alleadge M. Bellarmines reasons though not alwayes because he is accounted learned amongest vs and also commeth after others so that he hath seene what others haue and hath taken out of them what he liketh And as in all this treatise my endeuour is to proue I trust with some good effect that the doctrine of the church of Rome is not catholike so that it may the better appeare I haue towards the end set downe an abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis whereby I trust the meanest that seeth it shal be able to iudge how they make an vniust claime to the catholike religion And although I know my own wants and could rather submit my selfe to be a scholer vnto many than a teacher almost of any yet because I know not how my minde giueth me that this manner of writing may do some good especially among the vnlearned that are desirous to be taught I thought my duetie forced me to take this in hand though I want many helpes and meanes that other haue And to whom should this my labour such as it is be due rather than vnto you next after that place where I did sucke as it were my first milke of learning and laid almost the foundation of that knowledge such as it is that God hath indued mee withall By your good liberalitie I confesse my selfe to be the better inabled to do any good be it neuer so little that I can do in the church of God To your Worships therefore I confesse this my trauell to be due as a simple token of my sincere heart which would haue yeelded a better remembrance if my abilitie could haue affoorded it And the rather do I dedicate this Booke vnto your W. Company that you seeing the meaning of bestowing your exhibition which is to bring vp Labourers in Gods haruest teachers in his church to be in some part performed in me who first in Oxford receiued your liberalitie as I doubt not but you haue seene much more plentiful fruit in many other you may the more willingly continue your godly course and not be weary of your wel-doing Accept in good part I pray you this simple gift and if you see in it but my desire to doe good giue glo◠y to God to whose good grace I commit you and yours and my selfe to your good prayers From my house at Ryton in the Bishoprike of Durham Anno 1595. ⧠A necessarie Table of all the principall matters contained in euery chapter of this Booke THAT the Scriptures or word written is onely Gods word and not traditions Chapter 1 That this word is sufficient Chapter 2 The Scripture a sure rule Chapter 3 Scriptures easie Chapter 4 That onely the canonicall bookes of the old and new testament are this written word or Scriptures Chapter 5 What the catholike church is that in the creede is mentioned Chapter 6 That the catholike church mentioned in the articles of our creede is not visible or to be seene Chapter 7 The church here militant vpon the earth may erre Chapter 8 Of the markes of the church or how we may know the true church Chapter 9 What a sacrament is what is the effect of it or what it worketh how many sacraments there are Chapter 10 Of the sacrament of Baptisme Chapter 11 Of Confirmation Chapter 12 Of the Lords supper and Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ and namely of transubstantiation Chapter 13 That the wicked receiue not in the sacrament Christs body and bloud Chapter 14 That the cup ought not to be denied to the lay people which thing the papists do Chapter 15 Against their sacrifice of the Masse or of the altar as they call it Chapter 16 Of true and christian repentance and of the Popish Sacrament of penance Chapter 17 Of lawfull calling into the ministerie and against the sacrament of Orders as they call it Chapter 18 Of matrimony that it is not a sacrament and that it is lawfull for all Chapter 19 Of anoiling or extreme vnction that it is not a sacrament Chapter 20 Of originall sin what it is and whether concupiscence be sin or not Chapter 21 Of the works of infidels and such as are not regenerate Chapter 22 Of Baptisme whether it doe extinguish and kill in vs originall sinne or not Chapter 23 That we haue not of our selues free wil or power to deliuer our selues from sinne Chapter 24 That by our workes we cannot bee iustified and against the doctrine of merites Chapter 25 Of iustification by faith and what faith is Chapter 26 That good works are necessary duties for all christians to perfourme Chapter 27 Of prayer to whome and how we should pray Chapter 28 Against Images in churches or anie where else for religions cause Chapter 29 What fasting is and of the true vse of fasting Chapter 30 Of Purgatorie Chapter 31 An Abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis with obseruations vpon the said Author Chapter 32 An exhortation to christian magistrates for to defend this truth Chapter 33 FINIS That the Scriptures or written word is onely Gods Word and not traditions CHAP. 1 THE PROTESTANTS The rule of faith life BEcause it is confessed of al that gods worde must bee the rule and square of our faith and life of our religion and conuersation It is very meete that first wee enquire what is this word of God And wee affirme What is gods word that that onelie which is contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament is the very true word of God First bicause we are so often earnestly charged not to adde any thing to it or to take any thing from it Secondly this is prooued by the practise of the godlie of all times The Iewes most religiously kept the word written with great sinceritie and made it the Touchstone to try their actions by and by it they reformed such things as were amisse in religion especially As in Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others it may appeare Christ also and his Apostles confirmed that which they taught out of the Scriptures yea they confirmed and expounded the Lawe Mat. 5. and preached no other gospell thā that which before was promised by the Prophets Rom. 1.2 And accounted them accursed that shoulde preach any other Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Lastly the Fathers of the purer times of the Church did not only with open mouth submit their writings and doctrines to the iudgement of the Scriptures but also they tried doubts established all trueths and confuted all heresies onely by this word written THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of ROME not suffering herself to be hemmed in within so narow lists Prou. 22.28 hath remoued the ancient bounds which their fathers made and faineth that God who hath hitherto had but one voice now in our dayes shoulde speake with two tongues What is gods word in the Ro. church For they make Gods word to consist of two partes namely of the word written which we
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
lay people And still there are that in corners seeke to perswade ignorant men and women that there can be almost no greater daunger vnto their soules than to reade the scriptures Wherein they shew themselues to be nothing of the minde of Phillip Acts 8.31 35 who forbade not the Eunuch to reade the scripture but taught him neither like to the fathers of the church some hundreds of yeares after Christ whose care was to exhort and drawe the people to the diligent reading of the same And whosoeuer they are that with diligence humilitie and prayer doe continue in the reading of the scriptures as wee see in sundry by experience shall be able in reasonable manner to auoyde and passe through those sixe impediments that I before alleaged out of Bellarmine and shall haue mindes exercised as the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaketh Cap. 5.14 and that not without great fruit to discerne good and euill And thus wee may see how litle the fathers make for that which the church of Rome teacheth in this point For the fathers say thus The scriptures are hard therefore you must reade them diligently The church of Rome cleane contrary The scriptures are hard therefore you must not reade them Therefore let vs detest as a most pestilent position that daungerous doctrine of the church of Rome knowing that whosoeuer be hee neuer so ignorant with reuerent reading seeketh to finde and with deuout prayer asketh knowledge of God shall finde much knowledge and comfort in his godly and christian exercise For Hieron ps 147. The word of God is most fat and fertile It hath in it all delicates And thus to conclude seeing the scriptures onely are Gods word and they are so sufficient and plentifull that in them the hungry may haue foode the poore treasure the rich direction the sicke physicke the whole diet the sorrowfull comfort the ignorant knowledge and the foolish true wisedome to be short seeing there for all wants we finde a remedy and seeing that rule is so true that it cannot deceiue so straight that it can not be crooked so constant to it selfe that it changeth not lastly seeing it is so easie that by diligence and prayer the godly may not learne onely but grow and increase daily from knowledge to knowledge let vs account them as deadly enemies to our soules who seeke to drawe vs from this sufficient and certaine written word of God to the doctrines or traditions of men what glorious names soeuer they giue them What shall wee then account of the popish crew that are not ashamed to teach the Scriptures to be daungerous because euill men abuse them so doth the drunkard drinke the glutton meate the prowd apparell the couetous riches and the euill men all Gods graces yet all these thinges are good and so is Gods word holy and vndefiled But nowe to the second point That only the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament are this written word or Scriptures CHAP. 5 THE PROTESTANTS SEing that the rule of the Catholike faith must be knowen De verbo dei lib. 1. cap. 2. and certaine for if it be not knowen it can not be a rule vnto vs if not certaine it is no rule at all as Bellarmine hath very wel noted only those scriptures which we according to the ancient vse of the Primitiue church and the common consent of those purer times do call Canonicall are that sure rule that can not deceiue for therefore haue they that name because they are for triall of doctrines as the rule or line for triall of workes it is certain that no other word can be that infallible word of God certaine rule of faith and religion but only the Canonical Scriptures These onely haue beene of the godly Fathers accounted to haue beene written by those whom God indued with his spirite for that cause Concil Laodicenum ca. 59. Hieron ad Paulinum prologo Galeato Out of these onlie the Fathers permit matters of controuersie to bee tried And in expounding of these that wee call Canonicall they haue bestowed their godly labours yea and them onely to bee certaine and such as were neuer doubted of among Catholike men De verbo dei lib. 1. cap. 4. Bellarmine himselfe confesseth and it is a ground or principle acknowledged of all men THE PAPISTS NOtwithstāding this name Canonicall which the ancient fathers haue giuen to these Scriptures onely to testify that they are only the certaine canon and rule of faith notwithstanding also such preheminence and excellency Bellarm. de verbo Dei li. 1. ca. 2. compared with that cap. 4. as not the Fathers onely but themselues also doe yeelde vnto the Canonicall scriptures to be of all other the most certaine rule and most infallible touchstone in all matters of controuersie the Councel of Trent is not ashamed to commaund and that vnder paine of beeing accursed to receiue these bookes that are contained in the Bible with like reuerence and deuotion and to make them of as good credite as the canonicall Scripture I say euen those Apocryphaes in which are many things absurd and whose very name sheweth them to be vnknown from whence they came who were not found in the Hebrew nor accounted by the Iewes to be Canonicall And so they doe match that word that all men alwayes and euen themselues acknowledge to be lesse certaine with that which they knowe that no good man euer doubted of Argument But lest they should seeme thus to dote without reason they vse in effect these arguments for proofe heereof The first is that these bookes which we call Apocrypha are alledged sometimes of the Fathers in their writings Answers But the answere is easie For the alledging of them doth not prooue that they who alledged them did hold them for canonicall for then should it followe that poets philosophers and such like who are often alledged by the ancient writers should so be But this rule must stand alwayes good which S. Hierome hauing reckoned vp those bookes which now in our Bibles are accounted canonicall and no other ◠rologo in lib. Reg. qui Galeatus dicitur Ruffinus in symbol prolog in Prouerb hath Whatsoeuer is besides these must be put amongst the Apocrypha Yea to be short they do alledge them because they may bee read to the edifying of the people but not to confirme the authoritie of any ecclesiasticall doctrine as saint Hierome saith of Tobie Iudith and the Machabees and Ruffinus also vppon the Creede De doct◠ina christian lib. 2. cap. 8. The second argument is taken out of Augustine because he reckoneth vp the books which we call Canonicall and also the Apocrypha and calleth all Canonicall So doth the third councell holden at Carthage also Cap. 47 with some other ancient writers Answere Admit that this were the meaning of saint Augustine and of those Fathers shall their bare authority without reason be heauy enough to weigh
of them O blasphemie intollerable if this their argument might bee allowed then the church of Rome which falsely challengeth to bee the church Caus 15. Quaest 6. ca. Autoritatem Dâ— st 34. c. sector dist 82. presbyt would soone prooue their abhominable Idolatries and heresies to be true religion And therefore doe they challenge this authoritie and striue for it And the Pope sometimes dispenseth against the Apostle as their Canonists doe note and sometimes a Councell dispenseth against the apostle and all this is to challenge vnto their church this prerogatiue that it may deale with Gods word as it will When Gregorie the thirteenth pope of that name confirmed the order of the fellowship of the blessed virgine Marie a new deuised order and come vp since the order of Iesuites in his Bull hee confirmeth and ratifieth all such priuileges as they haue or shall haue Notwithstanding anie Constitutions or Ordinances Apostolike or whatsoeuer may be against it Did you euer reade or heare any speake more like the beast mentioned in the Apocalips Apoc. 13.5 6 who had a mouth giuen vnto him that spake blasphemies But to be short I will against their argument oppose this Whatsoeuer scriptures are not giuen by inspiration of God spirit and by the godly receiued into the canon of the scripturs those are not the word of God though they haue the approbation of the latter churches but such are the Bookes which wee call Apocrypha which the councell of Trent would make of like authoritie with the canonicall Scriptures therefore those Bookes are not the vndoubted word of God And howe can any body imagine that that which once hath beene not canonicall can by continuaunce of time and confirmation of men become canonicall or that which God hath not vouched woorthy to bee his word in times past that nowe at the last he should acknowledge the same as though hee were nowe chaunged or had repented him of his former opinion Admit once this doctrine of theirs and farewell all certaintie in religion For men will wander from one thing to an other as wee see in the kingdome of darkenesse and Poperie where there is no ende of deuotions deuised and inuentions of men So that that which was good christianitie in the dayes of Christ and of his Apostles is nowe holden to be farre from the perfection of a godly life vnlesse wee doe helpe it with our will-worshippings and by the obeying the preceptes of the church Nay graunt them this and then that worde written that wee haue it shall speake nothing but Romish so that whatsoeuer is the meaning and true sense of the scriptures yet God must be taught to speake as the church of Rome will haue him De verbo dei lib. 4. cap. 11. To this ende tendeth that common axiome receiued of them all and vsed by Bellarmine The true sense of the Scripture hangeth of vnwritten traditions So that beleeue them and they will easily confute any aduersaries For first they alow for scripture what they will Secondly that which they must needes confesse to bee Scripture must bee expounded by their vnwritten Traditions That I say that is written by that which is vnwritten the certaine by the vncertaine Like to Procustes his bed which who so lay in it if he were too long he was cut shorter if he were too short he was stretched out longer So must all be made fit to their traditions Seeing therefore the Canonical Bookes haue so manifest a testimonie not onely of the godly but euen of the aduersaries themselues and the credite of the Apocrypha by so great authorities is suspect I will conclude with belâ— armines words That he is not well in his wit that not regardâ— ng â—â— e Scripture the surest and safest rule wâ— ll refeâ— re hâ— mself to the iudgement of the inward spirâ— t which is often deceitfull and alwayes vncertaine as in truth the Papists do For they will make you beleeue that because they are guided by the holy Ghost they cannot erre in their traditions This rule then of Gods written word in the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament being set downe as a rule most sure to trâ— e all doctrines with let vs now proceed to examine other matters in controuersy among vs when I shal first haue answered a common obiection wherein all the most ignorant sort especially of Papists doe maruellously trust and triumph and doe therewith deceiue others such as them selues are How shal I know the scriptures say they to be the scriptures but by the authoritie of the Church I will not answer although I might very well that absurdly they call that in question whereof there is no doubt among vs. For neither we nor they denie Gods word It is knowne of all it is receiued of vs all Therfore they put case of that there is not neither is likely to be amongs vs. But for their sakes that are ignorant I answer plainely and shortly out of Saint Augustine Coâ— feâ— li. 6. cap. 5. Thou Lord hast perswaded me that they are blame worthie not who haue beleeued thy bookes which thou hast so setled almost in all nations but they that haue not beleeued them And that I should not heare them if perchance any would say to me How knowest thou that those bookes the scripture are giuen to mankinde by the spirite of one very and most true God Yea Saint Augustine there confesseth that when he was but a nouice in religion yet was he perswaded that God would neuer haue made the whole world so to reuerence the Scriptures but that he meant to be beleeued in them and to be sought out by them We see then by saint Augustine that not onely that common account that the whole world not the Church onely maketh of the Scriptures should be sufficient to stop our mouths for asking that question but also that he flatly telleth vs that God would not haue vs to heare such faithles and fruitles obiections But I know they will by and by come vpon me with that place of Augustine Cont. epist 〈◊〉 c. 5. I would not beleeue the Gospel vnlesse the authoritie of the Church should moue me thereto Out of which they will perchance conclude as grosly as you heard Eckius hath done That the Scripture it selfe hath no credite but as the Church will bestow it vpon the same But Melchior Canus a learned Papist doth gather otherwise out of that place and doth in deed truely answere this common obiection for vs out of the said words of S. Augustine concluding thus Therefore it teacheth not Locor Theo lib. 1. cap. â— that beleeuing the Gospel is grounded vpon the authoritie of the Church but onely that there is no sure way whereby either Infidels or Nouices in faith may come to the holy Scriptures but the consent of the Catholike Church Yea he hath taught a little before in that Chapter that although to haue faith
certaine external meanes and helpes are required yet those moue vs nothing without the working of Gods holy spirit And he much misliketh of them that teach that our faith must rest vpon that point That we beleue that the church is true or cannot erre For therevpon he gathereth this absurditie that our faith should be grounded vpon the truth not of God but of man He also plainly affirmeth that if a man should aske how the faithfull do know that God hath reuealed that which they beleeue they cannot answere by the authoritie of the Church but it is by the inward light of Gods spirit that they know the same If now thou aske me how I know the Scriptures to be the Scriptures I answere out of Canus not by the authority of the Church but by the motion of Gods spirit and witnesse thereof If thou vrge that place of Augustine Canus telleth thee that they who are become Christians are not so brought to beleeue the Scriptures but onely Infidels and Nouices in religion So that this place serueth nothing to obiect against vs who professe Christianitie alreadie and beleeue the worde which the Manichies did not of whom and to whom Saint Augustine there writeth But we had neede out of that place to admonish you that in respect of that reuerence which with one consent al that professe Christianitie doe yeeld vnto the scriptures you would be ashamed so to depraue and despise them so to abuse and reiect them at your owne pleasure as you alwayes haue done You make vnlawfull that which God hath mad lawfull as for example It was lawfull in the Apostles time for euerie Priest Dion Carth. 1. Tim. 3. Bishop and Deacon to haue one wife but now by the appointment of the Pope they may not haue a wife sayth a friend of your owne a bird of your owne nest So that not the scripture or the will of God but the worde of the Pope must be the rule of our life so that whereas Augustine for the Church beleeued the scriptures you for your Churches sake controll the scriptures and disobey them And for the establishing of that vndue honour which they would bestow vpon the most happie mother of Christ the virgin Mary Marke the boldnesse of Durand a great piller in the Popish Church Rathon◠di◠li. 4. rub 6. who writeth thus Although it is said in the Scriptures that Christ rising did first appeare to Marie Magdalen yet it is more truly beleeued that first of all he appeared to his mother Is it not plaine how that to establish their foolish toyes he giueth the lie to that word that is onely true O grosse boldnesse Seeing therefore this worde hath not onely testimonie within vs which is the strongest witnesse but also with so great consent is knowne to be Gods worde be ashamed now to call it into question or to put it to the triall of the Church by which the Papists alwaies vnderstand the Romish Church whether it shal be allowed for currant or not For in deede this blasphemous sense which as I haue shewed euen their owne friends can in no wise like of is now the cōmon exposition of those words of S. Aug. I will not beleeue the scriptures vnlesse the Church of Rome do allow the Bookes for Canonicall and expound them as she shall thinke good And thus much to answer this their common obiection What the Catholike Church is that is mentioned in the Creede CHAP. 6 THE PROTESTANTS VVE say with the Apostle Saint Paul that the catholike church which is spoken of in the Creede s. Tim. 3. Is the house of God the pillar and ground of truth And with the fathers that it is the companie of all the faithfull of all times and of all places And with Saint Iohn The Bride of the Lambe Apoc. 21 9. and the bodie of Christ And therefore that the wicked and faithlesse are not of this Church nor can be counted of this companie THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome to get a Catholike Church admit good and bad to be of their Church namely reprobates wicked Bellar. de Eccle. li. 3. cap. 2. and vngodly ones Neither do thinke that they neede any inward vertue to bee of their Church but onely that they professe religion and be vnder the Pope Well may they in some sort seeme to haue a Catholike Church because all is fish that comes into their net but holy apostolike it shal not be nor Catholike as in the Creed is meant Wherein this is worthie to be reproued in them that whereas they crie out in worde and writing The Catholike church of Rome and vnlesse you beleeue the Catholike Church you cannot be saued And for proofe hereof they alledge this article I beleeue the Catholike church yet when they should tell vs what this Catholike church is wherevnto we must so necessarily be subiect they onely paint vnto vs I know not what Romish Church The catholike church in the Creed and the Romish contrary which is no more like the true Catholike church than that church of Israel when it was started aside from the true worship of God was like to the true church of God that remained amongest the people of the Iewes as by these few reasons may appeare The catholike church is One One that is to say one companie and vnited and knit togither by one spirite and the selfe same graces but the reprobate and vngodly who fill vp a place in the Romish catholike church neither are one company with the Saints nor vnited to them by the same spirit and graces to be partakers of the communion of Saints Therefore that catholike and the Romish catholike Church are not all one Secondly that Church is Holy Holy and that not in part but perfectly euen without spot or wrinckle Ephe. 5.26.27 For in our Creed we doe not speake of the church that is but that shal be not that which we see with our eye but by faith not that which is perfected but hoped for which we shall not in deede behold with our eyes Reuel 21 vntill it come downe from heauen as saint Iohn speaketh of the heauenly Ierusalem Apoc. 11 which as witnesseth saint Ambrose doth represent the Church that shall bee after the ende of the world Apoc. 21 Of which minde is also saint Augustine But the Romish catholike church is of omnigatheroms as people goe to faires or markets of all sorts and qualities And although a man haue not one good thing in him not one crum of honestie hee is good enough to make vp a number in the Church of Rome but such a church is not holy and therefore not that that is mentioned in the Creede Thirdly that church is catholike Catholike that is as all the godly haue acknoledged it the mother of all Christians the companie of all the saints both in heauen and vpon earth But the Romish catholike church
they may beleeue or receiue nothing but that is in the scripture Andrad Orthod explic lib. 2 And therfore they neither shame nor fear to charge the word written with insufficiencie Bellarm. li. 4 cap. 4 Gods word not sufficient For so doeth Bellarmine in flat terms And therfore he Melchior Canus the Censure of Collen the rest of them doe out of this principle gather an vnanswerable argument as they imagin for traditions because say they the Scripture spâ— aketh not of many things necessary to bee beleeued Are not these such workmen as the Apostle willeth vs to take heede of Phil. 3.2 Beware of euill workemen yes verily for they are deceitfull workemen 2. Cor. 11.13 if you marke them wel For wheras they shoulde trie their worke by the line and the square they contrariwise trie their rule by their worke And whereas they should reiect all doctrines that are not agreeable to the word of God they make that to bee GODS worde that will alowe of their doctrine so that traditions must needs be Gods word because they maintaine that which the Scripture aloweth not of The argument for traditions and against the sufficiencie of the Scriptures Many things there are necessary to be beleeued that are not expresly set downe in the Scriptures yea many things that are neither plainely neither obscurely in the Scriptures say all the Papists namely Canus in his second and third grounds Lib. 3. cap. 3 Therefore the Scriptures are not sufficient For answere the antecedent or first part of the argument is vntrue For whatsoeuer is to be beleeued is either plainly set downe or necessarily to be gathered out of the Scriptures otherwise our Sauiour Christ should not seeme to haue plainely dealt with the Iewes when hee biddeth them Search the Scriptures making no mention of any traditions and addeth his reason Iohn 5.39 They the scriptures beare witnesse of mee but this is manifest by the places before alleaged Contra lit Pâ—â— il lib. 3. cap. 6 Wherefore S. Augustine doth account him accursed yea he so pronounceth him that will teach any thing either of Christ or of his Church or anie thing else that appertaineth either to faith or to our life besides that which we haue receiued in the Scriptures of the lawe and the Gospel Marke how he saith the Scripture serueth vs for all turnes Therfore the Authour of the vnperfect work vpon Mathew euen in the beginning Hom. 1 compareth the Scripture to a Store-house of some rich man wherein one may find whatsoeuer he wanteth so saith he in this booke euery soule may finde that which is necessarie And Athanasius alluding to the place of S. Paule 2. Contra gentes Tim. 3.16 saith The holy scriptures giuen by inspiration are sufficient to teach vs all trueth It is therefore far better that we with Tertullian should adore the fulnes of the Scriptures Cont. Hermogenem Lib. 3. cap. â— than be partakers with those heretikes of whom Irene complaineth who when by the Scriptures they were conuinced accused the Scriptures themselues as if something were amisse in them and that they are not of authoritie sufficient they are diuerse and the trueth can not in them be found of them that knowe not the traditions for they were deliuered not by writing but by word which are the very words of the church of Rome So that a man can not so aptly paint out our popish heretikes as if he take his patterne by those ancient heretikes For not one Ape is liker to an other than they are The Scripture a sure Rule CHAP. 3 THE PROTESTANTS The scripture a sure rule ANd seeing that God by his prophet Dauid hath testified Psal 19.8 that the Lawe of the Lorde is perfect and hath by the Prophet Esay sent vs to aske councel in doubtfull cases Esay 8.20 To the Lawe and to the Testimony Yea and our Sauiour Christ Luc. 16.17 when Diues mooueth Abraham to send some to his fiue brethren to teach them sendeth them to Moses and to the Prophets to learne of theÌ„ vers 29 and telleth the Saduces That they erre Math. 22.29 because they knowe not the Scriptures Lastly seeing the Apostle S. Paul incourageth Timothie to keepe well that he had learned because saith hee 2. Tim. 3.15 thou hast knowen the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise vnto saluation Wee therfore willingly confes constantly beleeue that we haue a most sure word of the prophets 2. Pet. 1.19 to the which we do wel if we do take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day star arise in our hearts And therefore wee doe account this Worde written to bee the most certaine and infallible rule of our faith or conuersation THE PAPISTS BVt the Papists who can get nothing but by the crooked measures of their traditions to bring them into credit with men do highly commend them sometime comparing them to Theseus his thread Screckius prefaâ— whereby he was directed out of the laborinth and vnto the Touch stone whereby all doctrine shoulde be tried Ibidem and make it as great a fault to breake traditions Andrad Orthod explic lib. 5 lib. 3 as if Christ with his owne mouth had spoken them yea somtime greater so make them at the least equall to the written word that is to the vndoubted word of GOD. And on the other side do altogether deface and disgrace the Scriptures calling them Inke-Diuines that sticke to them Eckius de scripturis and comparing them to a Leaden rule Eccl. Hierar so doeth Pighius or a nose of waxe Explic. dial 4 as the Censure of Collen doth most prophanely both the which blasphemous godlesse reproches against the Scriptures are defended by Andradius Li. 2. orthod Explication as catholike and sound sayings because hee thinketh as they doe that they may bee changed and drawen to any interpretation Bellar. lib. 4 de verbo non scripto cap. 4 5 And therfore they teach that the verie Scriptures without traditions are not altogether necessarie And all this is to perswade the simple that the Scriptures are not a certaine Iudge of faith or rule of life Argument The argument whereby they indeuour to seduce men and to drawe them to their opinion is this Whatsoeuer rule of faith or life may be changed and according to mens affections expounded is vncertaine and deceitful but the Scripture is such therefore it is an vncertaine rule Answere Which I answer thus First the maior or former proposition is not simply true but with these additioÌ„s whatsoeuer may aptly or without doing violence to the words be so drawen vnto sundry opinions is an vncertaine râ—â—â— And hereby will soone be gathered the falsenesse of the minor which affirmeth the scripture to be such For although out of one
that with diligence the scriptures must be searched and without loathsomnes yea with reuerence receiued But that wee may the more easily and euidently see how little these fathers do make for them it is necessary to see with what purpose and to what end these say that they do write of the hardnesse of the scriptures Namely not to discourage men from reading of them but to stirre them vp to more diligence and carefulnesse in reading them As may appeare by the earnest and vehement exhortations which the ancient fathers doe make not onely to all men generally Hom. 9. in epist ad Coloss but euen to lay men in particular and especially Heare saith Chrysostome all yee lay men that are present and that haue wiues and children howe the Apostle commandeth euen you especially to reade the Scriptures and not to reade them only as it were by chance but with great diligence with many other such like exhortations in that place as also in many other of his writings Saint Hierome in sundry of his epistles vnto godly women exhorteth them to diligent reading of the same he also to intice them to be conuersant therein dedicateth vnto some women som of his treatises vpon the scriptures Yea and in his preface vnto Paula and Eustochium two women before his first booke vpon the epistle to the Ephesians which is the place out of which Bellarmines second argument out of Hierome was fetched doth highly commend the study and knowlege of the scriptures And in his preface vnto his second booke doth extoll Marcella for her diligent study therein Hom. 20 in Ios preferring her before himselfe Thou wilt say saith Origen the scriptures are hard yet it is good to reade them And wisheth that we all would doe as it is written namely Search the Scriptureâ— â—â—â—nelius Agryppa reporteth 〈◊〉 S 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in the first Nicene councell it was decreed that no christian man should be without a bible in his house And Chrysostome exhorteth euen lay men and that very earnestly to get them Bibles Hom. 9 in Coloss or at the least the new Testament So then wee see to what intent the Fathers tell vs that the Scriptures are hard namely because they would not haue vs to be careles in the study of them and negligent or to imagine when wee knowe somewhat that we neede knowe no more but as Hierome would haue vs to doe Epistol ad Pâ—â— liâ— um We must cracke the nut if wee will eate the kernell We must take paines to get knowledge assuring our selues that wee can neuer learne too much because wee can neuer knowe enough And saint Augustine in his Confessions saith Liâ— 6. cap. â— they ought to bâ— read of all But the Papists in complaining of the hardnes of the scriptures shoot at an other marke that is to make the simple people afraide that they meddle not with it that they reade it not neither yet heare it read vnto them So that besides the other slaunders wherewith they seeke to staine Gods word proclaiming it not to be sufficient but that it wanteth many things and may be wrested to any fence they adde this also that it is hard and therefore dangerous for them that are not learned to reade it And this is the very cause why they speake so much of the hardnesse of the scriptures as not onely their writings and words proclaime in all places but also their cruell executions against such as haue had in their mother tongue For libr. ◠〈◊〉 is and Momun in the beginning I say not the bible or the New Testament but euen the Lordes prayer or the tenne commaundements which they would seeme to allow vnto the people Gregory Nazianzene doth write In Apologâ—â— that some ancient men amongst the Hebrewes report of a custome which the Iewes had which he also commendeth which was that some places of the scriptures were not permitted 〈…〉 body to reade before they were fiue and twentie yeeres old but the rest of the scripture they should learne euen from their childehoode Where note that they make no difference of any state calling or sexe but of age onely and that when they were fiue and twentie yeares olde they might reade any parcell of Scripture But the Papists permit not any parcell of the scriptures to the lay people nay hardly to their priests but onely as they will followe such sence thereof as they appoint Yea I haue knowen bachellors of diuinity admitted to reade some booke of the master of sentences as the vse then was when they proceeded so that this was their conclusion They are hard therefore you shall not reade them That the scriptures are so hard as they are Papists to be blamed for hardnesse of the Scripture by their and to so many none are to bee blamed but the church of Rome that so much complaineth of their hardnesse but in trueth are sory they are so easie as is most plaine to see first in that they would not haue them in the mother tongues but when they see there is no remedy but that the scripture will be published whether they will or not they send vs a Testament from Rhennes Translations so full of Hebrew Latine and Greeke wordes turned into English letters that all the world may see that they meane nothing lesse than that they that reade it should vnderstand it And yet they cry The scripture is hard Secondly they are the cause of the hardnesse of the scriptures when in the most plaine places that are they will not suffer men to follow that sence which the words themselues and the circumstances both before and after doe affoord Interpretations but they must haue their interpretation from the church of Rome without whose approbations they must neither trust their own eies for seeing nor their eares for hearing neither yet their wit for vnderstanding of any thing When they change the very sence and wordes and where they finde Lord they put Lady as in that blasphemous booke called the psalter of the Virgine Marie they doe through the whole psalmes and some other places When the first promise that was made of that blessed seede that should breake the head of the serpent they apply as much as they dare vnto the Virgine Marie when these wordes shall be currant stuffe to proue worshipping of the Saints departed In as much as yee haue doone it to the least of these my brethren Math. 25.40 yee haue doone it vnto mee which are spoken of our goodnesse to Gods needy creatures aliue as Eckius imagineth in his common places De vener sanct when I say the people are taught thus to vnderstand the scriptures must they not needes bee hard Lastly the greatest cause of this hardnesse is that the people are not acquainted with them for they are forbidden to reade them nay Forbidding to reade scripture it hath beene death to haue them found with the
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
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
we derogate anie thing herein from the power of the spirit whose direction if we could follow we should neuer do amisse but impute it to our owne weaknes ignorance corruption whereby it commeth to passe that euen the godly many times grieue Gods spirit and suffer him not to haue his perfect worke Other arguments also they haue but they haue scarce any shew of truth and therefore I thinke them not worthie answering for their places out of the fathers doe commend the faith of Rome that then was and their constancie in the same but what is that to this degenerate church of Rome that now is of the church whereof we may say as one saith of their citie that a man will seeke Rome in the midst of Rome So a man will seeke the church euen in the midst of their most shewe of religion and yet not finde it Of the markes of the Church or how wee may know the true Church CHAP. 9. THE PROTESTANTS WE must iudge of the tree of the church by the fruits that she bringeth foorth that is by the faith or religion that shee teacheth the confession or profession of the same that she maketh the exercise of the same that she vseth but we cānot iudge truely of these her fruits but only by the scriptures as in the fiue first chapters hath beene shewed therfore the true and infallible tokens or markes of the true church are to be had out of the word of God or the Scriptures THE PAPISTS NOwe the Papistes will haue their church to bee the true church because shee hath by vniust claime a good name to bee called Catholike Name catholike Antiquity Continuance Greatnesse Succession because shee is ancient and hath lasted long she is great and hath alwayes borne fruit such as it was for these are the first fiue notes reckoned vp by Bellarmine Lib. 4. de notis eccles and indeede their chiefest which especially they rest vppon And may not an euill tree haue all these properties Yes verely And as for the rest of his marks in the iudgement of an indifferent Reader they will neuer be accounted true markes of the Church excepting those notes wherein he seemeth to consent with vs to try the church by the word namely by holinesse of doctrine Because I haue in another treatise shewed I trust sufficiently that those markes of the church which they make greatest account of neither are any true markes and that we may make as good claime to them as they can it shall now be sufficient briefly to passe ouer this point and with one or two arguments to answer this question The scripture the true note of the true church Those markes of the church whereby wee may truely know the church and not be deceiued those I say onely are the true markes of the church But the scriptures onely are such Therefore they onely are the infallible markes The maior or first proposition no man will deny And that the Scriptures are such may appeare by infinite testimonies De pec merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 22. Saint Augustine saith it can not deceiue nor be deceiued And against the Donatists de bapt lib. 2. cap. 6. calleth the Scriptures the holy wey-scales or ballances Cap. 1. And in his booke de bono viduitatis he saith that the holy scripture doth set him his rule how to teach And to be short writing vpon saint Iohns Epistle he saith that Against deceitfull errours In Ioh. epist tractatu 2. God would set a strength or stay in the scriptures And Chrysostome saith vpon Genesis Hom. 12. in Genes that the Scripture wil not suffer him to erre or go astray that heareth it And therefore Gregory Nazianzene sometimes calleth the Scriptures The Kings high way Matth. 24. And our sauior Christ although he foretold the danger of error a litle before he suffered yet doeth hee not giue the Disciples any such markes whereby they should know the true Christ or true church as the Papistes speake of but he earnestly commendeth his word vnto them Ioh. 14.15 23. 15.7 And feruently prayeth vnto his father to sanctifie them with his trueth Ioh. 17.3 17 namely with his word for he knew that to be the way to keepe them from errour By all which it appeareth that the scriptures onely are accounted that perfect rule not only by the iudgement of the fathers but also by the practise of our sauiour Christ But most plainly S. Chrysost saith Opere imperf hom 49 That the true Church can be knowen only by the Scriptures I know that Bellarmine answereth this place in his 4. booke de verbo Dei ca. 11. after two sorts First that the booke sauoureth somwhat of Arianisme But in these words what Arianisme can Bellarmine finde Yea Bellarmine himselfe doth in other places alleage this booke But his second answer I confesse is very forcible For he telleth vs that in a booke printed of late that place is left out Haue they not thinke you answered the place strongly when they haue thrust it quite out of the booke If they had vsed Chrysostome onely in this sort yet were it too bad dealing but it may appeare by Franciscus Iunius his preface before the booke called Index Expurgatorius that they haue left few of the Fathers vncorrupted I would to God therefore that this and such other gelding and falsifying of the fathers by that deceiuing church of Rome which seekes to make them al say as she doth could stir vp the christiā princes that professe religion in a godly care to prouide for the safetie and maintenaunce of religion and the trueth thereof in time to come Which in my iudgement can not well be perfourmed except that to preuent the credite of those falsified copies which within short time are almost onely like to remaine because the ancient which are the truest wil be worne out the godly Princes by common consent woulde take some speedy order for printing of al the fathers according to the ancientest and most pure copies that might be found The second argument is this Whatsoeuer notes do not teach it to be euidently true that the church whereof they are the notes is the true church of God may deceiue and therefore are not certaine notes of the true church But such are the notes that the Papists would haue vs to beleeue therefore they are but deceitfull notes De verbo de◠lib. 1. cap. 2. The maior or first proposition is most true and may well bee prooued out of that axiome or rule that Bellarmine setteth downe saying De notis eccles li. 3. ca. 3. That the rule of the catholike faith must bee sure or certaine The minor or second proposition is Bellarmines owne confession euen in the selfe same words that I haue set downe Therefore it followeth necessarily that we must not trust the notes of the catholike church set downe by them CHAP. 10. Before I beginne
that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthily is guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord and after eateth and drinketh iudgement vnto himselfe making no difference of the Lordes bodie Out of which place they reason to this effect The wicked or vnworthy receiuers can not be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord vnlesse they receiue it But they are guiltie of them and receiue iudgement to themselues therby Therefore they receiue the bodie and blood of the Lord. The minor or second proposition is true for saint Paul saith it But the first is most false For although the wicked can not be neither are partakers of the bodie and blood of Christ yet because they come not to the sacrament which was instituted of God to offer and assure vs of the heauenly graces with such reuerence as they ought to do and in such sincerity as behoueth them therefore are they accounted and that woorthily to despise the things themselues that are represented by those visible signes And this is it that S. Paul findeth fault with the Corinthians For that by despising the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ they shewed their contempt of the thing signified thereby And therfore S. Ambrose Ambrose saith euen vpon these words Because it is the Lorde whose blood he drinketh in mystery S. Hierome Hierome yeeldeth the reason why he is guiltie of the body blood of Christ Because he hath accounted as vile the Sacrament marke his wordes of so great a mysterie Not therefore are they guiltie because they eate Christ but because saith hee they despise the Sacrament of so great a mysterie And Theophilact Theophilact vppon these wordes saieth Hee that receiueth it vnwoorthily shall bee no lesse guiltie of wickednesse than if hee shed the very blood of the Lord. Where we see that Theophilact doth compare the vnworthy receiuing of the holie sacrament with the shedding of Christes blood and so maketh them two diuerse things And therefore in his iudgement it is not all one to receiue the Sacrament and to receiue Christ So that by these places it appeareth that the wicked may bee guiltie of the body and blood of Christ which are by the holy Sacrament represented and sealed vp vnto the faithfull and yet not receiue the body and blood of Christ Yet by the way I must needs note the false dealing of Andradeus a popish writer who to make the Apostles argument the stronger for him doeth falsifie his wordes And therefore where the Apostle saith hee that eateth of this bread and drinketh of the Lordes cup vnworthily he saith Hee that eateth the Lordes body Orthod ex pli lib. 7. and drinketh of his blood But it is no great fault in poperie to abvse the Scriptures and to adde to them or take from them as they thinke good Wee see therefore that this cleane meate is for cleane men this holy banquet is for holy guests as they had wont to crie For De benedict patriaâ— ch c. â— as saint Ambrose saith This bread is the foode but of the godlie And why because Our abiding in him Cypr. de coâ—na Domini is our eating of him and our drinking of him is our incorporating into him our seruices being subiected our willes conioyned and our affections vnited to him Therefore the eating of his flesh is a certaine earnestnesse and desire to abide in him Which things to be in the vngodly the Papists will in no wise affirme Many testimonies might be alleaged but with one shift they thinke to answer all The answer of the Papists Christ his body and blood say they may be receiued of the wicked but not the fruit or effect thereof And may Christ be receiued of any and they not to liue by him Confutation of it Can he that is full of all grace and power be at any time as it were robbed of the same God forbid For if they wil speake of his conuersing among the Iewes and of his being among many whilest he was vpon earth that got no good thereby the reason thereof is plaine it was because they receiued him not Ioh. 3.19 20. But to say that any may receiue him and is not partaker of his graces and benefites is most expresly against the wordes of our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 6.57 He that eateth me shall liue through me They can not therefore offer a greater disgrace to our Sauiour Christ than to say that any can receiue him and yet not be partakers of his heauenly graces So that whilest they take vpon them the defence of the wicked in some sort they set themselues euen wilfully to reproch the holy one of Israel But if it should be granted to them that the wicked may eate Christ how or when wil they agree what shall be done with that body blood of Christ that they so eate For themselues deny that the soules of the wicked are norished by him And that their bodies should by his body be norished is too absurd What then becommeth of his body and blood which they say the wicked receiue To answer this question resolutely and definitiuely they haue not yet agreed they neuer will they neuer can Therefore vntill they can answere directly to such inconueniences as of necessitie follow the doctrine that they teach let vs beleeue that Christ is the foode of the faithfull onely because none other but they do receiue him Let vs not heare them who in the sacraments which should be and are indeede most plaine and easie teach vs wholy to looke for miracles as doe the Papists For Christ is present by miracle and absent by miracle if they say true And so when all learning and scriptures faile then they perswade vs that we must seeke for a wonder and so make them that will giue credite to them in these their grosse deuises the wonders of the world for their folly But enough of this That the Cup ought not to be denied vnto the lay people which thing the Papists do CHAP. 15. THE PROTESTANTS BEcause it is needeful for the nourishment of our bodies to haue not meate onely to satisfie our hunger but drinke also to quench our thirst in And that Christ would represent vnto vs in his Sacrament the perfect nourishment of our souls wherevnto nothing could be added because that nothing should be wanting For this cause did our Sauiour Christ institute his sacrament of these two partes of our nourishment and gaue as well the one of them as the other vnto his Apostles Commanding them also aswel to take drinke of the cup as to eate of the bread And the Church also did practise this more than a thousand yeeres But of late the councel of Constance Anno 1415. Sess 13. did forbid it and commaund the Sacrament to be receiued but in one kinde THE PAPISTS SO that the church of Rome not regarding the expresse commandement of our Sauiour Christ neither the practise of
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
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
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
to our maladies But they are content to confesse that it doeth iustifie yea Bellar. de iustif li. 1. ca. 15. Con. Trid. Sess 6. cap. 6. Orth. explica li. 6. and that faith doth somewhat merit our iustification because it doeth prepare and dispose the hart to iustification or as Andradradius saith because it goeth before to open as it were the doore to hope and charitie and is the beginning and foundation of iustification but that it iustifieth as the instrumentall cause that maketh vs to rest and settle our selues for our iustification onely vpon Christ without any regarde to the merit and woorke of Fayth they will not graunt A great cause of the difference betwene vs and the papists in this question is that we agree not in the signification of the worde what it is to be iustified This therefore is the question whether wee that are not only by nature sinners but also euen after our regeneration haue that Lawe in our members rebelling against the lawe of the minde Rom. 7.27 Bellar. de Amiss grat li. 5. ca. 13. which saint Paul calleth sinne and the papists themselues confesse to be euil damned and hated of God whether I say we being such sinners shal appeare righteous before God in hauing our sinnes pardoned couered and not imputed vnto vs and Christs righteousnesse accounted ours or in that goodnes or holines or those good workes which Gods grace worketh in vs. We say that Christ by faith is made ours Christ I say with all his holinesse and righteousnesses Ephe. 1.7 By whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace And in this assurance we stand euen before Gods iudgment seat without feare and say with the apostle Who shall laie anie thing to the charge of gods chosen Rom. 8.33.34 It is God that iustifieth who shal condemne vs. It is Christ that is dead yea or rather is risen againe Who is also at the right hand of God and also maketh request for vs. And in this faith and assured perswasion we haue peace of conscience here and are in Christ and for his sake accounted righteous elsewhere euen before him that shall iudge the quicke and the dead They teach vs that after baptisme sinne is so killed within vs Popish iustification that we are able to doe such workes as doe merit iustification and eternall life That iustification is not by works but by imputation Gen. 22.18 And by this righteousnesse that is in vs we are made so iust and righteous that we are so iustified before God To confirme that which we teach we haue the promise made to Abraham That in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed In his seede I say not in our selues we must all be blessed And that Christ is this seede saint Paul to the Galathians doth affirme Gal. 3.16 Secondly the iustification of the people of the Iewes which they by their sacrifices obtained is a right pattern of our iustification For though the bloud of of the beasts could not make them holy yet the sacrifice being offered for them according to the law Hep. 9.9 did worke so much that they who before were accounted vncleane and might not appeare before the Lord nowe were accounted cleane and might serue before him Euen so we though wee bee not in our selues yet by this our sacrifice that hath offered him selfe a sweete smell vnto God the father wee are accounted cleane and without sinne Rom. 5.2 and haue by him accesse vnto that grace wherein we stand Thirdly this iustification is commended vnto vs by Dauid Psal 32.1.2 Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie And for this cause he stirreth vp his soule to praise the Lord Psal 103.3 because saith he He forgiueth al thine iniquities It is promised by Ieremie I will forgiue their iniquities Iere. 31.34 and remember their sinnes no more And the Prophet Hose teacheth the people to pray for it Hose 14.2 saying thus Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously Where this is also by the way to be marked that the prophet here biddeth vs come to God with such words as if he had said Your works are euill and cannot helpe they cannot merit Yet come with good words be suiters for grace Fourthly our sauiour Christ doth commend vnto vs this iustification which we haue by him apprehend by faith Whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish Iohn 3.16 but haue euerlasting life Of whom the apostles also haue learned that we are iustified by faith that righteousnes is imputed vnto vs that we are accounted righteous Rom. 3.28 Rom. 4.3.11 Lastly we see how the apostle doth exclude works frō iustifying than which there can be no stronger argumēt against this inherent iustification which the papists contend for or for the imputation of righteousnes by faith in Christ Iesus which we according vnto the scriptures doe preach And therefore he doth not onely exclude works in generall from iustification Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.11 Rom. 4. Iustified by faith without the workes of the law But also those works that Abraham did after his first calling when now he was regenerate euen then I say attributing iustification to faith and not to his workes And likewise for his owne works long after he was regenerate Phil. 3.9 he reiecteth them that he might attaine vnto righteousnesse by faith So little did he trust vnto that inherent righteousnesse that he counted it but dung and so wholie did he depend on that righteousnes that we haue by faith in Christ Iesus But of this I haue spoken in the end of the former chapter And I trust this may serue the turne to shew how farre we are from that inherent righteousnes and keeping of the law which our popish Pharisees dreame of especially if we consider what great perfection the law requireth to be in our workes Master Bellar. his profe for inherent iustice De iustif li. 2. cap. 3. Rom. 5.19 and what want through our corruption there is in the same But master Bellarmine bringeth some arguments to proue this inherent righteousnesse The first is out of these words As by one mans disobediēce many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made iust Of this argument because I haue spoken at large towards the latter ende of the 23. chapter I leaue the reader to that place His second argumēt is this Al are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24.25 throgh the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set to be a reconciliation In which place by grace master Bellarmine vnderstandeth that righteousnesse that God hath giuen or infused into vs for so he speaketh But saint Augustine in that place vnderstandeth
Pagans had of the vse of their Idols but also that popish vse of images to be laie mens bookes And seeing in al these points they are so like as if they were twinnes of one birth why should we doubt but they are al one But they are not more like in anie thing than in that definition of an idol which maister Bellarmine himselfe hath set downe De Imag. li. 2 cap. 5. The image of God the father De Imag. li. 2 cap. 8. An Idol saith he is a false likenesse But the popish images are false likenesses therefore they are idols First the image of God the father to be made like an aged man which maister Bellarmine liketh wel of is but a false likenesse For graie heires and age are rather a token of weakenes than a picture fit to set foorth Gods maiestie and shew him rather to be pitied than powerful Yea but God appeared saith M. Bellarm. to Daniel hauing The haire of his head like the pure wool Daniel 7. ◠It is true but he bid not Daniel paint him so He appeared in that shape to Daniel only whom he had indued with a principal spirit but did not shew himselfe so vnto the people He appeared vnto his seruants in sundry shapes not often in one sort to shew that he must not be made like vnto anie one of them for none of them all can set him forth vnto vs as he should be set forth therefore if we wil make them they are but lying similitudes The image of Christ And for the image of Christ it is but a lying likenesse For his very shape or outwarde forme is not by them expressed but one painteth him after one sort another after another sort But the especial things that we should receiue comfort or instruction by cannot bee painted his godlines of life his office of beeing redeemer and mediator These things which are the chiefest the grauer cannot graue the painter cannot paint These are liuely described in Gods booke But they that are most giuen to images care lest to learne these thinges And seeing the image cannot teach vs these things for wee see nothing in it but a stocke or stone or some other mettall made like a man which cannot stirre or moue or helpe it selfe therefore it is a false likenesse But false also are such images in another respect namely because the eie beholding it draweth the minde from the consideration and meditation of better thinges and hindereth more heauenlie cogitations False because they intise to lies Ier. 10.14.15 Habac. 2.18 And therefore wel saith God by his Prophet Ieremie Their melting is but falshood they are vanity and the work◠of errours What profiteth the Image saith God by Habacucke For the maker thereof hath made it an Image and teacher of lies These bookes then they are of a false print and teach not truelie but as are idoles euen so are these images false likenesses De consens◠euang li. 1. cap. 10. And therefore worthely did S. Augustine finde fault with them Who sought for Christ his apostles not in the holy scriptures but in painted wals And this is indeed a dangerous falshood vnder pretence of religion to draw vs from true religion And by satisfying the eie with a faire shew to rob the soule of the spiritual comfort and instruction Lastlie they are like in name also Which thing although M. Bell. others would faine deny yet G. Martin a great enemy to vs euen in this cause Against our english translat ca. 3. sect 15. In Exod. 20. cannot but grant that the greeke word Idolum maie signifie an image And Caietanus also another piller of poperie doth make an idol an image alone although M. Bellar. censure him for it And the Hebrew names are so general De imag li. 2 cap. 7. as that they may very wel serue for image or idol yea there is in the vse of them small difference Sometime their names shew and tell what they are as vanities lies abhominations yea dirtie and dungie Sometime they are called according to their making grauen or molten Sometime according to the effect that they worke in such as serue them they are called fleabogs Cap. 3. sect 5 Psal 106.36 and where Gregory Martin translateth they Serued grauen Idols the word signifieth vexation Because idols bring vexation to them that serue them they are so called But the words as I haue said are very general And therfore vniustly and without cause doth Gr. Martin find fault with our english translations for translating Ca. 3. sect 20. Exod. 20.4 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image For the wordes doe so well beare it that euen their owne latine translation which they allow so wel of doth often translate that very word image as we doe for the most abhominable Idols that are as the images of the temple of Baal 2. Kings 11 1◠Ezec. 7.20 16.19 Ezec. 23.14 the idolatrous images which the Israelites made the images of the Caldeans And that word which with the Hebrews most properlie signifieth a likenesse or image doth their old translation translate an Idol De Imag. li. 2. cap. 5. if this word Simulacrum doe signifie an Idol as maister Bellarmine saith it doth For Tselamim wich in Hebrew signifieth likenesses or images that latin translation calleth Simulacra Idols 2. Cron. 34.3 Hos 11.2 and els where If the old translatour might indifferentlie vse the wordes that are of one significatiō why maie not our translatours do the like but they must by and by be falsifiers and corrupters And more euidently to proue that the olde translatour did not acknowledge this nice difference marke the place that we alleadge against them out of Habacucke Habak 2.18 and it will appeare that he maketh images that grauen thing which in this commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen thing is forbidden all one putting no difference betweene them For thus doth hee translate that place What profiteth the grauen thing For hee that made it hath grauen it a molten thing and a false image Where he plainelie calleth that an image which before he did translate as the word doth in truth signifie a grauen thing If this be no fault in him I trust the indifferent reader will not thinke it to be a fault in vs. Well then images and idols agreeing so wel as they doe in matter forme vnabilitie vse definition and name why maie they not bee birdes of one nest and whelpes of one litter one of them taken for the other If wee also consider how in other places of Scripture the idols are described and compare those descriptions with that which we see and know to be in their images Psal 115.4.5.6 we shall see them to be alike Their Idols are siluer and gold the worke of mens handes They haue mouthes and speake not eies and see not eares and heare not noses
regiment they haue no iust cause to complayne vnlesse it bee that of her tender and euill rewarded clemencie and gentlenesse shee suffereth such daungerous popish snakes so neere her bosome euen in all partes of the Realme so vntouched and almost vnregarded wee I say seeing with our eyes and dayly hearing with our eares of these pestilent and brutish and most vnnaturall practises and manifest daungers doe not humble our selues before our God in fasting and prayer Why doe wee not followe the infinite examples of the godly of all ages and the good practise of our neere neighbours on euerie side almost in such present perill to proclaime a fast that with the Niniuites wee might crie mightily vnto God Ionah 3.8 But as our enemies haue forgotten that they are men and casting off all humane nature are become more brutish than beastes in their practices and shame not of anie thing that they can doe so that they may worke wickedly enough so wee on the other side doe not consider that through our sinnes we haue deserued all these shakings of Gods roddes ouer vs and threatnings of his wrath And that is the cause that wee seeke not by publike fastings and prayer to make a publike conuersion vnto God agaynst whome so publikely wee haue sinned God moue the hearts of them that are in authoritie to rowse vp themselues at the length to thinke better of their duetie in this poynt and of our common saftie For surely hee that was angrie with his owne people Esa 22.12.13 because When hee called to weeping and mourning and baldnesse and girding with sacke-cloth They continued in their carelesse life that before they led so that hee sayd that Iniquitie should not bee purged 14 but by their death howe can hee but punish and that seuerelie so little regarde in vs of his so manie and manifest proclamations of his conceyued anger against vs. And thus would I with one breath if I could both moue our godly Magistrates as occasions are offered to make this our realme better acquainted with this most Christian and godly exercise and also let our aduersaries see that it is not fasting that we speake agaynst but the abuse thereof that we iustly reproue Why then we confesse that fasting is good and commendable it is a most godly and necessarie exercise to bee vsed But not euerie abstinence is true fasting First we see the true vse of fasting is not in the popish church For the godly did ioine fasting and prayer togither not thinking that outwarde humiliation to be of it selfe a thing that God regarded but it was vsed and practised that they might be more apt to pray as wee may see in the examples that the Scripture ministreth vnto vs. And therefore saint Hierome writing vnto Demetrias sayth Epist ad Demetr that Fasting is not it self a perfect vertue but the foundation of other vertues And most plainly saint Chrysostome Hom. 29. in Genes Prayers must alwayes goe with fasting And afterwards You see that fasting standeth in neede of this helpe And in another place Hom. 10. in Genes he seemeth not to make any great account of their fasting if it be alone But the papists do say that it doth appease Gods wrath and that it meriteth forgiuenesse of sinnes For this is their common doctrine and this doth master Bellarmine endeuour to proue De bonis operibus in part li. 2. ca. 11. The children of Israel saieth he fasting with Samuel appeased God and got the victorie ouer their enemies In deede there is once mention of fasting in that place 2. Sam. 7.6.8.9 But the storie sayth that Samuel promised to pray for them whē that they wept for that he meaneth when hee sayeth They drewe water meaning out of their hearts they fasted and confessed their sinnes and so little they regarded the merit of their fasting that they could not satisfie themselues therewith but they also desire Samuel to pray yea that hee would not cease to crie vnto their God for them Samuel offered a sacrifice and prayed for the Israelites Marke then howe deceitfully maister Bellarmine hath dealt in this place The people wept in abundance confessed their sinnes craued Samuel his prayers to God for them he offereth sacrifice and prayeth to God to appease his wrath yet master Bellarmine like a subtile sophister to make men beleeue that that is the cause which in deede is not speaketh nothing of all these meanes that they vsed to intreate God but onely of fasting as though that onely had turned away Gods wrath and yet wee see by the storie they made least account of it but especially of praying Neither is this a good argument They did fast and God deliuered them therefore their fasting merited this their deliueraunce His seconde proofe is out of the example of Achab who may in deede bee a good patterne of popish meriting 1. Kin. 22.27 29 for he continued wicked still But hee is in this much like as faithfull as the other For Ahab rent his cloathes and put on sackcloath fasted and lay in sackecloath and went softly as men vse to doe in heauinesse So manie tokens of sorrowe or feare did Ahab shewe and yet master Bellarmine could see nothing in him but fasting And in the storie of the Niniuites Ionah 3.7.8 which is the thirde example they put on sackecloath sate in ashes fasted but farre otherwise than the Papists doe and therefore what is this to their fast cried mightily to God turned from their wickednesse and God sawe not their fasting onely their workes but master Bellarmine can see nothing in them but their fasting In deed in his fourth example which is the storie of Hester there is no mention in the place cited by him Hester 4.16 of anie thing that was done but Hester commanded a fast But shall we imagine that they did not otherwise humble themselues but onely by fasting nor seeke to intreate God by prayer as though this fasting could deserue that they desired God forbid For in the ninth Chapter hee saieth they did not fast onely but pray also Hester 7 3◠But as before I sayde because they did these things and God deliuered them doeth it followe that all the workes that they did merited their deliuerance Master Bellarmine can neuer proue that argument Much lesse then shall hee be able to teach that fasting alone could merit And that is it hee would proue and in deede that hee should proue or else hee proueth nothing to serue his purpose Iudith 4.9.10 ◠12.13 14.15 They fasted likewise in the storie of Iudith but they also prayed earnestly put on sackecloath sprinckled ashes on their heades afflicted themselues maruellously offered burnt offerings continually and the peoples free gifts crying vnto the Lorde with all their power Lastly he alledgeth out of the Prophet Ioel Ioel. 2.12 Turne to the Lord with fasting weeping and mourning What then will he conclude of
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.
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
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