onely reasonably but fully worthy of euerlasting life that they haue a right to heauen and deserue it worthily and that God by his iustice oweth it vnto them These are downe-right lads that sticke not to vtter their mindes but M. Bishop he commeth in paltring with his Geometricall proportion and reasonable correspondence and like a young nouice is abashed to say all and by that meanes if good heede be not taken is likely to marre the market of merit to the harme of himselfe and the rest of them Hitherto then it appeareth that M. Perkins did rightly assigne those foure conditions or circumstances to be required in a meritorious work which standing good as they do there can be no merit because all the good that we do is Gods because in all we do but our duty because that that we do doth not fully satisfie our duty nor hath any due proportion or correspondence to the reward of heauen 7. W. BISHOP Exod. 20. His second testimonie is God will shew mercy vpon thousands in them that loue him and keepe his commandements Hence he reasoneth thus Where reward is giuen vpon mercy there is no merit but reward is giuen vpon mercy as the text proueth ergo Answere That in that text is nothing touching the reward of heauen which is now in question God doth for his louing seruants sake shew mercy vnto their children or friends either in temporall things or in calling them to repentance and such like but doth neuer for one mans sake bestow the kingdome vpon another vnlesse the party himselfe be first made worthy of it That confirmation of his that Adam by his continuall and perfect obedience could not haue procured a further increase of Gods fauour is both besides the purpose and most false for as well he as euery good man sithence by good vse of Gods gifts might day by day increase them And that no man thinke that in Paradise it should haue bene otherwise S. Augustine saith expresly That in the felicity of Paradise Jn Eâ—chir cap. 25. righteousnes preserued should haue ascended into better And Adam finally and all his posterity if he had not fallen should haue bene from Paradise translated aliue into the Kingdome of heauen this by the way R. ABBOT What when God promiseth mercy to thousands in them that loue him and keepe his commandements doth he meane his mercy to their children only and not to themselues and is the mercy that is promised only for earth and not for heauen Here M. Bishop as it appeareth was hardly bested when he could find no way to get out but by such a sencelesse and absurd shift But to take away that corrupt glose of his the Prophet Dauid expresly referreth all reward to Gods mercy a Psal 62.12 Thou O Lord art mercifull or mercy O Lord is to be ascribed vnto thee for thou rewardest euery man according to his work Which words are generall of euery man not signifying that which God doth to some for others sake but that which euery man receiueth for his owne worke and import not onely reward of temporall things because they are the words which the Scripture euery where vseth to signifie the reward that shall be giuen at that day Now then there is no merit either in things temporall or eternall because it is of mercy that God rewardeth euery man according to his workes And thus of Gods eternall mercy the same Prophet alluding to the words of the commaundement saith in another place b Psal 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is for euer and euer vpon them that feare him and his righteousnesse towards their childrens children euen such as keepe his couenant and thinke vpon his commandements to do them It is Gods mercy then whereby to them that feare him and keepe his commaundements he giueth reward for euer and euer shewing himselfe iust also in performance of the same promise of his mercy to their childrens children But could not the blind man here see how by his owne answer he doth circumuent himselfe The place he saith must be vnderstood of temporall graces and benefits not of the reward of heauen So then by mercy God bestoweth the reward of temporall benefits but by merit he bestoweth the Kingdome of heauen Now how strange a thing is it and improbable that merits should extend to the purchase of the Kingdome of heauen and yet should not serue to purchase temporall benefits here vpon the earth c Hieron Si tanti vitruÌ„ quanti pretiosissimum margaritum If glasse be of so great price how much more woorth is a most pretious iewell If earth be so much woorth as that mercy onely can yeeld it shall we thinke that we haue merit to deserue heauen But we will leaue the man to his folly it may be when he hath better considered of the matter we shall haue of him some wiser answer In the meane time we acknowledge that God doth not for one mans sake bestow the Kingdome of heauen vpon another but yet of mercy he bestoweth it both vpon the one and vpon the other both vpon the fathers and vpon the children euen all that feare him and keepe his commaundements And fith of mercy he bestoweth it certaine it is that they haue no merit to deserue and chalenge it whosoeuer they be that loue him and keepe his commaundements That which he saith of Adam he saith it without booke and hath no warrant for that he saith As for the place of Austine though it containe nothing but what is probable yet we answer to it by a rule which the same S. Austine hath prescribed otherwhere that d Aug de peccat mer remiss lib. 2. ca. 36. Vbi de re obscurissima disputatur noÌ„ adiuuantibus diuinarum scripturarum certis clarisque documentu cohibere se debet humâ—â—a praesumptis nihil faciins in alteram parteÌ„ declinando where there is controuersie of a very obscure matter there being no certaine cleare instructions of holy Scriptures to helpe vs therein humane presumption is to stay it selfe doing nothing by inclining either way 8 W. BISHOP Now to the third Argument Rom. 6. Scripture condemneth merit of works The wages of sinne is death True But we speake of good workes and not of bad which the Apostle calleth sinne where were the mans wits but it followeth there That eternall life is the grace or gift of God This is to purpose but answered 1200. yeares past by that famous Father Saint Augustine in diuers places of his most learned Workes I will note one or two of them First thus here ariseth no small doubt De grat lib. arb cap. 8. which by Gods helpe I will now discusse For if eternall life be rendred vnto good workes as the holy Scripture doth most clearly teach note how then can it be called grace when grace is giuen freely and not repayed for workes and so pursuing the points of difficultie at large in
the end resolueth that eternall life is most truly rendred vnto good workes as the due reward of them but because those good workes could not haue bene done vnlesse God had before freely through Christ bestowed his grace vpon vs therefore the same eternall life is also truly called grace because the first roote of it was Gods free gift The very same answer doth he giue where he hath these words Epist 106. Eternall life is called grace not because it is not rendred vnto merits but for that those merits to which it is rendred were giuen in which place he crosseth M. Perkins proportion most directly affirming that S. Paule might haue said truly eternall life is the pay or wages of good workes but to hold vs in humilitie partly and partly to put a difference betweene our saluation and damnation chose rather to say that the gift of God was life eternall because of our damnation we are the whole and onely cause but not of our saluation but principally the grace of God the onely fountaine of merit and all good workes R. ABBOT M. Perkins alledged the whole words of the Apostle not to argue onely from the assertion expressed in the latter part that a Rom. 6.23 eternall life is the gift of God but also from the connexion of the whole sentence that whereas it being said that the wages of sinne is death the sequele of the speech if there were any merit in our workes should haue bene The wages of righteousnesse is eternall life he saith not so but the gift of God is eternall life and so both by that which he doth not say and also by that which he doth say sheweth that there is no place to be giuen to the merit and desert of man Now Maister Bishop taketh the first part of the sentence by it selfe The wages of sinne is death as if Master Perkins had thence argued against merit and asketh Where were the mans wits Surely his owne wits were not so farre from home but that he well knew wherein the proofe stood but we see he is disposed sometimes to shew his apish trickes that we may see how he can skippe and leape about the chaine howsoeuer he aduantage himselfe nothing at all thereby But at his pleasure he produceth the words which M. Perkins properly intended Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. He telleth vs that the place is answered 1200. yeares past by S. Austine in diuers places of his works Now indeed it is true that S. Austine in diuers places of his works hath handled those words but the spite is that in none of all those places he hath said any thing to serue M. Bishop for an answer This may appeare by that that he saith in the very same booke and very next Chapter to that that M. Bishop citeth b August de grâ—◠〈◊〉 arbit cap. 9. Câ—â—â— posseâ— dicere rectè dicere Stiâ—â—endâ—m iustitiae vita etâ—rnâ— maluâ—â—â—â—eÌ„ dicere Gratia Dei c. vt intelligantus non pro meritâ— nostru Deum nos ad vitam aeternaÌ„ seâ— pro miseratione sua perducere de quo c. Whereas the Apostle might say and rightly say The wages of righteousnesse is eternall life yet he chose rather to say The grace of God is eternall life that we may vnderstand that not for our merits but for his owne mercies sake he bringeth vs to eternall life whereof it is said in the Psalme He crowneth thee in mercie and compassion Hereby it may seeme that S. Austine meant to yeeld M. Bishop small helpe by his expounding of this place to the maintenance of their merits But in the Chapter cited by M. Bishop she propoundeth the question c Ibid. cap. 8. Si vita aeterna bonus operibus redditur sicut apertissiâ—â—è dicit Scriptura Quoniam Deus redâ—es c quomodo gratia est vita aeterna cum gratia non operibus reddatur sed gratis detur c. how eternal life should be called the grace of God seeing that it is elsewhere said that God will render vnto euery man according to his workes The difficultie he sheweth to arise of this that that is called grace which is not rendred vnto workes but is freely giuen Whereof he citeth the words of the Apostle If it be of grace it is not of workes otherwise grace is no grace Then he solueth the question thus that d Intelligamus ipsa bona opera nostra quibus aeterna redditur vita ad Dei gratiam pertinere we must vnderstand that our good workes to which eternall life is rendred do belong also to the grace of God signifying that God of his mercie intending to giue vs eternall life doth by the same mercie giue vs those good workes to which he will giue it For conclusion of that Chapter he saith consequently that e Vita nostra bona nihil aliud est quâ—m Dei gratia sine dubio vita aeterna quae bonae vitae redditur Dei gratia est ipsa enim gratis â—ata est quia gratis data est illa cui datur sed illa cui datur tantum modo gratia est haec autem quae illi datur quomaÌ„ praemiuÌ„ eius est gratia est pro gratia tanquam merces pro iustitia vt verum sit c. because our good life is nothing else but the grace of God therefore vndoubtedly eternall life which is rendred vnto good life is the grace of God for that is freely giuen because that is freely giuen to which it is giuen But good life to which eternall life is giuen is onely grace eternall life which is giuen to good life because it is the reward thereof is grace for grace as it were a reward for righteousnesse that it may be true as it is true that God will render to euery man according to his workes In all which discourse plainely he sheweth that good life is the grace and gift of God and when God rendreth thereto eternall life he doth but adde one grace to another grace which although it be as it were a reward for righteousnesse yet is indeed but grace for grace Which fully accordeth with that that was cited out of him before that f Supra Sect. 2. August in Psal 109. Whatsoeuer God promised he promised to men vnworthy that it might not be promised as a reward to works but being grace might according to the name be freely giuen because to liue iustly so farre as a man can liue iustly is not a matter of mans merit but of the gift of God So that although eternall life be as it were a reward of righteousnesse in consequence and order yet absolutely to speake it is not so because both the one and the other are only the grace and gift of God Now if God by his free gift intending to vs eternall life do giue vs his grace to leade a iust and holy life that thereto
giuen vnto vs and not the cause for which hee is moued to bestow the same vpon vs euen as Saint Augustine speaketh e August in Psalm 109. Via qua nos perducturus est ad finem illum queÌ„ promisit the way by which hee will bring vs to that end which hee hath promised Now what sayth M. Bishop to this place of Bernard no question but he hath an answer readie though by his owne confession he neuer saw the place so notable a facultie haue these men to tell an Authors meaning before euer they looke into him forsooth Bernards meaning is that merits are not the whole cause but the promise of God through Christ and the grace of God freely bestowed vpon vs out of which our merits proceed Thus he answereth Bernard by a plaine contradiction to Bernards words Bernard saith they are not the cause Yes saith M. Bishop they are the cause though they be not the whole cause But see how scholerlike he dealeth therein for it is as much as if he should say The tree is not the whole cause of the fruite that it bringeth foorth but the roote whence it proceedeth and the boughes whereupon it groweth whereas the roote and the boughes are parts of the tree without which it is not a tree and therefore the exception maketh nothing against it but that the tree is called the whole cause of the fruite So saith he Merits are not the whole cause of saluation but the grace and promise of God distinguishing merits as one part of the cause from the grace and promise of God as another part of the cause whereas merite by his owne rule in the beginning of this question doth alwayes necessarily include the promise and grace of God and can be no merite but as it proceedeth from grace and hath of God a promise of reward By this exception therefore he saith nothing to hinder but that merits are the whole cause of saluation fully and directly contrary to that that Saint Bernard saith that merites which he intendeth no otherwise but implying the grace and promise of God are the way to the kingdome but not the cause of our obtaining the kingdome Yet of that which he saith he telleth vs that it is Saint Bernards owne doctrine not alledging any words of Bernard to that purpose but onely quoting a sermon of his where there is nothing for his purpose as afterwards shall appeare in answering his testimonies of the Fathers In the meane time whereas he excepteth that Bernard liued a thousand yeares after Christ I must aunswer him that his testimonie is so much the more effectuall in that God in the middest of so great corruption and darknesse did still by him and others continue the light and acknowledgement of this truth The next place cited by M. Perkins is vnder S. Austins name though that booke indeed be none of his f August Manuâ—l ca. 22. Tota spes mea est in morte Domini meis mors eius meritum meum refugium meum salus vita resurrectio mea All my hope is in the death of my Lord his death is my merite M. Bishop hereto saith that it is true in a good sence Where we see him to be an apt scholler and well to haue learned the lesson of the Index Expurgatorius g Jndex Expur in castigat Bertram We set some good sence vpon the errors of the Fathers when they are opposed against vs in contentions with our aduersaries But what is that good sence Marry by the vertue of his death and passion grace is bestowed on me to merite But surely hee doth not thinke that euer the author of those words intended that sence If he will make that sence of the one part of the sentence he must necessarily make the like of the rest The death of the Lord is my merite my refuge my saluation my life and resurrection If his meaning be the death of the Lord is my merite that is hath purchased for me that I should merite for my selfe then in the rest also shall be likewise said the death of the Lord is my refuge that is hath purchased for me that I should be a refuge for my selfe the death of the Lord is my saluation life and resurrection that is hath purchased for me to be saluation life and resurrection to my selfe So likewise where he addeth h Meritum â—â—eâ—â— miseratio Domini noÌ„sum meriti inops quamdiis miserationum Dominus non de fuerit My merite is the mercie of the Lord so long as the Lord of mercie shall not faile I shall not want merite the meaning shall likewise be the mercie of the Lord giueth mee ablenesse to merite for my selfe and so song as his mercie faileth not so long shall not I faile of good workes to merite and deserue heauen Now these constructions are lewd and absurd and indeed farre from the conscience of the writer of those words who findeth nothing in his owne workes to comfort himselfe withall and therefore flieth vnto the death and merite of Christ and the mercie of God as his onely succour and the onely stay that hee hath to rest vpon Which that the Reader may throughly vnderstand I hold it not amisse to set downe what the same author hath written in another place of the same booke euen out of the same spirit i Ibid. cap. 13. Sileat sibi ipsae anima et traÌ„seat se noÌ„ cogitaÌ„do se sed te Deus meus quoniam tu es reuera tota spes fiducia mâ—a Est enim inte Deo meo Domino nostro Iesu Christo vniuscuiusque nostrum portio et sangâ— câ—ro Vbi ergo portio mea regnat ibi regnare me credo Vbi sanguis meus dominatur ibi dominaeri me confido Vbi caro mea glorificatur ibi gloriosum me esse cognosco Quamuis peccator sim tamen de hac communione gratiae non diffido Etsi peccata mea prohibent substantia mea requirit Etsi delicta propriae mea excludunt naturae communio non repellit c. Desperare vtique potuissem propter nimia peccata mea vitiae culpas infinitas negligentias meas quas egi quotidi è indesinenter ago corde ere opere omnibus modis quibus humana fragilitas peccare potest nisi verbum tuum Deus meus caro fieret habitaret in nobis Sed desperare iam non audeo quoniam subditui ille tibi vsque ad mortem mortem autem crucis tulit chyrographum peccaetorum nostrorum affigens illud cruci peccatum crucifixit mortem In ipso autem securus respiro c. Let my soule saith he be silent to it selfe and passe ouer it selfe not thinking of it selfe but of thee O my God because thou art indeed my whole hope and trust There is in thee my God and our Lord Iesus Christ the portion and flesh and bloud of euery
Austin in Psal 102. hath these words o August in Psal 102. Ergo coronat te quia donae suae coronat non merita tua He crowneth thee because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits Which is the same in effect with that which M. Bishop putteth in place of it very often repeated by S. Austin either in the same or very neare the same words that God when he crowneth vs p IdeÌ„ epist 105. et in Ioan. trac 5. de grat et lib. arb cap. 6. 7. crowneth his owne gifts not our merits But he answereth hereto very vntruly and deceitfully It is true indeed that S. Austin there speaketh to him that thinketh he hath merits of his owne and of himself that God wil not crowne those because they are onely euill and he giueth not the crowne to euill workes but he crowneth onely his owne gifts because in vs there is no good worke to which onely the crowne is giuen but onely by Gods gift q De grat et lib. arb ca. 6. Prorsus talia cogitanti veriffimèdicitur dona tua coronat Deus non merita tua si tibi teipso non ab illo sunt merita tua Haec enim si talia sunt mala sunt quae autem mala sunt non coronat Deus Si autem bona sunt Dei dona sunt To him that so thinketh sayth he it is rightly said God crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits if thou haue thy merits of thy selfe and not of his gift for if they be such they be euill and God crowneth not those that be euill but if they be good they be the gifts of God Now to those words M. Bishop addeth in the same letter as if it were S. Austins whether by the Printers fault or by his owne lewd falshood he can best tell himself this animaduersion But if we acknowledge our merits to proceed from grace working with vs then may we as truly say that eternall life is the crowne and reward of merits But M. Bishop did S. Austine tell you so Will you so wilfully abuse him and peruert his words and meaning Surely in the beginning of the next Chapter which is but ten lines after the words cited S. Austine saith thus r Jbid. cap. 7. Siergo Dei donae sunt merita tua non Deus coronat merita tua tanquam merita tua sed tanquam dona sua If then thy good merits be Gods gifts God doth not crowne thy merits as thy merits but as his owne gifts In which words he plainely denieth that there is any respect of our merit or that God accounteth vs as hauing merited but that he giueth the crown and reward onely as to his owne gifts which he himselfe hath bestowed vpon vs. How bad a man then is M. Bishop to make S. Austin say that God crowneth our good workes proceeding from his grace as our merits when S. Austin expressely and flatly denieth the same But there is yet some further poison hidden in his words for when he nameth merits proceeding from grace working with vs he diuideth betwixt God and vs that which S. Austin maketh entirely the gift of God The worke is not meerely of the grace of God in vs but of grace working with vs because we also as well as grace are partakers of the worke So then S. Austin must not say that God crowneth his owne gifts not our merits but God crowneth partly his owne gifts and partly our merits because the good workes which he crowneth are partly of his grace and partly also of our owne freewill By this meanes Maister Bishop will hold it very absurd which the same Saint Austine saith in the other place Å¿ Epist 105. Câ—â—â— Deus coronat merita nostra nihil aliud coronat quà m namerae sua When God crowneth our merits he crowneth nothing else but his owne gifts for if he crowne nothing else but his owne gifts if he crowne nothing at all of ours then what part of the câ—owne is it that we can say is merited and deserued by vs His answer to the last words of Austine is excluded by the very words themselues t Aug Psal 14â— Propter â—â—men tuum D â—â—ine viuificabis â—eâ—in tua iustitia non in mea noÌ„ quia ego merut sâ—â— quia tu miseritis Lord for thy names sake thou wilt quicken me in thy righteousnesse not in mine not because I haue deserued it but because thou art mercifull This place he saith appertaineth to the first iustification of a sinner but it seemeth he gaue the answer somewhat too early in the morning before his eyes were well opened for otherwise he might haue seene that these are the words of a man alreadie iustified vttered in the name of the Prophet of God not in the preterperfect tense as of a thing past but in the future tense as of a thing to come Thou shalt or wilt quicken me and therefore cannot be vnderstood of any first iustification The Prophet being alreadie in part reuiued to the life of God prayeth stil to be reuiued and quickened more and more and promiseth to himselfe by assurance of faith through the holy Ghost that God will so do not in my righteousnesse saith he as Austin expresseth it not because I haue deserued it but for his owne names sake for his owne mercies sake giuing to vnderstand that not onely the beginning of the worke of God but also the proceeding thereof is not for any merit of man but by the mercie of him by whom it was first begun And whereas he saith that they confesse that a sinner is called to repentance and reuiued not for any desert of his owne but of Gods meere mercie he doth but blind his Reader with a concealed distinction of merit hauing himselfe u Of Iustification Sect. 21. before taught that his workes of preparation are the cause of the iustification of a sinner as he hath corruptly argued out of the words of Christ Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much So that the terme of meere mercie is vsed only colourably and for fashion sake neither doth he acknowledge the meere mercy of God in any sort but as the Pelagian heretickes did in the first offer of his grace 14. W. BISHOP Hauing thus at length answered vnto all that M. Perkins hath alledged against Merits let vs see what can be said for them following as neare as I can M. Perkins order Obiections of Papists so he termeth our reasons First in sundry places of Sâ—ripture promise of reward is made vnto good works Gen. 4. Prou. 11. Eccl. 18. Mat. 5. If thou do well shalt thou not receiue To him that doth well there is a faithful reward Feare not to be iustified vnto death because the reward of God remaineth for euer and When you are reuiled and persecuted for my sake reioyce for great is your reward in heauen and a hundreth such like therfore
last day being assured that as a head wil not suffer a member of it owne body to perish which it hath in his power to preserue so Christ hauing made him a member of his body and hauing power to saue him will not suffer him to perish but as a faithfull Mediatour will performe that charge which z Iohn 6.39 the will of the heauenly Father hath laid vpon him that of all that he hath giuen him he should loose nothing but should raise it vp at the last day Now M. Bishop saith that he beleeueth that God for the merits of Christes passion doth forgiue them that are heartily sorie for their sinnes and humbly confesse them with a full purpose of a new life And this he hopeth that he hath done but he cannot assure himselfe that he hath done it or that he hath done it so well as he ought to do and therefore cannot beleeue the forgiuenesse of his sinnes Where we see that the merit of Christes passion is not sufficient in his opinion to purchase for him the forgiuenesse of sinnes but it must further hang vpon the sufficiencie and perfection of his owne repentance It is not enough that he truly repent vnlesse he repent so well as he ought to do that his repentance may deserue the pardon that he seeketh for But we for our parts know and confesse that our repentance our faith our righteousnesse are neuer such as they ought to be we are short and vnperfect in the sorow for our sinnes our purposes of new life and amendment of our defaults proue often times like a Ose 6.4 the morning dew that is quickly dried vp And therefore it is not the value and woorth of our repentance that we rest vpon to merit pardon and forgiuenesse but we require a sincerity and truth thereof faithfully to craue the same being but as the paine and greefe which maketh to seeke the medicine whereby it is eased as the hunger and thirst which maketh to craue the food whereby it is releeued as the feeling of beggerie and want which maketh to seeke the treasure and riches by which it is supplied Which supply and reliefe spiritually we find in this that b Rom. 3.24 we are iustified freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be an attonement for vs not by the merit of our repentance but by faith in his bloud c Rhem. Testam Explicat of certaine words in the end Freely for god a mercy for nothing as the Rhemists expound the word gratis willing to shew a little truth in giuing the right signification of the word but craftily suppressing the same truth and plainly contradicting it by a colourable glose deuised against the text of the Apostle and against the signification of the word which force of truth hath wrested from themselues d Ambros in Rom. cap. 3. Gratit quia nihil operantes neque vitem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono Dei Freely saith Ambrose because hauing no works nor yeelding any requitall euen of the gift of God we are iustified by faith onely e Chrysost ni Rom. hom 7. Nullu ad hoc vsus operibus sed fidem tamum exigens Freely saith Chrysostome because he vseth hereto no works of ours but requireth faith onely And he requireth faith onely onely as a hand whereby we receiue not as a worke whereby we deserue this forgiuenesse of our sinnes that so the true penitent may firmly expect it in Christ onely by beleeuing not hang in suspense of it by being in doubt of vnsufficiencie in repenting God hauing therefore appointed it to be f Rom. 4.16 by faith that it may be of grace that the promise thereof may be sure not in it selfe not with God who doubteth but in that respect it is sure enough but to all the seed that is to euery one that beleeueth the promise being that g Act. 10.43 through the name of Christ euery one that beleeueth in him shall haue forgiuenesse of sinnes Which faith though it be yet but weake and little and sometimes interrupted with feares and doubts yet God accepteth it and cherisheth it that by more experience it may grow to more strength neither is it true which M. Bishop saith that in matter of faith there is no feare or doubt as anone after shall appeare In the mean time he further addeth as touching the article of Eternall life that he beleeueth he shall haue it if he shall keepe all Gods commandements but because he is not assured that he shall so do he remaineth in feare And very iustly may he be in feare that looketh for eternall life vpon no other condition then he doth The Apostle indeed doth plainly debarre him from all hope and expectation therof when he saith h Gal. 3.10 So many as are of the works of the law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to do them Where he plainly taketh it for graunted that no man continueth in all things that are written in the law that is that no man keepeth all Gods commandements and therefore concludeth that he that for eternall life dependeth vpon keeping all Gods commandements cannot auoid the curse Yea but Christ saith to the yong man in the Gospell i Mat. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements It is true but Christ saith it to induce the young man to the knowledge of himselfe and very ill is it applied to seduce men from the true acknowledgement of the faith of Christ The young man asketh what he might do to inherit eternall life Our Sauiour Christ referreth him to the law as k Gal. 3.25 the Schoolemaister to traine him vnto Christ that finding it l Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.21 a thing impossible for the law to giue him life and therefore casting off all vaine confidence of the righteousnesse thereof he might be fitted to embrace m Act. 4.12 the faith of that name in which onely life and Saluation is offered vnto vs. Which it plainlie appeareth this young man conceiued not by reason of a presumption that he had by misunderstanding the law that he had obserued the law The vaine opinion whereof to discouer our Sauiour biddeth him to sell all giue to the poore promising him treasure in heauen and willing him in the meane time to come and follow him that it might appeare how far he was frō that loue of God and his neighbour which the law required in whose heart the loue of riches bare so great a sway as that he could not be content at Gods cōmandement vpō promise of heauenly treasure to bestow the same to the necessity of his neighbour Now if he had rightly esteemed of himselfe how farre he was from being answerable to the righteousnesse of the law he would
of God yea the vntruth hereof is so palpable and grosse and contrarie to the common experience of all beleeuers as that we may iustly maruell at the wilfull absurditie of this man in the assertion of it The third reason of our praying continually for forgiuenesse of sinnes is for the obtaining of the fruit effect thereof For so long as we o 2. Cor. 5.7 walke by faith and not by sight we stil pray for the sight of that as touching which we haue now but the comfort of faith and hope We beleeue that we are redeemed both in body and soule yet still we p Rom. 8.23 sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies q August in Psal 37. Gaude te redemptum sed non duÌ„ re spe securu esto Ece nim si no gemueris in spe noÌ„peruentes adrem Ioy that thou art redeemed saith Austine but not yet in reall effect in hope or as touching hope be without all doubt If thou shalt not now grone in hope thou shalt not attaine to the reall effect Thus then by praier we sigh and grone for our redemption who yet by faith beleeue that already we are redeemed So therefore albeit we beleeue that God hath forgiuen vs our sinnes yet still we pray for forgiuenesse of sinnes that that may appeare to vs which we now beleeue The Prophet Dauid giueth vs to vnderstand that r Psal 32.1 forgiuenesse of sinnes is blisse and happinesse and therefore a freedome from all misery and sorow We still liue in misery and sorow and seeme wholly strangers to all title of blisfull state Therefore being still in case as if our sinnes were not forgiuen vs we still pray for forgiuenesse of sinnes that as we haue heard so we may see and by effects may discerne and enioy the same forgiuenesse But here M. Bishop telleth vs that to pray to God to giue vs those things we are assured of by faith is as fond and friuolous as to pray him to make Christ our Lord to be his sonne or that there may be life euerlasting to his Saints in heauen of which they are in full and assured possession Which is so fond and friuolous a speech as that well we may perswade our selues that it neuer came from any wise man For matters of faith are of diuers sorts Some are already fully acted and done and those we onely beleeue we do not pray for them as the creation of the world the birth and death and resurrection of Christ and other such like Other some are beleeued as designed and pronounced by God but not yet fully acted and effected to vs which we so beleeue as that still we pray for them till they be effected praier being nothing else but Å¿ August de verb. Dom. ser 36. Ostendit fideÌ„ fontem â—sse orationuâ—â—eâ— posse â—re ruâ—uÌ„ vb caput aquae siccatur the streame or riuer of faith an issue of the desire of that which ioyfully we beleeue A notable example whereof we see in Dauid who when God had sent Nathan to him to certifie him that he would stablish the kingdome for euer in his house posterity albeit he beleeued ioyfully accepted the tidings hereof yet forbeareth not therfore to pray that it might be so t 2. Sam. 7.25 Now therefore saith he confirme for euer the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant and his house and do as thou hast sayd For thou O Lord of hosts hast reuealed vnto thy seruant saying I will build thee an house therefore hath thy seruant bene bold to pray this prayer vnto thee Therefore now let it please thee to blesse the house of thy seruant that it may continue for euer before thee for thou O Lord God hast spoken it Where we plainely see him praying vnto God that that might be whereof he was assured by faith vpon the promise of God that so it should be and not onely so but did therefore pray because God had reuealed vnto him that it should be so And do we not thinke that Dauid beleeued the word spoken to him from God by the same Prophet when he had admonished him of his grieuous trespasse and he repented u 2. Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath taken away thy sinne and yet afterwards he prayeth x Psal 51.1 Haue mercy vpon me O God after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Our Sauiour Christ beleeued that his y Ioh. 10 28. sheepe shall neuer perish and therefore that the Father would keepe them and none should take them out of his hands and yet he prayeth z Cap. 17.11 Holy Father keepe them in thy name euen them whom thou hast giuen me He was assured by faith that God would deliuer him from death a Psal 16.10 that he would not leaue his soule in hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption yet b Heb. 5 7. in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp supplications with strong crying and teares to him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared He was assured by faith that God would glorifie him yet he prayeth c Ioh. 17.5 Now glorifie me O Father with thine owne selfe The Apostle S. Paul was assured by faith that d 2. Tim. 4.18 the Lord would deliuer him from euery euill worke and preserue him vnto his heauenly kingdome yet he ceased not to pray Leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill We beleeue by faith and are assured that Christs kingdome shall come yet we daily pray Let thy kingdome come Thus therefore albeit by faith in the promise of God we now rest assured of the remission of sinnes yet because it is not yet reuealed we still pray Forgiue vs our trespasses that we may enioy by realitie and possession what we beleeue we alreadie haue in Gods affection Now albeit these three arguments hitherto be idle and vaine conceits yet for conclusion he commendeth them for substantiall and sufficient to assure euerie good Christian that he well may hope for Saluation doing his duty but may not without great presumption assure him of it by faith But it hath bene alreadie shewed that doing of dutie can yeeld vs neither faith nor hope truely so called because we come so short of the doing of it Therefore Hierome rightly saith that e Hieron in Esa lib. 17. cap. 64. Si consideremuâ— merita nostra desperanduÌ„ est if we consider our owne merites we must needs desfaire But God would haue f August in Psal 88. Non secundum merita nostra sed secunduÌ„ illâ—us mi sericordiam firma est promissio the promise to be sure not according to our merites but according to his mercie He would haue it to depend vpon his promise and his oath g Heb. 6.18 that by two immutable things wherein it
well as guiltinesse is from another Indeede Saint Bernard vseth these words but how are they fitted to Maister Bishops turne when as it is expresly saide r Ibid. aliunde iustitia aliunde reatus righteousnesse is elsewhence or of another guilt is elsewhence or of another For if it be of anothers iustice that a man is iust and of anothers guilt that he is guilty then is there imputed righteousnesse and imputed guilt Nay saith he guiltinesse is not from Adam by imputation but euery one contracts his owne by taking flesh from him Babling sophister if euery one contract guilt from Adam by taking flesh from him tell vs what it is whereof euerie one is guiltie Is it not of Adams sinne Å¿ Rom. 5.12 in whom all haue sinned To be borne in sinne is the punishment of sinne and there can be no punishment but by former guilt and there can be no former guilt but of the sinne of Adam It remaineth therefore that our first guilt is by the imputation of Adams sinne and consequently that our Iustification is by the imputation of the Righteousnesse of Christ as on both sides hath bene alreadie more largely handled in the sixt Section I say nothing here more but what Austin saith as touching infants new borne t August de vâ—râ— Dâ—m ser 3◠〈◊〉 nihil adhuc commisâ—runt sed in radics perterunt They haue committed nothing in the branch but in the roote they are perished and lost To the second place cited by M. Perkins he hath somewhat to answer by meanes of M. Perkins disaduantage to himselfe u Bernard in Cant. ser 2â— Suffâ—cit mâ—iâ— ad omnem iustitiam solum habere propitiâ—â—m â—llum cui sâ—li peccaus It sufficeth me for all Righteousnesse onely to haue him mercifull vnto me to whom onely I haue sinned But what is the mercie here intended by S. Bernard That appeareth by the other words x Ibid. Non peccare Dei iustitia est hâ—minis iustitia indulgeÌ„tia Dei Gods pardon is mans Righteousnesse The mercie of God then that sufficeth for all Righteousnesse is in the forgiuenesse and pardon of our sinnes But M. Perkins translating the words mans Righteousnesse is the mercifulnesse of God gaue M. Bishop an aduantage to say as if Bernard had spoken of Inherent righteousnesse that by Gods free grace and mercie it is bestowed vpon vs. But S. Bernard doth not say that mans Inherent righteousnesse by the gift of God but Gods forgiuenesse of mans sinnes is the Righteousnesse of man in the sight of God and if the place had bene rightly translated he had bene further put to his shifts for answer to it In the third place he was quite grauelled and knew not which way to get out and therefore mentioneth nothing of it least the Reader should plainely discerne him to be a liar But I will do him the fauour to set it downe once againe y Bernard in Cant sâ—r 61. Ego quoque misereâ—â—riâ—as Domâ—ni in aeternum câ—ntaâ—o Nunquid iusâ—it as meas Domine memor bor iustitiae tuae sâ—â—â—us Jpâ—a est enim mea nempe factuâ—es tuâ—â—â— iustiâ—ia a Deo Nunquid verendum ne non vâ—a amboâ—us sussiciat Non est pallium breue quâ—d sâ—cundum prophetam non possit operire duos Et te paritèr et me â—pâ—rteâ— lâ—rgitâ—r lâ—â—ga aeternâ— iustitia Et in 〈◊〉 quidem operit multitudinem peccatorum in te quid nisi pietatis thesauros diuitias bonitatis I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for euer saith Bernard Shall I sing of mine owne Righteousnesse Lord I will remember or will make mention of thy Righteousnesse onely for that is mine also For thou art made vnto me Righteousnesse of God Am I to stand in feare least one Righteousnesse be not sufficient for vs both It is not a short cloake such as cannot couer two This Righteousnesse being large and euerlasting shall largely couer both thee and me And in me verily it couereth a multitude of sinnes but in thee what but the treasures of pietie the riches of goodnesse Now what doth Saint Bernard here intend Marrie saith M. Bishop that we haue no iustice of our owne that is from our selues but from the goodnesse of God through the merits of Christs passion Yea but what is that iustice that he meaneth that we haue from the goodnesse of God Forsooth he telleth vs that it is Inherent iustice and that Saint Bernard speaketh thereof elsewhere as a distinct thing from the iustice of Christ What and is that all that S. Bernard here saith Giue ouer M. Bishop giue ouer for shame striue no longer against your conscience your owne heart told you here that you played the part of a lewd and wilfull man The Righteousnesse here spoken of is but one and onely one it is a Righteousnesse sufficient both for Christ and vs it couereth both Christ and vs it couereth in vs a multitude of sinnes and in him the riches of mercie and is this meant of Inherent righteousnesse Is our Inherent righteousnesse sufficient both for Christ and vs doth it couer both Christ and vs But why do I thus debate with a man altogether void of conscience shame S. Bernard expresly testifieth the one Righteousnesse of Christ which only we are to make mention of as being sufficient both for him and vs couering in vs a multitude of sinnes so as that by it we are accepted for iust in the sight of God But to make his matter seeme the better he referreth the Reader to the first Sermon of Bernard vpon the words of Esay Vidi Dominum there to see somewhat of Inherent iustice whereas in that Sermon he hath nothing at all to that purpose so that I should haue thought it mistaken but that the margin and the text haue cited it both alike And that it may appeare that he doth but gull and abuse his Reader it is in the fifth of those verie Sermons that S. Bernard hath affirmed that z Bernard de verb. Esa ser 5 Vt supra sect 3. our Righteousnesse if we haue any is not pure and is by the Prophet compared to a defiled cloth as before was shewed whence it followeth ineuitably that our Inherent righteousnesse is not that whereby we stand as iust in the sight of God The sentence of Austin was not cited broken but whole a August in Psal 22. Delicta nostra sua delicta fecit vt iustitiam suam nostraÌ„ iustitiam faceret He hath made our sinnes his sinnes that he might make his Righteousnesse our Righteousnesse M. Bishops honestie appeareth as it is wont to do in leauing out that part of the sentence which should giue light to the rest otherwise S. Austins meaning would be plaine that as Christ hath made our sinnes his so he hath made his Righteousnesse ours which is only by imputation As for his exposition it is altogether absurd because Christ by meriting Inherent
Iesus Tit. 3. The like description of our Iustification is in S. Paul Of his mercie he hath saued vs by the lauer of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost whom he hath powred into vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that being iustified by his grace we may be heires in hope and not in certaintie of faith of life euerlasting Where the Apostle inferring that being iustified by his grace declareth that in the words before he had described the same Iustification to consist in our new birth of Baptisme and the renewing of our soules by the infusion of his heauenly gifts which God of his mercie did bestow vpon vs for his Sonne Christs sake Many other places I omit for breuitie sake and will be content to cite few Fathers because the best learned of our aduersaries do confesse that they be all against them as I haue shewed before De peccat merit remis cap. 15. Epist 85. lib. 12. de Trinit cap. 7. Lib. 6. de Trinit First Saint Augustine saith That this iustice of ours vvhich they call Righteousnesse is the grace of Christ regenerating vs by the holy Ghost and is a beautie of our inward man It is the renewing of the reasonable part of our soule And twentie other such like whereby he manifestly declareth our iustice to be inherent and not the imputed iustice of Christ Let him suffice for the Latine Fathers And Saint Cyril for the Greekes who of our Iustification writeth thus The Spirit is a heate who as soone as he hath powred charitie into vs and hath with the fire of it inflamed our minds we haue euen then obtained iustice R. ABBOT a Eccles 19.24 There is a subtiltie that is fine saith Ecclesiasticus but it is vnrighteous and there is that wresteth the open and manifest law M. Bishop is none of those that deale finely that will cogge by art and will lie and yet not seeme to lie what he doth he will do outright and will lie so as that euerie man may see him to be a liar that he may not be taken for other then indeed he is Tell vs M. Bishop where is it that M. Perkins saith that in heauen we shall haue no other but imputed iustice or Righteousnesse where doth he make any shew or semblance of saying so Fie M. Bishop fie for shame leaue this lying and belying of men a good cause needeth no such meanes for the vpholding of it they that in apparent vntruth see you thus wilfull and shamelesse cannot but take you for a cosiner in all the rest M. Perkins saith that imputed Righteousnesse continueth for euer but doth he say that in heauen there shall be no other who plainely saith that sanctification shall be perfect in the world to come We shall for euer enioy eternall life by vertue of that whereby we are first admitted vnto it because thereby we are admitted to it to enioy it thereby for euer But he who by his merit purchased for vs eternall life purchased for vs also to be made meete for the enioying of it and therefore shall then make vs vnto himselfe b Ephe 5.27 a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but c 1. Cor. 15.28 God shall be all in all Whereas he maketh M. Perkins to say that perhaps inward Righteousnesse shall be perfect in the end of this life he againe abuseth him for he asketh the question onely as a supposition what if it be so but maketh no perhaps that it is so denying that if it were so we could be iustified thereby The rest of this Section as touching the maine drift of it is altogether impertinent tending to proue Inherent iustice which we denie not but onely the perfection thereof in this life But whereas he seeketh to make good that our iustification consisteth therein he commeth much too short and one of his proofes directly proueth the contrarie For when the Apostle saith d 1. Cor. 6.11 You are washed you are sanctified you are iustified vndoubtedly he meant not by iustification and sanctification to import one and the same thing But there is no question but that by sanctification is meant inherent iustice Therefore inherent iustice cannot be vnderstood in iustification And this is apparent by those very authors whom he himselfe citeth for exposition of the place as namely Chrysostome saying e Chrysan 1. Cor. cap. 6. hom 16. Abluit nosmunquid igitur hoc solùm Minimè sed sanctificauit neque hoc etiam sed iustificauit Atqui liberari à peccatu magnuÌ„ munus est nunc autem te etiam innumeris impleuit bonis He washed vs and what did he so onely Nay but he also sanctified vs and not this onely but also he iustified vs very plainely putting difference betwixt iustification and sanctification and expounding iustification in the next words to be this liberari à peccatis to be deliuered from sinnes So doth Theophylact also expresly referre iustification to forgiuenesse of sinnes f Theoph. in 1. Cor. ca. 6. Vos ille sanctificat Quo pacto Iustificando inquit Cum enim prius vos abluisset iustitia condonasset mox sanctimoniam contulit When he had first washed you and by iustification had pardoned you forthwith also he bestowed sanctification Oecumenius likewise seuereth theÌ„ as Chrysostome doth g Oecumen ibid. Nec id solum verum etiam sanctificauit neque hoc tantum sed iustificauiâ— He hath not onely washed you but also sanctified you and not that only but also iustified you He citeth Ambrose also but Ambrose saith not one word to import that Iustification should be construed of inherent iustice h Amâ—ros ibid. Illic omnibus peccatis aâ—â—uitur credens iustificatur Dei nomine per spiritum Dei nostri Deâ— filius adâ—ptatur In baptisme all sinnes being done away the beleeuer is washed is iustified in the name of the Lord and by the spirit of our God is adopted to be a sonne of God Now we may see what credit is to be giuen to this gamester who shewing his cardes in packe telleth vs he hath wonne the game when he hath nothing at all to helpe for the winning of it As for the other place to Titus That being iustified by his grace c. There is no argument to proue the contrarie but that the Apostle may comprehend the whole worke of sauing vs which he before mentioneth vnder the name of Iustification as the maine point whereupon dependeth all the rest But more properly we may take it in the third place as in the former text to the Corinthians distinguished from the sanctification and renewing of the holy Ghost and expressing the other speciall effect of the washing of the new birth consisting in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes The places of Austin and Cyrill being spoken of inherent iustice begunne in this life not denied by vs say nothing against vs. How
trecherously and falsly he dealeth in saying that the best learned of our side do confesse that the Fathers be all against vs hath bene shewed before and it shall appeare God willing throughout this whole booke that there is no cause for them so to say 15. W. BISHOP The second difference about the manner of Iustification VVE all agree in generall that faith concurreth to our Iustification but differ in three points First how faith is to be taken Secondly how it worketh in our iustification Thirdly whether it alone doth iustifie Concerning the first point Catholikes hold a iustifying faith to be that Christian faith by which we beleeue the articles of our Creed and all other things reuealed by God The Protestants auerre it to be a particular faith whereby they apply to themselues the promises of righteousnesse and of life euerlasting by Christ This to be the true iustifying faith M. Perkins saith he hath proued alreadie he should haue done well to haue noted the place for I know not where to seeke it but he will here adde a reason or twaine 1 Reason The faith whereby we liue is the faith whereby we are iustified but the faith whereby we liue is a particular faith whereby we apply Christ to our selues as Paul saith I liue Gal. 2 â—0 that is spiritually by the faith of the Sonne of God which faith he sheweth to be a particular faith in Christ in the words following Who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me particularly Answer The Maior I admit and deny the Minor and say that the proofe is not to purpose For in the Minor he speaketh of faith whereby we apply Christes merits vnto our selues making them ours in the proofe Saint Paul saith onely that Christ died for him in particular He makes no mention of his apprehending of Christes iustice and making of it his owne which are very distinct things All Catholikes beleeue with Saint Paul that Christ died as for all men in generall so for euery man in particular yea and that his loue was so exceeding great towards mankinde that he would willingly haue bestowed his life for the redemption of one onely man But hereupon it doth not follow that euery man may lay hands vpon Christes righteousnesse and apply it to himselfe or else Turkes Iewes Heretikes and euill Catholikes might make very bold with him but must first doe those things which he requires at their hands to be made partakers of his inestimable merits as to repent them heartily of their sinnes to beleeue and hope in him to be baptized and to haue a full purpose to obserue all his commandements Which M. Perkins also confesseth that all men haue not onely promised Pag. 152. but also vowed in Baptisme Now because we are not assured that we shall performe all this therefore we may not so presumptuously apply vnto our selues Christes righteousnesse and life euerlasting although we beleeue that he died for euery one of vs in particular That which followeth M. Perkins hath no colour of probability that Saint Paul in this manner of beliefe that is in applying to himselfe Christes merits was an example vnto all that are saued See the places good Reader 1 Tim. 1.16 Phil. 3.15 and learne to beware the bold vnskilfulnesse of sectaries For there is not a word sounding that way but onely how he hauing receiued mercy was made an example of patience R. ABBOT That the act of true faith is particularly to apply hath bene handled before in the question of the Certaintie of Saluation but yet the place so requiring M. Perkins thought fit here to set downe some few reasons for further proofe thereof The first whereof is grounded vpon the words of S. Paul a Gal. 2.20 I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me M. Bishops exception is that S. Paul speaketh not of faith wherby we apply Christes merits or iustice vnto our selues making them ours but saith onely that Christ died for him in particular But what is not the death of Christ a part yea and a principall part of the merit of Christ With vs it is so and M. Bishop we suppose when he is well aduised conceiueth no otherwise If then the Apostle speake of faith apprehending and applying vnto vs particularly the death of Christ he speaketh of faith apprehending and applying vnto vs particularly the merit of Christ And all parts of the merit of Christ are parts also with vs of the righteousnesse of Christ As his obedience in b Ambros in Ps 118. ser 8. Baptizatus pro nobis being baptized for vs was his c Mat. 3.15 righteousnesse so his d Phil. 2.8 obedience in dying for vs was his righteousnesse also Therfore faith applying vnto vs particularly the death of Christ applieth vnto vs particularly the righteousnesse of Christ Now M. Bishop telleth vs that all Catholikes beleeue with S. Paul that Christ died as for all men in generall so for euery man in particular of his exceeding great loue towards mankind But tell vs further M. Bishop was that all that S. Paul meant that Christ loued him as he loued all men he died for him as he died for all men Was this S. Pauls faith Christ loued me as he loued Iudas the traitour he died for me as he died for Simon Magus It is written concerning Esau e Rom. 9.13 I haue hated Esau and in him a patterne of all reprobates is set forth vnto vs and might Esau say as well as Paul Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Indeed as S. Austine saith f â— August ad articul sibi falso imposit art 1 Quod ad magnitudineÌ„ et potentiaÌ„ pretuÌ„ quod ad vnaÌ„ pertinet causam generu humani sanguis Christi redemptio est totim mundi c. Redemptionis proprietas haud dubiuÌ„ penes illos est de quibus princeps hâ—ius mundi missus est foras et â—am non membra diaboli sed vasa sunt Christi Cuâ—us mors non impensa est humano generi vt ad redemptionem eius etiam qui regerandi non erant pertinerent c. as touching the greatnesse and sufficiencie of the price and one coÌ„mon cause or condition of mankind the bloud of Christ is the redemption of the whole world but yet as he further addeth there is a propriety of this redemption on their part from whom the Prince of this world is cast forth and who are not now vessels of the diuell but members of Christ neither did he bestow his death vpon mankind that they also that were not to be regenerated should belong to his redemption Christ in his death intended a price of such extent in value and woorth as should be of power and ablenesse to saue all and therefore should be offered indifferently to all but yet in loue he paied this price onely for them to whom of loue he intended
in respect hereof with sinne against the holy Ghost it is but a scape of his ignorance who as it seemeth vnderstandeth not what is meant thereby What his schoolemen haue written thereof it is nothing to vs but let him learne by Hierome how to vnderstand it out of the text it selfe h Hieron in Maâ— ca. 12. Qui manifestè intell gâ—ns opera Dei cùm de virtute negare noÌ„ possit eadem stimulatus inuidia caluÌ„niatur ChristuÌ„ Deique verbuÌ„ opera Sp sancti diâ—et esse Beelzebub isti non dimittetur neque in praesenti seculo nec iâ— futuro He saith he who vnderstanding manifestly the works of God when he cannot gainesay as touching the power doth yet of enuie calumniate the same and affirmeth Christ and the word of God and the works of the holy Ghost to be of the diuell to him it shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come This is a dreadfull sinne and let M. Bishop take heede the light of God so clearely shining as that it cannot but dazle his eyes that he doe not intangle himselfe in the guilt thereof by wilfull opposition against the truth 17. W. BISHOP Maister Perkins third reason is drawne from the consent of the auncient Church of which for fashion sake to make some shew he often speaketh but can seldome finde any one sentence in them that fits his purpose as you may see in this sentence of Saint Augustine cited by him De verbis Domini serm 7. Augustine saith I demaund now doest thou beleeue in Christ O sinner thou saiest I beleeue what beleeuest thou that all thy sinnes may freely be pardoned by him thou hast that which thou beleeuest See here is neither applying of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs by faith nor so much as beleeuing our sinnes to be pardoned through him but that they may be pardoned by him So there is not one word for M. Perkins But S. Bernard saith plainly That we must beleeue that our sinnes are pardoned vs. But he addeth not by the imputed righteousnes of Christ Againe he addeth conditions on our party which M. Perkins craftily concealeth For S. Bernard graunteth that we may beleeue our sinnes to be forgiuen if the truth of our conuersion meete with the mercy of God preuenting vs for in the same place he hath these words So therefore shall his mercy dwell in our earth that is the grace of God in our soules if mercy and truth meet together if iustice and peace embrace and kisse each other Which is as S. Bernard there expoundeth it if we stirred vp by the grace of God do truly bewaile our sinnes and confesse them and afterward follow holinesse of life and peace All which M. Perkins did wisely cut off because it dashed cleane the vain glosse of the former words His last authority is out of S. Cyprian who exhorteth men passing out of this life not to doubt of Gods promises but to beleeue that we shall come to Christ with ioyfull security Answer S. Cyprian encourageth good Christians dying to haue a full confidence in the promises of Christ and so do all Catholikes and bid them be secure too on that side that Christ will neuer faile of his word and promise but say that the cause of feare lies on our owne infirmities And yet bids them not to doubt as though they were as likely to be condemned as saued but animates them and puts them in the good way of hope by twenty kinds of reason R. ABBOT The drift of Saint Austine in the place alledged is to shew that we are a Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 7. Elegâ— de me praesumetes non de se TotuÌ„ gratiae semper reputa Si de tuo opere prasumis ergo merces tibi redditur non gratia condonatur Si auteÌ„ gratia est gratis daetur to presume of God onely not of our selues and to attribute all that we are towards him wholy to his grace If thou presume of thine owne worke then is it a wages paied not a grace giuen vnto thee But if it be grace then it is freely giuen Hereupon follow the words alledged b Interrogo nunc Credis ô peccator Christo Dicis Credo Quid credis Gratis vniuersa peccatae tibi per ipsuÌ„ posse remitti Habes quod credidisti O gratia gratis data I demaund now O sinner doest thou beleeue Christ Thou saiest I beleeue What doest thou beleeue That all thy sinnes may be pardoned freely by him By which words he would import that the sinner is to beleeue that in Christ onely there is enough to yeeld him forgiuenesse of sinnes and therefore that he is to presume onely vpon him Which if he do Saint Austine telleth him Thou hast that which thou beleeuest and addeth O grace freely giuen Now M. Bishop should here haue told vs what it is that S. Austine telleth the beleeuing sinner that he hath what that grace is that he saith is here freely giuen vnto him For if it be forgiuenesse of sins as indeed it is then the words import that the sinner beleeuing in Christ for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and relying wholy vpon him assuredly hath that for which he beleeueth and therefore is not to doubt thereof And herein he alludeth to that in the Gospell where Christ asketh the blind men c Mat. 9.28 Beleeue ye that I am able to do this to draw froÌ„ them whether they did attribute so much to him as to expect so great a benefit from him When therefore they answered Yea Lord he touched their eies saying According to your faith so be it vnto you So with S. Austine the word may serueth to chalenge a sufficiencie to Iesus Christ and to exclude other meanes of forgiuenesse of sinnes not to question the beliefe of the forgiuenesse thereof which he so resolutely affirmeth to him that beleeueth and can be no otherwise but by the applying of the righteousnesse the merit the satisfaction of Christ because we cannot beleeeue it but only thereby The place of Bernard is very impudently shifted off First by altering the question which is not here by what we beleeue our sinnes to be forgiuen but whether it be the property of a iustifying faith to beleeue particularly the forgiuenesse of a mans own sinnes Now S. Bernard saith that d Bernard in Annunâ—iat ser 1. Jnitium quoddam velut fundamentum fidei for a man to beleeue that he cannot haue forgiuenesse of sinnes but by Gods pardon is but the beginning and foundation of faith Therefore saith he if thou beleeue that thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him to whom onely thou hast sinned thou doest well e Sed adde adhuc vt hoc credas quia per ipsuÌ„ tibi peccata donaÌ„tur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet in corde nostro Sp. sanctus dicens DimitiuÌ„tur tibi peccata tua Sic enim arbitratur Apostelus gratis
6. 11. plainly professeth that he cannot tell whether he loue God or God loue him who saith that hope and charity are seated in the darke corners of the will and a man hath but onely coniectures and a probable opinion of the being thereof in himselfe What shall he then make bold of in name of friendship with Christ who knoweth not whether he be a friend to Christ or Christ to him As for the saying of Austine why he alledgeth it I know not vnlesse it be that he were onely desirous to say somewhat out of Austine S. Austine noteth that inherent iustice consisteth in charity which is the summe of the law which is the rule of iustice According therefore to the measure of our charity greater or lesse so is the measure of our righteousnesse We say the same but what is this to shew that charity is the fittest instrument to apply vnto vs the merit of Christ But that he may not dreame of iustification before God by any perfection of charity here let him remember what Saint Austine hath said thereof that f August epist 29. Supra cap. 2. sect 8. perfect charity is in no man so long as he liueth here that the lesnesse thereof to that that it ought to be is by reason of a default or corruption in vs by reason whereof no man liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God 30 W. BISHOP M. Perkins fourth Reason is taken from the iudgement of the auncient Church They are blessed Ambros in Rom. 4. to whom without any labour or worke done iniquities are remitted So no workes or repentance is required of them but onely that they beleeue To these and such like words I answer First that it is very vncertaine whether these Commentaries be Saint Ambroses Secondly that that Author excludeth not repentance but onely the workes of Moses law which the Iewes held to be necessary as circumcision and such like see the place and conferre with it that which he hath written in the same worke vpon the fourth to the Hebrewes where he hath these words Faith is a great thing and without it it is not possible to be saued but faith alone doth not suffice but it is necessary that faith worke by charity and conuerse worthy of God De verb. Ap. ser 40. M. Perkins next authority is gathered out of S. Augustine There is one propitiation for all sinners to beleeue in Christ True but where is it that we neede nothing else but to beleeue Leuit. li. 1. ca. 2. 3. Hesichius saith Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of works that is we do not merit by our works done before grace any thing at Gods hand but of his mercy receiue both faith and iustification Sup. Cāt. ser 22. 4. Bernard hath Whosoeuer thirsteth after righteousnesse let him beleeue in thee that being iustified by faith alone he may haue peace with God Answer By faith alone he excludeth all other meanes that either Iew or Gentile required but not charity which his very words include for how can we abhorre sinne and thirst after iustice without charity and in the same worke he declareth plainly Serm. 24. that he comprehendeth alwaies charity when he speakes of a iustifying faith saying A right faith doth not make a man righteous if it worke not by charity And againe Neither works without faith nor faith without works is sufficient to make the soule righteous Gal. 3. 5. Chrysostome they said he who rested on faith alone was accursed but Paul sheweth that he is blessed who rested on faith alone Answer He speakes of the Iewes who held Christians accursed because resting on the faith in Christ would not obserue withall Moses law Gal. 5. the Apostle contrariwise denounceth them accursed who would ioyne the ceremonies of Moses law with Christian religion and so faith alone there excludeth onely the old law not the workes of charity so he mangleth pittifully a sentence of S. Basils saying De Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified onlie by faith in Christ If a man know himselfe iustified by faith in Christ how can he acknowledge that he wants true iustice His words truly repeated are these Let man acknowledge that he is vnworthie of true iustice and that his iustification comes not of his desert but of the meere mercy of God through Christ So that by faith alone Saint Basil treating of humility excludes all merit of our owne but no necessarie good disposition as you may see in his Sermon de Fide where he proues by many texts of holy Scripture that charitie is as necessarie as faith M. Perkins last testimonie is out of Origen Rom. 3. Who proues as M. Perkins said that onely beleeuing without workes iustifieth by the example of the Theefe on the Crosse of whose good workes there is no mention Answer Origen excludeth no good disposition in vs to iustification but saith that a man may be saued without doing outwardly any good workes if he want time and place as the Theefe did who presently vpon his conuersion was put to death which is good Catholike doctrine but that you may perceiue how necessary the good dispositions before mentioned be to iustification you shall finde if you consider well all circumstances not one of them to haue bene wanting in that good Theefes conuersion First that he stood in feare of Gods iust iudgement appeares by these his words to his fellow Doest thou not feare God c. He had hope to be saued by Christ out of which he said O Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome By both which speeches is shewed also his faith both in God that he is the gouernour and iust iudge of the world and in Christ that he was the Redeemer of mankind His repentance and confession of his fault is laid downe in this And we truly suffer worthily His charity towards God and his neigbour in reprehending his fellowes blasphemie in defending Christs innocencie and in the middest of his greatest disgraces and raging enemies to confesse him to be King of the world to come out of all which we may gather also that he had a full purpose to amend his life and to haue taken such order for his recouery as it should please Christ his Sauiour to appoint So that he lacked not any one of those dispositions which the Catholike Church requires to iustification Now that that great Doctor Origen meant not to exclude any of these good qualities out of the companie of faith is apparant by that which he hath written on the next Chapter where he saith That faith cannot be imputed to iustice Rom. 4. to such as beleeue in Christ vnlesse they do withall put off the old man and a little before more plainly saying I thinke that faith is the first beginning of saluation hope is proceeding in the building but the
top and perfection of the whole worke is charity R. ABBOT To set downe the places alledged out of Ambrose is sufficient to discouer the bad and euill conscience of M. Bishop in the answering of them and to shew what a one he is indeede in all the rest of his answers First a Ambros in Rom. ca. 3. Iustificati sunt gratis quia nihil operaÌ„tes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono Dei they are iustified freely saith he because working nothing nor making any requitall they are iustified by faith alone through the gift of God The second is this b Jbid cap. 4 Manifestè beati sunt quibus sine labore vel opere aliquo remittuntur iniquitates peccata teguâ—tur nulla ab hâ— requisita poenitentiae opera nisi tantùm vt credant They are blessed to whom without any labour or worke their iniquities are forgiuen and sinnes couered no worke of penitencie being required of them but onely to beleeue Thirdly he saith c Idem in 1. Cor. cap. 1. Hoc constitutuÌ„ est à Deo vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere sola fide gratu accipiens remissioneÌ„ peccatorum This is appointed of God that he that beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without works freely by faith alone receiuing forgiuenesse of sinnes I pray thee now gentle Reader to marke well his answer to these allegations First he saith that it is very vncertaine whether these Commentaries be Ambroses It is true indeede that some make question of the Prefaces that are inserted to the seuerall Epistles but of the Commentaries themselues saue onely vpon the epistle to the Hebrewes I know no man that doubteth Their d Sixt. Senens biblioth sanct lib 4. Sixtus Senensis reckoneth them for the workes of Ambrose for their part and our e Centâ—r Magdeburg lib. 4. cap. 10. Centuristes for our part and on both sides they are alwaies cited in his name There is no doubt but they are the workes of a very auncient writer if they were not his and therefore that can make little to acquit Maister Bishop of crossing the auncient Church vnlesse he can giue vs a better answer But that we shall haue namely that that Author excludeth not repentance but onely the workes of Moses law which the Iewes held to be necessarie as circumcision and such like Short and sweete this he hath told vs and if we will fare better we must take the paines to go further But let him remember that the point in question is of being iustified by faith alone which Saint Ambrose there directly and fully affirmeth by faith onely by faith onely it is required onely to beleeue Now though the ceremoniall workes of Moses law be excluded from iustification yet if we be iustified by any other workes we are not iustified by faith onely or alone He excludeth not repentance saith he but let vs request him to turne vs these words into English Nulla ab his requisita paenitentiae opera nisi tantùm vt credant We take it to be this there being required of theÌ„ no labour or worke of penitency or repentance but onely to beleeue He meaneth indeed by penitencie that which publikely was don for which men were called poenitentes penitents as afterward appeareth but by excluding such works of penitencie it appeareth that it was not his meaning to exclude only circumcision and such other ceremonies of Moses law and therefore that M. Bishops answer is a verie absurd and broken shift Marke the words gentle Reader Working nothing not making any requitall without any labour or worke no worke of penitencie required without workes and freely and by faith alone all sounding that f Ambros in Psal 43. Non facta sua vnumquenque iustificant sed fides prompta a mans works do not iustifie him but his prompt faith as the same S. Ambrose speaketh in another place As for the words which he bringeth to crosse the other they are no way contrarie to vs. We say as he saith that faith alone sufficeth not and yet we say as he also saith that faith sufficeth to iustification For it is one thing to say what sufficeth to iustification another thing to say what sufficeth to the perfection of a Christian and iustified man The place alledged out of Austin inferreth our assertion though it expresse it not If it be our propitiation that is our iustification to beleeue in Christ then onely to beleeue in Christ doth iustifie If not then it cannot be said to be our iustification to beleeue in Christ For where the effect belongeth to many causes alike there it cannot be singularly attributed to anie one His answer to the words of Hesychius is impertinent for Hesychius beside that he saith that grace is not merited because it is of mercie telleth vs also what it is whereby the same is apprehended and that he saith is faith alone g Hesych in Leuit lib. 4 cap. 14. Gratia ex misericordia compassione probatur fide comprehendiur sola non ex operibus Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes If grace be not apprehended by works as Hesychius saith why doth M. Bishop tel vs that it is apprehended by workes If it be apprehended by faith alone why doth he tell vs that it is not apprehended by faith alone Be it that our workes before grace doe not merit our iustification yet if by workes we be iustified as well as by faith then it is not true which this Father saith that the grace of iustification is apprehended by faith and not by workes The words of Saint Bernard are plainely spoken of the imputed righteousnes of Iesus Christ by occasion of the Apostles words that Christ is h 1. Cor. 1 30. made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption i Bernard in Cant. ser 22. Iustitia in absolutione peccatoruÌ„ Righteousnes saith he by forgiuenesse of sinnes for prosecuting therof saith of Christ k Iustitiae tuae tanta vbique fragraÌ„tia spargitur vt non solum iustus sed ipsa dicaris iustitia et iustitia iustificans TaÌ„ validus denique es ad iustificandum quaÌ„ multus ad ignosâ—enduÌ„ Quamobrem quisquis pro peccatis compunctus esurit et sitit iustitiaÌ„ credat in te qui iustificas impium solam iustificatus per fidem pacem habebit ad Deum so sweete a sauour of thy righteousnes is euery where spred abroad as that thou art not only called righteous but also righteousnesse it selfe and a iustifying righteousnesse As strong thou art to iustifie as thou art readie to forgiue Whosoeuer therefore being pricked with his sinnes hungreth and thirsteth after righteousnesse let him beleeue in thee who iustifiest the vngodly and being iustified by faith onely he shall haue peace with God M. Bishop telleth vs that S. Bernard by faith alone
our good workes directly contrary to that which the Apostle defineth in the example of Iacob a Rom. 9.11 Before the children were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not by works but by him that calleth it was said the elder shall serue the younger as it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esau b August Ench. cap. 98. Qua in re si futura opera vel bona huius vel mala illius quae Deus vtique praesciebat vellet intelligi nequaquam diceret non ex operibus sed diâ—â—ret ex futuris operibus eoque modo istam solueret quastionem c. Where saith S. Austine if the Apostle would that either the good workes of the one or the euill workes of the other that were to come should be vnderstood he would not haue said Not of works but would haue said for the workes that were to come and so would haue put the matter out of question c IdeÌ„ epist 105. Ideo inquiunt Pelagiani nondum natorum alium oderat alium diligebat quia futura eorum opera praetudebat Quit istum aâ—utissimum sensum Apostolo defuisse non miretur The Pelagians said as he obserueth that of them being not yet borne God therefore hated the one and loued the other because he did foresee their workes to come Who would not wonder saith he that this wittie conceipt should be wanting to the Apostle But his resolution euery where is that Gods election is the cause of our good workes not the foresight of our good workes the cause why God elected vs. To that purpose he alledgeth the words of the Apostle d Ephe. 1.4 He hath chosen vs in him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him through loue e De praedest sanct ca. 8. Non quia futuri eramuâ— sed vt essemus Et cap. 19. Non quia futures tales nos esse praesciuit sed vt essemus tales per ipsam electionem gratiae c. not saith he because we would be but that we should be not because he foreknew that we would be so but that we might be so by his election of grace The like he obserueth of the same Apostles words concerning himselfe f 1. Cor. 7.25 Aug. epist 105. I haue obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull not for that the Lord did foresee that he would be faithfull but by his mercy made him so to be It were too long to alledge all that might be alledged out of Austine as touching this point but Maister Bishop hauing very nicely touched it deferreth the rest to the question of merits where he saith nothing directly to it It seemeth he was ielous of the matter and therefore was loth to wade too farre least it should too plainly appeare that Pelagius and he are both fallen into one pit 35. W. BISHOP The fourth argument A man must be fully iustified before he can do a good worke and therefore good workes cannot go before iustification True not before the first iustification of a sinner But good Sir you hauing made in the beginning of this last Article a distinction betweene the first and second iustification and hauing before discussed the first and the second now remaining and expecting you why did you not say one word of it the matter being ample and well worthie the handling Albeit you will not willingly confesse any second iustification as you say yet had it bene your part at least to haue disprooued such arguments as we bring to proue a second iustification Yee acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification but these degrees must be made downward of euill worser and worst for if all our sanctification and best workes be like vnto defiled cloutes and no better then deadly sinnes as you hold Pag. 76. else-where let any wise man iudge what degrees of goodnesse can be lodged in it Againe how absurd is that position that there is but one iustification whereby they take fast hold on Christs righteousnesse which can neuer after be either loosed or increased Why then do you with your brother Iouinian maintaine that all men are equally righteous If it so be let him that desireth to see you well coursed read S. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Gregory Lib. 2. con Iouin Epist 81. Epist 57. Hom. 15. in Ezech. At least we must needes vphold that a man is as iust and righteous at his first conuersion as at his death how godly a life soeuer he lead against which I will put downe these reasons following R. ABBOT If there can be no good workes before the first iustification of a sinner what shall we thinke of M. Bishops vertuous dispositions and works of preparation What are they vertuous and yet are they not good Nay he hath called them a Sect. 30. 32. before good qualities good dispositions good preparations and what were they good then and now are they not good Tell vs M. Bishop your mind are your works of preparation good workes or are they not good If they be not good then you haue spoken vntruly before in calling them good If they be good then it is vntruth that you say here that no good workes go before the first iustification of a sinner Either in the one or in the other you must needes confesse that you haue said amisse Now here he quarelleth with Maister Perkins as if he had said nothing to the matter in hand which is as he saith of the second iustification whereas Maister Perkins though noting their distinction of first and second iustification yet hath in hand wholy to exclude workes from iustification whence it must follow that they haue no place in any second iustification And the argument here propounded directly ouerthroweth his second iustificatioÌ„ though he would not see so much For if a man can do no perfect good works till he be fully iustified theÌ„ can he do no perfect good works till the second iustification be fulfilled For a man is not fully and perfectly iustified till he haue attained to full and perfect iustice Iustice is not full and perfect so long as any thing remaineth to be added vnto it There is still something to be added in their second iustification till it come to his full terme Therefore till then a man is not fully iustified Now the iustice that is not perfect if it be respected in it selfe cannot be pleasing vnto God It can therefore bring forth no good workes to merit at Gods hands There can therefore be no good workes whereby a man should merit their second iustification M. Bishop after his manner briefly reciteth the argument and hauing so done very scholerlike answereth to the conclusion graunting it in one sort when the premisses inferre it in another and yet braueth and faceth as if the matter were wholly cleare for him
Cum est aliquid concupiscentiae carnalis c. noÌ„ omnimodò ex tota anima diligitur Deus so long as there is any carnall concupiscence God is not loued with all the soule And so long as we liue here there is carnall concupiscence against the law of the minde Therefore so long as we liue here charity is neuer perfect in vs as it ought to be neither can any perfect good worke be effected by vs. M. Bishop minceth and qualifieth the matter that no man hath so perfect charity but that sometimes he doth lesse then he ought to do But the argument prooueth that charity is alwaies vnperfect in this life and therefore not sometimes onely but alwaies a man doth lesse then he ought to do There is alwaies a blot that staineth our charity l Hilar. apud August cont Julian lib. 2. Supra sect 44. by reason whereof we haue nothing in vs cleane nothing innocent as before was cited out of Hilary and therefore it can yeeld no workes that are free from blot and staine But the Reader is here to note the constancie of this man who affirmeth here that no man hath so perfect charity in this life but that sometimes he doth lesse then he ought to do whereas before he hath told vs of a righteousnesse so perfect in this life as that m Sect. 45. it faileth not in any duty which we are bound to performe Thus giddily he runneth to and fro being vncertaine what to say and neuer knowing where he may stand sure Now here he saith that the other saying of Austine Woe to the laudable life of man if it be examined without mercy is spoken in respect of veniall sinnes wheras Austine vseth the words in respect of hell fire which they say is not incident to their veniall sinnes For hauing professed that he he durst not say that after baptisme no word went out of his mothers mouth against Gods commaundement and that Christ saith that if a man say to his brother foole he is guilty of hell fire he addeth these words n Aug. Confess lib. 9. cap. 13. Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam And woe euen to the commendable life of man if thou set aside mercy in the examining or sifting of it To which purpose he saith also in another place o Idem In Psal 42. Quicunque hic viâ—â—â— quantumlibet iustè viuat vae illi si cuÌ„ illa in iudicium intrauerit Deus Whosoeuer liueth here howsoeuer iustly he liue woe vnto him if God enter into iudgement with him In which sort Arnobius also saith p Arno. in Psal 135. Vae nebis si quod debemus exegerit vae nobis si quod debet reddiderit Woe vnto vs if he require what we owe to him woe vnto vs if he pay what he oweth to vs. These woes are not vttered in respect of Purgatory or any temporall affliction but in respect of the issue of that finall dreadfull iudgement the sentence whereof shall stand for euer Now if they haue learned by the word of God to denounce this woe then woe to M. Bishop that to the contrary defendeth a righteousnesse so perfect in this life as that his righteous man q Sect. 4. needeth not greatly to feare the rigorous sentence of a iust Iudge as who faileth not in any duty that he is bound to performe who can keepe himselfe from all but veniall sinnes which are easily forgiuen r Rhem. Testam Annot. Mat. 10.12 Sext. Proaemaâ— glossa by the Bishops blessing by holy water by knocking the brest by saying a Pater noster by extreame vnction and some other such deuotions madly deuised to that end As touching the other place of Austine it hath bene already shewed that our righteousnesse in this life is vnperfect not onely by comparison but simply in it selfe and according to that that here is required of vs The imperfections of wit and will which M. Bishop speaketh of are so great and so many as that if he did but with a feeling heart and conscience consider the same he would finde that there is small cause in the most perfect of this life to pleade for that perfection that he maintaineth But being a man of a frosen and dead heart and neither knowing others nor himselfe by the name of many light faults he passeth ouer those things which make the most righteous and iust to groane vnder the burden of them and to say with Dauid Å¿ Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and are like a sore burden too heauie for me to beare t Psal 40.12 My sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp they are moe in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed me Tush saith M. Bishop what neede all this adoe all these are but light and veniall faults but hereby we conceiue that neither his will nor his wit haue indeede that perfection that it were fit they should haue His answer to the words of Gregory is ridiculous and childish Gregorie forsooth by our vertue meaneth the vertue that we haue of our owne strength when as Gregorie teacheth that we haue no vertue of our owne strength but onely by the gift of God u Greg. Moral lib. 24. cap. 5. Iustitia nostra dicitur non quae ex nostro nostra est sed quae diuina largitate fit nostra It is called our righteousnesse saith he in another place not which is ours of our owne but which by the gift of God becommeth ours According to this meaning he saith that x Ibid. li. 9 ca. 1. Sanctus vir quia omne virtuâ—is nostrae meritum vitium esse câ—nspexit si ab interno arbitro districté iudicetur rectè subiungit si voluero c. the holy man Iob because he saw all the merit of our vertue to be vice if it be strictly iudged by the internall Iudge did rightly adde If I will contend with him I shall not be able to answer him one for a thousand He applieth his speech to Iobs righteousnesse which he had no cause to imagine that Iob alledged as attained vnto by his own strength And shall we be so mad as to thinke that if Iob had bene perfect by a righteousnesse receiued by the gift of God he would say he could not therefore answer God because he saw all the merit of the vertue that he had by his owne strength to be but vice It is strange to see that these men should be so blinde as not to see the grosse absurdity of these shifts Gregory spake to the instruction of his hearers whom surely he thought not to be worse then the Pharisee but knew that they attributed their vertue and righteousnesse to the gift of God and of that righteousnesse which they confessed to be Gods good gift teacheth them to acknowledge that through our weaknesse
may wrest or draw from vs the duties of seruice which we owe. All is but this that God of his mercy by promises of reward draweth vs on to the performance of our duty towards him I doubt not but the Reader will wonder what should moue M. Bishop here to alledge this place to that purpose that he doth and yet he needeth not wonder that seeth still his manner of idle and impertinent allegations Very common sence teacheth that I am not bound to a man for the doing of that which he standeth bound to do for me There is no merit in the doing of it but trespasse if he do it not Yet he telleth vs that in S. Austines words there is a comparison couched that will put this matter out of doubt Which indeed is so closely couched as that in S. Austines words we can see no token of it and full ilfauouredly doth he deale with S. Austine therein to serue his owne turne For whereas the godly Father vseth the words to set forth Gods mercy that he vouchsafeth to promise reward for workes of due seruice this cosening impostour chargeth God hereby with duty of iustice bound to paiment of wages for merit and desert of workes But in the comparison by him laid downe there are many differences to be obserued which do lay open vnto vs the absurdity of it First of the infinite disproportion betwixt God and man it ariseth that no man by bondage or villanage can be bound in that high degree to another man as euery man is bound to God and therefore though one man being by cōmunity of nature the same that another is may deserue at the hands of another man yet it followeth not therefore that a man may deserue or merit at Gods hands Secondly manumission and freedome with men extinguisheth bondage and seruice but liberty and adoption to Godward are a bettering of the condition of our seruice but no discharge at all of the duty of it nay we are freed by liberty from sinne from death and from the diuell but we continue still bond seruants vnto God So doth the Apostle tel vs that therby we are made b Rom. 6 18.22 seruants vnto righteousnesse seruants vnto God Therefore doth he write himselfe c Phil 1 1 the seruant or bondman of Christ and S. Peter teacheth vs to acknowledge our selues d 1. Pet. 2.16 the seruants or bondmen of God Yea and S. Austine in the place cited calleth our workes e Obsequia debita seruitutis duties of seruice or bondage that are owing vnto God which being the last part of the sentence M. Bishop very guilefully left out because it wholy ouerthroweth that which he saith of the changing of our former state Thirdly the Prince is in some sort tied to the subiect as well as the subiect to the Prince For as the subiect hath neede of the Prince so hath the Prince also of the subiect as the subiect standeth by the Prince so doth the Prince by the subiect and therefore by necessity is tied to reward the seruice of the subiect for the securing of his owne estate But it is not so with God we do nothing to benefit him he needeth vs not and therefore it is his meere mercy to vouchsafe any countenance to our seruice Fourthly there is some proportion betwixt temporall seruice temporall reward and yet such is the magnificence of Princes as that for small seruice they giue great reward farre beyond the woorth of the worke which they reward but there is no proportion as shall be shewed betwixt out temporall seruice to God and his eternall rewards to vs and much more roiall and magnificent is he to reward farre beyond all possibility of desert Last of all adde concerning M. Bishops free man that that was said before concerning his farmer that in the seruice of his Prince he is able to do nothing but by the helpe of his Prince so that what is done is indeede his Princes doing for him and not his owne for himselfe yea and that in his Princes seruice he commit so many defaults as that if he be questioned he be not able for a thousand to answer one and we shall leaue the free man the farmer both alike both disclaiming merit and pleading mercy content to take that of free gift which M. Bishops pride will not take but by desert Now therfore briefly to touch his application all that we can do saith he is due debt vnto God True but not onely by state of our creation but also in that liberty wherewith he hath set vs free in Christ because by our liberty we are free from sinne and death but still continue bond to God In this liberty he saith that God hath made vs capable of heauenly riches if we endeuour to deserue them but no where hath God set them forth with that condition and after all our endeuour we are very farre from deseruing God he saith doth not binde vs to do all that we can do A lewd man who cannot but know that we cannot by many degrees do that that we are bound vnto and seeing he bindeth vs to giue him f Mar. 11.30 all the heart all the soule all the minde all the strength how can he say that God doth not binde vs to all that we can do Againe by the same spirit he termeth the commaundements of God that little that he commaundeth A foolish and sencelesse man a meere Pharisee not knowing the power of Gods law otherwise if he had grace and spirit to conceiue it he would by the law as the Apostle did finde himselfe g Rom. 7.10 dead in himselfe and acknowledge that which now seemeth to him but little to be a burden beyond his strength At length he telleth vs that God by promise hath bound himselfe to repay vs a large recompence But if by promise then of mercie on his owne part not of merit on our part By promise he bindeth himselfe but by merit we binde him to vs. It is in his owne power to promise and without promise he should be tied to nothing but whether there be promise or not he is tied in iustice to render for merit and desert Now because Maister Bishop in the issue of his comparison can finde nothing but promise the end of his comparison must be that merit and desert is altogether to be excluded But by that that he hath said he telleth vs that we may well vnderstand those words of our Sauiour h Luk. 17.20 When ye haue done all those things which are commaunded you say We are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our dutie to doe And how then are we to vnderstand them Marry by our natiue condition we were bound to performe all the commaundements of God and this we must confesse to preserue true humility in vs yet God hath bettered our estate in Christ and made vs thereby in case to deserue of him But what
giuing to vnderstand that that former was not the whole meaning of Christes words r Beda in Luc. cap. 17. We are vnprofitable seruants because the sufferings of this time are not worthy of the glory to come as in another place which crowneth thee in mercy and compassion He saith not in thy merits because by whose mercy we are preuented that we may humbly serue him by his gift we are crowned to reigne with him What M. Bishop no more faith no more trust in you do you alledge Authors when they condemne your doctrine euen in the places whence you cite them Leaue of leaue of Act. 26.14 it is hard for you to kicke against the prickes You fight against the Gospell of Christ against the truth of God and do not you doubt but it will preuaile against you and the conquest thereof shall be your vtter confusion if you hold on your course 5. W. BISHOP And thus we fall vpon the third property of M. Perkins meritorious worke which is That it be done to the profit of another and say that albeit God in himselfe receiue no profit by our workes yet doth he in the administration of his holy common-weale the Church wherein good mens seruices do much pleasure him And in this sence it is said of S. Paul That by cleansing our selues from wicked workes 2. Tim. 2. Math. 5. we shall become vessels sanctified and profitable vnto our Lord. Againe God is glorified by our good workes That seeing your good workes they may glorifie your Father which is in heauen Finally God doth reioyce at the recouerie of his lost children Ioh. 15. ver 8. Luk. 15. If then good men trauailing painfully in Gods Vineyard do yeeld him outwardly both honour ioy and commoditie that may suffice to make their worke meritorious R. ABBOT As touching this condition we contend not with Maister Bishop concerning his exposition thereof Merit must be done by the will and for the vse and behoofe of him at whose hands it must merit So Christes obedience by the will of the Father to the praise of the glory of his grace did merit and deserue at his Fathers hands in our behalfe Onely it is to be added that it must fully satisfie the vse and behoofe whereto it is intended and not faile in any point thereof Now because a Aug. Euâ—hirid cap. 64. Sic spiritu Dei extitantur vt etiam spiritu suo c. tanquaÌ„ filij hominuÌ„ quibusdaÌ„ motibus humanis deficiant ad seipses c. the children of God are so moued by the spirit of God as that by their owne spirit as the sonnes of men through humane motions and affections they sometimes faile and fall backe to themselues and therefore do not so entirely and perfectly serue the vses of the Lord to yeeld either glory to God or loue to their brethren as they ought to do therefore neither do they attaine to this condition of merit nor can in any sort bind God to repay them for that broken seruice that they haue done nay if he would call matters to strict reckoning and account he hath rather occasion of quarell against them for disgracing and defiling the works that he hath wrought in them 6. W. BISHOP M. Perkins fourth property is That the worke and reward be equall in proportion If he vnderstand Arithmeticall proportion that is that they be equall in quantity to wit the one to be as great or of as long continuance as the other then we denie this kinde of equality to be requisite to merit there is another sort of proportion called by the Philosopher 5. Ethic. Geometricall and the equality of that is taken by a reasonable correspondence of the one vnto the other as when a good office is giuen vnto a Citizen of desart it may be that the honour and commodity of the office is farre greater then was the merit of the man yet he being as well able to discharge it as another and hauing better deserued it is holden in true iustice worthie of it In like manner in a game where maisteries are tried the prize is giuen vnto him that doth best not because the value of the reward is iust as much woorth as that act of the man who winneth it but for that such actiuitie is esteemed woorthy of such a recompence Now the crowne of heauenly glory is likened by Saint Pule vnto a Garland in a game where he saith 1. Cor. 9. 2. Tim. 2. That we all runne but one carieth away the prize And he that striueth for the maisterie is not crowned vnlesse he striue lawfully It is also resembled vnto places of honour Math. 25. Ioh. 14. I will place thee ouer much And I go to prouide you places Grace is also in many places of Scripture compared to seede Math. 13. 1. Ioh. 3. For the seed of God tarieth in him But a little seed cast into good ground and well manured bringeth forth abundance of corne Briefly then such equality as there is betweene the well deseruing subiect and the office betweene him that striueth lawfully and the crowne betweene the seede and the corne is betweene the reward of heauen and the merit of a true seruant of God And thus much of M. Perkins first Argument more indeede to explicate the nature and condition of merit then that his reason nakedly proposed did require it R. ABBOT The proportion that maketh merit or desert must be Arithmeticall wherein the worke must fully equall the reward though not in greatnesse and continuance yet in value and woorth If the one in that sort do not counterpoise the other the one cannot be said to be deserued by the other But there is no proportion at all either Arithmeticall or Geometricall betwixt that that is finite and that that is infinite therefore none at all betwixt the worke of man and the reward of heauen the one being euery way finite the other in continuance infinite So then Maister Bishops Geometricall proportion and reasonable correspondence is excluded also because a Fulgent ad Monim lib. 1. TantuÌ„ ibi graetia diuinae retributionis exuberat vt inceparabiliter atque ineffabiliter omne merituÌ„ quamuis bonae ex Deo datae humanae voluntatis operationis excedat the grace or gift of Gods reward as Fulgentius saith doth so much there abound as that incomparably and vnspeakeably it exceedeth all the merit of the will and worke of man albeit it be good and giuen vnto him of God There is no reasonable correspondence where the one incomparably and vnspeakeably exceedeth all the merit and desert of the other The same is imported by Saint Bernard who hauing said that mens merits are not such as that life eternall is due vnto theÌ„ of right giueth reason therof beside that that I mentioned before b Ber. in Annunciat Ser. 1. Quid sunt omnia merita ad tantaÌ„ gloriam For what are all merits to so great
because the mercie of God alone sufficeth not Now it were wickednes thus to crosse and contradict the Apostles words and therefore doth he conclude that al is wholy to be ascribed vnto Gods mercie See then the good dealing or rather the lewd falshood of M. Bishop and his fellowes who teaching for the maintenance of their doctrine of merits that good works are principally indeed of God but yet partly of our selues do alledge S. Austine for the defence thereof who constantly teacheth to the vtter ouerthrow of merits that our good workes are wholy and onely of the grace of God and in no part of our selues This is one thing for which we iustly detest them as setting vp the glorie of man in stead of the glory of God the righteousnesse of man in stead of the righteousnesse of God and so by bearing men in hand with a merit of eternall life do bereaue them of Gods mercie by which onely they should attaine the same And yet all this is graced and shadowed with goodly faire words as we see here by M. Bishop who hauing said that the grace of God is principally the cause of our saluation and therein implied that our free will also is partly though not principally a cause thereof yet addeth that the grace of God is the onely fountaine of merit and all good workes If grace be the onely fountaine of all good workes then all good workes proceed onely from grace and if onely from grace then what can we merit or deserue thereby If we merit and deserue thereby then they are partly of vs and of our free will then grace is not the only fountaine of merit and all good works Therfore let him not lye in this sort let him speake as he meaneth acknowledge that which they al maintaine that good works are therfore our merits because they proceed from our Free will and are no otherwise our merits neither do we otherwise deserue by them but as they proceed from our free will Yea when the grace of God hath done all that appertaineth to it to do all is nothing with them vnlesse man adioyne thereto the worke of his owne free will Either let him renounce his doctrine of Free wil or else let him leaue with colourable words thus to delude and mocke the simple and ignorant reader in saying that which he thinketh not that the grace of God is the onely fountaine of merit and all good works 9. W. BISHOP Ad Eph. 2. Ad Tit. 3. Now to those texts cited before about iustification We are saued freely not of our selues or by the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done I haue often answered that the Apostle speakes of workes done by our owne forces without the helpe of Gods grace and therefore they cannot serue against workes done in and by grace R. ABBOT The oftennesse of his answer sheweth the corruption of his conscience that was not moued with so often repeating a manifest vntruth What was it the Apostles meaning to teach the Ephesians that they were not saued by the workes which they did when they yet were a Eph. 2.1 dead as he saith in trespasses and sinnes or had the Ephesians any such opinion that the Apostle should need to reforme in them Did they renounce their former workes to come to Christ that they might be saued by him and did they afterwardes grow againe to a conceipt of being saued by their former workes These are grosse and palpable vntruths neither hath the Scripture any thing at all that may giue any shew for warrant of such constructiō Nay as hath bene before said when the Apostle hauing said b Ver. 9. Not of workes lest any man should boast addeth as a reason and proofe hereof c Ver. 10. for we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes c. as if he should haue said We cannot be said to be saued by workes because our workes are none of ours but Gods works in vs he plainely sheweth that not onely workes before grace but after also are excluded from being any cause of our saluation The place to Titus likewise resteth our saluation only vpon d Tit. 3.5 Gods mercy and therefore leaueth no place to our good workes and therefore it is vsed by S. Bernard not only in this day for an exception against workes before grace but e Bernard in Cant. ser 50. that we may know at that day that not for the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but of his owne mercie he hath saued vs. 10. W. BISHOP Now to that text which he hudleth vp together with the rest although it deserued a better place being one of their principall pillars in this controuersie it is Rom. 8. The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glorie to come The strength of this obiection lieth in a false translatiō of these words Axia pros tein doxan equall to that glory or in the misconstruction of them for we grant as hath bin already declared that our afflictions and sufferings be not equall in length or greatnesse with the glorie of heauen for our afflictions be but for the short space of this life and they cannot be so great as will be the pleasure in heauen notwithstanding we teach that this shorter and lesser labour imployed by a righteous man in the seruice of God doth merite the other greater and of longer continuance and that by the said Apostles plaine words 2. Cor. 4. for saith he That tribulation which in this present life is but for a moment and light doth worke aboue measure exceedingly an euerlasting waight of glory in vs. The reason is that iust mens works issue out of the fountaine of grace which giueth a heauenly value vnto his workes Againe it maketh him a quicke member of Christ and so receiuing influence from his head his works are raised to an higher estimate it consecrateth him also a temple of the holy Ghost and so maketh him partaker of the heauenly nature as S. Peter speaketh which addes a worth of heauen to his works 2. Pet. 1. Neither is that glory in heauen which any pure creature attaineth vnto of infinite dignitie as M Perkins fableth but hath his certaine bounds and measure according vnto each mans merits otherwise it would make a man equall to God in glorie for there can be no greater then infinite as all learned men do confesse R. ABBOT These words of S. Paule to the Romanes a Rom. 8.18 The afflictions of this time are not worthy of the glorie that shall be reuealed vpon vs are verie directly cited and are as pregnant to the matter here in hand M. Bishop saith that that text is one of our principall pillars in this controuersie and indeed it is so strong a pillar as that all M. Bishops strength is not able to shake it from vpholding that which we professe to teach by it But yet pro forma he
Be it so and yet by all our expence and labors and trauels we merite nothing we looke for nothing by desert but craue it of the blessing and free gift of God Let M. Bishop say Is there any man who by his labour and paines can challenge at Gods hands a morsell of bread as of merite and desert If he cannot but is still bound to crie amidst all his trauels Giue vs this day our dayly bread why doth he put man in opinion of meriting at Gods hands eternall life who cannot by all his workes bind God vnto him for his dayly bread We labour therefore to lay hold of eternall life by such meanes as God hath ordained and by the exercise of good workes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in but after all our labour we still beg eternall life at Gods hands as of his meere blessing and gift that it may be true both in the beginning and in the end that a Rom. 6.23 eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Yet he telleth vs that God hath appointed good workes for vs to walke in to deserue eternall life But where hath he so appointed We find that God b 1. Ioh. 5.11 in his Sonne hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and that he hath c Ephes 2.10 prepared for vs good workes to walke in as the Apostle speaketh namely to that eternall life which he hath giuen vs but that he hath appointed vs good workes to deserue eternall life M. Bishop cannot tell vs where to find Now because the spirit of God hath not any where taught vs so to conceiue what is it but Satanicall insolencie thus to teach against the doctrine of the spirit And whereas he saith that Saint Austine and the best spirit of men since Christs time haue taught that heauen may be merited we first tell him that all that is nothing vnlesse Christ himselfe haue so taught and secondly that he falsly fathereth vpon the Fathers this misbegotten bastard of merite which in that meaning as he and his fellowes teach it was neuer imagined by the Fathers as partly hath appeared alreadie and shall God willing appeare further 13. W. BISHOP But let vs heare his last argument which is as he speaketh the consent of the ancient Church and then beginneth with S. Bernard who liued a thousand yeares after Christ he in I know not what place the quotation is so doubtfull saith Those things which we call merits are the way to the kingdome but not the cause of raigning I answer that merits be not the whole cause but the promise of God through Christ and the grace of God freely bestowed on vs out of which our merits proceed Ser. 68. in Cantie which is Bernards owne doctrine Manuâ—l cap. 22. Secondly he citeth S. Augustine All my hope is in the death of my Lord his death is my merit True in a good sence that is by vertue of his death and passion my sins are pardoned and grace is bestowed on me to do good workes and so to merit In Psal 114. Thirdly Basil Eternall life is reserued for them that haue striuen lawfully not for the merite of their doing but vpon the grace of the most bountifull God These words are vntruly translated for first he maketh with the Apostle eternall life to be the prize of that combat and then addeth that it is not giuen according vnto the debt and iust rate of the workes but in a fuller measure according vnto the bountie of so liberall a Lord where hence is gathered that common and most true sentence That God punisheth men vnder their deserts but rewardeth them aboue their merits Psal 120. 4. M. Perkins turnes backe to Augustine vpon the Psal 120. where he saith as M. Perkins reporteth He crowneth thee because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits Answ S. Augustine was too wise to let any such foolish sentence passe his pen. What congruitie is in this He crowneth thee because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits It had bene better said He crowneth thee not c. But he mistooke belike this sentence of S. Augustins When God crowneth thee he crowneth his gifts not thy merites De grat lib. arb cap. 6. Which is true being taken in that sence which he himselfe declareth To such a man so thinking that is that he hath merits of himselfe without the grace of God it may be most truly said God doth crowne his owne gifts not thy merits if thy merits be of thy selfe and not from him but if we acknowledge our merits to proceed from grace working with vs then we may as truly say that eternall life is the crowne and reward of merits His other place on the Psalme is not to this purpose Psal 142. but appertaines to the first iustification of a sinner as the first word quicken and reuiue me sheweth plainly now we confesse that a sinner is called to repentance and reuiued not for any desert of his owne but of Gods meere mercie R. ABBOT The place of Bernard is in the very end of his booke De gratia libero arbitrio where hauing before deuided a Bernar. de grat et lib arbit Dona sua Deus in merita diuisit proemia the gifts of God into merits and rewards he sheweth that merites are wholly to be ascribed vnto God because b Non equidem quòd consensus ip se in quo merituÌ„ omne consistit ab ipso libero arbitrio sit c. Deus facit volenteÌ„ hoc est voluntati suae consentientem to consent to God which is the thing wherein merite wholly consisteth is not of our free will but of God himselfe So that although God in the worke of mans saluation do vse the will of man himselfe yet there is nothing in the will of man to that purpose but what is c Totum ex illa wholly of the grace of God Now hauing disputed and shewed these things at large in the end of the booke he shutteth vp all with this conclusion d Si propriè appellentur ea quae dicimus nostra merita spei quaedam sunt seminaria charitatis inceÌ„tiua occuliae praedâ—stinationis iudiciâ— futurae foelicitatis praesagia via regni noÌ„ causa regnandi If properly we will terme those which we call our merites they are the seedgrounds of our hope incitements of our loue tokens of our secret predestination foretokens of our future happinesse the way to the kingdome not the cause of our raigning or of our hauing the kingdome Where plainely he giueth to vnderstand that whatsoeuer is spoken of our merites is but vnproperly spoken that God hauing purposed vnto vs eternall life bestoweth his grace vpon vs to leade a godly life as a foretoken thereof and therefore that our good workes are but the way wherein God leadeth vs to his kingdome which hee of his owne mercie hath intended and
that which in so many places hee repeateth n 〈…〉 32 83. 109. de verb. Dom. Ser. 31. Non dicimus illi Redde quod accipisti sed Redde quod pro◠〈…〉 Wee say not vnto God Repay that which thou hast receiued but Pay that which thou hast promised Yea hee plainely argueth that o Jn Psal 32. Cum ab illo habeamus quicquid illi offerimus ex illo sit quiâ—quid boni sumus c. 〈…〉 quid dedimus tenemus debitorem Vnde debitorem Quia promissor est sith wee haue of him whatsoeuer wee offer to him and all our goodnesse is of him therefore wee haue not yeelded any thing to him to hold him debtor thereby Whence then haue wee him a debtor Marry saith hee because hee is a promiser See here Maister Bishop because all our good workes are of God wee cannot haue him a debtor vnto vs by any merit of workes that wee doe vnto him but hee is a debtor onelie for his promise sake p Ibid. Teâ—eamus fidelissimum debitorem quia habemus miserecordissimum promissorem Let vs hold him a most faithfull debtor saith hee because wee haue him a most mercifull promiser The promise vvas made in mercie the performance thereof now dependeth vpon the fidelity of the promiser not vpon the merit of the worker euen as the same Saint Austine saith q In Psal 88. Non secundum merita nostra sed secundum misericordiam illius firma est promissio The promise is sure not according to our merits but according to his mercie But to the obiection here made M. Perkins answereth by distinguishing the couenant promise of God that one is of the Law another of the Gospell one of workes the other of faith one of the old testament the other of the new By the old couenant of the Law the promise is made only to the worke neither is the person accepted but for the works sake Now by this couenant God r Heb. 8 9. hath no delight in vs because we continue not in his couenant there being none found that perfectly fulfilleth the righteousnes of the law By the new couenant the person is first accepted by faith for Christes sake and then the worke is accepted and rewarded not for the merit of it selfe but for the condition of the person By the first couenant the worke is reiected if it haue not the vttermost that it ought to haue By the second couenant Å¿ 2. Cor. 8.12 if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that that he hath not so that though there be by humane frailtie some imperfection in the worke yet God pardoning the imperfection accepteth of it and rewardeth it dealing as fathers with their children who accept their good endeauours when in the workes haply there is nothing woorthie to be respected Here therefore the promises of God properly respect the person working and not the desert or worthinesse of the worke But Maister Bishop in the height of his ignorance answereth that all the places by him cited are out of the new Testament vnderstanding by the new Testament the bookes which wee call the new Testament and the old Testament for the bookes that goe vnder that name Whereas Maister Perkins distinguisheth the two Testaments as God himselfe doth not by the bookes but by the matter of the bookes there being in the bookes of the old Testament many things that belong to the new and many things repeated in the bookes of the new Testament that belong properly to the old Such are the sentences by Maister Bishop alledged t Luk. 16.28 Do this and thou shalt liue u Math. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements though according to his reading he so citeth the former of them out of the olde Testament as if it were not spoken in the new But these though by occasion they be mentioned in the Gospell yet are conditions indeede properly belonging to the Law Now in the old testament according to M. Bishops meaning we may see example of that that M. Perkins saith where it is said of Cain and Abel x Genes 4.4.5 The Lord had a respect to Abel and his offering but to Cain and his offering he had no regard First he had respect to Abel because of his faith in Christ and consequently to his offering but he had no respect to Cain being voide of true faith and therefore he had no respect to Cains offering For it is here true which the Law saith Cuius persona non placet nec caetera placent where the person is not pleasing nothing else can please and therefore S. Bernard saith y Bernard in Câ—nt Ser. 24. Quid miraris â— Cain quòd munera tua non respicit qui te despicit What wonderest thou Cain that he hath no reâ—pect to thy gifts who despiseth thee Wherfore it should not seeme strange to M. Bishop which M. Perkins hath obserued that God rendering to the faithfull according to their workes should be said notwithstanding not to do it for their works sake because their works are secondarily accepted for their owne sakes they are accepted for Christes sake and both they and their workes are rewarded by vertue of that attonement whereby he hath reconciled them vnto God And thus howsoeuer Maister Bishops simple vnderstanding conceiueth it not greater workes haue greater reward and lesser workes haue lesser reward and yet for Christes sake it is that greater or lesser haue either greater or lesse reward But it is further demaunded if workes do not merit why are they mentioned in the promises Not because they merit saith Maister Perkins but Maister Bishop repeateth it Not because they are rewarded whereas Maister Perkins denieth not but that workes are rewarded onely he denieth that they are rewarded by vertue of their owne merit and woorth but by vertue of Christes mediation for whose sake they are accepted in the sight of God But we must not think strangely of this because he doth therein but as he is woont to do It is further added that good workes are mentioned in the promises as the proper markes and signes of them to whom appertaine the promises that are made freely for Christes sake as tokens that the doer of them is in Christ through whose merits the promise shall be accomplished This to M. Bishop is an addle inuention not woorth the confuting it is so flat contrary to the text But it is his addle head that taketh this for an addle inuention and his ignorance of the text that maketh him thinke it so flat contrary to the text The text saith he ascribeth distinctly that reward vnto the workeman for his works and not for Christes obedience imputed vnto him But we tell him againe that it is for the imputation of Christes obedience that the text ascribeth any reward to the workman for his worke as is
Christians may suffice to batter the brazen forehead of them that affirme the doctrine of merits to be a Satanicall inuention and to settle all them that haue care of their saluation in the most pure doctrine of the Catholike Church R. ABBOT Here M. Bishop will giue vs to vnderstand that not onely S. Austin but all antiquitie teacheth the doctrine of merites so that M. Perkins might blush to call it the inuention of Satan But M. Perkins had no cause to blush in that respect He knew well that antiquitie is more vanted by Papists then followed He knew well that in this doctrine of merits they wickedly bely antiquitie and the Fathers And indeede neuer any Father spake of merits as they haue done Iustly therfore did he call it as it is the inuentiō of Satan seruing only to delude men to put them in vaine hope to lift them vp in pride with opiniō of gaining heauen that they may by their pride be cast downe to hell But for the cleering of this point it is to be vnderstood that the name of merits is indeed very vsuall amongst the fathers of the Latin Church but with no such meaning as the church of Rome hath fancied therof For they only intended therby briefly and in one word to signifie good workes workes that please God that are accepted in Gods sight that find fauor with God obtain reward at his hands They dreamed not that in good workes there shold be a iust desert of heauē that they shold deserue it worthily that they shold be fully worthy of euerlasting life that good works shold as wel be the cause of saluatiō as euil works are the cause of damnatiō that good works are so far meritorious so far I say meritorious as that God should be vniust if he rendered not heauen for them as in the beginning hath bin shewed that now is the language of the church of Rome These speeches or the like were neuer heard of amongst the Fathers They vsed the word merite according to the signification wherein commonly they vsed the verbe mereri which with them imported to obtaine to find fauour for any thing to be giuen or done so as that wicked men are said sometimes mereri not surely to deserue but to receiue or to find the fauour of benefits at Gods hands yea and good men are said mereri not to deserue but to receiue or to finde euill vsage at the hands of the wicked But by examples the matter will be plainer then by words S. Austine saith a August de ciu Dei lib. 5. cap. 24 Huius vitae solatia quidam etiam cultores daemonum accipere meruerunt Some who haue bin worshippers of diuels haue merited that is haue found the fauour to receiue the comforts of this life Againe b Idem in Psal 35. Apostolià suis ciuibus occidi meruerunt The Apostles merited that is found such vsage as to be killed of their owne people c Cont. lit Petil. lib. 3. cap. 6. Pro actione gratiarum flammas meruimus odiorum In steed of thankes we haue merited that is we found at their hands the fire of hatred d De anima eius orig lib. 2. cap. 12. Caueat homo ne ab illo miserecordiam mereatur homo contra eius sententiam à quo factus est homo Let man take heed that man do not merite that is obtaine mercie of him against the sentence of him by whom man was made So doth Ambrose vse the same word e Ambr. de Cain Abel lib. 2. cap. 10. Iniquus Cain longaeuam duxit aetatem duxit vxorem hoc meruit promissione diuina Wicked Cain liued long and maried a wife and this he merited that is obtained or receiued by the permission of God f Idem ser 53. Non debemus mirari quòd Ioannes tantam gratiam nascendo meruerit We are not to wonder that Iohn in his birth merited that is obtained so great grace So Hilary speaketh g Hilar. epist apud Aug. tom 7. Libros quaeso habere mereamur I pray you let vs merit that is find the fauour to haue those bookes So Hierom h Hieron praefat in Abdiam Veniam mereri debeo I am to merite that is to obtaine pardon So Gregorie Bishop of Rome i Gregor Moral lib. 9. cap. 17. Paulus cum redemptoris nomen in terra conaretur extinguere eius verba de coelo meruit audire Paul when he went about to extinguish the name of Christ vpon earth merited that is found the mercy fauor to heare his words from heauen In another place O foelix culpa quae talem ac tantū meruit habere Redemptorem O happy sin of Adam that merited that is found the mercy to haue such and so great a Redeemer S. Austin applieth the word also to beasts and cattell k August in Psal 35. Homines habent aliquid apud Deum exceptum quod iumenta non merentur Men haue somewhat excepted with God which beasts merit not that is obtaine not Thus the word hath grown also into translations where in the originals there hath bin no occasion of it Where Cain saith Mine iniquitie is greater then can be pardoned the vulgar Latin translateth l Genes 4.13 Maior est iniquitas mea quam vt veniam mereà r Mine iniquitie is greater then that I can merit that is obtaine pardon Where S. Paul saith m 1. Tim. 1.13 I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly c. S. Austine out of some translation readeth n Aug. de Bapt. con Donat. lib. 4. cap. 5. Misericordiam merut I merited mercy but importing nothing but the obtaining thereof In an Epistle of Ignatius we haue it commonly translated o Ignat. epist ad Romanos I am in loue with none of the things that are seene vt Iesum Christum merear adipisci that I may merit to obtain Christ wheras in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Hierom translateth it p Hieron in Cat. Eccles Script vt Iesum Christū inuentam that I may find Iesus Christ Againe in the next period the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the same translator readeth as before the words being translated by Hierome q Jbid. tantum vt Christo fruar onely that I may enioy Christ. And thus in infinite places haue they made the Greeke Fathers to speake of merit where they neuer meant any such thing But to make it plainly to appear that by merit they meant not any such worthines or desert as M. Bishop speaketh of let one sentence of Ambrose fully suffice r Amb. epist. 22. Omnia quae patimur minora sunt indigna pro quorum laboribus tanta rependatur futurorum merces bonorum quae reuelabitur in nobis cùm ad Dei imaginem reformati gloriam eius facie ad faciem aspicere meruerimus All the things that we suffer are
being was but that it is by Gods perswading vs Gods mouing vs Gods working in vs there being nothing therein to be attributed to our selues Wherby he destroyeth the nature of merit as I haue shewed e Sect. 3. before to that purpose acknowledgeth the vouchsafing fauor and grace of God in receiuing vs to immortalitie and life with him for where merit and desert is there termes of vouchsafing can haue no place Now that which Bellarmine translateth of men shewing themselues worthy of the wil and counsel of God may well be vnderstood according to the phrase of the Apostle instructing vs f Col. 1.10 to walke worthy of the Lord g 1. Thess 2.12 to walke worthy of God who hath called vs vnto his kingdome and glory that is to say as is fit for them to walke who haue receiued so great mercie at the Lords hands to the very same purpose as elsewhere he saith h Phil. 1.27 Let your conuersation be such as becometh the Gospell of Christ. In which sort Iohn Baptist saith i Mat. 3.8 Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance that is such as are fitting and beseeming them that professe to haue repented So then men shew themselues worthy of the will and counsell of God in behauing themselues as is agreeing to them that professe to know the will and counsell of God without any necessitie of merit to be imported thereby The words of Irenaeus are these k Iren. lib. 4. cap. 27. Bonus agonista ad incorruptelae agonem adhortatur nos vt coronemur pretiosam arbitremur coronam videlicet quae per agonem acquiritur sed non vltro coalitaÌ„ Et quaÌ„tò per agonem nobis aduenit tantò est pretiosior QuaÌ„to autem pretiosior tantò eaÌ„ semper diligamus Sed neque similiter diliguntur ea quae vltro adueniunt quà m illa quae cum multa sollicitudine adinueniuntur The good combatant exhorteth vs to the combat of immortalitie that we may be crowned and may thinke the crowne precious as being attained by fight and not of it self accruing vnto vs. And by how much the more it commeth by fight so much the more precious it is and the more precious it is so much the more we may loue it But the things are not in like sort loued which come of their owne accord as those which are attained with much care In all which what is there to M. Bishops purpose He onely sheweth that God hath appointed that not with our ease and idlenesse the crowne of life shall voluntarily come vnto vs but that wee with labour and trauell must striue to come to it that in the attainment of it it may be the more ioyfull and precious vnto vs. What is this other then we also teach who yet cannot find hereby that our labour and trauel doth merit and deserue the crowne of life The case is all one as if a Prince hauing a subiect falne froÌ„ him and gone into a far country should of meere grace fauor send for him to come again by letters patents granting him his pardoÌ„ and assuring him place of honor state vpon his returne home who being to passe through the midst of the enemies of his Prince must vse much fighting and trauel and paines and vndergo many dangers both by sea and land for the atchieuing of this honor WheÌ„ he cometh to his iorneys end he hath no title to pleade for his place but onely the free donation and gift of his Prince By his labor paines he hath gained himself the possession of it he might for the meane time lay it before him as a reward to comfort and encourage himself in the iorney that he was to make but merit he can alledge none no right can he alledge whereby to claime it but only his Princes gift Euen so it is with vs. We were falne from God and he hath called vs to him again and giuen vs the promise of eternall life By much combat and trauell we must attaine to it and yet when we haue done all we can plead no merit we can make no claime but onely by our Princes gift by the free and mercifull promise and bountie of Almightie God And hereby appeareth the answer to the place of Basil that l Basil orat in princip Prouerb Omnes nos qui viam Euangelicam incedimus mercatoreâ— sumus pâ—r opera mandatorum nobis possessionem coelestium comparantes we all who walk the way of the Gospell are merchants getting by the works of the commandements the possession of heauenly things For by the works of the commandements we obtain the possession but not the right and title of heauenly things They are the way wherein we walke to attaine to that which God of his free mercy bestoweth vpon vs. Wherin because we yeeld our labor in the one to receiue the other S. Basil so farre fitly compareth it to a kinde of merchandize or exchange though not intending that in the merite of the one should be the purchase of the other As for the other place it is none of Basils being taken out of a counterfeit addition which m Erasm epist. praefixa libro Basil de Spir. sancto Erasmus well obserued and by good arguments declared to be no part of Basils work n Basil de Spir. sanct cap. 24. Homo saluus fit per iustitiam operum A man saith he is saued by righteousnesse of works But the Scripture saith o Ephes 2.8 Ye are saued by grace through faith not of works least any man should boast r Basil in Psal 43. Vide quomodo sermonem clauserit Post mille virtutes vnde seruari orat Ex misericordia benignitate Whatsoeuer the author might meane in that he saith we are sure that his words accord not with the phrase and stile of the holy Ghost And that the true Basil was farre from that mind appeareth plainly by the note that he giueth vpon the words of the Psalme p Arise O Lord helpe vs and deliuer vs for thy mercies sake q Psal 44.26 Behold saith he how he endeth his speech After a thousand vertues whereby doth he pray to be saued Euen of mercie and goodnesse And vpon another of the Psalmes he saith Å¿ Idem in Psal 23. Retributiones quae putantur propter solam Dei benignitateÌ„ hominibus praestantur Vniuersae siquidem mortalium iustitiae â—e praestita quidem ab ipso bona adaequant nedum futura quae humanam cogitationem transcendunt Rewards as they are thought to be are yeelded vnto vs by the only mercy goodnes of God for all the righteousnesses of men cannot equall the benefits which he hath already bestowed much lesse those that are to come which go beyond all the conceit of man He saw well that the Prophet after thousands of vertues could haue no hold of saluation but only by Gods mercie He saw well that albeit Gods
many times did and many men do This worke saith he is but common oile and of no great sauour and yet it is acceptable with God as Daniel signifieth saying to a King that knew not God Heare my counsel O King and redeeme thy sinnes with almes Some such matter Peter also saith in Clement that the good workes which are done by infidels do benefit them in this world but not in the world to come for the obtaining of eternall life and that very rightly because they do them not for Gods sake but onely as of the nature of man But they which do these things in respect of God that is the faithfull haue benefit thereby not onely in this world but also in that yea specially in that that is to come Here is the true condition of Nabuchodonosors workes set forth vnto vs he was an infidell he knew not God that which he did he did it only by naturall instinct God respected it no further but only for this world and onely in that respect did Daniel say vnto him Redeeme thy sinnes with almes and therefore it must needes be granted that the word of redeeming is very vnproperly vsed can haue no such meaning as M. Bishop intendeth by it Now therfore albeit it be true which M. Perkins obserueth out of the learned in the Chaldee tongue that the word which is by the vulgar interpreter translated to redeeme doth properly signifie to breake off yet he needed not to haue rested vpon that answer but should rather haue taken the common translation thereby to euict that the name of redemption hath vse with ecclesiasticall writers without any intendment of Popish satisfaction Forwords are not alwaies to be racked to their natiue and proper vse but from it are borowed many times to import somewhat else which in some respect may seeme neere vnto it Redemption properly importeth the paiment of a iust price for the setting of a captiue or bondman free In this meaning it is vsed of our Sauiour Christ who gaue himselfe for a price for vs to set vs free from death and sinne to reconcile vs vnto God but in this meaning to attribute vnto our selues any power or worth to pay any price or to yeeld any valuable recompence vnto God for our sinnes is a blasphemie intollerable and a great impeachment of the sufficiencie of Christes redemption Yet notwithstanding the terme of redeeming is otherwise many times vsed when one thing is made consequent to the doing or forgoing of another as the freedome of the bondman is to the paiment of the price In this case the one is said to be redeemed by the other not because it is a worthy price for the purchase but because it is an opportunity for the obtaining or gaining of it Thus Nabuchodonosor formerly said to his soothsaiers e Dan. 2.8 I know certainly that ye redeeme the time that is that ye vse your talke for the prolonging of the time So are we said by forgoing the vanities and pleasures of the world f Ephe. 5.16 Col 4.5 to redeeme the time because thereby we take the opportunity therof to bestow it to the Lords vse Thus the heathen King was willed by almes-deedes to redeeme his sinnes not as though his almes-deedes were any satisfaction to God for his sinnes which by the doctrine of Poperie could not be but because God for the common benefit of mankinde hath vouchsafed to yeeld good for the onely outward forsaking of euill waies howsoeuer inward regeneration finde no place at all Thus a man is said with his goods to redeeme his soule not for that worldly goods are a price for the sauing of a soule God forbid but for that by forgoing his goods he findeth meanes and opportunitie of being saued by Iesus Christ And in this sort ecclesiasticall writers are wont sometimes to attribute to workes of repentance and charity the redemption of our sinnes not for that they tooke them in themselues to be any price for the worth whereof God should be appeased towards vs but onely because to the faithfull doers thereof for Christes sake in whose name they are done God hath made the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life Now by that that hath bene said we see that M. Bishops argument is fallen into this frame Nabuchodonosor an infidell and heathen King neuer partaker of forgiuenesse of sinnes and not capable by the doctrine of the Church of Rome of doing any satisfaction for sinne is willed to redeeme his sinnes with almes-deedes therefore after forgiuenesse of sinnes there remaineth yet a satisfaction to be made for the sinnes that are forgiuen He that shall denie his argument shall do him a shrewd turne for how to proue it he cannot tell As for the place which he citeth out of S. Luke it must import somwhat further then the words sound For infidels as we haue seene of Nabuchodonosor do giue almes and yet all things are not cleane vnto them for g Tit. 1.15 to vnbeleeuers nothing is cleane but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled The Pharisees also to whom Christ there speaketh h Math. 6.2 gaue almes and yet they were not clensed thereby Yea the Apostle S. Paul giueth vs to vnderstand that i 1. Cor. 13.3 a man may giue all his goods to feede the poore and yet being without charity and loue it profiteth him nothing But by the occasion of the words the meaning of them will appeare He hath said before k Luk. 11.39 Indeede ye Pharisees make cleane the outside of the cup and of the platter but * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is within you is full of rauening and wickednesse Hereupon he addeth for reproofe Ye fooles did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also Then for correction and exhortation he bringeth in the words which M. Bishop alledgeth by halues * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea rather giue for almes those things that are within behold all things shall be cleane vnto you Where presupposing as we may conceiue that they did giue almes or otherwise exhorting them so to do he withall directeth the true manner of the giuing thereof consisting not onely in reaching a gift with the hand but in giuing the heart and affection and l Esa 58.10 powring out the soule as the Prophet speaketh to the hungry in shewing iudgement and mercy and fidelitie to our brethren for the want whereof he taketh exception against them in the next words m Math. 23.23 as Saint Mathew expresseth the particulars thereof Therefore he admonisheth them by these words that as they were carefull outwardly to clense their cups and platters so they should much more be carefull to clense their hearts to voide themselues of hypocrisie couetousnesse briberie crueltie and to put on charity compassion mercy iustice and faithfulnesse and then not only their dishes and vessels but their almes-deedes their meates and
to seeke of that vse which M. Bishop maketh of it that this anger of ours against our selues is a price of satisfaction for the appeasing of Gods anger To this being the very point he saith neuer a word he telleth vs of reuenge but he prooueth not that this reuenge is a matter of satisfaction We say that to this reuenge of true and faithfull repentance God graunteth remission of sinnes but we say he graunteth it because we seeke it not in the merit of our reuenge but onely in the bloud of Iesus Christ 15 W. BISHOP Lastly saith M. Perkins They make three works of satisfaction Prayer Fasting and Almes-deedes For the first it is meere foolishnesse to think that a man by prayer can satisfie for his sins it is all one as if you had said that a begger by asking an almes can deserue the almes or a debtor by requesting his creditor to pardon his debt should thereby pay his debt That Prayer doth appease Gods iustice and obtaine pardon God himselfe is witnesse Psal 49. saying Call vpon me in the day of tribulation and I will deliuer thee Prayer cannot be made without faith in Gods power and hope in his goodnesse and therefore must needes be pleasing in Gods sight by prayer we humble our selues before God and acknowledge his â—mnipotencie and our infirmity By prayer we lament with bitter teares our owne ingratitude folly and wickednes and bewaile the grieuousnes of our sinnes such prayer made King Dauid as his Psalmes do testifie water his couch with teares making them his foode day and night and by them he satisfied for his former offences So did a farre greater sinner then he â— Paral. 33. King Manasses who falling into tribulation prayed vnto the Lord his God and did great penance before the God of his fathers and prayed and intreated earnestly and God heard his prayers brought him back againe to Ierusalem into his Kingdome Now to M. Perkins Similes A begger doth not deserue his almes because he makes not this former kind of prayer but the short sleight one of the Protestants from the lips outward The like we say of a debter whose creditor being a needy man will not be paid without mony but God who needs none of our goods highly esteemeth of an humble contrite heart grieued much for hauing sinned in the sight of God and humbly suing vnto him for pardon Math. 18. To such a one he said Did I not forgiue thee all thy debt because thou besoughtest me R. ABBOT Maister Bishops arguments are like the foxes whelpes neuer a one better then other and all starke naught It is strange to see what shuffling and shifting he vseth to make some good shew of a bad cause The question is whether prayer be a worke of satisfaction that is a worke of that woorth and price as that by the merit thereof we make God a iust and sufficient recompence for the offence that we haue done For the proofe hereof he alledgeth the sentence of the Psalme a Psal 50.15 Call vpon me in the time of trouble and I wil heare thee So then his reason is this God hath promised to heare vs when we pray vnto him therefore prayer is a worke of satisfaction As much as if he should say the prince promiseth a traitour vpon his submission and intreatie to giue him his pardon therefore his submission and intreaty is a sufficient recompence for his treason We may see how maruellously the Romane religion sharpeneth mens eye-sight that they can see mans satisfaction there where God onely signifieth his owne merciful disposition Yea but God doth thereby witnesse that prayer doth appease Gods iustice and obtaine pardon Yea but what need a pardon when the sin is already pardoned for prayer is made a worke of satisfaction after the forgiuenesse of the sinne as I haue shewed before A very ridiculous deuice that God first remitteth the trespasse and we afterwards for a punishment and to make God amends and satisfaction must say Forgiue vs our trespasses Therefore when he speaketh of obtaining pardon he doth but seeke by words of truth to colour absurd dotages of falshood and error The vse of prayer is indeed not to make satisfaction but to craue pardon It appeaseth Gods iustice by the intreating of his mercie whilest we beseech him to heare vs not for our prayers sake but for Christs sake not by the merit of our satisfaction but by vertue of his intercession not for the works sake which we do but for his truths sake for that he hath promised so to do to them that call vpon him By our prayer we request him to forgiue vs that is not to vrge vs to satisfaction and is it not an absurd fancy to affirme prayer it selfe to be a satisfaction And what do men in this case but mocke and dally with God in asking him forgiuenesse when in the meane time they thinke to make him a full and iust requitall of his wrongs so that there shall be nothing to be forgiuen For what remaineth to be forgiuen where there is yeelded a sufficient recompence for the offence done M. Bishop goeth on and telleth vs that prayer cannot be made without faith It is true by faith it is that our prayer obtaineth all things at Gods hand But of faith it is true which S. Ambrose saith that b Ambros de Poenitent lib. 2. cap. 8. Tanquam ex syngrapha fides impetrat noÌ„ tanquam ex debito it obtaineth as by deed of gift not by way of debt It looketh not to our satisfaction but to the promise of God through the mediation of Iesus Christ Further he alledgeth idlely and impertinently that prayer is pleasing vnto God that by it we humble our selues before him acknowledging his omnipotencie and our owne infirmitie that thereby we lament and bewaile the grieuousnesse of our sinnes He mentioneth king Dauid watering his couch with teares and making them his food day and night Manasses greatly humbling himself as the text saith not doing great penance as he translateth intreating the Lord so as that the Lord heard him c. Now all these things are according to the Prouerbe Pro rastris ligones we cal for rakes and he sends vs mattocks we demand one thing and he answereth another We say that prayer is pleasing to God we confesse all these vses and effects thereof but what is all this to the proouing of satisfaction how doth hee make it appeare that that which Dauid and Manasses did they did it with opinion or purpose to make satisfaction for their sinnes I would aske him here with what face he could thus set himselfe to delude his Reader with empty shadowes and shewes of vaine discourse but that I see his whole booke in a manner is made of such delusions But here to shew the absurdity of this assertion of theirs that prayer is a matter of satisfaction M. Perkins had said that it is
because we account not Cyprians writings as canonicall but consider them by the Canonicall Scriptures and what therein agreeth to the authoritie of holy Scripture we receiue it with his praise but what agreeth not by his leaue we refuse it Albeit because we find Cyprian elsewhere acknowledging in the name of all the faithfull that p Cyprian de orat Dom. Ipsum habemus apud PatreÌ„ AduocatuÌ„ pro peccatis nostris we haue Christ with the Father to be the Aduocate for our sinnes thereby confessing the effect of Christs redemption to be extended to the whole course of our life we dare not conceiue howsoeuer his words be very harsh that his meaning was so bad as thereby it may seeme to be And to iustifie himself to conceiue no otherwise but that the washing and cleansing of vs from our sinnes amidst all our almes and deuotions consisteth not in that which we do but in the bloud of Christ he saith in another place c Idem ser de ablut pedum Clementissime magister quoties ego doctrinae tuae transgressus sum regulas quoties edicta tua Domine sancte contempsi cùm diceres mihi Reuertere non sum reuersus cùm minareris non timâ—â— cùm bonus esses lenis exasperans fui Vltra septuagies septies in coelum coram te peccaui Quis tot sordes abluet quiâ— abradet stercora coÌ„globata Quicquid dicat Petrus necesse est vt ipse nos abluas neque enim lauare nos possumus sed in omnibus quae agimus indulgentiae tuae lauacro indigemus c. Apud te fons vitae est et miserationum quae à seculo sunâ— profunditas infinita abluisti nos baptismo lauasti sanguine tuo semper lauas quotidiana peccata donando O mercifull Lord how often haue I transgressed the rules of thy doctrine how often O holy Lord haue I despised thy commaundements and when thou saidst vnto me Returne I haue not returned when thou threatnedst I feared not when thou wast good and gentle I haue prouoked thee beyond seuentie times seuen times I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Who shall wash away so much filth who shall take away the mucke that is thus growne together Let Peter say what he will in refusing to be washed we haue need that thou wash vs for we cannot wash our selues but in all things that we do we stand in need of the washing of thy pardon and mercie With thee is the well of life and the infinit depth of mercies which haue bene from euerlasting thou hast washed vs in baptisme thou hast washed vs in thy bloud thou alwayes washest vs by forgiuing our daily sinnes By these words he giueth plainly to vnderstand that he did not think the washing and cleansing of vs to consist in the merit of our almes but in the forgiuenesse of our sins He confesseth that in all that we do we stand in need of pardon and therefore cannot be imagined to thinke that any thing that we do is a satisfaction for our sinnes In the other words therefore we must conceiue his purpose to be onely to note and set forth the acts and affections of them who truly and faithfully seeke remission of their sins by the mercie of God in the bloud of Iesus Christ albeit being instant and earnest as men are wont to be to presse that that he had in hand he runneth into inconuenient phrases and speeches which otherwise stand not with the rule of Christian saith Those workes of mercie and compassion towards our brethren are the true fruites and effects the consequents and companions of that contrite and broken heart that repentance and faith to which God hath made the promise of his mercy and therfore because in the doing thereof we find mercy he so speaketh thereof as if by the works themselues we obtained that mercie when yet it is not for the workes sake that God accepteth vs but for Christs sake whom by our workes we shew that we vnfainedly seeke and do truly beleeue in him And as for the place of Scripture which he alledgeth though by error of the scribe perhaps it be that there is noted in the margent the fourth of Tobie yet these words not being found in Tobie and the words that are in Tobie being cited afterwards he therein alludeth vndoubtedly to a saying of Solomon in the Prouerbes but forcing the text and putting in almes and faith in steed of mercy and truth Which words of Solomon if a whining aduersary by instance and importunitie will vrge vpon vs to expound of the mercie and truth of man it must be read and construed according to the same meaning which is already expressed d Prou. 16.6 In mercie and truth iniquitie shall be forgiuen that is where mercy and truth are there is forgiuenesse of sinnes as to note the conditions of the persons whose sins are forgiuen not the thing by vertue whereof they are forgiuen But we haue no warrant of any other Scripture in any other meaning to tie it to our mercie and truth and therefore must vnderstand it of the mercie and truth of God of which the Prophet Dauid speaketh when hauing signified the forgiuenesse of the sinnes of Gods people and the nearnesse of his saluation to them that feare him he addeth for the cause thereof e Psal 85.10 Mercie and truth are met together Of which also the Euangelist S. Iohn saith f Iohn 1.17 Grace and truth that is mercie and truth come by Iesus Christ Thus then by mercie and truth iniquitie is forgiuen not by any merite or worke of ours not by any satisfaction that we can make but by the mercie of God truly performing the promise that he hath made of the remission of sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ As for the booke of Tobie noted as I said in the margent and from whence Cyprian afterwards alledgeth other words of almes deliuering from death and purging all sinne it is not of sufficient authoritie to proue vnto vs any matter of faith the auncient Church testifying of it and the rest of the same sort as Hierome and Ruffinus haue recorded that g Hieron prolog galeat Igitur sapientia Solomonis Jesu filij Sirach liber Iudith Tobias non sunt in Canone Sic Ruffin in expos Symb. they are not canonicall and S. Austine affirming that h August deciuit Dei lib. 17. ca. 20. Aduersus contradictâ—resnoÌ„ tanta firmitate proferuntur qua scripta non sunt in Canoâ—e Iudaeâ—rum the writings which are not in the Canon of the Iewes as none are but what they had written in their owne tongue are not with so great authoritie alledged in matters of question and contradiction Albeit we will not disauow those words in that meaning as I haue before expressed that almesdeeds deliuer from death and purge vs from sinne as arguments for proofe that we are deliuered from death and
men And they verily who are worshipped are dead but they bring in their images to be worshipped which neuer were aliue the mind going a whoring from the true and only God euen as a common strumpet absurdly desiring variety of carnall coÌ„pany is past being content with the lawfull mariage of one man Hereby appeareth the falshood of that which Epiphanius the deacon in the place here cited by M. Bishop saith as touching this Epiphanius the Bishop that in his booke against heresies he set downe none as touching images when as expresly he coÌ„demneth in those heretiks the making of the image of the virgin Mary as I haue said and offering to it as their manner was to offer to it a cake whence they had that name of Collyridians giuen to them And hereby may be conceiued what account we are to make of M.B. third reason that in the same Councell other two places were brought as it were out of Epiphanius works which were found to be none of his Where M. Bishop turneth one place into two and the same one more likely to be forged by him that mentioneth it if it were forged then by any man else The words are cited as out of an Epistle of Epiphanius to Theodosius the Emperour in the end wherof he saith these words were b Synod Nicen 2 Act. 6 Epiphan resp tom 5. Saepe cum comministris meis de ablatione imaginuÌ„ egi sed ab iijs noÌ„ receptus sum neque vel in pauciâ— vocem meam audire sustinuerunt I haue often dealt with my fellow Ministers for the taking away of images but I haue not bene accepted of them neither would they suffer that in some few words I should speake vnto theÌ„ These words or rather the whole Epistle Epiphanius the deacon affirmeth not to haue bene written by the other Epiphanius but alledgeth nothing to proue it so Only like a wily Sophister he reckoneth vp of the Bishops that liued in the time of Epiphanius diuerse chiefe men as Basil Gregory Nazianzene Gregory Nyssene Chrysostome Ambrose Amphilochius and Cyril so carying the matter as if these were the men with whom Epiphanius had dealt and hereupon inferring that if these so worthy men would not yeeld to him for the taking away of images theÌ„ there should be no reason now to take them away whereas he had no reason at all whereupon to imagine that these or any of these should be the men whom Epiphanius meant Now beside that Epistle he importeth that some other writings there were alledged of Epiphanius directed against Images which that being the readiest way to put them off he without any proofe at all affirmeth to be counterfeit but seeing we haue found him false as touching those workes which he confesseth to haue bene written by Epiphanius we can giue him no credit for the deniall of the rest Whatsoeuer they were we see they haue taken course to make theÌ„ away and indeed what hath lien in them they haue laboured to suppresse whatsoeuer most clearely did make against them and in place thereof to fâ—ist in bastards and counterfeits such as are fit to serue their turne but are altogether vnworthy of them whose names they are forced to beare The last reason of Epiphanius his scholers erecting an image to him and setting it in the Church of what waight it is may be esteemed by that that hath bene said It resteth only vpon the credit of Epiphanius the DeacoÌ„ that is little in this case Epipha the Bishop of Cyprus liued 400 years before this Epiph. the deacoÌ„ that is before the time of that 2. Nicen Councell If they wold haue bin beleeued as touching a matter foure hundred yeares before they should haue brought meete proofe and testimonie thereof which sith they did not wee cannot hold it for truth inasmuch as otherwise wee finde them so many waies culpable of vntruth But whereas Maister Bishop saith that those Schollers of Epiphanius would neuer haue done so if he had taught the same to be against the Scripture it is his bare presumption not any necessary conclusion because though Moses had taught the children of Israel from God that they should make no Idols or worship them yet when he was but a little gone from them they made them yea Aaron himselfe made for them a golden Calfe As touching the other sentence of Epiphanius cited by Maister Perkins out of the Councel of Constantinople it is this i Synod Constantinop apud NiceÌ„ 2. Act. 6 Estote memores dilecti filij ne in ecclesiaÌ„ imagines inferatis neque in sanctorum caemeterijs eas statuatu sed perpetuò circuÌ„ferte Deum in cordibus vestris Quinetiam neque in domo coÌ„mmuni tolerentur Neque enim fas est Christianum per â—culos suspensuÌ„ teneri sed per occupationeÌ„ meÌ„tis Be mindfull beloued sonnes not to bring Images into the Church neither to set them in the Churchyards but alwaies carie God about in your hearts Yea let them not be suffered in the ordinarie house for it is not fit for a Christian man to be holden by the eies but by the occupation of the minde M. Bishop answereth that Images must be suffered in all places that we may the better carie God in our hearts being by sight thereof put in minde of him But how vaine this answer is hereby appeareth for that wee finde in the Scriptures that the setting vp of such Idols is propounded to be the k Deut. 4.23.25 forgetting of Gods couenant and the corrupting of our selues but finde it no where commended in the Scripture to be a meanes of remembring him He hath set before vs the heauen and earth as a glasse wherein we may behold l Rom. 1.20 his power and Godhead and thereby be moued to make enquirie after him He hath giuen vs his word to answer vs what is needefull when we enquire of him He hath appointed the Sacraments for seales of that grace and mercy that hee hath reuealed in his word He setteth the spectacles of his prouidence and mercie and iudgement continually before our eies By these meanes he hath taught vs to be put in minde of him and to learne to carie him in our hearts but to be put in minde of him by an Image it is onelie a vaine and friuolous pretence of Idolaters and no direction or instruction of the holy Ghost It is enough for vs that the people of God who were to remember God as well as wee yet neuer found it lawfull to set vp an Idoll to remember him thereby 11. W. BISHOP Now I come vnto a third point which M. Perkins maketh the second of our difference that images may be not onely made and set in churches but also worshipped M. Perkins holds the contrary and his principall ground is the second commandement which containes saith he two parts The first forbids the making of images to resemble God the second the worshipping of them or God in
aut aliquid huiusmodi At verò nunc si dâ—câ—ret quia nigâ—â—dinem non haberet seipsaÌ„ seduceret c. in the place of her pilgrimage with the comelinesse of her feature she wanteth not her mole or spot of blacknesse It shall be otherwise in her countrey saith he when the bridegroome of glorie shall make her to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing But now if she should say she hath no blacknesse she should deceiue her selfe and there were no truth in her And yet we see that euen now the bridegroome speaking to her saith q Cant. 1.7 O thou fairest among women r Cap. 4 1. Behold thou art faire my loue behold thou art faire She is Å¿ Ezech. 16.14 faire by his beautie which he hath set vpon her but remaineth yet still a Blacke-moore by that that she hath remaining of her selfe Therefore he saith O thou fairest but yet addeth amongst women S. Bernard telleth the meaning t Berâ—ar in CaÌ„t. ser 38 Ego te dico pulchram sed inter mulieres id est ex parte I call thee faire but amongst women that is in part or partly faire thereby giuing againe to vnderstand that partly she continueth a Blacke-moore still And what doth M. Bishop thinke it amisse to confesse so much of himselfe doth he take it in scorne to be likened to a Blacke-moore Let him be well assured that if he thinke scorne to confesse himselfe a Black-moore he shall neuer be any of them that shall be clothed in white Nay because being a Blacke-moore and very blacke he setteth nought by the white garment of Iesus Christ let him know that his shame and nakednesse lieth open and his filthinesse continueth lothsome and hatefull in the sight of God As for his exaggeration I omit it because it is but the running ouer of his vncleane mouth which ceaseth not to crie full of iniquitie full of iniquitie of him whom Christ hath begunne to purge from iniquitie and framed in conuersation to depart from iniquitie as we professe of euery one that is iustified by faith in him 8. W. BISHOP M. Perkins last reason is taken from the consent of the auncient Church and yet citeth sauing one two lines nothing out of any auncient writer nor out of any other but out of onely S. Bernard who liued 1000. yeares after Christ so that he signifieth that there is little releefe to be had in antiquity Which Caluin declareth more plainly for he commonly setting light by all other in this question reiecteth also S. Augustine saying Lib. 3. Instit cap. 11. num 15. Yeâ— not the sentence of Augustine himselfe is to be receiued in this matter who attributeth our sanctification to grace wherewith we are regenerate in newnesse of life by the spirit And Kemnitius in the first part of his examination of the Councel of Trent saith We contend not how the Fathers take iustification And a little after I am not ignorant that they spake otherwise then we do of it Therefore M. Perkins had reason to content himselfe with some few broken sentences of later writers But was S. Bernard trow you in this one point a Protestant Nothing lesse His words be these The iustice of another is assigned vnto man who wanted his owne Epist 190. man was indebted and man made paiment c. But better let his owne reason there cited serue for exposition of his former words which is this For why may not iustice be from another as well as guiltinesse is from another Now guiltinesse from Adam is not by imputation but euery one contracts his owne by taking flesh from him euen so iustice is from Christ powred into euery man that is borne againe of water and the holy Ghost In the second place he saith That mans iustice is the mercifulnesse of God that is by Gods free grace and mercie it is bestowed vpon vs. With S. Bernard in the third place we acknowledge that we haue no iustice of our owne that is from our selues but from the goodnesse of God through the merits of our blessed Sauiors passion reade his first sermon vpoÌ„ these words of the Prophet Isay Vidi DominuÌ„ c. Ser. 1. Super Isaiam There you shall see him speake plainly of inherent iustice and how it is a distinct thing from the iustice of Christ Another broken peece of a sentence In Psal 22. there is cited out of S. Augustine Christ made his iustice our iustice That is by his iustice he hath merited iustice for vs as he expoundeth himselfe Tract 27. in Ioan. What is this the iustice of God and the iustice of man The iustice of God is here called that not whereby God is iust but that which God giueth to man that man may be iust through God R. ABBOT S. Bernard may be sufficient to testifie vnto vs the doctrine and consent of the auncient Church vnlesse M. Bishop can charge him to haue departed therefrom which because he dares not do least haply he should make an heretike of him whom his holy Father hath made a Saint he must needes yeeld that antiquitie hath acknowledged the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ because S. Bernard hauing so learned of antiquitie hath giuen expresse testimonie and witnesse of it Yea but Maister Bishop telleth vs that Caluin plainly declareth that for this there is liâ—â—le reliefe to be had in antiquitie who commonly setting light by all the rest in this question reiecteth also Saint Austine Now he citeth certaine words of Caluin very lewdly falsified and wrested from the purpose to which they were spoken The thing that Caluin there speaketh of is the signification of the name of grace He taxeth the Maister of the Sentences for his misconstruction of it who he saith though taking vpon him to follow Austine yet varied from him both obscuring and corrupting him But the schoolemen that came after he condemneth much more for that they neuer gaue ouer till they were growne in a maner to Pelagianisme Hereupon he addeth a Caluin Instit lib. 3. ca. 11. sect 15. Ac ne Augustins quidem sententia vel saltem loquendi ratio per omnia recipienda est Tametsi enim egregiè homineÌ„ omni iustitiae laude spoliet ac totam Dei gratiae transcribit gratiam tamen ad sanctificationem refert qua in vitae nouitatem per spirâ—tum regeneramur And indeed the sentence of Austine or at leastwise his manner of speaking is not in all respects to be receiued For although he do notably bereaue man of all commendation of righteousnesse and do ascribe it wholy to the grace of God yet he referreth grace to sanctification whereby through the spirit we are borne againe to newnesse of life Compare these words gentle Reader with those that M. Bishop hath cited consider whether thou maiest dare hereafter to trust him vpoÌ„ his word Caluin noteth Austine only for some vnproper
vnderstanding or vsing of the name of grace as meaning thereby the grace of sanctification as the Scripture by grace meaneth the free mercy of God accepting vs freely in Christ by the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and this M. Bishop citeth as if Caluin had affirmed that Austines opinioÌ„ had ben wholy against him as touching iustification by the righteousnesse of Christ In like sort he abuseth Chemnicius whose words in the former place are these b Chemn Exam. Coâ—cil Triden de iustific Patribus lâ—cet verbum iustificare accipiaÌ„t pro renouatione qua efficiuntur in nobis per spirituÌ„ opera iustitiae non mouemus litem vbi iuxta scripturam rectè commodè tradunt doctrinam quemodo et quare persona Deo reconcilietur c We contend not against the Fathers albeit they commonly take the word iustifying for that renewâ—â—g whereby the works of righteousnesse are wrought in vs whereas according to the Scripture they rightly and conueniently deliuer the doctrine how and for what a man is reconciled vnto God receiueth remission of sinnes and adoption and is accepted vnto euerlasting life In the other place he saith c Patres quidem verbuÌ„ iustificare in hac significatione saepe vsurpare non ignoro sed de proprietate linguarum quaestio est I am not ignorant that the Fathers do often vse the word iustifie in this signification namely to make inherently iust but the question is of the propriety of tongues He confesseth that the Fathers sometimes do somewhat differ from vs as touching the signification of the word but rightly truly affirmeth that as touching the matter point of doctrine they teach the same that we do Surely if betwixt the Papists and vs there were no greater difference then onely about the meaning of a word we would not loose our time nor spend our labour friuolously and idlely to contend against them But they abuse the Fathers mistaking of a word to the ouerthrowing of the doctrine approoued by the Fathers And yet the Fathers when they place iustification in the forgiuenesse of sinnes as many times they doe and teach that by the righteousnesse that is in vs being defectiue and vnperfect e August de Trin. lib. 13. cap. 14. Vtique iustuÌ„ est vt debitores quos tenebat liberi dimittaÌ„tur credentes in eum quem sine vllo debito occidit hoc est quòd iustificari dicimur in sanguine Christi d Psal 143.2 no man liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God as they alledge out of the Psalme they doe neither in matter of doctrine nor meaning of the word depart from that that is maintained by vs. S. Austine saith Iust it is that the debters or trespassers whom the diuell held should be let goe free beleeuing in him whom he slew without debt or trespasse This is it that we are said to be iustified in the bloud of Christ f Jbid. cap. 16. Iustificati planè in eo quòd à peccatis omnibus liberati liberati autem à peccatis omnibus quoniam pro nobis est Dei filius qui nullum habebat occisus We are iustified in his bloud in that we are freed from all sinnes and freed from all sinnes for that the Son of God who had no sinne was slaine for vs. So Theodoret giuing the meaning of the words of the Apostle we are iustified freely c. maketh it to be this g Theodoret. in Rom. cap. 3. Sola fidâ— allata remissionem peccatorum consequimur Bringing faith onely we obtaine the forgiuenesse of our sins Origen maketh these words Thy sins are forgiuen thee h Origen ad Rom. cap. 3. the pronouncing of the iustification of the woman who with her teares washed the feet of Christ S. Bernard saith that i Bernard in Anâ—unciat ser 1. Crede quia per ipsâ—m tibi peccata doâ—antur Sic enim arbitratur Apostolus gâ—atis iustificari hâ—minem per fidem our being iustified freely by faith which the Apostle speaketh of consisteth in beleeuing that our sinnes are forgiuen vs. But most fitly to the purpose he saith in another place k Idem epist 190 Vbi re oÌ„â—iliatio ibi remâ—ssio pec catorum quid ipsa nisi iustificatio Where there is reconciliation there is forgiuenesse of sinnes and what is that but iustification Now according to this construction of iustification they are wont to deliuer that l August in Psa 33. Iste est modus humanae iustitiae vt vita mortalis quantumlibet proficiat quia sine delicto esse non potest in hoc non delinquat dum speratin cum in quo est remissio delictorum JdeÌ„ de ciu Dei lib. 19. cap. 27. vt supra Sect. 5. mans iustice or righteousnesse is to hope or put trust in himâ—â—â—â— whom is forgiuenesse of sinnes that our righteousnesse in this life is rather forgiuenesse of sinnes then perfection of vertues that m Idem cont 2. epist Pelag. lib 3. cap. 5. Omnium piorum c. Spes vnâ— est quòd aduocatum habemus c. the onely hope of all the godly groning vnder this burden of corruptible flesh in the infirmitie of this life is this that we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiation for our sinnes as S. Austine speaketh that n Hieron adu Pelag. lib. 1 Tunc iusti sumus quaÌ„do nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex Dei consistit misericordia then we are iust when we confesse our selues sinners and our righteousnesse consisteth not of our merit but of the mercie of God as Hierome saith that o Ambros de Jacob. c. Non gloriabor quia iustus sum sed gloriabor quia redemptus sum Gloriabor non quia vacuus peccati sum sed quia mihi remissa sunt peccata Non gloriabor quia profui aut quia profuit mihi quisquam sed quia pro me aduocatus apud patrem Christus est sed quia pro me Christi sanguis effusus est we are not to reioyce that we are iust but that we are redeemed not that we are without sinne but that our sinnes are forgiuen vs not in the good that we haue done or that any other man hath done for vs but that Christ is our aduocate with the Father that the bloud of Christ was shed for vs as Ambrose saith that p Bernard in Cant. ser 22. Iustitia in absolutione peccatorum Christ is our righteousnesse in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and that q Ibid. ser 23. Hominis iustitia indulgentiae Dei Gods forgiuenesse or pardon is mans righteousnesse as S. Bernard saith Now what do we teach otherwise then all these haue taught when we say that we are reputed iust by the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and that this is our iustification in the sight of God For what are we but iust in the