Answer to a Popish Pamphlet Called the Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel, Part 2 · Subpart 25 – Subpart 31
25. THat everie one ought infalliblie aſſure him…elf of his ſalvation, and believe that he is of the number of the predeſtinat.
VVHichWhich he ſayeth is contrary to 1. Cor. 9. 27. wher the Apoſtle ſayth, I keep my bodie under in ſubjection, lest by any means when I hauehave preached to others, I my ſelf ſhould be a Caſtaway. To whom I anſwere 1. To the point of our doctrine, that we ſay no further herin than their biſhop Ambroſius Catharinus, as Bellarmin teſtifieth (lib. 3. de Iuſtif. cap. 11.) That a godly man may hauehave aſſurance of his Iuſtification and ſalvation without doubting, by the certaintie of divine faith, but yet as our Confeſsion of Faith ſpeaketh, cap. 14. That ſaving faith is different in degrees, weake or ſtrong, and may be often and many wayes aſſailed and alſo weakned (to wit by doubting) but in end it gets the victory, & growes up in many to the full aſſurance thorow Chriſt, yea, ſayeth their owne Caſſander conſult. art. 4. That there is none of the Schoolmen who doth not teach and diligentlie urge (ſayeth he) that confidence & aſſurāce of the grace and merciemercy of God and glorie to come, ſhould be oppoſed to doubting and diſtruſt. Therefore though the godlieſt may hauehave their owne doubtings, yet they ſhould ſtrive againſt the ſame, and uſe all the means ordained by God to gather aſſurance, and make their election ſure by well doing, & not to cheriſh doubting as a dutie, the doctrine wherof is as contrarie to the nature of faith, as light is to darknes, as wee may ſee Rom. 4. 20.
Next, to anſwer to the place forecited 1. Cor. 9. 27. 1. The word rendred (Caſtaway) or as the Rhemiſts tranſlate, Reprobat, is not in oppoſition to (Elect) but is as much as (reproved) as the word foreign ſignifieth. 2. This place proveth not that the Apoſtle doubted of his ſalvation, wherof by papiſts owne confeſsion he was ſure, as Rom. 8. 38. 2. Tim. 1. 12. 4. 8. and gal. 5. 20. ſhoweth. But in his perſon hee ſhoweth the ſutablenes of the practiſe of mortification with his doctrine thereof, and the like neceſsitie of conformitie in all other Paſtours, as they would eſchewe the danger here mentioned. And this to be the true meaning of the place both Aquinas and Lombard doeth ſhowe.
The ſecond and third places are Rom. 11. 20. Of not being high minded but feare, and Philip. 2. 12. Work out your owne ſalvation in feare and trembling. To which I anſwere, That there is a twofold feare, the one which is called, Timor incertitudinis, or a diſtruſtfull feare, condemned, Iſai. 35. 4. Luke …. 74. 12. 32. and Revel. 21. 8. And another, which is called Timor ſolicitudinis, or a feare of holie carefullnes, ſuſpecting their owne infirmitie and corruption, and cauſing godlie watchfulnes, which is therefore called, Godlie feare, Heb. 12. 28. and they are pronounced bleſſed who hauehave it, pſal. 128. 1. and this is that feare which is commanded in both theſe forcited places, as Cardinall Cajetan ſhoweth on Philip. 2. 12. As alſo Eſtius, ſaying, With feare and trembling to work out our eternall ſalvation, is to work it out, magna cum ſolicitudine, that is, with great carefulnes.
As for the teſtimonies of fathers, he citeth Ambroſe in pſal. 118, Ser. 5. wher nothing makes againſt us, nor in Baſil, or Jerome, whoſe book he only nameth, but no chapter, whereas there are 11. long chapters therein, nor yet in Chriſoſtome, and as for Auguſtins words on pſal. 40. (which ſhould be 41) where he ſayeth, Whether his owne justice remaineth or not, hee knoweth not, for the Apoſtle terrifieth me (ſayeth he) ſaying, he that ſtandeth, let him take heed lest he fall. To which I anſwere, with Bernard, who citeth this ſame place, ſer 2. de Septuageſima. That this is the feare of an holy ſolicitude, which everie one ſhould hauehave to keepe him humble (ſayeth he) as Augustin likewiſe ſhoweth in the words that followeth the former, that he ſpeaketh not againſt aſſurance of ſalvation, which the godlie may hauehave, but againſt ſelf confidence and preſumption.
The ſecond Teſtimonie that hee bringeth is Bernards words in the ſame ſermon, ſaying, Who can ſay, I am one of the Elect? but he forgetteth to bring the following words, which are theſe, Yet the confidence of hope comforteth us, that we be not altogether tormented, with the anxietie of doubting (ſayeth hee) for this cauſe are given to us ſignes and evident marks of our ſalvation, that it may be put out of doubt (ſayeth he) that hee is of the number of the Elect, in whom theſe ſignes remaine. Even as againſt ſuch anxioꝰ doubting that excellēt ſpeech of Cyprian is remarkable. Ser. 4. de mortalitate, pag. 317. That if wee do believe an ho…est mans promiſe, much more ſhould wee the Lord who hath promiſed life and immortalitie.
26. THat every man hath not an Angel guardian or keeper.
VVHichWhich he ſayeth is contrary to Math. 18. 10. wher it is ſaid, That Children hauehave their Angels that behold the face of God. And pſal. 91. 11. Hee ſhall giuegive his Angels charge over thee &c. To which I anſwere, That theſe places ſpeak not of one onlie Angell guardian appointed for everie one, but of Angels in the plurall, which wee deny not to to be ſent furth (as the Apoſtle ſhoweth Heb. 1. 14.) As Miniſtring ſpirits for the good of the Elect, ſomtimes many, as Gen. 28. 32. to attend Jacob. and 2. King. 6. 17. to protect Eliſha, and ſomtimes fewer, or one as Act. 12. 7. As it pleaſeth God to direct & diſpoſe. So that I know not any great controverſie betweene Romaniſts and us heerin. Which Bellar. therfore never toucheth in all his book of Controverſies.
27 THat the holie Angels pray not for us, nor knoweth our thoughts and deſires on earth.
AS for the Angels their knowledge of our thoughts, he bringeth no place of ſcripture, neither indeed can he, this being the Lords onelie prerogative, as wee ſee 1. King. 3. 36. and Rom. 8. 27. And as Theophilact. ſhoweth on Luke 5. 22. And their owne Janſenius acknowledgeth, concord. cap. 32. Neither is this the Controverſie, what Angels do in heaven in praying for the Church in generall, but what we ſhould do on earth, in relation to them in particular, as whether we ſhould pray to them, and give to them that which Bellarmin calleth, That moſt excellent ſort of worſhip which is praier (pref. de ſanctis) but becauſe he wreſteth ſome Texts of ſcripture to prove that the Angels pray for us in particular, therfore we ſhall free theſe from the wrong ſenſe which hee would put upon them.
Firſt then he bringeth Zach. 1. 9. (which ſhould be verſe 12.) wher the Angell ſayeth to God How long will thou not hauehave merciemercy on Jeruſalē? To which I anſwere 1. That this Angell was Chriſt as Remigius Altiſioderenſis expoundeth. ſo called frequentlie in ſcripture, as Gen. 48. 16. Exod. 32. 34. Hoſ. 12. 4. and Mal. 3. 1. Who is the onlie Mediator for his Church 1. Tim. 2. 5. And 2. Though this wer a created Angell, yet he prayeth for merciemercy onlie to the Church in generall.
The next place of Canonicall ſcripture which he bringeth is Revel. 8. 4. And the ſmoake of the incenſe of the prayers of the ſaints aſcended from the hand of the Angell before God. To which I anſwere in likemanner, That Andreas Caeſarenſis & many others (ſayeth the Ieſuite Ribera) expoundeth this Angell to bee Christ, as Ambroſe and Beda likewiſe expound, Lyra alſo & Carthuſian, who affirmeth moreover, That this is the expoſition of all Catholicke
As for the teſtimonies of Fathers, he bringeth one of Hilaries ſaying, That God needeth not the interceſſion of Angels, but our infirmitie needeth.
The firſt part whereof maketh againſt him. And in the laſt, howſoever he ſayeth that our infirmity needeth, yet this doth not poſitivelie prove that they do interced, eſpeciallie for particular perſons, and in particular caſes. As for other fathers whom he onlie citeth, to wit, Ambroſe and Victor Ʋticenſis they ſpeake nothing which is contrarie to our doctrine, or for him.
28 THat wee may not pray to them.
VVHichWhich he ſayeth is contrarie to Gen. 48. 16. The Angell who redeemed me from all evill bleſs the Lad's To which I anſwere, That by the Angell (ſayth Cyrill of Alexandria lib. 3. Theſaur. cap. 1.) Hee understandeth the word of the Father, for Hee was not ignorant, that he was called the Angell of the great Counſell, (ſayeth he) Likewiſe ſayeth Athanaſius (cont. Arrian, ora. 4.) As alſo Procopius. It is cleare that the patriarch Iacob coupled no other in his prayers with God, but his word, which he therfore calleth the Angell, becauſe (ſayth he) he onlie revealeth his Fathers will.
The next place of canonical ſcripture which he bringes is, Hoſea 12. 4. Wher Iacob is ſaid to hauehave had power with the angell & made ſupplication to him. To which I anſwere, That by this Angell the text ſhoweth clearlie that God is underſtood. 1. ſeing it is ſaid of Iacob verſe 3. That by his ſtrength he had power with God. 2. He telleth us v. 5. that this Angell was The Lord of Hosts. 3. The change alſo of Iacobs name to Iſraell, Gen. 32. 28. and the reaſon therof ſhoweth this, For as a Prince thou haſt prevailed with God (ſayth he who wreſtled with him.) And 4. the name of the place proveth this, being called Peniell, for I hauehave ſeen God face to face, (ſayeth Iacob)
As for teſtimonies of fathers, he bringeth onlie Auguſtin on Iob. 19. 21. where he fayth That Iob ſpeaking thus. hauehave pitie on me my friends, he addreſt himſelf to the Angels. To which I anſwer 1. That he wrongs Auguſtins words, which are theſe only, That Iob ſeemeth to deſire the Angels or-elſe the ſaints to pray for him, which expoſition Pineda a Ieſuite condemneth, and expoundeth it of Iob… owne friends. 2. The ſcripture it ſelf in the ve…ie next verſe maketh againſt any ſuch expoſition, which ſayeth, why perſecute yee mee (to wit, by reproaches) which the good Angels abhorre to do to the godlie. 3. Pope Gregory alſo in his Moralls on that place, expoundeth it thus, ſaying, Behold he calleth thē friends, who by reproachs hitherto had afflicted him. Thus alſo doth Lyra expound this place, Ferus like wiſe, and Mercerus profeſſour in the Univerſitie of Paris.
29. THat the Angels cannot help us.
FOr anſwere, This calumnie is moſt impudentlie and maliciouſlie imputed to us, for on the contrarie, we grant that both they can and do help the godlie, ſeing (as is ſaid Heb. 1. 14.) They are Ministring ſpirits ſent forth for the good of the Elect as many examples in ſcripture doeth prove.
30 THat no ſaint deceaſſed hath afterwards appeared on the earth.
FOr anſwere, This likewiſe wee nowiſe affirme nor are we contrarie to Math. 27. 52. That after Christs death, the graves were opened, and many bodies of ſaints that ſleeped aroſe, & came out of their graves after his reſurrection, and went into the holie citie and appeared to many, nor to Math. 17. 3. That Moſes and Elias appeared at Christs transfiguration to to the three diſciples. But this Pamphleter heerin ſhoweth his ignorance, ſaying, That they talked with them▪ whereas Thy talked onlie with Christ. And as for Samuels apparition to Saull. 1. Sam. 28. Tertullian lib. de anima prope finem. Iustinus Martyr q. 52. Augnstin quaeſtionū vet. Teſt. q. 27. Procopius and Eucherius in 1. Sam 28. Aquinas, ſum. p. 1. q. 89. art. 8. and the Popes owne Decretall, cauſa 29. cap. 14. All theſe declare that it was not Samuell, but the devill that appeared like him to Saull. But the intention of this Pamphleter in all the places adduced, is for eſtabliſhing that lucrative errour of Purgatorie, and of the apparition of ſoules being there, and deſiring by ſoule-maſſes to be freed therfrom. To which I will anſwere onlie in Chriſostoms words. Hom. 29. on Math. Theſe voyces that ſay, I am the ſoul of ſuch a one, proceedeth (ſaith he) frō the deceat of the Devill, for it is not the ſoul that departed that ſayth that, but Satan, who that he may deceive the the hearers, faineth himſelf to be that ſonle (ſayeth he) As likewiſe thus …peaketh their owne Lyra on Dan. 11. People being thus deceived by mi…acles fained by Prieſts and their adhe…ents for their gaine (ſayeth hee) as …he people of old were deceived by the Prieſts that worſhipped the dragon and God permitting this (ſayth their Gabriel Biel in canone Miſſae lect. 49.) and mens infidelitie ſo deſerving the ſame. Againſt which ſort of jugling tricks and apparitions their owne famoꝰ Valla mightily exclaimeth, in his book of Conſtantins donation about the end thereof.
31 THat the Saints deceaſſed know not what paſſeth heer on earth.
VVHichWhich is contrarie (ſayth he) to Luke 16. 29. wher Abraham knew that they had Moſes books on earth. when he ſayd to Dives concerning his brethren, they hauehave Moſes & the Prophets. which himſelf had never ſeen while he was alive. To which I anſwere, 1. That this is a parable as Theophylact ſayeth expreſlie on Luke 16. and Iuſtin Martyr, q. 60. As alſo Chriſoſtome Hom. 1. de Lazaro, and their owne Arboreus ſhoweth that others affirme the ſame, as Eraſmus doth (and parabolicall ſpeeches are not argumentative by conſent of all.)
The ſecond place is, Iohn 5. 45. where our Saviour ſayeth There is one that accuſeth you, even Moſes in whom yee truſt To which I anſwere, That by Moſes is underſtood not his perſon, who ſhould be their accuſer, and therefore knew their faults, but as this Pamphleters own words are, Moſes books. And ſo this place proveth not his point.
The third place is, Revel. 12. 10. taken from Satans accuſing the brethren before God▪ ergo (ſayeth he) hee muſt know wherof, and who without ſhame can deny that to ſaints, which muſt needeth be granted to devils? To which I anſwere, That this is an abſurd inferēce, for glorified ſaints remaine onlie in heaven. And therfore (as is ſaid Iob 14. 21. and Iſai. 36. 16.) know not mens effaires on earth, whereas the Devill compaſſeth the earth to and fro walking in it (Iob. 1. 7.) being the Temper, and therefore may know mens effaires and actions.
The fourth place is, 2. King. 6. 12. where Eliſha told the King of Iſrael the words that the King of Syria ſpake in his bed-chamber. To which I anſwere, That from one extraordinarie act of Gods revelation to his Prophet, and of one thing onlie on earth, to argue to an ordinarie revelation to his glorified ſaints of all things in heaven, is as abſurd a conſequence as was the former.
As for Fathers, hee citeth onelie three, Euſcbius, Maximus and Ierome, but none of their words, and ſo lo…ſlie alſo, as 14. chapters being in that book of Ieromes he telleth not in which of them.