Answer to Assertions of Fecknam, Title page – Copy of Fecknams work against Gough
¶ An Answere to certein Assertions of M. Fecknam, somtime Abbot of Westminster which he made of late against a godly Sermon of M. Iohn Goughes, preached in the Tower the xv. of Ianuarie. 1570.
Seen and allowed.
Imprinted at London, by Henrie Bynneman.
CVM PRIVILEGIO.
To the right worshipfuls, Sir Frauncis Iobson Knight, Lieuetenaunt of the Toure, Sir Henrie Neuell Knight, and M. Pellam Lieuetenaunt of the Ordinaunce, geue these.
YOur worships request was vponupon Sunday last, as I came from the Churche, to know my lyking of M. Goughes Sermon. Wherunto I answered: that I was very lothe to finde any faulte with the sayings or dooings of any man, being already in trouble as you knowe. You replied and sayd: that I was not able to find fault, where no fault was. I had thē no leisure to make any further answer, you departing homewardes, and I to my prison. But now considering wyth my self, yt I might séeme vntounto you a greater offēder in holding my peace, than in speaking my mind: when as saying nothing I might ingender an opinion in you, that I am obstinate, self willed, and h…ue nothing to mislike but mine owne proper fansie. On the other side, to declare my minde, I might signifie vntoo you the iust causes, and true occasions, which I hauehave to finde fault withall: not so much for reprehending other men, as to shew the necessary stayes of mine owne conscience: I thought good, vppon your lycence graunted and obteyned, to expresse by wryting some faultie matter of his sermon, wherby your worships might perceiue in the rest, how much fault he is worthy of for speaking, and how litle I deserue for not lyking of so vngodly pointes of doctrine. Desiring you most humbly, fauorably to interprete these my notes of reprehending his Sermon: that is, to proceede of a minde, not desirous of contention, but desirous of the truthe: more seeking to satisfie your request and demaund, than to minister any occasion of further argument.
1 That it is not impossible to keepe Gods commaundements.
M. Fecknam.
MAster Gough in his sermon among other things said: that gods precepts and commaundements giuen to man, be so burdenous & heauie, as not possible of man to be obserued. So taught long before him the Maniches and the Valentinians, déenying free will which is the originall of that herisie.
M. Goughe.
For the profe of his doctrine he brought a familiar example: likening almightie God and vsus, to a father and his litle sonne: who being commaunded of his father to go and fetch a great lumpe of leade, farre aboue his power, weighing a hundred or two hundred weight, & not able to bring it, yet making a profer: the father accepteth his good will, and so alloweth the thing to be done, which otherwise was and is impossible.
M. Fecknam.
Math. 11.Contrarie to this doctrine is our sauior Christe, where he willeth vsus to take his yoke vpō vsus, because it is light: Tollite iugū meū super vos, iugū enim meum suaue est, & onus meū leue. Take my yoke vpō you, for my yoke is sweet, & my burden light. If it be a light burden, M. Goughs heauy exāple hath not a penyworth of good skil.
1. Iohn. 5.S. Iohn to this effect sayth: quod mādata eius graua non sunt: yt his cōmādements be not heauie. If they be not heauie, they be farre vnlike M. Goughs lumpe of lead impossible to bée taken vp and remoued. S. Paul in rebuking these idle herers of ye law,Rom. 2. which say, they can hear it, but not do it, & fulfil it: writeth. Nō auditores legis iusti sūt apud deū, sed factores legis iustificabūtur. For not ye hearers of ye law, be iust wt god, but y• doers shalbe iustified. If thei do ye law, then it may be don, thē it is possible. Sub esse ad poss… is a good argument.
They do the workes of the law, therfore they may bée done.
Luk. 1.The Euāgelist S. Luke of these doers of the law bringeth a full example, writing thus of Zacharie and Elizabeth.
Erant ambo iusti ante Deū, incedentes in omnibus mādatis et iustificationibꝰ dn̄i sine querela: yt is. They were both iust before god, walking in al ye cōmandements & iustificatiōs of ye lord, without blame. If s. Luke had ye spirite of truthe, when he said yt these two walked in al ye cōmādemēts: thē M. Gough by his denial & impossibilitie put therof, must néede hauehave the spirite of errour & lying. S. Iohn sayth. Qui dicit se nosse deū, et mādata eius nō custodit, mendax est. He y• sayth he knoweth God & kepeth not his commaundements,1. Iohn. 2. is a lier.
S. Ierome writing of these teachers, whiche say that it is impossible too kéepe the law, hath these words. Execramur corū blaspemiā q dicūt, To, 4. Ieronymus in exposit. Symbo. ad Damas. Et in dialog. Contra Pelag. lib. 1. &. 3. Tom. 2.impossibile aliquid homini a deo p̄ceptū esse: & mādata eiꝰ nō a singulis sed ab omnibꝰ in cōmuni posse seruari, yt is. Wée detest their blasphemy, which say, yt god hath cōmaunded man to do any thing impossible: and yt the cōmaundements of god may be kept, not of eueryevery one in particular, but of all in generall. He witnesseth, yt gods cōmandements may be obserued, of eueryevery one in particular: and yt god cōmādeth nothing impossible: for he detesteth ye cōtrary doctrin, & calleth it blasphemy, & therfore I hauehave litle cause to like it.
Tom. 10. Augustinus Sermon. 61. de tempore.S. Austen likewise to the same ende sayeth: Deus ne que impossibi…e aliquid potuit imperare quia iustus est: nec da…aturus est hominem, pro eo quod non potuit vitare, quia pius est: that is. God neither could commaund any thing yt is impossible, bicause he is not iust: neither wil he condemne any mā, for that which he could not auoid, bicause he is merciful.
The contrary whereof to maintaine, doth blasphemously argue God, both of iniustice and impietie: when he cōmaundeth vsus to do that which M. Gough sayth is impossible: and condemneth vsus for that which he saith we could not auoid.
2 That the holy Angels and Saincts of heauen may heare our prayers.
MAster Gough went forward, & tooke occasion to impugne al prayer, inuocation, & intercession made vntounto Saincts, calling it a diuelish Doctrine. So did long before him Vigilantius the hereticke, ageinst whome doth write S. Ierom.
M. Goughe.
To mainteyne his error, he made this proposition: that beside God no Angell, no Spirit, no Saint in heauen, doth knowe what is done here vppon the earthe, touching our internall or externall petitions. And then sayth hee what a madnesse is it to pray vntounto those, which cānot heare vsus?
M. Fecknam.
To this opinion is cleane repugnant the saying of our Sauiour Chryst, when he teacheth that more ioy shal bée in heauen before the Angels of God, vppon one sinner dooing penance, than vponupon ninetie and nine iust mē, which néed no penaūce. But Angels can hauehave no ioye of yt thing which they do not knowe: neither if they doo knowe our penaunce, shall they be ignorant of our petitions. Therefore wee be not mad in praying vntounto them, but they be more than mad whiche make thē so ignorant, as if they in heauen knewe no more what is done in earth: than we in earth know what is done in heauen.
This also is refelled by the saying of the Angel Raphael vntounto Tobie: Quando orabas cum lachrimis, & sepeliebas mortuos, & derelinquebas prandium tuum, …ob. 12.& mortuos abscondebas per diem in domo tua, & nocte sepeliebas eos, ego obtuli orationem tuam domino. that is: Whē thou prayedst with teares, and buriedst the dead, and forsookest thy dynner, and hiddest by the daye dead folkes in thy house, and buriedst thē in the night, I did offer thy prayer vntounto the Lorde. All these things the Angell Raphaell did know, when Tobie thought least thereof. And what? shal we aduenture to saye, that the same Angell knewe it onelyonly? And affirme that no other Angel doth know the like? or shall ye Angels know it & not ye glorified sainctes of God,Mat. 22. when he promiseth of thē that in the resurrection they shalbe like Angels?
Here we may sée, yt God doth not kepe ye secrets of mē (through distāce of place) onelyonly vntounto himselfe, as M. Goughe teacheth, but doth also reuele them vntounto his creaturs how far & how much it pleaseth him. As we read of ye prophet Eliseus in ye 4. booke of the kings,4. Reg. 6. which knew al ye secrets of ye king of Siria, done in his priuie chāber, & disclosed thē to ye king of Israel. For ye king of Siria misdouting lest some one about him had bewrayed his secrets, a seruāt of his made answer: Nequaquā domine mi rex, sed Eliseus qui propheta est in Israel indicat regi Israel omnia verba quae lo quutus …ueris in cōclaui tuo: that is, not so my léedge king, but Eliseus the Prophete which is in Israel doth tel ye king of Israell eueryevery word which thou hast spokē in thy secret chamber. S. Luke also doth make mentiō in ye Actes,Act. 5. how Peter knew ye secret thoughts of Ananias going about to deceyue him in ye prise of ye feeld which he had sold, saying vntounto him: Anan…a, quare posuisti in corde tuo hāc rē? Ananias why hast thou put this thing in thy hart? that is, why hast thou thought with thy selfe, thus to deceyue almightie god? Other examples I could bring, but I leaue them for breuities sake, making this a plaine consequent yt if god wold reuele vntounto his seruaunts here vponupon earth, such secret intelligence without any derogatiō of his diuine power & knowledge, much more will he reuele vntounto his saints in heauen, far more ample intelligēce, both of celestial & terrestrial things without any derogatiō of his diuine power & knowlege.
Tom. 5. Au. de Ciuitate Dei. lib. 20. Cap. 22.The like Argumente S. Austen was wont to make, saying: Si Prophetae, nondum facta nosse potuerant, per hoc quod erat Deus (quantulumcun que erat) in eorum mor… talium mentibus: quomodo immortales sancti, iam facta tunc nescient cùm erit Deus omnia in omnibus: that is: If the Prophetes could knowe things before they were done, by this that God was, (howe much soeuer he was) in the minds of thē as yet being mortall: how shall they not know then, things that be done alreadie, being immortall Saints, when GOD shalbée in them all in all?
M. Goughe.
M. Goughe to proue that no Saincte being dead cā heare vsus, alleadged the saying of ye Prophet Isai, where he speaketh in the person of the people on this wyse: Tu enim pater noster, Abraham nesciuit nos, Esai. 63.& Israel ignorauit nos: Thou O God art our Father, Abraham hath not known vsus, and Israell hath bin ignorant of vsus. That is (sayth M. Goughe) now after thei be dead, they hauehave no manner of knowledge of vsus, but be clean ignorāt of things done here vppon the earth.
M. Fecknam.
But S. Ierome hath an other interpretation, which I think I may preferre before M. Goughes saying: Abraham nesciuit nos, id est, Abraham non agnoint nos pro filijs. Abraham hath not knowen vsus, that is, Abraham hath not alowed, or acknowledged vsus for his children. And why? quia te offendimus, bycause we hauehave offended thée, sayth S. Ierom, he sayth not, quia Abraham & Israel mortui sunt: bycause Abraham and Israell be dead: as if therby they could hauehave no lōger knowledge of them. To this sense of Isaies woordes,Mat. 7. oure Sauiour Christe sayth in Matthew to those that vaunted themselues that they had caste out Diuels in his name and done miracles in his name, Nunquam noui vos, I neuer knewe you. Likewyse too the foolish Uirgines,Mat. 25. Non noui vos, I knowe you not. Not that any ignorance should be in Christe, or lack of knowledge: but he meaneth, that he neuer knew them for his, he neuer accepted them, he neuer approued them. A cōmon phrase of speache, when the Father will say vntounto the leude sonne: out of my sight I knowe thée not: that is I take thée not for myne.
Tom. 4. De cu…a ag…nda pro mo…tuis. Cap. 16.If this will not satisfye M. Goughe, let him heare Sainct Austen, who sheweth vppon occasion of this place, in what manner the Sainctes do heare vsus: Per diuinam, inquit, potentiam, Martyres vinorum rebus intersunt: quoniā defuncti, per naturam propriam, vinorum rebus interesse non possunt: that is: By diuine power, the Martyres are here present, in the doings of those that bée a liue: For being dead, by their owne proper nature, to bée present in the doings of those that bée a liue, they can not.
Tom. 9. Aug. super Ioan. Tract. …4To this doctrine he is constant in many places, but I will recite onelyonly twoo, the one in his Tractes vponupon Iohn, where hée speaketh of holy Martyres and those that dyed for the name of Chryste: Ideo quippe ad ipsam mensam, non sic …os commemoramus, quemadmodum alios qui in pace requiescunt: vt etiam pro …is oremus, sed magis vt orent ipsi pro nobis: that is, Therefore at the table (meaning at the Altare) we do not so remember the martyres, as we do remember other that doo rest in peace: that wée should praye likewise for them, but rather that they shold praye for vsus. A double testimonie to confirme both the inuocation of Saints, and praying for the dead.
The other place is in his booke De Bapt…smo contrà Donatist: Tom. 7. Aug. de bap. cont. Donat. lib. 7. Cap. 1.Where he inuocateth the helpe of S. Cyprian beyng dead, saying: Beatus Cyprianus adiuuet nos orationibus suis, vt donante Domino, quantum possumus bona eius imitemur: that is, Holy Cyprian, let him helpe vsus with his prayers, that oure Lorde graunting, wée may follow his good woorks as much as wée may.
To this doctrine commeth Gregorie Nazianzene, Gregor. Nazian. in Monod. Basilij.Saincte Ieromes Maister, where he inuocateth the helpe of Saincte Basil, saying: Tu ô Basili, ex alto nos respice: Et carnis stimulum aut tuis siste precibus, aut fortiter nos ferre, ora. Thou O Basill, looke vppon vsus from heauen aboue: And with thy prayers, eyther cease this pricke of the fleashe: Or else praye, that wée maye strongly beare it and ouercome it.
Orig. lib. in B. Iob. in fin. lib. Ephr. in Ser. de laudibus Marty. Ieron. in Epith. Paulae. Chrisos. Homil. 66. ad popul. Anti. Tom. 5.Now, if M. Goughe will terme these graue Fathers, and so holy men: like as other moe, Origen calling vppon Iob, S. Ephrem calling vponupon the martyrs, S. Ierome calling vppon the famouse woman Paula, and S. Chrisostome commending the Emperour for frequenting the Martyrs tombes, and praying vntounto them: If he will call them all mad men, foolishe men, popish and superstitious Idolaters: In Gods name, let him do so: I had leuer hauehave a dragm of their superstition, than a great lump of leade of M. Goughes integritie.
3 That onelyonly fayth dooth not iustifie.
Tom. 6. Au. de Haeres. Haere. 54.MAister Goughe likewyse in fewe woords would vehemently hauehave persuaded, like as other heretofore him, that sole fayth, or onelyonly fayth doth iustifie vsus. So did long agoe teache Eunomius of that fayth whiche he professed, as S. Austen reciteth in his▪ 6. Tome de Heresi.
M. Goughe.
To confirme his opiniō out of the scripture, he brought the saying of the apostle: Arbitramur iustificari per fidem hominem, sine operibus legis. Rom. 3.We thinke or determine that a man is iustified by fayth without the works of the law: concluding by this testimonie of S. Paule, that works do in no maner of wise iustifie vsus: not only those which goe before faith, but also those whiche doo follow faith. For touching any iustification by works, he maketh the like condition of them both.
M. Fecknam.
First, I maruell that Maister Goughe will allowe this terme onelyonly, when it is not expp…ssed in Canonicall Scripture. Next I am sure, that there is nothing equiualent vntounto it: for fayth without the workes of the Lawe and fayth onelyonly, or fayth simplie without workes, be not of one like condition. Sainct Paule excluding workes of the law, meaneth works that goe before fayth, whiche do not iustifye. S Iames in the Example of Abraham, forbidding that fayth onelyonly should iustifye, speaketh of woorkes that followe faith, which do also iustifye: that is, giuegive encrease of iustice:Iac. …. Abraham pater noster, nonne ex operibus iustificatus est, offerens Isaac filium suum super altare? Abraham our father, was he not iustifyed by works, when he offered his sonne Isaac vppon the altar? To this effect S. Austen reconcileth these twoo Apostles,Tom. 4. August. in lib. 83. quaestion. ques. 76. saying: Non sunt contrariae duorum Apostolorum sententiae, Pauli et Iacobi, cùm dicit vnus iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus: & alius dicit, inanem esse fidem sine operibus: quia ille dicit de operibus quae praecedunt fidem: iste de his, quae sequuntur fidem: that is: These sentences of the twoo Apostles, Paule and Iames, be not contrarie vntounto them selues: when the one sayeth, that a man is iustifyed by fayth without woorkes: the other sayeth that faith is vayne & idle, without workes: for Paule speaketh of workes that goe before faith: Iames speaketh of those that followe faith.
M. Goughe.
An other place he brought, to expresse by Scripture this woorde onelyonly: That fayth onelyonly doth iustifye: alledging the saying of Chryst vntounto Iairus prince of the synagoge: Luc. 18.Crede tantū, beleeue only. A place very fitlie applied: as if Christe there had spoken, of the iustification of Iairus, and not rather of the corporall reuiuing of his dead daughter.
M. Fecknam.
First, S. Iames vntounto this meaning of M. Goughe, that faith only should iustifie, (whereby he meaneth to exclude al maner of iustification by workes done in faith) hath a place that is cleane contradictorie, saying thus after the example brought of Abraham:Iac. 2. Videtis quonia… ex operibus iustificatur homo, & non ex fide tantum. You sée, that a man is iustified by workes, and not by faith onelyonly. By faith onelyonly to be iustified, and not by faith only to be iustified, be contradictorie.
This place therfore of S. Luke is violently handled of M. Goughe:Luc. 8. & rather by force wrested to his owne peculiar stuffe, than naturally applyed to the meaning of Christ. For there is no relation made to ye faith of Iairus touching iustification, as if Chryste had willed him onelyonly too beleeue, and then he should be iustified: but to the weaknesse of that faith of his which began to faint, and mistrust the power of Chryst in reuiuyng his daughter, after that a messenger came from home, and told him, that his daughter was dead. This fayth Christ erected & confirmed by these words, Beléeue onelyonly: as if he had said, feare not, misdout not, but put thy only trust in mée as thou hast begon, and thy daughter neuerthelesse shalbe restored both to life and to health agein. This is the finall ende of those wordes, beléeue only, Crede tantum: which tooke their effect, not in spiritual iustification of Iairus the father, but in y• corporall reuiuing of his daughter, for any thing yt is there in the scripture expressed.
Tom. 4. Aug. de fide & operibus. C…p. 14.S. Austen in his booke de fide & operibus, shewed the beginning & foūdation of this much like heresie, to hauehave bin in ye Apostles times vponupon the misconstruing of Paules Epistles, saying: Quoniam haec opinio tum fuerat exorta, aliae Apostolicae epistolae, Petri, Ioānis, Iacobi, & Iudae cōtra eā maximè dirigunt intentionē: vt vehementer astruant, fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse: that is: Bycause this opiniō was thē sprong vp, other Apostolical epistles of Peter, Iohn, Iames and Iude do bende their drift and purpose most of all ageinst that opinion that they may boldly and vehemently affirme, faith without workes to auayle nothing. If it be faith only, it is faith without works: if faith only auayleth nothing, faith only can not iustifie.
Likewise he saith in his booke de Trini. very bréefly,Tom. 3. August. de Tri. lib. 15. Cap. 18. but pithily. Sine charitate fides quidem potest esse, sed non et prodesse, that is: without charitie faith may bée, but without charitie it can nothing auayle vsus.
Of works that be done in faith.
IT is then a preposterous waye, & a blasphemous doctrine to extol ye excellēcie of faith, by reuyling & extenuating ye worthie fruts therof: calling thē abominable, vile, and stinking in the face of God, as if there were no difference betwene works done of infidels & Idolaters,Esay. 64. of which Isai speaketh, whē he likeneth thē to a filthie cloth: & betwene workes done of christians, and true beléeuers, of which our sauior Christ speaketh in s. Mat.Math. 6. shewing how they shal be acceptable in Gods sighte, and rewarded with lyfe euerlasting. For there he maketh a distinct conference, and separation, betwéene the praying, fasting and gyuing almes of the Scribes and Pharises, which do it onelyonly for vaine glories sake: & therefore they hauehave onelyonly that vayne reward: and betweene the praying, fasting, and giuing almes of those whiche bée true members of Christe, which do it onelyonly for Gods sake, and therefore they shall hauehave a reward of him, of lyfe euerlasting. If these workes had bin so vile, and so filthie in the sight of God, as M. Gough dooth filthily terme thē, Christ would neuer hauehave made for them such a glorious promis: nor prouided for them such a crowne of glorie:Mat. 25. nor reserued for them, his finall iudgement: in the which iudgemēt, not the fayth, but the works of men shalbe examined. But M. Goughe doth cōtemptuously abuse ye gifts of god, ye works yt himself hath wrought in his chosen elect: & doth miserably cōfound ye good works of idolaters, wt the good works of thē that be his faithful and elect people: which works he so much estéemeth, being done in faith & for his sake,Mat. 10. as not to suffer a cup of cold water to go vnrewarded.
I muse therefore at the sutteltie of this opiniō, or rather at the sensible absurditie of it: faith only, or sole faith to iustifie. For if he meane by faith onelyonly, faith without penance, faith without baptisme, then his doctrine is ageinst ye coūsell of Peter, who answered the Iewes,Act. 2. asking of ye Apostles what they shold do to be saued, saying: Poenitentiā agite, et baptizetur vnusquis que vestrū in nomine Iesu Christi in remissionē peccatorum vestrorū. Do ye penance, and let eueryevery one of you be baptized in the name of Iesu Christ, that your sins may be remitted. If he mean by faith only, faith without hope, then he is ageinst the Apostle saying:Rom. 8. Spe enim salui facti sumus, For by hope we are saued. If he mean by faith only, faith without feare, then is he ageinst the saying of Iesus the sonne of Sirach: Eccle. ….Timor Domini expellit peccatū, nā qui sine timore est, non poterit iustificari. The feare of God expelleth sinnes, for he that is without feare can not be iustified: if he meane by faith onelyonly, faith withoute charitie, he is then contrarie to the minde of S. Paule him selfe:Gal. …. which sheweth, what kynd of fayth doth iustifie, fides quae per dilectionem operatur, that faythe whiche worketh by charitie, that is not sole nor onelyonly faythe. Wherfore yf Master Goughe will buyld vppon this terme sole or onelyonly, and yet neuerthelesse, meane by his sole and only fayth, fayth with penance, faith with Baptisme, fayth with feare, fayth with hope, fayth with louelove and charitie: then I say, that the same fayth can no more be sayd to be onelyonly or alone: than a King or Prince beyng in the middest of his Nobilitie, may bee sayd to be there onelyonly or alone.
4 That eueryevery sinne is not mortall.
MAster Gough towards the end of his sermon, did very constantly affirme, that eueryevery sinne committed by a Christian man, is a deadly and a mortall sin: and that no sinne is veniall, no not an ydle thought, as light as men made of it, much like vntounto the old heresie of Iouinian, which to make all sinnes equall, made eueryevery sinne likewise a deadly sinne, whome S. Austen condemned more than a thousand yeare ago, as appeareth in his .6. Tome. de haeres. Haeres. 82.
M. Fecknam.
Let vsus confer herewithall two sayings of the scripture: the one of S. Iohn, which sayth as well of himselfe and of eueryevery iust man, as of a sinner. Si dixerimus, quoniam peccatum nō habemus, ipsos nos seducimus, & veritas in nobis non est. If we say that we hauehave no sinne, we deceiue our selues, and the truthe is not in vsus. Meaning, that the iustest man a liue, is not withoute sinne: Now if this sinne be as M. Goughe teacheth, deadly, mortal and damnable sinne, which separateth the soule of man from God, and condemneth it to hell fire: let vsus sée how a man may be called iust, which daily committeth such damnable sinne.
Nay, let vsus repeat againe that commē dation of iustice,Luke. 1. which S. Luke giueth to Zacharie and Elizabeth, saying: Erant autem iusti ambo ante Deum, incedentes in omnibus mandatis et iustificationibus Domini sine quaer…la. That is: they were both iust before God, walking in all the commaundements and iustifications of our Lorde, without blame. He giueth thrée speciall notes of their true and perfecte rightuousnesse: the one, that they were iust, not in the sight of men, but before God him selfe: the second that they kept all the commandements, which M. Gough saith is impossible to kéep: the third that they were with out blame, and therfore without mortal & damnable sinne. If M. Goughe neuerthelesse wil say, that S. Iohn speaking of him selfe, and of iust men, ment by sinne, a damnable sinne: he must then of very force make betwéene him & S. Luke the Euangelist a manifest contradiction: for no mā that sinneth damnably, is without blame, kéepeth the commaundements, and is iust in the sight of God.
To this may be added the saying of S. Iames where he describeth concupiscence to make a sinne in vsus besides mortall sin: saying:I…c. 1. Cōcupiscentia cū conceperit, parit peccatum, peccatū verò cùm consummatū fuerit, generat mortē: that is: Cōcupiscence when it hath conceiued, bringeth forth sinne: but sinne when it is finished, begetteth death: signifying hereby: that sinne is then mortall and deadly, when a man committeth it with full consent & other circumstances. For if a light passion or carnall thought stealeth vponupon a man by soden delectation, without consent, the same is not a sinne which engendereth death, but a venial sin.
To this place alludeth S. Austen where he speaketh of concupiscence that remayneth in those which be regenerate,Tom. 7. Aug. lib. 2. cont. Iulian. pa. 985. col. 1. littera D. saying: Ab illo rebellante, & si non letaliter, sed venialiter tamen vincimur. That is. Of that sinne concupiscence rebelling agaynst vsus, we bée ouercommed,This place is of original sin, and not cōcupiscēce, and clipped bothe in the hed and tail. although not deadly, yet for al ye venially. It foloweth: Et in his contrahimus, vnde quotidie dicamus dimitte nobis debita nostra. And in these (veniall sins) we gather, by means wherof we may say daily, forgiue vsus Lord our trespasses.
Again in his boke de spirit. & lit. he writeth thus of venial sinnes:Tom. 3. Aug. de spir. & lit. cap. 28 Sicut non impediunt à vita aeterna iustum quaedam peccata venialia, sine quibus haec vita non ducitur: sic ad salutē eternam nihil prosunt impio aliqua bona opera, sine quibꝰ difficillimè vita cuius que pessimi hominis inuenitur: that is. Like as some veniall sins do not let a iust man frō life euerlasting, without the which this life is not lead: so some good workes do nothing profit a wicked man vntounto life euerlasting, without the which ye life of eueryevery naughtie man is hardly found.
Lutter in assertion. suis.I might bring here for venial sinne, one of Martine Luthers Assertions, whom I am sure M. Goughe will rather worship than deny, for the pure loues sake which he beareth to his religion: but I will not presse him so far: only this I wil say, that Luther did hold there was a sinne which was not a mortall and damnable sinne: For he maketh eueryevery good worke of a Christen man to be a sinne, Marie (sayeth he) a sinne that is veniall. His article was, Quod omne opus bonum, sit peccatū veniale: that eueryevery good worke is a veniall sinne.
The seueritie therefore of M. Goughes doct…in, is in this point very auster, rather Stoicall than christian like much preiudiciall to the libertie of the Gospel, which otherwise he professeth & magnifieth with great solemnitie. For now he maketh eueryevery light fact, eueryevery idle woord, eueryevery vaine thought a heinous & capital crime, a mortall and damnable sinne, a trespasse deseruing euerlasting pain & perpetual tormēt.
Prouerb. 24He maketh eueryevery mā at least .vij. times eueryevery day, to offend God damnably: For Salomon writeth of the iust man, septies in die cadit iustus, the iust man doth fal .vij times a day: to deskant no further of the numbre. That is by M. Goughes iudgement, a iust man eueryevery day .vij. times doth sinne mortally, damnably, he is .vij. times a day the sōne of perdition, vij. times a day the bondslaue of Sathan: notwithstanding he is iust righteous: which is an absurde contradiction, & a Doctrine fondly grounded vppon mere possibilities. If this be the state of iust men, and righteous men, mercifull God helpe vsus, that be suche pore and miserable sinners.
Uppon this opinion must nedes folow, that wicked Caine and iust Abel: the elect Isaac and the reprobate Ismael: the welbeloued Iacob, & the hated Esau: Iohn the rebuker of sinne, and the viperous generation of the Pharis…es: Simon Peter the true cōfessor of Christ, and Simon Magus the malitious denyer: Iohn the blissed Euangelist, and Iudas the curssed traytor: were for the tyme of this present life (being all here vppon earth sinners, and therfore by M. Goughes position, all daily in mortal and damnable sinne) al in like miserable case, all in like state of perdition: hauing their soules by mortal sinne, eueryevery day .vij. times at the lest in most wretched wise deuided from God, & seperated from him, the only life therof. As if they had bin al very infidels, & no more appertaining to the sinceritie of faith, and the frutes thereof, than the Paynimes & the Heathen people. Of whome we can say no more, than that eueryevery sinne they do is a mortall and a damnable sinne.
But this is the new found way of persuasion to exhort a sinner to repentance, & to preache that he can not chuse but eueryevery day sin damnably: to exhort a man to good works, & to preach that they be all filthy & abhominable in the sight of god: to exhort a man to charitie, & to preach ye only faith, or sole faith doth iustifie: to exhort one mā to pray for an other here in earth, & to forbid ye one man shall desire an other to pray for him in heauen: to exhort eueryevery mā to kéep Gods commandements, & to say yt it is impossible for any man to kéep them. Would God M. Gough, I wish it with my whole hart, had both ye grace to preache, & the gift to vnderstād more soūder doctrine, more to the glory of god, more to ye edefying of mē, and then more, not to my liking only, but other mennes too: in the mean time, I can not only nothing like it, but also must find fault with it, in so much as your worships do require and demaund my lyking.
I cōclude therfore, hauing not in ample wise, but cōpendiously, touching these .iiij. points of controuer…ie truely and sincerely declared vntounto your worships y• iust causes which I hauehave to mislike with M. Goughes sermon: which I could not do at the same time, when you first demaūded of me: neither now wold take vponupon me, but if ye had assured me of frée lea…e of licence. I refer the rest of my minde, in confuting the rest of his Sermon, to the discrete wisdome of your worships al, charitably to be cōsidered. Desiring this, and requesting, that before the contradiction & absurditie of these propositions, may better agrée together, M. Gough to say that the cōmandements of God be ouer heauy and impossible to be obserued:1. Iohn. 5. Math. 11. Luke. 1. S. Iohn to say, that they be not heauie: And Chryste to say that they be swéete and light: And S. Luke to say that Zacharie and Elizabeth kept all the commaundementes. Maister Goughe to say, ye fayth alone, or onelyonly fayth doth iustifie. S. Paul to say,Gala. 5. Iacob. 2. that faith woorking by charitie doth iustifie: and S. Iames to say that workes also do iustifie, and not faith only▪ M. Gough to say, that no sainct nor Angell in heauen can heare our prayers: the Angel Raphaell to say that he offered vp the prayers of Tobie:Tob. 11. and our sauior Chryst to say that the Angels do reioyce vponupon eueryevery sinners repentance,Luk. 15. (which can not reioyce vnles they know wherfore.) Master Gough to say, that eueryevery sinne is mortall, and that we be eueryevery day deadly sinners in the sight of God.Iac. 1. S. Iames to say, yt there is a sinne, before it be mortall and damnable sinne: And S. Luke to say that Zacharie & Elizabeth were iust euen in the sight of God:Luke. 1. Beside the testimonies of auncient fathers, which do constantly, and vniformly stand on my side: He hauing for his opinions the reliques of old condemned, and now reuiued heresies of the Maniches, Eunomius, Vgilantius & Iouinian, ageinst whom the said Fathers did many hundred yeares a goe wryte, as their Monuments can amplie testifie.
I desire, I say, to make my humble sute vntounto your worshippes for my selfe and my prison followes both, that hereafter we may not be haled by the armes to the church in such violent manner ageinst our willes, ageinst al former example, ageinst the doctrine of your own syde (Luther, Bucer, Bullinger, Zwinglius, Oecolampadius, Melancthon, and the reste, eueryevery one writing and earnestly persuading, that al violence be taken away in matters of religion) there to heare such Preachers, as care not what they say, so they somewhat say ageynst the professed fayth of Chrystes catholike Church: & there to heare a sermon, not of persuading vsus, but of rayling vppon vsus. This if your worshippes will encline vntounto for charitie sake, wée shall hauehave too render you most humble thankes, and whatsoeuer els wée may doo, in this our heauie tyme of imprisonment.