The true Catholique formed according to the truth of the Scriptures, and the shape of the ancient fathers, and best sort of the latter Catholiques, which seeme to fauour the Church of Rome : the contents vvhereof are to be seene in the page following.

3. Of speciall grace.

MAster Bellarmine of speciall grace and mercie, writes thus: The Catholiques dissent from the heretiques, first in the obiect of a iustifying faith, which the here∣tiques restraine to the onely promise of speciall mercie:

but the Catholiques will haue it as generall as the word of God is; nay they affirme constantly, that the certaine promise of speciall mer∣cie doth belong not to faith so properly, as to presumption. This is Maister Bellarmines resolution, the Chiefetaine and Goliah of the Romish army. But marke (I beséech you) how Goliah his head is stricken off with his owne sword: Ferus a Papist and a Frier, of this matter writes thus: This brings (saith he) great comfort to an afflicted conscience, to know, that Christs promises (such like as these are:) Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee: and againe, it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome: and againe, your father knoweth that you stand in neede of these things: doe not be∣long onely to the Apostles, but do belong also to him.

But most plainly in his Sermons vpon Iob he teacheth this doctrine: Thirdly (saith he) he doth not say onely a redeemer liues: but that my redeemer liues: and not without an expresse significati∣on of his mind, (as we say, & that not coldly, or for fashion sake.) For what good doth it me, that Christ is a redeemer, vnlesse he be also my redeemer, vnlesse he haue made me partaker of his redemp∣tion? Sathan knew that Christ was a redeemer, but he cannot call him his redeemer: therefore all the force of this sentence consists in this word (mine:) let vs therfore endeuor to fashion our faith to this. Neither is it sufficient if we doe beleeue, vnlesse we beleeue with a certaine hope and assurance. If I beleeue that there is a God, and do not beleeue that he is my God; that faith brings me no comfort: for the Diuels beleeue the same, and tremble: Such a faith profiteth no∣thing. But then I beleeue aright with a ioyfull assurance of my hart, if I can not only say, I beleeue that there is a God, but I beleeue he is my God: nor only I beleeue, that God is a father; but I beleeue that he is my father. This to conclude, is that, that makes the hart merrie: this is the true confession of the faith: this God requires. Heare, O Israell, I am thy Lord God; that is to say, I will not that thou account me for a God onely, but that thou haue me for thy God; but then thou shalt acknowledge that I am thy God, if thou shalt boldly call vpon me in thy necessities; so Christ will not that we shall onely say: Father which art in heauen; but Our Father: as he himselfe hath praied in the garden. After this manner also Tho∣mas made a confession of his faith: my God and my Lord: acknow∣ledging Christ not onely to be a God and a Lord, but also his God and his Lord. So doth also Iob in this place: I know that he is a

redeemer; and I know that he is mine. Let vs marke how plain∣lie he teacheth this doctrine, and strongly he confirmes the same against Maister Bellarmines former position.

Philippus de Dies a Frier also of this matter, agréeing with Ferus, writes thus: O immutable God (saith he) wherefore when as there are so many wicked men in the world; some for gaming, some for pleasures, some for pride, some for couetousnesse: thou saiest, there is but one lost sheepe? because the most sweete Iesus wils, that thou shouldest beleeue, that he sought thee, so that if thou hadst beene in all the world alone, he would for thy sake onely haue died. Therefore euerie one is to account himselfe, as that lost sheep, and should thinke these benefits of his redemption, not as vniuersal, but as particular, euen done for him: And as for such like benefits, should shew himselfe thankefull. What can be more plaine then this, that euerie man ought to account himselfe that lost shéepe? And that Christ died for him alone? And that not for a generall benefit, as Maist. Bellarmine teacheth; but for such a particular benefit bestowed vpon him alone, he should be thankfull. Sure∣ly their doctrine diminisheth this thankfulnesse.

Philippus de Dies of speciall grace writes thus: In euery temp∣tation of our faith, we must flie to this point, saying: My Lord Iesus Christ is the naturall sonne of God, and the same is also God with the father, and the holy Ghost: and therefore whatsoeuer he hath taught or said, concerning the Sacraments of grace, of the glory of heauen, & of the paines of hell, is a most certaine and infallible truth.

Stella of speciall grace writes thus: Marke that he saith to them which waite for their Lord. Wherein thou must take heede that the God which shall come vnto thee, both that he be thine, and that thou be Gods. So that thou maiest truely say with Dauid: I am thine, O saue me, because I haue sought thy righteousnesse. It is a bird seldome seene vpon earth, that can say to God: I am thine: He can saie so truely, which cleaues to God with his whole heart and affec∣tion. Can he say so which is greedie of money, or which cleaues to a whore? He which thinkes of the world, and seekes after worldly things, without doubt is the worlds, as also they are the Diuels that serue the Diuell. Lust comes and saith, thou art mine, because thou thinkest of those things, which concerne the body & concupiscence. Couetousnesse comes and saith, thou art mine, because thou takest care for money. And so other vices. Howe canst thou, which art

such a one, say to God, I am thine? And he addeth by and by: Be∣cause I haue sought thy righteousnesse; that is, I haue sought nothing els: I haue sought but y^t which belongs to thee. Some seeke iewels, golde, siluer, and precious stones, dignities, pleasures of the flesh, reuenge of their enemies: but I haue sought for thy righteousnesse; I cannot possesse but that which belongs to thee: I am thine, because my portion is not in these earthly things, but only in thee, &c. As we are Gods, so also we must euerie one of vs accompt God to be ours, by Stella his iudgement.

Ambrose speaking of that place of S. Paul, Rom. 8. writes thus: He hath wonderfully added that, (that he gaue him to die for vs all:) that he might declare that he loued vs all so, that he gaue his dearely beloued sonne, euen for euerie one of vs.

And in another place, speaking of Christ he writes thus: He died but once: but he died for euery one that is baptized into the death of Christ, that we may be buried with him, and may rise a∣gaine with him, & may walke in the newnesse of his life. And after, the chiefe Priest is dead for thee, is crucified for thee, that thou migh∣test sticke fast to his nayles: for he tooke thee and thy sins vpon him on that Crosse, the obligations of thy sins were fastned to that gibbet, that now thou shouldest owe nothing to the world, which thou hast renounced.

Ferus also of the same matter writes thus: Fourthly as it was said to Christ, Let God deliuer him, if he will haue him; so this is the fourth temptation of the godly when they are tempted, whether God loue them or not. Where this word (him) hath a great force: let him deliuer him, if he will haue him. For who doubts, but that God knowes how to saue, and is also able and willing to saue? For God is the God of saluation (as saith the Psalme:) but whether hee will saue him or no, this the Diuell cals in question; especially if a man haue liued among the wicked, as Christ was here among the theeues. Therefore it is a great temptation, when the Diuell makes a man doubt, which trusts in the Gospell: that although he beleeue that Christ is our righteousnesse; yet that he should doubt whether he be his righteousnesse, or no, &c.

Euerie true Christian must beléeue in particular, that Christ is his righteousnesse, if he minde to ouercome the Diuell, and be saued. To beléeue in Generall, that he is the righteousnesse of all men, is the marke the Diuell shootes at; and this doctrine the

Papists some of them doe now teach. But he must go further that will be saued, and apply this soueraigne plaister of Christs death to himselfe, and to his owne soule, and beléeue that he is his righteousnesse also.

Granatensis also of the same matter writes thus: But thou (O Lord) as thou art omnipotent in vertues; so thou art sufficient for all men in loue; thou art infinit in them both: and therefore, that cannot be wanting to any which hath neither lymits, nor any ende, although it be deuided amongst many. Euen as no man enioyeth lesse the light of the sunne, because it shineth to all men, but he re∣ceiueth so much thereof, euen as though he were alone in the world; so that heauenly bridegroome loues no lesse all the Godly soules, both in particular and in generall, then if it were one soule alone. For he is not a louer like to Iacob, whose loue towards Leah was colder, for the feruent loue wherewith he loued Rachel: but as an infinite God, whose vertue is no lesse in euerie particular person, though it be deuided also amongst many.

And after, The Philosophers say, that goodnesse is to be belo∣ued of it selfe: but also that euery one loues his owne goods the best: for when as man loues himselfe by nature, it followes by a ne∣cessarie consequent that he must loue all his owne things, as proper and pertaining to himselfe alone. Wherefore euerie one loues his owne house, his owne vineyard, his owne money, his owne ser∣uants, his owne horses, and whatsoeuer he possesseth: for all these serue to his vse: and therefore man as he loueth himselfe, so he loues all things which belong to himselfe. Therfore if then thou my Lord God, be not the onely best good thing in the world, but also my best good thing that I haue in the world, I minde here to consider in what degree thou art mine, and by how many titles thou art mine, that hereby I may more manifestly know how greatly I ought to loue thee. Therefore I see (O my God) that thou art my Creator, that thou art my sanctifier, and that thou art my gloryfier: Thou art my helper, my gouernour, defender, tutour and keeper: thou sustai∣nest me, thou encouragest me, thou preseruest me: thou, to con∣clude, art my God, thou art my Lorde, thou art my saluation, thou art my hope, thou art my glorie, thou art all the good things I haue. Thou art all these thinges vnto me, O Lorde, as thou art God: but in that thou art man, there are many other titles, other duties, and o∣ther bonds, wherewith I am bound to thee. Thou art my repairer;

for thou hast made perfect againe mans nature, which by sinne was corrupted and weakned: thou art my deliuerer; for by thy captiui∣tie, thou hast deliuered me from the tyranny of sinne, death, hell, and the diuell, my deadly enimy: thou art my redeemer; for with a price and incomparable treasure laid out for my sake, thou hast re∣deemed me from that seruitude, into the which thorow sinne I was fallen: thou art my King, for thou gouernest me with thy Spirite: thou also hast fought for me, and hast deliuered me from the hands of mine enimies. (And so going forward, he reckons vp a great ma∣ny benefits of Iesus Christ to his Church, and after concludes thus.) All these things thou art, O Lord my God, and more then these, both to all, and to euery one, and to me alone. And therefore with what face shal I not loue thee, Lord, to whom I am bound by so ma∣ny titles and meanes?

Michaelab Istelt cites thus Granatensis, praying: But when as indeed euery good thing is to be beleeued by it selfe; yet notwith∣stāding euery one doth loue his own good the best: I wil therfore loue thee, O Lord my God, not only because that thou art the best good thing, but because that thou art my good too. For when I consider and way with my selfe, by how many titles and means thou art be∣come mine, my very entrails melt within me: and I crie out with the Bride, My loue is mine, and I am his. For thou, O Lord, art my creator, thou art my sanctifier and glorifier, thou hast giuen me the essence of nature, thou hast giuen me the essence of grace, and thou wilt giue me the essence of glory. Thou art my helper, my gouer∣nour, my defender, my tutor, my preseruer, and lastly, thou art my Lord, and my God; thou art my saluation, my hope, my glory; thou art all the goods I haue. And truly thou art all these vnto me, in as much as thou art God, in as much as thou art the Creator and preseruer of all things: but in that thou art man, there are many o∣ther titles, other duties, and other bonds, wherewith I am bound to thee, and thou to me: for the which also, I ought of good right to loue thee (if it were possible) with an infinit loue, &c.

Granatensis here affirmes, that God is not onely the best good thing in the world; but that hee is his good to him. And what is this else, but to teach men to beleeue speciall grace?

Granatensis also himselfe, of speciall grace writes thus: A∣mongst all those losses, which the sinner incurres thorow his sinne, there is none greater or more to be lamented, then that hee lo∣seth

God himselfe: for this is the root and fountaine of all other los∣ses: For to haue lost God, is not to haue God a speciall father, tutor, pastour, and defender, and now to haue changed him from being a most louing Father, into a most seuere Iudge. Here is the verie word vsed, that God is as it were a speciall father, protector, and defender to euerie one of his.

Granatensis in another place of speciall grace writes thus: O Lord, remember thy wordes, which are most comfortable, which sometimes thou spakest by the mouth of thy Prophet: But thou ha∣uing plaide the harlot with manie louers, yet turne againe to mee (sayth the Lord.) Wherefore, O mercifull father, I trusting to this thy promise, turne to thee with my whole hart, no otherwise then if thou hadst called me alone, and hadst inuited me vnto thee with this sweete word. As Granatensis doeth applie this promise of God particularlie to himselfe: so hee teacheth all Christians, how they must also applie all the rest of Gods promises, particularlie to themselues.

Granatensis againe of speciall grace writes thus: Wee haue not (sayeth hee) a fitter Shield against the darts of sinne, then euer to haue in our memories, what faith hath reuealed against sinne. And that faith may worke this thing in vs, it is necessary, that vvee frame our selues sometimes to thinke, and consider attentiuely, what faith saith. For if we shall not doe this, wee shall account the letters of faith, as shutte and sealed vp from vs, which although they con∣taine, either very good or very euill newes; yet they shall neither make vs merie, nor sorie no other waies, then as if wee had neuer re∣ceiued them. For wee haue not opened them, and seene what is in them. And what can be more fitlie said of the faith of wicked men? For there can be nothing more terrible, nor more ioifull, then those things which are handled in Christian Religion. But the euill, as though they had neuer opened this Epistle, that they might haue seene what had been contained in it, they neuer thinke of this myste∣ry of their faith, but runne forcibly into all manner of sinnes: so they neuer feele those good motions and alterations, which faith works in others. Therfore it behooueth euery one of vs, that some∣times we diligently scanne ouer these letters, and that we read them diligently, and that we marke attentiuely; what they teach, which all are doone by the meanes of consideration, or meditation: for this is that, which lightens obscure things, and so by lightning our

vnderstanding by the greatnes of the mysteries, inclines our will al∣so (as much as it is able) that we may liue according to the rule of them. God would also prefigurate this our duty in the old law, when as among the conditions of cleane beasts, he puts downe this also; To chew the cudde: not that God hath such great care of beasts; but in this, he would giue vs to vnderstand, the condition and duty of cleane spirituall beasts; that is of iust men: to whome it is not e∣nough to haue eaten the heauenly things, by beleeuing them by faith, but they must chew them ouer againe by consideration, thin∣king on the mysteries which they beleeue, & thorowly discussing the greatnes of them, and dispersing this meat by & by through al the spiritual members of the soule, that it may be the food & sustentation therof. By Granatensis his iudgment, euery Christian must open the letters of faith, that is, the holie Scriptures, which God hath as it were sent priuatelie vnto him, and hee must looke into them, and examine and marke them well, and applie them to his owne soule. The wicked kéepe these Letters, as it were sealed, and neuer mind them, and so runne forciblie into their sinnes. Also the cleane Beasts, wherein God delightes onely, must chewe the cudde euerie one of them; and distribute this spirituall foode to the particular spirituall members of their soules. They which doe not so, are vncleane in Gods sight, howe deuout and religi∣ous soeuer they séem in the eies of men. And is not this to haue a speciall faith?

Againe hee writes thus: The Scripture (sayeth hee) is the fountaine, from whence the iust man drawes the waters of comfort, by which he is strengthened to trust in God. For there you see the greatnes of Christs merites, which is the head and foundation of our hope; you see there the greatnesse of the goodnesse and sweetnes of God, expressed in a thousand places; his prouidence whereby he preserues and keepes his; his mercy whereby he receiues those that draw nie vnto him; the promises and certaine pledges which he hath giuen them, that he will neuer forsake them that put their trust in him. You see nothing oftener repeated in the Psalmes, promised in the Prophets, declared in the Histories, from the beginning of the world, then the fauour, louing kindnes, & benefits, which God hath euer vsed towards his: how he hath euer helped them in all their tri∣bulations and afflictions: how he neuer forsooke Abraham in all his iourneys, Iacob in all his dangers, Ioseph in his banishment, Da∣uid

in his persecutions, Iob in his griefes and sicknesses, Tobie in his blindnesse, Iudith in the atchieuing of her valiant act, Hester in her Prayers; the Machabees in their warres, and triumphes; to con∣clude, how he hath defended and patronized all which with humili∣ty and with a religious and sincere heart, haue craued his diuine help? These, and such other like, do encourage vs, least we should be wea∣ry in trusting in him.

This is Granatensis counsell, that euerie particular man should applie all these examples to himselfe, and thereby haue an assured hope in God, that God will neuer leaue him nor forsake him, as he did not anie of these. And is not this to haue a speci∣all faith and trust in God?

But most manifestlie of the Passion of Christ, hee writes thus: Do not (sayeth hee) thinke these things, as a thing that is past, but rather as a thing present, and not as another mans griefes or sorrowes, but euen as it were thine own. Imagine that thou thy selfe stoodst in that place wherin he is which suffereth, & examine thy self what thou wouldest do, if any man should bore thorow any mēber thou hast so tender & sensible as the head is, with so many thornes, and should thrust them euen to the very boanes, so that they should pierce thorow thy temples, thy hinder part of thy head, and thy fore∣head: what talke I of thornes? thou couldest not endure the pricke of an Needle: What torments then suffered the most ten∣der heade of thy Sauiour, boared thorow with so many and cruell thornes?

O thou brrightnesse of thy Father! who abused thee so greatly? O thou most cleare glasse of the diuine maiestie! who be spotted thee so filthily? O thou floud, which runnes out of the earthly Pa∣radice, and with thy streame makes glad the Citie of God! who troubled these thy so sweet and pleasant waters? My sinnes, O Lord, haue troubled them: mine iniquities haue defiled them. O wretch that I am! O miserable man! how haue mine owne sinnes defiled mine own soule? If other mens sinnes haue filthily pollu∣ted the most cleare Spring of all beauty; Oh good Iesu, they are my sinnes, which pricke thee, my foolery and vanities are the pur∣ple wherewith thou art mocked, mine hypocrisie and fained holines are those ceremonies and cappings and kneelinges, wherewith they doe mocke and despise thee, my pompe and vaine glorie, are that crowne which is put on thy head scoffingly, and yet with intollerable

griefe: In all my workes, O Lord, I am thy hangman: in all places I am the cause of thy griefes. Ezechias purged the temple of God, prophaned of the wicked; and he cast out all the vncleannesse there∣of into the brooke Cedron, saith the Scripture: I am (O Lorde) thy liuely temple prophaned of the diuell, and defiled with most vile sinnes: but thou art that most cleare fountaine of Cedron, who by thy streame maintaines all the beauty of heauen. Into this fountaine were all my sinnes cast, and all my iniquities were drowned in it. For thou by the merit of thy vnspeakeable humilitie and charitie, by which thou wast moued, that thou shouldest take all my sinnes vp∣on thee, diddest not onely deliuer me from them: but also madest me partaker of thy goods. Thou vndertookest my death, and thou gauest me thy life: thou tookest vpon thee my flesh, and thou gauest me thy spirit: thou tookest vpon thee my sinnes, and gauest me thy grace: Therefore, O my redeemer, all thy treasures, and riches are mine. Thy purple clotheth me; thy crowne honoureth me; thy wounds make me beautifull; thy sorrowes are my pleasures; thy bitternesses refresh me; thy stripes heale me; thy bloud enricheth me; and thy loue as it were makes me drunken. But what maruell is it if thy loue were able to make me drunken, when as the selfe same loue, wherwith thou hast loued me, was able to make thy selfe drun∣ken, who made thee as another Noah, naked and to be laughed at in the peoples eies. The purple garment of thy feruent loue caused thee to beare that scornefull purple, and the zeale of my saluation moued thee to hold in thy hand that reede of despite and the pitie wherewith thou pitiedst me, being now about to perish, crowned thee with that crowne of shame. Thus farre Granatensis. This e∣uerie true Christian must beléeue and apply to himselfe: and is not this to haue a speciall faith?

And againe, the same Granatensis writes thus: That our will may be inclined to loue God, it behooueth that our vnderstanding go before it; weighing diligently how worthy to be beleeued God is in himselfe; and then next how good he is towardes vs. I thinke there is no man but knowes how great the goodnesse of God is, his sweetnes, his kindnes, his liberalitie, his nobilitie, and of all other, his perfections which are innumerable. Againe, how pitifull he is to∣wards vs, how tenderly he loues vs, what hath he not done? What hath he not suffered euen from his birth to his Crosse for our sakes? what great good things hath he prepared for vs, euen from the be∣ginning?

how many bestowes he vpon vs euen now presently? how many will he giue vs hereafter? from how great euils hath he deliue∣red vs? how patiently hath he waited for vs to come to repentance? how louingly hath he dealt with vs, in bestowing all his benefits vp∣on vs, which are innumerable?

By considering and meditating diligently, and exercising him∣selfe in the deepe contemplation of these benefits, man shall by lit∣tle and little feele his heart kindled with the loue of this bountifull God. For if bruit beasts loue their benefactors, and if (as the Spa∣nyard saith) a gift breakes a rocke, and as a certaine Philosopher said; he that found out benefits found out fetters, wherewith mens hearts are fettered togither: who now will be so cruell and hard har∣ted, who considering the hugenesse and vnmeasurable greatnesse of these benefits, wil not be kindled with the loue of such a benefactor?

And after, As by vse & often writing one becomes a good scriue∣ner, and by painting a good painter, and by working a good smith: so by louing one becomes a louer, that is, that euen as vse of writing makes a good writer; so the vse, exercise and continuance of louing God (which is almost brought to passe by meditation) causeth that one shall be a perfect louer of God.

And after, Fire out of his Region is by and by extinguished, vn∣lesse there be some that continually throwing on wood doe nourish it, by which it is maintained: so it is necessarie that the fire of chari∣tie may be maintained in this life, whereas she is out of her naturall place and a stranger, that she be also nourished with wood; and the wood wherwith she is nourished, are the considerations of Gods be∣nefits, and of his perfections: for euerie one of these things being well considered, is as it were a piece of wood, or a firebrand, that kindles this loue of God in our hearts. Therefore it is requisite that we feede this fire often with this wood, least this heauenly fire goe out in our hearts. The which thing the Lord also meant in the olde lawe, when he said: Fire shall euer burne on my altars: that is, in the hearts of iust men. Therfore let the Godly man take care euerie morning to maintain this fire with the consideration of these things; that so euer it may be preserued: and so it is said in the Psalmes: And while I mused, the fire kindled. Thus farre Granatensis. Euerie man must muse vpon Gods benefites and applie them to him∣selfe, and so kindle in his heart the fire of Gods loue: and with∣out this wood it is impossible but this fire will go out. And after

he writes thus: It is most certaine that no mans toong is able to speake or vtter the great loue, wherewith Christ loued not onely his vniuersall Church, but also euery particular soule of his elect. For euerie particular soule is chosen of God, euerie particular soule is the spouse of Christ: This euerie Christian must beléeue. That say∣ing of Ferus is worthy to be written in letters of gold: I would to God (saith he) this word should remaine euer laide vp and fast fixed in our hearts, that in euerie tribulation or temptation, but especially at the point of death, we might boldly say: I know assuredly that God hath made Iesus to be crucified for me, my Lord, my king and my Byshop. What is it, that this faith were not able to doe?

Againe the same Ferus touching the same matter, writes thus: This is chiefely to be marked, that he which before said generally that he was God, now he promiseth that he will be our God. For no profit els would come vnto vs, if so great and mightie a God were not our God. But he is ours by couenant and free mercie, not by merites or deserts.

Of speciall grace also Petrus Berchorius writes thus in his Dictionarie: Of God euery Christian may say to euery infidel, that saying which we reade 2. Kings 19.42. Dauid belongs more to me, then to thee, &c. Thus farre Berchorius. But as the text it selfe séemes to inferre: Euerie Christian maie saie to another Chri∣stian: (for these were the speeches of the men of Iudah to the men of Israel) that the true Dauid which is Iesus Christ, be∣longs to him by tenne parts more then to him. For thus it is read in the Hebrew text: And the man of Israel answered the man of Iudah and said, I haue ten hands or ten handfuls (as we say) in the King and in Dauid before thee: that is, more then thou. So that this holie contention betwéene Iudah and Israel, who should be most bound to Dauid and loue him best, maie fitlie be applied to vs Christians, for whom our true Dauid, that is, Iesus Christ, the sonne of Dauid, hath done so much; and who are indéede the true Israel and the true Iudah, as S. Paul teacheth; rather then to chri∣stians and infidels, as Berchorius teacheth.

Stella also writes thus concerning this matter: But neither would I haue thee, hauing considered all these thinges, to forget through loue to make God thine also, that thou maiest be able to say with Abacucke. I will reioice in God, my Iesus and my Sauiour. And also remember this, least the most precious bloud of Christ pe∣rish

in thee, but that as he most willingly died for all, and is the Sa∣uiour of all; so that he be a Sauiour and Lord to thee also; and that his Crosse, nailes and passion may profit thee: God shall profit thee nothing but to thy greater damnation, if thou shalt not embrace him as thy Sauiour. Thus much Stella. And what can be said plainer then this? That vnlesse euerie one embrace Iesus Christ as his Sauiour, Christ profits him nothing. The danger is very great by his iudgement to erre in this point: and therefore let all true Catholiques haue care of it.

But let euerie true Catholique marke, how in this point, the verie plaine text of the Gospell ouerthrowes the Papists opini∣on. They teach that it is sufficient to saluation, to haue a gene∣rall faith of Christ, and to beléeue as the Church beléeues: and not that euerie man should haue a particular faith in himselfe, that euen Iesus Christ hath cured his sinnes priuately, and that he is his Sauiour. But let vs a little marke what the Gospell teacheth herein: Christ went to heale Iairus daughter, and a great multitude that followed him, thronged him, and touched him. But there was a poore woman which had beene sicke of a bloudy issue twelue yeeres, and she thought in her heart, that if she might but touch the verie hemme of his garment, she should be healed. And she with this faith touching him, was immediatly made hole. There were manie other that touched him generallie, as the Papists teach to touch Christ, with a generall faith: but though, no doubt, many of them that so touched him were sicke of some disease, or grie∣uous sinners; yet not one of them were healed, but this poore woman, yt thus by a speciall trust she had in him touched him. And of her Christ said; That vertue went out of him, and to none other: euen so now, no doubt, as manie as will haue vertue to come out of Christ to heale them, must touch him, not generallie with that multitude, as the Papists teach; but particularlie and speciallie euerie man by his owne faith, and for his owne infir∣mitie, as that woman did; and then no doubt, shall vertue euen now also procéede from Christ to him. He that hath not this faith shall haue no vertue.

And this also Saint Ambrose teacheth vpon these wordes: They also drew neare vnto him, and held his feete and worshipped him: Iesus therefore is held; but he delighteth to be held, when as he is held by faith. To conclude, he tooke great plesure in that wo∣man,

which touched him, and was cured of hir bloudy issue: Of whom he said, Some bodie hath touched mee: for I feele vertue to haue proceeded from mee. Touch thou him therefore, and hold him by thy faith: and faithfully sticke to his feete, that vertue may proceede from him, and heale thy soule.

Notes

• Lib. 1. de iusti∣ficat. cap. 4.
• In Mat. cap. 3.
• Ferus ser. 57. in cap. 19. Iob.
• Domin. 3. post. pent. conc. 2.
• Conc. 1. in fest. pet. & Pauli.
• In cap. 12. Luc.
• De Iacob. & vita beata ca. 6
• Ambr. de fuga seculi cap. 9.
• Fer. part. 3. pass
• Granat. de per∣fectione amor. dei lib. 2. ca. 34
• Cap. 37.
• Par. prec. orat. 7. de impet. amore dei.
• Mem. lib. 2. cap. 4.
• Mem. lib. 5. orat. remiss. peccat.
• Ier. 31.
• De orat. & Med. cap. 1.
• Die lunae Med. de ven. Sa∣cram.
• Fer. in cap. 2. Act.
• Fer. in cap. 17. Gen.
• In verbo perti∣nere.
• Roman. 1.3. Roman. 2.2.
• In 1. cap. Lucae
• Luk. 8.45.46.
• De Isaac. cap. ••