Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	catholic_a	church_n	doctrine_n	2,797	4	6.6121	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07805	The encounter against M. Parsons, by a revievv of his last sober reckoning, and his exceptions vrged in the treatise of his mitigation. Wherein moreouer is inserted: 1. A confession of some Romanists, both concerning the particular falsifications of principall Romanists, as namely, Bellarmine, Suarez, and others: as also concerning the generall fraude of that curch, in corrupting of authors. 2. A confutation of slaunders, which Bellarmine vrged against Protestants. 3. A performance of the challenge, which Mr. Parsons made, for the examining of sixtie Fathers, cited by Coccius for proofe of Purgatorie ... 4. A censure of a late pamphlet, intituled, The patterne of a Protestant, by one once termed the moderate answerer. 5. An handling of his question of mentall equiuocation (after his boldnesse with the L. Cooke) vpon occasion of the most memorable, and feyned Yorkeshire case of equiuocating; and of his raging against D. Kings sermon. Published by authoritie	Morton, Thomas, 1564-1659.	1610 (1610)	STC 18183; ESTC S112913	342,598	466

Iacob would M. Parsons his learning licence him to condemne that speech of incongruitie Although I haue M. Parsons now at this aduantage yet will I not in requital of his owne scurrilitie about the Syllogisme send him vnto the Schoole againe to learne his Grammer but rather hold it sufficient to haue thus admonished him hereof SECT XII The twelueth Charge concerning Doleman alias Parsons 50. THe inquirie is whether Doleman alias Parsons held it to be a damnable sinne for any of his Catholicks to suffer any Protestant Prince to succeede in the Crowne This is your owne case M. Parsons and it wil therefore concerne you much to make vp a straight Reckoning if you will free your intention from Treason Your Answere in your Mitigation was this Is there any word peculiar of a Protestant Prince or of his successor Nay doth not the text speake plainely of making a King where none is c. How then can this malicious cauelling Minister c. This you spake in your lesse temperate moode but since I haue told you thatthe materiall subiect of that Booke was the Succession to the Crowne of England after the decease of Queene ELIZABETH where you spake expresly of an Heire apparant and in particular and by name tooke exception against our now Gracious Soueraigne King IAMES to debarre him from the inheritance of Great Brittaine I must expect of you a more solemne account M. PARSONS his Reckoning HIs last words Of damnable sinner were spoken as well against Catholickes as Protestants and meant more principally of Election then of Succession The Reueiwe 51. Mr. Parsons in his Mitigation would not be knowne to haue meant any more then of making a King by Election Now hee is brought to confesse that hee vnderstood it although lesse Principally of Succession also Which I confesse is a more Sober Reckoning Now yet wheras there is as good a right for an heire to succeed in the Crowne as there is for a King to possesse it M. Parsons reason of not making or admitting the right heire apparant who by the lawes of England is King immediatly after his Predecessor hath yeelded vp his last breath did necessarily inferre that he meant indeed by not making to marre a King which I prooued by a Syllcgisme which did sufficiently manifest his meaning viz. Maior Euery man is a damnable Sinner who admitteth any to the Crowne whom he thinketh faultie in Religion Minor But euery Romish Catholicke in the opinion of Mast. Parsons thinketh all Protestant Princes faultie in Religion Ergo. Euery Romish Catholicke who admitteth a Protestant to succeede in the Crowne is in the opinion of M. Parsons a damnable Sinner Let vs if you please Reckon likewise for this Mr. PARSONS his Reckoning ALl this Syllogisme I say is as well verified of Protestants as Catholickes and consequently the force of this Argument concludeth nothing at all against vs more then against himselfe and his For as for the Maior proposition no Protestant of sense I thinke but will grant that it is a damnable sinne to admit any Prince if it lie in his hand to preferre or hinder whom he thinketh to bee faultie in Religion for that otherwise we must say that Protestants haue no Conscience concerning Religion if they will aduance wittingly any one that will in their opinion destroy the same And then I make the Minor But euery true Protestant thinketh Romish Catholicks faultie in Religion Ergo euery true Protestant that admitteth a Catholicke Prince to succeede in the Crown is a damnable sinner And then what shall we say of the Dolphine of France when he commeth to yeeres to succeede in that Crowne after the death of the king his Father Will the Protestants receiue him or no The Reueiwe 52. The Maior was indeed propounded generally but according to the euident scope of that booke of Dolman it was intended only against Protestants for their Dolman alias Mr. Parsons himselfe being of the Romane Religion did professe it to bee a damnabē sinne to admit of King Iames and so of other Protestant Princes notwithstanding the right of their inheritance to succeed in the Crowne which is all that I haue affirmed of Dolman for the which notwithstanding he hath made so lowde and a lewde clamor saying How is this fellow to be trusted in these his Assertions c. But yet now graunteth in effect my former Assertion 53. True it is that in electing a King a man is bound in conscience to vse his libertie for the good of religion but religion it selfe teacheth vs that in admitting a Successor who according to the lawes of that Kingdome hath a right vnto the Crown the libertie of election ceaseth and the necessitie of admittance by the doctrine of Protestants is layd vpon vs be the partie neuer so aduerse vnto vs in faith as it appeared in their admittance of the now King of France euen when he reuolted from their Religion whom the Romanists would not admitt whilest that he was a Protcstant in profession And this difference of comparison betweene Protestants and Romanistes will continue vntill the Romanistes haue taken out this Lesson of Primitiue and Catholicke Doctrine to witte Diuersitie of Religion doth not change the naturall right of Inheritance which Rule preuailed in the mostpure times as Barkley their owne Doctor prooneth euen when Christians were winnowed and purged with persecution at what time the Apostle exhorted them saying Let euery Soule be Subiect vnto the higher powers And Euen then saith your Cunerus when the Martyrs by reason of their multitude were able to conspire against their Persecutors yet chose they rather to suffer for the obedience and honour which they were commaunded to performe vnto Kings then to resist if it happned that they could not saue themselues by flying This was the true victorie of Christians There is one thing more which you will haue me Reckon for M. PARSONS Reckoning in Charging his Aduersarie ANd to prooue this to bee an exaggeration That all Priests doe vtterly 〈◊〉 the Succession in all Protestant Princes I alleadged contrarie examples in all the Protestant Princes that euer succeeded in England since the beginning of the world who are knowne to bee but three in number King Edward Queene Elizabeth and King Iames who were admitted both by Priests and Lay-men Ergo all Priests doe not vtterly abolish all Succession in all Protestant Princes c. And consequently some moderation must be graunted on our side against this odious exaggeration A Reuiewe shewing how M. Parsons is fettered in his owne Assertions 54. Is this an honest kind of Reckoning to tell what you alleaged and to conceale what I replied namely that it is a sillie sophistrie for you in a question of right to oppose for your discharge only a matter of fact which is no better reasoning then to say that certaine Robbers were honest and quiet Subiects because they suffered three

by saying No-body meaning To tell it vnto you and S. Augustine his Firmus in these daies would be hissed out of their schooles for a simple and witlesse fellow euen as our AEquinocatours would if they had liued in these daies been driuen out of Christendome for gracelesse mont-bankes But heare what followeth 7 An other example Before he deliuereth this example he propoundeth a Conclusion which is principally to be obserued In the case of a man who is wrongfully questioned about a most secret fault If saith Sotus he cannot finde words whereby through an Equiuocation which is in the common vse of men he may couer his fault without a lie he ought rather to die than lie Still we finde that whatsoeuer the AEquiuocation be it ought to be such as consisteth in the common vse of the words themselues And therefore where the question is concerning a guilty person who killed Peter and is examined thereabout Whether he may answer I haue not killed him conceiuing in his minde another man of the same name Peter being one whom indeed he killed not Such an answer saith Sotus cannot be without a lie because according to the receiued vse of all men an affirmation and negation in proper names are so taken for the same man as if this onely had been therby signified viz. for that Peter of whom the question was asked How then shall their AEquiuocating Priest auoid the guilt of a lie who being asked whether he were a Priest Answered No meaning A Priest of Apollo the heathenish God And being demanded whether he were euer beyond the Sea answered No meaning the Adriatique Sea We see that heere also their Sotus meeth with their AEquiuocator to prooue him alier 8 The last example But what shall the guilty miserable woman doe when her husband shall constraine her by violence to confesse whether she had committed Adultrie or no and shee cannot finde any amphibologie to hide herselfe in I answere saith he That the iniquities of men are more than that wee can preuent them therefore in such a case it is better to die than to transgresse by lying This had beene but a fond Resolution if he had thought that Nescio vt dicam would haue serued the turne which to free the speech from a lie notwithstanding is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the profession and practise of our Equiuocators and whereby it is most easie to preuent all guiles of the most subtle Interrogatories In briefe in the shutting vp of this Treatise hee granteth that Words which haue not a true sense according to the signification which is receiued into common vse cannot bee excused from a lie Which conclusion with all these premisses I leaue as a Glasse vnto M. Parsons and other Professors of Mentall Equiuocation to looke their faces in and at their leasure to tell mee what they see From the Spanish Doctor Sotus hee goeth to a Flemmish Doctor Cunerus SECT II. The summe of the sixteeneth charge of M. PARSONS his Reckoning CVnerus is no lesse iniuriously alleaged than the former for Cunerus saying In religione concordiae sola est ratio vt omnes c. that is This in religion is the onely way of concord that all men with apious minde doe wholly conceiue and practise that which is taught in the Catholike Church of Rome Maister Morton translateth This is the onely true religion which is taught in the Church of Rome What dealing is this c. The Reuiew 9 Any man may perceiue what kind of fish M. Parsons is who can thus carpe at words peruersly concealing the plaine intention of the Author Cunerus hee intending to proue the Hollanders to be Rebels against the K. of Spaine who were not possibly to except concord except first they would consent in one Religion and that there is no true religion but that of the Church of Rome Whereunto saith Cunerus a Christian Prince is sworne to be a defender of the faith namely of that Romish and therefore he wil haue that King as Sara to cast out Agar and her sonne so to remoue out of Holland all of the contrarie profession of Religion If then he allowing no possibilitie of Concord without consent in religion and no Religion but that which is Romish doth he not euidently say that the Romish is the onely Religion I am vexed with M. Parsons his vanities and desire something materiall Peraduenture we shall finde it in the next instance SECT III. The seuenteenth charge M. PARSONS his Reckoning NOw we come to another abuse perteining to two menindifferently to wit Cassander a Germane Schoolmaster and Bellarmine a Cardinall but wee shall ascribe it rather to the Germane for this present for that we haue had diuerse examples about Cardinali Bellarmine before The Reuiew 10 Shal I attribute this omitting of my Abuse of Bellarmine vnto M. Parsons his remisnesse or rather to his barrennesse and indeed fondnesse who offereth to Reckon for an abuse of Bellarmine and yet will not tell what it is Wherein M. Parsons abuseth Bellarmine in my opinion bringing him vpon his stage to no other end than as Cato went into the Senate to carrie him out againe But what of Cassander I would heare first something of the man and then of the matter The summe of M. PARSONS his Reckoning Finding my selfe weary with prosecuting the labyrinth of his intricate iuggling trickes I will draw to an end adding only one example more in this place First to pretermit that he goeth about to deceiue his Reader by the opinion of grauity and learning in George Cassander of Bruges who was but a Grammarian in his daies and that hee was a Catholike who is consured for an Heretike primae classis in the Index of prohibited bookes and not onely for heresies of his time but also Quòd dicit Spiritum S. minus aduocandum adorandum esse c. The Review 11 It were good you knew how to make an end and better it had beene for you in your reputation that you had not begunne at all with this taxation of Cassander it is so notoriously shamelesse for I beseech you M. Parsons what great cause haue you to contemne a Grammarian how much lesse to say that Cassander was but a Grammarian As though hee had beene vnworthy of any better esteeme whom both the Emperor Ferdinand and Maximilian King of the Romanes sent for about the time of the Councell of Trent and made singular choise of him before any other Doctor with whom they might consult concerning the weightiest points of controuersie in Religion and in that respect was he commended by the Emperor for a man of singular learning and godlinesse and intituled Theologus that is a Diuine and by Maximilian hee was extolled for a man godly learned and discreet benè versatus in sacris literis that is One very conuersant in holy Scriptures of whom we haue need saith

Senensis nor any Romanist durst euer say that Saints and Martyrs did euer take their voyage vnto heauen by hell Thus then the Vide of Senensis bringeth no doubt in the cause for it is stil plain by the contexts that by it is not meant your Purgatory-fire 8. Finally to Mr. Parsons demaunding why I should ascribe more vnto the iudgement of Senensis then vnto Bellarmine I answer because Bellarmine did write in his heate of altercation but Senensis in the calme of contemplation By which distinction Senensis himselfe discerneth betweene the more and lesse iustifiable sentences of holy Fathers Albeit indeede I doe yeelde to Senensis especially because of the euidence of his proofe SECT IIII. The next Charge against Bellarmine 9. IT follweth in the Preamble Lastly hee professeth to confirme the Doctrine of Purgatory out of most of the Greeke and Latine Fathers And an other Iesuit saith more largely Of all the Greeke Fathers which is an Assertion as false as peremptorie euen by the confession of their owne Bishop saying that There is very rare mention of Purgatory in the Greeke Fathers and that the Latine Fathers did not all at first apprehend the doctrine thereof Mr. PARSONS his Reckoning THis is vnderstood by him as well of the name of Purgatorie not then so much in vse as that the most Ancient writers next after the Apostles time when many things were not discussed so exactly as in processe of time they were did not so clearely handle that matter Nemo iam dubitat orthodoxus saith he an Purgatorum sit de quo tamen apud priscos illos nulla vel quàm rarissima fiebat mentio No rightly beleeuing Christian doth now doubt whether there be Purgatorie or no Of which notwithstanding there was none or very rare mention made among those Ancient Fathers Whereof hee giueth diuers reasons and indeede the same may be said of sundry important other Articles of Catholicke Religion For so much as in the first Primitiue Church when the said Fathers were vnder Persecution and occupied in other weightie affaires against Heretickes and Persecutors they had not time nor occasion to discusse many things which the holy Ghost did afterward make more cleare to the Church by successe of time And yet doth not B. Fisher say that there was no knowledge of this Article of Purgatorie in the very first Fathers but onely his meaning was that the name nature and circumstance thereof was not so well discussed and consequently the thing more seldome mentioned by them then afterward by the subsequent writers And he after proueth it out of many Greeke and Latine Fathers and out of Scriptures The Reueiwe 10. Their Bishop Roffensis confesseth that among the Greeke Fathers there is Rarissima mentio that is Most rare mention of Purgatorie M. Parsons translateth Rarissima very rare which is but a tricke of a nibler Againe M. Parsons will haue vs to vnderstand Rosfensis so as though he had onely meant that The name nature and circumstances were not so well discussed or mentioned by ancient Grecians But Roffensis speaking of Purgatorie it selfe saith that Aliquandiù incognitum fuit serò cognitum vniuersae Ecclesiae c. This is the confession of their owne Bishop Roffensis That is Purgatorie was for a while vnknowen and not till of late knowne to the vniuersall Church With what assurance can the Romanists call the Doctrine Catholicke that is Vniuersall which was not knowne vniuersally in the Primitiue Church of Christ Yet hath Rome adopted this Article of Purgatorie and suffered this Creeper to come into her newe Creede vnder the title of a doctrine necessarie to saluation But more of this hereafter SECT V. The next Charge 11. IF any shall but obserue in this one Controuersie the number of witnesses brought in for confirmation of this their new Article in the name of Ancient Fathers which are by the confession of our Aduersaries meerely counterfeit as Clemens his Constitutions Clemens his Epistles Athanas in Quaestion Eusebius Emissenus Iosephus Bengorion Hieron in Prouerb August ad fratres in Eremo the Liturgies of S. Iames and others All which as they are vrged for proofe of Purgatorie so are they reiected by their owne men I desire to be challenged for proofe hereof as Forged or Corrupted or Apocrypha c. M. PARSONS his Reckoning HE cannot be trusted in any thing he saith For these are not so much as named by Bellarmine except onely the two fitst in a word or two much lesse are they brought in for principall Authors in the Catalogue of Ancient Fathers whose Authorities hee setteth downe for proofe of Purgatorie So as this is one deceitfull vntrueth to make his Reader beleeue that these are our chiefe Authors whereas Bellarmine besides these doeth alleadge twentie viz. Ten of the Greeke Church and as many of the Latine The Reuiew 13. But if this Answere of M. Parsons bee fraught with grosse vntrueths what faith shall any man giue vnto him First I named not Bellarmine in that place but spake in generall of the ordinarie practise of our Aduersaries in alleadging corrupt and counterfeit writers Secondly I called not the foresaid Authors either chiefe or principall as M. Parsons pretendeth And lastly in saying that Bellarmine nameth but the two first of the foresaid Writers viz. Clemens his Constitutions and Athanasius is a notable falshood for Bellarmine alleadgeth Eusebius Emissenus Iosephus Bengorion and S. Iames his Liturgie So that I know not what M. Parsons meant by his denying of this except happily he laid some wager of falsifying and meant to winne it Mr. PARSONS his Reckoning and Charge against his Aduersarie SEcondly it is an other manifest vntrueth to say that our Doctors do confesse all these Authors to be meerly counterfeit For albeit some of them be excepted against or called in question by some Writers whether they be the true workes of the Authors whose names they beare or not and thereof all reputed Apocryphall that is hidden or 〈◊〉 Yet it followeth not that they are meerely counterfeit for that they may bee ancient workes and not to be contemned though not of those Authors The Reueiwe 14. M. Parsons is so transported with passion that hee hath forgotten the last clause which I vsed concerning these Authors to wit that they are either forged or corrupted or Apocrypha and so Apocrypha as being sometime not Obscure onely but euen to be contemned Whereof in these and others I shall giue him such a taste before we end our Reckoning as may I thinke soone set his teeth on edge SECT VI. The last Charge 15. IF he shall furthermore marke said I how true Fathers and Scriptures are instanced in for proofe of the same Article whereof when I speake of Fathers most of them when I speake of Canonicall Scriptures all of them are found by the iudgement of their owne Doctors to be tortured wrested and

Miximilian 12 Who may not hereby perceiue with what eies M. Parsons looked vpon this so rare and excellent a Diuine as the testimonies of those Prince and his own writing shew in whom notwithstanding hee can see nothing but a Grammarian Which sauoreth of an enuious detractiòn euen as his next exception doth taste of vanity in alleaging their Index Expurgatorius as though it were euidence enough to proue one no Catholike Those that haue red that Index know that it often purgeth out of Authours more good bloud than grosse humors And whether any such words bee in Cassander concerning the holy Ghost or in what sense hee speaketh them I haue not yet obserued this is plaine that his whole works doe magnifie the Deitie of the holy Ghost and also doe inlarge mans duetie in the worship of the blessed spirit of Grace 13 Afterwards M. Parsons anatomizeth as it were the whole text of Cassander cauilling about vnnecessarie and impertinent termes for the scope of all was to shew that Protestants in the opinion of Cassander were hold to bee Uera membra Christi that is The true members of Christ and that Princes were to seeke to establish a peace of religion betweene them and the Romanists To what end then are M. Parsons his other skirmishes where with he beateth the aire Onely onething excepted which concerneth Cassander to know what profession he was of seeing M. Parsons can not abide his Acquaintance as will further appeare M. PARSONS his Reckoning The summe Thirdly he doth most notably cogge in thrusting in the word à nobis meaning thereby to make Cassander seeme a Catholike and to speake in the behalfe of Catholikes And then hee translateth Catholikes Papists as though Cassander if hee were a Catholike would call vs Papists The Reuiew 14 By M. Parsons his censure Cassander is not to bee called a Catholike nor yet may Catholikes bee called Papists First of Cassander That my Reader may know that I was as farre from coggery as M. Parsons is from true modesty in his denials I shall but desire him to obserue that Cassander in the same booke of Consult Art 7. in defence of the Romance Church saith Verum nil tam graue in Pontifices NOSTROS dicipotest quod non in Saccrdotes Iudaici populi conueniat that is Nothing saith he can be spoken against OVR Popes which might not aswell bee obiected against the Priests of the Iewes Thus he inserteth himselfe in the number of ' Papists Secondly he was held to be a Papist of Protestants as by Osiander and Beza Thirdly some Romanists themselues haue acknowledged him in their publike writings for theirs as namely Bartholomeus Neruius and Thuanus who reporteth of him that hee was the instrument to draw Baldwine vnto the Romane religion Notwithstanding as Mable of Windsor that thought that there is no other part of the world which shee saw not within the compasse of her Horison so M. Parsons cannot discerne a Catholique except hee bee within the circumference of his own seditious doctrines in briefe this deniall that Cassander was a professed Romanist is an inexcusable falshood 15 If M. Parsons be disposed to see a notable coggery indeed he need but turne backe againe to a testimony of his owne cited out of Caluin where to make Caluin an Aduersary vnto all the ancient Fathers in the point of prayer for the dead M. Parsons himselfe hath foisted in the word Omnes All of his own against the expresse meaning and resolution of M. Caluin in that very place This is properly Coggery to foist in a word which agreeth not vnto the truth of the matter whereof we haue seen diuers examples in Suares Bellarmine and Gratian. 16 Howsoeuer it giueth vs some cause of admiration that M. Parsons is ashamed of the name of a Papist seeing that the word Papists commeth of Papa that is The Pope to whom M. Parsons professeth subiection as a matter necessary to Saluation how can he then abhor his owne sirname His fellow Cochelet is more zealous in the defence of that title We are Papists saith he and confesse it and glory in that name And Doctor Staplet on maketh Papists and Catholikes to be Synonmies But why doe we busie and abuse our Reader with discourse about such impertenencies SECT IV. The eighteenth charge M. PARSONS his Reckoning DRawing to an end I am forced to ioyne diuerse together whereof I accused him in my former writing to haue corrupted two Authors ioyntly Royard a Friar and Cunerus a Bishop The Reuiew 17 Be not offended if that which you deliuer in grosse Two together I vtter by retale yet so as to keepe your owne order which is to let your Friar Vsher your Bishop M. PARSONS his Reckonig It is not credible to him that hath not compared the bookes themselues how he hath abused diuers Authors As for example Royardus the Franciscan Friar is brought in with commendation of an honest Friar for that he saith That a King when he is made by the people can not be deposed by them again at their pleasure which is the same doctrine that all other Friers and learned Catholiks do holde so long as he conteineth himselfe within the nature of a King for that otherwise which is the question in controuersie Royard himselfe saith Parendum ei non esse That he is not to be obeyed But this is not to be iudged by the people and their mutiny as Protestant Doctours do teach The Reuiew 18 This M. Parsons hath brought in for a choice example among 〈◊〉 of as he saith an incredible abuse of my Authours therefore I desire my Reader to esteeme of those diuers others by this wherein he doth particularly insist and it will proue M. Parsons to be an incredible Accuser for the sentence of Royard standeth thus Although there be in the people a freedome of election yet after they haue chosen a King they haue no power to remoue the yoke but stand in necessitie of subiection M. Parsons hath surueyed the sentence and can not take any exception to the citation of it wherein he saw that Friar Royard preached vnto the peoplea Necessitie of subiection so farre as Not to remooue the King whom they haue once chosen Which conclusion as M. Parsons knoweth doth condemne the now positions of their Iesuits and especially M. Parsons his Dolman prouing them indeed to be no better than rebellious How will M. Parsons auoid so plaine a witnesse of their own Friar Marke I pray thee Christian Reader for this tricke he fetcheth out of the bortome of his budget by a false repetition of the sentence as if it had been thus That a King when he is made by the people can not be deposed by them againe at their pleasure whereby he turneth Royards necessitie of subiection of the people and their not hauing any power to remoue the yoke into

for feare of getting his displeasure if he should haue directly denied him that summe would now seeme not to admit of the like euasion in the Case of a Seruant commaunded to answer directly concerning the death of his masters Sonne where there is more then a doubt of shortning his masters life Who seeth not that M. Parsons if he had returned a direct answer doth now touch birdlime wherein the more he struggleth the more he is intangled answering nothing to the purpose For the question is not whether it be lawfull to Couer a truth but whether this maner of couering it by Mentall reseruation be tollerable or no which S. Augustines wit gaue him not so much as to dreame of whose sanctity doubtlesse would haue called it craft and impietie whose definition of a lye is this Mendacium est falsum dicere cùm volunt ate fallendi that is A lye is to speake a false thing with purpose to deceiue the hearer I pretermit another memorable example repeated by S. Aug. of the Bishop Firmius which hath beene alleadged by their Sotus for the confutation of the foresaid maner of Mentall Reseruation 9 In the last end of the booke of Full satisfact I added to the like purpose an example deliuered by S. Hierome which may be vnto vs a mirror of ancient simplicitie Of a wife accused by her husband and tortuted to draw out a confession of guilt but she lifting vp her eyes to heauen said thou Lord Iesu who searcheth the hart andreines art witnesse that I doe not deny truth for feare of death but therefore refuse to lye for feare of sinne The Iesuits who haue instructed the adulterous wife being asked of her husband to free herselfe by a Mentall Equiuocation would they not haue condemned this woman for want of wit and haue giuen her other ghostly counsell teaching her the vse of the same Art for the auoyding of death and escaping a lye May we not guesselby the constancie of this godly woman by S. Hieroms commendations of her that those times were not practized in this kinde of Alchymie which abstracteth such a Clause of Reseruation as surpasseth the vnderstanding of any but of him who onely is able to search immediately into the thoughts and vnderstandings of men as when a man saith I haue no money concealing this Clause in his minde Which I meane to turne into buttons The example of this woman may seeme to be more forcible because M. Parsons in his Treatise of Equiuocation in answering some other points buried this in his sober silence Thirdly by Heretikes 10 We reade in S. Augustine of the heresie of the Priscillianites who were herein as he saith worse then any other Heretikes because they thought it lawfull for them to dissemble themselues to be Orthodoxe and true professors and to conceale their owne Religion by lying and for proofe that it was lawfull to lye they vsed to alleadge the example of Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and the speeches of Christ himselfe Nec se alitèr arbitrantes saith S. Aug veracem suam ostendere falsitatem nisi veritatem dicant mendacem that is They thought that they could not defend their falsitie vnlesse they taught that truth it selfe was a lyer Let now our iudicious Reader but thinke with himselfe seeing that lying was condemned of all other professions as well Catholikes as Heretikes whether the Priscillianists would haue vsed lying for the Couert of their hereticall religion knowing that the Art of Equiuocating by a mixt proposition called Mentall Reseruation is as close and inuisible a conueiance for any thing that a man would hide as the most diabolicall lye that man can inuent As for example by protesting vnto the hearers saying We beleeue no such doctrine secretly conceining in their mindes to letyou know of it or we beleeue as you doe Reseruing this Clause in their minde But that we doe not beleeue you 11 We are to adde vnto this the practise of Consentius and some other erronious ones who albeit they were faithfull professors yet that they might discouer the Priscillianists who for feare did secretly professe the heresie of Priscillian and yet publikely renounced it holding it lawfull in that case to lye did Cretizare cùm Cretensibus and held it lawfull by lying to winde out these lyers to the which purpose they dislembled themselues to be Priscillianists These erroneous ones are vehemently cōdemned by S. Augustine as those who Did euill that good might come thereof The discouery of Heretikes he calleth good but to doe it by lying he tearmeth euill They saw no other meanes to vn-earth these Cubbes of that Heretike Priscillian but only by dissembling and lying Neuerthelesse S. Aug. pleadeth for syncerity thus Veritate occidenda mendacia teaching that lyes are not to be slaine but by the truth But ô the wit of our Equiuocators they would haue corrected S. Augustine and directed those erroneous and taught them if the Case would suffer it how to dissemble themselues to be Priscillianists without lying and yet with as faire a subtletie as the most profound lying that can be imagined and that is by Mentall Reseruation as thus To say that we are Priscillianists Reseruing in our minds for ought that you shall know or We are Priscilianists reseruiug in our mindes Onely in pretence that we may betray you or such like Doth not their want of this kind of Euasion tell vs that Consentius and those other erroneous although otherwise faithfull Christians who did by lying seeke to finde out lyars either were ignorant of this mysterie of Mentall Equiuocation or els held it to be no better then plaine lying 12 What shall we say vnto the Arch-heretike Arius he as I then deliuered out of Socrates being compelled by the holy Emperor Constantine to deliuer his Subscription to the Councell of Nice and to auouch His integritie by an oath he vsed this Art and sleight his owne hereticall opinion he closely kept vnder his left arme and then swore laying his hand vpon his lift side that he so beleeued as he had written Here we may obseruethat this execrable Heretike vsed onely a Verball Equiuocation which although it be not an absolute lye as hath beene shewen yet could not the vse thereof in dissembling the true faith be but most sacrilegious and abhominable Notwithstanding he making conscience as it seemeth of a lye rather answered by a Verball ambiguitie then tolde directly that he beleeued the Article of that Councel We are to marke that the whole obscuritie was in the double sence of the word Writing for that he had written one tenor of Confession which he propounded openly vnto the Councell and another had he writen which he kept closely vnder his arme-hole and by vertue of that Verball Equiuocation he made his euasion I would but therefore demande why this godlesse and perfidious Heretike should haue taken the paines in inuenting and writing a contrary forme of