In Defense of the True Church of God, Treatise · Section 15
Of Auguſtine.
Auguſtine handled well many neceſſary controuerſies:Aurelius Auguſtinus Biſhop of Hippona and Diſciple of Hierom liued in Anno. 395. he refuted the Arians, Manachies, Donatiſtes, and Pelagians. For nowe in his tyme, there had crepte intoo the Churche philoſo phicall opinions which Pelagius confirmed, tranſforming the Goſpel intoo philoſ…phie: For he contended that originall ſinne was a matter of nothing,In Auguſtines time there had crept in Philoſophicall opinions confirmed by Pelagius. that men might by the lawe of God make ſatiſfaction, and that by reaſon of that externall obedience they might deſerue forgiuenes of ſinnes, that they were iuſt, and that they coulde merite or deſerue by theyr woorkes euerlaſting life. But, hee ſayed nothing Touching fayth in Chriſt, Nothing touching helpe of The holye Ghoſt. This doctrine of Pelagius, His error by confirming of Merits by woorkes.was not of the Goſpel, but of Philoſophy, as for the moſt parte the opinion of al learned ſchoole men, bended the ſelfe ſame way. But that theſe doe annexe heere vntounto ſome monaſtical ſuperſtitions. And now agayne in our time many doe ſlide away into Pelagian opinions, becauſe they are plauſible to humane reaſon. Therefore, Auguſtine in his tyme reſtored afreſhe and agayne lightened the doctrine of the goſpel touching Grace,Augustine in his time reſtored a freſh the Goſpel touching grace and fayth in Chriſt. & faith in Chriſte, when as it was almoſt extinguiſhed. For this benefite, the Church is much bounde vntounto him. Touching Originall ſinne, he ſpeaketh with much more perſpicuity, than all others. Alſo hee ſpeaketh more diſtinctly and more rightely as touching Free will. That by force of free will, man may doe the externall woorkes of the lawe and other honeſt ciuil woorkes: But hee ſayeth without the holy Ghoſte,His good Opinion touching the enioying o… ſpirituall moti…ons. men can not hauehave ſpiritual motions, true feare of God, true fayth, and true patience, (that is) newneſſe of life which ought too appeare in thoſe that are to be ſaued.
Hee geueth vsus a profitable difference betweene the Letter and the Spirite. Auguſtines pro…fitable difference betwee… the letter and the ſpirit.He teacheth vsus of the free remiſſion of ſinnes. Hee admoniſheth howe and after what maner Paule is too bee vnderſtood of vsus, where hee ſayeth:
By the workes of the lawe, is no man iuſtified. Gal. 2. That hee not onelyonly plucketh away iuſtification from ceremonies, but alſo from moral woorkes. The Church had great need of this admonition. Far O…gon, and manie which followed him, had ſpread abroade falſe interpretation in the Church onelyonly with ceremonies was iuſtification pluckt away, … they imagined that men might fulfil the law, and be iuſt through their workes.
Therefore Auguſtine handleth this queſtion learnedly in his booke De ſpiritu & litera, and affirmeth that Paule alſo ſpeaketh vniuerſally touching moral thinges, when he denyeth vsus to be iuſt by the lawe: and alſo denyeth man to be able to ſatisfie & f…lfill the law. Rom. cap. 8.
This admonition of Auguſtyne, and this place of his, to hauehave in remembrance, it ſhal very much auayle vsus: For bycauſe ſeeing that reaſon cannot ſufficiently diſcerne the hugeneſſe of Original ſinne and of our natural corruption, it eaſily ſlydeth away vntoo thoſe opinions, namely, That it thinketh a man may be able to fulfil the lawe, and too be iuſt for the woorkes ſake. So contrariwyſe The righteouſneſſe of faith is obſcured, and true ſpirituall exerciſes are caſt of from vsus, namely, Trne inuocation, which ought too ſtay or reſt vppon the onelyonly mercy of God. Lyke as wee are nowe derided of our adnerſaries, which will needes ſeeme wyſer then wee, and crye out againſt vsus, that wee doo fooliſhly exaggerate or encreaſe our owne infirmity, and fondly plucke away iuſtification from woorkes, when notwithſtanding, reaſon vnderſtandeth righteouſneſſe is meant none other matter,Righteouſneſſe what it is. but obedience, according to the lawe.
But the doctrine of the Goſpell,The doctrine of the Goſpel what it is. touching ſinne, alſo, touching righteouſneſſe of fayth is a ſecrete and peculiar wiſedome of the true Churche, which euen a very fewe of the wryters hauehave knowen, and the ſounder parte of thē hauehave acknowledged the fame, ſome more obſcurely, ſom more manifeſtly. The Scotiſts, and ſuch others,Scotiſtae ſubtil deſputers, This Scotus lined about the yeere. 1298. hauehave altogither ouerwhelmed this doctrine. Therefore after that God hath againe nowe reuealed theſe thinges in our dayes, let vsus diligently defend and mainteine this doctrine nowe manifeſted.
Furthermore why doo not our aduerſaries againe conſider, howe abſurde a thing it is, too ſay, that Chriſte hath deliuered vsus onelyonly from the Ceremonies of the lawe? Againe, if our deliueraunce pertaine only vntoo Ceremoniall thinges, it profited not the fathers, before Moyſes, any thing at all. And it is needeful, that wee beleeue, that our deliueraunce from the lawe pertaineth vntoo the vniuerſal Churche, from the beginning, vntoo the ende of the worlde. Theſe thinges are more amply diſputed vppon in his little booke De Spiritu & litera.
Finally they altogither knowe not what the deliuerance from the law meaneth, which vnderſtand or thinke the ſame conſiſteth onelyonly of Ceremonies.Deliuerance from the Lawe. As all men after Adams fall, are oppreſſed with ſinne, with the wrath of God, with death, with great and greuous calamities of this lyfe, with eternal puniſhmentes.
So all men are burdened with the Lawe, which rebuketh ſinne, accuſeth vsus, and with eternall terrors ſlayeth vsus as Paule ſayth.What it meaneth. Therefore to be deliuered from the Lawe, is as much, as to bee deliuered from that accuſation, that we be not guiltie of the wrath of God, and of eternall death.
It is not onelyonly to be deliuered from ceremonies or external ſhewes: but much more rather to be ſet free from the Law fearing vsus, curſing, condemning, and killing vsus: when as in deede an other thing is ſet before vsus, for the which we are pronounced iuſt: that is to ſay, The Sonne of God, which was made a ſacrifice propiciatorie for vsus.Examples of the firſt age.
So Adam, Noe, Abraham, & all the other Eleete before Mofes▪ were deliuered from the Lawe, were accuſed of the Lawe, were exerciſed with horrible terroures, with feeling of Gods wrath and of his Curſe But amongeſt theſe terrours they were rayſed vp by the acknowledgement of the mercy promiſed vntounto mankinde,Note the Conſolation i… the promiſed Sauiour vponupon deliuerance from the Law. by and through the Lorde and Sauiour, that ſhould come, and they beleeued that they were pronounced iuſt, by and for becauſe of the Sacrifice that woulde come, and not by or through the Lawe. They knewe that ſinnes were not onelyonly externall treſpaſſes, but an inwarde vncleanneſſe, horrible diſtruſt in God, murmuring and grudging agaynſt God in our aduerſities, and other wicked motions. And they knewe that euen the ſame ſinne, and infirmitie of mans nature or the wrath of God was not taken away by any Lawe: But they knew that through the acknowledgement and aſſured truſt of the promiſed Sauiour, they ſhould bee deliuered out of ſo greate miſeries.
And ſo were they alſo deliuered from the Lawe moral,Law moral and the deliuery therefrom. that is, which iudgeth and ſleyeth them, and ſo were they deliuered from the eternall wrath of God, whiche the Lawe declareth vntoo them. They knewe that in this their naturall knowledge the free remiſſion of theyr ſinnes was not ſet downe.
Therefore they required the ſayde remiſſion of ſinnes from an other place. For if they had beleeued in themſelues, that they ſhoulde ſo hauehave bene made iuſt, when they were without fault, they had vtterly fallen downe in the agony or vexation of theyr conſcience, but they knewe therefore was the Sauiour promiſed, that they might beleeue they pleaſed God, yea although they were vnwoorthy and vncleane perſons. So did they beleeue, that they were iuſte, not by or through the lawe, but by and through the Sauiour that ſhoulde come.
Theſe ſo greate matters doth the deliueraunce from the law comprehend, which men of ſecure mindes vnderſtande not, who know not, what true repentance meaneth, nor what pertaineth vntoo true Inuocation. Finally which are not exerciſed in afflictions, and either hauehave their mindes occupied in carnall pleaſures, or are delighted with their owne opinions, and deſpiſe the word of God: either els, which do wreſt it and abuſe it, according too their owne imaginations.
Some of our aduerſaries more ſubtill then others,That ſome of …he aduerſaries …oe touching Auguſtines interpretation … the interpretation of late writers vponupon Paul▪ although they plainely ſee that Auguſtines interpretation, and ours alſo is the true meaning agreeable vntoo the mynde of Paule, and of Propheticall as alſo Apoſtolicall ſcripture: yet they exclaime againſt vsus, and cite for theyr purpoſe the autority of Origen, Hierome, Chryſoſtome, and I knowe not of whom: Not becauſe they allowe thoſe frō theyr hearte: but onelyonly too bleare the eyes of the ignoraunt people, leaſt they ſhoulde ſeeme to be ouercome.
For ſurely our aduerſaries bring not with them vntounto theſe conflictes,Priuate hate of the aduerſaries toward the truth. a good conſcience and a zeale in ſearching foorth the trueth, but they bring with them priuate hate towardes vsus, contempt of the Goſpel, & a care to mainteine theyr owne force and autoritye. What the people ſhould or ought to beleue touching Chriſte, or howe and in what maner the churches ſhould be inſtructed, they iudge nothing pertayneth vntounto them: and partly nowadaies exerciſe better inuec…iues or ſycophancies, ſuch as Cochelus Wicelius & the like: partly they are Tyran…es, and Champions of Tyrances, which for the opinion of wiſedome or vertue, doe gouerne the Councels of Popes Kinges, and Princes, when indeede they are Homines foreign godleſſe perſons of no religion, which altogether ſuppoſe that true religion is as fa…ling ſtories, and for this cauſe doe woonderfully pleaſe themſelues, that they dare foreign, farre agaynſt the thunder.Ariſtophanes That is they be hauehave themſelues moſt ſhamefully beaſtly and contemtuouſly in contemning the mightie and meru…ilous woorkes of almightie God. As the fellow in the comicall writer affirmeth. Yea & yet ſuch wil be ready to ſpeake theyr opinions in Synods or Councelles, touching the glory of Chriſte, whoſe name they thinke to be Fabulus.
Therefore I exhorte the godly Readers, firſt to conſider the kindes of doctrine, whether that ſimply and without cauelling theſe men doe propone the opinion of the ſcripture Propheticall and Apoſtolicall. Next this, when the Fathers are cited too hauehave good regarde: what ſayinges of thoſe Fathers are moſt conſonant and agreeable vntoo the heauenly will and woorde of God. For there is greate difference and inequality of the Fathers.
Laſtely (as Paule biddeth) too prooue the Spirites, the opinion or minde of both partes is to be regarded, and whole ſcope of theyr determination is alſo too bee marked. For after that manner doe our Aduerſaryes ha…le theyr matters, not to make any thing the better by theyr dealing, but by one precended collour or other too defend theyr Tyranny, confirme and mainteyne theyr dignities and riches.An e…hortation …o the Godly …eaders,
Therefore at this day Kynges and Byſhoppes ſet themſelues agaynſt the marriage of Prieſtes and ſpirituall perſons,In … time Kings and Biſhops ſet themſelues againſt the mariage of Prieſts. bycauſe they ſee that ſingle life is more expedient too the retayning of autority and power, and too the conſeruation of worldely wealth. And by this meanes, when there appeare ſignes of a wicked wil, in certeyne manifeſt articles: it is ſufficiently apparant, that they are not mooued with the good ſpirite, but rather that they are the enimies of Chriſte,The cauſes. and that they doe not in other articles ſearche for the trueth. Wherfore let vsus conſtantly caſt away from vsus and vtterly reiecte their iudgemente and opinions.
Auguſtine vppon the twoo and fourtye Pſalme, affirmeth, That the regenerate Man is not iuſte bycauſe of hys woorkes, but by fayth. For ſo hee ſayeth, In deede feare thou if thou accompreſt thy ſelfe iuſte, yf thou haſte not the ſame ſaying out of an other Pſalme, Pſalme 130. Enter not intoo iudgement with thy Seruaunt, for yf thou ſhalte execute Iuſtice without Mercye, Auguſtines affirmation touching the regenerate man not iuſt by workes but by fayth.Whither ſhall I goe? if thou Lorde ſhalte marke ſtrayghtly our ſinnes, Oh Lord, who ſhal abyde it? Pſal. 144.
Enter not into into iudgemēt with thy ſeruant becauſe no liuing fleſhe ſhalbee iuſtified in thy ſight. Pſal. 144.Thē here no liuing fleſhe ſhal be iuſtified in thy ſight: becauſe, whoſoeuer liueth here though he liue neuer ſo iuſt, yet woe be to him if God ſhall enter into iudgement with him.
For as it appeareth in an other Prophet God doth thus chyde the arrogant and proud people ſaying. Why doo you contend in iudgment with me. You hauehave all forſaken me, ſaith the Lorde. Doe not therfore contend with me in iudgement, geue thy indeuour too be iuſt,Confeſſion. and how muche iuſt ſoeuer thou be, confeſſe yet thy ſelfe to bee a ſinner: Hope thou for mercy,Contrition. and in this humble confeſſion beeing ſecure, ſpeake vntounto thy ſoule troubling thee & turmoyling thee on this maner: Why art thou heauie,Truſt in the Lorde. oh my ſoule, and why doſt thou thus trouble me? Perhaps thou wouldeſt truſt in thy owne ſelfe: but truſt thou in the Lorde, & not in thy ſelfe: for what art thou in thy ſelfe? What art thou of thy ſelfe? Let him be health in thee, which receued ſtripes for thee, & he ſaith, Truſt thou in the Lorde.
Dauid in his one and thyrtie Pſalme ſaith, Who are bleſſed? Not they in whom the Lorde ſhall finde ſinne, for all hauehave ſinned, and hauehave neede of the glory of God. Rom. 5. If then in al men, ſinne be founde, it reſteth, that none are bleſſed, but they whoſe ſinnes are forgiuē. This therefore did the Apoſtle thus commende, Abraham beleeued God, and it was reputed vntounto him for righteouſnes. Rom. 4. Here dooth hee rightly apply this ſaying touching faith, and hee witneſſeth in this place that hee vnderſtandeth faith is not only the knowledge of the hiſtory,Fayth touchin… righteouſneſſe, howe to bee vnderſtood. but that it is an aſſured confidence, whereby wee truſt without doubting that our ſinnes are forgiuen vsus for Chriſtes ſake. Neither indeede can any man ſufficiently vnderſtande the meaning of Paule in this point, except he vnderſtande faith in this maner. This again (as we ſay) is …e…ely to knock at a wrong dore, when men vnderſtande faith as the knowledge of the hiſtory, and not as the aſſured confidence which wee ought to hauehave in the promiſed mercy of God, for his ſonne Chriſtes ſake.
And it is no metuel,Monkes erring all the way in expounding Paules meaning that Monkes hauehave erred al the way in expounding the meaning of Paule, bicauſe euen in this place they were fouly deceaued. And this miſty clowde, is at this day a ſpeciall let vntoo our aduerſaries, that they cā not ſo wel brooke the doctrine of fayth, bicauſe they rightly vnderſtande not the name of fayth. Why do they not duely examine and way ſuch ſayinges of Auguſtine, as this is, which erewhyle I hauehave recited? He witneſſeth Paule meaneth this, that Abraham was pronounced iuſt, bycauſe hee beleued, not only touching the promiſe of God concerning his poſterity, but alſo touching the forgiuenes of ſinnes for Chriſtes ſake.
Such lyke ſentences ſhal a man meete withal in Auguſtine eueryevery where,Auguſtine beleeued touching grace and faith the very ſame which the later age teacheth. which ſufficiently ſhew, that he beleued touching Grace & faith, the very ſame which we do teach. Like as in his booke De Spiritu & Litera, he ſaith thus: By meanes of the lawe wee feare God but by fayth wee flee vntoo the mercy of God. Loe heere doth he manifeſtly diſcerne betwene the Lawe and the Goſpel.
And although nowe and then in his wrytinges there happen togither as it were certaine figures of ſpeeche not ſufficiently well expounded or inconuenient, yet theſe are to lie attributed to the tymes, bycauſe the cuſtome of the common people, had receaued certaine figures, as namely the name of Merite, and certayne others. And theſe coulde not the learned then put away. More ouer neither were the wryters themſelues ſufficiently accuſtomed vntoo diſputations, and what myſty clowde of ignoraunce was in the Church at that tyme,Pelagius his hereſte in eſtimation. thereby might bee eſteemed, ſo that the wicked opinion and hereſy of Pelagius was entertapned with ſo greate ioy, that Auguſtine and certaine few others, could not aboliſh the ſame againe out of their churches without great conflictes and controuerſies.
But as touching Ceremonies,Ceremonies in Auguſtines time. if any man obiect vntounto vsus the tyme wherein Auguſtine liued, let him knowe, that in deede all the rytes or ceremonies of his tyme did not pleaſe Auguſtine▪ for hee complayneth that many … perſtitious opinions then remayned ſtill in the Churche:Mans traditions better eſteemed then the commaundemen…s of God. That mans traditions were eſteemed better then the commaundementes of GOD, and that ceremonies were ſo encreaſed: that the … of the Iewes in tymes paſt was more tollerable, than of the Churche in Auguſtines tyme.
His woordes are theſe vntoo Ianua…ius, in his 119. Epiſtle. Yet notwithſtanding the ſame Religion, which in a very few and moſte manifeſt ſacramentes of honouring GOD, The mercy of God woulde hauehave to be free, doo they ſuppreſſe now with ſeruile yokes, that the ſtate of the Iewes was more tollerable to them in tymes paſt, which were yet ſubiect vntounto Gods lawes and not vntounto mans.
And firſte touching mans traditions, hèe ſayeth, Al this kinde of matter hath his free obſeruations. And afterwardes hee willeth that vnprofitable traditions of men ſhoulde be cut off.Note, Augustines ſounde iudgement touching the ouerthrow of mans traditions. Therefore by this it appeareth, Auguſtine dooth not ſo allowe the ceremonies of his tyme, that hee woulde tye or binde the Churche vntoo that rule: for there were many thinges then receaued in the Church, which in deede himſelfe dooth not at all allowe of: Nay rather hee woulde thoſe too bee founde faulte withall, and reformed: And certayne other thinges there were, which after the maner of his tyme hee obſerued: So that wee all doo yeelde much vntoo preſent manners or faſhions of their tyme.
In this mannes tyme ſpeeches of Purgatory began eueryevery where too waxe ryfe:Sermons touching Purgatory frequented in Auguſtines tyme. which hee neither refuteth nor confirmeth. Only hee declareth, ſaying there were certaine perſons which ſo thought that the ſoules of the godly were purged, after that they departed out of their bodyes: But in his 9. booke of Confeſsions hee requyreth of God in his prayer for his mother departed, in theſe words, Lorde inſpire thy ſeruauntes, that they may remember my father and my mother, at the Alter. Neither doth hee require any thing more. Nowe although this be ſpoken modeſtly by him:S. Auguſtines words of prayer wreſted by the Papiſtes for oblation of the ſacrament of the dead. yet now it to wickedly wreſted too the oblation of the Sacrament for the dead, ſuch as was not in Auguſtynes tyme.
And there were vowes accuſtomably vſed at that time, and the Queſtion was aſked, whether marriages after vowes contracted might bee diſſolued, yea or no. Touching this matter,Auguſtines affirmation touching mariages contracted. the opinion of Auguſtyne is extant, in decretis 27. q. 1. c. Nuptiarum. Here, although Auguſtyne attributed more vntoo vowes then was conuenient, yet he pronounceth that marriages contracted after the vowes, are not …oo bee diſſolued. And hee affirmeth them too bee mariages, indeede: Bycauſe the one perſon ought not returne vntoo the vowe again with the iniury of the other. Neither is the bonde made fruſtrate betweene both perſons▪ yea although one of them hauehave brought with him the chaunging of his former purpoſe. Theſe thinges briefly dooth hee ſpeake in that texte. But the error of vowes was then of more valure, then this mitigation of Auguſtyne. Therefore the conſtitutions which afterwardes folowed in the church did ſeparate and diuorſe Mariages.
Auguſtine alſo then ſaw that this diſtractiō was faulty:Vowes reprehenſible. but he did not ſufficiently conſider what fault might be euen in thoſe vowes thē ſelues which was a more obſcure and darke thing to be diſcerned. For hee was ouercome with vulgar opinions of his tyme: Now was the cuſtome receaued of making vowes: A number liuing in that kind of life were greatly meruailed at, and admiration of ſuch hindereth or hurteth iudgement.Many errors wrapped in popiſh vowes. Hee therfore did not at al diſpute whether vowes were of force yea or no, when as indeede there were many errors wrapped in them, they were accompted for woorſhipping of God, for a ſingular merite of righteouſnes, for perfection, alſo to a great many they were impoſſible. Theſe if he had firſt refuted, he might the better beene able to hauehave prohibited the ſeparation and diuorſe of ſuch mariages:
Therfore it is manifeſt,Auguſtines time had many abuſes, whereof ſome he was againſt. that in thoſe dayes there remained many abuſes in the Churche, wherof althogh Auguſtin was againſt ſome of them, yet he tooke in good part others ſome, which after they be diſcouered, ought not too be defended. Moreouer, although the exāples of the ancient fathers were after a ſort diſſembled in their tyme, yet nowe ought they not at al to be applyed for the confirmatiō of greater abuſes, as for exāple this conſequēce is of no force. As admit Auguſtine biddeth that prayer be made at the alter for his mother departed, Ergo, Maſſes are too bee allowed for thoſe which are dead. Or elſe, certaine perſons in Auguſtines tyme did thinke that there was a Purgatory.A weake argument wreſting the application of authorities by the aduerſaries for their maſſes, pardōs, &c. Ergo, Maſſes, pardons, and other foundations deuyſed for the dead are to be allowed. For as yet in Auguſtines tyme theſe monſtruous impieties were not at al heard of, although, by litle & litle the ſeedes of ſuch impiety were ſprinkled.