An apologie for religion, or an answere to an vnlearned and slanderous pamphlet intituled: Certaine articles, or forcible reasons discouering the palpable absurdities, and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion, pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. By Edvvard Bulkley Doctor of Diuinitie

Answere.

TO the first proposition of this subtill syllogisme, I answere, that the assurance by faith, which Gods elect haue of the forgiuenes of their sinnes, doth well stand with the asking of forgiuenes of them. For we are to aske forgiuenes of our sinnes, because God doth commaund it, and require it of vs. Moreouer, it is our du∣tie to aske forgiuenes of them: for otherwise wee cannot be assured by faith that they be forgiuen vs: for by asking pardon of them, we doe make confession of them, and doe acknowledge our owne guiltines, the which if we should refuse to doe, we can haue no assurance of the remission of them. For Salomon saith, He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper: but he that confesseth them and forsaketh them, shall haue mercie. And S. Iohn saith, If wee confesse our sinnes, God is faithful and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes, and to clouse vs from all vnrighteousnes. Moreouer, wee aske forgiuenes of our sinnes, to confirme our faith, and to increase the assurance we haue of the forgiuenes of them, and that we may more and more haue the feeling of the forgiuenes of them in∣creased in our hearts. For we doe not meane that any man hath any such firme assurance of faith, but that the same is mixed with weaknes, and many times shaken with temp∣tations, against the which wee must striue and pray, and say both with him in the Gospell, Lord I beleeue, Lord helpe my vnbeleefe: and with the Apostles, Lord increase our faith. Our faith is but as a graine of Mustard seede, which must grow and increase. Saint Paul saith, that by the Gospell the righteousnes of God is reueiled from faith to faith. Vpon which words Clement Alexandrinus writeth thus: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Apostle seemeth to declare a double faith: but rather one faith, which receiueth increase and perfection. And therefore in praying for the forgiuenes of sinnes, wee pray that our faith of the forginenes of them may be more

and more confirmed, and our assurance thereof increased in vs. Lastly, seeing wee daily sinne, both in doing that which God forbiddeth, and omitting that which he com∣mandeth, why ought wee not daily to aske forgiuenes of them? And in praying for the remission of our sinnes, we desire all those things which be effects and fruites thereof, as Sanctification and eternall life, &c. And yet wee must pray in a true perswasion of faith of Gods mercie towards vs to the forgiuenes of our sinnes not onely past, but also future and to come. And so our praying for the forgiue∣nes of them, is a crauing of the continuance of Gods mer∣cie, to the continuall pardoning of them, which we conti∣nually commit.

Now whereas hee saith, the Maior is euident, and none but an Infidell or mad man would demaund of God, the creation of the world, which hee is assured by faith that God hath alreadie created? &c. I answere, that none that is well in his wits would make such a foolish and absurd comparison, as is betweene the asking of God the creation of the world, the incarnation of Christ, &c. and the remis∣sion of our sinnes. For those are neither commaunded, nor at all to be asked: and will this man say, that forgiuenes of sinnes is not at all of any to be prayed for? Of those things we neede not further to be confirmed, but of the forgiue∣nes of our sinnes, our faith had neede to be strengthened, and the feeling thereof in our consciences to be increased. Moreouer (as I said before) for as much as we daily sin and offend God, wee ought daily to craue Gods mercie in par∣doning our sinnes. What likenes hath prayer for the crea∣tion of the world, or for the incarnation of Christ, &c. herewith? And whereas this man thinketh it so absurd a thing to pray to God to forgiue vs our sinnes, because wee beleeue the forgiuenes of them, I would aske of him, whe∣ther S. Paul praying both in the beginning, and in the end of his Epistles, for Gods grace to the faithfull, did not assu∣redly beleeue, that they were euen then, and before those his prayers indued with Gods grace? No doubt but hee did beleeue that they were indued with it, for els he would

not haue acknowledged the effectuall faith, the diligent loue, and patient hope of the Thessalonians, and that they were elected of God. Which gifts of Gods spirit could not be in them, without the grace of God. Now by this mans diuinitie what a madnesse was it, for him to pray for grace vnto them, whom hee did beleeue to bee endued with Gods grace alreadie? And where as Saint Iohn saith, These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God, that yee may know that yee haue eternall life, and that ye may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God. By this mans deepe doctrine, it might seeme madnesse for Saint Iohn to write vnto them that did beleeue in the name of the sonne of God, that they should beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God. But it seemed not so to S. Iohn, who writeth to them that as they had blessedly begunne to be∣leeue in the name of the Sonne of God, so they might still continue, grow, and increase in the same faith. Moreouer also I would aske of this man and his fellowes, whether they praying do beleeue the forgiuenes of their sins? if they doe not, then are they Infidels, and deny the article of the creede, I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes, which before he falsely obiected to vs. If they doe beleeue the forgiuenes of their sinnes, why doe they then (by this mans doctrine) pray for it? If he say, that he beleeueth that there is in ge∣neralitie, a forgiuenes of sinnes, but particularly he is not assured by faith, of the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes; then what doth his faith differ from the Diuels faith? who be∣leeueth and trembleth, as Saint Iames saith: and what is this his doubting, but (as he himselfe here saith) flat infide∣litie? And no meruaile though these men feele in their harts no assurance of faith, for that they ground it not vp∣on the vnmoueable rocke of Gods promise, but vpon the vnsure sand of their owne workes and satisfactions, by the which indeede neither can their faith be assured, nor their consciences quieted. The which false doctrine, while they beleeue, I would know how they can aske forgiuenes of their sinnes? for whosoeuer maketh satisfaction to God for them, needeth not to aske forgiuenes of them. But the

Papists maintaine that they make full satisfaction to God for them (as I haue before shewed) therefore I may much more iustly say, then he doth here, that it is madnes to aske forgiuenes of them. For what man not being mad, owinge a summe of money, and paying it, will desire the same to be forgiuen him? Concerning your scoffing in the proofe of your Minor or second proposition, we indeede beleeue that we are iustified by faith without the workes of the law, and that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith, and that by this hand of a true and vnfained faith in Iesus Christ, we apply the plaister of his precious bloud shed for our sinnes, to cure all the sorances and sores of our soules. And take you heede, that you trusting in your owne workes and merits, in your Masses, agnus deis, holy water, pardons, and manifold other such paltries, fall not into the ditch of damnation. And this shall suffice for this article, which is so absurd that it deserueth not so much.

Notes

• Prou. 28. 13.
• 1. Ioh. 1. 9.
• Mark. 9. 24.
• Luk. 17. 5.
• Rom. 1. 17.
• Clemens Alex. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 1. Thes. 1. 3.
• 1. Ioh. 5. 13.
• Iame. 1.
• Rom. 3. 18. Ephes. 3. 17.