Answer to Reynolds Book, Chapter 6
CHAP. 6.
Of reproouing the auncient fathers for their doctrine, touching good workes.
IF wrangling were anie waies to be commended in theſe great and waightie controuerſies of Religion,Pag. 114. &c. then had Maſter Rainolds deſerued praiſe and thanks for his paines in this behalfe. But as in all debating and triall of truth it is acounted an vnhoneſt part to deuiſe falſe ſhifts for maintenance of vntrueth,The fathers in their writings hauehave ſundry weeds growing with the good corne. ſo in matters of Gods worſhip and Religion to vſe craftie cauillation is a moſt wicked and damnable practiſe. The auncient fathers holding the ground and foundation of doctrine, did oftentimes builde thereon ſtubble and ſtrawe, partlie by ſome ſuperſtitious opinions which themſelues conceiued of ſuch inuentions, and partlie by the ſway and violence of cuſtome, whereby they were caried to a liking of thoſe things, which they ſaw commended, and practiſed by others. And yet God forbid that becauſe of ſome errours which they held, we ſhould raze their names out of the Calender of Gods Saintes, or thinke otherwiſe then reuerentlie of them.
Among other infections that raigned in the fathers daies, this was not the leaſte that they hoped in ſome ſort to make ſome parte of amendes to God for their ſinnes, by voluntarie puniſhments, which they ſuſtained in this life. Whereof although by a conſequent it followeth, that they did iniurie to the ſatisfaction of Chriſtes death, yet they meant not directlie to take anie thing from it, but truſted by it onelie to be iuſtified and ſaued. Neuertheles being ledd by a likelie and probable perſuaſion of mans witt, that God would ſpare them, if they puniſhed them ſelues, they truſted by this meanes to make ſome recompenſe for their offenſes, and therefore ſuffered much hardnes, trauaile, and penaltie in the courſe of their life: which if they had done ſimplie with deſire and purpoſe thereby to make themſelues fitter for the ſeruice of God, it had bene a godly and profitable endeuour. And this no Proteſtāt miſliketh, ſeeing the Apoſtie hath taught, that it is expedient for all Chriſtians to beat downe and ſubdue their owne bodies. 1. Cor. 9.26.But to put anie confidence of appeaſing Gods wrath in theſe actions deuiſed by them ſelues, cannot be excuſed in anie whoſoeuer.
Howbeit I would not any ſhould thinke that when the Fathers ſpeake ſo often of Satisfaction and Penance, Satisfactions not alwaies meant in reſpect of God.they meane allwaies a ſatisfaction vntounto God for ſinne, as the Papiſts doe. For thoſe ſatisfactions were nothing els, for the moſt parte, but penalties appointed by the Church, for ſuch to endure, as had by ſome open falling into greater tranſgreſſion giuen a publike offenſe to the Church of Chriſt. Such were brought vnderunder penance by the cenſure & diſcipline of the Church, which when they had accrodinglie performed, in token of their vnfained repentance, then were they receiued againe into the companie of the faithfull, and then was ſatisfaction made, namelie in reſpect of the Church. Of theſe Eccleſiaſticall ſatisfactions we reade often in the fathers and councels: but hereby is not meant that by theſe they purchaſed remiſſion of their ſinnes at the hands of God. And yet I denie not but manie did put too great ſuperſtition in theſe outward exerciſes, truſting ſomething thereby to finde fauour with God, the rather for their harde vſage of themſelues. Which though it be an error, yet were they notwithſtanding good men, and holie fathers, as I called them.
In which reſpect, when you labour and ſpend much of your oyle, to prooue me contrarie to my ſelfe, you may ſee what a trifler you are, and how vnworthie of anſwere. Were not the Apoſtles holie men,Holy mē may hauehave & had their errors, and that in weighty cauſes of religiō. when they dreamed of an earthlie kingdome in this world? yet this opinion is contrarie to a principal article of our faith. were they void of holines, when they beleeued that the goſpell was to be preached to the Iewes onelie? which is greatlie derogatorie to the grace of God, and ſaluation of his people. Then euerie error doth not ouerthrowe all holines in the ſeruants of God. In the primitiue Church manie holie fathers were infected with the error of Chriſtes raigning a thouſand yeares on earth, who notwithſtanding are worthelie accounted Saints of God. Cyprian and manie godlie Byſhops with him erred about the baptiſme miniſtred by heretikes: yet loſt they not for all that the opinion and name of holie fathers. Thus the vanitie of your chalenge appeareth in finding fault with me, for calling the fathers holie, whome I charged with error: it being ſuch as in them did not raze the foundation of the goſpell.
Your argument of the Church is friuolous. True it is, that he that maketh a ſchiſme in the Church, and cutteth himſelfe from the ſame, cannot be ſaued. But to erre in this point as the fathers did, is neither ſchiſme, nor ſo dangerous to ſaluation as ſchiſme. Nether is it like to the errour of the Galatians altogeather. For it was in the fathers only an ouerſight of infirmitie, by leaning ſomewhat too much to their owne reaſon, and not conſidering the matter ſo deepely as they ought: and yet they held not, that works are to be ioined with Chriſt, as neceſſary cauſes of our iuſtification and ſaluation, but aſcribing the wholl work of our redemption vntounto Chriſt, they erred a litle in applying this redemption vntounto them-ſelues. Your caſe is the ſame that was of the Galatians. For as they thought to be iuſtified by the workes of the Law, ſo do you: as they were warned of their error, ſo are you: as they without repentance loſt the benefit of Chriſts ſacrifice, ſo ſhall you. Yf the fathers had bene as often & plainlie admoniſhed, as you hauehave bene, they would being holy and ſincere men, hauehave reformed their iudgement: and keeping the head, though they erred in ſome part, the Lord will not impute that error vntounto them for condemnation.
All that you alledge here out of that worthy ſeruant of Chriſt M. Luther, Pag. 120. &cI acknowledge for true, ſeeing it is the verie ſame that the Scriptures them-ſelues hauehave taught. For this is the voice and doctrine of the goſpell, that by faith onelie in the mediator, who by his ſacrifice once offered vponupon the croſſe hath reconciled the father vntounto vsus, we are iuſtified and ſaued. Then to liue ſtraitlie, and to do good workes with this purpoſe and perſuaſion, that thereby we ſhall obtaine iuſtice or ſaluation, is contrary to the trueth of Chriſts goſpell, and may not in anie be allowed, although otherwiſe moſte learned and godly. Will you reaſon hereby againſt Luther and me, becauſe we charge the fathers with ſome ouerſight in the trueth of this doctrine, in that they thought ſomewhat too well of their owne deedes, we muſt therefore repute them for wicked men, and make them no better then Papiſts? They erred not ſomuch as you, they erred not ſo wilfully as you: and therefore though there beſome likenes betweene their error & yours, yet we account not of them, as of you, who beſides that you erre in this point of iuſtification moſt damnablie, hauehave alſo multiplied your errours in other articles, & almoſt left no one ground of pure religion vnſhaken. And therefore you greatlie deceiue your owne heart M. Rainolds, when you thinke your ſelfe to be in the ſame caſe that the fathers were in, becauſe ſometime the fathers gaue more to their works, then they ſhould hauehave done, you truſting to be iuſtified and ſaued by the worthines and merits of your workes, which the fathers did not. So betwene you and them there is a great ſpace of diſtance: although I graunt that ſome things which they hauehave written of this matter, and practized in their liues, tendeth ſomewhat to your hereſie of iuſtification by workes. For the myſterie of iniquitie, which in papiſtry is fullie finiſhed, began to worke in the Apoſtles age, & ſo continued ſtill forward in the fathers daies, vntil it came to his height and perfection in the kingdome of popery. They ſlipt a litle, you are fallen headlong into the pit: they were ouerſeene through infirmitie, you are blinde of malice: they ſcattered ſome darnell in the Lords field, you hauehave plucked vp by the roots the good corne. They hauehave ſuffred loſſe of this building, being not agreeable to the foundation, yet are ſaued: you ouerthrow the foundation it ſelfe, and therefore cannot in this opinion be ſaued.
The contradiction which you hauehave found in my wordes,Pag. 124. is a knott in a ruſh: your head is crazie, I perceiue, by your wandring and friuolous talke: or els your wit is often verie fugitiue. Although the fathers ſometime doe require ſatisfaction by workes, not onelie in reſpect of the Church, but of God, as appeareth by Saint Cyprian plainlie in ſundry places, and therein hauehave obſcured the doctrine of repentance and Iuſtification, yet they neuer meant ſo groſlie,Satiſfactions in reſpect of God, taught and practiſed in the primitiue time, what they were. as you doe, that this ſatisfaction of theirs ſhould be a worthie and ſufficient recompenſe to god, for their ſinnes committed againſt his moſte holie maieſtie: but that they ought to craue humblie for pardon at gods hands, by humbling themſelues be fore him in faſting, and praying, and puniſhing their bodies in this life. This appeareth by the 55. epiſtle of Saint Cyprian, as I noted:Ne exoretur precib. & ſatisfactionibus. who ſpeaking of Chriſtians committing Idolatrie, ſaith, They make interceſſion, that Chriſt may not be intreated by praiers and ſatisfactions. This godlie father aſcribeth remiſſion of ſinnes to the pardon of Chriſt, being intreated by praiers and ſatisfactions. If remiſſion be of pardon, then is it not of ſatisfaction, as you meane: if it be obtained by praiers, then is it not giuen to the worthines of our workes. Againe he ſaieth, I imbrace with readie and perfecte louelove, ſuch as returne with repentance, confeſſing their ſinnes with humble and ſimple ſatisfafaction. Satisfactione humili & ſimplice.What els doth he meane by this humble ſatisfaction, but humble and earneſt ſupplication for pardon? in his booke againſt Demetrian he ſaith, ſpeaking to the heathen, we exhort while there is leaue, that you ſatisfie God. And can the workes of ſuch men make a full ſatisfaction vntounto God? No: But Saint Cyprian expoundeth himſelfe by & by in theſe words: Thou euen at thy howre of death, and end of this temporall life, intreate God for thy ſinnes, who is one & true: pardon is giuen to him that confeſſeth, and to him that beleeueth, gratious remiſſion is graunted of Gods merciemercy. Thus with this godlie father, to ſatisfie God, is to make humble ſute and requeſt to God for our ſinnes:Salutaris indulgentia. and gratious or ſauing indulgence is the effecte of this ſatisfaction. Although their meaing was nothing ſo corrupte as yours, yea for the moſte parte was ſincere, yet the maner of doctrine is vnſound, in that our ſatisfaction is required as neceſſarie, whereas Chriſt hath already made a ful ſatisfaction for vsus: and by occaſion hereof it grewe in time to be an opinion receiued of the moſte, that theſe ſatisfactions did in ſome part appeaſe the wrath of almightie God, and deſerue reward, which is contraie to the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt. Where is now that contradiction M. Rainolds, which you imagined? looke better what you ſaie, or els we may worthelie thinke your dealing is verie childiſh, & vndiſcrete, & nothing ſeemelie for a ſober man, or learned diuine.
But litle hope is there of more honeſt dealing at your hands, who as may ſeeme,Pag. 127. hauehave hardened your face againſt the truth, & ſet your ſelfe wilfullie in the chaire of ſcorners and ſlaunderers.Foule ſlaunders and blaſphemies vttered by M.R. againſt the trueth of Chriſtes goſpell. For your railing at our doctrine of onelie faith, is too impudent, as though it leaft no place for bewailing of ſinnes, for faſting, for praying, for watching, for giuing almes, for doing good workes: yea you call onelie faith, onelie fanſie, and imagination. You were a verie euill ſcholler in our ſchole, who in all the time you taried amongſt vsus, and had the charge alſo of a Church committed vntounto you, did no better learne the doctrine of iuſtification by faith alone, then thus vntrulie, and blaſphemouſlie to reporte of it. Doth faith exclude good workes, becauſe it alone doth receiue & embrace Ieſus Chriſt our ſauiour and redeemer? is the faith of Chriſtians, whereby alone Chriſt is apprehended and applied vntounto them, no better then a vaine imagination and fanſie? Repente M. Rainolds of theſe ſpitefull and malitious ſlaunders againſt the eternall trueth of Chriſtes Goſpel: or be aſſured your portion ſhall be with infidels and renagates in the lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone for euer.
Now that you bring againſt me, to prooue vsus to be Miniſters of Antichriſt,pag. 128. by the ſame reaſon that we prooue you to be prieſts of Antichriſt, let vsus in a word conſider the force of it. I ſaie, that ſeeing of Chriſts prieſthoode there be two parts, the one to offer a ſacrifice once for all, the other to make interceſſion for vsus, the Papiſts ouerthrowe both, in that they teach that Chriſt is offered dailie, & that there be innumerable Mediatours. Maſter Rainolds ſaieth, If they be Antichriſts for offering ſacrifice, we alſo are Antichriſts for praying: for ſo much as the one belongeth to his Prieſthood, as well as the other. A blinde and witles cauill. They pretend to offer a ſacrifice, no leſſe then Chriſt himſelfe, to make attonement betwixt god & man.An ignorant & vnlearned obiection of M.R. refuted. This ſacrifice is offered alreadie by Chriſt, and neuer muſt nor can be offered againe: and therefore they are indeed Antichriſts, in denying the onelie abſolute ſacrifice of Chriſt. Againe in appointing ſo manie Mediatours, by whoſe interceſſion they may be brought into Gods fauour, they doe open iniurie to the other part of his prieſthood, which is to offer praiers for vsus, that by the worthines & acceptation thereof, we may be reconciled with God Doe we praie in this maner, that for the vertue and merits of our praiers, God would be gratious vntounto vsus, and to others? Noe, but onelie for the merites of Chriſt: where as you praie to be heard of God, not onelie for Chriſtes ſake, but alſo for the worthines and merits of a thouſand Saincts, and ſo bereaue our ſauiour Chriſt of theſe two principal offices belonging vntounto him onelie, as he is our Prieſt. Had you but a graine of true diuinitie in you as bigg as a muſtard ſeed, you could not thus groſlie be abuſed with ſuch abſurd, and peeuiſh ſophiſtication.