of vnderstanding and touch of conscience as might serue to direct him in some sort for morall and ciuill life for the preseruation and maintenance of society amongst men This direction of our life God increaseth and strengthneth much by education and instruction more by the knowledge and vnderstanding of true religion most of all by the grace of spirituall regeneration Were it not that God in mercy had set these bounds bankes to restraine and hold in the rage and fury of vnlawfull and wicked lust the fall of man had carried him into all importunity and extremity of wickednesse and abhomination and the state of men had beene much worse then the state of bruit beasts When God therefore taketh away these props and staies both of grace and nature and leaueth lust to it owne vnbridled and vnruly passage and to the spurres of Satans malicious prouocations what must needs follow but that as the water vpon the rupture of the bankes breaketh foorth with all force and violently beareth downe all that commeth in the way so man setting a side all respect of conscience of modesty and honesty most wretchedly demeaneth himselfe and the further God goeth from him so much the more betaketh himselfe to all most vngodly and reprobate courses When God left a 2. Sam. 11.4.14 Dauid a while to himselfe how fearefully how beyond all expectation did he fall The like we see in Solomon in Ezechias in Peter and other holy men and seruants of God Now b Luk. 23.31 if these things befall in the greene what shal be done in the drie If it haue beene thus with them who haue beene neere to God what shall bee expected of them who are strangers to God and haue no part in the spirit of grace What other waies and meanes God hath for that purpose c Aug. cont Iulian Pelag. l 5. cap. 3. siue deserendo siue alio quocunque vel explicabili vel inexplicabili modo quo facit haec summè bonus ineffabiliter iustus either explicable as Saint Austin speaketh or vnspeakeable we know not onely this we know that he carieth a most potent and mighty hand both inwardly and outwardly in moouing and directing the wickednesse both of infernal spirits men continuing himselfe both most perfectly good and vnspeakeably iust Now the ends and vses whereto God ordereth and disposeth sinne are partly reduced to mercy and partly to iudgement In the former respect Saint Austin saith that d Idem de nat grat cap. 27. Etiam necessarium fuisse homini ad auferendam superbiae vel gloriae occasionem vt absque peccato esse non posset it was necessary for man for taking away occasion of pride and vaineglory that he should not be in case to be without sinne and e Idem de ciu des l. 14. ca. 13. Audeo dicere superbis esse vtile cadere in aliquod apertum manifestumque peccatuÌ„ vnde sibi displiceant qui iam sibi placendo ceciderant that it is profitable for the proud to fall into some open and manifest sin that they may be displeased at themselues who by too well liking of themselues did fall So saith Basil that f Basil serm Quòd deus non sit author malorum Ille sapiens prouidentissimus rerum humanarum dispensator diaboli vtitur ad nostâ—am exercitationem malignitate quâ—mad modum medicus viperae veneno ad salutarem medicamentorum praeparationem as Physicians vse the poison of the Serpent to make thereof a healthfull medicine so God the most wise and prouident disposer of humane things vseth the malignity of the diuell for the exercising of vs g Ambros de paenitent lib. 1 ca. 13. Malitiam eius nobis ad gratiam conuertit he turneth his malice saith Ambrose to be a furtherance of grace vnto vs. And thus Saint Austin again saith that h August de praedest grat ca. 20. Probatur deum vti cordâ—bus etiam â—nalorum ad laudem adiumentum bonorum sic vsus est Iuda tradente Christom sic vsus est Iudais crucifigentibus Christum quanta inde bona praestitit populis credituris God vseth the hearts of euill men to the praise and to the helpe of good men as he vsed Iudas to betray Christ as he vsed the Iewes to crucifie Christ and what great benefites did he thereby performe to them that should beleeue in him i Idem in Psal 93. Illi qui mar tyres persecuti sunt persequendo in terra in caelum mittehant scientes quidem praesentis vitae damnum inferebant sed nescientes futurae vitae lucrum conferebant They which persecuted the Martyrs saith he by persecuting them vpon earth sent them to heauen they knew that they caused them the losse of this present life but they knew not that they yeelded them the gaine of the life to come For execution of iudgement he maketh vse of sinne both in that he punisheth the sinne of one by the sinne of another and in that he punisheth a man himselfe by his owne sinne former by latter and greater sinnes k Greg. Moral lib. 2. cap. 6. Deo ad vsum iusti iudicij iniusta diaboli voluntas seruit The vniust will of the diuell saith Gregory serueth God for the vse of iust iudgement The wicked in holy scripture are called l Esa 10.5.15 the rod of Gods wrath his axe his saw his stafe m Ier. 51.21 his hammer and weapons of war because he vseth their malice and fury to chasten his people for their sinnes and to bring destruction vpon other that are his enemies vntill hauing finished his worke which he hath intended to doe by them he giueth way to the malice of others to be reuenged vpon them also And heere it is duly to bee obserued that in these vses of sin the act that is committed therby is not alwaies sinne in it selfe but becommeth sinne to him that doth it only by the minde wherewith he doth it When the murtherer killeth a man as touching the act he doth nothing but what in due course may lawfully be done Doth not the magistrate put a man to death and is guiltlesse therein Did not the Israëlits without offence slay the Canaanites and Samuell slay Agag the King of the Amalechites The murtherer of a cruell minde practiseth the death of another man God hath iust cause why to deliuer the same man to death and therefore giueth way to the others cruelty against him God is herein free but man is guilty and albeit he doe the thing which God intended yet his wicked and cruell minde remaineth iustly to bee punished n Aug. in Psal 93. si traditio Christi non tradentis animus considerandus est hoc fecit Iudas quod fecit deus pater c. quod fecit ipse dominus c. Ep. 48. Cur in hac traditione deus est pius homo reus
b Bernard in Cant. ser 23. Omne quod mihi ipse non imputaredecreuerit sic est quasi non fuerit it is as if it neuer had been as Bernard saith there can no satisfaction be required for it What a franticke dreame it is whereby they haue made praier for forgiuenesse of sinnes to be a satisfaction for sinne and that S. Austins words make nothing for their purpose it hath beene c Of satisfaction sect 6. 15. before sufficiently declared and is needlesse here to be repeated 37. W. BISHOP Now to the second downfall Merits are heere also ouerthrown For we acknowledge our selues debters and wee dailie increase our debts now it is madnesse to think that they who daily increase their debts can deserue or purchase any good of the creditors in a word this must bee thought vpon c. And good reason too First then I answer that veniall sins and small debts that iust mendaily incur doe not hinder the daily merit of their other good workes As aseruant hired by the day by committing some small fault doth not thereby lose his daies wages againe though he should commit such a fault that might make him vnworthy of his daies hire yet if his Master did forgiue him that fault his wages were notwithstanding due to him and so the asking pardon for our sinnes doth not ouerthrow but rather establish and fortifie our merits R. ABBOT Veniall sinnes Confession of sinnes is the demall of merit small debts small faults saith M Bishop A vaine man that knoweth neither God nor himselfe and therefore hath so small conceit of the sinnes that he daily committeth agâ—inst God No doubt but hee could plead the matter in Adams behalfe that God did hâ—m wrong to censure him so seuerely for so small a fault What it was but the eating of an apple or a figge and he might by his merits soone haue made amends for it and would God for so light a trespasse adiudge him to death yea and all his posteritie for his sake Well God make him wise to know with whom he hath to doe and then hee will see that his sinallest faults are great enough to blow vp all his merits yea and that in his best merits there is enough to condemne him if God should enter into iudgement with him And let me aske him out of his own wise sawes that he hath here set downe if a hired seruant of his by breach of conenants from day to day haue voided the condition of his wages and yet he be in the end content to remit all and to yeeld him his conditioned hire will he thinke it well that his seruant shall say that he oweth him no thanks because he hath nothing but what he hath merited and deserued Surely M. Bishop would expect that his good will and bountie should bee acknowledged in this case and would thinke it a wrong to be vpbraided with his seruants merit But though his head serue him not to conceiue this yet do thou remember gentle Reader that one forfeiture of a mans estate putteth him wholly vnder the mercie of his Lord and whatsoeuer he can plead for himselfe otherwise it serueth not the turne but he standeth at the courtesie of him whom he hath offended And what shall we say then for our selues whose life is a continuall forfaiture of our estate with God by our trespassing daily and hourely against him Shall we thinke we haue merits to plead shall we not acknowledge and confesse that wee stand meerely and wholly at the deuotion of his mercy And if remitting aliour trespasse hee vouchsafe to remember our seruice otherwise and to reward it shall we say that hee giueth vs but our own desert Do we not see our good deeds whatsoeuer they be to be so drowned and ouerwhelmed with our sinnes as that it is Gods meere mercy that any mention is made of them But when furthermore our good deeds haue in themselues such spots and staines of sinne as doe giue God iust cause to reiect them as hath beene a Of iustification sect 44. c before declared shall wee be so drunke with our owne fancies as that wee will still dreame of merit towards God These things need not to bee strongly vrged because they pretaile mightily in the consciences of all that are not of benummed and dead hearts and more hath beene answered heereof before than that M. Bishop should thinke fit to trouble vs any more with these blinde reasons Hee neuer ceaseth to oppose though when he is answered hee neuer knoweth what to reply 38. W. BISHOP The third opinion imagined to be confuted by this petition is that temporall punishment may bee retained after the crime it selfe and the eternall is remitted but this cannot stand saith he For wee owe to God obedience and for the defect of this paiment wee owe to God the forfeiture of punishment Sinne then is called our debt in respect of the punishment And therefore when we pray for pardon of our sinnes we require not onely the fault to be pardoned but the whole punishment and when debt is pardoned it is absurd to thinke that the least paiment should remaine Answ Heere is a most absurd collection For when we in our Lords praier craue pardon of our debts wee confesse that we are in his debt and that there is paiment of punishment yet due vnto vs the remission whereof we then require now this praier is made by the best men after their conuersion as he confesseth who standing in Gods fauour and therefore free from eternall punishment doe notwithstanding craue pardon and release of some punishment by M. PER. owne interpretation Whereupon it followeth most euidently out of this petition that after eternall punishment is forgiuen vnto the iust there is some other punishment remaining of which they craue pardon and consequently this opinion of ours is by this very petition and M. PER. owne exposition of it much strengthned and confirmed and nothing at all weakened R. ABBOT If M. Temporall punishmeÌ„t remitted in forgiuenesse of sinnes Bishop may be the expounder of M. Perkins exposition we doubt not but he will make some good matter of it M. Perkins meaning is plaine enough and so are his words that after our first conuerting turning vnto God we haue stil cause from day to day to humble our selues before God and to begge of him remission both of temporall and eternall punishments which by our sinnes from day to day wee runne into It followeth not of any thing that Master Perkins saith that the eternall punishment being alreadie forgiuen wee aske heere the forgiuenesse of some temporall punishment but that as our sinnes are daily so wee aske forgiuenesse daily both of the one and of the other a Aug. de vera falsa paenit cap. 5. Quia quotidiana est effensio oportâ—t vt sit quotidiana etiam remissio Because the offence is euery day saith S. Austin therefore wee
that which goeth into the body is not the reall body of Christ which is the bread of eternall life What hap had M. Bishop heere to speake of the reall presence hauing no better witnesse to plead for it 45. W. BISHOP And touching forgiuenesse of their debts to God and sins they are so assured of that before hand by the certaintie of their new faith that they can no more request of God forgiuenesse of their sinnes then they can aske that God will make them reasonable creatures which they see that hee hath done already And they holding the first motions to euill in temptation to be mortall sinnes which no mortall man ordinarily can now auoid how can they pray God not to suffer them to be lead into temptation when they teach it to bee impossible to escape the venime of it And if they vnderstand it so as M. PERKINS teacheth to wit that they there pray not to be left to the malice of Satan they cannot without losse of the certainty of their faith pray so because they hold themselues assured of that before hand Neithey can they pray God generally to deliuer them from all euill affirming as they doe that wee must needs fall into mortall sinne at euery step almost which is the greatest of all other euill And finally if it belong to God to deliuer vs from sinne and all other euill then Caluin and his followers doe wickedly blaspheme who teach God to be the author and worker in vs of all errour sinne and wickednesse Thus much of the Pater noster R. ABBOT Our beleefe and assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes is that when we begge the same of God by faithfull praier he granteth vs our desire and therefore doe wee praie for it because he hath promised and wee beleeue his promise that in praying we shall obteine it Of this idle Sophisme of his there hath beene enough said a Of the certainty of saluation sect 5.18 How we pray not to be led into temptation but deliuered from euill before We pray that we be not led into temptation in such meaning as before hath beene said vnderstanding simply temptation so as to be left of God therein without the assistance of his grace This hindereth not but that the first motions of lust wherewith wee are tempted are in their owne nature mortall sinnes though by the mercy of God they become not so to vs. For we doe not say as hee vntruely alleageth that it is impossible to escape the venime of temptation nay we say that the faithfull do escape the venime and poison of it because b Rom. 8.28 See before sect 41. all things euen temptation and sinne worke together for good vnto them that loue God And thus do we praie also to bee deliuered from euill that though we be not as yet set free from temptation yet the same by his ouerruling prouidence may be so ordered as that by his mercy we may be free from the euill and danger therof And what should let but that we may pray God generally to deliuer vs from all euill euen from that c Rom. 7.21 euill which is alwaies present with vs when we would do good from d vers 23. the law of sinne that is in our members from e Gal. 5.17 the flesh that lusteth against the spirit because wee beleeue that God heareth vs when we so pray and will deliuer vs from that bondage wherein we are forced for the time to serue Yea this he hath begun to doe alreadie destroying by the power of his spirit more and more the bodie of sinne and yeelding f 2. Cor. 4.16 the outward man to bee corrupted that the inner man may be renued from day to day vntill perfect newnesse shall come and all euils shall bee fully abolished because g 1. Cor. 15.28 God who is all good shall be all in all And if wee cannot pray generally to bee deliuered from all euill because wee affirme the first motions of sinne which are euill to continue still in vs let M. Bishop tell vs how they pray to be deliuered generally from all euill who though they acknowledge not the first motions to bee sinne yet acknowledge them to be euil as wel as we and that from this euil no man is set free so long as hee continueth in the warfare of this life As for the certainty of saluation wee loose it not by these praiers but are rather thereby confirmed in it because we beleeue as hath beene said that God heareth vs when we so pray and therefore rest assured according to the measure of our faith that God will guide vs in safety through the middest of all temptations and will finally deliuer vs from all euill and bring vs to bee partakers of his kingdome for euer That which hee saith of Caluin is an odious repetition of an impudent slander which is cleered before in the answer to his Preface the tenth sect 46. W. BISHOP Now before I come to the Sacraments I may not omit to speake a word of the Aue-Maria which in old Catechismes followeth immediately after the Pater noster The Protestants haue cassierd it and may not abide to heare it once said but therein as much as in any other such matter they disgrace their doctrine and discredite themselues For all the words vsed of old therin are the very words of the holy Ghost registred in S. Lukes Gospell and therefore they bewray either great ignorance or a wicked spirit to dwell in them that cannot indure to heare the words of Gods spirit Besides in holy Scripture it is prophesied Luk. 1. that from henceforth all generations should call the Virgin MARY blessed In what termes then can wee more conueniently so call her then in the verie same that were composed by an Archangell are penned by the Euangelists and by them commended vnto all good Christians besides the sence of them is comfortable vnto vs as containing a remembrance of the incarnation of the Sonne of God for our redemption and we on our parts doe thereby giue thanks to God for that inestimable benefit and congratulate our Sauiour with humble thanks therefore saying Blessed be the fruit of thy wombe IESVS I need not in such cleere euidence of Gods word alleage the testimonie of any ancient father hee that list to see how it hath beene vsed in the purest antiquity let him reade S. Athanasius in Euang. de deipara S. Ephem de laudibus B. Mariae S. Basils and S. Chrysostomes lyturgies which can with no more reason be denied to be theirs then the rest of their works One short sentence I will set downe in commendations of it out of that most reuerend and deuout Bernard The Angels triumph and the heauens doe congratulate with them the earth leapeth for ioy and hell trembleth when the Aue-Maria is deuoutly said Apud Dionisi Corinth 1. part in Euan. c. 5.17 Good Christians then must needs take great delight
from the very grace of God but let that be granted what kinde of Atheisme or denying of God were this or how followeth it thereof that the grace of God which is the principall agent and farre more potent than the other must thereby needs be cast to the ground and foyled this is so silly simple that I know not what to tearme it for he doth vntruely slander our doctrine and that to no end and purpose To this second cauill I answer in a word that we teach as he knoweth right well the infinite iustice of God to be appeased no other way than by the infinite satisfaction of Christs passion And that our satisfactions are onely to pay for the temporall pains remaining yet due after the infinite are paid for by Christ Now whether any such temporall paâ—ne remaine or no after the sinne is remitted is a question betweene vs but to say as M. PER. doth that we be Atheists and do denie God to be God for that we hold some temporall punishment of man to be due after pardon granted of his greater paine is most apparantly a very sencelesse assertion As wide from all reason is his third instance That Gods mercy cannot be infinite when by our owne satisfactions wee adde a supply to the satisfaction of Christ For if Christs most perfect and full satisfaction can well stand with Gods infinite mercy farre more easely may mans satisfactions agree with it which are infinitely lesse than Christs But the infinite riches of Gods mercy appeareth especially in that it pleased him freely to giue vnto vs so meane creatures and wretched sinners his owne onely deare Son to be our Redeemer and Sauiour and both Christs satisfaction and ours are rather to bee referred vnto Gods iustice than to his mercy wherefore very vnskilfully doth M. PERK compare them with Gods mercy Neither is it possible to distill any quintessence of Atheisme out of it more than out of the former nay they both vprightly weighed are so farre off from Atheisme or derogating any thing from Gods glory that they doe much magnifie and aduance the same For albeit we hold our good works to be both meritorious and satisfactory yet doe we teach the vertue value and estimation of them to proceed wholly from the grace of God in vs whereby we be enabled and holpen to doe them and not any part of the dignitie and worthinesse of the workes to issue from the naturall facultie or industrie of the man that doth them So that when we maintaine the merit or satisfaction of good works we extoll not the nature of man but doe onely defend and vphold the dignitie and vertue of Gods grace which Protestants doe greatly debase extenuate and vilifie not allowing it to bee sufficient to helpe the best minded man in the world to doe any worke that doth not offend God mortally Thus much concerning our supposed Atheisme against God now of those that be as he imagineth against Christ the Sonne of God R. ABBOT MAster Bishop here promiseth vs a serious discourse but it prooueth in fine to a leud and slanderous libell which though he court it not as he trimly and finely telleth vs with the ordinary complements of a curious preamble yet he foully corrupteth with the ordinarie Popish complements of foolish malice and wilfull fraud A man may here see in him the true Image and picture of a Popish Doctor who seeing himselfe vnable to contend further by sound argument to make his part good betaketh himselfe to this impudencie and importunity of lying and slandering Albeit in the first part thereof as touching his maine drift I will not at all repugne him the same seruing to cleere them of an imputation of Atheisme charged vpon them by M. Perkins but indeed amisse as I cannot but ingeniously and freely confesse because it is conceiued and drawen from forced and impertinent grounds and therefore breedeth rather cauillation against him than accusation against them The crime of Atheisme belongeth properly to them with whom God is either not at all acknowledged Atheisme in what sort to be imputed to Popery or not regarded and either wholly denied to be or accordingly esteemed as if he were not But where there is a Rom. 10.2 the zeale of God though not according to knowledge howsoeuer by want of knowledge there may be misconceits of God and godlinesse yet Atheisme is not to be vpbraided there It is true indeed as M. Perkins saith that Atheisme is either open or coloured but coloured Atheisme must be the same in the heart that professed Atheisme is in the mouth so to be affected as if there were no God And this couert and coloured Atheisme is it which the Scripture for the most part speaketh of whereby b Psal 14.1 the foole saith not with his tongue but in his heart There is no God it being a thing very rare that any man so professeth with the mouth but very common with men c Tit. 1.16 to professe that they know God but by their deeds to deny him d Cyprian de dupl martyr Quemadmodum bona opera profitentur deum ita mala quâ—dammodo loquuntur Non est deus nee est Scientia in excelso for naughtie doings as Cyprian teacheth doe after a sort say There is no God nor any knowledge in the most high Now in Poperie we cannot doubt but that many there are who in simplicity professing the errors and superstitions alleged by M. Perkins haue notwithstanding in that ignorance a zeale of God and an intendment of deuotion to Iesus Christ and are so far from denying God as that in dread of the Maiesty of God and in expectation of the iudgement to come they are carefull according to their maner religiously to serue him To these men then to impute Atheisme by a consequence so far fetched as bringeth all misdeeming of religion within the compasse thereof I confesse stood not with that aduisednesse and due consideration which had been requisite in a matter of so great moment and effect Much rather should M. Perkins haue sought for Atheisme in the practise and policy of them who haue been and are the maintainers of that Romane Hierarchy who making gaine and aduantage of the superstitions wherewith they haue intangled the soules of men and resoluing by all meanes to vphold their trade haue in this emploiment quenched in themselues all inward light and sense of religion somtimes openly professing and somtimes couertly dissembling their deniall and contempt of God and impious conceipt of the nullity of all the seruice and deuotion that is done vnto him Whereof we haue notable example in their e See the Bee-hiue of the Romish Church the sixt book the third Chapter Popes of which diuers haue openly shewed themselues to be meer Atheists as Boniface the eight and Iohn the three and twentith who both denied the immortality of the soule as Clement the seuenth who lying at the point of
he created at first of nothing were borne without the debt and due originall of death and sinne and yet the almighty creatour would of them condemne some to euerlasting destruction who would say to him why hast thou so done for he who when they were not gaue them to be had it in his power for what end they should be neither might the rest aske why the merits of all being alike the iudgement of God should differ because the potter hath power ouer the clay to make of the same lump one vessell to honour and another to dishonour So doth Oecumenius bring in Photius chalenging vpon the same ground the same prerogatiue vnto almighty God m Phoc. apud Oecumen in Rom. 8. Dato quòd deus ita te formauerit neque ita iustum est deo contradicere illumque accusare Nam etsi nihil aliud praerogatiuae illi tribuere velis qui supra omnem est mentem sermonem at saltem quod omnibus commune est figulis quomodocunque rem effingentibus admodum absurdum est et impium ab eo tollere Quid igitur illud est Quòd nullum figmentum suum plasten accusat aut redarguit sed liberam habet voluntatem quisque opifex operari prout libuerit fingere accusatione racat potissimum autem apud ea quae finxit itaque tu etiamsi vt dicis formatus sis non debes indignari aut contradicere iuxta communem figmentorum legem ac modum Graunt saith he that God hath made thee thus yet is it not iust for thee to speake against God or to accuse him For albeit thou wilt yeeld no greater prerogatiue to him who is aboue all vnderstanding and speech yet were it absurd and impious that thou shouldest take from him that that is common to all workemen who in any sort frame or fashion any thing namely that no worke accuseth or reprooueth the maker but euery workeman is at his liberty to worke and fashion as he will and is not blamed specially by the things which he hath made Therefore although thou be so made as thou saiest yet according to the common rule and condition of things made thou art not to repine or gainsay thy maker Thus did these fathers see in the Apostles words how to free the maiestie of God from all attainder of iniustice euen in the supposall of that whence M. Bishop deriueth the same attainder Beza then and his followers may haue their reasons for that they say and yet so as to leaue the iustice of God without impreachment or challenge Yet we for our parts doe not therein assent to them nor see in their reasons any such waight as that we should be mooued thereby to vary from the common receiued iudgement of the ancient Church Gods foresight of mans fall precedent in order to his decree of reprobation We therefore resolue as most consonant and agreeable to the course of Scripture that God purposing to doe a worke for the setting foorth of his owne glory did consequently determine the maner therof in the creation of Angels and men whom he would leaue in the hand of their owne counsell and suffer them the one in part the other wholly both by their owne default to fall from the state of their originall Yet for mankind he thought it most fit in respect of the end whereat he aimed to prouide a Redeemer and Sauiour and for that end purposed the incarnation and death of Iesus Christ his only begotten Sonne in whom and for whose sake he elected out of the generations of men a remnant towards whom he would make the riches of his mercy most abundantly to appeare and be glorified in them the rest he deputed to be vessels of his wrath and instruments to serue his purposes both for the executing of his iudgements one of them vpon another and for the vse and benifit of his elect These counsels and purposes we vnderstand to be without difference of time with him who at one sight beholdeth all things from the beginning to the end but the naturall processe and subordination thereof we hold to be in this sort most rightly described euen in the same maner as God hath executed and manifested the same vnto vs. Neither doe we conceiue how it can stand good to haue this connexion framed otherwise for it is absurd to thinke that God would decree what to doe with man before he had decreed to create man and how should he elect if they were not first in his purpose out of whom he should elect Election maketh men n Rom. 9.23 the vessels of mercy and o Lâ—rnard de conuers ad Cleric ca. 10. Misericordiae prepria sedes miseria est the proper seat of mercy is misery as S. Bernard saith How then should God elect men to be vessels of mercy but that we must first presuppose misery in respect wherof he would shew mercy In a word how should we be said to be p Eph. 1.4.6 elected in Christ and accepted in Christ if Gods purpose of our election be by order of causes antecedent to Christs mediation Now if Gods purpose of the creation and redemption of man be in order precedent to election we must conceiue the like of reprobation that it presupposeth the fall of man whereby the iustice of God is acquited God finding mankind in state wherein he might iustly condemne all and it being his only meere mercy that he saueth some Albeit whether way soeuer we determine this point God is alike made subiect to those prophane wranglings which M. Bishop hath heere expressed and froward men vnstring their tongues to quarell and question with him why he should suffer Adam to fall when it was in his power to hold him vp why they should be condemned in Adam who in themselues haue done nothing against him why he should giue men ouer to lie frying in hell fire for that which they could not helpe nor had any meanes for the auoiding of it But against all such exceptions we answere with the former words of the Apostle There is no vnrighteousnesse with God and O man who art thou that disputest against God As for Gods inestimable goodnesse and mercy which M. Bishop withall alleageth it is not to be measured by his vaine fancy but by the rule of God himselfe who though he be good and mercifull in some sort generally to all yet of his speciall mercy hath made a limitation saying q Exo. 33.10 Rom. 9.15 I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy and will haue compassion on whom I will haue compassion For the rest let him take that which the Scripture pronounceth of them that r Rom. 9.22 they are vessels of wrath prepared to destruction Å¿ 1. Pet. 2.8 ordained to this selfe same thing t 2. Pet. 2.12 made to be taken and destroied u Iude vers 4. written of old to this condemnation Let him heare what
ait si autem volens deus estendere iram c. when men are said to be deliuered ouer to their owne lusts they must be vnderstood to be left by Gods sufferance and permission not by his power to be forced into sinne Saint Austin answereth As though the Apostle had not set downe both these together both Gods sufferance and his power where he saith If God would to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction But he goeth yet further r Idid Quid tamen horum dicis esse quod scriptum est Et prophetasi errauerit c. patientia est an potentia An hic dicturus es quòd Ego dominus seduxi Prophetam illuÌ„ intelligendum est deserui vt pro eius meritâ—s seductus erraret Whether of these wilt thou say it is which is written Å¿ Ezec. 14 9. If that Prophet be deceiued when hee hath spoken a thing I the Lord haue deceiued that Prophet and I will stretch out my hand vpon him and I will destroy him out of the middest of my people Israel is this Gods permission or his power Wilt thou heere say that I the Lord haue deceiued that Prophet must be vnderstood I haue forsaken him that according to his deserts being deceiued he might erre Saint Austin thinketh it strange that where God saith I The Lord haue deceiued that Prophet Iulian should construe it I haue forsaken that Prophet and suffered him to be deceiued and why then doth M. Bishop taxe Caluin for reiecting the same construction Caluins words fully accord with the words of Austin t Caluin Instutut lib. 1. cap. 18. sect 2. Haee etiam ad permissionem multi reijciunt atsi dâ—screndo reprobes à satana excaecari sincret sed cum disertè exprimat spiritus iusto dei iudicio iâ—fligi caecitatem amentiam nimis friuola est illa solutio These things many refer to sufferance as if by forsaking the reprobate he suffered them to be blinded of Satan but seeing the holy Ghost plainly expresseth that blindnesse and madnesse is inflicted by the iust iudgement of God that solution is too fond In the censuring of which words M. Bishop through Caluins side woundeth Saint Austin and the whole Church which tooke part with him against the Pelagian heretikes But heere it is to be noted how guilefully Master Bishop suppresseth the reason which M. Caluin alleageth for the reiecting of that solution and whereby he maketh good that it is to be reiected For Gods iudgements are not matters of permission left to the diuell or to men to doe if they will but passe from God by sentence and decree that thus or thus it shal be And therefore Saint Austin expresseth this iudgement by such termes as goe far beyond the words of permission or desertion As where the Apostle saith of idolaters u Rom. 1.27 They receiued in themselues such recompence of their errour as was meet x Aug. cont Iulian lib. 5. ca. 3. Dicit vtique damnatos vt tanta operarentur mala tamen ista damnatio reatus est quo grauius implicantur he meaneth saith he that they were condemned to the working of so great sinnes and this damnation notwithstanding is a guilt wherewith they are more grieuously intangled Surely to be condemned to the committing of sinne is a far greater matter euen in all mens cies then to be only permitted and suffered to sinne But he noteth it as a thing y Ibid. Et quod est mirabilius etiam oportuisse dicit eos istam mutuam mercedem recipere more strange that the Apostle saith it was behoouefull or meet that they should receiue this recompence one of them by another This is much against Master Bishops minde that God did not only condemne them to sin but therein did that that was meet and behoueful to be done Yea he saith afterwards of Ahab z Ibid IniusÌ„tuÌ„ erat qui non crediderat deo vero deciperetur à falso It stood not with iustice but that he who beleeued not the true God should be deceiued by a false diuell Againe sundry places he alleageth to such purpose as haue beene before cited and saith thereof a Ibid. In quibus liquidò apparet occulto dei iudicio fieri peruersitatem cordis â—t non audiatur verum quod dicitur inde peâ—cetur sit ipsum peccatum praecedentis etiam poena peccati Nam credere mendacio now credere veritati vtique peccatum est venit tamen ab ea caecitate cordis quae occulto iudicio dei sed tamen iusto etiam peccati paena monstratur By these manifestly it appeareth that by the secret iudgment of God there is wrought a peruersnes of heart not to heare the truth and thereby to sinne and this sinne is the punishment of former sinne For it is sinne saith he to beleeue lies and not to beleeue the truth and yet this commeth of that blindnesse of heart which by the secret but iust iudgement of God is declared to be the punishment of sinne So againe elswhere he saith that b Idem de grat lib. arbitr c. 21. Quis non ista iudicia diuina contremiscat quibus agit deus in cordibus etiam malorum hominum quicquid vult reddens eis tamen secundum merita ipsorum Et Paulò post Agit omnipotens in cordibus hominum etiam motum voluntatu ecrum vt per eos agat quod per eos agere ipse voluerit qui omnino iniustè aliquid velle non nouit God worketh in the hearts of euill men whatsoeuer he will rendring to them notwithstanding according to their deserts that hee stirreth in their hearts the motion of their will to doe by them what he will doe by them who vniustly can will nothing He goeth on and for proofe heereof alleageth sundry texts of scripture and in the end concludeth c Ibid. His talibus testimonijs satis quantum opinor manifestatur operari deum in cordibus hominum ad inclinandas eorum voluntates quocunque voluerit siue ad bona pre sea misericordia siue ad mala pro meritis eorum iudicio vtique suo aliquando aperto aliquando occulto semper autemiusto It is heereby manifest enough as I suppose that God worketh in the hearts of men to incline their wills whithersoeuer he will either to good for his owne mercy sake or to euill for mens owne merits and that by his iudgement sometimes manifest and apparant sometimes secret but alwaies iust And thus had he said before of that it is said that the Lord spake to Shimei to curse Dauid that d Ibid. cap. 20. Non iubendo dixit vbi obedientia laudaretur sed quòd voluntatem eius proprio suo vitio malam in hoc peccatum iudicio suo iusto occultâ— inclinauit ideò dictum est Dixit ci
one that walketh before him and therefore that of him and his fellowes that deride them the words following haue their iust construction But you witches children come hither the seede of the adulterer and of the whoore On whom haue yee iested vpon whom haue yee gaped and thrust out your tongues are yee not all rebellious children and a false seed But from these he goeth to some of the learnedst amongst vs citing Caluin and Beza Christ truely and properly merited for vs by Caluins doctrine I truely confesse saith Caluin that if a man will set Christ singly by himselfe against the iudgement of God there will be roome for merit Where that thou maiest see gentle Reader that it was not without cause that I suspected him for the former citation I pray thee first to obserue that the very argument of the chapter whence he alleageth these words is thus set dowee h Caluin Instit. l. 2. c. 2. Rectè et proprtè dici Christum nobis promeritum esse gratiam dei salutem That it is rightly and properly said that Christ hath deserued for vs the grace of God and saluation which he purposely disputeth against some i Sect. 1. sunt quidam perperam arguti qui etsi fatentur salutem nos per Christum consequi nomen tamen meriti audire non sustinent quo putant obscurari deâ— gratiam who although they confesse that we attaine saluation by Christ yet cannot endure to heare the name of merit because they thinke the grace of God to be obscured thereby Secondly albeit he set downe Caluins tearmes of qualification k Ibid. EquideÌ„ fateor siquis Christum simpliciter per se opponere vellet iudicio dei non fore merito locum quia non reperietur in homine dignitas quae possit deum promereri simply and by himselfe yet very treacherously he leaueth out the end of the sentence whereby those tearmes are to be vnderstood which is this because there can bee found no worthinesse in man that can deserue at Gods handes For heereby it is manifest that Caluin in those wordes respecteth Christ as man and onely in that respect denieth merit if Christ meerely as man be opposed against the iudgement of God And this further appeareth by that which he addeth to his purpose out of Austin which M. Bishop dissembleth because hee thought he could not so honestly cauill against Austin as he might against Caluin l August de praedest sanct cap. 15. Est etraÌ„ praeclarissimum lumen praedestinationis gratiae ipse saluator ipse mediator dei hominâ—â— homo Christus Iesus qui vt hoc esset quibus tandem suis vel operum vel fidei praecedentibus meritis natura humana quae in illo est comparauit Respendeatur quaeso ille honâ—oâ—t à verbe patri coaeterno in vnitatem personae assumptus filius dei vnigenitus esset vnde hee meruerit There is saith Austin a most notable and cleere light of Predestination and grace euen the man Christ Iesus the Sauiour the Mediatour betwixt God and men who to bee so by what former merits of his either of workes or of faith did the nature of man in him atteine vnto Tell mee I pray saith he that that man taken into vnitie of person with the word coeternall to the Father should be the onely begotten Sonne of God whereby did he merit or deserue it By which words S. Austin giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that the man Christ Iesus did not by merits atteine to become our Sauiour to become the Mediatour betwixt God and man but it was by Gods predestination and grace by his decree and ordinance that it so came to passe Heereupon then Caluin inferreth that m Calu. vt supr Cùm ergò de Christi merito agitur non statuitur in eo principium sed conscendimus ad dei ordinationeÌ„ quae prima causa est quia mero beneplacito modiatorem statuit qui nobis salutem acquireret when we speake of the merit of Christ we are not to place it as the first beginning but we ascend to the ordinance of God which is the first cause because he meerely of his owne good pleasure appointed him the Mediatour to purchase saluation for vs. In which words he acknowledgeth that Christ did verily and indeed purchase saluation for vs but yet that it came of the good pleasure of God and his meere grace and mercy to giue him vnto vs for a Mediatour to merit and purchase our saluation His drift is not in any sort to impeach the merit of Christ but onely to shew that the merit of Christ is no impeachment of the free mercy of God because of that free mercy it is that we haue him to merit for vs. And to that purpose it is that he saith n Ibid. Nam Christus nonnisi ex dei beneplacito quicquam mereri potuit sed quia ad hoc destinatus erat vt iram dei sacrificio suo placaret suaque obedientia deleret transgressiones nostras that Christ could not merit any thing but by the good pleasure of God because but by the good pleasure of God he could not be Christ he could not be man he could not bee the Mediatour betwixt God and man In a word hence it came that he merited for vs as it is added in the next words because hee was destinated and appointed that by his sacrifie he should appease the wrath of God and blot out our transgressions by his obedience To the same effect it is also added which M. Bishop thirdly mentioneth o Ibid. Ex sola dei gratia quae hunc nobis constituit salutis modum dependet meritum Christi that the merit of Christ dependeth vpon the onely grace of God which saith he hath appointed for vs this means of saluation Not so then but that Christ did indeed merit saluation for vs but it was the grace of God that gaue him to merit for vs and so to bee the meanes of our saluation which is the thing that Beza also defendeth against Heshushius And what is there in all this for M. Bishop to dislike He will not say that Christ as a meere man could haue merited at Gods hands because he hath before confessed that the value and dignitie of Christs works arose from the dignitie of his person in that hee was the Sonne of God Hee will not denie that it was the good pleasure and grace of God that gaue Christ to merit in our behalfe for that the texts of Scripture cited by Caluin for proofe thereof doe manifestly shew p Ioh 3.16 God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne to the end that euery one that beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life q 1. Ioh. 4.10 Not that we loued God but that hee loued vs first and sent his Sonne to be the attonement for our sinnes by which it
it lawfull to pray to Christ himselfe neither could it be prooued thereby that we should pray in Christs name As if any of vs doe say that that onely forme of praier is to bee vsed who doe commonly our selues vse other formes of praier and condemne them that hold it vnlawfull so to doe Wee onely say as hath beene alreadie declared that no praier is to be made the matter and substance wherof is not conteined in the Lords praier And though that onely forme were to bee vsed yet it followeth not that Christ is not to bee praied vnto because Christ is that God who is our heauenly father and therefore to Christ also wee pray when wee say Our father which art in heauen Neither doth it follow that then we shold not pray in the name of Christ because it should nothing detract from the perfection of this form of praier that we be otherwhere taught to make this praier in the name of Christ Albeit the praier it selfe though not in words yet in effect leadeth vs thereunto because God is our Father no otherwise but in Christ who hath taken vs into his communion and fellowship where he hath said e Iohn 20.17 I ascend to my father and your father to my God and your God f Cyprian de orat Domin Hoc nomen nemo nostrum in oratione auderet attingere nisi ipse nobis sic pernasisset orare Which name of father saith Cyprian none of vs might presume to vse in praier but that Christ hath giuen vs liberty so to pray Now therfore we cannot truly say vnto God Our Father but with implication of the name of Christ in whose name only it is that we vnderstand him to bee our father As for that which M. Bishop saith that God may be truly called our father in that he immediatly createth and giueth vs our soules that is nothing to the purpose because we question not how God may be called our father but in what meaning it is that we doe call him father when wee say Our father which art in heauen For sith g Catechis Roman p. 4. cap 9. sect 1. Quid iucundius est patrius nomine quod induigentiam sonat charitatem the name of father importeth kindnesse and loue as their own Romane Catechism expoundeth surely it followeth that because God is no otherwise kind and louing vnto vs but h 2. Cor. 1.20 onely in Christ therefore in Christ only it is that we can call him father 35. W. BISHOP Secondly he hoppeth to the fourth petition Giue vs our daily bread in which words we acknowledge saith he that euery morsell of bread is the meere gift of God what madnesse then is it for vs to thinke that wee should merit the kingdome of heauen that cannot merit so much as bread It is false that we cannot merit our bread Math. 10. v. 11. 1. Cor. 9. v. 14. For Christ teacheth that he who goeth to preach the Gospell is worthy of that is meriteth and deserueth his meat which S. Paul testifieth saying that our Lord ordained that those who preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell And doe not day-labourers deserue their bread before they eat it and others that buy their bread doe I hope deserue it What ignorance then is it in the very principles of our faith to auouch that we cannot merit bread which notwithstanding wee pray God to giue vs because neither could we deserue and yerne it without his helpe and as sistance neither would it do vs any good without his blessing R. ABBOT When Christ saith Our daily bread is of Gods mercy a Mat. 10.10 The workeman is worthy of his meat he maketh one man debtour to another but God is debtour to no man The preacher deserueth his liuely hood of the hearer but yet at Gods hands he can challenge nothing by desert He that setteth a day-labourer to worke is bound to pay him his hire but God is not bound to pay him bread Yea many a man laboureth most painfully and yet cannot thriue to maintaine himselfe with bread and will M. Bishop say that God doth him wrong in not giuing him his desert And if the labour of the hands be to merit at Gods hands then the wicked man meriteth as wel as the iust because the wicked often laboureth as carefully as the iust So if to buy bread be to merit bread then the vngodly also meriteth his bread because he hath mony to pay for it Would any man expect such silly and childish toies from so learned a man as M. Bishop would bee thought to be Notwithstanding all the labour and trauell of our hands notwithstanding all the vertues and righteousnesse of our life yet we beg our bread at Gods hands as the gift of his mercy M Perkins therfore rightly argueth that if by merit we cannot claime of God the bread of this life much lesse can we haue any merit whereby to lay claime to euerlasting life 36. W. BISHOP Thirdly in the next petition Forgiue vs our debts foure opinions of the Roman religion saith he are directly ouerthrowne What foure at one blow what a Hercules haue we here let vs heare which The first is humane satisfaction for the child of God is taught here to pray for the pardon of his sinnes now to pray for pardon and to make satisfaction be contrary Answ This is a silly ouerthrow for it is so farre off that praier and satisfaction are contraries that praier it selfe is one of the three works of satisfaction Fasting Praying and giuing of Almes are not contrary but the very workes of satisfaction And our Lords praier is esteemed by S. Augustine who is assoone to be beleeued as M. Lib. 1 de Symbolo cap. 6. in Enchir. cap. 69. PERKINS sufficient of it selfe to satisfie for the light dayly offences that iust men fall into besides Christ himselfe praied for pardon of these mortall sinnes for which notwithstanding Gods iustice was fully satisfied by Christ his sufferings wherefore satisfaction and to sue for pardon are not so contrary but they may well stand together R. ABBOT Christ offered himselfe to God for the sacrifice and satisfaction of our sinnes Forgiuenesse of sinnes excludeth our satisfaction that by vertue of this satisfaction he might intreat pardon for vs and we thereby also in his name might intreat pardon for our selues Therefore we doe not say that praier for forgiuenesse of sinnes is the denial of satisfaction but we say that this praier being grounded vpon a satisfaction made already in Christ is a denial of satisfaction to be made by vs. Our sinnes being satisfied for in Christ remaine vpon our faithfull praier freely for his sake to be forgiuen vs. The forgiuenesse of sinnes is noted in scripture to be a 2. Cor. 5.19 the not imputing of them If satisfaction be required for sinne it cannot be said not to be imputed and if it be not imputed because