the Orator againe saith Pergit in me maledicta congerere quasi vero ei pulcherrime priora processerint quem ego inustum verissimis maledictorum notis tradam memoriae hominum sempiternae he proceedeth still to speake euill of me as though he had sped so well in the former whome branded with the true notes of disgrace I will deliuer ouer to the euerlasting memorie of men The 2. imputation of slaunders The accusation 1. The Replyer is noted as a slaunderer because he chargeth the Antagonist to vnderstand directly by Christs death hell 2. b. p. 36. 2. He calleth it a slaunder that he is charged by the Replyer to maintaine Limbus patrum 2. b. p. 40. The satisfaction or iustification 1. THe slaunderer himselfe mistaketh the Replyers wordes which are these he directly by his death vnderstandeth hell where this word his should by the Compositor haue beene made this which missing of a letter in the word this is an ouersight of the Printer as may be seene in other places of the Replyers workes the Printer therefore setteth his death the Author wrote this death neither of them hath Christs death as he misreporteth he is therefore the slaunderer himselfe 2. Whether he be not without any slaunder or false imputation directly a Limbist it hath beene sufficiently prooued before in the preface The recrimination That eloquent declamer said well Carere debet omni vitio qui in alterum paratus est dicere he should himselfe be voide of blame that speaketh against an other with what face then could the Accuser impute that to others which he falleth into himselfe and wracke himselfe vpon that rocke which he imagineth others to runne against for here followeth a rabble of his slaunderous accusations 1. Limbomastix is become Symbolomastix that is a scourger of the Creede epist. dedic p. 10. you cunningly went about to casheere an article of the Creede 2 b. p. 166. you still labour to discreede this Article of our faith 3. b. p. 3. 179. you still labour not onely to discredit it but to discreede it also 3. b. p. 198. And in diuers other places he laieth this grieuous imputation whereas the Replyer directly saith Who denieth the article of Christs discension 3. b. p. 197. 2. That he conueyeth an appeale frō his Maiestie and the Clergie vnto the Parlament epist. p. 10. whereas the Epistle Dedicatorie to the Parlament house is directly intituled to the Lords spirituall and temporall 3. That in Synopsis he striketh at some maine points of faith shaking the foundation it selfe and calling in question heauen and hell the diuinitie and humanitie yea the very soule and saluation of Christ himselfe epist. p. 6. all which are meere slaunders the author of Synopsis holdeth all these points more soundly then this slaunderous carper neither shal he be able to fasten any such imputation vpon that booke and therefore he glaunceth ouer with this generall fiction descending to no particular 4. That the Replyer holdeth this blasphemous paradox that Christ our Sauiour suffered in his sacred soule the hellish horror and paines of the damned epist. p. 10. whereas he misliketh this phrase of speech that Christ suffered the paines of the damned and wisheth it to be forborne Synops. p. 974. err 7. 5. That he maintaineth impious and hereticall paradoxes pref p. 2. seeketh to bring in a new Puritane heresie p. 43. that neither Rhemist nor Romanist could lightly haue more disgraced the discipline and doctrine of the Church epist dedic p. 10. how falsly he hath herein slaundered the Replyer his writings alreadie extant can giue sufficient testimonie both to this age present and to posteritie that he is as farre from all heresie and popish doctrine as this Reviler is from a sober and modest man 6. That he falleth to scourging the guides and gouernors of the Church 2. b. p. 2. transformeth the order thereof into an Anarchie p. 29. that he reiecteth Ecclesiasticall authoritie euer repining at that gouernment whereby you should be ruled p. 110. But what a reuerent opinion the Replyer hath of the calling of Bishops it appeareth both by his iudgement deliuered Synops. p. 241. l. 3. wherein he confesseth in the calling of Bishops in the reformed Churches such as the Church of England is somewhat no doubt to be diuine and Apostolicall and Antilog pref to the King p. 9. where he esteemeth the calling it selfe of Bishops as one of the profitable parts of the Church As also by his practise who hath dedicated diuerse bookes vnto certaine reuerend Bishops and Prelates more I thinke then any one writer of the Church in this age hath done beside which he hath done onely of dutie and loue toward them not beeing mooued thereunto by any present fruition or future hope of any preferment either receiued at their hands or expected 7. As for personall inueighing against the writers of our Church there is none that hath more peremptorily directed his penne or more presumptuously emploied his paines then your selfe 2. b. p. 7. There is none among all the impugners of the locall discent of Christs soule to hell who hath in more disgracefull manner reproached some of the best Preachers and writers of this English Church then you haue done 2. b. p. 81. he falsly and slaunderously condemneth the doctrine and teachers of the Church for Popish vnsound corrupt erroneous yea hereticall 2. b. p. 29. you affirme some Popish bookes to haue beene written by Protestants 2. b. p. 54. All these are vncharitable slaunders 1. for he can not name one writer of the Church that the Replyer hath personally inueighed or directed his penne against 2. of like truth is it that he hath vsed reproachfull tearmes against some of the best preachers what are those reproachfull words where and when vttered 3. it is as true that he chargeth the doctrine and teachers of the Church with hereticall opinions and writing of Popish books he saith that some bookes set forth doe maintaine doctrine too much declining to Poperie which can not be denied of any of sound iudgement if these and the like positions that the Scriptures alone are not compleate to euerlasting felicitie that mans will naturally is apt without grace to beleeue that mens naturall workes are acceptable vnto God that there are workes of supererogation that to be preserued from all sinne in this life is not vnpossible and such like as they are noted els where be not doctrines too much declining to Poperie then it must be confessed the Replyer is ouerseene if they be then the wrongfull Accuser is prooued a slaunderer Doth he count these the doctrines of the Church which are directly opposite to the articles of religion established which thus affirme that the holy Scripture containeth all things necessarie to saluation artic 6. that man of his owne naturall strength can not turne and prepare himselfe
swanne to sing out his owne shame and confusion in all others parts bewraying his anserine follie for as he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if one should gather 30. thousand foxes together he shall finde the same nature and disposition in them all so one goose differeth not from another in gagling and creaking 5. Augustine pretended to to be falsified The accusation 1. Augustine much misvsed corrupted for he saith si quid aliter sapio c. Limbom readeth si quid erraueris 2. The place of Augustine mis-quoted the third book for the second some of his words are cut off some mistranslated 3. To translate trophaeum a deuise or policy is but your owne politike deuiseithe crosse of Christ is rather called trophaeum because it was the ensigne and monument of his victory 4. S. Augustines words falsely translated and corrupted for triduo illo corporeae mortis is not three daies by his bodily death but the three daies of his bodily death 5. You corrupt Augustines words turning blasphemy into error 6. These words of Augustine which are the two waies whereby the soule can be said to die you cut off 7. S. Augustines words you alleadge corruptly by leauing out halfe of the sentence 8. His other words to the same purpose whereof as your manner is you take but a piece are these c. 9. S. Augustines words vntruly alleadged for you leaue out the word forte 10. S. Augustine clearely against Limbom in the place alleadged by him 11. And because the Replyer saith Why may wee not as well expounde Christs descending into hell with Ambrose of the presence of his diuine power as with Augustine his ascending vp to heauen The disgracefull Confuter thus insulteth Where doth Augustine expound Christs ascending vp to heauen of his diuine power dare you vpon your owne bare worde without any proofe or shewe of reason so contumeliously traduce so holy a man as an ouerthrower of an article of our Creede for you quote no place neither will any Christian man beleeue that euer he dreamed of any such exposition The iustification 1. For further and full satisfaction herein I referre the Reader to the 3. Imputation of vntruths Iustificat 5. 2. The mis-quoting of the figure of 3. for the figure of 2. is no such ouersight which might escape the Printer as wel as the Author seeing there is as wel the 3. as 2. booke de doctrin Christian. But that is a more grosse ouersight in this blinde Confuter in quoting the 28. homilie of Origen vpon Iosua whereas hee wrote but 26. in all those words omitted spem atque charitatem c. hope and charity which we handled in the former booke were impertinent to the matter in hand and therefore it was not necessary to alleadge them for the translation the Replyer englisheth in ijs quae aperte posita sunt c. in those places c. the Confuter englisheth among those things which are plainely set downe in Scripture all those things which containe faith and manners are found Now I pray you Sir Grammarian is not in ijs better translated in those then among those retaining then the proper signification of the preposition whether is better supplied in those places or in those things for to say in those things all those things are found c. beside the vaine tautologie it includeth absurditie that the same things should be both the continent and the things contained wherefore his meaning is that matters concerning faith and manners are handled in the plaine and perspicuous places of Scripture 3. Augustines words are these trophaeo suo diabolus victus est The diuell was ouercome by his owne deuise the word is not referred to Christ for then hee would haue said trophaeo eius not suo hath hee professing himselfe a Grammarian forgotten his Grammer rule â—â—ui suus reciproca sunt And in another place Augustine sheweth more plainely that he referreth this word to the diuell diabolus trophaeo suo victus est exultauit quando mortuus est Christus The diuell was ouercome by his owne policie he reioyced when Christ died c. and was ouercome by Christs death He calleth the death and crosse of Christ the diuels trophaeum because hee supposed to haue vanquished Christ by putting him to death if now trophaeum be taken in the vsuall sense for a monument or ensigne of victory obtained as hee would haue it his translation will containe blasphemie that the crosse of Christ was the monument of the diuels victorie therefore how could it be more fitly translated then deuise or policy the diuell supposed or intended to set vp Christs crosse as a triumphant pillar but hee was ouer-wrought in his owne deuise 4. The words of Augustine triduo illo corporeae mortis apud inferos custodiae mancipari the Replyer translateth thus to be kept in hell three daies by his bodily death the Confuter thus to be kept in bondage in hell the three daies of his bodily death Who seeth not that the sentence hauing no distinction comming betweene will beare both these translations if corporeae mortis bee ioyned with triduo illo the latter if it be put to custodiae the former but it is an harsh speech that Christs soule should be said to bee kept in bondage three daies in hell for it was not there in bondage at all but in the graue his body might be said to be in bondage during that time because it was vnder the bands of death which Christ loosed as Saint Peter saith Act. 2. 24. And Dauid saith in the person of Christ The sorrowes or coards of the graue for the word â—heblee signifieth both tooke hold vpon me therefore the former reading yeildeth the safer sense See more hereof 5. imput iustificat 1. 5. The Replyer there citeth no testimonie out of Augustine but onely conformeth and applyeth his sentence with the qualifying of one word to his purpose This captious controller taketh greater liberty himselfe in the next page following for citing a place out of Augustine to make it serue his turne he inserteth these names Arrius Eunomius Apollinaris and Athanasius Epiphanius Fulgentius making Augustine to bring them in whereas Fulgentius was after Augustines time what reason had hee to finde fault with another for strayning a gnat wheras himselfe swalloweth a Camel 6. The addition of that clause was not necessary and therefore the Replyer for breuities sake omitted it hee vseth not with long and impertinent periods to weary his Reader as this palfrey-man posteth often out of the way till he hath lost both it and himselfe That which is alleadged out of Augustine sufficeth to shewe his iudgement that the soule cannot be said to bee quickened because it cannot die but what reason had he to translate quibus duabus de causis c. which are the two waies he that translateth causae waies sheweth
in the like case with Augustine Experti dicimus nam non crederemus multi à nobis mala consilia petunt consilia mentiendi consilia circumveniendi sed in nomine Christi nullus talis nos tentavit I speak saith he by experience otherwise I would not haue beleeued many doe aske of vs euill counsell counsell to lie counsell to circumvent but in the name of Christ none such hath tempted vs. Neither I hope hereafter your wisdome will giue passage or licence to such mens intemperate pennes to wound and gall their brethren yet had hee staied here onely in censuring the liuing and not proceeded to taxe the memorie of the dead it had been more tolerable that godly learned man Doctor Reynolds who is now at rest in the Lord is thus iniuriously handled by him and that since his Christian departure whereby grace may so happily worke in their hearts that where the truth hath beene heretofore frowardly excluded c. as though that worthy mā were either voide of grace or did frowardly exclude the truth nay he spareth not to charge him as guiltie of profane irreligious hereticall sacrilegious opinions of grosnes sophistrie profanenesse c. It is said of Themistocles that in his returne from battell seeing a dead body lying with iewels of gold hee thus spake to one that was with him Take thou away these things for thou art not Themistocles neither would this man if he had beene I say not of an heroicall spirit as Themistocles but of a sober and charitable spirit as euery good Christian haue stripped the dead of his well deserued ornaments in seeking to impaire his credit he doth but blemish and obscure his owne and sheweth himselfe to bee of those who as Hierome saith Hippocratis fomentis magis quam monitis nostris indigent had need rather of Hippocrates medicine then our admonition Now may it please your Reuerend Fatherhood to giue me leaue to offer vnto your view some of the principall contents of his booke by the tast whereof it will appeare what relish the rest haue by the smell of some of his flowers one may guesse what herbs grow in his garden as Hilarion said to Hesychius when a bunch of small pulse was brought them out of a Churles garden that hee could not abide the stinch thereof Doe you not feele saith he a filthy sauour and euen his couetousnesse to smell in the pulse So by this handfull which I shall gather out of his booke the euill sauour will be found of the rest 1. Hee much forgetting himselfe thus breaketh out beyond the limits of modestie charging me with folly hypocrisie falshood lying infidelitie impudency sawcinesse Machiauell sme Atheisme Heresie as particular instance is giuen in more then 80. railing speeches vsed against me and others so that I may say vnto him in Tullies words Neque qui tam illoto sermone vtitur vita honestior est It is not like that he which vseth such vncleane spech can be much honester in life 2. I haue obserued 22. slaunderous imputations wherof some are these that I would transforme the order of the Church into an Anarchie that their heads plot and their hands practise Babylonicall warre that he defendeth diuers things contrary to the truth of the Gospell that he iustifieth pestilent blasphemous heretiks against the learned and holy Fathers that he holdeth the flames of hell to be temporall that he called the blessed rootes of the Christian faith cursed rootes with such like 3. Instance is giuen of 34. vntruthes vttered by him As that he beleeueth I was one of those which writ the Letter to Master Hooker the writers whereof I knowe not to this day that I borrowe diuers things from Carlils booke which I neuer sawe that I fasten all the torments of hell vpon the blessed soule of Christ which I neuer thought that there is not one word through his booke that insinuateth any suspition of Limbus patrum whereas in the preface following the contrary is prooued directly in 20. seuerall places out of his booke 4. Among the errors which he is charged with to the number of 14. these specially are noted he iustifieth the Latine text against the originall Greeke in the newe Testament hee calleth the booke of Ecclesiasticus the word of God which the Church of England holdeth for one of the Apocryphall bookes artic 6. that the baptisme of infants is not to be found in Scripture by any expresse mention whereas the Church of England holdeth it to be most agreeable to the institution of Christ artic 27. He calleth these sound positions that the Scriptures alone are not compleate vnto saluation that mans will is naturally apt without grace to beleeue that mens naturall workes are acceptable to God which are directly opposite to the doctrine of the Church of England which holdeth the contrary that the holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to saluation artic 6. that man of his owne natural strength cannot turne and prepare himselfe to faith artic 10. that workes done before the grace of Christ are not pleasant to God artic 13. 5. Diuers harsh and vnsauorie speeches are laid vnto his charge as that hee applyeth those words of Christ to himselfe de bono opere lapidor I am stoned for a good worke that Christs conquest vpon the crosse was openly an ouerthrow and therefore no triumph if it were it was a triumph before victory that there is a most plaine distinction betweene the holy Ghost and Christ not in person onely but in his diuine nature These and the like assertions which he would haue tearmed blasphemies to the number of tenne are obserued out of his booke 6. Diuers points of arrogancy and vaine ostentation are obserued to the number of 13. whereof this is one that hee maketh his boast that my Lord of Winchester hath in his last booke much altered his iudgement concerning the place of Peter mooued by the reasons laid downe by me saith he and none but me wheras it is not true that that Reuerend learned father hath therein altered his iudgemēt at the lest it becam not him so to brag It might haue better beseemed the other if any such thing were to haue acknowledged it As August thus modestly writeth to Petrus a Bishop to a Presbyter Vellem rescriptis tuis quid te docuerit me docere absit enim vt erubescam à presbytero discere si tu non erubuisti à laico I would haue thee by thy rescript to teach me what taught you farre be it that I should be ashamed to learne of a Presbyter if you were not ashamed to learne of a lay man Further he chargeth the great English Bible which is authorised to be read in our Curches with error in the translation and with blasphemie in the annotations 7. Concerning the allegation of the Fathers I
haue shewed partly his ignorance in mistaking and misquoting them partly his vnfaithfulnes in vntrue alleadging them in 30. seuerall places as namely his ignorance in Cyril Hierome Augustine Tertullian also is strangely produced contrarie to his owne iudgement thus he dealeth also with the new writers as with Calvine Beza 8. Neither can the Scripture escape his vncleane fingers as instance is giuen in 26. places as loc 17. the Scripture saith He shall not preserue the vngodly Iob 36. 5. he readeth thou wilt not preserue loc 19. S. Iames saith which hath conuerted c. and shall saue a soule Iam. 5. 20. he readeth which conuerteth in the present and shall saue his soule adding his and he maketh as bolde with many places beside This it is for one to deale out of his element and to meddle beyond his skill for a professor of Grammer to take vpon him to teach Diuinitie He must needes stumble that walketh in darkenes and he can not be without error that is corrupt in iudgement Now is verified that saying of the wise man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is that maketh himselfe rich and hath nothing As this man maketh himselfe skilfull in the tongues in the Scriptures in the Fathers and in what not in all these proclayming his ignorance Hierome spake it modestly of himselfe Fateor frater Heracli dum tui desiderijs satisfacere cupio oblitus sum pene mandati quo praecipitur onus supra vires tuas ne levaveris I confesse brother Heraclius while I satisfie thy desire that I had almost forgotten the commandement that biddeth Take not vp a burthen beyond thy strength But it is most true of him who hath vnbidden thrust his shoulders vnder a burthen that is like to crush him As Cleon was vnfit to lead an armie and Philopoimen to guide a navie and Hannibal to play the Orator so is this Grammarian to meddle with Diuinitie Euripides saying may well be applied to such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Carpenter thou art and yet dost not deale with carpenters worke Seneca well said Necesse est vt opprimant onera quae ferente maiora sunt c. nec accedendum eo vnde non sit liber regressuo Those burthens must needes presse to the ground which are greater then the bearer And it is not safe going thither whence there is no returne And so it falleth out to such according to the saying of Hierome Qui scribunt non quod inveniunt sed quod intelligunt dum alienos errores emendare nituntur ostendunt suos They write not what they finde but what they vnderstand and while they goe about to correct the errors of others they bewray their owne Now let me craue a little further leaue to adde some what concerning the former booke which is by him impugned and this written in defense thereof The first entituled Limbomastix I acknowledge to be mine and am not ashamed of any matter therein handled though for the manner it might haue beene more exact I confesse And for the publishing thereof this is my excuse or rather defense first that I was thereunto prouoked in particular againe I saw in his pamphlet maintained that Popish opinion of Limbus patrum which suspition the author can not auoide as it is at large declared in the Preface following who if he be sound in other points of Protestants doctrine it is well but then is he much wronged both in the opinion and reports of them that know him further that booke passed vnder the censure of a graue and learned writer of our Church and yet it was printed without my priuitie As touching mine opinion of CHRISTS Descension handled in that booke I will freely deliuer what I thinke first I beleeue the Article of the Descension to be a necessarie part of our faith and say with Calvine In the descent of Christ to hell there is no small force to the effect of our Redemption c. and it auaileth so much vnto the cheife summe of our redemption that it beeing pretermitted much will be lost of the fruit of Christs death thus much for the substance of the Article Secondly concerning the manner of Christs descension I doe hold and beleeue whatsoeuer can be prooued out of Scripture and truly collected from thence Thirdly yet I affirme that out of those three places Act. 2. 27. 1. Pet. 3. 19. Eph. 4. 9. the locall descension of Christs soule to hell can not necessarily be concluded And herein I affirme no more then other graue and learned writers of our Church haue done before me D. Fulke saith that the article of Christs descension is not grounded vpon the first text Bish. Bilson resigneth the second place and D. Fulke out of Theodoret sheweth that the third maketh not for the passing of Christ from place to place and so consequently belongeth not to his locall descension Fourthly I say notwithstanding and professe in the same words which I set downe before They which hold not the locall descent of Christs soule to hell should not condemne the other as Popish and superstitious men that are so perswaded They which affirme it ought not to account them as enemies or aduersaries to the truth that dissent from them therein He that thus writeth is farre from either hauing his head plotting or his hands practising Babylonicall warres as I am slaundered as I haue shewed before Fiftly I hold the Article of Christs descension as the Church of England propoundeth it As Christ died for vs and was buried so also it is to be beleeued that he went downe to hell in which words the Article of the descension is commended in generall to be held without any the determination of the sense as he that lately hath learnedly written dedicating his booke to your Gr. vpon the Articles of Religion by publike authoritie hauing deliuered diuers senses of this Article and especially these three 1. some hold that Christ descended as God onely not as man c. powerfully and effectually not personally 2. some as man onely either in bodie onely c. to the graue or in soule onely when he went to the place of the reprobate c. 3. as God and man in one person c. that he went as it were into hell when vpon the crosse and els where he suffered the torments c. Then he inferreth thus But till we know the natiue and vndoubted sense of this Article and mysterie of religion persist we aduersaries to them which say that Christ descended not into hell at all c. This was the summe of my first booke which beeing written without gall and bitternesse as he saith Ego sine iracundia dico vt omnia tamen non sine dolore I speake it without anger though not without griefe and the party being not knowne which was the author of that Pamphlet and so no man beeing
absurditie herein appeareth that he alleadgeth this Cauillous Accusers testimonie more then twentie seuerall times against me as p. 5 6. most of all p. 35. that I condemne all the ancient Fathers for dreamers that I condemne all learned godly Divines that I falsly corrupt translate iniuriously handle abuse the Fathers that I straungely pervert belie depraue abuse the Scriptures and all this he taketh for truth vpon an aduersarie and euill willers report All which slaunderous accusations are I trust sufficiently answered in this defense vnto the which the Table annexed in the ende of the booke may direct the Reader that desireth further to be satisfied He might haue thought of the common saying Euill will neuer said true and if that vsual by-word sound to harsh in his eares aske my fellow if I be a theefe yet I may vse Hieromes words possem credere si vnus assereret nunc aut duo mentiuntur aut omnes if one honest man said it I could beleeue it but now either both lie or all as wel he that receiueth a false report and carieth it as he that first coined it is counted a gloser His falsitie he bewraieth in misreporting and peruerting diuers places by him produced as that I call the rules and principles of Religion which his Maiestie approoueth a foolish conceit and imagination p. 6. quoting Eccles. triumph p. 40. and again p. 31. he harpeth vpon the same harsh string that I call the Kings sentence that the Romane Church is our mother Church a foolish conceit and imagination whereas I affirme no such thing see mine answer p. 17. of this booke p. 10. he saith I speak of his Maiesties mother applying that saying of one to Augustines mother the child of such prayers and teares can not possibly fall away pref to Antilog whereas I speake onely of his Maiesties prayers and teares making no mention at all of his mother So p. 21. he chargeth me to say that all scriptures haue beene doubted of by one Church or other Synops p. 2. in which place no such thing is affirmed but onely diuers heretiks are rehearsed by whom one or other most of the Scriptures haue beene doubted of p. 27. that I should say that Vigilantius was condemned of heresie for denying Reliques to bee reuerenced Antilog p. 13. whereas my words in that place are these Some of these as they are imputed to Protestants wee denie to be heresies at all as that of Vigilantius that Reliques are not to bee adored Here no such thing is affirmed that Vigilantius was herein condemned of heresie P. 30. that I account the Councel of Florence a generall Councell Synops. cont 1. qu. 7. whereas I there vrge it onely against the Romanists as in their opinion generall for otherwise else-where I haue prooued that indeed it could not be a generall Councell the great Synode at Basil beeing at the same time assembled Antilog p. 61. P. 31. that I call the primitiue Councel of Neocaesarea Toletane the first and the sixt generall Councels the papal Church poperie c. Antil p. 88. 89. whereas I onely shew in that place that diuers errors decreed in all these Councels the first onely excepted whereof I make no mention at all there are allowed in the popish church see the place Such deprauing and wresting of sentences sheweth a badde cause and a worse mind in those that vse such beggerly shifts the truth neede not to be so defended and such false and deceitfull dealing will fall of it selfe without any confutation as Hierome saith non necesse habet convinci quod sua statim professione falsum est That need not to be conuinced which at the first is discouered of falshood Thirdly his impertinent allegations are these p. 10. to prooue by our owne testimonies that they which liue and die in the Romane Church may bee saued he vrgeth these words of mine that many renowned Kings and Queenes which professed the Romane faith are Saints in heauen Antilog p. 144. as if he should reason thus many ignorantly misled in those daies of darkenesse yet holding the foundation might through Gods mercy be saued therefore they which now wilfully resist the truth in the Romane Church in these daies of knowledge and erring in some fundamentall points may be also saued P. 24. to prooue by our confession that there is no true lawfull and iudiciall exposition of Scripture among the Protestants hee presseth these words that the reformation of religion belongeth to the iudgement and redresse of the Prince and yet he is not priuiledged from error Antilog p. 120. The argument followeth not for we neither referre the exposition of Scripture vnto the Prince nor hang religion absolutely vpon his iudgement but according to the word and wee interpret Scripture by Scripture which is the most lawfull sure and certaine way of expounding P. 30. propounding to himselfe to prooue by Protestants writings that the testimonie of the auncient Fathers is for the doctrine of the Church of Rome he alleadgeth this sentenee of mine quite contrary Antilog p. 263. the same faith and religion which I defend is taught and confirmed in the more substantiall points by the Historians Gouncels Fathers that liued within fiue or sixe hundred years after Christ. Who but this lawlesse disputer would inferre hereupon that euen by the Protestants own testimonie the Fathers and Councels make for the Romish religion Thus absurdly falsely impertinently this Popes penne-man wresteth and depraueth my writings and the like measure he offereth to the rest whose chiefe strength lieth in the weapons of a false brother at home And such is the fruite that commeth of these domesticall contentions that thereby we put a sword into the aduersaries hand whereas I could haue wished rather that al these vnnecessarie brabbles at home had beene staied according to that saying of Dauid Tell it not in Gath nor publish it in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistims reioyce for by these vnbrotherly dissentions we giue occasions to the enemies of God to reioyce mispend our time which might more profitably be imployed And as for mine owne part I say with Hierome Opto sifieri potest si aduersarij siverint commentarios potius scripturarum quam Demosthenis Tullij sâ—ribere I wish if it may bee and if mine enemies would permit to write rather commentaries of Scripture which course I am now entred into then Demosthenes or Tullies Philippices And as for any thing which mine aduersaries at home or abroad can obiect I passe not much but comfort my selfe in that saying of the Prophet Reioyce not against me O mine enemie though I fall I shall arise when I shall sit in darkenesse the Lord shall bee a light vnto me ERRATA In the Preface p. 13. l. 17. read divulganda for divulgenda p. 21. l. 4. r. Erasmus Sarcerius for Erasmus Sarcerius p. 26. l. 13. r. denieth not f. deemeth not p. 27. l.
at that time thorough the world but euen Noahs owne familie also which were together with him in the Arke 3. b. p. 104. But more wicked and intolerable is this shamelesse creature that dare thus open his mouth to reuile for whereas the words which he quarrelleth at stand thus in the booke In so much that the Lord vpheld him in all his preaching and profession against all the professors of the old world condemning them and sauing him but that his malice blinded him he might haue turned to the Errata in the beginning of the booke where he should haue found that professors by the Printer was here taken for prophane persons If hee knew this escape to bee so corrected and yet would traduce the Replier it bewraieth malice if hee knew it not it argueth his ignorance and rashnesse that would make no further search 21. Slaunder You place hell in the aire 3. b. p. 153. 1. What shamefull dealing is this thus without any conscience to detort and depraue the Repliers words He in that place speaketh onely of the place whither the deuiâ—s are now cast downe which is into hell as S. Peter saith where God hath deliuered them to chaines of darkenesse whom yet S. Paul saith to rule in the aire Eph. 2. 2. To reconcile these two Apostles it must be confessed that the aire is the diuels present hell and so Augustine taketh it Poenaliter hunc infernum id est caligino sum aerem tanquaâ— carcerem acceperunt They haue receiued this infernall and darke aire for their prison That therefore which is spoken secundum quid in part and after such a sort he wresteth as beeing spoken simpliciter simply and absolutely inferring thus The diuels present hell is in the aire ergo there shall be no hell but in the aire 2 And concerning the site of hell the Replier else-where deemeth not but that it may be in the earth or where else it pleaseth God and consisteth specially vpon this position That the place of hell causeth not the torment but the wrath and curse of God which this caueller shall neuer be able to disprooue 22. Slaunder That he vtterly condemneth allegories 3. b. p. 166. Here this endlesse wrangler committeth the same fault which hee fell into before to presse that as generally spoken against all allegories which is intended only against such allegories as are of mens deuising and haue no warrant in Scripture as the words thus stand in the first place there noted I hold it not safe wading without a bottome and therefore I omit these allegorical applications as mens fansies Is this vtterly to condemne allegories he that so doeth alloweth none and so euen the allegories vsed by S. Paul Gal. 4. and in other places of Scripture should also be excluded Euery man may see what paltrie dealing this is and such is his lewd vaine throughout this whole Satyricall discourse Many other slaunderous accusations are foisted in euery where which it were lost labour to examine If I should altogether busie my selfe in raking in this filthy dunghill I might be thought as vaine and beastly as this Coprologus himselfe yet I will adde one slaunder more 23. Slaunder That the Replier calleth the blessed roots of the Christian faith cursed rootes 2. b. p. 84. A vile slaunder for the Replier only repeateth the Confutors words which are these That he chargeth his brethren irreligiously and vnchristianly to call the maine grounds and principles of our faith into question Saying further To plant by writing or water by speaking the cursed rootes thereof These are his owne wordes in many syllables now this word thereof which he meaneth of Atheisme hee with a cavillous spirit retorteth vpon the Replier as spoken of faith in the precedent sentence which is apparantly seperated and suspended from the next clause by these words interlaced in other caracters and saying which this slie iugler concealeth that his fraud appeare not I would he had grace to consider how grieuously hee hath offended in persecuting his brother with such vncharitable slaunders and had remembred that sentence of the Apostle that he which hateth his brother is a man-slaier yea as Cyprian saith Multo malum leuius periculum minus est cum membra gladio vulnerantur facilior cura vbi plaga perspicua c. zeli vulnera abstrusa sunt occulta Serm. de Liuore It is a lighter euill and lesse danger when the members are wounded with a sword the cure is easier where the wound is in sight the wounds of enuie are close and secret Theocritus being demanded which were the most cruell beasts made this answer Truely in the hilles the Beares and Lyons but in Cities sycophants and slaunderers The wise man hath expressed it better That a Beare might rather meete with a man then a foole in his folly But because a word once spoken cannot bee called in the next way to make amends for this grosse ouer-sight is to take heed of the like slip afterward and to follow the wise mans counsell If thou hast beene foolish in lifting thy selfe vp and if thou hast thought wickedly lay thy hand vpon thy mouth Let him heare Cyprian againe Venena fellis euome purgetur mens quam serpentinus livor infecerat amaritudo omnis quae intus insiderat Christi dulcedine leniatur Vomite vp thy poisoned gall let the minde be purged which serpentine enuie hath infected let all bitternes which festred within be allaied by the sweetnes of Christ. The 3. imputation of vntruths The accusation Next after his vncharitable slaunders followeth the imputation of vntruths In the front of Limbomastix he findeth no fewer then sixe vntruths 1. He taketh exception to the title Limbomastix which he would haue to signifie a scourge of the hem or border of a garment and so he chargeth the Replyer in his rude discourse as he more rude himselfe calleth it to cut a sunder the hem of the precious garment of Christ the doctrine and discipline of the Church he saith also that it is a new found name and it should haue beene entituled Limbopatrum mastix the word patrum should haue beene added to limit the generall signification 2. b. p. 2. 2. Vntrâ—th That he forgeth a new matter neuer questioned in this Church whether Christ descended into hell to deliuer the Patriarkes ibid. p. 3. 3. Vntruth That the Replyer acâ—useth his answer as enclining to that opinion of Limbus patrum for what one word saith he thorough the whole booke doth insinuate so much as any suspition thereof p. 5. 4. Vntruth The abuse and misapplication of Saint Pauls words Phil. 3. 15. Let vs as many as be perfect be thus minded p. 8. for the Apostle speaketh not this of doctrine but of perfection of life if you will credit S. Chrysostome p. 10. 5. Vntruth You abuse that auncient and godly father S. Augustine
that Christ offered himselfe Hebr. 7. 17. and thorough the eternall spirit he offered himselfe chap. 9. 14. which Ambrose vnderstandeth of the holy Ghost Say also that the Apostles ignorantly confound the diuine nature of Christ and the holy Ghost But that it may fully appeare who is both the ignorant and errant too to vse his owne words what a dangerous and suspitious speach is this taking the word spirit for soule I might haue diuided Christ and his spirit without all suspition of ignorance and his imputation of error 3. b. p. 97. yea and dare any presumptuous spirit diuide that which God hath inseperably vnited the deitie and humanitie to the which belongeth the soule 〈◊〉 spirit in one person in Christ. Our Sauiour said vpon an other occasion Let none put asunder that which God hath coupled together Math. 19. 6. which rule holdeth in generall that it is no lesse presumption to diuide the humane soule from the person of Christ which is hypostatically vnited for euer I may here say with Hierome Nescio quid veneni in syllabis latet I can not tell what poison lieth hid vnder these syllables But to returne his owne words it may be that these things haue slipt from you thorough heate of contention rather then perswasion of heart 2. b. p. 207. yet I say againe with Hierome Non bonae suspicionis est cum in eodem sensu verba dissentiunt it is no good suspition when in the saâ—e sense the words doe dissent If he hold the hypostaticall vnion of Christs soule and bodie with his Godhead why doth he in words diuide them 4. Concerning the fourth position which he calleth straunge the words of the Replyer are these the ioyes of heauen may be truly though not fully felt in this life whosoeuer counteth this position strange sheweth himselfe indeede a straunge fellow and a straunger from such true feeling of heauenly ioyes What thinketh he of those three Peter Stephen and Paul whome Ambrose giueth in instance Petrus in monte Domini aspiciens gloriam Christi noluit descendere Stephanus cum Iesum vidit lapidari non formidabat Paulus raptus in Paradisum vsum proprij non sentiebat corporis Peter in the mount of the Lord beholding the glorie of Christ would not descend Stephen when he sawe Iesus feared not to be stoned Paul being rapt into Paradise did not perceiue the vse of his owne body Thinketh hee that they euen in earth felt not the true ioyes of heauen though not so fully as they enioy it now Yea this wrangler himselfe confesseth vpon these words of Peter with our eies we saw his maiestie that they enioyed the sight of his glorious maiestie in this life Could he then be so forgetfull as to call it a straunge position that the true ioy 〈◊〉 heauen may be felt in this life is it not a true heauenly ioy to see the Maiestie of God how say you Sir Medler speake out is it not your owne mouth doth condemne you What if the Replyer had said with Augustine that heauen may be in this life in the soule of the righteous or with Ambrose that the spirit of grace maketh the regenerate heauenly and celestiall he would also haue thought in his vnheauenly blindnes that he had spoken straungely also for where heauen is and men are become heauenly what should let them but to haue a feeling also of heauenly ioyes The Recrimination Now let vs turne aside a little to take a view of his blinde errors 1. He holdeth that the originall text of the Scriptures is corrupt in these words And say we must goe to the originals I will runne with you to those fountaines whose pure waters if the foule feete and vncleane hands of some had not corrupted c. there could neuer be so many grosse and filthie errors drawne and deriued thence 1. b. p. 26. 2. The Syriake together with the Greeke he holdeth to be the originall tongues of the new Testament ibid. whereas there can be but one originall tongue to the rest if hee graunt the Greeke be the true originall then the Syriake is not which was translated out of the Greeke So in an other place he reprooueth the Replyer for reiecting the Syriake as contrarie to the originall 3. He preferreth the Latine text before the originall Greeke Act. 2. 24. reading the sorrowes of hell for the sorrowes of death as the originall Greeke hath saying I see no cause why I should not approoue the old Latine text 3. b. p. 30. so also 2. b. p. 154. shewing hereby of what house he commeth and whose disciple he is iustifying the Latine translation against the originall of the which further he thus vnreuerently writeth As for that vulgar Greeke now extant whether it be the true Authentike originall or no is a question because it is neither the most auncient nor that which was most vsed in the Auncient Church and beside that it is not free from corruption in diuers places 3. b. p. 14. What could be spoken more to the derogation of the authoritie of the Scriptures then thus to abase that originall wherein the Apostles themselues did write And in this prophane and little better then Popish assertion he hath vttered three great vntruths that the Greeke originall which we now haue is not the most auncient that it was not most vsed in former times that it is in some places corrupt none of these slaunders of the text shall he euer be able to iustifie 4. He calleth the booke of Ecclesiasticus which the Church of England counteth among the Apocryphall bookes the word of God 2. b. p. 70. and in the next page before he calleth it Scripture I thinke it fit to ioyne Scripture with Scripture making mention of Ecclesiasticus And that we may see he is no chaungeling in an other place hauing alleadged a place out of Ecclesiasticus he addeth by which Scriptures it is plaine 2. b. p. 136. Such a diuine as he is such is his Scripture how audacious is this fellow that contrarie to the iudgement and determination of this Church dare make Ecclesiasticus a booke of Canonicall Scripture 5. The question beeing demanded why the soule may not be taken for his that is Christs whole person as well as holy is vnderstood to be his flesh answere is made because cause it that is the soule is no part at all of the whole person while it remaineth seperated from the body for of these two the whole person consisteth when they are ioyned together liuing c. 2. b. p. 162. Where seeing the demaund is made concerning Christs soule the answere containeth two manifest errors or rather heresies the one that the soule seperated from the body was no part of Christs person which sauoureth strongly of the heresie of the Apollinarists that made the man Christ without a soule the other that the soule
translations of the Bible which are vsed among vs as first beside his light regard of the Geneua translation calling them in scorne your Genevian translators 2. b. p. 131. and 3. b. p. 27. hee thus in most vile tearmes disgraceth them For your Geneva Bibles c. it is to be wished and I trust God will worke it in his Maiesties most religious heart that either they may be purged from those manifold errors which are both in the Text and Margent or else vtterly prohibited 3. b. p. 49. 6. Neither doth he thus deale onely with the Geneua translation but euen the great English Bible also authorized publikely to be read in the Church cannot escape his virulent censure as 2. b. p. 48. thus he saith I cannot conceale a foule intollerable corruption which is lately crept into a late edition of our Church Bibles And further thus peremptorily he proceedeth in condemning the said translation together with the notes for that diuerse of your Geneuian notes especially such as tend to the maintenance of that blasphemie of hell torments in Christs soule are foisted into the margent of the said Bibles and some other before them which you vrge as if they were the very word of God making them the pestilent premises of your blasphemous conclusions 3. b. p. 50. he meaneth the annotation Luk. 22. 24. he felt the horror of Gods wrath and iudgement against sinne and another Heb. 5. 8. beeing in perplexity and fearing the horrors of death Who can endure such presumption to heare our authorized Bibles charged with maintenance of blasphemie and pestilent premises of blasphemous conclusions But he goeth on still in this his arrogant inuectiue and taketh not onely exception to the marginall notes as 2. Cor. 13. 7. wherein though some ouersight might bee committed by the Compositor in transposing some notes hee had no reason thus sawcily to checke and controll the translation it selfe but further saith neither is the text it selfe free from error in translation and here hee noteth in the margin 1. Co. 9. 21. where al the exceptiō he can take is to these words when I am not without law as pertaining to the law of God whereas in the originall it is onely not beeing without law vnto God the Geneua translation readeth as pertaining vnto God where who seeth not that in the one translation these words as pertaining to the Lawe and in the other as pertaining are no part of the text but inserted by way of explanation and should bee written in other characters But against that other place Eph. 6. 12. I wonder with what honestie he can take exception seeing it agreeth exactly with the originall better then the vulgar latine which is such a pearlesse translation in his eie Wee wrestle not against blood and flesh saith the English as it is in the originall against flesh and blood saith the Latine against Princes saith the Latine against rules saith the English not rulers as some Bibles haue for the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against rules or principalities not princes or rulers 7. From finding fault with translations he ascendeth to carpe at the originall saying whether the Greeke now extant be the true authentike originall or no is the question and he saith further it is not free from corruptions in diuers places 3. b. p. 14. 8. He goeth on and secretly taxeth the fathers as first Augustine for he counteth it a badge of presumptuous singularitie and pernicious nouelty to reiect the generall confession he meaneth opinion or exposition of the fathers 2. b. p. 131. And yet Augustine hath a speciall interpretation of that place of Peter contrary to the current interpretation of most of the fathers of those times applying it to the times of Noah 9. Hee meeteth also with Bernard calling it absurd to apply descension to the graue 2. b. p. 155. whereas Bernard maketh direct mention of three descensions of Christ ad carnem ad crucem ad mortem to the flesh to the crosse to death which is to the graue so that Bernard also must be content to weare his liuerie of absurditie 10. Among these fathers may bee numbred the reuerend Prelates of the Church towards one of them yet liuing a reuerend writer and publike defender of religion he thus vaunteth himselfe That whereas he seemed in the first booke to incline to that opinion in Noahs time in the exposition of that place of Peter he is not so mislead with selfe-loue and singularitie as you and others are though euery way farre his inferiour but hath much altered his former iudgement moued as it may appeare vpon those reasons laid downe by me and none but me in the former booke 3. b. p. 101. wherein how vnmannerly hee vseth so reuerend a man who seeth not first saying by way of comparison that hee is not so mislead with singularitie c. as though he should be somewhat mislead that way but not so much as others secōdly he thinketh he hath his school-boyes in hand and would put that deepe learned father to schoole to learne his lesson of him thirdly his vanitie appeareth that hee and none but he hath hit vpon those reasons which changed the Bishops minde whereas in truth he hath borrowed the most of his reasons and testimonies from the other as may appeare by comparing their bookes together fourthly beside all this it is vntrue which he saith for that reuerend learned man is still of the same opinion concerning that place of Peter for these are his words I binde no man to my priuate exposition of the Scripture but rather stand on those places which haue the full consent of all antiquity to pertaine directly to this matter And againe I thought not fit to presse them when Augustine had once resigned them 11. But no maruell if particular fathers be thus taxed when he spareth not whole Churches as 2. b. p. 180. in saying The Orientall and Romane Church wanted this clause of Christs descension into hell sheweth a defect in thē no fault in the Apostles Creede But the truth is there was neither fault in the one nor defect in the other in the omission of that article then Thus he prowdly maketh the whole Oriental and Romane Church defectiue vnlesse he will giue Ruffinus the lie or Cyprian for vnder both their names that treatise goeth who so affirmeth that the article of the descension was not added of olde neither in the East nor Romane Church 12. He bringeth a scandall vpon the whole Church of England affirming that in the same there is dissention about substantiall points of doctrine for he misliketh and condemneth that defence of the Replyer against the obiection of the Romanists wherein he affirmeth that in the Church of England there is no difference in any substantiall point of faith and concerning the descending into hell giuē in instance by
errorem hee translateth and so either correct your error which should bee thus englished let vs amend our error 4. After those words that is a childish boasting he leaueth out this whole sentence quod olim adolescentuli facere consueuerant which young men in time past were accustomed to doe 5. Ambrose corrupted 1. This Grammarian instructer that professeth to teach boyes to conster himselfe maketh a pittifull construction of Ambrose 2. b. p. 59. these words Angelo non placuit ancillae insolentia The insolencie of the hand-maid pleased not the Angel hee translateteth The Angel was not pleased to see the insolency and pride of the handmaide reuertere ad Dominam tuam Returne to thy Lady he englisheth turne againe to thy Lady and Mistresse Verberantis savitiam the cruelty of the beater hee englisheth the crueltie of Sara beating her Fugientis discessionem the departure of the flier or runner away he rendreth Hagars departure in running away adding Sara and Hagar of his owne Humiliare be thou humbled he englisheth humble thy selfe 2. In another sentence taken from Ambrose hee leaueth out these words In inferno positis vitae lumen fundebat eternae To those which were in hell he powred the light of eternall life Which clause if he had added he saw that Ambrose would make little for him vnlesse hee held the locall descent of Christs soule to hell for the enlightening and deliuerance of the Fathers thence 6. Ruffinus falsified 1. Ruffinus also is pitifully mangled for his sentence taking the whole is this But that he descended into hell also is euidently pronounced in the Psalmes where he saith Thou broughtest me to the dust of death and againe what profit is in my blood while I descend into corruption and againe I descended into the mire of the deepe where no substance is that is ground or bottome yea and Iohn saith art thou he which art to come without doubt into hell or looke me for another All this is fraudulently left out and then follow the next wordes which he culleth out Our Lord also himselfe speaketh c. But this deceitfull Iugler that playeth fast and loose with the Fathers well perceiued that seeing Ruffinus expoundeth descending to hell to be brought to the dust of death and to the place of corruption and blood that his meaning can be no otherwise then to vnderstand death and the graue as to the same purpose he said before that vis eadem verbi videtur esse c. the same force of the word seemeth to be in that he is said to be buried as he is said before to descend to hell I maruell also how his mastership could take no knowledge of another place in Ruffinus not farre from that which he thus hacketh and pareth where hee saith that Crux Christi trumphus est c. that Christs crosse was a triumph and a famous trophaeum monument and further he sheweth how he triumphed ouer all things vpon the crosse both celestiall terrestriall and infernall vnto the first applying the vppermost part of the crosse to the next that part where his hands were stretched out and for the third he saith ea vero parte quae sub terram submergitur inferna sibiregna subiecit but by that part which was hid vnder the earth he brought vnder to himselfe the infernall kingdoms This cleare testimony of Christs triumph vpon the crosse and his victory ouer hell crosseth that impious and profane opinion of this drowsie and dreaming diuine that the conquest vpon the crosse was openly an ouerthrowe and therefore no triumph and againe if Christ triumphed in the crosse as you say he did it was according to the prouerbe triumphus ante victoriam triumph before the victory 1. b. p. 188. 7. Augustine falsified 1. Thus Augustine is alleadged This custome of baptizing infants I beleeue as comming from the tradition of the Apostles c. whereas the question with the Donatists was not concerning the baptizing of infants but the rebaptizing of those which were baptized by heretiks as it may appeare by the wordes going before Nolite obijcere nobis authoritatem Cypriani ad baptismi repetitionem c. Doe not obiect to vs the authoritie of Cyprian for the repeating of baptisme c. That question of Baptisme was not yet throughly handled but yet the Chruch kept this wholesome custome in the schismatiks and heretiks corrigere quod pravum est non iterare quod datum est to correct what was amisse not to iterate what was giuen then follow those words which saide custome c. as many things are not found in their writings nor in the latter Councels c. all this enclosed is omitted 2. Augustine is thus brought in that custome of the Church which was opposed against Cyprian c. whereas the name of Cyprian is not to be found in the 18. 19. 20. chapters of that booke 3. Againe the same place is quoted where Augustine should write thus Cum hoc nusquam legatur c. when as this is read no where we must beleeue the testimonie of the Church which Christ hath testified to be true these words are not extant in that place in that forme but after this manner Nunc vero cum in Scripturis non inveniamus c. now seeing we finde not in the Scripture that any haue come to the Church from heretikes c. and afterward perhibet Christus testimonium Ecclesiae suae c. Christ doth giue testimonie to his Church 4. Augustine is cited serm he should haue said hom 2. in vigil pasch tom 10. in these words si sepultus fuisset in terra c. If Christ had beene buried in the earth they might haue said they had digged vp the earth and stollen him away to prooue a difference betweene Christs tombe and the earth yet in that homilie no such sentence is to be found but rather the contrarie quid illi tumulus in terris cuius sedes manebat in coelis why should he haue a tombe in the earth whose seate remained in heauen here he affirmeth Christs tombe to haue been in the earth This grosse ouersight sheweth how well this pettifogger in diuinitie is seene in the reading of Augustine 5. That place of August c. 15. cont Felician lib. 3. p. 2. he diuers waies corrupteth 1. he addeth generall resurrection nullus ignorat he translateth euery man knoweth which signifieth no man is ignorant cuius corpus c. saith Augustine whose bodie common death had enclosed for the future resurrection he readeth whose bodie death had shut vp in the graue vntill the future resurrection of all flesh Beside he bewraieth his ignorance in mistaking the sense and scope of Augustine in that place 1. he saith that Augustines whole discourse is to prooue that Christ deserued not hell fire whereas the very point of the question is that though Christ