lauer of regeneration and word of Sanctification all the sinnes in men regenerate are healed yea euen those which by humane ignorance afterward are committed Non vt baptisma quoties peccatur toties repetatur sed quia ipso quod semel datur fit vt non solum anteà verùm etiam posteà quorumlibet peccatorum venia fidelibus impetretur Not that Baptisme so oft as a man sinneth is to bee repeated but by vertue of that which is once giuen it commeth to passe that the faithfull haue remission of their sinnes not onely before but also after Ergo Baptisme hath it force not onely for the present but it reacheth vnto the time following THE THIRD PART OF THE LIBERTIE and priuiledges obtained by Baptisme The Papists 1. THey haue defined that a man by Baptisme is not onely debitor fidei sed etiam vniuersae legis Christi implendae error 109 not onely a debter of the faith but is made a debter to performe the whole law of Christ Concil Trident. sess 8. can 7. that is Baptisme is not onely a signe of free iustification by faith neither doth he which is baptized professe himselfe onely by faith to bee iustified but partly also by his workes and the keeping of the commandements of Christ. The Protestants Ans. IN Baptisme wee make profession of our obedience to die vnto sinne and rise vp to newnes of life Rom. 6.2 yet not thereby to bee iustified but in being baptized wee shew our faith and hope onely to looke for remission of sinnes and saluation of our soules by the death of Christ. Argum. 1. Circumcision in place whereof Baptisme is giuen to vs is called by the Apostle a seale of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4 11. not of the righteousnes of workes much more then is Baptisme which is a Sacrament of the Gospell a pledge vnto vs of the iustice of faith Argum. 2. By Baptisme we are freed from the curse of the lawe for it is a Sacrament of the death of Christ and of all the benefites thereof and Christ by his death hath borne for vs the curse of the lawe Galath 3.13 But if by Baptisme we binde our selues to the obseruance of the lawe to bee iustified and finde life thereby we must needes fall into the curse because we are not able to keepe the commandements Wherefore seeing Baptisme deliuereth vs from the curse it also exempteth vs from the workes of the lawe The Papists error 110 2. ALthough Christians are bound by solemne vow in Baptisme to walke in obedience before God and to keepe his commandements yet are they not therefore freed and exempted from the obseruance of the lawes and ordinances of men the which they are bound in conscience to keepe and vnder paine of damnation Bellarm. cap. 16. The Protestants BAptisme onely bindeth vs to keepe the commandements of God and so far forth also to obey men as they commaund things lawfull but wee must not be brought in bondage to mens traditions and obseruations seeing we are the Lords free men and by Baptisme consecrate to his seruice Argum. Math. 28.19 Goe and teach baptizing them c. and teaching them to obserue all that I haue commanded you Ergo Baptisme bindeth vs onely to the obseruation of Gods precepts 1. Corinth 7.23 Yee are bought with a price be not the seruants of men Baptisme is a signe of the death of Christ the price of our redemption Ergo wee are freed from all meere humane seruice in receiuing of Baptisme For this cause is it called the Baptisme of Christ Augustine saith Paulus dixisse legitur euangelium meum baptismum autem Christi nemo Apostolorum ita vnquam ministrauit vt auderet dicere suum Paul is read to haue said My Gospell but neuer any of the Apostles durst call the Baptisme of Christ their Baptisme Ergo seeing it is the Baptisme of Christ and we are onely baptized in his name not in our owne name or the name of men wee must onely hope to bee saued by faith in him and become his seruants wholly THE SEVENTH QVESTION OF THE difference betweene the Baptisme of our Sauiour Christ and the Baptisme of Iohn The Papists THe Baptisme of John they say was of another kinde then Christs Baptisme was neither was it sufficient without Christs Baptisme nor had the error 111 like force or efficacie as his Baptisme had and therefore such as had been baptized of Iohn were afterward admitted to Christs Baptisme Concil Trident. sess 8. canon 1. Bellarm. lib. 1. de baptis cap. 20.21 Argum. 1. Matth. 3.11 Iohn himselfe saith I baptize you with water but hee shall baptize you with the holy Ghost Ergo Iohns Baptisme and Christes not all one for Iohns Baptisme gaue not the holy Ghost Bellarm. ibid. Ans. Iohn speaketh not of diuerse Baptismes but of diuerse operations and ministeries in one and the same Baptisme for Iohn as all other ministers doe did but giue water and Christ working together with them giueth the holy Ghost But it will be answered that Iohn saith not he dooth baptize but hee shall baptize Ergo Christ did not baptize together with Iohn by his spirite Ans. The same Iohn in another place speaketh of Christ in the present tense Iohn 1.33 This is hee which baptizeth with the holy Ghost Ergo Christ did both then baptize with his spirite and afterwards also more manifestly when the giftes of the spirite began to bee shed forth more plentifully vpon men Argum. 2. Saint Paul baptized twelue men at Ephesus with Christs Baptisme that had receiued Iohns before Act. 19.4.5 Ergo Iohns Baptisme was not the same that Christs was Bellarm. Ans. There can be no such thing gathered out of that place for those words in the fifth verse When they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus are part of the narration which Paul maketh of Iohns manner of Baptisme so that the sense is this they that heard Iohns doctrine were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus It is not so to be read as though they were baptized againe of Paul but he laieth onely his hands vpon them that had before receiued the Baptisme of Iohn The Protestants THat Iohns Baptisme was not diuerse from Christs Baptisme but was all one with it in propertie and effect and that they which were baptized by Iohn were baptized into the name of Christ and therefore needed not againe to bee baptized thus it is made manifest out of Scripture Argum. 1. Iohns Baptisme differed not in the matter of the Sacrament for he baptized with water as Christs Apostles did There was also the same forme of both the word of God for Iohn also taught the people to beleeue in Iesus Christ that was to come Act. 19.4 There was also the same scope and ende of Iohns Baptisme For hee preached the Baptisme of repentance for remission of sinnes Mark 1.4 Ergo it was the same with the Baptisme of Christ. Argum. 2. If
Images which are stockes and stones 2 The Gospell teacheth that wee are freely saued by Iesus Christ without workes which neither merite remission of sinnes nor eternall life for eternall life is the free gift of God Rom. 6.23 And our sinnes are forgiuen vs freely because they are not imputed Rom. 4.6 They affirme cleane contrarie that by our merites we may deserue heauen and that vita aeterna is merces bonorum operum that eternall life is the reward of good workes But S. Paul sayth it is a free gift Bellarm. cap. 23. 3 The Gospell teacheth vs that we should growe vp to an assurance of our election 2. Pet. 1 10. and with boldnes to call vpon the name of God Heb. 4.10 The Papists say we should be kept alwaies in doubt and it is presumption to be assured of the fauour of God 4 The Gospell saith that not onely externall acts but euen secret thoughts are sinne yea the very cōcupiscence of the flesh to be sinne Genes 6.5 Rom. 7.7 They denie that concupiscence and euill thoughts are sinne vnlesse the be voluntarie and haue the consent of the will ibid. 5 The Gospell teacheth that it is impossible for any man to keepe and performe the lawe of God Rom. 8.7 Luk. 17.10 They doubt not to say that a man by grace may fulfill the lawe and by fulfilling of it deserue heauen 6 Christ instituted the Sacrament in both kinds and Paul 1. Cor. 11. giuing a direction concerning the Sacrament not onely to the Pastors and Ministers but to the whole Church of Corinth doth rehearse the institution in both kinds But the Papists doe minister but in one kind to the people 7 The Gospell saith that the Church is builded vpon Christ and he is the onely foundation thereof 1. Cor. 3.11 The Papists hold that Peter first and now the Pope whom they make his successor is the foundation of the Church Argument Chytraei And thus we see the Pope in his doctrine is a plaine aduersarie to Christ and therefore Antichrist The seuenth argument Apocalyps 17.1 Antichrist is called the great whore And here we are to note the singular prouidence of God who suffereth not one iot of his word to fall to the ground for euen soverily Anno 853. next after Leo the 4. there was a right whore elected Pope called Iohn or if you will Ioane the 8. who fate in the Papacie two yeeres sixe moneths and on a time being with child fell in labour in the midst of a solemne procession Whereupō there was a certayn Image of a woman with a child set vp in the same place where the Pope was deliuered And euer since the Popes when they goe to Laterane doe shun that streete being yet the neerer way abhorring that fact and the memorie therof There was also long after a chayre of Porphyrie stone kept in Laterane with an hole in the midst wherein the newe elected Pope was wont to sit to haue his humanitie tried Iuell pag. 428. Defens Apol. Obiect 1. Harding and since him Bellarmine obiect that there was neuer any such Pope because she is not registred in the Popes Calendar Ans. No they left her out for shame as Marianus Scotus writeth Agayne Bishops names haue vpon sundrie occasions been left out as Chrysostomes name was striken out vpon displeasure out of the table of the Bishops of Constantinople So Pope Cyriacus is not reckoned in the Calendar of the Popes and yet he was one of them Obiect 2. Whereas it is said that this Pope Ioane was first student at Athens and afterward professed at Rome Harding denieth that at Athens then there was any place for students but all was barbarous and so sayth Bellarm. neither that at Rome there was any open profession of letters at that time Ans. First anno 680. the Bishop of Athens was at a Councel at Constantinople called Synodus sexta anno 742. at the second Councel of Nice there were many Bishops of Greece present and Pope Ioane followed anno 853. and how should Athens afterward become barbarous being inhabited all this while by Christians for it was not taken of the Turkes before anno 1440. Secondly and me thinkes it is a discredite for Rome that there should be there vnder the Popes nose no profession of learning and that there should be there no Vniuersitie of Students where the vniuersall Bishop sate But Theodoricus Niemus sometime the Popes Secretarie sayth she read a Lecture two yeeres at Rome Obiect 3. It is not like that God would suffer S. Peters chayre to be polluted by a woman Harding Ans. You presume to much of Gods prouidence hauing no such promise Why might not a woman as well creepe into S. Peters chayre at Rome as one did into S. Andrewes of Constantinople as Bellarmine confesseth what priuiledge hath one more then the other Obiect 4. As for the chayre saith Harding it is a fable but Bellarmine more modestly graunteth there is a chayre of Porphyrie but to another purpose to shewe the Popes humilitie not to trie his humanitie Agayne Harding sayth it is a lye that the Popes refrayne to goe that way But Bellarmine that knoweth Rome better then he denieth not that the Pope so doth but not for any such heinous fact there committed but because it is a strait way and is not fit for his trayne And as for the Image Harding saith it representeth no such thing but is rather like one of the great ragged stones at Stonage Bellarmine denieth not but there is such an Image but it seemeth not to bee a picture of a woman but rather of some heathen priest going to sacrifice We see how handsomely they agree in their answers And no maruaile for if one lyer is many times contrary to himselfe how should two lyars agree But these men go only by coniectures we haue their owne writers against them for Theodoricus Niemus saith there is such an Image that resembleth such a thing and that the Popes will not goe that way in procession to this day vpon that occasion And as for the chayre of marble to that vse to search the Pope Sabellicus reporteth it Aenead 9. lib. 1. In this one example we may see the boldnes of our aduersaries which are not ashamed to denye so famous a storie being reported by Sabellicus Leonicus Chalcondyla Marianus Scotus that liued about the yeere 1028. Sigebertus Gimblacens anno 1100. beside thirteene Historiographers as they are quoted by Bishop Iewel and of them all not one a Lutherane It is almost as foule a shame for them to denye so manifest and playne a thing as it is a great blot to their succession that a whore sate sometimes in the Papall chayre Thus then by euident demonstration it appeareth that the Pope is the whore of Babylon and so consequently very Antichrist Lastly in the eight place their owne witnesses shall speake Bernard sayth Bestia de Apocalypsi cui datum est os loquens blasphemias Petri Cathedram occupat
and rooted out Et tolli omne illud quod veram habet propriam rationem peccati And all that wholly to be taken away which hath the nature and qualitie of sinne Concil Trident sess 5. For the concupiscence or originall sinne remaining after Baptisme is now no more to bee called sinne In infants then newly baptized there is neither mortall nor veniall sinne Rhemist 1. Iohn 1. sect 5. Argum. The Scripture saith Beholde the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh 1.29 Christ doth sanctifie and cleanse his Church by the washing of water through the word Ergo by remission sinnes cleane taken away Rhemist Rom. 4. sect 7. Ans. First if sinne in baptisme were wholly remoued not onely the guilt but the very staine and blot of sinne how commeth it to passe that many which are baptized doe fall afterward into deadly sinnes yea there is no man that liueth without sinne If sinne once haue been vtterly expelled and banished out of the flesh how commeth it in againe if their iustification haue once clearely rid them from sinne how can they be subiect to it againe for the grace of iustification being once obtained can neuer bee lost the giftes of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 2. The Scripture is true that Christ by his blood cleanseth washeth taketh away our sinnes not by actually purging vs from all corruption but in freely acquiting and discharging of vs before God both of the guilt and punishment of sinne so the Scripture saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Rom. 4.7.8 Our sinnes therefore may be truely forgiuen though some corruption of sinne doe still remaine in vs. The Protestants THere are three things to bee considered in sinne First the staine or blot corruption or remnant of sinne in vs. Secondly the guilt fault and offence of sinne Thirdly the punishment and stipend due vnto it By our spiritual washing in the blood of Christ whereof Baptisme is a seale both the guilt and punishment of our sinnes are not onely hid and couered in Gods sight as our aduersaries doe falsely charge vs to say but they are truely forgiuen vs for Christs sake and shall neuer be remembred any more But yet there is left in vs some remnant of sinne so long as we liue in this flesh which in the end together with the corruption and mortalitie of the bodie shall bee cleane taken away Argum. 1. If wee say wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs 1. Iohn 1.8 Ergo there are none liuing at any time voyde of sinne no not in their Baptisme Saint Paul also exhorteth to bee renewed in minde and to put on the new man and put off the old Ephes. 4.23 Ergo there remaineth some sinne and corruption after Baptisme what neede else this renewing of the minde and putting on the new man afterward Argum. 2. Originall sinne is not taken away in Baptisme therefore some sinne remayneth still And that this originall corruption is properly called sinne and is sin indeede S. Paul sheweth euidently Rom. 7. ver 7 8. where he nameth lust and concupiscence sinne Augustine thus writeth Meminisse debemus peccatorum omnium plenam remissionem fieri in Baptismo hominis verò qualitatem non totam continuò mutari We must remember that all our sinnes are fully remitted in Baptisme but the quality of man that is the corruption and staine or blot of sinne is not wholly chaunged THE SECOND PART WHETHER BAPtisme serue onely for remission of sinnes past not for the sinnes also to come The Papists error 108 CHristes death applyed to man by Baptisme wypeth away al sinnes past for new sinnes other remedies be dayly requisite Rhemist Heb. 10. sect 4. The councell of Trent holdeth them accursed that thinke all sinnes to be forgiuen fide Baptismi suscepti by faith of Baptisme receiued sess 7. can 10. Heereupon their saying ariseth that Baptismus est prima tabula post naufragium that Baptisme is the first boord of refuge after shipwracke Poenitentia est secunda tabula post naufragium penance is the second boord of refuge So that if a man do fall after Baptisme he must vse other helpes and meanes for the remission of sinnes for Baptisme is not auaileable for sinnes afterward committed Bellarm. cap. 18. Argum. It is impossible saith the Apostle for them that haue beene once lightened and tasted of the heauenly grace if they fall away to bee renewed by penance Heb. 6.6 that is they which fall away from faith and grace after Baptisme cannot be baptized againe or be illuminated or renouated by so easie a cleansing of sinnes as the Sacrament of Baptisme did yeeld Ergo Baptisme is not auaileable for remission of sinnes which men fall into afterward Bellarm. cap. 18. Ans. The Apostle speaketh not of this or that kinde of Repentance but generally of all shewing that there is no hope of remission nor grace to repent left for those which fall into the grieuous sinne of Apostasie which hee heere describeth for they crucifie againe the Sonne of God and make a mock of him ver 6. And that the Apostle vnderstandeth the sinne of Apostasie the sinne against the holy Ghost it appeareth by comparing that other place Heb. 10.29 with this for there they are said to tread vnder foote the sonne of God and to despite the spirit of grace The Apostle then cutteth off such from all hope of grace and repentaunce not onely barreth them from some speciall kinde of repentance The Protestants THe externall act of Baptisme neither wipeth away sinnes going before or comming after but it is the inward working of the spirite of God which by the vertue of Christs death testified and shewed forth in Baptisme that washeth away our sinnes And Baptisme is a seale of remission of sinnes for the confirmation of our faith euen of those which are committed after Baptisme as well as of sinnes done before and although the ceremonie of Baptisme be not repeated yet the vertue of Gods spirit testified thereby remaineth to our liues end Argum. 1. Mark 16.16 He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall bee saued Wee reason thus Baptisme is a seale of that faith whereby men are saued or to the which saluation is promised but that faith beleeueth remission of all sinnes both past and to come therefore Baptisme also sealeth vnto vs the remission of all our sinnes going before or following after Argum. 2. Baptisme is a signe and seale of our mysticall washing in the blood of Christ But all our sinnes both before and after are washed away by the blood of Christ Ergo Baptisme doth assure vs of a perfit remission of all our sinnes So saith Augustine Eodem lauacro regenerationis verbo sanctificationis omnia prorsus mala hominum regeneratorum sanantur etiam quae posterius humana ignorantia aut infirmitate committuntur By the same
onely faith but loue or charitie obtaineth remission of sinnes Bellarm. ibid. Rhemist in hunc locum The Protestants Ans. THe argument is not from the cause to the effect but from the effect to the cause for Christ doth not reason thus she loued much therefore many sinnes are forgiuen her but contrariwise Many sinnes are forgiuen her therefore she loueth much As the next words declare to whom little is remitted he loueth little And our Sauiour sayth in plaine words in the last verse That her faith had saued her whereof her loue was an effect Argum. That the contrition of the heart is no meanes of our iustification nor a meriting cause or procuring of remission of sinnes Saint Paul sheweth Rom. 4.5 6. To him that beleeueth faith is counted for righteousnes And Dauid declareth the blessednesse of that man to whom God imputeth righteousnes without workes It is faith then onely that obtaineth remission of sinnes and a man is iustified without any respect had to his workes Therefore neither contrition nor any other worke inward or outward procureth remission of sinnes but faith onely is the meane So Augustine sayth Opera sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum Workes followe a man alreadie iustified they goe not before to iustification De fide operib cap. 14. Therefore the worke of contrition is not auaileable to iustification The Papists 5. COntrition they say is not necessarie for veniall or small offences neither error 11 is a man bound thereunto So. lib. 4. distinct 17. articul 3. The Protestants THis assertion is cleane contrarie to scripture for the Prophet Dauid praieth not onely to be kept from presumptuous sinnes Psalm 19.13 but euen to be cleansed from his secret faults vers 12. Augustine agreeth Non solum propter vitae huius ignorantiam sed etiam propter ipsum puluerem mundi huius qui pedibus adhaerescit quotidianam habere debemus poenitentiam Not only for the ignorances of this life but euen for that drosse and dust of the world which hangeth vpon our feete we ought daily to repent vs. He meaneth the lesser and smaller scapes of our life The Papists error 12 6. THere is a kind of cōtrition that proceedeth only from the feare of punishmēt when a man doth leaue sinning not for any loue or delight he hath in God but onely for feare of damnation Euen this contrition also is good and profitable yet this seruile feare is at length cleane driuen out by charitie But there remaineth still in the godly an awe and feare of God and his iudgements with mistrust and feare of hell and damnation as Math. 10. Feare him that can cast bodie and soule into hell Rhemist Iohn 4. sect 6. Bellarm. lib. 2.17 The Protestants FIrst we acknowledge that the feare of punishment is necessarie in the beginning to make a way for true loue to enter as the bristle or needle as Augustine sayth maketh roome for the thred to enter We also confesse that there is a continuall feare and reuerence of God in the godly such as children haue of their parents but as for any mistrust or feare of hell and damnation after loue be once entred and we made the children of God which breedeth terror and anxietie of conscience it is cleane expelled and thrust out of the doores by loue Argum. So saith the Apostle There is no feare in loue but perfect loue casteth out feare and maketh vs to haue confidence in the day of iudgement 1. Ioh. 4.17 18. But he that feareth damnation and is afraid of the day of iudgement cannot haue confidence in that day So Augustine Quid dicimus de illo qui caepit timere diem iudicij si perfecta in illo esset charitas non timeret What say we to him that feareth the day of iudgement if loue were perfect in him he would not feare it THE SIXT QVESTION OF AVRICVLAR Confession the second part of penance The Papists error 13 NOne can rightly seeke for absolution at the Priests hands vnlesse they confesse particularly at the least all their mortall sinnes whether they be committed in mind heart will and cogitation onely or in word and worke with all the necessarie circumstances and differences of the same Rhemist Ioh. 20. sect 5. And this sacramentall confession as they call it must be made secretly to the Priest Concil Trident. sess 14. can 6. Argum. 1. This wonderfull power of remitting and retaining of sinnes which was giuen to the Apostles and their successors Ioh. 20.22 were giuen them in vaine if no man were bound to seeke for absolution at their hands which can not be had of them without distinct vtterance to them of our sinnes for they cannot rule the cases of conscience vnlesse they haue exact knowledge and cogitation of their sinnes Rhemist ibid. Ans. 1. God hath not made his ministers in Christs stead iudges of cases of conscience as though there were in them an actual power to remit and absolue sinnes but their office is onely to declare and set forth vnto all penitent persons the promises of God for remission of sinnes the seueritie of Gods iudgement against impenitent persons which is especially performed in the preaching and applying of the word either publiquely or priuately as S. Paul calleth the Gospell committed vnto him The word of reconciliation 2. Cor. 5.16 2. A man therefore may by their ministerie which are the preachers of reconciliation finde remission of sinnes without a particular declaration thereof neither is it necessarie for them to haue so exact a knowledge of our sinnes seeing they are not absolute iudges of the conscience but the ministers and ambassadors of reconciliation 2. Corinth 5.20 3. And Ministers are not to stay while suite is made vnto them for their helpe but they ought to exhort and desire men to be reconciled to God by their ministerie Argum. 2. As the Priests in the law had onely authoritie to discerne the leprosie of the people and therefore Christ sendeth the lepers to the Priest Luk. 17.14 so men must reueale the spirituall leprosie of sinne to the Priest Rhemist ibid. Ans. First the leprosie was not healed by the Priest but onely declared to be healed so sinnes are declared to be forgiuen by the Priest not properly forgiuē Secondly the Priest receiued not knowledge of all diseases but of this that was contagious therefore it would not followe hereupon that all sinnes are to be confessed to the Priest but such as are notorious where publique confession is by Church discipline inioyned and such confession we denie not Thirdly the argument followeth not from the Priests of the law to the Ministers of the Gospell for the Priesthood of the law is translated wholly vnto Christ who hath all knowledge to discerne and power to heale our spirituall diseases The Protestants COnfession of sinnes such as the scripture alloweth we doe acknowledge as namely these foure kinds There are priuate confessions either to God alone as Daniel confesseth
Was not here great amitie and loue thinke you amongest the Popes Another notable example of their vnitie we haue in Pope Vrbanus time the 6. against whom stood vp a contrarie Pope in Fraunce named Clement it is worth the noting what coyle these two popes kept between whō many battailes were fought many thousands slaine Pope Vrbane beheaded fiue Cardinals together after long torments Bishop Aquilonensis because he did ride no faster was had in suspition and slayne and cut in peeces by Vrbans souldiers at his commaundement behold here I pray you the vnitie of these Catholikes We will adioyne one other example no longer since then in king Henry the eights time The Duke of Bourbon being the leader of the Emperors armie layd siege to Rome and sacked it the souldiers brake in vpon the Pope which was Clement the seuenth being at Masse slew diuerse of the Priests and one Cardinall called Sanctorum quatuor they layd siege to the Castle of S. Angell so long till the Pope yeelded him selfe The souldiers dayly that lay at the siege made iestes of the Pope sometime they had one riding like the Pope with a whore behind him sometimes he blessed sometime he cursed sometime with one voyce they would call him Antichrist See here is their Catholike obedience to their chief Bishop Thus much concerning their vnitie and concord in life Let vs likewise take a view of their vnitie in doctrine We heard before how Pope Stephen and Sergius abolished the decrees of Formosus how then saith the Iesuite that the decrees of Popes do consent together The Councell of Basile and Constance before that decreed that the Pope should be subiect to generall Councels but this Canon was afterward reuersed and now generally the Papists hold the contrary that the Pope is aboue Councels Let vs see the consent of their writers Bellarmin lib. 1. de verbo cap. 12. maintaineth against Lyranus Driedo Genebrard and others that Iudith was in Manasses time Against Alphonsus de Castro that heretikes are no members of the Church Lib. 3. de Eccles. cap. 4. Against Iohannes de turre cremata that faith is not necessarie to make one a member of the Church Lib. 3. de Eccles. cap. 10. And euery where the Iesuite taketh great libertie to confute and controll other his felow Papistes belike hauing found out some starting holes that they either knew not or were ashamed to creepe into as the Iesuite doth But saith he we denie not but that we haue dissentions but they are not in materiall points but in such things as appertaine not to faith I meruaile he blusheth not thus to say him selfe knowing the contrary Is it not a substantiall point and belōging to faith to know which bookes are canonicall Scripture which are not But in this question they do much disagree Caietanus the Cardinall saith that we must acknowledge no Scripture but that which was either written or approued by the Apostles But Catharinus a Papist doth reiect that opinion Hugo Cardinalis Arias Montanus do hold no bookes of the old Testament to be canonicall which are written onely in Greeke the Papistes now generally hold the contrary Ex Whitacher 1. contr c. quaest cap. 6. Bellarmin saith that all those opinions which the Church holdeth as articles or preceptes of faith were deliuered by the Apostles that the Church must not now seeke for new reuelations but content her selfe with the Apostolike traditions and doctrine de Scriptur lib. 4. cap. 9. Out of the which words it doth necessarily folow that the church is not now to foūd any new article of faith but this generally is denied by the Papistes and Stapleton an English Papist is not ashamed to say that the Church may adde more bookes to the canonicall Scripture by her absolute authoritie Further to beleeue that the virgine Marie was without sinne yea conceiued without originall sinne is now amongest the Papistes receiued for an article of faith and therefore in Paris none are admitted to be Doctors of Diuinitie which doe not first confirme this article by their oth Yet this was a great question betweene the Scotistes and Thomistes and a great and hote contention arose about this controuersie anno 1476. betweene the Dominicke Friers who affirmed that she was conceiued in sinne and the Franciscanes that held the contrary But these Franciscanes had the vpper hand and foure of the other order were condemned and burned for it at Berne and yet for all this our aduersaries will say still that they varie not in matters of faith Thus we haue seene what is to be thought of Popish vnitie Now to answere briefly to their false accusation whereby they charge vs with manifold schismes and dissentions yea Bellarmin is not ashamed to say that an hundred seuerall sectes are sprong amongest vs. cap. 10. lib. 4. de Eccles. 1 We say with S. Paule oportet haereses esse 1. Cor. 11. there must be heresies and diuisions in the Church And it is a signe we haue the truth when the deuill goeth about by schismes and contentions to hinder the preaching thereof We answere to you as Augustine did to the paganes Non proferant nobis quasi concordiam suam hostem quippe quem patimur illi non patiuntur Let them not boast of their concord and cast in our teeth the dissention of Christians the enemie assaulteth not them as he doth vs Quid ibi luchri est quia litigant vel damni si litigant the deuill shall get nothing if they should disagree nor lose any thing by their agreement for he hath sure hold enough of them already consenting all in Idolatrie But amongest Christians he laboureth to hinder the truth by discord because he can not otherwise withdraw them frō the true Religion Hearken now ô ye Papistes if you consent together it is in euill so long it pleaseth the deuill well enough he should destroy his owne kingdome in sowing dissention amongest you for you fight for him He vseth to cast fire brands amongest good Christians to withstand by this meanes the proceeding of the Gospell 2 It is a great sclaunder that there are so many diuisions amongest vs an hundred saith the Iesuite but he shall neuer proue ten He might haue bethought him selfe of a full hundred of sectes amongest his owne darlings the Monkes and Friers as M. Fox hath faithfully gathered the number pag. 260. 3 Those few schismes and dissentions which we haue and yet to many we must needes confesse are not about points of faith and articles of Religion but concerning some things belonging to discipline and Church gouernement which matters we denie not but haue bene somewhat to hotely and egerlie folowed of some amongest vs but God be thanked this contention hath not bene pursued by fire or death as the Franciscanes did persecute the poore Dominickes nor yet to the pronouncing of ech other heretikes as Eugenius your Pope was condemned as an hereticke in the Councell of
Basile to be no necessarie poynt to saluation if wee did hold her to haue beene a virgin afore and many such other poyntes there are in scriptures which a man may be ignorant of without perill of saluation Ergo much more may we be ignorant of vnwritten verities or rather Popish fables 2. The Church hath no more authoritie then the Apostles nor yet in all things so much But they had no power to make articles of faith for Saint Paul deliuereth that which he had receiued concerning the sacrament he durst not adde vnto it as the Papists haue been bolde to doe since 1. Cor. 11. Ergo the Church may explane and open articles of fayth out of the scriptures but not make new 3. We prooue it by the confession of our aduersaries The fathers of Basile that concluded it was an article of the Christian fayth to beleeue the superioritie of the councel did gather it out of the saying of Christ dic ecclesiae and therfore enforced it as an article Whereby wee gather that they helde that the Church could establish no article of fayth without scripture Bellarmine likewise sayth that the Church is not now gouerned by newe reuelations but wee ought to be contented with those decrees which wee haue receiued from the Apostles Ergo as D. Whitakers doth strongly conclude the Church cannot coyne new articles of faith 4. Lastly we haue before prooued at large out of the worde of God that the scriptures containe all things necessary to saluation and therefore all articles of fayth must be deriued from thence 1. controu quaest 7. And so we conclude with Augustine Linguae sonos quibus inter se homines sua seusa communicēt pacto quodā societatis sibi instituere possunt Quib. autē sacris diuinitati congruerent voluntatem dei sequuti sunt qui rectè sapuerunt Quae omnino nunquam defuit ad salutem iustitiae pietatique hominum Men sayth he may deuise among themselues what language they will vse to expresse their minde But howe to serue God wise men euer followed the will and commaundement of GOD which neuer hath failed men in all necessary matters concerning righteousnes and godlines By this fathers sentence the scriptures which containe the will of God containe all necessary things Ergo we neede not seeke elswhere AN APPENDIX OR MEMBER OF THIS part of the question whether we are to beleeue in the Church The Papists WE ought to beleeue and trust the Church in all things yea to beleeue in the Church Rhemist 1. Tim. 3. sect 9. the scripture also vseth this speech error 25 to beleeue in men annot in 10. Rom. sect 41. 1. Exod. 14.31 they beleeued in God and Moses Ergo. We answere your owne vulgar text hath it crediderunt deo Mosi seruo eius they beleeued God and his seruant Moses that is hauing seene the great power of God in the destruction of the Aegyptians in the red sea according to the word of Moses they gaue credite vnto Moses which spake vnto them from God 2. Philem. v. 5. Hearing of thy loue and fayth which thou hast toward the Lord Iesus and vnto all the saints See say they here is faith toward the saints Wee answere there is no man that is not peruersly disposed but may easily distinguish the Apostles wordes to attribute fayth to Iesus Christ and loue to the saynts Which may appeare by the altering of the preposition as they themselues read in their owne translation loue and fayth in Iesus Christ and toward the sayntes so it must needes bee thus vnderstoode fayth in Christ and loue toward the sayntes this therefore is but a sophisticall cauill The Protestants THis word Credo beleeue is taken three wayes for there is credere deo to beleeue God that is to trust him in all things credere deum to beleeue God to be credere in deum to beleeue in God as our creator Lord and redeemer So we doe credere ecclesiam we beleeue there is one holy Catholicke Church credere ecclesiae we doe also beleeue and giue credence to the Church following the word of God But we do not in any wise credere in ecclesiam beleeue in the Church 1. We must not beleeue or put any confidence in a creature the Church is but a creature Ergo for to beleeue in God is onely proper to the Godhead and therefore Iohn 14.1 where Christ sayth ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me we doe necessarylie out of these words inferre that Christ is God because we are commaunded to beleeue in him 2. Fayth is of things that are absent and not seene but the Church is present alwayes vpon earth and alwayes visible as our aduersaryes hold how then can it bee an obiect of our fayth We can not beleeue in that which is visible seene for it is agaynst the nature of fayth 3. Augustine sayth sciendum est quòd ecclesiam credere non tamen in ecclesiam credere debemus quia ecclesia non est deus sed domus dei De tēpore serm 131. We must know that we are to beleeue there is a Church not in the Church for the Church is not God but onely the house of God THE SECOND PARTE OF THE QVESTION concerning the ceremonies of the Church The Papists THey doe holde that the Church of God may vse and blesse diuers elements error 26 and creatures for the seruice of God as holy water to driue away diuels the hallowing of salt waxe fire palmes ashes oyle creame milke honey Rhemist 1. tim 4. sect 12. 13. Yea that the Church may borrow rites and ceremonies of the Iewes ibid. sect 18. Yea by the creatures thus blessed or rather coniured they say remission of sinnes is obtayned sect 14. 2. Remission of sinnes was annexed to the oyle wherewith the sicke were annoynted Iames 5. Ergo remissions of sinnes may be applied by the like consecrated elements Rhemist 1. Tim. 4. sect 14. We answere First it followeth not because the creature of oyle was vsed in the miraculous gift of healing which ceremonie was no longer to continue than that miraculous gift indured it followeth not that other elements may be vsed so now there being not the like occasion seeing all such myraculous giftes are now ceased Secondly it was not the oyle whereby their sinnes were forgiuen them neither was it applied to that ende it was onely a pledge vnto them of their bodily health but the prayer of fayth shall saue the sick sayth the Apostle v. 15. for God hath promised to heare the faythfull prayers of his children both for themselues and others 3. Saint Paul vsed imposition of hands which was a ceremonie of the law vsed in consecrating of Priestes Ergo it is lawfull to borrowe ceremonies of the Iewes We answere It followeth not because Christ and the Apostles by the spirite of God retayned some decent actions vsed in the lawe therefore now the Church at her libertie may take of
whether they that haue the dispensation of the Keyes doe alwaies necessarily bind and loose before God of these in order THE FIRST PART WHEREIN THE AVthoritie and power of the Keyes consisteth The Papists error 73 BY the Keyes and power of binding and loosing they chiefly and principally vnderstand the censures of the Church as Excommunications Anathematismes suspensiōs Degradations the whole Ecclesiastical iurisdictiō Rhemist Annot. Matt. 16. sect 14. Bel. lib. 1. de pontif cap. 13. Secondly they tye remission and retaining of sinnes to their imagined and deuised sacrament of penance saying that where Christ gaue authoritie to remit sinnes to his Apostles Iohn 20.23 he instituted the sacrament of penance Rhemist Iohn 20. sect 3. The sacrifice also and Sacraments of the Church say they are ministred for remission of sinnes Rhemist 2. Corinth 5. sect 3. Thirdly they seeme to grant in words that by preaching also of the Gospell sinnes are reteined and remitted ibid. but they make small account thereof for as we haue heard they make it not of the essence of their priesthood to preach neither doth it properly appertaine vnto that office yea say they absolutiō cānot be rightly sought for at the priests hands but by confession of our sins which is done in penance Rhem. Ioh. 20. sect 5. This then is their opinion that by their deuised ceremonie and Sacrament of penance sinnes are properly forgiuen and that the preaching of the word is not thereto necessarie Their chiefe argument is by abusing that place Iohn 20.23 where they say Christ instituted the Sacrament of penance when he gaue power to his Apostles to remit and reteine sinnes Ans. First your Sacrament of Penance is neither grounded vpon this nor any other place of scripture here in the wordes of Christ there is no institution of a sacrament because there is no visible element giuen whereunto the worde being added may make a sacrament Secondly here the commission is but renewed which was granted before to his Apostles and their successors Matth. 18.18 Fulk Annot. Iohn 20. sect 3. The Protestants THe Keyes of the Church that is the power to bind and loose sinners to open or shut vnto them the kingdome of God consisteth both in the externall discipline and gouernement of the Church lawfully executed according to the word of God as also in preaching of the Gospell by assuring in Christs name all faithfull and penitent persons remission and forgiuenes of their sinnes and in denouncing and threatning the wrath of God against the disobedient and impenitent also as the sacraments are ioyned to the word as seales and pledges of the promises thereof so by the right administration of the sacraments together with the preaching of the word sinnes are retained or remitted The Rhemists therefore doe vs great iniurie in falsely charging of vs that we should hold that the spiritual power of the Church standeth only vpon the preaching of the word whereas wee grant that it is exercised also in the Ecclesiasticall gouernement of the Church both in punishing excommunicating censuring of offenders which is the binding of them and in releasing and absoluing them againe which is the other power of loosing Rhemist 2. Corinth cap. 10. sect 1. Leauing now this part of spiritual power in Ecclesiasticall discipline which is not in this place in question betweene vs wee must touch that other part which is exercised in the word and sacraments 1 That the sacraments doe binde and loose it is proued out of the word of God they doe binde Whosoeuer eateth drinketh vnworthily eateth drinketh his own damnation 1. Cor. 11.29 they doe also loose As oft as ye shal eate this bread and drinke this cup you shewe the Lords death till he come vers 26. But here is a double caution and condition to be annexed First that all Sacraments worke not this effect but onely those of Christs institution which are but two baptisme and the supper of the Lord for Paul saith I haue receiued of the Lord that which I deliuered vnto you 1. Cor. 11.23 If the Apostles would not neither might deliuer any Sacraments but those which were instituted of Christ what great presumption is it in any other to doe it Secondly we must not think that remissiō of sinnes is necessarily tied to the Sacraments as though there could be no remissiō without thē for the grace of remission may be effectual in the name of Christ by the preaching of the word without a sacramēt Ioh. 20. sect 4. Ful. For the word may be preached without a sacramēt but the sacramēt cānot be ministred without the word for that were as though a man should deliuer a seale without a writing Neither is it our meaning that as the Rhemists cauil with vs the sacramēt cannot be administred without a sermon of the death of Christ for though that were alwaies to bee wished yet where it cannot bee had there must and ought to be a briefe shewing and declaration of the death of Christ out of the word so oft as the Sacrament is administred as it is obserued in our Church Fulk Annot. 1. Corinth 11. sect 15. 3 We must take heede we conceiue not thus as though the Sacrament gaue grace by the worke wrought and that by the very vse forme and externall act of the Sacrament wee obtaine remission of sinnes as the Rhemists would beare vs in hand 1. Corinth 11. sect 15. But the Sacraments are onely effectuall to the worthie receiuers and to the worthie receiuing faith is requisite as Saint Paul willeth all men to examine themselues 1. Corinth 11.28 which is as hee himselfe interpreteth it to proue whether they be in the faith 2. Corinth 13.5 These conditions then being obserued we denie not but that there is an exercise of the keyes euen in the Sacraments 2 But chiefely and principallie is this power dispensed by the preaching of the word as Saint Paul saith Wee are the sauour of death vnto death vnto some there is the binding and to other the sauour of life vnto life there is the loosing 1. Corinth 2.16 So our Sauiour Christ saith He that refuseth mee the word that I haue spoken shall iudge him in the last day Iohn 12.48 Here is the power of binding Againe the truth shall make you free Iohn 8.32 Here is the power of loosing Who therefore doubteth this that the preaching of the word is the most proper and principall way and meane for the exercising of this Ecclesiasticall power for seeing faith is the key of heauen thereby wee haue free accesse vnto the throne of grace Rom. 5.2 and faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 and hearing by the word It remaineth that by the word the keyes are dispensed Augustine also subscribeth vnto this for speaking of reformation of life and repentance with remission of former sinnes thus he saith Quid empturus es vt facias quae emplastra quaesiturus ecce cùmloquor muta cor factum est quod tam
power for he was not quickned or restored to life by his humane soule but by his diuine power his soule was ioyned againe to his bodie Augustine also giueth another reason why he cannot be said to be quickned or made aliue in spirit that is in his soule for then he must haue died before in soule But Mors animae peccatum est à quo ille immunis fuit But the death of the soule is sinne from the which Christ was free 2 The Apostle speaketh onely of those which were incredulous and disobedient not of the faithfull such as the Patriarkes were and Prophets Yea sayth Bellarm. they might be vnbeleeuers at the first but after repented before they dyed Ans. Then the Apostles comparison could not hold if any were saued without the Arke for as then eight persons onely were saued all without the Arke perished so now without baptisme and faith of the Church for by baptisme he vnderstandeth not the washing of water but the inward grace of the spirit none can be saued If then any were saued out of the Arke there may now also be saluation out of the Church Augustine also sayth Ii modò qui non crediderunt Euangelio illis intelligantur esse similes qui tunc non crediderunt cum fabricaretur arca They which now beleeue not the Gospell are like to them which beleeued not then while the Arke was in making And they which doe now beleeue and are baptized are like to those which then were saued in the Arke Augustine thinketh therefore that they were incredulous persons and vtterly perished both bodie and soule And so is our opinion 3 The text saith not he went and deliuered but went and preached for Augustine calleth it an absurd thing to thinke that the Gospell was preached to them that were dead which in their life time were incredulous for if the Gospell bee preached in Hell sayth he it would followe that it is not necessarie it should be preached here in the world if men when they are dead may heare it and be conuerted And againe it would ensue sayth he that there should bee a Church in hell for where the word is preached there is a Church Wherefore he concludeth that it must needes be vnderstood of Noah his preaching in the spirit and power of Christ Arcae fabricatio praedicatio quaedam fuit The building of the Arke was a kinde of preaching Epistol 99. So also he expoundeth that 1. Pet. 4.6 The Gospell was preached to the dead Ex circumstantia loci apparet eum intelligere eos qui nunc mortui sunt sed olim in vita Euangelium audiuerunt Commentar in epistol ad Roman 4 The text is not that were in prison but doth better beare this sense that are So the Apostles meaning is this that they which were incredulous and disobedient in time past when Noah in the spirit of Christ or Christ by his spirit in Noah preached to the world were then destroyed in the flood now for their increduliti◠are punished in the prison of hell The Protestants THat the holy Patriarkes Fathers and Prophets dyed in the same faith before the comming of Christ which all true Christians doe now hold and were presently receiued into the ioyes of heauen and not kept in any infernall place or dungeon of darknes thus it is proued 1 They had all faith and beleeued in Christ yea the same faith that is now preached as it is defined by the Apostle Heb. 11.1 They also by this faith obtained remission of sinnes Rom. 4.7 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen as it is alleadged out of the Psalme Ergo they were blessed but out of the kingdome of God there was no blessednesse to be found therefore they also went to heauen 2 If the heauens were not opened before Christs ascension as the Rhemists affirme then none went to heauen before Christ ascended But that is false Henoch and Elias by their owne confession were taken vp into Paradise so was the soule of the theefe vpon the Crosse. But Paradise is heauen yea the third and the highest heauen as S. Paul calleth it 2. Corinth 12.4 And so Augustine expoundeth that place Voluit Deus Apostolo demonstrare vitam in qua post hanc vitam viuendum est in aeternū The Lord would shew vnto the Apostle that life wherein after this life we shall liue and remaine for euer De Gene. lib. 12.28 These three therefore went to Paradise which is no infernall or place of darknesse but a Celestiall habitation of ioy light and felicitie They were not then in Limbo Patrum in the dungeon of the Fathers Wherefore we conclude there was accesse to heauen before the ascension of Christ. 3 The Fathers and Patriarkes before Christs comming were in Abrahams bosome but that was no infernall place or prison such as they imagine Limbus Patrum to be Augustine proueth that it could not be membrum or pars inferorum a member or part of Hell or any infernall place as the Iesuits hold First the text saith there is magnum chaos a great gulfe a great distance betweene Luk. 16.26 and vers 23. The rich man sawe Abraham a farre off wherefore it is not like that both those places should be infernall Secondly Abrahams bosome was quietis habitatio faelicitatis sinus a place of rest and blisse but so is not any infernall place where there is horror and darknesse Thirdly the place where the rich man was is called Hell or infernall there is no such thing sayd of Lazarus that he was in any lower place but aboue in some high and farre distant place for the rich man is sayd to lift vp his eyes Augustine then concludeth Ne ipsos quidem inferos vspiam scripturarum locis in bono appellatos reperire potui Epistol 99. I doe not finde that this word infernall is taken any where in the scriptures in the good part And therefore the bosome of Abraham being a place of rest sayth he cannot be any infernall place AN APPENDIX OR APPERTINANCE OF THIS question concerning the apparition of Samuel The Papists THey hold opinion that it was the very soule of Samuel that appeared at the error 10 witches house at Endor vnto Saul and vse it as an argument to proue that the soules of the Patriarkes were not in heauen but in some infernall place before Christs comming because Samuel ascended out of the earth Bellarm. De Christ. anim lib. 411. Argum. 1. Because he that appeared to Saul is called Samuel in the text Augustine answereth that the Images of things are called by the names of the things themselues as Genes 41. Pharao sayd he sawe eares of corne and fat and leane kine in his dreame when they were but the images of such things So the diuell because he appeared in the shape of Samuel Samuel himselfe is sayd to be seene Ad Simplicianum lib. 2. quaest 3. Argum. 2. Ecclesiastic 46 It is set downe as a commendation of Samuel
other but all shall not passe through Purgatorie by their owne confession They are driuen to this shift to graunt that vers 13. the fire is taken in one sense namely for the sentence and iudgement of God and vers 15. in another that is for the flames of Purgatorie But who seeth not how absurd a thing this is that in an allegorie the same word and in the same place should be so diuersly taken Thirdly The day shall reueale it that is sayth Bellarmine the day of the Lord at the comming of Christ the Rhemists vnderstand the particular day of euery mans death so well they agree together But it is apparant that this is the meaning that the day that is the time shall declare it for God hath appoynted a time to examine euery mans doctrine by fire which is nothing els but the iudgement of God by the fire of his word whereby euery man in the day of his calling and conuersion shall knowe whether he hath preached aright or not Fulk The Protestants THat there is no such place of Purgatorie after this life but that here onely is the place of repentance and to be reconciled vnto God and that the soules departed are presently either receiued vp to heauen or thrust downe to hell thus it is proued out of the scriptures Argum. 1. The scripture maketh but two kinds of works either good or euill Ecclesiastes 12.14 But two sorts of men he that beleeueth shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be condemned Mark 16.16 But two places heauen and hell Math. 25. Christ hath but two flockes one of sheepe at the right hand another of goates at the left and he saith to the one Come ye blessed to the other Goe ye cursed There are but two sorts of men therefore but two places Ergo no Purgatorie Bellarm. There shall be indeede at the comming of Christ but two places heauen and hell Purgatorie shall haue an end Ans. First you say your selues that there shall be two infernall places for euer Hell for the wicked and a Limbus for infants that dye vnbaptized and heauen that maketh three and now you say there shall be but two Secondly there are but two places now because there are but two sorts of men for the beleeuers are alreadie passed frō death to life Iohn 5.24 The vnbeleeuers are alreadie condemned Iohn 3.18 Thirdly Augustine consenteth with vs Non est vlli vllus medius locus vt possit esse nisi cum diabolo qui non est cum Christo There is no middle or third place but he must needes be with the diuell that is not with Christ. De peccator remiss merit lib. 1. cap. 28. And againe Tertium locum penitus ignoramus imo nec esse in scripturis sanctis inuenimus The third place beside heauen and hell we are vtterly ignorant of nay wee finde not in scripture that there is any Arg. 2. S. Paul saith that euery man shall receiue the works of his bodie according to that which he hath done either good or euill 2. Cor. 5.10 Therefore there is no place to cleanse and purge the soules of men after this life for then they should not receiue according to the works done in their flesh Bellarmine sayth that euen they whose sinnes are remitted after death doe receiue nothing but that which was done in the flesh for they deserued in their life time to be helped after death Ans. First as for desert we will shewe elsewhere that it hath no place before God neither in this life nor the life to come for the scripture sayth Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne not who deserueth remission of sinnes Rom. 4.6 Secondly this deuised and friuolous distinction doth not stand with the Apostles meaning for he speaketh of things actually done in the flesh not deserued to be done and of the workes of the bodie not of the soule of things perfectly done not begun onely or in choate and he vseth it as a reason to perswade men euen while they liue to be accepted of God vers 9.11 But if there might be any such helpe after death there needeth no such hast presently to be conuerted vnto God Argum. 3. Apocal. 14.13 Blessed are the dead from henceforth that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours Ergo there is no Purgatorie for all the godly departed are at rest Bellarm. First it is not meant of all the godly but onely of Martyrs which dye for the name of Christ. Ans. As to liue in Christ Iesus is a phrase of scripture signifieth to liue godly in Christ 2. Timot. 3.12 so to dye in the Lord signifieth to dye in the faith of Christ 1. Thessal 4.16 Therefore this place is vnderstood of all the godly Bellar. 2. This word amodò from henceforth is not to be vnderstood straight after their death but straight after the day of iudgement thē they shal be blessed Ans. First by this reason none that are dead in Christ should be happie before that time And yet by your owne confession Martyrs are straightway receiued vp to heauen Secondly S. Iohn vseth this word elsewhere to signifie from this time forward as Iohn 1.51 Christ sayth to Nathanael From henceforth you shall see heauen open Rhemist Thirdly it may be also vnderstood of the soules of Purgatorie that are without danger of sinne and damnation and are put in vnfallible securitie of their saluation with vnspeakable comfort Ans. First so the Saints liuing are blessed being as well without feare of damnation Rom. 8.1 and are assured of their saluation Rom. 8.16 Secondly I pray you what rest or comfort can they haue that endure greater paine then any in this life And how can their consciences be quieted seeing their soules are so afflicted for bodies they haue none whatsoeuer they suffer is in soule how then can ioy and paine comfort and horror be together in the soule Fulk ibid. THE SECOND PART OF THE CIRCVMSTANces and other matters belonging to Purgatorie The Papists error 11 1. THey say it is an article of faith to beleeue that there is a Purgatorie and that he which beleeueth it not is sure to goe to Hell Bellarm. lib. 1. de purgatorio cap. 11. The Protestants WE hold that it is not onely an article belonging to the faith but contrarie to it and that though there were a Purgatorie yet it should not be necessarie to saluation to beleeue it First because the scripture hath not determined it which containeth all things necessarie to saluation Secondly the Greeke Church holdeth it not to this day they confesse no Purgatorie though they pray for the dead it were a hard matter therfore to pronounce them damned Thirdly Augustine doubted of it He sayth that there should be some such place after death non incredibile est it is not incredible vtrum ita sit quaeri potest aut inueniri aut latere fideles potest whether it be so or not
not that vpon the miraculous workes of Christ we should build the ordinarie dueties of Christians Augustine would haue told you that Christ is not to be imitated in such workes Non hoc tibi dicit non eris discipulus meus nisi ambulaueris supra mare aut nisi suscitaueris quatriduanum mortuum He saith not vnto thee Thou shalt not be my disciple vnlesse thou walke vpon the sea raise one that hath been dead foure daies But Learne of me for I am humble and meeke Secondly if prayer for the dead be vnto vs as the raising of the dead was to Christ then as all the dead are to be praied for so Christ should haue raised againe all that went then to Purgatorie or els by your conclusion he failed in charitie as we doe now if we pray not for the dead as you beare vs in hand Thirdly though the Saints departed and the faithfull liuing are members of the same bodie and so are bound in loue one to the other yet it followeth not that one should pray for the other They with vs and we with them doe wish and long to see the redemption of the sonnes of God accomplished Reuel 6.10.22.20 But charitie bindeth vs not one to pray for another because we knowe not one the particular needes of another Nay to pray for any departed is against the rule of charitie for loue beleeueth all things and hopeth all things 1. Corinthians 13.7 Wee ought to hope the best of the dead that they are at rest but in praying for them wee presuppose they are in miserie and so neede our prayers therefore wee hope not the best of them as charitie willeth vs. Argum. 2. Iohn 5. vers 16. The Apostle sayth There is a sinne vnto death for the which a man ought not to pray that is deadly sinne wherein a man dyeth without repentance but for other sinnes not vnto death whereof men repent themselues it is lawfull to pray Ergo we may pray for those that are departed not in deadly sinne for this place is properly to be vnderstood of praying or not praying for the dead because so long as a man liueth he may be prayed for because all sinnes are pardonable in this life Rhemist ibid. Ans. First a sinne vnto death is not onely finall impenitencie but sinne also against the holy Ghost such as was the sinne of Iudas and of the Pharisees Secondly though we should vnderstand it of finall impenitencie yet it is but a soâ—y argument some of the dead ought not to be praied for Ergo the rest may Thirdly the text cannot be vnderstood of praying for the dead for the text sayth not If any man see that his brother hath sinned not vnto death but If he see him sinning but the dead doe neither sinne nor are seene to sinne Fourthly whereas you say that all sinnes are pardonable in this life our Sauiour Christ saith contrary that the sinne against the holy Ghost can neuer be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come Plura apud Fulk ibid. The Protestants TO pray for the dead is a worke neither pleasing before God because he hath no where commanded it nor auailable for them that are departed because they haue their iudgement alreadie While we liue let vs one pray for another but when we are gone the praiers of the liuing helpe vs not Argum. 1. The ground of this popish opinion of prayer for the dead is their superstitious deuise of Purgatorie for none els doe they hold it lawfull to pray for but for the soules onely in Purgatorie But there is no Purgatorie as we haue shewed before after this life our purging is onely in this life Christ hath by him selfe purged our sinnes Hebr. 1.3 Christ his bloud is the chiefe and onely purgation of our sinnes there are also other inferiour and ministeriall purgings whereby that onely soueraigne purging is made beneficiall and applied vnto vs as the inward operation and worke of the spirit is compared to fire Math. 3.11 1. Corinth 3.13 There is also a purging fire of affliction compared by the Prophet to fullers sope Malach. 3.3 There also shall be a third purging fire in the day of the Lord 1. Pet. 3.7 when as the corruption and mortalitie of our bodies shall be purged away and then shall our mortalitie put on immortalitie 1. Corinth 15.53 Other Purgatorie after this life we acknowledge none Seeing then that there are no soules in Purgatorie and for none els it is lawfull to pray but for the soules tormented in Purgatorie it followeth that we are to pray for none at all that are dead Argum. 2. No prayer is acceptable to God without faith We must pray without wauering and doubting Iames. 1.6 But so can we not pray for the dead for we cannot tell in what case they are for whom we pray whether they be in heauen hell or purgatorie and therefore we cannot assure our selues that our prayers are heard but must needes pray with great doubting and wauering of the mind Ergo such praiers are in vaine Iames 1.7 Argum. 3. Our praiers profite not the dead because there is no place after this life for repentance or remission of sinnes for this should be the end and intendment of our praier that they might be released of their sinnes and eased of their paine There is no remission of sinnes after death because there is no true repentance repentance there is none because there can be no amendment of life which alwaies followeth repentance for Iohn Baptist that was a preacher of repentance bid not onely the people to repent but to bring forth fruites worthie repentance Math. 3.2.8 So saith the Prophet Ezechiel If the wicked will returne from his sinnes and doe the thing that is lawfull he shall liue and not dye 18.21 There are two parts then of repentance as Isay sayth Cease to doe euill learne to doe well 1. Isay. 16.17 But there is no place of working out of the bodie Ergo then no repentance To this Augustine agreeth Non est apud inferos poenitentia ad salutem proficiens ecce nunc tempus est salutis nunc tempus remissionis In hac vita poenitentiae tantum patet libertas post mortem nulla correctionis est licentia De tempor serm 66. In hell or among the dead there is no repentance vnto saluation behold now is the time of saluation the time of forgiuenes In this life onely haue men libertie to repent after death there is no place for amendment What is become now I pray you of your Purgatorie repentance after this life there is no saluation to be had because there is no remission of sinnes no remission of sinnes because there is no repentance there is no repentance because there is no amendement Rhemist Our Sauiour saith Math. 12.32 that blasphemie against the spirit shal neither be forgiuen in this world nor the world to come Ergo some sinnes may be forgiuen in the world
of a woman which was a sinner and more setteth foorth his power then otherwise lest he should be thought to haue deriued his puritie from his mother 2 They holde that there was no actuall sinne in the Virgin Marie no not the lest and smallest sinnes which they call venial Rhemist 1. Iohn 1. sect 5. She was especially protected and preserued from sinning by the grace of God Ans. That God is able clearely to rid his children from sinne to preserue them from falling thereinto we denie not but seeing you haue no scripture for this priuiledge that should be bestowed onely vpon Marie to be free from sin but rather the contrary is proued out of scripture That all haue sinned Rom. 3.23 it is too rash and bolde an assertion contrary to the will of God to ascribe any thing to his power He is as able to exempt all from sinning as one vnlesse therefore you can shew some especiall warrant out of Gods word for Maries freedome by your reason all the children of God shall bee freed from sinne as wel as Marie because God is able to doe it The Protestants THat the Virgin Marie was both conceiued in sinne and was also subiect to actuall sinnes in her life as other of the children of God thus out of the scripture we doe declare it 1 How els can the word of God be true that sayth All haue sinned Rom. 3.23 5.12 They will answere that Marie had an especiall priuiledge then let them shew it out of the word of God and we will beleeue otherwise the general conclusion must stand that all haue sinned Againe Marie her self in her song calleth Christ her Sauiour Luk. 1.47 Ergo she was a sinner for how els could she be saued from her sinnes which she had not If they answere as they doe that Christ was her Sauiour onely because hee preserued her from sinne Wee doe thus replie First that a Sauiour in scripture is defined to be he that saueth the people from their sinnes Math. 1.21 not that preserueth onely Secondly if Marie were free from originall sinne as they say she was she needed not a Sauiour to keep her from sinne for she might haue preserued herselfe Arg. 2 Marie dyed Ergo she was a sinner for sinne brought death into the world Rom. 1.5 If she had had no sinne she had not dyed Christ indeede though he were no sinner yet he bare our sinnes and therefore dyed for vs. Christ checked and rebuked his mother Iohn 2.4 Woman what haue I to doe with thee Ergo it seemeth she was not without fault Rhemist answere It was rather a doctrine to others to teach them not to do any thing for respect of kinred against reason then a reprehension to Mary Wee replie But I pray you how could the Apostles learne to beware of that fault if it had beene no fault in Marie How could they be admonished in her if she were not first her selfe admonished And the maner of speech sheweth it was a rebuke Christ saluting her by no other name then if he had spoken to any other woman Argum. 3. The Papists themselues are in a stagger and dare not constantly affirme that Marie was conceiued without sinne but put in this clause as many godly deuout men iudge Rhemist Rom. 5. sect 9. And Bellarmine sayth in maiori parte Ecclesiae piè credi that the greater part of the Church doth so godly beleeue yet he dare not determine vpon it himselfe de cult sanctor lib. 3. cap. 16. But why are they afrayd to holde it as an vndoubted trueth seeing Pope Sixtus hath clearely determined that it was so forbidding the Dominick Friers to preach the contrary and hereupon erected a new holy day of her conception Here then they are driuen to a great straight for either they must abolutely hold that she was not conceiued in sin agaynst the Master of sentences and Thom. Aquinas with other schoolemen or els holde the contrary and so confesse the Pope to haue been in error Augustine sayth beatior Maria percipiendo fidem Christi quà m concipiendo carnem Christi Materna propinquitas nihil Mariae profuisset nisi foeliciùs Christum corde quà m carne gestasset Marie was more happy in perceiuing the fayth of Christ then in conceiuing the flesh of Christ neither had it profited her to be the mother of Christ if she had not more happily borne him in her heart then she did in her wombe But what neede had Marie to beleeue in Christ if she had been pure from her natiuity and had no sinnes to be forgiuen her Augustine yet more playnly sayth Maria ex Adam mortua propter peccatum Adae Adam mortuus est propter peccatum caro domini ex Maria mortua est propter delenda peccata Marie dyed being borne of Adam because of the sinne of Adam Adam dyed because of his owne sinne Christ dyed in the flesh to take away our sinnes Ergo Marie by his sentence was borne in the sinne of Adam THE SECOND PART WHETHER Marie vowed Virginitie before the Annuntiation The Papists error 81 THey would gather and conclude so much out of the answere of Marie to the Angell who told her she should conceaue and beare a sonne How can this be sayth she seeing I know no man That is she plainly declareth she could haue no childe by knowing a man because of her vow for otherwise she needed not haue asked such a question how a woman might haue a sonne promised her if she had maried to haue carnal copulation Rhemist Luk. 1. sect 13. Bellarmin de Monachis cap. 22. Ans. First Ambrose maketh this to be the cause why Marie so answered she had read the prophesie of Esay that a virgin should conceiue bring forth a sonne and therefore knew very wel that this holy childe should be otherwise conceiued then by the knowledge or helpe of man Fulk ibid. Secondly as also the Angel deliuering at once his whole message and shewing what maner of childe it should be euen the Sonne of the most high who should sit on the throne of Dauid and of his kingdome there should be no end that is that the childe should be the Sonne of God she straightwayes conceiued that such a holy seede could not be borne of man and therefore asketh how without man he might be borne Sic Caluin Beza The Protestants THat Marie as she was an entire Virgin before the birth of Christ so that she continued also a Virgin all her life after we doe verily think and condemne their opinion that holde the contrarie but that she vowed or purposed Virginitie before the message of the Angel was brought vnto her it is rashly without scripture nay rather agaynst it affirmed Argum. 1. The text is playne that they had a purpose to consummate their mariage When as Marie was betrothed to Ioseph before they came together Math. 1.18 Ergo there was a meaning to come together if she
how all men are iustified before God and what is the vse of the sacraments in all men and therefore it is no extraordinary or exempt case but the common case of all the faithfull that righteousnes saith the Apostle might be imputed to them also Rom. 4. 11. Secondly although Isaac with many other were first circumcised and after iustified yet this is perpetuall they were no more iustified by circumcision then Abraham who was iustified before he was circumcised but by faith onely and therefore the Sacraments are seales of the iustice of faith whether the iustice of faith goe before or follow after Argum. 2. Augustine saith In Isaac qui octauo die circumcisus fuit praecessit signaculū iustitiae fidei et quoniam patris fidem imitatus est secuta est in crescente ipsa iustitia cuius signaculum in infante praecesserat In Isaac who was circumcised the eight day the seale of the righteousnes of faith went before and because he did follow his fathers faith as he grew iustice it selfe followed the seale whereof went before in his infancy Ergo circumcision was a seale as well to Isaac as to Abraham and so consequently to all THE SECOND QVESTION OF THE efficacie and vertue of the Sacraments THis question also hath diuerse partes First whether the Sacraments do giue or conferre grace by the worke wrought Secondly of the difference of the Sacraments of the olde and new testament Thirdly whether the Sacraments of the new law doe imprint a signe or character in the soule that can neuer be put out Fourthly of the necessity of the Sacraments THE FIRST PART WHETHER THE SACRAMENTS of them selues doe giue or conferre grace The Papistes error 92 THe Sacraments giue grace ex opere operato by the worke wrought that is by force and vertue of the worke and word done and said in the sacrament Rhemist Act. 22. sect 1. So that not faith onely iustifieth but the Sacraments also and other workes of religion Rhemist Rom. 6. sect 5. The Sacraments then are immediate instruments and efficient causes of our iustification not mediately as they nourish and encrease our faith but properly and in themselues Faith in the receiuer giueth no efficacie to the Sacrament but onely taketh away the lets and impediments which might hinder the efficacie of the Sacrament as the drynes of the wood maketh it to burne the better yet is it no efficient cause of the burning which is the fire onely but onely a helpe Thus they compare the Sacrament working of it selfe to fire that burneth and faith is as the drying of the wood but a disposing and preparing of the hart Bellarm. lib. 2. de sacram cap. 1. Argum. 1. Be baptized and wash away thy sinnes Act. 22. ver 16. The Sacrament of Baptisme doth of it selfe wash away sinnes Rhemist And we see in S. Iames that remission of sinnes is annexed to the vnction with oyle Rhemist 1. Timoth. 4.14 Ergo the Sacraments giue and conferre grace Ans. 1. To the first we answer that the text ioyneth with the Sacrament the inuocation of the name of God to the which saluation is promised Rom. 10.13 to wash away sinnes wherefore that place maketh nothing for your purpose Secondly in the other place health of body is promised by the gift of miracles but remission of sinnes is said to be obtained by the praier of the Elders The praier of faith shall saue the sick Iam. 5.15 Argum. 2. S. Paul saith He hath cleansed his Church by the lauer of water in the word Ephes. 5.26 Ergo baptisme is an instrumental cause of our iustification Bellarm. Ans. 1. It is not vnusuall in the Scripture to call the signe or Sacrament by the thing signified as Exod. 12.11 the Paschall Lambe is called the Passeouer whereas it was but a signe and memoriall thereof So Baptisme is called The lauer of regeneration Tit. 3.5 because it is a sure signe of our regeneration by the holy Ghost Secondly the Apostle in this place expoundeth himselfe for he saith that We are washed by water in the word that is the outward element doth send and referre vs to the word and promise of God whereof it is a seale The Protestants THe sacraments haue no power to giue or conferre grace to the receiuer neither are they immediate instruments of our iustification instrumentall meanes they are to encrease and confirme our faith in the promises of God of themselues they haue no operation but as the spirit of God worketh by them our internall senses being moued and quickened by those externall obiects Neither doe we say that the sacraments are bare and naked signes of spirituall graces but they doe verily exhibite and represent Christ to as many as by faith are able and meete to apprehend him So to conclude looke how the word of God worketh being preached so doe the sacraments but the word doth no otherwise iustifie vs but by working faith at the hearing thereof So sacraments doe serue for the encrease of our faith faith is not a seruant and handmaide to the sacraments as the Iesuite declared by the homely similitude of the fire and drie wood but faith is the more principall and the sacraments haue no other vse or end then as they are helpes for the strengthening of our faith Grace of themselues they can giue or conferre none Argum. 1. Rom. 1.17 The iust shall liue by faith Ergo he liueth not that is he is not iustified by any worke wrought as by the sacraments but onely by faith faith therefore giueth life and efficacie to the sacramentes it is not contained absolutely in themselues Againe Saint Paul saith That faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousnes before he was circumcised Rom. 4.10 Ergo he was not iustified by circumcision no more are we by the sacraments but both he and we are iustified onely by faith Argum. 2. Saint Peter sayth Baptisme saueth vs not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but in that a good conscience maketh request vnto God by the resurrection of Christ 1. Pet. 3.21 Ergo it is faith in the resurrection of Christ which worketh in vs peace of conscience and not the outward washing that saueth or iustifieth Kemnitij argum Augustine thus writeth Aliud est aqua sacramenti aliud aqua quae significat spiritum dei ista visibilis est abluit corpus significat quid fit in anima per illum spiritum anima mundatur saginatur The water of the Sacrament is one thing the water which signifieth the spirit is another the one is visible and washeth the flesh and signifieth what is done in the soule but by the spirit the soule is cleansed The Sacrament of Baptisme then by this fathers sentence and so all other sacraments doe not giue grace but signifie onely and represent grace THE SECOND PART OF THE difference of the olde and new Sacraments error 93 THe sacrifices and ceremonies of the olde law were so farre
First that they doe not onely signifie but exhibite and represent vnto vs after a liuely manner the spirituall things which are signified Secondly they must haue the institution perpetuall commandement of Christ. Thirdly the sacraments of the new law must succeede in the place of the olde Hereupon we will inferre that there are but two sacraments in the new Testament Baptisme and the Lords Supper Argum. 1. These two alone are not onely signes of heauenly things but seales and pledges vnto vs thereof whereby our fayth is strengthened and our hope confirmed in the promises of God as the remission of sinnes is represented in Baptisme Act. 2.38 the death of Christ shewed foorth in the Eucharist 1. Corinth 11.26 The like commendation is not giuen of any other of their sacraments Argum. 2. Christ onely commaunded these two sacraments to bee vsed for euer in his Church to such spirituall purposes as Baptisme is instituted and commaunded Math. 28.19 the Lords Supper likewise Math. 26. Many other ceremonies Christ vsed himselfe as lifting vp of hands the tempering of clay and spittle his Apostles imposition of hands and anoynting with oyle But he hath not layd his commaundement vpon these ceremonies enioyning vs perpetually to keepe them as he hath charged vs with the other two Argum. 3. The sacraments of the newe Testament succeede in the roume of them of the olde Baptisme standeth in stead of Circumcision the Lordes Supper is come in place of the Paschal Lambe But they cannot shew what old sacraments those fiue other newly inuented confirmation orders penance matrimony extreame vnction doe succeede and supplie Ergo they are none And beside if all these should be sacraments and so seuen in all we should haue more in number then the Iewes had which is not to bee admitted for they had but two ordinary sacraments Circumcision and the Paschall Lambe two extraordinarie as their baptisme in the red sea and the clowde and their eating of the Manna and drinking of the rocke 1. Corin. 10.2.3 So they should haue but foure sacraments for your seuen Other legall rites ceremonies and sacrifices they had and many typical shadowes and significations but no more sacraments then we haue heard Augustine yeeldeth to haue no more sacraments then onely two As Eua was made out of Adams side as hee was asleepe Sic ex latere domini dormientis in cruce manauerunt sacramenta ex quibus formaretur ecclesia So out of the Lordes side sleeping vpon the crosse the sacraments of the Church issued that is water and blood by the which he vnderstandeth the two sacraments THE SECOND PART OF THE order and degree of the sacraments among them selues The Papists error 97 IF any man shall say that these seuen sacraments are of equall dignitie and not one in some respect to be preferred before the other let him be accursed Concil Trident. sess 7. can 3. In diuers respects one sacrament may excell another as Baptisme excelleth the rest because of remission of sinnes thereby effected or as we say represented Orders excell in respect of the minister because they are onely say they conferred by a Bishop Matrimony excelleth in respect of the signification the coniunction of Christ and his Church But simply the Eucharist exceedeth all because of the substance of the sacrament the reall and bodily presence of Christ. Bellarm. lib. 2. cap. 28. Answer First that Baptisme and the Eucharist exceede all the other we do easily admit for we holde them to be no sacraments and therefore we stand not vpon their seuerall priuiledges Secondly neither Baptisme is more excellent then the Lords Supper because it representeth the remission of sinnes for that also is insinuated in the other for how can we shew foorth the Lords death which is done in that sacrament vnlesse we call to minde the benefits purchased by his death as remission of sinnes Neither doth the Eucharist goe beyond Baptisme in regard of a more full presence of Christ for he is not otherwise present in one sacrament then in the other presenting himselfe in both spiritually to be apprehended of the worthy receiuer as for that carnal and grosse presence of the body of Christ in the sacrament we acknowledge none as afterward it shall more fully appeare when wee come in order to that question Augustine sheweth that Christ is no otherwise present in the Eucharist then in the preaching of the word for the manner of his presence Eucharistia panis noster quotidianus est quod vobis tracto panis quotidianus est quod in ecclesia lectiones quotidie auditis panis quotidianus est the Eucharist or sacrament of thankesgiuing is our dayly bread that which I handle and preach to you is our daylie bread that which you heare read daylie in the Church is our daylie bread If Christ then be no more really present in the sacrament then in the worde what is become of the preeminence that the one sacrament in that respect should haue aboue the other The Protestants THat the one sacrament should be so much extolled aboue the other namely the Lords Supper to be preferred before Baptisme as the more worthy and excellent sacrament we finde no such thing in the word of God but that both of them are of like dignitie in themselues and to be had equally and indifferently in most high accompt thus it is prooued Argum. 1 They are both commaunded and instituted by the same authoritie of our Lord Iesus Christ neither is one by the first institution aduanced aboue the other Secondly there is the same matter and substance of both sacraments Christ Iesus with all his benefites Thirdly one and the same end of them both which is the increase and strengthening of our fayth in the promises of God Ergo they are both of equall dignitie and worthynes Let them say now which is the more worthy thing Baptisme or the word preached no doubt they will preferre Baptisme for they holde that the sacraments doe giue grace by the worke wrought and so doth not the worde yea they are offended because we say that the sacraments are no otherwaies instruments of our iustification then the word preached is but that the one worketh by the hearing the other by the senses of seeing handling tasting but they all serue to one end namely to beget and increase fayth in vs. This our assertion they vtterly mislike Bellarm. lib. 2. de sacram cap. 2. Whereby it appeareth that they preferre Baptisme before the word We then thus reason out of Augustine He thus writeth Dicite mihi quid plus videtur vobis verbum dei an corpus Christi respondere debetis quod non sit minus verbum dei Tell me which is the chiefer in your opinion the word of God or the body of Christ that is the sacrament of his body ye must answere that the word of God is not inferior Homil. 26. Hence we frame this argument The word of God is equiualent to
the sacrament of the Lords bodie Baptisme is equiualent to the word of God by our aduersaries own confession Ergo also it is of equall value and dignitie with the other sacrament THE TWELFTH GENERALL CONTROVERSY OF THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISME THis controuersie standeth vpon diuers questions 1. Of the name and definition of Baptisme Secondly of the partes of Baptisme Thirdly of the necessitie of Baptisme Fourthly of the Minister of Baptisme Fiftly of the parties which are to be baptized Sixtly of the effects of Baptisme Seuenthly of the difference of Christs Baptisme and Iohns Eightly of the ceremonies of Baptisme THE FIRST QVESTION OF THE NAME and definition of Baptisme COncerning the name there is no question betweene vs for the name of Baptisme hath the originall and beginning from the scripture Saint Paul vseth this word Coloss. 2.12 We are buryed with him through Baptisme And againe Heb. 6.2 All the question is about the definition of Baptisme The Papists error 98 THey define Baptisme to bee a sacrament of regeneration by water in the worde that is not which signifieth and sealeth vnto vs our regeneration and assureth vs of remission of sinnes but actually iustifieth and regenerateth vs Bellarm. lib. 1. de Baptism cap. 1. The Protestants WE rather according to the scriptures define baptisme to be a signe or seale of our regeneration and new birth whereby wee are assured that as verily by fayth in the blood of Christ we are cleansed from our sinnes as our bodies are washed with water in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost So that Baptisme doth not actually bestow remission of sinnes by the work wrought but is a pledge and seale of the righteousnesse of fayth as Saint Paul sayth of Circumcision Rom. 4.11 for it is not the washing of the flesh by water but the establishing of the heart with fayth and grace that saueth vs 1. Pet. 3.21 See this poynt handled more at large Controuers 11. next before quest 2. part 1. Augustine saith Per fidem renascimur in baptismate by fayth wee are borne agayne in Baptisme De tempor serm 53. It is then the proper act of fayth to regenerate vs not of Baptisme the vse and end whereof is to strengthen and increase our fayth THE SECOND QVESTION OF THE PARTES which are the matter and forme of Baptisme AS touching the matter that is the externall element vsed in Baptisme there is no question betweene vs but that it ought to bee plaine and common water Act. 10.47 Saint Peter saith Can any man forbid water that these should not bee baptized Wherefore wee condemne the foolish and vngodly practises and inuentions of heretikes that either exclude water altogether as the Manichees with others or doe vse any other element as the Iacobites that in stead of water burned them that were to be baptized with a whot yron or as the Aethiopians which are called Abissines that vsed fire in stead of water misconstruing the words of the Gospell Matth. 2.11 That Christ should baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire which is not literally to bee vnderstoode but thereby is signified the internall and forceable working of the spirite which kindleth zeale and loue in our hearts as fire Concerning the forme of Baptisme we all agree that no other is to be vsed then that prescribed by our Sauiour Christ to baptize in the name of the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost that it is neither lawfull to change this forme in sense as many heretikes haue done nor yet in words as to leaue out any of the three persons in Trinitie and inclusiuely to vnderstand them by naming of one for whereas some alleadge that place Act. 2.38 Bee yee baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for remission of sinnes to proue that it is lawfull onely in the name of Christ to baptize wee are to vnderstand that the forme of Baptisme is not in that place expresly set downe but the scope onely and end of Baptisme which is to assure vs of remission of sinnes in the name of Christ as Beza very well noteth vpon that place The point of difference betweene vs concerning the forme of Baptisme is this The Papists THey are bold to affirme that this forme of Baptisme to baptize in the name error 99 of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost is not fully concluded out of Scripture but deliuered by tradition for say they the commandement of Christ to baptize in the name of the Trinitie Matth. 28. may bee vnderstoode thus to baptize them into the faith of the Trinitie or by the authoritie of the Trinitie And it were sufficient by those words to doe and performe it in act without saying the wordes were it not that wee haue otherwise learned by tradition that this very forme of wordes is to bee kept Bellarmine de baptism lib. 1. cap. 3. The Protestants WE neede no tradition for this matter the very forme which is to bee vsed in Baptisme is plainely proued out of the Scriptures for that commandement of Christ Goe and baptize c. doth necessarily imply a forme of speech to be vsed Wee grant that in the Scriptures this word name is taken for power vertue authoritie as Act. 3.6 In the name of Iesus arise and walke So also as there is a Baptisme with water there may be a baptizing with fire Matth. 3.11 Wherefore if part of the commandement bee to bee taken properlie and literally as this Goe and baptize why not the rest also In the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost If then the whole commaundement bee properly and plainely vnderstoode how can they baptize in the name of the Trinitie vnlesse the Trinitie bee spoken and named Secondly it appeareth also out of other places of Scripture that this forme was vsed in the Apostles time As Act. 10.47 Can any man forbid water why these should not be baptized which haue receiued the holy Ghost as well as wee As if Saint Peter should haue reasoned thus these haue receiued the giftes of the holy Ghost Ergo they may be also baptized in the name of the holy Ghost Likewise Act. 19.2 When the brethren at Ephesus had answered Paul that they had not heard whether there were a holy Ghost he saith vnto them Vnto what then were you baptized By this interrogatorie it appeareth it was their manner to baptize in the name of the holy Ghost and so consequently of the whole Trinitie Wee haue no cause then to flie vnto tradition this matter being so plainely decided by the Scripture Augustin tract in Iohann 80. Vpon those wordes of our Sauiour Iohn 15.3 You are cleane thorough the word which I haue spoken vnto you Detrahe verbum quid est aqua nisi aqua Accedit verbum ad elementum fit sacramentum Take away the word and what remaineth in Baptisme but bare water let the word be ioyned to the element and it maketh a Sacrament The forme then of Baptisme is the word which Christ
Augustine Si Laicus baptismum dederit nulla cogente necessitate alieni muneris vsurpatio est If a Lay man doe baptize where there is no necessitie it is an vsurping of another mans office But there is no such necessitie to cause him so to doe Ergo. THE FIFT QVESTION OF SVCH AS are to be admitted to baptisme Of the Baptisme of Infants part 1. THat infants are to bee baptized it is fully agreed and concluded betweene vs. Which point we doe strongly maintaine by the Scriptures against the Anabaptists of our age But herein we dissent from our aduersaries The Papists error 104 1. THey affirme that the Baptisme of children and infants is grounded vpon tradition and not vpon Scripture Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo dei cap. 9. The Protestants IT were very hard if we had no more certaine ground for the baptizing of infants then tradition which is but a feeble weapon to fight against heretikes withall we haue manifest proofes out of Scripture for it First they belong vnto the couenant Genes 17. I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede Ergo they haue right to the signe of the couenant Secondly they are called holy which are borne of faithfull parents 1. Cor. 7.14 Ergo are not to be denied Baptisme Thirdly they are redeemed by the blood of Christ who died for all the children of God Iohn 11.52 To them belongeth the kingdome of God Ergo also Baptisme which is a pledge of remission of sinnes and eternall life Fourthly it is also proued by the practise of the Apostles who baptized whole families with all that thereunto belonged Act 16.33 Fiftly Augustine also proueth it out of Scripture by comparing our Baptisme with the circumcision of the Iewes Veraciter coniâ—cere possumus quid valeat in paruulis baptismi sacramentum ex circumcisione carnis quam prior populus accepit How auailable Baptisme is in little ones we may gesse by the circumcision which the former people in the lawe receiued Ergo not onely by tradition but chiefely by Scripture the lawfulnes of childrens Baptisme is confirmed The Papists 2. BAptisme they say giueth grace and faith to the infant that had none before error 105 Rhemist Galath 3. sect 6. This then is their opinion that infants though actually fully they haue not faith as other haue yet there is a certaine habite of faith and hope infused into them in Baptisme so that partly they doe beleeue of themselues and partly by the faith of others namely of them that bring them to Baptisme Bellarm. lib. 1. de baptism cap. 11. Argum. Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Rom. 3.28 We hold that a man is iustified by faith Ergo children if they haue no faith are neither iustified neither yet doe please God Bellarm. Ans. First these places doe as wel proue that children haue an absolute perfit and actuall faith for it is a perfect faith that iustifieth vs and maketh vs acceptable to God which I am sure our aduersaries will not yeeld vnto Secondly the iustification and saluation of children dependeth of the free election of God Rom. 9.11 And that which faith worketh in those that are of vnderstanding the spirit of God is able to effect in infants by some secret way best knowne to himselfe The Protestants THat infants neither haue faith in themselues nor yet are profited or furthered to their saluation by the faith of others it is thus proued Argum. 1. Saint Paul saith Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 But infants can neither heare nor vnderstand the word of God Ergo no faith is wrought in them Argum. 2. There is no habituall or potentiall faith that pleaseth God but the iustifying faith is alwaies actuall working by loue Galath 5.6 Ergo children haue either no faith or it must needes bee an actuall or working faith Argum. 3. Infants are not iustified nor relieued or helped forward towards their saluation by the faith of their parents or Godfathers when they are baptized for the Scripture saith The iust shall liue by faith Rom. 1.17 that is by his owne faith not the faith of another Augustine denieth that children are illuminate in their mindes when they are baptized Si illuminati essent ipsum baptismum laeti susciperent cui videmus eos cum magnis fletibus reluctari If they were illuminate they would ioyfullie receiue Baptisme which we see them to striue against with great crying And why should the Apostle say Bee yee not children in vnderstanding 1. Corinth 14.20 if so be their mindes were illuminate Wherefore that saying in the Gospell saith hee This is the light that lighteth euerie one that commeth into the world Iohn 1.9 Whereby they would proue that children doe receiue light at their verie first comming into the world is thus to bee vnderstoode Quia nullus hominum illuminatur nisi lumine illo veritatis because no man is lightened but onely by that light What now is become of that lumen fidei the light of faith which you say is infused into children in Baptisme AN APPENDIX OF THE POpish vse in baptizing of Bels. The Papists error 106 THey begin now to be ashamed of the blinde practises of their superstitious and ignorant forefathers for Bellarmine flatly denieth that bels are baptized amongst them but they are onely consecrate and halowed for diuine vses as other Church vessels are lib. 4. de Roman pontific cap. 12. The Protestants IT is a great shame for them to denie so manifest a thing For in the halowing of bels first there were Godfathers chosen secondly they gaue names to the bels thirdly the bels had new garments put vpon them as is accustomed to bee done to Christians in their Baptisme Fourthly the baptizing of bels was onely permitted to the Bishops suffragane whereas their Priests and Deacons did vsually baptize infants all this sheweth that it was not onely a Baptisme which they bestowed vpon bels but in a more principall kinde then common Baptisme was This was one of the greeuances which the Princes of Germanie complained of in the assembly at Noremberge that the suffraganes exacted of the people such great summes of money for the baptizing of bels with what face then can they denie this vngodlie custome of theirs in Christening and baptizing of bels THE SIXT QVESTION OF THE effects and fruites of Baptisme THe partes of this question are these first whether our sinnes are wholly remitted and cleane taken away in Baptisme Secondly whether Baptisme serueth onely for the remission of sinnes that are past Thirdly of the liberties and priuiledges which are obtained by Baptisme which partes are now seuerally to be handled THE FIRST PART WHETHER IN BAPtisme our sinnes be cleane taken away The Papists THe sinnes which are past they affirme not onely by the grace of Christ error 107 receiued in Baptisme to be forgiuen and pardoned and no more imputed but euen wholly to be rased
138. Out of Christs side dying vpon the Crosse issued the sacraments of the Church namely Baptisme and the Eucharist He draweth not both water and wine to signifie one sacrament but applyeth them to both THE FIFTH QVESTION OF THE wordes of consecration The Papists THese words say they This is my body to be spoken ouer the bread and the error 119 like ouer the wine This is the new testament in my blood are the very forms of the Sacraments and words of consecration which being vttered immediatly the elements are changed into the body and blood of Christ wherefore these words are not to be read historically for the instruction of the people but they are onely consecratory wordes to be pronounced ouer the elements Rhemist 1. Cor. 11. sect 11. Bellarm. lib. 4. de sacram cap. 13. Argu. If these were not the onely words of consecration This is my body and if presently vpon the vttering of these words the body of Christ was not present then should not the words of Christ be true Bellarm. ibid. The Protestants 1. WE acknowledge no such consecration at all by vertue whereof the elements are conuerted and transubstantiate into the body of Christ as we haue before shewed A consecration we graunt which is a setting apart of the elements which before were common to holy vses and by the vetue of Christs institution to be made vnto vs signes of holy things Secondly those are not the onely words of consecration This is my body and This is the cup of my blood and yet Christs wordes shall be true for we must not dismember the sentence Christ saith Take eate ye this is my body it is then made his body to be taken and eaten by taking then and eating the elements also are consecrated not onely by saying of the words ye must not then diuide the words of the institution for then they shall no more consecrate then if you should pronounce but two of your consecratory words as This is or My body and leaue out the rest Thirdly that these are not the onely words of consecration it appeareth because both the bread was broken and distributed and the Cuppe also before Christ spake those words as Math. 26.26 for first Christ saith Take eate and Take and drink before he said either This is my body or This is my blood neither can ye well tell yourselues which are your consecratory wordes for the Cup whether those that Mathew setteth downe This is my blood of the newe testament or as Luke hath This Cup is the new testament in my blood Nay Bellarmine vseth an other forme beside these Hic est calixâ—sâ—â— guinis This is the Cup of my blood Bellarm. cap. 13. Fourthly we conclude then that not onely these words but al the rest belonging to the institution are to be rehearsed in the Sacrament both to instruct the people that they may know the right vse of the Sacrament and they help also with the rest of the whole action of taking eating drinking praying thankesgiuing to consecrate and make the SacrameÌ„t as we haue shewed more at large before controu 11. quest 1. part 2. to that place we referre the Reader THE SIXT QVESTION OF THE PROPER effect and vse of the Lords Supper The Papists THey doe generally holde that this Sacrament was not properly ordeined error 120 for remission of sinnes neither that the Sacrament hath any such vse but it serueth onely as a preseruatiue against sinne Trident. Concil sess 13. can 5. Bellarm lib. 4. de sacram cap. 17. Secondly they teach that faith is not sufficient to prepare vs for the Communion and although a man be neuer so contrite quantumcunque se contritos existiment yet they must be throughly purged and absolued from their mortall sinnes before they come to communicate Concil Trident. sess 13. canon 11. Bellarm ibid. Argum. 1. They that receiue the Communion are one body as they are partakers of one bread 1. Cor. 10.17 but they which are in any greeuous and deadly sinne are not liuely members of Christ and of his mysticall body therefore the sacrament doth not profit them at all Bellarm. ibid. Ans. 1. Neither doe we affirme that men ought rashly presumptuously to come to the Lords table but to repent them throughly of their sinnes and to haue a stedfast and liuely faith in Christ who cannot be said thus preparing themselues to remaine in their sinnes neither yet are they so fully acquited of them that they need not to receiue the Sacrament to their comfort and to strengthen their faith in the hope and assurance of the remission of sinnes Secondly wherefore all this hindreth not but that they should be true members of Christs body euen hauing a troubled conscience and labouring vnder the burthen of their sinnes for the weake and sicke parts of the bodie are they therfore no partes at all because of their infirmities Augustine saith very wel Non filios diaboli faciunt quaecunque peccata peccaÌ„t enim et filij Dei In quibus non est fides filij sunt Diaboli Euery sin maketh not a man the childe of the deuil for the Children of God also sinne but they which haue no faith are the sonnes of the Deuill Ergo all sinnes cut not men off from the body of Christ but onely the want of faith they then that haue sinned and doe repent them and come with faith are still the sonnes of God and members of Christs body Argum. 2. There is not one and the same proper vse and end of diuerse Sacraments but Baptisme is receiued for remission of sinnes Ergo the Eucharist is not for that end Bellarm. ibid. Ans. 1. The death of Christ and so remission of sinnes purchased by the same is properly represented vnto vs in both Sacraments yet in a diuerse respect for as to be borne is one thing to be fed and nouâ—â—shed is another yet both worke the same thing in the body though diuersly for the birth giueth life meate and drink preserueth it the same difference is betweene Baptisme and the Lords Supper they both are seales vnto vs of our iustification in the remission of sinnes by Christ but by Baptisme we are initiated regenerate and borne anew and engrafted into the body of Christ. The other sacrament doth confirme encrease and nourish our faith already begun and planted in vs for the remission of sinnes and all other benefits of Christs passion The Protestants FIrst we doe truly affirme and teach that an especiall and principall vse of the Eucharist or Communion is to strengthen and assure our faith of the remission of sinnes and yet we deny not but that it hath other vses beside for as in Baptisme not onely the washing away of our sinnes is shewed forth but it also betokeneth our dying to sinne and rising to newnes of life Ro. 6.3.4 So in the Lords supper whole Christ with all his benefites is exhibited vnto vs as it is a pledge vnto vs
not onely of remission of sinnes but that Christ is become our righteousnes and sanctification 1. Cor. 1.30 that he will assist vs with his spirite and replenish our harts with grace Ioh. 4.14 yea the spirituall eating and drinking of the flesh and blood of Christ is a pledge vnto vs of the resurrection and of life eternall Ioh. 6.54 But that amongst the rest it also assureth vs of remission of sinnes thus it is proued Argum. Christ after S. Mathew saith This is the blood of the new testament that is shed for many for remission of sinnes Math. 26.28 But the new testament includeth a promise of remission of sinnes Iere. 31.34 Yea our Sauiour setteth it downe in plaine termes for why els should our Sauiour make expresse mention of forgiuenes of sinnes if this sacrament did not serue for that vse Secondly we doe holde that to haue a liuely faith in the promises of God with repentance for our sinnes and a full purpose to amend our liues is a sufficient preparation for the Communion and that this sacrament is a soueraigne remedy for a troubled conscience Neither ought men to refraine from the Communion till they haue fully satisfied for their sinnes as the Papists teach and are cleered in their conscience of all their sinnes for so few or none at all should be admitted to the Lords table but in whom faith hath alredy wrought repentance in some measure he may safely receiue the sacrament for his further comfort and assurance of remission of sinnes Argum. Iohn 6.35 He that beleeueth in me saith Christ shall neuer thirst S. Paul also exhorteth men to examine themselues 1. Corin. 11.28 which is nothing els as himselfe expondethu it then to proue whether they be in the faith 2. Cor. 13.5 Ergo the examination or triall of faith is a sufficient preparation for the Lords table Augustine saith Ad Deum acceditur fide sectando corde inhiando charitate currando We come or haue accesse vnto God in folowing him by faith seeking him in our heart and running to him with loue In Psalm 33. concion 2. Ergo by fayth we haue accesse vnto God Rom. 5.2 but a liuely fayth which worketh by loue Galath 5.6 THE SEVENTH QVESTION OF THE manner to be obserued in receiuing the communion The Papists 1 THey holde it in no wise lawfull for Christians otherwise then fasting to error 121 receiue the communion and that they ought to eate nothing before they doe communicate vnlesse it be in a case of great necessitie Concil Constantiens sess 13. Bellarm. lib. 3. de Eucharist cap. 22. ratione 4. The Protestants 1 WHat they here vnderstand by necessitie it may be doubted seeing they themselues will not graunt the like necessitie to be in the Eucharist as they say there is of Baptisme All sacraments we graunt are necessary that is profitable expedient requisite so often as they may bee had But none so necessary that the want thereof vnto a faythfull man that in heart doth wish and desire them can be any hindrance to his saluation 2 That it is lawfull for any man to eate before he come to the communion if his stomack be weake and not able to fast so long for otherwise if a man can abstaine we wish him so to do rather Saint Paul sheweth writing to the Corinthians 1. cap. 11.34 If any man be hungry let him eate at home Some of them he sayth came hungry some drunken vers 21. the Apostle commendeth neither but telleth them if they bee hungry they haue houses to eate in Againe in that our Sauiour Christ after supper instituted the sacrament it doth euidently declare vnto vs that it is no sinne to eate or drink before we receiue the sacrament Augustine sayth Neminem cogimus dominica illa coena prandere sed nulli etiam contradicere audemus We compell none to take the Lords Supper in dinner while or after dinner neither dare wee forbid any so to doe so hee maketh it a thing indifferent to communicate fasting or otherwise The Papists 2 THey binde the people onely once in the yeare to receiue the communion error 122 at Easter time and take it to be fully sufficient for them so to doe Concil Trident. sess 13. can 9. The Protestants 2 THis decree of theirs is contrary to the practise of the Apostles whom the Rhemists confesse to haue ministred the sacrament to the Christians daylie Annotat. Act. 2. sect 6. So expounding the wordes of the text They continued dayly in breaking of bread 2. It seemeth also to be contrary to Saint Pauls rule who speaketh of often communicating Doe this sayth he as oft as you drink it 1. Corinth 11.25 For seeing the eating of that bread and drinking of that cuppe is nothing els but a shewing foorth of the Lords death till he come who seeth not that it ought oftener then once or twice in the yere to be receiued seeing the death of Christ ought continually to be remembred and shewed foorth 3 Therefore Augustine doth boldely reprehend their custome that content themselues with once receiuing in the yeare Si panis quotidianus est cur post annum illum sumas accipe quotidie quod quotidie tibi prosit If it be thy daylie bread why doest thou take it but yearely take that daylie and continually which may profit thee daylie In Luk. serm 28. THE EIGHT QVESTION OF RECEIuing the Sacrament in one kinde The Papists error 123 CHristians say they are not bound by any commaundement of GOD to receiue the sacrament in both kinds Concil Trident. sess 21. can 1. And whosoeuer saith that the Church hath erred or done amisse in decreeing that lay men and the Clergie not saying Masse should receiue in the one kinde that is bread onely Or that it is lawfull for them to communicate in both contrary to the determination of the Church let him bee accursed Concil Trident sess 21. can 2. Rhemist Iohn 6. sect 11. Bellarmin lib. 4. de Eucharist cap. 20. Argum. 1. Christ is all and whole in euery parte of the sacrament his blood by a certaine concomitance is in the bread his flesh by the like concomitance is in the cup for otherwise Christ should be deuided But euery spirit sayth the Apostle that dissolueth Iesus is of God 1. Iohn 4.3 Wherefore hee that receiueth in one kinde is as well partaker of whole Christ and of the full grace and effect of the sacrament as if hee receiued in both Bellarmin cap. 21. Ans. 1. We denie any such concomitance of the blood and flesh of Christ in the sacrament for he is not in his carnall presence with his very flesh and blood there included as we haue shewed before the bread and wine are signes onely of his body and blood and therefore Christ is not diuided they being the signes onely and not the thing signified 2 The place alleadged out of Saint Iohn is greatly abused and corrupted by them while they choose rather to follow their
and the thing is abolished from our hearts and mouthes we trust in God wee shall neuer haue occasion to knowe it againe But howsoeuer it is this name Missa Masse cannot signifie any such thing as they pretend 1 For it seemeth that Missa was deriued à dimissione populi of the dimission or sending away of the people and so was taken generally for any congregation assembled either to pray or sing Psalmes or for any other religious duetie As yet to this day in the Dutch language Messe signifieth any solemne frequencie or congregation of the people In this sense Cassianus vnderstandeth Masse that is for the dimission of the people speaking of him that commeth not timelie to the howers of praier hee would not haue him to enter in but stantem pro foribus congregationis missam praestolari debere hee ought standing without the doores to waite for the misse of the congregation 2 Augustine taketh this word Missa generally for the leiturgie or seruice of the Church as serm de tempore 251. if that SermoÌ„ be Augustines Sunt aliqui maximè potentes huius mundi cum veniunt ad ecclesiam non sunt deuoti ad laudes Dei celebrandas sed cogunt presbyteruÌ„ vt abbreuiet Missam there are some and commonly the great men of the world which come not to Church with any deuotion to sing praises to God but they constraine the presbyter or Minister to make short Masse Here this word Masse signifieth the whole leiturgie as singing of Psalmes and praising God not any sacrifice or oblation for then he would haue said Cogunt sacerdotem not presbyterum They constraine the priest not the Minister Wherefore as the sacrifice of the Masse is of no great antiquitie so neither is the name in that sence THE SECOND PART OF THE sacrifice of the Masse The Papists CHrist they say at his last Supper did offer vp his owne bodie and blood in error 128 sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine to God his father and at the same instant made his Apostles and their successors Priests to offer vp his bodie â—n the Sacrament Concil Tridentin sess 22. cap. 1. And the same bodie which Christ offered vp vpon the crosse is dayly offered vp by the ministerie of the Priests the difference onely is in the manner of offering Concil Trident. ibid. c. 2. The eternitie proper act of Christs Priesthood consisteth in the offering sacrificing of the body blood of Christ in the formes of bread wine in the Church Rhem. Heb. 7. sect 8. And we meane alwaies of Priest sacrifice taken in their owne proper signification ibid. sect 7. In the Eucharist then there is a true sacrifice of the very bodie and blood of Christ offered vp to God by the hands of the Priest in the formes of bread and wine Bellarm. cap. 5. Argum. 1. Christ is a Priest after the order of Melchisedech but the proper act of Melchisedechs priesthoode did consist in sacrificing in the formes of bread and wine Ergo the eternitie of Christs priesthoode standeth in the sacrificing of his bodie and blood in those formes there doth therefore still remaine a proper external sacrifice in the Church Rhemist annot Hebr. 7. sect 8. Bellarm. cap. 6. Ans. 1. We confesse that Melchisedech was a type of our Sauiour Christ and that he was a Priest after Melchisedechs order but not in any such respect for offering in bread and wine for the text saith hee brought forth bread and wine he offered it not he brought it forth for the refreshing of Abraham and those which were with him Genes 14.18 2. He brought forth bread and wine and not the formes onely of bread and wine therefore your sacrifice in the formes onely is not after his order 3. If Melchisedechs bringing forth of bread wine were a sacrifice or oblation and a type of the like sacrifice to continue for euer in the Church it must also haue been a propitiatorie sacrifice for the remission of sinnes as they say the sacrifice of the Masse is which was thereby signified but there is no propitiatorie sacrifice for remission of sinnes without shedding of blood Hebr. 9.22 Therefore Milchisedechs act being without blood was no such sacrifice and consequently none at all 4. The Apostle to the Hebrues sheweth wherein Christ was a Priest after Melchisedechs order Heb. 7. First in that Melchisedech was both king Priest verse 2. so is Christ. Secondly in respect of the eternitie of his Priesthoode we doe not reade either of the beginning of his dayes or end of his life nor of any change of his priesthoode vers 3. Al which is most truely verified in Christ. Thirdly Melchisedech was a type of Christ and his Priesthoode of Christs because of the excellencie thereof aboue the Leuiticall Priesthoode for Leui paide tithes in Abraham to Melchisedech and therefore was inferior and was blessed of Melchisedech in Abraham the lesse of the greater so is the Priesthoode of Christ aduaunced farre aboue Aarons order If in any other materiall point Melchisedechs Priesthoode had resembled Christs as in this oblation of bread and wine the Apostle would not haue omitted it 5. Therein consisted the proper act of Melchisedechs priesthoode for the which he receiued tithes of Abraham but as the Apostle saith he receiued tithes and blessed Abraham Heb. 7.6 Ergo the tithes were due not for any sacrifice which he offered but for his blessing The same therefore was the proper act of his Priesthoode Argum. 2. They alleage that place Heb. 8.3 Euery high Priest is appointed to offer giftes and hostes wherefore it is necessarie that he also haue somewhat to offer Christ then hath a certaine host in externall and proper manner as other Priests haue but this visible and externall act of sacrificing he doth not exercise now in heauen therefore it must needes bee meant of the perpetuall oblation of his body and blood in the Church for somewhat he must alwaies haue to offer Rhemist Hebr. 8. sect 3. Ans. 1. The Apostle saith not that it is necessarie that Christ should still haue somewhat to offer in sacrifice but that it was needefull for him to haue somewhat which he had alreadie offered for the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not the present tence but the time past whereby is vnderstoode the oblation which hee had already offered once and which neede not bee repeated Hebr. 7.27 For as herein hee is like to other Priests that hee must haue somewhat to haue offered so is he vnlike also in this that they by reason of their infirmitie had need to offer often but Christ our high Priest did it but once as in that place the Apostle sheweth 2. The gift which the Apostle in this place attributeth to Christ was his bodie which hee calleth the true Tabernacle which the Lord pight and not man But that bodie of Christ which they say is offered vp in the sacrifice of the
annot Hebr. 7. sect 7. Wherefore they which minister vnder the Gospell are worthilie called Priests which word doth so certainely implie the authoritie of sacrificing that it is by vse made the onely English of Sacerdos Rhemist act 14. sect 3. The Protestants FIrst we hold it to be a great blasphemie to say that the Priesthood sacrifice of Christ vpō the Crosse is not that sacrifice or Priesthood into the which the old sacrifice Priesthood was translated changed The Apostle proueth the contrary for that sacrifice whereby the new Testament is established is that whereunto the old sacrifice and Priesthoode is translated but this is done by the singular sacrifice of Christ who is the suretie of a better testament Hebr. 7.23 Ergo his singular sacrifice vpon the crosse is that whereinto the old Leuiticall sacrifices are changed and no other Againe the Priesthoode after Melchisedechs order is that into the which the old Priesthoode is changed but the Priesthoode of Christ vpon the Crosse was after that order Ergo. But here they are not ashamed to denie that the sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse was after Melchisedechs order but doe most impudently and blasphemously affirme that it was after the order of Aaron Heskin lib. 1. cap. 13. And thus euery vile massemonger shall be more properly a Priest after Melchisedechs order then Christ himselfe Secondly none but Christ is a Priest after the order of Melchisedech for vnto whome the Lord saide Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech to him the Lord saith also in the same Psalme Sit thou at my right hand Psal. 110. But this cānot agree to any popish Priest therefore not the other Againe the Apostle maketh this difference betweene the Priesthoode of the lawe and the Gospell because then there were many Priests they being prohibited by death to continue but Christ is the onely Priest of the New Testament because he dieth not Heb. 7 23.24 If they answer as they doe that although there be many Priestes yet it is but one Priesthoode because Christ concurreth with them in the actes of the Priesthoode Rhemist We answer first Christ concurreth with his faithfull ministers in the actes of their Ministerie but no such Priesthoode doe wee acknowledge Secondly so Christ concurred in the actes of the Leuiticall Priesthoode and the sacrifices of the law that were rightly offered wherefore this concurrence of Christ dooth no more take away the multitude of Priests in the Gospell then it did in the lawe Thirdly concerning the name of Priests in their sense as it implieth an authoritie of sacrificing we vtterly abhor it secondly but as it is deriued of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth an Elder we refuse it not but wish rather that it had not bin abused in cōmō speach to signifie popish sacrificers Thirdly as for the word sacerdos which may be englished a sacrificer we finde it no where in the New Testament giuen to the ministers of the Gospell and so much Bellarmine confesseth cap. 17. And therefore vnfitly and vnproperly agreeth vnto them If some of the fathers haue confounded the names of Sacerdos and Presbyter they are not to be commended The word Sacerdos a sacrificer being a proper name of the Leuitical Priests cannot properly be attributed to the Ministers of the Gospell To conclude this word Priest as it is the English of Sacerdos we doe not approue but as it giueth the sense of Presbyter from whence it is deriued we condemne it not for so it signifieth nothing else but an Elder If common vse of speech haue drawne it to a contrarie sense it would be amended Augustine saith Sacerdotiū Iudaeorum nemo dubitat c. No faithful mā doubteth but that the Priesthood of the law was a figure of the royall Priesthoode in the Church whereby all that pertaine to the bodie of Christ are consecrated He acknowledgeth no other Priesthood abiding in the Church then that whereby all Christians are made Priests to offer spirituall sacrifices vnto God through Christ. THE THIRD QVESTION OF THE VERTVE AND efficacie falsely ascribed to the sacrifice of the Masse The Papists 1. THey blasphemously affirme that it is a sacrifice propitiatorie that is auailable error 130 to obtaine ex opere operato by the very worke wrought remission and pardon of all their sinnes Trident. Concil sess 22. can 3. Argum. Christ himselfe sayth in the institution This is my blood shed for you for the remission of sinnes Ergo the sacrifice of the Masse is auaileable for remission of sinnes Bellarm. lib. 2. de miss cap. 2. The Protestants Ans. FIrst Christ instituted no sacrifice as we declared afore but onely a Sacrament in remembrance of his death and passion Secondly the Sacrament rightly administred serueth to assure our faith of remission of sinnes by the death of Christ but it doth not by it owne vertue conferre remission of sinnes neither profiteth by the worke wrought for the Apostle sayth That without faith it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11.6 wherefore no action is accepted of God not proceeding of faith Argum. The Apostle sayth Where there is remission of sinnes there is no more sacrifice for sinne Hebr. 10.18 Seeing then remission of sinnes is fully obtained by the death and sacrifice of Christ there can be no more sacrifice for sinne Ergo the Masse is no sacrifice for sinne The Papists 2. THe sacrifice of the Masse is not onely propitiatorie for sinnes but auaileable error 131 to obtaine all other benefites as peace tranquilitie health and such like Bellarm. cap. 3. Argum. S. Paul willeth That prayers and intercessions should be made for all men especially for Kings that we may leade a godly and a peaceable life 1. Timoth. 1.1 These are the prayers which are made in the celebration of the Masse Bellarm. The Protestants Ans. FIrst the Apostle speaketh generally of al prayers made by whomsoeuer as it appeareth vers 8. Therefore this place is vnfitly applied to the praiers of Priests in the Masse Secondly this place proueth that temporall benefites are obtained by faithfull prayers not by the sacrifice of the Masse which S. Paul neuer knewe Thirdly Augustine indeed expoundeth this place of the publike prayers of the Church vsed in the administration of the Sacrament for he calleth it Domini mensam the Lords table not the altar he meaneth nothing lesse then your popish Masse Argum. It is contrarie to the institution of Christ to applie the Sacrament for any such temporall or external vse It was ordained to be receiued in remembrance of Christs death to assure vs by faith of remission of sinnes and other spirituall blessings not to giue vs assurance of health peace life prosperitie for the obtaining of such blessings according to the will of God other meanes are appoynted The ministerie of the Sacraments no more serueth for such vses then the preaching of the word THE FOVRTH QVESTION FOR WHOM THE sacrifice of
vs sustine hath bene mine I haue endured the labour I would abstine might be theirs that they would abstaine from ill speaking Lastly if I haue taken vpon me more then is performed I haue done foolishly for that olde verse might haue warned me sufficiently Sumite materiam vestris qui scribitis aptam viribus But I trust by the gratious assistance of God I haue in some smal measure accomplished that I would and I say with Augustin Gratias ago Deo qui quantum voluit donando quod voluit fari promisit et vâ—i voluit tacendum linguae terminum posuit For it is God that gaue me strength to proceede so far as I haue done and hath set me my bouÌ„ds which I should not passe for no mâ—n may exceede the line and measure of his gifts 2. Corin. 10.14 Thus I end commending these my labours to the charitable and christian iudgement of the Church of God whom I desire to profit and to your Honors protection whom I wish in vertue and honor to tread your Fathers path and both of you to liue so long as it pleaseth God to his glory and the comfort of his Church and afterward to be euerlastingly rewarded in heauen through the onely merits of Christ Iesus to whom be praise for euer Your Honors to commaund in the Lord Christ Andrew Willet HERE ENSVE THE CONTROVERSIES OF THE FIVE OTHER POpish Sacraments Penance Matrimony Confirmation Orders Extreme Vnction THE FOVRTEENTH CONTROVERSIE of popish Penance VNto this controuersie belong these questions following First of the name Penance whether it be rightly giuen 2. Whether that which they call Penance but we much better Repentance be a Sacrament 3. Whether there be any other Sacrament of repentance beside Baptisme 4. Of the essentiall partes of penance as the matter and forme and of the 3. material parts Contrition Confession Satisfaction with an appendix whether repentance goe before faith 5. Of Contrition 1. The cause thereof 2. The quantity thereof 3. Whether it be ioyned with faith 4. Whether it be satisfactory 5. Whether contrition be necessary for venial sinnes 6. Of contrition which onely proceedeth of feare 6. Of Auricular confession 1. Whether it be necessary 2. whether it be a diuine ordinance 3. To whom it is to be made 4. Of the time 7. Of satisfaction with the seuerall branchâ—s of this question 8. First of penall iniunctions 1. Whether necessary 2. By whom to be imposed Secondly of indulgences 1. Whether there be any such 2. The grouÌ„d of them 3. In whose power they be 9. The circumstances of penance 1. Their habite 2. Their workes 3. Of the time of their penance THE FIRST QVESTION OF THE name of Penance The Papists THe Latine word Poenitentia which they translate Penance being deriued of error 1 poena doth signifie say they not onely confession and amendement of life but contrition and sorrow for the offence and painefull satisfaction Bellarm lib. 1. cap. 7. Argum. Math. 11.21 the word must needs signifie sorrowful paineful and satisfactory repentance Rhemist Math. 3.2 The Protestants Ans. THe place quoted out of S. Mathew proueth no such thing where our Sauiour saith that Tyre and Sâ—don would haue repented in sackecloth and ashes which is no satisfaction for sinne but an outward signe of true sorrow for sinne Argum. The Greeke word euery where vsed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth as Laurentius Valla noteth emeÌ„dationem mentis the change or amendemeÌ„t of the minde and no such outward satisfactory penance as they pretende Wherefore it is more fitly englished Repentance And although the Latine word Poenitentia doe not properly expresse the Greeke word to the which resipiscere resipiscentia repentance and to repent do better answere yet agere poenitentiam in Latine is not to doe penance as the Rhemists translate it but is all one as to say repent yea and so the Rhemists themselues read be penitent Mark 1.15 and not doe penance And Act. 11.18 they translate poenitentiam repentance Augustine thus taketh this word poenitentia Rectè poenitens quicquid sordium contraxit oportet vt abluat saltem mentis lachrymis The true penitent man must at the least wash away his sinnes with the teares of the minde If then repentance be in the soule what is become of this outward satisfactorie penance THE SECOND QVESTION WHETHER THERE be any Sacrament of penance The Papists error 2 CHrist they say instituted the Sacrament of penance when he breathed vpon his Apostles after his resurrection and said vnto them Receiue ye the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Ioh. 20.22 The faculty of the Priesthoode coÌ„sisting in remitting of sinnes is heere bestowed vpon the Apostles Rhemist annot Ioh. 20. sect 5. Herevpon they are bolde to conclude that penance is truely and properly a Sacrament Concil Trident. sess 14. canon 1. Bellarm. lib. 1. de poenitent cap. 10. Ans. 1. If the power of remission of sinnes were heere first instituted how could the Apostles baptize or minister the Lords supper before without power to remit sinnes to the penitent Christ therefore in this place doth but renewe and confirme the authority of their Apostleship which was granted to them before Math. 18.18 Secondly this power here giuen is principally exercised by preaching of the word of God and denouncing publikely or priuately the promises of God for remission of sinnes to the penitent or the threates and iudgement of God in binding the sinnes of the obstinate and impenitent So Luke 20.24 Christ commandeth his Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sinnes in his name Thirdly we confesse also a iudiciary power of the keies in binding and loosing which is exercised in ecclesiasticall discipline in punishng and absoluing according to the word of God as the incestuous person was bound when he was deliuered vp to Sathan 1. Cor. 5.5 he was loosed againe when he was restored to the Church 2. Cor. 2.7 But neither this nor the other was commended to the Church as a Sacrament The Protestants TRue repentance we doe acknowledge which is a dying to sinne and a walking in newnes of life Rom. 6.4 But a Sacrament of repentance we finde none in Scripture and therefore we deny it Argum. 1. In euery Sacrament there is an externall sensible element as water in Baptisme bread and wine in the Lords Supper but there is none in their penance Ergo no Sacrament Bellarm. answereth that the words of absolution and confession are the outward signes in penance it is not necessary it should be a visible signe it is a sensible signe being audible cap. 11. Ans. 1. There must be the word beside the element as Augustine saith Accedat verbum ad elementum Let the word be ioyned to the element and it maketh a Sacrament the word it selfe cannot be the element for the same thing cannot both sanctifie and be sanctified And if the audible word be the element by
this reason the preaching of the word also shal be a Sacrament Argu. 2. There was repentance and absolution of sinnes both in the olde testament for both Dauid confessed and was sory for his sinne and the Prophet Nathan pronounced forgiuenes from God 2. Sam. 12.13 so likewise Iohn preached repentance for remission of sinnes and the people came and confessed their sinnes heere were all things necessary for true repentance yet was it no Sacrament all this while as they themselues confesse which they holde to be instituted after Christs resurrection Trident. concil sess 14. cap. 1. Why then should it be rather a Sacrament now then before Augustine thus writeth Sacramentum ideo dicitur quia aliud videtur aliud intelligitur It is called a Sacrament because one thing is seene another vnderstoode And then he saith Quid tale aut ipsi vident aut alijs queunt ostendere in eo quod sacramentum poenitentiae vocant But neither doe they see or can shew to others any such visible signe in that which they call the Sacrament of repentance Heere Augustine denieth repentance to be a Sacrament because it hath no visible signe THE THIRD QVESTION WHETHER THERE be any other Sacrament of repentance beside Baptisme The Papists error 3 BAptisme serueth onely they say for remission of sinnes done before for sinnes committed after Baptisme the Sacrament of penance which is a distinct Sacrament from Baptisme is appointed for a remedy and therefore is fitly called The second table of refuge after shipwracke Concil Trident. sess 14. canon 2. Argum. S. Iohn saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull to forgiue vs 1. Epist. 1.19 he saith not that by the memory of Baptisme but by confession which is a part of penance our sinnes are forgiuen Bellarm. cap. 13. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we say not that by the bare memory or remembrance of baptisme sinnes after committed are done away but that the sacramentall force of Baptisme doth extend it selfe to our whole life that is to be a seale vnto vs of remission of all our sinnes in the blood of Cbrist Secondly so that confession of our sinnes is not a taking away of the force of baptisme but a more effectual applying thereof as the people which were baptized by Iohn confessed also their sinnes Argu. We acknowledge no other Sacrament of repentance but baptisme for so the scripture calleth it The baptisme of repētance for remission of sinnes Marke 1.4 So Augustine calleth Baptisme Sacramentum fidei et poenitentiae the Sacrament of faith and repentance what neede we then seeke for a new Sacrament of repentance which cannot any where be found in Scripture THE FOVRTH QVESTION OF THE essentiall partes of Penance THE FIRST PART OF THE MATTER and forme of popish penance The Papists error 4 THe forme of this Sacrament say they consisteth in the words of absolution pronounced by the Minister the matter thereof is the contrition confession and satisfaction of the partie penitent Concil Tridentin sess 14. cap. 3. Bellarm. lib. 1. cap. 15. The Protestants NEither is their penance a Sacrament neither can these be partes of a Sacrament Argum. 1. In euery Sacrament there are two things required res terrena and actio externa the earthly thing or element as is water in Baptisme and the externall action neither doth the element alone nor the action alone make a sacrament as in baptisme there is both water which is the matter and the washing that is the action Wherefore seeing in their penance there is nothing but the action of the Minister and the action of the receiuer it can be no sacramēt Argum. 2. The partes of euery sacrament as the forme the matter must be instituted of Christ But this are they not able to shew for the forme and matter of penance namely the institution of Christ Ergo it is no sacrament THE SECOND PART OF THIS QVESTION OF the three materiall partes of popish Penance contrition confession satisfaction The Papistes THese three they say are the true and proper partes of penance contrition error 5 and painefull sorrow of the hart confession to the Priest and satisfaction to God for our sinnes Concil Trident. sess 14. can 4. Rhemist Math. 3. sect 2. Argu. Contrition is proued Psal. 51.17 A contrite hart is a sacrifice to God Confession Math. 3. They were baptized in Iordane confessing their sinnes Satisfaction Math. 11.21 They would haue repented long agoe in sackecloth and ashes Bellarm. cap. 19. Ans. 1. That godly sorrow and contrition of the hart is necessary to true repentance we neuer will deny but that this sorrow is any satisfaction to Gods iustice we abhorre it as a monstrous blasphemy Secondly Confession and acknowledgement of our sinnes vnto God and in some cases where the conscience is not satisfied to the Minister or some other faithfull man we do willingly graunt but that it is necessary to make generall confession of sinnes to the Priest that place proueth it not for Iohn had had shriuing worke enough for many yeeres to heare euery mans particular confession Thirdly that sitting in sackecloth and ashes was no satisfaction for sinne but an outward signe of true sorrow for sinne The Protestants WE doe make two partes onely of true repentance according to the scriptures that is the mortifying of the olde man with his works by dying vnto sinne vnto the which belongeth true sorrow and contrition of hart for our sinnes 2. Corinth 7.11 acknowledgement and confession thereof before God 2. Sam. 12.13 and a perfect hatred and detestation of sinne and indignation with our selues for the same 2. Corinth 7.11 The other part is the renewing and quickening of the new man in vs which consisteth partly in setting our consciences at peace with God our sinnes being forgiuen vs Rom. 5.1 and working in vs a zeale studie care and desire of newnes of life 2. Corin. 7.11 these two partes onely we finde in Scripture Argum. Isai. 1.17 Cease to doe euill Learne to doe good we must die vnto sinne and walke in newnes of life Rom. 6.4 Put off the olde man put on the new Coloss. 3.9 Augustine saith Fructus est dignus poenitentia transacta deflere peccata ea iterum non agere This is true repentance to lament for sinnes past and not to commit the same againe though this be no perfect definition of repentance yet we see that both confession and satisfaction are excluded AN APPENDIX WHETHER REpentance goe before faith The Papists error 6 THeir opinion is that repentance goeth before iustification by faith and that it is a way rather vnto faith and iustification in the remission of sinnes poenitentia est via ad remissionem peccatorum et prior iustificatione Bellarm cap. 19. Argum. Act. 2.38 Repent and be baptized in the name of Christ for the remission of sinnes Remission of sinnes followeth repentance Ergo iustification also and faith Bellarm. The Protestants Ans. FIrst this place proueth not
that remission of sinnes followeth repentāce because baptisme was giuen after repentance for Baptisme doth not giue remission of sinnes but it is a seale onely and confirmation of our faith in the remission of sinnes 2. Neither is remission of sinnes obtained by our repentance but we are already being once called iustified before God by the remission of our sinnes and imputation of the righteousnes of Christ Rom. 4.7.8 By repentance and other workes that follow our calling is made sure 2. Peter 1.10 and our saluation finished vnto our selues Philip. 2.10 and our faith perfited Argum. Iustification goeth before sanctification for this is the fruite of the other but repentance is part of our sanctification renouation or regeneration being called by S. Paul A walking in newnes of life Rom. 6.4 Ergo it followeth and commeth after our iustification And seeing without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 how should our repentance be acceptable to God vnlesse it proceeded of faith faith then is initiate and begun in vs before repentance which we denie not by true repentance and other fruites of sanctification to be daily strengthened and encreased Augustine sayth No man is iustified but by the grace of Iesus Christ Non solum remissione peccatorum sed priùs ipsius inspiratione fidei timoris dei donec sanet omnes languores nostros Not onely by remission of sinnes but first by inspiring into vs faith and the feare of God til he haue cured all our maladies He saith as we heare that faith is inspired before we haue remission of sinnes and the feare of God without the which there is no true repentance THE FIFT QVESTION OF CONTRITION the first part of their penance THere are certaine poynts which we doe agree vpon 1. We grant that true contrition and sorrow of the heart is necessarie vnto repentance and that it standeth very well with the libertie of the Gospell and is profitable for Christians 2. Corinth 7.10 2. That true contrition is ioyned both with a full hatred and detestation of sinne committed 1. Corinth 11.31 We must iudge and condemne our selues as also with a full purpose to amend our liues Act. 11.23 Let vs then now see what difference of opinion there is betweene vs concerning contrition The Papists 1. THey hold that contrition is neither wholly of mans free wil nor yet wholly of God but that man by his free will holpen of God is able to repent error 7 so that he doth only Deo adiuuante poenitere He is brought to repentance God onely helping and assisting him Bellarm. de poenitent lib. 2. cap. 3. The Protestants TRue contrition of heart as all other good thoughts in vs as they are good come onely of God our cogitations indeed are our owne but all the goodnes of them is the meere gift of God Iam. 1.17 Argum. 1. Timoth. 2.25 If at any time God wil giue them repentance Repentance thē is the gift of God And Augustine writing vpon these very words saith Quantumlibet praebeat poenitentiam nisi ipse dederit quis agit poenitentiam Although he neuer so much giue occasion of repentance yet vnlesse he bestowe vpon vs the full gift of repentance no man is able to repent Thus he plainly distinguisheth betweene praebere poenitentiam to offer occasion to repent as he proueth out of S. Paul Rom. 2.4 The bountifulnes of God calleth thee to repentance and dare poenitentiam to giue or grant repentance But if God should onely helpe our free will and worke together with vs to repentance and not doe all alone himselfe he should rather praebere then dare poenitentiam offer occasion by stirring of vs vp to repentance then grant vs repentance it selfe which were contrary to the Apostle The Papists error 8 2. THey teach that contrition ought to be perfect because it must proceede from the loue of God which is the most perfect kind of loue Catechis Roman pag. 439 and that the greatnes of the griefe ought to be answerable to the quantitie of the sinne So they conclude that a man shall neuer knowe when he is sufficiently contrite Thom. Aquinas for he must be contrite for euery great sinne he hath committed Tileman Heshus loc 9. de poenitent err 25.27.28.32 The Protestants WHat is this els but a plaine doctrine of desperation for when is a man able so perfectly to be contrite as his loue toward God ought to be perfect or how can his sorrowe be equiualent to the waight of his sinnes or can a man remember all his sinnes that he should be sorie for Argum. 1. The sorrowe of Christians is not infinite or vncertaine but it is determined and limited Saint Paul sayth That he should not be swallowed vp of too much heauines 2. Corinth 2.7 And againe My Epistle made you sorie though for a season 2. Corinth 7.8 Augustine sayth Ista est vera poenitentia quando quis sic conuertitur vt non reuertatur This is true repentance when a man doth so turne vnto God that he returne not vnto sinne When a man therefore hath in this manner repented he may be sure that he hath mourned sufficiently It is therefore vntrue that a man is vncertaine when he hath sorrowed enough The Papists error 9 3. COntrition they say as it is not altogether without hope to obtaine mercie so can it not haue certitudinem remissionis peccatorum a certaintie or vndoubted assurance of remission of sinnes Concil Trident. sess 6. cap. 9. Bellarm. lib. 2. cap. 2. The Protestants GOdly sorrowe and contrition bringeth ioy and comfort to the soule in the end with vndoubted assurance of the forgiuenes and remission of sinnes Argum. 1. Godly sorrowe worketh in the true penitent person a cleering of the mind 2. Corinth 7.11 but the soule and conscience cannot be cleered and set at rest vnlesse wee bee perswaded that our sinnes are forgiuen vs Ergo. Argum. 2. All hope is certaine and bringeth vndoubted assurance and therefore it is called the anchor of the soule Heb. 6.19 Wherefore either contrition is voyd of hope altogether which they will not grant or if it haue any hope it is sure and stable and worketh a full perswasion and assurance of the mercie of God Augustine sayth Petrus mox à Domino indulgentiam accepit qui amarissimè fleuit trinae negationis culpam Peter straight way receiued pardon and indulgence when he had most bitterly bewayled the sinne of his threefold deniall of Christ. How could Peter immediatly haue felt and receiued the remission of that great sinne if the Lord had not assured his conscience thereof The Papists 4. THey make contrition a part of satisfaction for our sinnes and to be a cause error 10 of iustification and remission of sinnes not onely in disposing and preparing of vs thereunto but in that thereby we verely obtaine remission of our sinnes Bellarm. lib. 2. de poenitent cap. 12. Arg. Luk. 7.47 Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she loued Not
by good workes The Papists error 18 THat we may redeeme and buy out as it were the punishments due to sinne in this life by other good works it is their generall sentence and they proue it thus Argum. Daniel sayd to Nabuchadnezzar the King Redeeme thy sinnes by righteousnes and thine iniquities by shewing mercie to the poore cap. 4.24 Bellarm. cap. 3. The Protestants Ans. THe text is rather thus to be read Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnes that is leaue off to doe euill as it is by Tremellius translated more agreeably to the Hebrue for if redemption be here properly vnderstood it would follow that men may redeeme not onely the punishment of their sinnes but the sinnes themselues and so take Christs office out of his hand By true and faithfull repentance and other good works proceeding of faith we may auoyde Gods heauie iudgement due to our sinnes yet not for the merit or satisfaction of any worke but through the merites onely of Christ. Argum. Looke how our sins are forgiuen so is the punishment due vnto them but our sins are forgiuen vs freely in Christ Ierem. 31.34 Ergo so is the punishment THE THIRD PART WHETHER A MAN may truely satisfie the wrath of God for the punishment due vnto sinne The Papists IT is not a sufficient satisfaction to beleeue that Christ hath abundantly satisfied error 19 for vs neither yet is it enough to amend and correct our liues but God also must be satisfied for our sinnes by the punishment and chastisement of our selues as by affliction laid vpon vs by God or penance enioyned by the priest or by praier fasting almes deedes which we doe take vp our selues Concil Trid. sess 14. can 13. Rhemist Matth. 11.21 Argum. 1. Matth. 3.8 Bring forth fruites worthie repentance he preacheth satisfaction by doing worthie fruites of penance as fasting praier almes and the like Rhemist Ans. Fruites worthie of repentance are no satisfaction for sinne but arguments of true repentance effectes not any part thereof Argum. 2. Iudge your selues that you bee not iudged 1. Corinth 11.31 We must punish our selues according to the waight of the sinnes past Rhemist And againe saith the Apostle What great punishment hath it wrought in you 2. Corinth 7.11 This is nothing else but the satisfactorie punishment for our sinnes Bellarm. lib. 4. cap. 8. Ans. The Apostle meaneth nothing else but an hartie and earnest sorrowe for our sinnes whereby we doe iudge and condemne and as it were punish our selues yet wee are farre from making any satisfaction hereby for our sinnes as Augustine saith Omnis iniquitas puniatur necesse est aut à poenitente homine aut vindicante Deo vis non puniat puni tu antequam ipse intendat vt puniat tu confitendo praeueni puni All sinne must needes be punished either of man himselfe repenting or God reuenging if thou wilt not haue him punish punish thou before he intend to punish preuent him by thy confession and punish thy selfe So then this punishment of our selues is nothing else but true repentance and confession of our sinnes The Protestants THat satisfaction ought to be made vnto men either by restitution as Zacheus restored that which hee had wrongfully gotten or by reconciling our selues to those whom wee haue offended as Matth. 5.24 wee doe willingly grant but that the wrath of God may be appeased and satisfied for our sinnes or the punishment due vnto the same by any worke of ours it is a great blasphemie and cleane contrarie to the course of Scripture Argum. 1. That it is sufficient to returne vnto God by true repentance and amendement of life without any satisfaction either for our sinne or the punishment of sinne the Prophet Ezechiel sheweth where speaking of the conuersion of a wicked man he saith His iniquities shal no more be mentioned or laid to his charge chap. 18.22 But if after the sinne remitted there should remaine some punishment behinde his sinnes should still bee remembred and mentioned there is therefore no satisfaction for the punishment of sinne because none remaineth Argum. 2. Isai. 43.25 I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake Likewise 53.4 He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes are we healed God of his free mercie doth forgiue our sinne Christ also hath fully satisfied for vs Ergo there is no satisfaction in vs wee are made whole by his stripes and not our owne Argum. 3. Our praiers fastings almes and what workes soeuer are neither meritorious nor satisfactorie for when we haue done all we are but vnprofitable seruants and we did no more then was our duetie Luk. 17.10 Augustine saith Peccasti in fratrem fac satis sanatus es Hast thou offended thy brother satisfie him and thou art healed Qui multos offendit peccando placare multos debet satisfaciendo He that hath offended many in sinning must appease many by satisfying them These kindes of satisfaction both publikely and priuately we acknowledge but satisfaction to God neither hee nor we acknowledge Lachrymas lego satisfactionem non lego I reade of Peters teares saith he but of no satisfaction THE FOVRTH PART WHETHER ONE man may satisfie for another The Papists error 20 SAtisfactorie workes are not onely profitable to the sufferers themselues but also for other their fellow members in Christ and one may beare the burthen and discharge the debt of another Rhemist Coloss. 1. sect 4. Argum The passions of the Saints are suffered for the common good of the whole bodie as Saint Paul saith Now I reioyce in my sufferings for you and fulfill that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ for his bodies sake which is the Church Coloss. 1.24 Here Saint Pauls afflictions are meritorious and satisfactorie for the Colossians Rhemist Ans. The Apostles sufferings were for the glorie of God and the confirmation of their faith but therefore it followeth not that they were meritorious either for himselfe or others His sufferings are said to be Christs who suffereth in his members not that they receiue any force from Christ to bee satisfactorie but because hee was made like and conformable by his sufferings vnto Christ Rom. 8.17 Augustine also thus expoundeth the place Non dixit pressurarum mearum sed Christi quia membrum erat Christi He saith not of my sufferings but of Christs because hee was a member of Christ they are not then the sufferings of Christ as though they receiued a satisfactorie power from Christ but because hee was a member of Christ who suffered together in and with his members The Protestants NOne can merite or satisfie for themselues much lesse for others neither can one man beare the burthen or pay the debt of another mans sinne Argum. The Scripture saith The soule that sinneth the same shall die Ezech. 18.20 Euery man shall beare his own burthen Galath 6.5 None can
redeeme his brother or giue a price to God for him Psalm 49.8 Augustine vpon those words Iohn 16.23 Whatsoeuer yee shall aske in my name he will giue it you Exaudiuntur quippe omnes sancti pro seipsis non autem exaudiuntur pro omnibus vel amicis vel inimicis c. The Saints are heard praying for themselues but they are not heard praying for all their friends or enemies because it is not said simplie He will giue but He will giue to you Ergo much lesse can they satisfie for others if their praiers bee not heard alwaies for others THE EIGHT QVESTION OF INDVLgences and penall iniunctions THE FIRST PART WHETHER PEnall and painefull workes are necessarie vnto repentance The Papists NOt onely amendement and ceasing to sinne or repentance in heart before error 21 God is alwaies enough to obteine full reconcilement but there must bee outward penaltie correction and chastisement beside Rhemist 2. Corinth 2. sect 2. Argum. The incestuous person was rebuked of many 2. Corinth 2.6 which word implieth beside his inward repentance outward correction and chastisement The Protestants Ans. WEe acknowledge that in notorious sinnes and offensiue to the Church as this of the young mans was inward repentance is not sufficient but that after sharpe discipline by the outward testification of sorrow and publike confession satisfaction must bee made to the Church but it followeth not that this course should be taken for all sinnes which a man repenteth him of And yet wee graunt that outward signes of our sorrowe are alwaies necessarie in true repentance not as satisfactorie meanes to redeeme our sins but onely as infallible tokens and effects of our repentance As Augustine saith Satis durus est cuius mentis dolorem oculi carnis nequeunt declarare Hee is hard harted the griefe of whose minde the eyes of his flesh doe not shew forth de poenitent cap. 9. Argum. There are but two essentiall partes of repentance and true conuersion vnto God To turne from our sinnes and leade an holy life So saith the Lord by the Prophet If the wicked will returne from his sinnes and keepe all my statutes Ezech. 18.21 This is all God requireth without any other penall workes wherefore ceasing from sinne and amendement of life which necessarilie include the true sorrow and conuersion of the heart are sufficient for repentance THE SECOND PART BY WHOM penall workes are to bee inflicted The Papists error 22 THe priests onely they say haue power to enioyne workes of penance as affliction of bodie mulct penaltie correction by almes-deedes fasting abstinence and such like Conc. Trid sess 14 can 15. Rhemist 2. Corinth 2. sect 2. Argum. To them is giuen authoritie to binde and loose Ergo to enioyne penance Bellarm. cap. 5. lib. 4. The Protestants Ans. 1. SOme kinde of mulctes Church discipline is not to deale withall as bodily punishment and pecuniarie fines which are to be imposed at the discretion of the magistrate Secondly we grant a wholsome vse of the keyes in Church discipline in punishing and clensing of notorious offenders in the open face of the congregation but priuately to enioyne men penance for their secret sinnes is an Antichristian yoke Argum. True repentance is a free worke not of compulsion or coaction Saint Paul exhorteth men to iudge themselues that they bee not iudged 1. Corinth 11.31 But now when penance is laid vpon a man and not voluntarilie taken of himselfe hee is iudged rather of another hee doth not iudge himselfe Augustine saith Quem poenitet punit seipsum prorsus aut punis aut punit Deus vt ille non puniat puni tu Hee that repenteth punisheth himselfe either thou punishest or God if thou wilt not haue God to doe it punish thy selfe A man therefore must punish himselfe he must not be punished of another in his repentance to Godward for of outward chastisement to the world now is not the question THE THIRD PART OF PARDONS and Indulgences The Papists 1. THe principall Magistrates of the Church are no lesse authorized to pardon then to punish to remit the temporall punishment due to sinners error 23 the offence being first forgiuen which wee call an Indulgence or pardon Rhemist 2. Corinth 2.4 Concil Trid sess 25. Argum. To whome you forgiue any thing I forgiue also 2. Corinth 2.10 Here the Apostle forgiueth the young man a peece of his punishment when he might haue kept him longer in penance for his offence Rhemist ibid. Ans. 1. Wee denie not but that the Church may release such publike exercise of humiliation which is enioyned offenders for triall of their repentance and some satisfaction of the Church when it seeth that they are sufficiently humbled But it followeth not that the Church therefore may dispence with any necessarie part of repentance towards God Secondly whereas you say the Apostle notwithstanding his rebuke was sufficient might haue kept the young man still in temporall punishment it is cleane contrarie to the Apostles owne rule who perswadeth the Corinthians to forgiue him least he should bee ouercome of too much heauines vers 7. The Apostle therefore would neither forgiue nor release him before they had forgiuen him and hee had satisfied the whole Church verse 10. Neither would hee keepe him longer in punishment hauing once sorrowed sufficiently verse 6. The Apostle therefore did neither binde nor release him at his owne pleasure but as hee sawe repentance to bee wrought in the offender The Protestants THe power which the Pope and popish Bishops doe challenge vnto themselues in giuing Pardons and Indulgences is most blasphemous 1 They doe take vpon them to release both the punishment of this life and the paines of purgatorie also and say that their pardons profite both the dead and the liuing Bull. Leon. 10. 2 They pardon not only the punishment but the sin both past and to come for dayes yeares hundreds thousands of yeeres how so euer the Rhemists would beare vs in hand that an indulgence is a release but of the punishment Such was the first Iubile pardon granted by Boniface 8. an 1300. And another by Leo the 10. an 1513. See also the Boston pardons graunted by Pope Innocent Pope Iuâ—ye Pope Clement which gaue them release of all their sinnes for fiue hundred yeares Fox pag. 1178. 3 And which filled vp the measure of iniquitie they set their pardons to sale as in Pope Leo his time his pardoners for ten shillings would giue to any man power to deliuer one soule at his pleasure out of purgatorie Argum. The scripture saith that God onely forgiueth sinnes Mark 2.7 And that Christ no otherwise then as God forgaue sinnes vers 10. His Apostles onely as his ministers and Ambassadors and in his name declare and pronounce remission of sinnes 2. Corinth 5.19 Wherefore there is no such power giuen vnto men at their pleasure to binde or loose Augustine saith Non secundum arbitrium hominum tenentur aut soluuntur peccata
sed ad arbitrium Dei orationes sanctorum Sinnes are not loosed or retained at the pleasure of men but according to the will of God and praiers of his Church The Papists error 24 2. THe satisfactorie and meritorious workes of the Saints which doe abound being communicable and applicable to the faithfull that want are the very ground of the indulgences and pardons of the Church and the very treasure thereof and to be dispensed according to euery mans neede by the pastors of the Church 2. Corinth 2. sec. 5. Coloss. 1. sect 4. The Protestants HEre are many blasphemies and vntruthes couched together 1 That a mans penalties may exceede and bee greater then his sinnes and so his abounding may supplie another mans want for thus the Rhemists say which cannot stand with the iustice of God to punish a man more then he hath deserued And it is contrarie to the Scriptures Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified Psalm 143.2 And Iob saith If the Lord should call him to account he should not answere one to a thousand 9.3 2 How can the Church gouernours dispense the merites of one to another Who made them stewards of another mans good Yee say also the contrarie your selues That the abounding passioÌ„s of the Saints are applicable to others by the sufferers intention Rhem. 1. Colo. 2.2 Then not by the Churches dispensation 3 It is a great blasphemie that one may bee holpen by another mans merites and it doth derogate from the death of Christ whose onely merites are the treasure and storehouse of the Church The most righteous man that euer was can but saue his owne soule Ezech. 14.14 And that onely by Christ. Augustine saith Vnusquisque pro se rationem reddet nec alieno testimonio quisquam adiuuatur apud Deum vix sibi quisque sufficit c. Euery man shall giue account for himselfe before God no man is holpen by the testimonie of another the testimonie of his owne conscience doth hardly suffice for himselfe The Papists 3. THe dispensing of pardons and indulgences is onely committed they say error 25 to the chiefe magistrates the Popes and Bishops and as the Bishops in their Diocese haue especiall cases reserued to themselues wherein inferiour Priests are not to deale so the Pope hath also his proper reseruations wherein other Prelates are not to meddle Concil Trident. sess 14. cap. 7. The cases reserued to the Pope are 51. in number Fox pag. 785. The Bishop of Paris ann 1515 reserued these cases to himselfe to dispense in murder witchcraft sacrilege heresie simonie adulterie ex Tileman Heshus loc 9. de poeniten err 63. Likewise the yeares of their pardons are limited Bishops may not exceede 40. dayes pardon the Pope may be lauish in his hundreds and thousands yea and this reseruation of cases standeth not onely with the externall policie of the Church but is of force euen before God Concil Trident. sess 14. cap. 7. The Protestants WE will not much contend with them about reseruation of cases for wee acknowledge no such power to giue pardons or indulgences either in superior or inferior Priests yet wee will shew how this deuise of theirs standeth not with their owne doctrine Argum. 1. It is a greater power to remit the sinne then to release the punishment but euery Priest hath the greater power as they say to remit sinnes yea as fullie as hath the Pope himselfe Allen in his booke of pardons cap. 2. Ergo why haue they not the lesse power which is by indulgence to dispense with the punishment And that of these two the remission of sinnes is the greater it is confessed by the Rhemist 2. Corinth 2. sect 6. Argum. 2. In the point of death the reseruation of cases hath no place but at that time euery Priest may absolue from all manner sinnes and punishment Concil Trident. sess 14 cap. 7. But euery houre is with some and ought to be with all the point of death because we are vncertaine when it commeth and therefore ought alwaies to be in a readines Therefore euen by their owne rule euery Priest hath at all times authoritie to absolue in all cases Againe if those words of Christ be spoken to all ministers and preachers of the Gospell Iohn 20.22 Whose sinnes ye reteine c. which cannot bee denied to them all then is committed equally that power of binding and loosing which is exercised by the preaching of the word THE NINTH QVESTION OF THE ceremonies and circumstances of penance The Papists error 26 1. THey enioyne their penitent Clients to poll their heads and their women to weare a vaile to goe in black to put on sackcloth to looke sowrely and such like presumptions they haue concerning the habite of those that doe penance Bellarm. lib. 1. de poenitent cap. 22. The Protestants OVr Sauiour cleane contrarie biddeth his Disciples not to looke sowrely nor to disfigure themselues when they fast and repent or to shew any other outward token of their sorrow but to doe it secretly betweene themselues and God to wash their face to annoynt themselues with oyle that it appeare not to men that they fast Matth. 6.16.17 Augustine also answering a certaine obiection that young men newly married might make How can I shaue my head or change my habite saith thus Vera conuersio sufficit tibi sine vestimentorum commutatione The true conuersion of the heart may suffice thee without changing of thy vesture The Papists error 27 2. THey enioyned them to fast bread water certaine dayes in the weeke to lie hard to absteine from marriage or to doe some great almes deedes to satisfie for their sinne Bellarm. ibid. to goe a pilgrimage and such like workes of penance were prescribed them The Protestants TRue repentance consisteth not in such outward exercise of the bodie but is a conuersion rather of the heart It was the manner of hypocrites idolatâ—rs and superstitious men to seeke to appease their Gods with afflicting of their flesh as the Gentiles did cut their hayre Deut. 14.1 Baals Priests did launch their flesh 1. King 18.28 Argum. What is to be thought of such punishing of the carkasse Saint Paul sheweth Coloss. 2.23 He calleth it voluntarie religion or superstition in not sparing the bodie when men doe not vse such outward exercises of fasting and abstinence for the chastisement of the flesh to subdue it to the spirit but with an opinion of meriting thereby preferring them before the faith and conuersion of the heart as the papists doe Augustine saith Non sit satis quòd doleat sed ex fide doleat non semper doluisse doleat Let it not suffice to bee sorrowfull but let his sorrowe proceede of faith and let it grieue him that hee is not alwaies grieued for his sinne So then true repentance is especially an inward worke of fayth rather then an exercise of the body and it ought alwayes
would haue promised health by calling for the Elders if the gift had not beene generall in euery congregation Ans. 2. Neither is remission of sinnes annexed to the element but to the generall doctrine of prayer made in fayth The prayer of fayth saith the Apostle shall heale the sicke The Protestants EXtreme Vnction is no conuenient ceremonie at all to be vsed in the Church as tending to superstition and breeding a vayne confidence in terrene elements much lesse is it to be holden for a sacrament Argum. 1. It hath no institution from Christ For they themselues confesse that Mark 6.13 there is but a preparatiue to the sacrament of extreme Vnction Rhemist the promulgation and publishing thereof is set forth by the Apostle Iam. 5. But this is not to be admitted that Christ was a preparer of sacraments onely and that they were perfited and finished by his Apostles Nay they were not to adde any thing to the institution of sacraments but to take them as Christ deliuered them 1. Cor. 11.23 Agayne the place in Iames maketh nothing for their popish aneeling for the Apostle would haue al the Elders called but one priest is sufficient to bring your oyntment box Secondly if any man be sick sayth Saint Iames though it be not deadly or mortall sicknes but whensoeuer he is sicke But your Vnction is neuer ministred before the poynt of death Thirdly here health is certainely promised But not one amongst tenne recouereth after your popish aneeling Argum. 2. Christ vsed sometime clay and spittle sometime other elements in healing the diseased as the Apostles vsed oyle why I pray you then may not they be sacraments as well as this For they were signes of healing but for a time no more was the anoynting with oyle Augustine sayth De latere Christi in cruce sacramenta ecclesiae profluxerunt The sacraments of the Church issued out of Christs side vpon the Crosse There gushed out â—â—is side water and blood but wee reade not that any oyle was shedde from 〈◊〉 therefore by Augustines argument Vnction is no sacrament THE SECOND PART OF THE effect and vertue of extreme Vnction The Papists error 53 FIrst it giueth health of body Secondly it wipeth away the reliques of sinne And therefore the priest thus sayth Per istam sanctam Vnctionem suam pijssimam misericordiam indulgeat tibi Deus quicquid deliquisti per visum c. By the vertue of this holy oyntment and the most merciful fauour of God the Lord forgiue thee what thou hast offended by thy sight hearing c. Bellarm. cap. 7.8 The Protestants 1 YOur popish aneeling is not able to heale the bodie as wee see by daylie experience for more die then liue after your anoynting And they that doe recouer should doe as well without your aneeling Wherefore this anoynting of oyle is not like to that vsed by the Apostles for then health certainly followed Iam. 5.14 2 It is also a great blasphemie to ascribe remission of sinnes to a terrene and beggerly element The Apostle saith not the oyle but the Prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke The scripture also testifieth that the Iust shall liue by fayth Rom. 1.17 And we walke by faith not by sight 2. Corinth 5.7 But he that ascribeth remission of sinnes to oyle or any other externall element walketh by sight not by fayth THE THIRD PART OF THE MINISTER of extreme Vnction and the ceremonies The Papists FIrst they giue power only vnto their anoynted Masse priests to aneele the sicke with oyle Lay men haue no authoritie to doe it nor whosoeuer are error 54 no Priests Concil Trident. sess 14. can 4. Secondly for the rite and ceremonie the Priest comming to the sicke must anoynt his fiue senses his eyes eares nostrels mouth and hands also the reines which is the seate of concupiscence and his feete which are the instruments of execution Bellarmin cap. 10. The Protestants 1 THis anoynting which Saint Iames speaketh of was done by the whole company of Elders in euery congregation which were not all the Pastors of the Church Yea and it appeareth by their own Canons Innocent 1. Epist. 1. cap. 8. that it was lawfull for lay men and all Christians to vse this anoynting see Fulk annot Iam. 5. sect 5. 2 What neede the body be anoynted in so many places It is meere superstition of the like minde was Peter sometime when he sayd to Christ who would wash his feete Lord not my feete onely but my hands and my head To whom Christ answered He that is washed neede not saue to wash his feete but is cleane all Iohn 13.9 Where although the words of Christ haue a spirituall meaning yet we see the euident and playne practise of them in Baptisme In the which sacrament we doubt not but that infants are thorougly baptized though euery part be not touched with water And euen so if your aneeling were a sacrament why might it not suffice in some one part of the bodie to be anoynted and not in so many This we are sure of that nowe you speake without booke For the Apostle maketh no mention of anoynting eyes hands or mouth but onely generally of anoynting the sick And thus it appeareth that your extreme Vnction is no sacrament nor any of the other foure which you haue inuented THE CONCLVSION OF THIS treatise concerning the sacrament THus I trust we haue made it pliane by scripture and euidence of argument that there are but two sacraments onely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord left and enioyned to the people of God by our Sauiour Christ for foure things are required to make a sacrament First the authority of Christ in commanding it Secondly the element or external signe as the matter Thirdly the word of institution as the forme Fourthly the end and vse to be a seale of our fayth for remission of sinnes 1 Concerning the efficient cause we finde that two sacraments onely in the new testament are commanded by Christ to be vsed for euer in the Church Baptisme and the Lords Supper which both by his owne example and presence as also his precept and commandement were established 2 There must be an outward visible elementall signe as is water in Baptisme bread and wine in the Lords Supper But so is there not in the fiue popish sacrameÌ„ts For in some there is no signe at all as in Matrimonie where they are driuen to say that the parties that are maried are the signes In some there is a signe but not visible as in absolution the audible voyce of the priest ponouncing the words of absolution is they say the outward signe But in all the sacraments of Christs institution we finde a visible signe In some there is an outward signe but it is an action or gesture only no material element which is not sufficient so is the imposition of hands in giuing of Orders In some there is a materiall signe as Chrisme in Confirmation oyle in extreme Vnction
but they are not of Christs institution 3 They also want a word of institution In Penance the priest sayth I doe absolue thee after particular confession made of his sinnes In Confirmation the words are I signe thee with the signe of the Crosse and confirme thee with the Chrisme of saluation in the name of the Father Son c. In Matrimony I take thee to my wife In giuing of Orders Receiue thou power to offer vp the body of Christ. In extreme Vnction God by the vertue of this oyle forgiue thee thy sinne These they say are the wordes of the institution But they can shew no word of God for them for it is not euery word that sanctifieth but only the word of God 1. Tim. 4. Wherefore seeing they haue no word of institution they are no sacraments Lastly they want the true vse and end of a sacrament which is to strengthen our fayth for the remission of sinnes for in some of these there is no relation at all had to the forgiuenes of sinnes As Matrimonie doth but performe say they the graces of mariage as fidelitie mutuall loue and such like Orders doe conferre the power of priesthood Here is no signe or assurance of the grace of iustification In the rest remission of sinnes is ascribed to other instrumentall meanes then to fayth onely as to satisfactorie workes in Absolution to Chrisme in Confirmation to oyle in extreme Vnction Wherefore we conclude because they are no seales of the righteousnes of fayth as Saint Paul defineth a sacrament Rom. 4.11 that they are no sacraments of Christs institution but superstitious ceremonies deuised by men HERE ENSVE SVCH QVESTIONS AND CONTROVERSIES AS ARE MOOVED CONCERNING THE BENEfites of our redemption purchased vnto vs by the death of Christ. THE SEVENTEENTH CONTROVERSIE ALl the benefites of our redemption may bee brought to these three heads Our predestination vocation and iustification as they are set downe by the Apostle Rom. 8.30 These three then are the parts of this Controuersie THE FIRST PART OF Predestination THe particular questions are these First whether predestination bee of the wicked to condemnation as of the elect to saluation Secondly whether our electiō be of meere grace Thirdly whether it be certaine vnchangeable THE FIRST QVESTION OF Reprobation The Papists GOd they say is not the cause of any mans reprobation or damnation Rhemist error 55 annot Roman 9.1 He intendeth no mans damnation directly or absolutely but in respect of their demerites ibid. sect 5. Argum. 1. Timoth. 2.4 God would haue all men to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Ergo the perishing or damnation of none must be imputed to God Rhemist The Protestants An. 1 NO mā must impute his dānation to God because the wicked are iustly punished for their sins without any respect had vnto the secret counsel of God yet it is certain that God to set forth his glory as he hath made som the vessels of honor so others are ordained to be vessels of wrath without any respect had to their workes either good or euill And this notwithstanding standeth with the iustice of God to saue some and reiect others for he might iustly condemne all to eternall death Now if notwithstanding he haue mercy of some his iustice in the condemnation of the rest is not to be complained of but his mercy to be extolled in sauing of some God indeede would haue all men to bee saued that is sayth Augustine Omnes homines omne genus humanum intelligamus by all men we must vnderstand all sortes or all kindes of men not euery particular man And this is agreeable to the Apostles meaning which before exhorted men to pray for kings and princes and then he giueth this reason because God would haue all men to be saued that is high and low kings and people of all sortes And this place also is to be vnderstood not of the secret but of the reuealed will of God who offereth vnto all the outward meanes of their saluation Thus also Augustine expoundeth these wordes Remota hac discretione quam diuina scientia intra secretum iustitiae suae continet syncerissimè credendum est c. Setting apart the consideration of the secret counsell and iustice of God it is sincerely to bee beleeued that God would haue all men to be saued that is offering vnto all the outward meanes of saluation as his worde and sacraments Contr. articul fals imposit Art 2. Argum. Rom. 9.22 The Apostle speaketh playnly that as God hath prepared some vessels vnto glorie so also some are ordayned to wrath And that the counsell of God is most iust herein for as the Potter may dispose of the clay as it seemeth best to himselfe to make of it a vessell of honor or of dishonor at his pleasure so the Lord hath as great right to deale with his creature And seeing all things ought to be subdued to the glory of God which is set foorth in the destruction of the rebellious as in the election of the faythfull it was necessary and requisite that the Lord should get vnto himselfe both wayes a glorious name therefore he saith Rom. 9.17 That God had set vp Pharao to shew his power in him Augustine sayth Tenenda est inconcussè haec regula impios in peccatis antequam essent in mundo praescitos esse tantùm non praedestinatos poenam autem ijs praedestinatam This rule we must vndoubtedly holde that the wicked were only foreseene or foreknowne of God in their sinnes not predestinate but their punishment was predestinate So then God ordayneth not men to sin but he ordayneth men to punishment not hauing relation to their sinnes but in his owne secret counsell Yet are not the wicked to complayne for they are iustly forsaken because of their rebellion and disobedience Neither are the godly and faythfull by this doctrine to be discouraged for as much as God hath not denied them the grace of his spirite but hath giuen them fayth and repentance and strength to walke before him in his feare all which are pledges vnto them of their free election and saluation in Christ. THE SECOND QVESTION WHETHER PREdestination proceede from the free will and purpose of God without relation to our workes The Papists GOd doth not hate or reprobate any man but for sinne or the foresight thereof error 56 Rhemist Rom. 9. sect 2. Neither doth Christ appoint any by his absolute and eternal election to be partakers of the fruite of his redemption without any condition or respect of their own works obediēce or free will Rhem. Heb. 5.9 Argum. Heb. 5.9 He is made the author of eternal saluation to al that obey him they are not we see elected without condition of obedience Rhemist The Protestants Ans. 1. GOd indeede electeth all that shall be saued not with any condition on their behalfe but on his owne behalfe for vnto them whome hee chooseth he will giue grace to obey
godly men there remaineth doubt mistrust feare error 72 of hell and damnation and the feare of Gods iudgements causeth iust men to humble themselues least they should be damned And so S. Paul saith Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Philipp 2. Rhemist 1. Iohn 4. sect â— The Protestants Ans. WE acknowledge a dutifull reuerence feare of God alwaies remaining in the godly but it is farre from that seruile and slauish feare which is caused onely by the remembrance of hell fire and eternall iudgement Augustine doth thus resemble the matter The chaste wife saith he and the adulterous doe both feare their husbands sed casta timet ne discedat vir adultera ne veniat But the chaste wife is afraid least her husband should depart the adulterous is afraid least he should come Such a feare as is in the chaste wife we graunt to be in the children of God but not the other 2. We also confesse that the horror of hell is profitable to make a way and entrance for the calling of worldly and hard harted men as the needle or bristle as Augustine saith maketh a way for the thread But in a man already called this feare is expelled by loue as the Apostle saith 1. Ioh. â— â—8 For we must be of those that loue the appearing of Christ 2. Tim. 4.8 Not of that number which feare it and wish it were prolonged August Si possumus efficere fratres vt dies iudicij non veniret puto quia nec sic erat male viuendum If we could bring it about that the day of iudgement should not come at all we ought not for all that to liue ill His meaning is that we ought not to liue well onely for feare of Gods iudgements THE FIFTH PART OF THE VSE of the Law The Papists error 73 THe law they say is by Christ Ministratio vitae effecta made the ministration of life Andr. lib. 5. in qua omnis nostra salus consistit wherein consisteth our saluation Catech. Colom ex Tileman de leg loc 3. err 14. they call it Verbum fidei and verbum Christi the word of Christ and the word of Faith to be obeyed and followed of all Christians that which Christ vttered to the yong man Math. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements Concil Trident. sess 6. cap. 7. So their opinion is that the law is made vnto vs a meane and instrument of our saluation The Protestants Ans. FIrst our Sauiour vttered those words to the yong man onely to humble him thereby and to teach him to know him selfe for otherwise the Apostles should haue taught contrary doctrine to their master who exhort men onely to beleeue and they shal be saued Act. 16.31 Argum. The Law was not ordeined to saue men but it serueth onely as a Schoolemaster as S. Paul saith to bring vs to Christ Galath 3.24 It also reuealeth and discouereth sinne Rom. 7.7 The Apostle also calleth it the killing letter and ministery of condemnation 2. Cor. 3.6.9 How then can it procure our saluation therefore what can be more opposite and contrary to Scripture then this assertion of theirs Let Augustine speake Testimonium legis eis qui ea non legitimè vtuntur testimonium est quo conuincantur eis qui legitimè vtuntur testimonium est quo demonstratur quò liberandi confugere debeant peccatores The testimonie of the law to them which vse it not aright is a testimony to conuince them to them which doe a testimony to teach them to whom sinners ought to flie for their deliuerance Ergo the law doth not it selfe worke our deliuerance but sendeth vs to our deliuerer THE THIRD PART OF THIS controuersie of Iustification THe particular questions are these First of Free will and the power thereof Secondly of Faith Thirdly of good workes Fourthly of the manner of our iustification THE FIRST QVESTION of Free will THe parts of this question First whether free will in spirituall things were vtterly extinguished by the sinne of Adam Secondly of the power and strength of free will in vs. THE FIRST PART WHETHER FREE WILL be vtterly lost by the transgression of Adam The Papists FRee will is not vtterly extinguished but onely abated in strength and attenuated error 74 Concil Trid. sess 6. cap. 1. The Rhemists also gather by the parable of the man in the Gospell that lay for halfe dead Luk. 10. vers 30. that neither vnderstanding nor free will and other powers of the soule are vtterly extinguished and taken away but wounded onely by the sinne of Adam Rhemist ibid. The Protestants Ans. IT is but a feeble collection and of small force which they draw from this allegorie for allegories and similitudes as they know themselues right well doe not hold in all things but wherein onely they are compared neither doe they necessarily conclude Argum. But that we are altogether dead in sinne by the transgression of Adam the scripture speaketh plainly in many places without allegorie Ephes. 2.1 5. When we were dead in our sinnes he hath quickened vs in Christ. Likewise Coloss. 2.13 he sayth not as in the parable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they left him for halfe dead but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plaine dead men indeed Augustine sayth Cum peccauit primus homo non in parte aliqua sed tota qua conditus est natura deliquit When the first man sinned he did not offend in any one part but wholly in that nature wherein he was created And in another place Natura tota fuit per liberum arbitrium in ipsa radice vitiata Our nature wholly was corrupted by free will in the very roote or originall that is in Adam Ergo all the powers both of bodie and soule wholly corrupt and decayed in spirituall things THE SECOND PART OF THE POWER AND strength of free will in man The Papists THey say not that a man by his free will only is able to liue well or to obtaine error 75 eternall life but yet by the power of free will stirred prepared and assisted by the grace of God he is able to doe it The first stirring then and motion of the heart they say is of God Then it is the part of free will to apprehend the grace offered and to giue consent vnto it and to worke together with it Trid. Concil sess 6. cap. 5. can 4. Eckius setteth downe foure steps or degrees to iustification The beginning of our calling is onely of God by inspiring of grace into vs this is the first degree The second is in our owne power to giue assent vnto grace once inspired Thirdly to obtaine that which by so assenting we doe desire is onely of Gods gift and this is the third degree gratiae gratum facientis of grace which maketh vs gracious or acceptable The fourth degree of perseuerance in the grace of saluation receiued is partly in our power and free will partly of the grace of God
our mindes our willes are altogether passiue in respect of the generall power and naturall motion of willing thinking and vnderstanding they are also actiue The seuerall poynts then wherein we and our aduersaries dissent about free will are these 1. They say that man was neuer without free will but it is made more free by grace Rhemist Iohn 8. sect 2. that is our free will is not altogether corrupt but there remaineth some freedome therein euen before grace Ans. Cleane contrarie to S. Paul who denieth that in his flesh dwelleth any good thing Rom. 7.18 but sayth he by nature was wholly sold vnto sinne vers 14. How then can there remaine any goodnes in our will without grace Augustine consenteth Laborant homines inuenire in voluntate quid boni sit nostrum quod non sit ex Deo quod quomodo inueniri possit ignoro Men doe labour to finde some goodnes in the will that is of our selues and not of God but I am altogether ignorant how any such thing should be found 2. The beginning of our calling and the first motions and stirrings of the heart are of grace but to consent is wholly in our power so belike God beginneth the good worke and we continue it This is right the old Pelagian heresie Gratiam Dei non ad singulos actus dari That the grace of God need not be giuen at euery assay but it is enough if God giue a hint and shewe vs the beginning and we will performe the rest This heresie is confuted by Augustine Epistol 106. And in another place Nos eam gratiam volumus saith he qua non solum reuelatur sapientia sed amatur non suadetur bonum sed persuadetur We vnderstand that grace by the which wisedome is not only reuealed but loued we are not moued and stirred only to good things but throughly perswaded Wherefore it is not God that beginneth the good worke in vs onely but also continueth and finisheth it for all things are by Iesus Christ 1. Corinth 8.7 no good thing in vs but by him 3. They also renew another heresie of the Pelagians who taught That what men are commanded to doe by free will facilius impleri per gratiam is but more easily performed by grace What els doe the Rhemists say giuing this note that although the Gentiles do especially beleeue by Gods grace yet they doe beleeue by their free will Act. 13.2 So grace helpeth them only more especially fully or easely to beleeue Whereupon it followeth that they may beleeue without grace though not so especially Now then we are to proue against our aduersaries that our free will hath no power at all of it selfe to will or doe that which is good no further then it is guided and not onely in part assisted but wholly directed by the spirit of God Argum. 1. Philipp 2.13 God worketh in vs both the will and the deede yea and the thought to 2. Cor. 3.5 He sayth not God and we worke but he himselfe worketh he is all in all Argum. 2. Iohn 6.44 No man commeth to me vnlesse my father draw him But he is not drawne that giueth assent of his owne accord for so they say that God first toucheth the heart with his spirit and then it is in the power of man to giue consent But the scripture speaketh otherwise how that God draweth vs he draweth our will and maketh vs to giue assent vnto his grace He it is that taketh away the stonie heart and giueth an heart of flesh Ezech. 11.19 Ergo he prepareth and addresseth the will wholly For like as a stone hath no fleshy nature in it no more hath the naturall will of men any goodnesse dwelling therein Augustine Quicquid vult bonum quicquid potest à Domino est quia sine me ait Dominus nihil potestis facere Iohn 15. Whatsoeuer a man either willeth or is able to doe it is of God as the Lord sayth in the Gospell Without me you can doe nothing Ergo without grace the will is able to doe nothing it is then wholly corrupt in it selfe It followeth therefore that our will and Gods grace worke not together but God by his spirit worketh alone in vs. THE SECOND QVESTION of Faith THe parts of the question First what faith is Secondly of the diuers kindes of faith Thirdly of the forme of faith Fourthly how we are iustified by faith Fiftly whether faith be meritorious Sixtly whether it be in our owne power Seuenthly whether faith may be lost Eightly whether wicked men haue faith THE FIRST PART WHAT FAITH IS whereby we are iustified The Papists error 76 IVstifying faith or faith that iustifieth is not that assured beleefe and confidence of the heart whereby we are perswaded that our sinnes are forgiuen vs in Christ Concil Trident. sess 6. can 13. It is a generall or vniuersall beleeuing the articles of Christs death and resurrection not any fond speciall faith fiducia or confidence of each mans owne saluation Rhemist Rom. 4. sect 9. Argum. Abrahams faith was nothing els but his beleefe of a certaine article reuealed vnto him from God and credite giuen to Gods speeches Rhemist ibid. Ans. Abrahams faith was not onely a generall or historicall beleefe that Gods speeches were true but a sure confidence and trust in God that his promises pertained vnto him and that he himselfe should bee blessed in that promised seede as our Sauiour testifieth Iohn 8.56 Abraham desired to see my day and he sawe it and was glad For whereof sprang that exceeding ioy in Abraham but vpon that certaine hope and perswasion which he had of his owne saluation in Christ The Protestants A Iustifying faith is not onely a generall beleefe of the articles of faith that Christ was borne dyed rose againe for them that beleeue but it is an assured and stedfast confidence whereby euery faithfull man particularly doth applie to himselfe the generall promises of God for the hope of remission of his sinnes in Christ that Christ dyed rose againe and did all the rest euen for him Argum. 1. Saint Iames sayth The diuels also doe beleeue that God is and doe tremble yea no doubt but they beleeue the word of God is true and confesse all the articles of the faith for they acknowledge Christ to be the Sonne of the liuing God Mark 5.7 But the faith of diuels is no iustifying faith Ergo neither this historicall and generall faith Argum. 2. Saint Paul was saued by no other faith then the common iustifying faith of all Christians but this faith wrought a particular perswasion in him From henceforth is layd vp for me a crowne of righteousnes 2. Timoth. 8. Ergo such ought the faith of all Christians to be Augustine sayth Nos non simul omnes sed paulatim singulatim credentes congregamur in vnam quandam ciuitatem We sayth he not beleeuing all at once but euery man asunder and by himselfe are gathered into one
WOrkes done before iustification though they suffice not to saluation error 93 yet be acceptable preparatiues to the grace of iustification and such as moue God to mercie As were the almes deedes and prayer in Cornelius Act. 10. sect 5. Rhemist The Protestants Ans. COrnelius prayers and almes were not without fayth as Augustine confesseth Non sine aliqua fide donabat orabat He did not giue almes pray without some fayth And he proueth it by that saying of the Apostle Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Seeing then Cornelius had fayth his iustification also was begun for so soone as fayth commeth it iustifieth These were not then workes preparatiue to fayth and iustification but the fruites of his fayth and iustification begun Argum. Before fayth come there can be no workes of preparation acceptable to God because Without fayth it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11.6 Augustine also sayth Ea ipsa opera ante fidem quae videntur hominibus laudabilia inania sunt those very workes which seeme to be commendable before fayth are altogether vaine and vnprofitable If they be vaine they are no preparations to fayth THE SECOND PART OF THE two kindes of iustification The Papists error 94 THere is a first iustification which is meerely of grace without workes as when an Infidel is made iust who had no acceptable workes before to be iustified by The second iustification is that wherein hee that is in Gods grace daylie proceedeth in by good workes Rhemist Rom. 2.3 This iustification and sanctification are all one Concil Trident. sess 6. cap. 7. And it is augmented and increased by the merite of worke sess 6. can 24. Argum. Of the first iustification S. Paul speaketh where he saith We are iustified by fayth without workes Rom 3.28 Of the second Saint Iames intreateth A man is iustified by workes and not of fayth onely 2.24 Rhemist Ans. This your deuice of first and second iustification is but a new deuice not yet 60. yeare olde your second iustification is nothing els but the effect fruits of iustification before God and a declaration that wee are iust before men Saint Paul and Saint Iames do speake of one and the same iustification by faith But they take the word diuersly for Saint Iames by iustifiyng meaneth nothing els but a testifiyng or declaration of our iustification before men And in this sense is the word taken Math. 11.19 Wisdome is iustified of her children that is declared to be iust The Protestants FIrst iustification and sanctification are two diuers things We are iustified by fayth onely by the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ Roman 4.7 We are sanctified when by fayth working by loue we walke in newnes of life These two are perpetually distinguished in the scriptures I meane iustification and sanctification 1. Corinth 1.30 6.11 and Galath 5.25 If wee liue in the spirite let vs walke in the spirite Our iustification is the liuing in the spirit our sanctification the walking in the spirite Secondly our workes can be no cause of the increase of our iustification and the grace of God in vs But both our iustification and sanctification are the free gifts of God For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Corint 4.7 This was the olde Pelagian heresie that the grace of God is giuen according to our workes confuted by Augustine Epistol 106. Gratia iam non erit gratia quia secundum merita datur nam merces fidei auctae erit merces coeptae Thus grace shal be no grace for it is giuen according to merite for the increase of fayth or iustice is made the hyre or wages of fayth that is begun Thirdly the scripture speaketh but of one iustification which glorification followeth Rom. 8.30 Whom he iustified them also hee glorified vnles you will haue another iustification to come after our glorificatiō Likewise Rom. 4. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen ver 7. The iustification in remission of sinnes doth make a man blessed Ergo it is the onely sufficient iustification And Augustine accordingly sayth Donando delicta fecit se debitorem coronae by forgiuing our sinnes he hath made himselfe a debtor for the crowne or reward We see heauen is promised at the first remission of our sinnes what neede then any other iustification Wherefore it is a false and blasphemous decree in the Councel of Trent that wee are not iustified onely by remission of our sinnes sess 6. can 11. THE THIRD PART OF inherent iustice The Papists THey teach that men are not iustified by the onely imputation of the righteousnes error 95 of Christ Trid. Concil sess 6. can 11. Neither that wee are formally made iust by the righteousnes of Christ can 10. but by iustice inherent in vs whereby we are not onely reputed and accounted iust but are truely called iust and are so indeede sess 6. cap. 7. Rhemist Rom. cap. 2. sect 4. Argum. Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers of the law but the doers are iustified Ergo we are iustified by an inherent iustice Rhemist Ans. 1. Saint Paul speaketh of the iustification of the law and proueth by this argument that none could be iustified by the law because none were able to doe it And without performing of the law there was no iustification by the law what is this to the iustification of fayth 2. But if we will vnderstand it of the true iustification of Christians it must so be taken as August saith Non vt factorib iustificatio accedat sed factores legis iustificatio praecedat not that iustification doth come to the doers but that it goeth before the doers of the law The Protestants WE acknowledge an inherent iustice in all faithful men beleeuers but it is imperfect not able to iustifie them before God it is no other then sanctification which is a fruit of iustification But that iustice whereby we are iust before God not falsely accounted but made truly iust by God is by the righteousnes of Christ onely which we apprehend by fayth Argum. That iustice whereby we haue peace with God is the only iustice whereby we are iustified before God for vntil we are cleared and made iust before God it is impossible to haue peace with him But this is onely the iustice of faith Rom. 5.1 Ergo by this iustice onely are we iust before God August hath a good speech Si dixerimus quod nihil iustitiae habemus aduersum Dei dona mētimur si enim iustitiae nihil habemus nec fidem habemus si autem fidem habemus iam aliquid habemus iustitiae If we say we haue no iustice at all in vs we do belye the good gifts of God for if we haue no iustice we haue no faith But if we haue faith then haue we some iustice in vs. Here Augustine acknowledgeth no inherent iustice but onely the iustice of fayth THE FOVRTH PART OF
so well knowne in stories that I neede not come to particulars 6 Antichrist is called a wicked man and a man of sinne vers 3.8 And where shall you finde more wicked men then among the Popes Siluester the 2. gaue his soule to the diuell to obtayne the Papacie Fox pag. 167. Benno reporteth of Hildebrand that he poysoned sixe Popes to come to the Popedome Pope Stephen and Sergius tooke vp the bodie of Formosus and mangled it cutting off his head and fingers and so cast it into Tibris Fox pag. 120. We haue heard before what a holy Father Pope Iohn the 13. was he lay with his owne sister and with his fathers Concubines playing at dice called for the diuell was slayne in adulterie And was it not I pray you a common prouerbe in England He that goeth to Rome once seeth a wicked man he that goeth twise learneth to know him he that goeth the third time bringeth him home with him Fox pag. 841. argument Illyrici The third place we doe take out of the Apocalyps chap. 9. where is a playne storie set downe of the Pope 1 vers 1. He is a starre fallen from heauen he is departed from the ancient faith of Rome to superstition and idolatrie 2 He hath the key of the bottomlesse pit who giueth the crosse keyes in his armes but the Pope who sayth hee may euacuate all Purgatorie at once if hee will but he Who sayth he may Pleno iure currus animarum plenos secum ad tartara detrudere by full right carrie downe to hell with him charriots Ioden with soules cap. si Papa distinct 42. Is not this the Pope who then more fitly may be sayd to haue the key of the bottomlesse pit 3 There arise out of the bottomlesse pit a great flocke of Locusts that is the innumerable sort of begging Friers for they are in euery respect described First compared to Locusts for their number vers 3. There were an 100. diuers sorts of Friers Fox pag. 260. Secondly they had power giuen them for fiue moneths that is as Walter Brute expoundeth it taking a moneth for thirtie dayes a day for a yeere as it is prophetically taken an 150. yeeres for so long it was from the beginning of the Friers vnder Innocent the 3. anno 1212. to the time of Armachanus who preached disputed and wrote agaynst the Friers about anno 1360. Fox pag. 414. Thirdly they shall sting like Scorpions not slay all at once but venome and poyson the conscience with the sting of their pestilent doctrine Fourthly other parts also of the description agree as vers 7. They are as horses prepared to battaile that is stoute ambitious their haire as the haire of women that is they shall be effeminate and giuen to the lusts of the flesh their teeth as the teeth of Lions they by valiant begging shall deuoure the portions of the poore as it was well proued in King Henry the 8. dayes in the Supplication of beggars that the summe of the Friers almes came to a great summe in the yeere for the fiue orders of Friers had a penie a quarter for euery one of euery housholder throughout England that is for them all twentie pence by the yeere suppose that there be but ten housholds in euery towne and let there be twentie thousand parishes and townes in England it will not want much of twentie thousand pound Thus had they Lions teeth that is consuming and deuouring Lastly they haue a King vers 11. whose name is Abaddon a destroyer for the Pope their chiefe prince and patron hath by his Antichristian doctrine layd wast the Church of God Argument Chytraei The fourth place of scripture wee will take out of the 17. of the Apocalyps there the seate of Antichrist is described First vers 5. It is called Babylon the citie which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth vers 18. This can be no other but Rome which then had the Empire of the whole world Secondly It is the citie built vpon seuen hils or mountaynes vers 9. that is no other but Rome Thirdly the whore which is Antichrist shall sit vpon the beast with seuen heads and ten hornes that is shall succeede in the Empire and haue the authoritie thereof so hath the Pope Fourthly the ten hornes that is the Kings of the earth shal giue their authoritie to the beast but afterward shall deuoure her flesh Euen so the Kings of the earth by their sword maintayned the authoritie of the Pope But now being taught by the Gospell they are made the Lords free men and begin to subdue their neckes from his yoke The fift place is 1. Iohn 2.22 Who is a lyar but he that denyeth that Iesus is Christ the same is Antichrist that denyeth the father and the sonne Euen so the Pope of Rome though not openly and apertly yet closely and subtilly is an enemie vnto the whole trinitie He exalteth himselfe aboue God the father because he taketh vpon him to dispense not onely agaynst the lawe of nature but agaynst the lawe of God the morall law and agaynst the precepts both of the old and new testament but a lawe cannot be dispensed withall but by the same authoritie or greater Agaynst Iesus Christ he exalteth himselfe and all his offices he denyeth him to be the onely Prophet saying the scriptures are vnperfect and that their traditions are also necessarie to saluation Agayne he maketh other bookes scripture then those which are Canonicall His kingly office he doth arrogate to himselfe in making lawes to binde the conscience in ordayning other Sacraments in granting Indulgences and Pardons saying that he is the head of the Church His Priesthood he is an enemie vnto constituting another priesthood after the order of Melchisedech then that of our Sauiour Christ which begun vpon the Crosse and remayneth still in his person being incommunicable to any other creature yet they make euery sacrificing Priest to bee of the order of Melchisedech He impugneth the office of the holy spirit counting that prophane which the holy Ghost hath sanctified as marriage and meates arrogateth in all things the spirit of truth not to erre applieth the merites of Christs passion after his owne pleasure by Pardons Indulgences by ceremonies and Sacraments of his owne inuention Fulk 2. Thess. 2. sect 10. Ergo we conclude out of S. Iohn that seeing he denieth Iesus to be Christ he is Antichrist Sixtly S. Paul sayth that Antichrist shal be an aduersarie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Thess. 2.4 An aduersarie in doctrine teaching cleane contrarie to the Gospell of Christ so doth the Pope 1 The scripture sayth wee ought to put our trust onely in God and not in man Ierem. 17.7 and to call vpon God onely in the day of trouble Psal. 50.15 and to worship him in spirit and truth Iohn 4.24 The Papists say cleane contrarie that we must call vpon Saints and beleeue they can helpe vs and they teach vs to fall downe before
olde blinde latine translation then the authenticall Greeke text the words in the originall are Euery spirite that confesseth not Iesus Christ not euery spirite that dissolueth And this may appeare to bee the true reading by the opposition in the former verse Euery spirite that confesseth Iesus is of GOD therefore this is the best reading Euery spirite that confesseth not Iesus as being set opposite and contrarie to the other verse Againe the Rhemists vnderstand this place after their owne reading of the dissoluing of the humanitie and diuinitie of Christ not of any such separation of the flesh and blood of Christ as Bellarm supposeth 3 This their deuice of concomitance ouerthwarteth the institution of Christ For he sayth the bread is his body the wine his blood but by their rule the bread is his blood and the wine his bodie And be it graunted that the blood of Christ is in the bread yet how can any man be sayd to drink it in bread We vse to eate bread not to drink bread his blood therefore cannot be there because it cannot be drunke there Argum. 2. Luk. 24.30 Christ brake bread to his disciples Act. 2.42 the Apostles brake bread Ergo to communicate in one kinde is grounded vpon the example of Christ and his Apostles Bellarmin lib. 4. de Eucharist 24. Rhemist Iohn 6.11 And Christ sayth Whosoeuer shall eate this bread shall liue for euer Iohn 6.58 Ergo it is sufficient to receiue in one kinde Answer 1. To the two first places we say that it is not necessary to vnderstand the breaking of bread in the sacrament but the vsuall bread rather which was accustomed in their daylie repasts and feasts after thankesgiuing to be broken Or if we take it for the sacrament the breaking of bread is by a Synecdoche taken for the whole mysterie as it is an vsuall phrase of speech in scripture for otherwise wee will conclude as well that Christ and the Apostles did but consecrate in one kinde which they holde for a great absurditie as that the other receiued but in one kinde But their opinion is that although the people must communicate in one kinde onely yet the Priest must consecrate both Rhemist annotat Iohn 6. sect 11. 2 To the second place wee answere First it is not vnderstoode of the sacramentall eating of Christ but of the spirituall manducation of him which may be done without a sacrament For whosoeuer eateth this bread shall liue for euer but whosoeuer eateth the sacrament shall not liue for euer Secondly seeing the eating and drinking of Christ are so often ioyned in this chapter as vers 53.55.56 they might well know that drinking is here to be vnderstoode though it be not expressed Argum. 3. In many countries there is no wine to bee had as in the cold Northerly countreies and therefore they cannot communicate according to the institution whereupon that there might be an vniformitie in all Churches it is most meete that where wine may bee had they should notwithstanding be content to receiue it in one kinde Bellarmin cap. 28. Also there may arise much inconuenience in graunting the cuppe to the people as in spilling and sheading the wine which after consecration is the blood of Christ Rhemist annot Iohn 6. sect 11. Answ. 1. As in some countries there is no wine to bee had so wee finde that in certaine places and regions of the world there is no bread such as Christ vsed made of wheate or the like grayne as in some places amongst the West Indians they haue a certaine kinde of bread made of rootes called Cazabi as Benzo witnesseth Wherefore by this reason of vniformitie wee should not communicate at all either in bread or wine seeing that as some countreyes are destitute of wine so other are of bread but all this not withstanding the sacrament may be duely administred in all places in both kindes and where they haue neither bread nor wine neither can possibly prouide them they may safely vse such other elements as doe stand them in the like stead as in the place of bread that which commeth nearest to the vse thereof and for wine some other precious liquor that is to be had as in Russia in stead of wine they vse a certaine drink like vnto that which we call Metheglen 2 As for the other reasons of the inconueniences in spilling the wine shaking the cuppe the hanging of it on mens beards other such friuolous allegations as they were no let or hinderance why Christ notwithstanding did not institute the sacrament in both kindes and the Church accordingly obserued it as we reade the Corinthians did communicate in both kindes so ought they to bee no reason why Christians should not receiue in both kindes nowe The Protestants WE holde it to be an Antichristian practise of the Church of Rome to take away from the people the cuppe in the sacrament for although they sometime minister the cuppe to the people yet they vse no consecration ouer it neither giue it as any parte of the sacrament Fulk annotat 1. Corinth 4.10 sect 4. They doe therefore offer great wrong to the people of God in depriuing them of the one halfe of the communion Argum. 1. Iohn 6.53 Christ sayth Except you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his blood you haue no life in you Here wee see both eating and drinking are ioyned together Ergo Christians ought to doe both This place maketh strongly against our aduersaries who doe expound it of the sacramental eating and drinking of Christ. Argum. 2. Christ instituted the sacrament in both kinds giuing charge and commaundement to all Christians in the same manner to celebrate it for he sayth Drinke ye all of this If our aduersaries answere as they doe that this was spoken to the Apostles by the like reason they may say also that when Christ sayd Take eate he spake vnto his Apostles and so the people shoulde neither receiue bread and wine but the Ministers onely Agayne Saynt Paul the best expounder of our Sauiour Christ declareth the right vse of the Lords Supper in both kindes for all Christians for hee writeth to the whole congregation and Church of the Corinthians not to the Pastors and teachers onely and to euery Christian he sayth Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe vers 28. Argum. 3. The Priest that saith Masse you allow to consecrate and receiue in both kindes because hee must expresse liuely the passion of Christ and the separation of his blood from his bodie in the same Rhemist annotat Iohn 6.58 By the same reason all the communicants ought to receiue in both kindes because they doe all shewe foorth the death of Christ and sheading of his blood in the sacrament 1. Corinthian 11.26 And seeing the cuppe is a signe of the blood of Christ shedde for remission of sinnes Math. 26.28 for as much as the thing signified that is
the remission of sinnes in the blood of Christ is common to all faythfull Christians why should they not as well be partakers of the signe Argum. 4. This prohibition for lay men not to receiue in both kindes is but a late deuise of the Church of Rome not past two hundred yeare olde decreed no longer agoe then in the Councell of Constance Fox pag. 1150. yet after that he Councel of Basile graunted the vse and libertie of the cup to the Bohemians Fox pag. 694. Thus they take vpon them to ouer-rule mens consciences now restrayning now againe graunting libertie binding and loosing at their pleasure In Augustines time there was no such separation of the cuppe from the bread but both were indifferently vsed in the communion Cum cibo potu saith he id appetant homines vt neque esuriant neque sitiant hoc veraciter non praestat nisi iste cibus potus c. As men by their meate and drink doe prouide that they neither hunger nor thirst so this spirituall meate and drink worketh the same effect in vs. Whereupon it followeth that seeing in the sasacrament is contained and signified the full and sufficient nourishment of our soules by the flesh and blood of Christ it must needes be resembled by the outward full sufficient nourishment of our bodies which is not by eating alone but by eating and drinking THE NINTH QVESTION OF THE adoration of the Eucharist The Papists error 124 IT was decreed in the Councel of Trent that the Eucharist should be adored euen with the highest degree of worship Cultu latreiae which is proper to God that it should also be carried about in solemne processions to be shewed to the people to bee worshipped and adored of them And whosoeuer holdeth the contrary they pronounce accursed Trident. Concil sess 13. can 6. Argum. 1. Hebr. 1.6 Worship him all ye Angels Ergo Christ in the sacrament and wheresoeuer else his person is ought to bee adored of men and Angels Rhemist ibid. This Saint Paul meaneth they say by discerning the Lords bodie 1. Corinth 11.29 that is adoring worshipping it and making prayers vnto it Rhemist ibid. Answ. 1. We denie Christ to be present in the sacrament really corporally substantially therefore it is not to be adored 2. Although the body of Christ were present in that manner vnder the accidents of bread and wine yet vnlesse Christ bee so present that the elements or the accidents of the elements be ioyned and vnited vnto him in one person as the Godhead and humanitie make but one person hee is no more to bee adored then God the father is to bee worshipped in the Sunne or Moone in the which he is verily present But to say that the visible formes and elements are ioyned in an hypostaticall vnion to Christ as his humanity is to his Godhead it is great blasphemie 3. A reuerent estimation and discerning of the Lordes bodie we graunt in the sacrament in preferring the elements before all other meates and drinkes because of their mysticall signification as wee preferre the mysticall washing in Baptisme before all other but to kneele holde vp the handes and to worship a peece of bread wee count it grosse and abominable Idolatrie The Protestants THat the sacrament is not to be adored with any godly worship but onely to be duely reuerenced as an holy mysterie thus wee prooue it by the worde of God Argum. 1. In the first instituting of the sacrament the Apostles receiued it sitting not kneeling by taking of it not lifting vp their handes to it Ergo they did not adore it neither is it by vs to be adored Agayne Christ commaundeth vs onely to Take and eate and drinke and to doe all in remembrance of him the sacrament therefore was appoynted to be eaten and drunken not to be carried about or to bee gazed vpon or to be kneeled vnto Argum. 2. Christ as we haue shewed is no otherwise present in the Eucharist then in Baptisme But the water in Baptisme is not to be adored Ergo neither the bread in the sacrament Augustine did not so much as dreame of any adoration of the sacrament A Cerere Libero Paganorum dijs longè absumus quamus panis calicis sacramentum nostro ritu amplectimur Wee doe not worship the heathenish Gods of corne and wine Ceres and Bacchus although after our manner wee embrace the sacrament of the bread and of the cuppe His meaning is that Christians do not worship bread and wine in the sacrament as the heathen did Cont. Faust. In sacramenti sanctificatione distributione existimo Apostolum propriè iussisse fieri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orationes 1. Tim. 2.1 Quod verò quidam codices non habent orationes sed adorationes non arbitror scienter interpretatum In the consecrating and distributing of the sacrament I think the Apostle bade orations or prayers to be made not as some doe vnlearnedly interpret adorations or worshippings Epistol 59. Ergo hee approueth not the adoration of the sacrament AN APENDIX OR TENTH PART whether the wicked doe receiue the bodie of Christ. The Papists THe wicked they say doe in the sacrament eate the true flesh of Christ and error 125 drinke his blood though they be Infidels and ill liuers Argum. They are guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ 1. Corinth 11.27 How can they be guiltie of that which they haue not receiued And agayne by the vnworthy receiuing of no other sacrament is a man made guiltie of the body and blood of Christ but onely here Ergo the wicked are partakers of his body Rhemist annot 1. Corint 11. sect 16. Answere 1. The wicked may be guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ in vnworthy receiuing the sacrament though Christ be not corporally present Euen as he that contumeliously receiueth the seale of the prince or abuseth his image is guiltie of the Maiestie of the prince though he haue not hurt his person 2. He also may bee guiltie of the blood of Christ that despiseth Baptisme which he receiued as a signe of his washing in the blood of Christ. And so the Apostle sayth of wicked men that fall away from Christian religion that they crucifie agayne to themselues the Sonne of God Heb. 6.6 Augustine also bringeth in Christ thus speaking to the wicked in the day of iudgement Grauior apud me est peccatorum tuorum crux in qua inuitus pendeo quà m illa in quam tuimisertus ascendi the crosse of thy sinnes whereby thou didst crucifie me was more grieuous vnto me then the Crosse to the which for thy cause I was lifted vp Serm. 181. cap. 7. de tempor Thus we see that wicked men by their sinfull life may crucifie Christ though they can offer no violence to his body The Protestants THat wicked men and Infidels cannot in any sense be partakers of the true bodie and blood of Christ thus it is prooued Argum. 1. By faith only are