A defense of the sincere and true translations of the holie Scriptures into the English tong against the manifolde cauils, friuolous quarels, and impudent slaunders of Gregorie Martin, one of the readers of popish diuinitie in the trayterous Seminarie of Rhemes. By William Fvlke D. in Diuinitie, and M. of Pembroke haule in Cambridge. Wherevnto is added a briefe confutation of all such quarrels & cauils, as haue bene of late vttered by diuerse papistes in their English pamphlets, against the writings of the saide William Fvlke.

MART. 8. Lastly, for moste manifest euidence, that these present tribulations and other good workes are meritorious and worthie of the ioyes to come, though not comparable to the same: you shal heare the holy Doctors say both in one passage or sentence. S. Cyprian thus: O what maner of day shal come,* 1.1 my brethren, when our Lord shal recoūt the MERITES of euery one, and paie vs the rewarde or stipend of faith and deuotion? Ep. 56. here are merites and the rewarde for the same. It foloweth in the saide Doctor, What glorie shall it be, and how great ioie, to be admitted to see God, so to be honoured that thou receiue the ioy of eternall life with Christe thy Lorde God, to receiue there that which neither eie hath seen, nor eare hath heard, nor hath ascended into the hart of man, for, that we shall receiue greater things, than here eyther wee doe, or suffer, the

Apostle pronounceth, saying, The passions of this time are not condigne or comparable to the glorie to come. Here we see, that the stipend or reward of the merits aforesayd, are incomparably greater than the sayd merits.

FVLK. 8. For lacke of Scriptures, you flye to the Doctors, to finde merits, in whome neuerthelesse being Catholike, and sound Doctors, you shall sooner find the word Meritum, than your meaning of it. The place of Cyprian, I maruell why you geld, except it be to ioyne the reward that he speaketh of, with the worde merites, which he vseth, either generally for workes, as it is often vsed in the auncient writers: or if he meane thereby de∣serts, he speaketh but of examination onely of all mens deserts, that he may giue to the wicked that they haue deserued,

and to the godly that which he hath promised, therefore he calleth it the rewarde of their faith and de∣uotion. His wordes are these: O diesille qualis & quantus aduenies, fratres dilectissimi, cum caeperit populum suum domi∣nus recensere, & diuinae cognitionis examine singulorum me∣ritum recognoscere, mittere in gehennam nocentés & persecu∣tores nostros, flammae paenalis perpetuo ardore damnare, nobis verò mercedem fidei & deuotionis exoluere. O that day what manner a one and how great shall it come, my deerest beloued brethren, when the Lorde shall beginne to re∣count his people, and by examination of his diuine knowledge consider the merites of euery one, to sende into hell fire the guiltie, and to condemne our persecu∣tors with perpetuall burning of penall flame? but vnto vs to pay the reward of faith and deuotion.

The rewarde of faith is not that which beliefe deserueth: but which it looketh for, according to Gods promise, wherevnto it leaneth.

For in respect of deserte of Gods fauour, he saith, and bringeth diuerse textes for proofe: Fidem tan∣tum prodesse & tantum nos posse quantum credimus. That* 1.2 faith only doth profite, and that so much wee can doe, how much we beleeue.

Wherfore, we see not in Cyprian the incomparable glory to be a reward of desertes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ep. 56. nu. 3. Singulorum met rita.
• * 1.2

  Ad Quirin. lib. 1. ca. 42.