full stuffed with them who want gold and silver yet cannot for beare but they will be craking T. HILL ANd for the maintaining thereof they are not compelled to deny certaine parts of Gods holy Booke as the Protestants and their Prede Aug. lib. 28 con faust c 2. de vtil cred cap. 3. cessours heretikes haue beene inforced to doe The Manichees for that their heresies were so manifestly confuted by the Gospell of Saint Matthew and by the Actes of the Apostles as they sould coine no answere nor other shift they denyed them to be Scripture The Ebionites because the Epistles of Saint Paule disproved most plainely Circumcision which they maintained denyed them to be Scripture Luther reiected the Epistle of S. Iames because it was so plaine against the doctrine of only faith His of-spring refused the Bookes of Tobias of Ecclesiasticus of the Machabees and of some others because in them is plainely taught the Doctrine of the custody of Angels of Free-will of Praier for the Faithfull Soules departed and of Praier to Saints all which they deny and therefore must they needs deny those parts of the holy Bible G. ABBOT 2 YOu charge vs with denying of some partes of Gods holy booke as not making for vs and certainely we shoulde repute our selues men impious and irreligious if wee tooke any thing away from that which is so absolute that it may well bee compared to a Circle where if any thing be added it maketh a balke if any thing be subtracted it maketh a bracke We do right wel know that he who taketh away ought frō the word of the everlasting God the Lord shal take away his g Apoc. 22. 19. portion out of the booke of life for the speech may be applied to the whole Scripture as wel as to S. Iohns Revelation But we wil you to remēber the other part of the holy Ghosts divisiō that God shal adde the h Vers. 18. plagues writen in that booke to him who addeth ought to the book of the Lord. Whē therfore you labour to establish that for authētical which is not inspired frō the holy Ghost but a matter seperat seiunct you may iustly fear least you incurre that peril which you would post of to vs. What heretiks haue done against the Divine volume we dislike and detest as wel as you We condemne it in the i August de vtilit credend cap. 2 3 Manichees that they accepted not the old Testament that they questioned the Gospell of Saint Matthew as not being that which S. Matthew wrote because it manifestlie shewed that Christ was born a mā which they denied that they extenuated the authority of the Acts of the Apost as being much corrupted For this their-sacrilegious attēpt we cēsure thē as deep ly cōdēne thē as much as you do The like mind we do cary of the k Euse Eccl. Hist l 3 21 Ebionits whose opiniōs sprūg vp in the time of the Evāg S. Iohn they wold gladly haue retained circūcisiō stil as being a necessary duty of the Lawe that which Christ his Apostles had received in their own persōs And because S. Pauls Epistles had so directly oppugned this their cōceit as also had shewed the whole ceremonial law to be extīguished they would clean haue expūged thē out of the Canō We repute these for evil heretiks we accept of al the bookes of the old Testamēt which can be proved to be the Testamēt we questiō nothīg of the New Only as you wold not like if vnto the new Testamēt the Gospell of Nicodemus or Hermes his Apocriphal Pastor shold be sewed so we cānot endure that those tracts should be reputed part of the Hebrews Canō which the Iews never knew These 2. Periods of the Manichees Ebionits as also the 2. next touchīg Luther his of-sprīg you haue trāslated word for word out of Cāpiās first Reasō And if there had bin in you grace an indifferēt mīd you might also haue seene this slāder cōcerning Luther l Gul. Wh◅taken Resp. ad Ration Campiani◅ answered But your meaning is to be wilfully blind There is nothing more false then thar Luther reiected the Epistle of Iames. He acknowledged it as Scripture cited it as he did other books And how shāfully was Cāpian put to his plūges whē havīg Luthers works laid before him being bidde turne to that place where Luther so depressed vilefied that Epistle he could find no such thīg but said it was so in a copy of Luthers works which was at Prage in the Emperours Library And if any had sought it there then the booke had beene removed to some other place as the m Munsten Cosmogr l 2 tree which Aeneas Silvius saith was sought in diverse coūtries still missed that tree I meane whose leaues fallīg into the river were turned into Barnacles You might do wel in behalfe of Campian to shew some one of Luthers followers in Germany Dēmarke or else-where who is so opposite to S. Iames his Epistle for those whom some cal the Rigidi Lutherani do sinke nothing which he held Since thē both they we al who professe the reformed Religion do accoūt it Canonical it is but an idle speculation to make that obiection And why should Luther fly that booke as crossing the doctrine of only faith since all other who maintaine that doctrin do accept of that Epi. also S. Iames doth not thwart that which S. Paul had taught for the spirit of God is not cōtrary to it self if there be any difficulty in one n Iac 2 24 single text of that Epistle it is to be explicated out of other places which are more cleere opē S. Paule thē in his Epistles to the Romans Galathiās hath so manifested that point of Iustificatiō by faith alone that he who without preiudice wil read the text shal never need any Cōmentary It is so plaine that diverse Papists looking into that laying aside false and perverted glosses haue embraced that doctrine o Sleidan l 21 Vergerius who intēded to write against Luther in that Argumēt was by traversing of it caught himselfe Nay Ferus and Albertus Pighius who otherwise is a grosse Papist haue subscribed vnto it And wheras our Papists obiect that S. Paul saying that a mā is iustified without the workes of the law doth meane nothing else but the ceremonial law that is lōg since refuted resolved by S. p Aug de spirit liter cap 14 Austē otherwise The same father also doth notably shewe that there is no contrariety betvveene the tvvo q In 83 quaest c. 76. Apostles for that when S. Iames doth say that a man is iustified by works he doth no more crosse S. Paule then the same Apostle doth crosse himselfe r Rom. 2. 13. saying The hearers of the Lavve are not righteous before God but the doers of the Law shall
be for a great parte thereof but borrowed stuffe and that of such meane qualitie as that hardly it may goe in the number of the buttons and lace vvhereof you talke that is to say for Pedlerie and paultry ware it may bee reputed and not as ought of any precious accounte or reckoning You had neede therefore intreate your friendes as you doe to take all vvell which if they doe vpon this your request and so yeelde you your defire it is much more of their kindenesse and curtesie then of your deserving The protestation which you make of loyal and duetiful affection toward our and your Soveraigne is in shewe somewhat if in truth your hearte and actions doe directly and indirectlye corresponde there-vnto But it may be demurred vpon whither those who are in highest authority and by long experience and manifolde intelligence haue vnderstoode their course who are brought vp in the Seminaries will giue credite to your wordes You doe not so daunce in a net as that you can see every body and no body can see you There is much and very much preiudice against you such as wil not in hast vpon the naked word of a person suspect be satisfied for We know this your Maxime that faith given or promise made to an Hereuke may be broken We know that with you the Pope is Christes Vicar and his voice is to be obeyed as an immediate Oracle of God We vndoubtedly vnderstande that diverse of the Romane Bishops haue done their worst to depriue her late sacred Maiesty of her crowne and dignity We finde that many of your Predecessors and Schoole-maisters haue in printed books much reviled and railed against the Lords Annointed and some doe yet persist We are assured that the companies of your fellow students are mainetained by the late professed enemies of our Religion Prince and Countrey We haue it confessed by men of their owne sort that many of the English beyonde the seas are at the sole devotion of the Spanyard It cannot be denied that the Rectours and chiefe men of or neere your Seminaries as Allen Bristow Stapleton Parsons other haue either by their actiōs or their writings or both declared themselues known traitours against our dead Soveraigne the State as also that diverse of the leaders did with their best indevours helpe forward the invasion Anno 1588 and some of the meaner sort came in the fleete And as certaine it is that sundry both Irish and English Priests and Iesuites haue beene principall instigatours of the Irish tumults At home albeit of late there hath appeared some difference between such as are vnited to the Arch-Priest and the rest which oppugne him yet in this our Q. Elizabeth did certainely finde that they al agreed that to their vitermost they did knit p The proclamation Nov. 5. 1602 as many as they could fast to the Pope diminishing the number of those who were assured to her Highnesse and encreasing his account who heretofore had as a temporall Prince his banner displaide in the field and stil to her death continued his warlike Stratagems against her Maiesty And from this roote of being reconciled to the Romane Bishop it ariseth that many of your followers are male-contented with the present state and insinuate so farre as they dare that they wish another governement Al these scruples make against you besides the frequent conspiracies by some against the life of our late gracious Queene and by others the iustification of such Rebels as haue lift vp their sword against her And well it were if together with her death the wicked malice of that false generation had dyed but it is otherwise as by the attempts of that Quodlibeting Watson and other his complices is evident to all men They haue by printed books made infinite protestations of alleageance and loyalty the least sparke whereof doth novv see me never to haue resided within their breasts which well demonstrateth what credit may be given to actiue stirring Papists Now for your part if you approue these thinges your heart is not sounde and if you dislike them you renounce many Theoremes and much also of the practise of Popery and then you may be a witnesse to your selfe that as many of your forerunners and fellowes haue swarved in these actions and positions so they and you also may goe astray in your other pointes of Papistrie vvhich you at this time doe not more eagerly defende or confidently mainetaine then your predecessours and copartners haue done the rest before named But vntill this doe enter into your hearte and you by evident demonstration do shewe vs some better fruit you must giue vs leaue with a watchfull eie to obserue you and to holde you no more loayll then wee haue good assuraunce thereof An enemye canne humble himselfe and make faire vveather till hee can gaine opportunitye to effecte his longe-vvished and principall desires Vpon this I pray you to ruminate in your chamber at Phalempyne or Palempyne vvhence you date your letters which vvee vvill not imagine to bee Pampelyne or Pampelune in Navarre nor othervvise beate our braynes to knovve vvhat this meaneth since an Examination hath detected that Master Fitz. UUilliams that is to say you Doctour Hill brought your booke your selfe to be Printed not at Antwerpe as the first page falsly signifieth but in Englande and there where either blacke or white Lordes or Ladyes beare either game or name avva◅e God sende you so much grace as to see and consider your ovvne courses to recall your vntruthes to repent for your slaunders and to make satisfaction to those simple and superstitious people vvhom by this following libell you haue abused AN ANSWERE TO THE FIRST REASON THOMAS HILL If the Prophecies of the Holy Bible be true as they be most true then must the Religion of the Protestants needes be false GEORGE ABBOT THat some doe still continue to plead for their vnholy father of Rome do their best endevours to vnderprop vphold the ruines of his decaying Babylon ought not to seeme strange to any Christian man who hath but a competent knowledge of things spiritual For while there is a church militant there shal also be a Church malignant laboring to oppresse and keepe downe the other and so long as Antichrist standeth he shall haue his admirers yea and a Apoc. 13. 15. adorers too of the image of the beast And toward the end of the world it is foretolde that there shall be swarmes of b Cap. 9. 3. locusts who in likelyhood wil not so ill love the bottomles pit from which they do ascend but that their purpose wil be to returne thither againe drawe with them such store of company as they may bee able to worke vpon Neither may it seeme wonderfull that among the devoted servants of the Pope some of our nation being ◅ed over the seas should play their parts and prizes since it is their open profession to stand on his side
matter now in questioÌ„ One p Lib. 〈◊〉 where he telleth vs that Hus did slay soules for an huÌ„dred yeeres togither neither yet doth he cease to slay them by the second death Within an hundred yeeres after him came M. Luther according as the saide Iohn Hus did q Io. Foxus in Histor. Ecclesiastic prophecy not long before his death And wheÌ„ it is added that yet hee doth not cease to slaye it is manifest that his doctrine remained till the daies of Cochlues In another r Cochl lib. 2. place hee relateth that Luther did stirre vp seditions in Germany by the bookes of the Hussites Afterward hee calleth those who were in Germany in his time s Ibidem newâ—… Hussites And againe Hus did so rente the vnitie of the Church that vnto this day there remaineth a pitifull division in Bohemia He proceedeth in the same matter s Lib. 3. elsewhere saying that the people of Germany are now by Luther partakers of the heresies of Hus and Hierome One sorte of the followers of this Iohn Hus did call themselves Thaborites and these were they who most dissented of all other from the doctrine of Rome Of these hee speaketh thus t Lib. 8. Unto this day remaineth the secte of the Thaborites in manie places of Bohemia and Moravia vnder the â—…ame of Picards and VValdenses Lastly the same Cochleus in the yeere 1534. doth vvish that u Lib. 12. hee may see the remainders or leavings of the Hussites to returne to the Church and the Germanes to cast out all nevve sectes VVhat can bee more evident then that the doctrine of Iohn Hus vvas sensiblie and apparantly continued somewhere even till the daies of Martin Luther Vnto which may be added that wheras Luther began to shew himselfe but in the yeere 1517. that very yeere was u Centur. 16. lib. 1. 20. ended the CouÌ„cel of Laterane held at Rome finished by Pope Leo the teÌ„th And there consultation was had of reforming the manners of the Church and of recalling the Bohemians to the vnity of the Church of Rome 19 And as these testimonies do coÌ„vince that the ChristiaÌ„ coÌ„fessioÌ„ of Hus was not extinguished at the coÌ„ming of M. Luther so may there be good reasoÌ„ assigned why it did so loÌ„g coÌ„tinue in as much as it was embraced by many earnestly maintaned eveÌ„ vnto the death WheÌ„ Hus begaÌ„ first to preach the people which vsed haÌ„dy x Cochl lib. 1. craftes did with great desire heare his sermons and did reade the Scriptures being turned by him into their mother tongue so that they could dispute with the Priests which the very women were able to do yea one woman did make a booke Not long after three of the y Ibidem scholers of this preacher did affirme that the Pope z Iohan. â—…3 theÌ„ living was Antichrist who had proclaimed a Croisado against a Christian King that was Ladislaus King of Naples then infesting the lands of the Church of Rome These three persons were martyred for this speech tooke their death patiently In small processe of time this doctrin so multiplied that as Onuphrius hath a In tabula Concil ante Platinae Histor. the Councell of Constance was called principally for two things the one was against the Hussites the other to take away the sehisme betweene the Popes These of likely-hood grew great that now a general CouÌ„cel was called against theÌ„ Neither did the people only agree in faith with Iohn Hus but the Nobles of Bohemia stood apparaÌ„tly for him in so much that they sent two b Io. Fox in Concil Constant. Historia severall soleÌ„ne supplicatioÌ„s to the CouÌ„cel at CoÌ„staÌ„ce in his behalf And wheÌ„ these their requests were neglected Iohn Hus Hierome of Prage coÌ„trary to the Emperours safe coÌ„duct given to the former of theÌ„ were burnt the Nobles c Cochl l. 4. of Bohemia did mightily murmure against the fathers of the CouÌ„cell insomuch that Sigismund the Emperour to give them satisfaction on his behalfe did write vnto theÌ„ excusing himself touching the death of these two meÌ„ laying the fault vpoÌ„ the CouÌ„cel But this gave not coÌ„tentmeÌ„t to the BohemiaÌ„s now robbed of their principal pastour but being moved at the perfidiousnes of those at CoÌ„stance they asseÌ„bled theÌ„selves togither to the nuÌ„ber of d Ibidem thirty thousaÌ„d in the fields vpoÌ„ three huÌ„dred tables erected for that purpose they received the Eucharist in both kinds Afterward they rushing into the Churches Monasteries did break down the Images there It was not long after but that vnder Iohannes Zisca a noble victorious warriour these Hussites grew to bee of souldiours e Lib. 5. Petr Messias in Sigismundo forty thousaÌ„ds in one army who got into their haÌ„ds the castle of Prage the chief city of Bohemia TheÌ„ not long after did Pope Martin the 5. publish a Croisado against these whoÌ„ he called Heretikes promising remissioÌ„ of their sins to such as could destroy them NotwithstaÌ„ding these hated persoÌ„s did stil prosper getting many victories vnder Procopius other Captaines but especially vnder Zisca who was of that dexterity and felicity in his warres as that Cochleus almost amased at his strange successe saith that f Lib. 5. scaÌ„t any history of the Greekes or Hebrewes or Latins doth meÌ„tioÌ„ such a Generall as Zisca was He built a new city as a refuge for his meÌ„ called it Thabor wherof diverse embracing the doctrine of Hus were afterward called Thaborites A g Lib. 6 secoÌ„d time time did Pope Martin proclaime a Croisado against theÌ„ granting remissioÌ„ of sins to al who did either fight or coÌ„tribute mony against theÌ„ Vpon which there were at one time forty h Ibidem thousaÌ„d Germaine horsemeÌ„ gathered to destroy theÌ„ but such was the terror of their name that vpoÌ„ the approaching to theÌ„ the horsemeÌ„ of their own accord turned their backs fled The Popish Auctor saith that there was in this some secret iudgmeÌ„t of God but he thinketh the cause of their ill successe was that they had Bishops Priests to their leaders Cap taines By this time came on the CouÌ„cel of Basil which as i In tabula ante Platinam Onuphrius saith was helde against the Hussites This sheweth that they were many which may also appeare in that the Fathers at Basil did by an indulgeÌ„ce graÌ„t to the BohemiaÌ„s this dispeÌ„sutioÌ„ that coÌ„trary to the Acte of the k Sess. 13. CouÌ„cel of CoÌ„staÌ„ce they might receive the Eucharist both in bread wine Genebrard who was ever a true servant to the Pope l Genebrard lib. 4 Chronograph confesseth so much but addeth withall that the cuppe was permitted vnto theÌ„ because that alwaies before had beene their custome so to communicates yet saith he al was on that condition that they should not finde fault with the contrarie vse nor sever themselues from
vvriting against u Contra 18 articul Wiolif VViclif maketh y In articulo 11. 12. tvvise mention of a booke of his ovvne sent to the Bishoppe of Hereford Dâ—…num Ersordenseâ—… he calleth him in confutation of the booke of VValter Britte 27 While I wrâ—…e these thinges I cannot but thinke vpon the audacious absurdnesse of my ignorant Doctour who blusheth not to vtter that is is y Ration 1. most manifest that all in England vvere Papistes vvithout exception from the first Christening thereof vntill this age of King Henry the eight Hee is doubtlesse an honest man and worthy to be trusted on his word It is not only manifest but most manifest not that the greatest part but all yea beâ—… shal not be scanted all wâ—…ut â—…ption were â—…apistes c. Were Iohn Wiclifâ—… bones burnt because he was a Papist were the Bulâ—… of the Pope against him for that cause and were the Archbishop Arondelâ—… Costâ—… against his followers so severe because they were Papists The man is hâ—… to be pittied for his simplicity A man may know by the lawes ProclamatioÌ„s letters proceedings by the State against some as against Heretickes As also by the Records of Bishops yet extant by the manifold executions burnings afterward that even in that deepe time of ignorance England did give most noble testimony of Christs truth against Popery eveÌ„ so farre as to the fiery trial If the Christian Reader peruse the Ecclesiastical History of M r. Foxe he shal find how z 〈◊〉 An. 1400. sub K. Henrie 4. before the Coâ—… William Saâ—… a Priest was burnt after him Iohn Baâ—…y and that because they were Wiclevists oâ—… Lâ—… as they the â—…ed them and not because they were Papists There are the reasons also and asseveratioÌ„s of Pâ—…y and Thorpe against Popery with diverse other matters And is it â—…ot to bee thought that the Heretikes increased when a â—…ynode a 〈◊〉 Sub Reg. Henric. 5. was assembled in Sâ—… Pâ—… Church at London into the vvhich â—…me 〈◊〉 Inquisitoâ—… who in a former Synode were appointed to 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the vvâ—…gs of VVâ—… vvherein they found 24â—… Conclusions an vvhich they supposed to bee Iâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 â—…eere of K. Henry the 〈◊〉 dâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ward the L. 〈◊〉 was â—…ge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 had beene a â—…de of Traiâ—… but hee was then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ed Hâ—… So was oâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his 〈◊〉 consumed to 〈◊〉 Not longâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besideâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion 〈◊〉 and VVâ—… tvvo 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 followed afterwardâ—… Neither â—…d â—…he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of King 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 escape 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of sundrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRISTâ—… 〈◊〉 sake 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 profession of the â—…hy the particular stories of vvhome may bâ—…â—…ounde in the Authour abouâ—… 〈◊〉 The Clergy of these times did beare much sway with their Princes and lefte no meanes vâ—…ught no stone vnâ—…ned to keepe vp the dignitie and preheminence of their Romish Hierarchy and the superstitions Idolatry vvhich then vvas in vse Novve â—…in the raignes of all these Princes so many were slaughtered for the testimonie of a good conscience hovve manie weake brethren vvere there vvho did not make open profession of their faith and hovve many did there lie hid diverse of them in probabilitie having confederates and some of them being Priestes and therefore not vnlikely to have learning both to confirme themselves in the truth and such other as hearde them Thus have I both in England and else-vvhere brought vp the doctrine of the Gospell vntill the time of Iohn VViclef who flourished in the yeere 1371. 28 Heere it may please the Reader to remember that the iudgment before cited of â—…vo c Gregor 11. Gregor 12. Popes vvas that VViclef taught the doctrine of Marsilius of Padua and of Iohn of 〈◊〉 Of the later of these there yet appeareth no monument vvritten But hee ioyned in d Catalog test verle lib. 18. opinion vvith the former But as for Marsilius Patavinus our Adversties cannot but acknovvledge him to bee a verie learned man after the measure of the age vvherein hee lived vvhich vvas in the yeere 1324. Hee vvrote a e Defensor pacis booke against the vsurped power of the Bishope of Rome vvhich argument hee entred into in behalfe of the Emperour Levvis of Bavâ—…e vvho vvas mightily laide at by three Popes successiuelie There the Authour avovveth as right and iust the supreme authoritie of the Emperour displaying the iniquitie of the Popes vsurpation over Christian Princes and Generall Councels The booke is vvoorth the reading to see vvhether all in times past did allowe of the Popes doctrine and proceedinges or not His opinions are these That the Pope is not superiour to other Bishoppes and much lâ—… the Emperour and civill Magistraâ—… That thing as are to bee decided by the â—…ure Thâ—… 〈◊〉 men of the laiâ—… 〈◊〉 in Councels That the Clergy and Pope himselfe are to bee subiect to Magistrates That the Church is the 〈◊〉 companie of the faithfull That CHRIST is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Church and appointed 〈◊〉 to bee 〈◊〉 Uiâ—… That Priestes may bee â—…ryed That Saint Peter was 〈◊〉 at Rome That the Popish Synagoge 〈◊〉 a dâ—… of theeves That the doctrine of the Pâ—… not to bee follovved because it leadeth to everlasting destructâ—… In the time of this Marsilius lived that noble Poet Danie vvho vvrote also a booke against the Pope f Petrus Messias in Ludovico Câ—… the Monarchie of the Emperour but for taking part vvith Lewes of Bavâ—…ere hee vvas condemned for an heretike and his booke â—…hereticall Then also vvrote g Catal. test verit lib. 18. Occam directly to the same purpose but for his labour therein and his large reproofe of the Papâ—…cie in other pointes hee was excommunicated by the romane Bishop vvhich he so much contemned that hee not vnwillingly dyed vnder that sentence Aboute that time vvere here and there dispersed sundry godly men who sawe more then the common sorte touching Religion As h Ibid. ex Hen. de Erford Hayâ—… a Minorite vvho frequently saide in his Sermons that the Church of Rome vvat the vvhere of Babylon and that the Pope and Cardinals vvere meere Aâ—… vvhich propositions were helde somevvhat before also by i Ibidem Gerâ—… and Dulcinus tvvo learned men This Duâ—… may be thought to haue had many followers since k Hist. Hussit lib. 2. Cochleus coulde say that Iohn Hus committed spirituall fornication with the Wâ—…sts and with the Dulâ—…nists The same opinions concerning the Pope and Rome did that rare man l Epist. 20. in Poesi Italica Franciscus Petrarche seeme fully to embrace as may appeare to any who will reade his vvorkes hovvsoever Cardinall
Admirall with a Pistole at the cruell Battlemewtide in Paris And when that wounde proved not to be mortall did not he in person come to his lodging at midnight send vp cut-throates to murther him VVas it not the Popish crewe wherein by greate probability King Philip himselfe and the Duke of Parma also had a finger who first procured x Dinoth de bel civil Belgie li. 5. lauregny to shoote the Prince of Orenge with a Dagge and some yeares afterward Balthazar with the like weapon to kill him If ought could be saide for these things yet what can be answered for the death of K. y Meterran Hist lib. 5. Henry the 3. of France one of your own religion who was stabbed by the Frier And this fact was not only liked of by infinite numbers of Papists in France yea and as it should seeme z See the Franc. discourse defended also by publike preaching and writing but it was allowed of by the Pope and his Cardinals bone-fires and processions vvere made for it at Rome yea Sixtus Quintus made a solemne publike Oration in gratulatioÌ„ of the good event a De interdicto Regn Franciae edit Francosurti Anno. 1591 pronouÌ„cing that Clement the Iacobine who perpetrated that vilany was worthy not only to be reputed a Martyr but to be reckoned a Saint All the Papists in the world name the example of such a deede atteÌ„pted or atchieved by the ProtestaÌ„ts yea or that which may come nere it by 1000. degrees And was there not in like sort an intendmeÌ„t of b Iesuit Catech li. 3. 6. Barriere for the slaughtering of the present K. Henry the 4. which was a second time put in practise by c Cap. 8. Chastel a scholer of the Iesuits who assaulted somewhat hurt the same King For this cause by an Arrest of the Parliament of Paris there was made a decree against the Iesuits banishing theÌ„ out of Fraunce as also before the pallace in that Imperial City a d Cap. 20. Pyramis was erected which containeth a narratioÌ„ of the same This Edict was ratified by the highest court of France which yet notwithstanding consisteth most of Papists the force of the Edict standeth yet vpright albeit besides infinite other meanes e La Saincte Messe declar In praefat ad Regem Richeome the Iesuit hath made such a flattering clawing petitioÌ„ to the king in behalfe of his Society hath to win her favor also f Tableaux Sacrez des figures mystiques preseÌ„ted dedicated a braue baby book of the Masse to the Q. Mary de Medices now Regnant that her Highnes withal honorable favour would secoÌ„d their request CaÌ„ English meÌ„ forget that which in the name of his holines was by the g Differ between christiaÌ„ subiect D. Bilson part 3 Cardinal of Como signified to D. Parry by letter that to kil our late Soveraign a womaÌ„ a Princes was not only lawful but had his merit in heaveÌ„ caÌ„ it be out of memory that h Meterran lib. 13. BabingtoÌ„ the rest of the resolute GeÌ„tlemeÌ„ should violeÌ„tly haue slain her but that god did divert it her Honorab CouÌ„sel did discover it who was the chief leader here but i Answer to the Manifestat cap. 3. Ballard a Priest RecusaÌ„ts must be the Actors You know we could tell you of more English thus Italionated and so growne according to the Proverbe Divels incarnated who haue atteÌ„pted other such lewdenesses All this while then you have great reason to talke of Beza his Pistoles a matter wherein is no ground of truth when as some of your k La verite defend vide 〈◊〉 disc bookes do directly tende that way and many of the vndoubted actions of diverse of your side doe testifie that you and not we are the onely Prince-murtherers and traiterous King-assaulters that bee or ever were in the world which I would have vnderstood of the Jesuited factioÌ„ The Lord deliver our present Soveraigne from you as frequently in miraculous manner hee preserved his late gracious hand-maiden Elizabeth T. HILL NEither doe they take any other course in their proceedings but to destroy States kingdomes to displace lawfull Monarchies and Magistrates as the lowe-Countries Germany and Scotland can sufficiently witnes and ever then beginning is of pride and envy as Luthers was or by abusing themselves in their former estate as Sir Iohn Calvine did or by yeelding themselves slaues to ambition as they did in Scotland or by following Lust and Lechery or of some such like brutish occasion and never indeede vpon any ground vsing their religion onely as a serveturne wheÌ„ other meanes faile to atcheeve their vnlawfull desires G. ABBOT 17 IN this Chapter you continue so like your selfe that a maÌ„ should bee behoulding to you if you would speake but one true word The Reader perhaps will wonder that I take such paines with you to lay you so plainely open but if I could tell howe I would purge you of that l Ps. 140 3. poison of Adders which is vnder your lippes At least I would let both your frieÌ„ds strangers see what a maÌ„ of your word you are But it is fit that Papistes should be such as write they care not what Good Sir I pray you what State or kingdome hath bin overthrowen by vs you may see if you please that Fraunce hath bin kepte vp by the aide of England the Germane Princes and Switzers that when King m MeterraÌ„ Histor l 14 Henry the 3. was like to be beateÌ„ out of his king â—…ome by the Guizes Barricadoes at Paris by the vile coÌ„bination of the vnholy League the King theÌ„ of Navarre the ProtestaÌ„ts were the only men to whoÌ„ safely he might fly for succour And if the King that now is would declare his own mind he must acknowledge that the safety of his Realme Person doth not least of all depend on the fidelity circumspection vigilancy of hâ—…s Hugvenots The kingdome of Denmarke was never so potent nor so orderly governed as it is at this day since religion there flourished Since the Gospell hath had free course heere England may truly be said for felicity all humane happines to be the peerelesse paragone of the whole world At the moderation of superiours at the obedience of inferiours that the people every way are fouÌ„d so n Iud. 5. 〈◊〉 9. willing stand amazed al you fugitiues ill-willers to your countrie And especially that when you though that at the death of your late Prince you should have had your long ex pected lubilee all this â—…and should haue beene as the field 〈◊〉 bloud stand agast to heare how with vniformity of hart 〈◊〉 all the good subiects of this land did conioyne to exprâ—… 〈◊〉 ioy that they might have such a Lord Governoâ—…r as now by cods mercy they enioy They were not glad that they weâ—… quâ—…t
that although he were willing to paint himselfe without he was quite rotteÌ„ within And whither for waÌ„t of his prety staruling pensioÌ„ froÌ„ Spaine after that illustrious foile he might not be much humbled in the heigth of his prowd thoughts it is hard to tel Such a maÌ„ner of man was one of the fathers of the Seminary 19 As for Persons the present Rector his mind is nothing inferiour to the others albeit his degree be in a ranke behinde him But that is his owne fault too for his b The copies of certaine discourses extorted fol. 116. fellowes here tell vs that it vvas reported heere in Englande that all the boyes at Saint Omars had conspired to make Persons a Cardinall and had vvritten such effectuall letters to the Pope for it that hee the Generall of the Iesuites and all his friendes in Rome vvere little enough to keepe him from beeing a Cardinall VVell his hearte for Englande is as good as any of his Predecessours c Answere to thinges coÌ„cerning him in the Apology Doctour Bagshâ—…vve sayeth directly that hee perswaded the Students at Rome that they should have at state and all for vvith state-medling they coulde but die and die they shoulde vvithout state medling if they were taken If vvee vvill not trust that Doctor as one professing some hostility toward him let his Greene-coate concerning the Earle of Leicester another Common-wealth of his touching another greate and vvorthy man that dead is speake in their masters behalfe His Doleman sheweth him to haue nothing in him but bastard English bloud And that is the more manifested by his labouring the Students in Spaine and at Rome to consent to the title of the Lady Infanta What affection he cariyed to our late most blessed Soveraigne his short but substantiall approving of the iudgement of Allen Sanders Bristow and Stapleton touching the Bull of Pius the 5. in his d Cap. 4. Ward-word doth declare It is also laid to his charge that he sollicited a man of e Quodl 7. 2 high place in this kingdome to be a close Pensioner to the late king of Spaine to further his invasision He f Apol. c. 12. challengeth to himselfe these bookes The reasons of refusall of going to the Protestants Churches the Epistle of persecution both in Latin and English the defence of the Censure against M. Charke and these shew that all his wits and study were then bent on the one side to supplant the religion that we professe but on the other side to defame the honour of his Prince and country and of all the chiefe officers of Iustice in the same and with such suttletics to steale away the harts of many subiects from them His resolutions g Solutiones 〈◊〉 P. in his pretended Cases of conscience as they are impious so are they most pernicious to the state But the lesse they are there to be wondred at since he openly laboureth in h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1â—… his Apology to mainetaine falshoods and lying dissembling A quivocations with little lesse then blasphemy to our most holy Saviour His ManifestatioÌ„ hath many proper things in it as being that where he sheweth himselfe without a vizarde This is hee who hath had in Spaine and nowe hath at Rome the training vp of those vvho are and must bee our Seminarye Priestes the only Arch-traitour now remaining aliue and to be balanced by none vnlesse peradventure it is but peradventure D. Gifford may be the man I might adde to these as great men at Doway in their times Bristow and Stapleton The one sheweth himselfe a rebell in hart by his i Cap. 15. Motiues which booke D. Allen did allovv to the Presse And how far the other that is old chollerike bitter Stapleton the k Apol. c. 9. learnest man living of our Countrey if vve will beleeue Fa. Persons was engaged in these matters his manifold virulent aspersions scattered in his bookes against his naturall Prince and some personages of high worth do abundantly testifie Such are the teachers Readers and Governours of the Seminaries and such an honest man is Weston at Doway nowe if he be yet at Doway where no doubt they traine vp their Students in good meditations Which I may the rather say if that be true which l Colliar one of their owne company delivered to me to bee so of his own knowledge while he was there in D. Barrets time As our Students in our Colledges haue vsed to make verses and to fixe them vp on the skreenes or elsewhere publikely on the day of her late Maiesties comming to the Crowne so they had sometimes at Doway when they made verses in like sort whither on the day before named I do not remember In this case the invention of one of their gracious strudents was to speake of the three furies in hel Alecto Megaera and Tisiphone whose vertues when with his Poetry he had described hee addeth at last that there was nowe of late a fourth come in Furiarum Quarta whose description he maketh accordingly And this lewd devise was much commended by the Superiours there albeit he plainly designed her for whom by the laws of God man they vvere rather bound to haue spent their best bloud then that the least dishonourable thought concerning her should haue entred into their hâ—â—t And who will wonder that the fruites of such persons doe shew what the roote is whervpon they do sit We may adde to these things abroad the experience which wee haue had at home of Babingtons Somerviles Squires and such vngodly miscreants who incited by Ballard and other sent from the Seminary haue attempted most horrible treasons to the hazarding of the happines of this whole kingdome And were not our state blind if they could not gesse the minde of the souldiors by such captaines the disposition of such scholers by their tutours the affection of the Priests by such Superiours especially since they dayly saw in our owne land that such as had to doe with these emissaries and secret creepers did testifie that they had touched some m Eccl 13. 〈◊〉 pitch being quickly alienated if not in open action yet in apparant affectioÌ„ from therest of the Realme And might not all religious folkes haue groaned in their soules all good subiects haue lamented in their harts if some severe proviso had not beene made to restraine the audacious comming in and the ravenous dissipations of persons so intending mischiefe It should haue beene an vnrecompensable weakenesse to haue permitted such incendiaries to bring all to combustion and our magistrates in the meane time to haue stood by the houses of themselues their neighbours being on fire and to haue thought it a pretty thing to stand and warme themselues by the flame But they being inspired by a better spirit did make good wholsome lawes inhibiting the approaching of such dangerous guests or if they would not forbeare paying them the
invincible Navy in the yeare 1588 and after many other renourned prosperities notwithstaÌ„ding the frequent conspiracies of vngodly persons against her by the favour of the Highest vnder the shaddow of whose wings shee was ever safe-garded dyed in peace in a full and glorious age so beloved honoured and esteemed of her subiects as never any Prince more And God to testifie his owne worke left at her death no noted calamity or misery in the kingdome no warres but even Ireland then calmed no famine no apparaÌ„t pestilence no inundation of waters but plenty and a boundance with inexpected tranquillity Yea to the end that he might crowne her with blessings he put vnity agreement into the Nobles Clergy and Commons of the land that readily they submitted them selues to the lawfull royal successour vnder whom we doubt not but to enioy religion and all earthly happinesse Let our Papists weigh whither these things be not wonderfull We in the meane time say They 〈◊〉 are the Lordes doing and they are marveilous 〈◊〉 Ps. 118 23 â—…n our eies THE SEVENTH REASON Visions and the gift of Prophecie T. HILL AS true Miracles never were wrought but by them who were of the true Church so heavenly Visions and the gift of Prophecte vvere never founde to bee but in the same And therefore the holy Apostle amonge other things which hee vseth to commende his doctrine and himselfe to the Corinthians against Heretikes and false Apostles hee bringeth in this as one saying Now will I come to the Visions 2 Cor 12 and Revelations of our Lord c. And Saint Peter alleageth 2 Pet 1 for consfirmation of his preaching the transfiguration of our Lords in the mounte vvhich hee savve and calleth it a Uision hee had a Uision of Matth 17 Act 10 11 asheete vvith all kindes of beastes in it vvhen hee vvas to deale vvith the Gentiles And for the trueth of Religion and confirmation of that which they did Act. 2 Hee alleadgeth the Prophecie of Iocl who saith amongst other things your young men shall see Visions and to bee Ioel cap 2 breefe of this sporte is the vvhose booke of the Apocalyps So that to see these kinde of heavenlee Uisions and thereby to foretell things most certainly is only amongst them who are of the true Church G. ABBOT WHen I haue breefly told you that almost every worde of the greatest part of this Chapter is taken from the seaventh of your Maister 〈◊〉 Bristowes Motiues perhaps 〈◊〉 Bristowe Motiv 7 some friend of yours will aske mee when my purpose is to cease from remeÌ„bring you of this matter since so oft I sing the same song My answere will be that when you leaue to steale out of other mens writings I shall leaue to tell you of the same but that I feare will not be till we come to the ende of your little booke Such a gift you haue to continue that which you haue well begunne Howe and by what meanes miracles to false and evill endes and yet themselues thinges miraculously done haue and may be by Sathan Antichrist and their followers brought about I haue shewed before And it is as certaine that Visions which to doating and deceived folks seeme heavenly and so also supposed or pretended Prophecies are of the same nature in our daies do proceede from the same roote are applyed to build vp falshood and vntruth in the selfe same sort Neither are these late forgeries or illusions any thing helped by those divine Revelations which formerly haue beene made since they these haue no affinitye or coherence the one vvith the other That S. b 2. Cor. 12 1 Paule to stoppe the mouthes of the false Apostles who depressed his authoritie did mention a Vision of his owne is a matter agreed vpon as also that S. c 2 Pet 1 17 Peter to testifie that what hee preached concerning Christes glorie was true mentioneth the transfiguration of his maister in the mount to the which he was an eie-witnesse And this by Iesus himselfe was teermed a d Math 17 9 Vision Neither is it to bee doubted but at the same time vvhen the same Peter was to bee instructed that Gods pleasure vvas to giue the Gentiles accesse into the Church as well as the Iewes he had from heaven an apparition of a e Act. 10 11 13. sheete full of all beastes cleane and vncleane and a voice added therevnto Kill and eate But we would gladly learne what it is that you can conclude out of these since the persons the times the vse is now most differeÌ„t you having no affinity nor keeping any quarter with the Apostles no not retaining so much interest in them as the Saracens have in Abraham from whome by the f Sozom. 6 38. bond-woman they are lineally descended And yet it would bee helde but a ridiculous dispute for one of theÌ„ to say that AbrahaÌ„ was familiarly acquainted with God pleased him had many blessings favours froÌ„ him therfore they the Hagarenes and Mahumetanes are in the same grace with the Lord may plead any favours or privilege froÌ„ him Touching that place of the Prophet g Ioel. 2 28 Ioel which you cite it hath relatioÌ„ to the sensible seÌ„ding down of the gifts of the holy Ghost which was fulfilled soone after Christes ascension And this was intimated again by our Saviour himselfe in other words He 〈◊〉 that beleeveth in me saith the Scripture out of his body shall flovve rivers of water of life vnto which the Evangelist immediately subioyneth 〈◊〉 Ioh 7 38. This spake he of the spirit which they that beleived on him shold receive for the holy Ghost was not â—…et giveÌ„ because that Iesus was not yet glorified The Prophet Ioel theÌ„ foretelleth that when Christ had appeered there shold be visible most admirable tokeÌ„s of Gods power loue to his Church in so much that many of all ages sexes first among the Iewes afterward by some farther coÌ„municating of it among the GeÌ„tiles shold speake with straÌ„g toÌ„gues shold see visioÌ„i prophecy And that the words of Ioel have reference to this nothing else S. Peter himselfe shal be witnes whose speech this is i Act. 2. 16 These are not drunken as you suppose since it is but the third houre of the day but this is that vvhich was spoken by the Prophet Ioel And it shall be in the last daies saith God I wil powre out of my spirit vpon all flesh your sonnes your daughters shall prophecy your younge men shall see visions your olde men shall dreame dreames And to shew that this is appropriated to that which theÌ„ quickly after was shewed by the Apostles I meane the speaking with strang toÌ„gues the imparting of that gift to other by theÌ„ as the instrumeÌ„ts of God the same Peter hath these words afterwards Since k 33. then that Christ hath received of
bee iustified That it is most true which S. Paule hath that a man is iustified by faith without workes because no works done before beleeving helpe toward iustification but that in beleeving actually a man is reputed iust before God that if he die immediatly having no time to worke yet he by beleeving is iustified Notwithstanding that if he liue he ought to bring forth good fruit His coÌ„clusion is that S. Paule doth speake of workes going before faith S. Iames speaketh of works following that faith which hath iustified And a right beleefe wil not be without them if it have time to shew it selfe I might heere adde how frequent a thing it is with diverse Doctors of the Church to vse the word of onely faith in speaking of our IustificatioÌ„ but of that hereafter TheÌ„ to shew that neither Luther nor we need feare the Epistle of S. Iames as crossing our other doctrine we say that S. Paule doth speake of acceptatioÌ„ to be iust S. Iames intendeth a declaration that we are iustified the one beateth on that before God where the setled apprehension of faith prevaileth which notwithstaÌ„ding wil not be without his convenient fruit the other mentioneth that before men who know not the hart but must iudge of that which is externall therefore it is rightly said by the Apostle in their persons s 〈◊〉 2. 18. Shew mee thr faith out of thâ—…e owne workes 3 Whom you meane by the of-spring of Luther we caÌ„not telt but if al who refuse those books be termed his of-spring his children shal be a thousand yeeres elder then himselfe for many of the most ancieÌ„t fathers did disclaime the books of Tobias Ecclesiasticus the Machabees for being Canonical if the rule of s Hist Ecol lib 3. 19 Eusebius he good as no wise maÌ„ wil deny it that the Canonical volumes may be distiguished froÌ„ the Apocryphal suppositious by the iudgmeÌ„t of the church by the stile by the matter purpose of the books they had great reasoÌ„ not to acknowledge theÌ„ for the Church vniformly did never admit theÌ„ they are not writteÌ„ in the language of the Iews to whoÌ„ t Rom. 3 2. were coÌ„mitted the Oracles of God therfore if they were part of Gods Oracles before the comming of Christ these Iewes should haue admitted them and retained them which they did not and the matter of them is but meane and ignoble in comparisoÌ„ of the vndoubted Scripture What a doubtful narration is that in u Cap. 6. 17 Tobias that a spirite should smell a perfume when spirits haue no flesh bones by the testimony of u Luc 24. 39 Christ himselfe coÌ„sequeÌ„tly no organes of scÌ„e that the hart liver of a fish should drive away the Devil Which if it were so S. Peter was much overseene when he taught vs how to repulse SathaÌ„ by x 1 Pet. 5 9. resisting him being stedfast in the faith For it had bin an easier way to have said get you the hart liver of such a fish make a perfume with it he dareth not come nigh you And this would wel haue beseemed S. Peter to set men to catch such fish in remeÌ„brance of his owne occupatioÌ„ since himselfe was a fisher But what if yong Toby had met with such a spirit as those were of whom Christ saith y Matth. 17. 21. This kind goeth not out but by fasting and praier The treatise called Ecclesiasticus if for any cause it should come into the Canon it must be for Salomons sake whom many would haue to bee the authour of it But the Preface it selfe remaineth confessing it to be the worke of Iesus Sirachs sonne of another Iesus his grande-father and the booke meÌ„tioneth z Cap 48. 46. Elias Ezechias Iosias Ieremy diverse other who lived hundreds of yeeres after Salomon And howe questionable a narration is that in it that a Cap 46. 20 Samuel should tell of Saules death after his owne burial which as diverse learned men thinke is a report to be beleeved in NecromaÌ„cy rather theÌ„ in Divinity For if the souls of the righteous being departed be in the haÌ„d of God which our Romanists must coÌ„fesse out of the booke of b Cap 3. 1 Wisdome we do beleeue out of the saying of David c Psal 31. 5. Into thine haÌ„d I coÌ„mend my spirit if those who die in the Lord d Apoc 14 13 do rest froÌ„ their labors how shal we suppose that the soule of such an excelleÌ„t Prophet as Samuel was might be at the coÌ„mand of so base vile a witch to be fetched froÌ„ heaven at her pleasure Or what rest shal other faithfull men and women bee imagined to haue after this life if Necromancers VVitches and Coniurers haue such power over them Albeit therefore that some of the auncient speaking according to the e 1. Sam 2â—… 15 letter of the texte doe name him who appeared Samuel because hee came vp in the likenesse of Samuel as f Epistol 80. Basile when hee saith that the VVitch raised Samuel from the deade and some other not sifting the pointe doe affirme it to bee the soule of Samuel himselfe as g Antiquit. 6. 15 Iosephus the lewe and h Dialog 〈◊〉 Tryphon Iustinus Martyr yet other more exactly looking into it tell vs otherwise as S. Austen when he calleth that which appeered i De doctr Christ lib. 24 23. the image of Samuel and especially Basile who elsewhere more advisedly pronounceth that k Basil in 〈◊〉 cap 8. they were Devils which hissing with their voice did transforme themselues into the habite and person of Samuel Yea l Chron l 1 Genebrard himselfe maketh a great doubt whither it were Samuel or no and citeth Tertullian and diverse other of the Auncients resolving the contrary As for the bookes of Machabees there be many thinges in them that no man can maintaine therfore no part of them is so much as reade in our Church as that m 1. Mach. 1. 7 AlexaÌ„der parted his kingdome among his servants while he was alive that the n Cap 8 7. Romanes tooke the greate Antiochus aliue that they tooke from him o Cap. 8. 8. India and Media and Lydia and gaue them to King Eumenes that they had a Senate consisting of p Vers. 15. three hundred and twenty men who consulted daily that they yeerely committed their q Vers. 16. government to one man whom all obeied and that there was no hatred or envy amongst them Also it wil never bee made hang togither that Iudas should be aliue in the r 2 Math 1. 10. hundred foâ—…escore eight yeere and yet he should be slaine in the s 1 Mac 9. 3. hundred fifty and two yeere Neither that Antiochus should s 1 Mac. 6. 8 die in his bed for griefe and sorrow and in another place should be
vs belieue that although in the first Synode which long since did canonize the bookes of holy writte they were not admitted yet in a later Synode the Canon was made larger And reasons for this he maketh shew to giue But it is too late Genebrard you come after the faire The Councel which cannot erre hath shut them out of dores the Pope hath ratified their Decree therfore you lose your labour and you are but one man against so many Fathers therfore best pul in your hornes For as with your owne side you are like to gaine nothing so otherwise you wil pul an olde house on your head whē by your example you teach vs that a private man may question yea conclude against that which your Counsels haue determined Where by the way let not the simple and vnlearned Christian wonder that in this best booke the Bible there should be any thing which is not properly a member of it for we therin as also in reading some part of them publikely doe but imitate the custome of the most auncient purest c Zanch. in Observat in cap. 1◅ Confessiō Churches ioyning that with Gods most sacred word which vniversally hath bin ioyned among Christians since almost the eldest times and is not refused by the most reformed Churches at this day but we distinguish these writings from the divine volumes and note them by the name or appellation of Apocripha as hidden in comparison of the bright light of the other which may wel endure the light and sunne-shine And by a little Preface before those doubted bookes as also by the Articles of Religion agreed on in Cōvocation An. 1562. we teach what opinion the Church hath of them that they are not received to be publikely expoūded nor to confirme matters of doctrine but only as they cōsent with the other which are Canonical or onely as the writings of some godly men which may serue to giue light to the history or containe some not vnprofitable instructiōs touching good manners And these things in our Sermōs writings we do fequētly notify So that this indifferent course being held there is no iust cause of offence givē either to the weake beleever or to the malitious clamorous adversory that being done which anciently in the best Christian Churches was done and yet the people be taught but howe and in what sence it is done Nay our Church hath beene so carefull for giving any vvay iust occasion of scandale in this matter that it permitteth the Minister to reade in steede of any of these Apocriphal Chapters other Canonicall lessons vpon the Sun-daies and Holy-daies and therefore much more vpon the working-daies as hee in his wisedome iudgement shal see fit requiring of him prudence discretion in that behalfe Which appeareth in the Second Tome of Homilies set out by publike d An. 1563. authority almost in the beginning of her late Maiesties raigne For there in the e An admonition to al Ministers Ecclesiasticall Preface this advertisement being given to all Ministers For that the LORD doth require of his servant whom bee hath set over his housholde to shevve both faithfulnes and prudence in his office c. some thinges are advised vnto him touching his duty but lastly this is subnected and subioyned And vvhere it may so chaunce some one or other Chapter of the olde Testament to fall in order to bee reade vpon the Sundaies or Holy-daies vvhich vvere better to bee chaunged vvith some other of the New Testament of more edification it shall bee vvell done to spende your time to consider vvell of such Chapters before hand vvhereby your prudence and diligence in your office may appeere so that your people may haue cause to glorifie GOD for you and bee the readier to embrace your labours to your better commendation to the discharge of your consciences and their owne Which pointe being well considered avoideth all blame from the Church of England even in the eyes of them that would seeme most quicke-sighted it being not onely permitted to the Minister but also commended in him if vvisely and quietly hee doe reade Canonicall Scripture vvhere the Apocryphal vppon good iudgement seemeth not so fitte or any Chapter of the Canonicall may bee conceived not to haue in it so much edification before the simple as some other parte of the same Canonical may be thought to haue For the wordes wil very well cary both these 7 VVell then if there bee reasons why the Church of Rome doth shut out from the Canon these bookes of Esdras and yet they are printed and bound vp with all their ordinary Bibles if the same or such like exceptions may bee taken against Iudith Tobias and the rest is there not as great reason that they also should be secluded from the Canonicall albeit they remaine in the volume of the Bible The exceptions against all these controversed writings are many but I will reduce them briefly to these three plaine heads which I meane to touch First the matter of the bookes of Esdras is slight and vaine without maiestie and vnworthy the holy and sacred spirit of God Secondly these tracts are not to be founde in the Canon of the old that is the Iewish Church And thirdly in the computation of Christians they are also reiected If we lay these lines and rules to the rest we shall finde them of very little different quality For first the matter of them is not coherent with the rest of the vndoubted scripture In c Cap 5. 12 Tobias the Angell vtteteth somewhat of himselfe which cannot literally be avoided when he saith to old Tobias I am of the kinredos Azarias and Ananias the great and of thy brethren So it is a narration worthy at the least to be pawsed vpon that the d Cap 6 13 seven husbands of Sara should be killed by an evil spirit the first night of their mariage Of the hart and liver of the fish I haue spoken before Is it not a likely matter that e Cap 8. 9◅ Raguel would make a graue for him whom the day before hee so advisedly tooke for his sonne in law now to bury him before hee was dead They are not matters to bee commended by the penne of the holy Ghost that Iudith should f Iud 10 3 4 dresse and tricke her selfe more then became a matrone that so she might allure Holofernes to wantonnesse that shee g Cap. 12 12 14 18 c 13 1 should make shew as not to deny to lie with him that shee should tell such evident h Ca. 10. 12. 13 vntruthes to his servants at her first taking and to i Ca 11 15 16 himselfe afterward That the Iewes should haue peace so long in her life k Ca. 16. 25. time and a great while after her death is a matter vnprobable since these warres of Holofernes are saide to be made in the time of King l Cap. 2. 1.
Nabuchodonosor and while the first temple or m Ca 16 20 Sanctuary stood Nay the consultation concerning this warre is reported to be in the n Cap. 2 1â—… eighteenth yeare of Nabuchodonosor we finde in the book of the o 〈◊〉 King 25 〈◊〉 Kings that in the nineteenth yeare of his raigne the same king sent Nabuzaradan his steward to Hierusalem vvho burnt the house of the Lorde the Kinges house and all other of worth in the citty Adde to this that whereas the writers of the bookes of Kings and Chronicles are most exacte in setting downe all great warres and victories of the Iewes from the time of Saul to the ruinating of the first temple there is not one word of any person or circumstance belonging to this warre in them nor in any other vndoubted booke of holy writ Yea Iosephus who was a Iew and with much learning and labour continueth the story of his countreymen from Adam to his own daies hath not the least mention of this Iudith or ought appertaining to her which he being so desirous to coÌ„ceale nothing which might make for the honour of his people would never in such deepe oblivion haue buryed These things may well be questioned 8 The book of Wisdome is by some of the Popish Synagoge not only accounted to be Canonicall Scripture but also reputed to be p Sixt. sent Bibli lib 1. 8 Salomons if not for the compiling yet at least for the matter And the reason therof is yeelded because there is in it a praier in the q Sap. 9. 1. name of Salomon But r Vide Sixt. Senens vbi supra Bellar de verbo Dei li. 1. 13 learned men of our parte rather hold it to be the worke of Philo the Iew which also Bellarmine citeth out of S. Hierome and that not the elder Philo but even the same who with some other of his countrymen was sent in embassage to the s Philo de legat ad caium Emperour Caligula to intreate him that the Iewes might not be forced to accept of and to erect his image or statue at Hierusalem which they held to be contrary to the law of their Moses He therefore compiled that worke insinuating to Kings and great men moderation in their governement terrour of torments after this life and the extreme vanity of Idols matters most fit for their present purpose to Caligula to giue never the lesse credit to all his words he was contented that Salomons name should be vsed in the praier before mentioned because the name of wise king Salomon was famous over al the world And that for this purpose 〈◊〉 the booke of Wisdom was made the whole drift of it may very well purport Now if there were nothing els in this treatise to check it selfe yet that bloudy s Sap 4. 3â—… sentence and censure against all borne in bastardy woulde bewray that it was written with an humane spirite and not by divine authority For although God be pleased sometimes to lay a temporal punishment vpon men so borne as he also doth on other persons yet he who so that we serue him and feare him hath professed of himselfe to be no t Act 10 34 respecter of persons he who blessed Phares being in fornication begotten vpon u Gen 38 18 29. Thâ—…ar so that our Saviour Christs petigree according to the flesh is u Matth. 1 3 derived from him he who forgiveth the parents committing adultery or fornication so that they doe repent which was x 2 Sam 12 13 Davids case adding to his adultery murther also he wil much more pardon the child that is innocent in that behalfe and not accessary to the crime of his nocent parents and will not lay that fearefull iudgement vpon him that neither he nor any who descend froÌ„ him shall long prosper The examples are manifolde how God hath powred various temporall blessings on the issue of such as haue beene borne in fornication as we need look no farther then to William the Conquerour tightly termed y Haillan Histo lib 6 Guillaume le Bastard which notwithstanding ought to incourage none to coÌ„mit that fleshly sinne but rather they are to feare and tremble at it since God may iustly destroy both the bodies and soules of such offen ders But this I haue spoken to shew that the saying of that authour cannot be iustified in Divinity neither may any man goe about to advouch it since albeit all hope well yet few are assured that all things are right in their owne birth Nay Papists theÌ„selues among whom be pretty store of bastards as wel as among other men saw this well enough which caused their z Hugo cardinal Lyra Glo. interl ordinar Dâ—…oni Car thusian Commentatours vpon that place to flie the literall sence and to interpret it of bastards spiritually meant that is heretikes and such like Of the bookes of Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees I haue spoken before and therefore say no more of them but this that S. Austen who thought reasonably well of the bookes of the Machabees yet coulde not tell how to iustifie the a 2. Mach 14. 42 commendation of Razias killing himselfe and therfore is shrewdly b Aug. epist 61. plunged how to salue all by allowing the book and disallowing the fact Since then the matter of these volumes hath such imperfections in it that it cannot keepe coherence with the vn-questioned Oracles of the sacred Scripture and the Spirit of the Almighty is ever vniforme never dissenting from it selfe if the other books do stand as not a c Mat 5. 18 title of them shall perish vnto the worlds end these then must needs fal from that high credit to which Papists would bring them and we are not to blame when we acknowledge not them for divine who haue no such slampe vpon them 9 Secondly we referre our selues to the iudgment of the lewish Church before Christ vvhose the Scriptures then vvere and to whom were commended the d Rom. 3 2 Oracles of God Among them e Luk 24 27 44 Moses and the Prophets and the Psalmes by a generall name comprised all Scripture but otherwise for order and memorie sake they reduced al their books to the two f Sixt Sen Bibli lib 1 and twenty letters of the Hebrew Alphabet and as in them they comprehended al every particle which they and we do receiue so they shut out also from thence al which they we now do expunge No better witnes of this theÌ„ that learned Iosephus who ex g Contr Apion lib. 1 professo haÌ„dleth this sheweth the dignity prerogatiue of the divine inspired writings aboue all other the credit of whom he holdeth doubtful vnsure Now in the nuÌ„ber of those of sacred authority he hath neither Tobias nor Iudith nor any one of their companions h Spec. Aug S. Austen doth witnes that the Iewes do not accepte
Ecclesiasticus Wisdome into their Canon else where more theÌ„ i Deâ—…civita Dâ—…il 18. 36. contâ—… epist Gauden l. 2 once he coÌ„fesseth that they also seclude the books of the Ma chabees k In Synop. Athanasius also acknewledgeth that the books of the old TestameÌ„t are but 22. answering to the 22. Hebrew letters so saith Epiphanius in his treatise De mensuris ponderibus Hilary in his Prologe on the Psalmes hath the same Where it is to bee observed that the Iewish reckoning of these 22. bookes is some what different from that ordinary enumeration which we doe vse for they diverse times comprehende two bookes vnder one but yet so it is exactly that vvhatsoever vve containe within the compasse of the Canon they receaue the same and vvhat vvee doe reiecte they also refuse And that there is such a secluding of some bookes by the Ievves Thomas l Part 〈◊〉 qu 89 art 8 Aquinas maye bee a vvitnesse vvho maketh doubte vvhither Ecclesiasticus bee of authority or no saying The booke of Ecclesiasticus if it haue authority because among the Hebrews it is not received in the divine writingâ—… So that if vvee follovve the Church before Christ vnto whome most properly the Olde Testament did belong we must repute them as now we do Apocryphal hold their credit to be suspect Neither may this bee helped by saying that there was some later Synode vvhich made a larger Canon among the lewes â—…s m Chronog lib. 2. Genebrard would say if hee could tell what hee saide for that is a fable of his owne inventing directly crossing the Councel of Trent as formerly I haue shevved 10 Thirdly among the Christians there is much more against these writings theÌ„ there is for theÌ„ I wil briefely cite what I finde amoÌ„g some of the Ancient which may seeme to helpe theÌ„ n Lib. 3. Epist 9. ad 〈◊〉 Cyprian citeth somewhat out of Ecclesiasticus vnder the name of Salomon Truth but it is for the likenes of the sentences there to those in the Proverbes which also hath caused some other to take it for Salomons not looking exactly into the impossibility of the matter This therfore is but weake o Lib. 2. de principâ—…js OrigeÌ„ bringeth somewhat out of the story of the Machabees Wel but so he doth also in the same place ou of the Liber Pastoris which neverthelesse no wise Papist wil say to be Canonical Yet else-where he p Lib 10. c. 16 ad Rom. saith of that Hermes or Pastor that it seemed to him a very profitable booke and as he thinketh inspired from God No man therfore wil attribute much to Origens iudgement in that behalfe q Stromatâ—… Clemens Alexandrinus doth cite the story of Tobias But even so doth he meÌ„tioÌ„ the Gospel secunduÌ„ Aegypties but he nameth neither the one nor the other Canonical Yea but r De Tobia cap 1. Ambrose writiÌ„g vpoÌ„ Tobias nameth that a Prophetical book So he doth indeed that is of more force theÌ„ any yet meÌ„tioned But his iudgmeÌ„t in this is not to be warranted since s De bono mortis c. 11. else-where he citeth the fourth of Esdras as true Scripture And we are not ignorant that his skil was little or nothing in the Hebrew wherby he might best haue beene acquainted with the customes of the lewes In S. Austen I finde little concerning Tobias and Iudith onely in the enumeration s De doctr Christ. l 2 8 of the Canonical Scripture he citeth them once and there he hath the bookes of the Mâ—…chabees as also VVisedome and Ecclesiasticus which for a likely-hood to the bookes of Salomons are called as Salomons So t Serâ—… 131 de TeÌ„pore else-where according to the coâ—…on custome neere him he tearmeth Ecclesiasticus Salomons booke But deliberately he doth explicate that point where he saith u De civit Dei la 7 20. Custome hath obtained that Wisedome Ecclesiasticus should be said to be Salomons for some no small likenesse of the speech But the more learned doe not doubt that they are not his notwithstaÌ„ding the Church especially that of the West hath long agone received them into authority in the one of whom which is called the Wisdome of Salomon the passion of Christ is most openly prophecied It was written after the passion of Christ even in the daies of Caligula if Philo were the author of it TheÌ„ it is cleere by S. Austen that they were not Salomons workâ—… but yet he would haue theÌ„ to be Canonical And that he hath also in another place u Speculum Augustini The Church of our Saviour doth receive them yet the words of him immediately before are The Iewes doe reiect from the Canon the booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus TheÌ„ by the coÌ„fession of this renoumed maÌ„ the Iewes did repudiat theÌ„ Yea that he acknowledgeth els-where x De curo pro mort gerend c 15. The book of Ecclesiast is spokeÌ„ against out of the CanoÌ„ of the Hebrews because it is not in that And in his y Lib. 2 c. 20 RetractatioÌ„s The Iews doe not receive the booke of Wisedome into Canonicall authority Were it not then to be wished heere that S. AusteÌ„ had remeÌ„bred his own rule which is z De doctr Chr. l. 2. 8. that such bookes principally should bee esteemed Canonicall which are so accepted of al churches but of such as are in doubt that they are most to be approved whom most Churches do allow Then if the Iewish Church refused these and the Easterne Church wholy among the Christians great ones also in the Westerne provinces vpon whom he seemeth principally to rely S. Austen by his owne sentence is much oppâ—…gned and refuted And of these in the East West Church you shall heare anone 11 Touching the bookes of the Machabees as it is said before that S. Austen reckoned theÌ„ among the Canonical volumes so a De morib Cath Eccl cap. 23. elsewhere he calleth the secoÌ„d of them Scripture In his bookes b Lib. â—…8 36. Decivitate Dei he expoundeth it to be so among ChristiaÌ„s not in the lewish Synagogue Not the Iews but the Church doth account the bookes of the Machabees for Canonical by reason of the vehemeÌ„t woÌ„derful suffring of some Martyrs And yet the same father in another place speaketh muâ—…h more coldly faintly for theÌ„ c Contra secuÌ„â—… Gaudent Epist lib. 2. For the Scripture which is called the Machabees the Iews do not accouÌ„t as the Law the Prophets the Psalmes to whoÌ„ the Lord doth give testimony as to his witnesses saying It must needes bee that all thinges are fulfilled which are written concerning me in the Law in the Prophets in the Psalmes but it is received of the Church not vnprofitably if it soberly be readâ—…r beard This even by his owne extenuation carieth but smal comfort with it But
there is a worke vnder the name of S. Austen intituled d Lib 2 34 De mirabilibus sacrae Scripturae where by the Authour the book of Machabees is secluded from the Canon NotwithstaÌ„ding we do not vrge thâ—…t to be his but take it for a counterfeit rather yeeld that S. Austen framing his iudgment to some others opinion in the Westerne Church did repute these also Canonicall Yet here that is to be remembred which briefly before I touched concerning S. Ambrose that this mistaking in this worthy Father grew by his want of knowledge in that tongue wherein the old Testa was originally writteÌ„ by which means he was not acquatÌ„ed with many things appertaining to the Iewish church vnto whoÌ„ since al Scripture before Christs time was coÌ„mitted if these had bin Scripture they also should haue bin coÌ„mended then they should haue bin written in the tongue which they vnderstood that is to say in the Hebrew not in the Greek which was a laÌ„guage of the GeÌ„tiles as e Aut l 30. 9 Iosephus testifieth the Iews did not accoÌ„modate theÌ„selues to the learning of any tongue but their own which is to be interpreted of the ordinary sort of theÌ„ But all these controversed writings are only in the Greeke and not in the Hebrew which is a maine argument against them and ruinateth the very foundation of them Now that S. AusteÌ„ knew nothing of the Hebrew he in his own f â—…pist 131. modesty most ingenuously confesseth as also in another place he acknowledgeth that he had but little skil in the Greeke I g Cont. liter Petilian DO nat lib. 〈◊〉 truely haue attained vnto very little of the Greeke tongue and almost nothing And this made the iudgment of S. Austen the more defectiue in that behalfe Now as this great Doctour might bee overtaken partly by his ignorance of the Hebrew and many circumstances belonging to the Iews partly by leaning to the opinion of some other neere about him in the Westerne Churches of Italy Afrike so it is a matter very probable that the h CoÌ„c cart 3. can 471 CouÌ„cel of Carthage induced by the same reasons and most of all by the authority of S. Austen mighte exorbitate in their Censure vvhen they put all these Apocriphal bookes among the writingâ—… Canonical For there assembled none but such Prelates as were about Carthage which standeth toward the West of Africa in comparison of the East Churches The same causes doubtlesse moved i Decret Innocâ—…n CoÌ„câ—…js Innocentius the Bishop of Rome and therefore of the Westerne Church to put all these books into the Canon Tobias excepted of whoÌ„ he saith nothing An errour once begon goeth plentifully forward is not stayed vpon the suddaine WheÌ„ce it was that k Gelas. Epist. in Concilijs Gelasius coÌ„ ming after InnoceÌ„tius did in this case treade the steps of his Predecessor wheÌ„ himselfe togither with seveÌ„ty Bishops doth define al these writings to be sacred Scripture NotwithstaÌ„ding he who wil looke the Decree of Gelasius as l Part 1 Dist. 15. 4 Gratian citeth it about this matter shal see that the iudgmeÌ„t of Gelasius coÌ„cerning the CanoÌ„ is very weake little to be regarded And in those decrees of his which are found amoÌ„g the CouÌ„cels the same wil appeere wheÌ„ he maketh meaner things theÌ„ these coÌ„troversed books to be of irrefragable authority For in the very next Decree to that which I formerly mentioned he saith thus touching an Epistle of Leo one of his Antecessors in the Roman see The text of the Epistle of Pope Leo if any maÌ„ shal dispute of eveÌ„ to one iote shal not revereâ—…ly receive it in all things let him be accursed This heate doth shew that Gelasius was not too too much advised in his determinations of this nature but followed the tract of those that weÌ„t before him without farther ventilating or disquisitioÌ„ And this is the most of that which by mine own reading I find in Antiquity making for the iustification of these Apocryphal bookes And some such shewes there be for the story of Susanna of Bel with the Dragon which also are not in the Hebrew therfore togither with the fragmeÌ„ts of the booke of Esther some other of equal sort are by vs held to be no Scripture Hee who would behould what farther may be saide for these things let him looke m De verbâ—… Dci lib. 1. Cardinall Bellarmine where he shal finde a many weake citatioÌ„s agreeing in substance with those whom before I haue named Now if we looke what is against them we shal easily discover testimony of greater ponderosity to overturne them then is any to support vphold them 12 VVhat the Iewes did or doe esteeme of them you haue heard before Onely take this with you that n 〈◊〉 l. c. 10. Bellarmine can say out of S. o â—…n Prolog gelâ—…at Hierome that all these bookes togither are reiected by the Hebrewes Now let vs see what witnes the Easterne Church giveth of them p Eccl. Hist. lib 4 2â—… Eusebius hath an Epistle of Melito sometimes Bishop of Sardis in Asia the lesser where Melito himselfe saith that of purpose he travelled to Hierusalem into Palestina to know what were the Canonical Scriptures of the Church before Christ and there he setteth downe all those bookes which wee admit none other This was very soone after the age wherin the Apostles lived It is heere to be marked concerning this holy man as also of al the rest whom I shall name that they never had in this businesse reference to ought but to the course of the Iewes accepting their iudgement for the bookes of the olde Testament to be that wherevnto Christians also should cleaue Not long after that time came Clemens Alexandrinus of whom q Lib. 6 11 Eusebius writing saith that hee cited the bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus in his vvorkes vvhich bookes saith Eusebius all men do not receiue And he addeth as it may seeme to prevent least any man vpon his example should attribute much to those two that he cited also the Epistle of Barnabas of Clement By the iudgement then of Eusebius Wisedome Ecclesiasticus at the least are books coÌ„troversed Soone after came r Cap 19 OrigeÌ„ who lived at AlexaÌ„dria in Aegypt And he reckoneth vp the CanoÌ„ of the Iews coÌ„prised in two tweÌ„ty voluÌ„es accepting all that which we accept not naming the other saving the Machabees which he saith to be reiected of the Iews That worke of OrigeÌ„ wherin that was coÌ„tained is now lost yet in those which remain he saith that the book of Wisdome s De principijâ—… lib 4. 3â—… is not accouÌ„ted of authority with al. Athanatius after his time lived also at Alexandria he sheweth what was held for Canonical what was refused s In Synopsi There be Canonicall of the old Testament two
and twenty bookes equal in nuÌ„ber to the Hebrew letters For among the Hebrewes the elemeÌ„ts of the letters are so many But besides these there be yet of the same old TestameÌ„t other books not Canonical which are read only to the Catechumeus Heere is a most manifest distinction betweene the Canonical and the Apocryphall and a signification that these inferiour volumes were only read to such as were novices in the faith but they were not accounted authentical vnquestionable Next I ioyne Epiphanius who lived in Cyprus he t Haetes 8 rehearseth for Canonical Scriptures of the old Testament the Iewes bookes the other not admitted by them he expungeth for Apocryphal And in a u Haeres 76 second place reckoning vp al the divine writings he shutteth out these Apocryphal fellows only after al the volumes of the old new TestameÌ„t rehearsed he nameth also the Wisedoms of SalomoÌ„ of the sonne of Sirach He nameth theÌ„ I say but after al the right ones yet least any man should take advaÌ„tage of the mencioning of those two heare him else-where u De mensuris poÌ„deribus Among the Hebrews there are two and twenty bookes For thâ—…se two bookes written in verse The Wisedome of Salomon which is called Panaretus of all kinde of vertue and the Wisedome of Iesus the sonne of Syrach the nephew of that Iesus vvho wrote that Wisedome in Hebrew so that his nephew interpreting it did vvrite it in Greeke are profitable and commâ—…dious but are not put into the number of those vvhich are received How corruptly theÌ„ doth x De verbo Dei l. 1 14 Bellarmine deale who citeth Epiphanius as an allower of these two bookes and denieth that hee spake against them otherwise then according to the opinion iudgement of the Iewes But infinite such base shiftes are to bee found in that Cardinall In the meane time we see that thus Epiphanius who was very wel skilled in the Hebrew keepeth close both with the Iewish Canon and the iudgement of the Easterne Church 13 Gregory Nazianzen hath a y De veris libris Scriptur little treatise in verse of purpose made to shew what are the books of the old new TestameÌ„t inspired froÌ„ God He in the old reckoneth vp two twenty books after the Iewish fashioÌ„ so oft aboue meÌ„tioned no more There he putteth al these whoÌ„ we acknowledge vouchsafeth not so much as to name Tobias or Iudith or any one of those whoÌ„ we seclude And so doth he againe z De recta educatione ad Selencum To all these so famous learned men of the East Greeke Church wil I adde for the conclusion the Councel of Laodicea which in the last a Canon 59 Canon recapitulateth all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament but hath not one of those whom the Romanists vvould gladly thrust vpon vs. Nowe is it not a greate sinne thinke you for vs to ioyne in iudgement vvith so many learned and holie men with all the good and religious Hebrews who were before the time of Christ withal the Eastern Church without impeachment for ought that I can truely find Are not we worthy to be reviled and revelled at as renters tearers and clippers of the sacred Bible I doe marvaile why we should be Heretikes for not admitting of these Apocryphals since so many Fathers and reverend Doctors of the Primitiue Church did the same that wee do and yet heretiks they are none Yea but the Romanists doe loue to be tried by themselues And great reason The Westerne Churches they will say haue ever beene of another minde Wel yet here is but one against two and then by S. Austens rule before named the matter should go on our side But what if we find in the Latin Church as much against it as for it Are not our popish people in a prety case for railing vpon vs as if we were manglers deâ—…uÌ„catours of the Bible Hilary was a Bishop of FraÌ„ce and b Prolog su per 〈◊〉 he saith that there bee two and twenty bookes of the olde scripture See his own opinion consonant with that of the Greekish and Iewish Church vnto which number saith hee some doe adde Tobias and Iudith and so make foure and twenty Marke that they be but some who do adde more and these doe adde but two so that the Machabees and the rest are vndoubtedly gone in his iudgement nay I may say in his minde these two also But if any man be in this cause to be heard it is Hierome whom Lodovicus Vives some-where did truely call miraculum orbis the miracle of the worlde Hee lived a good while at Rome and thought highly of that Church and therefore would not hastily break from any thing vvhich generally or vvith good ground was there received Hee travailed into Palestina and there spent much of his time and by longe conference vvith a Ievve and other his extreame labour attained to the exact knovveledge of the Hebrevve tongue and there-vpon as some thinke translated the vvhole Bible into Latin as others suppose reformed and castigated that version vvhich is called the Vulgar and is now only currant among the Papists Also hee made those learned Commentaries on the Prophets which labour may truly be said to be the glory and beauty of all his vvorkes vvhich yet otherwise are renoumed sufficiently Then if any man bee to be heard in this Argument it is this Hierome and that deservedly Hee then speaking of Iudith bestovveth this ierke on it c Epist 10 UUee doe reade in Iudith notvvithstanding of it please any man to receiue that booke But aftervvarde hee goeth more generally to vvorke and d Epist â—…06 sheweth which are the Canonicall bookes even those whome vvee holde for Canonicall and vvhich are Apocryphall even the very same that wee reckon for Apocryphall Neither hath hee yet done but continuing in the same iudgement he sheweth how and in what manner the Church readeth and accepteth those inferiour bookes e Epist 115. As therefore the Church indeed doth read the bookes of Iudith of Tobias and the Machabees but doth not receiue them among the Canonical scriptures so it may read also these two volumes that is Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisdome to the edification of the people not to confirme the authority of Ecclesiasticall doctrines What would he haue said thinke you if he had seene our Papists bring these bookes as the chiefe pillers of praier for the dead and intercession of Saints and other such like Apocryphal trumpery 14 And that there were more learned men of the Westerne Church in the same minde with Hierome wee appeale to that treatise on the Creede of the Apostles vvhich some suppose to haue beene written by Cyprian and for that cause it is found among his workes but more generally it is thought to be of Ruffiuus his doing who very well might speake for the evidency
bedde-stuffe vvere of a moderate and competent quality neither to neate nor too verie abiect bicause in these for the most parte men doe either vse insoleutlie to boast themselves or to abiecte themselves by both not seeking those thinges vvhich are Iesus CHRISTES but their ovvne But this blessed man as I saye kepte the meane neither declining to the right hand nor to the lefts Thus saith Possidonius wherevpon Erasmus fitly asketh this question n Observat. in margine UUhere was thou the letherne girdle and the blacke coule But besides this they haue forged certaine o Ad fratres in eremo books in the name of S. Augustine as if he the Bishoppe of Hippon had given orders and instructions to his Friers vnder him But this is as like the worke of S. Austen as an Owle is like an Eagle or a Cuckow to a Nightingale as the improbability of many things vvhich are in it the basenesse of the matter the barbarousnesse of the stile the foolish and shamelesse narrations and many other thinges maye demonstrate to every one who hath but halfe an eie or one graine of salt in him Yet so must Popery bee peeced togither with a faire title at the least although the stuffe be rotten 21 Heere looke we backe a little to the ancient Monkes and not any way curiously to trace their originall were there not even almost in the very time of their first institution many absurdities and incongruous superstitions which did creepe in every one by a voluntary will-worship adding what he thought good Was not the great p Sozo 1 13 Anthony who had so many followers a man vtterly vnlearned and did not he thinke even the least knovvledge a hinderance to his speculatiue devotion Did not the Heremits shew great presumption when being but simple persons diverse of them they wilfully refused the society of men the fellowship of cōmunion of Saints by their solitarynesse putting themselues more freely vpō Sathans temptations by debarring their soules of the word preached the Sacrament of the Lordes supper received and the comfort of the Minister or any other Christian brother Did not the too exquisite severity of q Lib 3 13 Eustathius the Monke who is supposed to be the true authour of the book intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cōmonly reported to be S. Basiles where so much is of the life discipline of Monks grow to absurd observations and such as were quite disagreeing from the laws Ecclesiastical There are reckoned vp many opinions of him his scholers which were condemned in a Councel at Gangrae as that he disliked mariage would not pray in their houses who were wedded despised maryed Priests thought rich men to be shut out frō heaven detested those who eate flesh and other such like monkish imaginations Some women perswaded by him or his leste their husbands put on mens apparrel and fell to adultery These persons lived about the time of the fore-named Fathers who in their bookes cōmended the good parts which were then exercised doubtles gaue those precepts which they did giue to reforme the abuses And as succeeding generations came on did not the superstitious devises of Monks increase as is to be seene in Evagrius Some did shut themselues into little houses r Evagr hist Eccl. l 1 21 which were so low narrow as that they could neither stand vpright in thē nor ly otherwise then double Some both men women living in the wildernes did onely cover their privities for the rest went naked both in the hottest coldest wether Some refusing all foode of men did eate only the grasse of the ground would not endure the presence of any persons but woulde run away and hide them in the rockes Other counterfeyting themselues fooles laboured to bee without all passion These woulde not refuse to goe into tavernes or brothel-houses they would be in bathes with women and as among men they lived as men so among women they were as women Yet did those ages so doate vpon monkery that even these were commended and helde for holy men Thus if wee take these olde lads in their best times they had imperfections inough but of the good qualities which were in any of them those vvho came after embraced but a few Onely the ignorance of Anthony went almost currant through all that was as good as hereditary to them But the olde devoute service of God was of late turned into hypocrisie fasting into perpetuall belly-cheere scarcity and penury into aboundance and lordly possessions of landes charity was converted into hart-burning and envie humility into pride sobriety into Venereous and Sodomitish lust their piety was but formality their idolatry was infinite Thus it grewe forwarde by little and little till it came to the height of vngodlinesse Howe soone this beganne maye bee gathered by him vvho vvrote the treatise commonlye called Cyprians De duplici martyrio There vvee thus read s Cypr. de dupl mart Not anie deserte place sacke-cloath for a garment pulse for meate neither fasting nor lying on the bare grounde doe make a perfect monke Under these covers lyeth hid sometimes a minde verie worldly which is so discovered if they bee called to any Ecclesiasticall office There you shall see some of them most easilie to bee overcome vvith delightes more impatient of iniuries more desirous of vengance then any other of the ordinarie people What is the cause Because they haue more exercised the body then the minde This began betimes but as they grew in yeares so many of them grew in horrible wickednes It is a long while since s Eccl. Hist. Ang l 4 25 Beda lived yet in his Ecclesiasticall story he mencioneth that a Monastery called Colindiurbem was consumed with fire for the lasciviousnes and wantonnes which was there founde in both men and women So did God punish them But in S. Bernards time a carnall kinde of behavior had over-growne almost all which caused him earnestly passionatly to complaine t Bernard in cena Domini cap 3. How many monkes be there in S. Benedicts monastery who do laugh when other men doe mourne who reioice when other are sadde In their bodie they are cloistered in their mindes wanderers and never standing still Slow to their reading tardy to their praying in the Church sleeping in the refectory vvaking For their long watchings grieving but for their long bankets reioicing This was the mortified life of many monkes in that holy mans daies And how this was afterwarde amended in England may bee testified by the survey which by Visitation of the Kings Commissioners was taken vnder King Henry the eight of famous memory when by othes of the religious persons themselues much Sodomitry other vncleannesse was detected and afterwarde was published to the world by a printed booke some notes wherof are to be seene in the French Apology of u Cap. 21 Henry Stephanus made in defence of Herodotus
at Lions Manutius at Rome Yea that besides Erasmus diverse Papists as Rembolius Canchius Costerius Gravius Manutius Morelius had set foorth Cyprian searching for written copies of the best both farre and neere yet no man of all these in all their editions thinking of any such matter Lastly that a In indiculo c◅um excusor manuscr in initio Cypr. Pamelius himselfe saying that he had the helpe of eight more manuscript copies besides printed ones could gather no such thinge in any of all them but onely out of one Cambron copie which must checke all the bookes of Christendome VVhich sheweth that doubtlesse this Cambron broode was forged in former time by some one who was desirous to magnifie the Primacy of the Pope Fourthly our makers of the Indices doe goe very neere the Fathers whē they blotte out of the Tables of their bookes those things which were in the Authours themselves either word for word or in apparant meaning as before I have manifested Fifthly it is not to be doubted but that as there be many things more altered in Cyprian by Pamelius which Goulartius hath refuted and may be reade by any man that will And many matters razed in Ambrose so if any man had leisure to conferre them hee should finde the like done in Chrysostome and other of the Fathers as b Vide Th. Bilson lib. 4 Basile is notably forged to make for Images some things being added some diminished other changed the tryall whereof it were good some of our men did vndertake in the Gregory lately put out at Rome or some other such booke Sixthly who knoweth whether there bee any such Index gathered already or in gathering for the writings of all the Fathers by the which the new editions must be trimmed VVe see that daily they adde their other Indices therfore they may adde one of this nature also And long it was before those could be found which now are discovered and so the times of the descrying of this may not be yet come Or who knoweth whether they who began with the marginal notes Contents Arguments Tables and other Observations vpon the Doctours therin did make triall by this gentle sounding at first how wel they could cary it or how the world woulde take it now grow resolute to proceed farther Since they are over shooes best plunge higher even over the shoulders they see their good will is knowne and therefore best now be impudent the ice is broken in Ambrose Cyprian they are no better then their fellowes who therfore worthily shall all be served with the same sawce Seventhly which is not least to bee observed and sitteth best with my former coniectures a late country-man of ours from Rome hath givē some prety light to this matter I meane the Authour of the c The warnwoord to S F◅Ha stings wast-word VVarnewoord Whether I should say this to be Father Parsons or Father Warford I know not well since Warford as I am certainely informed hath perpetually free accesse to the others study digesteth that matter vvhich Parsons is not at leisure to put into forme sometimes putting Epistles Prefaces to the workes of the elder Foxe they two play handy-dandy so eche with other that they thinke by a Iesuitish conveiance they ioyntly or severally according to the cōveniency of their thē present purposes may affirme or deny any booke to be or not be the worke of Father Parsons But whether soever of the two it be he being charged by his adversary with the clipping of the Fathers according to the rules of the Index Expurgatorius laboureth to avoide from his side the imputation of those fraudes And for that purpose d Encount 2 cap 9 citeth diverse rules prefixed by the Councel of Trent before the Index all which rules do touch the workes of later writers but touching those which are ancient he saith that thus they decree In libris autem Catholicorum veterum nihil mutari fa◅ sit nisi vbi aut fraude haereticorum aut typographi incuria manifestus error irrepserit Which he Englisheth thus It may not be lawfull for them that correct bookes to chaunge any thing at all in the bookes of the ancient Catholikes except where any manifest errour shoulde appeere to have crept in either by the fraude of heretikes or negligence of the Printer Heere then are two cases in which even the works of the old Fathers may bee altered And according to this hee affirmeth of the Spanishe Index Expurgatorius that it is most certaine that in all they put out of any authour before our age they follow one of two reasons before mentioned to wit that either they find it thrust in by heretiks or by errour of the Printer that other more ancient corrected copies had it not Now vnder this shamelesse coulour they in their impudēcy may do what they list for since Papistes and Popishe Correctours must be the Iudges there shal bee nothing which crosseth their Antichristian doctrine but it by and by shal be saide even contrary to all antiquity to be thrust in by heretikes And what conscience they make in practising their owne rule and keeping themselves within compasse thereof may bee seene by that of Cyprian so handled by Pamelius as is before mencioned where it cannot be denied but that they have altered the wordes from those which formerly were And shal it now bee saide to bee the Printers faulte that the words are as we reade them Why their owne Prints all the olde written copies have them so Or shal it be said to be foisted in by heretikes when so many so greate Papists as Costerius Manutius Morelius and the other aboue named were yea Gratian himselfe doth put it as wee doe The truth then is they wil put in put out adde diminish choppe chaunge alter what they list if any shewe can that way be made it shall be pretended to be the errour of the Printer or the falshood of an Heretike but if there be not so much as any coulour for that pretence yet if it bee for their purpose it shall bee done with hope that it shall not bee espied or that some secrete probable reason shal be imagined wherfore iustly they might do so In which respect I may say that the rule is wicked the practise is worse the one sl◅y permitteth falshood the other more audaciously doth execute it and so even the workes of the most Auncient are daily depraved by this sinfull and deceitfull Romishe broode So that if ever there were a fraudulent and false generation of vipers on the earth if men that have solde themselves to falshood if such as to serve the turne of their vn-holy Father care not what they doe which may cary any pretence it is this vngracious and vngodly company The Lorde discover their wickednesse to the simple people that every one may see and detest their damnable abuses By