A General View of Papistry, Book 2 · Controversy 9 · Part 2 · Question 9
THE NINTH QVESTION, CONcerning the Virgine Marie.
THis question standeth of many parts: 1. Whether the B. Virgin Marie were conceiued without sin. Secondly, whether she vowed Virginitie before the Angel was sent vntounto her. Thirdly, of the assumption of her body into heauen. Fourthly, of the dignitie and preeminence that shee hath (as they affirme) aboue all other Saints, yea, and the Angels to. Fiftly, of the merites of the virgin Marie and of the Aue Maria.
THE FIRST PART, WHETHER THE Virgin Marie were voyde of original and actuall sinne.
The Papists.
error 80 1 AL men are borne in sinne, Christ onelyonly excepted, and his mother for his honor: Rhemist. Rom. 5. sect. 9.
Answ. it is no more dishonour for Christ to be borne of a sinner, then to hauehave taken his flesh, and lineally descended, according to his humanity, of Thamar that committed incest with Iuda and Rahab which was an harlot: Math. 1.3.5. Secondly, it maketh more for the honor of God that Christ was borne without sinne of a woman which was a sinner, and more setteth foorth his power, then otherwise, lest he should be thought to hauehave deriued his puritie from his mother.
2 They holde, that there was no actuall sinne in the Virgin Marie, no not the lest and smallest sinnes, which they call venial, Rhemist. 1. Iohn. 1. sect. 5. She was especially protected, and preserued from sinning by the grace of God.
Ans. That God is able clearely to rid his children from sinne, & to preserue them from falling thereinto, we denie not: but, seeing you hauehave no scripture for this priuiledge, that should be bestowed onelyonly vponupon Marie, to be free from sin: but rather the contrary is proued out of scripture, That all hauehave sinned, Rom. 3.23. it is too rash and bolde an assertion, contrary to the will of God, to ascribe any thing to his power. He is as able to exempt all from sinning as one: vnlesse therefore you can shew some especiall warrant out of Gods word, for Maries freedome, by your reason, all the children of God shall bee freed from sinne as wel as Marie, because God is able to doe it.
The Protestants.
THat the Virgin Marie was both conceiued in sinne, and was also subiect to actuall sinnes in her life, as other of the children of God, thus out of the scripture we doe declare it.
1 How els can the word of God be true, that sayth, All hauehave sinned, Rom. 3.23. &. 5.12. They will answere, that Marie had an especiall priuiledge: then let them shew it out of the word of God, and we will beleeue: otherwise the general conclusion must stand, that all hauehave sinned. Againe, Marie her self in her song, calleth Christ her Sauiour: Luk. 1.47. Ergo, she was a sinner: for how els could she be saued from her sinnes which she had not? If they answere as they doe,Fox. p. 801. that Christ was her Sauiour onelyonly, because hee preserued her from sinne: Wee doe thus replie. First, that a Sauiour in scripture is defined to be he that saueth the people from their sinnes, Math. 1.21. not that preserueth onelyonly. Secondly, if Marie were free from originall sinne, as they say she was, she needed not a Sauiour to keep her from sinne, for she might hauehave preserued herselfe.
Arg. 2 Marie dyed, Ergo, she was a sinner: for sinne brought death into the world, Rom. 1.5. If she had had no sinne, she had not dyed. Christ indeede, though he were no sinner, yet he bare our sinnes, and therefore dyed for vsus.
Christ checked and rebuked his mother, Iohn. 2.4. Woman, what hauehave I to doe with thee? Ergo, it seemeth, she was not without fault. Rhemist. answere: It was rather a doctrine to others, to teach them not to do any thing for respect of kinred, against reason, then a reprehension to Mary. Wee replie: But I pray you, how could the Apostles learne to beware of that fault, if it had beene no fault in Marie? How could they be admonished in her, if she were not first her selfe admonished? And the maner of speech sheweth, it was a rebuke, Christ saluting her by no other name, then if he had spoken to any other woman.
Argum. 3. The Papists themselues are in a stagger, and dare not constantly affirme, that Marie was conceiued without sinne, but put in this clause (as many godly deuout men iudge) Rhemist. Rom. 5. sect. 9. And Bellarmine sayth, in maiori parte Ecclesiae piè credi, that the greater part of the Church doth so godly beleeue, yet he dare not determine vponupon it himselfe, de cult. sanctor. lib. 3. cap. 16. But why are they afrayd to holde it as an vndoubted trueth, seeing Pope Sixtus hath clearely determined that it was so, forbidding the Dominick Friers to preach the contrary,Fox. p 800. and hereupon erected a new holy day of her conception? Here then they are driuen to a great straight: for either they must abolutely hold, that she was not conceiued in sin, agaynst the Master of sentences, and Thom. Aquinas, with other schoolemen, or els holde the contrary, and so confesse the Pope to hauehave been in error.
Augustine sayth, beatior Maria percipiendo fidem Christi, quàm concipiendo carnem Christi: Materna propinquitas nihil Mariae profuisset, nisi foeliciùs Christum corde quàm carne gestasset. De sanct. virginit. cap. 4.Marie was more happy in perceiuing the fayth of Christ, then in conceiuing the flesh of Christ: neither had it profited her to be the mother of Christ, if she had not more happily borne him in her heart, then she did in her wombe. But what neede had Marie to beleeue in Christ, if she had been pure from her natiuity, and had no sinnes to be forgiuen her? Augustine yet more playnly sayth, Maria ex Adam mortua propter peccatum Adae: Adam mortuus est propter peccatum, & caro domini ex Maria mortua est propter delenda peccata. Marie dyed being borne of Adam, In Psal. 34. conci. 2.because of the sinne of Adam: Adam dyed because of his owne sinne: Christ dyed in the flesh to take away our sinnes: Ergo, Marie by his sentence was borne in the sinne of Adam.
THE SECOND PART, WHETHER Marie vowed Virginitie before the Annuntiation.
The Papists.
error 81 THey would gather and conclude so much out of the answere of Marie to the Angell, who told her, she should conceaue and beare a sonne: How can this be (sayth she) seeing I know no man? That is, she plainly declareth, she could hauehave no childe by knowing a man, because of her vow, for otherwise she needed not hauehave asked such a question, how a woman might hauehave a sonne promised her, if she had maried to hauehave carnal copulation. Rhemist. Luk. 1. sect. 13. Bellarmin. de Monachis. cap. 22.
Ans. First, Ambrose maketh this to be the cause why Marie so answered, she had read the prophesie of Esay, that a virgin should conceiue & bring forth a sonne, and therefore knew very wel, that this holy childe should be otherwise conceiued, then by the knowledge or helpe of man, Fulk. ibid. Secondly, as also the Angel deliuering at once his whole message, and shewing what maner of childe it should be: euen the Sonne of the most high, who should sit on the throne of Dauid, and of his kingdome there should be no end: that is, that the childe should be the Sonne of God: she straightwayes conceiued that such a holy seede could not be borne of man, and therefore asketh, how without man he might be borne. Sic Caluin. Beza.
The Protestants.
THat Marie, as she was an entire Virgin before the birth of Christ, so that she continued also a Virgin all her life after, we doe verily think, and condemne their opinion that holde the contrarie: but that she vowed or purposed Virginitie, before the message of the Angel was brought vntounto her, it is rashly without scripture, nay rather agaynst it, affirmed.
Argum. 1. The text is playne, that they had a purpose to consummate their mariage: When as Marie was betrothed to Ioseph, before they came together▪ Math. 1.18. Ergo, there was a meaning to come together, if she had not in the meane time been found to be with childe of the holy Ghost: for otherwise, it shuld seeme to hauehave been a mockery on Maries behalfe, to promise mariage to Ioseph, without any purpose to performe the duety of mariage. But if it were done with both their consents, then mocked they with God, who instituted mariage for some ende and purpose, which could not be attayned out of mariage: for they should hauehave maried neither for auoyding fornication, nor for procreation, which are the two chiefe ends of mariage: as for the third, which is mutuall comfort, it ariseth of the former.
Argum. 2. It was not the manner among the Iewes to vow Virginitie, but it was rather a shame and reproch to remayne and die a Virgin: and therefore Iephthaths daughter lamented her Virginitie, Iudg. 11.38. Howe then could Marie be induced contrary to the custome of the Church, to vow Virginitie? Yea Augustine confesseth as much: Hoc mores Israelitarum recusabant: The manners of the Israelites did not suffer it, de Virginit. cap. 4. though he himselfe els-where, and in the same place seemeth to incline to the contrary opinion.
THE THIRD PART, OF THE ASsumption of the Virgin Marie.
The Papists.
THey report the story of the death and departure of the Virgin Mary, after error 82 this manner▪ At the time of her death after she had liued sixtie three years, all the Apostles, being dispersed into diuers nations, were myraculously brought together to Ierusalem, to solemnize her funerall. They buried her in Gethsemani: and for three dayes together the Angels were heard to sing melodious songs: At three dayes ende also Saint Thomas came; who being desirous to see her bodie, and not finding it in the graue, they thereupon assuredly deemed that her body was assumpted into heauen, Rhemist. Act. 1. vers. 14.
Argum. 1. It is best agreeable to the priuiledge of the mother of God, not to see corruption, Rhemist. ibid. Seeing also her sonne was exempted from corruption, & natura Mariae excipitur, the nature of Marie must be excepted: caro enim Iesu est caro Mariae, the flesh of Iesus is the flesh of Marie. And seeing Christ came to fulfil the law, which sayth, Honor thy parents: it is very like, eum in morte speciali gratia eam honorasse, that he did honor her by special grace in her death. These reasons and other are to be read in a forged booke amongst Augustines works, bearing title, De assumptione Mariae.
Answ. First, there is no credite to be giuen to the forged writings which passe vnderunder the name of Saint Denis, and Athanasius, out of whom they doe reporte the assumption of Marie, nay their owne lesson, which they reade vponupon the Assumption day, doth controll and confute the other. First, that story saith, that without doubt she was taken vp in bodie. But your lesson leaueth it as vncertayne, whether she were raysed vp in body or not. Secondly, the forged story sayth, she was buried in Gethsemani, which was in mount Oliuet: your lesson sayth, that the place of her buriall is in the midst of the valley of Iehosaphat, which is betweene mount Oliuet and the Citie, Fulk. ibid. Secondly, it followeth not, because Christ tooke flesh of the Virgin, that therfore she should also as well be exempted from corruption: for hee tooke flesh also of Dauid, and other his progenitors, who by the same reason should bee made immortall. And if she were priuiledged by beeing the mother of Christ, from seeing corruption, why not also from hauing anie sinne? for her Sonne after the flesh saw neither. Thirdly, Christ also both did and might honor his mother as he was man, though so great a priuiledge bee not graunted vntounto her. The reuerence, which was to be done to his mother, was in regard of his manhood, and so was he obedient vntounto them, Luk. 2.51. and so long as he liued in the flesh: and therefore he did care for her euen vponupon the crosse, commending her to the disciple whom he loued. But he neither was to honour her as he was God, and therfore not to free her from corruption, which had been a work of his Godhead: and the natural affection and honour due vntounto parents ceaseth after this life. It were then too grosse a conceit, to think that Christ hath such regard now of the virgin Marie in heauen, as he had of her, being his mother, in the dayes of his flesh: for Christ, as he is not now knowen after the flesh, 2. Corinth. 5.16. so neither knoweth he any after the flesh.
The Protestants.
THis vncertaine reporte of the assumption of Mary, with other circumstances thereof, we holde to bee a very counterfeit storie, and worthy of no credite.
Argum. 1. If it were a matter of such waight, as they make it, who hauehave erected a new found holy-day of the assumption of Mary, surely the scriptures would not hauehave been silent therein: especially Saint Iohn (as Augustine saith) to whose charge she was committed, would hauehave left somewhat in writing of that matter: for sayth he, Nullus fideliùs id narrare potuerit, for no man could more truely and faythfully make relation thereof.De sanct. serm. 35.
Argum. 2 That generall sentence pronounced vponupon Adam and all Adams seede, must needes also take place in the virgin Marie, Thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou returne, Genes. 3.19. Christ onelyonly is excepted, and that by the testimonie of the word of God: wherefore, vnles this priuiledge of the virgin could be proued out of scripture, as Christs is, we must needs hold her subiect to that generall law of corruption.
Augustine sayth, Assumptio eius in apocrypha non in catholica reperitur historia: the assumption of Mary is found in an Apocryphal, that is, an obscure and vncertaine, not a Catholike or authentical storie.
THE FOVRTH PART OF THE HOnor and worship of the Virgin Marie.
The Papists.
error 83 THey doe ascribe vntounto her a kinde of religious honor, more then to any of the Saynts beside: For whereas they call the worship of Saints, foreign, seruice, the honor of the Virgin, they tearme, foreign, a higher kinde of seruice, Bellarmin. de Sanct. lib. 2. cap. 25. They call her, Regina mundi, scala coeli, thronus dei, ianua Paradisi, The Queene of the world, the ladder of heauen; the throne of God, and gate of Paradise: yea they giuegive her iurisdiction ouer her sonne, Iube natum, commaund thy sonne, Iure matris impera filio, commaund thy sonne by the right of a mother. Coge Deum, compell God to be mercifull to sinners, Annot. Fulk. 1.15.
Againe, they say, she is to be honoured with the feasts of her Natiuitie, Assumption, and Conception: for the other two, of her Purification, and Annuntiation, are not proper to the Virgine, but concerne Christ: the one his Conception, the other his Presentation, Rhemist. actor. 1. sect. 7.
Argum. She her selfe prophecieth of all Catholike generations, that they should blesse her in keeping her festiuities and memorials: but if these festiuities of her Conception and Assumption be not kept, she should hauehave none at all: and so be thought worthie of lesse remembrance, then any other Saint, Galat. 4. sect. 5. Rhemist.
The Protestants.
1. WE doe not celebrate any festiuall daies in the honour of creatures, neither of the Virgine Mary, nor any other Saint, but only to the honor of God: and therefore the feasts of the Annuntiation, and Purification, may much better be receiued, because they belong and are referred vntounto Christ, then the other festiuities, of the assumption and conception of Mary, the institution whereof was most superstitious: the one for the fayned assumption of her bodie, which your owne writers are vncertaine of: the other to maintaine the heresie of the Franciscanes, that she was conceiued and borne without sinne. As for the memorie of the Virgine Mary, it may better be kept, then by such festiuities: as our Sauiour Christ taught to keepe the remēbrance of Mary Magdalene, by preaching the Gospell, Math. 26.13. Fulk. annot. Act. 1.7. And if they only are Catholike generations, that call her blessed in keeping these festiuities in her memoriall: then there were no Catholike generations for many hundred yeeres after, and so do you condemne the age of the Apostles: for neither then, nor many yeres after were these superstitious festiuities heard of. But Mary saith in her song, From henceforth, euen from this time forward, shall all generations call me blessed: so that, if her blessednesse had consisted in the memorie of those daies, they should immediatly hauehave been kept, especially the day of her natiuitie, Fulk. Galath. 4. sect. 5.
2. We doe allow all praise giuen vntounto the Virgine, without the dishonour of God and her Sonne and Sauiour Christ: we doe acknowledge the honour that God vouchsafed her, not to be a meritorious or principall efficient cause of our redemption, but onelyonly an holy vessell, and instrumentall cause of the conception and birth of Christ, by whose only merite and worthines our redemption is perfited, as by a proper and principall, and onelyonly meritorious efficient cause thereof. And therefore, those are blasphemous titles which are giuen vntounto her, to call her the ladder of Heauen, and gate of Paradise, and such like: and so in a manner to make her our redeemer. Augustine saith, She was more happie, in that she conceiued the faith of Christ, then in conceiuing the flesh of Christ.De sancta virgine cap. 3. If then these titles be vnmeet for her, in respect that she receiued the faith of Christ, which is common to al the children of God, then are they more vnfit, in that she conceiued the flesh of Christ.
3. It is great presumption to thinke that the Virgine Mary may command her sonne in heauen: seeing she had no authoritie to command him vponupon earth, in any thing pertaining to his office, Ioh. 2.4. And now likewise that carnall respect of children to their parents ceaseth in the kingdome of God.
As for that superioritie & higher kind of honour which she hath aboue al the Saints beside, we finde no warrant out of scripture. She is respected now in heauen, not as she bare the flesh of Christ, but as she liued by faith in Christ: she also reioyced in God her Sauiour. The scripture therefore maketh one condition and estate of all that shall be saued: and sayth generally of all, of others as well as the Virgine Christs mother, That they shall be as the angels in heauen, Matth. 22.30. Yea, our Sauiour sheweth, that Whosoeuer doth the wil of God, is his sister, brother and mother, Math. 12.50. By the which we learne, that other the faithfull seruants of GOD may by their faith in Christ, be as well accepted of God, as if they had borne Christ in the flesh. Where then is that high dignitie, which she hath, as the mother of Christ, aboue all Saints? Augustine saith: Tu concinis sine fine choris coniuncta, Angelis & Archangelis sociata: Thou (O Virgine) doest reioyce being ioyned vntounto the heauenly quire,Serm. 35. de assumpt. Mariae. being associated to Angels and Archangels. He maketh her not Ladie or Queene of heauen, but onelyonly a fellow companion of the Saints and Angels.
AN APPENDIX OR FIFT PART OF THE MErites of the Virgine, and of the Aue Maria.
The Papists.
1. THey doe teach and hold, that she onelyonly amongst all women deserued to error 84 beare the redeemer of the world, and so by her merites obtained that fauour to be the mother of Christ.
Argum. The Angel saluteth her, & calleth her, Full of grace, which sheweth the prerogatiue that she had aboue other women, and the worthines that was in her, Rhemist. Luk. 1. sect. 12.15.
The Protestants.
Ans. 1. Wee acknowledge that herein she was blessed aboue all other women, in that she was chosen to be the mother of our Sauiour, and that she was endued fully with the graces of the holy Ghost: but those graces she had not of her selfe, but of the free gift of God, without her merites.
2. The word foreign, signifieth freely beloued, not full of grace, as it is likewise taken, Ephes. 1.6. foreign. He hath made vsus accepted in his beloued Sonne.
3. She her selfe confesseth her selfe in her song, to bee of a lowe degree, poore in spirit, and hungrie, whom God in merciemercy looked vponupon, Luk. 1.50. whereas God sent away the proud and rich: as the proud Pharisie that thought himselfe rich of good workes, obtained nothing of God, Luk. 18. Wherefore if she had stood vponupon her owne deserts, she had made her selfe rich, not poore: neither should she hauehave magnified the merciemercy of God, but his iustice: for when a reward is giuen according to desert, it is of his iustice, and not merciemercy.
Augustine thus commenteth vponupon the words of her song, Magnificet animae mea Dominum, & recordetur, quomodo nullis suis praecedentibus meritis, De sancta▪ virginit. serm. 35.sed sola dei bonitate sit ab iniquitate saluata: Let my soule praise the Lord; and remember, how that not by any merites going before, but through the only gracious goodnes of God, it is deliuered from sinne: Ergo, Mary not saued by her merites, nor consequently the mother of Christ, by her merites, but onelyonly by the meere fauour of God.
The Papists.
2. THey much commend the often vsing of the Aue Mary, which is done (say error 85 they) to the honour of Christ and our Ladie.
Argum. They be the very summe and abridgement of the whole Gospell: and therefore to be vsed, Rhemist. Luk. 1. sect. 11.
The Protestants.
1. You do shamefully abuse those words, in making a praier of them, which was but a forme of salutation vsed by the Angel: neither can you say them in that sense they were vttered in by the Angel. Also you offend in the vaine repetition of them vponupon your beades, as the heathen did, Math. 6.7. and in committing idolatrie, in the inuocating of the Virgine, and praying vntounto her in these words: who is a creature and not a God to be called vponupon.
2. What mysterie soeuer be contained in these words, yet the people vnderstand nothing at all. And though we denie not but that the words are holy and mysticall, yet it followeth not that they should be vsed for a prayer.
3. What great account they make of the Aue Mary, it may appeare by this: that they thinke they may alter and change it, and adde to it at their pleasure: as by Pope Sixtus the 4. there was a clause more added vntounto the common Aue Mary, in this manner: Haile Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee,Fox. p. 800. blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Iesus Christ, and blessed is Anna thy mother, of whom thy virgines flesh hath proceeded without blot of originall sinne. What a fearefull thing is this, that they should thus dare to adde vntounto the scriptures? How can they now escape that iudgement that is threatned against all those that doe adde, or take ought to or from the word of God? Apocal. 22.18.
Thus farre of such questions and controuersies, as concerne the kingdome of Christ, which is his Church: of the which we hauehave now entreated at large: first in generall of the whole, and then of the seuerall parts and members thereof in order. Now follow those controuersies, which belong vntounto the Priesthood of Christ, the third excellent and glorious office of our Sauiour: which his Priesthood is partly seene in his intercession and mediation for vsus, partly in his sacrifice, where we are to handle the great and waightie controuersies of the Sacraments, by the which the sacrifice of his death is applied vntounto vsus.