fiue other Epistles which at some time and in some place heretofore haue beene called in question With these our late spiritualized Brethren of Geneua do range as Apocryphall The Booke of Hâ—ster and almost three whole Chapters of Daniel which the Anabaptists their pew-fellowes long since with a scornefull and subriding contenance haue exploded O with how much more modestie did Austin proceede who composing the sacred Catalogue of Scripture tooke not for his boundarie therein the Hebrew Alphabet with the Iewes nor the priuate reuealing spirit with our Sectaryes but measured it with that verie Spirit with the which CHRIST doth inanimate the whole Bodye of the Church Which Church being the Gardian of this Depositum as the Heretikes doe suggest and not the Mistris hath challenged to itself long-since by the authoritie of most ancient Councells all this Treasurie Which poynt of late the Councell of Trent hath in like manner acknowledged The same Austin elaboratly disputing but of one small branch of Scripture could not be induced to belieue that the Booke of Wisdome which so long had receaued its further strength from the iudgement of the Church from the long hand of Time from the approbation of the Ancients from the secret instinct or Dictamen of the faythfull should after all this through the precipitate rashnes or swispering coÌ„tradiction of some one fellow or other be reiected as a Booke adulterate and spurious or vnworthie anie place in the Canon of Scripture But what would the said Father say if he were here conuersing vpon earth and should behold diuers Luthers and Caluins to become Bible-makers who with their polishing fyle and castigation haue shaued the Old and New Testament Neither haue they strooken out the Booke of Wisdome only but diuers other parts besides from the whole bulke of Scripture and this with such a magistralitie and peculiar deliuerie of themselues as that whatsoeuer of this nature is not vented out of their shopp the same should through a phreneticall resolution be spitted at loathed as wares vntrimmed and not saleable These men who are forced to descend to such a dire and execrable refuge though they be much honoured through the assenting tongues of their followers though they tâ—afficke at pleasure in Church-liuings though they haue gayned a popular applause by their often Sermoning though they iointly threaten in words writing the sword torture or the gallowes against Catholiks neueâ—thelesse they are found to be but men ouerthrowne dishonoured contemptible and whose Cause euen in its maisterveyne lyes mortally a-bleeding Since they assuming to themselues a censoâ—ious and correcting authoritie and sitting forsooth as honouâ—able Iudges doe obliterate and deface with their expunging â—enne â—uen the Tables of Sacred Wâ—in iâ— so it seemeth to endanger them in anie sort Is there anie man though but initiated in this kinde of studie who will feare the pettie though subtil forces of such enemies Which enemies not being able to withstand the first onsett so soone as they appeare in the eye presence of you Learned Men and make their flight to these their cony-holes as relying therein vpon their familiar Spirit or Genius are to be entertayned not so much with words of contumelie as with hissing and trampling of feete I would demaund of them for instance sake by what right or priuiledge they thus cleaue and teare a peeces the Bodie of the Scripture They returne this horse and dry answer that they doe attempt non exscindere sed â—xcernere not to cutt of any true parts but to cull out the suppositions and forged By the authoritie of what Iudge doe they attempt this By the spirit of the Holie-Ghost they reply For this verie euasion being a cardinal poynt and great mysterie in their art is deliuered by Caluin that he might decline the iudgement of the Church by which all Spiritts are trâ—ed Why then do seuerall of you wound with your pennes seuerall parts of the said Scripture since you all promiscuously vaunte of enioying the same Spirit Are you not here plunged and stabled The Spirit of the Caluiniâ—ts achnowledgeth six Epistles which Epistles are wholy reiected by the Spirit â—f Luthâ—r And yet they both we must presume were endued with the Spirit of the Holie-Ghost The Anabaptists do stile the Historie of Iob a fable as being intermixt with Tragicall and Comicall matter By what meanes know they this The Spirit so teacheth them Castalio that goatish and lecherous companion was not ashamed to prize the mystical Canticle of Salomon which all Catholiks do admire as the Paradise of the Soule as the Hidden Manna as most choyce delights in Christ at no more then as a loue-song made to one's Lemman or as an amorous discours had with the wayting-maydes of the Mistris From whence sucked he this from the Spirit The Apocalyps of Iohn where euerie line according to Hierome soundeth some sublime magnificall poynt Luther Brentius and Kempnitius such rigid Aristarchi they are doe note with a Theta of condemnation as censuring it to be defectiue and there-vpon they wished that it might loose the honour of being reputed Scripture Who was here their Instructour The Spirit Luther through a preposterous zeale ballanceth and compareth the foure Gospells togeather and aduancing the Epistles of Paul much aboue the three first he in the close of all peremptorily and Senatour-like decreeth the Gospell of Iohn only to be acknowledged as fayre true and most principall because as much as in him did lye he willingly would haue made the Apostles partakers of his contentions in matters of Fayth By whome was he here warranted By the presumed soueraignetie and domination of the Spirit Yea this our diminutiue Brother blushed not to disgorge some wanton and petulant words against the Gospell of Luke by reason that the exercise of Vertue and Good Works is therein frequently inculcated Who instilled this into him The Spirit Theodorus Beza so commaunded ouer the written Word as that he dared to traduce as corrupted and by some meane vitiated that most sacred and hidden sentence out of Luke 22. Hic est calix nouum testamentum in sanguine meo qui calix pro vobis fundetur This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which Chalice shal be shed for you Because this texture of words could suffer no other exposition then that of the Wine in the Cupp turned into the true Bloud of Christ. Who reuealed thus much to him The Spirit Briefly whiles euerie one belieueth in his owne Spirit they do belye the name of the Spirit of God with most horrible blasphemie Who runne these diuisions of desperate boldnes Learned Academâ—ans do they not betray themselues are they not easily vanquished are they not in the presence of such indicious Men as you are layed prostrate with the least encounter May I be afraid to dispute with these in defence of the Catholike Fayth who
doctrine of Penance What poynts of Papistrie as they in the fome of their impure language doe speake did this Father maintayne He did write of the state of cloystred Virgins of reuolted Apostataes of the vnitie of the Church such elaborate Treatises as also such Epistles to Cornelius then Bishop of Rome as that except we take away all credit and authoritie from the words of this Martyr Peter Martyr Vermilius and all his Consociates therein are to be accounted farre worse then Adulterers and sacrilegious persons But not to dwell ouerlong in particular Fathers who are most basely trodden vpon by these men all the Fathers of this Age without exception are insimulated within one and the same sentence of condemnation quippe dâ—ctriuam de Paenâ—tentia mire deprauarint because thâ—y wonderfully dâ—praued the doctrine of Penance From what fountayne streameth the acerbitie of this their accusation Because the rigour of those Canons which were of force in that time is incompatible with the softnes and delicacie of Luther's Sect which as being more apt for banqueting-chambers and bedds of downe then Temples and Churches is accustomed to entertaine with vaine discourse voluptuous eares and puluillos omni cubito assuere to spend the time in all pleasure Sardanapalisme and luxurie To descend to the next Centurie in what hath it sinned Chrysostome forsooth and the Doctours thereof as presumed to haue in their writings certain defects and blemishes iustitianâ— sidei saedè obscurarunt haue fowly obliterated obscuâ—ed the Iustice of Fayth Nazianzene whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for honour-sake the Ancients haue graced with the title of The Diuine in the iudgement of Caussaeus is fabulator quid affirmaâ—et nâ—scâ—it a lying writer not knowing what he would affirme Ambrose a cacodaemoâ—e fascinatus est is bewitched by an euill spirit Hierome is by the Aduersarie censured to be aequè damnatus atque diabolus as câ—rtainly damned as the deuill iniurioâ—us Apostolo blasphaemus sceleratus impius iniurious to the Apostle blasphemous and wicked In the libration and ballance of Gregorius Massouius a great Idolater of Caluin pluris est vnus Caluinus quà m centum Augustini One Caluin is of greater authoritie then a hundred Austins Tush a Hundred is here no number Luther who euen belieueth in himself nothing prizeth against his owne authoritie mille Augustinos mille Cyprianos mille Ecclesiaâ— a thousand Austins a thousand Cyâ—rians a thousand Churches I hould it but needlesse to spinne out this point to any further length For who beare themselues with this insolencie to these former Fathers wronging their honours with such Phillippicks or Satyrous Pasquils no wonder if they breath nothing but pride contumacie and petulant procacitie against Optatus Aâ—hanasius Hilarius the Cyrills Epiphanius Basil Vincentius Fulgentius Leo and Gregorie Bishop of Rome Neuerthelesse if there can be giuen anie iust pretext for iniust proceedings I denie not but that there euer occurrs in the Father's Writings vpon what booke soeuer we shall but incidently fall that at which our Aduersaries as long as they remaine vnanimous among themselues must needs stomach rest much discontented For who doth hate sett and appoynted fasts the wings of Prayer must they not rest disaffected towards Leo and Chrysostome who haue made most learned moning Sermons of thâ— faâ—t of Lent and of othâ—r ordayned fast as of things â—â—â—â—ally practised in their dayes Who haue prostituted their soules to open sale for riches lust Epicurisme the Element of Lust ambitious and vaine sights or Spectacles must not such men be fully gâ—rged against Basil Chrysostome Hierome Austin whose excellent Bookes of the Institutes rules and required vertues of Monks are in each man's hands Who haue euen enchayned and shackled Man's Will by despoyling it of all Libertie Who haue taken away all Rites and Ceremonies vsed at Christian funeralls Who haue burned and consumed the Relicks of Saints can they be in charitie with Austin who hath written de libero arbitrio three Bookes de cura pro Mortuis one and of Miracles exhihited at Monuments or Tombes of Martyrs a large Chapterâ—â—â— that most worthie Worke de Ciuitaâ—e Dei besides some Sermons of the same Subiect Who measure their Fayth by the false yarde of impostures deceits and calumnious sleights how tetricall and sowre must they be with Austin who hath written a most famous Epistle against Manichaeus the Heretike in the which he professeth himself euer to cleaue stick fast to Antiquitie Consent in doctrine an vninterrupted Succession and lastly to that Church which alone among so manie emergent Heresyes by long Tradition and custome challengeth to itself the name Catholike Optatus Bishop of Miletus whose pen did single out the Donatists impugneth their Sect or partie from the force of Catholike Consent Communion accuseth them of wiâ—kednes from the decree of Pope Melchisedech refuteth their Heâ—esie from the Order and succession of the Roman Bishops displayeth their furie from their contaminating defyling of the B. Eucharist and Chrisme conceaueth horrour at their sacriledge shewed in breaking downe of Altars in quibus Christi membra portata sunt vpon which the members of Christ are borne and in polluting the Chalices qui Christi sanguinem tenuerunt which contayned the Bloud of Christ. Now I much desire to know how our Aduersaries beare themselues towards Optatus whose memorie Austin much celebrateth by accounting him a venerable and Catholike Bishop equall to Ambrose and Cyprian Fulgentius by styling him a holie and faythfull Interpreter of Paul resembling him to Austin and Ambrose The Aduersaries doe reade the Creede of Athanasius in their Churches Are they trow you fauorable and gratious to him Who being a graue Authour did euen with whole peales of Lauds and prayses magnifye in a choyce booke of his Antonie the Hermit in Aegipt And who with the Councell of Alexandria did with all prostration and humilitie appeale to the iudgement of the Apostolicall Sea of S. Peter How often doth Prudentius in his Hymnes pray vnto the Martyrs whose worth in Verse he so much recordeth How often before their Reliks and bones doth he worship the King of all Martyrs stands not this diuine Poët vnto them in the Aspect of a Diametricall Opposition Hierome sharpened his penne against Vigilantius in defence of the Relicks and honour of Saints against Iouinian in patronizing the state of Virginitie do they not reade his Writings with the Eye of sulliuation and malignitie Ambrose honoured his two Tutours Geruasius and Protasius with a remarkable Celebritie and this to the great disgrace and ignominie of the Arian Heresie to which Act the most holie Fathers haue ascribed their due Encomion and prayse and which God himself hath warranted not with one onlie prodigious euent or miracle Can they brooke Ambrose therefore Gregorie the Great our Apostle and in truth he is wholy ours
and vnder this title the verie sound of his Name iarres in the eares of our Aduersaries This man I say the furie of Caluin denyes to haue beene instructed in the Schoole of the Holie Ghost because he called sacred Images by which the Saints are to vs absently present the Bookes of the illiterate and vnlearned The day is too short and indeede the Sunne must runne a greater circle of his course to serue my turne before I can number the Epistles Sermons Homilyes smaller Volumes Disputations of the Fathers all being filled and stored with vnanswerable proofes in defence of the Sentences and Articles of our Catholike Religion As long as these their Monuments of Learning are to be soulde in the Stationer's shopps in which the Enemie most vnworthily pretends as you haue seene so many chaynes of Errour and Superstition to haue beene wouen so long in vaine are our Bookes forbidden to be read in vaine are the Sea-ports so narrowly kept for the preuenting of their entrance in in vaine are the houses of Catholiks their tâ—unks boxes and other priuate receptacles violently broken open in vaine are so manie minacious threatening Proclamations sett vpon the publike Gates and other chiefe places in Cittyes since neither Harding nor Sanders nor Allan nor Stapleton nor Bristoll doe affect these supposed new dreames more zealously or with greater feruour and sedulitie then these Fathers aboue by me mentioned haue donne When I â—eflected vpon this poynt with a serious introuersion of minde I grant it gaue an edge to my desire and my greedines of Combat was encreased in the which what way soeuer the Aduersary shall take except he will yeeld to God's honour he runneth himself vpon the sands Yf he allowe of the Fathers he then looseth the field Yf he exclude them he thus escapeth but by flight It so chanced myself then being yong that Iohn Iewell the Antesignanus fore-man of the Caluinists in England who euer buylded his state in the ruines of men's Soules did in his Sermon at Paul's Crosse prouoke the Catholiks with incredible boasting he through Hypocrisie appealing to and calling vpon those Fathers who flourished within the first six hundred yeares of our Redemption Those worthie men who then suffered exile at Louayne in all haste arrested his challenge with their penns though they stoode obnoxious to diuers difficulties in regard of the iniquitie of the times I dare be bolde to pronounce that the calumnie ignorance improbitie and supercilious impudencie of this Iewell who indeede wanted a foyle to make his luster good then happely layed open by these Men's wrytings did so much benefitt to our generall Cause at that I can hardly remember any one thing more aduantageous to the Catholike Church of England then groaning vnder the Burden Menacing Edicts and scrowles were in all haste affixed vpon the common Posts that no such bookes should be redd or kept by any though Iewell 's vaunting exclamation might iustly seeme to extort the writing of them All Persons at that time which obserued this passage did by this meanes learne that the ancient Fathers were wholy Catholike that is wholy Ours Neither did D. Humfrey conceale this wound giuen to himself and his Brethren who though he daigned to become Iewell 's Encomiast in immoderatly extolling him and by seeking to embalme his Memorie by writing his life yet did cast this one aspersion of incoÌ„sideration and inaduertencie vpon him to witt that Iewell proffered to stand inalterably to the iudgements of the Fathers with which men this Doctour in peremptorie expresse words disclaymeth from hauing the least entercours commerce or association so loath is the Enemie to keepe anie quarter with the Primitiue Writers and Fathers One time in familiar discours we throughly sownded Tobie Mathew who now domineres in the Pulpit enchanting much aboue others by his often Sermoning the eare of Credulity and whome for his good literature and sparks of Moralitie we greatly affected entreating him to answer ingenuously and plainely Whether that man who spent himself in diligent reading the Fathers could possibly fluctuate touching the truth of the Roman Religion or could vnfeignedly embrace that Fayth to the which himself so earnestly exhorteth He freely vnbreasted himself and thus replyed it was impossible if so with the reading â—f them he would giue an indubious assâ—nt and crediâ—t vnto them Which Sentence is most true and I am fully perswaded that neither himself at this present nor Matthew Hutton who is reputed by some to be much trauelled in the Fathers nor the rest of our Aduersaryes who performe the like labour can be of any other iudgement Hitherto therefore I may securely descend into these Lists as prepared to battaile with those who as men houlding the wolfe by the eares are forced to leaue vpon their Cause a perpetuall and indelible scarre or blemish wâ—ether they reiect or admitt the Fathers Since in the One they but prouide for their running away in the Other they are suffocated and strangled The sixt Reason THE GROVND of the Fathers IT is cleare that if euer that precept and command Scrutamini Scripturas Search the Scriptures was as in reason it hath and ought to be to vs peculiarly incumbent vpon anie sorte of Christians that the most holie Fathers did with the greatest prayse and in the highest degree accomplish the same since by these Men's diligence and charges the Bibles haue beene translated and transcribed into so manie tongues and transported into so manie discoasted Nations By these Men's dangerous yet successiue attempts they were snatched out of the flames of the Enemy and of all vtter deuastation and extinguishment By these Men's indefatigable paynes each part and passage of them was most painfully cutt vp and as it were anatomized For both day and night those Fathers did euen drinke vp the Holie Scriptures they were euer most readie from out their Chayres and Pulpitts to discourse of the Holie Scriptures they alwayes enriched their voluminous writings with testimonies borrowed from the Holie Scriptures they haue disclosed and vnfoulded with their faythfull Scholiaes and Commentaries the most knottie passages of the Holie Scripture they haue seasoned their Feasts Fasts with studying the Holie Sâ—riptures To conclude they haue spent all their dayes with a Sabaoth lâ—sse incessant labour â—euen to the end of their feeble old age in meditating vpon the Hâ—lie Scriptures And although the said Doctours were frequently accustomed to draw their arguments in patronage of their Fayth from the authoritie of their fore-fathers from the practise of the Church from the Succession of Popes from Generall Councells from Apostolicall Traditions from the vnâ—aunted constancie of Martyrs from the Sentences Decrees of the Pastours of the Church and from stupendious and astonishing Miracles whereby the setled Course of Naâ—ure was as I mâ—y say vnnatured and dissolued Yet all these different sorts of proofes they euer most willingly enleuened with stored testimonies of the written