An antidote or treatise of thirty controuersies vvith a large discourse of the Church. In which the soueraigne truth of Catholike doctrine, is faythfully deliuered: against the pestiferous writinges of all English sectaryes. And in particuler, against D. Whitaker, D. Fulke, D. Reynolds, D. Bilson, D. Robert Abbot, D. Sparkes, and D. Field, the chiefe vpholders, some of Protestancy, some of puritanisme, some of both. Deuided into three partes. By S.N. Doctour of Diuinity. The first part.

CHAP. I.

GREAT is the slaunder, and intolle∣rable the reproach, with which our opponents as in many other, so like∣wise in this controuersy are wont to vprayd vs. viz. That we pull downe the merites of Christ to vp our owne: debase his honour, to glory in the dignity of our owne desertes: that we make our owne workes of themselues worthy of re∣ward, gratefull of themselues, and pleasing to God. Whereas we neuer affoard them any such priuiledge, as they are deri∣ued from our veines of earth, but as they take hea••, and are conueyed from the springes of heauen. For we hold three things necessary to eleuate and aduance them to the excellency of merit, all flowing from the celestiall and

deified streames of our Redeemers bloud. The first is, that no worke of man can truly merit, or deserue reward, vnles being wrought with ayde from aboue, it also proceed from inherent grace, from the spirit of adoption inhabi∣tant in our soules. The second is, that God adioyne the seale of his promise, and oblige himselfe to remunerate the worke. For although it be not dignified by the vertue of his promise, or benigne acceptatiō, as some conceaue, but by the prerogatiue of Grace from whence it springeth: yet his promise is requisite, that he be engaged to recompense our labours, who cannot be otherwise indebted to his cre∣atures. The third is, that all meritorious deedes be free∣ly and sincerely done; freely from the necessity or vio∣lence of compulsion, sincerely from the nakednes of sinister intention. These things presupposed we constātly mainteyne with the thrice holy and Oecumenical Coun∣cell of Trent, against M. Fulke, D. Abbot, and all the Secta∣ries of our time, a true worthines & dignity in all such actions as shalbe accompanied, graced, and enobled with the three forementioned conditions; not that these con∣ditions enhaunce them to the perfect value & Arithmati∣cal equality with the promised reward which in rigour of iustice one shilling (for example) hath with another, or the corne sold in the market hath with the common ta∣xed price thereof, but that they infuse virtuall equality and due proportion thereunto, as the seed sowed in the ground hath vertuall proportion to the statelines of the tree, and accidental qualities are sufficient and equiualent dispositions to the introduction of a substantiall forme. Such equiualent proportion, or dignity of merit the holy Scriptures & Fathers acknowledge in our workes achie∣ued by the helpe, and inspiration of the holy Ghost, as appeareth first by these places of holy Writ, where our good deedes and patient sufferinges are expressely sayd to be worthy of God, worthily to deserue the fruition of his sight, as: They shall walke with me in whites, because they are worthy: God hath tempted them, and found them worthy of himselfe:

Giuing thankes to God and the Father, who hath made vs worthy vnto the part of the lot of the Saintes in the light: We pray alwayes for you, that our God make you worthy of his vocation: so in the auncient Protestant translatiō it is, That our God would make you worthy; which errour escaped them, as Fulke acknow∣ledgeth saying: I confesse it is an imperfection in our translations: Therfore it is since corrected in the renewed Bible by his Maiesty to bolster the euasion, by which M. Fulke, D. Abbot and their fellowes seeke to delude the former textes. Their euasion is, That we be counted worthy through Gods free accepta∣tion by grace, & imputation of Christs iustice. Not of the merit of our constancy.

2. But neyther will the wordes beare that violent raking, nor God endure so great a wrong, that he should account those worthy, call them worthy who haue no wor∣thines in them. Then S. Paul there writeth of the Thessalo∣nians, who were counted worthy by true beliefe and im∣putation of Christes worthines long before: Therefore it had beene lost labour for him alwayes to pray for that which they had obtayned, and could not, by Protestants Sophismes, euer loose, or be further perfected and enriched therewith. It was the increase of inherent Godlines and holy conuersation for which he offered his prayers, that profiting heerein from day to day, they might be made worthy of the creation and society of Saintes, to which they were called, as many other Textes euidētly perswade which ascribe vnto our workes the dignity it selfe, and worthines of merit. S. Paul to the Hebrewes: Beneficence, and communication do not forget: For with such hostes God is prome∣rited. So Primasius scholler to S. Augustine: By such sacrifi∣ces, and giftes of almes, Deus promeretur adipisci, God is promerited, or vouchsafed to be gayned: The greeke hath, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, God is well pleased: The Syriake, scaphar, pulchrescit, that is, God waxeth faire, he becometh more amiable, louing, and fauourable vnto them. S. Chrysostome, Oecumenius, Theo∣philact, and Erasmus read, God is pacified, & reconciled by mea∣nes of these workes, which could not be, vnles they had some

thing in them that procured his fauour. In Genesis also, where our Translation hath in latin and English, I am in∣feriour to all thy mercyes: in the Chaldeake, it is; My merits are lesse then all thy mercies which thou hast shewed to thy seruant. And in Ecclesiasticus, All mercy shall make a place to euery man according to the merites of his workes. And although the Gree∣ke hath only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, according to his workes, yet that importeth the same with the Latine, as I shall shew hereafter, and the Scripture witnesseth in those places, where eternall life prepared to good works is entitled mer∣ces, a reward or hire, which must needes be correspondent to merit or desert: Be glad and reioyce, because your reward is very great in heauen: Call the workmen, and pray them their hire: Let thy voyce cease from weeping, and thine eies from teares, because there is a reward for thy worke: God rendreth or giueth reward to the iust according to their workes, according to their owne labours.

3. Our aduersaries make answere to these and the like argumentes. First, that heauen is called a Crowne, a reward secundum quid, and in a respect simply and abso∣lutely, it is only a gift, because it is giuen according to grace, according to mercy, not according to desert or merit. But we reply, that although the originall from whence it proceedeth, be grace and mercy, yet that grace being communicated vpon this solemne bargaine, couenant, or promise of rewarding our workes performed, and digni∣fied therewith, it must of necessity include a dignity in them: For euery reward hath an absolute, and intrinse∣call reference to some proportion of worthines or merit. Heere is a true and absolute reward, therefore a true and absolute merit. For which cause the reward is termed a Crowne, not only of grace, but a Crowne of Iustice, due vnto vs by a certaine right of title of iustice: Friend I do thee no wrong &c. Take that is thine and go. Where he speaketh of the day-penny, by which S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Chry∣sostome, Theophilact, and Euthymius vnderstand the King∣dome of heauen, and yet he stileth it his, to wit, his by couenant, his by iustice, and not only by gift: vpon the

same ground S. Paul calleth God a iust iudge, in rewarding our workes: God is not vniust to forget your workes.

4. The second Answere which D. Fulke, D. Ab∣bot, and the residue of their fraternity returne hereunto, is, That the reward is due by couenant, and so a debt in respect of Gods promise not of our desert: Likewise. God rendreth heauen (say they) as a iust iudge, not to the merit, and worthines of our workes, but to the merit and worthines of Christ imputed by faith, vnto vs. These be the guilty shiftes they deuise to entai∣le all vpon Christ, and vpon Gods promise, which he by those meanes most bountifully vouchsafeth to commu∣nicate vnto vs. For although it be true, that the diuine promise and Christs Iustice be necessary to enable vs to merit, yet they are not the chiefest thinges which God regardeth in rewarding our workes. For the Promise is the same, the Imputation the same equally made and at∣tributed vnto all; but the Remuneration is diuers, in e∣qually assigned, more, or lesse correspondent to the sla∣cknes, or industry of our labours. The Sonne of man will ren∣der to euery one according to his works: Euery man shall receaue his owne reward according to his owne labour: What thinges a man shall sowe, those also shall he reape: For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh shall reape corruption, but he that soweth in the spirit, shall reape life euerlasting. So that the seede, the price, and proper cause of euerlasting life, is not only fayth, nor the promise of God, or merits of Christ alone; but also our good deedes of piety and deuotion, which heere we sowe vpon earth. For the Apostle goeth forward in the same place: Doing good, let vs not faile, for in due time we shall reape not fayling: Therefore whiles we haue time let vs worke good to all: Behould I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to render to euery ma•• according to his workes. Fulke reading this phrase so often repeated in holy Scripture, graunteth: that euery one receaueth the crowne of glory, according to his workes, according to his labour, yet not according to the merit of his labour; which others more plainly explicating allow it giuen to our workes, as signes of our fayth, not as

causes meritorious of the same. But the latin text of Ecclesiasti∣cus, hath that very word, according to the merit of our workes, which necessarily implieth a meritorious cause. Besides holy Writ affirmeth, That we receaue the crowne of blisse, as the reward, wages, and hire of our labours, therefore according to the merit of our labours. For hire, wages, and reward, haue mutuall correspondence and inseparable connexion with merit, in so much as heauen is proposed vnto vs as a goale, or price, to be wonne by running, as a Kingdome inuaded by force, as an inesti∣mable gemme prized at the rate of our best indeauours, as a treasure to be bought by the value, worthines, or con∣dignity of our workes, the true meritorious and morall causes thereof. In the race, all runne indeed, but one receaueth the price: So runne that you may obteine. The Kingdome of heauen suffreth violence, & the violent beare it away. Againe, The King∣dom of heauen is like to a merchant-man seeking good pearles, & ha∣uing sound one precious pearle &c. sold all that he had and bought it. S. Augustine: Euerlasting life, and rest is salable and bought by tribulations for Christ. S. Basil: We are negotiators or merchan∣tes who trace the Euangelicall path, purchasing the possession of hea∣uen by the workes of the commundements: Let it not repent you to haue laboured, it is lawfull for you, if you will, to buy most precious saluation, with a proper treasure, by charity, and fayth, which truly is a iust price.

5. Moreouer I demonstrate it irrefragably in this Syl∣logisticall manner.

• When soeuer such proportion is kept in recompensing the labours we achieue, as to greater labours greater crow∣nes, to lesser, lesser rewards are alloted. Thē the crownes and rewards are giuen in respect of the workes done, not as signes and conditions, but truly according to the merit of our labours, as causes of the rewardes.
• But this proportion is obserued by our Soueraigne Iudge in remunerating the good deedes of the Iust which flow from his grace.
• Therefore he rewardeth them, not as signes, but as causes

• of our heauenly blisse, according to the worthines of their merit.

The maior is cleere, for what other then the dignity of the worke doth God regard, in ballancing the measure of them? The worthines of Christs merits imputed by faith: that is not our owne labour, not the thinges we do in our body, for which we must receaue eyther good or euill, as the Apostle writeth: that doth not dignify one aboue ano∣ther, but equally (as hath beene sayd) is referred to al. The promise which God maketh vnto vs? If God had his eye leuelled at that alone, it were as much broken in a little as in a greater, as faythfully kept in recōpensing a small, as in a weighty matter. Therein he looketh not to the greatnes of our endeauours, but to the fidelity of his owne word; in fulfilling whereof, the equality of recompen∣sation, the proportion of workes, the repayment of ser∣uice, the reward of labours, cannot be, as the Scriptures so often insinuate, the principall markes aymed at by God. Further, our vertues are rewarded as worthy of their hire, but the promise of God begetteth not any worthines or dignity in our workes, more then of themselues belong vnto them. For as our Schoolemen teach: He that shall promise a Lordship or Dukedome, in behalfe of some meane seruice, or peece of money of small value; doth not thereby enhaunce the price of the coyne, or estimate of his obsequious seruice; but the estate which is giuen in lieu of that plighted faith, although it require the per∣formance of the seruice, or payment of the money, as con∣ditions necessary to oblige him that promised; yet it doth as much exceed the rate of the one, and desert of the other, as if no promise had beene, no couenaunt made at all. Moreouer the Deuines proue, that if God should threaten to punish with eternall paine an officious lye, or other, light offence, that sinne should not mount thereby to the heynousnes of a mortall crime, nor be worthy of more punishment, then of his owne nature it deserueth: where∣fore, if the commination and threatning of greater tor∣ments,

then sinnes of themselues require, doth not aug∣ment the guiltines of their default, or change a small sin∣ne into the enormity of a greater: neither can the pro∣mise of aboundant remuneration increase the dignity of our workes, to which it is promised; nor the remunera∣tion it selfe be called a reward, weighed forth, as S. Gregory Nazianzen affirmeth, in the iust and euen ballance of God, nor equally imparted according to our labours, as the Holy Ghost often pronounceth; but a free gift, liberally giuen, through the gratefulnes and fidelity of the giuer, vnles be∣sides the promise, some worthines, or value, in our works be acknowledged; to which an agreable reward be cor∣respondently assigned.

6. The Minor, that God obserueth due proportion in recompensing our seruice, more or lesse, conformably to the diligence or slacknes thereof, is also manifest by the sundry textes already quoted, That euery one shall receaue accordinge to his owne labour: And by this of Saint Paul, He that soweth sparingly, sparingly also shall reape, and he that soweth in blessinges, of blessinges also shall reape. Which Cle∣mens Alexandrinus also gathereth out of these wordes of S. Matthew: He that receaueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receaue the reward of a Prophet; and he that receaueth a iust man, in the name of a iust man, shall receaue the rewards of a iust man: both receaue rewards, yet not both the same, but seuerall, and vnequall, according to the seuerall sanctity of their persons, and inequality of their merits, whome they receaue. Hence the conclusion of my Syllogisme without checke or controle, is ineuitably inferred: That seeing Almighty God portioneth forth a greater, or lesser share of glory answerable to the greatnes, or slendernes of our workes, as the hire, wages, or reward of them; he truly remunerateth our pious endeauours, not as se∣quells of faith, not as meere gifts of grace, but as precedent causes, or condigne desertes of eternall life. Which when our aduersaries gainsay, they make our soueraigne God an accept our of persons, and not a iust and vpright iudge:

quit contrary to these texts of holy writ. (2. ad Timoth. 4. v. 8. ad Rom. 2. v. 11. 1. Pet. 1. v. 17. Act. 10. v. 34.) For acception of persons is a vice, directly opposite to distributiue iustice; as when a Iudge bestoweth a reward where there is no precedent merit: or when he giueth a more large reward, then the dignity of the merit in any sort deserueth. But God truly recompenseth the labours of his seruants, and recompenseth them with due pro∣portion of greater and lesser reward: therefore he either presupposeth in thē the diuersity of merits; or he violateth the lawes of distributiue iustice. In so much as S. Augustin•• might well say: If there be no merits, how shall God iudge the world. For take away them, and take away Iustice, take away iudgement, take away that article of our Creed, that Christ shall come to iudge the quicke, and the dead.

7. Another Argument or Enthymeme I frame in this sort, The sinnes and euill workes of the reprobate, are not eternally punished, eyther because they are signes of their infidelity, or by reason of Gods commination, and threates which he promulgateth of punishing them with euerlasting torments: But for that they be of themselues the true cause of damnation, merit Gods wrath, be in∣iurious, and offensiue to his infinite goodnes: Therefore the vertuous actes and good deedes of the elect, which flow from the streames of heauenly grace are not only re∣compensed as fruites of faith, or in regard of Gods pro∣mise made to reward them, but because they be true and proper causes thereof, because they be pleasing and accep∣table in his sight, and do deseruedly purchase and merit his fauour. The consequence is inferred out of the words of Christ, who attributeth after the same manner, and with the same causall propositions, the crowne of heauen to the pious workes of the iust, as he doth the punish∣ment of hell to the hard and vnmercifull hartes of sinners saying, Come yee blessed of my Father, possesse yee the kingdome pre∣pared for you, from the foundation of the world: For I was an hun∣gred, and you gaue me to drinke &c. Get you away frō me you cur∣sed

&c. I was an hungred, and you gaue me not to eate, I was a thirst, and you gaue me not to drinke. For this cause the Apostle auerreth the sufferances of his life to win, or cause falua∣tion. Our Tribulation which presently is momentary and light, wor∣keth aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs, where for worketh our Protestants corruptly translated he∣retofore prepareth, albeit they haue since corrected it, be∣cause it is in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is potently, or forci∣bly worketh. In liew whereof Tertullian readeth perficiet in nobis, shall perfect and accōplish in vs an eternall weight of glory, yet not physically, as the efficient, but morally as the meritorious cause, which winneth and purchaseth the laurell of be atitude, as sinnes procure the bane of end∣les misery. Whereupon S. Augustine: Euen as death is rendred for astipend to the merit of sinne, so is euerlasting life, as a stipend to the merit of iustice. And S. Chrysostome, By good workes we deserue heauen, as by euill hell.

Notes

• Abot in his defence c. 4 & 5. Fulk and al other Pro∣testants.
• Concil. Trident. Sess. 6. c. 16.
• Apoc. 3. v. 4. Sap. 3. v. 5. ad Coloss. 1. v. 12. 2. ad Thess. 1. v. 11.
• Fulk in ca. 1. 2. ad Thess. sect. 1. Fulk in Ep. 2. ad Thess. c. 1. sect. 1. I•• c. 1. ad Coloss. sect. 3. Abbot in his defence c. 5. sect. 7. 8. & 14.
• Ad Heb. 1••. v. 16. Pri∣mas. in e∣••m locum.
• Chrysostō, Oecumen. Theophil. & Erasm. in eum locū
• Gen. 32. v. 10. Ecclesiast. ••6. v. 15. Matt. v. ••2. Matth. 20. v. ••. Ier. 31. v. 16. Rom. 2. v. 6. ad Co∣rinth. 3. v. 8. Apoc. 22. v. 12. Abbot in his defence c. 5. sect. 14 fol. 686. Fulk in ca. 3. 1. ad Co∣rinth. sect. 2. In ••p. 4. 2. ad Tim. sect. 4. in c. 25. Matth. sect. 6.
• 2. ad Tim▪ 4. Matt. 20. v. 4. & v. 13. & 14. Aug lib. de sāct. virg. c. 26. Hie. l. con. Iou. Chrysost. Theophil. & Euthim. in eum locū
• 2. Tim. 4. ad Heb. 6. 10. Fulk. in c. 4. 2. ad Tim. sect. 4. Abbot in his defence ••. 5▪ sect 1. 4.
• Matth. 1••. v. 27. ••. ad Cor. 3. v. 8. ad Gal. 6. v 7. ••. Ibidem v. 9
• Apoc. 22. v. 12. Fulk. in ••. ad Cor. 3. sect. 2. Cal∣uin 3. instit. cap. 18. §. ••. & 7.
• Eccles. 16▪ v. ••••.
• ••. ad Cor. 9. v. 24. M••••••. 11. v. ••2. Matt. 13. v. 45. Aug. in Psal. 93. prope finem Basil in hom. quam scripfit in initium. Prouerb. Clem. A••••. in paraen••••.
• Gab. Vasq. in 1. 2. tom. 2. disp. 214 cap. 5. & others ibid. in q. 114. D. Tho.
• Greg. Na. orat in san. Bap. extre∣ma.
• 2. ad Cor. 9. v. 6. Clem. Alex. l. 4. strom Matth. 10. v. 4.
• Aug. ep. 46. ad Va∣lent.
• Matth. 25. v. 34. v. 41. 1. Cor. 4. v. 17. Tertult. l. de r••sur. carnis c. 40 in Scorp. cap. 13. Aug. ep. 105. Chrysost. hom. 3. de Lazaro.