A replie to Iesuit Fishers answere to certain questions propou[n]ded by his most gratious Matie: King Iames By Francis White D: of Div· deane of Carlile, chaplaine to his Matie. Hereunto is annexed, a conference of the right: R:B: of St Dauids wth the same Iesuit*

ANSVVER.

THey which doe more than God hath commanded by his Law, as simply necessarle to saluation, to wit, they which giue all their goods to the poore, &c. exceed not heerein [ D] the highest and strictest measure of Charitie, and obedience in this life; for the Euangelicall Law, commandeth vs to be per∣fect, as our heauenly Father is perfect, Math. 5.48. by approa∣ching as neere towards this Patterne as our humane frailtie will permit, and to loue, as Christ loued vs, Luk. 6.35. Rom. 5.7, 8. And there is a threefold kind of Obligation to God: First, of strict and expresse Law, common to all persons. Secondly, of particular Precept by extraordinarie Reuelation, Gen. 22. 2. Thirdly, of Gratitude, whereby (according to Saint Bernard a) we are indebted, and owe to the Almightie. Omne quod sumus, [ E] & omne quod possumus, Whatsoeuer we are, and whatsoeuer we are able to doe: Etsi cognouisses tu quam multa, & quam multis, debeas, videres, quam nihil sit quod facis; If man did consider how much hee oweth, and to how many, and by how many Titles, he would perceiue, all that hee doth (or can doe) to be

〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 And when [ A] 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉.

Touching the distinction of Precepts, and Councels a, I answere, That if according to the Tenet of Fathers b, wee [ B] vnderstand by Councels, Free-will Offerings, or Spontaneous Actions, exceeding that which the ordinarie Bond of necessa∣rie dutie obligeth men vnto, and which are acceptable vnto God, in respect of their end; the Doctrine of Councels proo∣ueth not workes of Supererogation, according to the Romish Tenet. For as I haue formerly declared, Supererogation im∣plyeth these things: first, a perfect and exact performance of all commanded duties, without omission of any; secondly, a free and voluntarie exceeding and transcending all obedience [ C] and seruice, enioyned by Diuine Precept. But supposing the perfection of the Diuine Law c, and presupposing all men to be sinners in part, the former is vnpossible. And if our Ad∣uersaries will be so gracelesse, as to make any man in this life (except the Holyest of Holyes, 1. Pet. 2.22.) free from sinne d, the Apostle enrolleth them in the blacke Booke of Damnable Lyers, 1. Ioh. 1. 10. and they may borrow a Ladder with Ace∣sius e, the Nouatian Heretike, and so climbe alone vp to Hea∣uen, or indeed rather fall with a breake-necke, downe to Hell, Matth. 9. 13. For who are more desperately sicke, Quàm qui [ D] mentem febribus perdiderunt, than they, which by the Feauer of Pride haue lost the vnderstanding of their owne sinfull Con∣dition.

Notes

• a

  Bern. Serm. d. Quadrupl. debito. Cum ei donauero, quicquid sum, quicquid possum, nonneistud est si∣cut stella adsolem, gutta ad fluuium, lapis ad montem, granum ad acer∣uum.
• a

  BE. Moreton Appeal. lib. 5. c. 4. Sect. 3. n. 11. Not but that wee allow the distinction of Precept, and Coun∣sell. M. Hooker, Ec∣cles. Policie, lib. 2. n. 8. p. 122. BB. An∣drewes, c. Apol. Bellar. ca. 8. p. 196. Muscul. in 1. Cor. 7. Hiperius, in 1. Cor. 7.25. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ibid.
• b

  August. Enchi∣rid. ca. 121. Greg. Nazianz contr. Iu∣lian. Orat. 1. Chrys. in Math. Hom. 2. & in Rom. Hom. 14. & in 1. Cor. Hom. 22.
• c

  Aug. in Psalm. 140. Cū in Scrip∣turis sanctis con∣templatus fueris normam iustitiae, quantūcunq, pro∣feceris 〈◊〉〈◊〉 te peccatorem.
• d

  August. sup. Psal. 137. timeo ne cum inspexeris, inuenies plura peccata, quam merita. Idem, d. Cinit. Dei, lib 14. cap. 9. Sine 〈◊〉〈◊〉 qui viuere se existimat, non id agit vt peccatum non habeat, sed vt veniam non accipiat. Concil. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ca. 6. & 7.
• e

  Constantin. apud Socrat. Hist. Eccles. lib. 1. cap. 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Cyprian d. Oper. & Eleemos. n. 3. Quisquis se inculpatum dixerit, aut superbus, aut stultus est.