calleth Lay mens bookes and sit enough for raskally people as he stileth them In this doing they haue taken the candle out of their hands that their the euery and falshood mâ—â— not be espyed For as Theophilact saith The 〈◊〉 of God is the candle whereby the theeft or fals◠〈◊〉 is espied And withall vnarming them of all Spirituall armour as the Philistines did the Israelites of thier weapons haue carryed them into the â—ildernesse where Antichrist sitteth that they may with more facility make pray of their soules The Helmet of saluation the Shield of faith the Breast-plate of righteousnesse the Girdle of verity the Sword of the spirit which is the word of God and the Shooes they should put on their feet that they might be shod with the preparation of the Gospel they haue taken away Neither haue they thus left them for with false glosses expositions they haue stopped vp Iacobs well that they may not drinke of that water that who so drinketh of shall neuer thirst but of the puddles of Romish fountaines which maketh them cry like men in an ague for more Masses to be said after their death for more pardons to be purchased to the freeing them from Purgatory that Elizian field of the Popes Hauing thus farre proceeded now it remaineth to bee intreated of how they misse-leade the people likewise First concerning the nature into which they are to bee repaired Secondly concerning the patterne into which they are to bee made First concerning the nature they teach darknesse in stead of light Ignorance say they is the mother of Deuotion Lastly for the patterne as God looketh vnto himselfe and createth in his elect by the effectuall working of his Spirit light like vnto his owne light and holinesse like vnto his owne holinesse So they frame through the Spirit of Antichrist continually working in a mystery and couertly in their owne traditions darknesse like vnto their owne darknesse and vnholinesse like vnto their owne vnholinesse First in the vnderstanding they supplant ignorance in the place of knowledge the image of Sathan in stead of the image of God If a man saith Hosius haue the exposition of the Church of Rome touching any place of Scriptures although hee neither know nor vnderstand whether and how it agreeth with the words of the holy Scriptures yet hee hath the very word of God It is written likewise in their Rhems that it is not necessary to vnderstand our praiers Againe praiers not vnderstood of the party is acceptable Againe it is enough that they can tell this holy Orâ—ison to be appointed vnto vs to call vpon God in all our desires more then this it is not necessary Thus they say to their Schollers with Elzay the notable heretique among the Iewes Epipha Here. 19. Let no man seeke the interpretation but onely in his prayer say these words By this which hath bene already spoken we may perceiue that it is not necessary for the common people by their doctrine either to vnderstand their Scriptures or their prayers Apol. B. Iewel pag. 609. for it is enough for them to beleeue what the Church teacheth not what the Scriptures commandes For saith Pignius cited by Bishop Iewel No man may beleeue any thing by the authoritie of any Scripture But saith Hosius whatsoeuer the Church teacheth namely the Church of Rome is the expresse word of God For the Church saith Lodouicus a Canon of the Church of Lateran in Rome is the liuely breast of the Church but the Scriptures are as it were dead Inke Thus it doth plainly appeare that they teach darknesse in stead of light ignorance in place of knowledge the image of Satan for the image of God Lastly it doth remaine to proue that they doe likewise teach inherent euill to be inherent righteousnesse First in sending the people from the reading of Scriptures which is the best part that Mary did choose no worke to be preferred before it for it is written Mary hath chosen the best part Tâ— meditate in images which are as the Annotations vpon the Rhems teacheth 1. Iohn 5. annâ—t The bookes of the vnlearned and the people ought to bee taught the true vse of them This is a notion of darknesse in the vnderstanding an action of idolatry in the will an inherent euill and not an inherent righteousnesse For God will haue vs to know him in that image of his Ier. 9.24 that he hath ingrauen in the holy Scriptures For it is writteÌ„ Let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth mee for I am the Lord which sheweth mercie iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth For in these things I delight saith the Lord. Secondly whereas the Lord hath appointed the word to bee preached vntill the doctrines of bookes surcease and wee immediatly taught from God For seeing the world by wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God 1. Cor. 1.24 it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue saith the Apostle First bren But Paulâ—â— the fifth saith They cannot namely the Catholickes so stiled heare a Sermon without endangâ—ring the worship of God and their owne saluation But a Masse they may wherein Christ is dishonored and a round cake worshipped and offered for the saluation of their soules This is not inherent righteousnesse but inherent euill and the greatest idolatry that euer was Thirdly they send the people to seeke their saluation in consecrated Churches in holy water hallowed fire and ashes in Masses Pardons merits of supererogation and such like but these are actions of inherent euill and not of inherent righteousnesse Fourthly whereas Saint Augustine saith there is but one hope of all the godly which groane vnder the burthen of corruptible flesh and infirmity of this life that we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous But they finding many other hopes send the people sometimes to the blessed virgin to pray in this sort O Mary pure chast holy haue mercy vpon vs wretches virgin mother make thy Son reconciled vnto vs let the wisedome of the Father saue vs by the praiers of the mother Sometimes to Adelme O God which hast this day lifted vp thy holy Bishop Adelme to eternal ioyes we beseech thee let thy mercy bring vs thither by his merit This is inherent euill and not inherent righteousnesse Briefly they being Tuâ—ba grauis paci placiâ—â—que inimica quieti Foes to peace and enimies to rest incite the people sometimes to rebellion sometimes to the murthering of Princes vnder the colour of merit This is not inherent righteousnesse but inherent euill which the spirituall as Saint Ireneus saith shall iudge The spirituall also shall iudge all that make schismes which be cruell not hauing the loue of God and respecting more their owne gaine then the vnity of the Church mangle and diuide and as much as in them lyeth for small causes kill the great and glorious body of Christ Speaking peace
thing at Gods hands that by their doctrine we be still indebted to God concerning the punishment the debt of sinne Therefore it must needs be that all that are deliuered out of the common condemnation are deliuered by the meanes and merits of Iesus Christ as the Annotations elsewhere truly teacheth or not at all Rom 9. annot Reue. 20. marg Againe they thus teach Reue 2. annot Reue. 1. annot 2. Tim. 4. annot That none vnperfectly cleansed can enter into the kingdome of heauen Againe that God cannot be good that can loue and saue him hee knoweth to bee euill Yet they send the Catholicke Christian man liuing but an ordinary honest life either not sinning greatly or supplying his fault by penance as a man of great iustice to challenge heauen in his owne right bargained and wrought for and accordingly to be paid for him Others that are altogether vncleane and not so chast as the Priest that keepeth but one Concubine that they may be made heires of other mens goodnesse that haue none in themselues as the Pope is of Peters make with the foolish virgins purchase of counterfeit oyle that they may receiue to their saluation righteousnesse from their workes of supererogation As the Pope though neuer so wicked receiueth his holinesse by succession of Chaire Others seeke it in Popes Pardons Apol. Bish Iewel pag. 147. Ibid. 125. who by power as hardening inforceth is Peter by annoynting Christ And thus Simon Begumus Bishop of Madâ—usia in the late Councel holden at Lateran in Rome sought it who poynting to the Pope as Iohn Baptist did to Christ said Behold the Lyon is come of the tribe of Iuda of the roote of Dauid ô most blessed Leo we haue looked for thee to be our Sauiour And thus the Ambassadors of Sicilia fought it who cryed lying prostrate on the ground O thou holy Father that taketh away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs Thou which takest away the sinnes of the world giue vs peace Others in the Popes Chaire For the truth saith Cardinall Cusanus cleaueth fast to the Popes Chaire Therefore the members vnited to that Chaire and ioyned to the Pope make the Church Others whom the Pope iudgeth in his finite wisedome to bee somewhat vncleane are sent into Purgatory which as Angelus Parsiensis saith is the peculiar possession of the Pope there to stay till his Holinesse thinke them sit through the mediation of Angels to passe to heauen There is none sent to haue passage by Christ to that hauenly Ierusalem but the abiects of the Gentiles Cal. 3. annot Rhem. who commit mortall sinnes For they as the Annotations teacheth cannot be deliuered by themselues nor by any other meanes from the curse of the law but by faith and the grace of Christ Iesus Here we may behold the Angels of light leading to Christ in teaching that not some part but all Christs obedience is imputed vnto vs. The other namely the Angels of darknesse hauing mingled lerma malorum a heape of mischiefe sends men thither from Christ to seeke saluation in them But as Saint Augustine saith Ecclesia in nullo homine spem ponere à suo redemptore dedicit The Church hath learned of her Redeemer to put no trust in any man OPPOS 7. The Preachers of this Monarch teaching that faith onely iustifieth open a gap thereby to all vice Suruey pag. 526. THis Popish Iesuite vseth Faith that is an assurance in Christ for happinesse according as hee hath done the obiect namely Christ Iesus In teaching that faith cannot iustifie without opening a gap to vice As Christ could not make a perfect redemption for vs without opening a gate to all licentious libertie vice and iniquity But contrary to this Pelagian opinon we will proue that Faith onely doth iustifie and withall in the next position make manifest that though the Preachers of this Monarch teach this doctrine yet withall preaching an inherent righteousnesse as well as an imputatiue sanctification as well as iustification open no gate at all to vice Whereas they teaching neither the one nor the other neither the tree nor the fruit set open a gap to all idolatry But first concerning this doctrine in hand we are to consider that the reason why we are iustified by faith and not by workes is because iustification and therefore saluation goeth before workes For the way which the holy Ghost vseth to make vs able for them is Faith vniting vs to Christ whereof he himselfe is a witnesse who saith As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can you except you abide in me Apol. Bish Iewel pag. 296. The beginning saith Saint Syrill cited by Bishop Iewel and foundation of our â—olineâ—se is Christ by faith I meane and none otherwise for in this sort Christ dwelleth in vs. Those onely are to be counted good wookes saith Saint Augustine which are wrought by loue Faith of necessity must go before for they must take their beginning from saith Rhem. â—4 pag. and not faith from them Saint Ambrose cited by Doctor Fulke thus speaketh Faith onely shal go with you to the next life and iustice shall also accompany you Heb 11. annot If faith go before which as the Annotations vpon the Rhems teacheth is the ground and foundation of all other vertues and worship of God without which no man can please God Rhem. pag. 232. Then that which followeth after which is workes cannot be the cause of that which goeth before namely the free iustification of life through faith By this argument Paul proueth that neither Gentile nor Iewe are iustified by workes but by grace For by grace yee are saued saith the Apostle through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God The Church casteth all her liuing into the gift of God which vnderstandeth all that she liueth not to be of her merit but of Gods gift when she saith God be mercifull to me a sinner As Beda teacheth cited by Doctor Fulke For whether we respect faith or righteousnesse and life which we receiue from Christ by that instrument of faith they are all the gifts of God No maruaile then if Saint Augustine stileth the opinion of merit pride and the iustification of saith the discipline of humility Seeing this as Saint Basil teacheth is a full and perfect reioycing in God When a man doth not boast himselfe of his owne iustice but knoweth himselfe to bee voyd of of true iustice and to bee â—ustified by onely faith in Christ Saint Paul in the definition of the Gospel the seed of immortality sheweth Rom. 1 1â— that the efficient cause of our iustification is the power of God Rom. 1.10 Gal. 3.11 Heb. 10.3 the end our saluation and the instrument whereby it is receiued faith for he addeth vnto euery one that beleeueth And this he confirmeth by a testimony of the Prophet Abacucke wherein
the beginning fearing lest by the growth of grace they should come to perfection Shall not then a faithfull man that aimeth at holinesse that excellent garland of glory resist Satan by prayer seeing necessity requireth it and our Sauiour commands it Mat. 26.41 saying Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation that is lest you be ouercome of temptation the spirit is ready but the flesh is weake the Spirit is ready to worke a new creatioÌ„ in vs that we may be prepared as a Bride to meete our Bridegroome yet the flesh is weake to yeeld but strong to resist These things among many considered who would not weare his hose out in the knees yea and heart in prayer for the more and more assurance of his saluation and to haue the image of God repaired in him though Kell nor his followers will not who will haue heauen for their hire or not pray at all Hath not the Creator in whom we liue moue Act. 17.28 and haue our being deserued a prayer at our hands Or the Antient of yeares that became a child to redeeme vs through the shedding of his pretious bloud not he wearing out of a paire of hose in the knees counteth they this losse labour doth they loose more then they get in praying without wages Then it seemeth that they haue gotten nothing by his death and passion or it is so little that iâ— is worthy thankes But leauing them to the preseruation of their hose in the knees I will conclude with Sant Iohn Blessed are they that haue washed their roabes not in their owne merits but in the bloud of the Lambe Here gentle Reader we may behold the faithfull man praying for an increase of faith to the perfect application of the forgiunesse of sinnes praieth not vainly whereas they pray vainly that thinke by their prophane praiers to merit their owne freedome yea heauen it selfe as the annotations vpon the Rhems speaketh is our right bargained for 2. Tim. 4. annot and wrought for and accordingly payed to vs as our hire at the day of iudgement OPPOS 10. The Protestants take from the Saints the mother and friends of Christ all secondary mediation and intercessions and will seeme to be zealous of Christs honour that they will haue none honoured but him And yet indeed vnder this faire shew they carry false hearts and euen then when they call him and adore him as a redeemer they rob him and dispoile him of that honourable title Suruey â—f the new â—eligion â—ag 265. KEllison here cited that in all his positions hath dealt with our Sauiour as many Popes haue done with the Emperous namely giuen him a bare title without the thing it selfe here to the manifestation of his loue toward him the sufficiency of whose sacrifice hee hath often denyed would make Christs Saints mother and friends secondary mediators and intercessors And least any man should suppose that thereby hee intended to lessen the prerogatiue of so great a maiesty he hath set downe what honour belongeth to his soueraignty namely supreme honour called Latria Pag. 350. to Saints and holy things inferiour honour called Dulia And to the blessed virgin that excelleth other Saints honour inferiour to Latria but superiour to Dulia called Hiperdulia Latria saith the Glosse includeth three things Loue multitude of sacrifices veneration and that belongeth to God Dulia one thing that is veneration wiâ—hout loue See then how well they loue the Saints â—nd friends of God that worship him without loue Christ also with no lesse in sending the people to other Sauiours and other intercessors First to other Sauiours Hiponianus saith Behold how mighty is the mother of God Apol. Bish Iewel pag. 682. and how no man can be saued but by her Others of their owne writers haue likewise taught that S. Francis could likewise saue all them that liued after him to the end of the world through his merits from euerlasting death That S. Clare came at that same time that S. Francis did to saue all those that should call vpon her to the end of the world Againe there is saluation attributed also to their Saint Thomas while they pray in this sort For the bloud of S. Thomas which he for thee did spend Grant vs ô Christ to clime where Thomas did ascend As they haue thus placed other Sauiours in Christs stead so they either pray vnto them or to God in their names as if they were Sauiours To the blessed virgin they pray in this sort Holy mother of God which worthily hast deserued to conceiue him whom the world could not comprehend by thy godly interuention wash away our sinnes that we being redâ—emed by thee we may be able to clime to the seate of eternal glory where thou remainest with thy Sonne without end of time To God in S. Adelmes name in this sort O God which hast this day lifted vp thy holy Bishop Adelme to eternall ioyes we beseech thee let thy mercy bring vs thither by his merit As they do thus call to them as Sauiours and pray vnto them as Sauiours so likewise they do confesse theÌ„selues vnto them as if they were gods by ioynning them in the Consiteor wherein they confesse themselues to God to the blessed Mother to S. Peter S. Paul some to S. Michael and to S. Iohn Baptist some to S. Dominicke S. Francis some to S. Augustine and S. Bennet according to the diuersity of Fryers none to Christ being God and man Secondly they haue found other intercessors to whom the Pope prayeth who praieth not onely most humbly to Christ 2. Thes 2. annot as the Annotation vpon the Rhems saith but also to his blessed mother and to all his Saints and to whom all his fauourits prayeth Behold saith S. Augustine vpon the first Epistle of S. Iohn chap. 2. Iohn himselfe keeping humility certainly he was a iust man and a great person which dranke the secrets of mysteries of our Lords breast Hee euen hee which by drinking of our Lords breast vttered his diuinity saying In the begining was the word that word was with God Euen he being such a man said not you haue an aduocate with the Father but if any man shall sinne saith he we haue an aduocate hee said not you haue nor you haue me neither saith hee you haue Christ himselfe but he set Christ not himselfe to bee an aduocate And said we haue not you haue he had rather place himselfe in the number of sinners that hee might haue Christ his aduocate then that he should place himselfe to be an aduocate instead of Christ and to be found among the proud that are damned Brethren wee haue Iesus Christ the iust himselfe to be our aduocate and he is the propitiation for our sins he that hath held this hath made no heresie S. Aug. â—â—n Pa. lib. 2. cap. 8. Againe if the Apostle had said so These things haue I written vnto you that you should
Saints is iniurious to God Secondly the place where we must pray to them Apoc. 6. annot the Annotations vpon the Rhems saith Where they are present the Catholicke men resort to pray to theÌ„ that is to their tombes and reliques for the Saints are present at their tombes and reliques saith the Annotation But we must vnderstand that they are present with their dead bodies if their presence be at all For their soules saith the Annotation liue vnder Christ their Altar in heauen expecting their bodyes So that if we will needes pray to them wee must pray to them as they are present namely to the dead bodies separated from their soules Thirdly how the dead bodies of Saints in whose presence they pray come to the knowledge of our praiers for other presence they can proue none Kellison saith By the reuelation of God Pag. 354. For as they see God face to face so in him they see and know our cogitations and prayers Seeing then they come to the notion of our prayers by seeing God face to face it resteth they proue how the dead bodies can see God face to face in whose presence they pray But say that their soules did attaine to the knowledge of our prayers from God what necessity is there in it that they needing themselues a perpetuall mediator to stand in the presence of God should acquaint God as second mediatours with that hee knew before to the breeding of a confusion in that celestiall Ierusalem 2. Cor. 4.9 Isai 42.1 where the Saints both liuing departed behold God in the face of his Sonne and God againe his Saints in the face of his Sonne as in him in whom his soule delighteth If their soules did know when wee prayed vnto them yet would it nothing profite because not knowing whether our prayers were in faith or no which is a thing peculiar to God they could not tell when to offer or not to offer them for feare of the Lords displeasure who hath threatned euerlasting destruction to the fauourits of his enemies Rom. 8.27 Apo. 14. Neither if they did know could they be secondary mediators or intercessors for intercession is to stay or let a matter that it goeth not forward And what Saint by merit can make stay of the Lords iudgements against vs in whose sight the Angelâ— are not perfect For this is peculiar to Christ the righteous who shewing himselfe to the Father craueth for his owne name and his owne merit aâ— iust reward vpon a due debt namely remission of sinnes sempeternall righteousnesse and the gift of the holy Ghost for all his elect Hee is Emanuell God with vs he speaketh for vs he excuseth vs hee maketh our cause good by offering vp his owne righteousnesse vpon the golden Altar of his owne pure and incomprehensible nature which as sweet perfume mounteth to the highest throne seated in incomprehensible light to the obtaining all things for vs that we might be complete in him in whom all things are giuen euen in him who is not the Son of God vnuÌ„ or vnicuÌ„ one alone but with many brethren And to what Saint can this without blasphemy be spoken but of Christ Who as S. Amb. saith is our mouth whereby we speake to the Father Ambrose de Isaac Euanua our eye wherby we see the Father our right hand wherby we offer our selues to the Father without whose intercessioÌ„ neither we nor all the Saints haue to do with God S. Augustine cited in the Rhems saith That Christ is the aduocate and patrone of mankinde that by himselfâ— alone and by his owne merits purchaseth all grace and mercy to mankinde in the sight of his Father 1. Tim. 2. annot none making intercession for him or giuing any grace or force to his prayers but he to all none asking or obtaining either grace in this life or glory in the life to come but by him Gentle Reader now with equity censure whether the Protestants giue more honour to Christ in acknowledging him their only Sauiour aduocate and his righteousnesse the onely sweet perfume to be offered vp in the censer of faith Or the Papists that haue found out other Sauiours intercessors withall made a composition of diuers mens merites to offer vp as a sweet incense of gratefull smell to God Exod. 30.38 But if the earthly incense might not be imitated but vpon paine of death let Kellison and all Popish Priests iudge what their hire shall be for counterfeiting that which is heauenly and not of any created composition as the Legall incense the shadow of the heauenly was OPPOS 11. The Reformers haue no religion because they haue no sacrifice His reason without reason is because Christs sacrifice is not sufficient to vphold religion and the worship of God Suruey pag 376. pag. 384. ANtichrist saith the Annotation vpon the Rhems shall abrogate the daily sacrifice Againe shall impugne Christs kingdome vpon the earth 2. Thes 2. annot that is to say his spirituall regiment Againe shall impugne Christs Priest-hood pag. 384. and take away as Kellison likewise saith the daily sacrifice And what is this but to take away the Priestly and Kingly dignity of our Sauiour to teach that Christs sacrifice is not sufficient to vphold religion and the worship of God Concerning whom the Lord hath sworne and will not repent that Christ and none but Christ is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec saith the Lord speaking in the singuler and not in the plurall number For onely Christ is King of peace King of righteousnesse Onely without Father of his manhood and mother of his God-head Hauing neither beginning of his daies nor end of his life and therefore continueth a Priest for euer without successors in his Priesthood as confirmed vnto him by the oath of the Lord himselfe after he had said Sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy fot-stoole O Lord which hast sworne saith S. Augustine Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec The same Priest for euer is the Lord on thy right hand The very same Priest I say for euer of whom thou hast sworne is the Lord on thy right hand because thou hast sayd vnto the same my Lord Sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole Which euerlasting Priest-hood of our Sauiour cannot be without vse yea most excellent vse first in shewing himselfe before his Father Secondly by giuing gifts vnto men First in that he appeareth in the sight of God for vs we are esteemed righteous perpectually in him who is the true sacrifice and full accomplisher of mans redemption Hâ—b 7. an As the Annotation vpon the Rhems truly stileth him And hath by once offering wrought a perpetual freedom from the kingdome of death Our high Priest saith the Apostle which is holy innocent impolluted separated