the wynd a fancy an opinion alterable with euery change of imagination nay with euery alteration of affection So what is Anathema to day Cell lib. ◠c. 5. in the worse sense an imprecation or execration may be to morrow Anathema in the better sense that is a consecration what to day is a curse way be a blessing to morrow Nor is it easy to conceaue in whether sense he takes Anathema by way of cursing or blessing For I vehemently suspect he neuer meant to curse the fauourer's of those opinions to whom I doubt not but he wishes as to himselfe yea and whose deferts towards himself haue gain'd no small interest title to his well wishings wherfore what he sayth He who holds so let him be Anathema may in the Socinian intendment be no more but this he who hold's so long may he liue Yet for a more expesse discharging himself from all imputations of this nature namely of such as charge him with deniall of supernaturall Verities what sayth he marry He belieues all those book 's of Scripture which the Church of England account's Canonicall Pref. to be the infallible word of God Answ You see the Resolution of his Fayth into the Authority of the Church of England Where you may note that he sayth not that he belieues it infallibly or that those bookes are infallibly the word of God but that they are the infallible word of God where that infallible is a meere fallacious Pleonasme a redundant and superfluous accession to the word of God Whence it followeth only that he belieues this with a fallible Fayth and therefore no diuine Fayth which he doth consequently to his principles for holding the motiue of his beliefe that is the authority of the Church of England as of all other Churches to be but fallible and capable of errour his beliefe can haue no greater assurance then that motiue hath But then it followeth that he hath no infallible assurance of these Bookes that they are the word of God Ergo he hath no assurance that the contents of these Bookes are supernaturall Verities or Verities at all Ergo with this may stand his deniall of supernaturall Verities And that you may Vnderstand that he belieues the aforesaid Verities with a Socinian fayth only he ioyneth in one and the same tenure of beliefe things euidently contayned in those Canonicall Bookes with things probably deducible from the same Whence thus I argue If he belieues as his words expresse things euidently contained in those Bookes with no more assurance then he belieues things euen probably deducible thence then he belieues neither with assurance of diuine fayth Ergo he belieues them not as supernaturall Verities to the beliefe of which humane fayth can neuer ascend as being out of the reach and extent of all such Fayth therefore as yet and by this profession he hath not cleared himselfe from the imputation of Socinianisme and Infidelity An Act of Parlament the motiue of his beliefe His fallacious refuge SECT XXXVIII Pref. FVrthermore I acknowledge all that to be Heresy which by the Act of Parliament primo Elizabethae is declared to be so Answ With this acknowledgment may well consist the deniall of all supernaturall verities according to my former deduction And this is surely a strong presumption that he belieues an act of Parlament with no greater assurance then the decrees of a Generall Councell yea and that he belieues the Parlament rather then a Generall Councell shews that such his beliefe is grounded vpon his affection not his iudgment for no poyse of iudiciall motiues can preponderate or sway him rather towards a Parlament Wherefore since none of these motiues or authorities yield him assurance that such contents of Canonicall Bookes are supernaturall verities it followeth no way out of his beliefe of these that he belieues any supernaturall verity as such Ergo notwithstanding this profession he is a Socinian still Which though it be so yet I will not do him wrong nor say he hath effected nothing by this his syncere profession and acknowledgment But what hath he done Forsooth he hath cuningly put himself vnder the wing's of the State he hath retired himself into the sanctuary of Protestancy by this meanes he hath ingaged them in his quarrell whose religion he professeth so that whatsoeuer inconuenience as irreligion nullity of diuine fayth lastly Socinianisme it self shall be deduced as consequent out of his disclaiming the authority of the Cath. Church and acknowledging a Parlamentary religion and authority in determining Canonicall Scripture declaring Heresies must fall first vpon the English Protestants and must be answered by them Thus while he endeauours to bring himself off fairely from those foule aspersiōs he draw's them on whom he pretends to vindicate and thus he brings about his owne ends and couertly aduanceth his owne designe which is to ruine all Religion His fallacious Hypocrisy SECT XXXIX WHat he talkes of retaining liberty in points which may be diuersly held satuâ fides compage the iuncture or structure of fayth remaining safe is a ridiculous Hypocrisy in him who endeauours by his doctrine and principles to demolish the very foundation of Christian Fayth which is the infallibility of diuine Reuelation I meane the infallibility of that authority which declares it to be such and consequently that vnquestionable certainty vpon which Christian Fayth relyeth being taken away not to leaue one stone vpon another in this earthly or militant Hierusalem in the building of Fayth And can you haue further patience to heare any more of his Sophistique Hypocrisy For he know's that all Christiās would spit defiance in his face should he not seeme to speak somewhat like a Christian Pref. Yet thus much I can say quoth he which I hope will satisfy any man of reason that whatsoeuer hath beene held necessary to saluation either by the Catholique Church of all ages or by the consent of Fathers measured by Vincentius Litinensis his rules or is held necessarie either by the Catholique Church of this age or by the consent of Protestants c. That against the Socinians and all others I do verily belicue and imbrace Answ Can any man belieue he writes what he thinkes if he vnderstand what he writes For who doubts but the Catholique Church of all ages hath held the beliefe of an infallible Church as a point of Christian Fayth For how could the Catholique Church gathered togeather in Generall Councels anathematize and condemne whosoeuer refused to subscribe to her decrees in points of fayth had not the same Church supposed her self to haue infallible authority for all such decisions and decrees Therefore he who belieues what the Catholique Church holds necessary to be belieued belieues this Now obserue in these very words by the Catholique Church of this age or by the consent of Protestants how he makes the Protestants a member of his diuision a part from the Catholiques Wherein also he preuaricates egregiously
after the vulgar sense and acceptation of words run far wide and short of his meaning when we thinke we are at his heeles For if I be not much mistaken he is euen now closely lurking in Socinianisme while we follow him in the knowne way of Protestancy Now in good Socinianisme or true Atheisme all Heresy as supposed criminall and in the odious and ordinary acception of the word is only a colour and pretence hauing in it selfe no reality or substance of crime For these Nullifidians as they know no such vertue as Fayth so they acknowledge no such Vice as Heresy For in their Sceptique or Pyrrhonian way all assensions are but opinions all Visa are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Vision but Apparition Will you haue the Character of a Socinian Take it in briefe and for this tyme in part He is a thing that neither see 's nor hear's nor smelles nor feeles nor tast's any thing nor vnderstands any thing but is only so affected as though he saw heard felt c. He is therefore a quasi animal and a quasi man and a quasi Christian nothing without a quasi or a quasi nothing and a quasi any thing He will giue no iudgment at all of any thing he will not say the Crow is blacke to day for feare he may say to morrow this a swan nor that hony is sweet to day least it may seeme gall to morrow For all obiects affect their senses not by what they are in themselues but as the senses are formerly affected which affection or disposition may vary daily which variance or mutation because they foresee not therefore they can promise you no opinion of theirs for to morrow no more then the Wether-cock can tell you which way it shall stand when the wind blowes next They deny as peremptorily as they can that there are ten Predicaments for whatsoeuer may fall vnder sense or vnderstanding belongs to one Predicament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing but relation So Fayth then with such men is but a Fancy as the obiect that beget's it but a phantome a thing not so but only seeming so Aske him then what he think 's of any Christian doctrine whether he belieue three persons one God the Sonne of God Incarnate or that he was borne of a Virgin c rather then he will seeme headlong or a spend-thrift of his iudgment rather then he will be thought so vnwise he will as a lesse disgrace be thought no Christian therefore he will answere you so very readily as you shall see he doth it easily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ti 's no more so then so Or neither so nor so With this briefe sentence of absolution they quit all Heresy nor will it be prophane in them to whom nothing is holy to say to Heresy smiling sweetly vpon her as she stand's at the barre mulier vbi sunt qui te accusant nemo te condemnauit woman where or who are thy accuser's and her to answere nemo Domine none but Papists my Lord no Socinian my Lord Neque ego te condemno nor do I condemne thee thou art as true to me as the most Orthodoxe opinion of Christianity Vade in pace Fallacy of Diuision SECT XIX ANother Fallacy I meet with euen in this place which we may rank with Fallacies of Diuision For where his Aduersaries discourse hath his Arguments or reasons of proofe in ioynt connexion and immediate subsecution of his Position there this Sophister seuer's and deuides the proofe from the Position disioynting and dismembring them into so many senerall and disparate propositions without any relation or discursiue consecution of the one from the other which Fallacy though it may seeme to fall naturally from the spring and spirit of Heresy and Schisme which in their very Notion and Etimology import diuison yet I make no doubt but it was voluntary heere and of choyce hauing in it the Authors ends which were I doubt not to weaken his Aduersaries discourse as if he would vnty the faggot the more easily to breake the single stick 's which in the whole faggot he could not do His aduersaries position was this The doctrine of Protestants followed closely and coherently to it selfe induceth Socinianisme and particularly their doctrine denying infallibility of the Visible Church of Christ This proposition he proueth immediatly For if the infallibility of such a publique authority be once impeached what remaineth but that euery man is giuen ouer to his owne wit and discourse c. This reason he sorth with declaring and confirming by other reasons with close compacture and consistency of discourse because it was strong Pede pes iunctusque viro vir he fraudulently dissolues and discomposeth hoping perchance by a semblable sleight and finesse the like fortune and successe of that one suruiuing Roman Champion against the three Albane Curiaty whome by a guilefull flight hauing deuided by competent distances he return's vpon them so singled slew them one after another whom in ioynt combat he durst not deale withall Which hope notwithstanding hath frustrated this Champion nor could he indeed in reason expect the happy successe of the Roman combattant who fight 's against Rome against whose Fayth the power of hell shall not preuaile Do but cast your Eye if you please vpon these reasons euen as they lye apart and loosely and of purpose scattered by this Aduocate Inuenies etiam disiecti membra Quiritis you shall find in euery limbe a Catholique verity too strong for him to breake though single As where his Aduersary sayth for if this infallibility be once impeach't c. he omits the connecting particle for importing a reason of the immediately preceding position thus You say againe confidently that if this infallibility c. Pres Againe when his Aduersary adioyneth in confirmation of this reason For if the true Church may erre c. we are still deuolued either vpon the priuate spiret or else vpon naturall wit for determining what Scriptures contatuâ— true or false doctrine c. He hath it thus You say thirdly with sufficient cousidence Pref. that iâ— the true Church may erre c. Where his Aduersary addeth in further confirmation of this And indeed take away the authority of Gods Church no man can be assured that any booke of Scripture was written by diuine inspiration c. this man thus Pref. You say fourthly with conuenient boldnes that this infallible authority of your Church being deâ—yed no man can be assured c. Where you may also obserue a false trick by the way to make his Aduersaries words carry a more odious sound to Protestant eares for he sayth not take away the authority of our Church but take away the authority of the Church of God which he therfore the rather sayth God's Church then our Church because he takes not that here as granted by the Protestant that our Church is Gods Church but only shew's heere the necessity of an
negatiue Resolution not to belieue the Catholique doctrine And hath that of all others deserued so ill of him Indeed he lost his fellowship by it but I presume the Catholique would haue giuen him a better had he but held out his yeares probation Yet now it seeme's he is resolued vpon euident grounds to be an indifferent Trauailer to all other Professions but neuer to belieue himselfe againe whatsoeuer he can obiect for the Catholique No he hath belieued himselfe that way twice already and hath deceaued himselfe therefore now he will neuer more dispute that question with himselfe againe but with this resolution before hand either to confute or not to belieue himselfe But to returne to that expected Achylles which this Aduocate had fancied Electum ex millibus the choyce Champion of thousand 's what becomes of him Marry this which we may suppose to haue beene the drift of this Chymerique discourse he hath met with this Aduocate a stronger Giant then he who hath despoyled him of all his confidence shew'n him his weakenes Pref. True some snares he found and colour's which might deceaue the simple but nothing that might persuade and very litle that might moue an vnderstanding man and one that can discerne betwixt Discourse and Sophistry Answ Now to shew this weaknes in his aduersary is indeed to vanquish him and himselfe must need 's be supposed this Vnderstanding-man who hath discouered it so that he hath made his aduersary an Achylles to great purpose to make himselfe a greater Achylles in defeating him Which successe that he nothing doubted heare his words Pref. In short I was verily persuaded that I plainly saw and could make it appeare to all dispassionate and vnpreiudicate Iudges that a veyne of Sophistry and Calumny did runne cleane through his booke from the beginning to the end Answ Now Syr if this charge be true which euen a passionate man if not wholy blinded with passion will presently discerne to be most false then is this very obiecting of a throughout continued Calumny and Sophistry a Gigantique victory indeed but the point is yet to proue And yet I will not vrge vpon him this way but for once will do him the curtesy my selfe to proue euidently that what he sayth is true For his answere as being indeed a very myne of Sophistry and Calumny as it shall manifestly appeare and by this ioynt-Edition running through his aduersaries booke it will easily follow by true consequence that a veine of Sophisty and Calumny runneth cleane through the said his Aduersaries booke from the beginning to the end ¶ And this is the busines I vndertooke deare Syr whereby to satisfy your request concerning my iudgment which shall appeare in actu exercito by what I shall note vnto you out of my obseruation in these two kinds especially of Sophistry and Calumny for to follow him a long in his quoted authorities of Bookes as I could not do it hauing neither those bookes at hand nor opportunity to procure them so I make no doubt but it will be fully donne by a better Champion though no Achylles neither but one I dare say who might seeme a dwarf standing by this Giant if selfe-conceipts might passe for true presumptions Calumnies and Sophistries of M. Ch. gathered out of his two Answers And first out of his answere to the Direction giuen him by the Maintayner of Charity SECTION I. AS among men Soph. Elench c. 1. sayth Aristotle some are of a healthfull complexion and constitution some are not but seeme to be so and of mettalls some are true gold or siluer others may haue the likenes and lustre of either but yet are neither so of rational Discourses some are indeed and really true discourses some are only apparently such Now sayth he because to some men it is more gainfull and aduantagious to seeme wise and knowing then to be and not to seeme therefore such men make choyce rather to seeme to do like wise and skilfull men then to doe it only and not seeme to do it The Sophister is such an one one who trade in false coynes of Discourse or seeming knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because the returne indeed iâ— quicker then in true gold of lawfull argument's and it is easier to deceaue the most part of men by fallacious inferences then to conuince vnderstanding men by true Conclusions The end and scope of Sophisme Soph. c. 3. is Victory intimated by the Philosopher in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ambitious of Victory and a further end of this victory is some desired purchase as of riches honour or the like which are purchased thus at the cheapest rate as that which is bought with copper or the like counterfait trash comes cheaper to a man then what he buy 's with current gold For this cause therefore the Sophist serueth himselfe of such fallacious and adulterate formes of discoursing which hauing only the false face of true Syllogismes are indeed meere Sophismes and Paralogismes I haue no mind to introduce in this place an odious comparison between these two the Author of this answer with his Antagonist yet they who know them both will be able I thinke to make some probable coniecture to whether of the two this character of a Sophister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a trader or dealer in or for commodities may seeme the more proper to him who hath solemnely renounc't and diuorc't all trafficke with the world not only by profession but by a total and actual dispossession or to him who hauing added to the inclination of corrupt nature the poyse and sway of a bad repentance is fallen back vpon the world with a greater swing who conuerseth daily with trade and trafficke seeking to improue his fortunes by all the thriuing wayes he can Therefore so often and so lowdly to declaime against his Aduersaries Sophistry and Calumny I cannot imagine impudence inough in him to do it but an exigence raâ—her necessity to remoue from himselfe by his pretended dislike and detestation of these vices all opinion of them to withdraw mens eyes from beholding them in himselfe where they are most palpably to be seene and to deriue the iust hatred of them vpon his Aduersarie 1. Callumny and Sophisme So while he most proclaimeth his aduersaries sophistry euen then in that he imployeth his maister peece of a most sophisticall Calumny which I note as his primitiue and original Sophisme Calumny running throughout his whole Worke from the beginning to the end as shall appeare by the sequele of particulars But withall I am to premonish you Syr that you are not to expect to find all these fallacies within the number of Arisâ—â—tle's who were he now aliue and would vndertake to reduce them to those formes of Sophismes described and obserued by him and he was a man of no small obseruation in this kind had inherited the obseruations of many others I am verily persuaded he would haue found
of difference betweene vs and you which point held by you in opposition to the Roman Catholique hath euer beene countenanc't by any least miracle of our Sauiour or his Apostles or the opposite doctrine of Catholiques confounded by the like testimony For if you make not this appeare by your sunne of Euidence those diuine and supernaturall miracles what will remaine for your confirmation but ignis fatuus I know your Sanctuary when you haue tost turned all your creditable records and euidences you will shew vs forsooth that those points of fayth which you haue receaued and hold of the Catholique Roman Church though the tenure be merely Hereticall that is of voluntary choice because it pleaseth you to hold some such as import no restraint or that some face of truth may appeare like the face and song of Siren's to draw men vpon your rock's of pernicious Heresies those I say you will proue to haue beene attested and confirmed by those miracles of our Sauiour and his Apostles which will help your cause nothing at all but rather weaken it when by such testimony of miracles you can confirme no other doctrine but what you haue receaued from vs. Neither yet are those doctrines yours which you can proue to haue beene so confitmed I say no otherwise yours then those things which you haue stolne or keep by force from the right owners therefore they are with you as children rauish't from their mothers bosome and the company of their brethren by the Turket or Mâ—ret with whome they remayn so sequestred perforce daily testifiyng by their sighes and grones the tyranny of their restraint and their defire to returne to their Mother brethren After this violent manner are those Catholique doctrines with you and thus are holy Scriptures in your not custody but captiuity both of them entertained by you to no other end but to be slaues and seruants to your owne children the peculiar dâ—â—trines of your Schisme to carry torches before them to gaine â—ome reputation of light to those workes of darknes Although for Scriptures as I haue said before and say againe no Heretique hath them properly that is as they are the word of God which they are not but as truly interpreted for which truth of interpretation he can pretend no warrant or title at all For the Scriptures are not only the word of God but the word of the Church which hauing first conceaued them by the holy Ghost the spirit of truth brought them forth to light and bequeathed them from age to age to the children of her obedience made partakers of the same spirit and therfore they only can discerne them to be the word of God which is only discernable to those to whom it is spoken or reuealed by the same spirit which is only in the Church of Christ the one mysticall body of Christ which is also called the spirit of Christ and therefore is not to be found in any other Body or Society of men for then Christ should be the head or heads of more bodies which is absurd blasphemy And as the Church of God alone is endued with this spirit of discretion whereby she discernes what Scripture is the word of God so this Church alone hath the spirit of interpretation of Scriptures and she alone can certainly say this is the sense and meaning of this Scripture who can truly say this is Scripture as only that Daniel cold declare the interpretation and meaning of Nabuchâ—donozors dreame who could tell him what he had dreamed which none of those Wizards or Sorcerers or Enchanters could do who yet professed they would interprete the dreame so he would tell them what he had dreamed But the wise King belieued them not qua sunâ— per Allegoriam dicta But heere good Sir I must tell you as a friend I am ashamed to sâ—â— a man of your expectation hopefull promisings to come forth in this thred-bare liuery of old Heretiques this appeale from Church to Scriptures There was neuer so putide an Heretique which hauing once cast off the authority of the Church could not find some refuge or sanctuary in the darknes of Scripture hauing also togeather with that authority excussed taken to himselfe the freedome of interpreting Scriptures Belie us it Syr. it is and euer will be a maine presumption that you draw â—nder the same yoke with former Heretiques when you can not get out of the same Cart-rout which they haue track't before you Et monstrata diâ— veteris trabis â—rbita â—ulpa For first you haue gone out of the Roman Catholique Church so they from the authority of that Church you appeale to Scriptures so they then you interprete Scriptures according to your single vnderstanding without any other liuing guide or Vocall authority so they being gone out you turne all your power of Pen-gall against that Church whence you went forth so they But neither you nor your patrons nor Apostles conuert any nation to Christian fayth nor they You reduce few sonles from sinfull courses to better life nor they In the whole number of your Patriarches you cannot name one Saint nor they I see how you haue consociated your self and your Clyent 's with the knowne Heretiques of former tymes I would gladly know someone distinctiue signe by which you discerne and vindicate your selues from the formall character or character 's markes or brands of ancient Heretiques In the meane tyme let vs examin the remnant of this Remotiâ—e Rem This booke c. foretell's me plainly that in after ages great signes and wonders shall be wrought in confirmation of false doctrine Prom. But hath it fore told you that in after ages no true miracle shall be wrought in confirmation of true doctrine If not it hath foretold you nothing to the purpose you pretend Rem And that I am not to belieue any doctrine which seemes to my vnderstanding repugnant to the first Prom. Wâ—â—ch seemes repugnant c. to your vnderstanding Most ridiculâ—us 〈◊〉 no such thing was euer foretold you by the Booke of Gods Word you dreamed it But that doctrine is not to be belieued which to an infallible vnderstanding which is the vnderstanding of the Church which is guided by the spirit of truth is not only seemingly but really repugnant to Apostolicall doctrine But still you put vs in mynd of your Character your appeale to your owne vnderstanding you will not out of this Cart-rout Rem But that true doctrine should in allages haue the testimony of miracles that I am no where taught Prom. Are you any where taught the contrary Or that the testimony of miracles promised by our Sauiour is confined within a certain compasse or period of tyme Hath the Church only a lease of miracles for terme of yeare and if it hath when expired that terme or lease Vnles you can tell vs this for ought you know it is yet in being Now the promise of our Sauiour being conceaued and exprest in plaine words