authority from the Churches of Romes decrees or from the Pope That the Pope should bee an infallible Interpretor of Scripture and supreame Moderator of Religion S. Austine neuer heard Nay disaduowing all the Popes decretals and other mens writings he signifieth that hee oweth his consent without all exception onely to canonicall Scriptures In quorumlibet hominum scriptis saith he lib. de natur grat Liber sum quia solis canonicis scripturis debeo sine vlla recusatione consensum S. Austine neuer prayed to the Virgin Mary nor call vpon her and other Saints and Angels or teach that they were to be worshipped with Dulia If he had dedicated his Confessions to the Virgin Mary as doth the Apostate his absurd translation I should beleeue that he had learned somewhat from that holy Father He neuer beleeued that the Virgin Mary was conceiued without sinne or that she was the mediatrix or redemptrix of Mankind together with her Sonne or that her body is already assumed into heauen as this Apostate her deuout slaue and others hold Nor did hee euer teach that Saints in heauen heard the prayers and vnderstood the thoughts of all men and in all places here on earth or that they could helpe them giue them grace and deliuer them Hee might make a commemoration of the names of the faithfull hence departed and commend his Mother to God But neuer taught or beleeued that his mothers and other faithfull mens soules which he mentioned at the Lords table were tormented in Purgatory Hee was no Masse-priest nor euer offered Christs body really for quicke and dead nor said Masse for sicke horses as Masse Priests doe That Christs body and blood should bee contained vnder the accidents of Bread and Wine and that seuerally is so extrauagant a Paradoxe that it could neuer be found in the holy Fathers writings Nor could he beleeue that either reprobates or brute beasts did eat Christs flesh and drinke his blood The Sacrament hee neither adored nor carried it about nor put it into a Pixe neither did he allow any such thing done by others He neuer confessed his sinnes to the Virgin Mary or to Angels or Saints or pray them to intercede for him as doe Masse-Priests Much lesse did hee pray for Christs body that it might bee graciously accepted as was the Sacrifice of Abell and Melchisedech and carried into heauen as doe the Apostates consorts This Apostate cannot demonstrate that St. Austine euer thought that Salt and Water consecrated would cause Thunder to cease and driue away Diuels Let him bring forth the testimony of any man or Diuell to proue this and then his deuoted followers may perchance beleeue him That Christians should be burned for holding that flesh may be eaten on Frydayes or Saints Vigils as this vncharitable Apostate and his Teachers beleeue he cannot prooue that so holy a Father as S. Austine eyther taught or allowed The Precepts of the Romish Church concerning Holy-dayes Fasts Masses auricular Confession and prohibition of Marriage were neuer knowne to S. Augustine nor could be being brought in by diuers Popes that liued since his time Neyther did he teach or beleeue that Treasons against Princes and States heard by Priests in Confession were not to be reuealed or that the seale of Confession of which the Masse-Priests talke as of a diuine Mysterie was ordained by God Of the cases reserued to the Pope which are a principall bulwarke of the Papall authoritie S. Austine neuer heard newes Neyther was hee acquainted with the Popes Penitentiarie Taxe or the rules of his Chancerie nor thought it fit that Periurie Incest Murder and all irregularities should bedispensed withall or pardoned for Money Finally all those Heresies and Nouelties which the Romanists now hold and maintaine with all sraud and force were eyther reiected by S. Austine or vtterly vnknowne vnto him CHAP. II. That those principall points of Romish Religion which we reiect are also reiected and contradicted by S. AVSTINE NEyther doth S. Austine onely passe ouer in silence the new-forged Religion of Papists maintained by this Apostate but also directly oppugne the same They euery where vilifie holy Scriptures as imperfect difficult ambiguous calling them a Nose of Wax a Delphian Sword a dead Letter Matter of Contention S. Austine contrariwise extolleth them as placed in a sublime place of authoritie and from them he would haue none to depart Extat authoritas sacrae Scripturae vnde mens nostra deuiare non debet saith he Lib. 3. de Trinit cap. 11. They admit Traditions and the Popes Definitions for a Rule of Faith but this holy Father admitteth no Rule but holy Scripture Canon Ecclesiasticus saith he constitutus est ad quem certi Apostolorum Prophetarum libri pertinent The words are extant Lib. 2. contr cresc gram c. 31. In the same place he would not haue any to iudge of Scripture but to iudge according to it but the Pope taketh vpon him to taxe and iudge of Scripture yea to pronounce without it and against it The Apostate and his Consorts esteeme the Scriptures to be hard and ambiguous S. Austine lib. 2. de Doct. Christ c. 9. saith That whatsoeuer is necessarie to saeluation is contained in plaine places of Scripture The Iesuits muster against vs Traditions Decretals Fathers and such like testimonies but S. Austine reiecting all the rest would haue all proofes deriued out of Scriptures Lib. de vnit Eccles c. 3. Auferantur saith he ille de medio quae aduersus nos inuicem non ex Diuims Canonicis Libris sed aliunde recitamus They goe about to marke out a Church by Vnitie Vniuersalitie Antiquitie and Succession but S. Austine de vnit Eccles c. 1. would haue the question of the Church to be decided by Scriptures Inter nos Donatistas quaestio est vbi sit Ecclesia quid ergo facturi sumus saith he in verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in verbis capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christi These presumptuous fellowes preferre themselues before Scripture determining according to the Popes Decretals what Bookes are Canonicall and what the meaning is of euery Text but S. Austine lib. 2. contr Cresc c. 21. sheweth that neyther any particular man nor the Church it selfe is to preferre it selfe before Christ Now who knoweth not that Christ speaketh to vs in Scriptures Ecclesia saith he non debet se Christo praeponere And Confess 13. c. 23. he would not haue any to iudge of the sublime authoritie of the Booke of God They receiue not holy Scriptures vnlesse the Church that is the Pope propose them and declare them to be Canonicall S. Austine lib. 6. Confess c. 5. blameth such as are not by Scriptures perswaded to accept them They hold the old Latine vulgar Translation to be authenticall but contrarie to S. Augustines iudgement Bellarmine Leo Castrius Lindaue and diuers other Papists taxe holy Scriptures in the Originals of Impuritie and Corruption but contrarie to S. Augustines iudgement
the entire Rule They forbid holy Scriptures to be read in vulgar Tongues to the people being afraid belike least the light thereof should discouer their false errors and foule deeds Contrarie to the Doctrine of the Fathers they make the Bookes of Tobia Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the Machabees and those peeces of Bookes that are in the old vulgar Latine Translation and not in the Originals to be Canonicall Scriptures equall to the Law and Prophets The old Latine vulgar Translation they make authenticall and neyther the Hebrew nor Greeke Originals of the Old and New Testament They forbid all interpretations of Scriptures contrarie to the sence of the Pope and Roman Church and might as well forbid all Scriptures They teach that the worship of Dulia is due to Saints and Hyperdulia to the Virgin Mary They worship Images of Gold and Siluer and fall downe before the workes of their owne hands Before a Stock they say Pater noster and before Images of Stone and Mettall they say Mater nostra praying helpe of them that neyther heare nor see nor walke nor speake They desire the Picture of Christs Face giuen as is said to Veromca to blot out their sinnes and to bring them to the societie of Saints They call vpon Angels and Saints in all places as if they were euery where present and could heare their prayers and vnderstand their thoughts and could helpe Praying to the Crosse they say Aue spes vnica and desire it to encrease instice in them and to pardon their sinnes They giue diuine honor to the Crosse and to the Images of Christ and the Trinitie which is vnexcusable Idolatrie Consecrating a Crosse they desire it may be to them a Foundation of Faith and a Defence in Aduersitie They beleeue that the Image of the Virgin Mary can helpe the faithfull and that the Image of S. Iohn the Euangelist hath power to driue away Diuels as appeareth by their prayers in the Pontificall when they consecrate them They pray without vnderstanding in a strange Tongue and call vpon Saints and Angels that neyther are present nor heare them They make the Images of the Trinitie and not onely of Angels but mens soules in Heauen The Apostle sayth there is but one Mediator betwixt God and man they employ all Angels and Saints as Mediators Yea they call vpon S. George S. Katherine S. Christopher and XI M. Virgins yet are not assured that there are any such Saints in Heauen or euer were in the World In the Masse the Priest presumptuously taketh vpon him to be a Mediator for Christ Jesus beseeching the Father to looke vpon his Sonne with a serene countenance and to send Angels to carrie vp his Bodie into Heauen Masse-Priests beleeue that they are Priests according to the Order of Melchisedech but the Apostle Hebr. 5. 7. sheweth how that Office belongeth only to Christ They beleeue that Christ is by them continually offered to God but the Apostle sayth he was but once offered and that by that one Oblation he persited all that are sanctified They offer Masses for the redemption of their Soules as if men were redeemed by Masse-Priests as well as by Christ They say Masses also for Hogges and sick Horses which is an intollerable impietie presuming that Christ dyed for brute Beasts They hold the Masse to be a Sacrifice propitiatorie as if sinnes could be remitted without bloud which the Apostle denyeth Hebr. 9. S. Iohn 1. Epist 1. sayth Christs bloud doth cleanse vs from all sinnes quite contrarie to the Doctrine of the Romanists holding that sinnes are cleansed by Purgatorie fire and by our owne and the Saints sufferings They whip themselues thinking by their owne Penance to purge away sinnes like Baals Priests not considering that we are healed by Christs wounds The Apostle Ephes 2. sayth we are saued by grace they beleeue they are saued by the merits of their workes Hee sayth God called vs not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace They hold that God doth predestinate and call such as by free-will admit that calling and iustifie men that first prepare themselues to iustification Rom. 9. he sheweth That it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth They teach that euery one that will may be saued if he run well They doe also teach that God giueth sufficient grace to all to be saued as if euery one were chosen and called and had grace giuen him to beleeue The Apostle Rom. 3. sayth We are iustified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus They beleeue they are iustified by their workes and merits Christ breaking Bread sayd This is my Body These denie that he gaue Bread or called it his Body Christ distributed the Cup to all that had receiued the Bread They suffer not any but Priests to drinke of the Cup. They say Christ did eate himselfe and offer himselfe at his last Supper but for a man to eate himselfe it is absurd and for Christ to offer two Sacrifices was superfluous In priuate Masses the Priest doth eate and drinke all alone but that is contrarie to Christs Institution Christ bad his Disciples preach the Gospel The Popes Emissaries preach Traditions and Doctrine contrarie to the Gospel Among Papists Women baptize and sometime preach as Katherine of Siena and Joane of the Crosse did They thinke it is sufficient to beleeue implicitely Christ sayd eternall life consisted in knowing God and Christ Jesus They beleeue in a God that neyther made Heauen nor Earth and in Christ made of Bread contrarie to the words of the Creed Priests take vpon them to be creators of their Creator as if they had power ouer God They beleeue that Christs Body is in many places at once as if euery body were not circumscribed by place and continued to it selfe now what is this but to destroy Christs humane Nature Christs true Body in the Sacrament they say neyther seeth nor feeleth nor moueth How is that Body then a true humane Body that hath no sence nor motion The Masse they say is an externall Sacrifice How then is Christ offered in the Masse which is not externally seene Christ in the Capernaites condemned the reall eating of his flesh yet doe Papists beleeue they really eate his flesh and drinke his bloud with their mouthes Christ sayth they liue for euer that eate his fiesh Yet Papists say Reprobates eate his flesh which cannot attaine eternall life The Faith of Papists being founded on the Pope and his Decretals is meerely an humane Faith and therefore not true Christian Faith The Cardinals hauing elected a new Pope place him on the Altar and adore him Great Princes also kisse his feet and common people esteeme him as a God They forbid certaine Meates and prohibite their Votaries to Marrie which the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. calleth no better then Doctrines of Diuels They teach rebellion against Princes excommunicated contrary to the Apostle Rom. 13. that teacheth
Ep. 108. and Lib. 2. de doctr Christ c. 13. The Bookes of Toby Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees the Papists receiue as Canonicall but S. Augustine Lib. 2. contr Cresc c. 31. placeth no Bookes in the Canon of the Old Testament but such as were written by the Prophets of which number these will hardly be proued to be They make Christ to be our Mediator according to his Humanitie onely which is contrarie to S. Augustines Doctrine who in his Homily de Ouibus c. 12. doth attribute this worke of Mediation to his Person in both Natures Diuina humanitas saith he humana Diuinitas Mediatrix est The worship and inuocation of holy men departed are a great part of the Romish Religion but S. Austine de ver Relig. c. vlt. forbiddeth vs to place Religion in Reliques and the inuocation of dead men Non sit nobis Religio saith he culius hominum mortuorum And Lib. 22. de Ciuit. Dei c. 10. he saith Christians departed are named at the Altar but not called vpon S. Augustine de Morib Eccl. Cath. c. 34. saith hee knew some that worshipped dead mens Tombes and Pictures but such are condemned by him In his Booke de Haeresib hee condemneth it as an Heresie of the Simonians and Carpocratians that they worshipped Images and burnt incense vnto them Yet doth not the Apostate nor his Apostaticall mates forbeare to worship Reliques of Saints and Images and to burne incense vnto them Hee acknowledged but two Sacraments properly so called which as he speaketh flowed out of Christs side He soecifieth also two Sacraments in his 118. Epistle viz. Baptisme and the Lords Supper Manauit sanguis aqua Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta saith he Lib. 2. de Symb. c. 6. But the Apostate not regarding S. Austines authoritie acknowledgeth fiue Sacraments beside these two He saith Visible Sacraments without the sanctification of inuisible grace profit nothing as we reade in Quaest. super Leuit. Lib. 3. q. 84. But the Apostate and his Consorts beleeue that visible Sacraments conferre grace ex opere operato S. Augustine in Psal 3. calleth the Sacrament a figure of Christs Bodie and Lib. contr Adimantum c. 12. Christ as he writeth doubted not to say This is my Bodie when he gaue a signe of his Bodie But Papists cannot brooke that this Sacrament should be called a signe or a figure of Christs Bodie Take away the spaces of places from Bodies saith S. Austine Epist 57. ad Dardanum and they will be no where and because they are no where they will not be at all Spatia locorum tolle corporibus nusquam erunt quia nusquam erunt non erunt And in his 20. Booke contr Faustum he faith Christ according to his corporall presence could not be at one time in the Sunne and Moone and on the Crosse And in his 30. Treatise on Joan. he saith The Bodie of Christ must be in one place But this rinegate Apostating as well from S. Austiue as from the Christian Faith holdeth that Christs true Bodie is in euery Altar and diuers Countries at one instant and yet filleth no place It is against Pietie saith S. Austine as hee is alledged c. vtrum Dist 2. de Consecrat to thinke that Christs Bodie is deuoured with teeth Christum vorari dentibus fas non est He faith also that his flesh is no meat for mens teeth but for their soules Tract 25. in Ioan. But this impietie of deuouring and eating Christ with teeth and with the mouth is part of the Apostates impious Religion He saith also The wicked which accord not with Christ doe not eat Christs Bodie or drinke his Bloud as is alledged c. qui discordat Dist 2. de Consecr Yet this fellow rineguing from S. Austines Doctrine holdeth that not only the wicked but also brute beasts eating the Sacrament both eat his Bodie and drinke his Bloud Simul sumimus simul bibimus quia simul viuimus Wee doe take the Sacrament and drinke together because wee liue together saith S. Augustine in Serm. ad Neoplast which is alledged c. quia passus Dist 2. de Consecrat And can the rinegate in his rinegued Conscience beleeue that S. Austine allowed priuate Masses and halfe Communions Free-will being captiuated saith S. Augustine contr 2. Epist Pelag. lib. 3. c. 8. is of no strength but to sinne Liberum arbitrium captiuatum non nisi ad peccandum valet And will this captiuated slaue of Antichrist contradict such a holy Father and say that Free-will is not captiuated but hath power to doe well The same Father de Nupt. Concupisc lib. 1. c. 3. contr Julian lib. 4. c. 3. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 5. c. 19. in Psal 31. in Praefat. teacheth that Infidels sinne in all their workes but the rinegate and his Mates will not submit themselues to S. Austines iudgement nor denie but that Infidels may doe good workes The Church as S. Austine saith Lib. 5. contr Donatist c. 27. consisteth of iust and holy men and in his Exposition on the 56. Psal hee saith it consisteth of all the faithfull that are the members of Christ And will the Apostate hold that wicked Popes Cardinals Masse-Priests Monkes and Fryars whereof some are Infidels are the true members of Christs Body His Master Bellarmine de Eccles c. 2. saith a man may be a true member of the Church if he communicate outwardly in Faith and Sacraments with the Church and be subiect to the Pope albeit he haue neyther inward Faith nor Vertue But who will not rather beleeue S. Austine then these two Pseudo-Catholikes Sine bonorum operum meritis per fidem iustificaetur impius saith S. Austine in Psal 67. Yet this rinegat doubteth not but as he hath the sinnes of his youth and scabs inherent so he is iustified by charitie inherent and good works if he haue any S. Austine in his Commentaries in Psal 36. doth expressely condemne mens Merits esteeming all our sufferings vile and not worthie of that which we receiue And in Psal 83. Quicquid promisit indignis promisit Whatsoeuer God promised saith he he promised to men vnworthie that the reward might be not of Workes but of Grace Afterward hee saith Our iustice is not of Merites of men but of Gods gift And yet this vnworthie fellow and his thrice-vnworthie Mates boast continually of their worth and teach mens Merites The same holy Father also Confess lib. 10. c. 42. denyeth all reconciliation to God made by Angels and in his Booke de Haeresib condemneth such for Heretikes as pray to Angels How then can such rinegates reconcile themselues to S. Austine praying to Angels and trusting to be reconciled by Angels and holpen by their intercession Lib. de Haeres c. 88. hee condemneth Pelagius for an Heretike holding that man may by free-will dispose himselfe to grace and that iust men can liue without sinne and be saued by their owne strength The which Fancies being embraced by this Heretike who
them which are nothing but huskes for swine and hoggish and ignorant Papists S. Austine applyeth these words to God this Apostate applyeth them to himselfe and his idle fantasies Intimating that his Booke was printed Permissu superiorum by the permission of his Superiours hee maketh a plaine declaration that like a false-hearted fellow hee renounceth his allegiance to his Prince and submitteth himselfe to traiterous Masse-Priests and Iesuites and other the Popes forraine factors enemies to the Prince and State Now come we to the Epistle dedicatory directed to the Virgin Mary a worke full of presumption and vanity For how could so holy a Virgin accept of such an impure companion or so faithfull a Christian allow of this disciple of Antichrist endeuouring to draw Christians from Christ to serue Belial Further how can so spotlesse a Virgin approue so corrupt a Translation and so wicked a Preface and notes sauouring of nothing but the spirit of Sathan seeking by lyes and impostures to abuse the simple This blessed Virgin hee slileth the most glorious Queene of Heauen A stile neyther giuen to her by the Apostles nor allowed by any Catholike further it is a vaine imagination to turne the Kingdome of Heauen into an earthly Princes Court and to suppose that God is married to a woman He addeth that shee is the joy of coelestiall Spirits and vnder Christ the highest hope of humane creatures As if Angels turned themselues from God to ioy in the Virgin Mary or men were chiefly to hope in her Where did this man learne this tradition and how doth hee proue that Angels and men are to ioy in a Creature and to trust in her and not to place their glory and hope in God onely Is this a Catholike point of Doctrine and will his holy Father define it to bee true Behold sayth hee a prodigall Child of thine As if such a wanton young-man that hath so often runne from his Father were the Sonne of a Virgin and a glorious Queene as he calleth her who neuer had any sonne but him that was also the Sonne of God A prodigall Child hee may well call himselfe as one that hath dissipated his substance viuendo luxuriose and which hath deuoured his substance cum meretricibus as did the Prodigall mentioned Luk. 15. But let him forbeare to call himselfe a man so debauched the holy Virgins sonne In stead of a glasse of Flowers as he sayth hee layeth vpon the altar of the Virgins goodnesse a booke of Pictures which haue the fame to bee well limned But first it is boyes play to make sport with Glasses Flowers and Puppets Next in earnest he declareth himselfe to bee an Idolater that erecteth an Altar to the Virgin Mary and offereth sacrifice vpon it Thirdly were he not an Ideote hee would not make S. Austine a limner and if he were not vayne-glorious he would not suppose that this vayne Translation were a picture well limned or compare such brutish conceits to Flowers odoriferous and Pictures beautifull and glorious Going on in his absurd allegorising vayne hee telleth vs That the colours of the Pictures were mingled by no worse hand then of the holy Ghost and layd by one of his fore-fingers As if this absurd and mishapen translation were painted out with fresh colours or such a discolute and discomposed Painter were a fore-finger of the Holy Ghost or the Holy Ghost had hands and fore-fingers to paint withall Further to speake of S. Austine himselfe he was not so bold as to say his Confessions were indited by the Holy Ghost which belongeth onely to the sublime authority of holy canonicall Scriptures Neyther was he so grosse conceited as to make the Holy Ghost in the forme of a man or to attribute to him the Art of Limning This is the worke of this painting Apostate who hauing rinegued Chris maketh no scruple to blaspheme the holy Ghost Further hee sayth his wandering youth in faith and life doth not discourage him from venturing his translation before the-Virgins eyes He would haue sayd venting if he could haue hit vpon the word for Marchant venturer he was neuer neyther had he reason to venture the sight of so baudie a Worke before such a Queene as he imagineth her to be and so contemptible a translation before her curious iudgement Further how doth he proue that the Virgin Mary would or could reade his Booke below shee reigning in Heauen aboue And what testimonie can he produce that he doth not now more wander and goe astray both in faith and life then he did in his most youthfull time Italy and Spaine certes are no places to teach reformation eyther in Doctrine or manners Thou flowest from that Sea of Mercie sayth he speaking of the Virgin Mary as a most noble and nauigable Riuer bearing Bottomes of all Burthens So he blasphemeth that holy Virgin supposing her to be a nauigable Riuer bearing Popish Turkish and Pagan Bottomes and dishonouring her Virginitie whom he would seeme to magnifie Further like a ridiculous Sot he maketh nauigable Riuers to flow out of the Sea which his sences if hee haue any might haue shewed him to flow into the Sea He doth also make the Virgin Mary to flow from the Diuinitie as if she were a fourth Person in the Trinitie or as if she were her Sonnes Image Christ sayth hee payd the price of our redemption out of the stocke of his flesh and bloud which he tooke from his Mother As if our Sauiour acted nothing with his Diuinitie and holy Soule in the Act of our Redemption and all his stocke had come from her and shee and not Christ had broken the Serpents head These are not Elegancies but Blasphemies of which he hath no small stocke the stocke of his substance being formerly spent in foraine Countries His mercie sayth he so lookes as if his iustice did receiue thereby some wrong as if Christs iustice could not stand with his mercie Further he diminisheth much of Christs mercie making not Christ but the Virgin Mary a nauigable Riuer of Mercie capable of all Bottomes It may be he thinketh that as Christ saued all Christians so the Virgin Mary saued Turkes Infidels and Apostates This Saint repayred the ruines of his former life and as a broken Bough being bound about exceeded in strength as hee telfeth the Virgin Mary But S. Austine neuer told the Virgin Mary so much nor did he confesse to her as this Apostate doth confesse for him but without commission Further it was not in S. Austines power to repayre himselfe nor are broken Boughes being ingrafted stronger then they were before were he and his companions ingrafted in Tiburne Stocks they would neyther grow strong nor long S. Augustine retracted some of his words But what hath the Virgin Mary to doe with his retractations this should rather be an example for the Translator to retract his Heresies and repent himselfe of his Apostacie He addeth that he reuersed all the impure workes of his heart as if
it lay in man to make his heart cleane and to repent This is impure Pelagianisme He addeth that S. Austine gaue himselfe as it were into the hands of the foure Winds to spread him abroad as a most wicked peece of flesh As if no Winds did blow but foure and these Winds had Hands and S. Austine had more wicked flesh then the Translator and his Consorts He may therefore thinke himselfe happie that the blessed Virgin taketh no note of his words for if she should reward him according to his deeds she should for his madnesse commit him to Bedlem there to be whipped by foure Beadles vntill his wicked and luxurious flesh were well chastised for his windie conceits Such humilitie as thou O sacred Virgin doest best know cannot chuse but now be answered with a strange measure of glorie But first how doth the Translator know that the blessed Virgin was best acquainted with S. Austines humilitie and his thoughts Did shee better know it then God Almightie the searcher of mens hearts Further who can say that by his humilitie he can deserue a strange measure of glorie S. Austine certes was neuer of this mans humor who trusted rather to Gods mercy then to his owne merites He did penetrate the consideration of thy matchlesse puritie with a most perfect eye which in dignitie is next to God sayth he speaking to the Virgin Mary As if this blind Buzzard which hath neyther perfect eye nor other good sence could penetrate S. Austines conceit concerning the Virgins puritie or discerne who is next to God in dignitie That the Virgin Mary was conceiued without sinne S. Austine neuer sayd nor doth he preferre her in dignitie before Angels Nay that exception which is now found put into his 36. Chapt. de Natura Gratia seemeth to be foysted in by some Fryar -Further S. Austine doth neyther accuse her nor excuse her Nay c. 41. out of Rom. 5. he proueth that sinne by one man passed ouer all No where was he so simple as to talke of the perfect eye of the Virgins Soule of which the Apostate whose Soule is dyed in villanie speaketh nor doth hee say that her Soule was wholly free from the least shadow of spot or that hee that should charge the blessed Virgin with any sinne should strip our Sauiour of his honour as this shamelesse companion stripping all shame from his face most falsely affirmeth for hee hath nothing of the shadowes of spots Nor was it any dishonour for Christ to be borne of a sinfull Woman she being ouer shadowed by the holy Ghost when she conceiued Christ but that her Mother was ouer-shadowed by the holy Ghost when she conceiued her we reade not nor can it be proued He beleeueth as he sayth that the holy Virgin was as entirely immaculate in the first instant of her Conception as she is truly glorious by her Assumption Which argueth that he is a poore Infidell hauing no Faith but that which is built vpon the Dreames of Fryars and Fables concerning her Assumption Dreames I say and Fables contradicted by many of the most learned of his owne side and not receiued by any true Christians that build their Faith vpon the Word of God The times wherein we liue he sayth are deadly sicke of two Infirmities Which wee confesse to be true in himselfe and his Consorts who offend so outragiously in Luxurie and Heresie that scarce Pagans come neere them in the first or the ancient Heretikes in the second maintaining publike Brothels and giuing themselues ouer to all vncleannesse They doe also oppugne the true Faith and vphold most damnable Heresies And this is not onely found true by experience but also testified by Petrarch Boccace Platina and their owne Writers and that in Popes Cardinals Masse-Priests and the most eminent men of that side Let S. Austine reade what Lecture he will vpon the Anatomie of the Soule yet if his Soule and Bodie were anatomized there would be nothing found therein but Botches Vlcers Scabs and a whole masse of filthinesse and villanie If then he had any drops of bloud left vncorrupted he would blush and be ashamed to talke of anatomizing Soules and of deadly sicknesses himselfe and his Mates being most of all therewith infected and ruined But were he neuer so discased and needed he neuer so much to be carryed to the Hospitall yet hath he no reason as he doth to call her an Hospitall which commonly is a Receptacle of sicke scabbed and vlcered companions There was neuer sayth he within the Line and Latitude of meere Creatures so bright a Beame of Truth shot out from the Spheare of immortall Light nor so cleare a Streame of Puritie from theeuerlasting Spring of Paradise â—as that which did sill and euerflow thy most holy Soule the high example and sweet influxe whereof doth so helpe to reforme and rectifie the darke and dissolute heart of man And I to requite his fluxe of vanitie in part say you shall hardly finde such a peece of bombasted Barbarisme such a Line of doltish Dizardrie and such a frame of allegorizing Pedantrie as this extrauagant Translator hath here afforded vs Draw out your Lines and vse your vttermost Art yet shall you not frame a Modell of a Dizard comparable to him Who euer could shoot out such Bolts of Foolerie and flow with such excesse of Inke-pot phrases but hee that is steeped in the Popes Close-Stoole and shaped by the Rules of irregular Ignatians The blessed Virgin hee disgraceth with his exorbitant phrases and maketh an Idoll of her whom he desireth to magnifie signifying that Grace did flowe from her as a Goddesse Hee prayeth to the Virgin Mary that neyther the Mist or Fogge of Sensualitie may detaine him nor the side Wind of Vanitie diuert him nor the contrarie Wind of Impatience tosse him as for the Pyrate of Heresie he presumeth he needeth no more to feare least he be drowned by him But had wee no other argument to disproue the intercession of the Virgin Mary this one were sufficient to ouerthrow it for notwithstanding all his importunitie wee see hee is ouerwhelmed with Mists and Fogges of Lust and Concupiscence his Vanitie and Pride hath diuerted him from all Goodnesse contrarie Windes and Discontent hath bereaued him of his Sences and neuer was any of his Consorts more deepely plunged into Heresies But so it fareth with those which leauing Christ Jesus the Fountaine of liuing Water digge to themselues Cesternâ—s that hold no Water and flye to the intercession of the Virgin Mary of Angels and Saints CHAP. V. Herein the Apostates absurd tedious and malicious Preface is scanned and refuted THE principall marke vnto which the Prefator and Translator directeth all his bolts is first to proue himselfe and his Popish consorts to bee Catholikes and next to conuince his Parents good friends and Countrimen to be misbeleeuers and Heretikes But how farre wide he shooteth in the first I haue already by sound arguments declared The same will