begin Luther the first Parent of Protestancy thus disgoâ—geth hiâ— venome against his owne brood for the Swinglians and Caluinists primitiuely descended from his loynes We (a) Thes â—1 contra Louaniens seriously iudge the Swinglians and Sacramentariâ—s to be Hereticks and Aliens from the Church of God And more We will (b) Luth. tom 7. in defens Verbor Coena Domini fol. 38â— reproue and condemne them meaning the Sacramentaries for Idolaters Corrupters of Gods word blasphemers and deceiuers And of them as of the Enemyes of the Ghospell we will sustayne persecution and spoyle of our goods c. And yet more The-Sacramentaries began their Opinion with Lyes and with Lyes they defend it And further (c) Luth. Epist. ad Ioan. Heruag Typograph Argentin I do protest (d) Luth. tom 7. Wittenb fol. 383. before God and the world that I do not agree with them meaning the Swinglians nor euer will whyles the world standeth but will haue my hand cleare from the bloud of those sheepe which these Heretiks do driue from Christ deceaue and kill c. And after in the same place Cursed (e) Vbi suprà be the Charity and Concord of Sacramentaries for euer and euer to all Eternity And to conclude Luther being as he thought neere to his graue leaueth as his Legacy these ensuing charitable words I hauing (f) Luth. de Coena Domin tom 2. now one of my feet in the graue will carry this testimony and glory to the Tribunall of God that I will with all my hart condemne and eschew Carolostactius Swinglius Decolampadius and their schollars German fol. 174. which words are also reported of Luther by the Tigur Deuines tract 3. fol. 108. nor will haue with any of them Familiarity neither by letters or writings neither by word or Deed as the Lord hath Commanded Thus much to let passe much more of Luthers Charity towards Swinglius and his party And this his Charity towards the Sacramentaries the Lutherans being of the next descent from him seeme to inherit for Brentius the Lutheran thus writeth All the (g) In recognit Prophet Swinglian workes are full of deprauations cunning deceits and slaunders Westphalus a Lutheran thus auerreth All (h) Apolog contra Caluinum p 430. c. 1â— the Caluinian Works are stuffed with taunts curses and lyes he further maintayning in the same place That there are certaine pages of Caluins Workes of which euery one contayneth at least twenty lyes and taunts Hunnius the eminent Lutheran chargeth Caluin that he (i) In his Epist Dedicat to the Confutation of Caluins deprauat wresteth the Scriptures horribly from their true sense to the ouerthrow of himselfe and others Conradus Schlusselburg the Lutheran The Caluinists (k) In Prafati Theolog. Caluinist do nourish Arian and Turkish Impieties in their harts which doth not seldome at fit tymes openly disclose it selfe To Conclude Luke Osiander thus blaseth the Caluinists concerning certaine Assertions touching Christ But heere Gentle (l) Enchirid contra Calu. cap. 7. Reader beyond and aboue the blasphemous things which in the discourse afore we haue heard against the sonne of God out of the Opinions of our Aduersaries the Caluinists there openeth it selfe a gulfe of Hell of Caluinian Doctrine in which God it said to be the Authour of sinne c. Stankarus (*) Stankarus contrâ— Caluinum 14. a Lutheran thus writeth to Caluin What Diuell O Caluin hath seduced thee to speake with Arius against the sonne of God And againe he thus sayth Beware O Christian Reader and especially all you Ministers beware of the Bookes of Caluin and principally in the Articles of the Trinity Incarnation Mediatour the Sacrament of Baptisme Thus far for some tast of Luther and the Lutherans Deportments in words and writing against the Swinglians Sacramentarians and the Caluinists Now let vs see with what Retaliation of kindnes do the Sacramentaries or Caluinists requite the Lutherans 2. First then we fynd that Swinglius thus inueighs against Luther Thou (m) In Respons ad Luther l. de Sacrament fol. 401. Luther shalt be enforced either to deny the whole Scriptures of the New Testament or to acknowledge Marcions Heresy And in the same place he thus further writes En vt totum istum hominem Satan occupare conetur Behould how the Deuill laboreth wholy to possesse this Man meaning Luther Againe Swinglius through contempt calleth Luther Marcion (n) Swingl tom 2. in respons ad Luther Confess fol. 458. 40â— the old Heretike and further concludeth in these words to wit that Luther is guilty of high blasphemy against the Nature and essence of God in that he taught that Christ dyed according to his Diuinity And Swinglius in the foresaid alledged place thus This can be by no reason explayned or excused for Luther clearely and manifestly confesseth that he will not acknowledge Christ to be his Sauiour if only his Humanity had suffered Finally Swinglius thus concludeth of Luthers wordes In verbis (*) Swinglius tom 2. in respons Luther fol. 474. Lutheri c. In the wordes of Luther there lye most great Errours when I read Luthers Booke it seemeth to me that a beastly Hogg doth gruntle in a garden beset with most fragrant flowers So impurely so vnlike to a Deuine Luther disputeth of God and all holy things Thus Swinglius But to leaue Swinglius and to descend to other Sacramentaries Campanus a Sacramentary thus fully and resolutely pronounceth of Luther As (o) In Colloq lat Luth. com 2. cap. de Aduers Certaine as God is God so certaine it is that Luther was a diuelish Lyar. Oecolampadius the Sacramentary thus fearefully speaketh of Luther himselfe Let Luther (p) In Respons ad Confess Luther take heed least being puffed with Pride he be deceiued by Satan The said Oecolampadius thus censureth of the Lutherans in generall The (q) In Dialog contra Melancth Lutherans bring forth only a colour or shadow of the Word of God as all Heretikes commonly are accustomed to do they bring not the Word of God and yet they will seeme to build vpon the Word of God The Tigurine Deuines being Swinglians or Caluinists thus recriminate Luther Nos (r) Tigurin tract 3 contra supremant Lutheri Confess condemnatam execrabilem vocat Sectam Lutherus c. Luther calleth vs a damnable and execrable sect But let him looke that he do not declare himselfe an Arch-Heretike seeing he will not nor cannot haue Society with those that confesse Christ. But how meruelously doth Luther bewray himselfe with his Deuills c. For he sayth that the Deuill dwelleth both now and euer in the Swinglians and that they haue a blasphemous Breast Insatanized Supersatanized and Persatanized c. Did euer any man heare such speaches passe from a furious Diuell himselfe Thus far the Tigurine Deuines I will Conclude with Caluin who thus exclaymeth against the Lutherans in Generall By the Lutherans (s) Instit.
together with the Church of Ierusalem erred And D. Fulke speaking of the same matter is no lesse sparing thus saying Peter (e) Against the Rhemish Testament in Galat. 2. erred in Ignorance against the Gospell I will conclude these their wonderful Inuectiues against the Apostles with D. Whitakers accusation of them thus writing It is (f) D. Whitaker de Eccles contra Bellarm Controu 2. quaest 4. p. 213. manifest that euen after Christ his Ascension and the Holy Ghost descending vpon the Apostles not only the Common sort but euen the Apostles themselues erred in the vocation of the Gentills c. Yea Peter also erred concerning the abrogation of the Ceremoniall Law and this was a matter of Fayth Thus D. Whitaker Would any Christian euer thinke that such horrid words as these any Protestant contrary to the iudgment of other their brethren should disgorge against the Apostles themselues 2. I now hasten to the seuerall Translations of the sacred Scriptures about which there is no lesse contention among the Protestants then is touching which is true Scripture and which is forged and so to speake abastarded And First touching that translation which is commonly called the Vulgar Translation made by S. Hierome though it be much disliked by most Protestants and accordingly hereto D. Whitaker calleth it An ould (g) In his Answere to M. Reynolds Preface pag. 2. 26. rotten translation c. full of faults errours and corruptions of all sortes Yet Carolus Molinaeus a learned Protestant thus approueth it I can (h) In Nouo Testam pag. 30. very hardly depart from the vulgar and accustomed reading which also I am accustomed earnestly to defend His wordes in Latin are these Agerrimè à vulgari consuetaque lectione recedo quam etiam enixè defendere soleo Yea this Molinaeus further sayth I prefer (i) Molinas in Luc. 17. the Vulgar Edition before Erasmus Bucer Bullinger Brentius the Tigurine Translations also before Iohn Caluin his translation and all others D. Couell plainly affirmeth that he preferreth (k) In his answere to M. Iohn Burges pag. 94. the vulgar Translation before all others To conclude euen Beza himselfe contrary to most other Caluinists doth in these words aduance the vulgar Translation The vulgar (l) In praefat Noui Testament anno 155â— Edition I do for the most part imbrace and prefer before all others But now leauing the vulgar Translation the which some Protestants as we see do allow far more do reiect so great disparity there is in their iudgments Let vs come to such Translations of Scripture as haue beene made by the Protestants themselues and let vs obserue what mutuall and interchangeable entertaynemeÌ„t the said Translations haue receaued from the Pens of others their brethren And to begin Luther made a Translation of the Holy Scripture yet this his Translation is condemned by Swinglius in this sort Thou Luther (m) To. 2. ad Luth. lib. de Sacr. p. 412. 413. dost corrupt the Word of God Thou art seene to be a manifest corrupter and peruerter of the Holy Scriptures How much are we ashamed of thee c. And Kekermannus the Protestant thus censureth this Translation of Luther (n) In System 55. Theolog. l. 1. p. 188. Lutheri versio Germanica c. The Translation of Luther of the Scripture in Dutch c. especially in Iob and the Prophets hath no small blemishes And the said Translation is in like manner condemned by Osiander (o) Osiander his condemnation is mentioned by Luther in Colloq Mensal Germ. fol. 245. The Deuines of Basill and Oecolampadius did compyle a Translation yet it is censured in these words by Beza The (p) Beza in respons ad defens resp Castal Translation of Basill is in many places wicked and altogether differing from the mynd of the Holy Ghost The Swinglians vndertooke to translate the Scriptures against the authours of which Translation Luther thus belcheth They (q) Vbi supra 388. are Fooles Asses Antichristes Deceauers and of Asslyke vnderstandings In so much as when a Copy of that Translation was sent to Luther he would not receiue it but reiected it as Hospinian (r) In Hist Sacram. part altera fol. 1â—3 witnesseth Castalio his Translation is censured by Beza to be (s) Beza in Test â—â—eâ—i 1558. in praefat Sacrilegious wicked and Ethnicall Caluins Translation is also reiected for Carolus Molinaeus the forsaid markable Protestant sayth thus thereof Caluin in (t) In sua Translat Test Noui part â—1 fol. 110. his Harmony maketh the Text of the Gospell to leape vp and downe He vseth violence to the letter of the Gospell and besides he addeth to the Text. Beza also for the vp shot of all made a Translation of which translation the foresaid Molinaeus thus speaketh Beza (u) In Translat Testam Noui. pag. 64. 65. 66. de facto textum mutat Beza euen actually changeth the text of the Scripture And Castalio the foresaid Protestant by way of retaliation thus writeth thereof To note (x) In defens Translat pag. 170. the errours of Beza his Translation would require a great volume And Castalio particularly insisteth in that false Translation of Beza against Freewill in the first Chapter of Iohn where it is in the Greeke As many at receaued him he gaue them Power to be made the sonnes of God Beza translating Dignity to be the sonnes of God Castalio thus saying Beza (*) Castalio vbi supra pulcherrimum maximique momenti locum deprauat c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Potestas nunquam Dignitas c. Now touching our English Translations of the Bible The Disagreements of our English Protestants are no lesse violent implacable For First we find one English Authour thus to condemne them The English Translations (y) Carleyle lib. That Christ descended not into Hell pag. 116. 117. 118. haue depraued the sense obscured the Truth and deceaued the ignorant and in many places they detort the Scripture from its true sense Another Protestant thus censureth them How (z) M. Burges in his Apology Sect. 6. can I approue vnder my hand a Translation which hath many Omissions many Additions which sometimes obscureth sometimes peruerteth the sense being sometimes sensles sometimes contrary The Ministers of Lincolne Diocesse thus write The English (a) In the Abridgment of a booke deliuered to King Iames by the said Ministers pag. 11. 12. Translation taketh away from the Text addeth to the Text and this sometimes to the changing or obscuring of the meaning of the Holy Ghost They further enlarging themselues in these words A Translation (b) Vbi supra which is absurd and sensles peruerting in many places the meaning of the Holy Ghost Other Puritans are no lesse sparing in their Censures for diuers Puritans with one consent thus write only of the Translation of the Psalmes Our Translation (c) In a Treatise entituled A Treatise
ΑΔΕΛΦΟΜΑΧΙΑ OR THE WARRS OF PROTESTANCY Being a Treatise wherein are layd open the wonderfull and almost incredible DISSENTIONS of the Protestants among themselues in most if not all Articles of Protestācy And this proued from their owne wordes writinges VVritten by a Cath. Priest WHEREVNTO IS ADIOYNED A briefe Appendix in which is proued First That the Ancient Fathers by the acknowledgments of the learned Protestants taught our Cath. and Roman Fayth Secondly That the said Fathers haue diuers aduantages aboue the Protestant Writers for finding out the true sense of the Scripture I will set the Aegyptians against the Aegyptians so euery one shall fight against his Brother Isa 19. M.DC.XXXVII TO THE LEARNED PROTESTANT WRYTERS the Authour of this Treatise vvisheth all true Fayth LEARNED MEN. It may be you will thinke strange that I haue selected you from all others to dedicate this small Treatise vnto I cannot expect your Patronage heereof in regard of the disparity of our Religions My mayne Allectiue of this my Dedication is Because You being placed vpon the stage of the Worlds Eye and most different from me in Fayth and Religion may by reading these few leaues perceaue with what disease of Contrarieties in Fayth Protestancy being your owne Religion doth labour A most dangerous sicknes and such as in tyme through its violent Conuulsions may threaten its owne future dissolution Heere you shall fynd that the chiefest Protestants haue with their Pens made infinit blots and blurs of Contradictions in their Writings So certaine it is that the high swelling Riuer of Protestancy is fedde with the different or rather most opposite opinions of ech Professour of it Therefore I probably assure my selfe and the rather in regard of your presumed Integrity Learning and other good Parts that after your perusall of this Treatise you will euen blush in your owne Brethrens behalfe For is it not strange and deseruing Admiration to fynd men otherwise reputed most learned to be so flexuous variable and of such fluctuating iudgments touching their doctrines as that Andraeas Duditius a literate Protestant doth in these words following euaporate forth his griefe conceaued through his owne Brethrens dissentions In (a) Beza in Epist. Theolog. epist. ad Dudit pag. 5. relateth these words of Duditius what Religion sayth he do they agree who impugne the Roman Bishop If you examin all from the head to the foote you shall almost fynd nothing affirmed by one which another will not affirme to be wicked c. Their deuines do daily differ from themselues c. menstruam fidem habent coyning a Monthly Fayth Thus we see how Duditius strikes his owne Religion euen in its mayster-Veyne Who notwithstanding is called by Beza (b) Beza vbi supra pag. 1. Clarissimus ornatissimus Vir and saluted by him by the name of (c) vbi supra pag. 2. Frater And the Learned Melancthon complayneth in like sort of this point saying Quos (d) The authour of the Treatise intituled A mirrour for Martinists printed 1590. pag. 24. relateth these words as spoken by Melancthon fugiamus habemus meaning the Papists sed quos sequamur non intelligimus In so much as he further writeth in one of his Bookes Nulla (e) Melancthon in Concil Theolog. part 1. pag. 149. res aquè deterret homines ab Euangelio ac nostra discordia Thus Learned Men you see that the Sphere of Protestancy euen in the iudgment of its owne Mathematicians turneth vpon the Poles of Dissention in doctrine I presume that you haue made great progresse not only in the study of Diuinity but also in humane Learning and Philosophy Call then to remembrance How God in his Creation of the World and the parts thereof may seeme euen zealously to affect Vnity Concordancy Non (f) 1. Cor. 14. est dissentionis Deus fed Facis For first do we not see how the seuerall Spheres in Heauen in their continuall rotation and mouing both in respect of Primum Mobile as also of their peculiar Motions do notwithstanding the diuersity of them still moue without any hindrance or crossing one of anothers Motions in that sweet temper as that some of the Philosophers did ascribe a pleasing and Musicall Harmony to such their Motions In like sort to contemplate vpon the Elements How hath that supreme Workman made them to conspire and agree togeather through force of their symbolizing qualities In so much as by this meanes there is a Transelementation among them one turning it selfe into another Againe how wonderfully by the hand of the same Diuine Prouidence do the Inferiour Causes in Nature humble as it were and subiect themselues to the Higher Causes without the least Reluctation or Contradiction In the proportion of Mans body and the Faculties thereof what Miracles of Vnity and Concordancy are found one member thereof becomming seruiceable to another and all of them Vniting the forces without any mutiny as I may say for the keeping of the whole Body in a gratefull repose of Health Yf then God who hath created all things in Numero Pondere Mensura Who is euer working yet euer quiet more radiant shyning in his Works then all Light more high then all sublimity and yet more low then any depth Being aboue all in gouerning of things Vnderneath all in supporting of things Finally internall in all things by his penetration externall to all things by his comprehending them within his large Circumference If then I say this most wise Intelligence or Spirit Spiritus (g) Ioan. 4. est Deus be so sollicitous in the structure and manner of creating preseruing of things created and this with a most stupendious and conspiring Symmetry Proportion and Consonancy not brooking in them the least iarre of Diuision how can it be thought that he would institute a Religion for the sauing of Mans Soule for whom all other things are created which consisteth of such Heterogenious and different doctrines as Protestancy is found to be exhaling and breathing nothing but Enormity in Manners Simulties Oppositions and manifest Contradictions in Fayth the Professours thereof tearing asunder ech others reputation honour with their violent Philippicks and declamatory Satyrs It is not probable It is not credible It is not possible The true Church of Christ is charactred in sacred Writ with the stampe of Vnity therefore it is stiled (h) Ioan. 20. One sheepfould (i) Rom. 1◠One Body (k) Cant. 6. One Spouse These things then Worthy Men being thus explorate and euident let not the fruition of temporall Preferments and Opulency of state neither the Applause of Men being but a poore wyndy purchase of Ayre nor any other humane and transitory Respects since all these are but glorious and guilded Miseries seele vp your Iudgment and Will from acknowledging and practizing the truth of Religion (l) Matth. 10. Quid prodest homini si vniuersum mundum lacretur Animae verò suae detrimentum
Profession of the truth of Christ. To contract this point D. Couell thus expresly teacheth We (r) In his Defence of M. Hooker pag. 77. affirme them of the Church of Rome to be parts of the Church of God and that those who liue and dye in that Church may notwithstanding be saued charging other Protestants teaching the contrary to vse his owne words with ignorant Zeale Thus much touching the dissentions of the Puritans and the moderate Protestants concerning the saluation of Papists dying Papists coÌ„cluding this point with the iudgment of the Deuiues of Geneua contrary to other their brethren who teach that the Baptisme of Catholike Children either by Protestant Ministers or Catholike Priests is aualeable because say they the (s) So teach the Deuines of Geneua in the Propositions and Principles disputed 〈◊〉 Geneua p. 128. Children are comprehended within the Couenant of eternall life by meanes of the Fayth of their Parents Which very point is in like manner taught to the great dislike of many Puritans by D. Whitguift (t) In his Defence pag. 62â— and M. Hooker (u) Eccles pol. l. 5. pag. 1â—â— For most if not all the Puritans teach that Papists dying Papists cannot be saued seeing say they their Fayth is Idolatry and superstition The X. Paragraph I Next come to the Ancient Fathers because they were the most learned and eminent members of the Ancient Church where we shall see the strang diuersity of the Protestants Iudgments of them Some of the Protestants reuerencing and imbracing their Authorities others wholy betrampling their testimonies and entertayning them with all contempt and scorne And First we will alledge the iudgments of diuers Protestants admitting their Authorities and worth according hereto we fynd that D. Iewell in his Sermon at Paules Crosse thus cryed out O Gregory O Austin O Ierome c. if we be deceaued you haue deceaued vs And after in the said Sermon As I said before so I say againe I am content to yield and subscribe if any of our learned Aduersaries or if all the learned men that be aliue be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholike Doctour or Father or out of any old Generall Councell for the space of six hundred yeares after Christ Which challenge D. Whitaker after iustified in these words writing to Father Campian Audi (x) Whitak in respons ad ration Camp rat 5. Campiane c. Heare O Campian that most true and constant Challenge which Iewell that day made when he appealed to the antiquity of the first six hundred yeares c. That is the proffer and Challenge of vs all we do promise the same with Iewell and we will make it good D. Sutcliffe thus auerreth The (y) In his Exam. of D. KellisoÌ„s suruey Fathers in all points are for vs and not for the Pope D. Willet is no lesse confident herein thus protesting I take (z) In his Antilog p. 263. God to witnes before whom I must render an account c. that the same Fayth and Religion which I defend is taught and confirmed in the more substantiall points by those Histories Councells and Fathers that liued within fyue or six hundred yeares after Christ. Kempnitius We (a) In Exam. Concil Trident. part 1. pag. 74. doubt not but that the Primitiue Church receaued from the Apostles and Apostolicall men not only the text of Scripture but also the right and natiue sense thereof And againe We are greatly confirmed in the true and sound sense of the Scripture by the testimony of the ancient Church The Confession of Bohemia The (b) In the Harmony of Confessions pag. 400. ancient Church is the true and best Mistris of posterity and going before leadeth vs the way D. Bancroft speaking of Caluin and Beza thus sayth For (c) In his Suruey of the pretended holy Discipline M. Caluin and M. Beza I do thinke of them as their Writings do deserue But yet I thinke better of the ancient Fathers I must confesse I will conclude this their acknowledgment of the Primitiue Church and Fathers with D. Iewell with whom I first did begin he thus writing The Primitiue (d) In his Defence of the Apology Church which was vnder the Apostles and Martyrs hath euer beene accounted the Purest of all others without exception But now let vs see how Diametrically and repugnantly other Protestants stand to these former Protestants touching the Authority and dignity of the ancient Fathers And to forbeare the former Confessions of Protestants touching the Inuisibility of their Church during the first fiue or six hundred yeares after Christ aboue related which euidently demonstrateth that such Protestants who teach so long an Inuisibility do consequently teach and grant that the Fathers of those tymes were in iudgment Papists and not Protestants for if they had beene Protestants then the Protestanticall Church had most remarkably beene visible and conspicuous in the said Fathers To forbeare the iteration I say therof I will descend to the particular Reproualls giuen by the Protestants against them And first do we not find the same D. Whitaker obserue the inconstancy of this man who aboue so much maintayned D Iewells appeale thus to write Ex (e) Whitak contra Duraeum l. 6. p. 423. Patrum erroribus vester ille religionis Cento consutus est Your Popish Religion is but a patched Couerlet of the Fathers errours sowed together Pomeran the Protestants thus writeth Nostri Patres siue sancti fiue non sancti c. Our (g) Pomeran in Ioâ—au ancient Fathers whether they were holy or not holy I not much rest vpon were blinded with the spirit of Montanus and through humane Traditions Doctrines of the Deuills c. they did not teach purely of Iustification c. Neither were they sollicitous to preach Iesus Christ in his Gospell Iacobus Acontius the Protestant thus condemneth the Fathers Quidem (h) In stratagem Satanae l. c. p. 196. eò redierunt c. Certaine men meaning Protestants are gone so far as that they would haue all points to be tryed by the authorities of the Fathers c. But this custome I hould to be most pernicious and altogether to be auoided D. Humfrey so smally pryaeth the Fathers as that he rebuked D. Whitaker for renewing D. Iewels challenge in appealing to the ancient Fathers aboue related in this manner D. Whitaker (i) Lib. de vita Iewel li. printed at London pag. 212. gaue the Papists too large a scope was iniurious to himselfe and after a manner spoyled himselfe and the Church Melancthon (k) In 1. Cor. cap. 3. Presently (k) In 1. Cor. cap. 3. from the beginning of the Church the ancient Fathers obscured the Doctrine concerning Iustification by Fayth encreased Ceremonyes and deuised peculiar worships Beza thus ballanceth the Fathers with the Protestants of this age saving Yf we (l) In Epist Theolog Ep. 1. compare our tymes next to the
our said Religion For why should their iudgments agree with the Catholike Church therein but that the force of the Truth constrayneth them thereto and therefore it is truly said of D. Whitaker The (e) Whitak contra Bellarm. l. de Eccles Controuers 2. q. 5. c. 14. argument must be strong and efficacious which is taken from the Confessions of the Aduersaries And I do freely acknowledge that Truth is able to extort testimonies euen from its Enemies Whose Sentence herein is agreable to the iudgment of Irenaeus thus writing It is (f) Lib. 4. c. 14 an vnanswerable prooffe that bringeth attestation from the Aduersaries themselues And further it may be inferred that seeing most Protestants do reiect the Doctrine of Traditions that therefore those Protestants who are related aboue to giue an assent to our Catholike Positions do consequently belieue that the said Articles are most agreeable to the Holy Scriptures seeing these Protestants will belieue nothing as matter of Fayth but what hath its proofe from Scripture 4. A Fourth is their reiecting of parts of true Scripture and their contentions touching the seuerall translations of confessed Scripture Now it bring once granted that it is not certainly knowne what bookes be Scripture and that all translations of Scripture yet extant are false how preiudiciall must this be to the Protestants who erect the Scripture alone for the sole Iudge of all Controuersies in Fayth Seeing admitting that the Scripture should be this Iudge yet this is to be vnderstood of those writings which are infallibly Diuine Scripture and are truly and faythfully translated Since otherwise such bookes of the Bibles which are Spurious and not the true Word of God and such Translations of true Scripture which are adulterated and made contrary to the Sense of the Holy Ghost therein should become this Iudge And thus it followeth that the Protestants till this day euen by their owne implicit Censure neuer enioyed a true Iudge for the decyding of Controuersies in sayth 5. Touching the imaginary facility in fynding out the true sense of the Scripture iustifyed not only by some learned Protestants but also by euery silly Puritanicall Woman and Mechanicall fellow that can out read vanting themselues to be as it were possessed with the Holy Ghost how dangerously doth this assertion lye open to the defence of any Heresy I will here set downe some few Texts wherof the literall words may seeme to iustify strang Errours and Heresies so certaine Drugs taken in their grosse substance are hurtfull to a mans health which being extracted become most medicinable The texts shal be these 1. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath Immortality 1. Timoth. c. 6. Now from this place one might seeme to argue that since God alone is immortall the soule of Man is not immortall but dyeth with the body an Atheisticall blasphemy 2. He that striketh thee on the Cheeke offer also the other and him that taketh away thy Cloake forbid not to take thy Coate also Luke 6. Which words of our Sauiour seeme to implye that we must offer vpon such an occasion the other cheeke to be strocken and suffer our Coate to be taken away with our Cloake And if we do not this we sinne since it is a sinne not to obserue the precept of Christ 3. Call no man your Father vpon earth Math. 23. c. Which words seeme to sound that the sonne ought not to call that man which begot him Father 4. Yf any man come to me and hateth not his Father and mother and Wyfe and brethren and sisters c. he cannot be my Disciple Luc. 14. Here the naked words sound that whereas in the ten Commandements we are taught to honour our Father and mother as also obliged to loue our wyues and friends yet here the next way to serue Christ truly is to hate our Parents our Wyues other our nearest Friends 5. Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere Psalm 126. It is but vayne for you to ryse before it he light thus it seemes a man ought not to ryse before Sunne-rising A good pretence for sluggards 6. Melchisedech King of Salem c. Without Father without mother without Genealogy hauing neither beginning of Dayes or end of Lyfe Hebr. 7. A text from whence if one rest only in the naked Words an illiterate man may seeme to euict that this Melchisedech being a man is neuerthelesse as it were another God as neither hauing beginning nor ending as being sempiternall And also that he is another Adam as not begotten by any Carnall Copulation 7. I do accomplish those things quae desunt passionum Christi that want of the Passions of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church Colos 1. From whence the poore Puritan-Reader might be induced to thinke that the Apostle did here speake no lesse then blasphemy as intimating that something were wanting or defectiue in the Passion of Christ which himselfe was to fullfill and make perfect 8. Lastly to turne my Pen more particularly to our She-ignorant Puritans who by carrying the Bible they thinke they can vnderstand any part thereof Now how would these ignorant Fooles vnderstand this text against themselues Melior est iniquitas viri quam mulier benefaciens The Iniquity or wickednes of a man is better then a Woman doing good Ecclesiast 42. by which words the Puritan-Woman must be forced to confesse vnderstanding the words as they simply lye that a man fraught with all wickednes is to be preferred before herselfe who seemes to be full of the spirit and the written word Thus far these few examples for instance sake to the which many hundred more may be adioyned All which are most true in the sacred and intended sense of the Holy Ghost yet they conuince that the Scriptures are not of that facility and easines for the perfect vnderstanding of them as diuers Protestants alledged towards the beginning of this Treatise merely contrary to the more graue iudgments of other Protestants their brethren do make shew to teach 6. In this next place we may call to mynd what Indignity and dishonour that most blasphemous and miscreant Opinion and Sentence of Swinglius and his Companions as so many Charons seruing to wast soules ouer to Hell do offer to the Christian Fayth by teaching as is aboue shewed most differently from all their owne Christian Protestant Brethren That a man though not belieuing in Christ so that he lead not a wicked lyfe may be saued For who houldeth this for true litle pryseth the Passion of Christ they being in the number of those of whom it is said They deny (g) 1. Petr. 2. him that bought them the Lord bringing vpon themselues speedy Damnation So forgetfulll they are of that other sacred Sentence There is no (h) Iohn 1. other Name vnder Heauen giuen vnto men then that of Iesus wherein we must be saued And thus these men make him to become to
so fully acknowledged that the Protestant Ministers neuer effected any of them no not so much as supernaturally curing a prickt fingar or raysing to lyfe a dead flea as that diuers of them behoulding with the eye of sulliuation and enuy the miracles wrought by the former Fathers and other deuout persons do peremptorily (q) In his Suruey of D Kellisons c. D. Morton in his Apol. Cathol part 1. l. 2 25. and diuers others teach that all Miracles haue ceased euer since the Apostles dayes so willing they are to shackle and tye the hands of God from exhibiting all such stupendious ActioÌ„s And hence it is that their owne chiefe Doctours do wholy confesse the want of all Miracles in confirmation of their first plantation of Protestancy For thus doth D. Fulke acknowledge saying It is (r) Against the Rhemish Testament in Apocalyp cap. 13. knowne that Caluin and the rest whom the Papists call Arch-Hereticks do no Miracles And no lesse is confessed by D. Sutcliffe in these words We do (s) In his examen of D. Kellisons Suruey printed 1606. p. 8. not practize Miracles nor do we teach that the doctrine of Truth is to be confirmed with Miracles 5. Another ouerballancing Circumstance resulteth from the different Conditions of the Fathers and of the Protestants touching the preaching of their seuerall doctrines in Fayth The Fathers interpreted the Holy Scriptures in confirmation of our Catholike Fayth when as no other Fayth was knowne and many ages before Protestancy was euer dreamed of And therefore what they did write or teach out of the Scriptures they did it in an Azisme and purity of Conscience not being forestalled with any Preiudice of Iudgment or inuited thereto by any humane or temporary Motiues the most dangerous Sands vpon which many Schollars do suffer shipwrack Now the Protestants I meane chiefly many Protestant Ministers throghout Christendome euen from the first tyme that Protestancy began to get on wing do prosecute their Fayth with a most strong bent of Endeuour because their temporall states as aboue is intimated are so imbarked therein as that an vtter extinguishment of Protestancy would instantly threaten all mendicity and ruine to the Doctours thereof So fully are their temporall states ingaged in their owne Religion Therefore no wonder it is if most Protestant Doctours as in likelyhood they do do thus syllogize and dispute in the secret of their owne Soule I am maried I am attended on with a great trayne and charge of Children My temporall Meanes lye only in my possessing of Parsonages and other Ecclesiasticall Liuings which are allotted to me for my Ministeriall and Protestanticall functien Yf Protestancy should suffer an vtter disparition and vanishing out of the World What then would become of me How should I my Wyfe and my poore Children maintayne our selues We cannot liue only vpon breathing the Ayre Therefore I must nay I will in all estuation and heate of dispute and writing maintayne my owne Religion of Protestancy shaping though I grant in a retrograde manner the pretended sense of the Scripture to the fortifying of my lately appearing Fayth not my Fayth to the true sense of the Scripture God is mercifull and I hope seing my state otherwyse lyes mortally a bleeding he will pardon this my Offence proceeding from such a forced and vrging Necessity O most dangerous and desperate Resolution 6. To proceed to another Circumstance Diuers of those ancieÌ„t Fathers as Ignatius Dionysius Polycarpe Cyprian c. spent their lyues in defence of the Christian Catholike Religion to speake nothing of many thousands of others lesse eminent Christians dying for the same they suffering most glorious Martyrdomes for their fayth in iustifying in theÌ„selues that sentence Paradisi (u) Tertul in l. de Anima clauis sanguis Martyrum Of which euery one might well say in his owne person Occidi possum superari non possum so becoming Balls to the then boysterous tymes Happy Men who by losing of lyfe did fynd lyfe and by sheeding their bloud did (x) Apoc. 7. wash their Robes in the Bloud of the Lambe And who did passe the Red Sea of of persecution Martyrdome with such humility alacrity eauennes and constancy of mynd as that their Honorable Memories might well deserue to be recorded in more seuerall pages then heere are lines I might well say in more lynes then heere are letters And can it then be thoght possible their admirable fortitude for Christ his sake considered that God would conceale from them the true Sense of Scripture without which their Soules could not enioy Saluation It is repugnant euen to Gods Iustice What is it then to his Mercy Among the Aduersaries who euer suffered death in defence of Protestancy Iohn Husse say they It is false For Husse being otherwise a turbulent fellow and raysing combustions in his owne Country dyed for only defending the necessity of Communion vnder both kinds comparting with the Roman Church in other points Of whom Luther thus writeth The Papists (y) Luth. in Colloq Mensal German de Antichristo burned Husse when he departed not a fingers breadth from the Papacy Who els Ierome of Prage This man also maintayned but one or two Heresyes being wholy Catholike in all other Articles who after a second recidiuation and Relapse was burned Who more A company of Mechanical ignorant despicable and poore Snakes in Queene Maries reigne M. Fox his Martyrs who as being possessed with a Iewish Obstinacy in defence of some few points only of Protestancy belieuing withall many Catholike Articles became proud forsooth of their future-dying honour and so through their owne froward Wilfulnes did euen importune the Fagot thus losing their breath for the gayning of a litle breath or Wynd of prayse Miserable Wretches their Bodies no sooner ceasing to be afflicted with temporall flames then their soules as is to be feared began to be tormented with eternall flames 7. The last Collateral respect between the Primitiue Fathers and the Protestant Doctours and Writers in which I will heere insist much preponderating in this busines is that most of the new Testament if not all was originally written in the Greeke toÌ„gue and that diuers of the ancient Fathers were (z) Ignatius Epiphanus Athanasius Basil Nazianzene Chrysostom Cyrill Theodoret besides others were Greeke Fathers Grecians borne so that tongue became their Mother tongue Now whereas the Tongues are deseruedly stiled the Porters of learning or the mines wherein the goulden Oare of knowledge is found and also whereas what skill the Protestants can haue in that language is only Artificiall and gotten by their owne paynes and labour therefore it ineuitably followeth that the Fathers as better knowing the true Emphasis and Energy of euery Greeke Word then the Protestant can are much aduantaged aboue the Protestants for the digging as it were myning out of the true sense of the Holy Ghost in those sacred writings And this no wonder since we fynd that Art which is but a print or stamp impressed by the seale of Nature euer subscribes to Nature Thus far touching the Trutination of the Fathers with our Protestant Teachers and of this Impar congressus Achille Concerning which Fathers I hould it my great Honour as aboue I professed to imploy my pen in their Panegyricks and due commendation Howsoeuer many of our Aduersaries as is allready made euident do take great complacency in eiurgating out of their impure stomacks words of contumely and reproch agaynst the said Centinels of Gods Church Vpon (a) Esay â—2 thy Walles O Ierusalem I haue set watches for euer And heere before I end I demand to recapitulate the former points how can any Christian iustly apologise for himself at that most dreadfull day the day (b) Esay 13. of our Lord a cruell day full of indignation wrath and fury when it shal be vrged agaynst him that in the election and choyce of his fayth drawne from the Scriptures vpon the truth or falshood wherof depended his euerlasting happines or misery he did preferre Nouelty before Antiquity few before many Men but ignorant in the Scripturall tongues before others who sucked with their milke those tongues from their Mothers Breasts Preiudice of iudgment before all impartiality dissention in doctrine before vnity in doctrine such as traffick nothing but transitory benefits and pleasure before Men of most mortifyed and stupendious liues and conuersation Men being most (c) According herto we fynd Luther to haue had familiar conference with the Deuill as himselfe witnesseth in tom 7. Wittenberg lib. de Mâ—ssa priuata fol. 2â—8 Oecolampadius was slayne by the Deuill as Lauather the Protestant witnesseth in histor Sacrament printed Tiguri 1563. fol. 24. Carolostadius is termed by D Fulke an Epicurean Gospeller in his Reioynder to Bristows Reply printed 1582. pag. 240. And Melancthon calleth Carolostadius A barbarous fâ—llow in whom there is no signe of the Holy Ghost in Epist ad Fredericum Miconium Swinglius thus writeth of his owne lust in his Treatise to the Heluetian State We so burned O for shame as that we haue committed many things vnseemely Caluin is charged with Sodomy as the Citty of Noyon in France in its Register doth testify was burned vpoÌ„ the shoulder for that cryme Beza in like sort charged with Sodomy with a yong boy called Andebertus and this is testifyed by Conradus Schlusselburg the Protestant in Theolog. Caluin l. 1. fol. 93. To passe ouer others for breuity Ochinus became a Iew as Zanchius the Protestant witnesseth in his booke de tribus Elohim l. 5. c 9. Finally Andraeas the great Protestant is charged by Hospinian the Protestant in histor Sacrament to haue no other God but Mammon and Bacchus fol. 389. impious and prophane liuers before workes of miracles Briefly certaine ignorant ignoble fellowes desperatly casting away their liues for the purchasing of a litle popular ayre before many holy and learned Martyrs And with this I close vp these leaues And I trust he closeth well who closeth his speach in defence of such Men who were defenders of the Ancient Christian and Catholike Religion God saue the King THE Faultes vvhich haue escaped in printing I hope be not many nor yet such as may not easily be corrected by the iudicious Reader