians do terme it Many persons say you do take occasion of wicked confidence and vnpunishable libertie through that new Gospell of Luther But many on the contrary part do receaue froÌ„ the same very comfortable consolation and finde them selues thereby to be much more pricked foreward to pursue godlynesse with more carefulnesse If Luther teach the truth shall not his doctrine therfore be published bycause wicked men doe abuse it But if you thinke his Assertions to be erronious Why do not you O Thales I pray you vouchsafe to prescribe as becommeth the fulnesse of your wisedome some pretie rules of sounder doctrine whereunto Luther might more safely haue directed his opinions I beleue that he should by your aduise haue associated him selfe with the Schoolemen and Monckes and with that sacred InquisitioÌ„ of Spayne and vsed these kyndes of speaches videl That the kyngdome of heauen is a due reward for our good workes if it were not we should otherwise be vncerteine thereof Bycause that which is of duetie is most assured but that proceédeth from mercy is vncerteine Or els ye will require perhappes that he should teach vs as your Hosius doth preach who doth affirme that euerlastyng Saluation is obteyned by deseruinges proceédyng from the grace of God Or els as our Osorius doth Who calleth faith onely to be onely rashnesse boldly pronounceth that all the meanes and worthynesse of our Saluation consisteth in righteousnesse not that righteousnesse whiche we receaue by imputation from Christ through fayth but that same which euery maÌ„ maketh peculiar to him selfe by his owne purchase through workes Or els as the Schoolemen of your old Gospell do professe who bablyng very much about Iustification haue decreéd at the length that it must be taken two maner of wayes one way which is obteyned before any workes be done through grace geuen freély as they say as in Infantes beyng Regenerated by Baptisme The other in elder yeares through great store and perfectioÌ„ of workes That is to say through the resistyng of the froath enticementes of sinne dayly subduyng therof which they call in their phrase of speach Grace making acceptable or acceptyng Grace And although good workes doe not bryng to passe that first Iustification yet they do geue the second maner of Iustifieng the grace of God workyng together with the same which doth minister strength sufficient as well to worke stoutly as to striue agaynst the very stynges and prickes of the flesh effectually so that it may not onely be possible to lyue cleare froÌ„ deadly sinne but also to atteine to be Iustified peâ— Congruum Condignum You knowe well enough these fayre flowers Osorius if I be not deceaued and glorious speculatioÌ„s of your old Diuinitie Whiche how agreably seéme to accorde with your old Gospell I know not Sure I am that Christ neuer knew this Gospell the Apostles neuer taught it nor the EuaÌ„gelistes no nor the approued auncient Catholicke Fathers had euer any smatche thereof Nay rather Christ Paule the Apostles and EuaÌ„gelistes and auncient Doctours of the Church when soeuer they treated of Saluation and of lyfe euerlastyng do endeuour nothyng more seriously theÌ„ that seueryng our workes from the cause of Iustification altogether they might dispoyle vs wholy of Confidence of our owne sauetie and so referre vs ouer to the onely mercy of God who onely geueth the kyngdome of heauen not for any our deseruynges but for his promise sake onely But we haue sayd enough herein Let vs now proceéde to other cauillatioÌ„s of this troublesome trifler though it be somewhat greéuous and as neare as we may if we caÌ„ not all yet let vs briefly and orderly cut of the toppes of them There is no man that will geue him selfe to any good workes if he haue once heard Luther for his Schoolemaister c. Whereas Luther doth not take vpon him the person of a Schoolemaister nor hath challenged to him selfe the dignitie of high deske nor euer taught any Schooles of new factioÌ„s nor euer lead any trayne of Scholers but amoÌ„gest other Christians followed alwayes Christ the common Schoolemaister And was neuer knowen to haue vttered any other doctrine theÌ„ that whiche he receaued of Christ what should moue this quarellsome Docâ—or to reproch him with this enuious title of maister Many good and vertuous men haue heard Luthers preachyng but no man as I suppose acknowledged him for his Maister For that neéded not for through all Christendome in Uniuersities and common Schooles are whole droues of Maisters scattered abroad as though they dropped out of the Troiane horse Whom we doe heare also wheÌ„ they teach what they teach I will not here stand to discusse nor I make any estimate thereof The Christians did sometymes heare the Scribes and Phariseés teachyng in Moyses chayre neither doth the Apostle forbyd vs But that may take a tast of all doctrines but pet so tast them as we hold fast nothyng but that which is good If Luther teach any doctrine of his owne imaginatioÌ„ him selfe refuseth to be beleued therin but if the teach the doctrine of Christ and those thynges which he hath sucked out of the sweéte iuyce of Christes Gospell I beseeche you Syr doth he therfore professe him selfe a Maister to Scholers or a Scholer rather to his Maister Christ And therfore this scornefull title of schoolemaister wherewith ye reproche him is a scoffe more fitte for a common Rufâ—ian then a Deuine surely altogether vncomely and vnseémely for a Byshop But whereas ye pronounce that Luthers Auditory haue not geuen them selues to
Onely Now chuse you therfore one of these two whiche ye will whether we shall adiudge Chrisostome a Lutheran bycause he trusteth to Fayth Onely or your selfe an execrable Iewe which set your Confidence vpon workes Agayne the same Chrisostome in other place makyng a Commentary vpon the Epistle to the Ephes. vseth the selfe same exclusiue word By Fayth onely sayth hee shall Christ saue the offendours of the law And bycause ye shall know his meanyng perfitely not the offendours of the ceremoniall law but of the same law namely which was endited by the finger of God in the most sacred Tables conteinyng the tenne Commaundementes Adde also hereunto the saying of the same Doctour in his fourth Homely vpon the Epistle to Timothe What thyng is so hard to beleue as that such which are enemies and sinners not Iustified by the law nor the workes of the law obteined forthwith to be placed in the chiefest dignitie of merite through Faith Onely c. We haue recited a litle before the wordes of Basile vpon the Sermon De Humilit so that it neédeth no further rehearsall where in expresse speach excludyng from maÌ„ the glory of his own righteousnes he doth testifie that we are euery of vs Iustified by fayth onely in Christ Iesu. I might cite his owne wordes agayne vpon the 32. Psalme as effectuall as the rest where he describyng a perfect man doth describe him to be not such a one as trusteth to his own good deédes but such a one as reposeth all his whole confidence in the onely mercy of God In like maner also Theophilact Now doth the Apostle sayth he declare euidently that very Fayth Onely is of power to Iustifie And by any by he citeth the Prophet Abacuc as most credible witnesse thereof Briefly what shall we thinke that those auncient Fathers of the purer age and primitiue Churche dyd determine therof Whenas Thomas Aquinas him selfe chief champion of this Sinagogue of Schoolemen being otherwise in many thynges a very wrongfull and false interpretour Yet vanguished herein with the manifest truth was enforced no lenger to dissemble in this questioÌ„ of Fayth Onely For in his thyrd lesson vpon the first Epistle to Timothe the 3. Chap. disputyng of the law and concludyng at length that the wordes of Paule did not apperteine to the ceremoniall law but vnto the Morall law There is not sayth he any hope of IustificatioÌ„ but in Faith Onely and arguyng agaynst Osorius of set purpose as it were he citeth to this effect the testimonie of S. Paule We suppose sayth the Apostle that man is Iustified by Fayth without the workes of the law Rom. 3. I am not yet come to this pointâ— to discusse how true this doctrine of Luther is touchyng Iustification by Fayth Onely But whether this doctrine was erected first by Luther And I trust I haue sufficieÌ„tly proued that it began euen from the first age of the primitiue Church and in the very dawnyng of the Gospell and hath bene so deliuered ouer from the most auncient writers and continued vnshaken euen vntill our age so that no man neédeth hereafter to geue credite to Osorius makyng so shamelesse a lye vpon this doctrine of Fayth Onely Iustifieng And this much hetherto concernyng Luther I come now to that point wherein Osor. did likewise shamefull belye Paule And what doe I heare now Osorius Doth Paule as you say so promise the inheritaunce of the heaueÌ„ly kyngdome to them which worke good deedes and not to them also whiche rest vpon fayth onely That is to say Which haue reposed all their affiaunce in Iesu Christ onely How shall we conceaue this where finde you this and how doe ye enduce vs to beleue this out of the Epistle as I thinke to the VtopeÌ„ses Looke there Reader at thy bestleysure for Osorius was at good leysure to lye but had no tyme at all to confirme his lye But he alledgeth somewhat I suppose out of the Epistle to the Gallat 5. Chapt. That is to say that the Apostle doth threaten vtter banishement from the kyngdome of God to the wicked and haynous sinners which yeld them selues ouer wholy to all filthynesse of sinne This truely is a true saying of the Apostle Who denyeth it But what doth Osorius in the meane space gather hereof Forsooth bycause the horrible wickednesse of men doth exclude those persons from the kyngdome of God which are endued with a false fayth onely or none at all rather hereof doth he conclude his Argument by opposition of contraryes That life euerlastyng is promised to the good and vertuous workes of men O clownishe Coridon But we are taught by the rules of Logicke that if a man will frame a good Argument of coÌ„traries hee must bee first well aduised that those propositions which are appointed for contraries must dissent and disagreé eche from other by equall and proportionable degreés Wherby it is cleare that this is not a good consequent The silthy lyfe of the wicked doth exclude men from the inheritaunce of euerlastyng habitations Ergo the honest and vpright lyfe doth obteine euerlastyng habitations And why is this no good Argument bycause the propositions â—oe not agreé together in proportionable qualitie The offences that are committed by vs are of their own nature of all partes vnperfect euill purchase to them selues most iust daÌ„natioÌ„ But on the contrary part our good and verâ—uous deédes yea beyng most perfectly accoÌ„plished by vs want yet alwayes somethyng to absolute perfection and of their owne nature are such as rather stand in neéde of the mercy of God then may deserue any prayse in the sight of men To the same ende spake Bernarde very fittely Our righteousnesse is nothyng els then the indulgence of God But here commes yet an other place of S. Paule out of the whiche this wylde wiffler may rushe vpon vs with his leaden dagger not altogether so blunte and rustye herhaps The wordes of the Apostle a Gods name in the second to the Romaines Not the hearers of the law onely but they that performe the law in their lyfe and conuersation shal be accompted righteous before the IudgemeÌ„t seat of God c. To auÌ„swere briefly I will gladly allow that which this enemy to Paule doth obiect out of Paule so that hee will not in like maner refuse the the whole discourse of the Apostle and ioyne the first with the last For the whole Argument of the Apostle in those iij. Chap. is concluded in this one Sillogisme All men shal be rewarded with the coÌ„mendatioÌ„ of true righteousnesse God him selfe witnessing the same whosoeuer be able with their owne workes to accomplish the whole law published in the tenne Tables and commaunded by God to be kept absolutely as the law requireth But there is no liuyng creature whether he be a Iewe and is ruled by the law of the tenne Tables or a Gentile and lyueth after the law of nature
Onely fayth doth not Iustifie This conclusion is altogether false and the subteltie therof transposed frō that which is not the Cause to ȳe which ought to be the Cause In deéde the inheritaunce of heauē is geuen to them which doe good deédes but not in respect of those good deédes whiche they doe But there is a certeine other thyng whiche doth both Iustifie the persons the good workes of the persons also That is to say which doth make the persons and the workes good also And therfore you do confounde those thyngs very vnskilfully which ought of necessity haue bene distinguished If you will make this the grounde of the question to enquire of what behauiour those persons ought to be whiche are called to the inheritage of euerlastyng lyfe Luther will neuer deny but that they ought to be such as must be conuersaūt in this world godly holy vnblameable as much as may be possible But if the state of the question tende to this end to shew what maner of thyng amongest all the good giftes of God that one thyng is in vs whiche doth procure our Iustification in the sight of God Luther will boldly pronounce that is Fayth Onely yea and approue the same with inuincible testimonies of Gods scriptures Neither will Osorius deny it without great reproch of errour Afterwardes he proceédeth to his accustomed trade of lyeng Workes do follow fayth as the Lutherans say not bycause they prepare a way to saluation for they shall not of them selues be cyted to iudgement but bycause they are deriued from faith as by a certeine way of procreation for as the tree bryngeth forth fruite by force of nature so doth fayth of necessity engender good workes which both propositions are false Or els Osorius doth lye for that wanted to make vp the periode But go to let vs seé what those two false propositions be which the Lutheranes do teach The first is that workes do prepare no way for vs to obteine Saluatiō bycause of them selues they shall neuer be cited to Iudgemēt The second is That workes do follow fayth of necessitie none otherwise then as fruite by force of nature is engendred of the treé Upon these he hath geuen sentence that they are both false But what reason alledgeth hee thereto Forsooth bycause workes sayth he do either procure vnto vs Saluation or Damnatiō vndoubtedly And yet Osorius ceaseth not to keépe his old wōt to lye And hereof no mā ought to be in doubt but that our deedes shal be throughly examined apart by thē selues by Gods sharpe Iudgemēt Yea say you so Osorius What shall they stād apart by thē selues what naked vnclothed of all succour of Christ of the promise of mercy Go to what shal be come of fayth thē Shall she stād ◠the meanes whiles with her finger in a hole like a Mome in a corner vnprofitablye whiles mercy being banished mēs deéds shal by thē selues be arrained before gods iudgemēt seate If this be true why do we not rase scrape cleane out of all bookes that saying of S. Paule Not thorough the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to the greatnes of his mercy hath he saued vs For if saluatiō be yet to be measured by the law of workes to be wayed after that Standard of Iudgemēt what place thē remayneth for fayth or for mercy And by what meanes is that hādwrityng of the law blotted out by the Crosse and bloudsheadyng of Iesu Christ if as yet we be holden fast yoaked vnder the curse of the law and not deliuered by grace for what doth the law elles if we dare beleue S. Paul but engēder wrath and procure to be accursed not bycause the law is of it selfe vneffectual if it might be accomplished but bycause we are all vnprofitable seruauntes vnable to performe the law And for your part doe ye thinke any mans workes to be of such valew as beyng throughly examined after the vttermost exaction of Gods Iustice can either endure the immeasurable horrour of Gods wrathfull indignatiō or by any meanes escape it Surely Dauid that godly Kyng and great Prophet perceauyng that there was no mortall creature but was ouerpaised and pressed downe with this heauy burden and weight of Iudgement beseécheth of God nothyng more earnestly then that he would not way his seruaūt in the ballaūce of his Iudgement And therfore in an other place he addeth If thou examine our iniquities Lord who abyde it Of this mynde was he euen then when he was a most trusty seruaunt of God As for Osorius I know not whose seruaunt he is neither am I hereof any thyng Inquisitiue but what Lord soeuer he serue I doe not a litle marueile at this in what place of heauen this Gentlemā shall stand whenas his wordes deédes yea all his thoughtes when so many his lyes slaūders errours blasphemies reprochfull speaches furies impieties whiche as it were to discharge his gorge he hath belched out in his bookes without measure or end shall come forth into brightnesse of Iudgement and shal be seuerely measured by the playne and streight squyer of Gods exact Iustice But let vs now ponder by the rules of the Scriptures the pretie reasons taken out of the same whereupon hee buildeth his defence And first of all that sentence offereth it selfe vouched out of the mysticall Psalmes where the holy Ghost doth witnesse that God will render to euery man accordyng to his workes This sentence I suppose is to be foūde in the 62. Psalme for Osorius had no leysure to note the place And I know not whether him selfe euer cited the same out of the very founteines them selues or rather scraped it out of the mustie Ambry of Hosius sinisterly applyed by him there and so this Marchaunt would wrest the same crookedly to fitte his owne drift After this S. Paule is vouched of a witnesse but no place noted where the Apostle doth affirme that all men generally and euery of vs particularely shal be summoned to Iudgement where euery one shall render accompt of the life that he hath lead and receaue reward accordyngly You shall finde this in the second Chap. to the Romaines Hereunto is annexed an other testimony of the same Paule All shall appeare and be arraygned before the Iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receaue reward according to the deserte of his life and euery mans peculiar worke may bewayed and measured in the iust and vpright ballaūce of seuere Iudgement Where is this Osorius Thou must seéke for it Reader The place is extaūt in the second to the Corinth the v. Chap. Here withall is also coupled that faying of Christ with like vncited place They that haue done well sayth he shall come forth into resurrection of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of death He had many other places to this effect besides these saith he
persons are so much the more enflamed to embrace vertue by how much they finde them selues more bounde to Gods bountyfull mercy for as I vnderstand nature hath so prouided that fayth workyng by loue should alwayes be more effectuall thē the law constrainyng through feare If this rule of Paule can not yet be beaten into that bussardly braynes how that our déedes be voyde of all prayse and estimation teachyng you that all thyng is Sinne that is wrought without fayth Let Augustine yet preuayle somewhat with you Beléeue sayth he in him that doth Iustifie the wicked that thy good workes may proue good workes For I will not vouchsafe to call them good as long as they do issue from an euill trée And therefore our Sauiour him selfe recityng and rewardyng the good déedes of his faythfull doth not speake in this maner as though he spake generally Thou hast fedde the hungry Thou hast lodged the harbourlesse Thou hast refreshed the néedy and clothed the nacked but restrainyng all these thynges to the fayth which ought to be towardes him I was hungry sayth he and ye fedde me and I was naked and ye clothed me I was in miserie in chaines and emprisoned and you visited me and gētly refreshed me I was harbourlesse and ye refreshed me c. So that he regarded not so much the deédes them selues which are indifferently employed vpō the relief of the néedy as he esteémed the fayth which worketh those déedes for Gods sonnes sake his names sake Wherefore forasmuch as vpon this fayth dependeth not onely the Iustification of all mankynde but of all the actions of mans lyfe in the sight of God as vpon this onely roote and foundatiō what absurditie ensueth hereof to say That all our workes as of them selues their owne nature are filthy in the sight of God vnlesse they be sprinckled with the fayth bloud of the Mediatour Now these thyngs beyng agreéd vpon Let vs returne to the Argument of Osorius The fayth of Luther sayth Osorius can by no meanes yeld any good fruite Why so Bycause hee doth say that all our workes seeme they neuer so holy are infected and wholy defiled Go to and what more Ergo. No liuely fruites of good workes sayth hee can ensue from Luthers fayth for as much as all our doyngs are corrupt and sinneful as Luther him selfe witnesseth I do heare you aunswere you That the Antecedent is true but the consequent most salfe For to confesse that to be true which Luther hath most truly alledged that all our good deédes beyng viewed with the eyes of Gods Iustice without fayth and without the Mediatour are of them selues no lesse abhorred in the sight of God then wicked sinners yet is not Osorius conclusion therefore true that Luthers fayth is the wellspryng and seédeplot of all vngodlynes The reason therof is euident For whatsoeuer actiōs or endeuours of mās life are of their own nature blame-worthy the fault of the same proceédeth not from fayth but frō the poysoned corruption of our weake fleshe And therfore Luther agreéing very wel with Augustin cōmaūdeth to take hold-fast of fayth That our workes may thereby be made good workes For as much as whatsoeuer is not of fayth and is not onely not shielded vnder her protectiō deserueth not to be accompted for good but also after the testimony of Paule is esteémed in the sight of God no better then very sinne and offence This matter beyng confessed a mā may frame an Argumēt agaynst Osorius much more fitly after this maner For as much as the law in her proper effect cā do nothing but engender wrath and was for this purpose published that sinne should appeare much more sinnefull It followeth rather by Osor. doctrine who seémeth to mainteine with the whole bent of his skil the glory of the law that no good workes are engendred of the law but sinne rather as from whēce more plentyfull matter of wrath is raysed to our destruction But Luther handleth the matter farre otherwise all whose Diuinitie howe much the more carefully doth enseale vnto vs the fayth of Christ which is the onely mother and nourse of all vertuous deédes so much the greater encrease of good workes must of necessitie spryng by his doctrine And therefore as I suppose we haue handsomely enough for this tyme wrong out of Osorius his fingers this choakyng bone wherewith he hath kept all this sturre agaynst Luther and thrust it into his owne throate That Luthers fayth is the well spring seede plot of all wickednes but his faith the founteine of all vertue But here comes an other bolt out of the same quiuer as well made and as wisely shotte Let vs behold how neare the marke he shootes withall Agayne bycause Luther doth affirme that the force of lust is so strong that he beleeueth no man able to resiste it It is a common custome I perceaue amongest many persons to extenuate and despise boldly Originall sinne and that decay of nature in wordes but I could neuer finde any one that was able to suppresse and vtterly subdue the strength therof in deéde in this mortall lyfe except that onely man of whom it is written Whiche of you doth accuse me of sinne vnlesse we will couple this our Osorius next vnto him and make him his equall who with singular vnspeakeable courage doth fight agaynst nature so stoutely I thinke that no force of naturall corruptiō no entycementes of ticklyng lust can driue him from his state of innocencie But I will no more rippevp the lyfe and maners of Osorius I will examine the force and vigour of his Arguments and the vnioynted ioyntes and shiuered sinewes therof Luther doth deny that man in this lyfe is able to vanquishe the strength of sinne vtterly raignyng in the fleshe Ergo No good workes doe proceede from Luthers Fayth Why do ye not by the same Logicke conclude likewise Ergo There is nothyng in the world besides the Crowe that is blacke Nor any skill in the learned that is not in Osor. packe But go to let vs chaūge the names of men let the matter remayne And in place of Luther let vs vse the name of Paule Marke now as wise a reason or rather the very same onely the names of persons beyng chaunged Paule complainyng of the sinne which doth accosiber his flesh doth protest that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing Ergo No good workes are engēdred out of Paules fayth For what difference is there I pray you betwixt the wordes of Paule Luthers positiō if ye compare them together rightly whenas eche of them with vnelagreable assent haue relation to the selfe same vnuanquishable tyranny of Originall Sinne. But now let vs heare how necessarily this consequent must follow of this wonderfull reason wherewith hee would seéme to proue that Luthers fayth is the vtter subuertour of all good workes for in this wise crawleth forward that lyeng spirite out of
worke Nay rather let them vnderstand if they be the children of God that they are made plyable by Gods Spirite to doe the thynges that ought to be done and when they haue done so to yeld thankes to him by whom they were made to do so For they are made plyable bycause they should do something not bycause they should do nothing c. Which saying doth make euident vnto vs that eche of these two are to be founde in Freewill both that it is made to do when it doth well and agayne that it selfe also doth when it is made to do So that herein is no contrarietie at all but that it may both demeane it selfe by suffering and also by doing and to aunswere for Luther with Luthers owne wordes to witte after diuers and seuerall sortes and after the common phrase of speach in diuers and seuerall respectes For in respect of the worke it selfe whenas will occupyeth the place of an Instrument or toole it both doth is made to do euen as other tooles do in any matter whereunto they are applyed But if you haue relation to the efficient cause or workeman to whose vse it serueth in steéde of a toole in this respect the will of man demeaneth it selfe altogether sufferyngly as the which in respect of procuryng of Gods Grace from whence issueth all motion of good will it worketh nothyng at all but simply obeyeth suffereth For in any good worke what is mans will elles then an instrument of the holy Ghost voluntary in deéde bycause it is moued whether soeuer it is moued of her owne accord yet is it an instrument notwithstandyng bycause of thynges well done it is neither the cause it selfe nor any sparcke of the cause in respect of the worker but a seruaunt rather and a handmayde onely whose seruice the Spirite of God being the worker doth apply to do these things which it pleaseth him to haue to be done in vs for the accomplishyng wherof it ministreth no helpe at all as of her selfe But the Papisticall generation can not disgest this by any meanes to whom sufficeth not that Freewill shal be taken as an instrument or as it were a workeshoppe onely vnlesse it beare as great a stroke or rather with Gods Spirite workyng together with it nor doe they thinke it sufficient that the whole action of our Election and regeneration bee ascribed to the onely freé mercy of God vnlesse we also as felow workemē be coadiutours of this worke together with God For euen the same doe Osorius wordes emporte manifestly which folow in this wise Do ye not therefore perceaue sayth he by Paules owne wordes that Freewill is approued by his authoritie which Luther doth practise to ouerthrowe For to what ende would he haue called vs fellow workers with God if none of vs did further the worke that GOD worketh in vs to what purpose would he haue admonished vs to worke our owne Saluation if to do it were not in our owne power We are together Gods labourers as Paule reporteth 1. Corinth 3. Where I know that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie together labourers But what is this at the length to the purpose doe you not here playnly put the old Prouerbe in practize to witte I aske you for Garlicke and you offer me Oynyones I desire to borrow sickles and you lyke a churlishe neighbour deny that you haue any Mattockes How carefull the Apostles were in plantyng the doctrine of the Gospell we are not ignoraunt nor do deny And it is not to be doubted that Gods prouidence vsed them as most choyse instrumentes to addresse and husband his Uynearde yea and that not without singular profite But we make no enquiry here as now how much mans industry did bryng to passe by the outward preachyng of the word or whom it profited most but the question is here touchyng the fruite of inward cōuersion whether Freewill of her selfe do worke or not worke any furtheraunce towardes the embracyng of fayth towardes repentaūce towardes spirituall righteousnes towards attainement of Saluation and towardes the regeneration of lyfe So that the state of the question be now to witte Whether mās mynde and will beyng of the selfe same nature that it was when we were first borne be endued with any actuall or effectuall power able to worke together with Gods holy Spirite towardes the begynnyng of our conuersion and entryng into our godly consideration of good purposes and actions of inward obedience Wherein many writers doe vary in Iudgement and opinion yea that not a litle But Osorius propositiō alledged here of the Apostles together workers maketh nothyng to the purpose nor auayleth to the maintenaunce of Freewill a rushe For to admit that the Apostles were together workers with God yet that those same together workemē should be hypred to worke in this Uyneard and sent abroad into the Lordes haruest proceéded not of their owne voluntary motion or Freewill but of the freé Election and callyng of God onely Agayne this their Ministery as farre forth as concerneth their own persons euen then when they laboured most earnestly was extended no further then to the outward preachyng dispensation of the word for as touchyng the inward conuersion of the hearers nourishment of their fayth this was the onely worke of the holy Ghost and not of the Apostles Paule did plante Apollo did water But what doth this helpe to Freewill when as neither he that plāteth nor he that watereth are any thing at all but God onely who geueth the encrease And what is the reason then why they are sayd to bee nothyng Is it bycause he that plāteth and he that watereth and he that ploweth doth nothyng at all was Paule nothyng or did he not worke at all who beyng continually trauailyng is reported to haue laboured more then all the rest or shall we say that the rest of the Apostles did nothyng which did employ not their trauaile onely but shedd their bloud also in furtheryng the worke of the Gospell Yeas veryly wonderfull much if you respect the outward Ministery of Preachyng the word and their function But we doe enquyre of the inward operation of conuersion and the renewyng of the myndes which is the onely worke of God not of Freewill nor of mans outward endeuour Godly Preachers in deéde doe pearce into the eares of men with outward voyce set downe before them the wordes of fayth and truth And yet thus to do springeth not of their own Freewill but from the freé callyng of God whereby they are lead to do the same but to beleue the doctrine inwardly to become faithful hearers of the wholesome word is the onely worke of the holy Ghost who by secret inspiration doth dispose the myndes doth renew the hartes doth inspire with fayth finally of unwillyng doth make willyng so that here is no place left now for Freewill to challēge but that he onely possesse
punishement befalleth him sithence that first corruption bee suffreth it righteously and deseruedly For God is sayd to harden his hart whom hee will not mollifie so is hee sayd also to reiect him whom hee will not call and to blynd them whom he will not enlighten For whom hee hath Predestinate them hath he called c. 2. Moreouer after this withdrawyng of Grace this also followeth thereupon That God doth righteously minister occasioÌ„ of sinnyng in the wicked and reprobate and maruelously enclineth the hartes of men not onely to good but also to euill If we may beleue the testimony of Augustine Who in his booke De Libero Arbit Grat. alledgyng certeine testimonies out of the Apostle Where it is sayd that God gaue them vp to vyle affections Rom. 1. And agayne hee deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate mynde And in an other place Therfore God doth send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes By these and such lyke testimonies of Sacred Scriptures appeareth sufficiently that God doth worke in the hartes of men to bende encline and bow their willes whereunto him listeth either to good accordyng to the riches of his mercy or to wickednesse accordyng to their owne desertes to witte by his IudgemeÌ„t sometymes reuealed in deede and sometymes secret but the same alwayes most righteous For this must be holdeÌ„ for certeine and vnshaken in our myndes That there is no iniquitie with God And for this cause when ye read in holy writte that meÌ„ are deceaued or amazed or hardened in hart doubt hereof nothyng at all but that their sinnefull deseruyngs were such before as that they did well deserue the punishment that followeth c. The premisses considered and for as much as God doth vse the peruersenes of men will they nill they to these purposes endes whereunto he hath decreéd them may any maÌ„ be doubtfull hereof but that God ought not by any meanes be excluded from the disposing of sinnes 3. Besides this also whereas the holy Ghost misdoubteth not to speake in the Scriptures after this vsuall phrase of speach to witte That God doth harden mens hartes doth deliuer vp into reprobate myndes doth dazell with blyndnesse doth make eares deafe doth lead into error and such like How shall we say that sinnes doe happen now without God Albeit neither doe we say that God is therefore properly and simply the cause of wickednesse whenas we are of our selues more then enough the true naturall cause of wickednesse Be it therfore that the will of maÌ„ is the cause of sinne but seyng this will must of Necessitie be subiect to the will of God and be directed by the same surely it may not be lawfull to exclude God from the direction and disposition of sinnes If Osorius shall thinke him selfe not yet fully satisfied with this auÌ„swere he may be resolued agayne if he will with this That the whole cause of sinne is resiaunt in man him selfe and in his corrupt will but the cause wherfore sinne doth become sinne must be ascribed to Gods good ordinaunce in the one wherof is sinne and the punishment for sinne as Augustine maketh mention Out of the other affections be ordeyned that such affectioâ—s as be may be wicked which affections notwithstandyng are not in the guidyng cause it selfe but are by hym guided to some good purpose end of which doctrine let vs heare what August doth him selfe testifie professe It is out of all controuersie sayth he That God doth well euen in suffering all things whatsoeuer yea euen in the thynges that be wickedly done for eueÌ„ those he suffereth to be done not without his most iust Iudgement now whatsoeuer is iust the same is good surely Therfore albeit the thynges that are wicked in this respect that they are wicked be not good yet that not onely good be but euill also is neuertheles good For if it were not good that wickednes should be surely the almightie goodnes it selfe would by no meanes permitte it to be done who without doubt can as easely not permit the thynges that he will not as he caÌ„ easily do the things that be done If we do not firmely beleue this the grouÌ„dworke of our faith wherein we do coÌ„fesse that we do beleue in God the Father almighty is in great hassard For God is not called omnipoteÌ„t for any other cause in very deede but bycause he is able to do what he will the operatioÌ„ of whose Deuine will the will of no creature caÌ„ hinder or preiudice by any meanes at all c. This much Augustine And bycause I will not be tedious I argue vpon Augustines wordes in this wise Euery good thyng doth proceede from God as from the Authour and guider therof But it is good that wickednesse be Ergo God is the Author and directer that wickednesse commeth to passe But here some Iulian of Pelagius sect with him our Portingall Prelate Osorius will brawle and cauill That those deédes of wickednesse are committed through the sufferaunce of God forsakyng them and not by his omnipotent power workyng in theÌ„ meanyng hereby I am sure That God doth permit wicked thynges to be done in deéde but by his power forceth no man to doe wickedly Agaynst such persones Augustine doth mightly oppose hym selfe euen to their teéche prouyng those thynges to be done by Gods power rather then by his SufferauÌ„ce and for more credite voucheth a place of S. Paule Who knittyng those two together to witte Sufferaunce and Power writeth after this maner What and if God willyng to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen did suffer with long patience the vessels of his wrath prepared to destruction c. Rom. 9. Afterwardes produceth many examples reasons taken out here and there of the Propheticall Scriptures to make good his Assertion Achab was Deliued ouer to geue credite to the lyeng mouthes of the false Prophetes First in that he beleéued a lye you perceaue that he sinned Moreouer in that he was geuen ouer not without cause you conceaue the punishment of sinne I demaund of you now by whom hee was geuen ouer you will aunswere of Sathan neither will I deny it though it seéme rather that he was deceaued by him then deliuered ouer But goe to Who did send Sathan but he which sayd Go forth and doe so vnlesse Osorius do suppose that to send forth and to suffer be all one which besides him no man els will say I suppose By like Iudgement of God Roboam is sayd to be driuen to harken to sinister Counsell bycause he should refuse the counsell of the Elders And from wheÌ„ce came this I pray you but from him of whom it is written in holy writte For it was the ordinance of the Lord that he might performe his saying which he speake by the mouth of his Prophet 1. Kynges 15.12 The lyke must iudged of Amasias who had not fallen into that perill if he
before committed but Purpose concerneth thyngs to come preuenteth them Agayne if we must speake after the proper phrase of speache whatsoeuer is done by Iudgement must neédes be cōfessed to be righteously done according to deserte not accordyng to Grace But whereas the Election Predestinatiō of God which I think Osor. would gladly expresse by this word Purpose for this word Predestinatiō he dare scarse meddle withall as not worthy the finesse of a Ciceronian proceédeth from grace and not from workes by what meanes may any sentence be geuen vpon workes that were neuer done or how will Osorius say that Election commeth by Iudgement geuen vpon workes which Paule affirmeth to be ascribed to Grace freé mercy onely all merite of workes beyng excluded Hee sayth that in the euerlasting counsell of God all things which are which haue bene and which shal be are all as if they were presently in the sight of God so that in executing his iudgement he needeth not to regard the thinges thēselues I do confesse that all thinges whatsoeuer are be open and present to the foresight of God as if they were presently and openly done but what will Osorius conclude hereof vnto vs forsooth he doth conclude hereupon that God hath already determined according to the diuersitie of mens actions foreseéne by him before after this manner To witte That whome God doth foresee will cōtemptuously despise his benefites those he hath excluded from Paradise contrariwise whom God doth foreknow will behaue themselues in this lyfe dutifully and vertuously those he hath mercifully chosen to euerlasting lyfe as worthy of his mercy To impugne this crafty cauillacion I perceaue I shal be pestered not with Osorius alone but with Pelagius and with the whole troupe of the Pelagians for this hereticall schoole chattereth not vpon anye one matter more then in maynteining this one heresie But Paule alone shall suffice at this present to refell all the rable of them The force of the Argument tendeth to this ende at the last The wonderfull quicksited mynd of God did throughly perceaue euen from the beginning what manner of lyfe euery person would leade as well as if the view thereof had bene layed presently open before him Ergo Gods purpose was applyed according to the proportion of euery mans workes and life forseene of God before to choose the good to saluation and to iudge the wicked to damnation This argument is altogether wicked and tending altogether to Pelagianisme And the conclusion meerely opposite to the doctrine of S. Paule For if the difference of eternall election reiection do depend vpon workes foreseéne before Then doth the Apostle Paule lye who affirmeth that election is of Grace not of Workes Rom. 11. and agayne in the 9. Chapter of the same Epistle That the purpose of God might remayne according to election not of workes but of him that calleth What and shameth not Osorius to affirme that which the Apostle doth deny If it were expedient for me to ruffle Rhetorically agayne with a Rhetoriciane You seé Osorius howe great and howe champaine a plaine lyeth open for me to triumph vpon you and such crauēs as you are with lyke force in farre more weighty matter What tragicall exclamations could I bray out here what quartaine feuers what outrages frensies madnes dronkennes impieties impudencies yea what whole Cartloades full of raylinges and reproches frequented by you and pretely pyked out of your Cicero could I now throw back agayne into your teeth and spitt euen into your owne face But away with these madd outragies of rayling and this cāckred botch of cursed speakyng worthy to bee rooted out not of mens maners onely but to be razed out of the writinges bookes also of christians the contagious custome wherof being frequented by you to the noysome example of the worlde I do verily thinke vnseemely for the dignity whereunto you are aduaunced neyther would I wish any man to enure himself vnto the like after your example namely in the debating of so sacred a cause where the controuersie tendeth not to the reuēgement of iniury but to the discouery of the truth where skirmishe must be mayntayned and conquest purchased by prowesse of knowledge and Gods sacred scriptures and not by outrage of rayling And therefore to returne our treatise to the right tracke of the Scriptures leauing all bypathes aside the Apostle doth deny that election springeth out of workes What aunswere you to the Apostle Osorius you will vouch that old rotten ragge worne out to the hard stumps by your schoolemen to witte that the workes that were foreseene are the cause of predestination not those whiche are done but which are to be done for so doe the schoolemen expound and distinguishe it but this will be proued many wayes both friuolous and false by sundry reasons First if this be true which you did earst confesse and whiche Pighius doth euery where inculcate that of all thinges whatsoeuer nothing is to come or past but is as it were present in the sight of God Agayn if there be no diuersitie of times with God because his knowledge comprehendeth as you say all thinges past present and to come as though they were present in view how can hys election or reiection spring out of workes then that are yet to be done If they bee present in what sence call you them to be done in after tyme but if they be to come and to bee done in after tyme how call you them present or how doe these thinges agree together that there is nothing to come in respect of the foreknowledge of God and yet that election must be beleued to issue frō out the foreknowledge of works to come 2. Agayne in what respect soeuer these workes are taken whether in respect of God or of men which your schoolemen do distinguishe into works done and works to be done they vauntage thē selues nothyng by this distinction but that the question will continue as intricate as at the first For whereas all good workes which either men worke or shall worke do proceéde frō God the question reboundeth backe agayne frō whence it came first to witte Why God accordyng to the same purpose should geue good workes more to one then to an other if the performaunce hereof did arise of foreseéne workes and not rather of the determined will of him that calleth whiche is not limited by any conditions of workyng 3. Whereas the Scripture doth manifestly declare that we are created elected to good workes it appeareth therfore that good workes are the effectes of Predestination But the effectes cānot be the cause of that wherof they were the effectes Ergo workes can not be the cause of Predestination But if they alledge that not workes but the foreknowledge of workes in the purpose of God be the cause out of the which the Grace of Election ensueth and is gouerned surely neither can this
be agreable to reason For God did also foreknow the euill will of the reprobate as there is nothyng in the world that his vnsearcheable purpose did not foreknow euen aswell as he foreknew before the glory of the elect that should come yet did he not therfore chuse vnto glory some bycause he foreknew thē nor did chuse all thynges which he did foreknow but whatsoeuer his Electiō had predestinated it is out of all doubt that the same were all foreknowen 4. Agayne the foreseéne pety workes which they make to be the cause of Election are either our owne or properly apperteynyng to God If they be Gods and not ours where then is the freédome of our choyse any merites of works But if they be ours that is to say in the direction of our owne willes then is that false that Paule teacheth God it is that worketh in vs both to will and to worke declaryng hereby that we are vnable to will or to attemp any thyng that good is without Gods assistaunce 6. The fift reason is this whatsoeuer is the cause of the cause is worthely adiudged the cause of the effect If the foreseéne workes of the faythfull be the cause of Predestination certes they must neédes be the cause of Iustification also whiche is directly opposite and aduersary to the doctrine of Paule and the Grace of Christ. 6. Workes as they issue from vs are thynges vncerteine But Gods Election is a thyng alwayes certeyne and permanent Now by what reasō will Osorius proue then that thyngs beyng of their own nature certeine vnchangeable shall depēd vpon thynges transitory and variable Not but foreknowledge sayth he of thynges that are foreseene doth stand in a certeine permanēt and vnremoueable assuraunce Neither do I deny this And therefore when the foreknowledge of God hath established thyngs in such a Necessary vnaduoydeable assuraunce whiche will be chaunged by no alteration what should moue him to gnaw so greédely vpon Luther for teachyng such a Necessitie of our workes 7. When as God did regarde the people of the old Testament as a Damsell naked polluted and adulteresse c. Agayne in the new Testamēt where we are heare the vyle things things despised in this world and thyngs which are not to be had in estimation with God Moreouer whereas accordyng to the testimony of August Gods Electiō is said to haue ouerpassed many Philosophers notable for their vertue famous for the cōmendable cōuersation of life doth not the thyng it self declare sufficiently that the whole exploite of our saluation is accōplished not of any desert of our workes that were foreseéne but of his onely bountyfull benignitie and most acceptable freé mercy 8. Moreouer what shall be sayd of Infantes who are taken out of this worlde assoone as they are Baptised what shall we thinke of the theéfe hangyng on the Crosse and others the lyke who hauyng lyued most abhominably were yet receaued into the kyngdome of Christ by holy repentaunce onely thorough fayth whenas they had done no good worke at all were either any workes to come foreseéne in these persons which were none at all shall we Iudge that they wanted Electiō bycause they wanted workes foreseéne before 2. Furthermore whereas this seémeth to be the onely scope of Paules Epistle to extoll and aduaunce the freé mercy of God by all meanes possible surely this scope is vtterly ouerthrowen and rooted out if the whole action of freé Election must be decided by merites of workes foreseéne before Whiche matter moued Augustine so much that to preferre knowledge of workes yea of foreknowledge of fayth either before the Grace of Election he adiudged matter of all other most intollerable 10. Lastly bycause Osorius doth so scornefully loathe our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innouations as her termeth them as newfangled deuises of rascallike abiects to make it euidēt that we are not altogether destitute of antiquitie to iustifie our Assertions to be true we will ioyne with vs herein the Iudgement of Augustine who excludeth foreseéne workes altogether from the worke of Gods Electiō For these are his wordes most expressely set downe And least peraduenture the faythfull should bee thought to be Elect sayth he before the foundation of the world for their workes that were foreseene he proceedeth addeth therto But if Electiō come by Grace then cōmeth it not now of workes Or els Grace now is not Grace at all c. What say you moreouer to this that in an other place hee doth vtterly deny that choyse was made of the younger to beare rule ouer the Elder through the very foreknowledge of any workes at all c. Which matters being thus set in order what remayneth but that we encounter with our aduersaries argumentes wherwith they endeuour to reuiue the auncient heresie of Pelagius and hale it out of hell agayne For as those olde heretiques dyd teach that mans will was so farforth freé as that euery man was elected for the merite of their workes foreseéne before by God none otherwise do these our new Pelagians iarre vpon the same string or not very much vnlike treading the track of their forerunners the Archheretiques referring all thinges in lyke sort to workes foreseéne before least something maye seéme to bee found altogether without recompence in the behalfe of our most bountifull and souereigne God And amongest these notable Champions rusheth out this couragious ringleader Osorius and geueth a proud onset agaynst the kingdome of Grace and hath so disposed the whole force of hys battery that the maiestie of Freewill may not by any meanes bee endamaged trustyng chiefly to this Target of proofe before mentioned arguyng on this wise If election did consist of freemercy onely sayth he without respect or choyse of any the thinges that God did foresee he might be worthely accused of vnaduised and rashe dealyng But now whereas God accordyng to his vnpenetrable counsell doth determine all thinges aduisedly in a certayne well disposed order Ergo Gods Election doth not consiste of his mercy onely without respect or choyse of workes which he foresaw would be done by the faythfull To aunswere these thinges brieflye If Osorius senselesse iudgement were not throughly ouerwhelmed with heddinesse and rashenes he would not skatter abroad such black and thick cloudes to vse Augustines wordes and such crafty cautels of confused disputations We doe know and confesse Osorius that God doth neuer any thyng at all aduētures nor vnaduisedly Yet doth not that rashe imagination therefore followe whiche you haue as rashely conceaued in that blynde denne of your intoxicate braynes to witte that workes foreseene before are the cause of Election Moreouer Gods Election is neyther therefore decreéd vpon without cause nor yet therefore guyded by blynde chaunce though it hang not vpon the choyse of works afterwardes to be done But Osor. beyng a very naturall Philosopher and very Ethicall seémeth to
mention God taketh mercy sayth he on whom he taketh mercy and hardeneth whom he will harden As who neither reiecteth of Mercy nor yet taketh coÌ„passion of Iustice but executeth both accordyng to the absolute good pleasure of his will Let vs make this more manifest by exaÌ„ples Whenas God is sayd to hate Esau to loue Iacob beyng not yet borne both which had done as yet nothyng worthy to be loued or to be hated what kynde of mercy can you shew in the hatred of that one whiche may defende his Iustice or what kynde of Iustice in the loue of the other which Mercy as you say may deliuer cleare from all reproche It followeth hereupon therefore that the whole defence of Iustice consisteth not in mercy alone but that the onely will of God rather doth acquite not onely the mercy of God but his Iustice also withall froÌ„ all accusatioÌ„ of vnrighteous dealyng Be the same spoken likewise touchyng the hardenyng of the hart of Pharao Which beyng decreéd vpon in the secrete counsell of God long before any droppe of mercy was extended vnto him how then doe you referre the Iustice of his induration to Mercy onely But you will say God did call Pharao to fayth and obedience but when as he did despite that so great bountie and lyke a wilde Colte would licentiously raunge out of all order it was agreable not onely with Gods seueritie but with his mercy also to scourge him with most iuste plagues accordyng to his deserte that so by his exaÌ„ple othersmight be reclaymed to do their duety I do know the suÌ„dry singular Presidentes of Gods clemency and callyng were ministred vnto him in deéde but as all those tokens of Mercye be outward meanes which God vseth in the outward calling of men so the same do appertayne to calling onely and touch Election and Reiection nothing at all nor do in this respect expresse any defence of his Iustice for to admit that the hardning of Pharao and the casting away of Esau did happen most righteously yet this Iustice is not therefore defended agaynst the quarelling aduersary because they did abuse the lemty of God afterwardes And why so because they were first reiected from God before any Mercy which they did abuse was powred out vpoÌ„ theÌ„ And these things thus alleadged by me doo not tend to this end as though I were of opinion that this Iustice of their reiectioÌ„ were boyd of all defeÌ„ce for it hath her certeine peculiar most iust defence but not that wherof Osorius doth dreame If we seéke for the right defence of Gods Iustice what can beé more Iust the Gods will which apperteining to God as hys owne properly and effectually as the Deuines do tearme it can do nothing of her owne nature but that which standeth with equitie and Iustice neither standeth in neéde of an other defence For what soeuer God doth decreé vpon though it be neuer so farre hidde from our vnderstanding yet is it of it self defensible and absolutely perfect enough And therfore S. Paule seéketh no place of refuge els where agaynst the most terrible assaults of the aduersary then the will of God which he accompteth the strongest surest fort of defence Where he sayth God taketh mercy on whom he hath mercye and will haâ—den whom he will He doth not say he doth harden that person on whom he taketh no mercy but he doth harden whom he will And agayne he that hath predestinated vs through Iesus Christ according to the purpose of his will He sayth not of his Iustice. Ephes. 1. hauiÌ„g in deéd no one thing of greater maiestie to alleadge for hys defence agaynst the aduersary then the onely will of God wherewith alone the Aduersary might be throughly satisfied But Osorius will take exception and say that this will ought to be vpright and agreable to it selfe Who is eyther ignoraunt hereof or who can deny thys But I demaund likewise of Osorius whereas weé confesse that this will is moste righteous and lawfull whether in Reiection Mercy do sufficiently acquite this Iustice of Gods will agaynst the quarelling Cauiller or Gods will rather As for example If a vayne babling Sophister or some capciouse busibody do demaund of you what the cause should be that Esau was forsaken without all desert of euill fact committed and why also Paraoes hart was hardened before that Moses was sent vnto him why the eares of the Iewes were stopped that they might not heare before the Prophet opened his mouth vnto them All which thinges considering you cannot deny were wrought by Gods most righteous Iustice by what meanes will you defeÌ„d his Iustice herein you will say perhaps that God did therefore forsake and cast them off because he forknew by their wickednes that would ensue what they should work in after tyme. But he will tell you here that this proceéded not here of Mercye but of Iustice wh doth reÌ„der to euery man according to his desert so that now the defence of Iustice may not seeme to depend vpon mercy by this meanes but vpon Iustice it selfe Not so say you but I do affirme that the defence of Iustice hangeth wholy vpoÌ„ mercy which will acquite it cleare from all Reproche I do see what you do affirme but I do not seé yet how this will stop the mouth of the cauiller for in this wise will this wrangler replye if so be that God were pleased with Iacob of his owne meere mercy how could it be then that he should be displeased with Esau by meane of the same mercy for it hys wickednes that was yet to come were layd vnto his charge then did this reiection now belong to hys Iustice not to his mercy but if the same hys offences not yet done were pardoned through mercy by what meanes then is he sayd to be reiected Certes how this manner of defence delighteth you Osorius I know not sure I am that S. Paule tooke a farre other manner of course treating of Induration and reiection alleadging none other argument in the defence of Gods Iustice against the Aduersary then the onely decreé of Gods deuyne will what art thou o man sayth he that doest contend agaynst God Doest thou not heare the Lord himselfe declaring the reason of his Election in the propheticall scriptures I will haue mercy on whom I haue mercy And to make the same more euident S. Paule debateth the matter after this manner Therefore sayth he God doth take mercy on whom he taketh mercy doth hardeÌ„ whom he will hardeÌ„ As though he might say God in choosing or refusing hys own creatures is tyed to no Necessitie neyther is there any law to the contrary but that he may according to his good pleasure do therin what himself liketh lusteth If he dochoose thee thou hast great cause to be thaÌ„kfull vnto him for it If he cast theé of thou hast no iust cause to quarrell with hym therfore for
No say you for so much as nothing could more varie from the minde of the Apostle nor be more repugnaunt to the most milde nature of God then to conceaue that God should hymselfe frame vessels vnto dishonor seyng that no man runneth headlong into ruine but through hys owne voluntary blindenes And who did euer deny this yet doth this nothing more exclude the will of God from fashioning his vessels as him listeth As on the other side neither doth the will of God receaue vnto mercy those that haue offended so that nothing withstādeth now why the vessels of wrath should be lesse deémed to be fashioned vnto destruction by the will of God and withall that themselues also do procure to themselues their own destruction But why did not Paule say you set downe thys matter in expresse wordes which God himselfe did forme vnto destruction whiche he would surely haue done if he had thought that God had bene the Authour of destruction Truely I will aske you a question in as few wordes Osorius why the Apostle did choose rather to say Vessels Fashioned to destructiō then leauing out the word Fashioned to say Vessels of destruction for this would haue accorded farre fitter with your exposition if so be that he thought that the Vessels did perish without the will of God Agayne why did he call them Vessels and not creatures rather why did he annexe this supply to witte Wrath finally why did he bring in God himself willing to shew forth hys wrath agaynst the Vessels of wrath but that you should vnderstand that all those circumstances are to be reduced to the most sacred will of God euen as to the working hand of the Potter For first as I sayd before when you heare this word Vessels thereby you vnderstād the Potter Secōdly when you heare this word Fashioned therein the hand of the Artificer is cōceaued Thirdly when you heare Fashioned vnto destruction therin appeareth the certeinty of Gods will in his Predestination Whereas the Vessels do perish it is their own fault but where it is sayd that they are Fashioned thereunto this surely is not proper to the Vesselles but doth note a certayne other hygher cause and a more playne demonstration of the creator for Vessels are not wont to bee Fashioned of any but of the craftesman as I suppose what man is so madde to say that Vessels made are made of themselues namely to their owne dishonor and not formed thereunto by the workman rather and I maruell greatly that Osorius hauing any sense or feéling in him at all cannot quickly conceaue the meaning of the Apostle eyther by the comparyng of the text together or by the maner and order of speéch namely sith the matter it selfe doth so disclose so many manifest reasons to discusse the doubtfull signification of the wordes First you will not deny but that this will of God wherewith he had decreéd both to shew hys wrath that is to say the seuerity of his Iustice and his mercy also was euen from the beginning This will then beyng once determined vpon by God could neyther by any meanes be made of none effect nor againe by any meanes made discernable vnles it were poured out vpon some matter whereupon it might worke And euen here doth that wonderfull Electiō of God display it selfe at the first wherewith before the foundations of the world were layd he had predestinated them whom he would should be saued and reiected thē whō he would haue dāned Next vnto this Election immediately ensued the Creation wherewith the almighty Creator with a most singuler excellency and exquisit workmanship did forme all vessels out of one selfe lump of Clay and yet not those all ingenerall appoynted to one ende For some vessels he made to serue to shew forth hys mercy some other to shew forth his Iustice. These things being thus established immediately after Creation ensueth Vocation or Callyng the same two maner of wayes accordyng to hys purpose and not according to his purpose wherof the one is lynked with Grace making acceptable the other is voyde of Grace though not altogether yet destitute of effectuall Grace And hereupon doe issue Blindenesse Rebellion Hardenesse of hart Infidelitie Breache of the Law Execution of Iustice not by force of any coaction but by reason of the sequele or consequent For the grace of God once denying assistance what soeuer remayneth in man is nought els but the seéde of the Serpent or some vncurable Fistula wherewith man is deadly poysoned Agayne out of the other Vocatiō which is according to purpose springeth Fayth a will to obey forgeuenes of Sinne Iustification and such like inestimable treasures not ensealed into vs by nature but frāckly geuen vs from aboue Now out of that Infidelitie and execution of Iustice ariseth the destruction of the Reprobate of the which Paule treateth here which is not without the speciall will of God Or els in what sense doth he say God was willing to shew his wrath and yet not without their most due deseruing neither as on the other side Saluation and Glorification do spring of Fayth Iustification for asmuch as in them the cōmendatiō of his Iustice in the other the dignite of hys mercy doth shew forth their bright beames to the inestimable glory of gods maiesty who is the chief and principall ende and foundation of all workes Wherefore forasmuch as God was willing to shew both as well hys wrath as also hys mercy and this hys will could by no meanes be accōplished vnlesse there were some vpō whom both hys wrathe and hys mercy might make hys power on eche part discernable hereupon then is no small stoare of proofe ministred wherby may be perceaued from whence aswell the destruction of the reprobate as the Saluation of the elect doth proceéde And first of all your selfe do not deny that godly persons are predestinated vnto glory through the onely bountifulnes of God I demaunde now whether thys selfe same mercy of God haue predestinated to glory all creatures generally or not all I attend your aunswere If you will say all without exception where then are the vessels of wrath what shal be come of this saying God willing to shew hys wrath vpon the Vessels ordeyned to destruction Finally what shal be thought of that saying of Christ Many are called but few are chosen If so be that all are receaued by a generall Electiō how can this Election be made frustrate and vneffectuall or what kinde of Reiection can there be then But if you will not say all it followeth then that there must bee some Uessells of reiection of Necessitie as well as of mercy to witte by like agreablenesse of contraries Or els how shall a man vnderstand that some vessels are Predestinate to Glory vnlesse by the same Argument ye confesse that some vessels were also reiected to dishonor which beyng agreé vpon I demaund further of the reprobation
he liue and be conuerted shall now alter his nature and will not the lyfe but the destruction of a Sinner whenas also all things are good that God hath created can he hate the worke of his owne handes yea not onely after he hath created it but also before hee hath made it I am not ignoraunt Osorius of these and such lyke your not absurdities but cauilles rather which you are wont to thrust vpon vs now and then To the which to make a playne and distinct aūswere First the nature of causes it selfe must bee considered Then must a playne distinction of Gods will be opened For when question is made of Gods will the Scripture doth not speake therof alwayes after one maner phrase of speach nor expresse the same euery where after one onely signification Sometymes this name of will is taken in a most large and ample signification for that which Gods decreé hath determined shall come to passe in all matters As in that place of Paule God doth take mercy on whom he will haue mercy and doth indurate whom he will c. And agayne God did what soeuer he would doe in heauen and in earth And in an other place Bycause it seemeth so good in thyne eyes O Father Luke 10. And this will seruyng in eche respect to as many purposes as the foreknowledge and essence of God doth both go before all other meane and secondary causes in order of tyme and of it owne power also doth dispose all thynges good Syr not as though it would enforce them agaynst their willes by any outward coaction but doth so dispose and order thyngs with a certeine secrett power as that through their voluntary and seruiceable yeldyng they atteyne at the last to the same purpose whereunto the will of God did first chiefly foreordeyne and direct them Whereby it commeth to passe that though the will of God of it selfe make no persons euill properly yet that wicked persons notwithstandyng shall accōplish the will of God if not accordyng to the euent and successe properly and absolutely yet by accidentall meanes So that on this wise albeit the destruction of the wicked proceéde from the voluntary corruptiō of man not from Gods will as from the nearest cause yet do not those wicked persons fulfill their wickednes without Gods will For in as much as it is a due scourge and punishment of sinne man is not punished therewith without Gods will Agayne by this word will is signified sometymes that wherewith God by his expresse word doth notifie him selfe to be delighted to be well pleased and which is acceptable in his sight Of whiche sort are all thynges whiche be naturally good and commendable In which significatiō God is sayd not to will wickednes nor to will the death of a sinner And of this will speaketh the Apostle This is the will of God your sanctification And this will the faythfull onely do performe properly and simply We haue spokē now of will we must now create somewhat of the order of causes Wherein this is to be noted aboue all other To witte that the first causes haue alwayes relatiō to the vttmost endes the meane concurraūt endes effectes to the meane middle causes Forasmuch therfore as the will of god that is to say the decreé of God is the originall of all causes we must then seeke out what the last end is which may be answerable to this will now the same is sufficiently discouered by Paul If God sayth he willing on the one side to shew hys wrath and to make his power knowne do with much sufferaunce and lenyty beare with the Vessels of wrathe prepared vnto destruction and on the other side to make knowne the richesse of hys glory towardes the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared to glory c. By which wordes who doth not easely perceaue that the last and principall ende of Gods workmanship doth consist in this not that wicked men should perish but that the Larges of hys heauenly mercy should more mightely increase in the saluation of hys faythfull Now because this could not be brought to passe by any other meanes vnlesse there were some on the contrary part vpon whome the seueritie of Gods Iustice might be exequuted it seémed good therefore to the Almighty Creator of all the creation in this vnspeakeable Workshop of the whole world to dispose his vessels to seuerall vses not all vnto honor nor yet all vnto dishonor but some he made seruiceable instrumentes of hys Iustice other some meéte instruments of hys mercy not that he created his creatures to this effect as to the finall and vtmost end of hys purpose that they should perish but because he had so determined with himselfe in his secret counsell before the foundations of the world not to haue mercy vpon all therefore it could not othertherwise be but that such as should be forsaken of him beyng forsaken and yelded ouer to themselues should fall away of very necessitie For Gods grace withdrawing assistaunce mans imbecillity must withall neédes fall to the ground and Nature being nowe ouerthrowne Gods Iustice coulde not but execute his office punish greuously of very necessitie And hereof cōmeth the destruction of the reprobates persecutors of hys people the efficient cause wherof cōsisteth truely in euery of their own corruption but the cause deficient in the will of God And therefore we ought not to Iudge alyke of the causes of Election and Damnation For although these be certayne brāches of predestination and concurre altogether in one kynde one originall and one end yet do they differ notwithstanding in the maner The fountayne original of them both is the decreé of God and the ende is the glory of God And yet is not Election to lyfe euerlasting of the same sort that reprobation to destruction is For hee hath chosen by making hee doth reiect not by doyng somewhat but rather by forsaking And in the saluation of that Godly that whol cause is so wholy shut vp in God as that besides him no person nor cause can come betwixt that may challenge any interest in the title of Election and Saluacion But that matter goeth otherwise in the destruction of the reprobate for albeit such as perishe are not damned at all without the will of God yet besides this will also that obstinate rebellion of mans will thrusteth it self in wherby they do worthely procure to thē selues deserued Damnation For God doth neyther so cast of those whom he doth cast away as one that did enforce them to commit filthines but forsaketh euery such one and yeldeth him ouer to hys owne guiding Now Freewill beyng nothing els but fraylty and feéble weakenes it selfe vnable to defend the brickle inclination of nature agaynst the monsturous assaultes of vnsatiable lust yeldeth it selfe coward captiue to euery storme of suttle Tētation By meanes whereof
if commeth to passe that mans life beyng left voyde of the help of God as a ship destitute of a Pylot tossed to and fro with outragious wyndes and waues of the Sea which of her self she cannot withstand doth easily driue it self vpon the Rocke of damnation and rendes in peéces hauing none other guyde but it self But the estate of the Electe is after an other sorte for whom GOD hath chosen those doth he not yeald ouer to their owne conduct but stirreth them forward with the force of hys secret good will and doth drawe thē vnto hym self doth so draw them that beyng called they must neédes obay moreouer he doth so call thē that heé doth forwith Iustifie them that are called and doth so Iustifie them with his freé and bountifull mercy that he doth at that length glorifie thē whom he hath Iustified In all wh Action of Saluation Gods Grace doth so accomplish all and euery part thereof as that nothing at all is left for mans will to glory vpon but very much paraduenture that may ouerthrow it Wherupō the Apostle very aptly sayth that it is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that taketh mercy On the contrary part I meane in the shipwrack of damnation mans wayward peruersnes beyng left vnto it self doth therin throughly play all her partes so that there is nothing now wherew t it may iustly accuse God neyther is there any man condemned but he that through hys own default doth purchase to himself damnation In which damnation too things offer themselues in the meane tyme to be considered not onely what he suffereth which hath deserued to be punished but what he hath deserued which suffereth and how righteouslye hee suffereth in the one whereof mans offence is declared in the other Gods Iustice is discernable The first whereof the deuines do call the euill of the offence thother the euill of the punishment Paule calleth it the reward of Sinne therefore whereas a man doth commit euill and is punished for that euill let hym thank hymself for it But whereas he is righteously punished herein let him not murmure against God as though he were the Author of euill for that which is righteously done can not be vnorderly done Although the punishment seéme euill to him that suffereth that he would not suffer yet he is himself the Author of that punishment bicause he did that which he ought not to haue done Moreouer neyther is that thing forthwith euill in the sight of God that appeareth euill to mans iudgement these thinges therefore are to be wayed by the circumstances of the ende For euen as the cloudy ouerspreading of the darckened night doth not diminish any part of the cleare day light but rather beautifie the lightsome clearenes of the bright sunneshine euen so where the persequutors of the Church do dash sometyme on a Rock are drowned although it be euil to thē that perish properly and of it own nature yet in that they dash on the Rock and perish in respecte of Gods ordinaunce and in respect of the end wherevnto all thinges are directed it is not euill in the sight of God but tourneth to good rather and to the setting forth and beautifiing of hys glory So Augustine not vnfitly It is good sayth heé that euills be neyther is there any inconuenience in this that Euills may not happen without Gods will which yet are performed contrary to his will That is to say agaynst that rule and ordinaunce which hymselfe doth allow and commaund To conclude Albeit the Saluation of the elect and the destruction of the reprobate doe proceéde both from one originall namely from the secret counsell of almighty God yet this same decreé neuerthelesse doth not expresse it selfe after one maner at all tymes if you haue regarde to the maner of the operatiō For the cause of Saluation of such as are saued is so wholy shutte vppe in the closett of Gods mercy that God onely and alone is the whole and onely efficient cause therof so that the same cā by no meanes be ascribed to any other But the damnation of the reprobate albeit can not escape the knowledge of the secrete purpose of God bycause no one thyng be it of neuer so small value can be done without his will yet if we seéke the true and efficient cause therof whereunto may it be more properly imputed then to Sinne and to the Deuill the father of Sinne But for as much as God doth compell no man to committe wickednesse but rather yeldeth them ouer whom he forsaketh to their owne lustes hereupon doth it consequētly follow that the first seédes of originall corruptiō beyng destitute of the grace of God suckyng vppe more deadly poyson of ragyng lust by the contagious motions of it owne naturall will cleane contrary to Gods will is become by that meanes the cause and procurour of his owne destruction The cause deficient wherof as I vouched before out of Augustine is onely in God but the cause efficient cōsisteth no where els then in man onely These premisses considered and duely examined I returne to the Question that was proposed Whether God by his bare decree did create his Creatures to destruction and made them vessels of wrath Whether we will not graunt that the promise of God was vniuersall Whether we may imagine such a will in GOD as will not haue all to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth I doe aunswere Gods promise is without all controuersie generall and is extended generally to all mankynde yet with this Prouiso All whosoeuer do beleue or shall beleue in the sonne of God And there is no dought but that his will doth agreably condiscende with his promise at all tymes and in eche respect very readyly bent inclinable and fauourable towardes the saluation of all ingenerall so that those All be vnderstād with the same Prouiso to witte all that are engraffed in Christ Iesu by fayth Agayne as vnder the name of this vniuersall subiect All to speake with Augustine not euery particuler of all the generalities but the generalities of euery particuler is comprehēded for els as All haue not the true fayth so neither is the promise made vnto thē all who do not beleue in the Sonne nor is there any will in God to saue them but to cast them of rather But as concerning Creation if the end therof besought for I doe aunswere that God did create man vnto righteousnesse For we were created to good workes accordyng to the testimonie of Paule That we should walke in them But man abusing the freédome of his owne will contrary to the will of God to witte contrary to the rule of righteousnesse fallyng quite away from righteousnesse into vnrighteousnesse did at the length through the same vnrighteousnesse throwe him selfe headlong downe into vnrecouerable destructiō What them Shall
all do not apprehend fayth Agayne we heare also by the testimony of the same Paule That it is neyther of him that runneth nor of him that willeth but of God that taketh mercy finally of theÌ„ which are ordeined sayth Luke to eternall lyfe and whose harts as the same Luke recordeth God doth open to make them know the word of God And agayne the same Paule doth deny them to haue knowne the Lord of glory for if they had knowne hym they would not haue crucified Christ. But what was the cause that they knew him not but because the whole matter thereof rested not in their owne willes but because by Gods secret decreé it was not geuen to them that had eares to heare and eyes to seé For their eares were made deafe that they should not heare and their hartes were blynded that they should not vnderstand And therefore the Lord himself doth openly pronounce that manye were called but fewe are chosen Moreouer in an other place the same Lord calleth his flock a little flocke And why doth he call it a little flocke good sir I beseech you If Gods mercy so largely poured abroad and so freély offered as you seeme to blaze it out doe extend it selfe to all persons indifferently without exception why do not all persons then indeffereÌ„tly repayre vnto Christ at the least why is not the greatest part drawne vnto him forsooth because they will not say you You are come back agayne to the first question For I demaund what the cause is why they will not but because it is not geuen vnto them so that ye may perceaue now the very welspring of this fountayne springeth not from mans will but from the counsell of God Or els how doth Christ name them which be hys to be but few in number but that he foreknew assuredly that it would be so or how did he foreknow it but because it was decreed first of an infallible certeinty And therfore Christ teaching his disciples spake openly and playnly vnto theÌ„ That it was geueÌ„ vnto them to know the misteries of the kingdome but to others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not heare Likewise Peter confirmed by the same spirite speaking of the rock of offence doth openly denounce not onely what they should do which should be offeÌ„ded at Christ but also that they were ordayned of very purpose so to doe And yet I will not deny that which they teach of the mercy of God I do know and confesse that it is farre and wyde dispersed abroad euery where and that the same mercy of GOD denyeth it selfe to no person as Augustine sayth but to such as will not receaue it But in thys same very mercy neuerthelesse two thinges are to be considered That God doth not onely offer those promises of benefites and blessings of his meére mercy bounteous liberalitie but also that he doth inspire the hart of man inwardly with hys spirite to receaue those thinges that be offered And so after the first maner of speakyng I do confesse that there is a certayne generall grace of God and a certayne freé choyse of Election layed open to all without exception that he may receaue it that hath a will to receaue it so that vnder thys word layd open Gods outward calling be vnderstanded which consisteth in preceptes in exhortatioÌ„s in Rules writteÌ„ either in the tenne CoÌ„maundementes or in the conscience or in preaching of the word And in this sense may we rightly say the Pharao hymself wanted not the grace of God nor Saule no nor any of the rest whom he did oftentimes allure with geÌ„tle promises terrifie with miracles reward with giftes enuyte to repentauÌ„ce with prolonging of punishment suffer with much patience alluring calling all men dayly to amendment of lyfe All which be infallible tokens of hys mercifull will called Voluntas Signi But after the second maner of speakyng if we behold the mercy of GOD and that grace which maketh acceptable or if we respect that will of his wherewith he not onely willeth all to be saued but wherewith hee bringeth to passe that these whom he will shal be saued the matter doth declare it selfe sufficiently that that Mercy and Grace of acceptyng those thyngs whereunto they are called is not layd open for all and euery one indifferently but is distributed through a certeine speciall dispensation and peculiar Election of God whereby they that are called accordyng to the purpose of his grace are drawen to coÌ„sent By meanes wherof it commeth to passe that the same callyng accordyng to Gods purpose fayling euery man hath not in his own hand to chuse or refuse that earnest desire and generall Grace indifferently offered but such as haue either receaued the gift of God or are denyed the gift of God Neither doth the matter so wholy depende vpon the choyse of our will either in chusing or refusing totally for then might it be verified that there was no Predestination before the foundations of the world were layd if our ElectioÌ„ were necessaryly guided by our willes and that our will were the foundation of our SaluatioÌ„ Therfore whereas they say that God doth accept them which will embrace his grace and reiect theÌ„ which will not receaue it is altogether vntrue Nay it rather had bene more coÌ„uenient to fetch our fouÌ„teine froÌ„ the wellspring of Grace then froÌ„ the puddle of our owne will So that we might speake more truly on this wise That God doth endue vs with his grace and fauorable countenaunce bycause we should be willyng to embrace his ordinaunces and Commaundementes on the contrary part as concernyng those that will not receaue his grace offered that such do worthely perish And that the very cause that they will not receaue it doth hereof arise bycause their will is not holpeÌ„ and that they do therfore not receaue it bycause they are not theÌ„ selues receaued first For as touchyng the Obiection vrged out of Chrisostome that God did as much vnto Pharao in deede as hee could doe to saue him if ye referre Gods doyng there to that will which is called Nâ—on signi but to beneplaciti which God could would vtter in those whom he made Vessels of mercy wherof S. Paule maketh mention treatyng of the mercy of Predestination surely the Scripture is quite repugnaunt agaynst it saying God did harden the hart of Pharao For if GOD did harden the hart of Pharao how then did he to Pharao as much as he might But if Pharao did harden his owne hart after that God had not mollified his hart had not tamed his insolencie and not bowed him to godly inclinations which he is accustomed to doe to his elect In what sence then is he sayd to haue done as much to Pharao as to his other Vessels of mercy whom Election had Predestinated to be saued But to let Chrisostome passe
a whiles Let vs heare Augustine hereupon and make him as it were Iudge of the cause For where question is made Whether God did call all men indifferently by a generall inspiration to fayth and Saluatiō Augustine doth make this aunswere For as much as vocation or callyng is taken two maner of wayes to witte internall and externall true it is sayth he that all men are indifferently called after the maner of that externall calling but all are not as indifferently drawen by this internall vocation And if the cause be sought for why all are not drawen indifferently but that to some it is geuen to others some not geuen He maketh this aunswere Some there be that will say quoth he it is the will of man But we say it is the Grace and Predestination of God But God doth require mē to beleue I confesse sayth he yet is fayth neuerthelesse the gift of God For he that doth require faith doth promise withall that he will bring to passe that they shall performe that which he commaundeth c. And agayne If it be demaunded whether mercy be therefore geuen to man bycause he beleueth or that mercy were therfore bestowed vpon him bycause he should become beleuyng to this questiō he maketh the very aunswere of the Apostles I haue obteined mercy bycause I should be faythfull He doth not say bycause I was faythfull c. And this much hetherto out of Augustine Let vs now come to Pighius And bycause we are happened vpon this place to discourse vpon to witte the equall dispensatiō of Gods mercy It shall not be amisse to consider briefly his opinion herein agreéyng with Osorius altogether For these be the speaches of Pighius God doth offer him selfe sayth he an equall and indifferent father to all persons he ouerspreadeth all mē generally with the one selfe same gladsome beames of mercy and clemency without any difference Now if some through this lenitie become tractable and other some hereby made more indurate this discrepaunce proceédeth frō the corruption of mē There is no vnequallitie of distribution of lenitie and mercy in God For proofe whereof takyng a Similitude out of the Epistle to the Hebrues the iiij Chap. For as not euery land watered with like bountyfulnesse of the heauenly dew doth yeld lyke fruite to the husbandman but one land yeldeth forth corne an other thornes brambles the one wherof is blessed of God the other accursed euen no lesse ioyously doth the mercy of God shyne indifferently with generall and equall largesse and bountie towardes all vniuersally which beyng set wyde open to all alike doth deny it selfe to none but such as will refuse it them selues But some turne to amēdemēt of life through this mercy others some do abuse this mercy to more outragious licentiousnes of sumyng And agayne fetchyng a similitude frō the heate of the Sunne Whereas the Sunne yeldeth one selfe same heate we doe seé that through the same the earth is made more stiffe and hard and the waxe softened and made more plyable Hereupō Pighius gathereth That what soeuer difference is betwixt the good and the reprobate the same wholy to issue out of the corruption of men and not out of the will of God But our Expositours haue sufficiently aunswered this slipper deuise that this Assertion of Pighius and of his mate Osorius that Gods mercy is powred alike into all men is vtterly false and absurde where they do affirme that God maketh no choyse in the dispensation of his Grace that there is great difference betwixt the godly the vngodly in deéde that there is great difference betwixt the good bad we do not deny But where they doe ascribe the principall motion and efficient cause hereof in mans will onely and not in God onely they are altogether deceaued For as concernyng the common nature of mā truly in this we may with more certeintie determine equabilitie of condition in mankynd as that they reteine one semblable condition and qualitie of freé choyse for as much as all beyng created out of one lumpe are alike all poysoned alike with one kynde of infectiō as men that be altogether vnable of them selues to doe any thyng auayleable to Saluation And for as much as this imbecillitie doth infect all mākynde alike as with a generall pestilence It appeareth therfore euidently that this difference standeth not so much vpon the determination of their will or at least if it stand vppon their will yet that it doth not proceéde first from mans will but from the callyng of God whiche offereth it selfe not alike to euery one nor after one maner to all ingenerall but doth diuersly drawe some after one sort and some after an other For as I sayd before The Scriptures haue set downe a double maner of callyng the one wherof is generall and outward The other is inward accordyng to purpose to witte the callyng of them whose willes the holy Ghost doth enspire and enlighten with an inward effectuallnesse But this Similitude of the Clay and Waxe is ridiculous and worthy to be laughed at Bycause that this distinction can not be appliable to Freewill after the fall of Adam For of the whole ofspryng of Adam not some be plyable as Waxe nor some lumpish as hard earth For where God doth fashion vessels of one kynde of Clay as Paule sayth some vnto honour some vnto dishonour no mā is so madd to affirme that the Clay is the cause of this difference but the Potter rather Moreouer to as small purpose serueth that place to the Hebrues which treateth not of Grace Freewill but of the word of God and men whom he doth exhort by way of demonstratiō and cōparison of frutefull grounde to receaue the word of God fruitefull and professe the same with effect The same also is to be vnderstanded of that Parable of the good ground yeldyng to the husbandman plenty and aboundaunce of fruite mentioned in the Gospell But how may these be applyed to Freewill or what will Pighius coyne hereof If Gods word take roote in none but such as be good what auayleth this sentence to establish the doctrine of Freewill For the question is not here whether they onely be good which receaue the word of eternall lyfe effectually But this is the pointe that must be touched From whence men receaue habilitie to be made good of the nymblenesse of their owne will or of the callyng of God And therfore that Parable serueth to no purpose in this case as beyng applied for none other end but to signifie the dispensation and disposition of Gods holy word which in a maner may aptly be compared to seede wh though the husbandman do sow vpon euery ground indifferētly yet it yealdeth forth fruite but in a fewe yea in those also that be good groundes But hauing now rent in sunder these slender and trifling cob webbes The aduersaries notwithstanding be neuer a deale the
would nor is of it self able to do any thing that it doth otherwise thē of very Necessitie Whereby appeareth euidently what kynde of freédome mans will enioyeth which whether it consent to good thyngs can neyther will nor do any thing of it selfe beyng not assisted agayne if it dissent cannot otherwise dissent but of very Necessity beyng left ouer to her owne strength For so deadly an infectiō hath poysoned the very Rootes whole ofspring of nature that it is neyther able to will any good thing but being holpen by grace no nor so much as to think a good thought What then shall there be nothing left say you in the power of mans freedome Yes truely Osorius I do not spoyle mans will so naked that it can do nothing in heauenly thinges but your opinion tendeth rather to this effect that Gods predestination can appoynt no certeinty in humayne acccions For if mans will do possesse such a full and absolute freedome as you say as can by no meanes be subiect what scope then geue you to Gods Election but that it performe nothing at all freely but be directed alwayes by the free conduct of some forren guyder so that the whole force hereof now be not of him that calleth but of him that is called rather But if according to Paules doctrine the whole exployt of thinges be gouerned by hym that calleth onely what shall become of mans freedome then If you will cut these two asunder and yealde part thereof to will and part to Predestination ascribing all to mans power and abilitye and little or nothing at all to Gods predestination why then do you not instruct vs distinctly what and how much ech of them doth performe and withall wherein the diuersitie and difference of them both consisteth which if you will not distinguishe duely and orderly according to their naturall and proper distinctions what other doctrine will ye teach vs but that Gods predestination must needes appeare both in order of tyme to be first and elder and in power alwayes more mighty and farre surmounting all the force of mans will which beyng graunted what will follow here of at the length but that mans choyse will beé proued at the length so none otherwise freé but that it must alwaies be in bondage eyther to Gods grace beyng holpen to good or to her owne lust beyng cast of to wickednes But me seémeth I do heare what the secrett whisperings of Pelagius brood and amongst them chiefly Osorius the stought Champion of that crew will bark agaynst thys To consent or not to consent say they is in our own power nor is the grace of God otherwise effectuall but as we embrace hys ayde and assistaunce offered vnto vs. Wherevpon they conclude at the length that it is in our owne power eyther to enterteine the grace of God or to forsake it This consequent we deny as the which beyng made without all forme of art is also as voyde of all ground of truth As concerning assenting or dissenting I doe confesse that these motiones are numbred amongest the residue of the naturall powers of mans will if we do consider of them as in their bare and naked powers without their obiectes But to assent rightly to the thinges whiche appertayne vnto fayth and Gods calling Augustine doth aunswere very discretly That vnto this we are altogether vnable of our selues but that our abilitie hereunto proceadeth wholy from hym which doth first bring to passe that of vnwilling we may be made willing and doth draw them that are obstinate to obedience creating a new hart within thē to make them hys owne willing voluntary and seruiceable seruauntes Moreouer where they say that grace is none otherwise effectuall vnlesse we doe put our helping handes also together with grace and that none are holpen but such as endeuour therunto of their owne accord It is true also and the reason is because God doth worke in man not with anye forraygne constraynt onely as he vsually accustometh in brute beastes and stoanes but with mans own voluntary inclination and motion But from whence this voluntary motion in thinges appertayning to God inespecially doth arise Augustine will teach you who doth deny that this grace of God doth finde any good will in vs but doth make our wills to be good And agayne where he testifieth that no man is able to resort to this grace for ayde but whose stepps the Lord doth guyde thereunto in so much that he boldly pronounceth that the beginning of Grace is euen to feele a want of grace Now therefore followeth vpon these propositions thus graunted that whersoeuer Gods effectuall grace is there is no defect of will on the contrary part wheresoeuer appeareth any defect of will there Gods grace is vneffectuall which is comprehended in these ij operations namely in eternall calling and inward drawing so that the receptacle of grace is within vs in deéde but not as of our selues but of the grace of God But the refusall of grace is both in vs and withall commeth of our own selues and yet so neuerthelesse of our owne selues as that being reiected from Gods grace we cannot but reiect his grace nor are we able of our selues to do otherwise though we would neuer so fayne And what kinde of freedome shall Will be sayd to enioy here then the which no kinde of seruile thraldome can beé more miserable or more wretched But our good Syr here will deny this That God accordyng to the inestimable goodnesse of his fatherly nature doth reiect any at any tyme from his mercy which is indifferently and equally layed open for all ingenerall Hereof hath bene sufficiently discoursed before Yet I will adde this one saying If Gods grace do reiect no person from him then must we of necessitie confesse that he doth not make choyse of any like wise For where all are generally and indifferently chosen with out respect there surely is no man cast away Agayne where is no reiection at all there can be then no place for Election For in choyse we are not sayd to chuse all but to accept out of all not euery one but whom we like best Where a choyse is and no mā reiected there is not a choyse or Electiō properly but an acceptaunce and an allowaunce rather Neither can that be tearmed a choyse of men which the Greciās do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the proper maner of speakyng except it be out of the multitude of a remnaunt But God say you hath left no man so destitute of his grace but that euery mā is able of him selfe to be cōuerted aud to embrace grace if he will or not to be conuerted if he will not Who cā better vnloase this knot then Augustine When the Gospell is preached why do not all beleue they are not all of the father If we shall say sayth he bycause they will not be cōuerted we shall answere here to
determineth to be done The Logitians that haue described the fourme of a Sorites doth deny that this kinde of arguyng is of any substaunce vnlesse the parts of the true properties and differences do accord and aunswere eche other with a necessary coupling together of the kyndes and the formes and that the proper effectes be applied to the proper causes Of all which there is not one so much obserued in all this heape of wordes and sentences wherein if I might as lawfully vtter some follishe skill by creeping forward after the same sorte with follish childish degrees of propositions it would not be hard for me to conclude out of gramtyng the freédome of mans will That there were no Predestistation nor prouident of God at all in heauen which we proued before out of Augustine â— was once concluded vpon by Cicero First such as doe affirme that God is the chief and principall cause of all thyngs and do graunt all things to be subiect to his will do not erre except Augustine do erre who discoursing vpon the will of God The will of God sayth he is the first and Soueraigne cause of all formes and motions for there is nothing done that issueth not fromout the secrett and intelligible closett of the highest Emperour according to vnspeakeable Iustice for where doth not the omnipotent wisedome of God worke what it pleaseth hym which mightely stretcheth hys power from one ende of the worlde to the other and ordereth all thinges most sweetely Thus much Augustine And yet this cause doth not therefore enduce such a Necessitie of coactione as Osori doth imagine as that no freédome of will should remayne in man that he should do nothing of hys own accord that he should deserue nothing worthy of punishment but should serue in steede of an Instrument as it were enforced through fatall coaction should be gouerned by an others power that it selfe should bring nothyng to passe wherefore it ought to be punished Now for asmuch as Luthers Assertion doth maintayne none of all these what is become of that horrible accusation wherein Luther is sayd to accuse God of vnrighteousnesse It is not agreable with Iustice sayth he that such as are onely instrumentes of wickednesse should be punished But according to Luthers doctrine men in doing wickedly seeme nothing els then instrumentes of wickednes Where finde you this M. Doctour where haue you it who euer besides Osorius spake on this wise either waking or sleéping sometime Gods prouidence doth vse the seruice of man to punish euill doers Euen so did God auenge hym vpon the sinnes of owne people by the Babilonianes Agayne to take vengeaunce of the Assirianes was Cirus the Duke of Persia raysed vppe So did God vse also the malice of the Iewes to finish the worke of our redemption for vnlesse that Natione had conspired agaynst the sonne of God we had not bene redeémed And what is the deuill himselfe but the Rodde of correction in the hand of God and as it were an Instrument of vengeaunce ordayned to punishe the outragies of euill doers yet doth it not therefore follow that deuils and wicked persones when they are called Instrumentes of Gods wrath are nothing els but Instrumentes as though they were forced onely and themselues did nothing at all and as though by doyng nothing themselues deserued no wrath For neyther do we so imagine meÌ„ to be like vnto stoanes as I haue sayd before as though we left vnto them no abilitie in action euen as the mynde of man vnlesse it be ayded can of it selfe do nothing but sinne so doth no man sinne at any tyme but by hys owne voluntary motione which sinne albeit he doth not commit without the will of God yet because he doth commit it contrary to the will and commaundement of God he is not acquired of hys fault As when a murtherer killeth men albeit he seeme after a certeine maner to exeâ—uute the will of God yet because he doth not the deede onely beyng of the minde simply to serue hys God but rather to follow the rage of his malice therfore is he neyther excusable as beyng not faulty nor is God to be accused for vnrighteous because he executeth hys wrath Wherfore it is false and slaunderous which Osorius doth conclude vpon the Assertion of Predestination For he coÌ„cluded two absurdities chiefly but with a farre more grosse absurditie The first That God is the cause of destruction and reprobation The secoÌ„d That they which offend are punished vnworthely Both which are vnmeasurably vayne For albeit the decreé of God be the first and soueraigne cause in all actiones by the which all other second and inferiour causes are gouerned and although there is condemnation to the Reprobates without the same decreé Yet neuerthelesse this same condemnation is both adiudged righteous and floweth also from their own will properly not properly froÌ„ the decreé of God For many thinges be done agaynst the will of God by a certayne wonderfull and vnspeakeable maner as I haue sayd whiche come not passe notwithstanding without hys will He ruleth ouer the mindes of men as Augustine reporteth and worketh in their hartes to encline their will whither him listeth eyther vnto good thinges for hys great mercyes sake eyther to euill thinges according to their deseruings after the proportioÌ„ of his owne IudgemeÌ„t sometymes manifest sometimes secrett but alwayes most iust and righteous bringing to passe by a certayne merueilous operation of hys owne power that in the things which men do agaynst the will of God it cannot be but that the will of God must needes be fulfilled Therefore the will of God as you seé is the first and soueraigne cause of all causes and motiones whiche neuerthelesse must be so vnderstanded that thys first cause respect properly nothyng but the last ende Now this ende is the glory of God and the most excellent commendation of hys Iustice and mercy In the meane tyme the other middle endes do depend vpon their owne middle and proper causes and are referred vnto the same Whereby it commeth to passe that betwixt Gods decreé and the condemnation of the Reprobate many causes of condemnation doe come betwene to witte Infidelitie the Inheritable corruption of Nature defiled and whatsoeuer fruites spring thereof Now the proper efficient cause of this Infidelitie and naturall corruption is mans will not Gods predestination which corruption and Infidelitie notwithstanding are so gouerned by Gods decreé so subiect there vnto that although they be not executed by the decree of God yet chaunce they not at any tyme besides hys decree nor without hys decreé whereof God as Augustine sayth is not the cause efficient but the cause deficient Now therefore where is that fatall and euerlasting Necessitie Osorius which as you say doth thrust men maugre their heades by violent coaction without any their owne will into all kynde of wickednes where are the vndescrued
seély flock of Christ when as Paule breathed out threatninges and slaughters no man will deny but these were haynous horrible factes of all which notwithstanding no one wanted the singuler counsell of God and hys especiall prouidence whereupon it could not possible be otherwise but that the thinges which he had determined before should so come to passe in the ende For neyther doth enter into mans thought any thing that God doth not will before that mā shoulde will neither doth mans will purpose any thinge which is not both foreseéne and foreordained of God What thē shall we therefore accuse God as Author of the wickednesse of the vngodly because these thinges chaunce of Necessitie which God hath purposed shall come to passe and can by no meanes be altered For so seemeth Osori to conclude hys argument But I argue agaynst hym in this wise and with two reasons First If this preordinaunce of God whereof I speake do bryng such a Necessitie of externall coaction vppon men as Osorius doth speake of as that no man could sinne voluntaryly but cōpelled thereunto by God it might not seeme altogether perhaps from the purpose to impute the fault thereof to God But what is he now or what mā hath euer bene so horribly wicked at any time who in performing his treacherous deuises can say that he was constrayned agaynst hys will to commit the facte that he would not haue done being neyther led thereunto of any motion of him selfe nor blynded with any hys owne affections Moreouer although the will of God doth work together with mans will or as Augustine liked rather to speake whether God do worke in the hartes of men to apply their willes whervnto it pleaseth hym eyther to godlines for hys good mercies sake or to wickednes and vyce according to their owne deseruinges or whether man be afflicted with any crosse of persequution yet doth God bring all these to passe according to his own iust Iudgement sometimes open and manifest but alwayes most righteous for what sitteth more with iustice thē to punish offenders then to tame and suppresse the outragious pryde of rebellious Nature But forasmuch as all the workes of GOD are directed chiefly as to one ende from whence then may man take a more large occasion to magnifie and extoll the Iustice of God then out of hys owne works And therefore though weé confesse that it is one selfe work which is wrought by God and by man yet because in the selfe same worke God worketh by an other way and to an other ende Namely putting in vre the worke of hys Iustice and because men do the workes of pryde of Luste of wrath and of couetousnes hereupon it commeth to passe that sinne is worthely imputed vnto them the will of God remayning alwayes righteous and good notwithstanding For this rule is to be holden alwayes vnshaken That all the works of God are wrought for the best So the fall of our first parent Adam the hardening of Pharaoes hart the treasō of Iudas the persequutiō of Paule tended to as good purpose as the perseueraunce of Noah in fayth The humblenes of Dauid Peters denyall of hys maister and the conuersion of Paule For what soeuer is wrought by God doth alwayes tourne to the glorifiing of hys power and magnifieng hys Iustice of hys Iustice because by sinne he doth punish sinne and that most righteously of hys power whē with hys mighty hand and onstretched arme he doth aduaunce and deliuer them for his wonderfull mercies sake and of hys free liberalitie it pleaseth hym to vouchsaue But Osorius is a wylypye and will not be destitute of a starting hoale but will seéke to escape through some chynk or moushoole And because he doth perceaue that Gods power cānot be vtterly sequestred from the Actions of men he like an olde tryed shifter will collour the matter and applye the workes of God which we haue rehearsed to Gods foreknowledge For this is the subtill distinction whereunto our aduersaryes flee for their defence They say that no prouidence of God that may enduce any Necessitie doth go before to cause men to sinne Onely that God did foreknow that they would so do that they were such in deed not for that God did foreknow that they would be such but rather that he did therefore foreknowe that they should be such through their own inclination Where the Aduersaryes make mencion of the foreknoweledge of God they doe not altogether lye in this poynte For it is most true that the Maiestye of God doth behold as it were with present view all thinges that are haue bene and shal be as though they were present in hys eye but herein they go amisse where they practize to establish the foreknowledge and permission of God so firmely that they would haue hys vnchaungeable prouidence seuered from the same which cannot possibly be by any meanes for what may a man thinke if God doe foreknow and permitte wickednes to raigne which he is not able to turne away where is then hys power if he be able and will not where is then his mercy what father is so hard harted that seéing his childe ready to receaue some harme will not call him from the perill if he may But say they he that doth wickedly he also that doth consent thereunto are both in one predicament Therfore as it is an absurde thing not to confesse God to be omnipotent or that any thing is done that he cannot do so is that as false also to say that any thing with God will not is permitted wtout hys knowledge and agaynst hys will For howe shall we conceaue that God doth permitte any thing to be done but because hys will is that it shall so be done whereupon we may frame an argument agaynst those persones who reiecting the necessary doctrine of predestination flee onely to Gods Permission on this wise If God do permitte sinne that doth he eyther with hys will or agaynst hys will But he doth not permitte it agaynst hys will for there can nothing be done agaynst the will of God Then followeth it that God doth willingly permitte sinne and will not stay nor hinder it Which beyng graunted their obiection hath a dubble error First because they take away sinne altogether from the will of God casting the same wholy bpon hys Permission Next because they do feare least Gods Iustice should be blemished beyng of this opinion To witte if God do worke in the hartes of the wicked when they do sinne Then must it be taken for confessed that the cause of sinne shal be forthwith imputed to God and withall that men shall hereof take iust occasion to excuse thē selues Both which are easily confuted For first of all whereas it is sayd that GOD worketh in the hartes of men to encline their willes whereunto it pleaseth hym eyther when he doth thrust vpō men outward calamities as straunge diseases cruell Warres flames of
done by him we beleue assuredly is done either to expresse his power or to make his glory discernable or to commend his Iustice or els to discouer the wonderfull riches of his mercy Wherfore when Luther doth affirme that with GOD all thynges are done by an absolute Necessitie whether they come by destiny chaunce or any fortune at all why should not it be as lawfull for him to speake so as for Osorius to speake in the lyke phrase and in lyke titles of words That God is of Necessitie the best the most iust and the most wisest But I heare the sounde of an Argument from the Popish Diatriba They say that they abridge not God of his power no nor that they can do it neither would at any tyme otherwise then as him selfe hath abridged it Although there be nothyng but that the omnipotency of God can bryng to passe yet would he haue nothyng lawfull for him selfe to do that might be contrary to his Iustice. And bycause it is an horrible matter that any man should be damned without euill deseruynges and that it is not reason that good workes should be defrauded of their due reward therfore it must needes follow accordyng to the rule of Iustice that God should chuse thē whom he would haue to be saued for the good workes whiche he did forsee to be in them and condemne the other lykewise for their euill doynges For otherwise if he doe not regarde the workes then were not his Iustice constaunt and permanent This Obiection must be ouertaken after this maner It is one thyng to treate of Gods Election and an other thyng to treate of his Iudgement As concernyng the Iudgement of God it is euident that no man is damned vnlesse he haue deserued it for his wickednesse and that no man is saued vnlesse some matter be founde in him whereunto his saluation may be imputed It is farre otherwise in Election and Predestination which is accomplished accordyng to Gods Freé determination and coūsell without all respect of workes either goyng before or commyng after Or els how can that saying of the Apostle be true Not of workes but of him that calleth c. meanyng thereby the Free Election of GOD Whereupon let vs heare Augustine very aptly discoursing in his booke De Praedestin Grat. It is sayd not of workes but of him that calleth The elder shall serue the younger He doth not say of workes done before but when the Apostle spake generally not of workes here he would that men should vnderstand it both of workes done and already past and workes not as yet done that is to say workes past which were none at all and workes to be done which as yet were not done c. Workes therfore haue both their tyme and their place Certes in Electiō they haue neither tyme nor place Neither is any thyng here of any value but the onely will of God which neither dependeth vpon fayth nor vpon workes nor vpō the promises but workes fayth and the promises and whatsoeuer els doe all depend vppon it For neither are our deédes vnto him a rule to direct his Election by but our deédes are directed by his Election as the effectes do consequētly depend vpon the causes and not the causes vpō the effectes Neither doth God worke vnrighteously in the meane tyme in this if he take mercy on whō he will take mercy or if he harden whō he will harden And why so For sooth bycause he is indebted to no man For sithence we are all in generall euen from our mothers wombes ouerwhelmed drowned in this puddle of originall sinne he may accordyng to his good pleasure haue mercy on whom it pleaseth him and againe passe ouer whom soeuer hym lysteth and leaue them to them selues that is to say not take mercy vppon them Whereupon all men may easily perceaue aswell the Reprobates what it is whereof they may iustly accuse thē selues as also they that are chosen how much they are indebted to God for his great and exceédyng mercy Euen as if one man kill an other with a sworde no man doth therfore accuse the sword but he rather is knowen to be in faulte which did abuse the sword to murther with as good reason for asmuch as men are nothyng els but as instrumentes of wickednesse onely in Gods hand they that yeld of Necessitie are not so much in fault as he rather deserueth to be blamed that caused them to do wickedly If so be that men whom God hath created after his owne Image were such kynde of Instrumentes whiche lyke vnto a sword or sawe were driuen not of them selues and without any motion or consent of their owne or if God were such a Royster or hackster that would delight in the slaughter of men the similitude were not altogether to be mislyked Now to graunt vnto them that the wills of men are directed and are subiect to a stronger power then they are able to resiste yet do they not suffer onely as Instruments brutish and senselesse doing nothyng them selues in the meane whiles Men are drawen in deéde but with their owne wills as Augustine maketh mention Neither is any man euill but he that will him selfe And if man will be of his owne accord euill who ought to be blamed therfore but him selfe For where shall we say that sinne is but where a will is founde to committe Sinne But Osorius ceaseth not as yet frō his chatteryng They that doe affirme that God hath seuered out of all the vniuersall masse of mākynde some whō he would prepare to euerlastyng glory and some others whom he would appoint to euerlastyng destruction not for any other cause but bycause it so pleaseth him doe plucke Gods prouidence vppe by the rootes The Lutheranes do alledge none other reason of Gods Predestination besides his will onely Ergo The Lutheranes do foredoe and plucke the prouidence of Cod vppe by the rootes I beseéche you Osorius if as yet you haue not cast away all feélyng of an honest and sober Deuine vtterly returne to your selfe at the length In deéde say you so Do they foredoe Gods prouidence which say it is so for none other cause but bycause it pleaseth him c. What kynde of Argument doe I heare from you Cā God be pleased to do any thyng that is not most correspōdent to reason or cā any Reason be of all partes so absolutely perfect that can disagreé frō the chief and principall patterne of his will or do you seéme a reasonable man that doe talke so fondly But I beseéche you Syr. For as much as the will of God whether soeuer it bende and encline it selfe is nothyng els but a most perfect Reason of it selfe and of all partes most absolute and without blemishe and for as much also as Reason it selfe is nothyng els then the very rule of Gods will nay rather for as much as the will of God is the very essence
substaūce of God what kynde of couplyng do ye desire to be had betwixt Reason and the will of God Who in deéde can will nothyng but that whiche is perfect sithe that nothyng is perfect but that which he willeth And whereupō then riseth this hauty crest of yours that can not be satisfied with the bare will of God beyng expressed in his playne word Neither seémeth it sufficiēt in your Iudgement that God should chuse any to saluation vnlesse his secret counsell herein may be made discernable by the deépe reach of your owne reason and that he should render an accoumpt and reason of his decreéd will herein vnto your Maistershyppe Albeit I doe not deny this to be true that the profounde wisedome of the Deuine Godhead can not be sundered from the knittyng together of his Reason and counsell that is to say from it selfe Yet out of what Schoole suckt you such Diuinitie O singuler Piller of the Romishe route so earnestly to require and to sift out the counsell and Reason of the Creatour euen in the very vnsearcheable wisedome of him that created you I suppose ye were thus schooled in your sacred confessions Surely you neuer learned it out of holy Scriptures If you neuer noted what aunswere the Lord made to Moyses in the Scriptures marke now somewhat more attentiuely I will haue mercy sayth he on whom I haue mercy and I will take compassion on whom I will take compassion c. Here you may seé a singuler Mercy of God in takyng compassion whereof you nor seé nor heare any other rendred in the whole Scriptures besides the onely will of God I will haue Mercy saith he will you know the causes and the persons the doth not say bycause I perceaue thē to be worthy of my benignitie whose foreseéne workes doe delight me now before I take Mercy but I do therfore take Mercy bycause I will take Mercy and I will take compassion on him of whom it pleaseth me to haue Mercy And therfore S. Paule addyng a very fitte conclusion Ergo sayth he God will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden whom he will harden With these wordes bridlyng our nyce curiositie as it were and withall geuyng vs to vnderstand that it is enough for vs to know that so is the will of the Lord although there be no manifest demonstration made vnto vs of the cause wherfore he would so do For of what soeuer it shall please the Lord to bryng to passe albeit we can not atteyne the Reason yet ought we to grounde our selues vpon this for sufficient and lawfull Reason bycause the Lord hath brought it so to passe we ought also to learne of Christ this lesson Bycause it hath so pleased thy good will O Father For as much as it is not lawfull for any creature to presume to enquire any reason beyond the will of God Right well therfore and very profoundly doth Augustine geue vs this lesson It is not meete sayth he to search for the causes of Gods vnsearcheable will it is not lawfull to know it for that the will of God is the principall and highest cause of all thinges that are and therefore if when it is asked why the Lord did it it is to be aūswered bycause he so willed it if thou go further in asking why he willed it thou askest some greater and higher thyng then the will of God is Which can not possibly be founde out And agayne the same Augustine in an other place writyng of Predestinatiō and grace God sayth he taketh mercy on whō he will haue mercy and of whom be will not haue mercy he will not take mercy He geueth to whom him listeth and requireth that whiche is due vnto him of whom he will Here agayne ye heare the Will of God named yea and that alone wherewith if you be not yet satisfied bycause it is named alone harken what is immediately annexed by the same Augustine for thus it followeth He that shall continue to say God is vnrighteous let him harken vnto the Apostle O man what art thou that contendest with God man with God earth with the Potter c. Doth he herein not note you excellently Osorius and as it were poynt at you with the finger as that no man could possibly haue noted any matter more notably Paule the Apostle doth render no causes at all of Gods Election but his will onely Augustine dare enquire after none All the whole Scripture is throughly satisfied with his will onely Onely Osorius can not be satisfied nor thinketh it lawfull enough for God to doe that him lyketh best vnlesse with sutteltie of Reasonyng as it were with cutted Sophismes and Sillogismes mā mainteyne Argument with his GOD earth with the Potter Which thing how horrible it is learne at the least out of Esay the Prophet Woe sayth he vnto him that will contend with his maker a brittle pottesharde of the outcast potteshardes of the earth shall the clay say vnto the Potter why doest thou make me thus did thy handes fayle thee in thy worke c. As though there were any of the Creatures of God that doth vnderstand the mynde of the Lord or were euer counsellours vnto him or as though it were not permitted him to will as him lysteth or as though what soeuer pleaseth him were not lawfull for him to do vnlesse he did geue vs a reason and orderly render vnto vs the causes that moued him thereunto And what if he will not discouer it Osorius Yea and what if he ought not what if when him lysteth to display it most manifestly your balde mazer and the blockyshnes of your nymble capacitie can not be able to pearce into the vnsearcheable depth of his glory wisedome and counsell Ieremy the Prophet beyng commaunded to go downe into the house of the Potter and there to behold throughly the workemanshyppe of the runnyng wheéle and the hand of the craftesman when he saw the Uessell that was newly made and was by and by broken agayne neither doth he require a reason thereof of the workeman nor yet doth the Lord beyng the workeman rēder any reason vnto him onely he declareth his power in makyng new and renewyng agayne of that which was broken in these wordes Am not I of power to do vnto you as this Potter doth to his claye O house of Israell sayth the Lord. Behold as the clay in the hand of the Potter so are you in my hand O ye house of Israell And will Osor. dare be so bold beyng a fashioned lumpe of the Potters wheéle neither reuerencyng the Maiestie of his maker nor contented with his onely will to require a reason of his creation besides the lawfull will of the Creator and will he not permit it to be sufficient for God to doe in his owne workes what it pleaseth him best For what do these wordes of Osorius emporte els Where beyng squeymish at Luthers speache He doth
as was declared before And this was to cleare him selfe Osorius not to purge cleanse the Gospell with like submission humblenesse he testified his innocencie and vttered his conscieuce before the Emperour freély standyng then in perill of his owne life rather then making any bragge or vaunt of him selfe Phil. Mclancthon beyng Sommoned to appeare before the Councell rendered a Confession of his Fayth not so much of any hope to do any good as enforced by necessary constraint of obedience to make aunswere for him selfe beyng in no lesse hassard of his life then Luther The same in his common places of Diuinitie what vaunting or bragges hath he vttered Bucer and before him then Huldricke Zuinglius also after them both Iohn Caluine many other Deuines besides those for the earnest desire they had to know the truth applyed their wittes industry to the readyng of holy Scriptures For what could they do more coÌ„meÌ„dably wherein wheÌ„ they had well trauailed read and vnderstoode them immediately began the couert conueyaunces of fraude and desceipt to be made manifesâ— none otherwise then as thynges that lurcke before in darknesse do at the enlightenyng of a candle or torche immediately discouer them selues Now let Osorius tell vs what he would haue these faythfull Pastours do should they be mumme and say nothyng their coÌ„science would not permitte them For this had bene not to teach the flocke of Christ but to forsake it not to guide but to beguile it not to play the Shepheardes but wolues Theéues should they truly then and freely vndertake to defend the forlorne estate of the Veritie EueÌ„ this is it this is the very thyng they vndertooke if you be ignoraunt thereof Osorius and besides this nothyng els Whereas you say that this was a great and a hard enterprise you speake herein but the truth For whereas Veritie is a matter of great importaunce and doth commonly engeÌ„der to it selfe hatred surely they could not haue attempted any one thyng with more perill of their owne liues nor more daungerous for that present tyme yea I caÌ„ not well tell whether the Apostles them selues professing the Fayth of Christ first or the Prophetes when theâ— reproued mens traditions superstitious obseruatioÌ„ of ceremonies to much affiaunce in Sacrifices and the blind and preposterous opinioÌ„s of their people did euer enter vpon matter of more difficultie or daunger And therfore as touchyng the substaunce of the matter I do confesse that it was a perillous and an hard enterprise when they vndertooke the defence of the Veritie And yet they neuer attempted it of any such courage or confidence as to dare to promise any good successe of their labours to any others For neither was the state of that tyme so appliable as would permit them to promise any thing of theÌ„ selues though they would neuer so fayne wherein if they could escape without losse of life albeit they atchieued nought els yet they might well iudge that they had done a notable exploite So farre was it of that they could euer imagine or dreame of so great a renewyng of the Church of the vtter ouerthrow of the pope and Idolles and the like successes that ensued thereupoÌ„ the which thyng Luther shameth not to confesse simply without all dissimulation as that he could neuer so much as hope for the hundreth part of those thynges which God of his meare mercy and goodnesse brought to passe in them Whereby we do you to vnderstand Osorius that these matters were not begon by mans power or pollicie nor through any lightenes or braggyng of men but performed perfitted by the onely worke of the holy Ghost doubtles And therefore this Tertullus makyng his foundation with a manifest lye doth with like deceaueable falsehoode proceéde to the rest of his declamation that so he may seéme neuer vnlike him selfe You sayth he haue afflicted the Authoritie of the Bishop of Rome c. O affliction O cruell tormentes O holy Martyrdome O greéuous passions and woundes which this Godly Pope doth suffer for Christes sake Whiles I was readyng these wordes of yours Osorius I began to be sodenly in some doubt whether this were an ouerscape of your penne or the ouersight of Theobald your Printer whenas in steade of the Pope afflicted You would haue sayd the Lutherans afflicted or at least you should haue sayd so Certes if you indifferently and vprightly render a iust accompt of all the imprisonmentes setters gibbettes burning plates pyles of flaming woode recaÌ„tatioÌ„s beheadings boocheries fiers repeales armies tortures hostes rackynges and persecutions by fier and fagot it will easily appeare whether part hath afflicted and doth dayly afflict the other But bycause mention is made here of the afflictions of the Romish Authoritie it were neédefull for me to enquire of Osorius first what kinde of Authoritie Osorius doth define vnto vs For if he meane that Iurisdiction which the Byshop of Rome hath ouer his owne Seé of Rome and the other Prouinces aunexed to the same limited him by the Councell of Nice no man will striue agaynst him for this Authoritie But if by this name of Authoritie he will haue to be signified that hygh and vniuersall Authoritie which the Pope doth exercize and vsurpe equall with God him selfe ouer all Churches Prouinces Pastours and Byshops and aboue all generall Coâ—â—cels This Authoritie for as much as the true written Veritie doth not geue vnto him in any place yea rather oppugneth it very mightely and doth call it the See of the Beast to the which also it threateneth a vyall of vtter darkenes it can by no meanes be auoyded but one of these must neédes come to passe either that this vnmeasurable Authoritie of the Pope must geue place to the Scriptures of God or that this vniuersall Byshop shall triumphe and haue the victory the Scriptures of God beyng vtterly vanquished and put to sciâ—ence For as much as these two Authorities beyng so directly contrary eche to other can not stand together For if Christ would not permitte any superioritie amongest his owne Apostles will he suffer it amongest Byshoppes If the Lord himselfe came for this purpose as the scriptures do witnesse to become a minister to others to wash the feét of his disciples if he refused to be a king being sought vpon earnestlye for the same will there be any so proude a Disciple of Christ that will with his heéles treade vpoÌ„ the neckes of Emperours and will blaze abroad Scepters and Diademes of S. Peter in the poore and base Church of Christ what although the Pope of Rome will take vpon him more then the Authoritie of the Scriptures will allow him shall it not be lawfull therfore for godly Pastours learned Deuines to professe freély by the testimonies of the holy Scriptures that which they seé with their eyes and feéle with their handes but that they must be accounted scourgers of the Seé Apostolick But how much more wisely
discrete man admitt any such person to be Iudge And yet I stand not so much vpon a Iudge herein This one thing doe I wishe onely that with the obiections of our aduersaryes our aunsweres may be heard with indifferency And I assure you if I could preuayle with wishing I would desire nothing more hartely then that the renowned king of Portingall Sebastian a prince of excellent Maiesty sith I suppose verely that the arbitriment detreminatiō iudgement of this cause doth concerne Christian Princes chiefly would vouchsafe of his singular clemēcy according to the aunciēt Lawes of Athens to geue eare indifferently to both cause and to lend his princely eares but euen a litle whiles not vnto me but to the cause it selfe whereof I shall entreate I would not doubt his highnes being iudge but that I would easely iustify that all whatsoeuer the Catholickes doe alledge at this day for their antiquitye are but bare bragges And that with vs remaineth nothing wherein they may iustly condemne vs of Nouelty And in this behalfe I can not wonder enough what came into Osorius minde to exact of vs a warrant of our Nouelty seing that of his owne Antiquitye he can yeald vs no manner of warrant at all But let vs harken a while to those notable reasons of our aduersaryes wherewith they doe defend their Antiquitye which being throughly confuted we will presently proceéde to the argumentes which they doe obiect agaynst our new masters of this new Gospell as they terme it There is a principle in the ciuill Lawe The lawes sayth they are fauorable to the party in possession in a title of prescription Yf prescription of fifty yeares doe cleane cut of all chalenge what shall be sayd then of them which affirme their continued possession in doctrine a thousand yeares and more By the same prescription of time say they the priestes of the old lawe did chalenge vnto themselues a lawfull right to sit in Moyses chayre Ergo Mans lawe doth adiudge no man a wrōgfull dissensor being able to prescribe fifty yeares possession Aunswere The priestes of the old lawe doe chalenge a right to sitt in Moyses chaire in respect of the continued prescription of time I doe confesse this to be true in deede And yet this prescription notwithstanding the Lord did call the very same priestes theéues and murtherers Agayne touching their allegation of the wrongfull disseisor by lawe and prescription of time I doe aunswere In the ciuill lawe this is true in deéd but not so in Gods lawe And yet there is also a rule in the ciuill lawe A wrōgfull disseisor shall not ohtayne though he prescribe neuer so long continuance of possession Agayne An ordinaunce begunne wickedly at the first is not sayd to be allowable for prescriptiō of tyme. But as concerning Gods lawe there be many notable testimonies of most worthy personages which disproue the same for an vntrueth Namely emongest all others the saying of Augustine chiefly The veritye being discouered custome must geue place to trueth let no man preferre custome before reason and trueth because reason and trueth doe alwayes exclude custome And Gregory Yf you pretend custome sayth he you must note what the Lord sayth I am the way the trueth and the lyfe He doth not say I am custome doughtles euery custome though neuer so auncient though neuer so generall must geue place to the trueth Emongest whome also heare what Cyprian doth say If Christ onely must be harkened vnto sayth he we may not regard what any other did thinke conuenient to be done before our time but what Christ hath done first who is aboue all other For we ought not to followe the custome of men but the trueth of God for as much as the Lord spake by the month of his Prophet Esay and sayd They worshippe me in vayne teaching the doctrines and tradicions of men Moreouer whereas themselues knowe this rule to be infallible that no custome shall prescribe agaynst the prince how much rather ought it be sayd no time or custome shall prescribe agaynst God Otherwise what shall we say of Antichrist which because he hath possessed his Seé more then an hundreth yeares shall he therfore not be accounted for Antichrist for his title of prescription Hitherto therefore the reasons wherewith the Catholickes do maintayne their Antiquitye are declared It remaineth now that we purge our selues of the cryme of Nouelty fasly obbraydid agaynst vs by Osorius especially sith Osorius doth vrge vs so earnestly thereunto wherein I would gladly conferre with that indifferent and vpright reader whome earst I spake of or with any other Catholicke man who hath any sparke of sound and vpright iudgement And I would enquire of him first his iudgement vpon this poynt of doctrine whereas we beleue and professe that our nature euen from our first creation is so vtterly lost and forlorne that in our selues remaineth no helpe at all to rise agayne without Christ agayne that Christ the sonne of God taking our nature vpon him hath made so perfect satisfaction for our sinnes that there remayneth nothing wherein his deseruings haue not sufficiently enough satisfied for all generall yea for the sinnes of the whole world Moreouer that these his merites are so by wonderfull dispensation spread abroad with ouerflowing plenty vppon all mankinde through the singuler and inestimable benefitte and mercy of God that a freé passage is made wide open for all miserable wretches penitent sinners being endued with fayth to haue freé accesse vnto Christ and so layd open as that freély through fayth without all merites of ours without all the works of the lawe they be pardoned and accepted vpon this poynt I say I would fayne heare the opinion of the godly and Catholicke Reader whether this Assertiō hane any maner of Nouelty in it which hath not proceéded from Christ himselfe from Saynt Paule frō the holy Ghost and from the sacred word of God I thinke no man will say so What meaneth this That where the same scripture doth teach vs to repose all our affyaunce not in workes but in Christ onely grounding our selues in the meane space assuredly vpon the infallible promise of God whereof we haue no mistrust but that he which promised freely the same will performe most faithfully not for any our sake but for hys Sonnes sake onely in whom we do beleue so that now there be no reason els of any our righteousnesse in the sight of God then through fayth onely Let the Godly and vpright Reader iudge here agayne with me what Nouelty or Sacriledge is in this manner of Doctrine If according to the authority of Tertullian that thing ought to be preferred that was first diliuered I will aske again of any indifferēt Reader whether this custome were receyued in the Church first namely that we should acknowledge one onely Aduocate and Mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesus Or
but humble and prostrate Sinners onely truely and vnfaynedly repentaunt Sinners For otherwise such as raunge outragiously and willfully in their Sinnes nor are touched with any remorse of sorrowfull minde for their wickednes coÌ„mitted nor moued with any earnest desire to obtayne forgeuenesse vnto such I say Paule doth not bouchsafe to ascribe either Fayth or any righteousnesse at all no more doth Iames defraud the others which with repentauÌ„ce haue an earnest desire of Saluation of any part of IustificatioÌ„ No more do euen those which though be moued with neuer so great a remorse of Conscience obtayne any mercy at Goddes handes by any other meanes possibly then through onely fayth whiche is in Christ Iesu our Lord. Whereby you may perceaue sufficiently that in the Doctrine of Iustification all workes are excluded and Fayth onely weareth the gareland But that the meanyng of the Apostle may appeare more playnly to be so bold to vse schoole tearmes the predicatum must neédes agreé with his subiectum on this wise as where it is fayd that fayth onely doth iustifie this is true in deéde but whom Not the proud not the obstinate stubborne and outragious sinners but those sinners onely which stricken downe with an earnest acknowledgement of their sumes and entring into a serious meditation of amendement of lyfe doe most humbly flee vnto Christ through fayth euen with all their hartes Such that doe on this wise simply and vnfainedly repeÌ„t for Luther speaketh not a word of others if a man doe teach to be freely iustified through fayth onely agreéing herein with Paule with Iames and with Christ himselfe doth this man seéme in your eyes to teach a new Gospell or rather a most true and most most auncyent Gospell It were a tedious peéce of worke to runne ouer all the places of doctrine Let this be the summe to speake breefly Martine Luther did publishe many articles Iohn Caluine hath set forth his Institutions Melancthon hath made a collection of Common places the same also hath done Wolfg. Musculus Henry Bullenger hath written his Decades Peter Martyr hath made sundry commentaryes vpon the old Testament and the newe and discoursed notably vpon the Sacrament The same did before him Hulderick Zuinglius Iohn Oecolampadius Marine Bucer hath geuen vs many aunsweres and Apologies Emongest those may be placed the Apologie of Iohn Iuell no lesse famous and worthy Of Antichrist now openly and in good time discouered besides many other things hath Gaulter Rodulph compiled a treatise Of many other matters lykewise many writers haue treated largely Finally the professions and confessions of many natioÌ„s peoples prouinces Kingdomes Cities townes incorporate proclaymed published in writing through all their seuerall Churches by generall agreément conspiring and concluding all with one assent in one vndoughted trueth In all whose writinges monuments and confessions If you canne shew any thing new neuer heard of before or that is not auÌ„swerable and correspondent to the auncienty and doctrine of the Apostles I geue you here freé libertye to exclayme agaynst those doctours of the new Gospell as lowde and wyde as ye canne But if hitherto your selfe haue found no such matter nor euer shall be able to shew any such to what end raungeth this shamelesse vnbryveled impudency in matter so manifestly false You call it a new Gospell shamelesly enough yelding no reason that moueth you to call it newe Wherein you haue set before our eyes a very playn and euident demonsiration of your foolishe vanitye For if we should confesse the trueth in deéde to what purpose is all this brabble contentioÌ„ and discention emongest vs but for this onely matter because we do endeuonr to reclayme you that haue forsaken the true natiue simplicitye of the true and auncient Gospell roauing at randone after I can not tell what new-fangled straunge and imaginatiue deuises of mens traditions and are desirous to haue you come home to the auncient antiquitye of the true simple and pure Euangelick veritye agayne If any man shall doubt hereof and thinke this vntrue that I speake the apparant proofe is at hand Uouchsafe vs once this one petition that ye would be but willing to haue the Christian doctrine to recouer and returne to her auncient state and first institution euen the same state wherein it florished in those most auncient dayes of Christ and his Apostles weéding out by the rootes all that pilfe and baggage that hath ouergrowen the Churche since their departrue hence and wherewith they nor any of them were euer acquainted we will desire none other condicions or couenauntes of vnitie and attonement to be concluded vpon betwixt vs. Whereby the godly and indifferent reader may by this onely argument coniecture where those maisters doe lurke whome Osorius doth accuse of Noueltye Howbeit this nick-name of newe Gospellers wherewith the Catholickes doe obbrayd vs is no newe reproch For in lyke manner the Prophets in times past thapostles yea Christ himselfe were called New fellowes because they taught new doctrine Tertullian and Eusebius also do record that this nickname was vsually frequeÌ„ted eueÌ„ in the very swathling clowtes of the Church But they did easely deliuer themselues from that reproch of Nouelty Wherein albeit we haue not attayned so prosperous a successe as they did yet haue we yelded our endeuour in the same cause as farre forth as we trust the godly and indifferent reader will be satisfied and pleased withall I haue spoken now of our Antiquitie It remaineth that you aunswere lykewise Osorius as much as you may for your Antiquitye For it is agaynst all reason and iniuriously handled to exact a speciall accouÌ„pt of an others Antiquitye that can render no reason for your owne And therefore whereas this religion of yours which vnder visor of a true Church you do falsly call by the name of a Catholicke Church is ouâ—rwhelmed with infinite preceptes lawes and doctrines of men oppressed with innumerable decreés decretals extrauagantes Quintines Sixtines Ceremonies Traditions Rules Prescriptes Edictes Cannons and Synodalles Rites vowes and curses Let vs be certified therfore how much antiquitie is resiauÌ„t in the whole rabble of these your inuentions and deuises And to begyn at the very toppegallaunt of all your Religion that highe Prelate the Pope him selfe let vs first take a view of all his Titles by the which he is called to witte Uniuersall Byshop Prince of Priestes high and supreame head of the Church on earth Christes Uicare generall the onely Successour of Peter the most holy Father most Reuerend Byshop keépyng ioynte Consistory together with God the onely Monarche of the visible Church Byshop of Byshops These Titles and Additions of names I doe not enquire whether were euer named or heard of in the tyme of Christ or of his Apostles neither do I aske whether they were receaued into the Church in the tyme of Gregory sixe hundreth yeares after the AsceÌ„sion
and shew how they sprong vpp first emongest the olde Fathers and so by litle and litle in what order they proceéded lastly by what degreés they clymed vpp so high to become marchauntable in the Primitiue Church When as Emperours raged furiously agaynst the first entrye and beginning of Christes Church albeit very many godly Fathers gaue their lyues with wonderfull constancye for the testimony of the trueth Yet did not all persist in lyke constancye of minde but many of them falling away from their profession to Idolls were holden guiltye of Idolatry sacriledge Who notwithstanding renouncing their Paganisme and retourning to Christ ministred occasion to the Elders to pause awhiles and to take breath vpon good aduise what were best to be done with them It was concluded at the last the mercy ought not to be denyed to these backslyders Yet so as they should not by and by be restored to the congregation whom they hadd offended by their euill example by perfourming some penaunce prescribed vnto thē for a certain space of tyme. In the meane tyme as euery of the Penitentiaries seémed to grow in greater carelessnes of their penaunce so was their penaunce aggrauated and lesse consideration hadd of releasing their punishment At the last the persecution being ceased yet ceased not the infirmity of sinning Whereupon the posteritye followed the example of their predecessors vpon lyke occasion ministred by obstinate sinners Then were added certein Cannons gathered together out of Councells first from the Councells of Ancyra and Nyce and from the Councells following A transcript whereof was made by Buchard and Gracian whiche the Latines doe call Penitentiales and the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is before mencioned Wherein was comprehended how much penaunce was prescribed for euery particular fault Neuerthelesse some qualification of the sharpenes of the sayd Canons was ministred to the Penitentiaries through the clemency and humanitye of the Pastors accordyng to the qualitye of the trespasses and estates of the persons And this kinde of discipline of the Canons was exercized yet in a certein meane state of the Church by the space of a thowsand yeares and somewhat more vntill at the last the auncient sincerity of the Primitiue purenesse beginning to waxe colde and the rigor of the olde Canons growing by litle litle out of vse or chaunged into lighter burdeines new Pardons exept in place which were not onely abrydgementes and easementes of those penaltyes that apperteined to the censure of the Church but which did stretch further a great deale to absolution a paena culpa not in this present lyfe onely but euen to Purgatory it selfe Wherein were promised not onely Releases of Ecclesiasticall satisfactions but full and generall acquittaunces deliuered of those forfaytures and trespasses which appertayned chiefly to Gods owne Consistorye Whiles these thyngs were a doyng and freé Pardons flewe abroad now euery where thorough all Churches without measure which happened not long before the yeare of our Lord. 1200 by and by began question to be made by whom those Pardons might be graunted by their Parish Priest onely or by any other of like dignitie or by a superior power After that this kynde of dispensation was translated to Byshops and Archbyshops onely And at the last came it in question where the full power of plenary Pardons should rest Which after solemne disputations was agreed and concluded vpon must neédes be in the power of the Byshop of Rome In the meane space was a Councell Sommoned to be holden at Laterane vnder Pope Innocent the thyrd in the yeare of our Lord. 1215. Wherein complaint was made of that cōmon scatteryng abroad of Pardons whereby certein Proctours of Spittellhouses which gathered the good deuotion of the people for their poore houses were wont to graunt out great and large Pardons bycause they would procure the people to deale their ahnes somewhat more franckly There ensued afterward a Coūcell holden at Vienna which I doe wonder why hath bene omitted in the bookes of the Cannōs vnder pope Clemente the 5. in the yeare of our Lord. 1311 In which Councell the auncient Fathers perceauyng the subtile practizes of certein Pardoners and their ouer greédy outrage in settyng their Pardons to sale and their scrafty conueyaunce to cratche vppe the pence thought good to preuent this mischief betymes and thereupō made a solemne Decreé wherein the dissolute licentiousnesse of these pratyng Proccours was sharpely suppressed bycause they gaue of their owne myndes motiō to speake their owne tearme Pardons to the people dispenced vpon vowes absolued such as would cōfesse open periuries manslaughters and other horrible crimes bycause they would release for money the thyrd or the fourth part of penaūces that were inioyned bycause they would dispatch Purgatory of threé or foure soules whom they listed at a choppe bycause they would graunt plenary remission of Sinnes and would make out their Bulles relaxatory A poena simul Culpa And at the last the holy Synode concludyng We sayth the Canon will and commaunde that these abuses by colour where of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction groweth to naught and the authoritie of the Church keyes is brought into contempt be vtterly abandoned and abolished c. Certeinely I am sure that this doyng of the Fathers will sett a good face vpō the matter Osorius that these good fathers had respect to nothyng els then to the Reformation of the sayd abuses onely But the matter it selfe bewrayed the contrary whatsoeuer pretence was made here of the perill of soules of the infamy of the Church of the contempt of the keyes and of ouer greédy rakyng for money yet this was not the principall cause that prickt forward the Romish Prelates to preuent this peltyng powlyng of the Proctours But there was an other cause For they did presume to absolute A poena Culpa Which accordyng to the Glose vpon the Decretalles is called the fullest forgeuenesse of Sinnes and is graunted by the Pope onely Moreouer they were to bold to geue out their Pardons to the people vpon their owne authoritie not receauyng nor obteinyng first licence and power thereunto from the Seé Apostolicque This was so haynous a matter that the Popes Councell could not be able to disgest it And hereupon began that crowyng agaynst the poore Proctours as I sayd before not so much for that they did abuse their Indulgences to gayne and lucre for what els haue the Popes them selues done at any tyme But bycause the Romishe Rauens felt no small feathers pluckt from their backes For these great wise men foresawe that which was true in deéde that if other Churches might be at freé libertie to bynde and louse as farreforth as they this would grow to no small preiudice to the Primacy And therefore was a prety waye founde out whereby all this absolute power of Pardons which at that season seémed in deéde generall to all Churches indifferently beyng afterwardes taken away
of the Euangelicall doctrine to glister and shyne farre and wyde abroad ouer all Christendome at this tyme which because was not so resplendisaunt and lightsome in the tyme of certeine of our forefathers of late yeares whereas neuerthelesse Christ did alwayes preserue embrace his Church with lyke mercye and fauour therefore he accompteth this Gospell of Christ to be a new straunge Doctrine contrary to Christ and this also not Osorius alone supposeth to be so but many other Deuines wandring inlyke error who are maliciously wroth agaynst Luther as though he a few others were the first deuisours and coyners of this Gospell Thē which vntrueth can nothing be more vntrue Nay rather if Luther had neuer bene borne if Bucer or Caluine had neuer taught yet could your ignoraunce and shamelesse errors haue no longer lurked in darknes through one singuler and especiall prouidēce of God not that whereby Luther was sent abroad into the world but by that inestimable benefite of Gods blessing prepared for the behoofe of his Church I meane the singuler and most excellet Art of Emprinting By this meanes it pleased Gods good mercy both to prouide for the weaknes of his Church withall auēge himselfe vpon your Tyrannous cruelty by a certein secret vnsearchable maner For imediately after Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage the most holy Martyrs of God were by your horrible fury and wickednes consumed to ashes and the veritye of the Gospell suppressed by your Tyranny could neither be suffred to speake franckly nor shew her face abroad boldely nor eskape your rauenous gaping freély skarse x. yeres were come gonne before that in place of two poore Prophetts almighty God had raysed vpp all the holy Prophetts Patriarches Apostles Euangelistes and all the holy doctours of the Church Martyrs Confessours and Interpretours of holy Scripture as it were a certeine army of heauenly knightes armed at all poyntes to encounter your outragious assaultes who because could not be permitted to speake openly in the Church through your tyranny begann to presse forth boldly now in the open Printers shopps and to leape into euery mans bosome and handes and withall to bewray your ignoraunce and Tretchery and to discouer not new wellsprings of Doctrine but to skoure and make cleane the olde fountaines and Conduyt pypes of the Gospell of grace stoppt vp by the popish Philistines And hereupon begann to spreadd abroad with glystering beames the large encrease of this gladsome Doctrine which if be so combersome a block in your way you may not therefore wreake your anger vpon Luther but deuise make some prouiso for these Printers for these bookes for learning and for Languages and to tell you as the trueth is you must excommunicate God himselfe Who durst be so hardy to bestow his vnspeakable mercy vpō this later and declining age of his Church in relieuing comforting her long and werysome trauaile with so many and so plentifull graces and aydes of true Doctrine and sound vnderstanding that would prouide for her sicknes so many learned Phisitions and Doctors not Luther Zuinglius Bucer and Caluine but Moses the Prophetts Apostles Euangelistes and cannonicall Scriptures through the reading and dayly perusing of the which if Christian hartes being better enlightened doe now feéle and perceaue sensybly that which our forefathers were forced to groape after in darkenes you ought not to muse thereat at much lesse to enuye and maligne it Wherefore as touching the grayheadded age of this Doctrine whereat you doe barke so impudently with your currish snarling for as much as we doe professe nothing els then the same that is comprehended within Gods booke and which before our tyme was taught by Moses aucthorized by the Prophetts Apostles what meaneth this your I will not say reason but vnreasonable insensibilytye with such vnsauery subtlety so to wryth wrest that to the defacing of this Doctrine which Haddon did conceaue of the outward lybertye and freédome of the Preachers only as though this doctrine were of no better creditt and no longer continuaunce then these last thyrty yeares and so shamelesly by many hundred yeares to preferre the auncienty of Mahumets sect before the knowledge of this Gospell But it had bene more conuenient for you good syr to haue learned by diligent enquirye whether this comparison of sectes doe not serue more fittly with that your pampered Papane for asmuch as that heathenish Paganisme and your prophane Papacye were both whelped nere about one tyme and almost within the compasse of one yeare which yeare we doe accompt by the reueled computation in S. Iohn to be the sixe hūdreth sixty and sixe Now that this deépe Deuine hath reasonably well beaten his braynes about matters of Diuynitye he doth beginne to cast a new floorish about and will haue a cast at the prosperitye and stayed estate of Princes presuming vpon his politique wisedome to councell kinges and Queénes and chiefly aboue others our gracious Queéne Elizabeth with what modesty she ought to attemper the prosperous successes and happy tranquillitye of her estate That she trust not to much to fawning fortune that there is nothing certeine in the course of this lyfe and many perills are to be feared in matters most pleasaunt and prosperous to the viewe and that no thing is more daungerous then carelesse securitye because as after light followeth darkenesse and after Calme come Clowdes euen so the whole course of this lyfe hath his continuall enterchaunges Ioy sometymes surprised with sodeyne sorrow agayne heauinesse chaunged into honour that all thinges are carryed about in a certaine vehement whyrling vnstablenesse as it were the fleyng vanes of a windemill forced about with Boreas blastes The thinges that are now aloft be sodenly throwen downe and contrarywise the things that be simple base doe at an instant mount aloft And that it commeth oftē to passe that whom God is most displeased withall those same he will ouershadow with more fruitfull aboundaunce of vertue grace and endue them with happy assuraunce not of fyue yeares onely but of many yeares continuaunce that so the greater that their fall is the deeper may their wound be according to the old prouerbe the higher wall the greater fall Briefly that there is no state of honour so firme so sure garded wherein a man may assure himselfe of a minute in safetye which doth euidently appeare by the example of Craesus who being vanquished of Cyrus and prepared vpō a pyle of wood ready to be bourned did cry vpō Solon with a lowd voyce and being demaunded by Cyrus who that Solon was Craesus doth declare the councell that he long before had receaued of that Solon whereupon Cyrus commaunding him to be taken downe from the stacke of wood after that he had thereby learned to bridle his Choler did not onely preserue him on lyue but hadd him in great reuerence and estimation This farre forth Osorius euen out
the world nor haue forged more shamelesse lyes tourning now his Typpett about doth beginne to doe as many men wont to doe which through malice haue wounded any one greuously on the headd will thinke to salue the iniury agayne with puttyng the cappe on the headd and telling him a mery tale of Robin Hoodde Semblably Osorius hauing well whett his owne humor vpō reproches and slaunders being otherwise vnsatiable with any cursed speaking outragiously raging in all manner of filthynesse agaynst them whom he doth not know hauyng discharged his stomake of the very gall of his Melancholy doth now endeuor to perswade thereunto pledgeth his faith with solēne protestation that all his wordes and deédes before were not procured of any prouocation of hatred or malice but proceaded frō very pure loue of godly affection and from most hartye desire of our safetye Well thē Sithence you will haue it so Osorius because you make so solemne a protestation we doe beleéue your oath that you did write this vnfaynedly with all your hart not of any malice at all but simply of a very Catholicke zeale and charitie But yet we can not but maruell much what kinde of Charity this may be that rageth so cruelly gnaweth skrapeth and roumbleth so pestiferously howbeit we doe not deny but that charitye is sometyme moued with choler and hath her proper chydings and chastisements according to the misticall Sonett of the Prophett The Righteous man shall smite me frēdly and reproue me but the precious balmes of the vngodly shall not breake my headd But to forge manyfest lyes agaynst them that you know not to beare false wittnes agaynst your neyghbors to rayle with most reprochefull blasphemies agaynst the Testamēt of the lyuing God to teach Princes to rage agaynst their Subiectes is this a poynt of Charitye or an euident badge of that horrible hellhounde which is a lyer and a manqueller frō the beginning But there is no neéde now to rippe vpp a freshe rehearsall of those vnmeasurable and incredible lyes slaunders and blasphemies wherewith this your volume is fully fraught and stuft euery where But this in the meane space doth seéme to carry a wonderfull shew of marueilous Charity Whereas he affirmeth that he will willingly lose his life for our sauety To contemne death boldely in wordes is a very common practise in many mē and to make stought bragges of vndaunted courage especially when no perill is in place So seémed Peter chearefully willing to dye for his Lord and Maister whiles all thinges were calme no Ieoperdy thought vpon which foreward stomake neuerthelesse immediately vpō the sight of present perill vanished away into flatt deniall of his Master But thanked be God there is no cause why you should offer any such hassard of life in our behalfes good Syr. For as concerning the safety of our soules we are well assured is firmely grounded vpon an vnpenetrable rocke not vpon your death which can auayle vs nothing at all but vpon the death of the sonne of the liuing Lord. Therefore if the care that you take for our saluation you will employe diligently for your owne preseruation you shall in my iudgement so much the better prouide for your selfe by how much you be now more farther of and more daungerously distaunt from the right rule and course of the truth For if according to your Rhethorick the way for vs to saluation to the hope of eternall felicity be none otherwise open then being atchiued by godly actions and excellent integrity of lyfe And if thys be the onely righteousnesse as you say wherewith the fauour of God is procured to mankynde Pag. 142. Then what doth this your doctrine emport els thē to forclose you vs both frō all passable way to heauēly inheritaunce for where shall we finde that excellency of integritye where shall we finde that absolute righteousnesse whereof you bragge so much which in equall ballaunce is able to counteruayle the iudgement of God Surely not in England you will say nor in any common weale of the Lutherans who do set theyr foote on no ground but that they do infect the same with all stench and abhominable contagion Emongest the Portingalls therfore hope I where a man may be bolde to say be no hedgcreépers men but Golden Aungelles flying abroad Truly that is well And how commeth it to passe then that emongest those Aungelles so many of all sortes men and weomen be daylye seéne in your publique assemblies to scourge and teare their naked carkasses with greéuous whipps and bloody lashes I would fayne learne of you whether they doe it for any theyr good deédes or els for their offences and sinnes What meaneth Osorius himselfe in this that he so holy a Father doth so often roonne to reitterate confessions lett him aunswere at his best leisure whether he confesse his good deédes or his wicked Wherefore if neither this reuerend Byshopp so curious a carper of other mens faultes is able to behaue himselfe so precisely but that he must fleé dayly with vs to the mercy seate and compassion of God where be then these glorious crakes of integrity or whyther will your integrity absolute perfection addresse vs to seéke out this superexcellent excellency that you boast vpon so much Peraduenture to Platoes common weale or to Moores Vtopia or els to the goodly fieldes in hell whereof the Poets make mention for without question it can not possibly be found any where in this common course of vniuersall imbecillity of nature But euen as it is reported that Xenophon the wise Philosopher of Athenes did in the describing of the famous vertues of Cyrus imagine him to be not such a one as he was in deéde but such a one as he ought to haue bene and to haue expressed his wished and harty desire rather then any true description of the Prince according to the very nature of a description historicall So do I suppose that Osorius hath a will to teach vs not so much what we be but what we ought to be and so purposed in his mind to make a proofe of the force of his eloquence what it were able to doe in the extolling the prayse and commendation of vertue And hereof who can either be ignoraunt or doubtfull that all our actions and course of life ought to excell in such a perfection that there neéded no supply to be required to absolute and Angelicke integrity the which neither the Prophane Philosophers before the birth of Christ neither the Pharises had any feéling of without Christ no more did they expresse the same in the dutifull affayres of their life who being altogether estraunged from the knowledge of Christian Religion were neuerthelesse not ignoraunt hereof that all mans felicity consisted wholy in vertue onely and ciuill direction of life and that it was vertue onely which alone could make a passable way for godly minds to attayne euerlasting felicity the likelihood
an infallible assuraunce of Saluation and eternall lyfe there cā be nothyng more false and more damnable for as much as the same is not obteyned by our owne merites and deseruynges but is freély geauen to the vnworthy and vndeserued and is thē also geauen whenas we are founde Sinners so that in this whole worke the mercy of the Lord doth beare the whole and full prayse and palme not our workes which do but folow Gods reconciliation as fruites and not make attonement with God None otherwise then as Osorius whenas he doth Consecrate when he doth geaue orders when he doth weare his Myter he doth not all these to the ende he would be made a Byshopp but bycause he was made a Byshopp before therefore he doth execute the duties apperteignyng to a Byshopp And as the Seruauntes of noble men are knowen by their seuerall Badges but do not weare noble mēs badges bycause they shall become those noble mēs seruauntes In semblable wise Christian Fayth albeit it worke allwayes by loue and doth shew a speciall demonstration of pure and true Fayth doth not therefore procure Saluation bycause it worketh but bycause it doth beleéue in Christ Iesu who beyng able alone to geaue that absolute integritie which is required for this cause therefore onely Fayth in Christ Iesu doth obteyne our Saluation not our perfection and integritie So that all the whole felicitie of our happy lyfe doth not proceéde from any efficacy or force of our owne worke but by consideration of the Obiect onely which is receaued thorough Fayth Neither are the endeuours and actions of loue charitie and pietie excluded in this course of transitory obedience as I haue often declared before as though by this meanes they should be of any lesse necessitie not to accompany or not to attend vpon Fayth Agayne neither are workes so ioyned with Fayth as though they should exclude Fayth from her dignitie and her proper operation nor enfeéble or abase the wonderfull riches of the grace of God which is in Christ Iesu nor that they should extinguish the Glory of Christes Crosse nor dispoyle afflicted consciences of their heauenly cōsolation nor should destroy the synceritie of sounde doctrine which the Apostles haue left vnto vs which for as much as ascribeth the whole estate of our Saluatiō to no one thyng els then to the onely freé liberalitie and mercy of Christ Iesu I doe appeale to the secrett Iudgementes of all the godly whether the opinion of them be better which doe establish their sauetie in Fayth onely or of Osorius which doth measure all our assuraunce and confidence of Saluation by the onely Rule of our owne righteousnes and who doth affirme that Fayth onely is onely rash temeritie Truely if the Spirite of the Lord could not disgest those Laodiceans which beyng droūken with vayne persuasion of their owne righteousnesse hadd not any feélyng or perseueraunce of their owne vgly deformitie and filthy barraynesse It may easily be coniectured what we may determine of the hawty spirite of this Portingall Deuine and of all his Diuinitie Wherefore in that you seéme so inwardly carefull for our sauety Osorius as herein your honest inclination of gentle courtesie towardes vs may not vnthankefully be neglected of vs altogether Euen so we also in requitall of our good will towardes you do earnestly exhort and hartely desire you that either you will vouchsafe to instruct vs in the true doctrine of Saluation more wholesomely and purely hereafter or els that you reteigne still with your selfe this your safety which you do wish vnto vs if you can wishe vs no better and enioy the same to your great comfort as much and as long as you will for euer and euer world without end Amen ¶ Lett vs pray OSorius I do hartely pray and beseech the hygh and eternall Lord Iesu Christ for the loue of his most precious bloud which was shedd for the Saluation of all mankynde for his woundes for his bitter passion for his death wherewith he dyd vanquish death for his victory wherein he triumphed ouer the kyngdome of Sathā that he would vouchsafe to enlighten with the bright beames of his coūtenaunce and deliuer frō all errours this kyngdome which was once a Receptacle of all vertue Religiō wisedome and Iustice disquieted now by the wicked practises of naughty packes woulde also vouchsafe to reclayme it to the Fayth and vniforme consent of most sacred Religiō into the aūcient boundes of the Churche defend the same with the assistaūce of his holy Spirite that whereas we are now disagreeyng in opinions we may be conformed together at the length in vnitie of one Fayth and one vniforme mynde of most vndoughted Religion and may attayne together that euerlastyng glory to the vnspeakeable ioy and Reioysing of all the holy Citizens in heauen At the Feast of Easter Alleluya Alleluya In recompence of this your solemne collect Right Reuerend Father what remayneth at the length but that we all and euery of vs doe with one mouth one spirite and one voyce sing as lowd as we can vnto you Amen which being but one word wanting onely to the knitting vpp of the prayer I doe not a little maruaile why was forgotten of you vnlesse perhappes because it was skarse a good Latyne word and neuer foūd in the bookes of Cicero therefore it was vnworthy to be inserted in this place as not meéte for your fine phrase of Ciceroes Eloquence Neuerthelesse it is right well yet that making intercession for vs poore outcast Englishmen you skippe ouer all other pelting and petty mediatours and aduocates and haue thought good to call vpon the helpe of the most mightye mercyfull Lord Iesus Christ without calling for or inuocating the helpe of any other Gods Which deuise how well will agreé with the rest of your discourse I can not well conceaue for you seéme to pray one way and to dispute an other way quite contrary You doe pray as a Lutherane but you dispute as a Papist What a contradiction is this I pray you where the Pyper playeth the hornepype and you daunce the Antyck For if this be true as we are taught by your example that we ought to fleé for succour to Christe onely as the most chiefe and highest Soueraigne and in him onely alone to repose all our whole shoote ancker of prayer inuocation without praying to all other perry Saincts what neéde we then of any other Sollicitours Patrones and Aduocates But if the estate of our necessitye be such as may not want their ayde and assistaunce how chaunceth it that renouncing the necessary helpes of pettygodds and pettygoodesses intercession is made here onely vnto Christ Afterwardes you doe proceade in your whott zealous prayer doe make intercessiō For his bloods sake that was shed for the saluation of all mankynde for his woundes sake for his most bitter passion sake for his death sake wherewith he vanquished
without any proofe at all I returned the same into your owne bosome with approued circumstaunces of tyme and persons But hereunto our new vpstarte Pythagoras maketh none aūswere but that my examples are counterfaite and reiected of approued writers Of whom I pray you where how what booteth it to enquire further my Lord Byshop doth affirme it we must needes beleue it Herein yet your companion of Angrence is somwhat more tractable who rather then he will leaue the matter vnconfessed will set two Monkes by the eares and confute the one with the testimonie of the other O gay payre of Byshops which are so intangled in two examples onely that the one is enforced vtterly to disclayme the other to take such witnesses whom no wise man will admit But Osorius forsooth hath gottē an other couert to play boe peépe in where he shrowdeth him self alwayes when he is narrowly chased I force not sayth hee what rules of lyfe our Monkes obserued for such haynous offences as are committed in common weales by men not altogether endued with heauenly wisedome should haue bene cured or vtterly abandoned by the sinceritie of your most holy discipline by the wholesome medicine of this Gospell and by that excellēt remedy which your Doctours haue deliuered vnto the world O notable Diuine is this speach meéte for a diuine and a Byshop is it lawfull for you to be murtherers māquellers bloudsukers vnpunished Is there not one baptisme onely one profession one onely Lord father of all one onely redeémer Iesus Christ what prerogatiue then cā your sect chalenge more vnto your wickednes then ours We allow no amendement of maners but such as that authoritie of the Gospell sacred Scriptures do approue none other integritie of life but that whiche the Gospell doth exact if you be exempt from this discipline the world goeth well on your side lōg may you enioy that your freédome a Gods name But if there be but one profession one name one bonde of peace why do you so dismēber this vnitie or rather rend it in peéces as though it were nothyng materiall in what sorte you behaue your selues bycause we haue an especiall profession and regard of innocencie and vprightnes of life If this were so as you do most absurdely confesse what could this auayle to your Monkes how could they be cured of their festered vlcers beyng aboue an hundred yeares old by these our newly vpstarte lieches as you tearme them You see here how you rubbe your selfe on the gall where soeuer ye touch so hard it is to finde a startyng hoale for such frameshapen cauils And yet beyng altogether vnlucky in handlyng your matters you hauke after tiltes of wordes that so at the least ye may fease vpon gnates I affirmed that you dwelt nearer the worke maister of poyson then I You demaunde what I meane by that whether I note your person your countrey or any other nation Whereunto I demaunde agayne whether the wordes be not Latin wordes and playne enough But they note nothyng of certeintie say you This is your owne fault who vse to chop of the head of the sentence and slyly huddle the rest And I otherwise accusing no man willingly am ashamed to depraue any whole Natiō Wherfore though you haue endited Englād by name it shal be lawfull for me to vse more modestie for more arrogācie and impudencie I can not You snatch at an other vocable which is Perpessa Printed for Persparsa But yet at the last you release me of this quarell cōfesse that it might be the ouersight of the Printer as though you or any other hauyng any smatch of learnyng could doubt that I had written the seédes of warres to be scattered abroad But you are an immoderate brabbler that can scarcely admitte that which your selfe do seé must of necessitie seéme to be true Here you play hickscorner concernyng the reformation of our maners after the rules of the Gospell Where you sportyngly promise that you will sayle ouer vnto vs to learne this notable discipline of life Come not at vs I pray you except you throw away your hypocritical visour and cal to your memory the saying of the Propheticall kyng Thy worde O Lord is a lanterne to me feete which sentence lyeth drowned amongest you in so deépe a dongeon of bald ceremonies and mens traditions that like night owles you are starke blynd in the midday and are not able to endure the bright beames of the cleare shynyng Gospell Now to the end I might more sensibly disclose the ouglinesse of your fonde superstitions I noted two speciall botches of your lothsome customes Whereof one consisteth in that vnbridled licēcious Bulles of Pardons The other entreateth of prayers ouerunne and mumbled vp without feélyng sence or vnderstandyng These two forlorne matters you ouerskip in the playne field succourles without touch of breath wherein surely you deale very discreétly for your Schoolemaister Cicero him selfe if he were now aliue could not perswade this blacke to be white the matter beyng so absurde And yet you haue here illfaudredly prouided for your honestie that so playnly deny that men were not accustomed to assigne the affiaūce of their saluation to those two plaisters aboue mentioned For as touchyng those leadden Bulles what prerogatiue they obteined how wyde and how farre they stretched with how cruell bondage they had cramped mens consciences not onely the auncient age and receaued custome of many yeares most truly recordeth but the rotten carcasses also buried in graue will beare sufficiēt witnes against you Amongest a great number of whom were foūde caskettes full of pardons safely folded and lapt together in the bottome of their graues Which I suppose would neuer haue chaunced vnlesse vnmeasurable superstitious affiaunce had bene attributed to this peltyng leadē pilfe Now if the liuely authoritie of the holy scriptures haue so vtterly quasshed blurred out this bald ceremonie that at length you confesse now that all confidence of saluation ought to bee ascribed to the onely bountie and mercy of Iesu Christ as your selfe protest in the selfe same wordes Uerely I do hartely reioyce in the behalfe of Spayne But as I haue no quarell with that famous Natiō at all so haue I very great agaynst you whose communicatiō is so wonderfully variable that a man may scarse trust you in this matter For if it be true that our righteousnesse doth partly depend vpon good workes agayn if it be meritorious to pray to the virgine Marie which both you do verifie and likewise earnestly auow that she hath bene oftentymes founde mercyfull to your petitions of these then proceédeth a good consequente that all the hope of our iustification ought not to be ascribed to Christ onely But these thyngs shal be better cōsidered hereafter in place fit for them in the meane tyme call to your remembraūce what a thyng it is to speake honorably and largely of the
incompreprehensible mercy of God when as otherwise you make but a very slender accoumpt therof As to that you seéme not to be resolued whether any Christian were euer so bussardly blind as to beleue any other clensing of sinne besides that which consisteth in the onely freé mercy of Iesu Christ surely good Syr you can not bee vncerteine of this vnlesse you doubt whether your selfe doe liue whether you take breath or whether you walke a man amongest men For that pure and vndefiled founteine of auncient Religion was long sithence dried vp when as a certeine deformed counterfaite of outward holynesse was priuely crept into the Church had so garnished it selfe with such a praÌ„ckyng cloake of Shole commentaries and scattered brâ—ggs of foolish superstition that the same inestimable treasure of Christes bloudsheadyng was almost altogether ouerwhelmed This is true Osorius Yea to true I would it had neuer bene true yea rather I would to many remnaunts of this stinking carion were not now in vre I would those rotten bleare eyedâ— Traditions had not ouer many Aduocates men of great renowme Lastly I would that our Ierome Osorius were not the very ryngleader amongest them Truly if Osorius were not as he is he would not be so bitterly clamorous agaynst me in that I doe so earnestly abhorre that lumpishe leaden Idoll which hath bene most wickedly esteémed for the onely ground-worke and foundation of all other trecheries For after this gaynefull market of redeémyng of soules was proclaymed abroad by the trumpet of the Pardoner and the price of saluatioÌ„ valued euery where at a few pence there ensued such outragious licentiousnesse of lyfe by the meanes of this speady forgeuenes of sinne that we seémed to haue no neéde of Christ sitting aboue at the right hand of his Father hauyng here in earth his Uicar generall with vs who for a small trifle could absolue vs dayly But here Osorius blameth me further as well for the thyng as for the name bycause I do so oft and so malitiously as he sayth make mention of lead Wherein the famous Oratour bewrayeth him selfe to be not onely vnskilfull but also a bluÌ„tish leaden scholer For if we call to remembrauÌ„ce the vsage of the fâ—repassed aunciencie no ordinaunces no contractes no obligations no Testaments no Commissions shal be founde to haue any force power or authoritie vnlesse the same were sealed with waxe signed with writyng or ratified with some engrauen markes herein if no man can be ignoraunt beyng neuer so meanely lettered or any tyme acquainted with the common affaires of the world with what face doe you so storme at me for that I call lead by the name of a publique Instrument I vse here knowen wordes sealed with lead doe ye not know the figure Synechdoche or haue you not heard of Metonymia if happely you remember not these trifles you may learne of litle children by whom these rules are dayly practised But if you do know them as of necessitie you must why do ye dissembles And hereof you say some men tooke great gleé who doe loathe my trade of liuyng as well as yours But at the last you depart from this lead and for your better credite vouch your Romish monarche the first founder therof for proofe of whose authoritie you thinke it not neédefull to spend much winde for that your copemate of Angrence hath most learnedly established the same already Truly this saying maketh me to smile at the old meéry Prouerbe one Asse claweth an other by the elbow In deéde your companion hath herein played the tall man before you as well as hee might and therefore you play the good felow with him agayne lendyng him a lye for a tyme and helpyng to vphold his credite already crusht in peéces But as I sayd at the first you lose your labour the worke is not recouerable For that infamous Apologie of Angrence hath geuen his estimation so deadly a wounde that AEsculapius him selfe can not cure this poysoned fistula if he were now aliue Therfore let vs passe ouer that seély wretched butterflye and stoppe your nose from the ayre of that carion the remembraunce of whom is either vtterly extinct or blemished for euer with euerlastyng ignominie We will harken to you agayne the most arrogaunt slauÌ„derour not of priuate persons and Diuines onely but of Princes and common weales also First let this be graunted you say that there is but one Church not many Churches Nay rather you grauÌ„t the same fondly falsly For generally there is but one onely Church of Christ but out of the same one many particular Churches are deriued as prouinces Hereof the seuerall Churches to whom S. Paule entituled his Epistles are sufficient witnesses The Churches also whiche S. Iohn doth recite in his Reuelation doe witnesse the same After that you take this for a maxime That it is not enough for a Prince to establishe wholesome lawes vnlesse he ordeine Magistrates and Gouernours ouer them This is true surely but this hangeth nothyng together with your former Maxime neither can I perceiue to what end it is spoken Of your third proposition you take handfast vpon my wordes wherein I consented with you touchyng a Monarchie Truely I did confesse and will not yet deny that you did dispute of a Monarchie very aptly What then doe ye conclude hereof that I doe despise or finde fault with other common weales doth that person disprayse politique gouernement which prayseth a Monarchie doth he condemne the estate of Uenice that prayseth the gouernement of Florence he that commendeth Wittemberghe doth he therfore reprehende Auguste or Argentine As though that auncient Rome when it was gouerned by Consuls Senatours was not the Empresse of the whole worlde or as though that politique Regiment of Athens was not a most florishing Regiment And as though in this our age many famous Prouinces are not well ordered with most sweéte lawes and ordinaunces which were neuer subiect to one ruler alone Let this therfore be the cause that enduced me to esteéme of a kyngly preheminence either bycause I had learned so or bycause I was enured thereunto or bycause the loue of my couÌ„trey did so persuade me Shall your determination be inuiolable therefore in this sort vttered For many persons do rend in peeces a commoÌ„ wealth but one maÌ„ doth vnite fast Citizens harts together with great authoritie If you set downe this as an infallible truth you do erre monstruously for the coÌ„trary hath bene very often experimented sundry notable RegioÌ„s which haue bene miserably ouerthrowen through the barbarous crueltie of Tyrauntes and many common weales beyng at the very brink of ouerwhelmyng haue bene comfortably recouered and preserued by the wisedome of many Out of these pretie reasons partly false partly vncerteine and chaungeable you multiply your coÌ„clusion neither true nor probable That is to say That Christ determinyng to establish his heauenly common weale vpon earth did
ouerwhelmed the glorious Maiestie of the Grace of the Gospell did of an incomparable shamelesse excessiue Impudencie extoll aboue Moone and Starres yea beyond all compasse of reason the force of mans Freewill in such wise that nothyng might beare palme besides mans merites onely and the workes of Freewill the mercy of God beyng vtterly banished and exiled Or if they did at any tyme admitte Grace to be cape marchaunt as it were with Freewill least they might seéme vtterly to exclude Grace Yet did they so admitte her as they dyd the Article of Iustification Wherein as they did with most vayne practize enforce this one point cōtinually to witte That fayth onely without workes could not Iustifie euen so and in lyk◠maner in this question of Freewill they would neédes haue this to bee graunted that the Grace of God was not the onely foundresse of good workes and of our Electiō but a seruaūt rather or at the most a companion of Freewill Whose vnmeasurable errour forced Martin Luther to that vehemet sharpnesse of speach and not without good cause And yet in all that his heate of wordes what can any man I pray you finde beyng not otherwise lead by corrupt affection that is cōtrary to the naturall truth of thyngs or that is not in all respectes faithfully agreable with the very spirite wordes of Gods Scriptures Freewill is denyed to be of any value not bycause it is of it selfe nothyng if you respect the substaunce of it but in respect of the operation therof it is sayd to be altogether vneffectuall to that worke whereunto it is supposed to be conducible not much vnlike to that figuratiue phrase of speach wherewith Paule doth esteéme of Circumcision and Uncircumcision to be nothyng worth wherewith Esay the Prophet doth tearme Idolles and Idollmakers to be nothyng and wherewith Ieremy beholdyng the earth with open eyes was sayd hee saw nought Or as a man might say that Osorius doth say nothyng at all when as otherwise he is ouer lauishe of toung if you regard his wordes and sillables but nothyng at all to the purpose if ye cōsider his Argumentes Semblably Freewill is called a fayned deuise amongest thynges or a tittle without substaunce from whence ariseth no preiudice to mās nature onely the corruption of nature is discouered hereby For it is vndoubted as Augustine truly teacheth that we do will when we will and that we doe worke when we worke But to be able to will and to be able to worke bee bringeth to passe in vs of whom it is sayd God is hee that worketh in vs both to will and to doe geuing most effectuall power to our will whiche sayd I will bring to passe that you shall doe Aud agayne in other place Thinking sayth he we do beleue thinking we doe speake thinking we doe all whatsoeuer we doe c. Loe here you haue the tittle of Freewill And forthwith in the same Chap. But to the attaining the way of righteousnesse and the true worshipping of God we are altogether of our selues insufficient for all our sufficiencie herein proceedeth frō God c. Where you may easily conceaue the substaūce it selfe which Augustine acknowledgeth to be none at all in Freewill but affirmeth boldly to cōsiste wholy in God Albeit neither doth Luther him selfe when he tearmeth Freewill to be a fantasie or deuise in thyngs simply and barely affirme the same to be so but annexeth thereunto an addition namely Post peccatum ante gratiam That is to say After Sinne and before Grace Whereby the godly Reader may vnderstand that those persones are not noted here whom either the Grace of Christ hath vouchsafed into Freédome or whō after Grace receaued Christ will crowne in glory to come For there be certeine distinct differences of tymes and persons if you know them not Osorius whiche ought chiefly to be obserued wherein if you be as yet vnskillfull ye may repayre to your M. Lumbard who will lead you to a descriptiō of Free-will deuidyng it into foure braunches as it were Wherof the first is The same that was created ioyntly with mans nature at mans first creation sounde and perfect The second whiche after mans fall was throwen downe in them that were not regenerated The third whiche is proper and peculiar to the godly after their conuersion vnto Grace The last which shal be accomplished in those that shal be glorified As touchyng the first and last whereof the Deuines make no question at all as I suppose Agayne if you will assigne Freewill to the thyrd braunche Luther will nothyng gaynsay you whose disputation concerneth those persons chiefly who after Sinne before their conuersion beyng wounded with originall Sinne haue not as yet recouered health in Christ Iesu through the triacle of better Grace In which sort of people if you be of opinion that the state of Freewill ought by any meanes to be defended I would fayne learne of you first whether ye will inueste those persons with Freewill playnly perfectly whole and not diminished or otherwise If you will attribute such a freédome vnto them it remayneth then that by way of definition ye expounde the difference betwixt the state and condition of the first man before his fall and this latter state and condition after his fall But if you will dismember it and will graunt vnto them certeine vnperfect dregges thereof onely neither will Luther vary much from you herein so that ye will yeld some distinctiō thereunto and vtter playnly and distinctly what kynde of libertie you meane in what thynges you settle it and how it ought to be taken what this word Freewill emporteth and to what actions of mans lyfe it ought to be referred and withall will vnlose those crabbed knottes of equiuocatiōs wherewith ye seéke to entrappe the truth For whereas the actions of mans lyfe are not all of one sort or kynde some wherof proceédyng from nature it selfe be naturall others altogether faultie and corrupt others politique and apperteinyng to maners are morall called good Agayne some other spirituall and consiste in the worshyppyng of God It behoued you here to make manifest vnto vs whiche of those actions you do meane If you speake of the first kynde certes euē vnto these by the very law of cōmon nature it selfe we are all fastened boūde of necessitie wherby we are bereft of the greatest part of our freédome For what freédome can bee so mighty in mans wil as to preserue mā so that he neuer neéde to sleépe but be alwayes watchfull that he neuer be sicke but alwayes healthy neuer receaue sustenaūce not to disgest the foode receaued not to prouide for his houshold not to be carefull for him selfe his family not to be busied abroad not to rest at home not to enioy the commō ayre not to lyue not to dye not to performe the other dueties apperteinyng to mans lyfe whereunto we are forcibly drawen by course of