bodie that he set vpon the signe the name of his bodie that he honoured the mysticall signes with the name of his bodie and blood not chaunging their nature but adding grace vnto nature that the holie foode is the signe and figure of the body and blood of Christ And in this dialogue againe that the mystical signes of the bodie and blood of Christ are offered to God by the priests of God that the mysticall signes do represent the true bodie that they are the image and figure of Christs bodie and maketh a manifest difference betwixt the bodie it selfe and the mysticall signe which is called the bodie By all which spéeches he declareth that the mysticall signes are truly bread and wine yet by consecration made figures of the bodie and blood of Christ and called by the name of the bodie and blood of Christ as Sacraments are wont to be called by yâ— name of the things whereof they are Sacraments to lift vp our mindes from the beholding of the visible elements to the consideration of the thinges signified by them as Theodoret in the first Dialogue sheweth And therefore the Priest hath not in his hands the reall bodie of Christ to offer vp vnto God but only the mysticall signes which represent the bodie so that both Transubstantiation and reall presence and reall sacrifice are all ouerthrowne by Theodorets iudgement Now whereas the Answ vrgeth that we receiue the bodie and blood of Christ Theodoret indeed saith that he beléeueth that he is made a partaker thereof in receiuing the Sacrament We beleeue the same and it is our singular comfort But this receiuing of Christ is not really by the mouth into the bodie but spiritually by faith into the soule We say with the ancient Fathers that this food is not the food of the belly but of the mind not for the téeth to chew but for the conscience to be refreshed with S. Austen checketh that conceit of bodily eating e Aug in Ioh. â—â— 25. Why preparest thou thy teeth thy belly Beleeue thou hast eaten f ibid. tr 2â— For to beleeue in Christ this is saith he to eate the bread of life And acknowledging no other reall presence of Christ whereby we may receiue him and eate him but only in heauen he maketh one to demand of him g ibid tr 50. How shall I take hold of him being absent how shall I put vp my hand to heauen to take hold of him there Whereto he answereth Send vp thy faith and thou hast laid hold of him plainly confessing that there is no bodily presence of Christ here but that by faith he is to be receiued sitting in heauen That which the Answ further vrgeth of adoration is friuolous vnlesse he could shew it to be meant of diuine or godly honour that is which is proper vnto God Theodoret plainly referreth it to the mysticall signes but to giue diuine honour or adoration to mystical signes or to formes of bread and wine is manifest idolatrie The word of adoration here vsed by Theodoret is verie often vsed by the seuen interpreters in the Gréeke and by the vulgar Latine interpreter also not only for diuine adoration but also for ciuill worship And this diuerse signification h Aug. Quaest in Gen. lib. 1. cap. 61. S. Austen noteth vpon that which is written coÌ„cerning Abraham that i Gen 2â— 7. he adored the Princes of the Hittites as the Latine translation speaketh It is néedlesse to vse many proofes hereof séeing the Answ maisters the k Rhe. â—â—no tat Act. 1â— 25 Rhemists confesse that this word of adoration doth not alwaies note diuine worship but is commonly vsed in the scriptures towards men So the glose of the Canon law maketh a construction of adoration by which we may as it is there said l De conse dist 3. cap. â—â—nâ—rabâ—les Adore any sacred or holie thing or m Thom. Aquin 22. q 8. aâ— â— any excellent creature as Thomas Aquinas saith which adoration they expound by hauing reuerence thereof Therefore Theodoret referring adoration to the mysticall signes must not straightwaies be taken to vnderstand diuine honour and worship but only importeth a religious and holy regard and reuerence to be had thereof as being not now common bread and wine but diuine and heauenly mysteries sanctified by the word and spirit of God to most excellent and singular vse Which reuerence S. Austen ascribeth not only to the Lords Supper but also to the n Aug. de doct Chr lib. 3. ca 9. Sacrament of Baptisme by the Latine word Venerari So that the Answ can gather nothing out of Theodoret to serue his turne Wheras he further saith that Christ calleth nothing by a wrong name c. he sheweth his folly and péeuish ignorance Signes and Sacraments are vsually called by the names of the things whereof they are signes though in substance they be not the same and therefore are wrong named in respect of the substance but rightly and truly named in respect of the signification o 1 Cor. 10 2. The rock was Christ saith S. Paul He saith not saith p Idem quaest sup Leâ—it â—7 S. Austen The rocke signified Christ but speaketh as if it were Christ which yet was not he in substance but in signification Nothing is more vsuall either in sacred or prophane writings then thus to speake without transubstantiating one thing into another Christ saith that he is the vine and his father the husbandman must Christ therefore néeds be turned into a vine and the father into a husbandman He saith that we are his shéepe are we therefore turned into shéepe This must néeds follow if it be true which the Answ fondly speaketh of the misnaming of things But this is taken out of his blinde deuotions and serueth him as a reason wherby to seduce in corners silly and ignorant soules O saith he ye may not thinke that Christ will misname any thing and therefore when he called bread his bodie without doubt he turned it into his bodie Meane knowledge wil teach any man that this is but fond and childish trifling And thus much of Theodoret. Now that which was further added in my former discourse out of Austen Irenaeus for declaring and iustifying that which was spoken by Gelasius and Theodoret the Answ slily passeth ouer as being too manifest for him to cauill at But partly it hath alreadie and partly it will by and by méete with him againe P. Spence Sect. 13. YOur secundum quendam modum out of Saint Augustine ad Bonifacium epist 23. affirmeth the Sacrament of Christs bodie to be his bodie but the maner is the point for he was a S. Austen speaketh not of a maner of reall being but of a maner and forme of speaking and signifying See the Answere visible and passible on the earth in heauen in Maiestie in the Sacrament sacramentally and inuisibly but yet truly As for the examples vsed in
is really present and conteined in the Sacrament or signe of his bodie Now this though it be a manifest vntrueth yet the Answ thought would carrie some shewe of trueth but yet because he would not haue vs abused by this shew to thinke that S. Austen did héere indéede auouch any reall presence or transubstantiation he telleth vs plainly in the end that S. Austen spakâ— according to the Manichees exposition of Christes words and answered them by their opinion not by his owne So that if S. Austen doe say any thing of reall presence he noteth the Manichees opinion but affirmeth it not himselfe and therefore giueth vs to vnderstand that the Papistes héerein take part with the Manichees rather then with him His answere in trueth is false and absurd and yet I would not that the reader should think it was deuised by him for he hath learned it of c Bellar. tom 2. de sacram Euchar. lib. 2. cap. 24. Bellermine their great Rabbine and from him hath patched two answeres into one But the matter standeth thus The Manichees condemned the olde testament as false and contrarie to the newe testament For in the new testament it is said d Math 10. 28. Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to hurt the soule c. Now in the old sayd they it is written the bloud is the soule and that is false for the bloud may be hurt and spilt as we know but the soule cannot be hurt as wee read in the gospel Againe the new testament saith that flesh e 1. cor 15. 50. and bloud cannot enter into the kingdome of God It is false therefore which the old testament saith that the bloud is the soule for then the soule shoulde not enter into the kingdome of God Therefore they blasphe mousâ—y auouched that the old testament was false and not to be beléeued To this cauillation of theirs S. Austen answereth that these wordes of the olde testament The bloud is the soule or life were spoken of the life of beastes not of the soule of man Of beastes it is said that the life of all flesh is the bloud thereof not that mans soule is his bloud And therefore they reasoned absurdly from that which was spoken of beastes to that that was said of the soule of man Further he answereth thus I may also interpret that commandement of not eating bloud because the bloud is the soule or life to be set downe by way of signe For our Lord doubted not to say This is my body when he gaue the signe of his bodie signifying héereby that as Christ said in the new testament This is my body when as he gaue not his body indéed but only a signe of his body so Moses said in yâ— old testament The bloud is the life or soule not because it is so indéed but onely because it was appointed for the signe of life which is most euident against Transubstantiation and real presence Nay not so saith the Answ for the bloud is such a signe as doth really conteine the life and so the signe of Christes bodie must really conteine the body that the one signe may be answerable to the other But let me aske him doth the bloud really contein the life when the thing is dead or did either Moses or Austen intend to make the bloud a signe of life as the same bloud is in the body and the thing aliue and whole Was the Answ well in his wittes to send abroad such vntowardly imaginations or rather was not Bellermine a wretched and lewd man to go about with such fictions to dazle the eyes of his readers The precept is concerning those thinges that are taken and killed for meate that the bloud thereof should not be kept and vsed for meate because the bloud is the life saith God that is saith S. Austen it doth betoken life although the thing be now dead so that whether hâ—te or colde whether aliue or dead it was not lawfull for the Iewes to eat any bloud at all But if that spéech had béene vsed as in respect that the bloud doth now really conteine the life they might haue sayd when the thing was dead that now thâ—y might â—ate the bloud for now the bloud is not the life because the life is gone is not really conteined in it God would haue the bloud as touching the eating of it to betoken life and by this ceremoniall commandement of abstinence from bloud hee would giue to vnderstand howe he hateth and detesteth sauagenesse and cruâ—â—ty how hee would haue life to be regarded and fauoured as of other his creatures according to their kind whereof Salomon speaketh thus f Prou. 12. 10. The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast so especially of man whom he created according to his owne image concerning whome hee speaketh in the first giuing of this commandement as it were to shew the meaning and intent therof I g Gen. 9. 5. 6. will require your bloud wherein your liues are Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the image of God created he him Nowe in that other place which the Answ citeth out of the questions vpon Leuiticus S. Austen giueth reason why the life was signified by the bloud rather then by any thing els namely because h Aug. quaest sup Leuit. q. 57 the life is conteined or holden in the body by the bloud so that the bloud being shed the life departeth therefore the life was most fitly signified by the bloud and the bloud did take the name of life Which wordes do not signifie that bloud was a signe of life onely as now really conteined in it as the Answ fondly imagineth but that bloud euen of the things killed and dead was appointed to betoken and signifie life because the life of those things that are aliue is holden in yâ— body especially by thâ— bloud Neither is he helped any whit by that which he alleageth We must seeke for speeches signifying by that which containeth that which is contained as because the life or soule is holden in the body by the bloud therfore the bloud may take the name of life as the place wherin the Church assemble themselues is called also the Church For we know that the place of the assembling of yâ— Church is called the Church though there be nowe no body conteined in it onely because it is appointed to that vse and so the bloud was called the life and appointed to be a signe of the life or soule though the life were now dead and gone because in things that liue the bloud is a most speciall instrument of life whereby it is conteined and holden in the body But to put the matter out of doubt and to shew the Answ his folly S. Austen in yâ— end of the Chapter whence I alleaged the words in question saith thus So i Aug. cont Adimant ca. 12 is the bloud the
first which hee tooke to make the Sacrament but in being made the Sacrament it was no longer wine as if Cyprian had said thus Christ tooke wine and made it no wine and though it were now no wine yet he called wine his bloud Cyprians wordes are euident that Christ called wine his bloud and that by wine is represented his bloud which cannot be till it be made a sacrament Therefore in the Sacrament there is wine which representeth and is called the bloud of Christ Such testimonies he saith are the scrappes and parings and crummes of the fathers But let him remember that a crumme is enough to choke a man and so doth this testimonie choke him so that hee staggereth and stammereth out an answere whereof he himself can make no reason if he were enquired of it by word of mouth His other idle talke is answered b Sect. 2. before Pet. Spence Sect. 17. SAint Augustine ad Adimantum maketh so flatly against you that I wonder why you alleage it Our Lord doubted not to say This is my body Why should he doubt to say it was so when he knew it was so when he gaue the signe of his bodie But what signe a bare signe no sir but such a signe as contained in it the thing signified really how prooue you it Euen thus Hee writeth against the Manichees that condemned all the olde testament as being the euill Gods testament such was their vile blasphemie among other places they condemned this place of Leuiticus 17. Sanguis pecoris erit eius aâ—ima This place saith S. Augustine is spoken figuratiuely not that it is the very soule or life of the beast but that in it lieth the soule or life of the beast neither is the bloud a bare signification of the beasts soule but such a signe as containeth in it the very soule of the beast and therefore of the same speech he hath Quaestio 57. in Leuiticum made particular discourse where he hath these wordes We are to seeke out such speeches as by that which containeth do signifie that which is conteined â—â— because the life is holden in the body by the bloud for if the bloud be shed the life or soule departeth therefore by the bloud is most fâ—â—ly signified the soule and the bloud taketh the name thereof euen as the place wherein the Church assembled is called the Church You a I see the Answerer play with his owne fancie altogether stranâ—e from S. Austenâ— meaning as shall be shewed see he maketh in this place the bloud of the beast a signe of the beasts soule but such a signe as contained the soule in it Now in the other place ad Adimantum by you obiected S. Augustine forgat not this point of this place touched but in excusing that place of Leuiticus and interpreting it he exemplifieth it by the wordes of Christ which they admitted all the sorte of them as being the wordes of the good God of the new testament as they termed him saying I may interpret that precept to be set downe by way of signe For our Lord doubted not to say c. So that this place is brought by S. Augustine to shewe that in the B. Sacrament there is a signe containing the thing and therefore called by the name of the thing so in that of Leuiticus Moses called the bloud the soule of the beast because it is such a signe as containeth the soule of the beast really in it This exposition is irrefragable because it is b VVhich S. Austen himselfe neuer dreamed of S. August own exposition who could best expound his own meaning And against the Manichees he could not bring any other meaning possibly of This is my body but that For they confessed Christ to be really in the Sacrament in his bodie because the euill God had tied him or as they foolishly vttered it certaine peeces of him aswel in the Sacramentall bread as in other bread eares of corne stickes hearbes meates and all other creatures and that the elect Manichees by eating those things and after belching them out againe and otherwise auoiding them did let out at libertie the good God Christes body And therefore after these expositions agreeable to their heresie this place did fitly as S. Augustine bringeth it in expound that of Leuiticus As Christ in saying This is my body must meane as you Manichees expound it This is a signe of my body in which signe the partes of my body are bound euen so the bloud of the beast is the life is as much as the bloud of the beast is a signe of his life in which signe his life is contained Thus did S. Augustine excellently quoad homines answere the Manichees with their owne opinion And therefore to conclude S Augustine in calling it signum doth inferre most necessarie that his body is present because it is a signe in which the body is conteined R. Abbot 17. TO shew further that our Sauiour Christ said of verie bread This is my body and therefore that the Sacrament is not really and substantially but onely in signe and mysterie the body of Christ I alleaged the words of S. Austen Our a August cont Adimantum cap. 12. Lord doubted not to say This a is my body when he gaue the signe of his body The wordes are plaine that Christ in a certaine vnderstanding and meaning called that by the name of his body which is indéede but a signe of his bodie Now with this place of Austen the Answ dealeth as b Leu. deca 1. lib. 1. Cacus the théefe dealt with Hercules his Oxen when he drew them backward by the tailes into his caue So doth this man violently pull and draw the wordes of Austen backward into his den of reall presence and streineth them whether they wil or not to serue his turne in that behalfe But the lowing of the Oxen to their fellowes descried the theft of Cacus and the wordes following in S. Austen himselfe doe prooue that the Answ doth but play the théefe M. Harding was content to say that S. Austen in heate of disputation spake that which might be greatest aduantage against the hereticke not most agréeable to the trueth or to his owne meaning but little did he thinke that the place should serue to prooue any thing for his part But the Answ hath learned a tricke to make the wordes speake for reall presence which neuer was in S. Austens minde Forsooth hauing in hand against the Manichees to expound the wordes of Moses law The bloud is the soule or life he telleth them that the meaning thereof is that the bloud is a signe of life in which signe the soule or life is really conteined and to shew this we are tolde that he bringeth the words of Christ This is my body which he spake of the signe of his body but yet such a signe as doth really conteine the body and therefore we must thinke that the bodie of Christ
declaration of S. Austens meaning that we eate the flesh of Christ in a figure not in a figure of Rhetoricke or Grammer but in a diuine figure he may haue that iustly returned to him which S. Austen said of a forefather of his g Aug. cont aduer leg proph lib. 2. cap. 9. Imperita peritia de figurarum qualitate tractat He would seeme skilfull but talketh verie vnskilfully of the qualitie of Figures For if he were required a meaning of this his diuine figure no doubt it would prooue to be a verie disfigured and mishapen thing He had a fancie in his head wherein hee thought he had gone beyond al his fellowes he was glad y◠he had gotten occasion héere to vtter it But the Figure of which S. Austen speaketh is figurata locutio a figuratiue speech a Rhetoricke figure called a metaphore which is not to be vnderstood h August de doctr Christ lib. 3. cap. 5. 16. proprie or ad literam properly of according to the letter and as the wordes do barely signifie as before hath béene said because by the said figure the word is translated from his own proper signification to expresse another thing which in some respect is fitly and conueniently resembled thereby As for example because by beléeuing we do as it were lay hold vpon Christ apply him vnto our selues make him ours assure our selues of his body crucified and his bloud shed for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes to the reliefe comfort of our distressed and afflicted soules euen as in eating we take meate and receiue it into our stomacks and incorporate it into our selues to the cherishing and strengthning of our weake and féeble bodies therefore the word of eating which properly belongeth to the body is vsed to expresse the effect of beléeuing in Christ which appertaineth onely to the soule And thus doth S. Austen meane that there is a figure in these wordes of eating and drinking the flesh and bloud of Christ as appeareth both in the place aboue mentioned as touching this figure and by his exposition of the same words vpon the sixth of Iohn P. Spence Sect. 26. GOdly men haue noted vpon these wordes Tradetur effundetur shal be giuen shal be shed that Christ vsed them by an Energie to signifie that the blessed Sacrament that he gaue to his Apostles was not his phantasticall or imaginatiue bodie but that verie bodie of his that was to be crucified tormented and slaine on the crosse I confesse those wordes not strong enough to compell a repining aduersarie but yet verie well able sweetly to allure a A seely foole that without tryall will beleeue whatsoeuer the church of Roome doth lewdly perswade him an obedient childe of the Catholique Church to beleeue her in this point hauing so many other infinite reasons ioyned thereunto But remember I oppose not neither will I neither may I by the laws but only much against my will I am drawne by you to answere your obiections according to my small talent Otherwise you should heare whether the fathers be ours or not or what wee might say to this effect R. Abbot 26. OF the words of Christ This is my bodie which shal be giuen This is my bloud which shal be shed The Answerer confesseth that that additiē which shal be giuen which shal be shed is not an argument strong enough against a repining aduersarie but yet able to allure an obedient childe of the Church It is vsed in corners indéede to seduce and be guile the ignorant but alas simple soules that suffer themselues to be deceiued with those argumentes which their seducers confesse to be no substantiall proofes I hold you one of those simple ones M. Spence who alleaged it to me for a verie good reason If Campion tooke it not to be so then was it great want of discretion in him a Camp Rat. 2 to alleage it as an argument to vniuersitie men who hee might know would soone take notice of his folly in that be halfe And héere I may not omit to note the peruerse dealing of the Answ godly men forsooth in this matter who when they are in hand with Transubstantiation will prooue it by the words of Christ thus that he said this is my bodie which shal be giuen This is my bloud which shal be shedde as the vulgar Latin readeth Lo say they Christ nameth the verie bodie and bloud that was after to be giuen and shed vpon the crosse therfore the sacrament is the verie body of Christ Thus M. Spence and his godly fellowes reason But when they are in hand with sacrifice they wil haue it thus My body which b Hard. Answ art 17. Di. 4. Rhem. Annot. Luc. 22. 19. is giuen my bloud which is shed in the present tense according to the gréeke and wil prooue héereby that Christ did euen at that present offer a sacrifice of his body and bloud that he gaue his body and shed his bloud because he saith not shal be giuen but is giuen nor shal be shed but is shed Thus they tosse the words of Christ as it were a tennise ball from one wall to another and suffer them not to rest in anie certaine meaning but turne them and winde them as their fickle and vnstable fancies giue them occasion The meaning of the wordes is one and certaine that the sacrament is a figure and signe of the body and bloud of Christ giuen and shed for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes His infinite other reasons and authorities of the Fathers which he baunteth hee could alleage are all of the same stampe as these are They are but wordes of course that he vseth to that purpose seruing to fright his obedient children but the children of God haue good experience that it is but foolish and idle talke P. Spence Sect. 27. I Confesse all that you say next following of the wonderfull speeches and also of the effectes of the blessed sacrament by our coniunction with Christ wrought thereby also of our resurrection iustification and sanctification sauing that you imagine with Caluine which before him no man imagined that wee receiue these effects and graces by a conduct of faith that sucketh a verie reall vertue flowing out of his verie flesh in heauen which to do needeth a Vntrue for God hath appointed both the one and the other to be meanes whereby our faith should more more lay hold vpon Christ and feed vpō him to eternal life no Sacrament at all but only to preach vnto vs and so Caluin saith himselfe that if our faith were quicke enough we might without the sacramentall signes receiue the Sacrament at all times and minutes of the day An imagination very metaphysicall bred in his own braine and hatched vp only by himselfe tending to the contempt and ouerthrow of the Sacrament But we say that we receiue all the said graces and effects most diuine by our spirituall receiuing of him in faith
God is inuocated and called vpon whereby p Bernar. ser 1 in AnnuÌ„c Mar. we beleeue that our sinnes are forgiuen vs by the bloud of Iesus Christ which is not a faith incident to deuils or vngodly men But S. Iames speaketh of such a faith as is incident not onely to euill men but euen to the deuill himselfe This difference of the vnderstanding of fayth is obserued by Oecumenius of whom I spake before that q OecumeÌ„ in ep â—ac cap. 2. S. Iames speaketh of a bare assent according to which we know the deuils beleeued that Christ was the sonne of God but that S. Paul by faith importeth some further consequence arising out of the affection of man ioyned with a firme stedfast consenting to that which he is said to beléeue The one speaking of iustification before God teacheth vs that we are iustified by faith onely according to the true meaning of fayth which the scripture intendeth The other speaking of iustificatioÌ„ before men teacheth that a man is not iustified or shewed to be a true christian man by a naked and bare assenting vnto some points of religion which hypocrites call faith but hee must by his fruites testifie and shew that he is a true follower of Iesus Christ For men doe not accompt a man religious for a bare profession of faith but they estéeme of a mans faith and profession as they sée it appeare in his conuersation and doings And therefore as Abrahams fayth wrought with workes to iustifie him to be the friend of God so must our profession of fayth also haue good workes concurring with it to shew vs to be the true Disciples of Iesus Christ Otherwise as the bode without the soule is dead So Faith without workes is dead also Where hee compareth faith to the bodie and works to the soule not as faith importeth vnfained trust and confidence towardes God but as it is a profession of faith and religion before men as he himselfe teacheth vs in saying What auaileth it that a man saith he hath Faith c. For if we will consider faith and workes as touching the eyes of God then faith is the soule and workes are the body so that no workes are liuely and acceptable vnto God séeme they neuer so beautifull before men except they be quickened and made aliue by a true and liuely faith so that as S. Austen r August de nupt â—ouen li. 1. cap. 3. cont 〈◊〉 â—el l. 4 c 3. Retract 〈◊〉 c. â— oftentimes affirmeth and the Å¿ Heb. â—1 â— Apostle to the Hebrewes confirmeth they deserue not those names of vertue and iustice by which they are vsually called so long as they grow not from this roote But if we will speake of faith and workes as they are referred vnto the eyes of men there faith is indéede the body and works are the life and soule so that no wordes or profession can make men beléeue that thou hast in thée faith or religion so long as sinne and filthinesse hath sway and dominion in thy life Such a faith therefore or rather a saying that thou hast faith as S. Iames termeth it is dead and so farre are men from approouing it or thée for it as that they rather abhorre and loth it as a rotten and stincking carion and take occasion thereby to blaspheme and speake euill of that faith and religion which thou takest vpon thée to professe Thus I haue the more at large discoursed this place of S. Iames because the Answerer and his fellowes thinke they haue greatest hold therein for their iustification by workes From iustification he choppeth to merite and there defieth Pelagius which said that we might merite the first grace and forgiuenesse of sinnes But let him take Pelagius by the hand be friends with him againe for hee knoweth that it is the doctrine of his part that though not ex condigno yet ex congruo a man may merite the first grace As touching merite we are satisfied by the wordes of Christ that wee haue none at all t Luc. 17. 10. When yee haue done all that is commaunded you say We are vnprofitable seruants wee haue done that that was our duetie to doe But the Answ expoundeth these wordes as not making against merite We are called vnprofitable seruauntes not because we merite nothing but because we doe not yéeld any profite vnto God who was as happy and glorious before the foundation of the world as euer since And héere like a drunken man depriued of wit and reason and not knowing whither he goeth he bringeth Christ as man within the number of vnprofitable seruantes because he doth not profite God anie way nor yéeld him any benefite or good But that very example should haue put him in minde to séeke another meaning of vnprofitable seruaunts Christes owne wordes would haue taught it him if hée would haue listened thereto Doth the maister thanke his seruant because he did that that he commanded him I trow not So likewise when you haue done all that is commaunded say we are vnprofitable seruaunts c. Whereby Christ giueth vs to vnderstand that though we did all which is commaunded vs which no man doth yet that we cannot require so much as thanks at the handes of God because in doing all we do but our duetie and that that we are bound vnto and in that respect are vnprofitable seruauntes And therefore if he giue vs thankes or any reward or call vs not seruaunts but friends it is of his owne kindnesse and goodnesse not of any merite or desert of ours whereby hee should stand bound vnto vs. Thus did Chrysostome take it u Chrys in Epist ad colos hom 2. No man saith he sheweth such conuersation of life as that he may be worthy of the kingdome but it is wholly the gift of God Therefore he also saith when yee haue done all say we are vnprofitable seruauntes So doth Beda expound it w Beda in Luc. 17. We are vnprofitable seruauntes because the sufferings of this time are not worthie of the glorie to come as in another place Which crowneth thee in mercie and compassion He saith not in thy merites because by whose mercy we are preuented that we may humbly serue him by his gift we are crowned to reigne with him on high So is it vnderstood by Marke the heremite x Marc. HereÌ„ lib. de his qui puâ—ant se operibus iustificari Our Lord willing to shewe that wee are debters of the whole law that the adoption of children is freely giuen vs by his bloud saith when ye haue done all say wee are vnprofitable seruauntes Therefore the kingdome of heauen is not the wages of vvorkes but the grace of our maister prepared for his faithfull seruauntes This is then our vnprofitablenesse that we do not merite or deserue any thing at Gods handes for any thing that we doe which I hope agréeth not to Christ who though hee
in their bodies also Then all soules are either good or euill Their portions if they be good ioy if they be euill torment when they go out of this world not the torment of Purgatory which is but for a time but the torment of hell because it continueth till the resurrection and then shall be encreased by the receiuing of their bodies to be partakers of the same torment What place leaueth Austen here for Purgatory or for any middle sort of men Surely none at all and therefore consequently excludeth all effect of praier or offering for the dead But I sâ—eke the Answ saith to helpe Dulcitiuâ— his reason and yet conf 〈…〉 d my selfe because both by the question and by the answere it appeareth that to pray or to offer for the dead was the churches practise at that time A great confusion and worthily wrought The Answ must first know that it was his ouersight to call it Dulcitius his reason which was alleaged for S. Austen reporteth it as a reason giuen by many in his time Then let him vnderstand also that I knew it to be the churches practise but question was then moued whether that which the church did were auaileable to the dead Dulcitius vpon that occasion was doubtful herein He sendeth to S. Austen to be resolued S. Austen telleth him that c August de 8. quaest Dulcit q. 2. many indeed said hereof that if any good might be to the dead in obteining ease much rather should the soule by it owne confession of sin finde ease then by oblations procured by other men Whereby it is plaine that though it were the churches practise yet that this practise of the church was disauowed and disliked by many in S. Auâ—â—ens 〈…〉 e and therefore not vniuersally entertained in the church The Answerer knâ—w well inough that thus much was sayd to him before but because he was ouer-pressed by the reason of those many vsed then against the custome of oblations and praiers for the dead he slippeth by and taketh hold of this that hereby the practise of the church in this point is manifest True say I in part not generally because it was gainsaied and disputed against by many of the church euen in those times Now he saith nothing neither of the men nor of their reason And verily Austen himselfe neither reproueth the men nor disproueth their reason nor by any reason approueth that which he himselfe affirmed on the other side but taking this custome as he found it he laboureth rather to shewe whom we may suppose to haue benefit after death by such praiers and offerings if there be any effect thereof then to proue that there is so P. Spence Sect. 8. A Sorie shift you haue to elude all that our side can bring out of the Fathers for the sacrifice a Doct. Allen saith that the name of sacrifices in the plurall number as is this fitteth not to the sacrifice of the Masse The sacrifices of the altar are forsooth by your cauill not offered by the priest but by euerie particular man as his oblations either for the Sacrament say you or for the reliefe of the poore the worst shift of a thousande Theodoret vpon the 8. to the Hebrues asketh why if Christ offered a perfect sacrifice and made all other sacrifices vnnecessarie the priests of the new Testament offer the mysticall sacrifice If the peoples charitable offerings were the meaning of the sacrifices of the altar what need either Theodoret or so many much more auncient Fathers that aske the selfe same question vpon the like obiection so much liked of your side namely Chrysostome vpon the same Chapter to moue any such question or doubt For when Christ abolished all the olde sacrifices of the law you cannot imagine that these Fathers so learned and so wise would euer spend labour or time to moue this b A deale of idle talke I denied not but that the Fathers do vse the name of sacrifice concernâ—ng the Loâ—dâ—s Supper For I gaue the reason thereof at large idle doubt whether he abolished all charitable offerings of the people either for the Sacrament or for the helpe of the poore Besides the question is moued of the sacrifice of the new Testament offered not by the people but by the priests That the people made such oblatioÌ„s we grant but that thereby it is prooued that there was no other oblation or sacrifice offered by the priest we deny and thinke it to be as vnreasonable as if your mad AtheniaÌ„ wold proue that God made no Moone because he made a Sunne One truth neuer shouldereth out another The same Theodoret to answer his owne question goeth further and thus solueth it It is cleare saith he to those that are learned in diuinitie that we the priests of the new Testament of whom the obiection was made not of the people do offer not another sacrifice but do celebrate a memorie of that one healthfull sacrifice for this our Lord did command Do ye this for a remembrance of me R. Abbot 8. VVHereas in the place of Austen before rehearsed I construed the sacrifices of the altar to be meant of the offerings of the people at the Communion the Answerer fondly collecteth thereof that we vse this for a sorie shift to elude put off all the testimonies of the Fathers concerning sacrifice I may iustly call it a fond collection That the name of Sacrifice is vsed of those offerings I shewed him by a Hieron in 1. Cor. 11. S. Hierom. But that in other places both S. Austen and others do applie the name of Sacrifice to the mysticall offering of the bodie and blood of Christ he knew well inough that I made no doubt inasmuch as it was a great part of my spéech following to declare what they ment in so saying Wherefore all that he speaketh of this point ariseth of his owne péeâ—ish and idle fancie and therfore I trouble not my selfe therewith P. Spence Sect. 9. TO your great obiection of S. Paul leauing a great heap of a VVhich because he could not answere he thought good to passe ouer as waste words waste words to say the best of them I answere the sacrifice of the law tooke not away sinnes but made only certaine legall expiations and therefore the chiefe good that they wrought in the soule was ex Adiuncto of a thing added to them by the goodnesse of the receiuers of them which was their godly faith and expectation of remission of sinnes to be wrought by the Messias by which faith they receiued iustification such as their b Their estate â—n the old law had not the same light of reuelation but the grace of iustification and regeneration was the same to them as it is to vs. See the answer to sect 20 estate in the olde lawe was capable of But Christ by his sacrifice which was done by his death for his death only could confirme his new Testament tooke away sinnes
multitude of the sacrifices of the law is taken away One is approued in the ende of the world once offered for the abolishing of sinne For the lambe of God hath taken away the sin of the world offering himselfe a sacrifice of a sweet sauour c. Where let the Answ note that in stéed of many sacrifices for sinne there is in the ende of the world but one and that one but once offered for the vtter abolishing of sinne so that there remaineth now no other srcrifice for vs to offer but thankesgiuing and the offering of our selues vnto God by our reasonable seruing of him Let me conclude with the words of S. Ambrose k Ambros in Heb. 10. There is now no more offering for sinne For one oblation of the bodie of Christ maketh perfect them that are sanctified as which worketh full forgiuenesse of sinnes Therefore we need not daily to purge with daily sacrifices as in the old law If we néed not daily to purge with daily sacrifice as they did in the olde law then surely the daily sacrifice of the Masse is superfluous and coÌ„sequently no sacrifice at all By these and sundry other testimonies of the old Fathers it is euident and cleare inough to those that will sée that they knew not nor were acquainted with this strange deuise of a continuall reall offering of the body of Christ Yea but the Answerer saith further that the matter is so true of the Fathers auouching this reall sacrifice that Caluin sticked not to condemne all the Fathers since the Apostles of Iudaisme in that very poynt for establishing a very sacrifice of the church so impudent a thing he tooke it to be to cast a myst vpon the Fathers words in that point If the Answ speake this of himselfe let him remember that which Solomon saith l Pro. 19 5 12. 22. A false witnesse shal not escape vnpunished and again Lying lips are an abhomination to the Lord. If he speake it vpon the warrant of any other let him remember this for a true saying hereafter m Pro. 14. 15. Eccle. 19 4 He that is hastie to giue credit is a foole Caluins own words do laie open the notable and shamelesse boldnesse of the Answ and his fellowes in this point n Institut li. 4. ca. 18. sect 10. If any man saith he oppose the sentences of the old Fathers gathered here and there and vpon their authoritie contend that the sacrifice which is done in the Lordes Supper is otherwise to be vnderstood then we expound it let this briefly serue for answere to him If the matter be to approue the deuise of that sacrifice which the Papists haue forged in the Masse the auncient Fathers giue no maintenance or defence to such sacriledge Indeed they vse the name of sacrifice but withall they expound that they meane nothing else but a memoriall of that true and onely sacrifice which Christ performed on the Crosse who is our onely priest as they euerie where shew c. Againe o ibid. sect 1â— he professeth that he seeth that they reteined a godly right sound iudgement concerning this whole mysterie neither findeth that they would any litle derogate from the only sacrifice of Christ Now therefore what conscience may I thinke there is in the Answerer that doubteth not to auouch so manifest and notorious a slaunder But he will alleage for himselfe yâ— Caluin though he confesse that the Fathers had a right and true iudgement concerning the Sacrament yet saith that p ibid. in actionis modo in the maner of their celebration they approached néerer to the Iewish maner of sacrificing then Christ had ordeined or was conuenient for the state of the Gospell But this say I cannot excuse the Answ from iust desert of being branded in the forehead with the letter C as a calumnious and slaunderous person For he chargeth Caluin to haue condemned the Fathers of Iudaisme for establishing a reall sacrifice of the church whereas Caluin absolutely deâ—ieth that there was in them any opinion of any reall sacrifice and only saith that in ceremonies they came néerer to the Iewish maner of sacrificing then was conuenient We know that the Papists come néerer to those rites and ceremonies wherewith the Heathens Painims haue worshipped their idol gods then is conuenient for Christians to do in the spirituall seruice of the true God And yet it followeth not that they establish those profane mysteries or opinions whereunto the same ceremonies were annexed So might Caluin truly say that the Fathers in ceremonies came too néer the Iewes and yet be farre as indéed he was from denying that they taught or established any reall sacrifice in the church In a word Caluin coÌ„demneth not the Fathers of Iudaisme but Papists of peruersnesse and wickednesse in abusing the writings of the Fathers For let me tell the Answ once againe that his maisters of Rhemes though they haue in diuers places of their Annotations scratched togither out of the Fathers all and more then all that may giue any shewe to countenance their sacrifice yet cannot bring any one place that goeth without the compasse of that reason of the name of sacrifice which in my former spéech I declared to stand without any true or reall sacrifice now to be performed For setting that downe which Cyprian saith that q Cypr. lib. 2. epist 3. the passion of Christ is the sacrifice which wee offer what termes of sacrifice can they alleage out of the Fathers which do not agrée to the passion of Christ It is the killing of the lambe of God the sacrifice of sacrifices the euerlasting quickening sacrifice the sacrifice of our Mediator the sacrifice of our price the eternall redemption both of body and soule Now sith the passion of Christ is not now really performed the sacrifice to which these spéeches are applied is not a sacrifice now really done but only in a mysterie and by remembrance Now although it be plaine inough by that that hath bene already said that there is no such sacrifice indéed as the Answ and his company do affirme yet supposing for the while that there is let vs sée what he will make of it or to what vse he will put it The vse of it as he telleth me in the former section is to apply vnto vs remission of sinnes purchased by the death of Christ only By which words he spoyleth his Masse of the nature of a propitiatory sacrifice For the true propitiatory sacrifice euen by the very signification of the word is that only which it selfe satisfieth for sinne and purchaseth by the vertue and force thereof forgiuenesse of sinnes and attonement with God Now therfore if forgiuenesse of sinnes be purchased by the death of Christ onely then it standeth not with the Masse to be a propitiatorie sacrifice His Rhemish companions tell him that the blood of Christ before his death was at his last supper sacrificed r Rhe. Annot.
Luc. 2â— 20. for propitiation or for pardon of sinne So Bellarmine saith that Christ at his supper offered a sacrifice Å¿ Bellar. to 2. de Missâ— lib. 2. cap. 2. for the Apostles sinnes and with a mouth of blasphemy auoucheth that the Masse is such a sacrifice as doth purge abolish forgiue sinnes that it doth abolish the sinne of the world doth saue from eternall destruction doth make attonement with God for our sinnes falsifying and misconstruing to this purpose diuers testimonies of the auncient fathers In like sort the councell of Trent determineth it to be such a sacrifice as doth t Concil Trident sess 6. cap. 2. verily worke propitiation for sinne and appease God because it is the same with that vpon the Crosse differing only in the maner of offering and therefore it u can 3. curseth those that deny it to be such Wherby it appeareth that the Answerers fellowes do not thinke that remission of sinnes is purchased only by the death of Christ And therfore when they say as sometimes they do that the death of Christ is w Rhe. Annot. Hâ—b 7. 27. the one full sufficient raunsome for the redemption of all sinnes or as he saith here that remission of sinnes is purchased by the death of Christ only they do but plaie mock-holy day and delude the ignorant reader with deceitfull and double meaning words The death of Christ is a sufficient raunsome they say but we must vnderstand it of a generall raunsome and therefore so as that there is beside that a particular raunsome or redemption in the Masse of the same effect working particularly as the death of Christ is generally And therefore they call their sacrifice of the Masse x Rhe. Annâ—â— Hâ—b 10. 11. a particular redemption and in that sense the euerlasting redemption both of bodie and soule So this man when he saith that remission of sinnes is purchased onely by the death of Christ must be vnderstood belike to meane it of the generall purchase not to deny a particular purchase thereof in the Masse also Or if he meane simply as he speaketh that there is not at all either generally or particularly any purchase of the forgiuenesse of sinnes in the Masse then let him curse the church of Rome that hath cursed him and let him returne into the bosome of the church of Christ to professe with vs that truth which the church of Rome hath impiously condemned But to come to that matter of applying which he saith is the vse of their sacrifice we may note therein the notable fraud and shifting of the diuell wherby he hath practised and prâ—uailed in the church of Rome to defeate the people of the benefit of Christs redemption For whereas Christ had left vnto his church two speciall meanes to offer and apply vnto vs the fruite of his death the liuely preaching of the word and the vse of his holy Sacraments the diuell hath so wrought that y Apoc. 7. 1. the wind of the word of God should not blow vpon the earth that men should not haue so much as any priuate vse of the booke of God that their very church-seruice should be in a language which they did not vnderstand As for the Sacraments he hath miserably corrupted the one and vtterly iâ— a maner abandoned the people from the vse of the other and instéed thereof hath deluded them with a theatricall shew and vaine opinion of a sacrifice whereby to procure to themselues forgiuenesse of sinnes Truely it had bene more méete that these men should haue carefully vsed those meanes of application which Christ appointed to his Church then thus thrust vppon men other meanes of their owne deuising But this deuise of theirs is vnreasonable also and without sense A sacrifice forsooth to apply a sacrifice a propitiatioÌ„ to apply a propitiatioÌ„ a redemptioÌ„ to apply a redemption as if a man would fondly require a medicine to apply a medicine and a plaister to apply a plaister Verily séeing that as Cyprian saith z Cypri de Bapt. Christi manifest Trinit the sacrifice which Christ offered vpon the crosse standeth so acceptable in the good pleasure of God and abideth so in perpetuall force and vertue as that that oblation is no lesse effectuall in the sight of the father at this day then it was that day when as water and blood issued out of his wounded side and the stripes still abiding in his bodie do exact the paiment of mans saluation and the stipend due vnto his obedience it cannot but be vtterly absurd senselesse to say that we must euery day offer Christ a-new in sacrifice to apply vnto vs the benefit of his former sacrifice Moreouer the act of sacrificing importeth not applying vnto vs but offering vnto God and it is one thing to offer sacrifice vnto God another to apply the benefite of a sacrifice vnto man euen as it is one thing to make a plaister for a sore and another thing to laie the plaister to the sore So that they themselues are forced to graunt that yâ— méere sacrificing is not the applying of the sacrifice Wherein then is the application Marry forsooth a Hard Rei oind pa. 5. 6. in the intention praier of the priest For whomsoeuer he doth thinke vpon in his Memento to whomsoeuer he intendeth the benefit of his sacrifice to him is applied the passion and death of Christ and that for the verie worke wrought though there be neither good minde nor good motion in him for whoÌ„ it is done Now the priest most commonly is a seruiceable man and readie for his paie to giue his attendance One commeth to him for himselfe another for his friend another for a soule in purgatorie another for his swine and cattle and he hath Christ at commandement to offer him vp in sacrifice for the good of them all and for so much or so much mony a man shal haue so many or so many Masses as he shall thinke méete to serue the turne either for himself or for his For for the better vtterance of this bad ware they will not haue it thought nay b Prouinâ— Constit Linwood titulo de celebrat Missarum God forbid that any Catholicke should thinke that one Masse deuoutly celebrated doth profit a man as much as a thousand Masses said with like deuotion For though Christ be of infinit vertue yet he dispenseth not himselfe all at once Otherwise it were inough for a man wheÌ„ he is dead to haue one only Masse which in no case is tollerable to thinke Now therefore it is good for a man to haue Masse vpon Masse and neuer leaue massing for his massing he must remember paying and yet when he hath all done he is no whit the néere for after he is dead he must yet haue more massing to helpe his soule to heauen and thereof he must bethinke himselfe when he maketh his will These horrible and cursed doings are
in their former nature because they nourish no lesse then the substance of bread it selfe would haue done if it had remained They remain in the former shape and kind as being things that may be seene touched as they might before Theodoretus then hauing saide thus much for the one part of the Sacrament commeth also to shew the other part thereof For his minde is to declare that as there be two kinds of things in one Eucharist so the two natures of God and man are in one person of Christ Therefore the other nature besides the formes of bread and wine is the reall substance of Christs bodie and blood of which part thus he speaketh Intellâ—guntur autem esse quae facta sunt creduntur adorantur vâ—pote quae illa sunt quae creduntur the mysticall signes are vnderstanded to be those things which they were made and they are beleeued they are adored as being those things which they are beleeued to be Note that these mystica symbola are vnderstanded to be that they were made but what are they vnderstaÌ„ded to be that b They are truly vnderstood to be that in mystetie and siâ—nificatioÌ„ which in substance and nature they are not which they are not Nay syr that were false vnderstanding which falshood cannot be in the mysteries of Christ they are theÌ„ that indeed which they are vnderstanded to be What is it Theodoretus sheweth a little before that they were after consecration the body blood of Christ Therefore the mysticall signes are vnderstanded to be the bodie and blood not because they be not so but because they are so for that they were made his bodie and blood and so they are beleeued to be and are adored or kneeled and bowed vnto But how percase as bearing the image and signes of the bodie and blood of Christ No syr but as being c Strange diuinitie that mysticall 〈◊〉 should be indeed the bodie and bloud of Christ 〈…〉 mysticall sigâ—â— had bene of the virgine Mary Ioh. 1. Theophy in Ioh. 1. indeed the bodie and blood of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being those things which they are vnderstanded and beleeued to be They are Adored because they are the bodie and blood of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being and the word as meaneth in that place a truth of being as if it were vere existentia quae creâ—untur being indeed the things which they are beleeued to be So speaketh S. Iohn Viâ—imus gloriam eius gloriam quasi vnigeniti a patre we saw his glorie a glorie as of the only begotten of the father to wit we saw the glorie of him being indeed the only begotten of his father VpoÌ„ which place Theophylact saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English as is not a word that betokeneth a similitude or likenesse but that confirmeth and betokeneth an vndoubted determination as when we see a King comming forth with great glory we say that he came forth as a King that is to say he came forth as being indeed a King So that by the iudgement of Theophylact that particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Theodoret vseth doth betoken an vndoubted being and determinate truth of that thing whereof we speake The holie mysteries are adored as being those things indeed which they are beleeued to be This place is such as cannot be reasonably answered vnto For the reason of adoring or giuing d Theodoret intendeth not to giue godly honour to the mystical signs for that were idolatry but only such reuerent vsage as is fit for holy things See the answere godly honour to the Sacrament of the altar is because it is indeed the bodie of Christ as it is beleeued to be But it is beleeued to be the bodie of Christ after consecration therefore it is adored as being the true bodie of Christ For Theodoret before hauing confessed the mysteries after consecration to be called the bodie and blood of Christ when it was demanded farther Doest thou beleeue that thou receiuest the bodie and blood of Christ he answereth to that question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita credo I do beleeue so Now therefore he affirmeth those mysticall signes to be indeed after consecration the bodie and blood of Christ which they are beleeued to be and so beleeued that they are receiued of vs. Euerie word must be weighed because we haue to do with our aduersaries who must finde shifts or els their deceit will appeare to all the world First therefore let it be marked that after consecration the mysteries are called the bodie and blood Secondly that the mysteries are e They are vnderstood to be at made and beleeued to be mystical signes of the body blood and so are reuerently vsed though in substance they be but bread and wine This is all that Theodoret meaneth as shall appeare vnderstanded to be the bodie and blood of Christ Thirdly that they are made so Fourthly they are beleeued to be so Fiftly they are adored for that they are indeed those things which they are beleeued to be And last of all they are receiued The first saying second and the last ye can beare withall to wit that they are called the bodie and blood and are vnderstanded to be the bodie and blood and that the bodie blood are receiued For you wold haue them called so and not be so thereby making the namer of them a miscaller as one that calleth them by a wrong name Secondly you would haue them vnderstanded to be the bodie blood and yet not be so thereby shewing that you take pleasure in vntrue vnderstanding for no f S. Paul would haue the rock vnderstood to be Christ which indeed was not christ yet he was a good man good man wold haue a thing vnderstanded to be that which indeed it is not Againe you would the bodie and blood to be receiued How trow you In the faith of the man but g VVe receiue the truth of the bodie of Christ not by the mouth of our bodies but by the faith of our soules You haue turned faith into the mouth and the truth of the bodie into the fantasie of a bodie not in the truth of the bodie therby declaring that you diuide faith from truth as men that haue a perswasion of things that indeed be not so But to calling vnderstanding and receiuing Theodoret ioyneth also beleeuing adoring and being And the beliefe which he speaketh of is not referred to heauen but vnto the holie mysteries They are beleeued they are adored as being those things which they are beleeued to be h A peeuish and blind fansie Nothing is more vsual then to call the signe by the name of the thing signified though indeed it be not the same The thing that is called or named Christes bodie and blood is indeed that thing which it is called Christ can h misname nothing at all
ceremonies obserued in the auncient Churches that are now omitted in the Church of Roome Though the Church of Rome were as sound as euer she was that we might say as Ambrose said that e Ambros de sacra liâ— 3. cap 1. we desire in all thinge to follow the Church of Roome yet we would say as he addeth We are men too that haue iudgement and vnderstanding as well as they of Rome and haue as great libertie in vsing or not vsing ceremonies as they haue Secondly he asketh me Haue you retained any shadow of the publicke and generall reconciliation of sinners spoken of in this sermon c. Let him turne the wordes and suppose me demaunding of him the same question concerning the Church of Roome Verily she hath it not she hath no shewe nor shadow of it neither the maner nor the matter of it The Answ in vpbraiding our Church with yâ— want hereof doth much more lay open the shame and reproch of his owne friendes The Church of Roome is she that hath broken the bonds of all discipline and made a mockerie of all religion in stéed of absoluing men she hath bound them faster in stéed of reconcilement to God she hath thrust them further off from God Whatsoeuer defect or want our Church hath in this be halfe it is but asker of that wound wherewith the Church of Roome had wounded vs and as a weakenesse remaining after a gréeuous and deadly sicknesse from whence we haue not as yet béen able perfectly to recouer our selues But thankes be vnto God that we haue before vs the substance of true absolution and reconciliation in the word of the gospel which the Church of Roome withholdeth from her Children We preach to the repentant absolution and attonement with God by the bloud of Iesus Christ wherby they finde comfort and release from the bondes of their sinnes and giue glorie vnto God Whereas the Church of Roome giuing men ashes in stéed of bread and setting before them the superstitious deuises of men in stéed of the soueraigne bloud of Christ and mocking them with the supposed absoluing words of a grumbling Popish Priest in stéed of the comfort of the gospell of Christ leaueth them either senselesse and not féeling their owne estate or restlesse and vnquiet whilest in the absolutions of sinfull men they finde no assured trust of being absolued and pardoned with God Concerning the descending of Christ into hell I doubt not but he speaketh what he thinketh but vnderstandeth not what he speaketh nor what he ought to thinke The iudgement of learned and godly men both old and new are very diuerse as touching the meaning of this point I preiudicate not the iudgement of any man that hath not in it a preiudice against yâ— word of God For my part I imbrace it as an article of the Créede and I take it that I am to conceiue euery article of the Créede as importing somewhat that entirely and properly concerneth my self either as touching my creation or saluation And therefore I simply reiect as a méere fancie the opinion of the Papists that Christ descended to Linebus patrum to fetch the fathers from thence But if for any respect properly touching our saluation it may be iustified that Christ in soule descended to the very place of hell as the very letter of the article doth import I willingly subscribe the same In the meane time that which the Answ cauilleth at which some learned men haue deliuered for the meaning of Christes descending into hell as touching the doctrine whether belonging to this article or to the other of his suffering I embrace and hold because I know it conteineth the certaine vndoubted trueth of the word of God and particularly toucheth the redemption of mine own soule We beléeue by the word of God that Iesus Christ the sonne of God is our redéemer not onely in his body but also in his soule that in both he hath paied a price for vs f Irene adu har lib. 5. giuing as Ireneus speaketh his soule for our soules and his flesh for our flesh not onely his flesh or bodie for our bodies but his soule also for our soules The scripture iustifieth so much He shall giue g Esa 33. 10. his soule an offering for sinne The storie of the passion of Christ iustifieth the same where before any thing ailed him as touching any bodily paine he is described vnto vs h Mat. 26. 37. to be sorrrowful greeuously troubled i Mar. 14. 33. to be afraid in great heauinesse k Luc. 22. 44. to be in an agonie yea such an agonie and so beyond measure afflicting him that the sweate was like drops of bloud trickling from him downe to the ground that the father thought it expedient to send l v. 43. an angell from heauen to comfort him that hee was driuen to crie â—ut m Math. 26. 3â— 3â— My soule is heauie euen vnto the death father if it be possible let this cup passe from me To referre these spéeches and affections to any bodâ—â—y sufferings were fond and childish sith as yet he suffered nothing in body but as he himselfe expresly teacheth they are to be construed immediatly of the passion and sufferinges of his soul Therefore Hierome saith n Hieron iâ— Eâ—a â—â— That which wee should haue suffered for our sinnes he suffered in our behalfe c. Whereby it is manifest that as his bodie being scourged and rent did beare the signes of that iniurie in stripes and blewnesse of woundes so his soule also did verily suffer greefe for vs least that partly a trueth partly a lie should be beleeued in Christ Whereby he testifieth that Christ suffered for vs both in body and soule and euen that that we should haue suffered for our sinnes and that if he comming in the nature of man to suffer for vs had suffered onely in body it should be in part a lie which wee beléeue of his suffering for vs because as touching his soule it should not be true S. Ambrose héereof saith thus o Ambrâ—s â—n Luc. ca. 22. lâ—â— 1â— de fide ad Grati. lib. 2. cap. 3. He laboured in his passion with deepe affection that because he destroyed our sinnes in his flesh he might also by the anguish of his soule abolish the anguish of our soules Which as it appeareth by those spéeches already mentioned at the first entrance of his passion so it is further most effectually shewed by his crying with a loud voice vpon the crosse My p Math. 27. 4â— God my God why hast thou forsaken me A mysterie the depth whereof the verie Angels themselues are not able throughly to search that the sonne of God should be humbled so farre for our sakes as to be for the time in our forlorne and desperate state vnder the burden of the wrath of God to féele his fathers indignation q Esa â—3 8 10. smiting him
and breaking him as the Prophet speaketh and as it were leading out his armies against him he in the meane time holding fast still vpon God to be his God who would bring him backe from these gates of death when he had finished the worke that was giuen him to doe but yet féeling nothing for the present whereby he might appeare to be his God But what can I say more of this spéech of Christ then Ferus hath said a man by profession of the church of Roome yet in many things not so grosse as Romanists commonly are Writing vppon these wordes of Christ he saith thus r Ferus in Matt 27. Here God the father dealeth with Christ not as a father but as a tyrant although hee be in the meane time of most louing affection towardes him This Christes being forsaken is the dread of our conscience for our sinnes feeling the iudgement of God and his eternall wrath and is so affected as if it were for euer forsaken and reiected from the face of God Christ of his mercie put himselfe into our cause and vndertooke the punishment that we had deserued Therefore on the one side wee see the people reuiling him the Pharisees blaspheming him c. On the other side we see God as an aduersarie forsaking him so that he crieth out why hast thou forsaken me Christ to deliuer sinners set himself in place of all sinners not playing the theefe or adulterer c but transferring vnto himself the stipend and wages the punishment and desert of sinners as colde heate hunger thirst feare trembling the horrour of death the horrour of hell despaire death hell it self that by feare he might ouercome feare by horrour despaire death hell might ouercome horror despaire death hell and in a word by Satan might ouercome Satan Thus by the testimonie of one of their own Prophets it is iustified that Christ Iesus suffered not onely a bodily death but also in his soule the waight of his fathers indignation and the very horrour of hell it selfe when he cried out and complained in that maner as hath béen declared And this is that which the scripture meaneth when it saith that ſ Gal. 3. 13. Christ was made a curse for vs to deliuer vs from the curse For as to be made sinne for vs importeth that he did beare the punishment of our sinnes so to be made a curse for vs importeth that he did beare the burden of our curse that is to say the full measure of the wrath of God that otherwise should haue lighted vpon vs. The fathers thought no lesse when they construed the 88. Psalme or the 87. as they reckon it to be the description of the passion of Christ Where we reade thus t Psal 88. 7. 1. 16. Thine indignation is set against me or lieth hard vppon me and thou hast vexed me with all thy stormes Lord why abhorrest thou my soule Thy wrathfull displeasure goeth ouer me and the feare of thee hath vndone me So is that Psal applied by u Athan. de interpret Psalm Arnob. Hieron in psal 87. Athanasius Arnobius and Hierome Austen also calleth the same w August in Psalm 87. a song of the passion of Christ though turning the wordes alleaged to another intention then they doe manifestly intimate vnto vs. Athanasius referring himselfe to those wordes Thy furie or indignation is set against me saith x Athanas de inter Psal Christ died not for that he was guiltie of sinnne himself but he suffered for vs and in himselfe did beare the wrath that was conceiued against vs for sinne euen as he saith elswhere y Idem in Euangel de pas cruce domi that he took the bitternesse of that wrath which arose by the transgression of the law and swallowed it vp and so made it void So z Hieron in Psal 87. Hierome bringeth in our Sauiour speaking out of these former wordes of the Psalme in this sort Thou hast brought vpon me that wrath and storme of thy furie and indignation which thou wouldst haue powred out vpon the nations because I haue taken vpon me their sinnes Yea Hilarie though a Hilar. de Trinit lib 10. elswhere in heate of contention with an hereticke he séeme vtterly to denie all passion and suffering of Christ whose verie opinion in effect I take it to be which b Ambros in Luc. cap. 22. lib. 10. S. Ambros reprooueth writing vpon Luke yet in his more aduised spéech of Sermon vpon one of the Psalmes he giueth a notable testimony to this trueth Christ c Hilar. in Psa 68. became subiect to the death of the Crosse the waters comming in euen vnto his soule when the violence of all sufferings beake forth euen to the death of the soule By and by after he sheweth his mind more plainly He descended euen to the depth not of the flesh only but of death it self and al the terror of that tempest which raged against vs lighted vpon him Thus therfore it is euident both by the authoritie of the scriptures and by the consent of the ancient fathers that Christ suffered for vs not only in body but also in soule that his suffering in soule was the enduring of the vttermost of that tempest of the wrath of God which should haue fallen vpon vs for sinne Which indéed should haue oppressed vs infinitely and without end because the infinite maiestie of God whom we had offended required an infinite satisfaction for the offence and the same could not be yéelded by vs but by infinite and endlesse bearing of his wrath But it neither would nor might hold Christ in that sort because the infinitenesse of the time was recompensed by the infinitenesse of the person who was not onely man but God also Now whereas it is vrged that one drop of the bloud of Christ was sufficient to redeeme the world I answere that it is folly héereof to conclude that he suffered not in his soule for vs and with as good reason they may conclude that he was not crowned with thornes spitted vpon mocked and reuiled c. Yea the he died not at all nor shed any more but one drop of bloud We are not to stand vpon the fancies of men what they will thinke enough to redéeme vs but wée must learne in the word of God what the Lord hath done for vs that we may accordingly admire his mercie and goodnesse and sing thanks and prayses vnto him Now that thus Christ descended into hell I know that otherwise he descended into hell though I stand not to denie it yet I dare not affirme it Neither is it any pittiful damnable and horrible matter to auouch this but it is a trueth to be professed and comfortable to be beléeued and the Answe in so condemning it doth but as S. Peter saith d ◠Pet. 2. 12. speake euill of those things which he knoweth not Now by this descending of Christ into hell
life as the rocke was Christ as the Apostle saith They dranke of the spirituall rocke which followed them and the rocke was Christ It is not said The rocke was Christ because the rocke did really conteine Christ No more then was it said The bloud is the life because it did really conteine the life but because it was ordained to be a signe of life though it selfe were altogether dead and cold And this doth S. Austen againe expresly note in another place saying It k August cont aduersa leg proph lib. 2. cap. 6. is said The bloud of al flesh is the life or soule thereof in like maner as it is said The rocke was Christ not because it was so indeed but because Christ was signified heereby The lawe would by the bloud signifie the life or soule a thing inuisible by a thing visible c. because the bloud is visibly as the soule is inuisibly the chiefest and most principall of all things whereof wee consist Héere is then a matter of signification onely not of any reall conteining vnlesse the Answ will be so fond as to say that the rocke did really conteine Christ But now of this maner of speaking The bloud is the life or soule when it is indéede but a signe thereof S. Austen giueth a like example in the words of our Sauiour Christ who saith he doubted not to say This is my body when he gaue the signe of his body directly to this meaning that as Christ said This is my body when he gaue it into his Disciples handes not his bodie indéede but onely the signe and sacrament of his body and as the Apostle saith the rock was Christ when it was not Christ indéede but onely a signe of Christ so Moses said The bloud is the life not because it selfe was the life indéede but was onely appointed to be a signe of life And if the sacrament were indéed really the body of Christ what occasion should there be why Christ should doubt to say this is my body But either S. Austen speaketh vainly or els his words import that there might be occasion of doubting to say so And why but because it was not so indéede Yet saith he because it was the mysterie and signe of his body though not his body in substance and indéed therfore hee doubted not according to the maner of the scriptures in like case to say This is my body and so did Moses speake of the bloud Thus most manifestly and plainly I haue shewed that the Answ irrefragable exposition is nothing else but vnhonest and vnconscionable shifting P. Spence Sect. 18. BVt Tertullian killeth the Cow for he saith a figure of the body What if I prooue to you that you be as fowly deceaued or would deceiue in Tertullian as in the last place of S. Augustine This hath Tertullian in lib. 4. contra Marcionem The bread which hee tooke and distributed to his disciples he made his body Lo Tertullian saith Christ made the bread his body so say we and not you how made it he his body by speaking ouer it the wordes of consecration in saying this is my body that is a figure of my body Did Christ say to them This is the figure of my body But if he had yet by speaking those wordes hee had made it his body after Tertullians minde But the very trueth and all the point of the case heerein is in this that Tertullians words may haue two expositions one which you like of This is my body Two expositions of Tertullian that is the figure of my body the other which is our sense and the verie intended meaning of Tertullian is this This is my body This that is to say the figure of my body is my bodie To prooue this vnto you remember it is out of his fourth booke against Marcion which Marcion held the ill God of the old testament to be a deadly enimie to the good God of the new testament Marcion wrote a book called Antithesis or Antilogiae of contradictions and repugnances betweene the two testamentes Against that booke spendeth Tertullian the greatest part of his fourth booke shewing howe Christ the God of the new testament fulfilled and consecrated the old figures of the old testament as a friend and not as an enemie thereof and to that end thus he saith conferring places togither Christ in the daie time taught in the temple of Hierusalem he had foretold by O see In my temple they sâ—ught me and there I will dispute with them Againe he went apart into the mount Elaeon that is to the mount of Oliues Because Zacharie wrote and his feete shall stand in the mount Elaeon Againe they came togither early in the morning agreeable to Esay who saith Hee hath giuen me an eare to heare betimes in the morning If this be saith Tertullian to dissolue the prophesies what is to fulfill them Againe hee chose the passouer for his passion For Moses said before It shall be the passouer of the Lord. Yea saith Tertullian He shewed his affection or desire I haue earnestly desired to eat this passeouer with you c. O destroier of the law which desired also to keepe the passeouer Againe he might haue been betraied of a stranger sauing that the Psalme had before prophesied He which eateth bread with me will lifâ— vp his foote against me Yet further he might haue been betraied without reward saue that that should haue been for another Christ not for him which fulfilled the prophesies For it was written They haue sold the iust Yea the verie price that he was sold for Hieremie foretold They tooke the thirtie siluer peeces the price of him that was valued and gaue them for a potters field Thus farre in this one place among infinite other in the whole booke Tertullian sheweth Christ the God of the new testament to haue fulfilled the figures of the olde as being the one onely God of both Testaments And then by and by he inferreth as another example these wordes Therefore professing that he did greatlie desire to eate the passeouer as his owne for it was vnfit that God should desire anie thing of anothers whereby hee sheweth Christ to be the onely God of both testaments He made the bread which he tooke and distributed to his Disciples his bodie in saying This is my bodie that is the figure of my bodie What figure I beseech you meant he not the figure vsed a He did not meane any figure vsed by Melchisedech neither doth any way allude to it by Melchisedech of bread and wine meant he not a figure of the old Testament taken vsed and fulfilled by Christ in the newe is not that his drift Must Tertullian become an asse to serue your turne and forget his owne drift and purpose here and contrary what he hath so plainly spoken of the Sacrament in other his books This is b It is not foolish vaunting and bragging that must waigh this
forsooth Gelasius must forget what he hath to proue and must say for you that the Sacrament is nothing but a signe and then howe serueth it for an argument against Eutyches if it be but bare brad in one nature onely whereas if you looke vpon the whole testimonie of Gelasius as I set it downe largely to you you shall see yea with halfe an eye that the meaning of these wordes An image and similitude of the body and bloud of the Lord is performed in the celebration of the mysteries is no other but this that his being in the Sacrament both in a diuine substance as himselfe tolde you and also ioyned with the naturall properties of bread is a figure and resemblance of his two natures remaining in heauen vnconfused Thus you care not howe foolishly you make the authour to speake so he affoord you wordes and sillables to make a shew Looke vpon Gelasius and bethinke your selfe I haue answered him at large Looke a in the end and there you shall find it because it was written before yours came to my hand I was loth to write it againe in his orderly place for that writing is somwhat painfull to my weake head and yeares Wherefore I craue you to beare with me in that matter R. Abbot 19. THe wordes of Gelasius are these An a Gelas cont Euty Nestor image or resemblance of the bodie and bloud of Christ is celebrated in the action of the mysteries or sacraments Héereby Gelasius giueth to vnderstand that the sacrament is not the verie bodie of Christ but the image and resemblance of his body It is more plaine by that which he addeth We must therfore think the same of Christ himselfe which we professe in his image that is to say in the Sacrament Marke how he distinguisheth Christ himselfe and the image of Christ The Sacrament therefore which is the image of Christ is not Christ himselfe Thus the wordes themselues doe manifestly giue that for which I alleaged them But the Answ telleth me that I alleage Gelasius héere contrarie to his owne meaning euen by mine own confession How may that be Forsooth I would before haue Gelasius his drift to be that as Christ is in heaueÌ„ in two natures so héere vpon the earth in the sacrament is bread with the body and so both in heauen and héere would haue two seuerall natures but nowe in this place I would haue the Sacrament to be nothing but a signe and bare bread in one nature onely But hée knoweth that he speaketh vntrueth both in the one and in the other Of the former he himselfe hath acquited me before saying b Sect. 9. you would haue the Sacrament a memorie of Christ as though hee were absent Then belike I would not haue the bodie of Christ really present héere vpon the earth in the Sacrament Of the other I acquited my selfe in that very place which he taketh vpon him to answer For I added immediately vpon the alleaging of those words thus Yet are not the Sacraments naked bare signes as you are wont hereupon to cauill but substantiall and effectuall signs or seales rather assuring our faith of the things sealed therby and deliuering as it were into our hands and possession the whole fruite benefit of the death and passion of Iesus Christ To answere him to both in a word thus I say that as the water of Baptisme doth sacramentally imply the blood of Christ though the blood of Christ be in heauen so likewise the bread and wine in the Lordes Supper do sacramentally imply the bodie and blood of Christ though the same bodie and blood be in heauen and not vpon the earth And therefore neither did I before say nor do now that the Sacrament consisteth of two natures really being vpon earth but of bread and wine being on earth and the bodie and blood of Christ being in heauen the one receiued by the hand of the bodie the other only by the hand of the soule which only reacheth vnto heauen Againe as water in Baptisme is not therefore bare water because the blood of Christ is not there really present so no more is the bread of the Lords table bare bread although there be no reall presence of the bodie but it doth most effectually offer and yéelde vnto the beléeuing soule the assurance of the grace of God and of the forgiuenesse of sinnes That which he further addeth as touching the drift and purpose of Gelasius how lewdly it peruerteth his wordes and maketh them to serue fully for the heresie of Eutyches against which Gelasius writeth I haue declared before and so well haue I bethought my selfe héereof as that I doubt I may in that behalfe charge the Answ conscience with voluntarie and wilfull falshood and desperate fighting against God Pet. Spence Sect. 20. YOur terme of Seales applied to the Sacraments is done to an ill purpose to make the Sacramentes no better then the Iewes Sacramentes were To handle that matter would require a greater discourse which willingly I let passe But yet I must tel you that the said opinion is verie derogatorie to the a Vntrueth for the passioÌ„ of christ hath had his effect from the beginning of the world effect of Christes passion of the which the Sacraments of Christes Church take a farre more effectuall vertue then the Iewes Sacraments did Read our treatises of that matter for I list not to runne into that disputation R. Abbot 20. HE disliketh that I call the Sacramentes Seales Yet héere his owne conscience could tell him that we make not the Sacrament bare bread and wine as he and his fellows maliciously cauill Though waxe of it selfe bâ— but waxe yet when â—◠〈◊〉 with the Princes signeâ— it is treason to offer despight vnto it So whatsoeuer the bread and wine be of themselues yet when they are by the word of God as it were stamped and printed to be Sacramentes and seales it is the perill of the soule to abuse them or to come vnreuerently vnto them But why is not the terme of sâ—ales to be approoued in our sacraments Surely S. Austen calleth them visible a August lib. de catechâ—z â—ud ca. 26. hom 50. de v. Tit. poenâ—t Seales and why then is it amisse in vs Forsooth because it maketh our sacraments no better then the sacraments of the Iewes Indéede our Sacramentes are in number sewer for obseruation more easie in vse more cleane in signification more plaine and through the manifest reuelation of the Gospell more méete to excite and stirre vp our faith and in these respects they are better then the sacraments of the Iewes but as touching inward and spirituall grace they are both the same neither is there in that respect any reason to affirme our sacramentes to be better then theirs For they did b 1 Cor. 10. â— eate the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke that we doe The same I say that we
enough against a naked and bare collection from a point of doubtfull construction Which séeing they haue diuers of them béen alleaged by maister Fulke and others directly against the Answrers demaund and yet haue not receiued any tollerable answere it was but a scape of his wit to say that maister Fulke doth steale away from the state of the question and medleth not with it His other cauill out of the wordes of S. Luke that Christ before the sacrament said l Luc. 22. 17. he woulde drinke no more of the fruite of the vine till in his kindome and yet dranke after in the Sacrament whereby he would prooue the sacrament to be no wine was long agoe preuented by S. Austen who affirmeth that S. Luke m August de consen Euangeli lib. 3. ca. 1. according to his maner setteth downe the former mention of the cup by way of anticipation putting that before which is to be referred to somewhat following after and therfore vnderstandeth it of the cup of the new testament by and by after instituted and so reconcileth him to the other two Euangelistes Mathew and Marke But to helpe this argument the Answ is faine to varie from his good maisters of Rhemes For he expoundeth the kingdome of God to be after the resurrection but they vnderstand it n Rhem Annot Luc. 22. 17 of the celebration of the Sacrament of Christes bloud Whereof it followeth that Christ in the Sacrament dranke of the fruite of the vine as both Mathew and Marke set it downe and the auncient fathers doe expound it Let him go and be agréed with his fellowes before he vrge this argument againe P. Spence Sect. 32. IN the end you giue me councell how to behaue my selfe in these controuersies In all Christian charitie I thanke you and loue you for the same for you aduise me no worse then your selfe followe and in good faith I accept of it as proceeding from your great good will towards me and therefore againe and againe I thanke you And I will follow you in genere that is to haue care of my poore soule to feede it with the trueth of Gods word but expounded by his Catholique Church I must tell you plainly and therefore in specie in the particulars of the points of our beliefe I will not followe you You and I endeuour both to come to one resting place at night but in our daies iourney wee goe two sundrie waies I pray God send vs merily to meet in heauen Amen R. Abbot 32. MY councell M. Spence must stand for a witnesse against you at that day if you go on forward still to walke in the counsel of the vngodly In the meane time I againe aduise and counsell both you and your maister to cease to rebell fight against God or to say when he offereth himselfe vnto you we will none of thy waies I councell you indéede as you say to no other thing but that which I follow my selfe and I most humbly thank almightie God who hath giuen me his grace to follow the same and hath preserued me from that daunger wherein I haue béen oft falling away from him You will followe me you say in generall to haue a care to féed your soule with the trueth of Gods word Do so M. Spence doe so that is the foode of life that is the riuer of the water of life the heauenly Manna he that féedeth there shal surely finde life b August de pastor Feede there saith S. Austen that yee may feede safely and securely But you marre and poison this good foode with that which you adde You will feede your soule you say with the word of God but expounded by his Catholicke Church you meane the Church of Roome Which is as much as if you should say you wil not follow the word of God it selfe but that which it pleaseth the Church of Roome to make of the word of God Take héede of M. Spence Assure your selfe that though the Church of Roome doe maintaine c 2. Pet 2. ◠damnable heresies and d 1. Tim. 4. 1. doctrines of deuils contrarie to Gods word yet being wise as she is according to this worlde she will neuer expound the word of God against her selfe if it be in her to make the meaning of it When she expoundeth the Scriptures to make her selfe the Catholike Church and no such thing is to be found in the words of the scripture will you beléeue her in her owne cause It shal then be verified of you which Salomon saith e Prou. 1◠15. The foole will beleeue euerie thing Take the simplicitie of the word of God it self and be directed thereby f Prou. 8 9. The waies of God are plaine to him that will vnderstand God g Hiere in psal 8◠hath not written as Plato did that few should vnderstand but for the vnderstanding of all saith S. Hierome So that although there be depth enough in the word of God for the best learned to bestow his studie and labour in yet as Chrysostome and Austen teach vs h Chrysost in 2. Thess 2. August ep 3. Whatsoeuer things are necessarie they are manifest and i Aug. de doct Christ li. 2. c. 9. in those things which are manifestly set downe in the Scriptures are contained all things that pertaine to faith and conuersation of life Lay before you therefore those things which néed not the exposition of the Church of Roome When the scripture saith There is now no offering for sinne wil you take her exposition to say that there is When the scripture saith no man liuing shal be found iust in the sight of God shal she by her exposition make you beléeue that it is not so When the scripture saith Thou shalt not bow downe to or worship a carued or grauen image will you be perswaded by her expositions that you may I passe ouer the rest Iustly doe they deserue to be giuen ouer to errour and to be deluded with lies and lewd expositions which will not yéeld vnto God when he speaketh vnto them so plainly as néedeth no exposition It were worth the while to set downe héere a Catalogue of Romish expositions but that the conscience of you all that way appeareth sufficiently in this whole discourse You pray that we both going sundry wayes may méete in heauen But maister Spence it will not be in that way wherein you go Either you must say that there is no heauen or els that your way is not the way to heauen because the God of heauen hath gainsaid it God open your eyes that you may sée the right way that so we may ioyfully méete in heauen P. Spence Sect. 33. AS touching the escape of our Rhemistes in the account of our Ladies assumption The matter is verie sleight not tending any way to our saluation I meane to erre in that computation especially when they haue a The more impudēt they that hauing no certaine
some space professors of the faith of Christ the false Apostles had perswaded to ioyne with their beléeuing in Christ the kéeping of the law thereby to be iustified Concerning these men and the like conuerted to the faith of Christ baptised into Christ being Disciples and brethren the Apostle determineth this matter that c Gal. 2. 16. Rom. 3 21. 28. they must be iustified by faith and not by the workes of the law yea without the workes of the law and that not of the ceremoniall law onely but of that law also d Rom. 3. â—0 by which commeth the knovvledge of sinne which saith e Cap. 7. 7. Thou shalt not lust which pronounceth f Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euerie one that continueth not in all thinges that are vvritten in this lavve which saith g Rom. 1 5. Gaâ— 3. 1â— Hee that doth these things shall liue in them that is to say of the morall law as S. h Augâ—st de spir â— ca. 8. 14. Austen also gathereth by the same places Therfore not onely ceremoniall workes nor onely workes of nature and fréewill but all workes whatsoeuer either before baptisme or after baptisme either before grace or in grace are secluded from iustification and onely faith in Christ is our righteousnesse before God Yea and that so as that the Apostle against that distinction of workes done in the grace of Christ saith expresly i Gal. 5 4. Ye are abolished from Christ yee are fallen from grace whosoeuer are iustified that is doe séeke iustification by the lavv So that hee which being come to the grace of Christ shall thenceforth séeke to be iustified by the works of the law done in the state of the same grace voideth himselfe of Christ and falleth away from the grace of God And therefore Abraham himselfe is set forth vnto vs as a paterne of iustification by faith wthout workes not in his first iustification as the Roomish language hath taught men to speake but k Gen. 12. â— 5. 6. 7. 8. c. after that he had obeied the voyce of God to depart out of his owne countrey had trauailed many countries as God directed him had built many altars vnto the name of the Lord had called vpon him and serued him a long time as appeareth in Genesis from the twelfth chap. to the fiftéenth Euen then was it said l Gen. 15. 6. Abraham beleeued the Lord and he counted that to him for righteousnesse Whence the Apostle thus reasoneth m Rom. 4. 2. If Abraham vvere iustified by vvorkes he had to reioyce but not vvith God For vvhat saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and that vvas counted to him for righteousnesse Wherein he inferreth that because the scripture pronounceth of Abraham after his long seruing of God and many good workes done yet that not his workes as n Chrysost in Epist ad Rom. hom 8. Chrysostome rightly gathereth but onely his fayth was counted to him for righteousnesse therefore that howsoeuer he might with men by works yet with God hee was not iustified by workes but onely by faith Abraham was the o Rom. 4. 11. Father of the faithfull and therefore all that are iustified must be iustified according to that patterne which the word of God hath set forth concerning him and therefore not by workes but by faith onely Now that the true iustifying faith is not separated from charitie and good workes we willingly confesse because it p Gal. 3. 14. receiueth the promise of the spirite the effect whereof is noted in the declaration of the promise q Ezec. 36. 27. I vvill put my spirite vvithin you and cause you to vvalke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my iudgementes and do them Yet notwithstanding as the diuers members of the bodie necessarily concurring for the perfecting of the whole haue euery one their seuerall office so these vertues of the soule namely faith and charitie though they alwaies méete in the regenerate man yet in office and function are distinct ech from other The office of iustifying belongeth only vnto faith euen as the office of séeing belongeth onely to the eie the office of hearing onely to the eare c. And therefore the defining of beleeuing in God by the hauing of faith hope and charitie as the Answ setteth downe is a verie preposterous and vnorderly definition and no other then as if a man taking in hand to tell what it is to sée should say it is to haue eies eares and nose Beléefe in God is set forth by the Créede charitie and workes by the ten Commaundements they may not be confounded one with the other Doubtlesse it were verie strange to thinke that when a man saith I beleeue in God the father c. he should meane thereby I haue faith hope and charitie or that Christ when he said to the blinde man in the Gospell r Iohn 9. 3 5. Doest thou beleeue in the sonne of God did intend to aske him whether he had faith hope and charitie Cyprian telleth vs what it is to beléeue in God namely Å¿ Cypria de dup martyr to place the confidence of our whole felicitie in God onely which though it neuer be without the loue of God yet euerie mans vnderstanding may giue him that the act of beléeuing is one the act of louing is another Whereas hee saith that faith without works though it be dead yet it is a true faith he speaketh indéed Roomishly but that is ignorantly and absurdly For that onely is the true faith whereby a man is called truely faithful so that the saints of God in whom it is are by a speciall and proper name termed t Ephes 1. 1. the faithfull and u col 1. 2. faithfull brethren which it selfe is called by the Apostle w Tit. 1. 1. the faith of the elect by which he saith x Gal. 3. 26. we are the children of God which hath this promise y Ioh. 3. 3â— that euerie one that beleeueth in Christ hath eternall life which hath no place in the carnall worldling as our sauiour noteth saying z Ioh. 5. 44. How can ye beleeue which receiue honour one of another and seek not the honour that commeth of God onely whereby a man not onely beléeueth that God is or that God is true in that which he saith but also aplieth vnto himselfe the promises of God assuring himselfe of the benefite thereof to the forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life by the mediation of Iesus Christ S. Bernard therefore saith that a man a Berna ser 1. in Annunc Mar. hath but the beginning of faith vntill hee come to this to beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him by Iesus Christ and that this is that which the Apostle saith that a man is freely iustified by faith Ferus the preacher of Mentz as he smelled diuerse corruptions in the doctrine of the Church of Roome so hee noted the misconstruing