13. The doings of the wicked are not of the will of God positive, but only permissive.

14. The reprobates are not rejected, but for the evil works which God did foresee they would commit.

15. The assurance of things which we believe by the Word, is not so sure, as of those which we perceive by sense.

Here follows an Account, given in by Mr. Hooker himself, of what he preached, March 28, 1585. And then of what Travers in his Lectures excepted thereunto. And lastly, of Hooker's Reply and Vindication of himself and his Sermons.

relation of his

and vindica

against Tra

"I doubted not but that God was merciful to thousands Hooker's own " of our fathers, which lived in popish superstition: for that assertions, "they sinned ignorantly. But we have the light of the truth. tion of them "Which doctrine was withstood, because we are com- vers. "manded to depart out of Babylon, else we should be par"takers of those plagues there denounced against such as repent not of their superstitions: which they cannot who "know them not.

"I answered, that there were thousands in our days who "hate sin, desiring to walk according to the will of God; "and yet committing sin which they know not to be sin. "I think, that they that desire forgiveness of secret sins, "which they know not to be sins, and that are sorry for "sins, that they know not to be sins, [such] do repent.

"It is replied, that without faith there is no repentance. "Our fathers in desiring mercy did but as divers pagans; " and had no true repentance.

"They thought they could not be saved by Christ without "works, as the Galatians did: and so they denied the found"ation of faith.

"I answered, although the proposition were true, that he "who thinketh he cannot be saved by Christ without works, "overthroweth the foundation; yet we may persuade our"selves that our forefathers might be saved. 1. Because many of them were ignorant of the dogmatical positions of "the church of Rome. 2. Albeit they had divers positions "of that church, yet it followeth not that they had this. "3. Although they did generally hold this position, yet God "might be merciful unto them. No exception hath been "taken against any one of these assertions. 4. I add, that "albeit all those, of whom we speak, did not only hold this "generally, but as the scholars of Rome hold this position

now, of joining works with Christ; whether doth that po"sition overthrow the foundation directly, or only by conse

quence? If it doth overthrow the foundation directly, &c. "To make all plain, these points are to be handled. First, "what is meant by the foundation. Secondly, what it is to deny the foundation directly. Thirdly, whether the elect may be so deceived, that they may come to this, to deny "the foundation directly. Fourthly, whether the Galatians "did directly deny it. Fifthly, whether the church of Rome, "by joining works with Christ in the matter of salvation, do "directly deny it.

I. To the first I answer: "The foundation is, that which "Peter, Nathaniel, and the Samaritan confessed; and that "which the Apostles expressly [affirm,] Acts iv. [12.] 'There " is none other name under heaven given among men, where"by we must be saved.' It is, in fine, this, Salvation is by "Christ only. This word only, what doth it exclude? [As "when we say,] This judge shall only determine this mat"ter: this only doth not exclude all other things, besides "the person of the judge; as, necessary witnesses, the equity " of the cause, &c. but all persons: and not all persons from "being present, but from determining the cause. So when "we say, 'Salvation only is by Christ,' we do not exclude all "other things. For then how could we say, that faith were "necessary? We exclude therefore not those means whereby "the benefits of Christ are applied to us; but all other persons, for working any thing for our redemption.

"II. To the second point: We are said to deny the

"foundation directly, when plainly and expressly we deny "that Christ only doth save. By consequence we deny the "foundation, when any such thing is defended, whereby it "may be inferred, that Christ doth not only save.

"III. To the third: The elect of God cannot so err that they should deny directly the foundation: for that Christ "doth keep them from that extremity: and there is no sal"vation to such as deny the foundation directly. Therefore "it is said, that they shall worship the beast, whose names "are not found in the book of life.' Antichrist may prevail "much against them [viz. the elect], and they may receive "the sign of the beast in the same degree, but not so that they should directly deny the foundation.

"IV. To the fourth: Albeit the Galatians fell into error; "but not so that they lost salvation. If they had died be"fore they had known the doctrine of Paul, being before "deceived by those that they thought did teach the truth: "what do you think? should they have been damned? This "we are taught, that such errors [as are damning] shall not ❝ take hold, but on those that love not the truth. The Gala"tians had embraced the truth; and for it had suffered

many things, &c. There came among them seducers that "required circumcision. They being moved with a religious “fear, thought it to be the word of God, that they should "be circumcised. The best of them might be brought into "that opinion; and dying before they could be otherwise "instructed, they may not for that be excluded from salva"tion. Circumcision being joined with Christ doth only by consequence overthrow the foundation. To hold the found"ation by an additament is not to deny the foundation; un"less the additament be a privative. He is a just man, "therefore a man: but this followeth not; he is a dead man, "therefore he is a man. In the 15th chapter of the Acts

they are called credentes [i. e. such as believed] that taught "the necessity of circumcision. That name could not have "been given unto them, if directly they had denied the "foundation. That which the Apostle doth urge against the "Galatians, in respect of circumcision, may be urged against "the Lutherans in respect of their consubstantiation. [But

The archbishop's judgment of those controversies.

"they do not directly deny the foundation.] So neither did "the Galatians directly deny it.

"V. Lastly: Whether doth the church of Rome directly deny the foundation, by joining Christ and works? There " is a difference between the papists and the Galatians: for circumcision, which the Galatians joined with Christ, was "forbidden, and taken away by Christ. But works are com"manded, which the church of Rome doth join with Christ. "So that there is greater repugnancy to join circumcision "with Christ, than to join works with him. But let them "be equal. As the Galatians only by consequent denied the "foundation, so do the Papists. (Zanchy, Calvin, Mornay; "I need not go so far as some of these.) But this I think, "if the Pope, or any of the Cardinals, should forsake all "other their corruptions, and yield up their souls, holding "the foundation again but by a slender thread, and did but "as it were touch the hem of Christ's garment, believing "that which the Church of Rome doth in this point of doc"trine, they may obtain mercy. For they have to deal with "God, who is no captious sophister, and will not examine "them in quiddities, but accept them if they plainly hold the "foundation.

"This error is my only comfort as touching the salvation "of our fathers. I follow Mr. Martyr. I know Ignorantia non "excusat in toto, but in tanto. It maketh not a fault to be no "fault, but that which is a fault to be a less one."

At length, thus did the Archbishop of Canterbury discreetly and warily correct and moderate these articles between them both:

I. "Papists living and dying Papists may notwithstanding "be saved. The reason; ignorance excused them. As the apostle allegeth, 1 Tim. i. 13. I obtained mercy because "I did it ignorantly.'

The Archbishop's Judgment.

"Not Papists, but our fathers. Nor they all, but many of "them. Nor living and dying Papists, but living in popish "superstitions. Nor simply might, but might by the mercy of "God, be saved. Ignorance did not excuse the fault to make "it no fault but the less their fault was, in respect of

ignorance, the more hope we have, that God was merciful "to them."

"

II. "Papists hold the foundation of faith: so that they may be saved, notwithstanding their opinion of merit." Archbishop." And Papists overthrow the foundation of "faith, both by their doctrine of merit, and otherwise many "ways. So that if they have, as their errors deserve, I do "not see how they should be saved."

III. "General repentance may serve to their salvation, "though they confess not their error of merit."

Archbishop. "General repentance will not serve any but "the faithful man. Nor him, for any sin, but for such sins only as he doth not mark, nor know to be sin."

IV. “The Church of Rome is within the new covenant." Archbishop. "The Church of Rome is not as the assemblies "of Turks, Jews, and Painims."

V. "The Galatians joining the law with Christ might have ❝ been saved, before they received the Epistle.

Archbishop. "Of the Galatians, before they were told of "their error, what letteth us to think, as of our fathers, be"fore the Church of Rome was admonished of her defection "from the truth?"]

And this also may be worthy of noting, that these exceptions of Mr. Travers against Mr. Hooker proved to be felix error, for they were the cause of his transcribing those few of his sermons, which we now see printed with his books; and of his Answer to Mr. Travers his Supplication: and of his most learned and useful Discourse of Justification, of Faith and Works; and by their transcription they fell into such hands as have preserved them from being lost, as too many of his other matchless writings were; and from these I have gathered many observations in this discourse of his life.

After the publication of his Answer to the Petition of Mr. Travers, Mr. Hooker grew daily into greater repute with the most learned and wise of the nation; but it had a contrary effect in very many of the Temple that were zealous for Mr. Travers, and for his Church-discipline; insomuch, that though Mr. Travers left the place, yet the seeds of discontent could not be rooted out of that society, by the great reason, and as