43. Math. 27. 46. â—2 death but Christ our Sauiour was in such an Agonie that his sweate was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground so that an Angell appeared from heauen comforting him He cryed and said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Whereby it doth euidently appeare that hee suffred not onely an outward death of the body but did in his soule wrastle with the paines of Hell and beare the burden of GODS wrath due to our sinnes to deliuer vs from the same and to purchase the loue and mercy of God vnto vs. And when the prophet saith of him He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes Isa 53. 4. 5. 6. he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our peace was laid vpoÌ„ him and with his stripes we are healed Alwe like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the inâ—quity of vs all Did not our Sauiour Christ heere in suffer the punishment which was due to our sinnes Saint Paul saith that Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law being made a curse for vs for Galath 3. 13. it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree yet Iesus Christ was neuer accursed of his Father but he bare in his body and soule the curse that was due to our sinnes to deliuer vs from the curse of God aind to purchase to vs the blessing of God But these men who other-wayes are so full of curious distinctions doe herein erre because they doe not with Saint Augustine put a difference betweene that which appertained to Christs owne person Augustin psal 21 c. and that which hee suffered in the person and place of vs the which if this writer or rather slaunderer had don hee might haue abstained from these his blasphemous collections of his owne and not our assertions As if Christ had despaired of his Saluation or GOD had hated him c. Where-unto I answere that Christ was farre from such despaire which properly is a sinne in the reprobate and not a punishment of Gods iustice And we hould that our Sauiour Christ suffered in our person and for vs those torments which are righteous punishments of GODS iustice against sinne and not such as properly bee sinnes in the deuils and in wicked and reprobate men as are despaire and hatred of God And therefore we confesse with our mouthes and beleeue with our hearts that Christ was neuer hated of his Father but alwaies the deerely beloued Sonne of God in whome he was alwayes well pleased But hee hated sinne the which as man had committed so in mans nature Gods iustice was to be satisfied The which for that corrupt and sinfull man was not able to performe the Sonne of God as I said became our surety tooke vpon him our nature and in the same hath suffered vpon the crosse the punishment of Gods anger due to our sinnes and thereby hath satisfied Gods iustice pacified his anger and purchased his loue and mercy to all those that truly beleeue in him And so Christ was tormented with anguish of minde nor for his sinnes as you falsely gather but for out sinnes which hee bare in his body and soule vpon the crosse and God was not enemy to God but enemy to our sinnes which were imputed to Christ that his satisfaction and righteousnes might bee imputed vnto vs To conclude we beleeue that Christ suffered vpon the crosse those punishments of sinne which proceede from Gods iustice and be no sinnes which in some sense may be called the paines of hell the which as Christ by his Deitie ouercame and it was impossible for him to be held and ouercome of them so the diuell and the reprobate shall eternally indure them And this is no disperate doctrine but a most comfortable doctrine to assure vs that in Christ Gods iustice is satisfied our sinnes are discharged hell is conquered and wee from it be deliuered So that we may with the Apostle say O death where is thy sting O 1. Cor. 15. 35. hell where is thy victory The Pamphlet The Protestantes haue no meane to determine controuersies and abolish heresies 5. Article AS the Protestants neither know what they beleeue nor why they beleeue so haue they no meanes in their Church to settle them in vnity of beleefe nor to dâ—termine controuersies nor to abolish heresies as hath the Catholike Church for our Sauiour Christ by his diuine prouidence did foresee that heresies were to arise in his Church as his Apostle S. Paul doth warne vs the which as plagues were to infect his flocke and therefore hee not onely fore-warned vs of them but also gaue vs meanes how to preuent and extinguish them He willed vs to heare his Church if we would not be accounted as Ethnicks and Publicanes He ordained Pastors and Doctors lest we should bee carried away with euery blast of vaine doctrine He promised to the Church the assistance of the holy Ghost in such sort as they which would not heare her would not heare him The Catholikes therefore beleeuing certainly that the Church cannot erre that the general Councells cannot deliuer false doctrine that the Pastors and ancient Fathers with ioynt consent cannot teach vntruths when heresies spring vp presently with the voyce of the Church plucke them vp euen by the rootes and so euer hath practiâ—ed and after this manner hath ouerthrowne al encounters false opinions and errors which the diuel by his ministers euer planted or established in the world and so they haue bene freed from all braules and quarrels in matters of religion But the Protestants admitting the sole Scripture as vmpire and Iudge in matters of controuersies allowing no infallible interpreter thereof but remitting all to euery mans priuat spririt singular expositioÌ„ cannot possibly without error wind themselues out of the laborynth of so many controuersies wherewith they are now inueagled and intricated And the irreconciliable iarres betwixt them and the Puritanes in essentiall points of faith giue sufficient testimonie that they wil neuer haue an end or can haue an end holding those grounds of opinion which they obstinately defend And albeit they goe about to bleare the peoples braines with I know not what vnitie and conformity in matters of faith and in the substance of religion and that their disagreement onely consisteth in points of ceremonies and trifles of small importance yet in very deed they differ in sundry essentiall pointes of religion and although this shift will perhaps serue to cast a mist ouer the confused conceits of silly fooles yet no wise man will euer bleeue them I pray you tell me is not the Kinges supremacy a matter of faith and a cheefe point of religion and doe not all sound Puritanes in the world denie it and defie it Aske Caluin the Puritanicall Patriarke what he thought of King Henry the
sola sacrameÌ„ta in EuaÌ„gelio manifestè tradita legimus i We read that these only 2. sacraments are plainely deliuered to vs in the Gospell yet did hee not deny this article of faith Your owne doctor Alexander de Hales flatly affirmeth yâ— neither Christ nor his Apostles did Alexand. de Halis par quest â—4 men 1. institute ordain the Sacrament of Confirmation but yâ— it was afterward ordained in the councel called Meldense yet he denied not this article And therfore you ouershot your self in saying that they which beleeue not yâ— Chtist did institue 7. sacraments deny this article of faith The coÌ„munion of Saints But to proceed with you concerning the true reall presence of Christ in the Eucharist we deny the same not to the faith of the godly worthy receiuer but to the mouth teeth of the carnal eater We beleeue say that Christs body bloud in as much as they were offred vpon the crosse for our redeÌ„ption are the spiritual food of our soules without which wee can neither liue vnto God heare nor liue with God hereafter and that the same is offred to vs partly in the promises of the Gospel partly in the sacrameÌ„ts of Baptisme Christs supper is in both appreheÌ„ded of vs by faith without which neither the word nor Sacraments can profit vs. But here I must put you in mind that you corruptly alleage a place of S. Paul 1. Cor. 10. 17. foisting in this word Body for Bread S. Paules words be thus we that are many are one bread and one body because we are partakers of one bread This shifting of the words of the holy Ghost is too vsual with your companions Bounderius a Louaine Frier alleaging Compend concept titul 21. act the words of Saint Paul in the next chapter verse 27. Quicunque manducauerit panem hunc c. Hee that eateth this bread c. putteth out the word panem and foisteth in the word carnem flesh alleaging it thus Qui manducat carnem bibet calicem Domini indigne c. He that eateth the flesh drinketh the cup of the Lord vnworthily c. D. Harding in his confutation of the Apology intreating Confut. Apolo cap. 16. diuis 1 of Purgatory alleaging the words of S. Paul 2. Cor. 7. 1. to proue satisfaction for sinnes by that fained fire putteth out Sanctification and in place thereof putteth Satisfâ—tation alleaging it thus making perfect satisfaction in the feare of God Cardinall Hosius changeth the words of Saint Paul alleaging them thus Neque ferre possunt vt per verbum Deisigno Consâ— Petri 10 cap. 13. crucis vlla creatura sanctificetur They cannot abide that any creature should bee sanctified by the word of God and signe of the crosse Hee putteth out prayer and putteth in the signe of the Crosse as a more holy thing The foresaid Bunderius doth most shamefully alleage a Ibid titul 3. 0. arti 5. place of the Apostlein this sort Nam si cinis vâ—tâ—lae conspersas populum sanctificauit atque mundauit quantò magis aqua sale conspersa diuinis precibus sacrata poulum sanctificat atque mundat If the ashes of an heifer sprinkled haue sanctified and cleansed the people how much more shall water sprinkled with salt being hallowed with diuine prayers sanctifie and cleanse the people c. The words of the Apostle bee these If the bloud of bulles and goats and Heb. 9. 13. the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Is not this horrible handling of Gods word and blasphemous attributing that to their salt water which is proper and peculiar to the bloud of Christ I could shew in like manner how they haue clipped the coine of Gods word in leauing out words of purpose which serue not their turne but I will omit them only this I say yâ— if they which counterfet clip the kings coine deserue haÌ„ging what do they deserue yâ— counterfeit clip the word of the eternall God king of all kings but corrupt doctrine caÌ„not be maintained without corruptioÌ„ of Gods word But to returne to S. Pauls place he there disswadeth the Christians of Corinth from going to Idolatours feasts by a reason taken from the supper of our Sauiour Christ shewing that as the faithfull by eating that bread which there is broken and drinking that Cup are made partakers of Christ Iesus so they that did eate those feasts ordained to the honoring of Idols were partakers of Idolatrie there committed or rather of the Diuell that was there serued And as the faithfull by being partakers of that bread haue communion togither and bee made one body to wit the mysticall body of Christ so they that receiue those Idol bankets haue communion together and shew themselues to be of one bodie videl of the Diuil Now as there needed no transubstantiation of the one no more there doth for the other Also this bread which Saint Paul calleth the coÌ„munion of the body of Christ is broken yet I trust they wil not say that Christs body is broken although Pope Nicholas De consecra distinct 2. Eâ—o Berenga caused that excellent man Berengarius so to confesse But of the grosse and absurd doctrine of transubstantiation I will speake no more at this present You say moreouer that wee deny the communion of the Chuch militant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of Saintes by which holie exercise those blessed Saints in Heauen and wee in earth communicate wee by praier glorifying them and they by meditation I thinke it should bee mediation obtayning our requests Herevnto I answere first that this inuocation of Saints is vnlawfull and cannot bee prooued by the holie Scriptures And this offer I do make you that if you can bring one plaine place out of all the holy scriptures wherein it was euer commaunded or of any faithfull man or woman vsed I will yeeld vnto you not onely in this but also in matters of Religion You quote in your margent Genes 48. 16. and Apoca. 1. 4. which make asmuch for proouing inuocation of Saintes as Tityre tu patule doth The words of the place of Genesis be these The Angell which hath deliuered mee from all euill blesse the children and let my name bee called or named vpon them and the name of my fathers Abraham Isaac that they may grow as fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth Out of this place the Papists take two arguments to proue praier to Angels and to Saints The first out of these words The Angell which hath deliuered me c. The other out of those let my name be called vpon them c. But yet let the reader note this that of the Papists some doe finde
downe in holy writ what there is deliuered that they beleeue what there is cōcealed lieth without the circumference of their beliefe Alas poore ignorance What heretike beleeueth not so much certainly few or none so that by this means al damned hereticks which beleeue the scriptures beleeue alike and they beleeue as much as our Protestants and ours no more then they But the Protestant will replie that hee beleeueth the Scripture in a true sense truely expounded and all other heretikes in an erronious sense and falsely interpreted And they will say as much of their Religion and beleefe and hold you◠exposition hereticall and theirs orthodoxall Againe are you not bound to beleeue the canticles or song of Salomon as a part of your faith and where finde you in the scriptures deliuered that such a booke is Gods word and as such an one ought by faith to bee beleeued That Sunday should bee kept holy-daie and Saterdaie the Iewes Saboth prophained in Gods word is not reuealed and yet by Protestants beleeued Moreouer to beleeue whatsoeuer is contained in the scripture is a generall confused folded implicitie faith when wee demaund what a man is bound to beleeue wee aske what hee is obliged to beleeue expresly distinctlie explicitlie To beleeue all the scripture distinctly explicitly cannot bee preformed by all Protestants since it supposeth a perfect and distinct knowledge of all the scripture wherevnto neuer mortall man attained the Apostles perhaps excepted Some will limit their beleefe to their creed saying that nothing ought to be beleeued which is not in the Apostles creed But then I would demaund of them whether that wee ought to beleeue that the scripture is the word of God that baptisme is a sacrament that in the Eucharist is the bodie of Christ by faith to what article should these be reduced seeing they are not contained in the creed or how shall we know infallibly how these be matters of faith since they are not contained in the creed others denie some articles of their creed also for the Protestants denie three articles of our creed and the puritans fiue The first is the Catholike Church Credo ecclesiam sanctam Catholicam I beleeue the holie Catholike Church the which in very Math. 26. Isa 60. deede they doe not beleeue because Catholike is vniuersall and so the Church of Christ which wee are bound to beleeue must bee vniuersall for all time comprehending all ages and vniuersall for place comprehending all nations but that Church which the Protestants beleeue was interrupted all the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther which was 1400. yeares or in verie deed was neuer seene before Luthers daies therefore that Church they beleeue cannot bee Catholike Neither is it vniuersali in place beeing contained within the narrow bounds of England which is accompted but as a corner of the world for the Lutherans in Germanie the Hugonotes in France and the Gues in Flanders detest their Religion as much as the Catholikes neither will they ioyne issue with them in diuers essentiall points And therefore the Protestants Church which they beleeue can no more be called Catholike or vniuersall then England the vniuersall world or Kent the Kingdome of England or apruned bough a whole tree or a dead singer a man or a rotten tooth the whole head The second article is the communion of Saints the which they many waies deny First by not beleeuing that Christ hath instituted seauen Sacraments wherein the Saints of the Church communicate and especiallie the true and real presence of our Sauiour Christ in the Eucharist by which all the faithfull receiuers participating of 1. Cor. 01. 17. one the self same body are made one bodie as all the partes of a mans bodie are made one liuing thing by participating one soule Secondly they deny the communion of the Church militant Gen. 48. v. 16. Apoca. 1. v. 4. and triumphant by exclaiming against inuocation of Saints by which holy exercise the blessed Saints in heauen and wee in earth communicate we by prayer glorifying them and they by meditation obtaining our request Thirdly they deny the communion of the Church militant and the soules in purgatory bereauing them of that Christian charitie which charitable compassion and merciful pitty requireth and by natural affection the members of one body helpe one another The third article is remission of sinnes for they acknowledge no such effect in the Sacrament of Baptisme but onely count it as an external signe or seale of a prereceiued grace or fauor of God Ad Tit. 3. by his external predestination against the expresse word of God which therefore calleth this Sacrament the lauer of regeneration Ioh. 20. for that in it the soule dead by sinne is newly regenerate by grace Moreouer they allow not the Sacrament of pennance wherein all actuall sinnes committed after Baptisme are cancelled that which exceedeth all in absurditie is to deny that our sinnes are all perfectly forgiuen but onely not imputed and as it were veiled or couered with the passion of Christ all the botches and biles the filth and abhomination of sinne still remaining and as it were exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God for let them shift themselues as they list and scarfe their sores according to their fancies yet no veile nor mantell can couer their deformitie of sinne from the piercing eyes of Jo◠8. ver 24. Ioh. 16. v. 13. And D. Bu◠ley contendeth to proue it in his answer to this article albeit he vnderstandeth not the reason here alledged for if he did hee were to absurd to deny it Isa 66. ver 24. Gods perfect vnderstanding from which nothing can be concealed Fourthly the Puritanes in effect deny that Christ is the Sonne of God for they peremptorily affirme that Christ is God of himselfe and not God of God So that he receiued not his diuinitie from his father The which position flatly taketh away the nature of a sonne for the nature of a sonne is to receiue his substance of his Father and it implyeth contradiction that the Sonne receiueth his person of his Father and not his substance and essence for the substance of God is essentiall to euery person in trinitie Fiftly finally they deny the descension of Christ into hell and desperately defend that he suffered the Paines of hell vpon the Crosse wherby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie as if Christ had dispaired of his saluation as if God had hated him and he had hated God Marke 9. 48. Math. 25. 41. as if he had bene afflicted and tormented with anguish of mind for his offences for which he was depriued of the sight of God and eternally to be depriued all which horrible punishments are especially included in the paines of Hell and whosoeuer ascribeth them to Christ blasphemeth more horribly then Arius who denied him to God for lesse absurditie it were to deny him to be God then to make
yet by the communication of his vertue and demonstration of his diuine workes in those seauen Churches doth so perfectly shew himselfe as though there were so many spirits euery one working in his peculiar Church Ambrose set out by Doctor Tunstall Bishop of Duresme writeth vpon these words thus Hic tota trinit as demonstratur Heere the whole Trinitie is shewed and a little after Per septem autem spiritus spiritus sanctus cò quòd sit septiformis intelligitur By the seauen spirits the holy Ghost is vnderstood because hee worketh seauen manner of wayes And hard it were or rather absurd to pray for grace and peace from Saints and that before Iesus Christ But vpon this I will not stand onely the reader may consider how barren this cause is which hath no plainer proofes and driueth this man to such priuate and false exposition of Gods word Now whereas you say that by prayer you glorifie the Saints in heauen I say that by prayer we doe glorifie God Call vpon mee in Psal 50. 15. the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me But that by prayer we should glorifie Saints I doe not finde in all the holy scriptures If this man can why doth hee not shew it I finde that God will not giue his glorie Isa 42. 8. Psal 115. 1 to any other and that the Saints with Dauid say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie for thy louing mercy and thy truths sake And that the Angell Apoc. 19. 10 2◠8. would not bee worshiped or glorified but said vnto Iohn worship God As touching the Saints mediation when Iesus Christ shall cease to be our mediator and to sit at the right hand of GOD to make intercession for vs then wee wil seeke to your mediation of Saints In the meane time take you heede that in attributing that to the Saints which is proper and peculiar to the sonne of GOD yea which hee hath bought with his bloud you doe not deny the Lord which hath bought vs and that you doe not horribly dishonor those Saints and make Idols of them Furthermore you say that wee deny the communion of the Church militant and the soules in purgatorie c. Wherevnto I answer that when you shal plainely pithily proue this your fained fire of purgatorie which the Greeke Church alwaies hath denied then we will yeeld vnto you and graunt our selues to bee to blame in not helping these seely soules with dirges masses c. out of the paines of this forged fire You quote in your margent for proofe thereof 1. Cor. 3. v. 15. 15. v. 29. Alas poore purgatory that hath no better proofes The words of S. Paul in the first place be these If a mans worke burne he shall lose but he shall be saued himselfe neuerthelesse yet as it were by fire Here is mention of fire and therefore it must needs be the fire of purgatory for such is the great iudgement of these worthy writers that if they read in the scriptures or Fathers this word fire it is none other but the fire of purgatorie if sacrifice it is the sacrifice of the Masse if confessiō it can be nothing but auricular confession to the Priest if tradition it is vnwritten verities or vanities But touching these places of Saint Paul because the author of this Pamphlet doth not aledge them but barely quote them I will but briefely touch thē To the first I say that Saint Paul there speaketh not of all men but only of teachers and preachers which be builders of Gods house and Church which euen Bellarmine confesseth Tom 1. contr 6 de purgat lib. 1 cap. 4. Secondly he speaketh not of all their workes but only of their doctrine whereby they build the Church of God Thirdly hee speaketh not of the purging of workes or persons but of the probation of doctrines Fourthly the works are said to bee prooued and not the persons Lastly if this place should be vnderstood of purgatory then euery man should bee throwne into it for it is said the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is but this is contrarie to the doctrine of the Papists who will not haue all men come into purgatorie These things plainely shew that this place cannot bee vnderstood of purgatorie Saint Augustine in many places doth vnderstand it of the afflictions and troubles sustained in this life and not of the paines of Purgatorie after this life Enchir. ad Laurentium cap. 68. de ciuit Dei lib. 21. cap. 26. de fide operibus cap. 16. in Psal 80. But S. Paul speaketh of triall of doctrine shewing that as the fire trieth mettals so the light of Gods truth trieth doctrines and as gold and siluer abide in the fire and hay and stubble be consumed so true sound and holie doctrines abide the light and trial of Gods word when either vntrue doctrines or vaine speculations perish and be comsumed So doth Saint Ambrose expound it Mala doctrina Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. in igne omnibus apparebit nunc enim quosdam fallit Euill doctrine shall appeare vnto all in the fire for now it deceiueth some Againe Mala enim adultera doctrina idcirco in ligno foeno stipula significata est vt ostenderetur ignis esse esca Euill and counterfeit doctrine is therefore signified by wood hay and stubble that it might be shewed Idem in Psal 118. in haec verba ignitum eloquiū tuum that it is but meate to bee consumed of fire And againe Ignis ergo hic Christi sermo est bonus ignis c. This fire is the word of Christ and it is a good fire which warmeth but burneth not but onely sinnes By this fire that gold of the Apostle laid vpon the good foundation is tried By this fire that siluer of manners or workes is proued By this fire those pretious stones are lightned but the hay stubble is consumed Therefore this fire clenseth the soule and consumeth error Hitherto Saint Ambrose whereby wee may see that neither Saint Augustine nor Saint Ambrose expound this place of Purgatory much lesse the Greeke Fathers who neuer acknowledged it Therfore to expound it of Purgatorie as the Papists do whether it bee not a priuate false exposition let the godly reader vprightly iudge The words of the other place here quoted are these Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for dead To picke Purgatorie pickpurse out of this place passeth my skill Here is mention made of baptisme for the dead but neither of Purgatorie nor of praier for the dead I am not ignorant that there bee sundrie expositions of this place yet I doe not remember that euer I read it expounded of Purgatorie or applied vnto it And therefore I will write no more at this present
with it for els he would not haue acknowledged the effectuall faith the diligent 1. Thes 1. 3. loue and patient hope of the Thessalonians and that they were elected of God Which gifts of Gods spirit could not be in them without the grace of God Now by this mans diuinitie what madnesse was it for him to pray for grace vnto them whome hee did beleeue to bee indued with Gods grace alreadie And where as Saint Iohn saith 1. Ioh 5 13. These things haue I writtē vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that yee may know that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God By this mans deepe doctrine it might seeme madnes for Saint Iohn to write to them that did beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that they should beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God But it seemed not so to S. Iohn who writeth to them that as they had blessedly begun to beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God so they might still continue grow and increase in the same faith Moreouer also I would aske of this man and his fellowes whether they praying do beleeue the forgiuenes of their sins if they do not then are they Infidels and deny the article of the creed I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes which before he falsely obiected to vs. If they do beleeue the forgiuenes of their sinnes why do they then by this mans doctrine pray for it If he say that he beleeueth that there is in generalitie a forgiuenes of sinnes but particularly he is not assured by faith of the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes then what doth his faith differ from the Diuels faith who beleeueth and trembleth as Saint Iames saith and what is Iame. 1◠this his doubting but as he himselfe here saith flat infidelitie And no maruaile though these men feele in their harts no assurance of faith for that they ground it not vppon the vnmoueable rocke of Gods promise but vpon the vnsure sand of their owne workes and satisfactions by the which indeed neither can their faith be assured nor their conscience quieted The which false doctrine while they beleeue I would know how they can aske forgiuenes of their sinnes For whosoeuer maketh satisfaction to God for them needeth not to aske forgiuenes of them But the Papists maintaine that they make full satisfaction to God for them as I haue before shewed therefore I may much more iustly say then he doth here that it is madnes to aske forgiuenes of the◠For what man not being mad owinge a summe of mony and paying it will desire the same to Rom. 3. 28. Ephes 3. 17. be forgiuen him concerning your scoffing in the proofe of your Minor or second proposition we indeed beleeue that wee are iustified by faith without the workes of the law and that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith and that by this hand of a true and vnfained faith in Iesus Christ we apply the plaister of his precious bloud shed for our sinnes to cure all the sorances and sores of our soules And take you heede that you trusting in your owne workes and merits in your Masses Agnus deis holy water pardons and manyfold other such paltries fall not into the ditch of damnation And this shall suffice for this article which is so absurd that it deserueth not so much The Pamphlet The Protestants are bound in conscience to auoyde all good workes 2. Article EVery man is bound vpon paine of eternall damnation to auoyde all deadly sinnes But fasting praying almes deedes and all good workes according to the a Luther in assaer artic 31. 32 36. Caluin lib. 3. institu cap. 12. Sect. 4. cap. 14. Sect. 4. 19. Melan. in Loc. tit de peccato Protestants religion are deadly sinnes Ergo according to the Protestantes religion all men are bound vpon paine of eternall damnation to auoyde fasting praying almes deedes and all good workes The Maior is manifest for the wages of deadly sinne is death b Rom. 6. 25. Stipendium peccati mors The Minor is euident for according to the Protestants religion and common exposition of this text of Scripture c Isa 64. 6. Facti sumus vt immūdi omnes nos tanquam pan nus menstruatae omnes iustitiae nostrae We are mane all as vncleane and all our iustices are as stained cloth That is to say the best workes we can doe are infected with deadly sinne and consequently deserue eternall damnation and therefore to be auoyded I am not ignorant that some wranglers with some shifting euasions goe about to answeare this Article forsooth that the staines and imperfections the sinnes and spots ought to be auoided but yet the good workes to be prosecuted A silly shift but put case it bee impossible to wring out the staines then is not this menstruous cloth to bee abhorred put case I could not giue almes but I must steale am I not bound in conscience to auoyd the giuing of almes Admit I could not see mine enemy but by experience long proued I should fall a quareling with him am I bound in conscience to auoide his company Say that I could not eate flesh but I should Scandalize the behoulders ought I not to say non manducabo carnes in aeternum I will not eate flesh for euer Graunt that I could not releeue the poore but that I should stayne this action with vaine glory should I not heare of him that cannot lie he hath receaued his reward consequently that there remayneth no recompensation therefore in heauen So I say in like manner if the corruption of nature if the poison of concupiscence so staine my best actions that whatsoeuer I doe or thinke I cannot possibly affect them without these infections and corruptions then certaienly I am bound in conscience to auoide these crimes and offences they which cannot possibly be performed without these vitious circumstances for bonum constat ex integra causa malum nascitur ex quolibet defectu a good thing consisteth of al integrity but an euill thing is caused by euery defect that a man be in health euery humour must keepe his temper that hee be sicke it sufficeth one onely to exceed and keepe not his iust proportion so that a worke bee good it must be effected with all due circumstances that it be ill one only will defile as wee comonly say one ill hearbe will spoile a whole potfull of pottage Answere AS Hannibal said of Phormio that hee had heard many doting fooles but he Cicer. lib. 2. de oratore neuer heard any that so much doted as did Phormio so may I say that I haue heard and read many foolish disputers but any that did so foolishly dispute and reason as this man doth I neuer heard nor read For what man in his witts will reason thus that because the corruptions of men do creepe into these
true merits of Gods mercies and Christs sufferings before mentioned nor to mans good workes but to the merit of them and vaine confidence put in them Wee say with Saint Augustine Aâ—gust praefat in Psal 31. Si vis alienus esse à gratiae iacta merita tua i. If thou vvilt he voyde of grace boast thine owne merits Thirdly we beleeue that the kingdome of Heauen commeth to vs by inheritance and not by the purchase of our workes and merits Christ saith Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance Math. 25. 34. of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the vvorld Saint Paul saith If vve be children vve are also Rom. 8. 17. heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ Thus the kingdome of Heauen is ours in that wee be coheires with Christ By whose bloudy and blessed merits it is purchased to vs and not by the workes and deserts of vs vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children who haue alwayes neede to pray and say Enter not into Psal 1 â—3 2. iudgement vvith thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man that liueth be iustified and â—f thou O Lord straightly markest iniquitie Psal 130. 3. O Lord vvho shall be able to stand To conclude you that so seuerely censure vs looke to your selues take heed you be not like that proud Pharisee who gloried of his works and disdained the sinfull Luk. 18. Apoc 3. 17. Publican and that you be not like the Angell of the Church of Laodicea who said that he vvas rich increased Athenâ—us lib. 12. vvith goods and had need of nothing and did not know that hee was wretched miserable poore blind and naked And that you be not like that mad man of Athens called Thraselaus who comming in his madnes to the hauen named Pyreum did vainely imagine that all the ships riches there were his owne but being cured and brought to good vnderstanding hee saw his pouertie and perceiued that hee scarce had a penny in his purse Euen so if you were throughly cured of this phrensie of Poperie you would acknowledge your owne miserie and hunger for Gods mercie confesse your owne pouerty that Christ may inrich you your owne nakednes that he may with the robe of his righteousnesse couer you your owne guiltinesse that he may acquite and iustifie you and finally humble your selfe that he may exalt you For it is hee that filleth Luke 1. 53. the hungrie with good things and sendeth the rich emptie away I would you would ioyne with your owne Cardinall Poole in this point who misliking of Osorius booke de iustitia dedicated to him for attributing too much to mans iustice and righteousnesse did adde this worthie saying and worthie by all meanes to be receiued That wee can neuer attribute too much to the mercie and righteousnes of God nor too much take from the righteousnesse of man This is written not onely by Doctor Hoddon in his booke against Osorius but also by Pruilus his Secretarie in his life as that excellent Antiquarie and learned man my good friend Master Camden did tell mee To conclude be not like the froward Iewes who hauing a zeale towards God but not according to knowledge being Rom. 10. 2. 3. ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnesse of God For Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beleeueth but obey the counsell and calling of God Ho euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and yee that Isai 55. 1. haue no siluer come buy and eate Come I say buy vvine and milke vvithout siluer and vvithout money Wherefore doe yee As buyers of Popes Pardons Masses c. doe lay out siluer and not for bread and your labour vvithout being satisfied Hearken diligently vnto me and eate that vvhich is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse Encline your eares and come vnto mee heare and your soule shall liue and I vvill make an euerlasting couenaâ—t vvith you euen the sure mercies of Dauid The which sweet and hid Manna of Gods mercies they that refuse to eate but had rather feede on the draffe of their owne muddie merits shall neuer inherit heauen but shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone Apocal. 20. 10. vvhere the beast and false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for euermore Basil in Moral Sum. 72. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It behooueth the hearers and readers being instructed in the Scriptures to prooue the things which be spoken and written by their teachers and to receiue those thinges that be consonant to the Scriptures and to reiect those things that differ from them and vtterly to auoyde those that doe continue in such Doctrines IOB 6. 24. Teach me and I will hold my tongue and cause me to vnderstand wherein I haue erred ISAIA 41. 21. Stand to your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Iacob An answere to certaine Popish questions and friuolous cauillations giuen forth vnderhand to seduce the simple and to slander the truth now first printed TO THE READER GOod Reader I am to certifie thee of the occâ—sion of the first writing and now publishing of this my answere to these â—opâ—sh questions and calumntations In the yeare 1592. a good vertuous gentlewoman called Mâ—stris lane Brograue â—et liuing and dwelling in Wapnam in Northampton shire being in her natiue Country with her friends some not so well â—ffected to the truth as others praâ—sed be God are â—id giue to her these questions intending thereby as it seemeth to peruert her and to conuert her from the trueth of God vnto their false Doctrine Idolatry The which she presently deliuered vnto me and desired mee to write an answere vnto them This her godly request I thought my selfe bound in conscience for to satisfie and thereupon I did forthwith in short time write this answere the which she did send to her deceaued friends for their better instruction and information Afterwards by wards which a Popish Priest in conference with me did vtter I did gather that the same was sent to Wish â—he there to be hammered and examined But what they did wiâ—h it I doe not know I neuer heard that either they or any other â—uer made any reply vnto it I haue beene moued by some and namely by M. Christopher Goodman to whom I did send a copie of it because it did concerne him to publish it in print The which although it was allowed to the Presse many yeares past by one in great place and authoritie now yet I haue vntill this time suppressed it howbeit now I haue yeelded to publish it partly because the matter both obiected and answered is suteable to the former articles and my answeres and partly because the Printer who had intelligence
truely receiue Iesus Christ and doth eate his flesh and drinke his blood to the feeding and nourishing of his soule to eternall life but an euacuating of the substance of the bread and wine and the turning and transubstantiating of the same into the very naturall body and bloud of Christ contained vnder the outward accidents of bread and wine concerning this false grosse and carnall doctrine I haue said sufficiently in a printed sermon published twentie yeares past and as yet not confuted wherein I haue shewed that this doctrine is contrary to the holy Scriptures which call it bread after it is consecrated and when it 1 Cor. 10 16. 17. 2. 26. 27. 28. is receiued and that it is contrary to the nature of a Sacrament which must haue a substantiall element or else it can bee no Sacrament that it is contrary to the Articles of faith and holy Scripâ—ures which teach vs that Christ in respect of his humanitie is ascended into heauen and there is to bee sought and not vpon the earth and that this doctrine draweth with it many absurdities as that Christs body is at one moment in heauen and earth and in infinite places of the earth without either quantity or quality of a body and that wicked and vnfaithfull men doe eate the very body and blood of Christ and such other absurdities which are more largely layde downe in my sayd Sermon whereunto I remit the reader where also I haue set downe sundrie testimonies of the ancient godly learned Fathers against this grosse and false doctrine of transubstantiation As touching their Sacrifice of the Masse wherein they falsly faine that they offer vp Iesus Christ for a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of the liuing and of the dead I say that this doctrine hath neither warrant of the word of GOD nor of the ancient godly and learned Fathers but is contrary to them both First no man euer did or can offer vp Iesus Christ for a propitiatorie Sacrifice Iudâ—â— betraved him the Priests accused him Pilate condemned him the Iewes crucified him but none did offer him for a sacrifice for our sinnes but himselfe Who Heb. 9. 14 through the eternall spirit offred himselfe without spot to GOD. So saith Saint Paul that Christ gaue Ephes 5. 2. himselfe for vâ—to bee an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God And if a man could offer vp Iesus Christ vnto his Father for a Sacrifice then see what an absurditie would follow that Iesus CHRIST should bee accepted of his heauenly Father for the mans sake that doth offer him for in all Sacrifices the man is not excepted for the sacrifice sake but the Sacrifice for the mans sake that doth offer it As for example Caine and Abel offered either of them a Sacrifice the one of the fruit of his field the other of the increase of his cattell there was no difference before God in the outward sacrifice yet the one was accepted and the other was reiected because the one was a godly and faithfull man that did offer it and the other a wicked Hypocrite and therefore the Apostle saith that by faith Abel offered a greater sacrifice Heb. 2. 4. then Caine did The Sacrifices of Noah Abraham and other faithfull Fathers pleased GOD and it is said that hee smelled a sweet â—auour of rest and this was because they Gen. 8. 21. were godly and faithfull which did offer them Afterward the same Sacrfices offred by the wicked Iewes which were a sinfull nation a people laden with iniquitie the seede of the wicked corrupt children which Isa 1. had forsaken the Lord and prouoked the holy one of Israel to anger whose hands were full of blood 15 were so odious and abominable to GOD that he saith of them What haue I to doe with the multitude 2 of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Rammes and the fat of fedde beastes And a little after Bring no more oblations in vaine incense is an obhomination vnto mee Yea GOD saith of those sacrifices in another place Hee that killeth a Bullocke is as if hee slewe a man hee that sacrificeth a sheepe is as if hee cut off a dogges necke hee that offereth an oblation is as if hee had offered Isa 66. 3. swines blood he that remembreth incense is as if he had blessed an idoll c. Why did God thus abhor these sacrifices which he himselfe had commanded to bee offered euen because they were wicked men voide of true faith and repentance which did offer them And to come nearer to the purpose why was the sacrifice of Iesus Christ vpon the Crosse a sweete smelling sacrifice to God to pacifice his wrath to satisfie his iustice and to purchase his mercy vnto vs surely because Iesus Christ the Sonne of God did offer it as before is declared And therefore it must in like manner follow that if a miserable man could offer Iesus Christ for a sacrifice to his Father then Christ should bee accepted for the mans sake the which if it be false and blasphemous then can no man offer vp Iesus Christ for a propitiatory sacrifice to his Father Moreouer this sacrifice of our Sauiour Christ vpon the Heb. 7 27 Crosse for our redemption was but once offered and can neuer bee repeated So saith the Apostle that Christ needed not dayly as those high priests did offer vp sacrifice first for their owne sinnes and then for the people for that did hee once when hee offered vppe himselfe Againe neither by Heb. 9 12 the bloud of Gâ—ates and Calues but by his owne entred hee once into the holie place and obtained eternall redemption Againe not that hee should offer himselfe often as the high priest 9. 25. entered into the holy place euery yeare with other bloud for then must hee often haue suffered since the foundation of the world but now in the end of the world hath he appeared once to put away sinne by the offering of himselfe And as it is 10. 19. appointed to all men once to die and then commeth iudgement So Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of man c. Againe By the which will wee bee sanctified euen by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once made Againe but this Vsc 12. man after hee had offered one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God Thus wee see that the holy scripture teacheth vs that our Sauiour Christ once offered himselfe once entred into the holy place with one oblation once made hath sanctified vs and so can neuer bee repeated And if this sacrifice should bee repeated and our Sauiour Christ should daily be offered in the Masse see what absurdities would follow First that the sacrifice of our Sauiour Christ vpon the Crosse were weake imperfect and insufficient to take away sinne for so the Apostle doth reason doth proue