Patrum non sunt regulae nec habent authoritatem obligandi that is The Writs of the Fathers are not Rules neyther haue they authoritie to astrict vs to them The reason whereof their owne Roffensis doeth render saying Nec diffitemur errasse Patres Homines enim erant sicut nos that is Neiâ—her deny wee but the Fathers haue erred for they were Men even as wee are Imo constat sayeth Bellarmine quosdam ex praecipuis eorum in quibusdam non leviter lapsos ut Hilarium vix dolores corporis in CHRISTO agnovisse Cyprianus improbabat Sacramenta tradita ab Hereticis aut Schismaticis that is Yea it is sure that some of the chiefe of them erred and that not lightlie in some things as Hilarie did who searce did acknowledge that CHRIST suffered any paine in His Bodie and Cyprian denyed that they were Sacramentes which were ministred by Heretickes or Schismatickes Item Iraeneus contendit sayeth hee CHRISTUM fere ad annum 50 pervenisse antequam passus est that is Ireâ—â—us also did holde that CHRIST almost came to bee fiftie yeares of age before Hee suffered which is flat contrarie to Scripture and S. Iohns relation who showeth that hee was baptized at 30 and at the third Passeover thereafter that hee suffered Death c. I omit their confession how manie were millenaries as also Augustines condemning of Children vnbaptized to hels fire with Ieromes errour of second marriages c. Therefore sayeth Aquinas Authoritatibus canonicae Scripture utitur sacra doctrina propriè ex necessitate arguendo authoritatibus autem aliorum doctorum Ecclesiae arguendo proâ—abiliter Innititur enâ—m fides nostra revelationi Apostolis Prophetis factae qui canoâ—â—â—cos libros scripserunt non autem revelaâ—ioni siqua fuit aliâ—s doctoribus facta vnde dicit Augustinus in Epistola ad Hieronymum Solis enim Scripturarum Libris qui canonici appellantur didici hunc honorem deferre ut nullum authorem eorum in scribendo errasse aliquid firmissime credam Alios autem it a lego ut quantalibet sanctitate doctrinaque praepolleant non ideo verum putem quia ipsi ita senserunt vel scripserint that is Holie doctrine vseth the authoritiâ— of canonicke Scripture properlie and necessarilie concluding out of them buâ—â—â— gueth onlie probablie out of the authorities of other Doctors of the Church for our fayth is grounded on that which was revealed to the Prophets and Apostles who wryte the canonicall Bookes but not to that which was revealed to anie other Doctors if any such thâ—ng was wherefore sayeth Augustine in his Epistâ—e to â—â—rome For I haue learned sayeth hee to giue this honour onlie to the Bookes of Scripture which are called Canonicke that I most firmlie belieue that no Author of any of them in their writing erred in a jet but as for others I so reade them that altho they were never so excellent eyther in godlinesse or learning yet I doe not belieue that it is true because they thought or wrote so Wherefore in Patribus legendis sayeth their Salmeron servanda videtur sententia Quintiliani qui sic scribit Neque statim inquit id legenti persuasum sit omnia quae magni Authores dixerunt utique esse perfecta nam labuntur interdum oneri cedunt indulgent ingeniorum suorum voluptati summi sunt homines tamen acciditque lectoribus ut quicquid apud ipsos reperiunt dicendilegem putant ut deteriora imitentur that is In reading of the Fathers the judgement of Quintilian would bee kept who wryteth foâ— neyther instantlie sayeth hee let the Reader bee assured that all thinges which great Authors haue sayde are everie way perfect for they erre sometyme and succumbe and giue loose reines to the pleasure of their own wits It is true they are great Authors but yet they are men and it befalleth their Readers that whatsoever they finde in them they thinke it a Law to their speaches that so they may follow the worse thinges And for a particular practise of this fore-saide direction Lyra setteth downe his owne example saying Nec debet aliquis moveri si in hoc ob opinione Hieronymi discâ—ssero nam dicta sanctorum non sunt tantae authoritatis quin liceat contrarium tenere in iis quae per Scripturas non determinantur ut ait Augustinus ad Vincentium de sanctorum doctorum scriptis hoc genus scribendi à canonicis Scripturis distinguendum est nam testimonia ex eis non depromuntur quasi non liceat aliter sentire that is Neyther should any man bee moved if I depart in this from the opinion of Ierome for the sayings of the holy Fathers are not of so great authoritie but it is lawfull to hold the contâ—arie to them in those things which are not determined by the Scriptures as Augustine sayeth to Vincentius of the writs of the holie Doctors This sort of writing is to bee distinguished from canonicke Scriptures for Testimonies are not taken out of them as if it were not lawfull to any other-wyse to thinke Now then if any Protestant say farder than the foresayde Popish Doctors avouch concerning the Fathers eyther in exposition of Scripture or other points of Faith let the most malicious Adversarie instance and the vnpartiall Reader judge and discerne CHAP. III. Hovv they reject Them all when They make not for them altho consenting in one And first In doctrinall points of Fayth BELLARMINE answering to Hermannus in the matter of Traditions layeth this as a ground Etsi enim erraverint aliqui patrum sayeth hee in quibusdam dogmatibus nunquam tamen omnes simul in eodem errore convenerunt proinde cum ostendimus omnes convenire in Traditionibus non scriptis asserendis satis efficaciter probamus in eo illos non errasse that is Albeit some of he Fathâ—rs haue erred in some points of fayth yet they never agreed all in anie one errour thereâ—ore when wee show that they all agree for the estâ—blishing of vnwritten Traditions wee pâ—oue sufficientlie that they erred not in that Salmeron yet commeth nearer and sayeth Non sunt improbanda veterum testimonia quando omnes vel fere omnes in unam sententiam conveniunt vel in uno aliquo Scripturae loco interpretando concordant quia tunc Patres certissimum inevitabile reddunt argumentum veritatis catholicae certae ac legittimae interpretationis that is The Testimonies of the Fathers are not to bee rejected when they all or almost all agree in one opinion or in the exposition of any place of Scripture because then the Fathers giue a sure and inevitable argument of catholick veritie and of a sure and lawfull exposition of Scripture And yet how they deale with Antiquitie in this point let these particulars heereafter declare FIrst in the freeing of the Virgine Maries owne conception from all originall Sinne Bellarmine is so resolute a decreeter that hee
haue beene conceived in Originall sinne and so all agree that by the word All the whole race of Adam are included that ever were procreated betweene Man and Woman But the Romanists will no-wyse acqulesse to this exposition because they vvill haue the Virgin Maries conception without originall sinne and â—o contrarie to the exposition oâ— all the Fathers will haue her excluded Where also it is to be noted that seeing no Graduate in Divinitie is promoted in Paris without giving a solemne Oath to mayntayne this Priviledge of the Virgine Marie and that this Text and exposition there-of is close contrarie there-to as also to that Ordinance of their owne Councell for exposition of Scripture according to the vniforme consent of Fathers Therefore it will clearly follow that they sweare both to impugne Scripture Veritie as also consenting Antiquitie together with their Popes and his Councells authoritie Stella in lyke manner expounding the 21 verse of the 10 chapter of Luke saith All the Expounders whom I could commonlie see eyther of ancient holie Doctors or of recent Divines all these and their Commentaries declare that the word confiteâ—or is not taken heere for Confession of sinnes but for that sayeth hee which wee call Thanks-giving Commending or to blesse c. Notwithstanding this meaning of theâ—â—s can neyther agree with the wordes nor could it ever satisfie anie-wyse my mynde Agayne Maldonat commenting on Matthew 26 29 where our Saviour sayeth I will not drinke hencefoorth of the fruite of the Vine sayeth thus Origen Cyprian Chrysostome Epiphanius Ierome Augustine Beda Euthymius and Theophilast all these referre those wordes to Christ's blood or that which was so called in the Sacrament but I cannot be perswaded sayeth hee that they can bee referred to the Blood of Christ. Because he forsooth would haue them vnderstood of the common Cuppe before the institution of the Sacrament to avoyde the force of this Testimonie agaynst Transsubstantiation In lyke manner expounding these wordes for Papall Supremacie Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build My Church hee sayth thus of the interpretation of Fathers expounding the Rocke not to be Peter but Christ Him selfe or that Confession of Fayth which was made of Christ. This meaning sayeth he of these words seemes not to me to be the true meaning which all other Fathers thinke to be so whom ever I remember to haue read except onlie Hilarie Also for mayntaynance of the same Supremacie commenting on the subsequent Verse Neyther will I interpret sayeth hee that this which is spoken heere to Peter is spoken also in the same sense to the other Apostles Whatsoever thou loosest on earth shall be loosed in Heaven altho I see all Interpreters except Origen onelie to bee of that mynde More-over commenting on Matth. 11 13 which speaketh of Elias that was to come meaning Iohn the Baptist hee sayeth Almost all the Fathers so expound that place but this their exposition is not fit enough And why But because the Iesuit would haue Elias yet only to come in the reigne and time of their conceited Antichrist Last of all expounding these words of Matthew All men cannot receiue this Saying after that he hath adduced the interpretation of the Fathers thereon to be this Non omnes praestare possunt ut sint sine uxore quia carent dono continentiae that is All men cannot attayne to this that they may be without a wyfe because they want the gift of chastitie hee concludeth Sic fere omnes exponunt quibus equidem ego non assentior that is Indeede almost all Interpreters so expound with whome not-withstanding I doe not agree And why But because hee is a Pleader agaynst this Text and the exposition of Antiquitie for forced single lyfe and the Vow of Continencie Agayne in the exposition of the last Commandement when Bellarmine hath adduced a number of Fathers holding that Commandement Thou shalt not covet c. to be but one entire CommandemeÌ„t and not divisible in two as the Papists make it to make vp ten confounding the first and second for defence of their Imagerie hee rejecteth al their judgements as grosse and erronious In lyke manner when he hath adduced the expositions of all the Fathers which they giue on that place of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15.29 where-by hee would establish Purgatorie because they serue not for his purpose hee roundlie therefore rejecteth them all calling them haske and both false and forced and therefore taketh one of later Forgerie more suteable to his mynde Agayne when Cardinall Tolet in the exposition of Iohn 7 37 hath adduced Chrysostome Euthymius and Theophilact their agreement in one yet this is his censure saying that their exposition is both forced and vnfit and therefore hee professeth not to follow it anie way Last of all thus sayeth Cardinall Cajetan of the exposition of Scripture in generall Let no man abhorre sayth hee any new sense of Scripture for this cause because it disagreeth froÌ„ the ancient Doctors but let him search more nearlie the Text and coherence of Scripture and if hee finde agreement let him prayse God who hath not tyed the exposition of Scripture to the meaninges of ancient Doctors but to the integritie of Scripture it selfe How-so-ever then Bellarmine braggeth of their syde that they follow the consent of Fathers falselie imputing to vs that wee onelie followe our owne exposition yet wee see heere-in that it may bee justlie sayde vnto them that of the Poet Mutato nomine de te fabula narretur Their owne Cardinall Baronius besyde their fore-named practise confessing clearlie that al-be-it the holie Fathers whom we sayeth he for their heavenlie learning worthilie doe call The Doctors of the Church were evidentlie endewed beyond others with the grace of the holie Ghost yet in the exposition of Scripture the Catholicke that is the Romane Church doeth not ever and in all thinges follow them CHAP. IIII. How contumeliouslie they deale with the Fathers and especiallie first with those of the Greeke Church conjunctlie and in Councell IT is reported of Pelagius that even when he most disagreed from the Orthodox Fathers of the Primitiue Church yet in his third Booke for Free-will hee soothed vp his Heresie and thought to amaze all men with his prayse of Sainct Ambrose Blessed Sainct Ambrose that Bishop sayeth he in whose bookes the Romane Fayth especiallie appeareth who lyke a beautifull Flowre shyned amongst the Latine Wryters and whose Fayth and most pure vnderstanding of the Scriptures the verie Enemie himselfe dare not reprehende Even so our Adversaries when they most disagree lyke-wyse from the most ancient Fathers and primitiue Councels yet how they doe soothe vp their Errours But with the lyke Salue alleadging the holie Fathers and famous Councels of the primitiue Church al-to-gether to make for them and therefore they highlie extoll and advance them But as Ambrose not-with-standing made agaynst his Prayser Pelagius So doe the Fathers
bee esteemed Now to resume if with imputations onelie of double Dissimulation conjecturall Lenitie damnable Heresie rash Inconsideratenesse seducing Errour and such lyke wee should thus aunswere the Testimonies of Fathers consenting clearlie with Scripture affirming them vnworthie of Christian approbation of honest mens trust wyse mens regard or Fatherlie Authoritie what clamours of Indignitie done to Antiquitie should wee heare of our opposed Partie forgetting that Precept of Equitie Quod tibi fieri non vis alterine feceris CHAP. V. How the Romanists deale with the Latine Fathers conjunctly and apart AS Canus sayeth of the Fathers in generall The canonick Authors sayth he as they are supream heavenlie and divine so they keepe a perpetuall and firmè constancie of trueth but other holie Wryters being inferiour and humane they erre some-times yea and bring foorth Monsters against the convenient order and ordinarie course of Nature So doth Alphonsus de Castro declare that they are oftentimes found coÌ„tradictorie to themselues saith he the particular examples where-of Iansenius in his Concordance of the Evangels hath laboured to show in Ierome Ambrose and Augustine Like-wise with levitie and inconstancie thus doeth both Bellarmine and Alphonsus brand holie S. Ierome who when hee is objected vnto them against their Pompaticall and Papall Hierarchie alleadging no difference to bee in Scripture betweene a Bishop and a Presbyter Bellarmine answereth Est autem observandum Hieronymum in hâ—c sententia non adeo constantem videri That is It is to bee observed sayeth hee that Ierome in this point seemeth not to bee so constant as hee should bee The like sayeth Alphonsus in these wordes Ex quibus verbis apparet B. Hieronymum sibi ipsi in hac parte minime constare That is By which words it is evident that S. Ierome was no wise constant in this point Yea more-over when Ierome is produced consenting with a number of Fathers whom their Medina nominateth to prooue the same point that primitiuelie a Bishop and Presbyter were all one Bellarmine answereth grossely giving him the Lie saying Videtur revera Hieronymum in ea opinione fuisse quae falsa est That is It appeareth indeede that Ierome was of that opinion but yet the same is false After the same manner doeth Pigbius also vse Augustine whose doctrine when hee hath brought in two pointes concerning originall sinne agreeable to Scripture yet thus he speaketh thereof Quae Augustini sententia sayth hee non solum incerta sed falsa est That is Which doctrine of Augustine's is not onlie vncertaine but lyke-wyse vntrue or false Yea little lesse vnreverentlie doth Bellarmine vse one of their own Popes to wit Pius the secoÌ„d whose testimony when we oppose against Papall Supremacie proving that no such thing was knowne nor acknowledged in the primitiue Church the fore-saide Pope testifying Quod ante Nicenam Synodum parum respectus habebatur ad Romanam Ecclesiam That is That little regard was had to the Romane Church before the Councell of Nice Bellarmine thus answereth Quae sententia sayth he partim non est vera That is Which declaration of his heere-in is in a part false and vntrue Agayne when Tertullian is produced agaynst the Pope's infallibilitie proving Pope Zepherin to haue beene a Montanist Bellarmine answereth roundlie That Tertullian is a Liar saying Non est omnino Tertulliano hac in parte fides adhibenda that is In that matter there is no credit at all to bee given to Tertullian So lyke-wyse when the same Tertullian is adduced for proving Christian libertie in fasting Bellarmine answereth thus Tertullian saith hee in that booke expoundeth the Catholicke Doctrine after that manner as at this tyme the Lutherians vse that is everie-where mixing in Calâ—mnies and Lies More-over when Augustine in his Retractions interpreting the Rocke where-on Christ was to build his Church is adduced agaynst the Papists to signifie not Peter but CHRIST Him-selfe Bellarmine answereth Ex sola ignorantia linguae Hebreae esse deceptum that is that Augustine was deceived heere-in onelie by his ignorance of the Hebrew tongue And agayne when he is produced agaynst Transsubstantiation showing that Christ's wordes saying I will not drinke hence-foorth of the fruit of the Vine were spoken of the consecrated Cup Bellarmine answereth Augustinum non expendisse hunc locum diligenter that is that Augustine did not weigh or consider this place diligentlie to wit not so friendlie for the Pope's behoofe and his Darling of Transsubstantiation which was hatched after In lyke manner when the foresayde Augustine and Pope Gregorie's expositions on 1 Cor. 3 13 are adduced showing by that Fyre which is spoken of there are meaned the Troubles of this lyfe and no other Fyre of Purgatorie Bellarmine summarilie goeth to worke and sayth Sed hoc jam rejecimus that is But as for this exposition of theirs sayth hee wee haue alreadie rejected it And when hee hath showne how many ancient and famous Authors haue vehementlie oppugned their ydle begging Orders yet he answereth At â—ihileminus vitam mendicantium tanquam sanctam perfectam approbarunt multi Pontifices that is Not-with-standing of all those Ancients and Authors it is enough that manie Popes haue approved the lyfe of begging Friers as holie and perfect Yea more-over when both a Romane Councell and a Romane Pope are produced forbidding the vayling of Nunnes before 60 years of age according to that Apostolicall Precept of receiving of Widowes Bellarmine there-vnto answereth His non obstantibus licere in quacunque aetate si adsit usus liberi arbiâ—rii talia vota nuncupare that is Not-with-standing of all that is alleadged to wit out of Scripture Councels or Fathers it is lawfull sayeth hee of what age so-ever they bee provyding that they haue the vse of Free-will to vnder-goe such Vowes I omit how hee answereth the Authorities of other Fathers onlie with imputation of Ignorance and want of Learning vnto them when they are objected as where hee sayeth Procopius was a better Orator than a Divine sayeth hee Lactantius also was better seene in Cicero's Bookes than hee was in the Scriptures and Victorius was indeed sayeth hee a Martyr but he wanted Learning To conclude therefore if with baser Money anie can bee payed who exacteth Satisfaction to the Testimonies of Fathers than you see by our Adversaries layde down heere let anie one judge Or if Imputations to those Auncientes of Monstrous Births crosse Contradictions grosse Errour light Inconstancie base Lying vilde Slandering blynde Ignorance carelesse Neglect with vndeserved Distrusting them and open Rejection can passe for currant eyther on their bare word to satisfie vs or to expresse their so much pretended and bragged of reverence to venerable Antiquitie then let Light and Darknesse and GOD and Beliall be agreed or as the Poet sayth Iungentur jam gryphes equis aevoque sequenti Cum canibus timidi venient ad pocula damae
onelie decline in the Datiue but as well in the Ablatiue Case as Naash would haue pulled out the right Eyes of the men of Iabesh so how they haue Crow-lyke picked out manie orthodox Speaches out of the works of holie Fathers that were most peremptor against them making them Eunuches so by violent castration after their deaths whome they could not finde to haue made for their Errours by vnjust declaration in their liues Senensis therefore in the Preface of his worke dedicated to Pius the fift not onelie confesseth this practise of Purgatorie paines by the Pen taken about the Ancientes but highlie also commendeth the Pope for his care of performing the same saying Tu beatissime Pater expurgaricurasti omnia Catholicorum authorum scripta praecipue veterum patrum that is Thou most blessed Father sayth hee hast caused purge all the Writs of Catholicke Wryters and chiefelie the Fathers Lyke-wise this is avowed in the late Edition of S. Augustine in the Preface where-of it is saide That by the command of the most holie Councell of Trent the Bookes of the Ancient Fathers are ordained to bee purged Yea the Iesuit Possevin showeth that this Expurgatorie Practise is not onlie to bee extended to those that are Print but to manuscript Copies And this the Iesuit Gretzeras confesseth after that hee hath spoken of the proscription of some whole Fathers as Tertullian and Origen hee subjoyneth of others saying Et si librum integrum proscribere fas est fas etiam erit prâ—scribere partem seu magnam seu parvam eam exscindendo delendo obliterando vel simpliciter omittendo ob lectoris utilitatem That is If it bee lawfull to suppresse or inhibite whole Bookes then it is lawfull lyke-wyse to suppresse a great or lesser part of one by cutting out deleting blotting away or by omitting the same simplie for the Readers well-fare sayth hee This lyke-wise the Expurgatorie Index it selfe showeth in particular both that which is printed at Madrill by Alphonsus Gomezius 1594. for Belgia also the other printed by Ludovicus Zanches their King 's PRINTER for Spaine anno M.DCXII In the which Spanish Index our of the Bookes of Abbot Antonius 36 places are commanded to bee blotted out who is one that is set downe in the fift Tome of the Bibliotheca Patrum Like-wise a great part of a whole Treatise of Dorotheus Archimandrita is ordained to be razed who is in the first Tome The like is also ordained to bee done with the 29 and 30 whole Chapters of Nicolaus Cabasila who is in the â—ixt Tome besids two places of Melito all the whole Chapters of his worke which follow after the eight Chapter are appointed by a vehement purging Pill to bee cleane rid out of the way who is in the seaventh Tome To instance like-wise more particulars by confession of our Adversaries them-selues when Chrysostome is vrged for perfection of Scripture against Papall Traditions the Testimonie beeing taken out of his Commentarie on Matthew like as hee giveth witnesse to the same Trueth commenting on the first to the Galatians and 95 Psalme which are vnsuspect works and by all acknowledged to be his Bellarmine answereth thus Locus hic ab Arrianis insertus est quibusdam codicibus nuper emendatis sublatus that is This place sayth he by bare alleadgeance onlie was insert by the Arrians and out of some Bookes that are newlie amended is quite purged away Like-wise for prooving of the same point of the Scriptures perfection where-as the olde Impression of Athanasius hath a notable place saying Sufficiunt sacrae ac divinitus inspiratae Scripturae ad omnem instructionem Veritatis That is The holie and divine inspyred Scripturâ—â— are sufficient for ALL instruction of Trueth This word omnem or ALL which galleth them and where-in the verie pith of the Testimonie lyeth in their latter Editions which they haue at Rome they haue al-together razed and left out for so Bellarmine professeth that it is not now in their Bookes and therefore would haue that word to be added of late by vs were not the oldest Copies printed amongst themselues maketh him a Liar and where-of I haue one beside mee to witnesse to anie the veritie thereof In lyke manner in that fourth Booke fourth Chapter of Sainct Ambrose De Sacramentis it is thus in the ancient and vncorrupted Copies agaynst Transsubstantiation Si ergo tanta vis est in sermone Domini ut inciperent esse quae non erant quanto magis est operatorius est ut sint quae erant in aliud commutentur that is If therefore there bee such power in the speach of our Lord that thinges which were not before began to bee to wit at the Creation how much more sayeth Ambrose is the same powerful to make that things may still bee that which they were before and yet bee changed to another thing But because these wordes Vt sint quae erant so clearlie crosse their Conceit who after the wordes of Consecration would haue the Elementes of Bread and Wyne not to bee anie more that which they were before in substance and to bee changed onelie into that which they were not before in vse to wit To bee Sacramentes Therefore they haue for avoyding the troubling of their Braynes in forging fectlesse Evasions rather taken the shorter Cut as wee say and haue in their Romane Edition which is also followed in that set out in Paris Anno 1603 quyte cut out and purged away these words which like evill Humours so much before distempered them making them now smoothe so to run Quanto magis operatorius est ut qua erant in aliud commutentuâ— that is How much more powerfull is our LORD'S speach to make that those thinges which were should bee changed into another thing And so no Bone sticketh in their Throat Agayne in the same Matter the Author of the imperfect worke on Saynct Matthew attributed to Chrysostome Hom. 11. wryteth thus If it bee so dangerous a matter sayeth hee to transferre vnto private vses those holie Vessels in which the true Bodie of Christ is not but the mysterie of His Bodie is contayned how much more for the Vessels of our Bodie which God hath prepared for Him-selfe to dwell in ought wee not to giue way to the Devill to doe in them what hee pleaseth Now these wordes In quibus non est verum corpus Christi sed mysterium corporis ejus continetur that is In which His true or naturall Bodie is not but in which the mysterie of His Bodie is onelie contayned because they did threatten so the Eversion of that Transsubstantiating Conversion of theirs therefore it is that in their later Editions they haue hearkened to that saying Abscindantur qui nos perturbant and accordinglie both in that Impression of this worke at Antwerpe apud Ioannem Steelsium Anno 1537 and at Paris apud Ioannem Roigny Anno 1543 and at
spreading farther they attempt to corrupt the Wrytings of the Ancients Note this But farre spread and inveterate Heresies sayeth hee are not to be dealt with after this manner for as much as by long continuance of tyme a long Occasion hath lyen open vnto them to steale away the Trueth VVhere-of by a few Instances in place of manie wee haue proven the Popish Packe to be most guiltie and whose Errours haue sâ—ielie spread so farre as a contagious Gangren in tyme of prevayling Darknesse and haue continued so long in the Christian Church as a longsome Sicknesse that the very Mayntayners of them hither-to bragge of their Vniversalitie and Duration in the Church CHAP. VII How manie vnder the Names of Fathers Bellarmine acknowledgeth to be meerly counterfeyt and this thorow the first fiue Ages or Centuries of the Church FIrst Clement's Epistles are such for so hee sayth of the fift It is sure sayth hee either that it is not his or else by some mightilie corrupted The like hee sayth of his Recognitions Lib. 5. de lib. arb cap. 25. § ad hunc Also of his Constitutions Baronius sayth that by all men they are counted counterfeyt Againe Iustinus Martyr his Questions are justlie suspect by Bellarmine to bee counterfeit seeing in the 82 Question Origen is made mention of vvho lived after Iâ—stinus more than an hundreth yeares and fiftie The verie like is cleare of Dionysius Areopagita that hee is likewise a counterfeit as their owne Laurentius Valla by the like reason maketh good to vvit because in his booke De divinis nominibê° Clemenâ— Stroâ—ateus is cited who lived two hundreth yeares after Dionysius And yet this is hee whom Bellarmine oft tymes citeth to proue the most points of Poperie as their Hiâ—rarchie Monasticall lyfe Purgatorie and such lyke but of whome Ierome maketh no mention of in his Booke De Viris Illustribus which hee would not haue omitted if anie such had bene acknowledged in his tyme whose name especiallie had beene in-rolled in Scripture and had beene a famous Wryter In lyke manner Bellarmine acknowledgeth Tertullian's Booke De Trinitate not to bee his because the Sabellians are there refuted who rose not in his tyme. For the verie lyke reason also hee declareth that Cyprian his Explicatio Symboli is not his because Arrius Eunomius and Pbotinus who were not borne in Cyprian's tyme are by name refuted Lyke-wyse hee declareth That the Sermons of the Cardinall Vertues of Christ as also his Sermon of the Supper of the Lord are not Cyprian's but counterfeyt In lyke manner hee suspecteth his Sermon of the Vnction of holy Chrisme and the other of the Ablution of Feere to bee none of Cyprian's but to bee meerelie counterfeyt As also he declareth that Booke which is given out vnder the name of Arâ—â—bius Master to Lactantius to bee none of his but a more recent Counterfeyt More-over Bellarmine declareth that the Homilies on Leviticus attributed to S. Cyrill are none of his but a counterfeyt and of no Authoritie Likewise hee suspecteth the Questions attributed to S. Basill to be none of his but a miere counterfeyt The like sayeth Possevin of the Questions attributed to Athanasius that they are mierlie counterfeyt In like manner the same Possevin showeth that manie Treatises attributed to S. Ambrose are surelie onlie Counterfeytes as De virtutum vitiorum conflictu expositio fidei libellus de sp sancto liber de concord Mathei Lucae liber de poenitentia ad poenitentiam exâ—ortatio de â—rigine moribus Brachamorum expositio in Cantica Epistola ad Demetriadem ac opuscula And as for his Commentaries on Sainct Paul's Epistles Bellarmine sayeth they are surelie none of his but counterfeyt As concerning Chrysostome Bellarmine showeth that those Bookes attributed to him are counterfeyt to vvit his Commentarie on the Psalmes and his Homilies on Matthew called Opus imperfectum as also that his Liturgie is counterfeyt appeareth heere-by because Prayer is made there-in for Pope Nicolas who almost 300 yeares lived after Chrysostome Of those workes also that goe vnder the name of Augustine those hee discards as counterfeyt to wit 1 his Exposition of the Apocalypse 2 his Questions vpon the Olde and New Testament 3 his Booke De visitatione infirmorum 4 his Booke De Predestinatione gratia 5 his Booke De Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus 6 his Booke De vera falsa poenitentia 7 his Booke called Hypognosticon he pronounceth also suspicious and last his Booke Contra Donatistas hee declareth to bee corrupt Besides the former also Possevin declareth that those Bookes following attributed to Augustine are none of his De vita eremitica Epistola ad Cyrillum Epistola 16 ad Bonifacium Liber de Spiritu anima Liber de speculo Liber de conflictu virtutum vitiorum item Liber de Antichrâ—sto Also hee showeth that those are suspect his Exposition vpon the Gospell and Epistles of Iohn his booke De Pastoribus De Ovibus De Disciplina Christiana De Homiliis De verbis Apostoli Of those works in like manner which passe vnder S. Ierome's name Salmeron declareth that his Notes and Commentaries on all Paul's Epistles are counterfeyt Senensis likewise disclaimeth his Commentaries on the Proverbes both for vnlyknesse of Style and that the Author on the 30 Chapter commenting alleadgeth by name S. Ierome vpon Ieremie Bellarmine in like manner declareth that Booke attributed to Eusebius Emissenus to be a plaine Counterfeyt vvhich is cleare by this That hee maketh mention there-in of the Pelagian Heresie vvhich was not broached long after his death And for Eusebius Pamphylus Historie as the Councell of Rome defined it to bee an Apocryphall writing so Bellarmine likewise affirmeth it to bee corrupt Thus of the Fathers of the first fiue Ages in the primitiue Church wee see howe manie are confessed by our Adversaries to bee corrupt and counterfeyt and so what vnsure Warrand Men haue to gather or ground their Fayth on such Writs and Workes Which made their owne Senensis ingenuouslie to confesse saying Incertum est quid definiant Patres idque propter libros suppositios qui falso Patribus ascribuntur c. Et propter foedissimas corruptelas quae eis inscribuntur that is It is vncertayne what the Fathers define and that both for the counterfeyt Bookes which falselie are ascrybed vnto them as also for the most filthie Errours that are insert into them More of which Bastardlie Brood who pleaseth to see he may behold in the fore-sayde Senensis and Possevin's apparatus and especially of late in Master Cooke an English Man an Armie of such discovered bred most of them in the Brayne-sicke Pates of ydle Monkes and forged on the Anvill of doting Superstition for building vp of Babell and opposing the Trueth And lyke that Harlot before Salomon