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A15431 Tetrastylon papisticum, that is, The foure principal pillers of papistrie the first conteyning their raylings, slanders, forgeries, vntruthes: the second their blasphemies, flat contradictions to scripture, heresies, absurdities: the third their loose arguments, weake solutions, subtill distinctions: the fourth and last the repugnant opinions of new papistes with the old; of the new one with an other; of the same writers with themselues: yea of popish religion with and in it selfe. Compiled as a necessarie supplement or fit appertinance to the authors former worke, intituled Synopsis papismi: to the glorie of God for the dissuading of light-minded men from trusting to the sandie foundation of poperie, and to exhort good Christians stedfastlie to hold the rockie foundation of faith in the Gospell. Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621. 1593 (1593) STC 25701; ESTC S119967 179,229 213

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the Church as to sell Bishoprickes and Ecclesiasticall liuings these the Pope might dispense withall O Petre saith hee quantam animarum multitudinem cateruatim transmisit transmittit ad Infernum haec superstitialis damnanda distinctio O Peter Peter how many soules hath this superstitious and damnable distinction sent by heapes and yet doth dayly send to hell Aureum speculum ex citation Iuell pag. 614. So the Papistes by their blasphemous distinctions of merites satisfactions iustifications adoration and such like doe subuert the truth peruert the soules of manie euert and ouerthrow the course of religion and tread them a high way and a beaten path to Hell and damnation The fourth Piller of Papistrie consisting of Papists contradictions amongst themselues IT is an vsual accusation of the popish sort against the professors of the Gospel that wee are at variance dissension amongst our selues cannot agree of the pointes of our religion Harding saith with a stinking vncleane mouth that the puddle of Lutherans runneth down by manie sinkes that we agree not within our selues and that each one often times disagreeth with himselfe Defeus Apolog. pag. 289. The Rhemistes falsely obiect that we would euery yeare haue a new faith 2. Cor. 2. v. 18. Bellar. saith that we haue 200 seueral expositions of these words of our Sauiour This is my body with lie all de Sacram. li. 2. ca. 1. Now then to cleare and purge our selues of this false occusation we will consider who they are that cast vs in the teeth with our dissensions who for one dissension that is among vs haue tenne among themselues yea if I said for one an hundred I thinke the saying might be iustified This Piller of Papistrie hath foure partes First we wil shew the dissensions of the later new Papistes with the old Secondly of the contradictions of the new among themselues Thirdly because they say that amongst vs one disagreeth many times with himself we wil lay open the nakednes of their stoutest champion Bellarmine how shamefully he forgetteth himselfe saying vnsaying now of one opinion by by of another Fourthly We wil shewe the repugnances inconueniences and inconsequent opinions which popish religion hath in it selfe The contradictions diuers opinions of old Papists new BEcause our aduersaries would beare vs in hand that their dissentions are not in material points but lighter matters which concerne not the faith Wee will make choice of such opinions of theirs leauing the rest wherein they dissent as shall easily appeare to be no triuiall or comon matters but of great weight moment Lyranus Hugo Cardinalis Caietanus do hold the bookes of Tobie Iudith Macchabees Ecclesiasticus the wisedome of Salomon to be Apocryphall bookes no part of Canonicall Scripture Arius Montanus also holdeth all the bookes of the old Testament not found in the Hebrue Canon to be Apocryphall ex Whitacher controu qu. 1. cap. 6. The contrarie is nowe maintained by Papistes that all the aforesaid bookes are Canonicall and part of the Scriptures Canus affirmeth that the Scriptures in the Hebrue text are wholly corrupt defaced by the malice of the Iewes Bellarm. confesseth some corruption in them yet not concerning the doctrine of faith maners And that those corruptions defaults came rather by reason of some faultie Libraries imperfect copies than by the malicious deprauation of the Iewes Bellar. de Verb. Dei li. 2. cap. 2. They differ much in many points concerning Antichrist Some of them thinke that the number 666. Apocal. 13. doth describe the time of Antichrists comming as Lyranus Some that it sheweth the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they thinke shalbe the name of Antichrist Anselmus Richardus Bellarm. thinketh his name shal not be known til he be come de Rom. Pont. li. 3. c. 11 Some that he shalbe borne of a woman of fornication Some of the tribe of Dan as Anselmus Richardus Bellarm. holdeth neither ibid. cap. 12. Dominicus a Soto is of opiniō that the Christian faith shall vtterly be extinguished in the great persecution vnder Antichrist Bellarmine thinketh no ibid. cap. 17. Their Canon law saith that no mortall man must here presume to reproue the faults of the Pope because he himselfe being to iudge all men is to be iudged of none Part. 1. distinct 4. Cap. Si Papa Yet the Rhemistes affirme the contrarie that Popes may be reprehended are iustly admonished of their faults ought to take it in good part if it proceed of zeale and loue Annot. 2. Galath Sect. 8. Some of them do thinke that the Pope euen as he is Pope may fall into heresie so become an heretike if he take vpon him to define or determine without a generall Councel Gerson Alphons de Castro Adrianus 6. Papa Some affirme the cleane contrarie that the Pope cannot possibly fall into heresie nor define any hereticall point no not by himselfe alone Albert. Pighius Others do teach that whether the Pope may be an heretike or not he cannot determine any thing that is hereticall sic Driedo Caietanus Hosius Eckius and to this subscribeth Bellarmine lib. 4. de Roman Pontif. cap. 2. That place of the Gospel where Christ saith I haue praied for thee Peter that thy faith should not faile the Diuines of Paris vnderstand generally of the whole Church that Christ praied that the Catholike faith should not faile But Bellarmine and the rest take these words as meant of Peter onely and his successors that they should not erre at any time in faith Bellarm. ibid. cap. 3. Durandus a popish author confesseth that Gregorie 1. was found in an error for permitting priests to confirme but Bellarmine chargeth him rather with error in so writing ibid. cap. 10. Melchior Canus affirmeth that Honorius 1. was an heretike Bellarmine holdeth the contrarie de Pontif. lib. 4. cap. 11. Celestinus 3. an heretike so saith Alphons de Castro Bellarmine is of the contrarie opinion ibid. cap. 14. Iohn 22. was in a great error who held that the soules of the righteous should not see God before the day of the resurrection Guilielmus Oek●● Adrianus Bellar. notwithstanding taketh vpon him to excuse him of heresie Bellarm. cap. 14. Benedictus 13. condemned for an heretike in the Councel of Constance Eugenius 4. in the Councel of Basile Bellar. denieth notwithstanding that they were heretikes but the Councels to haue erted rather in condemning them ibid. Some of the Papists thinke the Bishops as the Apostles before them do receiue their iurisdiction immediatly at Gods hands So Franciscus Victoria Alphons de Castro Others that the Apostles receiued their iurisdiction not from Christ but from Peter Bishops from Peters successor so Iohan. de Turre cremat Dominicus Iacobatius A third sort hold that the Apostles immediatly receiued power from Christ but Bishops must look for it at the Popes hands sic Caietanus Dominicus a Soto Bonauenture Durand so also Bellar. ca. 22. They are
namely Christ and yet againe that they were yet Bellarmine affirmeth both the first lib. 2 de Sacram. cap. 17. resp ad argument 3. The latter lib. 1. de Miss ca. 20. 19 To say that faith goeth before repentance or as they terme it Penance and that repentance goeth before iustification is all one to say that repentance goeth before iustification and that iustification likewise goeth before repentance for by faith are wee iustified Ro● 5. 1. As soone as faith commeth iustification doth accompanie it If faith go before so doth iustification and if iustification follow repentance so doth faith yet are they both affirmed by Bellarmine de Poenitent lib. 1. cap. 19. 20 Manie such contradictorie and repugnant sayings are easily to be found in Bellarmines volumes in the writings of other papistes so that they neither agree with others nor with themselues as the Rhemists sometime say that the meritorious workes of the Saints the verie ground of popish indulgences are to be disposed by the Pastors of the Church 2. Corinth 2. Sect. 5. Sometime that they are applicable by the sufferers intention Annot. 1. Coloss. 1. Sect. 4. Harding Sometime calleth their Legend storie an old moth-●aten booke and confesseth that among many true stories it may haue some fables Defens Apolog pag. 166. And yet forgetting himselfe hee stoutly affirmeth that there are no fables nor lies in that booke pag. 750. Thus much of the personall contradictions among the papistes both olde and newe Nowe wee will set downe for a taste and tryall the repugnances and contrarieties which their religion hath within it selfe Popish Religion contrary within it selfe Part. 4. 1 IT is generally taught and beleeued in the popish Church that Baptisme is necessary to saluatiō which errour they would ground vpon those wordes Iohn 3. 5. That vnles a man be borne of water and the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen yet they themselues also affirme that baptisme was not necessarie before the passion of Christ but beganne in the day of Pentecost after to bee necessarie Bellarm. lib. 1. de baptis cap. 5. Yea and nowe also they make two exceptions of Martyrs and penitent persons who without baptisme may bee saued Bellarm. cap. 6. The Rhemistes adde vnto these a third exempt case of those that depart this life with vowe and desire of the sacrament of baptisme Annot. Iohn 3. sect 2. But if they ground the necessitie of baptisme vpon those words of our Sauiour it beganne to bee necessarie when those words were vttered and therefore was necessary before the passion of Christ. Secondly the wordes are general in so much that there is no priuiledge graunted to Martyrs or penitent persons if they stande strictlie vpon that place In this poynt therefore papistrie is not at vnitie in it selfe 2 Bellarmine with the rest do affirme that Christ gaue the cup onelie to his Apostles whom at that instant they say he made priestes and therefore priestes onelie not lay-men are bound by the word of God to receiue in both kindes Yet the practise of their Church is contrary For neither doe priestes if they communicate onely and minister not the sacrament receiue in both kindes according to the decree of the Tridentine chapter Bellarm. de sacram Eucharist lib. 4. cap. 25. 3 Againe in their priuate masses the priest saith Quotquot ex hac altaris participatione sumpserimus As many of vs as haue beene partakers of this altar When as there be no communicantes beside the priest himselfe how can this hang together ex canon missae 4 The priest also being at masse saith commaund these to be caried by the handes of thine Angels vnto the highest altar in heauen and anone he swalloweth downe the host into his belly that he would haue conueyed into heauen how can these thinges agree 5 The papistes generally make but seauen degrees of ecclesiastical orders as priestes deacons subdeacons Acolythistes or Attenders Readers Exorcistes doore-kepers Bellarm. de Cleric cap. 11. And yet Bellarmine the mouth of the rest affirmeth that Ordinatio episcopalis the ordaining of Bishops is a sacrament as the other ministerial orders be Ergo it is also a distinct degree from the rest and so there are eight in al Bellarm. de sacram Ordinis cap. 5. Further if there be eight distinct Orders euery one by it selfe is a sacrament as Bellarmine teacheth then haue we eight sacraments of Order beside the other six for al these seuerall orders cannot make one sacrament seeing they differ one from another both in forme of wordes in the externall signes or ceremonies that are vsed Consul Bellarm. lib. de Ordin cap. 5. 6. 7. 8. 6 In wordes and outward profession they affirme that matrimonie is a sacrament And yet some of them call it a pollution or prophanation of orders Gregor Martin And that the mariage of ministers is the worst sort of incontinencie fornication Rhemist 1. Cor. 7. sect 8. Haue not these men now a very reuerent opinion of their sacramentes 7 Againe they preferre continencie before matrimonie as a state far more excellent and meritorious before God Yet they hold matrimonie to be a sacrament and to conferre grace of iustification how then is it not more excellent then single life which is no sacrament neither a conferrer of grace 8 Bellarmine saith Bonum est a Deo petere tum vt sanctos pro nobis orare faciat tum vt illos pro nobis orantes exaudiat It is good for vs to craue of God that he would cause the Saintes to pray for vs and that then he would heare them entreating for vs De Miss lib. 2. cap. 8. Thus they make God a mediator between the Saintes and vs. And what an absurde thing is this to pray to God that the Saints may pray for vs whereas in thus saying they confesse that we haue accesse vnto God our selues without their mediation 9 It is the opinion of the schoolemen approued by Bellarmine that the fathers of the lawe were iustified by the merite of Christes passion as we are but herein to stand the difference that the merite of Christs Death is applied vnto vs by the sacramentes Hebr●is autem per solam fidem But vnto the Hebrues by onely faith Bellarm. de sacram lib. 2. cap. 13. I pray you now if they were iustified by faith onely who liued vnder the law which is contrary to faith The law is not of faith saith the Apostle Galath 3. 12. shal not we much more vnder the Gospel which is by S. Paule called the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Who seeth not nowe the packing and iugling of papistes 10 Now cōcerning the pope they euery where beare vs in hand that he is heade of the Catholike vniuersall Church And yet in the end being vrged they confesse that he is Christes vicar but in the regiment of that part which is on the earth Rhemist Annot. Ephes. ● sect 6. He is not then
you spare neither Apostle pastor nor minister neither primitiue and auncient nor present and now being Church say on still as ye doe that the protestants tende euery day more and more to Atheisme and Antichristianisme Rhemist 2. Thessa. 2. sect 14. That the protestantes haue forsaken Christ the protestantes are become Iewes the protestantes wil be circumcised according to Moses law the protestantes require to haue the paschal Lambe the protestantes tell the people there is no hell at all the protestantes at their next proceeding wil vtterly denie God Har ding praefat ad defens apolog ex Iuello Well yee slaunderous mouthed hypocrites if Ieremies saying were not verified vppon you Thou hast a whores forehead thou wouldest not be ashamed 3. 3. ye might well blushe and shew al your blood in your face when you inuent such vnchristian slaunders against vs which the worlde crieth shame vpon and your owne consciences accuse ye of Wee haue no other shielde to holde vp against these iniuries of yours but the prophet Dauids saying with his words in the person of our Church As he loued cursing so let it come vnto him and as he loued not blessing so shall it be farre from him as he clothed him selfe with cursing like a rayment so shall it come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones Let it be vnto him as a garment to couer him and for a girdle wherewith he shall alway be girded Let this be the rewarde of mine aduersarie from God and of them that speake euill against my soule Psal. 109 vers 17. 18. 19. 20. Heare ye also what Bernard saith Gladius anceps lingua detractoris Nec verò huiusmodi linguam ipso mucrone quo dominicum latus confossum est crudeliorem dicere verearis haec enim non iam examine Christi corpus fodit sed facit examine fodiendo A slauderous tongue is a two edged sword And such a tongue we need not doubt to cal more cruel then the speares point that peirced our Lordes side for this doth not pierce or wound the dead bodie of Christ but slayeth and woundeth it to death serm de triplici custodia Thus yee papistes shew your selues greater enimies to Christ in slaundering his Church then if ye had thrust his body through that hanged vppon the crosse for then his bodie was first dead before it was pierced But you doe rent and wound the liuelie bodie of Christ now which is his Church I pray God giue you grace if yee belong vnto him to repente you of this wickednes And thus much also concerning the slaunders and malicious reportes giuen out by papistes against our Church The 3. part of the manifold vntruthes forgeries and bold denials of papistes of manifest vntruthes Part. 3. IT followeth now in the third place hauing alreadie sufficiently discoursed of their personal slaunders which they vomite and spue vp either against our Church in general or against some particular members thereof that now we lay open to the worlde their vntruthes and lies which in heapes are coyned and forged out of their shoppes that whereas they accuse vs of lying saying most scornefully That lies are as common with heretikes as lice with beggers Harding it may euidentlie appeare to the world whether of twaine be the greate lyers And first of their forgeries Neuer anie Heretikes were more cunning or had better dexteritie in forging of writinges and foisting bookes of their owne deuising and making vnder the name of other authors First the Canons of the Apostles as they call them which are fathered vpon the Apostles are but bastard writinges falsely going vnder their name for in the last canon the gospell written by S. Iohn is numbred among the bookes of the newe testament which is confessed by all to haue beene penned by the Euangelist after the death of all or most of the Apostles How could then these Canons as they affirme be deuised and published by the Apostles them selues assembled together Againe those Canons of the Apostles doe recken 3. bookes of the Macchabees amongest the canonicall scripture But the papistes them selues receiue but two if then they were perswaded them selues that they were the verie Canons of the Apostles how durst they disagree from them in opinion Plura apud Whitacher controu 1 de scriptur cap. 4. The constitutions also of the Apostles the collection whereof is ascribed to Clemens seemeth to be but a forged booke conteining many thinges false and friuolous as lib. 6. cap. 14. He bringeth in Iames the brother of Iohn writing and speaking with the rest of the Apostles many yeares after his death Lib. 6. cap. 7. he calleth Philip spoken of Act. 8. an Apostle but lib. 8. cap. 52. he maketh him but a Deacon Of the like credite are the counterfeit writinges which passe vnder the name of Abdias Ignatius Hippolytus Policarpus as it may appeare by the homely stuffe contained in them Abdias prescribeth a most superstitious obseruation of Lent fast not onely in abstaining from all flesh-meates but also from all carnall copulation betweene man and wife The same Abdias is also contrarie to himselfe for he affirmeth that Paule suffered 2. yeares after Peter And saith further that Paule after Peter was crucified remained in his custodie at Rome mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles which was as Hierome saith the 3. or 4. yeare of Nero so that by this account there must be 10. yeares space betweene the suffering of Paule and Peter for it is confessed by all writers that Paule suffered the 14. that is the last yeare of Nero. Ignatius saith in his epistle to the Philippians that if any man shal fast on Sunday or Saturday he is a murtherer of Christ so hoat this counterfeit father is about his counterfeit traditions Of the like authoritie is Policarpus epistle ad Philippen which is gathered out of the Apocryphall constitutions of counterfeit Clemens Hippolytus booke is too ful of fables then to be thought to be that auncient Martyrs worke for writing of Antichrist he saith he shalbe no man but a deuil in the shape of man that Iohn the Euangelist shal come with Henoch and Helias before the comming of Antichrist that Antichrist shal bring deuils with him in the shape of Angels and commaund them to carie him vp to heauen with other such stuffe Now commeth in that vncleane dunghil of decretals which are falsely attributed to those good Bishops of Rome that suffered in the great persecutions in the primitiue age of the Church for the testimonie of Iesus As wee may strongly coniecture by the matter and substance of those decretals The epistle fathered vppon Alexander doth euidentlie appeare to be counterfeit by the date which it beareth when Traianus and Helianus were Consuls But there was neuer anie Helianus Consull with Traianus Fulk 1. Tim. 4. 13. Euaristus Bishop of Rome is saide to haue decreed that no priest should be ordained without a title But it is not like that
epistle to the Ephesians word for word And how is it like that Marcellinus which died in the 20. yeare of Dioclesian could write of consubstantialitie of the diuine persons when that controuersie and terme of consubstantialitie was not heard of in the Church before the Nicene Councell which was 23. yeares after him Fox ibid. Eusebius in his decretall epistle writeth thus In sede apostolica extra maculam semper catholica seruata est religio That is in the Apostolike Sea alwayes the catholike religion hath beene preserued without any spotte or blemish And yet his late predecessor Marcellinus within his time and remembrance did fall grieuously in sacrificing to Idols though afterward hee repented thereof and was condemned for the same and expulsed the citie by the Councell of 300. Bishops How then could Eusebius this fault and error of his predecessor beeing so fresh in memorie so report of the Apostolike Sea that it was neuer stayned with any blemish in the faith therefore it is apparant that it was none of his doing The decretall epistle also of Milciades bewrayeth it selfe to be counterfeite wherein the forged author sheweth how much more worthie the popish sacrament of confirmation is then baptisme Thus I hope it is a cleare case to anie man that is not wilfully blinde that those decretall epistles are but forged and bastard writings those holy Bishops and Martyrs to be falsely reputed the authors thereof considering that the matter therein conteyned neyther seemeth to be agreeable to those times nor yet besitting the grauitie of their person Beside these counterfeite decretals of the Bishops of Rome they haue also many other of the like inuention In the decrees of Gratian Distinction 10. Quoniam Is set foorth vnder Ciprians name Ciprianus Iuliano imperatori Ciprian to Iulian the Emperor wherein it is affirmed that the imperiall dignitie is subiect to the papall dignitie as the inferior to the superior But Ciprian lyued not in lulian the Apostata his time not by 200. yeares wherefore this is a lying glosse Siluesters constitution whome I should before haue recyted amongst the number of the Bishops of Rome That the Corporal whereupon our Lords bodie lyeth vpon the altar must bee pure and plaine linnen seemeth also to come out of the same forge for the papistes practise is contrarie they lay it vpon a guilt patten and they haue a certayne poke for reseruation lyned indeed with linnen but the out-side is silke gold siluer and pearles Dionisius booke de Eccles. Hierarchia which commonly is thrust vpon Dionisius Areopagita who was conuerted by S. Paul is worthily suspected not to bee of that authors doing for his writings coulde not haue beene vnknowen to Eusebius Hierome Gennadius who continued the catalogue of the principall writers of the Church for 500. yeares after Christ. And Dionisius Bishop of Corinth who lyued in the raigne of Commodus about ann 185. writing of Dionisius Areopagita declareth how hee was first conuerted to the faith by S. Paul as it is in the Actes of the Apostles and afterward was made Bishop of Athens But of his booke de Hierarch he hath not one word Euseb. li. 4. ca. 23. Gulielmus Gracinus did read in his open lecture in the Church of S. Pauls this book de eccl Hierarch who at the first entrance vehemently inueighed against those that held opinion that Dionisius Areopag was not author of that booke but after a fewe weekes being better aduised hee altered his minde and protested openly that in his iudgement Dionisius Areopag mentioned in the Actes was not author of that booke Ex Erasm. ad Parisiens Historia passionis of S. Andrew S. Martialis epist. ad Burdegalens are but counterfeite fables Fulk Hebr. 10. sect 9. No better is that pamphlet which goeth vnder Linus name intituled De Petripassione Which if it were true that is there reported Peter was most iustly condemned for entysing and leading away women from their husbands Beza annot Iohn 21. v. 19. against the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles The Liturgie of S. Iames is but a late deuised toye for Balsamon patriarke of Antioch sayth that the Liturgie of S. Iames was not extant in his time but vtterly worne away Fulke annot 1. Corinth 11. sect 10. No maruell then if these good fellowes make it not dayntie to belie the auncient Bishops and Martyrs with phantasticall and forged pamphlets seeing that they presume without blushing to vtter their forgeries both of the Apostles themselues and vnder their names not much vnlike to the olde heretikes the Manichees and others that scattered abroade hereticall deuises vnder the Apostles names as the Apocalypse of S. Paul whereof S. Augustine maketh mention Tract in Iohann 98. Another booke of S. Thomas the Apostle Augustine epist. 38. Certayne Epistles fathered vpon the Apostles August in Psalm 47. Yea they conteyned not them selues here but in their foolish conceyte deuised fables more auncient then the floode as the booke of Henoch whereof Augustine speaketh de ciuitat Dei lib. 18. cap. 38. And yet were more impudent for they alleadged an Epistle which they say was of Christes owne writing August cont Faust. lib. 28. cap. 4. I would now our aduersaries did not giue vs occasion by these imaginarie and decoytfull writings of theirs which they would notwithstanding to bee reputed as sound and substantiall to compare them in this respect to those heretikes of elder time Let vs now see what other phantasies they haue which doe maske vnder the name of later writers In the Liturgie that beareth the name of Chrysostome which the papistes call Chrysostomes Masse as it is set foorth by Cla●dius du Sanctis there is a prayer for Pope Nicholas and the Emperour Alexius whereof the one was neare 500. yeares the other 700 yeares after Chrysostome Iudge therefore Christian reader whether it bee likely to bee Chrysostomes The Liturgie bearing the name of Basill sheweth it selfe to bee none of his because it obserueth not that forme of doxologie that is prayse to the holy Ghost with the prepositiō 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Basil doth so earnestly maintayne to be deriued from the Apostles tradition de Spirit sanct cap. 27. 28. There are 4. bookes interserted among Cirils commentaries vppon Iohn which were composed by Iodocus Clictouaeus to supplie so many bookes of Cirils wanting yet are they commonly alleadged by our aduersaries in Cirils name Paulinus Bishop of Nola his epistles forged For epistle 1● hee writeth thus of the wood of the crosse That it hath such an incorruptible vertue that it susteyneth no diminishing but continueth as though it had neuer beene touched men daily taking part of it Which is so grosse a fable that the Censors appointed according to the Councell of Trent in their Ind. expurgat commanded it to be put out How many bookes are foysted into Augustines workes it were to long to rehearse for as he in number of his workes exceeded any one of the auncient doctors of the
Church beside which are reckoned to 232 bookes beside his homilies and epistles which were more then as many againe So foolish men haue presumed to be most bold with his writings defiling his learned workes with ridiculous additions of their owne All I cannot neither is it needful in this place to recite onely for some trial of the matter I will set downe these fewe The questions Veteris noui testamenti are none of Augustines for quest 21. it is affirmed that Melchisedech was the holy ghost which opinion is heresie with Augustine and in his booke de haeresib he numbreth the Melchisedechians amongest other heretikes Therefore Augustine is not the author and this Bellarm. confesseth De sacrament lib. 2. cap. 10. yet is the authoritie of this booke vrged by our Rhemistes as sound Annot. 1. Corinth sec. 5. Saint Augustine not the author of the serm de sanctis for the author of these homilies alleadgeth the testimonie of Isidorus who liued about 200 yeares after Augustine August ser. 91. and 251. none of Augustines the author saith that the mightie men when they come to Church compell the priest to make short his masse this manner agreed not with Augustines age The booke de visitatione infirmorum none of his Erasmus saieth it is the speech of a brabler neither learned nor eloquent and most impudently entituled to S. Augustine The 215. serm de tempore the treatise de rectitud Cathol conuersat none of Augustines Fulk annot Galath 4. sect 2. The booke de dogmatib ecclesiastic none of Augustines for the author of that booke excludeth those from orders that had eyther more wiues then one or one concubine By this rule Augustine could neuer haue beene a Bishop for he had two cōcubines And many other beside these are found to be counterfeit bookes as he that wil take the paines to peruse Erasmus censures vpon Augustines workes shall easily finde The last forgery which I will charge our aduersaries withall in this place shalbe concerning the donation of Constantine vpon the which the Bishop of Rome doth ground his supreame dominion and right ouer al the political gouernmēt of the west partes The which said donation is but a forged and deuised deede or instrument of their owne For the donation saith that Constantine was baptised at Rome of Siluester and the 4. day after his baptisme this patrimonie was giuen before his battaile against Maximinus and Li●inius Here are manie vntrueths couched together 1. Because the trueth of the storie of Constantines baptisme is otherwise reported by Eusebius Hierom Ruffin Socrates Theodoret Sozomen that Constantine was baptized at Nicomedia not at Rome and by Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia not by Siluester and not before that battaile but in the xxxi yeare of his raigne a little before his death 2. whereas the saide donation giueth iurisdiction to the Bishop of Rome ouer the 4. patriarchall seas of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople Hierusalem how could this be done before his battell with Maximinus when as the citie of Constantinople was not yet begunne So this forged donation neither agreeth with itselfe nor with others Plura apud Fox pag. 105. All this notwithstanding which we haue not barely and nakedlie affirmed but I trust sufficientlie prooued and to the indifferent Reader by more then probable argumentes demonstrated that our aduersaries haue vsed much deceit in conueying false and forged writinges vnder auncient authors names yet they will needes beare the worlde in hand that there is no such matter but that they are those authors proper and peculiar workes Whereupon they are boulde in euerie controuersie as they haue occasion to presse vs with their light and vaine authorities As the constitut of Clemens alleadged by the Rhom annot Luk. 4. sec. 1. Ignatius Math. 4. sec. 2. 1. Peter 2. sect 6. Hippolytus Math. 24. sec. 5. Policarpus Act. 6. sec. 1. Decret Alexandri 1. Timoth. 4. sec. 13. Milc●adi Fabian Act. 8. sect 6. Dionisi Areop ibid. S. Andrew S. Martial Hebr. 10. sect 11. Leiturg Iacob Basil. Chrysost. 1. Corinth 11. sect 10. Iodoc. Clicton for Cirill Iohn 11. sect 1. Paulinus Iohn 19. sect 2. August serm de sanct Act. 1. sect 7. de rectit●d cathol conuers de visitation infirmor serm de tempor Galath 4. sect 2. de ecclesiastic dogmatib 1. Corinth 11. sect 7. Thus we see both the great boldnes of our aduersaries in vrging such authorities which they knowe to be counterfeit as also the apparant weakenesse of their cause that are constrained to vse such beggerlie shiftes But let them vse and vrge these stragling runnagate and fatherlesse bookes neuer so much wee will still holde vs to this point wherein they shall neuer be able to disproue vs that they do deceiue them selues and abuse the world in making men to beleeue that they are the fathers owne writinges Wee say therefore of these and of all such other bookes as Augustine did of that which went in Henoehs name Libriisti ob nimiam antiquitatem reijciuntur These bookes are too old to be true De ciuitat dei lib. 18. cap. 38. And concerning some of them as those which are fathered vpon the Apostles and them that followed in the next age as Augustine saith of the epistle which the Manichees ascribed to Christ Si aliqua huiusmodi epistola fuit ab eis proferri potuit qui illi adhaerebant So if they wrote any such bookes it is like they would haue brought them to light that were the Apostles schollers cont Faust. lib. 22. cap. 79. And of them all and the rest of that sort wee pronounce this sentence with the same father Quae proferuntur ab errantibus sub nomine ipsorum quia non sunt ipsorum improbantur nec acceptantur ab ecclesia Those bookes which are brought forth vnder the name of the Apostles and other auncient writers because they are not theirs are reiected and not receiued or acknowledged of the Churche in Psal. 130. Thus hauing in part declared so much as I thought necessary for the matter in hand how deceitfully our aduersaries haue dealt with the worlde giuing them Quid pro quo as wee say one thing for an other in falsely entituling their friuolous pamphletes with graue and good authors names I will spende a little time before I leaue this place to shewe how they haue not onely thrust vppon those auncient doctors and fathers false writinges but haue also falsified their good woorkes by putting in and putting out by clipping chaunging and altering lines wordes sentences And no maruaile then if by such cunning rather cousoning sleightes they make those good authors to speake what they list them selues Ann. 420. There was a councell held in Africa by 217. Bishoppes called the 6. councell of Carthage whereat Augustine was present vnto this councell sent Zosimus then Bishop of Rome certaime messengers with fower requestes or demaundes whereof this was one that it might be lawfull for Bishops or Priestes to appeale from the sentence