that Christ offered himselfe Hebr. 7. 17. and thorough the eternall spirit he offered himselfe chap. 9. 14. which Ambrose vnderstandeth of the holy Ghost Say also that the Apostles ignorantly confound the diuine nature of Christ and the holy Ghost But that it may fully appeare who is both the ignorant and errant too to vse his owne words what a dangerous and suspitious speach is this taking the word spirit for soule I might haue diuided Christ and his spirit without all suspition of ignorance and his imputation of error 3. b. p. 97. yea and dare any presumptuous spirit diuide that which God hath inseperably vnited the deitie and humanitie to the which belongeth the soule 〈◊〉 spirit in one person in Christ. Our Sauiour said vpon an other occasion Let none put asunder that which God hath coupled together Math. 19. 6. which rule holdeth in generall that it is no lesse presumption to diuide the humane soule from the person of Christ which is hypostatically vnited for euer I may here say with Hierome Nescio quid veneni in syllabis latet I can not tell what poison lieth hid vnder these syllables But to returne his owne words it may be that these things haue slipt from you thorough heate of contention rather then perswasion of heart 2. b. p. 207. yet I say againe with Hierome Non bonae suspicionis est cum in eodem sensu verba dissentiunt it is no good suspition when in the saâ—e sense the words doe dissent If he hold the hypostaticall vnion of Christs soule and bodie with his Godhead why doth he in words diuide them 4. Concerning the fourth position which he calleth straunge the words of the Replyer are these the ioyes of heauen may be truly though not fully felt in this life whosoeuer counteth this position strange sheweth himselfe indeede a straunge fellow and a straunger from such true feeling of heauenly ioyes What thinketh he of those three Peter Stephen and Paul whome Ambrose giueth in instance Petrus in monte Domini aspiciens gloriam Christi noluit descendere Stephanus cum Iesum vidit lapidari non formidabat Paulus raptus in Paradisum vsum proprij non sentiebat corporis Peter in the mount of the Lord beholding the glorie of Christ would not descend Stephen when he sawe Iesus feared not to be stoned Paul being rapt into Paradise did not perceiue the vse of his owne body Thinketh hee that they euen in earth felt not the true ioyes of heauen though not so fully as they enioy it now Yea this wrangler himselfe confesseth vpon these words of Peter with our eies we saw his maiestie that they enioyed the sight of his glorious maiestie in this life Could he then be so forgetfull as to call it a straunge position that the true ioy 〈◊〉 heauen may be felt in this life is it not a true heauenly ioy to see the Maiestie of God how say you Sir Medler speake out is it not your owne mouth doth condemne you What if the Replyer had said with Augustine that heauen may be in this life in the soule of the righteous or with Ambrose that the spirit of grace maketh the regenerate heauenly and celestiall he would also haue thought in his vnheauenly blindnes that he had spoken straungely also for where heauen is and men are become heauenly what should let them but to haue a feeling also of heauenly ioyes The Recrimination Now let vs turne aside a little to take a view of his blinde errors 1. He holdeth that the originall text of the Scriptures is corrupt in these words And say we must goe to the originals I will runne with you to those fountaines whose pure waters if the foule feete and vncleane hands of some had not corrupted c. there could neuer be so many grosse and filthie errors drawne and deriued thence 1. b. p. 26. 2. The Syriake together with the Greeke he holdeth to be the originall tongues of the new Testament ibid. whereas there can be but one originall tongue to the rest if hee graunt the Greeke be the true originall then the Syriake is not which was translated out of the Greeke So in an other place he reprooueth the Replyer for reiecting the Syriake as contrarie to the originall 3. He preferreth the Latine text before the originall Greeke Act. 2. 24. reading the sorrowes of hell for the sorrowes of death as the originall Greeke hath saying I see no cause why I should not approoue the old Latine text 3. b. p. 30. so also 2. b. p. 154. shewing hereby of what house he commeth and whose disciple he is iustifying the Latine translation against the originall of the which further he thus vnreuerently writeth As for that vulgar Greeke now extant whether it be the true Authentike originall or no is a question because it is neither the most auncient nor that which was most vsed in the Auncient Church and beside that it is not free from corruption in diuers places 3. b. p. 14. What could be spoken more to the derogation of the authoritie of the Scriptures then thus to abase that originall wherein the Apostles themselues did write And in this prophane and little better then Popish assertion he hath vttered three great vntruths that the Greeke originall which we now haue is not the most auncient that it was not most vsed in former times that it is in some places corrupt none of these slaunders of the text shall he euer be able to iustifie 4. He calleth the booke of Ecclesiasticus which the Church of England counteth among the Apocryphall bookes the word of God 2. b. p. 70. and in the next page before he calleth it Scripture I thinke it fit to ioyne Scripture with Scripture making mention of Ecclesiasticus And that we may see he is no chaungeling in an other place hauing alleadged a place out of Ecclesiasticus he addeth by which Scriptures it is plaine 2. b. p. 136. Such a diuine as he is such is his Scripture how audacious is this fellow that contrarie to the iudgement and determination of this Church dare make Ecclesiasticus a booke of Canonicall Scripture 5. The question beeing demanded why the soule may not be taken for his that is Christs whole person as well as holy is vnderstood to be his flesh answere is made because cause it that is the soule is no part at all of the whole person while it remaineth seperated from the body for of these two the whole person consisteth when they are ioyned together liuing c. 2. b. p. 162. Where seeing the demaund is made concerning Christs soule the answere containeth two manifest errors or rather heresies the one that the soule seperated from the body was no part of Christs person which sauoureth strongly of the heresie of the Apollinarists that made the man Christ without a soule the other that the soule
absurditie herein appeareth that he alleadgeth this Cauillous Accusers testimonie more then twentie seuerall times against me as p. 5 6. most of all p. 35. that I condemne all the ancient Fathers for dreamers that I condemne all learned godly Divines that I falsly corrupt translate iniuriously handle abuse the Fathers that I straungely pervert belie depraue abuse the Scriptures and all this he taketh for truth vpon an aduersarie and euill willers report All which slaunderous accusations are I trust sufficiently answered in this defense vnto the which the Table annexed in the ende of the booke may direct the Reader that desireth further to be satisfied He might haue thought of the common saying Euill will neuer said true and if that vsual by-word sound to harsh in his eares aske my fellow if I be a theefe yet I may vse Hieromes words possem credere si vnus assereret nunc aut duo mentiuntur aut omnes if one honest man said it I could beleeue it but now either both lie or all as wel he that receiueth a false report and carieth it as he that first coined it is counted a gloser His falsitie he bewraieth in misreporting and peruerting diuers places by him produced as that I call the rules and principles of Religion which his Maiestie approoueth a foolish conceit and imagination p. 6. quoting Eccles. triumph p. 40. and again p. 31. he harpeth vpon the same harsh string that I call the Kings sentence that the Romane Church is our mother Church a foolish conceit and imagination whereas I affirme no such thing see mine answer p. 17. of this booke p. 10. he saith I speak of his Maiesties mother applying that saying of one to Augustines mother the child of such prayers and teares can not possibly fall away pref to Antilog whereas I speake onely of his Maiesties prayers and teares making no mention at all of his mother So p. 21. he chargeth me to say that all scriptures haue beene doubted of by one Church or other Synops p. 2. in which place no such thing is affirmed but onely diuers heretiks are rehearsed by whom one or other most of the Scriptures haue beene doubted of p. 27. that I should say that Vigilantius was condemned of heresie for denying Reliques to bee reuerenced Antilog p. 13. whereas my words in that place are these Some of these as they are imputed to Protestants wee denie to be heresies at all as that of Vigilantius that Reliques are not to bee adored Here no such thing is affirmed that Vigilantius was herein condemned of heresie P. 30. that I account the Councel of Florence a generall Councell Synops. cont 1. qu. 7. whereas I there vrge it onely against the Romanists as in their opinion generall for otherwise else-where I haue prooued that indeed it could not be a generall Councell the great Synode at Basil beeing at the same time assembled Antilog p. 61. P. 31. that I call the primitiue Councel of Neocaesarea Toletane the first and the sixt generall Councels the papal Church poperie c. Antil p. 88. 89. whereas I onely shew in that place that diuers errors decreed in all these Councels the first onely excepted whereof I make no mention at all there are allowed in the popish church see the place Such deprauing and wresting of sentences sheweth a badde cause and a worse mind in those that vse such beggerly shifts the truth neede not to be so defended and such false and deceitfull dealing will fall of it selfe without any confutation as Hierome saith non necesse habet convinci quod sua statim professione falsum est That need not to be conuinced which at the first is discouered of falshood Thirdly his impertinent allegations are these p. 10. to prooue by our owne testimonies that they which liue and die in the Romane Church may bee saued he vrgeth these words of mine that many renowned Kings and Queenes which professed the Romane faith are Saints in heauen Antilog p. 144. as if he should reason thus many ignorantly misled in those daies of darkenesse yet holding the foundation might through Gods mercy be saued therefore they which now wilfully resist the truth in the Romane Church in these daies of knowledge and erring in some fundamentall points may be also saued P. 24. to prooue by our confession that there is no true lawfull and iudiciall exposition of Scripture among the Protestants hee presseth these words that the reformation of religion belongeth to the iudgement and redresse of the Prince and yet he is not priuiledged from error Antilog p. 120. The argument followeth not for we neither referre the exposition of Scripture vnto the Prince nor hang religion absolutely vpon his iudgement but according to the word and wee interpret Scripture by Scripture which is the most lawfull sure and certaine way of expounding P. 30. propounding to himselfe to prooue by Protestants writings that the testimonie of the auncient Fathers is for the doctrine of the Church of Rome he alleadgeth this sentenee of mine quite contrary Antilog p. 263. the same faith and religion which I defend is taught and confirmed in the more substantiall points by the Historians Gouncels Fathers that liued within fiue or sixe hundred years after Christ. Who but this lawlesse disputer would inferre hereupon that euen by the Protestants own testimonie the Fathers and Councels make for the Romish religion Thus absurdly falsely impertinently this Popes penne-man wresteth and depraueth my writings and the like measure he offereth to the rest whose chiefe strength lieth in the weapons of a false brother at home And such is the fruite that commeth of these domesticall contentions that thereby we put a sword into the aduersaries hand whereas I could haue wished rather that al these vnnecessarie brabbles at home had beene staied according to that saying of Dauid Tell it not in Gath nor publish it in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistims reioyce for by these vnbrotherly dissentions we giue occasions to the enemies of God to reioyce mispend our time which might more profitably be imployed And as for mine owne part I say with Hierome Opto sifieri potest si aduersarij siverint commentarios potius scripturarum quam Demosthenis Tullij sâ—ribere I wish if it may bee and if mine enemies would permit to write rather commentaries of Scripture which course I am now entred into then Demosthenes or Tullies Philippices And as for any thing which mine aduersaries at home or abroad can obiect I passe not much but comfort my selfe in that saying of the Prophet Reioyce not against me O mine enemie though I fall I shall arise when I shall sit in darkenesse the Lord shall bee a light vnto me ERRATA In the Preface p. 13. l. 17. read divulganda for divulgenda p. 21. l. 4. r. Erasmus Sarcerius for Erasmus Sarcerius p. 26. l. 13. r. denieth not f. deemeth not p. 27. l.
most true and sound positions 2. b. p. 20. and yet afterward he confesseth that the very first thereof which is this that Christ is not originally God is the most damnable heresie of Arrius ibid. p. 21. Thus he ignorantly maketh himselfe an Arrian for thus may his owne speeches be retorted against him whosoeuer saith that Christ is not originally God is an Arrian this proposition is his owne but so holdeth this confused confuter in calling it a true and sound position this also is his owne for he calleth all those true and sound positions there excepted against whereof this is the first Ergo by his owne confession he draweth himself into suspiciō of Arrianisme Indeede this heresie-mouther that hath often in his mouth heresie heretike obiecteth Arrianisme but very simply to the Replyer because alleadging the words of S. Paul of our Sauiour iustified in the spirit he by the spirit vnderstandeth his diuine spirit and nature as quickned saith he in your sense signifieth to be made aliue so must iustified to be made iust which is ranke Arrianisme 3. b. p. 60. poore silly fellow and doth he know what Arrianisme meaneth for though the Replyer medleth not here with the signification of the word iustified but alleadgeth this sentence for the vse of the word spirit neither doth he take the word iustified in the actiue signification as we are said to be iustified but passiuely as when wisdome is saide to be iustified of her children Math. 11. 19. that is approoued and declared to be iust yet if it be referred to Christs humanitie it is no Arrianisme to say that he as man was iustified not from sinne which he had not but preserued by the inhabitation of the spirit from all sinne If this be Arrianisme then is Chrysostome an Arrian who deliuereth these two expositions of this place Sive hoc intelligi potest c. whether this may be vnderstood because wisdome is iustified of her children or because he did none deceit as the Prophet testifieth saying Who did no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth he vnderstandeth this iustification of his preseruing from sinne And what is it more to say that Christ as man was iustified or that he was sanctified but our Sauiour saith of himselfe whome the father sanctified Ioh. 10. 36. if for Christ to be made iust be Arrianisme then also to be made holy Then he seeth who is charged with Arrianisme in his sense which once to thinke were horrible blasphemie I therefore say vnto him concerning this imputation of Arrianisme Vides ne quomodo ista non sententia sed vescia non solum mani sonitu sed in capite vestro crepuerit See you not how this not sentence but bladder not onely with a vaine cracke but is broken vpon your owne head 11. He affirmeth that the baptisme of Infants is not to be found in Scripture by any expresse literall mention 2. b. p. 170. for though he leaue out that word expresse yet he of whome he borroweth this opinion vseth that terme and he may put literall in his purse his meaning is that it is not expressely deliuered in Scripture for there he impugneth that conclusion that nothing is to be admitted that is not expressely deliuered in Scripture Now then that baptisme is expressely grounded vpon Scripture and not vpon tradition which must follow vpon the other it is diuersly euident As because Christ commandeth little children not to be forbidden to come vnto him the Church is cleansed by the washing of water through the word of which Church infants are members Christ commandeth to baptize all nations among the which children are counted And seeing infants were circumcised in stead whereof baptisme succeedeth which the Apostle likeneth to circumcision it is euident that the baptisme of infants is founded vpon Scripture it is also the doctrine of our Church that the baptisme of infants is most agreeable with the institution of Christ but where is the institution of Christ to be found but in expresse Scripture what shamelesse dealing then is this to say that they which hold the contrarie namely that the baptisme of infants is not expressely found in Scripture doe maintaine the doctrine of the Church when they directly impugne it And this vncertaine and wandring opinion giueth occasion to the wicked heresie of the Anabaptists that affirme the baptisme of Infants to take beginning from the Bishops of Rome and not from the Apostles 12. He further among those things which are not expressely deliuered in Scripture giueth in instance our beleefe in the blessed Trinitie 2. b. p. 170. whereas the auncient Fathers of the Church haue principally out of the Scripture prooued this Article concerning the Trinitie as Origene vrged that place in the 51. Psal. where mention is made of three spirits principalis spiritus pater c. the principall spirit is the father the right spirit the sonne and the free spirit the holy Ghost But more pregnant is that place which Ambrose selecteth the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Trinitatis hic complexio est vnitas potestatis here is a coniunction of the Trinitie and the vnitie of power Augustine doth conclude the Trinitie from that heauenly vision in the baptisme of our Sauiour Apparuit manifestissime Trinitas c. The Trinitie appeared manifestly the Father in the voice the Sonne in man the holy Ghost in the doue But of all other those places are most full for the Trinitie Math. 28. 20. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost and that other 1. Ioh. 5. 7. There are three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost who of any iudgement reading these places can denie for shame but that the blessed Trinitie is expressely deliuered in Scripture 13. The coeternitie of the Sonne with the Father is an other point obiected not expressely deliuered in Scripture which is euident by the words of the Euangelist that the word was in the beginning with God Augustine out of those words of our Sauiour I and my father are one concludeth his equalitie with God so consequently his coeternitie Bernard inferreth it out of those words of the Prophet Who shall declare his generation And further he thus saith Commendant nobis sacrae literae Christum ex patre in patre cū patre c. quod dicitur ex patre ineffabilis est nativitas quod in patre consubstantialis vnitas quod cum patre equalitas maiestatis The sacred letters doe cōmend vnto vs Christ of his father in his father with his father that which is said of his father is his ineffable natiuitie in his father his consubstantiall vnitie that with his father the equalitie of his maiestie These fathers held that
Loidoromastix THAT IS A SCOVRGE FOR A RAYLER CONTAINING A FVLL AND SVFFICIENT ANSWER VNTO the Vnchristian raylings slaunders vntruths and other iniurious Imputations vented of late by one RICHARD PARKES master of Arts against the author of LIMBOMASTIX Wherein three hundred raylings errors contradictions falsifications of Fathers corruptions of Scripture with other grosse ouersights are obserued out of the said vncharitable discourse by ANDREVV WILLET Professor of Diuinitie Iob 31. 35 36. Though mine aduersarie should write a booke against me would I not take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a crowne vnto me August cont Petilian lit lib. 3. c. 8. Nec malam conscientiam sanat praeconium laudantis nec bonam vulnerat convitiantis opprobrium Neither doth the commendation of the praiser heale an euill conscience nor the reproach of a Reviler wound a good Printed by CANTRELL LEGGE Printer to the Vniversitie of CAMBRIDGE 1607. And are to be sold in Pauls Churchyard by RICHARD BANKEVVORTH at the signe of the Sunne TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD RICHARD by the Diuine prouidence Archbish. of CANTERBVRIE Primate and Metropolitan of all England and of his Maiesties most Honourable priuie Counsell AVgustine Right Reuerend Father when a certaine young man of no good fame had accused one Bonifacius a Minister or Presbyter of a great crime they both beeing of his owne Colledge and societie though he gaue more credit vnto the Presbyter yet the matter hanging in suspense and doubt he sent them both for the more full manifestation of the truth vnto the tombe of Felix the Martyr for they had a great opinion of such places in those daies My case at this time in some things is not much vnlike who hauing beene a Minister and Presbyter of this Church and a poore Preacher and writer of the same now these twentie yeares am at the last by one of obscure fame and name accused before your Grace of heresie blasphemie and charged with the deniall of an Article of the faith In which accusation as I doubt not but that your Gr. opinion is as indifferent toward me whose Parents education studies and trauailes you haue knowne these many yeares as Augustines was toward Bonifacius yet herein my case is better that I doe referre my selfe to the iudgement of a Reuerend Prelate liuing and am not sent to the triall of the dead Archidamus not much vnlike to the former examplâ—â— beeing chosen an arbitrator betweene two that were at variance brought them into the Temple of Minerva and hauing first bound them with an oath to stand to his sentence decreed that they should not depart thence before they had compounded the controuersie Crates Thebanus is said to haue vsed to resort vnto faâ—â—â—lies that disagreed and with perswasions of peace to haue adiudged their strifes So your Honour not so much by choice an arbitrator as by office and place a Iudge in these causes will bring vs both I trust into the Temple of GOD there to be tried by the Scriptures And as Crates endeauour was to pacifie families so I hope your Gr. care is to settle this Church in peace approouing that godly saying of Basilius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that nothing is so proper to a Bishop as to be a peacemaker Mine aduersarie hath had the prioritie of complaint and first filled your eares though not possessed them with his vntrue surmises for I doubt not but as Alexander when one of his familiar friends was traduced before him stopped one of his eares as reseruing it for him that was absent so your Gr. hath one eare left for me according to that rule of Seneca Vtrique parti actiones dares dares tempus non semel audires magis enim veritas elucet quo saepius ad manum venit to giue vnto both parties their action and to graunt them time to heare more then once for the oftner the truth cometh to hand to be scanned the more the light thereof appeareth Cicero against Antonie said quid mihi plenius quid vberius quam mihi pro me contra Antonium dicere But I may adde the third that it contenteth me that I may speake not onely for my selfe and against such an one but before your Gr. As for his accusations I feare them not mine owne conscience testifying with me I will as Iob saith take them vpon my shoulder and bind them as a crowne vnto me For as Cyprian well saith but vpon an other occasion nequaquaÌ„ sub hoc onere lassitudinem sed quietem inventuri vnder this burthen I shall not finde wearines but rest As Augustine also saith qui volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi he that willingly detracteth from my fame doth against his will adde to my reward But two things I doe not a little wonder at that he durst abuse your Gr. eares with such vntrue and vncharitable invectures in his Epistle and the Reader with such grosse and absurd ouersights in his booke In the first he chargeth me with a prophane and irreligious fact in denying an Article of the Christian faith with errors or heresies rather in â—ppugning the doctrine of the Church striking at some maine points of faith shaking the foundation it selfe and calling in question heauen and hell the diuinitie and humanitie yea the very soule and saluation of Christ our Sauiour himselfe so bardâ—ed in error that they neither she contrition of heart to repentance nor confession of mouth to obedience that neither Rhemist nor Romanist could lightly haue more disgraced the discipline and doctrine of the Church in diuers points To these iniurious slaunders my particular answer afterward followeth which were needlesse to be inserted here Thus much concerning my selfe I say in generall in Hieromes words Egone haereticus quare ergo me haeretics non amant am I an heretike wherefore then doe not heretikes loue me which in their rayling pamphlets and libells haue made me a marke to shoote at But that saying of Cyprian doth giue 〈…〉 Scias hoc semper opus esse diaboli vt servos dei 〈…〉 laceret vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sordidentur Know this to be alwaies the worke of the deuill to vexe the seruants of God with lies that they which are cleare in the light of their conscience should be blemished with other mens reports Now though he tooke vnto himselfe this libertie in this vnfriendly manner to disgrace me yet he might haue shewed more modestie then to outface me with such vntruths in your Gr. presence It is said that the actors of those wanton playes called Floralia Catone praesente agere recusaruÌ„t refused to play in Catoes presence and he might haue forborne to haue vttered his forged calumniations before so graue a personage But I trust it will fall out here as sometime
in the like case with Augustine Experti dicimus nam non crederemus multi à nobis mala consilia petunt consilia mentiendi consilia circumveniendi sed in nomine Christi nullus talis nos tentavit I speak saith he by experience otherwise I would not haue beleeued many doe aske of vs euill counsell counsell to lie counsell to circumvent but in the name of Christ none such hath tempted vs. Neither I hope hereafter your wisdome will giue passage or licence to such mens intemperate pennes to wound and gall their brethren yet had hee staied here onely in censuring the liuing and not proceeded to taxe the memorie of the dead it had been more tolerable that godly learned man Doctor Reynolds who is now at rest in the Lord is thus iniuriously handled by him and that since his Christian departure whereby grace may so happily worke in their hearts that where the truth hath beene heretofore frowardly excluded c. as though that worthy mā were either voide of grace or did frowardly exclude the truth nay he spareth not to charge him as guiltie of profane irreligious hereticall sacrilegious opinions of grosnes sophistrie profanenesse c. It is said of Themistocles that in his returne from battell seeing a dead body lying with iewels of gold hee thus spake to one that was with him Take thou away these things for thou art not Themistocles neither would this man if he had beene I say not of an heroicall spirit as Themistocles but of a sober and charitable spirit as euery good Christian haue stripped the dead of his well deserued ornaments in seeking to impaire his credit he doth but blemish and obscure his owne and sheweth himselfe to bee of those who as Hierome saith Hippocratis fomentis magis quam monitis nostris indigent had need rather of Hippocrates medicine then our admonition Now may it please your Reuerend Fatherhood to giue me leaue to offer vnto your view some of the principall contents of his booke by the tast whereof it will appeare what relish the rest haue by the smell of some of his flowers one may guesse what herbs grow in his garden as Hilarion said to Hesychius when a bunch of small pulse was brought them out of a Churles garden that hee could not abide the stinch thereof Doe you not feele saith he a filthy sauour and euen his couetousnesse to smell in the pulse So by this handfull which I shall gather out of his booke the euill sauour will be found of the rest 1. Hee much forgetting himselfe thus breaketh out beyond the limits of modestie charging me with folly hypocrisie falshood lying infidelitie impudency sawcinesse Machiauell sme Atheisme Heresie as particular instance is giuen in more then 80. railing speeches vsed against me and others so that I may say vnto him in Tullies words Neque qui tam illoto sermone vtitur vita honestior est It is not like that he which vseth such vncleane spech can be much honester in life 2. I haue obserued 22. slaunderous imputations wherof some are these that I would transforme the order of the Church into an Anarchie that their heads plot and their hands practise Babylonicall warre that he defendeth diuers things contrary to the truth of the Gospell that he iustifieth pestilent blasphemous heretiks against the learned and holy Fathers that he holdeth the flames of hell to be temporall that he called the blessed rootes of the Christian faith cursed rootes with such like 3. Instance is giuen of 34. vntruthes vttered by him As that he beleeueth I was one of those which writ the Letter to Master Hooker the writers whereof I knowe not to this day that I borrowe diuers things from Carlils booke which I neuer sawe that I fasten all the torments of hell vpon the blessed soule of Christ which I neuer thought that there is not one word through his booke that insinuateth any suspition of Limbus patrum whereas in the preface following the contrary is prooued directly in 20. seuerall places out of his booke 4. Among the errors which he is charged with to the number of 14. these specially are noted he iustifieth the Latine text against the originall Greeke in the newe Testament hee calleth the booke of Ecclesiasticus the word of God which the Church of England holdeth for one of the Apocryphall bookes artic 6. that the baptisme of infants is not to be found in Scripture by any expresse mention whereas the Church of England holdeth it to be most agreeable to the institution of Christ artic 27. He calleth these sound positions that the Scriptures alone are not compleate vnto saluation that mans will is naturally apt without grace to beleeue that mens naturall workes are acceptable to God which are directly opposite to the doctrine of the Church of England which holdeth the contrary that the holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to saluation artic 6. that man of his owne natural strength cannot turne and prepare himselfe to faith artic 10. that workes done before the grace of Christ are not pleasant to God artic 13. 5. Diuers harsh and vnsauorie speeches are laid vnto his charge as that hee applyeth those words of Christ to himselfe de bono opere lapidor I am stoned for a good worke that Christs conquest vpon the crosse was openly an ouerthrow and therefore no triumph if it were it was a triumph before victory that there is a most plaine distinction betweene the holy Ghost and Christ not in person onely but in his diuine nature These and the like assertions which he would haue tearmed blasphemies to the number of tenne are obserued out of his booke 6. Diuers points of arrogancy and vaine ostentation are obserued to the number of 13. whereof this is one that hee maketh his boast that my Lord of Winchester hath in his last booke much altered his iudgement concerning the place of Peter mooued by the reasons laid downe by me saith he and none but me wheras it is not true that that Reuerend learned father hath therein altered his iudgemēt at the lest it becam not him so to brag It might haue better beseemed the other if any such thing were to haue acknowledged it As August thus modestly writeth to Petrus a Bishop to a Presbyter Vellem rescriptis tuis quid te docuerit me docere absit enim vt erubescam à presbytero discere si tu non erubuisti à laico I would haue thee by thy rescript to teach me what taught you farre be it that I should be ashamed to learne of a Presbyter if you were not ashamed to learne of a lay man Further he chargeth the great English Bible which is authorised to be read in our Curches with error in the translation and with blasphemie in the annotations 7. Concerning the allegation of the Fathers I
translations of the Bible which are vsed among vs as first beside his light regard of the Geneua translation calling them in scorne your Genevian translators 2. b. p. 131. and 3. b. p. 27. hee thus in most vile tearmes disgraceth them For your Geneva Bibles c. it is to be wished and I trust God will worke it in his Maiesties most religious heart that either they may be purged from those manifold errors which are both in the Text and Margent or else vtterly prohibited 3. b. p. 49. 6. Neither doth he thus deale onely with the Geneua translation but euen the great English Bible also authorized publikely to be read in the Church cannot escape his virulent censure as 2. b. p. 48. thus he saith I cannot conceale a foule intollerable corruption which is lately crept into a late edition of our Church Bibles And further thus peremptorily he proceedeth in condemning the said translation together with the notes for that diuerse of your Geneuian notes especially such as tend to the maintenance of that blasphemie of hell torments in Christs soule are foisted into the margent of the said Bibles and some other before them which you vrge as if they were the very word of God making them the pestilent premises of your blasphemous conclusions 3. b. p. 50. he meaneth the annotation Luk. 22. 24. he felt the horror of Gods wrath and iudgement against sinne and another Heb. 5. 8. beeing in perplexity and fearing the horrors of death Who can endure such presumption to heare our authorized Bibles charged with maintenance of blasphemie and pestilent premises of blasphemous conclusions But he goeth on still in this his arrogant inuectiue and taketh not onely exception to the marginall notes as 2. Cor. 13. 7. wherein though some ouersight might bee committed by the Compositor in transposing some notes hee had no reason thus sawcily to checke and controll the translation it selfe but further saith neither is the text it selfe free from error in translation and here hee noteth in the margin 1. Co. 9. 21. where al the exceptiō he can take is to these words when I am not without law as pertaining to the law of God whereas in the originall it is onely not beeing without law vnto God the Geneua translation readeth as pertaining vnto God where who seeth not that in the one translation these words as pertaining to the Lawe and in the other as pertaining are no part of the text but inserted by way of explanation and should bee written in other characters But against that other place Eph. 6. 12. I wonder with what honestie he can take exception seeing it agreeth exactly with the originall better then the vulgar latine which is such a pearlesse translation in his eie Wee wrestle not against blood and flesh saith the English as it is in the originall against flesh and blood saith the Latine against Princes saith the Latine against rules saith the English not rulers as some Bibles haue for the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against rules or principalities not princes or rulers 7. From finding fault with translations he ascendeth to carpe at the originall saying whether the Greeke now extant be the true authentike originall or no is the question and he saith further it is not free from corruptions in diuers places 3. b. p. 14. 8. He goeth on and secretly taxeth the fathers as first Augustine for he counteth it a badge of presumptuous singularitie and pernicious nouelty to reiect the generall confession he meaneth opinion or exposition of the fathers 2. b. p. 131. And yet Augustine hath a speciall interpretation of that place of Peter contrary to the current interpretation of most of the fathers of those times applying it to the times of Noah 9. Hee meeteth also with Bernard calling it absurd to apply descension to the graue 2. b. p. 155. whereas Bernard maketh direct mention of three descensions of Christ ad carnem ad crucem ad mortem to the flesh to the crosse to death which is to the graue so that Bernard also must be content to weare his liuerie of absurditie 10. Among these fathers may bee numbred the reuerend Prelates of the Church towards one of them yet liuing a reuerend writer and publike defender of religion he thus vaunteth himselfe That whereas he seemed in the first booke to incline to that opinion in Noahs time in the exposition of that place of Peter he is not so mislead with selfe-loue and singularitie as you and others are though euery way farre his inferiour but hath much altered his former iudgement moued as it may appeare vpon those reasons laid downe by me and none but me in the former booke 3. b. p. 101. wherein how vnmannerly hee vseth so reuerend a man who seeth not first saying by way of comparison that hee is not so mislead with singularitie c. as though he should be somewhat mislead that way but not so much as others secōdly he thinketh he hath his school-boyes in hand and would put that deepe learned father to schoole to learne his lesson of him thirdly his vanitie appeareth that hee and none but he hath hit vpon those reasons which changed the Bishops minde whereas in truth he hath borrowed the most of his reasons and testimonies from the other as may appeare by comparing their bookes together fourthly beside all this it is vntrue which he saith for that reuerend learned man is still of the same opinion concerning that place of Peter for these are his words I binde no man to my priuate exposition of the Scripture but rather stand on those places which haue the full consent of all antiquity to pertaine directly to this matter And againe I thought not fit to presse them when Augustine had once resigned them 11. But no maruell if particular fathers be thus taxed when he spareth not whole Churches as 2. b. p. 180. in saying The Orientall and Romane Church wanted this clause of Christs descension into hell sheweth a defect in thē no fault in the Apostles Creede But the truth is there was neither fault in the one nor defect in the other in the omission of that article then Thus he prowdly maketh the whole Oriental and Romane Church defectiue vnlesse he will giue Ruffinus the lie or Cyprian for vnder both their names that treatise goeth who so affirmeth that the article of the descension was not added of olde neither in the East nor Romane Church 12. He bringeth a scandall vpon the whole Church of England affirming that in the same there is dissention about substantiall points of doctrine for he misliketh and condemneth that defence of the Replyer against the obiection of the Romanists wherein he affirmeth that in the Church of England there is no difference in any substantiall point of faith and concerning the descending into hell giuē in instance by
errorem hee translateth and so either correct your error which should bee thus englished let vs amend our error 4. After those words that is a childish boasting he leaueth out this whole sentence quod olim adolescentuli facere consueuerant which young men in time past were accustomed to doe 5. Ambrose corrupted 1. This Grammarian instructer that professeth to teach boyes to conster himselfe maketh a pittifull construction of Ambrose 2. b. p. 59. these words Angelo non placuit ancillae insolentia The insolencie of the hand-maid pleased not the Angel hee translateteth The Angel was not pleased to see the insolency and pride of the handmaide reuertere ad Dominam tuam Returne to thy Lady he englisheth turne againe to thy Lady and Mistresse Verberantis savitiam the cruelty of the beater hee englisheth the crueltie of Sara beating her Fugientis discessionem the departure of the flier or runner away he rendreth Hagars departure in running away adding Sara and Hagar of his owne Humiliare be thou humbled he englisheth humble thy selfe 2. In another sentence taken from Ambrose hee leaueth out these words In inferno positis vitae lumen fundebat eternae To those which were in hell he powred the light of eternall life Which clause if he had added he saw that Ambrose would make little for him vnlesse hee held the locall descent of Christs soule to hell for the enlightening and deliuerance of the Fathers thence 6. Ruffinus falsified 1. Ruffinus also is pitifully mangled for his sentence taking the whole is this But that he descended into hell also is euidently pronounced in the Psalmes where he saith Thou broughtest me to the dust of death and againe what profit is in my blood while I descend into corruption and againe I descended into the mire of the deepe where no substance is that is ground or bottome yea and Iohn saith art thou he which art to come without doubt into hell or looke me for another All this is fraudulently left out and then follow the next wordes which he culleth out Our Lord also himselfe speaketh c. But this deceitfull Iugler that playeth fast and loose with the Fathers well perceiued that seeing Ruffinus expoundeth descending to hell to be brought to the dust of death and to the place of corruption and blood that his meaning can be no otherwise then to vnderstand death and the graue as to the same purpose he said before that vis eadem verbi videtur esse c. the same force of the word seemeth to be in that he is said to be buried as he is said before to descend to hell I maruell also how his mastership could take no knowledge of another place in Ruffinus not farre from that which he thus hacketh and pareth where hee saith that Crux Christi trumphus est c. that Christs crosse was a triumph and a famous trophaeum monument and further he sheweth how he triumphed ouer all things vpon the crosse both celestiall terrestriall and infernall vnto the first applying the vppermost part of the crosse to the next that part where his hands were stretched out and for the third he saith ea vero parte quae sub terram submergitur inferna sibiregna subiecit but by that part which was hid vnder the earth he brought vnder to himselfe the infernall kingdoms This cleare testimony of Christs triumph vpon the crosse and his victory ouer hell crosseth that impious and profane opinion of this drowsie and dreaming diuine that the conquest vpon the crosse was openly an ouerthrowe and therefore no triumph and againe if Christ triumphed in the crosse as you say he did it was according to the prouerbe triumphus ante victoriam triumph before the victory 1. b. p. 188. 7. Augustine falsified 1. Thus Augustine is alleadged This custome of baptizing infants I beleeue as comming from the tradition of the Apostles c. whereas the question with the Donatists was not concerning the baptizing of infants but the rebaptizing of those which were baptized by heretiks as it may appeare by the wordes going before Nolite obijcere nobis authoritatem Cypriani ad baptismi repetitionem c. Doe not obiect to vs the authoritie of Cyprian for the repeating of baptisme c. That question of Baptisme was not yet throughly handled but yet the Chruch kept this wholesome custome in the schismatiks and heretiks corrigere quod pravum est non iterare quod datum est to correct what was amisse not to iterate what was giuen then follow those words which saide custome c. as many things are not found in their writings nor in the latter Councels c. all this enclosed is omitted 2. Augustine is thus brought in that custome of the Church which was opposed against Cyprian c. whereas the name of Cyprian is not to be found in the 18. 19. 20. chapters of that booke 3. Againe the same place is quoted where Augustine should write thus Cum hoc nusquam legatur c. when as this is read no where we must beleeue the testimonie of the Church which Christ hath testified to be true these words are not extant in that place in that forme but after this manner Nunc vero cum in Scripturis non inveniamus c. now seeing we finde not in the Scripture that any haue come to the Church from heretikes c. and afterward perhibet Christus testimonium Ecclesiae suae c. Christ doth giue testimonie to his Church 4. Augustine is cited serm he should haue said hom 2. in vigil pasch tom 10. in these words si sepultus fuisset in terra c. If Christ had beene buried in the earth they might haue said they had digged vp the earth and stollen him away to prooue a difference betweene Christs tombe and the earth yet in that homilie no such sentence is to be found but rather the contrarie quid illi tumulus in terris cuius sedes manebat in coelis why should he haue a tombe in the earth whose seate remained in heauen here he affirmeth Christs tombe to haue been in the earth This grosse ouersight sheweth how well this pettifogger in diuinitie is seene in the reading of Augustine 5. That place of August c. 15. cont Felician lib. 3. p. 2. he diuers waies corrupteth 1. he addeth generall resurrection nullus ignorat he translateth euery man knoweth which signifieth no man is ignorant cuius corpus c. saith Augustine whose bodie common death had enclosed for the future resurrection he readeth whose bodie death had shut vp in the graue vntill the future resurrection of all flesh Beside he bewraieth his ignorance in mistaking the sense and scope of Augustine in that place 1. he saith that Augustines whole discourse is to prooue that Christ deserued not hell fire whereas the very point of the question is that though Christ
words Heb. 11. 39. They receiued not the promise they had no such cleare light say they of Christ as we haue Or els their meaning is that by the sacrifices and rites of the Tabernacle that way was not opened but by the blood of Christ so that the times are not compared together but the things as they thus note Hebr. 10. 19. By the blood of Iesus wee may be bold to enter into the holy place we by Christ say they haue that liberty which the auncient Fathers could not haue by the lawe Thus this Surmisers supposed falsifications are returned vpon his owne head and hee himselfe is found to bee the clipper and deprauer and corrupter of the Fathers testimonies fewe whereof are recited by him which hee doth not mangle and wrest at his pleasure These places out of the old and newe writers about thirty in all giuen before in instance are an euident proofe hereof the like might haue beene shewed in the rest but that it is not worth the labour to spend time to hunt after so meane a game and to haue such a silly bird in chace which hath according to the saying defiled the owne neast When he first entred into this challenge and aduentured to lay load vpoÌ„ the Replyer with this cauillous charge of falsifications he should first haue himselfe considered whether one might not rubbe vpon his owne galled backe And he herein playeth an euill fensers part that lyeth open himselfe where he thought to giue an other a venie That wise sentence should haue come into his head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein thou purposest to smite an other therein expect a greater blow thy selfe It is an euident argument either of a bad cause or weake defense that is bolstered out with such indirect meanes The truth as the prouerbe is will not seeke corners nor yet will the veritie be defended with a lie nor simplicitie by falsifications and forgerie In the sixt Synode of Constantinop Act. 6. when as Macarius and Petrus with other Monothelites had mangled the testimonies of the Fathers as well in sense as words the Catholikes said Non congruit orthodoxis ita circumtruncatas patrum sententias deflorare c. It is not agreeable to the orthodoxall men so to deflowre and deface the gelded sentences of the fathers this is more proper for heretikes If he would therefore haue beene taken for an orthodoxall and Euangelicall writer as I wish with my heart he may hereafter prooue and that the amendment of his heart may reforme the error of his penne then should he not haue trode in the pathway of Heretikes and followed their guise in corrupting of his witnesses Therefore concerning his omissions alterations additions and other corruptions in the allegations of the fathers I say as Augustin did to Iulian concerning Chrysostome whome he corruptly alleadged Si totum legisses invenire potuisti aut si legisti miror quemadmodum te potuit praeterire aut si praeterire non potuit miror quomodo te non correxerit If you had read the whole you might haue found it or if you read it I maruaile how it could escape you or if it did not escape you I wonder how it did not correct you The 12. Imputation of the pretended corruption of Scriptures The accusation 1. Because Ecclesiastic 19. 10. the Replyer leaueth out these words confidens esto and be sure 2. In the place Gen. 37. 31. these words are omitted Ruben moreouer said vnto them 3. In that place Act. 2. v. 31. you falsifie the Syrian Translators words in mistranslating them the Latine Translator you abuse in like manner 4. These words which had seased vpon him are not in that place Act. 2. 24. as you pretend them 5. You falsifie the word of God it selfe for in that place of Exodus c. 22. 23. the word nephesh is and ought to be translated life not soule 6. For the soules that went downe with Iaakob into Egypt you make the Scripture to say their soules went downe into Egypt 7. The place to the Coloss. 2. 15. triumphing ouer them in the same is falsly translated our authorised translatour readeth in himselfe 8. So Psal. 88. 10 11. is mangled and corrupted patching two distinct verses in one see afterward recriminat 6. 9. You falsifie the Scripture it selfe in translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hold fast Mark 7. 8. whereas our Church Bibles read yee obserue the traditions 3. b. p. 31. 10. Limbom inverteth the text Act. 2. 31. to serue his turne 3. b. p. 37. 11. You coÌ„mit a double fault in your translation of S. Peters words the one in confounding hell with the graue which is heathenish the other in burying the soule of Christ in it which is impious 12. You falsifie the prophesie in leauing out the words in hell wherein the maine of the controuersie consisteth Act. 2. 31. 13. This is your dalying with the word of God in this place where hauing translated it thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell you interpret it cleane contrarie thou wilt not leaue my life in graue 3. b. p. 44. 14. You cut off the wordes of sanctification which are annexed to the word spirit c. 15. The word by is violently intruded by you 1. Pet. 3. 19. by which spirit 16. The words are not as you cite them 1. Pet. 2. 18. he hath suffered for our sinnes but Christ hath also suffered for vs. 17. Where Peter saith it was Christ that preached you say it was Noe and so make him a lyar 18. When you say you know no ende of Christs preaching to the disobedient in hell but for their comfort and deliuerance you contradict the Scriptures which teach that the ministerie of the word consisteth as well in denouncing retention in sinne to the obstinate as in pronouncing remission of sinnes to the penitent 19. Those words that speaketh in you though they be added in S. Matthew are not here expressed by S. Marke 3. b. p. 104. 20. The wordes of the Euangelist are not as you report them when the doores shut vp but when the doores were shut 21. Neither is the text no man ascendeth but no man hath ascended 22. Psal. 139. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is ignorantly left out by you 23. Because the Replyer alleadgeth those words of S. Paul 1. Cor. 15. 31. I die daily vnderstanding them of inward afflictions the Confuter taketh a double exception both that some of the words are omitted As by our reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our Lord and that the Scripture is misinterpreted which Chrysostome expoundeth of the readines and prompâ—â— of minde that he was euery day more and more readie to suffer death c. 3. b. p. 64. And therefore he crieth out that dishonour is offered to the Apostle and contumelie to the spirit of God to