so with him Argument Hee alleageth saint Ambrose also who saith The holy scripture is a sea Answere Saint Ambrose doth not in that place call it a Sea because it is so deepe that the bottome can not be found but because it is so plentifull that it yeeldeth abundance to all as appeareth not only by the sentence next after that alleadged by Bellarmine but also by that conclusion that he gathereth a litle after saying Therefore the holy Scripture hath diuers riuers Thou hast to drinke the first time the second time and the last time Therfore although saint Ambrose say that the scripture hath in it depths yet doth he not say it is all darke Argument But saith he Hierome in his epistle to Paulinus writeth that without a teacher the scriptures can not be learned and briefly going through euery booke by name hee sheweth that in them are many and great difficulties or rather mysteries for he findeth in them sundry allegories Answere Yet all is not hard as before hath often bin answered And S. Ierome in that place as soone as hee hath made an end of reckoning vp of those books and shewing the mysteries that are therein he sheweth the cause why he did so I would not saith he haue thee to be offended with the simplicitie and basenes of wordes in the Scriptures Argument As for the other obiection out of Hierome is that Hierome was studious in the scriptures from his youth and also went to Alexandria to conferre with Dydimus of all that he did doubt of in the scriptures The simple may see this maketh not against vs Hierome studied them hard therefore all the scriptures are hard Or he conferred with Dydimus of that he doubted therefore all are hard Obiection The last obiection out of Hierome is That the whole Epistle to the Romanes is wrapped into great obscurities Answere This toucheth but onely that epistle and therefore is no argument against all the scripture And in that seeing there be many things both concerning faith and manners very plaine saint Hierome either speaketh hyperbolically as many times the fathers do or else by these obscurities he meaneth such mysteries as may be gathered out of the scriptures but not such doctrines as we must learne out of the same And who knoweth not that the fathers do many times so are higher and find out greater mysteries than the text will well affoord Obiection Out of Augustine he hath foure testimonies The first saith that such as rashly reade are many times troubled because that some things that are obscurely spoken do greatly blinde them Answere Which maketh not against vs that neither like of rash reading neither say that all is easie His second testimony is that exclamation that saint Augustine maketh Confess lib. 12. cap. 14 hauing entred into a deepe meditation what may be signified by these words heauen and earth in the beginning of Genesis as appeereth by the chapter going before and also by sundry of the chapters following therefore this his admiration O the wonderfull depth of thy words c. doth not proue all the scripture to be hard Nay seeing that the story of the creation may there bee plainely vnderstood it must needes follow that his meaning was not to say that Gods word is hard but rather that men may in the same consider of deepe matters as I answered to the last place out of S. Hierome Obiection The third and fourth places out of saint Augustine are these There is so great depth of christian learning that I might therein profit daily if from my childhoode vnto my olde age with much time earnest indeuour and a sharper wit I could study it only And lastly In the holy Scriptures I know saith Augustine not so much by farre as I am ignorant of Answere Both which places do prooue nothing else than as I said before of Ambrose that the scriptures are plentifull So that he saith heere nothing else than in another place of that third epistle out of the which the former of these two places is taken The maner saith he of speaking vsed in the Scriptures al may come to but very few can passe through and so afterwardes sheweth howe sundry good things all may receiue by them Lastly the two testimonies out of the Author of the vnperfect worke vpon Mathew Hom. 44 and that out of Gregory vppon Ezech. Hom. 6. which giue two reasons why the scriptures are obscure aâ—â— also like the rest nothing against vs. For the author of that worke vpon Mathew doth plainly shew in the same homily that he meaneth the scripturs to be obscure to them that will not reade them these are the words Therefore the trueth is not hid in the Scriptures but it is darke not so that they who seek it may not find it but so as they can not find it that wil not seek it And the same also appeares by the words of the place alleaged out of Gregory by Belarmine For one reason of the obscuritie is saith he that he may get that by labour which by idlenes he can not And then also because the knowledge of the scriptures is not gotten but by labour and paines taking they are not so lightly esteemed Arg. 4 The last generall argument is by reason to prooue the scriptures to be hard both in regard of the matter deliuered and the maner of deliuering it And here for the matter he reckneth some of the principal points of diuinitie wheras we may find in the scriptures milke for children that is easie lessons for the ignorant and meate for the elder sort Yea as Augustine saith He giueth milk to yong ones De verbis dom ser 38 fulgent ser de confessor that when they are elder hee may giue them stronger meate And as the matters contained in the scriptures are heauenly and spirituall so the heauenly minded man and he that is spiritually minded shal iudge of al things 1. Cor. 2.15 And it shall not be vnperformed that God hath promised The secret of the Lorde is reuealed to them that feare him Psal 25.14 and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Answere Now for the maner of speaking although it is true that there are in the scriptures speeches hard by shew of contrariety by doubtfull and vnperfect speeches because one thing is set before another because of the proprietie of the Hebrew phrase and of the figures for these sixe he setteth downe the things whereby hardnesse may be in the scriptures by the manner of deliuering them yet neither are these things so common or so strange but that the godly may of the scriptures gather much fruit if they will diligently and with calling vpon God for help reade the same So that in briefe this is all that these fathers haue said either that many things are hard which no body denieth or else that none can so sound the depth of them but that something may alwayes be added thereto and therefore
deified it is not This seemeth to bee all one with the heresie of Nestorius who taught that Christ had a defiled bodie But afterwards maister Bellarmine perchaunce not liking very well of his first answere seemeth to me to haue chaunged his opinion as after shall appeare But here in my iudgement he is of another minde than Durand hath learned of Pope Innocentius of the which I spake before in the comparison For there Durand sayth that it miraculously ceaseth to be Christs bodie But if we apply this similitude brought by Bellarmine it should seeme that he will haue Christs body to remaine but not to be hurt as the deitie which is euerie where coÌ„tinueth and yet is hurt of nothing But if he be of one minde with Pope Innocentius and Durand I would then faine know where that bodie of Christ that ceaseth to bee in that Mouseaten host doth rest or what becommeth of it But in the ende of that Chapter because manie sayth he mislike that Christes bodie should bee eaten of Mice or beasts When he was an infant he might so be and therefore why may hee not much more now in another shape and when he cannot bee hurt thereby bee eaten of them Before he said he could not bee eaten Nowe hee sayth he may Whereby it appeareth he knew not well what to say These straights are they brought vnto whilest they seeke to maintaine that their doctrine of Transubstantiation See of this point Bell. de Euch. li. 1 ca. 9. in the beginning Now beside these and many other absurdities which follow this doctrine of transubstantiation as that Christ hath his owne body the darknes and hardnes of that doctrine is such as that the schoolemen cannot agree vpon it how Christs body should bee in the forme of bread Whosoeuer should read the third book that master Bellarmine writeth of the Eucharist wherein he endeuoureth to establish this doctrine De Euch. li. 1. cap. 6. shall find it too hard for them that haue many yeares professed learning to vnderstand their subtilties in this point And who then can imagine that our sauiour Christ would deliuer vnto his Church for Sacraments which should bee common to all those things that should containe such hidden mysteries as the verie learned men cannot vnderstand De doct Christ li. 3. cap. 9. Nay Bellarm. thinketh it absurd so to thinke or that saint Augustine would haue commended our Sacraments as most easie when all the learned finde these popish opinions to be most intricate and hard We haue seene the absurditie of this doctrine now let vs view the weaknesse of the proofe In the scriptures for the most part they can finde but one place Take eate this is my bodie Tit. Transub Ioh. 6.51 For that which Eckius in his Enchiridion alledgeth out of the sixt of saint Iohn his Gospel The bread which I will giue is my flesh his owne friends thinke it not worth citing for this poynt For what a reason is this The breade which I saide before came downe from heauen is my flesh therefore the Sacramentall bread is transubstantiated into the bodie of Christ But for those wordes This is my bodie alledged out of the three first Euangelists and saint Paul because they are the verie rocke and refuge which at all needes they haue recourse vnto for helpe of this their doctrine of Transubstantiation it would be somewhat particularly examined Sundry arguments therefore I haue to induce me to affirme that this place can not proue transubstantiation The first is this If these words This is my body do proue transubstantiation then is that doctrine proued by plaine and expresse wordes of scripture But by expresse words of scripture that doctrine cannot be proued therfore that place proueth not TraÌ„substantiation The truth of the first proposition is apparant because either the plaine and literall sense of these wordes prooue that doctrine or else it is not proued therby And the minor or 2. proposition is not mine but it is the words of Mel. Canus a learned Papist of D. Chadsy De locis Theol. li. 3. cap. 3. Disp cum Pet. Mart. de Eucharistia Therfore the first being true and the second being by them confessed the conclusion must needes be strong against them The second argument maister Bellarmine will affoord me The Sacraments are instituted and appointed by such wordes as may giue least occasion of errour or doubt for this Bellarmine proueth in many words De Euchar. li. 1. ca. 9. and by many reasons But so to expounde this place that Transubstantiation should be forced out of it bringeth many obscurities and doubts therefore Transubstantiation is not to be prooued out of these wordes The first proposition is Bellarmines as I haue sayd and therefore I neede not proue it That so to expound the wordes This is my bodie that Transubstantiation should be proued out of it is to make Christ speake very obscurely and doubtfully appeareth by their manifest wringing and wresting of the place For the word This spoke by Christ Bellar. de Euchar. li. 1. cap. 11. when he had the bread in his hand they will not haue to be vnderstood of the bread no nor of the bodie of Christ but somthing contained vnder the forme of bread as Bellarmine out of Thomas of Aquine and out of Guitimund teacheth And I pray you when shall the people vnderstand what that third thing is that is contained vnder those formes But why should I looke for this at the hands of the vnlearned seeing that the learnedst can not shew what this is Are not such darke deuises the cause of many errours Where now is I pray you that plainnesse and aptnes of speach in the institution of a sacrament which before Belarmine commended Not in such vnsauorie subtilties Bellarmi de â—â—â—â— ar li. 3. cap. 8. Yea it is by him flatly confessed that although in respect of that regard they haue of the councels and the Church their Diuines agree herein yet in the maner thereof they disagree verie much But what should I stand vpon this point cap. 9. Bellarmine which in the first booke of the Eucharist doth make his argument against Luther of the easinesse and of the plainnesse of the wordes that belong to the institution of the Sacrament proouing that of necessitie they must so be least thereby men should take occasion of errour or doubting and condemneth Luthers doctrine as obscure as though hee had beene then in a sound sleepe and nowe were well wakened li. 3. cap. 8. In his third booke he commendeth their doctrine vnto vs concerning the Sacrament because it is exceeding hard and condemneth ours because it is so easie that euery bodie may vnderstande it Well to be short thus I reason The wordes of the institution must be taken in the plainest sense or meaning But that sense that is wrested out of them for Transubstantiation is not plaine Therefore that sense of those
therfore themselues within so few yeares doubted yea and are not yet fully resolued whether that sacrament giue grace without the which it cannot bee a sacrament in the Popish church they giue vs iust cause to suspect nay flatly to affirme that it was not a sacrament instituted by Christ For if it had before this time doubtlesse themselues at the least woulde haue resolued of such principall points thereof And if Christ did not institute it a sacrament then also we may deny it at all to bee a sacrament For neither men nor angels may institute any sacraments as Bellarmine hath truely noted De sacram Matrim lib. 1. cap. 2. Neither are they yet agreed whether euery marriage is this their sacrament For Canus in the place before alleaged thinketh not any matrimony to be this sacrament but that onely that is solemnized by the Priest But Bellarmine with all the skill he hath opposeth himselfe against him De sacram Matrim lib. 1. cap. 7 yea it is high time he should so do For hee plainely confesseth that if that opinion of Canus be true then they shall neuer out of the scriptures or councels bee able to prooue the sacrament of matrimony Then wee see it standeth him vpon to doe what he can For either must the marriages not solemnized by the Priests bee this sacrament and so euery man and woman is a minister in this sacrament which his own friends will in no wise graunt vnto him or else matrimony is not a sacrament And then they haue deceiued the world some hundreds of yeeres Thirdly matrimony can not be a sacrament because the promise of grace is common vnto all sorts of men and women And therfore the sacraments and signes also of those graces shoulde belong vnto all sortes But in the Popish church matrimony is denied to some sortes as to their cleargie Therefore by their owne doctrine it can not be a Sacrament especially such a Sacrament as baptisme and the eucharist for they are common to all sortes Marriage lawfull for all men but matrimony they say must not so be And this is the second point of their doctrine which must be examined For it seemeth to mee very strange that they who haue nowe so magnified this estate of life that it must be no lesse than a holy sacrament doe so sodainely debase the same that they thinke it not pure enough for their shorne and annointed creatures But I looke that they should come against mee with an answere out of master Bellarmine De sacram matrim ca. 5 that their Priestes in deede are forbidden to marry but not in that respect that it is a sacrament but because of those things that followe marriage and are impediments and lets to them in their calling And yet neither all the consequents of marriage are denied to their clergie For master Bellarmine telleth vs there that if a man and wife being married together will promise continencie they may well enough take their orders and are truely both married folkes and priests So that not cares or troubles that are incident vnto married folkes oftentimes are any thing to bee respected in this case For cleargy men may haue all these but the especiall duety of marriage they may not perfourme Whereby the Papists to defend the credit of this their sacrament doe robbe the Cleargie of that thing which is the especiall representation of the coniunction of Christ and of his church whilest they would make these beleeue that the performaunce of the duety betweene man and wife is a thing not to be suffered in Cleargie men The very ground of this assertion of master Bellarmines is that hee thinketh not the copulation of married folke to bee of the substaunce of Matrimonie And this he prooueth by some testimonies out of the fathers in that fift Chapter But yet himselfe will not that this his saying should bee so vnderstoode as if that hee sayd that the vse of marriage is not any way of the substaunce of marriage Chap. 6 For afterwardes hee sayeth that this their sacrament may haue two respects As it is made and as it is continued As it made that is if I be not deceyued as the mutuall consent of parties ioyneth them together by their promises the consent expressed by such wordes is the matter and forme of their sacrament And thus must wee vnderstand that common rule in their lawe that consent maketh marriages And thus doe the fathers vnderstand that which they say concerning the substaunce of marriage to consist in the mutuall consent partly because after such consent giuen the parties are not free to chaunge the choyse which they haue made Deu. 22 23 24 And partly because that euen by Gods lawe if parties after such consent giuen shoulde carnally knowe another it was death for them so to doe which could not bee but because this their consent is after a sort the marriage it selfe This if it represent any thing to vs doeth but represent that ioyning of Christ with vs by spirituall loue Chap. 5 as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth But that is not any speciall benefite or singular For hee loueth all his creatures and wept for the destruction of his enemies And one man may be so ioyned with another But it is a speciall grace that marriage representeth vnto vs to vs I say that after a peculiar manner belong to him Namely howe wee are made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones howe our bodies are the members of Christs bodie howe in deed hee is as in name hee is called God with vs. This is represented vnto vs but by that copulation that is betweene man and wife whereby as before by consent they were of one minde so nowe by it they are one bodie For by copulation the wife is made one bodie with her husbande And this doe I take to bee confessed by maister Bellarmine himselfe when hee telleth vs that in the seconde respect by Matrimonie is meant that which continueth And then must the bodyes of them that are marryed needes be the matter of this sacrament euen their copulation and dwelling togither And therefore he alloweth well of the iudgement of Peter Soto that thinketh euen this vse of Matrimonie to bee the matter not onely about which this Sacrament is occupyed but of which it is made or consisteth If then it bee the matter of their Sacrament which they denie to their Cleargie it is not true that maister Bellarmine saide that they denie not their Cleargie men to marrie as marriage is a sacrament For they deny that to them which is the substance of their sacrament This may also appeare by the definition of matrimonie which we may finde in the fathers Strom. 2. li. De Monog Marriage sayeth Clemens of Alexandria is the first lawfull ioyning together of man and woman for the procreation of children And Tertullian is inquisitiue what is marriage before God and findeth it to bee when God ioyneth
that that these things merit or deserue Gods wrath to be turned away He cannot proue it We denie not but God looketh vpon these things but not for the merit of them but for his owne mercies And therefore master Bellarmine hath not yet prooued that fasting doth merit And this is the thing that hee should proue But on the contrarie A true vse of fasting in our fasting we acknowledge our selues to bee vnworthie of Gods creatures and that by our sinnes wee haue depriued our selues of the vse of his benefites and deserue not euen these his ordinarie graces which the verie beastes themselues maie freely enioy And in this heartie acknowledging of our owne vnworthinesse wee prostrate our selues before Gods mercie seate seeking for mercie not pleading but fearing and refusing our merit Now of this popish opinion of merit by fasting hath sprung vp another abuse in fasting Of popish fasting dayes That the papists haue dedicated these their fasting dayes not onely to the seruice of God for they supposed that they could by such meanes please him whereas it is all one to him whether wee come full or fasting so that wee come so as our hearts may bee most sitte to serue him but also to the honour of their Saints imagining thereby to deserue some fauour at their handes And for this cause did they deuise to fast vpon their Saintes Euens and at such other times as wee see the Popish Church vseth not so much to tame the flesh for that fasting we also affirme to be necessarie neither yet in any politike respect which belongeth not to our question but euen because they foolishly thinke that in so doing they worship God and the Saints and do a thing acceptable to him And to this ende is also appointed their lent fast their wednesdaie and fryday fast saterday fast embar fast the fasts of aduent and cogation weeke But that these cannot be accounted times of necessitie to be kept and obserued for fasting in respect of any religious obseruation of the same it cannot better be proued than by that diuersitie of opinions and iudgement which M. Bellarmine himselfe is forced to confesse to be in the ancient fathers De bonis operibus in part li. 2. As they shall vnderstand that reade of the book before alleadged the fifteeneth the seuenteenth eightteenth and nineteenth chapters As for their fastes vppon saintes eues they come after al the rest Seeing therefore there is herein such diuersitie it is plaine enough that neither any certainty of doctrine can heere be gathered neither can they cal it a catholicke religion that is like Iacobs coate of many colours farre from vnity of faith But with saint Hillary I maie say In ps 118. A It is most hard for a man by the doctours of this world to vnderstande the meaning of heauenly precepts And this I could wish that at al times we would striue by this and other good meanes to tame our rebellious flesh and that we also would prepare our selues vnto the holy exercises of our religion either by this or anie other way that maie further therein but that fasting it selfe doth make vs acceptable to God wee must not thinke And out of this their opinion of the merit of fasting ariseth another most absurd doctrine of binding the conscience to their lawes of fasting Their lawes of fasting bind not the conscience Li. 2. de bonis operibus in part ca. 7. Ierem. 5.6 as the church of Rome teacheth with one consent as M. Bellarmine confesseth And he wil proue it by the example of the Rechabites who vpon the commandement of Ionadab their father abstained from drinking of wine A weake proofe The Rechabites obeied the politicke lawe that their father Ionadab gaue them therefore the church may binde mens consciences with the law of fasting It is one thing to bind the conscience another thing to require external obedience The fast and holie daie which is commaunded to be continued in the storie of Hester is like vnto it Hester 9.31 for a day of remembraunce of Gods great benefit towardes them but not to binde the conscience Such also is the fast mentioned in Zachary of the fourth fifth seuenth and tenth monethes which although it might perchance vppon good and godlie consideration be taken vp and we debarre none but exhort all persons to humble themselues vnto the Lord yet how little their conscience is bound thereto it partly appeareth because God faith in the former Chapter that they did not fast vnto him and willeth them to harken vnto the ministerie of prophets and to execute true iudgement and shewe mercy and compassion euery man to his brother not to oppresse for these are in deede good workes that God regardeth in comparison of which hee little esteemeth those their fastes Partlie also because God wil turne their fasting into feasting into ioy and gladnes and prosperous high feastes as there he saith Act. 15.29 And lastly he bringeth that law that the apostles set downe of not eating the bloud and things strangled A law I saie made by the direction of Gods spirite as there is witnessed for a lawe whereof they can finde no such praise A law that was made according to the necessity of that time to auoide diuision and for the better vniting and gathering of the church of the Iewes and gentiles as M. Bellarmine confesseth and therefore such a law as lawfully might be made For in thinges indifferent the church maie take order for the quietnes or anie other waie for the benefit of the fame Whereby they would establish a law for euer to binde the conscience A law I say which themselues wil confesse we are not bound vnto but doe against that law that the apostles made But how could we breake that law if it bound the conscience Or if it doe not binde the conscience why doth M. Bellarmine bring it to proue that the church may tie or bind the consciences of the faithfull vnto their lawes of fasting Thus we see that not one of all the places alleadged by him out of the scripture doth prooue the necessity of these lawes of fasting which so straitly they command Therefore by the weakenes of their proofe we may see the falsenes of their doctrine Difference of meates Now I come vnto the last point of their doctrine which we mislike which is the difference of meats that they make Wherein if they doe not conspire with the Ebionites and sundry other hereticks that did condemne flesh as a thing vnpure yet it seemeth that they haue bin brought vp in the schoole of the heretickes called Apostolici Serm. 66. in Cantica of whom S. Bernard reporteth that they would eate no whit-meate milke and whatsoeuer came of it or whatsoeuer was ingendred But our aduersaries tel vs that the Ebionites Tatianites Maniches Priscillianists and such other heretickes doe vtterly condemne flesh as vncleane or vnlawful to be eaten at any time
they can sinne actually because they are baptized must needs be saued although they bee not of that number which God hath chosen vnto himselfe before the foundations of the worlde were laide Which to affirme is nothing else but to tie our saluation Ephes 1. not to Gods grace in electing in Christ whome hee would but to such externall meanes as haue alwayes beene accounted but helpers to our faith as the Apostle teacheth by the example of Circumcision in Abraham Ro. 4.10 11. but no workers of saluation And to be short how agreeth this that they say that the Sacrament hath strength or force to worke Holinesse or Righteousnesse with that which they also say That infants when they are baptized De Sacram. Bapt. lib. 1. cap. 11. haue not any new motions or inclinations like vnto the actions of faith and loue If the Sacraments worke not in them such effectes who haue not anie actual sinne to let or hinder how shal we think they work in others that are stroÌ„gly assaulted with the lusts of sin Therefore let vs not ascribe such working vnto them but vnto Christ who is made vnto vs righteousnesse and holinesse 1. Cor. 1.30 As for the number of seuen Sacraments two of them wee acknowledge with the Fathers of the Primitiue church Baptisme and the Lordes Supper As for the other fiue either they haue no commaundement in the word or no visibl signes or to be short no warrant in the word or Primitiue church to bee such Sacraments as the other two are Although wee deny not but the things haue had and many of them yet haue their godly vse in Gods Church Of the Sacrament of Baptisme CHAP. 11. THE PROTESTANTS WE acknowlege Baptism to be as it were a Gods-peny and earnest of our entrance into Christes family Wherein wee are both fully assured that by the blood of Christ which is figured by that water our sinnes are so washed away that they shall not bee imputed vnto vs and also the promise of that spirite of regeneration whereby wee growe to be new men is sealed vp in our hearts so that therein the faithfull are ingraffed into Christ to be made partakers of al his treasures and namely that hee may bee vnto vs sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 And as therin our faith is thus norished so is it also a publike testification and witnessing of our profession so that wee doe not only beleeue with our heart vnto righteousnesse but also shew that wee are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for that cause wee weare that badge of our profession and cognisance of our religion THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome lest we should constantly beleeuing the promises and vsing the Sacraments according to Christs institution take sure hold of Iesus christ and to acknowledge our saluation to bee by him onely in whome the word and Sacraments send vs to seeke it teacheth vs that the very Sacrament of it selfe hath such force and vertue as that it doth extinguish and quite abolish Andrad Orthod Explic. lib. 3. not onely the daunger and condemnation the rewarde due to sinne but also the verie corruption of the same And on the contrarie that the verie infants that die before they bee baptised Bellarmine de purgat lib. 2. cap. 6 haue their place of torment appointed vnto them where they must bee purged So that as they giue the power of killing sinne in vs vnto the Sacrament which onely belongeth vnto Christ Rom. 6. so in this latter point they doe in a manner make Christ scant able for to saue without the sacrament and teach sinne by other meanes than by Christ only to be purged De sacr baptism li. 1. ca. 4 Now the first reason whereby Bellarmine wil prooâ—â— that the Sacrament of it selfe hath such force of thâ—◠〈◊〉 doth worke in vs holinesse and abolish sinne and therefore that without it no man or woman can be saued is that place of saint Iohn Ioh 3.5 Vnlesse a man be borne againe of Water and of the Spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of God And for the better credite of his assertion he telleth vs De peccatorum merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 30. that saint Augustine in his first booke of the merites of sinnes and the forgiuenesse thereof the thirtieth chapter doth shew that these wordes are not a commandement but declare the means of saluation as though saint Augustine would make the Sacrament as necessary to saluation as meate for our life or physicke for recouery of health for these are the examples alledged afterwardes by Bellarmine But he belieth that learned father for hee hath not any such thing in that place although indeede hee handle that place of scripture largely there But first before I enter any further into the consideration of this point lest I should bee mistaken as though I accounted the Sacrament of no necessitie I affirme it to bee so necessarie that if it may bee had according vnto Christes institution and any man or woman shall wilfully refuse the same by this their contempt they doe wilfully cut off themselues from the body of Christ and so make themselues vncapable of such graces as God in Christ bestoweth vpon his But if otherwise any man woman or childe being desirous to enter into the felowship of the holy couenant and to be incorporated by that Sacrament into the presence of Christ shall die or depart out of this life before they can attaine thereto God forbid that we should thinke either so vncharitably of them as to iudge them vnworthy of Gods mercy or so hardly of God as that hee would alter his eternall councell for want of this external sacrament or so slenderly of the vertue of Christ his blood as that without this water it can not wash vs from sinne No doubt many died in the wildernesse before the Israelites came to the land of promise that had not the sacrameÌ„t of circumcision and also afterwards by all likelihoode in Babylon The thiefe vpon the crosse of whose saluation we make no doubt was not baptised Yea the order that God vseth in sauing vs doeth teach vs that without the Sacraments we may be saued Rom. 8.30 Ephes 1.4 because that election or predestination goeth before calling whether it be internall by the spirit or externall by the word and Sacraments Therefore wee must either imagine Gods election not to be certaine which is blasphemous or else that all that are elect are saued although they haue not oportunity to receiue that externall seale of Gods couenant Therefore I say that Baptisme is very necessary and in any wise to be vsed and receiued of them that may according to Christes institution haue the same But we detest that doctrine of the Papists that teacheth it to be so necessary that whosoeuer is not baptized can not be saued whereupon they permit lay men yea women to baptise whereas the
there is no sacrifice vpon a table but onely vpon an altar De missa lib. 1. cap. 17. Yet master Bellarmine roueth againe with his vncertaine proofes The fathers saieth hee speake of priests therefore they will haue a sacrifice in the eucharist And why may not the fathers vnderstand priests as wee doe in our booke of making of ministers and in our booke of common prayer who succeede in the publike ministery in the church the priests of Leui Leuit. 10.11 Deut. 17.5 mal 2.7 not in sacrificing for the sacrifices are ended but in teaching for that was also the priests office and is now the office of them that we sometime call priests And yet we although we vse the name do not alow that popish sacrifice which Bellarmine would haue And why then should this be holden for a good argument The fathers speake sometimes of priests Therefore the eucharist is a reall sacrifice or a sacrifice after the proper signification of that word As for that which hee hath in the eighteenth chapter of that his first booke of the masse is almost all one with that which hee saide in the fifteenth chapter and therefore it is answered before But his last proofe Chap. 19 whereby hee will out of the fathers prooue a sacrifice is as himselfe saith vnanswerable vnlesse we do vtterly reiect the fathers The fathers desire not to be credited against the trueth They were men they might erre Onely Gods word is perfectly true And therfore as wee do them no wrong to trie and examine their doctrine by that rule and square that cannot deceiue How the fathers are to be receiued so if it be not agreeable to that word of trueth wee must rather confesse all men to be liars than swarue one iote from that perfect way And therefore it is not absurd if wee leaue the fathers when they goe without their guide of Gods written word or speake without their warrant of Gods infallible trueth So that although wee are content to shew how the father 's wrested by them either must or may be vnderstoode that by that meanes wee may pull from them that visard of antiquitie consent of fathers wherewith they cloke and colour their dangerous and deceitfull heresies yet we receiue the fathers but as men and therfore no masters to giue vs new lawes but yet men of excellent gifts in their time and alwayes worthy of much reuerence and honour But yet this is not a good argument The fathers haue somctime written this or haue done this Therefore it is true or it is good But let vs view his vnanswerable argument If the eucharist were not a sacrifice the fathers would not haue offred the same for peace safety and sundry such things but they did therfore it is a sacrifice Marke howe hee prooueth that they did offer the eucharist for such things Hee first alleageth Chrysostome in his homilies to the people of Antioch Hom. 79. Hom. 7â— and then also vpon Mathew most notably belying that father as though he spake thereof the sacrifice in the eucharist whereas the first whole Homily is altogether of praier and Chrysostome there sheweth that they pray in deed for the whole world and for sundry persons but of standing at the altar not a word And therefore master Bellarmine belieth that father And in the second place Wee pray first for them that are possessed the second for the penitent c. Is this good dealing to auouch that that ancient father saith in those places that the Eucharist was offered for such things Other falsifications of these very places I omit as not much materiall When I heard his great cracke I imagined this shot would haue made a great breach but it is like to doe no hurt at all Then for that which he alleageth out of same Augustine that the Eucharist was offered by one for freeing a certaine house from euill spirites De ciuit Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. It is true that he reporteth such a thing and addeth That hee prayed as earnestly as he could that that vexation might cease First it is not saint Augustine himselfe that doth this but another and this fact is not either commended or allowed to be wel done of saint Augustine But they wil answere The euill spirits left the house And therefore the euent prooueth the fact to be good Not so but it is an argument of Gods might and mercie that can and will by euill or the abuse of good meanes bring to passe good things Secondly it may iustly be doubted whether saint Augustine did impute this effect vnto that sacrifice that he speaketh of or the earnest prayers that were made for it Yea it seemeth rather that he imputeth it vnto the sacrifice of prayer than any other sacrifice Moreouer it seemeth that as in the dayes of saint Paul there were that were baptized ouer the dead either to declare their hope of the resurrection or to testify their dying vnto sinne or for such other considerations so in these dayes of S. Augustine some vpon such occasions would celebrate the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ by that assurance and pledge of Gods loue to stirre vp and confyrme their faith that with more earnestnesse and faith they might craue Gods helpe But if master Bellarmine would haue this to be a catholike doctrine that hath but one or few examples he will haue Vincentius Lirinensis flat contrary to him Confess li. 9. cap. 12. So that also that is alleaged of the oblation for his mother it can not bee denied that there were at that time some such abuses creeping into the church of God concerning that charitable superstition that I may so terme it of prayer for the dead of the which some had good liking some liked not But out of them it is hard to establish a strange doctrine in Gods church and such as Gods word is not acquainted withall But euen by that booke of S. Augustine it is plaine and namely by the next chapter to the place alleadged that S. Augustine did not once thinke of any propitiatory sacrifice that was in the masse And I would also desire the indifferent Reader to iudge how litle such matters sauour of the maiestie of that spirit which is seene in the scriptures Bellarmines last sort of arguments are drawen from reason The first is grounded vpon this principle De missa lib. 1. cap. 20. there is no religion without an externall sacrifice which is most false for God when he seeth his people to whom he commanded those external sacrifices to repose themselues too much vpon them doeth not onely reiect those sacrifices which himselfe appointed but also teacheth wherein true religion consists Isa 1.15 16. and Mich. 6.8 Yea marke the whole scriptures it wil appeare that faith obedience are the especiall things that god requireth of vs that the sacrifices directed therto His second argument taken from reason is this The
Iewes had such sacrifices therefore wee must haue them Chap. 21. If this argument be denied he can neuer prooue it For the Iewes had those ceremonies and rudiments of the world because they were in their nonage Galat. 4.3 and Christ was not yet come and so the reuelation of Christ was not then so plaine as now it is therefore they needed those things but we do not And moreouer if these sacrifices were so necessary as they affirme them to be as that there is no religion without them of necessity we must haue them then were the Apostles too blame who giuing direction to the Gentiles what were necessary for them Acts 15.19.20 neuer warned theÌ„ of this externall sacrifice For seeing there was not anie such thing plainely set downe in the word of God it was needefull that it should haue beene signified to them if any such thing had bin thought necessary But Bellarm. thus prooueth his argument God hath not abolished al things in his law as he hath not taken away the commandemeÌ„ts therefore he hath not abolished the ceremoniall law I would master Bellarmine would haue taken some paines to shew what part of the ceremoniall lawe is continued But he telleth vs the sacraments are not takeÌ„ away they are but changed so the sacrifices must be but changed not taken away When hee sheweth what commission hee hath to tell God what he must doe we will regard his wordes but vntill that bee shewed hee must giue vs leaue to acknowledge all these things in Christ to be performed especially seeing the worde telleth vs not of anie commaundement to change it or when how or into what it should be changed But I am loath to confute his grosse assertions and reasonlesse reasons whereby he seeketh to keepe vs still in bondage to externall things One or two arguments mo he hath the one grounded vpon such differences as themselues haue deuised betweene a sacrament and a sacrifice the other is the generall consent of the church throughout the world the first is somewhat touched in the fifteenth chapter the other is the thing that is in question whether the true church haue acknowledged it to be a sacrifice truely so called and properly Now to conclude seeing in the institution of this sacrament there is not any sacrifice prescribed as the wordes do teach vs neither can it be proued by the scriptures neither can we find any such doctrine vniuersally receiued of the fathers in the purer age of the church Lastly seeing the arguments that are brought for defence of it are so hard and obscure so forced and wrested as they are both froÌ„ the scriptures the fathers let vs rest vpon this foundation Heb. 9.28 Heb. 10.12 that Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many Once I say and not often and that being done He sitteth for euer at the right hand of God So that either they must deny him to haue a natural body but so deified that it may be in many places at one time as Nestorius the heretike taught or that hee sitteth not on Gods right hand against that which in our creede wee acknowledge or that he hath two bodies the one in glorie and maiestie with God in heauen the other shrowded vnder a little cake the one visible in heauen the other inuisible in the earth or else they must confesse that he cannot be changed into that little peece of bread that he may so be offered vp to God his father for a sacrifice in the Eucharist Of true and Christian Repentance and of the Popish sacrament of Penance CHAP. 17. THE PROTESTANTS WE willingly confesse and carefully teach repentance that consists of the mortification of the flesh the quickening of the spirit of dying to or from sin liuing to righteousnesse of putting off the olde man the body of sinne and putting on the new man which after God is created in holinesse and righteousnes to be most necessary for euery christian man and woman alwayes and earnestly to follow and practise And whilest wee must walke here in this wicked world where we meet with manye stumbling blockes whereat we stumble and many pits into the which we fal It is impossible we should goe on forward to the end of our iorny vnles by tru repentance proceeding from a liuely faith a true sense and feeling of Gods wrath against sinne and a hearty detestation of our owne vnthankfulnes to our good and gratious god we be raised vp again to walke in his wayes to liue in his true feare So that wee finde it to bee true that Tertull. saith Wee are borne onely to repentance Wee stand alwaies so much in neede thereof through sinne THE PAPISTS BVt the Papists not content with this plaine and pure doctrine to purchase estimation and gaine to the Popish priesthoode haue deuised a sacrament of penance whose parts are contrition Contrition which we make one part of true repentance Confession Confession not to God but in the eares of the priest of al thy sinnes which hath not any warrant at all in the word and satisfaction Satisfaction which is nothing else but a blasphemous wrong vnto that satisfactioÌ„ that is made vnto God by Christ his death Of the which three partes of Popish penance Confession must be made vnto the priest and Satisfaction must by the Priest be inioyned after Confession or shrift By which meanes they did bring into miserable bondage them whose faults they knew and that they might by masses iâ— entals and such other deuises of man helpe them to satisfie for their sins they gote no small gaine And from these two fountaines pride and greedines did spring this their sacrament of popish penance Of arguments whereby they defend this their sacrameÌ„t of penance they haue no great store and those they aledge haue no great strength Their especiall and in a manner onely place that they aledge out of the scripture is wherein it is said Ioh. 20.22 23 that Christ did breathe vpon his disciples and said to them Receiue the holy ghost whose sins you remit they are remitted to them whose-soeuer sins you retaine they are retained For vpon this place doth the councell of Trent especially rely for this their doctrine 〈◊〉 â— 4. ca. 5. as do also their other writers Belike this place is very pregnant and plaine for their purpose or else their cause is built vpon a weake foundation Let vs therefore view the strength of this place for proofe thereof for the which it is brought This text mâ— st proâ—â—â— thâ—â— pâ—â—â—â—â— is a sacrament properly so called for to this and it is alleaged by Bellarmine But how it is prooued De 〈◊〉 teâ—â—â— let the indifferent Reader iudge And first if we consider the expositions of the ancient Fathers of the purer times we shal see that they neuer gathered out of these wordes such a sacrament Read and search who
affirme that it is a lesse sinne for one that hath made a vow to take to himselfe a harlot then to marrie we heare his impudencie let vs heare what reason hee hath for him If hee commit whoredome sayeth hee hauing vowed chastitie he is at his libertie when he will to reforme his life and to change it into a chast life What man can doe in such case as I haue sayde before But if they bee married can they not also abstaine from the vse of marriage vpon iust causes Hath not the Apostle giuen plaine order what shall bee done in that case Doeth the Apostle giue commaundement yea or counsell eyther 1 Cor. 7.5 that men and women shoulde vowe that they may bee the more free to serue God No but the contrarie rather For although hee Suppose that it is good for the present necessitie that a man should continue a single life 1 Cor. 7.26 whilest afflictions and great daungers did oppresse those first dayes of Christ his church and they had no safetie to themselues so that care for their wiues and children might withdrawe them from their holie obedience and patient profession 1. Cor. 7.2 yet notwithstanding hee woulde to auoyde fornication that euery man shoulde haue his wife and euerie woman her owne husbande marke euerie man euerie woman none excepted And againe But if they cannot abstaine let them marrie for it is better to marrie than to burne Doeth the Apostle open the doore vnto wantonnesse in permitting marriage to all excepting none Yea and that men should not be too rash in making their vowes in this case hee willeth that such as are married defraude not one another no not to giue themselues to fasting and prayer but onely for a time and so to come together againe least Sathan shoulde tempt them for their incontinencie And for single life it is commended by the Apostle no further then whilest a man standeth firme in his owne heart that he hath no neede but hath power ouer his owne will And it is worth the marking howe Smith here and also all the Papists almost in this poynt doe so directly oppose themselues vnto the Apostles doctrine as if they had sworne to giue him the lye in his throte For whereas hee sayeth of all of all I say and not of laie men onely It is better to marrie than to burne this doting doctour Smith sayth and so do his fellowes it is better for a priest not to burne onely but euen to commit whoredome than to marrie It is better to haue a hundred harlots sayeth another than only one lawfull wife Lawfull I say because that howsoeuer some filthy men condemne in some that holy institution yet Gods word doth not only suffer and also commend it but euen command it to all that cannot liue without it but that they must burne in lust And Ciprian doth plainelie permit it vnto them whom we call Nunnes saying that If they will not Epist li. 1. ep 11. or cannot continue in virginity it is better that they should marry than that by their wantonnes they should fall into the fire Which wordes because they are very flatte against the popish doctrine of vowes the papists doe striue to finde some plaister for that wound de Monach. li. 2. cap. 34. And amongst others Bellarmine liking nothing of that which Hosius and others haue saide before him of this place of Ciprian imagineth that he hath hit the naile vpon the head His answer is that yet whilst they are free and haue made no vow if they see they cannot continue Ciprian faith it is best for them to marry But that master Bellarmine hath as far missed the cushion as others before him haue done and that his answere is most vntrue I proue first by the question which was moued vnto Ciprian For Pomponius to whom he writeth did aske of Ciprian what hee should thinke of some women who had professed virginity and yet were founde in bed with men So that if he answere directly to Pomponius his question he sheweth what should be done with such as had already vowed and not of such as were to make the vow Secondly in the very words next before it doth most plainelie appeare that he maketh two sorts of such as haue made the vow the one sort he would haue to continue namely such as through faith haue yeelded themselues to Christ the other of them that will not or cannot Thirdly that which followeth that to excuse themselues they would offer to bee tried by women whether they were virgins for vnto that their excuse Ciprian maketh answere is so strong an argument as master Bellarmine and all his friends will neuer be able to answere to proue that those words of Ciprians are not ment neither can be vnderstood of such as stood in doubt whether they would vow or not as master Bellarmine affirmeth but of such as after their vow neither would nor could perseuere in their purpose For if that only had beene their doubt whether they could continue virgins that matter the women could not iudge of If whether they were virgins it is directly against master Bellarmines answere to this place It is not therefore to giue occasion of wantonnes to teach mariage to be lawfull for all men as without shame they affirme as by the holie Apostle and that learned father appeareth but they that condemne it doe let loose the raines vnto all vncleanenes as saith Saint Bernard Super cant serm 66. and they that forbid mariage vnto some sorts doe sow the bad seed of vngodly life and wanton lusts the fruit whereof hath defiled the whole worlde But what Is it forbidden by God himselfe They know not well how to answere to this question For the Master of Sentences for ought that I see hath said nothing of that matter And he is their very oracle who if he hold his peace they know not what to thinke of the matter But Iohn Maior Clichtouaeus and some others doe affirme that this single life is commanded by God himselfe But Thomas whom for the most part master Bellarmine is deuoted vnto and sundry others doe plainlie saie that God hath giuen no law concerning single life De clericiâ— li. 1. cap. 28. And that master Bellarmine doth not only allow but proueth it so to be with whom we are also willing to ioine For it is most true that there is not one such commandement in all the scripture neither yet is it necessarie that priestes should liue a single life or vnmaried both which things master Bellarmine hath in that place If God then haue not commanded it neither the thing is necessary let master Bellarmine bring what els he can to proue it he shall not much trouble vs about his vnnecessary precepts But the Apostle saith he hath commanded it A bishop must be continent De cler li. 1. cap. 19. Tit. 1.8 Although continent and chaste is in truth all one
for I trust this is sufficient for answere to the argument Which also is an answer vnto his fift argument which is this Arg. 5 ca. 18 In the scripturs many things are forbidden and commaunded and without free will that were in vaine which is all one with the fourth argument De gratia lib. Arbit c. 2 But because master Bellarmine doeth prooue this argument and that very strongly as himselfe saieth because saint Augustine vseth that very reason to prooue free will I must needes speake a word of that place Seeing therefore saint Augustine hath said in the place alleadged in the former argument that precepts are needefull though they can not bee kept And now he saith if there be not free will precepts are in vaine It seemeth that there were some amongest them to whome he writeth that thought that Gods grace did so worke in men that they shoulde doe nothing at all themselues for he complaineth of some Cap. 2. that when grace was defended though free will was denied Therefore hee teacheth them that although wee be made partakers of grace yet we are not without nay rather wee haue free wil. But what manner of free wil Haue we that free will that hath power and strength to doe good and abstaine from euil No In Enchirid. cap. 9. Saint Augustine confesseth that to bee lost Man not vsing well freewill lost both himselfe and that What then A will freed from that bondage vnto sinne wherein it was A will that nowe hath a loue and liking of that is good and not altogither delighting in euill as before it did And indeed in vaine are exhortations to them that are not so freed from euil that they haue at the least a plkasure in good things Well may exhortations and instructions be to their confusion but to their comforte they shall not bee This then is is the meaning of that place that God speaketh to vs in vaine in the scriptures if we be but as stockes and stones not hauing so much as a delight therein and hauing this willingnes God must also by his grace inable vs or els we cannot fulfill our will The sixt argument is like the rest Arg. 6. ca. 1◠It hath no necessarie consequence God maketh promise vnto vs vnder condition that we shal obey him therefore either we are able to obey or els it is saith Maister Bellarmine a mockery and not a promise Not so Maister Bellarmine For in such conditional promises it is not declared what we can doe but what we ought to doe and what in respect of the excellency of our creation may iustly be required of vs and what we must doe before we can be perfect And because Maister Bellarmine thinketh it so scornefull a thing that God shouln make promise vnder such condition cannot bee performed of vs I would he woulde consider with himselfe where is the cause why we cannot performe it Is it in good No for he requireth nothing of vs but that hee gaue vs abilite to doe if wee had kept vs in that estate Is it in our creation No we were made good Is it in the lawe But that is pure iust and holie Is it then in our selues Yea truely For in Adam wee are all sinners and by sinne robbed of that power to keep the law and performe such conditions as once before we had If then the impossibility of keeping the conditions is by our owne fault God may iustly require of vs that debt which hee knoweth wee were able to pay when first we became his debters We see then that it is neither a good argument to say God promiseth vpon condition therfore wee can perfourme the condition for the condition doeth but shew what we ought to doe or what marke we must aime at yea and what wee must doe in the end neither absurd that he should require that of vs now which once we could haue performed and might still haue done if wee had not our selues bin in fault But thus wee might reason truely God maketh vnto vs many and great promises if we obey him therefore we must striue to obey him striue I say by prayer by meditating in Gods lawe and by all godly exercises And God would haue vs indeede by such meanes to stirre vp our selues to attaine to the promises And because the promises belong but to the godly and not to the wicked we will easily confesse that there is in them a willingnesse to obey But yet not free will because it is hindred by tentations without and within themselues and by it owne weakenesse So that be they neuer so willing yet they can not obey but euen as they are led by Gods good grace In psa 109. enarratione It is no great matter saith Augustine that God made his Sonne to shew the way since hee hath made him the way it selfe that thou mightest goe by him ruling thee that goeth by himselfe For in deede wee can not walke alone in those wayes wee are as babes that cannot goe by themselues Arg. 7. 8. His seuenth argument as also the eight argument is in a manner the very same with the first ca. 20. 21. Deut. 30.14 and neede not be answered againe But yet I will touch that place of Deuteronomie whereupon he especially resteth for the strength of the seuenth argument and for interpretation whereof he inueieth against master Caluine Moses saith or God by Moses The word is neere thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart By which words master Bellarmine saieth Moses telleth vs that this woord is easie to keepe and therefore that we haue free will M. Bellarmine is but too bolde in a bad cause and too ready to speake more than hee can prooue That which he had said before This commaundement is not hid from thee Verse 11. neither farre off he prooueth in this place because it is in their mouth and heart so that they need not seeke far to get it The Chalde paraphrase can finde no free wil in these words Chris expounds these words of the cōmandement that it is easie to be had without trauell by sea or land Chrysost in Rom. ser 17. not once dreaming of the easines of performing or doing it but most plainly saith Theophilact Vpon the Romanes the tenth Gods commaundement O thou Iew is before thy eies neither shalt thou need that thou mayest find and inioy it either to clime vp in to heauen or go down into the deepe It is at hand and nearer vnto thee Beholde it is euen in thy mouth and in thy heart For God by his lawe hath shewed thee all things How impudently soeuer therefore master Bellarmine dare affirme that Moses speaketh there of the easinesse of keeping Gods lawe yet the circumstance of the text and the iudgement of the Writers alleadged especially of Theophilact is flat against him Rom. 10.8 And to that end doth the Apostle saint Paul apply it also to
goe amongst the wil-worshippings especially if wee consider the practise of inuocation in the popish church For although now to make some faire shewe of their doctrine they will teach vs De beatitud sanct li. 1. ca. 17. that the saints Are not the immediate intercessours vnto God for vs but obtaine our requestes of God through Christ as maister Bellarmine teacheth yet it cannot be denied that men and women haue had confidence in the saint it selfe haue vowed and performed their vowes vnto the same for their deliuerance haue praied vnto the same for helpe Act. Mon. pag. 1117. 1443. And these men haue not beene reproued no they were thought to haue a good deuotion and to merit thereby but some haue beene accused of heresie for not praying in their trauell to the virgin Mary Yea they haue published a blasphemous thing called the Psalter of the Virgin compiled by Bonauenture in which whatsoeuer in the Psalmes and some other scripture is spoken of the Lord is most wickedly by them applied vnto the Virgin Mary whom they call lady Yea to be short it is almost as full of blasphemies as of words An infinite number of their owne prayers might bee brought against them out of their owne bookes to testifie against themselues of that superstitious confidence which they haue had in the creature and yet would they now perswade the world that they neuer meant they should make intercession to God for vs but by Christ but in trueth they made them rather gods than mediators As when the virgin Mary is willed to command her Sonne and to shew her to be his mother Or when vnto her they pray thus In al our trouble and distresse help vs most holy virgin Mary And thus haue I thought good briefly to examine their proofes out of the scripture and to take away that shew of reasons that they made out of Gods word I might haue brought their owne fellowes to testifie against them that whilest they will seeme to alleadge scriptures they doe but wrest them In Enchirid. cap. 15. De Theol. loci li. 3. cap. 3 For Eckius a stowt Papist doeth frankely confesse that the inuocation of saints is not expresly commanded or taught either in the olde or new Testament But Melchior Canus better learned than hee doeth say that neither plainely nor yet couertly it is contained in the Scriptures And therefore we see that they doe alleadge Gods word but to blinde mens eies as though they had some warrant out of it not because they thinke their arguments pâ— ooue that which they teach Seeing therefore their doctrine is so quite voide of all warrant out of Gods word and that which they do seeme to bring is so weake and wrested as may appeare I trust I may conclude with Tertullian that this commaundement De praescrip aduersus haer aske and yee shall receiue agreeth to him that knoweth of whome to aske euen of him of whome somewhat was promised that is of the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Now for the second point which is Christ our onely mediatour that Christ Iesus is this only mediator between God and man to offer vp our prayers vnto God Wherein our aduersaries do not deny but he is the mediator but they had wont to tell vs Eckius in Ench. cap. 15 that he is the onely mediator of redemption and yet they rob him also of that office by the Popes pardons and such baggage but there may be many mediators of intercession say they But master Bellarmine hath found out another shift namely that they are but intercessours by Christ as before I haue shewed But howe doeth master Bellarmine prooue that the saints make intercession by Christ for vs. Hee hath not so much as one word out of scripture for it neither yet out of any ancient father His onelie proofe is out of saint Bernard who liued eleuen hundred yeeres and more after Christ Is this a doctrine to be receiued now as catholike that hath so long beene buried in silence and will not yet perchance be very well liked of Indeede that Christ is our mediatour he prooueth well but that which he would especially haue vs to beleeue is left without witnesse as I haue shewed De beatitud sanct li. 1. ca. 17 Well then I will take it as a thing granted by master Bellarmine that Christ is onely our immediate mediatour to God and no saint no angel or any other creature which thing the scriptures prooue plentifully And I will by Gods grace shew also that they may not be mediators by or to Christ for vs. First there is no warrant for it in the word and therefore it must not be receiued of vs whose rule for life and religion the word â—â— st be Secondly I haue shewed that the saints departed haue not faith and therefore they can not pray Thirdly to ioyne them with Christ in the office of Mediation doeth shewe that they feare that either hee can not by himselfe perfourme that office which God hath laide vppon him and that is blasphemous Or that hee will not at our request do it vnlesse hee be intreated by others Seeing hee hath died for my sinnes shall I doubt whether hee will heare mee if I doe pray If hee bid mee aske seeke knocke and promiseth thou that I shall haue finde and to open will hee not bee as good as his worde Hebr. 2.17 In all thinges it became him to bee made like vnto his brethren that hee might bee mercifull 18 and a faithfull high priest in thinges concerning God Ebr. 4.15 that he might make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that he suffred and was tempted 16 hee is able to succour them that are teÌ„pted Our high priest is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need Let vs I saie our owne selues come vnto him in this assurance that he will not faile to heare and helpe vs. For he calleth Come vnto me all yee that are weary and laden and I wil ease you Matt. 11.28 Shall we be afraid to draw nigh vnto him that calleth vs so louingly Or shall wee thinke that wee shall neede to sende mediatours to intreate him that sendeth his embassadours to vs to intreate vs Nowe we are embassadours for Christ saith saint Paul as though God did beseech you through vs 2. Cor. 5.20 wee pray you in Christes steede that you bee reconciled to God Let vs therefore saie with S. Augustine or whosoeuer it was that writ those bookes that goe in his name Lib. 2. cap. 1. Of the visitation of the sicke I speake more safely and sweetely to my Iesus than to any of the holie spirites of God Yea this grosse and absurd persuasion Saint Chrysostome in many places seeketh to remoue as they that do read his
he abstained from flesh onely or that hee abstained from all dainty fare If because he abstained from al daintie fare as saint Hierome in plaine wordes doth expound it then it maketh nothing for the forbidding of flesh onely Iero. in Dan. cap. 1. But that is it that the Papists so stiffely maintaine and so superstitiously hold that they suppose themselues more to breake their fast in eating but one bit of flesh be it neuer so meane or of little nourishing or neuer so little whitmeate than if they should eate a sufficient meale of daintie and nourishing fish Now if one should aske them whether one bit or lesse of flesh doeth more pamper our bodie than a good quanti◠ie of daintie fish our aduersaries must needes confesse that a sufficient meale of the one nourisheth more than the small quantitie of the other And yet a crumme of flesh doeth breake their fast and a meale of fish doth not So that they make the vnlawfulnesse to be in the meate it selfe which howe neere it commeth to the former heresies let the world iudge If they doe answere that the commandement of the church doth make it vnlawfull I reply that the church hath not power to take away our christian liberty neither must in things indifferent set downe a constant and continuall order for al times and places And also the reason that master Bellarmine giueth why the church forbade flesh is for taming of the flesh which in this case set downe is more pampered by the fish De operibus bonis in part lib. 2. cap. 4. And therefore the very respect that their church had in giuing this commandement maketh not simply gainst the vse but against the abuse of it So that still the strait forbidding of the vse of flesh with such scourings washings and cleansings of any thing that hath come neare flesh as they vse to haue seemeth to come from no other but those ancient heretikes But they will not be compared to them Yet they must not take scorne to be yoked with the Manichees whose fastings saint Augustine describeth as like the Popish fasting as one egge can be like an other not in their diet onely but in their opinion of it also For hee there sheweth how the Manichees vsing in their fasts daintie fare and much spice and costly drinkes woulde yet preferre their fasts before an other that had not touched a peece of resty bacon with his lippes whose follie hee much inueyeth against And who knoweth not De moribus Manichaeorum li. 2. c. 13 that the fasts of many euen of them whom they call religious men amongest the Papistes are more nourishing vnto the body than the best feast that many a poore man getteth throughout the whole yeare Yea one draught of their spiced cuppes is much better than his Christmasse dinner And yet these men whose meanest meale shoulde bee a poore mans feast are saide to fast And the other whose greatest fare is with scarcitie doth not fast Let our fast then bee an abstinence from anie thing that may pamper the flesh yet not superstitious not ioyned with opinion of merite not thinking any meate vnlawful but in Christian sorrow for sinnes to humble our selues Of Purgatorie CHAP. 31 THE PROTESTANTS AS for Purgatory wee know none neither any purgation for our sin or anie remedie for the same 1. Iohn 1.7 but only that bloude of Christ which clenseth vs from all sinne Iohn 1.29 Only that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world by vertue wherof because wee knowe our sinnes are satisfied for and we reconciled vnto God as here we cānot so els wher we need not make other attonmēt with god for them For he that is so purged shall not perish Iohn 3.16 Iohn 5.24 he shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life as he that cānot lie hath told vs. THE PAPISTS OVR aduersaries teach Concil Trid. Sess 22. ca. 2. that because there are sinners which are not in Christ fully purged Cens Colon dialog 10. and wee may perchance die before we haue done due penaunce or fully satisfied for our sinnes therefore there is no remedy but to purgatory we must go For although we be reconciled to God by Christ Cens Colon ibidem and receiued to his fauour yet is not that sufficient to bring vs to heauen vntil we or others for vs haue added somwhat to that satisfaction of Christ Se. 6. Can. 30 And he that wil teach contrary to this is accounted accursed by the councell of Trent The absurditie of this their doctrine maketh me loath almost to meddle with it for what christian eares can heare the blasphemy of the councell of Trent in the place before alleadged The blasphemous saying of the ◠ouncel of Trēt the Iesuites that there are some they meane of such as shall dwell with God that are not fully purged in Christ And yet the scriptures do onely and wholy ascribe vnto Christ our perfect redemption whereof his bloud is the price his death is our ransome Or who can but detest the folly of those Iesuites who are not ashamed to write that God receiueth such to fauour as he wil not suffer to come where he is vntill they haue satiffied for their punishment No they blush not to affirme that God is like to a froward man who although he can be content by intreaty to forgiue yet will he not forget the offences that are committed against him but will haue them punished with temporall punishments either here or else-where Which not to be true among other the thiefe vppon the crosse may teach vs. For what satisfaction did hee make for his temporall punishment None at all for Christ said to him Luc. 23.43 This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise Yea this example prooueth that it is not according vnto Gods iustice so to deale For if hee being a malefactor had no punishment enioyned vnto him but were freelie pardoned howe can wee imagine that God will deale more hardly with other Againe to say that wee must make any satisfaction is to ouerthrowe that free grace and mercy of God and the only merit of Iesus Christ and so to diminish the benefite that wee haue of his gratious goodnesse or to charge him with weakenesse and impotencie as though hee were not able without our satisfaction for our sinnes to take away the same And how doubtfully they set downe this their doctrine their Writings doe testifie to beare witnesse of their owne vncertaintie of that which they doe teach For Allen that most vnnaturall countrey man of ours but he that sitteth in heauen hath defeated his purposes and laughed him to scorne concerning this point hee thus setteth it downe that Often there remaineth a due temporal punishment for satisfaction And master Bellarmine saith Defence of purgatorie chap. 1. De purgat li. 1. cap. 7. Censur Colon dial 10.
the catholike faith Not the authoritie of any man not the loue that he beareth him not his wit eloquence or philosophie But despising all these stedfast and setled in faith doeth make reckoning that hee must hold and beleeue onely whatsoeuer he knoweth the catholike church of olde beleeued Hee confirmeth also that heresies are for the triall of the godly by S. Paul 1. Cor. 11.19 with a long and liuely description of such as are wauering and doubtfull in faith maruelling much at their madnes that content not themselues with the rule of faith The Papists are possessed with this mad spirit which of old once hath beene receiued but day by day seeke new things and delight alwayes to put something to or to change or to take somewhat from religion Not remembring that it is a heauenly doctrine which once to be reuealed sufficeth but as if it were an earthly institution which cannot be perfected but by continuall mending or rather controlling it This chopping chāging in religion he proueth to be dangerous by three other testimonies of scripture Prouer. 22.28 Eccl. 8 17. Eccle. 10.8 but especially insisteth vpon that of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 6.20 O Timothe keep that which is committed vnto thee and auoide prophane and vaine babling and opposition of knowledge falsly so called And sheweth what is meant by this word depositum What is meant by That which is committed to thee That which is committed that is that which thou art trusted with not that thou deuisedst that thou hast receiued not inuented a matter not of thine owne wit but of an others teaching not for thy priuate vse but for to deliuer to all A thing brought to thee not brought forth by thee wherein thou maiest bee not the Author but the keeper not the teacher but the scholler not the leader but the follower This as pure gold must be kept pure without corruption It must be beautified and fitted but in any wise we must So teach that wee haue learned Wee must teach no new thing Growing in faith but no changing that when we speake after a new manner yet we bring no new matter Yet we must grow and the faster the better So that it bee but growing and not changing In the very same doctrine the same meaning the same vnderstanding Euen as children grow in their body but are the same that they were But if any partes or members should be added or turned into another shape it were a monstrous thing Such and no other must be our growing in religion to no other but to more perfection in the same which hee also maketh manifest by the example of wheat Which being sowen by our fathers in the primitiue church must bee husbanded and dressed by vs but the seede must not bee changed Yea in these plantes of religion we maie nay wee must vse all diligence to trimme them and dresse them but to change them to mangle or maime them it is great wickednesse Yea they must still keepe their Fulnesse sincerity and property He seemeth to haue prophecied of the mischiefes of popery For doe but once giue libertie to this deceit of cutting or corrupting the Scriptures and religion is in danger to bee quite ouerthrowne If some maie bee cut off nought will be left if some maie bee mingled nought will bee pure and sincere The true church keepeth safely her owne But the Church of Christ is a carefull and warie keeper of doctrines lefte vnto her shee neuer changeth any thing diminisheth it not addeth nothing Shee cutteth not of thinges necessarie Shee putteth not to thinges needelesse Shee doeth not leese her owne shee will haue nothing that belongeth to others Yea and in all her Councels the church did nothing else but set downe that in writing which before was knowen onlie by tradition and vtter by newe termes The councels taught nothing in faith new Teachers of newes must bee auoided matters of faith not new We must also by all meanes possible shun and auoid such as bring not the catholicke and vniuersal doctrine which hath continued one and the same from age to age by one vndefiled tradition of the truth and shal continue for euer without end And this newnesse of wordes the Apostle calleth prophane because it hath in it nothing holy nothing religious These prophane nouelties therefore we must auoide for to receiue them is the maner not of catholikes but of heretikes The words thus included I was loath to leaue out because the Papists bragge much of them as though they did mightily conuince vs to be heretikes And yet if a man do well consider of them hee may iustly doubt whether they be Vincentius his words or added since because they are brought in so impertiuently to his matter and nothing in all the booke either afore or after that soundeth that way But admit that they are his words it is no hard matter to prooue this in very many of the doctrines of the church of Rome bicause therein they do iumpe and drawe in one yoke with the olde heretikes of whome the stories mention by whome how and when they beganne But they will tell vs their doctrines were not condemned by any councel which they professe And how could they when they that taught them had gotten the soueraignty ouer princes and prelats Yea he whom they call the catholike king as in some respects they may truely not because he loueth catholike religion For in a man of so excessiue greedinesse intollerable pride and vnnaturall crueltie as many of his practises and purposes shew him to be what religion can there be but because hee scarcely can coment himselfe with the whole world this man I say vsurpeth Nauarre and intrudeth himselfe into the kingdome of Portingal And yet so long as he ruleth them their parleaments or councels dare not no they can not proclame him to be an vsurper or an intruder into other mens right although hee is so neither would our sauiour Christ haue regarded any thing this defence that the Scribes and Pharises and Priests of the Iewes might haue vsed In what coun◠el was that condemned that we teach but on the contrary he telleth that by their power and authoritie they shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men and suffer not them that would enter Math. 23.13 And so did the Church of Rome What heresie hath beene at any time but it hath beene vnder some certain name in some certayne place at some certaine time And no man doeth maintaine any heresie but that hee first separateth him selfe from the consent of the vniuersality and antiquitie of the catholike church As hee prooueth by the examples of Pelagius Celestius Arrius Sabellicus Nouatianus Simon Magus Priscilianus Yea but Heretikes doe alleadge Scripture for al in a maner that they say and therefore are they the more dangerous And that practise did Sathan vse before against our sauiour Christ But how then shall catholike men know
cal the Scriptures and vnwritten which they call Traditions Traditions And the traditions say they were either deliuered by the Apostles themselues to some special men and therfore are called Apostolike or else are set downe by the Church and for that cause called Traditions of the Church Traditions equall with the word Now traditions are made equall and to be receiued with as great reuerence as the Scriptures euen by the Councel of Trent Ses 4. decre 1 Preferred before the word the most modest Papists But there are others who in their excesse of impietie preferre the trâ— ditions before the word written and make them of greater force than it as Pighius in his Ecclesiasticall hierarchie Eccl. Hierar lib. 1. cap. 4. Thesi 9. In his preface Wolfgangus Screckius Nay in that he wil by traditions haue all doctrines tried he manifestly subiecteth the pure written woorde of God to the prophane deuises of man BVt to take away the proppes of this their ruinous building let vs see what grounds or foundations for so Melchior Canus a learned Papist termeth them they lay of this their doctrine Obiection Melchior Canus in his common places of Diuinitie and Bellarmine in his controuersies lib. 3. cap. 3 Bellar. lib. 4 〈◊〉 of Gods worde dâ— written and others also set this downe as a most neceâ—â—â—rie principle That the Church is more ancient than the Scriptures As in trueth the Church was more than two thousand yeres before there was any written word of God in bookes and therefore Bellarmine inferreth That the Scriptures are not simply necessary Answere First this ground doeth not vpholde that which is in controuersie among vs. For they shoulde prooue traditions to bee a part of Gods worde so that without them Gods word could not bee counted perfect And to proue that they tel vs that it was more than two thousand yeeres before the woord was written Which maketh nothing for them vnlesse they can shew vs that this word which is now written is not that same that before was deliuered by tradition vnto the fathers of that old world For the question betweene vs and the Papists is not of the maner of deliuering Gods word whether it were deliuered by word or by writing but of the matter namely whether Gods word be any thing else than that is written in the old and new testament which we deny but they affirme it because the word was so long time vnwritten yet the church was not then without the word So that because the word was reuealed after an other manner the Papists wil haue it another word Whereas in trueth that same word that was from the beginning Iohn 1.1 what word that is that is written is that verie word of God that was so long after the beginning written for the Iewes and is now deliuered vnto vs. Wee must therefore take heede that they deceiue vs not by the double signification of the word Scripture which sometime expresseth the manner of deliuering the word namely by writing and so we confesse the scripture was not so ancient as the church by mo than two thousand yeares but sometime the word Scripture signifieth the word it selfe which is deliuered vnto vs as it is commonly now taken and in this place must so be vnderstoode And so hath the word written beene from the beginning That is to say that the selfe same word which God by word of mouth as we say and by tradition did teach the patriarkes hee afterwards did cause to be written which word wee call the holy scriptures And further also we must remember that one manner of deliuering the word of God Diuerse maners of deliuering the word at diuerse times is fit for one time and an other manner of deliuering it for an other time As may appeare by that which hath beene said how that God hath in his infinite wisedome seene it needefull to deliuer it one way afore the Lawe in an other sort vnder the Lawe and the Gospell although not in like measure in both these latter times So that this argument cannot stand good The scriptures haue not beene written in the first age amongst the patriarkes therefore they are not necessary now amongst vs in these dayes to whom God hath by them reuealed his word Which argument is strongly confuted by Chrysostome that learned and ancient Father In Matth. hom 1. But to these men who are as Tertullian calleth the Heretikes of his time lucifugae scripturarum De resurrect carnis such as shunne the light of the scriptures and flee from it I may say as the same Tertullian speaketh in an other place De prescript Beleeue without the Scriptures that yee may also beleeue against the Scriptures Let them seeke the desert of their owne deuises and follow the trod of their owne traditions to finde out some couert for their superstitions but let vs content our selues to dwell in the cities of the Lawe the Prophets the Gospel and the Apostles which are the Scriptures and not goe out of them In Mich. li. 1 as Saint Ierome speaketh For euery word of God is pure Prou. 30.5 6 hee is a shield to those that trust in him Put nothing to his word lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a liar That this VVorde is sufficient CHAP. 2 THE PROTESTANTS This word is sufficient NOw this written word of God because it is sent vs froÌ„ that most gratious God that hath loued vs and chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laide Eph. 1.4 that we might be holy with out blame before him and is brought vnto vs by that most excellent Prophet In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss 2.3 and therefore can teach vs Heb. 3.2 who also is faithful and therefore wil deale truely with vs yea who so heartily loueth vs that hee died for vs and therefore doubtlesse will be careful to teach vs what behooueth vs to knowe Seeing also the Apostle saint Paul doeth testifie that he kept nothing backe that was profitable Acts 20.20 27 but shewed them all the councell of God We therefore beleeue the Scriptures to be written Ioh. 20.31 that wee might beleeue and beleeuing might haue eternall life 2. Tim. 3.16 And that the whole scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse 17 That the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes that is that the Scripture is so sufficient and perfect that it hath no want it needeth no supply nothing must be added THE PAPISTS BVT the Church of Rome knowing that Tertullian wrote truely De resurrect carnis That Heretikes if they be made to proue that they say by the Scriptures can not stand do find fault that they should be so straitly limited and tethered that
sentence of scripture a man may gather diuerse good lessons and that with good fruit to others and approbation of all men so long as those interpretations are agreeable to the rule of faith yet when any euill thing in faith or life is thereby maintained without all doubt the words are then wrested and it ceaseth to bee Gods word Now this is not the fault of the word but of mans corrupt affections which abuse the same Rom. 7.12 For the Lawe truely is holy and the commandement is holy iust and good And as Epiphanius saieth Heres 70 There is no discord in the Scripture nor one sentence disagreeing from an other And in an other place Heres 76 All things in the holy Scripture are cleane enough to them that with godly consideration will come vnto that diuine word and haue not conceiued in themselues the worke of the Diuell indeuoring to throw themselues into the pit of death Euen as saint Paul saith If our gospell be yet hid 2. Cor. 4 3 4 it is hid in them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded their minds And what is Gods word the worse if the wicked will not know it 2. Pet. 3.16 or the vnlearned or vnstable peruert it to their owne destruction I wil therefore conclude with that golden saying of Iustine the martyre I would wish others to be of that mind Iustin Col. cum Tryphone Iud. that they would not swarue from our Sauiours wordes For they can put religion into them that wander from the right way and refresh with most sweete rest them that are exercised therein The Scriptures easie CHAP 4 THE PROTESTANTS Scripturs easie WE also teach the scripturs to be easie not bicause we thinke nothing to be hard in them or that they are easy to euery one but we affirme with Chrysostome 2. Thess 2 hom 3. All that is necessary is easy in them So that with a mind humbled and crauing of God to be instructed men study them The simple may learn by them their duety towardes God and man and how to behaue them selues in their particular dueties And whereas by the Papistes own confessiō the x commandements are very easie Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 3. cap. 2. no man can deny but that Gods threatnings against sin the promises of mercy and many other things in this writtē word are as easie Yea why were the prophets sent vnto all sorts of men why do the apostles write vnto all but because much if not all that they do write or say might be vnderstoode euen of the simple THE PAPISTS ANd on the contrary the church of Rome fearing least the light of the worde should discouer the darkenes of their blind deuotions doe what they can to discourage the people from being exercised in the Scriptures lest knowing the truth they shuld detest their superstitions and idolatries and for this cause they cry out with opē mouth that the scripture is too hard to bee vnderstoode and too darke for ignorant men to meddle with the same Wherby they haue brought many ignorant and lay men into that foolish and vnchristian conceit that they thinke it a great deale more dangerous for them euen for their soules health to be occupied in reading or hearing some peece of holie Scripture than the wanton and vnchaste Bookes of prophane men which corrupt good manners and breede noysome lustes that fight against the soule But because this is a great stumbling blocke in the way of the ignorant it shall not be amisse somewhat particularly to examine the Arguments that are vsed to prooue the hardnesse of the scriptures Argument The first argument of Bellarmines is this Dauid prayeth thus Giue me vnderstanding and I wil search thy law Open mine eies Lib. 3. cap. 1. de verbi Dei interpr and I will consider the woonderous things of thy lawe shew the light of thy countenance vpon thy seruant teach me thy statutes therefore the Scriptures are hard Answere It is certaine that Dauids prayers were not to haue his naturall or outward man only instructed for who can imagine that the prophet Dauid being so well acquainted in Gods booke could not vnderstand Gods lawe but to haue his mind and inward man lightned and directed and therefore this proueth not the sense of scripture to be hard for the like prayers are to be vsed of them that thinke it to be most easie Secondly euen the lawe which they confesse to be easie hath not only the literall sense but should also be a bridle vnto the affections and thoughts of men Matth. 5 as most plainly appeareth in those Commentaries which our Sauiour Christ maketh vppon the sixt seuenth and fourth commandements Rom. 7.14 In which respect also S. Paul doth call it Spirituall although Bellarmine seeme to account the commandements to be but Natural The Precepts saith he of the x. Commandements seeing they are natural may easily be vnderstood Dauid therfore may there pray as all christians ought to doe that he may know by Gods word not only how to rule his actiōs but also his words affections This thē doth not proue the scripturs to be hard concerning such good lessons as out of the literal sense may be learned but he proueth that vnlesse God lighten vs we cannot see the spirituall meaning Psa 119.27 which he calleth the maruellous things of the law Arg. 2 His second argument proueth some parts of Scripture to be hard which we denie not and therefore deserueth no answere Arg. 3 Lib. 2. ca 47 Contra Celsum lib. 7 In Exod. hom 12 His third argument is taken from the Fathers Irene saith in the scriptures I commit many things to God Orig. saith the scripture is darke in many places And in another place that we must pray night and day that the lamb of the Tribe of Iuda will come and that hee will vouchsafe to open the booke that is sealed Answere That many things in the scripture are hard we neuer denied as before I said and that with Reading wee should ioyne Prayer therefore Bellarmine when he took these weapons in hand did but feare his owne shadow That Basil and Gregory Nazianzene did seeke not by their owne presumption but by other mens writings that were before them to attaine to the vnderstanding of this written word Ruffinus doth well to commend them But I am sure that Bellarmine himselfe will not thereof conclude that they vnderstoode nothing of themselues or without teachers or that all the scriptures are hard He bringeth in Chrysostome saying that the deepe things therein cannot be attained vnto without great labour and that Christ would haue the Iewes not to reade onely but to search them also If of this hee conclude therfore al the scriptures are hard his argument is to be denied for that it hath no trueth in it if hee say therefore many things are hard we say
down so many fathers and reasons as partly I haue alleaged to the contrary and might haue alledged many mo But their meaning is plaine enough For although S. Augustine and that Councel of Carthage and others say that all those bookes are canonicall yet wee must vnderstand them according to their meaning They diuided all the scripturs that went in the name of scriptures but into two parts Those which they called Apocrypha De ciuit Dei lib. 15. ca. 23 lâ— b. 3. cap. 25 Euseb had many fables as may appeare by saint Augustine now all the rest they called Canonicall so that they comprehend vnder that name all that Eusebius and others do vnderstand both by such bookes as were without all controuersie receiued of al men and such as were not generally receiued of all but well liked of many And they comprehend all these in one name not only because that in comparison of the other that were fabulous these were good but also because they were read commonly of them although not for establishing of anie doctrine as before I haue shewed yet for reformation of manners And that S. Augustines meaning was not to make like account of all appeareth not onely by that rule which himselfe setteth downe in that very chapter after he hath reckoned vp those Bookes canonicall Those canonicall bookes which are generally saith he receiued by the common consent of all Churches De doctrinâ— christiana li. 2. cap. 8. 30 are to bee preferred before them that are reiected of many but of those whom we call Apocrypha Origen Athanasius Epiphanius Melito Hierome Ruffinus and many other haue doubted but also by his practise For it will appeare how that somtime himself doubteth of some of them which we deny to be canonicall namely of the Machabees hee writeth thus against the second Epistle of Gaudentius the Donatist Lib. 2. cap. 23 This peece of Scripture of the Machabees the Iewes do not so account of as of the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes vnto the which the Lord giueth testimony as vnto his own witnesses saying Al things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes of me but it is receiued of the Church not without profite if it bee read or heard soberly Wherin first I note that the Iewes with whom the word of God was kept before it came to vs did not account it canonicall Secondly note how he magnifieth the witnes of the scriptures which are indeede canonical calling them the Lords owne witnesses And thirdly how coldly hee intertaineth the bookes of Machabees saying the church readeth them and that with profit if they be read soberly by reason of some good examples in them But yet more plainely in his Bookes of the citie of God Lib. 18. c. 36. The reckoning of time from the restoring of the Temple is not found in the holy Scriptures that are called Canonicall but in other writings amongst which are the Bookes of the Machabees which the Iewes reckon not canonicall but the church doth bicause of the extreame strange sufferings of some Martires Wherein wee see how that S. Augustine saith that wee knowe not the story of those times after the temple was built by any canonicall writer but yet by the Machabees wee know it therefore the Machabees are not canonicall And yet the church accounteth them saith he canonicall because of the examples of the Martyres in them As if he would haue saide Although those Bookes be not indeede such as you may build your faith vpon yet they are for some things worth the reading Which two places I stoode vpon the rather because Bellarmine alledgeth them De verbo de lib. 1. cap. 15. especially this latter as a speciall pillar to hold vp those Bookes of Machabees But howe truely let the Reader iudge Arg. 3 Their third and last argument is taken from that authority which they imagine the Church hath to approoue or disprooue Gods word And therefore is it so often repeated by Bellarmine handling this point That the Councell of Trent hath allowed such Bookes De verbo dei lib. 1. De ecclesia So that hee iumpeth right with that which most blasphemously Eckius hath set downe that twice within few lines he liked so well of it That the Scriptures are not authenticall or canonicall without the authoritie of the church And Canus setteth himselfe to make a full discourse against them that say Lib 2. de locis Theol. ca. 6 That the Scripture needeth not the approbation of the church And thus they must reason The church hath allowed those bookes to be canonicall which you call Apocrypha according as did also the ancient fathers therefore they are canonicall Answere That the weakenesse and wickednesse of this argument may appeare let vs first consider who is the Author of the holy scriptures which the Apostle declareth as plainly as can be when he saith 2. Tim. 3.16 The whole scripture is giuen by inspiration from God Therefore the scripture is the word not of man but of God Secondly let vs see how this word came to vs whether by tradition of the church or by special reuelation Which also is plainly answered by saint Peter saying 2. Pet. 1.21 that prophecie came not in olde time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost What will we then say shall we imagin that God would direct by his holy Spirite the mouthes of his seruants to speake but not their pennes to write God forbid Thirdly the men whome it pleased God to vse as his meanes in setting downe this word were knowen vnto the church of that time wherein they flourished and their calling so confirmed vnto the godly that without all doubt or wauering they receiued those writings as Gods word because they knew the authors thereof to be directed by Gods spirit And this is the difference that the ancient fathers doe make betweene those Bookes of scripture whose authors were knowen and their bookes alwayes receiued and therefore called Canonicall that is such as deliuer rules for life and doctrine that are infallible and those other that are called Apocrypha because either it was not knowen who wrote them or else it was not knowen that they were indued with such a spirite as they could not erre in any thing And therefore their Bookes were not receiued of the church then Is it not then intollerable pride in the church of Rome to commaund silence vnto God himselfe and not to suffer him to speake but when they giue him leaue and to proclame it vnto the world that euen his word is not of credite vnlesse it be by their approbation and allowance of the same And yet thus doe they say when they affirme that the Scriptures are not Canonicall but by the approbation of the Church Yea some make them no better than Esopes Fables if the Church allowe not
commaund that ceremonie to bee vsed so neither did himselfe practise it any more but that once as may appeare in sundrie places where hee authoriseth his Apostles to preach without breathing vpon them And nowe for laying on of handes which many times the Apostles vsed wee haue not only the testimonie of manie in the popish church that thinke it not to be the principall outward signe in this sacrament but thinke the giuing of a chalice with wine and the couer of it with bread to be more essentiall and effectuall but also we see that there is no commaundement giuen to the Apostles for it and therefore neither doe they commaund it to be vsed as a thing so necessarie that it may not be omitted And whereas we acknowledge this ceremonie to haue sundrie vses first in respect of the church the partie ordained is by that ceremonie notified vnto the church secondly he is confirmed thereby in his calling put in minde of his dutie and assured of his vocation by this common approbation that hereby the church sheweth Thirdly thereby the church doeth testifie as it were before God their sincere dealing in their election and consecrate him to the seruice of God Lastly the Godly vsed manie times in praying for others to lay their hands vpon them Bellarmine in the place aboue named bestoweth some paines to proue that praier and laying on of hands are two distinct things which is not denied To be short the summe of his argument is this it was vsed of the Apostles therefore it is so necessarie that it cannot be omitted We answer that that ceremonie had good vses but yet might be omitted Because our sauiour Christ did neither vse it nor commaund it And to thinke that he omitted anie substantial point of religion or that the Apostles would account as simply necessary any thing not vsed or prescribed by Christ is to absurd And whereas they proue the promise of iustifying grace to be made by Christ vnto them that receyue this their sacrament of Orders I wonder that they see not how that both many are iustified that neuer entered into their Orders many also that haue had and haue their greasing and scraping are as wicked men and so by likelihood as far from this iustifying grace as Turkes or Iewes And so it easily appeareth that this second thing required in a sacrament namely that it should seale in vs the promise of iustification hath not so much as anie likelihoode to bee in this their sacrament of Orders The third thing necessarie in a sacrament is Gods commaundement wherin they confesse their want and that they haue no commaundement But yet because God did giue grace with laying on of the Apostles handes 1 Tim. 4. Bellar. de ord sacra li. 1. ca. 2. therefore they take it as commaunded of God If this bee a good argumente God gaue g od successe to it therefore it is commaunded of God many strange partes in Sampson Iehu and others will prooue to be commaunded of God but that is most false as the Papists themselues will confesse God did not onely prosper Phinehas Numb 25 in that which he attempted against Zimrie and Cosby but commended the fact also and graciously rewarded the same but yet he had no commaundement for so doing Therefore although God may bee saide in some sort to like of that to which he giueth good successe yet no man can thereby conclude that God hath commaunded it But rather on the contrary we may thus reason The laying on of hands was neither practised by our sauiour Christ neither commaunded by him or his Apostles therefore that ceremonie is not of such necessitie but that ordination may bee without it Yea but Christ is not tyed to the sacrament sayth master Bellarmine and therefore can giue the effect of the sacrament without the sacrament Cap. 2. li. 1. hee can make Priestes without laying on of handes That hee can so doe wee confesse but that hee dealeth so in the institution of sacraments all the Papists in the worlde will neuer bee able to proue for in them we see that all things are most plaine the outward signe the promise the commaundement nothing in them hidden nothing doubtfull But because himselfe dare not well rest vpon that answere hee concludeth that seconde chapter with another aunswere for hee telleth vs that it may bee that Christ did lay his hands vpon them whom he made ministers Is this good dealing Doeth not this manifestly bewray the weakenesse of their cause when such friuolous coniectures are the chiefe strength of their cause As for the Fathers whatsoeuer out of them they doe alledge cannot prooue that which they take in hande namely that the sacrament of Orders is a sacrament like to Baptisme and the Eucharist For all men must confesse that these two sacraments which wee acknowledge to be common to all Christians are farre vnlike in that point to that popish sacrament which belongeth but vnto a fewe And euen in this consisteth especially the true vse of Baptisme and of the Eucharist that they should be genenerall testifications vnto the whole church of Gods graces and seales of his promises and pledges of his loue and fauour And therefore the fathers sometime call Ordination a sacrament yet it followeth not that they take it to bee a sacrament in the proper sense but in that sense onely as they call manie other things Sacraments which the Popish Church doeth not receyue as Sacraments De Sacrat ord li 1. ca â— But say they the Fathers compare Ordination with Baptisme For Bellarmine maketh great reckoning of that argument The fathers may be so in some respect because the sacrament of Baptisme cannot be reiterated no more must he that is once ordained to the ministerie seeke to be ordayned againe for euerie action that he performeth in his ministerie but hee is once for all appointed thereto But what is that to the nature of the sacrament which must by a visible signe assure vs of inuisible graces So that athough Ordination be like to Baptisme after a sort yet is it not like to Baptisme in that it by a visible signe doeth assure vs of inuisible graces but onely because it is not to bee reiterated no more than Baptisme is And thus wee see the weakenesse of this argument Ordination is in some poynt like to Baptisme therefore it is a sacrament in such sort as Baptisme is Thus then I trust it appeareth howe weakely they proue Ordination to be a sacrament who haue neither scriptures Matt. 28.19 nor fathers for the same But if they could prooue that Ordination which Christ vsed to bee a sacrament what is that to Popish Ordination Christ sent the Apostles to preach Goe teach all nations but by their ordination the popish priests Receiue power to offer a sacrifice The Apostles executed their commission which Christ gaue them as appeareth in the Acts and their Epistles And the popish priests on
together two into one flesh Then if we wil speake properly of marriage it is the ioyning together not of minds or heartes onely but of bodies also Yea li. 1. chap. 5 De Sacram. matrim and it is confessed by maister Bellarmine that such marriages as haue not copulation are but a maimed and vnperfect Sacrament and that Priestes may so be married And howe his fellowes will take this at his handes I cannot tell that they who count themselues most perfect should not bee admitted but to that vnperfect Sacrament whereas the common sort and knowne sinners might bee partakers of the perfect Sacrament But let them order those matters amongest themselues But saint Basil perchance would admit them to the vse of marriage since maister Bellar. doth permit them to marry De vera Virginitate so that they abstaine froÌ„ the vse of it For saith he since the reason of the minde directing hath manifestly ioined their hearts in respect of some necessitie worthily doth the vnitie of bodies to which they are knit folow those hearts so vnited wherin this lerned father seemeth to me to be of that mind that there is no cause but that whosoeuer may in heart be ioined vnto another as to his wife may also in bodie bee ioyned with her And so if it be lawfull for them to marry and to continue married Cap. 5. as Bellarmine confesseth it is also lawfull for them to haue the vse of marriage as saint Basill here saieth But what is the reason why they stande so much in this matter Are they not men haue they not infirmities Can they who this day finde themselues to be voyde of such assaults as are the fruites of wanton lusts promise to themselues that they shall bee so to morrowe likewise and so to continue also Let no man deceyue himselfe in that foolish imagination no body can assure themselues of anie such thing it is a rare gift of God All men cannot receiue this thing Mat. 19.11 1. Cor. 7 7 17 De monac li. 2. cap. 31 but they to whome it is giuen If it be a gift of God as Bellar. confesseth it is too much presumption for vs to be so bold to promise it as though it were within our owne reach If it bee care it is too much wickednesse and too great occasion of offence for the church of Rome to require it so as they doe of all their cleargie Yea but they teach this as a doctrine that needes must bee beleeued De Cler. li. 1 cap. 21 and with a full consent and namely Bellarmine That they haue the gift of continencie that will And againe That there is no man that cannot liue continently if himselfe will Of this doctrine of free will I shall God willing speake more largely hereafter But now for this bolde and grosse affirmation I am verily perswaded that it neuer could haue come from any man vnlesse either his minde were blinded with ignorance that hee saw not the trueth of his owne estate or his heart were either possessed with such a senselesnesse that it could feele no sinne or else so bent to resist the truth that he would not yeeld to it although hee knewe it For what can bee found in the scriptures more common than the falles of the godly the faults of Gods seruants their complaints their sighes yea their teares because of their sinnes Shall we say they sinned willingly or that they walked not carefully in their wayes S. Paul then wil proue vs to be liars who for his part doth testifie To will is present with me Rom. 7.18 19 but I finde no way to performe that which is good For I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. Wee see saint Paule would faine not haue done euill but yet hee did it Shall wee say we are stronger than hee was Then are wee fooles and knowe nothing of our owne weakenesse For this cause Paule willeth the yonger widowes not to vowe chastitie or striue for it 1. Tim. 5.14 but to marrie and doe such dutyes Yea and if the scriptures should not teach vs this let vs but looke into our selues and considering indifferently and without partiality how subiect we are to sinne we must confesse that if the Apostle had cause to sigh wee may iustly tremble â—â— d quake for feare If hee complaine and mourne wee may in bitternesse and anguish of soule crie out for his weaknesse shall bee founde strength if it bee compared with our readinesse to fast And yet I confesse that God will giue grace to them that aske it and let them that seek find so that they aske and seeke in such sort as they ought to doe and such things as are necessarie for them to walke in their calling But to aske that we should not stand in need of that helpe and remedie agaynst sinne that God hath prouided or that wee should liue a more angellicall life than hee hath appoynted vs to doe is to tempt God in asking without our warrant and therefore without fayth and to despise that measure of grace that God hath vouchedsafe to bestowe vpon vs. The treasure is great that wee who are Gods ministers doe carrie although in earthen vessels that the power might bee of God 2. Cor. 4.7 and not of vs. It is inough for vs if the Lord keepe vs so 〈◊〉 his great goodnesse from falling that we bee not dashed in peeces and bee a reproch to this excellent worde of life So that wee honour him and glorifie his name in what estate of life so euer it be whether single life or mariage it maketh no matter Gods will be done and Gods name be praysed for it Well then we see beggers must be no choosers but looke what hee hath appointed vs to haue let vs bee heartily thankefull for it and craue Gods good spirite to direct vs in that way Seeing then it appeareth I trust that neither to liue vnmaried without burning in lust is in our power neither yet it is needfull that anie should striue for that vnlesse hee see that God hath giuen him that gift let vs yet further consider what it is that they so much mislike in mariage Cens col diall 3 Ad Himer They say that it doeth open a doore vnto wantonnesse and putteth fire to all lustes And as Pope Sericius sayeth for such to marrie is nothing else but to liue in the flesh yea in pollution and that they cannot please God Censur col dial 3. Yea blasphemously doe the Iesuites of Colen call it the life of Sardanapalus for a Priest to marrie But more like to the saying of a plaine Atheist is that saying of that man of Colen that a man were better to haue a hundred harlots one after another than one wife And our countrey man Doctour Smith in his booke of vowes and single life D. Smith Obiection 8 is not ashamed to
thing yet master Bellarmine wil not thinke it sufficient that a bishop should be chaste because he knoweth that Saint Augustine and other of the fathers affirme that there is chastity in mariage but he will doubtles spie some greater vertue in continency then in chastity and therefore he will haue a bishop not chast only but also continent But if we must seeke for a difference betweene these two wordes I take this to be it that continencie is of shorter continuance that is to say but an abstinence for a time and chastitie is a vertue that indureth And the examples brought by master Bellarmine himselfe approue this difference But Chrisostome and Theophilact doe take continencie to be an abstinence not from lusts only but from al vice so that as Theophilact saith he must rule his tongue his handes and his eies Hierom vpon these wordes saith plainelie that the Apostle neuer speaketh of continencie or incontinencie but in respect of wanton lustes but yet he taketh continencie to be such a vertue as may be in maried folke And therefore the Apostle saith he hauing spoken of a bishop that hee may haue one wife least he should seeme to permit incontinencie to them addeth this and with Hierom agreeth Primasius So that they make continent and chaste all one 1. Cor. 7.3.4.5 For although married folke must performe the duties of mariage one to another yet so as they passe not the boundes of chastitie or continencie This reason then is not good Priests must by Saint Paules rule bee continent therefore they must haue no wiues But on the contrarie Saint Paul in that verie place where he requireth in a bishop continencie doth permit at the least that he shoulde be the husband of one wife therefore in mariage there may be continencie Tit. 1.6 As for that which hee alleadgeth out of Councels popes fathers and reason because they proue not that which hee hath vndertaken to proue Chap. 19. it is not worth an answere For the title of that Chapter is That single life by the Apostolicke law is verie well tyed to the holie orders And when hee hath snatched at one poore worde and findeth no greate helpe in it hee seeketh to prooue by Councels popes fathers and reason that single life hath beene commended of some commaunded of others But that the Apostles commaunded it hee prooueth not and that hee tooke in hande But on the contrarie the Canons that are called the Apostles haue this Canon Can. 6 Let not a bishop or Priest put awaie his wife vnder pretence of religion If hee doe it let him bee excommunicated if hee stande in it let him bee reiected But what saith master Bellarmine to this He answereth out of one Humbert a Cardinall that to put away his wife de cler li. ◠cap. 2◠is to haue no care of his wife But if we marke the fiftieth Canon of the Apostles wherein there is a prouiso that none shoulde abstaine from mariage because hee thinketh it to bee euill it will easilie appeare that the sixt Canon was made to ouerthwart the foolish opinion of them that condemned mariage as a thing more vncleane then that it should be fit for priestes or bishops And thus much to proue that mariage of priestes is not euill of it selfe or vnlawfull in respect of any commandement in Gods word Now that it is also lawfull I am perswaded by these reasons First because of the vncertainety of the contrarie doctrine for some say that sole life is commanded by God others denie it as you haue heard Againe there are and those papists too that say the lawe of abstaining from mariage Fab. Tract 4. in Luth. de mat clear for the clergie was first made by pope Siricius who liued almost four hundred yeares after Christ although Iohn Faber report that Calixtus forbad it somewhat before But Bellarmine and others thinke in no wise that it may be suffered that this their doctrine shoulde bee thought so farre shorte of the times of Christ and his Apostles Some holde it a necessarie lawe Bellarm. li. 1. de clericis cap. 18. others but conuenient And such diuersitie of doctrine in these and such like pointes is if not an inuincible yet a verie probable proofe that their doctrine hath no sure grounde in Gods word no great consent of antiquitie and that is the cause that there is no certaine doctrine of it amongest themselues and such is their agreement also concerning that other point whether matrimony be a sacrament or not Secondly the weakenes of their proofe doth euen proclaime vnto the world the weakenes of their cause For the most and best learned of them doe confesse that God hath not commanded it And the proofes that they bring out of the Apostle for it as it seemeth haue so little waight in them that Bellarmine is ashamed to alleadge them As for that small holde that he could get out of the Apostles words Tit. 1.8 That a bishop should be continent how little it can helpe his cause you haue heard before Seeing therfore that either they bring nothing worth hearing out of Gods word or apply vnto the clergy only that which the Apostle speaketh to all men and weomen indifferently such is all that they alleadge out of the 7. Chapter of S. Paules first epistle to the Corinthes we are the lesse bound to beleeue whatsoeuer they out of the fathers shall teach vs concerning this matter Who themselues doe charge vs to examine by the scriptures their writings and not to beleeue any thing that they shall teach vnlesse they teach such things as are agreeable vnto Gods word Yea since their arguments are so weake that euen Panormitane and other papists whom Iohn Faber in some respects spareth to name because they saw no necessary consequence in them although they liued in daies of greater darckenes than wee do God be praised for our light indeuoured to obtain that mariage might be lawful for the clergy as Faber reporteth yea and pope Pius the second Cont. Luth. Tract 4. was so little moued by those arguments that he had wont to say that there was great cause that priests should be forbiddē to marry Pla◠in the life of Pius 2. but greater that mariage should be permitted vnto them and the Ambassadours of catholicke princes were earnest suiters in the names of their princes to the councell of Trent that mariage might be free for the clergy Since these arguments I say were not able to persuade these men so deuoted to their doctrines as it is knowen they were how much more may we reiect this their lawe as hurtfull to Gods church and iniurious to our wise Law-maker and suspect it not to rest vpon good ground Thirdly the most blasphemous commendation that they giue vnto this estate of life and the efficacie and vertue that impudently and vntruely they do ascribe vnto the same maketh me thinke it is but a bird of their
Gods spirit to deliuer to vs such trifling toyes thereby to comfort the afflicted conscience And thus I trust it appeareth that this their sacrament of anoyling is but a deuise of their owne braine hauing neither institution from Christ neither any commaundement from his apostles or example in the scriptures especiallie as it is now vsed in the church of Rome either for the matter whereof it must consist or the manner how it must bee done or the end vnto which they especially haue regard in that ceremony I had thought here to haue ended both this treatise of the sacraments and this chapter but before I go anie farther I would haue the christian reader to marke the euill dealing of the popish church who with their tongues and pennes proclaime as lowd as they can that our doctrine is not catholicke it is new is lately deuised And yet we appeale to the scriptures haue testimony for vs also the cōsent of the fathers of the purer times And on the cōtrary the church of Rome crieth stil they are the catholick church they haue the catholicke religion yea all that is with them is catholicke But if by the rules of catholicke which Vincentius Lyrinensis giueth Commonitorio adversus haereses with whose authority they seek often to stoppe our mouthes we examine their doctrines we shall finde them as farre from the catholicke religion as the priests and rulers amongst the Iews were from the truth For whereas he accounteth no doctrine catholicke but that which hath beene taught at all times in all places and by all men or at the least by the most and the best learned and godliest men wee might by this rule reiect manie of their doctrines which they deliuer to vs as catholicke and necessarie so that without beleeuing them there is no saluation For shortnesse sake let vs looke into this that last I handled They will haue it a catholicke doctrine to teach that anoyling is a true and proper Sacrament yea and the councell of Trent curseth them that saie the contrarie And yet maister Bellarmine who saith as much in effect as they all can saie in this point how catholickely doth hee proue it He with much adoe wresteth for it one place out of Saint Iames and hath not one mo in all the Scripture for him Then leapeth hee more then foure hundreth yeares after Christ and picketh out one pope Innocent who saith it is a kinde of Sacrament If he had proued it to be a Sacrament properly so called yet had he beene but one witnesse in foure hundred yeares Then about 1200. years after Christ he hath gotten another witnes and he is a pope also Innocent the third Then he telleth vs of the 69. canon of the councell of Nice which had in al but twenty canons Al aboue twenty were fetched out of Arabia but are neither mētioned in the Nicene councel set forth by thēselues Li. 1. cap. 6. neither yet of Ruffinus in his ecclesiastical history where he setteth downe the canōs of that councel who although he make 22. in nūber Yet is the matter no other than is set downe in the 1. booke of the coūcels in those 20. chapters Besides there are many other strong reasons pregnant presumptions to proue those 50. canons for they haue 70. to be falsly added to the councel therfore they deserue no credit He also alledgeth some particular councels which he commendeth for their antiquitie and yet the ancientest of them is about 800. yeares after Christ And about that time also are the most ancient fathers that seeme to say any thing for him Then if thou knowest the sunne to shine at noone day thou maist also know that this is not a catholicke doctrine neither can be so accompted It hath not beene taught at all times not in al places not by al or the most of the learned No it hath had scarce one sufficient witnes in 1200. yeares But for the substance of religion which we teach if we haue not a vniuersal consent of the scriptures and also the testimony of the fathers of the church in her most pure times we craue no credit we aske no hearing Therefore that which wee teach is the only catholicke faith because it hath the vniuersall consent of the purer times that which for the most part they teach is but new not warranted by the word not known or not taught amongst the godly fathers at the least for 400. or 500. yeares Which I thought good vpon this occasion thus offered to note vnto the christian reader that I might pull away from the faces of those counterfeites the visard of catholicke vniuersality antiquity and consent that their religion may appeare indeede as it is new not old particular not catholicke false not true because it is the deuise of man whose wisedom is folly whose words are lies and not the wil of God which is the infallible rule and of whose word not one title shall perish And thus I trust it appeareth that they who brag most of the name of catholicke church are the greatest enemies to true catholicke religion teaching that which is nothing lesse then catholicke Of originall sinne what it is And whether Concupiscence be sinne or not CHAP. 21 THE PROTESTANTS THat all mankind which is conceiued of vnclean seede is also infected with original sinne no man denieth but the question is what this original sinne is which we confes to bee in vs. Originall sinne We therefore say It is a generall corruption of our whole nature which corruption as an inheritance we receiue from Adam In our minde is ignorance where was light knowledge In our heart is vnaptnesse and vnreadinesse to any thing that is good in steade of an earnest forwardnes to serue God sincerely whereby it commeth to passe that by concupiscence and lust wee are inticed to sinne Which concupiscence because the Apostle to the Romanes doeth often call ◠in we also say it is sinne not only because it proceedeth from sin and also proceedeth from it but also because it is a thing in it selfe contrary to Gods Lawe THE PAPISTS BVT the Papistes although they can not deny but that wee all haue originall sinne yet woulde they haue the force therof as litle knowen as may bee And therefore some of them haue taught that it is nothing else but the imputation of Adams sinne vnto vs and not any corruption in our selues as Ambrose Catharinus Andrad Orthod expli l◠b. 3. de axiom 3. Cens Colon. dialog 2. Pighius two notable papists And others find fault that we do so amplify the corruption of the nature of man by original sin as though nothing that is good could come from it As for cōcupiscence they wil not grant that it is sin in the regenerat And yet the Apostle S. Paul being a man regenerate confesseth it to be sin in himselfe very often as may appeare Rom. 7. The reasons which moue vs thus
his purpose speaking of iustification by faith Arg. 9 His ninth argument consisteth of two places of scripture ca. 22 The first is out of that talke which God had with Caine before he killed his brother Abel Gen. 4.7 Also vnto thee his desire shall bee subiect and thou shalt rule ouer him But that this may be an argument for freewill master Bellarmine and others contend that it should be read The desire of it shal be subiect vnto thee and thou shalt beare rule ouer it And so they prooue that sinne shall be subiect vnto Cain and he shall beare rule ouer it Therefore he had free will That manie of the fathers doe expound these words so it cannot be denied But not what they say is only to be regarded but how they proue it yea the Iesuites that wrote In dialog 2 the censure of Colen will be therein my warrant for they hauing condenmed some of the auncient fathers to haue spoken hardly because they accounted the workes of infidels how good soeuer they seemed to be but sinne doe then fall to trie how their proofe will warrant their doctrine So must I heere examine vpon what ground the fathers doe thus expound it And this I need not feare to do For themselues giue me leaue to examine that they say If then saint Hillarie haue giuen vs a true rule to interprete the scripture when he sayeth Lib. 9. de trinit The vnderstanding of that which is spoken must be looked for of the wordes that go before or of those that followe Let vs see what interpretation is to bee gathered out of the circumstances of that place that wee may with the Church receiue the fathers but not with the fathers forsake the faith of the Church In Commonitor contra haeres as Vincentius Lirinensis warneth vs. First then euen in respect of the verie Grammer if the relatiue in both places must agree with the antecedent then this worde It which is the relatiue in both places as they would haue it or rather his or him as we say being of the Masculine Gender which themselues cannot denie the worde Sinne which is of the Feminine Gender cannot bee the antecedent to those Relatiues although it goe next them which maister Bellarmine vnlearnedly affirmeth And therefore that translation and interpretation of the place standeth not with the rules of Grammer Secondly the circumstances of the place teach vs so much Cain is angrie that his brothers sacrifice is accepted of and his not Therefore when God hath questioned with Cain of his anger hee bringeth this as an argument to pacifie him because that Cain being the elder brother should still haue the prerogatiue of the elder brother and Abell should bee subiect vnto him And that this is the plaine and natural sense of the wordes I proue by sundrie reasons First because in the former Chapter God speaking of the subiection of Eue vnto Adam as they cannot but confesse Cap. 3.16 vseth the selfe same wordes there that are here vsed And therefore by all likelihoode hee speaketh of the same matter also here that there he did howe Abell should be vnder his elder brother Conferre the wordes together you shall see them agree Secondly how impertinenly had the promise of free will beene made in that place vnto Cain God hauing reiected his sacrifice and knowing his furie towards his brother yea not any one circumstance inducing thereunto But thirdly their owne doctrine doeth strongly confute them For if they that are not regenerate as Cain haue the power of their will by their owne confession weakened and so clogged that they cannot haue free wil to doe good then this cannot be verified of sinne howe could God say that the lust or desire of sinne should be vnder him or that he should haue dominion ouer sinne being a gracelesse and cruel man Yea the euent did presently declare that hee was subiect to sinne and that sinne got the dominion ouer him So that I cannot see how they can be excused from seeking to make God a liar that affirme that God there promised that Cain should subdue sinne the euent being so plain contrary Which because I know it to be farre from those godly fathers I will rather thinke that they did but allude vnto that place then expound the words And thus I trust it is plaine that neither the rules of Grammer nor the circumstances of the place neither yet their owne doctrine of free will can well stand with that interpretation that they doe bring As for his second authoritie which is out of Ecclesiasticus the booke it selfe not being canonical Eccle. 15.14 15 16. a necessarie argument cannot bee gathered out of the same And that man at the first had free will it can not bee denied and of that especially the place mentioned doeth intreat De grat liber arbit lib. 5. cap. 23 Now certaine other arguments out of the scripture there are alledged whereunto I will briefly make answer The first out of Deuteronomie where Moses hauing shewed them how he hath deliuered to them Gods word in obeying whereof is life Deut. 30 19. and in contempt of it death hee then addeth Therefore choose life that thou and thy seede may liue Wherin Moses doth nothing else but earnestly stirre vp the people to endeuour to the vttermost of their power to serue God Not shewing what they can effectually applie themselues vnto by the power of their will but what they should doe in respect of their duetie towardes God or care of their owne good As for that of Iosue Iosue 24.15 Choose you this day whom you will serue When Iosue who had good experience of the frailtie of the people and their readinesse to serue other gods had set before them the great mercies of God in their mightie deliuerance and preseruation from many perils the more strongly to tie them vnto God hee putteth them to this choise not because he would haue suffered them to haue worshipped strange gods if themselues would for that had beene contrarie to the dutie that God required of him being a magistrate but to this ende that themselues hauing made choise to serue God might by this their owne voluntarie submitting themselues to God bee vrged to serue him more sincerely as by the 22. verse appeareth And this choise also is rather what external profession they would be of which is a matter in our owne power rather then of the inwarde affection which is the thing in controuersie betweene the Papists and vs. For this we denie and they should proue that wee are able by our free will to doe things that are truely good and to eschewe the things that are euill And that this choyse that they were put to was what externall profession they would be of the wordes themselues declare Choose sayeth hee whether ye will serue the Gods which your fathers serued or the gods of the Amorites I and my house
will serue the Lorde As if a man would say now choose whether you will professe the Gospell or Poperie His testimonie out of Ecclesiasticus Eccle. 31.10 Who might offend and hath not offended or doe euill and hath not done euill I maruell bee so much commendeth thinking it vnanswerable Whereas if it proue any thing it is but that which we neuer denied namely that the wicked haue a free will to euill Now that which he alledgeth out of saint Paul is too absurd Neuerthelesse he that purposeth firmely in his heart that he hath no need but hath power ouer his owne will c. What are these wordes to free will The power that here he speaketh of is if he performe his purpose without inconuenience to his daughter as may appeare not onely by Primasius and Hierom of this place Primasius Hieronimus Tho. Aquin. but also by his owne friend Thomas of Aquine who sheweth that then he hath power of his owne will when hee knoweth his daughter hath a purpose to continue a virgine So that in effect this is his argument His daughter doth not hinder his will for keeping her a virgin therefore hee hath free will in himselfe to doe good or eschew euill Of the strength of which argument let maister Bellarmines owne friendes consider His last place out of the scriptures is verie like this As euerie man wisheth in his owne heart 2. Cor. 9.7 c. He speaketh of the contribution to the Saints You must sayeth saint Paul giue willingly Therefore sayeth maister Bellarmine you haue free will Wee confesse that the regenerate haue a willingnes to do good and eschew euill and this the apostle would haue in them But doeth this prooue that they haue free will And thus farre for their arguments for free will out of the scriptures Out of the fathers master Bellar. bringeth many proofes And although there be iust cause to suspect manie of them in this question because they could not so easily forget that which in the schooles of philosophy they had learned yet that it may appeare that they haue not so generall a consent as they bragge of it is not amisse somewhat to looke into and to examine the proofes Bellar. de grat lib. arbit lib. 5. cap. 25. that out of them they bragge But maister Bellarmine would make a man afraide to heare his crackes Hee braggeth alwayes that his armour is of the best proofe that can not bee pearced his arguments such as can not be answered And first commeth in Ignatius Epist de mag whose wordes are so vnanswerable that maister Bellarmine seeth no way but to denie the Authour But let maister Bellarmine quiet him selfe we will admit the authour The effect of that he alledgeth out of the first place is that looke what men doe choose that they shal haue and after If a man do wickedly he is a man of the diuell so made not by nature but by the will of his minde Then let vs see his argument Looke what men doe choose they shall goe into the place of that they choose whether it bee life or death so sayeth Ignatius therefore saith maister Bellarmine men haue free will The force of both his places is this and the argument that can bee gathered out of the same men haue will ergo they haue free will And are these his vnanswerable arguments That which hee alledgeth out of Dionysius Areopagita although hee make as great bragges of it as hee did of the other yet it neuer so much as mentioneth free will De diuinis nominibus li. 4. cap. 4. part 4. In deed he saith If a man might not resist sinne hee were lesse to be blamed But if hee that is good giue strength which as the holy Scriptures teach doeth giue things conuenient simplie to euerie man c. That God giueth conuenient strength to them which with humilitie seeke it but what doth this gift of God prooue that wee haue free will It rather ouerthroweth it For if we haue not strength but by his gift then we haue it not in vs or by free will As for Clement of Rome because himselfe dare not speake much for the trueth of that witnesse I let him passe Then commeth in Iustine the Philosopher and martyr whose words for free will maister Bellarmine taketh to be so plaine that he saieth maister Caluine neither doeth nor can feigne anie thing that will carrie any shewe of an answer What neede we to feigne Master Bellarmine that haue the truth for our warrant We leaue faigning to painters poets and papists who loue alwayes to make a shew of that that is not If we consider the occasions why the ancient fathers did write in such sort their meaning will bee pliane enough And that may appeare by Iustinus Martyr here alledged He saith I grant Apolog. ad senatum Apol. ad An. That if men haue not free will to shunne euill and doe good they are not to blame for that they doe and deserue neither reward nor punishment Thus in effect hee saieth in the places alledged We neither denie the authour in this place to be Catholike nor his woordes in his sense to be true But because there were some that beeing deceyued with that which the Stoikes taught concerning that fatall necessitie whereby all things were done as though man could not choose but do the euill that he doeth and that he were by this fatall necessitie compelled thereto in respect of the necessarie consequence of causes and thereby made man to haue nothing to doe in the workes that himselfe did but that hee were euen forced thereto without his owne will as stone or wood is laide in the house onelie at the pleasure of the workeman without anie disposition in themselues one way or other because I say that some hereby did denie all will or inclination in man to good or euill as not onely Simon Magus and the Manicheis of whom maister Bellarmine speaketh but also the Bardesanistes Cap. 35. Cap. 6◠of whome Saint Augustine writeth in his Booke of herisies who ascribed all mans conuersation to destinie and the Priscilianists who because they make all their actions to bee ruled by the Planets thinke that they sin against their will and therfore doth not Iustin onely but other of the godly fathers speak so plainly as they seeme to doe in defence of free will Not because they thinke that man hath such ability being once renued by grace that he can doe what hee will as the papistes teach but they only impugne these Stoicall opinions that affirme that man doth of necessitie euill or good And that this is the meaning of Iustine the Martir by his owne wordes doth plainly appeare because in both the places alleadged by maister Bellarmine he setteth himselfe to reason against thē that would haue men thinke that all things were wrought by desteny Against the which he on the other side reasoneth that if men had
say that this their Sacrament is not truly and properly a Sacrament instituted by Christ for so doeth the Councell of Trent Wherein I knowe not whether they haue somewhat wounded themselues Cap 1. both because they say themselues but a little before that it is insinuated by Christ which is lesse than instituted And also it is tanquam vere propriè Sacramentum as it were which is a doubtfull speach truely and properly a Sacrament De sacram Vnct. cap. 2. But let vs see howe maister Bellarmine prooueth this to bee a Sacrament out of that place of saint Iames. Hee can finde as he supposeth the outwarde signe The outward signe True it is there is an outwarde signe but it is not that which is required in annoyling nowe for nowe it must needes be consecrated but then it was not The Apostles did vse it especially against the diseases of the bodie but this Oyle is in the Popish church vsed especially for a remedie against the sickenesses of the soule Therefore I graunt it was in those dayes a signe of health of bodie whilest God left with his church that gift of healing but it was neuer a signe of spirituall grace which is it that now they do affirme As for the health of the bodie they so little regarde that it should be vsed to that ende that they must not in any wise annoyle them but such as they haue no hope that they may escape Whereas the Apostle saint Iames would haue it done to that ende that God forgiuing them their sinnes which are many times the cause of sickenesse they might be Healed as saith saint Bede vpon this place As for the promise which is a seconde thing that must be in a sacrament The promise of grace master Bellarmine maketh no doubt but that he can proue it because it is said The Lord shal raise him vp and if he haue sinned they shal be forgiuen him The meaning of the apostle in this place is verie plaine that wheras in the daies of the primitiue church there were many myracles wrought by the apostles and others they did not those things by any power which they had in them selues but by the prayer of faith the sicke were healed And if their sinnes were the cause of their sicknesse as they are many times although not alwayes Iohn 9.3 as by saint Iohns gospel it appeareth hee promiseth that God to the ende that they may not doubt but that they shall bee healed will take away their sinnes and forgiue their offences which otherwise might bee a let or hinderance And that this condition is to be vnderstoode in this promise it is plaine by these wordes And if you haue committed sinnes For the apostle nothing doubted but that they had sinnes For if wee say wee haue no sinne 1 Iohn 1.8 wee deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. But hee might iustly doubt whether sickenesse was alwayes layd vpon men for and in respect of their sinnes Therefore to doubt whether they might haue sinne or not belongeth vnto them that knowe not the corruption of mans nature which wee cannot thinke of the apostle saint Iames. But to knowe that God doeth not alwayes sende afflictions in respect of sinne hee had learned by that which our Sauiour Christ himselfe sayde vnto his Disciples of the blind man Neither hath this man sinned neither his parents Iohn 9.33 but that the workes of God may be manifest And for this cause saint Iames saith If hee committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him that is if his sinnes haue beene the cause of his sickenesse his sinnes shall be forgiuen him that his sickenesse may cease So then the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes which should especially serue to make this oyling a sacrament is but conditionall whereas in the true sacraments in deede the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes is most certaine otherwise wee should not haue in the vse of them any true comfort Thus then seeing sicknes sometime commeth of sinne sometime of other causes the apostle sayeth if it come of sinne not onely the man ouer whom the elders make their faithfull prayer and whom they so oynt with this visible oyle shal be raised vp but also his sinnes the cause of his sicknesse shal be taken away But that not forgiuenesse of sinnes was especially regarded in this ceremonie but bodily health the fathers afore named doe proue and maister Bellarmine cannot denie but that sundrie of the Papists do affirme whilest they teach that the Apostles in the 6. of saint Marke his Gospell did practise the selfe same thing that saint Iames commaundeth The institution of this Sacrament But for the institution of this sacrament maister Bellarmine can bring no proofe at all but onely in respect of this promise of saint Iames which if it be not of spirituall grace as I trust I haue proued that it is not then is there no institution of this sacrament to be found Then wee see that all this whole building hangeth vpon a weake foundation to bee grounded vpon one onely authoritie and that so little to the purpose vnlesse it be racked besides the meaning and that out of that Epistle which although it be in our churches receyued and read yet we know that the authoritie thereof hath bin doubted of and therefore the lesse force hath it to proue any thing that is not taught in any other place And especially for their annoyling that is now vsed in the Popish church which is farre vnlike that which the apostles vsed there is in that place no proofe at all And as master Bellarmine hath the better lyking to expounde this place of saint Iames of another oynting than the apostles vsed marke eth sixt chapter Cap. 2 because as hee saieth Luther Caluine and Kemnitius doe take both places for one annointing euen so doe I and that with much better reason mislike the Popish anoyling because it commeth so neare vnto that practise of the heretikes of whom Ieremie speaketh li. 1. cap. 18. That they redeeme their dead at the ende of their race or trauell powring oyle and water vpon their heads And whereas master Bellarmine would proue out of Epiphanius that this oyntment was vsed when they were dead And therefore therein they differ from the Papists yet saint Augustine in his booke of heresies saieth Cap. 16. they did it when they were dying So that master Bellarmine must not thinke so to face out the matter as if those heretikes were nothing like them And whereas they vsed water also with their Oyle although they differ therein from the church of Rome yet the difference is nothing so great by many degrees betweene the Papists and those heretikes as is betweene the apostles and the papists for this poynt as maie appeare by that which before hath beene saide De sacra vnct li. 2. cap. 4. But after this great scarcitie of proofe out of the scriptures
hee commeth at length to the authoritie of man And hee will prooue what men will say in his behalfe where God keepeth silence And the first that he bringeth in is Innocentius that liued at the least foure hundred yeares after Christ What was it no Sacrament for foure hundred yeares and nowe vpon a sudden is it become a sacrament howe doeth hee proue it to bee a sacrament He bringeth no reason hee hath no proofe no neither yet doeth hee so much as say it is a sacrament properly so called but that it is Genus Sacramenti A kinde of Sacrament What then if we graunt to master Bellarmine that which Pope Innocentius sayeth If it bee a kinde of Sacrament as hee sayeth is it therefore a sacrament truely and properly as maister Bellarmine saieth I denie that argument and maister Bellarmine will not proue it And yet to helpe his bad cause hee lowdly and lewdly belyeth Innocentius his woordes in that hee affirmeth that Innocentius saieth expresselie and plainlie that this oynting is that sacrament explaned by saint Iames. But Innocentius hath no such wordes no neither yet any thing like But M. Bellarmine to deceiue them that can not looke into the fathers doth many times falsifie them to make his cause to seeme better And nowe what cause hath this seconde Achylles of the Catholikes for Eckius did bestow that name first vpon himselfe as you may see in his Enchiridion in the title of the church in the margent what cause I saie hath this challenging champion thus to brag against Kemnitius that hee durst not so much as name this Innocentius When his testimonie is examined the cracke is great but he doth not hit the marke that maister Bellarmine would haue him to leauell at As for Kemnitius if he haue but his due praise we must needes confesse that by his learning and trauell he hath more beaten downe the walles of that popish Babilon than that all the papists if they ioine togither hand in hand shall be able with all their skill and cunning to raise it vp againe Of Innocentius the third because he came so late he is not worth the answering for he liued about 1200. yeares after Christ in time of ignorance and much superstition As for the Councels which he alleageth the first is the Nicene councell translated into latine out of the Arabic tongue But since that canon is not amongst those canons which wee haue in the tomes of the councels and in those coppies that hitherto haue beene counted the true councels we neede not much regarde those farre fetched authorities His second authoritie is out of the councell of Cabilon and some other particular councels and although he commend their antiquitie yet the first of them was almost 800. yeares after Christ And those which I haue examined make not for his purpose For they proue not that this annointing is a sacrament properly so called Now for the fathers master Bellarmine needeth no aduersary he confesseth his want of proofe out of them For he deuideth the fathers into two sortes The one he confesseth doe not plainly saie that it is a sacrament Why then doth he produce them He hath taken in hand to proue that anoyling as it is vsed in the popish church is a true and proper sacrament If they will not proue this they maie holde their tongues For to this end only are they to be alleaged An other sort there are who speake it plainely as he telleth vs. But they are of no credit neither are once named among the ancient fathers The eldest of them is about 800. yeares after Christ And for his examples of some few men what they haue done it is no proofe to vs that we ought so to doe They might haue their reasons that might well induce them to it They might also doe therein as in many things many haue done of a blinde zeale and foolish deuotion How or in what sort they haue done that which they did I wil not take vpon me to iudge as for their doings they ought not to be an example to any man so that we should be bound to follow them But hee wil proue by reason that it must needs be a sacrament Bellarm. de sac vnct li. 1. cap. 5. For since God hath by a sacrament holpen vs in the entraunce into the church and also in our continuance in the same we maie not imagine that his prouidence shall faile vs at our going out of the church these are maister Bellarmine his wordes I might briefly answere that we are not to teach God what we thinke conuenient that he should doe but to see what he hath done and to content our selues therewith and to frame our selues to performe the same But if God faile in his prouidence if their anoyling be not a sacrament then must we imagine that God had no due regarde of the fathers of the old world or of the patriarkes or of the godly vnder the law For vntill Christs time master Bellarmine will confesse they had not this Sacrament Yea the Apostles and all other the Godly and constant Martirs in Christs church had not that sacrament Neither yet did they make complaint for want of the same but comfortably and patiently indured all torments with great ioy although they had not this anoyling nor anie hope to haue it no neither once thought of it Lastly our Sauiour Christ to prepare vs against death telleth vs that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life and to cause vs not to feare it he saith that he is the resurrection and the life Many notable lessons did our Sauiour Christ giue to his disciples before he left the world to goe to his father which are recorded by Saint Iohn from the twelfth to the seuenteenth chapters And although he vse all arguments to comfort them yet he neuer once thought of this anoyling which yet then if he had purposed to leaue vnto his church anie such Sacrament it had beene good time to haue deliuered them for their comforte To be short whatsoeuer he commaunded vs to vse for the strengthning of our faith with boldnesse we may and with comfort and readinesse we ought to doe But it is farre from either true or sound comfort in the agony of death or a sufficient weapon to withstand the assaults of Sathan and conflicts of conscience to haue standing by thee some Idol pastor whose greatest good that he either can or will doe vnto thee is to grease some parts of thy body Let the world esteeme of these things as they will But this is certaine that it is only true obedience that hath the promise of blessing And without the commandement there can be no obedience either in our duties towardes God or our conuersation amongst men For obedience is nothing els but an earnest applying of our selues to doe that which is pleasing vnto God and which he hath commanded It is also far from the maiestie of