glorious Saint But would he disclayme his lying and calumniating this accusation would soone cease To preferre holy Scripture before any one Father is no scorne nor wrong Caluin in some things leaueth him but Papists leaue him where he followeth the Apostle and setteth forth the grace of Christ they beleeue that Monicaes soule was in Purgatorie but so did not S. Austine Toward the end of his Preface hauing almost tyred himselfe with lying and busie search of that he cannot finde he cryeth out O Heresie how deepe are thy Rootes layd in Hell Some pang belike of Hellish Treason and Heresie wrung his rotten carkasse and pinched him at the heart for to denie Masses and Dirges for the dead is no Heresie but to destroy Christs humanitie to renounce his grace and to maintaine Pelagianisme as Papists doe is most grosse and notorious Heresie We esteeme S. Austine and other Fathers as much as they desire to be esteemed and preferre them farre before the Pope and his whole Consistorie of Cardinals But the Papists doe preferre euery blind and ignorant Popes Sentence before all the ancient Fathers of whom albeit they speake gloriously in their Breuiaries and Missals yet they neyther regard them nor the Apostles of our Sauiour if they speake against their holy Father and his profit and Monkes slow bellyes S. Austine beleeued repented and liued a boly life but yet he neyther whipped himselfe nor did Penance as Fryars do neyther did he make boast of his eminencie in all perfection of life which the Apostate attributeth vnto him The Fable of the writing of the seuen Penitentiall Psalmes before S. Austine as he lay on dying is not probable the same being a practise of Fryars and not mentioned by Possidonius We endeuor by Faith and good Workes and the testimonie of a good Conscience to make our election sure to vs and so no doubt did S. Austine but we perswade no man to assure himselfe of his saluation his life being flagitious and sensuall and himselfe being ignorant and liuing without repentance and hauing Faith onely without good Workes as this lying and flagitious Apostate doth falsely charge vs that is rather the flagitious error of the Apostate and his Consorts who promise saluation to all absolued by Masse-Priests and dying in the Popes Faith which was also the Heresie of Eunomius The example of S. Austine he sayth is profitable to all men whether they be in state of puritie or are fallen into sensualitie hauing darke and frozen soules As if S. Austine were a Catharist or Puritan or sensuall Papists whose hearts are darkened with ignorance and frozen with coldnesse of deuotion could reape any profit by S. Austines example Onely he would not haue his Reader so to remember S. Austine as to forget their deuotion to his Mother Monica who as he sayth had a manly soule indued with massie and solide vertues A note of remembrance full of stoliditie rather then soliditie for deuotion and religion in the opinion of all solide Christians tryeth vs to God and not to men or women departed this life and vnknowne to vs. Further if her soule were manly why may not the Apostate haue a female soule being so much addicted to the feminine gender If her vertues were massie why may not his vanities be spongeous and light like Tyffanie Lastly if S. Austine and his Mother were Saints being not canonized by the Pope then is the Popes power lately vsurped in canonizing Saints nothing And thus an end of the Apostates idle and long Preface proface to his indignitie that hath thus vnworthily disgraced himselfe and his gracelesse Cause CHAP. VI. Notes and Aduertisements vpon the Translators Aduertisement concerning S. AVSTINES Retractations ALthough his idle Aduertisement to the Reader is neyther worth any Animaduersion nor the Readers paines yet because it commeth in sute next after his Preface it followeth in order that vpon his Aduertisement we put our Animaduersions And first I could not ouerpasse his impudence and arrogance albeit noted before in calling himselfe and his companions Catholikes whose Faith is neyther Catholike nor Apostolike nor Christian Let him if he haue any shame demonstrate that Christs Body is made of Bread nay of Wine and that it is contained vnder the accidents of Bread and Wine and was eaten not onely by the Apostles but also by Christ himselfe yea by men and beasts eating the Sacrament that the Pope is Christs Vicar and hath two Swords and power to depose and kill Kings that Fryars and Monks were instituted by Christ and liue in perfect puritie and all the new Creed of Trent When we are vrged by Papists with the authoritie of Saint Austine making euidently against vs it is our vse sayth the Aduertiser to alledge that he made Bookes of Retractation But first he is not able to shew any authoritie of S. Austine making euidently against vs contrariwise we haue alledged places making euidently against the Popish Faction and their Heresies Secondly it is no fault to say he made Books of Retractations Thirdly wee alledge places neuer retracted Lastly it is an easie matter to auoid whatsoeuer is obiected against vs out of S. Austine without any such friuolous and idle shift as is by this poore shifter suggested and deuised for vs. Where S. Austine Lib. 9. Confess c. 13. speaketh of the price of our Redemption he sayth nothing is signified but the Sacrifice of the Masse A conceit fond and ridiculous for first what is more absurd then to confesse that the soule of the Translator and his companions is of so little value that they may be redeemed with euery three-halfe-peny Masse Secondly that Father doth not so much as in one word mention the Sacrifice of the Masse Thirdly hee vnderstandeth the Sacrifice made vpon the Crosse for our Redemption a memoriall whereof is made in the holy Mysteries prophaned by wicked Masse-Priests That which S. Austine sayth of Prayers for the Dead maketh nothing eyther for the sale of Masses or Dirges or the blazing fire of Purgatorie neyther is the Apostate able to auow his irreligion by any words of S. Austine of Vowes of Miracles or of the darkenesse of any Texts of Scriptures He telleth vs that S. Austine mentioneth Monasteries of Religious persons and great numbers of Hermites yet cannot he shew any such institation of Hermites nor demonstrate that S. Austine euer knew any Popish Monke or Fryar That one and the same Scripture hath very many and different sences is not the Doctrine of S. Austine but the foolish conceit of this idle Translator that hath in his head very many crotchets but very little sence or vnderstanding for how can we be assured of the truth and certaine vnderstanding of Scriptures if the same haue many sences Apollo Loxias gaue forth ambiguous Oracles but farre is that from the Text of holy Scriptures and the wisdome of the holy Ghost He noteth also that albeit S. Austine wrote the storie of his youth yet he was no young man
when he wrote his Booke A high point of the Translators learning as if old men could not write the storie of their younger yeeres the Translator himselfe if he please may write what he did in the Brothels of France Italy and Spaine when he was younger then now Further he chargeth vs as if we should say that S. Austine was but a young man when he wrote his Confessions and that afterward he grew wiser As if any of vs did taxe S. Augustine of indiscretion for writing this Booke if he know any such why doth he-not name them if he name none himselfe seemeth to be a false accuser who albeit growne in yeeres is neyther more honest nor wise then when he was young He in his Retractations sayth he confessed his sinnes and good deeds An example which the Aduertiser meaneth not to follow for his enormious sinnes he will not confesse and good deeds I know none he hath to relate He addeth that his Confessions much pleased many of his Brethren Yet we heare of no Confession that this prodigall and Popish Apostate hath made nor doth he greatly care to please his Parents Brethren and Friends neyther doth his Translation please any man but himselfe S. Austine in his fourth Booke of Confessions saith Hee made rather a light Declamation then a serious Confession But the aduertiser although hee make both idle Declamations and friuolous and false Annotations yet neyther in jest nor earnest doth hee confesse his faults but rather proudly and vaine-gloriously boast of his doings In the end the Aduertiser beseecheth his discreet Reader to admire the humility and exactnesse of the Saint A request that concerneth himselfe nothing that is neither Saint nor humble nor exact nor discreet nay foolishly hee admireth himselfe and his doings albeit his Prefaces Notes and Aduertisements containe nothing but foolery vanity and lyes S. Austine saith the Aduertiser beleeued what hee taught But neyther did hee teach any thing in fauour of his Popish Heresies nor preiudiciall to the Faith of the Church of England Vainely hee boasteth that the moderne Faith of Rome is Catholike But we haue conuinced it to be neither Catholike nor Apostolike nor true Let him answer to our arguments and hee shall be forced to confesse so much himselfe This aduertisement therefore howsoeuer it pleased the Translator therein to mention S. Austines Retractations maketh nothing for his owne glory and commendation He should haue shewed more wisedome if hee had retracted both his Preface and Aduertisement After his Aduitisement he confesseth that his Copie was euill written and that many errours escaped in Printing But this should easily haue beene pardoned if that his whole labour had beene well performed and grosse Errours had not been committed in his Preface Annotations and Translations Now then wee come to speake of his Annotations and Translations reserued for the last Chapter CHAP. VII Of the false wicked and absurd Annotations of the Apostate vpon S. AVGVSTINES Confessions and how euill-fauouredly they and hee answere the Text. SAint Augustine in the first Booke of his Confessions Cap. 2. Doth inuocate his Lord and God which made Heauen and Earth and which notwithstanding was not contayned in them But this Apostate and his fellowes doth inuocate and call vpon Angels and Saints yea vpon their God of the Altar that neither made Heauen nor Earth nor any thing else but as themselues say was made by a Priest and is contayned vnder the accidents of Bread and Wine and shut vp in a Pixe and hanged ouer the Altar This the Apostate did well perceiue made not for his profit and therefore hee was content to passe by this Chapter in sad silence Chap. 4. S. Augustine saith Supererogatur tibi vti debeas which the Apostate translateth thus By our Supererogation thou becommest our debtor and noteth that God maketh vs able to doe workes of Supererogation But neyther doth that holy Father say or thinke that God was made our debtor for our Workes but onely for his Promise nor account Monkish vowes to be workes of Supererogation nor teach that man was able to performe the whole Law and more Chap. 5. lib. 1. the Translator noteth That S. Austine did oblige God to bee good vnto him A patch stitched to the Text and not in one word signified by that holy Father and most false For by what obligation can God that is aboue all be obliged to a sinfull man that is so farre vnderneath him Nay in this very Chapter hee declareth his sinnes against himselfe and confessing the impietie of his heart and disclaiming his Merites and Workes saith Hee will not stand in judgement with God In the Margent Chap. 10. the Translator noteth that there are Sectaries who blasphemously affirme that God appointeth men to sinne But he durst not name any party least touching M. Caluin he should be deprehended in a manifest Lye and conuinced of his ordinarie Crime of Calumniation Howbeit if men should appoint men to worship the Pope and to embrace his Heresies to worship Saints and Images after the practise of Rome to rebell against Princes excommunicated by the Pope which the Apostaticall Faction of Rome sayth he doth then by their Doctrine he should appoint men indeed to sinne Wee say onely God forbiddeth all sinnes and directeth all mens actions Chap. 11. he obserueth the vse of signing with the Crosse but S. Austine there speaketh of signing and salting Infants newly come out of their Mothers Wombe and sometime before Baptisme Ceremonies not now vsed in the Romish Church Hee talketh therefore of no matters of Faith nor helpeth the Translator who so often and superstitiously abuseth that signe S. Austine Chap. 13. toucheth the buyers and sellers of Grammar but the Translator addeth Rules as if Rules of Grammar were sold so that a man might haue licence to speake false Latine In Rome the Pope selleth Rules Lawes and Dispensations but the Translator careth for none of that nor doth the Pope care for Grammar Rules or good Latine Lib. 1. Chap. 16. S. Austine speaketh of a Floud but the Translator turneth it into a Torrent and noteth in the Margent A noble Discourse as if it were a noble thing to talke of Torrents of Custome and drying vp of Flouds Afterward he talketh of learning these words the Golden Shower the Lap the Ornament and the Temple of Heauen and the Translator noteth an extreme abuse still on foot but sheweth not what it is nor wherein it consisteth These words Qui templa Coeli summo sonitu conculit he translateth thus which shakes the whole Vault of Heauen with his soueraigne Voyce as if the Heauen were like a Vault of a Cellar and euery great noyse were a soueraigne Voyce O the soueraigne dizardrie of a transcendent Translator whose words soare aboue all vnderstanding and reason God is the Centre of all true sweetnesse sayth the Apostate in a Marginall Note vpon the first Chapter of the second Booke of Confessions But in the Text
to bee followed Was not then this Rinegate impudent that tooke the Authority which S. Austine bestowed on Scriptures and by a tricke of Legierdemaine conueyed it to the Church of Rome and to euery blind Pope That one place of Scripture hath diuers sences as the Apostate blindly auoweth in his Notes on the 12. Booke of S. Austines Confessions Chap. 18. hee shall neuer bee able to proue by the testimony of that Father who confirmeth that to be the sence of Scripture which the Enditor meant who is Truth and speaketh but one thing Thus wee see for a Translator we haue here a corrupter falsifier of S. Austine Afterward lib. 12. c. 20. he sayth diuers Expositors may diuersly interprete one place but he sayth not that one place hath diuers sences as the Apostate without all sence inferreth For how can that which differeth be true And how can God in one sentence vnderstand diuers things he being alwayes one and vnchangeable The Postiller vpon the Margent of this 12. Booke c. 25. sayth Truth is a Catholike Benediction and S. Austine there confesseth that Truth belongeth not to any one man but is common to all the louers of Truth But he is an absurd fellow to suppose the Pope and his followers embracing the refuse Doctrine of Trent and the Schooles to be Catholikes or Truth to be a Benediction bestowed on Papists that wee haue found and declared to be forgers lyars slanderers and a packe of Heretikes Further if Truth belongeth not to any one man why doth euery false Pope that is but a priuat man pretend that he is the onely supreme Iudge of Truth and infallible interpreter of holy Scriptures In the Title of the 30. chapter of the 12. Booke of S. Austines Confessions the Translator sayth Charitie is to be maintained among men of contrarie opinions So hee pronounceth sentence against the Pope and his Inquisitors and all their Faction which persecute Christians and cut their throats for not holding euery one of their trifling Heresies S. Augustine would haue Truth to make friends But the Apostaticall Sect will not heare him being offended for nothing more then that we teach Truth against the Brood of Antichrist and their wicked Errors Lib. 13. Confess c. 1. the Postiller noteth that without Gods inspiration a man cannot thinke a good thought which is also S. Austines Doctrine and both contrary to the Popish Doctrine of Papists that giue free-will to a naturall man both to say well and to doe well Cap. 7. the Translator intimateth that man riseth from sinne and is iustified by the helpe of Charitie inherent in vs. And this he endeuoreth to picke out of S. Austine but sooner shall hee picke Gudgeons out of Flint stones for that holy Father doth not speake there of Charitie inherent in vs but of Charitie giuen vs and working in vs by Gods holy Spirit Lib. 13. c. 9. ridiculously he endeuoreth to proue his Popish Procession by the example of the Jewes who as he sayth did sing Psalmes as they went vp the stayres of the Temple As if euery Masse-Priest singing Letanies as they goe vp Newgate stayres or as they goe to Tiburne doe walke in Procession By the Psalmes of the Jewes this Apostate will neuer proue his Letanies or Procession for they sung Psalmes to God Masse-Priests in their Letanies pray to dead men Where S. Austine lib. 13. c. 13. speaketh of the expectation of adoption and the redemption of his body the false Postiller noteth that S. Paul saued Christians by praying for them after his glorification of which that Father giueth not the least signification nay contrarie he expected the fruits of his owne adoption and the redemption of his owne bodie of which other Christians were no members Cap. 14. he sayth the Caluinists affirme their Church to consist only of the elect But the lying Apostate sheweth not who these Caluinists are and where they write so much as he chargeth them with Caluin himselfe saith only that the Catholike Church is a Communion of Saints and properly consisteth of the Elect to whom remission of sins eternall life belong albeit many wicked men may seeme to be of the Catholike Church in regard of their profession are reputed members of particular Churches Quis nisi tu Deus noster fecisti nobis firmamentum authoritatis super nos in scriptura tua diuina saith S. Austine Lib. 13. Confes c. 1.5 that is who but thou our God hath giuen vs a foundation of authority aboue vs in thy diuine Scripture which clearely refuteth the blasphemous Postill of this Apostate who saith the Church that is the Pope hath power to make Scriptures Canonicall to vs. For if they receiue authority from God only how commeth the Pope or the Church to giue them authority and how doth the Church know them to be Canonicall but by diuine Authority Cap. 19. the Translator corrupteth S. Austines text by adding to it about the middle of the Chap. these words a word of Counsell following as it seemeth his Spanish notes and translation He intimateth also that Fryers and Monkes the scum and refuse of the world are an elected generation which S. Austine neyther meant nor could speake of Finally he saith Religious men and Priests are a middle kind of Creatures as you would say Centaures Satyrs Monsters being neither Saints therfore not belonging to the Church that is a Communion of Saints nor ordinary Christians and therefore not belonging to Christ or to the King because they clayme themselues to bee exempt By creeping things Confes lib. 13. c. 20. the Postiller vnderstandeth Masse-Priests Monkes Friers who indeed creepe and crawle like Snakes leape like Toades and swarme like Lice But yet hee is much deceiued if he thinke there were any such vermine in the world in S. Austines time Lib. 13. c. 21. the Translator seeketh for Masse-Priests Monks and Friers in S. Austine and in the 1. of Genesis declaring that they are men as it were seuered from the world But the poore Ideot is as farre wide as Genesis is from the Apocalipse where he may find Locusts newly come out of the bottomlesse pit and Masse-Priests are no where found but in the Popes Decretals and Pontificall Both most noxious Serpents and giuen to carnality and worldly pleasures Spirituales ergo siue qui praesunt siue qui obtemperant spiritualiter iudicant sayth S. Austine Lib. 13. Confess c. 23. that is spirituall men iudge whether they rule or obey but of the sublime authoritie of Gods Booke he will admit none to iudge but would haue all men to submit their vnderstanding vnto it How then doth the Pope take vpon him to be that spirituall man that iudgeth all things Can Boniface the eight c. vnam sanctam extr com de Maior Obed. iudge better then S. Austine What audacious boldnesse is it for euery Pope to challenge a power to himselfe ouer Scriptures to make them authenticall to vs Euery Preacher may expound