doth not allow it He granteth that the Church of the fourth age florished aboue the former in externall glorie and splendure in wealth and plentie of learned men but that the Church of the former ages was equal with it or excelled as touching the orthodoxall rightnesse of faith and sinceritie of incorrupt discipline he is perswaded that none can make any doubt We finde euery where in the holy Fathers of the fourth age Basil Nazianzen Ierome Chrysostome Augustine and others most grieuous complaints of the faults and sundrie deprauations of their Churches Neither can it be doubted that the further men liued from the first originall the further also they departed from the originall puritie and sinceritie Wherefore when there is a serious purpose to clense and to sweepe the house of God why should not an especiall regard bee had to the time of the Apostles or the times neere the time of the Apostles It is true indeed that for the greatest part of that time the godly Christians did liue in obscuritie in pouertie and miserie by reason of perpetuall persecution yet consider well if in this sense also it be not better to goe into the house of mourning then into the house of mirth Pouertie and miserie are called the sisters of good minde riches and glorie haue not that honourable report And although many of the writers of those times be lost yet some are extant and those worthie of regard S. Cyprian that holy Martyr of Christ he alone if there were none else can better informe vs in the gouernment and discipline of the primitiue Church then many others which liued in the fourth age Wherefore the summe of his Maiesties answere vnto this obseruation is that he is well content there should be arguments brought out of the writings of the Fathers of the fourth and fifth ages but with this caution and condition that those things be allowed for ancient and necessarie to saluation which had not their beginning then but which may be cleerely proued to haue been continually obserued from the first originall of the Church vntill those times THE FIFTH OBSERVATION WHen there is question made about the vnanimitie and consent of Fathers some will haue it then to bee manifest when the matter controuerted is found in all the Fathers in expresse tearmes whose opinion being manifestly vniust it is more equitie for knowledge of consent of Fathers that these two rules be vsed First that the consent of Fathers should then be thought to be sufficiently proued when the worthiest of euery nation do consent in the auerring of any thing and that no man accounted orthodoxall doth oppose them So S. Augustine when he had praised eleuen of the principall writers of former times and the Fathers of the Ephesine Councell when they had brought out ten against Nestorius they all thought that they had giuen sufficient testimonie concerning the consent of the ancient Church The second rule is this When the Fathers do not speake as Doctors nor say that this or that is thus to be done or thus to bee beleeued but when as witnesses of those things which the vniuersall Church of their times beleeued or practised they affirme this to be the faith or practise of that Catholike Church through the whole world then they are so much to be honoured that such an affirmation must be held sufficient to proue the vnanimitie and consent of the Church HIS MAIESTIES ANSVVERE IT is an equall demaund that the parties which contend in these times should consent and agree how they may vse profitably the authoritie of the ancient Fathers For if the testimonie and authoritie of the primitiue Church bee taken away his Maiestie freely confesseth that on mans part the controuersies of these times can neuer haue an end nor by any disputation be determined Wherefore that it may be agreed vpon what and how much is to bee attributed to the Fathers and how farre their authoritie is to take place it will not be amisse that certaine rules be composed by the mutuall consent of the parties prescribing the manner hereof Amongst many other profitable and necessarie rules for this purpose his Maiestie thinketh that these two which you haue noted may haue their place But because the controuersies of these daies are not about ceremonies and other matters of lighter moment but about some articles of faith and opinions appertaining to saluation therefore his iudgement is that aboue all there be a generall agreement vpon this rule that opinions concerning matters of faith and whatsoeuer should be beleeued as necessarie to saluation ought to bee taken out of the sacred Scripture alone neither must they depend vpon the authoritie of any mortall man but vpon the word of God only wherein hee hath declared his will vnto vs by his holy Spirit Because the Fathers and the ancient Church had authoritie of deducting articles out of the sacred Scriptures and explaning but of coyning new articles of their owne they had no authoritie This foundation being laid both the maiestie of the Scriptures inspired by God shal remaine inuiolated and that reuerence shall be giuen to the holie Fathers which is due That this was the minde of all the Doctors of the ancient Church it may be easily demonstrated out of their owne writings For what words more frequent in their workes then these That the doctrine which is taught in the Church of God ought to bee taken out of the word of God And these For controuersies in matters of religion let the Scripture be iudge Or who knoweth not the golden words of S. Basil the Great in his booke De Fide It is a manifest fall from faith and argument of presumption to reiect any thing of the written word or to bring in any thing which is not written seeing it is the speech of our Lord Iesus Christ My sheepe heare my voyce And thus much be spoken concerning the obseruations proposed Now follow the foure instances For your illustrious honour being come to the hypothesis to the end that you might euince that his excellent Maiestie doth not beleeue those things which the Catholike Church did anciently beleeue you goe about to demonstrate it by foure arguments drawne from such things as concerne the outward worship of God or the liturgie and matters of daily practise in religion and afterwards you giue this reason why especially you bring these instances because if there were agreement concerning these the rest would bee easily agreed vpon His excellent Maiestie most illustrious Cardinall could wish that this might be hoped for but considering with himselfe what it is which at this day is vrged by your writers with chiefe care and eager contention there appeares no great hope of peace no not if there were agreement about these foure heads which you haue proposed For now adaies there is as eager contention about the Empire of the Bishop of Rome as for these or any other points of Christian religion
THE ANSVVERE OF MASTER ISAAC CASAVBON to the Epistle OF THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS and most reuerend Cardinall PERON Translated out of Latin into English May 18. 1612. LONDON Printed by FELIX KYNGSTON for VVilliam Aspley 1612. TO SIR THOMAS EDMONDS HIS MAIESTIES Legier in France ISAAC CASAVBON wisheth Health HOnourable Sir the importunate curiositie of men hath at length ouercome my purpose which would not suffer neither this answere nor the Epistle that gaue the occasion of it to keepe priuate with other scroles in the desks of the owners As for me how vnwilling I haue been from the beginning and euer since to haue it published both you well know and others of worth can witnesse who haue earnestly requested that of me yet did not preuaile But now seeing so great a man forced to yeeld vnto other mens desire let none marueile that I also haue done the same And although this Answere was not written to the end that it should be published yet if they into whose hands it shall come be equall and moderatly minded not seruile to affections there will proue no cause I trust that I should repent of publishing it or they of reading it It shall be knowne to honest men and such as be desirous of publike agreement amongst Christian people as I haue obserued the most to be on both sides that are good men and intelligent in matters Diuine that they haue his excellent Maiestie of GREAT BRITAINE ioyning with them in their most holie wish yea with most earnest desire Who although he haue iust cause to be perswaded that his words his writings his actions heretofore haue made manifest to the whole Christian world the excellencie of his minde in this behalfe yet he thought good not to despise this occasion happened also of declaring the same Who is there so void of al sense of piety which doth not embrace and admire this affection in so mightie a Prince Who so sauage and barbarous as otherwaies to interpret it or to make doubt whether this answere of the King did proceed from a vehement desire of concord Religious and wise men shall further vnderstand what manner of peace and concord in the Church this most pious Prince wisheth and vpon what termes and conditions his Maiestie is readie to make couenant For this answere is tempered with such moderation that the zealous endeuour by all good meanes to make vp peace appeareth not to be inferiour to the Zealous endeuour of defending the truth And this surely is the Kings opinion this his firme sentence that it is but vaine for such men to thinke or talke of the peace of the Church which are not afraid to separate and disioyne this celestiall chariot which ought in no wise to be discoupled That in vaine therefore doe they vaunt of the truth of their opinion who maliciously interpreting all the sayings of other men and deducting thence such absurd consequences as they list giuing bad example of such peruerse industrie doe proue themselues destitute of charitie which is the mother of vnitie That in vaine also doe they vsurpe the golden names of Charitie and Vnitie which are not willing to admit of Truth which is the foundation of pietie that is sincere It was of old excellently spoken by S. Hilarie Beautifull is the name of peace saith he and faire is the opinion of vnitie but who may doubt that that only is the peace of the Church which is the peace of Christ The peace of Christ which alone is taught by this most holy father to bee approued off in the Church it is that by which the doctrine of Christ which he taught his Apostles and his Apostles taught the primitiue Church doth remaine safe defenced and vnshaken Let those to whom it belongeth who challenge the principall places in the Church offer vnto his Maiestie such a peace and straightway the discord is ended Let them ingeniously and faithfully separate humane matters from diuine things superstitious from things religious nouelties and late-borne deuices from such matters as be truly ancient lastly the nothing or lesse necessarie from the necessary and I say againe and I crie aloud that all may heare on his Maiesties part and for the Church of England the discord is at an end Now to come vnto so great a benefit there lieth but one Kings streete as it were which from the entrance of the Church hath been beaten by our ancestors namely the free celebration of a Generall Councell wherein the complaints of all Nations may be heard wherein controuersies may be determined and peace for the time ensuing by Gods mercie bee established For the rooting of bad opinions out of mens mindes and for the reconciliation of nations diuided by dissention the Church in all ages knew no other course but this nor vsed other but this they vsed not violence nor armes But seeing by reason of the generall sinnes of vs all there appeares no hope of a Generall Councell yet it would be some ease of this euill if the great libertie or rather vnbridled licence of daily writing and publishing bookes of Diuinitie were by seuere lawes on both sides restrained For now what hope can remaine when throughout all Europe euery where euer now and then new writers come abroad such as be readie to powre oyle into the fire rather then by casting on water to extinguish the flame Gregorie Nazianzen that admirable Diuine could not endure in the men of his time the curiositie in disputing of diuine matters and in diuers places of his writings hee affirmes that the only cause almost of the euils which that age suffered not vnlike to ours now adaies was this because men void of Gods spirit commonly and promiscuously did dispute of spirituall things and conuert Theologie into technology that is make no other vse of Diuinity but as a matter of learned or artificiall discourse as they talke of other arts and sciences out of humane reason From this licence which now almost euery where beareth sway rise so many new tearmes and such diuersitie of formes of speech and sentences which daily more and more breed dissention in the Church of God Away then with this libertie of prophecying which is so pleasing vnto some of these times if they vnderstand thereby a licence of broaching new deuices and departing from the doctrine which hath been receiued by consent of all men in the ages of the primitiue Church What should I tell here of those vnsauourie and vnlettered writers which are scarcely perfit in the first elements of Christian religion which daily come foorth of those places especially where without any difference made of good or euill demeanours without respect of knowledge or ignorance to the hurt of the common good rewards are propounded vnto any one that being growne impudent can set out a booke against the aduerse part though it be full of rage and emptie of all learning But what good can be hoped for from such as make
illustrious and most reuerend Lord I haue learned as I thinke by vse and experience that there is no euill so great out of which or by occasion whereof some good may not arise And as it is an vsuall speech that honey breedeth gall so it may bee said not vnfitly that somtimes out of pure gall commeth pure honey Not to seeke any further proofe of this the lewd book of that debosht cauiller which gaue me first occasion by his excellent Maiesties commaund of writing to your illustrious Honour it was pure gall and that most virulent But both your letters which vpon that occasion you sent me seasoned with singular courtesie humanitie and prudence witnessing the faire ingenuitie of the author were sweeter to me then any honey Wherefore I was not afraid to shew them vnto his Maiestie and his Maiestie although he approued not of all that was in them for that could not be yet hee refused not but was willing to reade them both It delighted him very much that yet he knew one Diuine of your side a man of chiefe place of honorable estimation and excellent learning which handling the controuersies of these times appeared to be of a moderate and quiet disposition For with what spirit the most are led which now adaies set out bookes of this argument there needs no more sufficient declaration then out of those writers which hitherto haue oppugned his Maiesties Apologie All of them if you except one or two filling their vnhappie leaues with lies reproches and foule language But especially the words in your last letters did delight his Maiestie whose minde is enflamed with the zeale of sincere pietie whereby you seemed to put him in hope that this friendly communication concerning matters of religion was like not to prooue fruitlesse Which thing as it pleased the King marueilously who is readie vpon this condition to vndergoe any paines so if there remaine no hope hereof neither is there any iust cause why his Maiestie or your Honour should trouble your selues Surely I hope if your Worthinesse will take serious care of it that with the helpeof almightie God you may effect by the authoritie which you haue amongst your owne and the report of learning and wit amongst all that by these mutual writings some good profit may redownd to the Church of Iesus Christ As for his most excellent Maiestie of Great Britaine in whose Court I haue now liued a whole veere and more I dare promise you and with all manner of asseueration confirme that he is so affected and that the course of his whole life hath bin so ordered that all men may easily vnderstand there is nothing dearer to him then the carefull endeuour for religion Neither priuate businesse nor the publike cares of his kingdome doe vsually so affect his Maiestie as a kinde of vnmeasurable desire by all meanes to promote religion and which consideration most beseemes so great a King an exceeding affection by all right and honest meanes to procure peace amongst the dissenting members of the Church And this care so fitting a Christian Prince the most pious King hath not confined within the bounds of his owne kingdome though very large but remembring that he is stiled the Defendour of the faith he hath thought good not out of any curiositie but a vehemencie of zeale to extend it beyond the limites of his owne little world that his Maiesties wisedome and authoritie might be beneficiall also to the Churches of other Countries if occasion were offered and that daily it might be more apparant in the sight of God and men that his chiefe care is the preseruation of Christian religion Of late therefore and about the time when I shewed you his last letters his Maiestie gaue this great experiment of this his deuout minde which as it is most worthilie approued and commended here of all good and godly men so I hope most illustrious Cardinall that the knowledge of it will be delightfull to you When the right Honourable and most reuerend Prelate the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace by letters certified his Maiestie that there came vnto his hands a booke brought out of some part of Germanie or the Low Countries containing doctrine concerning the nature of God which was new peruerse and in some points repugnant to the faith of the Catholike Church and withall desired his Maiestie that for the repressing of this mischiefe which was lately sprung vp hee would shew foorth the zeale of the Defendour of the faith and intercede with the Magistrates of that place where the author liued desiring of them not to suffer so prodigious doctrine to bee brought into their Churches and Vniuersities and that the inuentor of this prophane noueltie might not passe vnpunished the King as he came out of coach after a tedious hunting as soone as hee had receiued the letters and the booke noted and markt in sundrie places by that most vigilant Prelate without any delay thought it a businesse worthie to be taken notice of And although at that time his bodie was faint with exercise and fasting yet what he had begun he went through at once as it were with one continuance and heate of endeuour neither could hee bee entreated by the Nobilitie which stood about him to haue any respect of himselfe vntill after a good long consideration of the whole matter with the right reuerend Bishop of Lichfield and others of the Clergie and a perfect vnderstanding thereof hee most accuratly discharged as much as appertained to him and as piety commanded The booke was condemned and it was determined that all the copies of it should be burnt in London and in both the Vniuersities Which afterwards was performed Letters were immediatly dispatched the King himself dictating vnto his Maiesties Legier there lying to testifie what was the iudgement of the King and the Church of England concerning this new doctrine Withall order was giuen to acquaint the Magistrates with the matter Let them looke to it to whom the care of remouing that euill doth belong what account of their delay they can make vnto the immortall God if which wee hope cannot come to passe neither of their owne accord nor after so notable example they vndergoe the patronage of the truth with lesse zeale and endeuour then they ought His Maiestie at the first receiuing of the newes was so mooued that hee thought hee should commit a grieuous offence if hee gaue any indulgence to his bodie before he had fully performed this office of pietie I doubt not most illustrious Cardinall but you will greatly approue of and praise this deed I haue made relation to you of what was done not to the intent I might commend his Maiestie vnto you but to let you vnderstand how fast he holdeth the ancient faith and how stout and earnest a Defendour he is of the opinions of the true Catholike Church whom notwithstanding most of your Catholikes will not haue to bee accounted and called a