themselues of the vniust imputations of heresie and apostasie wherewith they were charged haue beene forced sundrie times to set forth seuerall Confessions of their Faith all which or most of which are recorded in the harmonie of Confessions Scurrilous therefore is that taunt of Papists who for this cause terme vs Confessionists For what haue we done herein whereunto their slanderous criminations haue not compelled vs what whereof we haue not example from the Primiue Church Nay what whereof we haue not Gods expresse commandement 1 Pet. 3.16 charging vs to bee ready on euery occasion to render an account of the Hope that is in vs But yet among all the ancient Creeds this of the Apostles hath euer beene counted of greatest authority and ought still so to bee counted Among the ancient Creeds I say for the Scripture is peerles and equall authority with it neither may it chalenge vnto it selfe neither did any of the ancient Fathers giue it as aboue wee haue touched For although the substance and matter of the Creed be diuine and perfectly according with the Scripture yet for forme and order of words it is humane whereas the Scripture both for substance and circumstance matter and forme and all is no way humane but wholly and entirely diuine The greater the blasphemie of Rhemish Iesuites auouching this Creed to be the Rule whereby all the writings of the new Testament are to be tried In Ro. 12.6 and approued whereas contrarily the Scripture out of which the Creed is collected is the only Rule by which both it and all other Creeds are to bee examined Howbeit the second place as it is its due so we willingly yeeld vnto it First in regard of the antiquity thereof because of all other it is the eldest Secondly for the perfection and fulnes thereof there being no one article of absolute necessity vnto Saluation which is not either in expresse tearmes or impliedly and in its principles contayned therein Thirdly and lastly because it hath had the vniuersall approbation of all Churches in all times both ancient and moderne The ancient Fathers giue vnto it most honorable and magnificent titles They call it the key of Faith the rule of Faith the foundation of Faith the summe of Faith the forme of Faith the body of Faith the rule of truth the sacrament of humane saluation the mysterie of religion the character of the Church and the like On it they commented rather then on any other Creed vnto it all others were conformed so as they seeme to be but expositions of it Finally it was their manner neuer to admit any that was adultus either to the Sacrament of Baptisme or to the holy Eucharist without making confession of his Faith by rehearsing this Creed In like manner all the reformed Churches with all reuerence and duty receiue it they vse it in their publick Liturgies and expound it in their Catechismes The more malitious is the slander of Gregorie Martin and others Disc of Eng. trans c. 12. who shame not to say that we hold not the Christian Faith of the articles of the Creed Yea saith another of vs they haue no faith nor religion Tho. Wright Att. they are infidels they beleeue not the holy Catholick Church the communion of Saints the remission of sins that Christ is the sonne of God or that he descended into Hell And as if these had not yet said enough Credo Caluiniscq another opening his mouth as wide as Hel affirmeth our Creed to bee this I beleeue in the Diuell the tormentor helmighty corrupter of heauen earth And in not-Iesus-not-Christ the only stepsonne degenerate who was spoiled of his glory by the holy Ghost and borne of Mary no Virgin c. To all which I answer Increpet te Dominus the Lord rebuke thee Satan If they haue called our master Belzebub it can be no disgrace to vs to suffer the same reproch The more incredible things they charge vs withall the lesse are themselues beleeued and the more credit do wee gaine vnto our profession All what is contayned in holy writ in this Creed of the Apostles in that of Nice and Athanasius wee firmely and entirely beleeue Let Hell and Antichrist and all the brood of Papists burst with malice and enuy yet this and no other Faith do wee hold and teach A SHORT CATECHISME QVaest Who placed you here in this World Ans God the maker and Gouernour of all things Q. Wherefore did hee place you here A. To serue and glorify him Q. How will he be serued A. By doing his holy Will and Commandements Q. What Commandments hath hee giuen you A. The ten Commandements of the Morall law Q. Repeat them vnto me A. Heare Israel I am the Lord thy God which c. Q. What duties doth God require of you in this law A. Two to loue God aboue all and my neighbour as my selfe Q. Haue you done this perfectly A. No neither yet can I nor any man els Q. Why can you not A. Because all are conceiued and borne in sinne Q. How commeth that to passe A. By the fall of our first parents Q. Had you obeyed the law what had beene the reward A. Life euerlasting Q. What is the punishment of Disobedience A. Euerlasting death Q. Your case then it seemes is very miserable A. Very miserable vnlesse God bee mercifull in Iesus Christ Q. What is Iesus Christ A. The Eternall Sonne of GOD made Man Q. Wherefore was he made Man A. To die for mans sin and to reconcile him vnto GOD. Q. Are all men reconciled by him A. No but true belieuers onely Q. Who are true Belieuers A. They who by faith accept him for their only Mediatour and Sauiour Q. How is this Faith wrought A. By the preaching of the Gospell Q. What is the summe of the Gospell A. It is contained in the Apostles Creed Q. Repeat the same vnto me A. I Belieue in God the Father Almighty maker c. Q. How may we know that we haue true Faith A. By the fruites thereof Q. What are the fruites of Faith A. New Obedience and Repentance Q. What is new Obedience A. A sincere practice of holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life Q. Can you doe this perfectly A. No but if I striue vnto perfection God in grace accepteth it Q. But what if you fall into sinne againe A. I am to rise againe by speedy repentance Q. What call you repentance A. A hearty sorrow for sinne with the amendement thereof Q. You say it must bee speedy tell mee wherefore A. Because if I bee preuented by death I perish eternally Q. What is the benefit of Repentance A. Forgiuenesse of sinnes with recouery of Gods fauour Q. You haue told mee how Faith is wrought and how it may bee discerned tell me now how it must be nourished and preserued A. By the vse of the Sacraments and Prayer Q. What is a Sacrament A. A seale of the
to deserue or not to deserue credit Con. Parmen l. 5. And Optatus B. of Milenis you affirme wee deny betweene your yea and our nay the soules of the people wauer and stagger Let no man belieue either you or vs Wee are all contentious men Wee must seeke out iudges If Christians both sides cannot yeeld them and part taking would hinder truth Wee must seeke for a iudge without If a Pagan hee knowes not the mysteries of Christianity if a Iew hee is an enemie to Christian Baptisme Therefore vpon earth no iudgment touching this matter can bee found Wee must seeke a iudge from heauen But why knocke wee at heauen seeing herein the Gospell wee haue his will and testament With these Fathers your owne men accord The holy doctrine saith Thomas of Aquin Sum. p. 1. q. 1. a. 8. ad 2. vseth such authorities of profane writers as forraine and probable arguments but the authorities of Canonicall Scripture it vseth arguing properly and necessarily and the authorities of the Doctors of the Church as disputing indeed properly yet onely probably For our Faith relyeth on that reuelation which was made to the Apostles and Prophets who wrote the Canonicall books De verb. Dei l. 1. c. 2. but not on reuelation made to other Doctors if any such haue beene And Bellarmin The sacred Scripture is the rule of Faith most safe and certaine and God hath taught vs by corporall letters which wee may see and read what he would haue vs belieue concerning him And Stapleton Del. con Whit. l. 2. De rat Con. l. 2. c. 19. The diuine Scriptures alone yeeld infallible testimony and such as is meerely diuine And Persius also The authority of no Saint is of infallible truth for S. Augustin giues that honour onely to the sacred Scripture But why vouch I human authority hauing diuine God himselfe by the Prophet summons vs vnto the law and to the testimony Esa 8.20 affirming that if any speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Ioh. 5.39 Our Sauiour Christ commandeth to search the Scriptures as which testify of him and wherein eternall life is to bee had Luc. 16 3◠Abraham referred the rich gluttons brethren to Moses and the Prophets assuring himselfe that if they refused to heare them neither would they be perswaded though one rose from the dead The holy Apostle Paul chargeth vs not to presume aboue that which is written 1. Cor. 4.6 in as much as the Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluation through the Faith that is in Christ Iesus 2. Tim. 3.15.16.17 and are profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee perfect Luc. 1.3.4 throughly furnished vnto all good works To what end did Saint Luke write his Gospell was it not that we might know the certainty of those things wherein wee are instructed Phil. 3.1 This saith Saint Paul is a very safe course And hence was it that the Bereans searched the Scripture so carefully Act. 17.11 that they might bee fully assured of those things which were taught thē We haue a more sure word of Prophecy 2. Pet. 1.19 saith Saint Peter whereunto yee doe well that yee take heed as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts But S. Paul is yet more peremptory Though we saith hee Gal. 1.8 or an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell vnto you then that which wee haue preached vnto you let him bee accursed Contra Haer. c. 12. What is it saith Vincentius Lirinensis that hee saith though wee Why not rather though I His meaning is though Peter though Andrew though Iohn yea though the whole Colledge of Apostles preach vnto you otherwise then wee haue preached let him bee anathema A fearefull straine for the maintenance of the first Faith neither to spare himselfe nor his fellow Apostles It is but a little Although saith hee an Angell from heauen preach otherwise then wee haue preached vnto you let him bee Anathema It sufficed not for the preseruation of the Faith once deliuered to mention the nature of humane condition vnlesse he comprehended Angelicall excellency also Though saith hee wee or an Angell from heauen Thus you see that the Faith which was first deliuered and is now contained in the Scripture is the soueraigne rule and iudge of all the doctrines both of men and Angels For whatsoeuer the Apostles preached the same is written as Irenaeus testifieth Lib. 3. c. 2. Whereupon Saint Augustin As touching Christ or his Church Cont. Petil. l. 3. c. 6. or any other thing pertaining to our Faith or life I will not say if wee who are no way to bee compared with him that said Though wee but as it is added if an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherWise then what yee haue receiued in the Legall and Euangelicall Scriptures let him be accursed Happily you will say the Scripture is indeed the rule of Faith and the law of the Church but not the Iudge or if Iudge yet but a mute and dumbe Iudge and if there bee not some externall visible audible infallible vnerring Iudge to interpret Scriptures and to stint all controuersies there will neuer bee an end of quarels neither will there euer bee peace and vnity in the Church Indeed the name of vnity and peace is a goodly thing and a finall end of all controuersies might it bee had were much to bee wished for But I feare the Church will not bee so happy so long as it dwelleth in tabernacles and is militant here on earth 2. Cor. 11.18.19 Otherwise the holy Apostle would neuer haue written thus to the Corinthians I heare that there bee diuisions among you and I partly belieue it For there must bee also heresies among you that they which are approued may be made manifest among you And the generall experience of former ages confirmeth the same wherein God continually hath exercized his Church either with the fire of persecutions that it might appeare who they are that loue him more then the present world or with the tempests of contrary doctrines that it might bee knowne who are chaffe and who wheat who sound in the Faith and who not Besides this mee thinks the facilnesse and easinesse of the way which your new Masters prescribe vnto you should make you much to suspect the goodnesse of it For whereas it is the good pleasure of God that all men should carefully diligently studie the holy Scriptures Psal 1.2 119. reading them and meditating in them night and day to the end they may grow rich in all knowledge and vnderstanding you by your rule may spare all this paines and though you sit still take your ease and fold your hands yet if you belieue whatsoeuer your externall human iudge
will either read or heare it read vnto them they cannot but know and vnderstand it This I could easily shew in euery particular and fundamentall point but that I should hold you too long Ps 19.8.9 Ps 119.105.130 Only if it bee not so tell me why doth the Holy Ghost say that they giue wisedome to the simple and light to the eyes that they are a lanterne to our feete and a light vnto our paths that the entrance into them sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple 2. Pet. 1.19 And why doth the holy Apostle S. Peter tearme them a light shining in a darke place Neither is it to bee neglected that all this is meant of the Scripturs of the old Testament Ioh. 20.31 which if they bee so lightsome how bright and cleere are they of the new These things are written saith Saint Iohn to the end yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God Rom. 15.4 and that beleeuing yee might haue life through his Name And Saint Paul The things that are written are written for our instruction Now if the Scriptures in things necessary be so obscure and hard to vnderstand either it is because the Holy Ghost could not write more plainely or because he would not That hee could not no man will say that hee would not crosseth the end of his writing which was as is aboue said to instruct in the Faith and to bring vs vnto life But that God by writing obscurely and yet commanding vs to search should either intend to mocke vs or faile of his owne end cannot bee imagined without notable impiety Heare what the Fathers say Dial. cum Tryph. Iustin Martyr Harken to the things which I shall report from the holy Scriptures which Scriptures need not to bee expounded but onely heard Clemens of Alexandria Exhort ad Ethnic Heare yee that are farre off heare yee that are nigh the Word is hidden from none it is a common light it shineth vnto all men there is no Cimmerian darkenesse in it let vs hasten to saluation to regeneration Chrysostome In. 2. Thess hom 3. All things necessary are cleere and plaine in the Scriptures so that were it not through our owne negligence wee should not need Homilies and Sermons Augustin Doct. Christ l. 2. c. 9. In those things which are plainely set downe in the Scripture are found all those things which containe Faith and Manners of life to wit Hope and Charity And Bernard Ser. in illud Sap. Iustum deduxit The wayes of the Lord are straight faire full and plaine wayes Straight without error because they lead vnto life faire without filth because they teach cleannesse full for multitude because all the world is within Christs net plaine without difficulty because they yeeld sweetnesse Biblioth l. 6. ann 152. Hereunto your owne men agree Sixtus Senensis diuideth the Scripture into two parts granting that the one is cleere and euident containing the first and highest principles of things that are to be belieued and the chiefe precepts of good life and examples easy to bee knowne such as are some morall sentences and certaine holy Histories Anal. â—iâ— p. 100. profitable for the ordering of manners And Gregory of Valentia Such verities concerning our Faith as are absolutely and necessarily to bee knowne and belieued of all men are in a manner plainely taught in the Scriptures themselues Thus all things necessary to saluation are so plainely set downe in Scripture that at least wise for the determination of them your externall Humane Iudge needeth not Yea but neither are all satisfied with these plaine places neither are all places of Scripture plaine True Yet haue you no reason to doubt of that which is plaine because some through frowardnesse will not vnderstand no more then you haue of the snow whether it be white because Anaxagoras thought that it was blacke If nothing can be certaine but that which is vnquestioned we must all turne Scepticks and neuer beleeue any thing For as in Philosophy so in Diuinity there is nothing almost so absurd but one or other hath held and what dispute there is euen about this Iudge of yours and the last resolution of Faith you cannot bee ignorant As for those darker places if you vnderstand them not yet assenting vnto the plainer you are without danger seeing in those plainer as wee haue shewed all things necessary are comprehended Neither is their darkenesse so great but that without your torch-bearer they may bee enlightned In Esa 19. For as Hierome saith It is the order of the Scripture after hard things to set downe things that are plaine and what is first spoken in Parables afterward to deliuer in cleere tearmes Doct. Christ l. 2. c. 6. And Augustin There is nothing almost among those obscurities but in other places one may find it most plainely deliuered In. 2. Cor. hom 9. And Chrysostome The Scripture euery where when it speaketh any thing obscurely interpreteth it selfe againe in another place So the rest And hence they gather that Scripture is to bee interpreted by Scripture and the doubtfull places by those that are more certaine as appeareth in their writings but specially by Saint Augustin in his books of Christian Doctrine purposely by him written to demonstrate as much According to this precept was their continuall practice and what interpretation they found agreeing with plaine Scripture and the particular circumstances of the text that they admitted as true but what they iudged to swarue from it that they reiected as contrary to the Analogie of Faith and the Principles of our Religion Which course if wee also take and this course wee ought to take vnlesse wee thinke that God is not the best interpreter of his owne words we cannot at leastwise dangerously erre in our interpretations and we may boldly refuse those as false which we find contrary vnto this Analogie of Faith For example These words of Christ This is my Body wee vnderstand thus This Bread is Sacramentally my Body you thus This Bread is turned or transubstantiated into my Body The question now is whether is the truer interpretation yours or ours Let vs trie it by this rule Your owne Scotus and Cameracensis thinke that opinion which holdeth the substance of bread and wine to remaine 4 d. l. 11. q. 3. lit F. Quaest in 4. q. 6. a. 2. Lit. â— to bee the more probable and reasonable opinion yea and in all appearance more agreeable with the words of institution De Euchar. l. 3. c. 23. In regard whereof saith Bellarmine It may iustly be doubted whether the text bee cleere enough to inforce it transubstantiation seeing most learned and witty men such as Scotus was haue thought the contrary So that in these mens iudgement the likelyhood is on our side and you haue great reason to doubt of your exposition Besides this the Analogy of Faith teacheth vs that Christs Body is
haue better exprest it For my part I cannot guesse what it should bee nor will I trouble my braine in seeking it Happily your selfe know not what you would And thus haue I though breefly yet fully answered all your reasons It now remaineth that either you produce sounder arguments then yet you haue giuen vs or adde more vigor and strength vnto these or because I feare you can do neither that considering the weaknes of those reeds whereon you haue hitherto leaned hence forward you trust them no more It can bee no disgrace vnto you to bee ouercome of Truth neither is it leuity or inconstancy vpon sight of your errour to change both your opinion and practice Take therefore vnto you Christian seuerity and ingenuously reuoke what you haue held or done amisse so shall you giue glorie vnto God and God shall honour you in the sight of all his Saints But if notwithstanding all that hath beene said you meane still to persist in your error and will not bee persuaded although you be perswaded I feare lest after straining at these gnats you fall to swallowing downe of Camels and proceed from dislike of a few indifferent ceremonies vnto flat schisme and separation which God forbid for his mercies sake Amen See T de ora HOW S. PAVL AND S. IAMES ARE TO BEE reconciled in the matter of IVSTIFICATION YOV demand how Saint Paul teaching Iustification by Faith onely without the Works of the Law Ro. 5.20.28 Gal. 2.16 Iam. 2.24 and Saint Iames affirming that of Works a man is iustified and not of Faith only may bee reconciled I will endeuour to giue you the best satisfaction I can in a few Propositions 1 Scripture being the Word of God who is truth and whose promises are not yea and nay 2. Cor. 1.17.18.19.20 but yea and Amen although sometime there may seeme contrariety in it yet reall difference and repugnancy there can bee none truth euer agreeing and neuer contradicting it selfe 2 Paul therefore and Iames being inspired by the same spirit must needs conspire in the same truth although the one exclude Works from Faith in the matter of Iustification the other include Works together with Faith 3 The readiest way to reconcile this seeming contradiction is to obserue carefully the Occasions whereupon they were moued to deliuer these doctrines and to distinguish the Equiuocation and diuers vse of these two words Iustification and Faith For if there bee the same meaning in both and no ambiguity in either of these tearmes it cannot bee auoided but they must of necessity crosse one the other 4 Saint Pauls occasion was this Hee saw with what eagernesse contention certaine Iewes maintained Act. 15.1 that vnlesse the law of Moses were kept and obserued together with the Gospell there could bee no Iustification and that thereby mans Works were either substituted in the roome of or yoked together with Faith to the great preiudice of Gods free Grace Ro. 2.24 And therefore against these he proues by the testimony of the Law the Prophets that we are Iustified by Faith in Christ freely without the works of the Law 5 Hereupon some there were who like spiders sucking venome out of the wholsomest flowers so interpreted this comfortable doctrine as if it skilled not whether they practized good works and led a godly vertuous life so as they did belieue And against this sort of men the Apostle Saint Iames thought it necessary to oppose himselfe 6 So that Saint Iames doth not dispute against Saint Paul but for the right meaning of S. Paul against those that depraued and wrested his doctrine to a wrong sence Paul so defending Iustification by Faith without Works as hee denies not the necessary practice of them but only denies the power of Iustification vnto them Iames so establishing good Works not as giuing them force to make a man acceptable and iust in the sight of Gods iustice but onely disabling that Faith from hauing any power to Iustify vs which is not accompanied with them 7 And thus Saint Augustin vnderstandeth it When De fide oper l. 1. c. 14. saith he the Apostle saith that a man is iustified by Faith without the Works of the Law hee meaneth not that Faith being receiued and professed the works of Iustice should bee contemned but that euery one should know that he may be iustified by Faith although the works of the law goe not before For they follow him that is iustified but goe not before him that is to bee iustified And againe 83. quaest q. 16. When as Paul speakes of the good works of Abraham which accompanied his Faith it is manifest that by the example of Abraham he doth not so teach that a man is iustified by Faith without works that if hee doe belieue it concernes him not to worke well but to to this end rather that no man should thinke that by the merit of his former good Works he hath attained the gift of iustification which is by Faith 8 As the consideration of the different occasions which moued these two Apostles to speake so differently doth in part cleere this question so will it yet bee more euident if wee know the seuerall acceptions and vses of these words Iustification and Faith and in what sence either Apostle vnderstands them 9 Iustification vsually in the Scripture phrase signifieth not to make iust by infusing the quality of Iustice into the soule 2. King 15.4 Deut. 25.1 Psal 81.3 Prov. 17.15 Mat. 12.37 Ro. 8.33.34 but to pronounce and declare to be iust being indeed a Law-terme and drawne from ciuill Courts of iudicature and is opposed to Condemnation And this is so cleere that Tolet a Iesuite confesseth it most frequently so to signify in Scripture Pineda Vega and Salmeron three great Papists acknowledge it in this sence to be vsed by S. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans where hee disputeth purposely of Iustification 10 Now there is a double tribunall where wee are to bee iudged one is Gods the other Mans and therefore God is sayd to Iustify and Man also God when he acquits a sinner from his sinnes for the merit of his Son Christ Man when seeing our good works which are the fruites and testimonies of our grace with God out of the iudgement of Charity hee accounts vs the Sonnes of God Of the former Saint Paul speakes of the latter S. Iames. S. Paul enquireth how wee are made lust before God namely by Faith S. James how it may appeare vnto men that wee are Iust namely by Works Faith is the principle of Existence by which we are Iust Works of Knowledge by which we are knowne to be Iust Iac. 2.10 In id cap. 11 That Saint Iames vnderstandeth such a Declaratiue Iustification is plaine by that he saith Shew mee thy Faith by thy Works And Thomas of Aquin affirmeth that Workes following Faith are not said to Iustify as Iustification is an infusion of
Iewes more then the Epistle to the Hebrewes neither were they all written to all Catholicks for the second and third of Iohn were sent vnto priuate persons onely and all the rest as vniuersally concerne all Catholicks as these few tearmed Catholicke doe I conclude therefore the word Catholicke being latter then the Apostles so must the Creed bee also which vses it Thirdly the different relation of the story bewrayes the vncertainty of it for they giue not all the same article vnto the same Apostle Some marshall them iust as S. Luke doth in the first of the Acts others thus Peter Andrew Iohn Iames the elder Thomas Iames the younger Bartlemew Mathew Simon Iude Mathias Againe some of them attribute vnto Peter part onely of the first article I belieue in God the Father almighty and vnto Iohn the other part Maker of Heauen and Earth But others attribute the whole article vnto Peter and giue another vnto Iohn The like may bee obserued in other articles If then they bee certaine of the tradition why doe they differ thus in their reports If they differ thus one from another who can bee certaine of the tradition Fourthly if the Creed both for matter forme were from the Apostles and they deliuered it precisely in those words in which we now haue it why is it not placed in the Canon of Scripture Certainly in the Church although it euer haue been much esteemed yet was it neuer counted Canonicall Neither hath it been preserued so safe from addition detraction mutation as the rest of the Scriptures always haue been For euen in the ancientest times we find great variety in it Ruffin writing a iust comment on it omits that clause Maker of Heauen and Earth And who knowes not how many there are who relating this Creed leaue out the article of Christ descending into hell De Christi anima c. 6 Euen Bellarmin himselfe confesseth that it was not found anciently in all Creeds and hee voucheth for it Irenaeus Origen Tertullian and Augustin though fiue times he expoūd it and finally the Creed of the Roman Church also as Ruffin witnesseth vnto whom if hee had been so pleased he might haue added a whole armie of others whom for breuities sake I omit Finally the ancient Doctors were so farre from equalling it with Scripture that they appealed from it thereunto as to an higher authority Catech. 4. Cyril plainely affirmeth that wee may not beleeue the Creed without Scripture Biblioth sanc Patr. tom 9. And Paschasius against Macedonius shrowding himselfe vnder some words of the Creed appealeth vnto the Canonicall Scripture for that of it saith hee the text of the Creed dependeth Which had they thought it had been from the Apostles in such forme and as now we haue it without question they neuer would haue done Fiftly the reason which they assigne why they composed this Creed discouers the vanity thereof What was that That it might be forsooth vnto the Apostles a canon rule according to which they should square and conforme their preaching What vnto the Apostles to whom Christ promised his blessed Spirit that should lead them into all truth And that himselfe would put into their mouths a ready answer vpon all occasions so that they should not need to bethinke themselues what to say Could they possibly doubt lest any difference or discord should grow among them in matter of Faith who were so guided by the Spirit of truth and vnity that they could not in any point either erre themselues or lead any other into error Surely so to thinke derogateth much from the truth of Christ and imputeth much weaknesse vnto the Spirit of God and detracteth from the certainty of our Faith which dependeth on their preaching So that for this cause it is vnlikely they made this Creed at leastwise to this end De Symb. ad Cat. l. 1. c. 1. Lastly Saint Augustin saith thus not that false Augustin vpon whom those Sermons de tempore are fathered and whose authority is vsually alledged to warrant this legend but the true S. Augustin saith Illa verba Symboli qua audiuistis per Scripturas sparsa sunt inde collecta ad vnum redacta those words of the Creed which you haue heard are dispersed through the Scriptures and being gathered from thence are reduced into one With him agreeth Paschasius De Spirit Sanct. c. 1. De sacris omninò voluminibus quae sunt credenda sumamus de quorum fonte symboli ipsius series deriuata consistit Let vs take out of the sacred volumes what things wee are to belieue out of which fountaine the order of the Creed is deriued Centur. 1. l. 2. c. 4. And Marcellus a Bishop in a letter to Iulius Bishop of Rome professeth hauing rehearsed the words of the Creed Se hanc fidem ex Scripturis accepisse a maioribus secundum Deum accepisse candem in Ecclesiâ Dei praedicare that he receiued this Faith out of the Scriptures and next after God from his ancestors and that hee preached it in the Church of God If then as these Fathers affirme the Creed bee gathered out of the Scriptures how can the Apostles bee authors thereof For out of the old Testament they could not gather that Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary or that hee suffered vnder Pontius Pilate And as for the new many of the Apostles were dead before all was written and Iames before any was written besides that no part of it was written when the Creed was compiled if it bee true which the legend saith And these are the reasons for which it seemeth vnto me more then probable that the Apostles were neuer Authors of this Creed If it be so will some say why doth it then beare the Apostles name I answere because as out of S. Augustin and others we haue shewed the matter therein contayned is perfectly agreeable with the Apostles writings and was collected out of them Moreouer Apostolicall is a terme extended by writers vnto the first three hundred years after Christ Haet sola fides saith Damasus Ep. 5. quae Nicaeae Apostolorum authoritate fundata est perpetua est firmitate seruanda this only Faith which was established at Nice by the authority of the Apostles is firmely and perpetually to be held So Scythianus and Terebinthus are said to haue liued temporibus Apostolorum in the time of the Apostles Epiph. Haer. 66. who yet liued in Aurelians time towards three hundred years after Christ And Isidor distinguishing betweene Apostles and the First Apostles saith that Apostles continued downe vntill Pope Syluester and that the times before the great Councell of Nice were Apostolicall Although therefore the first Apostles were not the founders of this Creed yet those succeeding Apostles were of whom it may be called the Apostles Creed These things being so let it bee obserued thereupon first how friuolously Papists cauill and quarell with vs affirming that wee hold
not the Faith of the Creed because we question it whether the Apostles were authors of it or no. As if to doubt of the author were to doubt of the truth of the matter or as if all those Ancients reiected the epistle to the Hebrewes for Apocryphall which were not resolued who wrote it whether Paul or Barnabas or Luke or Clemens Secondly how weaklie Popish traditions are supported by the tradition of this Creed For not being the Apostles how can it be a tradition of the Apostles or if it be a tradition of theirs yet is it such a tradition as is written contayned in Scripture and such wee willingly receiue Let them proue the rest of their pretended traditions to be such and we will readily embrace them also But returne wee to our purpose This Creed by whomsoeuer it was made is intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Symbol the reason whereof we are now to inquire To let passe those barbarous and iocular notations which ignorant Monks haue giuen of it lest relating them I should both spend time defile my paper some deriue it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying as they say a shote or reckoning Ruff. Symb. Aug. ser de tem 115. for that the Apostles meeting together to compile it did each conferre his article as it were his symbole for defraying of this heauenly banket But first the Apostles as we haue declared neuer compiled this Creed Secondly if they compiled it yet as Antonius Nebrisensis saith Quinquag c. 40. it is neither credible nor likely that each of them conferred his particle seeing in those things that are constituted and decreed by many it is not the manner for euery one seuerally to put his word or saying into it but for all iointly to agree vpon the whole Adde hereunto that if it were so men would neuer haue diuided the Creed as they haue done some into seuen articles because of the seuen gifts of the holy ghost very many others into fourteen but onely into twelue according to the number of the Apostles who dictated each of them his article Lastly not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a shote as the learned know neither can it bee shewed to bee otherwise in any Greeke writer Indeed in Latine writers yee shall sometimes find Symbolum so vsed yet that it is found so in any skilfull Criticks impute it to the ignorance of Notaries and by the warrant of the best Manuscripts restore the Feminine Symbola into the roome thereof Others fetch it from Symbolum signifying a Pledge or token and first such a pledge whereby persons espoused bind themselues to bee faithfull and true one vnto another because likewise in our spirituall espousals with Christ as he giues vnto vs his blessed spirit as an earnest of his constant loue to vs so wee returne backe againe the profession of our faith as a firme pledge of our loyalty and subiection to him This reason caries good likelyhood and proportion with it So doth also the next when it signifieth tesseram hospitalem such a token as Cities were wont to giue vnto their friends that shewing it they might find friendly entertainment in confederate townes or such as one friend was wont to giue vnto an other to the like end Which how it fits the amitie and frienship betweene Christ vs who sees not Neuerthelesse I rather thinke it is so called from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it signifieth a watchword For the Primitiue Church seemeth much to haue beene delighted with militare terms I suppose because in Scripture Christians are so often compared vnto souldiers And hence it is that the Church is distinguished into Militant and Triumphant that Heathen are called Pagans in opposition vnto souldiers that the two mysteries of the Church are termed Sacraments a word importing that oath of obedience which souldiers take vnto their Generals In like manner may the Creed be called a Symbole because it is as a watchword by which true Orthodoxe Christians many discerne one from the other Painims Iewes Turks and Hereticks Heerwith agreeth Maximus Taurinensis Symbolum tessera est signaculum quo inter fideles perfidosque secernitur Hom. de trad Symb. the Symbole is a watchword or marke by which Faithfull and Faithles men are discerned And Ambrose De voland Virg. l. 3. Symbolum cordis signaculum est nostrae militiae sacramentum the Symbole is the seale of the heart and the sacrament of our warfare In Symb. And Ruffin Nequa doli surreptio fiat symbola discreta unusquisque dux suis militibus tradit quae Latine vel signa vel indicia nominantur ut si forte occurrerit quis de quo dubitetur interrogatus symbolum prodat si sit hostis an socius lest there should be any surreption or deceit euery captaine deliuereth vnto his Souldiers a distinct watchword that if they meet with any of whom they doubt by demanding the watchward they may discouer whether hee bee a friend or an enimy And this hee accommodateth vnto the present purpose Now seing the Gentiles were wont to giue for their watchword the names of some of their Gods Xenoph paed l. 3. 7. Pausan l. 10. Suet. Calig c. 18. as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minerua Iupiter and the like what fitter Symbole could Christians haue then their Faith in the holy indiuiduall Trinity And thus much of the title of the Creed proceed wee yet further Besides this Creed there are diuers others verie ancient both Generall of the whole Church such as are those foure famous ones of Nice of Ephesus of Constantinople of Chalcedon and Particular either of seuerall Churches or of priuate men among which that of Athanasius is most renowned All which though in forme of words they vary yet for substance are all one there being Eph. 4.5 as S. Paul saith but vna fides one faith Neither yet was this number of Creeds needles or endles For when heresies began to encrease and preuaile the Church thought it necessary to set forth some short Confessions by which the people as by a touchstone might discerne the gold of Orthodoxe truth from the copper of errors and heresies Saith S. Hilarie Nihil mirum videri debet fratres charissimi quod tam frequenter exponi fides caeptae sint necessitatem hanc furor haereticus imponit you ought not to maruell much beloued brethren that nowadayes Creeds are so frequently set forth the fury of hereticks hath layd this necessity vpon vs. Thus against Arius denying the diuinity of Christ was the Nicene Creed framed against Macedonius and Eudoxius denying the Deity of the holy Ghost and his proceeding from the Father and the Sonne the Constantinopolitane against Nestorius denying the vnion of both natures of Christ in one person the Ephesine against Eutyches confounding both natures and swallowing vp the humane in the diuine that of Chalcedon Thus of late the reformed Churches to quit
lesse as a palsie hand may receiue as much though shakingly as doth the hand of a strong man stedfastly And thus with as much breuity as I could with auoiding of obscurity I haue deliuered my mind concerning the true nature and definition of iustifying Faith which whether wee haue or no how easie it is to finde out how full of sweet vse and comfort it is in comparison of the common receiued opinion not Eagles onely but Moles may see If any notwithstanding the euidence of my reasons shall persist in his former iudgement suo fruatur per me iudicio Let him abound in his owne sense but for my selfe my word shall alwayes bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the right is on my side Neuerthelesse if any by sound and substantiall arguments shall conuince mee I will not proue refractary or opinionate Ep. 9. ad Hier. In Retract but according to S. Augustins counsell vnto Hierome and his owne heroicall practice I will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and retract all I haue said or written For I count it a plaine token of a peruerse and illiberall mind for a man seeing his errour whereby he was misled rather to bend his wit for to find reason that he was not in error and so to bee mad with reason then to frame his wit and will to assent and yeeld to truth being demonstrated vnto him Hor. l. 1. ep 6. ad Numie But vntill that be giue me leaue to conclude with the Poët Si quid nouisti rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his vtere mecum If ought you know righter then here you see Impart it friendly els this vse with me I. D. A DEFENCE OF THE FORMER TREATISE OF IVSTIFYING FAITH Against the answer of N. B. N. B. IT had been good M. Downe you had been aduised and warned by Diphilus in Athenaeus who said Lib. 15. in fabula cui titulus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acceptâ candelâ candelabrum quaerebamus we tooke the candle before wee had the candlesticke meaning that it sauoureth not of prouidence to light the one before wee bee sure of the other Without doubt you would not then haue builded your doctrine here in this Cittie till you had layd a good foundation for the same euen Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Apoc. 1. who standeth in the midst of the seuen golden Candlesticks and is the sole foundation of the eternall verity But such was the iudgement of God cast vpon vs for our sinnes Mat. 18. that refusing the wholesome doctrine of his Word and following fantasies and nouelties of our owne inuentions we should now giue heed to lying spirits and be led away with the spirit of error But we be to them by whom offences come you cannot escape the hand of God except you speedily repent and make satisfaction to this offended flock I. D. Indeed M. Baxter if I haue presumed to determine a question meerly Theologicall by such principles as are heterogeneall and Improper vnto the science of Diuinity I must needs confesse I haue foully faulted and iustly deserued the blame of Improuidence you lay vpon me Poster l. 1. c. 7. §. 1. 4. For it is impossible to demonstrate saith the Philosopher passing from one kind to another as for Arithmetike to demonstrate a probleme or conclusion in Geometrie Eccles 2.14 But had your eyes been where Solomon sayth a wise mans eyes should be when you read my writing you could not but perceiue that I had builded my doctrine vpon that very same good foundation you speake of euen Iesus Christ and his blessed word For whatsoeuer I haue affirmed throughout that whole discourse I haue sufficiently warranted either by expresse testimony of Scripture or which is equiualent by necessary collection from it Vnto your aduice therfore out of Diphilus in Athenaus I answer with the like but more sanctified words of Athanasius Orat. contra Arrian Loe we speake boldly out of the sacred Scriptures of holy and religious Faith and setting the candle as it were vpon the candlesticke doe wee thus pronounce of the nature and definition of Iustifying Faith But put case M. Baxter I had been mistaken either in the truth of the conclusion or in the proofes thereof yet considering at least wise the probability of the one and the comfortablenes of the other Charity I am sure would haue iudged the publishing thereof to haue proceeded to vse the words of Augustin rather from the errour of loue then the loue of error The more vncharitable are you that being not able to conuince mee of the least vntruth ranke me notwithstanding in the number of lying spirits and so peremptorily denounce wo and iudgement against me 1 King 19.12 Wherein as you bewray how little you fauour of his mild spirit who chose rather to come in a still and soft voice then in a tempest and whirlewind so greatly are you deceiued if you thinke such causes and idle meanes either affright or affect me No no I am not so simple to belieue that the earthquakes when moles beginne to heaue or that thunderbolts presently flie abroad the world when euery hot braine threatens fire from heauen Prou. 26.2 For as the bird by wandring and the swallow by flying escapeth so the vndeserued curse shall not come saith Solomon Act. 4.36 And therefore vnlesse you can proue mee in deliuering this doctrine to haue beene an vnaduised Barnabas I haue no cause to feare when you proue yourselfe but a rash and hasty Boanerges Mar. 3.17 N. B. Your Sermon made here in Bristol Nouemb. 5. 1601. stuffed with quirks full of elenchs and subtle distinctions wholly bent it selfe against the truth of God and hath shaken the well affected minds of many who by your Sophismes seduced scarce know by what means they shall bee saued Demosth in Philip. You gaue vs Mandragor as to drinke and vnder a sugred potion of your owne sole contriuing cast vpon vs the spirit of slumber Aristoph in Pluto Was it not a bold part thus in peace to play the Lion and rent in sunder vnder pretence of truth the blessed vnion of holy piety to deliuer such new coined strange vncouth and singular definitions diuisions or distinctions of Iustifying Faith being indeed Callida mendacia craftie vntruths Plaut Mostel Athen. Dipnos li. 3. Cic. pro Cluent as Apollo himselfe could by no meanes vnderstand to vse the phrase of Antiphanes and then to boast that scarce Archimedes could better and more liuely haue depainted his Theoremes then you iustifying Faith Theocrit hodaep then you forsooth had then against all writers old and new in one sole and sillie Sermon walking without fire in the darke delineated yea demonstrated as you say true Iustifying Faith the comfort of a Christian man I. D. Three heinous faults you charge my Sermon withall Vntruth in the Matter Sophistrie in the Manner and Breach of peace in the
the mercie of God I. D. The Minor which in the former section you denied namely that Faith goes before iustification and Assurance followes after in my Treatise I thus proued because Iustification is promised vpon condition of Belieuing and seeing in Conditionall promises there can bee no Assurāce of the thing promised before the performāce of the Condition therfore in this promise we must Belieue before we can be iustified and be iustified before we can be assured we are iustified Now to this you say it is rather an encouragement then a Promise vpon condition as if it were impossible that Promise vpon condition might bee an encouragement Whereas me thinkes a Generall doth greatly encourage his Souldiers when he promiseth vnto them preferment and reward vpon condition of some peece of seruice well performed 1 Cron. 11.6 And Ioab peraduenture would not haue beene so forward and venturous in the battell vnlesse Dauid had promised the office of chiefe Captaine vpon condition of smiting the Iebusites But you haue reasons for your saying more then a good many for here like another Tertullian euery word almost you speake is a Demonstration First all the Church of God in all ages affirmeth with you and yet as shall plentifully appeare in the next Section the Church of God neuer vnderstood but that Remission of sinnes was promised vpon condition of Faith But as Anaxagoras when hee was driuen to his shifts and could not finde out the reason of some things was wont to say it was the doing of Nous euen so when you haue boldly affirmed that which you can by no meanes proue it is your manner desperately to auouch that it is the saying of the Church Secondly you say this speech Belieue and thy sinnes shall bee forgiuen thee is all one with this Thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee therefore bee of good comfort Which happily wee may thinke not to be altogether so witlesse if also you can perswade vs that a Physician saying vnto his Patient Vse carefully the course of Phisicke I shall prescribe vnto you and you shall surely recouer of your sicknesse meaneth thereby no other then as if hee should say Bee of good cheere for thou art already recouered of thy sicknesse Lastly by this meanes you say both the former and the latter to wit Forgiuenesse of sinnes and Beliefe may bee ascribed to the mercy of God As if Promise of Remission of sinnes vpon condition of Faith were any way derogatory vnto the Mercy of God but that both the one and the other may this notwithstanding bee ascribed thereunto For if when God out of his soueraigne authority commaundeth to Belieue it bee neuerthelesse of his grace that wee can and doe Belieue according to that of S. Augustin Giue what thou commandest and command what thou wilt why when out of his mercy hee promiseth Forgiuenesse if we doe Belieue should it not bee ascribed vnto the same his mercy that we doe performe the condition and Belieue But who knowes the salt that is in you Eupolis You are the onely Pericles of this age Suada sits vpon your lips and you alone leaue a sting behind you For had it not been for this threefold cord of yours I could neuer so easily haue been drawne from this truth N. B. Farthermore where you bring for the confirmation of your Minor to proue Iustification to bee conditionall with the Papists this place of Math. cap. 9. v. 2. M. Downes falshood in citing construing and adding to the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confide fili remissa sunt tibi peccata tua Bee of good comfort Sonne thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee you wrest it first to tell vs that Christ said to him Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee if thou wilt bee of good comfort which is false and no part of Christs meaning but rather the contrary bidding the man sicke of the Palsie be of good comfort because his sinnes being the cause of his disease were forgiuen him Tom. 9. in Mat. In Mat. c. 9. This could Saint Hierome haue told you yea Chrysostome and Master Caluin Erasmus and the Greeke Scholiast But what may wee expect will bee the sequell of this if you bee not hindred in your course Well you haue a mind to doe mischiefe but you want power as spake Plutarch to one Harm in Mat. 9. Archidamus Zeuxidis filius in Plut. M. Downe falsly translating the Greeke text and so I Hope shall The second point which I challenge you in is false translating of the Greeke text contrary to the words themselues and all the world for 1600. yeares You translate Mat. 9. v. 2. Crede fili remittentur tibi peccata tua Sonne belieue and then thy sinnes shall bee forgiuen thee when you should haue said with Saint Hierome Ambrose Beda Caluin Beza Erasm and the Church of England Sonne bee of good comfort thy sinnes bee already forgiuen thee The Greeke word can by no meanes signifie to Belieue but rather to bee confident or Bold to trust to and not to Belieue in as Opibus confidere Cicero to trust to his riches not to belieue in his riches to assure my selfe that they shall benefit mee not to belieue in them as my God to saue mee Beside the Greeke word to Belieue is farre off another name and nature Againe by what authority doe you translate Thy sinnes shall bee forgiuen thee when you should say thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Haue you any commission in contemptum omnium Grammaticorum to change tenses also as you take vpon you vnder pretence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to coine Distinctions But I may easily spie your drift you would needs parget your rotten cause and miserable Minor with this vntempered morter Well all the Schollers in our countrey will thinke the worse of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as long as they liue for this tricke M. Downe addeth to the Scripture But what intolerable impudency is this and beyond all the rest to adde the word or coniunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Scripture saying by your commission 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Belieue Sonne and then thy sinnes shall be forgiuen thee Quite contrary is this to your knowledge and conscience Apoc. 22. Bethinke you therefore what a fearefull iudgement you incurre and craue mercy at the hand of God while you haue time confesse your errour and cancell your commission so shall you haue the Church your Mother and her Children your Brethren and friends I. D. That which in the former section you spake but lispingly here you deliuer more plainely and articularly for there you say it is rather an encouragement but now you affirme peremptorily they are none but Papists that hold Iustification to bee conditionall to such extremities straits am I driuen that I am faine to borrow aide and assistance of the common aduersary But if I bee mistaken herein I hope I shall the more easily find pardon because
saith effectually called and they onely who are effectually called are iustified and shall bee glorified And if it were possible that they should bee saued then were there change in the vnchangeable decree of God which hath finally reiected them which is impossible 7. Hee that commands a Reprobate that is not iustified and shall neuer bee saued to belieue that hee is iustified and shall be saued implieth a Contradiction therein and makes Falshood to bee Truth and Faith errour For according to that infallible maxime Falshood is not vnder Faith and therefore if the Obiect bee Falshood it is not Faith which apprehendeth it for true if it bee Faith Falshood is not the Obiect thereof So that hee which commands that false Proposition to bee belieued makes that to bee Faith which cannot beare the definition of Faith and that to bee the Obiect which is not the Obiect thereof that is as I said makes Faith to bee error and Falshood Truth which are contradictories 8. God therefore neither doth nor can so command neither is it impure or impious to affirme so much being in the Word of God so manifestly reuealed Impious rather and blasphemous is it to say the contrary for it imputes impotency and weaknes vnto God making him to say Yea and Nay and to auouch that for truth which is euidently false 9. But this opinion that Faith is an Assurance infers this blasphemous absurdity For as I haue shewed God cōmands all men euen Reprobates to belieue now to belieue as you say is to bee assured of iustification and Saluation Ergo God commands the Reprobate to be assured of his Iustification and Saluation which is absurd 10. Absurd therefore is that opinion that Faith is Assurance which infers it For from truth no absurdity or blasphemie but onely truth can follow These few Positions I pray thee Gentle Reader consider diligently and compare Master Baxters reply with them and then bee iudge whether hee paint not gourds as it is in the Prouerbe and talke cleane beside the purpose Those places of Scripture which you desire may bee well waighed and then by mee either answered or reuerenced I haue according to your desire duly examined and doe from my heart adore them as being the words of the Eternall Verity and this answer doe I giue vnto them that not one of them touches the question in debate betwixt vs. Rom. 11.23 The first telleth vs that the Iewes if they persist not in infidelity shall againe by the power of God bee ingrafted Gal. 3.22 the second that the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the Faith of Iesus Christ might bee giuen to them that Belieue both which argue against your selfe that Faith is the condition of the Promise the third saith that as many as were ordained vnto eternall life belieued Act. 13.48 2. Thess 3.2 Mat. 13.11 the fourth that euery man hath not Faith the fift that to know the mysteries of the kingdome of Heauen is giuen to some and denied to other some by which three it is cleere that Reprobates doe not belieue Prou. 16.4 Rom. 9.18.19.20 but the Elect onely the sixt affirmeth that God made the wicked for the euill day the last that God sheweth mercy vpon whome hee will and hardneth also whome he will and that in this point there is no disputing with God intimating therein that there is both an Election and Reprobation and that both depend vpon the good pleasure of God But not one of them proueth that God commandeth a Reprobate to assure himselfe of his present iustification and future Saluation which is the matter in question and therefore I hope I may notwithstanding them all freely conclude that as God cannot command to doe that which is vniust because hee is iustice it selfe so he cannot command to belieue that which is vntrue because hee is truth it selfe Neither doe I I trust so concluding grieue the Spirit of God although perhaps therein I greeue your stubborne spirit which hath I feare me throughout this reply too much rebelled against the light and therefore take heed lest you your selfe greeue the Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 wherewith the elect are sealed vnto the day of Redemption Treatise Arg. 6. That which the wicked may haue cannot bee iustifying Faith for it is The Faith of the Elect But the wicked may haue this Perswasion yea and many haue beene most confidently perswaded that they are in the fauour of God You will say it is true Perswasion But I say if forme make truth they are as formally and therefore as truly perswaded of it as the godly If the Godly then are therefore and for this cause iustified because they are strongly perswaded they are Iustified then why should not the wicked likewise bee iustified by his strong Perswasion But in truth these kind of speeches are vnreasonable and senselesse and so that opinion cannot be reasonable N. B. Many die and are saued that haue not a full Perswasion and assurance of their Saluation yet are saued by Faith I will answer you when you shew mee the man that so did die and was saued and How you know that hee had at his death no full Assurance of his Saluation in Christ Iesu and yet had Faith and when you proue that there is at the houre of death when the elect are made without spot or wrinkle in the Saints of God a doubtfull Faith I. D. That many Reprobates and wicked men are strongly perswaded they are in the grace and fauor of God nothing is more cleere and manifest Prou. 30.12 There is a generation saith Salomon that are cleane in their owne eyes and yet are not washed from their filthinesse Reu. 3.17 And the Angell of the Church of Laodicea saith of himselfe that hee is rich and growne to great wealth and had need of nothing Vers 14. Vers 17. and yet in the iudgement of him that is Amen the faithfull and true witnesse was wretched and miserable Inst l. 3. c. 2. §. 11. and poore and blind and naked Yea Experience it selfe saith Caluin sheweth that Reprobates sometime are affected with the like feeling almost that the elect are that in their owne iudgement they differ nothing at all from the Elect. Such is the deceitfulnesse of mans heart and the blindnesse of his selfe-loue that it makes him easily ouerweene himselfe and to promise peace vnto his soule when hee is in the ready way vnto destruction You will say that the Perswasion of the Reprobate and wicked is built vpon a false and erronious ground and therfore is Presumption rather then true Assurance For answer hereunto consider that the Elect of God before his Iustification is but a wicked man whence Diuines vse to call it The Iustification of the wicked warranted therein by that of Saint Paul Rom. 4.5 To him that worketh not but belieueth in him that iustifieth the wicked his faith is imputed vnto
Fiducia a Rest or Deuolution the Subiect of it the facultie of the Will not the Vnderstanding the next end of it Iustification the remore end eternall saluation and I thus define it A rest of the will vpon Christ and his merits for iustification and consequently saluation I. D. Because you complaine anon that the word Rest which I haue made to bee the iustifying act of Faith is ambiguous and thereupon it pleaseth you in your Answers following to take aduantage and make you mery with the Equiuocation thereof you shall giue me leaue before I step a foot further in a few words and a little more plainely to open my meaning touching that Act. And to this end seeing to proue that Faith is an Affiance or Rest I reported mee in my Treatise vnto the words vsed in the originall of the old Testament as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the forme of words vsed in the new as to belieue in to hope in or as in some translations it is read to belieue on to hope on I will first shew that these tearmes applied vnto Christ the right Obiect of Faith import that very Act whereby wee stand iustified before God and secondly I will diligently inquire and search out what may bee the true proper and naturall meaning of these tearmes both which being cleerely demonstrated it will manifestly appeare both what that Rest is which I make to be the iustifying Act of Faith and how fondly and vainely you cauill and dally with the ambiguity thereof That Belieuing in or vpon importeth that Act is in it selfe so apparant that I thinke no sober man will deny it but because to you a man must proue that the Sunne shines thus I demonstrate it That which is imputed for righteousnesse and by which wee are iustified is the true Act of Iustifying Faith This you cannot deny vnlesse you will turne Papist for our Religion will not permit you to ioyne any other companion with Faith in the matter of Iustification But such belieuing is imputed for righteousnesse and is that by which we are iustified so saith the Apostle Rom. 4.5 To him that belieueth in him that iustifieth the wicked his Faith is counted for righteousnesse and againe Wee haue belieued in Iesus Christ that wee might bee iustified by the Faith of Christ Adde hereunto that whereas the same Apostle saith With the heart man belieueth vnto righteousnesse Rom. 10.10 forthwith in the next verse hee interpreteth that Belieuing by Belieuing in For saith hee the Scripture saith V. 11. whosoeuer belieueth in him shall not bee ashamed Wherefore I conclude that so to Belieue is the Iustifying Act of Faith So also is Hoping in or vpon being in effect the same with Belieuing in For although Hope and Faith bee in nature two distinct Graâ—es and so reckoned by Saint Paul yet seeing by reason of the neere affinity betweene them Hope is sometime put for Faith it may not seeme strange that to hope in is also vsed for to belieue in Now that Hope is sometime put for Faith appeareth by that of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3.15 Bee ready alwayes to giue an answer to euery man that asketh you a reason of the Hope that is in you where Hope as Caluin saith In eum loc is by a Synechdoche taken for Faith And as manifest is it by Saint Paul that to Hope in is no other then to Belieue in for hauing said That wee should bee vnto the praise of his glory who first hoped in Christ Eph. 1.12.13 In whom also yee hoped hauing heard the Word of Truth the Gospell of your Saluation by and by hee ads by way of interpretation In whom also Belieuing yeee were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise In a word the Act of Hope properly taken is expectation or looking out for the performance or comming of a thing but Hoping in imports Affiance or trusting on something for the performance thereof As touching the words of the old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first I find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confounded with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as words of the same signification they being after the manner of Scripture ioyned together in the same verse as equipollent the one to explane and expound the other for example Psal 118.8 Psal 37.5 It is better saith Dauid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trust in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then to put confidence in man and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Roll thy way vpon the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and trust vpon him But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it selfe is in the same manner confounded with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which construed with the Proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to Belieue in and is by your owne confession the very Act of iustifying Faith for example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they belieued not in God Psal 78.22 Mic. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and trusted not in his saluation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Belieue not in a friend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trust not in a Prince Againe that which in the old Testament is vttered by one of these words the same in the new is expressed by Belieuing in for example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We trust in the Name of his Holinesse saith the old Testament Psal 33.21 Ioh. 1.12 1 Ioh. 3.23.5.13 Prou. 3.5 Act. 8.37 Psal 25.2 Psal 31.1 Rom. 10.11 Hee that belieueth in his Name saith the new 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trust in the Lord with thy whole heart saith the old If thou Belieue with thy whole heart saith the new finally In thee O Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue I trusted let mee not be confounded saith the old Hee that Belieueth in him shall not bee ashamed saith the new If you except against this last parallell that the Apostle hath reference vnto that of Esay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee that Belieueth maketh not haste rather vnto those passages of the Psalmes aboue quoted I answer with Beza that it is not likely In ad Ro. 10.11 partly because the vniuersall particle and the word in him is not to bee found in the Prophet partly because the Apostle saith not as the Phophet Esay doth maketh not haste but precisely accordeth with the words of the Prophet Dauid saying shall not bee confounded nor ashamed Howsoeuer seeing in all these places the same thing is intended and meant it is cleere that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Belieuing in are Synonyma differing in name but not in definition and so I conclude what aboue I vndertooke to demonstrate that all these tearmes properly import the Iustifying act of Faith In the next place are wee to inquire the right acception and signification of these words that wee may more perfectly conceiue what that Fiducia or Rest is which wee haue made to bee that Act. And first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as R. Kimchi obserueth properly and primitiuely signifieth to retire into
source of all Rebellion and Disobedience N. B. Your Genus is that Faith iustifying is a Rest which is false when you speake more learnedly I will deigne you farther answer I. D. That Rest is not the Genus of Iustifying Faith I easily grant you for as appeares manifestly in my Treatise I make Affiance or which is all one Rest to bee the Act or Forme of Faith and not the Genus thereof If I had thought it fitting to haue troubled the Definition therewith I was not so ignorant but I could haue called it either an infused grace or a gratious habit or a Theologicall vertue but because the Philosopher taught me that Habits are sufficiently defined by their Acts in reference vnto their proper Obiects I held it needlesse to expresse it But suppose I had made it to be the right Genus how doe you disproue it Forsooth it is sufficient for such a Pythagoras as you are to say it is false an inexpiable wrong would it be to demand a reason of your sayings Onely you adde Plut. in vitâ Alex. that when I shall speake more learnedly you will deigne me farther answer Brauely againe spoken and Alexander-like for neither would hee being a King contend with any but Kings neither may you being so transcendent for your learning and surmounting the most of men as farre as the Sun doth the lesser lights without impeachment of honour vouchsafe disputation with any but your Peers much lesse with such a one as is scarce to bee found in any Predicament Yet seeing the Sunne so surpassing in glory is no way enuious of his light but imparteth bountifully of his beames to the enlightning of the rest of the starres it may please you also with whom wisdome must liue and dye Ioh. 12.2 out of your benignity to send forth some influence of your learning vpon mee that I may more cleerely discerne at least in this question betweene truth and that which is onely seeming so N. B. Shew mee for your warrant one place of Scripture that so tearmeth it any one Father of the Church old or new for these 1600. yeeres Greeks or Latins that will auouch it and I will yeeld to your Genus The Hebrew word for Faith and the Greek word whereof you haue heard before doe vtterly condemne you they both signifying a perswasion and an Assurance and neuer a Rest I maruell you will teach the Holy Ghost to speake and the Church now to vnderstand what Faith is and that by such a woodden Definition which may rather moue to choller then consent I. D. If by denying vnto mee the warrant of Scriptures of Fathers old and new Greeke and Latin for 1600. yeeres and of the Greeke and Hebrew words for Faith you intend to proue that Affiance or Rest is not the Genus of Faith it shall without more a-doo bee yeelded vnto you for as appeares in the former section I make it to bee not the Genus but the Act or Forme thereof But if you would thereby perswade that Rest or Affiance is not the Act of Faith I must tell you that these reasons are cleane out of date and that you doe too much abuse your Readers patience setting againe before him these Coleworts now more then twice sodden For both in the beginning of this disputation and in the last section saue two before this I haue throughly scanned cleered this businesse shewing that I am so farre from teaching the Holy Ghost to speake and the Church to vnderstand what Faith is as you vnchristianly lay vnto my charge that I vse no other tearme but that which the Spirit of God hath in Scripture sanctified to this purpose and the Holy Church hath euer spoken and vsed But because I am loth to pester my paper with so many Tautologies and needles repetitions as you vse to doe thither must I entreate the courteous Reader to repaire for satisfaction In the meane season seeing both by expresse testimony of Scripture and cleere euidence of reason I haue warranted euery part of my definition and yet you without disprouing the weakest of my proofes tauntingly call it a woodden Definition you must pardon mee if I tell you plainely that this wood-kinde of answering deserues to bee reformed with a little woodden correction But where you say my Definition may rather moue to choler then consent a man would thinke reading this your answer that either your principles were so incurably hurt or your braine dam'd and ram'd vp with such a deale of dull and tough flegme that it were as easy almost to remoue a mountaine as to moue you either to the one or the other And yet indeed I find you of a cleene contrary complexion euen the most pettish and waspish gentleman that euer I met withall euery small petty occasion stirs your choler and works you presently out of temper But because I see it is your impotency disease I beare with you the more praying you notwithstanding to haue as much patience as you may if at times for the purging of this humor I play the Physician and minister some small quantity of rheubarb vnto you N. B. For alas Master Downe what Rest can a man haue vpon Christ without Assurance to bee saued by his death and Passion and knowledge of his Lord and Sauiour A full assurance therefore as a cause worketh Rest vpon Christ as an effect and is therefore the Generall word in the Definition of Iustifying Faith I. D. Your argument if I mistake not standeth thus That which is an Effect of Assurance cannot be the Act of Faith But Resting vpon Christ is an Effect of Assurance Ergo it cannot bee the Act of Faith I distinguish of Assurance for it is either of the generall proposition or of the Speciall and indiuiduall of the Generall when wee are assured that Whosoeuer Belieueth on Christ shall bee iustified and saued of the Speciall when wee are certainly perswaded that We are iustified and shall bee saued If you meane the former then I deny the Maior for such Historicall Assurance is a necessary pre-requisite vnto Iustifying Faith and is the cause without which wee cannot belieue on Christ and therefore that which is such an effect of Assurance may bee the Act of Faith If you vnderstand the latter then doe I grant the Maior for if such Assurance be as I haue demonstratiuely proued it selfe the Effect of Faith it is more then manifest that That which is an effect of such Assurance cannot bee the Act of Faith But then I deny the Minor that Resting vpon Christ is an effect of such assurance affirming that contrarily Resting vpon Christ is the cause of such Assurance and Assurance is the Effect of that Resting But what rest say you can a man haue vpon Christ without Assurance to be saued by his Death Passion Surely vnlesse wee know his Death and Passion to bee the onely meanes of saluation wee cannot rest vpon him for it but to
and to vpbraid error in man is to reproch euen mortality in selfe Which if you had seriously and duly considered either you would not with such petulancy haue beene caried against the errors you imagine to be in mee or at least you would haue remembred your selfe also to be a man But seeing you count your selfe the only wise-man and others as the Poet speaketh Homer to fly about like shadowes you may not thinke it hard if being both ignorant and insolent you be admonished of the one and chastised for the other OF THE FAITH OF INFANTS AND HOW THEY ARE Iustified and Saued By the late Reuerend and Learned Diuine Master Iohn Downe Bachelour of Diuinity and sometimes Fellow of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge OXFORD Prinred by IOHN LICHFIELD for EDWARD FORREST Anno Domini M.DC.XXXV OF THE FAITH OF INFANTS AND HOW THEY ARE Iustified and Saued THat Christian Infants haue a particular Faith of their owne is generally affirmed both by Papists and Lutherans yet with some difference De Bapt. l. 1. c. 10. as Bellarmine writeth For Papists hold that they haue onely Habituall Faith and that it together with Hope and Charity is infused into them in the Sacrament of Baptisme but the Lutherans saith he attribute vnto them Actuall Faith or something like thereunto Wherein it may be the Cardinall doth them some wrong Field Append. part 2. §. 1. For it is obserued by some Diuines that they constantly deny Children to haue any actuall apprehension of Gods mercies or that they feele in themselues any such motions of Faith Whereupon it must needs follow that their meaning is not to attribute vnto them Actuall Faith but a kind of Habituall Faith onely or that seed root and Habit whence Actuall motions in due time doe flow But bee their opinion herein whatsoeuer it will bee sure I am that both Lutheran and Papist agree in this that Infants haue a particular Faith of their owne The principall reasons that they alledge for proofe hereof are these Heb. 11.6 Infants please God but without Faith it is impossible to please him Mat. 19.14 The Kingdome of God belongs vnto them Which yet the Scriptures say cannot be attained without Faith The Word of God euery where maketh particular Faith a necessary meanes vnto Iustification and Saluation as where the Prophet saith The iust man shall liue by his Faith Hab. 2.4 but Infants are iustified before God and being iustified cannot but bee saued Matt 18.6 Mar. 9.36 Luc. 1.41 Nay Christ himselfe expresly saith that they doe belieue And Iohn the Baptist in the very wombe of his Mother was filled with the Holy Ghost and sprang at the salutation of the Blessed Virgin Other arguments they vse but they are all of the like nature and notwithstanding them all I cannot bee perswaded that Infants while they are such haue any Faith of their owne either Actuall or Habituall And these among sundry others are my chiefest reasons Deut. 1.39 First the Scripture in plaine tearmes affirmeth that they haue no knowledge at all either of good or euill and that they cannot so much as discerne betweene the right and the left hand If so Ion. 4.11 how can they who conceiue not of things naturall vnderstand those things that are heauenly and aboue the pitch of nature To this effect Saint Augustin Epist 57. Scire diuina paruulos qui nec humana adhuc norint si verbis velimus ostendere vereorne ipsis sensibus nostris facere videamur iniurià m quando iâ—â—loquendo fuadere studemus vbi omnes vires officiumque sermonis superet euidentia veritatis that is If wee should goe about to demonstrate with words that Children know the things of God who as yet know not the things of men I feare wee should offer wrong euen to our very senses endeuouring to perswade by speech that the euidence of the truth whereof far exceeds all power and office of speech Secondly when Infants are presented at the holy Font and either sprinkled with the water of Baptisme or dipped therein how chanceth it that they so much dislike thereof testifying their dislike by their crying and other motion of the body Certainly had they actuall Faith they would endure all with much patience and cheerefulnesse and neuer bewray so much aduersenesse and discontent But if in doing so they goe against their knowledge the Sacrament must needs bee so fâ—rre from auailing them to the washing away of Originall guilt that by their reluctation they rather contract a further guilt of Actuall sinne which I suppose none except he be too too vncharitable will imagine of them Thirdly if they haue Faith why are they not after their initiation by Baptisme forthwith admitted vnto holy Communion In the time of Saint Augustin and Innocent the first it was the practice of the Church so to doe and it continued as some write for the space of sixe hundred yeeres downe vnto the times of Ludouicus Pius and Lotharius But why is that custome now growne out of vse and why are Children barred from the Eucharist if they belieue as well as elder people Nay why are they not rather admitted then those of riper yeeres For Infants haue not so much as euill thoughts in them but these by reason of their longer life haue made themselues guilty of many euill deeds besides Fourthly Faith as Saint Paul witnesseth commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God preached But Infants heare not neither by the eare nor by any other way proportionable thereunto or if they doe yet they vnderstand not what they heare For did they vnderstand I presume they would harken more attentiuely vnto what is said then we see they doe Wherefore not hearing neither doe they belieue If you say they belieue by an inward Hearing then is that Faith wrought either by Ordinary or Extraordinary meanes Not by Extraordinary meanes for it is done euery day and houre By Ordinary therefore If so then haue wee a double manner of working Faith and both of them Ordinary the one by Inward Hearing in Infants only the other by Inward and Outward also in those that are Adulti which is a meere nouelty in the Church of God Fiftly how commeth it to passe if Children haue Faith that among so many millions of them as haue beene in the world not so much as one of them when they come to riper yeares giueth any testimony of his Faith vntill hee bee farther taught and informed If a child borne of Christian parents and entred into the visible Church by Baptisme shall afterwards while hee is yet in his tender yeeres fall into the hands of Infidels or Turks as the more the pitie many thousands of them haue done and the whole band of Ianizars they say consists of no other doth hee not readily receiue that religion which is first instilled into him without once dreaming of the Christian Faith Which yet how it should bee hauing from his
man would much more will God performe his Word and Couenant although the seale be not set thereunto But if it may bee had there is Necessitas praecepti a necessity laid by Gods commandement vpon all those that are Filij praecepti the Sonnes of the commandement Those Sonnes all men are when they are grown to be Adulti and therefore if then they neglect to be baptized they deserue for their contempt to bee cut off and to bee eternally condemned But Infants while such are none of these Sonnes as being both vncapable of the precept and vnable to offer themselues vnto the Sacrament whence followeth that the commandement taketh hold onely of the Parents and those that haue the care of them So that although the Child dying vnbaptized may bee free from danger yet those that neglect to present him vnto Baptisme shall bee damned for breach of Gods commandement Leâ— Parents therefore by all meanes bee carefull to performe this duty and if by reason of weakenesse or some other impediment it cannot bee done publickely rather then left vndone let it bee done priuatly Wise men and amongst the rest M. Caluin would haue it so yea the Church of England requireth it prescribing a forme of Priuate Baptisme in case of necessity and commanding that what is priuatly done be by the Minister publickely made knowne in the Congregation An order heretofore too much neglected God grant henceforward it may be better obserued Finally and lastly seeing euery one that is Adultus must of necessity haue a Faith of his owne first it is the duty of Parents by all meanes to worke Faith in their Children when they are capable thereof that as they haue beene instruments to traduce Originall sinne vnto them to their perdition so they may againe repaire in them the image of God to their eternall saluation Secondly let euery one looke to himselfe and see that hee haue Faith for it is in vaine to trust to the Faith of another The righteousnesse of Christ indeed is a cloke large enough to couer the sinnes of all men but the Faith of another man is little enough for himselfe I cannot couer my nakednesse with it They were but foolish virgins that said Giue vs of your oile for our lamps are out and fitly were they answered by the wise virgins Wee feare there will not bee enough for vs and you but goe yee rather to them that sell and buy for your selues Let Papists blaspheme and say they can supererogate and more then satisfy for their sinnes and that one man may for a price buy out of the Popes treasury the Surplus of another mans merits yet am I sure the oile of another mans lampe will not serue my turne nor procure mee fauour to enter with the bridegroome God grant me therefore wisdome euen while it is called to day to get mee oile in my owne lampe NOT CONSENT OF FATHERS BVT SCRIPTVRE THE GROVND OF FAITH Written by the occasion of a conference had with Mr. Bayly by the late Reuerend and Learned Diuine Master Iohn Downe Bachelour of Diuinity and sometimes Fellow of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge OXFORD Printed by IOHN LICHFIELD for EDWARD FORREST Anno Domini M.DC.XXXV NOT CONSENT OF FATHERS BVT SCRIPTVRE THE GROVND OF FAITH LOVING and Reuerend M. Bayly I acknowledge my selfe much endebted vnto you both for my kind entertainment and the peaceable Conference I had with you Would you but vouchsafe to visit my poore Cottage I should readily endeauour to satisfy some part of the debt if not with like entertainment yet with equall welcome The residue I know not how better to discharge then by pursuing my first intention that is by labouring to reduce you backe into the bosome of that Church out of which with such danger to your soule scandall to the brethren and vnkindnesse to her you haue withdrawne your selfe And to this end might I haue obtained from you in writing as at our parting I entreated what those speciall Motiues were which had wrought in you this sudden change I would haue strained my selfe by writing also to haue giuen them the best satisfaction But seeing for reasons best knowne to your selfe and into which I list not further to inquire you held it not fit as then to yeeld so farre vnto mee I haue thought good for the present to reflect vpon some passages of our Conference specially that ground whereon you then stood so much and vpon which you plainely professed that you would aduenture your Faith It may please you therefore to remember that being demaunded a reason of your departure you pretended that in reading the ancient Fathers you had met with sundry Bugbeares which so scared and affrighted you that vnlesse you would resist the light of Conscience and hazard your eternall saluation you could not chuse but bee swayed by them Whereunto it being replied that happily those Bugbeares were but Scarcrowes and that you should haue taken a safer and surer course if you had resolued your Faith into Scriptures nothing being sufficient to beare vp so weighty a peece but onely diuine testimony your answer was that vpon Scripture you relyed howbeit because it is obscure and subiect to manifold constructions vpon Scripture vnderstood according to the interpretation and doctrine of the Fathers nothing doubting but that as long as you held the Faith of them whom wee verily belieue to bee saued your selfe could neuer perish through misbeliefe In which answer howsoeuer in word you seeme to attribute some force and vertue to the Scriptures yet in truth you doe but cancell them and make them of none effect For if the Scriptures lie rather in the Sense then in the Letter and the Sense by reason of the darknesse and ambiguity of them bee not to bee found in themselues but elsewhere out of them in the writings of the Fathers it followeth clearely that in your account Paul and Peter and Iames and Iohn and the other Pen-men of holy writ are no better then Cyphers vnlesse Cyrill and Ambrose and Hierome and Augustin and the rest of that ranke as digit numbers vouchsafe to adde some value and signification vnto them So that now by your fauor this must bee my taske briefly and plainely to demonstrate that hauing remoued your Faith from the authority of Scripture vpon the exposition of the Fathers you haue built quite beside the rocke and layd your foundation vpon the sand But take this protestation first that wee neither disesteeme nor despise the Fathers as by Priests and Iesuites wee are ordinarily slandered but contrarywise with all duty wee rise vp to their gray haires and reuerence their venerable antiquity Withall wee acknowledge that they were in their times excellent ornaments and lights of the Church endued not onely with singular knowledge in the mystery of Faith but also with admirable sanctity and vprightnesse of life Whereby in all their combats and bickerins with Hereticks they maintained the truth of God so wisely and couragiously
that they euer remained more then conquerors And now as they haue left behind them a pretious name among the Saints so wee doubt not but their soules are bound vp in the bundle of life and enioy the blessed making vision of God for euermore Such books of theirs as are come to our hands we esteeme as rich treasures and value them aboue gold Them doe wee search and peruse with all diligence bee it spoken without offence no Papists more Yet can wee not throughout them meet with those terrible Bugbears you so much complain of rather wee wonder how you could misse all those good Angels so frequently appearing in them to comfirme and settle you in your first Faith For I wil bee bold to say notwithstanding all the brags and crakes of that side that the Fathers are ours not yours or if they bee yours in any thing it is in the pettiest and smallest matters for in the maine and great questions controuerted between vs they are expresly for vs and against you as hereafter God willing shall in part appeare Vpon confidence whereof whensoeuer wee were summond and called vnto the Fathers by you wee neuer refused their triall but euer haue beene ready to aduenture all vpon their verdict The chalenge of that famous Prelate Ser. at Pauls Crosse Doctor Iewell Bishop of Salisbury is yet fresh in memory that if any learned man of our aduersaries or if all the learned men that bee aliue be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholicke Doctor or Father or out of any old generall Councell or out of the holy Scriptures of God or any one example of the Primitiue Church whereby it may clearly and plainly be proued that there was any priuate Masse in the whole world at that time for the space of sixe hundred yeares after Christ and so foorth in seuen and twenty seuerall articles hee would bee content to yeeld and to subscribe Reply to Hardings Ans This chalenge as that renowned Bishop in his life-time made good himselfe against his aduersary Master Harding so was it neuer yet retracted by any of vs but hath stoutly beene maintained by sundry succeeding champions Heare one for all That sayth worthy Whitaker Con. Camp tat 5. which Iewell most truly and constantly vttered that day when hee appealed to the antiquity of sixe hundred yeeres and offered vnto you that if you could bring foorth but one sentence cleere and euident out of any Father or Councell he would not refuse to yeeld the victory vnto you the same doe we all professe we all promise the same we will not shrinke from our word Thus you see how wee reiect not the Fathers as you would beare the world in hand but triumph rather in the testimony they giue vs and in our Apologies and Defences alledge them plentifully against you Howbeit neither doe wee nor dare wee make Gods of them or equall them with the holy Apostles as if they were infallible and could not erre Clouen tongues neuer sate vpon them as they did vpon these neither did the Spirit of God so guide and direct their pens but that sometimes they might faile and write amisse Had they had infallibility of iudgement safely might wee build our Faith vpon them but this they vtterly disclaime acknowledging it to bee the peculiar priuiledge of the Apostles And so far are they from making themselues Masters of our Faith that they require vs to iudge and censure of their writings by the Scripture which is the rule of Faith Neither would they haue vs to tie our selues vnto their authority more then they tyed themselues vnto the authority of others but freely to accept or refuse as wee see iust cause Hom. 13. in 2. Cor. I pray and beseech you all saith Chrysostome that leauing this and that mans opinion you will search all these things out of the Scripture In Euseb hist l. 7. c. 24. Let it bee commended saith Dionysius of Alexandria and without enuy assented vnto which is rightly spoken but if any thing bee vnsoundly written let that bee looked into and corrected Epist 62. I know I my selfe saith Hierome esteeme of the Apostles in one sort and of other Writers in another that the first alwayes speake truth and the latter as men doe in some things erre De Trinit l. 3. c. 1. In all my writings saith Saint Augustin I desire not only a godly Reader but also a free corrector yet as I would haue the Reader addicted vnto mee so neither would I haue a corrector addicted to himselfe De lib. arb l. 2. c. 32. And againe I am not bound to the authority of this man meaning Cyprian but I examine his saying by the authority of Scripture and what agreeth therewith I receiue with his commendation what agreeth not by his leaue I refuse And yet againe Epist 111. ad Fortunat. Neither are wee to esteeme the disputations of any men although Catholicke and praise worthy as the Canonicall Scriptures that wee may not sauing the honour which is due to those men dislike and reiect something in their writings if happily wee find them to haue thought otherwise then the truth either by others or our selues through Gods help vnderstood Such am I in the writings of others and such would I haue the vnderstanders of mine to bee Epist 19. ad Hieron Finally I saith the same Saint Augustin confesse vnto your charity that I haue learned to yeeld vnto those books of Scripture alone which now are called Canonicall this reuerence and honor that I most firmely belieue no Author of them to haue erred any thing in writing And if I find any thing in their writings which seemeth contrary to truth I will not sticke to say that either the copie is faulty or the translator apprehended not what is spoken or I vnderstand it not But others I so read that how much soeuer they excell in holynesse and learning I thinke it not therefore true because they thought so but because either by those Canonicall Authors or by probable reason not abhorring from truth they were able to perswade mee Thus the Fathers whose steps if wee tread in and whose counsell if wee follow and not taking vp euery thing vpon trust but examining them by the touchstone of truth I hope wee are rather to bee commended then blamed And reason for neither were the Fathers more then men neither are wee of this age lesse then men And I wonder why we may not iudge of the sayings of those who are but men as well as our selues What haue wee not reasonable soules as well as they are we not endued with the same faculty of vnderstanding and discoursing haue wee not still the same helps both of nature and art which they had Or when they died did the Holy Ghost also giue vp the ghost with them or doth hee deny to assist these latter times with his enlightning grace as hee
Articles he meriteth by belieuing although it be an error because hee is bound to belieue vntill it manifestly appeare that it is against the Church O immortall God if this bee true how easy a thing is it for a Papist to bee saued Onely belieue what your Prelate or Curate telleth you and you shall not need to trouble your selfe further for whether it be true or false sound doctrine or heresy you are out of danger nay it is meritorious to belieue it Alas alas that poore simple people should bee so miserably cheated and seduced God I hope will ere long open their eyes to see these impostures and by the light of his word guide their feet in a surer way In the meane season giue me leaue to summe vp all what I haue hitherto sayd and thereupon to inferre the Conclusion first intended Seeing therefore as wee haue now fully demonstrated the Fathers were but men as wee are neither hauing the Promise nor assuming vnto themselues the Priuiledge of Infallibility aboue vs seeing secondly many Counterfaits are set forth vnder the names of the Fathers which the best of your side cannot so readily discerne and which they ordinarily alledge in euery controuersie betwixt vs for authenticall Fathers seeing thirdly the writings of the Fathers are pitifully corrupted and adulterated by Hereticks and others and that sundry wayes by Addition Substraction Alteration Misquotation and False translation seeing fourthly the sayings of the Fathers are so ambiguous and obscure that not onely we and you one against another but your owne side also among themselues are distracted and diuided touching the sence and meaning of them seeing fiftly the more part of the Fathers sometime consent in errour yea and such errors as the present Church of Rome condemneth with Anathema seeing sixtly the most learned of your side make no scruple to reiect the Fathers whensoeuer they consent against them and warrant their so doing with diuerse reasons seeing lastly they make not Consent of Fathers but the authority of the present Church that is to say the Pope for the time being to bee the onely Infallible iudge of Controuersies seeing I say all these things are vndoubtedly so I will not bee afraid to conclude that the pretended Consent of Fathers is too weake and deceitfull a ground for a man with security to build his Faith vpon For whereas you say that beleeuing as the Fathers did if they bee saued as doubtlesse they are you cannot miscary take heed lest this proue but a broken reed and deceiue you in the end For first if for the reasons aboue set down you cannot be infallibly certaine which are the true Fathers and what is their right meaning how can you bee infallibly certaine that you belieue as they did Againe doe you thinke it safe to hold all their errors also and because they are not condemned for them that you shall escape condemnation in like manner beleeuing them Cont. Haer. c. 10. Heare then what Vincentius Lirinensis saith O wonderfull change of things saith hee the Authors of the same opinion are iudged Catholicks and the followers Heretiks the Masters are absolued and the Schollers condemned the Writers of the books shall bee the Sonnes of the Kingdome and Hell shall keep those that maintaine them For who doubts but blessed Cyprian the light of Bishops and holy Martyrs together with the rest of his Collegues shall raigne for euer with Christ Contrarily who is so impious as to deny that the Donatists and the rest of that pestilent crew who vnder the authority of that Councell presume to rebaptize shall burne for euermore with the Diuell Thus hee whereby you see how dangerous it is to beleeue euen as the best haue done before vs vnlesse wee haue better warrant then so for our doing Lastly suppose the Fathers consenting erred not yet are you neuer the safer For the strength of Faith exceeds not the strength of the testimony nor the strength of the testimony the Veracity of the Witnesse Now the Veracity of the Fathers is but the Veracity of men and the Veracity of men is imperfect and inconstant euer leauing roome for that word of truth All men are lyers Whence it followeth that your Faith being grounded only on the Veracity of men is no better then an Acquisite and Humane Faith Whereby though you belieue all that the Fathers did yet not belieuing as they did they may bee saued and you perish For they building vpon diuine testimony belieued with a Diuine Faith and therefore Sauing but you relying on humane authority belieue onely with an Acquisite and Humane Faith which saueth not no not although the things you belieue thereby are true For an Acquisite Faith the diuels themselues may haue and yet are damned Wherefore it being as you see so dangerous and vnsafe to trust in man and as the Prophet speaketh to make flesh your arme let mee entreat you euen in the bowels of Iesus Christ to take vnto you Christian seuerity and with all speed to returne your Faith backe againe vpon the rocke from which so rashly and vnaduisedly you remoued it Remember I beseech you how S. Augustin in a controuersy betwixt him and Hierome touching S. Peters dissimulation hauing eleuated the authority of foure of those seuen Fathers which were vrged against him and not being able to oppose three to the other three remaining Epist 19. quitteth himselfe thus When saith he I seeke a third that I also may oppose three to three verily I suppose I might easily find him if I had read much howbeit to mee the Apostle Paul shall bee insteed of all yea and aboue them all To him I flie to him I appeale of him I aske and demand c. In like manner doe you also and in Gods name let your finall appeale bee made vnto the holy Scriptures as vnto the supreme iudge in all questions of Faith Catech. 4. Theod. l. 1. c. 7. For as Cyril B. of Ierusalem saith The security of our Faith ariseth from the demonstration of the holy Scripture and the resolution of those things we seeke for must bee taken out of the diuine inspired Scripture saith Constantin in his oration to the Bishops of the Nicen Councell Con. Herm. De bon vid. c. 1. Orat. de ijs q. adeunt Hierosol Hom. 13. in 2. Cor. Epist 112. ad Paulin. And reason for the Scriptures are the rule of Faith as Tertullian and Augustin say A straight and inflexible rule as Gregory Nyssen saith A most exquisite rule and exact square and ballance to trie all things by saith Chrysostome In regard whereof saith Saint Augustin If a matter bee grounded on the euident authority of holy Scripture such I say as the Church calleth Canonicall it is without all doubt to bee belieued but as touching other witnesses and testimonies vpon whose credit a thing is vrged vpon vs to bee belieued thou majest lawfully either credit or not credit them as thou perceiuest them
a true Body like vnto ours but that Body which you fancy to be in the Eucharist is not like vnto our bodies For in this Body there is no distance of one part from another as of eye from eye and head from feet neither hath it any dimensiue quantity and is all both in Heauen and here on earth in the Sacrament at once yet not in the middle region betweene nor separated from himselfe but nothing of this can bee affirmed of our bodies or of any other organicall body And if you say that you conceiue of Christs Body in the Sacrament as of a glorified Body the plaine Scripture is against you that when Christ spake these words This is my Body his Body was yet vncrucified and vnglorified Your exposition therefore crossing the Analogy cannot possibly bee good As for ours thus we shew it The text plainely saith that our blessed Sauiour in his last supper tooke Bread blessed it brake it and gaue it vnto his disciples saying This is my Body What This bread But this Proposition This Bread is my Body literally and properly is not true therefore is it figuratiuely to be vnderstood How so Thus. I looke into plaine Scripture and there I find that as the Euangelists call it Bread before Consecration so Saint Paul cals it Bread after Consecration 1. Cor. 11.26 Ib. v. 27. Ib. v. 28. As often saith he as yee shall eat this Bread and Whosoeuer shall eat this Bread vnworthily and Let a man examine himselfe and so eat of this Bread Whence I conclude that the Bread is not changed but remaineth still Bread Then I consider further that our Sauiour now institutes a Sacrament and that in Sacramentall actions Sacramentall phrases are vsuall and the outward signe is called by the name of the thing signified as in the old Testament Gen. 7.10 Circumcision is called the Couenant and the Lambe the Passeouer and in the new Ex. 12.11 the Cup is called the new Testament or couenant Whereupon I inferre there being no reason to the contrary Luc. 22.20 that these words in like manner are to bee interpreted This is my Body that is This Bread is Sacramentally my Body or the Sacramentall signe of my Body And thus you see by clearing this one passage how other darker places also may receiue light from those that are plainer You will say this is to build vpon Consequences wherein it is possible to bee deceiued Whereunto I answer three things first that whatsoeuer may bee deduced out of the Word of God by euident Consequence is certaine euen by the certainty of Faith Bell. de Iust l. 3. c. 8. and this your owne greatest clarks doe grant Secondly to banish Consequences from Diuinity is to banish the vse of right reason and discourse also and that religion must needs bee driuen to narrow shifts which cannot subsist vnlesse men turne fooles or beasts Thirdly the necessity of a Consequence doth not any way depend vpon the person of him that inferreth it but onely vpon the mutuall relation and strait coniunction betweene the premisses and it so that by him who desires to bee satisfied in the truth not the person of him that deduceth it but the Consequence it selfe is to bee looked too whether it bee rightly deduced or no. But who shall iudge that will you say Indeed if you stand resolued vtterly to renounce all the helps and directions both of reason and art nor will yeeld to any Consequence of Scripture how cleere and euident soeuer but will only rely on the mouth and sentence of your humane externall Iudge I confesse I am at Dulkarnon to vse Chaucers phrase and you are past my skill infallibly to perswade you But if as wee haue shewed nor Scripture nor Fathers acknowledge such a Iudge if all whatsoeuer is necessary to saluation bee so plainely laid downe in Scripture as a man of meane capacity may vnderstand it if what is more obscurely deliuered in one place is more plainely expressed in another if God haue appointed that out of the plainer places wee should with study and industrie picke the meaning of those that are harder if hee haue promised that those that aske shall haue those that seeke shall find and to those that knocke it shall bee opened if finally though wee misse the true meaning of those harder places yet firmely adhering vnto the plainer wee are safe and out of danger then certainely the readiest and surest way to to interpret Scripture is by Scripture and there is no other way to determine controuersies and to satisfy the conscience but onely this If any notwithstanding this list still to bee contentious 1. Cor. 11. Wee saith S. Paul haue no such custome nor the Churches of God The rule it selfe is infallible and al-sufficient if wee either through ignorance cannot or through negligence doe not vse it as we ought the fault is not in God but in our selues neither doth hee faile in his prouidence but wee in our dutie Performe wee our duty obediently and hee will performe his promise faithfully In necessaries hee will neuer faile if in other things all be not of one mind yet let vs still proceed by the same rule and instruct one another in the spirit of meeknesse and God will reueale that also in due time And now M. Bayly you haue what I intended for the present it remaines that you peruse it attentiuely The summe is The Fathers may be Ministers by whom you belieue but their Consent is no ground of Faith Your externall humane Iudge is but a Chimera of mans braine and not an Officer of Gods making The onely al-sufficient infallible outward rule of Faith is Scripture in the plainer places which places also must interpret the difficulter Besides this albeit there may be a iurisdiction in the Church to order and controll the outer man yet to satisfy the Conscience and inner man there is no authority but this Which things being so let me entreat you and that in the bowels of Iesus Christ to remember from whence you are fallen and to cast about yet againe and by this rule to examine your new Faith It is not necessary for a man to be an Euclid or some cunning Mathematician to trie by a straight rule whether a line be straight or no. But you are a Scholler and a Minister and should bee able skilfully to apply the rule your selfe To trust anothers application of it for you and that in the point of saluation is not Christian modestie but meere childishnesse and foolish credulity Remember what Lactantius saith It behoueth a man Div. Instit l. 2. c. 8. specially in that thing wherein the state of our life consisteth to trust himselfe and to rely vpon his own iudgement and vnderstanding for finding out examining the truth rather then belieuing anothers errors to be deceiued as if himselfe were void of reason God hath giuen to all men some portion of wisedome whereby
sitting and By sitting men become wise But how it agreeth with the affection of ioy neither doe you shew it neither can you and therefore I leaue it as a fancy vnkith vnkist as they say and passe to your second argument which you conceiue in this forme 2 Gesture according to order must be vsed 1 Cor. 14.40 Sitting is an orderly gesture for Christ and his Apostles sate so did the Iewes also eating the Passeouer Ergo Sitting must bee vsed This argument is euery way twin vnto the former and in a manner needs no other answer then is already giuen Neuerthelesse for fuller satisfaction let vs examine both the Propositions The Maior being rightly vnderstood I grant for no gesture may be vsed but that which is orderly it being the Apostles expresse commandement in the place by you alledged that all things bee done decently and according vnto order I say being rightly vnderstood for there is a double Order the one Intrinsecall in the things thēselues the other Externall vnto vs. The former is that habitude disposition or correspōdence which one thing naturally hath vnto another in regard whereof it may also be called a Physicall order or an order of Nature The latter is that which is made so vnto vs being prescribed by lawfull authority in respect whereof it may further bee tearmed a morall order or an order of Prudence Now if you vnderstand your Maior thus No gesture must be vsed but that which is at least one of these two wayes orderly you vnderstand it aright for so is S. Pauls meaning and in that sence it is granted vnto you But if you vnderstand it thus that any gesture which is in it selfe orderly may indifferently bee vsed by any albeit the Church haue for orders sake among many such chosen out and authorized one only then doe you misunderstand it and it is denied you for S. Paul both here and elsewhere plainely declares himselfe to bee a great enemy vnto all such Anarchicall disorder and confusion Your Minor is that Sitting is an orderlie gesture Whereunto I answere that it is so indeed in it selfe there being a naturall aptnes and fitnes in it to be vsed at the receiving of the Sacrament yet is it not in this sence the only orderlie gesture for Standing and Kneeling are so also and may put in for a place as well as Sitting Neither is it unto us orderlie because publick authority hath commanded Kneeling onely which to disobey is as S. Paul saith to resist the ordinance of God Nor doth the example and practice of Christ and his Apostles and the Iewes proue the contrary For the gesture they vsed as it was orderly in it selfe so was it generally received and approved by the Church at that time but among us not Sitting but Kneeling is the gesture that is allowed and enioyned But if this notwithstanding you will needs have that gesture orderly unto us now which Christ and his Apostles vsed because it was at that time orderlie unto them then know their gesture was not Sitting and you bewray your selfe to bee but a bad Antiquary in affirming it For as all story testifieth it was the manner of those times and long before at meales to lie on their beds leaning on their elbowes and supporting themselues with pillowes And hereunto agree the words which the Euangelists vse to expresse their gesture for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Mathew and Marke and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Luke and Iohn import no other then lying at the table Neither can you otherwise vnderstand that which is said of him whom Christ loued that at supper hee lay or leaned on Iesus breast vnles it be by this gesture Wherfore you must of force either quit◠Sitting and vrge vpon vs a necessity of lying or acknowledge that Sitting may not bee orderly vnto us though anciently vnto Christ and his Apostles it were so Your third and last argument is 3. If sitting bee the only warranted gesture by Gods word then it ought only to be vsed But it is the only warranted gesture for it only was vsed by the Iewes at the Passeover and by Christ his Apostles at his Supper Ergo sitting only is to be vsed That the word written for so you meane is the only warrant of all actions is more then you will euer be able to proue For the law of nature written in the hart and the light of reason are sufficient warrants for many things Otherwise how could the Gentiles which had not the law written be as S. Paul saith a law vnto themselves and how could their consciences either accuse them for breaking the law or excuse them for doing thereafter Neither do I herein derogate ought from Scripture only I yeeld vnto Reason that which is her due They are both from God and both are to be our directors the one in those things that fall within the compasse of nature the other in those things that are aboue nature In things supernaturall Scripture is the only warrant Reason being therein starkblind In things Morall it is the safest warrant Reason therein being but dimsighted But to make Scripture the only warrant in all things without exception is to put out the sight of Reason and to make it starke blind in euery thing Scripture I confesse is perfect but as a creature perfect in its kinde Whatsoeuer is necessarie vnto that end whereto it was ordained 2. Tim. 3.15 namely to make the man of God wise vnto Saluation it containeth abundantlie and with Tertullian Contra. Hermog c. 22. I adore the fulnes thereof Other things if it warrant not it no way impeacheth the perfection thereof because they are impertinent and make not vnto the end thereof The sequele therefore of your Maior is not good and it is absurd and idle in things not necessary to saluation to argue from authority of Scripture negatiuely it saith not so Ergo it is not so But supposing the Consequence of your Maior to be good how proue you the Minor that Sitting is onely warranted by Gods word Forsooth because it onely was vsed by the Iewes at the Passeouer and by Christ and his Apostles at his Supper First I haue sufficiently demonstrated aboue that they sate not and therefore Sitting is so farre from being only warranted that by your rule it is not warranted at all Secondly grant they sate yet it followes not thereupon that Sitting only is warranted For as for the Iewes Ex. 124 11. neither do their Ceremonies concerne us and at the first it seemes they stood For they were commanded to eat the Passeouer with their loines girt their shoos on their feet their staues in their hands v. 25. and in hast and as they were commanded so they did As touching Christ and his Apostles Supposing they sate their act indeed sufficiently proues that Sitting is in it selfe and was vnto them lawfull seing the wisedome of Christ otherwise would not haue vsed
Againe may not I with as good reason as you argue thus The state and Kingdome of Antichrist cannot be compleate without the authority of Ciuill Magistrates Ergo Ciuill Magistrates are Antichristian If this kinde of reasoning bee not good neither is yours for they are both of one mould Lastly Antichristianity being a Mysterie and not an Heathnish or Turkish opposition vnto Christ it cannot be compleate except it retaine many of Christs ordinances which therefore I trust you will not say to bee Antichristian A lie cannot subsist but vpon truth nor euill but in good nor Antichrists hypocrisie but vpon the Religion and discipline of Christ And thus haue I fully answered your first argument whereon I haue been the longer because it is the Basis and ground as it were of all the rest and the answer thereunto will in a manner serue them all or the most part of them Your second argument is this 2 Because it cannot be approued by the testament of Christ as the Ministrie had in his Church may and ought to bee * Eph. 4.11.12 1. Cor. 12.4.5.6.28.29 Ro. 12.7.8 1. Tim. 3. 5.3.9.17 6.13.14 And if such as could not proue by their genealogie that they were of Aaron were deposed from their Ministrie under Moses Law * Ezr. 2.62.63 Heb. 3.2.3 2.1.2.3 12.25 much more should such bee now deposed as haue not their offices warranted by Christs Testament If wee reduce your argument into forme it is this That Ministrie which cannot bee approued by the Testament of Christ is not to bee allowed in the Church But the Ministrie of the Church of England cannot bee approued by the Testament of Christ Ergo it is not to bee allowed in the Church The Minor which you might be sure we would deny you haue left naked to the wide world without proofe the Maior which you saw wee could not well deny you endeauour to fortifie with a double reason Let it be supposed then that it is denied how proue you it First The Ministerie had in the Church may and ought to bee so approued How doth this appeare By the places quoted in the margent Nothing lesse They approue indeed certaine officers in the Church but affirme not that euery officer ought to bee so approued Secondly if say you such as could not deriue their genealogy from Aaron were deposed much more are they to be deposed who cannot warrant their offices by Christs Testament A poore argument God wot For in the law there was an expresse commandment that none might execute the Priests office but hee that was of the linage of Aaron but that no office might bee admitted nor retained in the Church vnlesse it were so commanded I find no where in Scripture Wherefore to argue thus Nothing that is against Gods Word may bee allowed Ergo nor any thing that is not commanded is a plaine Non sequitur and it followes not Thus you see if a man were so disposed how easie it is to quarell with your Maior which yet simply I deny not Briefly therefore to cleare all I distinguish of these tearmes Approued and Warranted by the Word A thing may bee said to bee warranted or approued by the Word two wayes both when it is commanded and when it is not forbidden for things neither commanded nor forbidden are indifferent and subiect vnto the Churches power Hereupon thus I answer if you meane it in the former sence only then proue your Maior that what is not by commandment approued is vnlawfull if in the latter then I grant you the Maior that whatsoeuer is forbidden is vnlawfull But withall I deny the Minor that Archbishops Bishops Priests are forbidden requiring you to proue it which I know you can neuer doe For as touching so much of their dutie as is common to them all to wit the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments they are all Pastors and Teachers and so warranted in the Texts by you quoted but in regard of preeminence and superiority one aboue another Bishops are no other then were the Angels of the seuen Churches as wee haue aboue demonstrated Howsoeuer if Bishops bee not commanded yet are they not forbidden and their office making not against edification but for it rather it cannot being ordained by the Church but be lawfull Your third argument 3 Because the Church is the Spouse Kingdome and Body of Christ and therefore may not haue Antichrists Hierarchie and ministrie set ouer it or retained in it For what concord hath Christ with Beliall Antichrists Hierarchie and Ministrie may not beset ouer the Church nor retained in it Archbishops Bishops Priests are Antichrists Hierarchie and Ministrie Ergo Archbishops Bishops Priests may not bee set ouer the Church nor retained in it The Maior of this Syllogisme you are very carefull to maintaine because the Church is the Spouse the Kingdome the Body of Christ as also because there can bee no concord betwixt Christ and Belial But to what end all this and with such a stirre to proue that which no man gainsayes for wee confesse Christs Kingdome may not be gouerned by Antichrists policie You should rather haue laboured to strengthen the Minor that Archbishops Bishops and Priests are Antichrists Hierarchie and Ministrie for you might be well assured wee would neuer yeeld you that vnlesse by strength of reason you constrained vs. Here therefore against the rule of Logicke againe you beg the principall matter in question taking for granted that those offices are meerely Antichristian But you must proue it and not looke that whatsoeuer you fancie to be true others vpon your bare word must presently belieue and take to bee true See the answer to the first argument I proceed to the fourth 4 If when a King substituteth Iudges Iustices c. no subiects may either refuse to bee gouerned by these or set ouer themselues officers of other Kingdomes as the Roman tribunes c. how can it be lawfull for any Christians c. It is an old saying that Symbolical diuinitie is no argumēt of proofe and that Similitudes serue rather to illustrate and cleare a mans meaning then to proue and conuince the vnderstanding In regard whereof if I had so pleased I might well haue sleighted this fourth reason and not haue vouchsafed it any answere at all For what is it other then a bare and naked Similitude neuertheles for further satisfaction let vs trie the strength thereof Two things you auouch first that Christians may not refuse to bee gouerned by those officers which Christ hath set ouer them secondly that Christians may not set ouer themselues officers of Antichrists kingdome The former I confesse is true but nothing to the purpose For we reiect not the officers ordained by Christ nor refuse to be gouerned by them If we doe so haue all Churches also done downe from S. Iohns time vnto this present age within which compasse you cānot name any one Church at any time moulded after
holy Virgin to bee Genitricem Dei the Mother of God let him bee anathema The Councell of Chalcedon confirmed the same Act. 5. ratifying the Acts of the Ephesine Councell And the fift Councell of Constantinople thus defines If any say the glorious Virgin Mary is not truely but abusiuely Genitrix Dei that is the Mother of God let him bee Anathema or accursed Secondly by ancient Fathers both before and since Nestorius In ad Rom. who all stile her Deiparam the Mother of God Origen largely discourses and renders many reasons why shee should bee so called Eusebius Pamphili saith that the Empresse Helena honored Deiparae partum In vita Constantini the birth of the Mother of God Cyrill of Alexandria president in the foresaid Councell of Ephesus in his Anathematismes sent to Nestorius saith that Marie genuit In Conc. Eph. carnally begat him that was made flesh euen the Word of God and anathematizeth them that deny her to bee Genitricem Dei Epist 1. ad Chelid the Mother of God Gregory Nazianzen If any belieue not the Virgin Mary to be Genitricem Dei the Mother of God Ep. 97. ad Leon. Aug. let him bee separated from God Leo Accursed bee Nestorius who belieued not the Blessed Virgin to bee Dei Genitricem the Mother of God Iohn Cassian It is not lawfull to say Christ and not God is borne of Mary L. 2. de Incar Prosper of Aquitani The Virgin Mary bare Christ who is God of Heauen Hesychius L. 1. com in Lev. 2. Therefore to note the Natiuity of Christ the Sacrifice is said to bee baked in an ouen to wit in the Wombe Genitricis Dei of the Mother of God Augustin Mary therefore begat Cont. Faelic c. 12. and begat not the Sonne of God She begat him when Christ was borne of her according to the flesh Shee begat him not when the Sonne without beginning issued from the Father Vincentius Lirinensis Anathema to Nestorius denying God to bee borne of the Virgin Many more Fathers I could easily alledge Ca 21. but I presume one Decade of such witnesses is euidence sufficient Thirdly by latter writers of the reformed Churches Inst l. 2. c. 14. §. 4. who maintaine the same Faith of the Fathers Caluin We are to abhorre the Heresie of Nestorius that was that Mary is not the Mother of God Againe Hee that is the Sonne of God the same is the Sonne of Mary Beza Referr Scr. The Church hath rightly defined against Nestorius In Luc. 1.35 that Mary should be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God Peter Martyr Wee confesse that the Sonne of God is borne of the Blessed Virgin neither doubt wee to call Mary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dial. de Corp. Christ loc the Mother of God Sadeel Iustly was Nestorius condemned denying the holy Virgin to bee Deiparam the Mother of God seeing our ancestors haue constantly defended that Mary is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God De ver hum nat Christ though not the Mother of the Diuinity Danaeus In Aug. de haer c. 91. Part. l. 1. It is manifest that Mary may and ought to bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God Polanus It is rightly said of Christ that hee is God borne of the Virgin Loco de Christ Bucanus placeth among doctrines repugnant to diuine truth this of Nestorius that Mary is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God Tilenus The Blessed Virgin is truly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God Synt. de Nat. Christ n. 19. Ser. c. 18. On Creed Perkins Hence Mary is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God though shee be not the Mother of the Deity And Shee must bee held to bee the Mother of the whole Christ God and Man and therefore the ancient Church hath called her the Mother of God yet not the Mother of the Godhead Praemonit Finally the great Defendor of the ancient Catholicke and Apostolicke Faith King IAMES I acknowledge her to bee the Mother of God seeing in Iesus Christ the humane nature cannot bee separated from the Deity Fourthly by the Creed of the Apostles so vniuersally receiued of all Churches wherein all true Christians professe that they belieue in Iesus Christ the onely begotten Sonne of the Father and that he was conceiued of the Holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary If the eternall sonne of God were borne of the blessed Virgin then must shee needs bee the Mother of God The Creed therefore of the Councell of Chalcedon thus expoundeth and openeth it Borne of the Blessed Virgin and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mother of God Neither may wee thinke that the holy Church of Christ hath vnaduisedly or rashly beléeued this doctrine but vpon firme and vnmoueable grounds both of Scripture and the analogie of Faith For first Scripture euidently teacheth it That holy thing which shall bee borne of thee shall bee called the Sonne of God saith the Angell Gabriel and Elizabeth whence commeth thus that the Mother of my Lord should come to me By which place saith Beza it is expresly manifest against Nestorius that Mary is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God Againe if Mary bee the Mother of Iesus Christ and Christ be God it followeth of necessity that she must be the Mother of God Nay doth not the Prophet directly say that the child borne vnto us is the mighty God In a word Esa 9.6 it will not I trust be denied but that Mary is the Mother of him that was Crucified that died that shed his bloud that was seene with the eye and felt with the hand 1. Cor. 2.8 Phil. 2.8 Act. 20. 1. Ioh. 1.2 But it was the Lord of glory that was Crucified that was obedient to the death that shed his bloud it was the Lord of life that was both seene and felt And therefore is Mary also the Mother of the Lord of glory the Mother of the Lord of life the Mother of him that is equall with God and consequently God seeing none is equall vnto God but God As Scripture so the Analogie of Faith also confirmeth it For no reason can be rendred why Mary should not be the Mother of God but eyther because Christ is not God or because the humanity was the subject of Conception and Birth before it was assumpted by the Word or lastly because the Humanity was neuer assumpted into the Vnity of the same Person but remayned a distinct person by it selfe all which were the damnable blasphemies and heresies of Arius Photinus and Nestorius the first of Arius the second of Photinus the third of Nestorius Therefore contrarywise I argue thus If Christ bee God and the Humanity were at the first creation thereof preuented from subsisting in it selfe and neuer had subsistence but in the Word so as both Natures constitute one onely Hypostasis or