The dovvnefall of poperie proposed by way of a new challenge to all English Iesuits and Iesuited or Italianized papists: daring them all iointly, and euery one of them seuerally, to make answere thereunto if they can, or haue any truth on their side; knowing for a truth that otherwise all the world will crie with open mouths, fie vpon them, and their patched hotch-potch religion.

The first reason, drawne from the holy Scriptures.

THe first place of holy scripture, is conteined in these words; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. But the gift of God is life euerlasting,* 1.1 in Christ Iesus our Lord. This text of scripture doth plainely conuince, that life eternall cannot be condignely atchieued, by the workes of man; for being the free gift of God, it can no way be due to the merite of mans worke. The Rhemists to extenuate the cleerenesse of this text, and as it were to hide and conceale the euidencie thereof, doe translate, for the Gift of God, the Grace of God, following their old vulgar Latin edition. VVhich translation though in this place it mae be admitted, yet doth it not sufficiently ex∣presse the efficacie of the originall word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifieth a gift freely bestowed; for which respect, their owne famous linguist Arias Montanus, who was the onely man chosen as most sufficient, for the translation of the old testament out of the Hebrew, and of the new out of Greeke, and imployed by the king of Spaine for that on∣lie end, did not translate gratia, but donatio; not grace, but donation (or free gift.) Now, let vs see and view the iudgement of the holy fathers, vpon this portion of holy writ. Saint Theodoret hath these wordes; Hic non dicit merce∣dem,* 1.2 sed gratiam: est enim Dei donum vita aeterna, & si quis enim summam & absolutam iustitiam praestiterit, temporalibus laboribus aeterna in aequilibrio non respondent. He saith no there reward, but grace; for eternal life is the gift of God: For although

one could performe the highest and absolute iustice, yet eternall ioyes being weighed with temporall labours, are nothing answerable.

Saint Chrysostome hath these wordes;* 1.3 Non eundem seruat oppositorum ordinem. Non enim dicit, merces benefactorum vestro∣rum vita aeterna, sed donum Dei vita aeterna; vt ostenderet, quod non proprijs viribus liberati sint, ne{que} debitum, aut merces, aut la∣borum sit retributio, sed omnia illa ex diuino munere gratuitò ac∣ceperint. He doth not obserue the same order of opposites. For he saith not, eternall life is the reward of your good workes; but, eternall life is the gift of God: that he might shew, that they are not deliuered by their owne strength or vertues; and that it is not a debt, or a wages, or a re∣tribution of labours, but that they haue receiued all those things freely of the gift of God.

Origen writeth thus,* 1.4 vpon the same wordes; Deum verò non erat dignum militibus suis stipendia, quasi debitum ali{que} dare; sed donum & gratiam quae est vita aeterna, in Christo Iesu domino nostro. But it was not a thing worthy beseeming God, to giue stipends to his souldiers, as a due debt or wage; but to bestow on them a gift or free grace, which is eternall life in Christ Iesus our Lord.

Saint Ambrose hath these wordes;* 1.5 Sicut enim sequentes pec∣catum acquirunt mortem, ita & sequentes gratium Dei, id est, fidem Christi quae donat peccata, babebunt vitam aeternam. For as they that follow sinne, gaine death: so they that follow the grace of Christ, that is, the faith of Christ which forgiueth sinnes, shall haue eternall life.

Theophilact hath these wordes;* 1.6 Gratiam autem, non merce∣dem dixit à Deo futurum, perinde ac si inquiat; non enim laborum accipitis premia, sed per gratiam fiunt haec omnia in Christo Iesu, qui haec operatur & factitat. He said grace, not wages, was to come from God; as if he should say, for ye receiue not re∣wards of labours, but all these things are done by grace in Christ Iesus, who worketh and doth them.

Anselmus and Photius haue the same wordes in effect, which I omit in regard of breuitie.

By these manifold testimonies of the holy fathers, the doctrine which I defend, is cleere and euident; viz. that eternall life is the free gift of God, and is not merited or purchased by desert of man; that eternall life is not a due debt, a deserued wages, or retribution of mans la∣bours, but proceedeth wholy and solie of the free mercy and grace of God; that mans workes waighed in the bal∣lance, with the ioyes of heauen, are nothing at all answer∣able vnto them. To which fathers, I will add the verdict of Paulus Burgensis,* 1.7 a verie famous popish Spanish Bishop. These are his wordes: Noluit ergo dicere, stipendium iustitiae vita aeterna: sed maluit dicere, gratia Dei vita aeterna: quia eadem merita quibus redditur, non a nobis sunt, sed in nobis à Deo facta sunt per gratiam. He would not therefore say, eternall life is the stipend of iustice: but he had rather say, eternall life is the grace of God: because the same merits to which it is rendered, are not of our selues, but wrought in our selues by God through grace.

The second text of holy scripture, is contained in these wordes:* 1.8 I count that the afflictions of this present time, are not worthy of the future glory which shall be reuea∣led toward vs. Loe, all our 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all our passions, af∣flictions, and penalties, that we are able to endure in this life, are so farre from being meritorious of eternall life, that they are in no wise comparable to the same.

Theoderetus doth liuely expresse this verietie, in these most golden wordes:* 1.9 Superant certamina coronae, non compa∣rantur cum laboribus remunerationes labor enim paruus est, sed magnum lucrum speratur. Et propterea non mercedem, sed gloriam vocauit ea quae expectantur. The conflicts of the crowne doe remaine, the labours are not comparable to the rewards: for the labour is small, but the gaine hoped for, is great. And therefore the things expected, are not called a re∣ward, but glory.

Anselmus hath these wordes;* 1.10 Hoc est, si quis pateretur om∣nes paenarum acerbitates, quae in tempore presentis vitae sufferri pos∣sunt; non essent omnes illae passiones dignum meritum ad consequu∣tionem

futurae gloriae, quae ablato omni velamine reuelabitur in nobis. If one should suffer all kindes of torment, which can bee endured in this life: yet would not all those afflictions, torments, or passions, be a sufficient and condigne me∣rite, to atteine the future glory; which, when euery vaile is taken out of the way, shalbe reuealed in vs. Marke well these wordes in this famous popish writer, because they are most important: for, seeing he was a great pa∣pist, his proofe must needes be good against the papists. Againe, his words are so cleere and manifest, that no eua∣sion can haue place. For, he saith in plaine and expresse tearmes; that all which is possible to be done or endured in this world, can not be a worthy or condigne merite of eternall life. No answere in truth, can be made hereun∣to, it iumpeth in deed; with the true sense and meaning of Saint Paul.

The third place of holy scripture,* 1.11 is contained in these words: Not by the works of iustice which we haue done, but according to his mercie he hath saued vs, by the lauer of regeneration and renouation of the holy Ghost. These are the Apostles words, euen as our Rhe∣mists haue alledged them. By which words it is most cleere and apparant, that we are not onely iustified, but also saued of meere mercie and the free gift of God. And consequently, that eternall life hath no merite on the be∣halfe of man. For after saluation once accomplished, all merite is vaine and needlesse.

Anselmus hath these golden words;* 1.12 Tunc saluos nos fecit, qui nostris meritis eramus perditione digni: non enim ex operibus iusti∣tiae quae fecimus nos, processit haec salus, quia nulla opera iustitiae fece∣ramus, vnde salutem meruissemus; sed ipse secundum misericordiam suam saluos nos fecit, non secundum merita nostra nobis hanc salu∣tem dedit. Then did he saue vs, who by our owne merites deserued perdition. For, this saluation came not from the workes of iustice, which we haue done, because we had done no workes of iustice, by which wee should merite saluation: but hee according to his mercie saued vs,

and not according to our merites gaue hee vs this sal∣uation.

The famous papist Dionysius Carthusianus,* 1.13 expoundeth Saint Paul euen as Anselmus did. These are his wordes: Non ex operibus iustitiae quae fecimus nos: id est, non propter merita nostra quae nulla fuerunt, quia predictis peccatis eramus obnoxij sed secundam suam misericordiam saluos nos fecit, à potestate diaboli & reatuaeterui tormenti, merito suae conuersations & passionis. Not of the works of righteousnesse which we haue done; that is, not for our merites which were none at all, because we were subiect to the afore named sinnes: but according to his mercie hath he saued vs, from the power of the deuill and guilt of eternall torment, by the merit of his holy conuersation and passion. Loe, our saluation commeth not of mans merits, but of the merits of the sonne of God. This shall suffice for the first reason, which is drawne from the authortiie of holy writ.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 6. v. 23.
• * 1.2

  Theod. in cap. 6. ad Roman.
• * 1.3

  Chrysost, in cap. 6. ad Roman.
• * 1.4

  Origen. in cap. 6. ad Rom.
• * 1.5

  Ambros. in cap. 6. ad Rom.
• * 1.6

  Theoph. in cap. 6. Rom.
• * 1.7

  Paulus Burgen. addit. 2 in 6. ca. ad Rom.
• * 1.8

  Rom. 8. v. 18.
• * 1.9

  Theodor. in cap. 8. ad Rom.
• * 1.10

  Anselmus in 8. cap. ad Rom.
• * 1.11

  Tit. 3. 5.
• * 1.12

  Anselmus in tit. cap. 3.
• * 1.13

  Dionys. in tit. 3.