simply absolutely spoken 2 And Christ would that the young man should have tryall of the weakenesse of his strength in fulfilling the law 5 Not everie one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of Heauen but hee that dooth my fathers will which is in Heaven Matthew 7. 21. Therefore wee are justified by workes which we are to doo Answ 1 This is my Fathers will that every one that seeth the Son and belieueth in him should haue eternall life sayth Christ The Heavenly Father therefore willeth that we believe in his Sonne and by faith obtaine eternall life For this is the worke of GOD which is required at our hands that wee believe in him whom the Father hath sent Ioh 6 29 2. Wee denie that those which bragg of their faith in Christ and yet doo no good workes are the heires of eternall life because they haue not true faith which worketh by love Galat 5 6. But it dooth not hereof follow that we deserue eternall life by our good workes For we are saved by grace not of workes least anie man should boast Eph 2 8. 9. And good works are not pleasant to God but onely in them which bee iustified 6 VVorke out your saluation with feare trembling Philip. 2 12. Ans Hee speakes of sanctification or renovation in men alreadie regenerate And warneth them that they doo not through securitie let goe the meanes of their saluation but inure themselues dayly to the exercise of piety and the works of sanctification Now to apply this to iustification is to confound iustification with sanctification The argument therefore hangeth not together 7 With such sacrifices God Promeretur is promerited Heb 13 16. Ans 1 The Author of that Epistle speaketh of men which are iustified they doe then wrongfully wrest it to men which are to be iustified 2 That translation is corrupt For the text according to the Greeke is with such sacrifices God is well pleased which is not all one as to be iustified For good works doo please God as beeing a begunne and vnperfect obedience in them which are iustified although those workes doo not iustifie 8 God is not vnrighteous that hee should forget your worke and labour of loue c Heb 6. 10. An 1 There is more in the consequent than in the Antecedent for it followeth not God will recompense the good workes of them which are justified in the life to come Therefore those good workes deserue iustification 2 It is a fallacie making many questions where there is but one For it is one question whether good workes doe iustifie and an other whether God will reward the good workes of the iustified 9. Redeeme thy sinnes by almsdeedes and thine iniquities by mercy to ward the poore Dan 4. 24. Ans 1 Hee speaketh of the escaping of temporall punishments and not of the manner of iustification His words haue this sense Repent and bee mercifull to the poore that God may turne from thee the temporall punishments of thy sinnes which now hang over thy head 2 His speech is a Sermon of Repentance which doth include faith in it by the figure Synechdoche 3 The place is corruptly translated The proper signification of the word true meaning of the place is rightly rendred thus Breake of thy sinnes by righteousnesse c. that is cease thy woonted sinnes and begin a new life c. 10 Almes do deliuer from all sinne and from death and will not suffer the soule to come into darknesse Tobit 4 11. Answ 1 The booke of Tobit is Apocriphall and therefore can prooue no point in controversie 2 He speaketh not of iustification but of temporall death and of the temporall punishments of sinne which are meant in this place by the word Sinne after the phrase of the Hebrues And he teacheth here the same that is in Psal 41 1. Blessed is hee that iudgeth wâ—â—ely of the poore the Lord c. 3. By a Synechdoche faith is included also in the wordes going before set the Lord God alwaies before thine eyes c. Verse 6 4. The worke cannot please God vnlesse it bee done of one that is iustified 11 The hearers of the Lawe are not righteous before God but the doers of the Lawe shall be iustified Rom 2 13. An It is a fallacie from that which is spoken but in some respect only to the same taken absolutely and in all respects For Paul speakes vpon supposition If iustification be by the law then not the hearers but the doâ—ers of the Lawe shall be iustified and so hee expresseth represseth the insolencie of the Iewes who would be iustified whereas notwithstanding they kept not the law as if he should say If iustificatioÌ„ be by the law then not the hearers but the dooers of the lawe shall bee iustified But there can no man bee found either amongst the Iewes or the heathen which is a perfect doer or keeper of the lawe as Paul prooves it in the first second third Chapters to the Romans therefore if iustification be by the lawe no man liuing shall be iustified looke the placeâ— Euen as Paul also doth ouerturne this supposition Gala 3. Therefore this sophisme of our Aduersaries falleth to the ground 12 VV as not Abraham our Father iustified through workes Iames 2 21. Ans If the words bee vnderstoode as they sound according to the letter they are repugnant to other Scriptures 1. in the meaning because they speake cleane contrarie concerning the iustification of Abraham Romans 4 3. Genesis 15. 6. Secondly in the historie Because Iames saith thaâ— Abraham was iustified after the offering vp of his sonne whereas it appeareth by the former places that hee was iustified about some twentie fiue yeares before The meaning then of Saint Iames is that they which are iustified are not without good workes but that they doo so manifest their faith by their workes that by the effects they may bee knowne of others to be iustified which is nothing els but to bee declared iust or righteous 13 Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes 1. Peter 4 8. Answ In the proper place whence this sentence is cited Prou 10 12. it appeares that it is meant of that hiding of sinns which is before men not before God Therefore it is impertinently alleadged for iustificatioÌ„ 14 Many sinnes are forgiuen her for shee loved much Luke 7. 47. Therefore loue meriteth forgiuenesse of sinns Answ 1. In the Parable going before Christ sheweth that wee may gather by the love that followeth in the partie who hath had manie sinnes forgiuen and who fewe in their iustification going before seeing hee will loue more for the time to come to whom manie than he to whom few sinnes have beene forgiven This is therefore a changing of the consequent into the Antecedent and of the effect and that which followes after into the cause and that which goes before 15 The chiefest vertue dooth chiefely iustifie But Charitie is preferred before faith 1 Cor
truth it did not belong vnto them 3 That after the canon of the Scripture was perfected yet neuerthelesse the inuocatioÌ„ of Saints was vnknowen and that yet notwithstanding Christians might beelâ—ued as Iohn witnesseth of his Gospel â—ap 20 ver 31. 4 Seeing the Apostles wrote all things necessary to saluation Act 20 27. Ioh 20 31 and the holy Scripture is such as maketh a man perfect to euery good work 2 Timoth 3 17. It followeth heereof that either these things are not true which are heere spoken of the scripture or that it is a lye that inuocation of saints is necessary to saluation 5 It followeth that inuocation of Saints hath none other grounds than lying miracles froÌ„ which God dehorteth vs De 13 2 3. 2 Thes 2 9. Isay 8 19. 6. It followeth also that all those papists doe impudently and against their conscience which being of Eckius his minde do go about to proue inuocation of saints by sayings of the Scripture 7 It followeth also that because inuocation of Saints is not contained in Scripture were it neuer so voidâ— of sinne yet no man were bound to accept of it The Scripture biddeth vs worship and pray vnto God alone 1 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serue Mat 4 10 Deut 6. 13. and 10 20. 2. Call vpon Mee in the day of trouble Psa 50 15. 3. I will not giue My glory vnto an other Isa 48. 11. 4. Christ bid vs pray Our Father c. Matt. 6. 9. 5 Come vntoâ—e all ye that are weary c. Matth 11. 28. Hee is to be prayed vnto whom we may call vpon in faith But faith is by the Word of God Rom 10 17. Therefore because we haue no word to stir vp our faith with promise of being heard or to command vs so to do nay because it is an horrible sinne and religion forbiddeth vs to belieue on Saints doubtlesse it is vnlawfull also to pray vnto them But neither may wee pray vnto Saints as to mediatours because the holy Scripture doth ascribe the glory of mediation to none but to Christ alone 1. So he is called the Mediatour of the New Testament Heb. 9 15. 2. There is one GOD and one Mediatour betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men 1 Timo 2 5 6. Now 1 This vnity is taken away if there be erected moe Mediatours 2 And the saintâ— gaue not themselues a ransome for vs therefore c. â— If any man sin we haue an Aduâ—cate with the Father Iesus Christ the iâ—st 1 Ioh 2 1. But Saints are noâ— Iesus Christ the Iâ—st â— Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in My Name Hee will giue it you Ioh 14 13 16 23. â— No man commeth vnto the Father but by Me Ioh 14 6. By the doctrine of the inuocatioÌ„ of Saints Christians are bereaued of that confidence in the loue mercy of Christ the Sonne of God in trust whereof they ought to pray as if Christ were not truly a brother toward vs as if He were not mercifull and a louer of mankinde but such a one as would not be appeased and a fearefull Iudge euen to the repentant vnlesse hee were first pacified by some Intercessour or Saint The contrarie whereof is proued in Scripture 1 In all things it became him to bee made like vnto his brethren that he might bee As the Priest was a mediator betweene God and the peoplâ— so Christ in one and the same word is called a Priest a Mediator He. 2 17 18 mercifull a faithfull High Priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that He suffered and was tempted Hee iâ— able to suâ—â—ouâ— them that are tempted 2 Seeing then that wee haue a great high Priest which is entred into heauen euen It 〈◊〉 â—lâ—â— Sonne of God let vs holde â—aâ—â— our profession For we haue not an higâ— Prâ—est which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in alâ— things tempted in like sort yet without sinne Let vs therefore goe bouldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiâ—â— merâ—y and finde grace to help in time oâ— neede Heb. 4 14. 1â— 16. 3. Wherfore he is able also perfectly to save them which come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Heb 7. 25. 4 The Lord is gracious and mercifull slowe to anger and of great mercie Psal 145 8. Num 14 18. Yea and God the Father also is mercifull towards repentant sinners for the intercessioÌ„ of his Sonne so that there is no â—â—â—dâ— of the intercession of Saints 1. The Lord is ful of compassion mercie slow to anger of great goodnes He will not alway chide nor keepe his anger for euer He hath not dealt with vs after our sins nâ—râ—â—warded â—s according to our iniquities Heere the implacable popish god is not proposed vnto vs to whom wee should not daâ—e to come but by the medâ—ation of Saints For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy toward theÌ„ that feâ—â—e him As far as the â—ast is fâ—oÌ„ the west so far hath he remoued our sins fâ—oÌ„ vs. As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feaâ—e him Psal 103. 8 9 c. 2 Hereto belong all the penitentiall fermoÌ„s of the prophets wherein God openeth his ready and willing minde Ezech 18 33 chap. and many other places 3 Paul in the 8 th to the Romans is wholy herein busied to shew vs with what confidence we should cometo God by his Son with the â—roâ—â—ings of the holy Spirit â—so that we should nothing doubt of the fauor of God toward vs. The â—iâ—â—â—cation of Saints is for this cause not to be â—oâ—n with be â—â—â—se the saints heare vs not yea they know not what is done on earth 1 Though Abraham be ignorant of vs Israel know vs not yet thou art our Father Isai â—3 â—6 â— Thus dooth the Prophet comfort Iosias Thou shalt bâ—â— put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill that I will bring vpon this placeâ— King 22 20. And because the most seruent prayers are often made without the voice or motion of the mouth and lippes but in the entralls of the heart and in the spirit if prayer bee directed to Saints hereby is deuine honour giuen vnto them as if they vnderstoode the thoughts of the heart which is proper to God alone 1 Thou alone knowest the hearts of all the Children of men 1 King 8 39. 2 I the Lord search the heart and trye the reines Ier 17 10. and â—0 12 Reu. 2 23. There are manie also in the popish catalogue of Saints of whom there is great doubt they be not glorified in Heauen And many of them
which now are prayed vnto never were at all such as George Christopher c. are fained to haue beene Wee haue no examples of the inuocation of Saints and Angells in the Scripture but we haue examples to the contrary 1 Paul Barnabas would not be worshipped Act 14 14 15. 2 So the Angel of the Lord forbade himselfe to be worshipped Reuel 19 10 and 22 8 9. GOD accounteth all the worship of a Creature according to the worship of God idolatrie and esteemeth it as an Apostacy from GOD. 1 By the example of the Samarâ—tans who worshipped the creature together with GOD 2 King 17 41. 2 My people hath committed two euils they haue forsaken Mee the fountaine of liuing waters and digged to themselues broken cisternes Iere 2 13. 3 The Gentiles offended for that they woâ—shipped and serued the creature paraton ktisanâ—a beside the Creator Contrariwise our Aduersaries doe reason thus 1 Euen as in Princes Courts there is neede of some mediatour to procure accesse to Princes so when we would pray vnto God we haue neede of the Saints to be our mediatours Answ 1 Similitudes proue nothing 2 A certaine widowe calling to the Emperour of Rome for justice when he answeared I am not at leisure to heare thee then quoth she haue no leisure neither to be Emperour It is a similitude ill befitting this thing for it is a fault if Princes themselues refuse to heare their subiects either for negligence or pride And if they refuse because promiscuous admittance of all might bee dangerous to their persons or because themselues cannot doe all but leaue many things to their officers these bee infirmities which belong to men but no way to God For God is not as man 2 It is a point of Christian humility to seeke for a Mediatour when thou iudgest thy selfe vnworthâ—e Hos 11 9. Answ 1. We haue neede of humility but of true humility which is such that we esteeme our selues and the merits of all Saints more vnworthy than we may obtaine mercy for them but for Christs sake alone This is true humility which doth not leade vs from Christ Seeing then our Aduersaries meane another humility than this by this ambiguity of the word humility there arise foure termes 2 The popish humilitie is repugnant to the commandemeÌ„t of God For God saith Call vpon me in the day of trouble The Papists wil answer Lord humility teacheth me not to cal vpon thee because I am vnworthy 3 He that honoureth the friends of the Prince doth that which is acceptable to the Prince So the worship of Saints may be acceptable to God Ans 1 Againe our Aduersaries deale by Similitudes and coniectures in a matter of such difficulty 2 That saints are to bee honoured or reuerenced no man denieth but they may not so be honoured as that God be thereby robbed of his honour which is done by inuocation but they are honored by publishing the vertues wherewith God indued them and by imitating the godlinesse wherin they flourished 4 Christ is of greater dignitie than that we may dare to come vnto him because hee is made higher than the heauens Therefore we haue need of the mediation of Saints Ans 1 The Antecedent is false as hath bin shewed before And Christ calleth vs to come vnto him saying Come vnto me al c. Mat 11 28. 2 This is not humilitie but diffidence reproued condemned by God 5 Let my name bee called vpon these children and the name of my Fathers Abraham and Isaac c. Genes 48 16. Therefore the Saints are to bee called vpon in prayer Answ 1. The Papists deny that inuocation of Saints was in vse in the olde Testament the Fathers as their fable is beeing then in Limbus Why then doo they alleadge a testimony of the olde Testament 2 It is an hebrue phrase to call or name ones name ouer another that is to bee reckoned in his family as seauen women shall take holde on one man saying let thy name be called or named ouer vs that is let vs be called by thy name and so bee thou our husband Isay 4 1. 6 Though Moses Sâ—amuel stood before me yet mine affections could not bee toward this people Iâ—r 15 1. Ezech 14 14. Ans 1 A conditionall speech proueth nothing vnlesse the condition be first granted And the sense of the text doth shew that these men did not then stand before God for the people 2 The Papists themselues doe denie that they tâ—en stoode before God but they say they were in Limbus Therefore they alleadge this saying against their conscience 7 The Fathers in the olde Testament did often pray for the merites sake of the Patriarches as Iacob Genes 32 9. Moses Exod 32 13. Deute 9 27. Psal 132 10 c. Ans Let the places be considered it wil be manifest that they provoked not to the persons or merits of the patriarches but to the Couenant which God of his meere fauour and mercy had made with the Patriarches their posterity The argument then is altogether impertinent 8 As Absolon when he was reconciled to his father was not by and by admitted into his fathers presence 2 Sam 14 24. So sinners reconciled vnto God may not goe straight into Gods presence but must vse intermediate persons namely the Saints departed Ans 1 There is great difference between the reconciliation with God and reconciliation with a ciuill Magistrate and neither prescribeth any rule vnto other The argument then is vnfit and drawen from things of vnlike and different qualitie 2 The Heauenly Father is glad of the returne of his prodigall son and goeth out to meete him not waiting til some daies man make way for the sonne to his father Luke 15 20. 9 As Adonias did not himselfe goe vnto Salomon but sent his mother before whom the King set at his right hand so we send before vs the mother of Christ who is placed at the right hand of Christ 1 King 2 19. Answ 1. The Kingdome of Christ is one thing and an externall politick kingdome is an other neither can it be proued that the Kingdome of Christ is to bee gouerned on the same fashion as politick kingdomes vse to be 2 From this place we may conclude against our Aduersaries that as Adonias obtained nothing by his Mother so those which seek for the intercession of Saints sâ—al obtaine nothing nay they shall haue the heauenly King Christ angry with them 10 Call now if any will answere thee turn thee to some of the Saints Iob 5 1. Ans 1 The right translation is to which of the Saints wilt thou turne thee and the meaning is looke and see whom thou canst find to agree to thee or to which of the saints or holy men thou wilt be take thee for the defence of thy cause The godly will not and the vngodly cannot defend thy cause Where then shalt thou find any defence 2 Or Iobs friends bid him look