and as if it were neuer giuen True it is that seeing God from whom mens seuerall degrees preheminences proceed hath appointed them in his Church at whose hands his pleasure is that we should receiue Baptisme and all other publike helpes medicinable to the soule perhaps thereby the more to settle our hearts in the loue of our ghostly superiors they haue small cause to hope that with him their voluntarie seruices will be accepted who thrust themselues into functions either aboue their capacitie or besides their place and ouerboldly intermeddle with duties whereof no charge was euer giuen vnto them In which respect if lawes forbid it to be done yet therefore it is not necessarily void when it is done For many things are firme being done which in part are done otherwise thē positiue rigor and strictnes did require Actions vsurped haue often the same nature which they haue in others although they yeeld not him that doth them the same comfort What defects then are in this kind they redound with restraint to the offender only the grace of Baptisme commeth by donation from God onely That God hath committed the mysterie of Baptisme vnto speciall men it is for orders sake in his Church and not to the intent that their authoritie might giue being or adde force to the Sacrament it selfe Infants haue right to Baptisme we all know that they haue it not by lawfull ministers it is not their fault Mens owne faults are their owne harmes So then wee conclude this point with Maister Hooker that it is one thing to defend the fact for lawfulnesse in the doer which few do and another thing the fact being done which no man hath reason to disallow for though it is not lawfull for women to vndertake that office to baptize which peraduenture belongs not vnto them yet the Baptisme being done we hold it lawfull ARTICLE XIIII Of the Sacraments IT is not a thing lesse vsuall in the apprehension of truths through the weaknesse of our vnderstanding to ascribe too little to that which in all reason hath great vertue then to allow ouermuch to that which hath no vertue at all It fareth with men in this kind as it doth with some deceitfull artificers who bestow most arte and outward additions where inwardly there is least value whilest they leaue that altogether vnfurnished which is able to expose it to sale by his owne worth It is our fault no lesse violently to extoll what our fancies make vs to account excellent then to dispraise things truly commendable in their owne nature because onely they haue gained this disaduantage to bee disliked by vs. So that whosoeuer maketh either praise or dispraise to be a rule of iudgement or the iudgement of some few to bee a signe of value he with like hazard equally erreth in both For times and places violent circumstances of that which men say with or against breed infinite varietie of alterations where things are the same and out of commendation alone a strange effect dispraise like a monster doth spring vp It being cause sufcient to distempered humours vehemently to dislike only in this respect that others doe commend the same Wherein the safest and most charitable direction will bee absolutely in that violent opposition to beleeue neither but euen from both to deriue a truth much sounder then that which either holdeth From hence hath it come to passe that whilest they of the Church of Rome haue peraduenture ascribed too much to works some of vs too little others haue set downe an equality dissenting from both Thus in the matter of the sacraments things of greatest and most hidden vertue left vnto the Church for they are called Mysteries some haue bin thought to deriue that power to them which belongeth to God only which whilest others sought to auoide they haue euen depriued them of that grace which God doubtles in truth hath bestowed vpon them In this kinde you are of opinion that M. Hooker hath erred who as you imagine hath ascribed to the sacraments farre more following therein the steps of the Church of Rome then either the Scripture the articles of our Church or the exposition of our Reuerend Bishops and others do For the Fathers say you make the Sacraments only Seales of assurance by which the Spirit worketh inuisibly to strengthen our faith And therfore they call them visible words seales of righteousnesse and tokens of grace That they doe and say thus there is no man doubteth but we are not yet perswaded that this is all or the furthest as you alledge that they saie because vndoubtedly we are assured that they haue learned both to know and to speake otherwise For the Sacraments chiefest force and vertue consisteth in this that they are heauenly ceremonies which God hath sanctified and ordained to be administred in his Church First as markes to know when God doth impart his vitall or sauing grace of Christ vnto all that are capable therof and secondly as meanes conditionall which God requireth in them vnto whom he imparteth grace For doubtles it must needes be a great vnthankfulnesse and easily breed contempt to ascribe only that power to them to be but as seales and that they teach but the minde by other sense as the worde doth by hearing which if it were all what reason hath the Church to bestow any Sacrament vpon Infants who as yet for their yeares are nor capable of any instruction there is therefore of Sacraments vndoubtedly some more excellent and heauenly vse Sacraments by reason of their mixt nature are more diuersly interpreted and disputed of then any other part of Religion besides for that in so great store of properties belonging to the selfe same thing as euery mans wit hath taken hold of some especiall consideration aboue the rest so they haue accordingly giuen their censure of the vse and necessity of them For if respect bee had to the dutie which euery communicant doth vndertake we may cal them truly bōds of our obedience to God strict obligations to the mutuall exercise of Christian charity prouocations to godlines preseruatiōs frō sin memorials of the principal benefits of Christ. If we respect the time of their institutiō they are annexed for euer vnto the new testamēt as other rites were before with the old If we regard the weakenesse that is in vs they are warrants for the more security of our beleefe If we compare the receiuers with those that receiue them not they are works of distinctiō to separate Gods owne from strangers and in those that receiue them as they ought they are tokens of Gods gratious presence whereby men are taught to know what they cannot see For Christ and his holy spirit with all their blessed effects though entring into the soule of man we are not able to apprehend or expresse how doe notwithstanding giue notice of the times when they vse to make their accesse because it pleaseth Almighty God to communicate by sensible
the Christians to please Iulian was noted with this marke of leuity for writing Panegyricks or orations of praise to commend Constantius while he liued against whome afterward he wrote most bitter inuectiues when he was dead Thus some small discontentment serued to turne the heart and open the mouth of Porphyry against the Christians what cause of griefe these zealous professours haue I know not but in my opinion the whole tenor of that vncharitable and vnchristian letter argueth some inward discontent either enuious that other men should be excellent or that themselues being excellent are not more regarded Wherein though they dislike the dim eie of gouernment that loketh not cleerely into mens vertues and the niggardly hand that doth not bountifully reward such as deserue well yet they mighte out of patience and charity worthily haue forborne to haue inueied against his honour which consisted in no other wealth but in his religious contentment and in that true commendation which was the due merit of his own vertues For the world had not much to take from him because hee had not taken much from the world for he neuer affected flatteringly to please her nor she neuer cared fauninglie to please him For as all that Scipio brought from Africa after his danger and trauell to be called his was only a Surname so the greatest recompense that his labours had was the iust commendation that he was a very reuerend learned and graue man For his iudgement taught him out of a Christian patience the resolution of Cato if I haue anie thing to vse I vse it if not I know who I am And seeking to profit in knowledge and that this knowledge might profit the Church he shewed that hee was borne for the good of many and few to bee borne for the good of him For as S. Hierom speaketh of Nepotian despising gold he followed learning the greatest riches But peraduenture his learning had puft him vp and his pride had made his writings impatient and full of bitternes and this moued you to vndertake this vncharitable and vnchristian letter for you say if we beleeue them meaning the Bishops we must thinke that Master Hooker is verie arrogant and presumptuous to make himselfe the onely Rabbi That you had no cause to prouoke him in these tearmes all men know that do reade his writings for dealing in an argument of that kinde with aduersaries of that nature and in a time growne insolent by sufferance hee hath written with that temperat moderation rather like a graue father to reforme the vnstayed errors of hot young violent spirits then seuerelie correcting them with the vntemperat bitternes of their owne stile and sighing at the scurrilous and more then satyricall immodesty of Martinisme he feared with a true sorrow least that honourable calling of Priesthood which was ruinated by slaunder amongst ourselues could not long continue firme in the opinion of others Well for all this the gouernment of his passions was in his owne power as Saint Bernard speaketh of Malachie the Bishop And he was able to rule them for he was truly of a milde spirit and an humble hart and abounding in all other vertues yet he specially excelled in the grace of meekenes for the grauity of his lookes as Saint Bernard speaketh of Humbers was cleered by those that did sit or conuerse with him least he should be burdensome vnto them but a ful laughter few euer discerned in him Some such our Church hath had in all ages a few now aliue which are her ornament if shee can vse them well but moe that are dead whome she ought to praise For all those were honourable men in their generations and were well reported of in their times there are of them that haue left a name behind them so that their praise shall be spoken of for whose posterity a good inheritance is reserued and their seede is conteined in the couenant their bodise are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore the people speake of their wisedome and the congregation talke of their praise In this number vertue hath placed him whom you accuse and are not afraid being now awaked out of a dreame to account a deceiuer As though in his labours he had meant by intising speech to deceiue the Church or as though by a colourable defēce of the Church discipline he purposed as you say to make questionable and to bring in contempt the doctrine and faith it selfe beating against the heart of all true Christian doctrine professed by her Maiestie and the whole state of this realme Therfore you haue made choice of the principall things conteined in his bookes wishing him to free himselfe from all suspicion of falshoode and trechery accounting your selues to rest contented if he will shew himselfe either all one in iudgement with the Church of England or else freely and ingenuously acknowledge his vnwilling ouersight or at the least shew plainely by good demonstratiō that al our reuerend Fathers haue hitherto bin deceiued To this you craue a charitable direct plaine sincere and speedy answeare this is the summe of the preface to your Christian letter It is too true that al ages haue had deceiuers and that the most dangerous deceiuers haue strongly preuailed vnder pretence of Religion and therefore whereas all bodies are subiect to dissolution there are vndoubtedly mo estates ouerthrown through diseases within themselues which familiarly do steale vpon them then through violence from abroade Because the maner is alwaies to cast a doubtfull and a more suspicious eie towards that ouer which men know they haue least power therfore the feare of apparant dangers causeth their forces to be more vnited it is to all sorts a kind of bridle it maketh vertuous minds watchful it holdeth contrary dispositions in suspence and imployeth the power of all wits and the wits of all men with a greater care Whereas deceits couered with good pretenses are so willingly interteyned so little feared so long suffered vntill their cruelty burst forth when it is too late to cure them vice hath not a better meanes to disperse it selfe nor to gaine intartainment and fauour then by borrowing the counterfeit name and habit of seeming vertue Thus that rebellious Sandracot vnder pretence of liberty mooued the Indians against the officers of Alexander the Great which when they had slaine he that was the author of their liberty turned that into a more cruell bondage oppressing the people whom he had freed from strangers vnder the cruell tyranny of his owne gouernment But of all deceits there is none more dangerous then when the name of God or religion is pretended to countenance out heinous crimes And howsoeuer euen in this kinde this age hath not wāted examples who beeing dangerous vnder holy pretenses the hand of Iustice hath cut off yet the imputation of this fault can in no reason cleaue to him who hath so
thou shalt not kill so thou shalt not marie for those are exacted this is offered This if it bee done it is praised those vnlesse they bee done they are punished For saith Saint Hierome where it is but aduise there is left a freedome but where there is a precept there is a necessitie Precepts are common to all counsel the perfection of some few The precept being obserued hath a reward being not obserued a punishment but a counsell or aduise not obserued hath no punishment and being obserued hath a greater reward In these points all haue not holden the same opinions some thought these counsels to be of the same necessitie with precepts as those heretikes called Apostolici mentioned by Saint Austine and Epiphanius Others esteemed them as things indifferent and of no greater perfectâ—on Others as things forbidden which errour is accuseâ— by some of our aduersaries to bee an opinion of our Church He that amongst vs of learning is most earnest in this point is Peter Martyr and all that anie of them say is but this that these counsels are sinne if we esteeme them as meritorious of theÌ„selues that they are not sinful but sometimes foolish these men rather looking at the folâ—ies which hath accompanied the superstition of some few then the vertuous perfection which attendeth vpon the thing it selfe Nay there is none of any sound iudgement in our Church which doth not thinke that willing pouertie humble obedience and true chastity are things verie commendable and do bring with them great aduantage to the true perfection of a Christian life not that we can supermerit by these more then we ought but that by these we do more then without these we should for nature common wealths and religion as they haue a being so they refuse not a perfection and a being well ARTICLE IX None free from all sinne IT caÌ„not chuse but seeme strange that this should bee an act of many which in the most fauourable construction commeth far short of that wisdome which should be in one But it may be peraduenture that as it falleth out in things naturall actions are then best done when one doth but one distraction being a let to a finite power and vsually arising from diuersitie of iudgements For all not looking with the same eyes nor following the like principles of vnderstaÌ„ding though they agree in the generall to reprehend yet for the most part they faile in a particular resolution of what they thinke worthie to bee reprehended And therefore as in elections whilest two of the worthiest are competitors stiffe factions vnite themselues in allowance of a third inferiour to both It seemeth that you haue dealt so in this article wherein either all your consents made a hindrance to what you meant or a diuisioÌ„ made you agree to mislike a thing of the least importance Wherin if you had not discouered a weaknes to be pitied you might iustly haue expected an answer of more learning but as men failing eueÌ„ in those things wherein it is no great vertue not to faile ad little vnto any maÌ„ y t shall direct theÌ„ because it is smal praise to teach that which is ashame not to know so to omit our direction eueÌ„ where we wonder that any man should need it must needs be esteemed in a high degree an vnexcusable neglect of a necessarie duty No man I thinke not of those that are thought to be out of the compasse of the Church maketh a doubt whether all men sin leauing the redemptioÌ„ of man so the freedome from sin to him only who was eternally the Son of God It was as necessary that he should be without sin as it is certaine that except him in many things we offend all This is our frailty that all of vs doe amisse which we know and the best of vs do offend when we know not and therfore Dauid with an humble hart desired to be cleÌ„sed from his secret faults making that euen a step to keepe him from presumptuous sins As it is therfore an infirmity that we doe amisse in many things so it is a vertue that we would do amisse in nothing this being the perfection of our country that the desire of our way which because clothed with corruption we cannot attaine we say daily as we are taught forgiue vs our trespasses And they pray in vaine to haue sin pardoned which secke not also by prayer to haue sin preuented yea euery particular sin except men can haue some transgression wherwith they ought to haue truce For although saith Maister Hooker we cannot be free from all sin collectiuely that is generall for so none was free sauing only Christ in such sort that no part therof shal be fouÌ„d inherent in vs yet distributiuely at the least al great and greeuous actuall offences as they offer themselues one by one both may and ought by all meanes to be auoided so that in this sense to be preserued from all sin is not impossible This assertion seemeth in your opinions to be vntrue and for proofe you alledge that we which are baptized and regenerated in many things do offend all did euer Maister Hooker denie this Nay in the very same place are not these his words In many things we doe all amisse But say you if that be so how can we auoide all great and greiuous sins Or if we can why may we not be preserued also from all small sins and so being free from both small and great preserue our robe pure to the coÌ„ming of our Sauiour Christ In these few words in my opinion are three of the most strange and most violent conclusions that I haue euer read and those which are by no meanes agreeable to any Church First we say In many things we offend all therfore say you in all things we offend all SecoÌ„dly we say we may auoid some particular great greeuous sins therfore fay you why not lesse also as if it were all one not to small not to sinne at all Thirdly we say y t we are to pray and hope to be preâ—erued froÌ„ any euery speciall sin therfore say you we may keep our robe pure to the coÌ„ming of Christ. I would be loth to make euill arguments worse by repeating and therfore I haue vsed a direct sincerity in rehearsing your own words wherein I shall not need to bestow any labour to ouerthrow a ruinous building of such weakenes but only to tell you in these points what is the iudgement and sentence of the whole Church First no man doubteth but that all men are sinners for all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans hart are only euill continually In iniquity are we borne and in sin are we conceaued who can vnderstand his faults For the hart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it For vnlesse a man bee borne of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into
ought not curiously to enquire howe the hem of his garment had such vertue but faithfully to beleeue that it was able to affoord health so neither in this need the church to be inquisitiue after what maner Christ presenteth himselfe but truely to beleeue that he is there present Which because some irreligious men at the first doubted men haue beene driuen to find out these reasonable satisfactions or rather satisfactions to humane reason from his omnipotencie Transubstantiation Consubstantiation or such like whereas indeed we know that in many mysteries of our faith it is sufficient to beleeue the thing though wee cannot comprehend the meanes how Of this kind saith Bellarmine is the Trinitie of persons in the vnitie of essence Christ to bee both God and man the same bodies in number to rise againe Christ really to be in the Eucharist and such like which by reason of our shallow vnderstanding mans weaknesse is not able to comprehend For if ignorance bee in these things that are below then how much more in those things that are aboue And if Mephibosheth whē he came vnto Dauids table accounted himselfe in all humility so farre vnworthie what ought our contemplation to be but of his mercie and our want of desert when we shall come to bee partakers of so inestimable fauours For if the Bethsamites were punished for looking into the Arke what can we expect to be the recompence of our vndiscreete follie Is it not then an aduise needfull which Maister Hooker giueth and you mislike rather to seek how to receiue it worthily then to desire to know how it is present with vs For the one importeth a duty that is necessary and the other bewrayeth a desire that is superfluous in the one we performe what God hath commanded and in the other affect what he hath forbiddē Neither is this to make Transubstantiation for deniall whereof so many as you say haue died any light matter but rather to shew the great depth of the mystery and the small profit that is reaped by the searching of it for seeing it is on all sides plainely confest first that this Sacrament is a true and reall participation of Christ who thereby imparteth himselfe euen his whole entire person as a mysticall head vnto euery soule that receiueth him and that euery such receiuer doth thereby incorporate or vnite himselfe vnto Christ as a mysticall member of him yea of them also whom he acknowledgeth to be his owne Secondly that to whom the person of Christ is thus communicated to them he giueth by the same Sacrament his holy Spirit to sanctify them as it sanctifieth him which is their head Thirdly that what merit force or vertue soeuer there is in this sacrificed body and bloud we freely fully and wholy haue it by this sacrament Fourthly that the effect thereof in vs is a reall transmutation of our soules and bodies from sinne to righteousnesse from death and corruption to immortalitie and life Fiftly that because the Sacrament being of it selfe but a corruptible and earthlie creature must needes be thought an vnlikely instrument to worke so admirable effects in man we are therfore to rest our selues altogether vpon the strength of his glorious power who is able and will bring to passe that the bread and cup which he giueth vs shal be truly the thing he promiseth Now seeing there are but three differing opinions for the manner of it Sacramentaries Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation al do pleade Gods omnipotencie the first to that alteration which the rest coufesse he accomplisheth the patrons of transubstantiation ouer and besides that to the chang of one substance into another the followers of cōsubstantiation to the kneading vp of both substances as it were in one lumpe and that in this variety the mind which loueth truth seeketh comfort out of holy mysteries hath not perhaps the leasure perhaps not the wit nor capacity to tread out so endlesse mazes as the intricate disputes of this cause haue led men into how should a vertuously disposed minde better resolue with it selfe then thus Variety of iudgements and opinions argueth obscurity in those things where about they differ but that which all parts receiue for certaine that which euery one hauing sifted is by no one denyed or doubted of must needes be matter of infallible truth whereas therefore there are but three expositions made of This is my body the first this is in it selfe before participation really and truly the natural substance of my body by reason of the coexistence which my omnipotent body hath with the sanctified element of breade which is the Lutherans interpretation The second this is in it selfe and before participation the very true natural substance of my body by force of that deity which by the words of consecration abolisheth the substance of bread and substituteth in the place thereof my body which is the construction of the Church of Rome The last this hallowed food through concurrence of diuine power is in verity and truth vnto faithfull receiuers instrumentally a cause of that mysticall participation whereby as I make my selfe wholy theirs so I giue them in hand an actuall possession of all such sauing grace as my sacrificed body can yeeld and all their soules do presently need this is to them and in them my bodie Of these three rehearsed interpretations the last hath in it nothing but what the rest do all approue and acknowledg to be most true nothing but that which the words of Christ are on all sides confest to inforce nothing but that which the Church of God hath alwayes thought necessarie nothing but that which alone is sufficient for euerie Christian man to beleeue concerning the vse and force of this Sacrament finally nothing but that wherewith the writings of all antiquity are consonant and all Christian confessions agreeable And as truth in what kinde soeuer is by no kind of truth gainsaid so the mind which resteth it selfe on this is neuer troubled with those perplexities which the other doe both finde by meanes of so great contradiction betweene their opinions the true principles of reason grounded vpon experience nature and sense What moueth vs to argue how life should be bread our duty being but to take what is offred and most assuredly to rest perswaded of this that if we can but eate we are safe Such as loue piety will as much as in them lyeth know all things that God commandeth but especially the duties of seruice which they owe vnto him as for his darke and hidden workes they preferre as becommeth them in such cases simplicity of faith before that knowledge which curiously sifting what it should adore and disputing too boldly of that which the wit of man can not search chilleth for the most parte all warmth of zeale and bringeth soundnes of beleefe many times into great hazard Let it therefore be sufficient for me presenting my selfe at the Lords table to know
interpreting which as to maintaine must needes be great simplicity so to dislike all vse of them is intolerable vnthankfulnesse But in this accusation it is not apparant what you meane wheÌ„ you alledge out of Luther that schoole diuinity hath banished from vs the true and sincere diuinity If this were the direct iudgement of Luther to condemne all schoole diuinity yet it is a strange oppositioÌ„ to alledge the sentence of one man against the practise and authorities of the best Fathers Neither doe we vnderstand which it is the olde or the new that so much offendes you by old we meane that Scholasticall kinde of expounding which the most eloquent Fathers lately comen from the schooles of Rhetoricians and Philosophers haue brought with them to the interpreting of holy Scriptures that thus they might be able to teach to delight to perswade a matter fitting al but not easie for any that is not excellently furnished with humane learning In this sense Beda calleth Prudentius the most noble Schooleman of the Spaniards whom it is like in the seueritie of your iudgment you would haue dispraised and Gennadius in the Catalogue of famous writers reckoneth vp Museus Iulianus Eucherius and diuers others amongst the Schoolmen that is amongst the chiefe professours of Schoole-eloquence Saint Hierome affirmeth of himselfe that manie things in Diuinitie he handled with Schoole oâ—nament and of Saint Paul he saith that when he preached at Athens vpon occasion of the inscription of the Altar to the vnknowne God he handled it with a scholasticall kind of elegancie Is this then that which so much offends you Was it an ornament in these Fathers and many others and is it a blemish in M. Hooker But peraduenture it is the new and later kind of Schoole interpreting that you mislike whose methode is Philosophicall disputing made of Aristotelian learning this sprang vp about some foure hundreth and odde yeares past in the time of Lotharius the second Emperour of Rome who recouering out of darkenesse the Roman lawes caused them publikely to bee read and to be expounded by diuers Writers by this meanes diuinitie began to waxe cold vntill by imitation of these men certaine deuout Monkes and others vndertooke the like in expounding the holy Scripture by which meanes euen vntill this day there remaineth in the Schooles tenne orders of their vsuall expounding by Concordance Historie Postill Question Lecture Compendium or Abridgement Sermon Meeter Meditation all which no doubt of it in your opinion are esteemed vnlawfull and vnprofitable Nowe many that were excellent in this kind the Church both knoweth how to vse with great profit and in recompence of their labour hath giuen them titles with much honour Thus Alexander Hales who made his Summe that excellent worke by commaundement of Innocentius the fourth was called the fountaine of life because of that liuely knowledge that flowed from him he was Maister to Bonauenture a scholer not inferiour to himselfe of whom he was wont to say that in Bonauenture he thought Adam sinned not meaning for that illumination which was in him doubtles there was much in him as though he had not beene darkened by the fall of Adam and therfore the Church called him the Seraphicall Doctor To these Aquinas was not inferiour who came so neere vnto Saint Austin that some thought hee had all his works by heart and by a common prouerbe it was spoken that the soule of Saint Austin dwelt in Aquinas in whom aboue all the rest foure contrarieties were said to excell abundance breuitie facilitie security In respect whereof hee gained the title to be called Angelicall Now for any man to follow the steps of these though treading sure as hauing more light can any man in reason account it to be a fault Is there no other matter of reproofe in Maister Hookers writings but that vertues must bee faults But hee seeketh to proue matters of diuinity with the strength of reason Indeed this is a great fault which if many had not beene afraid to commit the world had not beene filled with so many idle and vnreasonable discourses But so it is that through an ignorant zeale of honouring the scriptures the name of the light of nature is made hateful with men the starre of reason and learning all other such like helps beginneth no otherwise to be thought of then as if it were an vnlucky Comet or as if God had so accursed it that it should neuer shine or giue light in things concerning our duty any way toward him but be esteemed as that starre in the Reuelation called wormwood Which being fallen from heauen maketh riuers waters in which it falleth so bitter that men tasting them die thereof A number there are who thinke they cannot admire as the ought the power authority of the word of God if in things diuine they should attribute any force to mans reason for which cause they neuer vse reason so willingly as to disgrace reason Then vsuall and common discourses are to this effect The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned For answer where unto we say that concerning the abilitie of Reason to search out and to iudge of things diuine if they be such as those properties of God and those duties of men towards him which may be conceiued by attentiue consideration of heauen and earth wee know that of meere naturall men the Apostle testifieth how they know both God and the law of God other things of God there be which are neither so found nor though they bee shewed can euer be approued without the speciall approbation of Gods good grace spirit such is the suffring rising againe of our Sauiour Christ which Eestus a meere naturall man could not vnderstand therefore Paul seemed in his eyes to be learnedly mad This sheweth that nature hath need of grace to which Maister Hooker was neuer opposit in saying that grace may haue vse of nature But Paul chargeth the Colossians to beware of Philosophie that is to say such knowledge as men by naturall reason are able to attaine I confesse Philosophie wee are warned to take heed of not that Philosophy which is true and sound knowledge attained by a naturall discourse of reason but that Philosophie which to bolster heresie or errour which I am sure Maister Hooker doth not casteth a fraudulent shew of reason vpon things which are indeede vnreasonable and by that meanes as by a stratageme spoyleth the simple which are not able to withstand such cunning He that giueth warning to take heede of an enemies policie doth not giue counsell to auoid all policie but rather to vse all prouident foresight and circumspection least our simplicity bee ouerreacht by cunninâ— sleights The way not to be inueigled by them that arâ— so guilefull through skill is
meanes those blessings which are incomprehensible Seeing therfore that grace is a consequent of Sacraments a thing which accompanieth them as their end a benefit which he y t hath receiueth from God himselfe the author of Sacraments not from any other natural or supernatural quality in them it may be heereby both vnderstood that Sacraments are necessary and that the manner of their necessity to life supernaturall is not in al respects as foode vnto naturall life Because they containe in themselues no vitall force or efficacie but they are duties of seruice and worship which vnlesse we performe as the author of grace requireth they are vnprofitable For all receiue not the grace of God which receiue the Sacraments of his grace Neither is it ordinarily his will to bestowe the grace of Sacraments vpon any but by the Sacraments Which grace also they that receiue by Sacraments or with Sacraments receiue it from him and not from them That sauing grace which Christ originally is or hath for the general good of his whole Church by Sacramēts he seuerally deriueth into euery mēber therof They serue as instruments the vse is in our hands the effect is his And this made the Schoolemen and the rest which you are affraide to graunt to say that the Sacraments were not only signes but causes of our iustification Now agent causes we know are of two sorts principall which worketh by the vertue and power of his forme as fire maketh hotte and thus nothing can cause grace but God himselfe Grace being a participation of the diuine nature Instrumentall which worketh not as the other by vertue of his owne proper forme but only by that motion which it hath from the principall and first agent Thus doe Sacraments worke and therfore saith Saint Austin the Sacraments are finished performed and passe away but the vertue of God that worketh by them or with them remaineth Thus for the vse of them the Church hath Gods expresse commandement for the effect his conditionall promise so that without our obedience to the one there is of the other no apparant assurance as contrariwise where the signes and Sacraments of his grace are not either through contempt vnreceiued or receiued with contempt we are not to doubte but that they really giue what they promise and are what they signifie For we take not the Sacraments as it seemeth you doe for bare resemblances or memorials of things absent neither for naked signes and testimonies assuring vs of grace receiued before but as they are indeede and in truth for meanes effectual whereby God when we take the Sacraments deliuereth into our hands that grace auaileable vnto eternall life which grace the Sacraments represent or signifie And yet we acknowledge as Hugo saith that the Sacraments being as he calleth them vessels of grace they cure not of them selues no more then glasses doe the sick but the potions contained in them Neither doth any man say no not the Church of Rome although they be so accused by some of vs that the Sacraments worke of themselues by a vertue resigned vnto them without God meerely of the worked on actiuely but that God worketh by them as by instruments powerfull and thought in his wisdome fittest For doubtles the Church hath authority to vse the word and the Sacraments as powerfull meanes of regeneration both hauing by a diuine ordination a force and vertue to beget faith and therefore iustly amongst all the treasures that God hath left vnto his Church we honor and admire most the holy Sacraments not respecting so much the seruice which we do vnto God in receiuing them as the dignity of that sacred and secret guift which we thereby receiue from God And therfore when our Church saith that Sacraments are not only markes of Christian profession but rather certaine testimonies and effectuall signes of Grace and of the goodwill of God towards vs by which God worketh inuisiblie in vs we thereby conceiue how grace is indeed the very end for which these heauenly mysteries were instituted and besides sundry other properties obserued in them the matter whereof they consist is such as signifieth figureth and representeth their end For surely sacraments are the powerfull instruments of God vnto eternall life For as the naturall life consisteth in the vnion of the body with the soule so the spiritual life in the vnion of the soule with God And for asmuch as there is no vnion of God with man without that meane betweene both which is both nor this participated to vs without the sacraments the vertue must needs bee great that God by these imparteth vnto his Church For they are signes not only signifying but as M. Zanchie saith exhibiting also inuisible grace For God directly affirmeth that he giueth that with the signe which by the signe he representeth In the Sacraments wee acknowledge three things The Word the Element the thing signified by the word and represented by the element and all these vnited yet not by any reall or physicall vnion that one cannot bee receiued without the other but in these the vnion is sacramentall and the order mysticall betwixt the signes and the things signified by an institution from God Whereby it commeth to passe that heauenly and spirituall things by signes bodily and earthly are signified offered and by the vertue of the holy Ghost really exhibited and performed vnto the elect Thus if either the signes or the thing signified be wanting it ceaseth truly to bee a sacrament Neither is grace necessarily tied euer to the externall sacrament for we giue the one and God giueth the other and when both are giuen then is the sacrament faithfully receiued Thus God iustifieth by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost for this being the effect of his promise the sacraments apply it vnto vs by thus giuing it faith by thus receiuing both being as instruments For God doth iustifie by the sacraments man by faith but God one and the same maketh righteous by both he being the author from whence they both come Therefore it is a branch of beleefe howsoeuer you scoffe at it as omitted in our Creed that sacraments are in their place as Maister Hooker saith no lesse required then beleefe it self For when our Sauior promiseth eternall life it is with this condition as health to Naaman the Syrian Wash and be cleane But you are afraid to say that the Sacraments beget faith although you confesse that they do increase it Surely this is a feare like to the disposition of some melancholie humour where fancie growing strong forceth an auoidance of things oftentimes that are without daunger for to make Sacraments and the word to be ioyned with faith both in his generation and in our iustification is neither to rob faith of his proper office nor to ascribe more vnto the Sacraments then of right belongeth For we are not in anie doubt to affirme