Papisto-mastix, or The protestants religion defended. Shewing briefely when the great compound heresie of poperie first sprange; how it grew peece by peece till Antichrist was disclosed; how it hath been consumed by the breath of Gods mouth: and when it shall be cut downe and withered. By William Middleton Bachelor of Diuinitie, and minister of Hardwicke in Cambridge-shire.

The Answere.

HEere our Protestant layeth three capitall errours to the charge of the Church of Rome. First, iustificati∣on by our owne workes, and the merites of dead Saints. Secondly, free-will to merite heauen. Thirdly, forgiuing sinnes by the power of the keys, which the Scribes and Pha∣risies, as blind as they were, knew and professed to be blas∣phemous, [herein I will answere you (saith our Papist) as briefely as I can,] yea, but when shall wee haue your briefe answere?] Marry [first I must desire you (saith he) to vn∣derstand rightly the doctrine of Rome in these points;] Well, but will you then be so good as [answere vs as briefely as you can?] Yes marrie will I, for I will say nothing at all, and thats as briefe an answere as can be deuised. Thus this mans pleasure is to delude vs with expectation of an an∣swere, which hee (God wote) is not able to afford vs, and therefore we must be content with [we hold,] and [we con∣fesse,] and whats that thinke you? Marry, [the iust man of∣fendeth dayly, the death of Christ is sufficient for the sinnes of the whole world, and our righteousnesse is as a polluted cloth,] which is sufficient to perswade any man that is not contentious, that we are not iustified by our workes, for that which is sufficient needeth not to be pieced and patched with a polluted clowt of our righteousnesse, yea but our workes iustifie not so long as they bee polluted, but after they are clensed in the blood of Christ, and so they are both accep∣table and meritorious: Alas man, thats not the question whether they be acceptable and meritorious; but whether they iustifie, and the filly fellow himselfe, telling vs that our workes are clensed in the blood of Christ, tels vs withall, that we are iustified not by our workes, that want clensing, but by faith in the blood of Christ, which clenseth our works, and makes them acceptable; howbeit, all the world together in a heape will neuer be able to proue, that works

polluted with an arrogant conceit or intention of iustifying, can bee possibly clensed in the blood of Christ, his blood can no way else clense that which euacuateth his crosse and passion, but by taking it away quite, and reforming the proud conceits of such heretickes.

And touching meritoriousnesse, the verie name is odious to the seruants of God; Paul saith, [I know nothing by my selfe, yet am I not thereby iustified,] and our Sauiour hath taught vs to say, wee are vnprofitable seruants, and haue done that which our dutie bound vs vnto, when wee haue done all that is commaunded, but what should I labour to take away merites, which this man himselfe groundeth vp∣pon the promise of Christ? I hope the promise of Christ was free, and must be layd hold vpon by faith, not workes, as Abraham did, for hee beleeued God, and it was coun∣ted to him for righteousnesse. Againe, this promise may bee vnderstood of temporall rewards, which the Lord be∣stoweth oftentimes vpon such as neither be, nor euer shall be iustified, beside a cup of cold water, can merite no great matter, vnlesse it bee such water, as wee read of in the Epi∣stle to the Hebrewes, adde to this that our Sauiour speakes of doing good to his Disciples, whom hee sent to preach in the Cities of Israel, for so Marke expoundeth it. To be short, here is a reward spoken of, which we denie not, for he that freely promised it, is true of his word and promise that hee made to a thousand generations, yet here is nothing sayd of Iustification, I hope no man lookes to bee iustified by giuing a cup of cold water.

But now (I trow) hee comes to the point, [grace goeth before, (saith he) and draweth vs vnto good works, our will consenteth, and worketh together with the grace of God, and so God crowneth his owne gifts in vs, as Saint Austine saith:] Indeed Saint Austine saith, Coronat dona sua, non me∣rita tua, He crowneth his owne gifts, not thy merites; spea∣king of the Apostle Saint Paul. And againe, Coronat in no∣bis Deus dona misericordiae suae, God crowneth in vs the gifts of his owne mercie. But whats this to [iustification by

workes?] As for that which he addeth in the same tractate, that [we receiue grace for grace;] he tels you that the first of these graces is faith, Accepimus de plenitudine eius, primò gratiam; rursum accepimus gratiā pro gratia, quam gratiam pri∣mò accepimus? fidem, in fide ambulantes, in gratia ambulamus, We haue receiued of his fulnesse, first grace; againe we haue receiued grace for grace; what grace haue we first receiued? faith, walking in faith, we walke in grace. Againe, Si conse∣quutus es istam gratiam fidei, eris iustus ex fide, iustus enim ex fide viuit, If thou hast obtained this grace of faith, thou shalt bee iust by faith, for the iust shall liue by faith. Moreouer thus he expounds gratiā pro gratia, Ipsa fides gratia est, (saith he) Et vita aeterna gratia est pro gratia, Faith it selfe is grace, and eternall life is grace for grace. And againe, De plenitu∣dine eius omnes accepimus, de plenitudine misericordiae eius, de plenit adine bonitatis eius accepimus, quid? remissionem pecca∣toram vt iustificaromus ex fide, & in super quid? gratiam pro gratia, idest, prohac gratia, in qua ex fide viuimus, recepturi samas aliam, Of his fulnesse haue we all receiued, of the ful∣nesse of his mercie, of the fulnesse of his goodnesse haue we receiued: What? forgiuenesse of sinnes, that we may be iu∣stified by faith, and what more? grace for grace, that is to say, for this grace, in which we liue by faith, we shall receiue another. Now then, where our Papist talkes of [grace go∣ing before,] let him tell vs plainely without clowding whe∣ther it be faith or not: if it bee faith; then hee pleads our cause, and lets his owne fall; if it bee not faith, then let him intreat Saint Austine to hold his peace.

Moreouer, see (I pray you) how handsomely this mans dreames agree with the word of God: For whereas Saint Paul saith, we are iustified freely by grace, and not of works, hee is not ashamed to talke of grace going before, which draweth vs at length, to worke together with the grace of God, as if the grace of God in Christ Iesu, were not able to iustifie vs without the assistance of our workes, or as if the Apostle did not euidently exclude workes, when hee sayth in one place, wee are freely iustified, and in another, if by

grace, not of workes, else were grace no grace. Besides this the same Apostle saith, that if Abraham were iustified by workes, he hath wherein to reioyce, but no man, no not A∣braham himselfe, hath any thing wherein to reioyce with God. Ergo, no man liuing is iustified, or euer was or shalbe iustified by workes. No, no [faith is accounted for righte∣ousnesse to him that worketh not, saith Saint Paul,] he that worketh hath his wages, neither by faith nor by fauour, but by debt, and who is he that hath giuen, or can giue to God first, and he shall be recompensed?

A man would thinke such euident testimonies as these be, should bee past the reach of all wrangling; Yet Bellar∣mine tels vs, that Abrahams works, which Paul speakes of, proceeded from nature without either faith or grace, as if Paul had spoken of Socrates, or Aristides, not of Abraham the Father of the faithfull; yet I am sure he had the righte∣ousnes of faith before he was called Abraham, as appeareth in Genesis, and the Author to the Hebrewes testifieth, that hee had faith before hee went out of Chalde, to dwell in Charran. Now (I beseech you) must wee needs thinke, that Paul speakes of such workes as Abram wrought in Mesopo∣tamia, when hee and his Father Terah serued strange Gods, not of such as Abraham wrought afterward, when hee was called away from his Fathers house, kinred, and countrey?

Moreouer, the same Iesuite tels vs, that there is a se∣cond kinde of workes, which proceed from faith and Gods grace, and those works doe but disponere ad reconciliationem cum Deo, & remissionem peccatorum. Dispose vs to reconcilia∣tion with God, and remission of sinnes. But what doth faith and Gods grace in the meane time? doe they still bring forth good workes, and good workes a disposition, and so neuer actually reconcile vs? Marrie looke the Tridentine councell for your answere, Ideò gratis iustificatur homo, quia nec fides nec: opera, iqu•• iustificationem praecedunt, ipsam me∣rentur, nimirum ex iustitia quasi eiusmodi operibus esset debita iustificatio, A man is therefore freely iustified, because nei∣ther faith nor workes which goe before iustification doe de∣serue

it, to wit, of right, as if iustification were due to such workes. Well sayd, hold you to that, and goe no further, for wee teach not, that faith properly iustifieth, but layeth hold vpon Christ, that iustifieth the vngodly, & makes them blessed by imputation of his righteousnesse without works, as Paul teacheth out of Dauid, but here followeth a [tamen,] that marres all, Fatemur tamen haec opera, quatenus ex fide & adiutorio diuino proficiscuntur, diuina esse opera, & suo modo me∣reri, hoc est, impe••rare peccatorum remissionem, Yet we confesse that these workes, as they proceed from faith and the help of God are diuine, and doe merite after their manner, that is to say, obtaine remission of sinnes. But (I beseech you) tell vs, how did this man speake of them before? did hee not vnderstand them as proceeding from faith and Gods grace, when hee sayd, Haec apera non dicimus esse meritoria, We doe not say that these workes are meritorious. And out of Trent Councell, Ideò gratis iustificatur homo, quia nec fides, nec opera merentur iustificationem quasi eiusmodi operibus esset debita, A man is therefore freely iustified, because nei∣ther faith, nor workes which goe before iustification doe de∣serue it, to wit, of right, as if iustification were due to such workes. Thus wily beguiles himselfe, for though the truth sticke in his teeth; yet all his tamens, and quasies, and quate∣nusses cannot smother it. Wherefore let those men talke of grace, as holily as they lift, yet when they attribute their iustification to their workes of the law, either in part or in whole; they abrogate the grace of God, either in part or in whole, and so either diminish or disanull the glorie of the crosse of Christ. Well, saith Austine, Detur totum Deo, tu∣tiores viuimus si totum Deo demus, non autem nos illi ex parte, & nobis ex parte commuttimus, Let vs giue all to God, wee liue more safe if we giue all to God, and not if wee com∣mit our selues to him in part, and in part to our selues. And so Bellarmine confesseth, when the fit is ouer; for thus hee writes, Propteer incertitudinē propriae iustitiae, & periculū inanis gloriae tutissimum est, fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia & benignitate repanere. Because of the weakenesse of our owne

righteousnesse, and danger of falling into vaine glorie, it is the safest way for vs to repose our whole trust in the mercie and fauour of God also.

Touching free-will, or libertie of will, we shall speake of it anone in his order and place, in the meane time see, I pray you, how your Papist doth part stakes with God, wee attri∣bute nothing to our selues, (saith he) but the libertie of our will. And againe, [wee acknowledge our free-will to bee the gift of God,] so free-will is attributed to God, and to our selues too. Now let him tell vs whether this gift come by nature or by grace, if by nature, then grace is excluded, vnlesse ye confound nature and grace with the Pelagians: if by grace; then our will must not worke together with the grace, as he sayd before, but follow after grace, as an effect and fruit of regeneration, but to leaue this till anone, wee are nowe come, from our owne merites, to the merites of dead Saints, which laboured so hard in their life time, that they earned heauen for themselues, and left a surplussage to helpe others, which is cleane contrarie to the law of works, which saith, doe this and thou shalt liue; and not let ano∣ther doe it, and thou shalt liue: we must either bee saued by the law that saith, Doe this, or by the Gospell that saith, Be∣leeue this, Nihil est tertium, There is no third: No is? doth not the Lord spare the wicked for the righteous sake, that liue among them? yes that he doth, but hee doth not saue, one for anothers sake; temporall bleshngs, and eternall sal∣uation are not both of one weight, but what of that? mar∣ry euen so God doth many times spare the liuing for the righteous sake that are departed hence. This fellow hath forgotten what hee should prooue, for the question is not whether the Lord doth temporally spare the liuing for the dead sake, but whether the merites of dead Saints can saue them from hell, and bring them to heauen; this is a farre greater matter, than the deliuerance of the Children of Is∣rael from the hands of the King of Aram, vnlesse the King of Aram were the Deuill of hell: Howbeit, there is ano∣ther place in the new Testament, that fits his turne better,

where it is said, that the Iewes were beloued for the Fathers sakes, yet notwithstanding both this place, and that other of the Kings, is not to be vnderstood of the Fathers merits, whereof Abraham himselfe had none to spare, but of the free promise and couenant made vnto the Fathers, for so it is written expresly to the Romanes, and more expresly in the second of Kinges, though your Papist heere hath no list to see it, and therefore where hee inferreth that a man may as well pray to God to be mercifull to his sinnes for Saint Pe∣ter and Saint Pauls sake, hee ouer-reacheth as tyred Hack∣neys vse to doe, vnlesse hee can shewe, that God made the like couenant with Peter and Paul, that hee made with the Fathers.

Yea, but there bee other places, where not onely the co∣uenant is remembred, but also the iustice and holynesse of the Fathers and Patriarkes, as for example in the Psalmes, [Lord, remember Dauid with all his humilitie or afflicti∣on.] This is one of Bellarmines quotations, more easily an∣swered than quoted, for this is a Psalme appointed to bee sung in Dauids life time when the Arke was brought from Baalath in Kiriathiarim, or, from the house of Obed Edom; and whereas the same man alleadgeth another place out of the Kings, where it is sayd, that for Dauids sake, the Lord gaue King Abijam a light in Ierusalem, that is, a Sonne to raigne after him, because Dauid did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. I answere, that this was a condition annexed vnto the couenant made with Dauid and his poste∣ritie, as Dauid himselfe giueth it out againe to Salomon his Sonne.

Touching Austines Bookes of Meditations, I will medi∣tate vpon the matter before I admit it for Canonicall; yet me thinkes crauing mercie for our sinnes at Gods hand for Pe∣ter and Pauls sake, and attributing saluation and deliuerance from all euill to the merits of dead men, bee they Patriarks, or bee they Apostles, or Prophets, or whosoeuer else liuing or dead, being so derogatorie to the passion and obedience of the Sonne of God, should be forborne for verie shame, if

the feare of God cannot bridle vs. Bellarmine a Captaine Papist sets downe this for a generall rule; Sancti non sunt im∣mediati intercessores nostri apud Deum, sed quicquid à Deo no∣bis impetrant, per Christum impetrant, Saints are not imme∣diate intercessors for vs with God, but whatsoeuer they ob∣taine of God for vs, they obtaine it by Christ. I hope per Christum, by Christ, doth include Christi merita, Christs merites, for so the same popish Doctor confesseth, willing vs to note three seuerall persons in our prayers, Ʋnam ipsiùs Dei, à quo petimus; alteram Christi, per cuius meritum peti∣mus; tertiam eius qui petit, One of God himselfe; the second of Christ through whose merite we aske; the third his that asketh. And so concluding, that neither the first, nor the second may be attributed to dead Saints: and therefore to craue mercie, not for Christs sake, but for Peter and Pauls sake, and to bee deliuered from all euill, not by the merites and mediation of Christ, but by the merites of the Pro∣phets, or the Patriarkes, or whosoeuer else dead or aliue, is not allowed by his owne Doctors.

Yea, but the last words of that Chapter, De Sanctorum beatitudine, teach you, that we mention Saints in our pray∣ers after this forme, Concede nobis Deus, intercessione huius sancti, tale beneficium per Christum dominū nostrum, Grant vs O God, by the merite of such a Saint, such a benefit through Christ our Lord. I graunt you that this is set downe as a patterne of Catholicke prayer, wherein by intercession, he vnderstandeth not onely the prayers, but also the merites of dead Saints, for so wee learne before in the same Chap∣ter, in these words, Sancte Petre da mihi hoc & illud tuis preci∣bus & meritis, Saint Peter giue me this or that, by thy pray∣ers and merits: Also per Christum, is as much to say, as per Christi preces & merita, by Christs prayers and merits, as I shewed before. Now shew vs how you can tel, that either hic sanctus, or haec sancta hath or will pray, or pawne their me∣rits for you? and if you know it not; what makes you so bold, as to speake more to God, than you know to bee true? Againe, the liuing know not, whether the merits of these or

those Saints bee drawne drie, for they cannot supererrogate more than they haue, haue still, and giue still, they cannot without a new supply, and supply they can haue none after this life: so likewise the dead know not whether their pray∣ers and merites shall preuaile, vnlesse they knew who bee chosen, who bee reprobates, that cannot bee knowne, be∣cause God hath sealed it, as Paul saith, the foundation of God of remaineth sure, and hath this seale, the Lord know∣eth who are his, &c. Wherefore either the Saints pray, and bestow their merits at all aduenture without faith, or as∣surance of Gods acceptance, which Peter Lumbard likes not of: or else this popish doctrine, is but a dreame of a drie Summer. Thirdly, it would be knowne, when these super∣fluous workes are made acceptable to God? Is it as soone as the breath is out of the Saints mouth, or before, or else a week, or a month, or a yeere after, or when else? if before, or presently after his death, as they must either begin then or neuer, then Christ hath done that which belongeth to him alreadie, so as wee need not now conclude our praiers with per Christum dominum nostrum. Last of all, I would know whether any of these Saints, that had so many spare works, did themselues in their time, pray after Bellarmines popish fourme? did they pray that other Saints, that were dead be∣fore them, would procure them this or that benefit, which they had need of? either they knewe their owne stoare, or they knew it not; if they knew it, they were much to blame to ioyne prayer with the Church after Bellarmines patterne, and so to lauish needlesly the treasure of the Church, wher∣as they might haue prayed, as neuer any durst pray, Lord, graunt me this or that, for my owne merites sake; if they knewe it not, and so continued all their life time, howe come wee to knowe it when they are dead? Iwis, it is not the Popes Canonization that can stoppe this gappe, for it cannot bee shewed that euer Pope presumed to canonize any one Saint before the time of Charles the great, and if there had been any certaine rule to dubbe Saints by in Au∣stines time, hee would neuer haue sayd, Multorum corpora

honorantur in terris, quorum animae torquentur in Gehenna, Many mens bodies are honoured in earth, whose soules are tortured in hell. Wherefore it behooues our good Catho∣lickes to looke better about them, before they put them∣selues and their prayers to so dangerous a venter.

Now in conclusion, let mee intreat you to note further, how these men open their owne shame there, where they would faine hide it, for when Bellarmine knewe, that the Church of Rome prayed to the Virgine Marie, and the A∣postles not as secondarie mediators, but principals: thus hee slubbers vp the matter, as though it were but a triflle, Non agimus de verbis, saith he, sed de sensu verborum; nam quan∣tum adverba licet dicere, S. Petre miserere met, salua me, ape∣ri mihi aditum coeli, &c. dummodo intelligamus salua me, & mi∣serere mei orando pro me, da mihi hoc & illud tuis praecibus & meritis, Wee deale not about the wordes, but about the sense of the wordes; if we respect the wordes, it is lawfull to say, Saint Peter haue mercie vpon me, saue me, open mee the gate of heauen, so that wee vnderstand, saue mee, and haue mercie vpon me, by praying for me, and giue me this and that by the prayers and merits. As if he should say, Be sure ye name Peter, or the Virgine Marie, or the Saints to whome ye pray, else all is marred, but God the Father, and Christ his sonne, the onely mediator between God and man: You may vnderstand them as accidentall implements, that may adesse & abesse sine interitu subiecti. You neede not care greatly for naming them, for the holy Virgine Gods mo∣ther, and Peter, and Paul, and the rest of Gods friends, will excuse the matter. Thus these men can remember dead Saints, and let God, and his Christ go, as though they coun∣ted it but a small matter to forget God, and knewe not that we must confesse the Lord Iesus with our mouthes, as well as beleeue in him in our hearts. Howbeit, they that forget the mediation of Christ in their Masse-booke, where they pray for the acceptation of his bodie and blood, and that God would looke vpon them, propitio ac sereno vultu, (for they cannot pray pro Christo, and per Christum both at once)

will hardly remember it when they are let loose, to wander in the wildernesse of Bellarmines Intelligamus.

Notes

• Mar. 2, 7, & Luk. 5, 21.
• Act. 15, 9, & Mar. 7, 21.
• 1. Cor. 4, 4. Luk. 17, 10.
• Genes. 15, 6. Ro. 4, 3, 9, 13. Galat. 3.18, 22, &c.
• Cap. 20, 23.
• Math. 10, 42. Mar. 9, 41.
• Psal. 105, 8.
• Rom, 3, 24, & 11.6, Eph. 2, 8 9,
• Rom. 4, 2. Rom. 4, 2. & 3 27, Eph. 2.9. Rom. 4, 5. &c. Rom. 4, 4. Rom. 11.35. De Rom. pont. lib. 3. cap. 23, & Aurithes. 2 cont. Chytrae∣um.
• Cap. 12.3. & cap. 15, 6. Cap. 11.8. & Act. 7.2. &c.
• Iosh. 24.
• Rom. 4, 5, 6.
• Galat. 2, 21. De bono. per∣seuer. cap. 13.
• De Iustificat. lib. 5, Cap: 7.
• Rom. 3.27.
• Rom. 10.5, 6, 7, &c.
• 2. Reg. 13.
• Rom. 11.28,
• Rom. 11.28. Lib. 2, 13.
• Rom. 4, 2.
• Rom. cap. 11.27. Cap. 13.23.
• Psal. 132.1:
• De sanct. beat∣tit. lib. 18. cap. 19. 2. Sam. 6. & 1. Cron. 13 & 15.
• 1. Reg. 15.4, 5
• 1. Cron. 28.7.
• De Sanctor: beat. lib. 1. ca. 17.
• Bellar. de purg. lib. 2. cap. 2▪
• 2. Tim. 2, 19.
• Lib. 4, distinct. 45.
• De Sanct. be∣at. lib. 1. ca. 17
• 1. Tim. 2, 5.
• Psa. 9.17. Rom. 10, 9.10.
• Durand. lib. 4. parte 2. vide Sect. 8.