of our men seeme worse then it is they vrge that as an incurable wound of our Church which is an vnauoydable misery of this life to haue many wicked ioyned with the iust many sinners with Saints euen the worst with the best From which misery the Church of Christ can neuer be free nor healed till she become glorious without spot or wrinkle in heauen (u) Ephes 5. v. 27. Now she is a great house which conteyneth vessels of reproach togeather with vessels of honour (x) 2. Tim. 2. v. 20. a net which draweth good bad fish through the waues of this life to the shore (y) Matt. 13. v. 47. a floore that now is threshed hauing chaffe mingled with corne (z) Matt. 3. v. 12. a field where the Diuell soweth his darnell amidst Christs wheat (a) Matt. 13. v. 25. which must grow togeather till haruest when a diuision shall be made no lesse ioyfull for the one then wofull for the other when chaffe by heapes darnell by buÌ„dells shal be cast into vnquencheable fire the choyce corne wheat of the elect layd vp in the granary of eternall glory This is the blessed state the Church of God doth expect the meane tyme the office of good men is with great patieÌ„ce to suffer whom neither their charity can conuert nor their authority punish seeking to keep themselues vnspotted not by running vnto another Church nor by knowing the sinnes of others but by not consenting vnto what they know nor iudging rashly of what they know not (b) Non malefacta hominuÌ„ cognosceÌ„do sed cognitis non coÌ„seÌ„tieÌ„do de incognitis verò noÌ„temerè iudicaÌ„do innoceÌ„tiam custodimê° August de vnit Eccl. l. 2. expecting the glorious comming of the great God (c) Tit. 2. v. 23. when secrets shal be seene (d) 1. Cor. 5. v. 5. and men rewarded according to their workes (e) Matt. 16. v. 27. Vos interea quid saeuitis to speake vnto Protestants in the wordes of S. Augustine against hereticks of his tyme quid excaecamini in studio partium quid tanti erroris longa defensione implicamini (f) l. 1. de moribus Eccl. Cathol c. 35. c In this interim of mortall life why doe you rage why doe you blind your selfe with partiall affection vnto your owne side why doe you loose your selues in so long and vayne defence of your vast errours seeke corne in the field grayne in the floore which will easely appeare and shew it self to such as seeke it (*) Quid nimis in purgameÌ„ta inteÌ„ditis oculos Quid ab opimi horti vbertate imperitos sepium asperitate terretis Est certus aditus quamuis paucioribus notus qua possit intrari quem vos aut esse non creditis aut inuenire non vultis VVhy doe you cast your curious eye vpon chaffe only VVhy doe you detayne ignorant people from the entrance into this fruitfull garden by shewing thornes and bryers that grow in the hedge There is a passage which leadeth men into this orchard though not so obuious vnto all which eyther you doe not belieue or els will not find Thus S. Augustine 12. And thence appeareth the fifth thing I intended to proue that Ministers in this point are willfully blynd who cast their eyes euery way to seeke cauils against vs not enduring to see the great and heroycall sanctity of many in our Church And first concerning our Ancestors 400. yeares agoe whose sinnes this modest Minister rippeth vp to lay them vpon vs they haue left so many famous monumeÌ„ts of zeale and piety that Protestants are no wayes comparable with them whose religious liberality erected Churches and endowed them with rents and reuenewes for Catholick Priests which marryed Ministers with their wiues and children now enioy who otherwise might goe a begging how much soeuer they brag of their nursing Kings and Queenes (g) M. Crashaw in his Virgin Sermon which superiority aboue them in works of piety one of theÌ„ doth coÌ„fesse with shame inough saying If we looke (h) M. Stubbs in his motiue to good workes printed 1596. p. 43. into the ages past we shall find more godlines deuotion zeale though blynd more loue one towards another more fidelity and faithfulnes eueryway in them then is now found in vs. And yet further Is (i) pag. 72. it not a shame vnto vs that our forefathers liuing in the tymes of superstition c. should notwithstanding so far passe vs in good workes that we may not once be compared with them in any small measure Thus he Shewing the blyndnes of our Bachelour and such Mates as rayle at the liues of our (k) See likwise the testimony of the Centuriators cent 7. c. 7. col 181. Ancestors with whom their Church is no wayes comparable which howsoeuer she brag of her sun-shine is more dark and obscure theÌ„ Egipt it self if we respect the light of good workes which Christ did commaund (l) Matt. 5. v. 14. to shyne in his Church And that now also there is an entrance into our Church to find out many good and holy men our Aduersary Syr Edwyn Sandes can witnes vpon his owne knowledg who writeth in this sort Let Protestants looke with the eye of charity vpon the Popery as well as of seuerity and they shall find some excellent orders of gouerment some singular helps for increase of godlynes and deuotion for the conquering of sinne for the profitting in vertue (m) In his relation of the religioÌ„ vsed in the west â—â—â—ts of the world sect 48. And of our Catholicke Clergy he saith In their Sermons much matter both of faith and piety is eloquently deliuered by men surely of wonderfull zeale and spirit (n) sect 6. All Countryes are full of the Iesuits bookes of prayer and piety to their language and wonderfull is the reputation which thence redounds to their Order (o) sect 7. Thus doth this Protestant write of our Church vpon certayne experience after long trauailes whereas M. Crashaw who neuer moued foote out of England by the intelligence he gets from his Gossips at Pemblico doth pronounce this iudgment and censure that our Church is deliuered vnto a generall and vniuersall pollution in all estates and many other big wordes to the same purpose 13. But when he commeth to touch either the sinnes on sanctity of his owne Church you may wonder how he doth mince his wordes about the one and open his mouth wyde in the other Touching the sinnes in his Church he doth confesse some are incurable which he tearmeth litle petty Babells or daughters and sprigs of Babylon Examples of great Sanctity he hath none but had he any to dilate vpon how his tongue would swell in their praise you may see by this that commending two Churches in London S. Antlings and S. Mary Oueryes famously knowne to be the hauntes of Puritans and Brownists he saith In a Church in London meaning one of the
extr de Baptismo eius effectu Et in C. Sicut Iudaei Item extr de Iudaeis Saracenis D. Th. 22. q. 10. a. 8. ad 2. Val. tom 3 d. 1. q. 10. punct 6. lawes nor their yong children christened against both the parents will as Deuines teach How then may Ministers seeke to compell Catholikes from their Religion â—n which their Ancestours successiuely for many ages did both gloriously liue and religiously dye especially ours being a Religion which the more learned Protestants do confesse to be truly Christian and sufficient (s) See ProtestaÌ„ts Apology tra 2. sect 6. subd 1. to saluation 24. Were we Idolaters which in Ministers mouthes is our ordinay reproach or Heretikes with which title they please sometymes to disgrace vs what need they deuise new lawes seeing lawes haue bene enacted long since by God against the one by the Church against the other What is the reason they proceed not against vs by these lawes The cause is that when they call vs Idolaters and Heretikes their conscience doth secretly check their toÌ„gue that these crimes are more stoutly pronounced by them then indeed practised by vs rather vttered by way of reproach then of truth Neither can iudicious Princes who measure others worthines by their owne be easily perswaded that their noble Ancestors whose valour and wisdome the admire were indeed drowned in such brutish Idolatry more then Cymerian darknesse For in truth should they proceed against vs as Idolaters and stone vs to death their harts might seeme harder then the very stones which they should force to fly at vs pursuing the faith of so many Kings Queenes Princes and famous Worthyes whose persons also they neyther would nor without exception of persons could spare being guilty with vs of the same faith were not these blessed and euerliuing stones now eternally placed in the glorious Pallace of Gods Kindgdome which the stones of malice can neither ouerthrow nor reach vnto who haue left behind them so many Monuments of their Christianity and piety which yet stand and may stand to the worlds end except Ministers destroying them imploy the stones to beat out of the world that faith and Religion that built them which should they doe the very stones if men were silent would cry vnto heauen for vengeance against them 25. And for burning vs as Hereticks such fire would giue a cleare light to make the shame of their new Ghospell apparant to all Christians should they which this their fury supposed we might expect at their handes make the fire of all Christian bookes which euen themselues doe confesse to teach the same doctrine for which Catholicks should burne For into such a flame not only so many thousand of bookes of the learned Deuines of this present age should enter but also the rest of all learned Christian Authors for these thousand (t) Protestants haue written saith M. Fulke that the Pope hath blinded the world these many hundred yeares some say a 1000. some 1200. some 900. Fulke in his treatise against Stapleton Martial pag. 25. yeares without any question and all the rest of all ancient Fathers some for one point some for another would by the Protestant Censure be cast on the same heape to serue for fewell from which their priuate spirits interpreting Scripture as they please would neuer be able to keep eyther the blessed Apostles or Christ himselfe who hath giuen his word neuer to part from the mouth and doctrine of his Church in any age to the (u) Matt. 28. v. 20. worlds end A fire made of so sacred fewell would yield rather flames of diuine loue to comfort the hart then corporall flames to consume the body neyther might that fire be thought so much to turne the sacred members of the Martyr into ashes as embalming his holy Reliques with the myrh of immortall memory commend them as pledges of ChristiaÌ„ coÌ„stancy to the custody of future ages Such a death-bed how comfortable might it be to a Martyr where the flagrant sent of holy Scriptures by which Fathers proue their doctrine and as with flowers adorne their writings might make him with the glorious (*) S. Laurence Deacon in the middest of flames seeme to lye vpon roses where their sweet and diuine eloquence declaring the ioyes of heauen and miseryes of this life would yield a more pleasing gale of â—ynd to coole his burning heat then that which bedewed â—e Babylonian furnace where finally the rarest spices of all manner of learning conteyning within them the fiery perâ—me of Christian piety laid on a heape and set on fire â—ight make them neuer enuy the odoriferous death-bed of â—â—e Arabian byrd And should they stay their fury against â—â—ese bookes not to make our death more glorious and â—â—eir cruelty more barbarous in the eye of the world yet â—â—e bookes themselues full of spirit and zeale of their Auâ—â—ors would be ready to leape into such a fire and to dye â—ith them in whose hartes they kindled the fire of that viâ—orious fayth From which kept by force they would â—â—mayne as so many fiery tongues to torment the conscienes of them that set such a glorious faith on fire togeather â—ith which had all Christian bookes that teach it beene â—urnt no ancient writer for Christianity had bene left So â—â—at Catholicke Religion is indeed so glorious and so full of Maiesty euen in the eyes of her enemyes that they deuise â—â—d enact new lawes to proceed against her disgraced with â—gly tearmes of treason or sedition against the State tremâ—ling to behould her stand at the bar in her natiue beauty â—nd Princely robes which lawes are the good and Godly â—eanes or salues to heale vs which M. Crashaw doth so much â—ag of 26. Now let vs looke into the lawes wherewith the Catholicke Church hath sought to heale The cause why Protestants are punished by Catholicks and reforme â—rotestants whose proceeding therin will appeare to haue â—eene both iust and mercifull and efficacious to worke â—hat effect if you consider eyther the cause for which or â—he lawes by which they were punished or the manner of â—he execution of them The cause of their punishment hath â—uer beene their leauing the Church whereof they were â—hildren their forsaking the faith whereof they were proâ—essours their reuolting from the army whereof they â—ere souldiers their rebelling against the Kingdome wherâ—f they were subiects a thing punishable by the law of all Nations as by the law of all CoÌ„mon-wealths doth appeare and among Christians the very brand of heresie set on heâ— forhead to make her knowne therby euen by Gods ownâ— word they went out from vs (x) 1. Ioan. 2. v. 19. 2. Iud. v. 19. these are they which segregate themselues and that Protestants haue thus reuolted the world caâ— witnesse Caluin (z) Discessionem à toto mundo facere coacti sumus ep 141. pag. 273. confesseth Now how great inexcusable this sinne is
Fathers are wrested out of their hands they choose to fly vnto rather then yield which may be shewed by the example to omit diuers others of two English writers of singular credit in bookes which they write of two grauest arguments The one M. Doctour Iewell to whose name I need add no other Epithete to make him seeme peerelesse vnto Protestants in his booke of the Apology of the Church of EnglaÌ„d who doth not blush into a Treatise of so graue a subiect to insert trifles known to be false of our thinking the Pope to be our Lord God allowing fornication and such like of M. Crashawes trumpery scattered here and there in his (f) Especially 4. part booke as the penury of better weapons forced that great captayne to fight with rushes The other is Doctour Andrews now Bishop of Ely In his Tortura Torti who lately summoned to fight with the learned Cardinal doth often wouÌ„d his Latin stile worthy of better matter with M. Crashawes wounds vrging ould and worme-eaten glosses against vs who being a man of so knowne learning euer thought of a stayed iudgment and temperate spirit neither we nor the world did expect Babels from him nor that he would staine his learned pen with triuiall slauÌ„ders seeking to crack the credit of our cause with men of meane iudgment by the losse of his owne among those of better learning But necessity is a forcible weapon with which were those learned Protestants driuen to fight of whoÌ„ Doctour Field doth (g) in his Epistle dedicatory to the L. of CaÌ„terbury complayne that forbearing to write themselues laugh in their (h) With many a scornefull looke simile at the follies of others writings sleeues and sometymes more openly at others labours would perchance be forced to speake these very Babels which now they laugh to behould in Doctour Field and others finding by experience that not want of learning or weakenes of iudgment but the nakednes of their otherwise indefencible cause driueth these Doctors to make Babels bulwarkes of their Church 5. VVherefore it might in a manner haue been wished by vs his sinne excepted that M. Crashaw should as it were sweep the writings of his learned Authors raking all their ordure into his Sermon as into a dunghill or stable of such stuffe which one of farre lesse strength then Hercules might cleanse by letting in the pure streames of truth the Catholicke Church teacheth in those points which cannot but clearely carry away from her doctrine the dung of those slaunders in the iudgment of any indiffereÌ„t Reader Against which slaunders had we conceiued as we might iustly so great a hatred as euer that (i) Caligula Tyrant had against Rome who wished the heades of the people stood all vpon the same shoulders to cut theÌ„ off at a stroke M. Crashaw may seeme very sufficiently to haue satisfied our desire who hath gathered these slaunders into heades layd those heads as you shall see very orderly togeather in his owne head and Sermon that all their chiefe slaunders togeather with his may be cut off and cleared by one and that not very long Answere 6. But besides this first vse of this Treatise the same may also serue for an Answere vnto many SermoÌ„s that are continually made against the Church of Rome in England in M. Crashawes rayling tune falling rising vpon the same notes of falshood That the Pope is our Lord God that he can do more then euer God did and the rest Often also singing vnto their false notes the very same ditty of this misapplyed text We would haue cured Babel c. By which clamorous rayling they put their ignorant Auditors into such rage fury against vs that as (k) Erasm in spongia aduersus Hutten Erasmus noted long ago they come froÌ„ sermons no lesse fierce fiery then souldiers from the warlike speach of a Captaine exhorting them to fight I remember I haue read of the Cittizens of (l) Lucian Quomodo scribeÌ„da sit historia Abdera that once hearing a furious Tragedy in a hoat day of summer they were all stroken into such a fit of frenzie that many dayes after they did nothing but act the same tragedy with furious gestures in their streets The like doth often happen in England by the Tragicall declayming of Ministers against vs specially when the persecution is hoatest they seeke to kindle the same fiery impressions of hatred in others wherwith theÌ„selues are inraged the Monsters wherwith they thus fright poore men out of their wits against the faith of their Ancestours being euer coÌ„monly M. Crashawes Babels that We teach the Pope to be God that with the Virgin Marie God hath deuided his Kingdome that Images are better bookes then Scripture that we pray vnto stockes and stones and the rest 7. VVherin they do liuely imitate the (m) Diu multumque de imperitorum erroribê° latissimè ac vehementissimè disputabant Aug. de vtil credâ— c. 1. Manichees who seeme to haue exceeded all other Heretikes in their slaunderous charging the Church of Christ with senslesse and prodigious doctrine as with teaching that God is enuious furious mutable subiect to passion cruell and the like declayming bitterly against such blasphemies citing some words of the old Testament that might sound to that sense And two reasons as S. Augustine noteth moued them to this course the very same that make our Ministers follow the same deceiptfull course First to affright ignorant people from the bosome of the Cath. Church by setting fearfull bug-beares of horrible blasphemy vpon her that not knowing whither else to go they might in a manner be forced to fly to the Manichean Conuenticles like Fowlers saith this (n) Itaque nobis faci ebaÌ„t quod solent insidiosi aucupes qui viscatos surculos propè aquam defigunt vt sitientes aues decipiant obruunt enim quoquomodo operiunt alias quae circa sunt aquas vel inde etiam prodigiosis molitionibê° deterrent vt in eorum dolos non electione sed inopia decidatur Aug. de vtilit credend c. 1. Father who hauing laid their lime-twigs by some water side seeke to stop other waters therabout or set some dreadfull scar-crowes ouer them that the poore birds not knowing where els to find water not out of choice but out of meer necessity come at last to light in their snares Secondly not to want matter in their Sermons which they might copiously dilate vpoÌ„ to get with men of small iudgment the name of great Preachers by making large graue inuectiues which any man saith (o) Quod cuiuis mediocriter erudito esset facillimum Ibid. S. Augustine though of very meane learning may easily do against such palpable follies as are God his being mutable passionate furious c. In confutation of which Babels the Manichees did vse to spend long sermoÌ„s with almost as much stayed grauity as M. Crashaw and other Ministers do vse in their pulpits
hath giuen any words of her that may giue the least blemish to her blessed state it was not done in any the least contempt of her but in the zeale they bare to the honour of their Sauiour whom they held dishonoured by the vnequall comparing of her with him For what will not a Christian mans zeale cause him to doe (2) Not to slander any man nor to blasphem any Saynt though hypocryticall zeale will giue aduantage to Atheists against God when he seeth his God dishonored Who would haue thought that Moyses would haue cast so carelesly out of his handes so precious a Iewel as were the two tables written with the finger of God And yet when he heard the name of the Lord blasphemed he forgot himself and them and as though he remembred none but God he threw them away and brake them in peeces If Moyses zeale makes his hastines excusable no reason to condemne them whose zeale gaue passage to their passions and caused them for the honour of their Creatour to forget the priuiledge of a creature Thus he In which words few Readers I thinke can be so simple or blind not to espy a wolfe whose teeth water with desire to teare in pieces the immaculate mother of the lamb of God though he would faigne couer himselfe and do it in a sheeps skin of zeale which wil not serue his turne the example of Moyses the meekest of men being too short little by much to hyde the least particle of such monstrous fury as is giuing passage to passions against Gods Mother specially so full of blaphemy and falshood as theirs are 20. And first to discouer his faygned zeale marke as I touched before how it is hoat or cold as he pleaseth sometimes dutifull to truth against Gods honour somtymes zealous of Gods honour against truth as the taking vpon him a shew of eyther of these zeales may best serue his turne to giue vnder pretence of piety a passage to his passions against the Pope Somtimes his zeale to Gods honour is so calme that he is content God be euen denyed not caring though his discourse may giue aduantage therunto At other times so hoat in the spirit and zealous of Gods honour that the least sound of a blasphemy though but in a poeme will put him into a traunce where forgetting the true priuiledge of a creature to honour the Creatour he will thinke it no sinne to speake vildely and irreuerently of his Mother vttering slaunders that may giue blemishes to her blessed state Is any man so blind that doth not see this zeale to be coūterfayt true neither towards truth nor God which he can make hoat and cold sweet and sower carefull carelesse of the same thing as he pleaseth Can any thing be in that hart sincere from which both hatred and neglect of blasphemy both reuerence and contempt of truth both zeale and carelesnesse of Gods honour doth flow Secondly heere you may discouer the impiety of Ministers and the true cause why they so curiously search into our writings to find some speaches concerning the Blessed Virgin that may seeme blasphemy which when they haue found wrapping their woluish intentiōs in a sheeps skin of zeale against it they straight fal into a traunce forgetting thēselues and giuing passage to their passions against her whom they hate the more because the Church of God doth highly honour her 21. In this zeale we cannot deny but Iohn Caluin the Moyses of their new Law did forget himselfe and the Virgin how he remembred God her Sonne let the Reader iudge whē he wrote that in the birth of Christ she was so broken and weakened that the fourty daies before her Purification were not sufficient for her to recouer her forces but God did yet spare her donec ex (3) Caluin Harmon in cap. 2. Matth. v. 3. puerperio conualesceret that she might gather vp her strength lost in the labour of child-birth In this zeale doe diuers Protestants giue passage to their passions accusing her to haue committed as great sinnes as Eue (4) Cētur l. 1. cēt 1. the Mother of mischiefe vnto all mankind making her the very type of Heretikes and Infidels carnall (5) Sarcerius in Euāgel de festo annunciat apud Canisium l. 4. de Deipar c. 7. and prophane men In which passion a Lutheran preaching vpon her answere to the Angell How can this be done called her Zuinglian and (6) Georg. Muller apud Hospin 2. p. fol. 390. Caluinist whom they hate no lesse if not more then (7) Insatanized supersatanized persatanized Luther apud Tigur in tract 3. cōt suprē confess Lutheri Diuels But no man more like Moyses in forgetting himselfe and breaking in pieces the tables of the Law then our English Minister (8) In his booke of Christian exercise p. 669. M. Buney who dareth to write that when that innocent sorrowfull LADY stood at the foot of the Crosse she brake foure commaundements of God at one clap the first the fifth the sixt the ninth by this blasphemous slaūder breaking into pieces both the tables of the Law in her Virginall hart where Christian antiquity did euer belieue they were (9) De Sācta Maria Virgine nullam habere volo cùm de peccatis agitur mentionē quae gratiā habuit ad vincendū omni ex parte peccatum Aug. de nat grat c. 36. inuiolably kept In this pretēded zeale M. Crashaw practising himselfe what he doth patronize in others thinking or making a shew to thinke that we compare her breasts and milke with the wounds and bloud of Christ doth likewise forget himselfe saying that no extraordinary (10) In his Iesuits Ghospell pag. 44. blessednesse doth belong to the wombe of the Virgin none to her breasts in this regard only that they did breed and feed the Sonne of God that she whome we do so exalt is no more then another (11) pag. 91. holy woman but a belieuing (12) pag. 36. Iew. And giuing further passage to his passions he doth not only beate her sacred wombe and breasts into dust wormes by scoffing at her assumption into heauen (13) pag 95. but also carelessely casteth them out of his hart into a lower place then wormes magots by a foule comparison of them her milke with other (14) pag. 92 womens not excepting the most impurest Strumpet What Seneca (15) L. 3. de ira c. 14. said of the arrowes which a barbarous (†) Cambyses Tyrant did fasten in the hart of a child making the same his marke praysed by the flattering (¶) Praexaspes Father of the child that stood by we may say of these blasphemies that do so deeply penetrate into the hart and honour of Christs Mother iustified by M. Crashaw that they are sceleratiùs laudata tela quà m missa not so barbarously discharged as commended that the tongue is more blasphemous that doth prayse such passions
then the pen that wrote them 22. And as for Moyses his example of breaking the tables of the law the Bachelour doth wrong that great Prophet by accusing him to haue bene hasty carelesse forgetfull in that fact which he did aduisedly piously not dishonoring the tables but honouring them rather thinking them to be ouer worthy Iewells to be deliuered to drunken people as S. (16) Propheta sanctissimus indignum existimauit vinoleÌ„tuÌ„ populum à Deo legem accipere Ser. 1. de ieiunio ante mediuÌ„ Basile sayth as Catholickes honour the Images of Christ which they put into the fire rather then permit them to fall into heretickes handes that will abuse them But had Moyses pretending zeale fell into a rage against to Tables calling them the law of sinne and the Diuell whose Slaue heretickes in their passions make the Virgin in whose hart God with his owne finger wrote his law had Moyses in a faigned traunce reuiled Abraham or Isaac or any deceased Saynt had he falsly slaundered the meanest woman lyuing as Ministers doe the most blessed of women and the most glorious of all Sayntes I thinke no Christian would haue dared to speake a word in defence of that zeale as I doe not know that any man pretending the name of a ChristiaÌ„ before this Bachelour did euer iustify against Gods mother confessed blasphemy that may blemish her blessed state And verily I doe somewhat wonder in what a slumber Protestant Bishops were when they did permit such a defence of passions passe to the print full not only of blasphemy against the Virgin but also of discredit against their owne writers giuing such a censure of them which if it be true the man that shall beare respect to their writinges may iustly be thought worse then mad For how can any well in his wits belieue such bookes whose authours euen by their best friendes are confessed to haue written forgetting themselues giuing passage to their passions without exact care of truth How can we thinke that doctrine deserueth credit which they did deliuer not knowing what they said thinking of one thing and speaking of another remembring none but God when they rayle on his Mother carelessely casting from their pen sentences that might breake and beat her honour into dust Let M. Crashaw answere me this argument if he can If the men of his religion wrote about the Virgin remembring theÌ„selues without passion why doth he slaunder them that they gaue passage to their passions in such wrytings If they did indeed write in a passion forgetting themselues how can any man of iudgmeÌ„t beleiue theiâ— doctrine in this poynt or in any other when they speak against the supposed blasphemies of our Church seeing of men so zealous we may iustly thinke that their zeale doth still make them forgetfull of truth mouing them to giue passage to their passioÌ„s against the Pope whom they will seeme to belieue that we coÌ„pare with Christ against whome the zeale of their passion is no lesse feruent then against the Bl. Virgin So that you clearly see the suite of Moyses his zeale in breaking the tables of the Law doth not fit nor can hyde the monster of Ministers fury against the Mother of God Neither hath it to couer their impiety any more proportion then the skinne of the least lamb to hyde the mightyest wolfe By which it is apparent that not only excesse of loue but of hatred also doth bereaue men of their iudgment which is the cause that hypocrisie could not keep M. Crashawes huge hatred against the Pope greater then his loue to God or the best thing vnder God so within the compasse of shew of piety but it hath broken out into such open tokens of secret Atheisme that the discreet Reader may iustly wonder to behould them in his writings that doth not know Atheisme to be in truth the very spirit of the new Ghospell mouing men to hate (17) Papatê° reijcitur Christo nomina noÌ„ daÌ„tur iuuentus ferè nil Dei habet Gaspar Hedio Ep. ad MelaÌ„ct Popery but not imbrace christianity leaâ—ing them without loue or feeling of God 23. From this hatred doth proceed the bloudy drift of his SermoÌ„ The scope wherof saith he is to discouer that â—hese would but deceyue vs who speake or write that Popery 〈◊〉 now well reformed in manners and refined in doctrine therfore they we by a reasonable mediation might well be â—econcyled You see this Minister is all for war he will â—ot heare of peace no mediation no reconcilement â—â—ough reasonable shall be thought or spoken of aâ—ongst vs but fight we must one against the other â—ith irreconciliable and mortall hatred In his epist dedicatory to the Prince burning with â—â—â—e and deuouring each others flesh and dashing heads aâ—ainst the stones In all which Metaphors he doth vtter â—â—e intent and finall scope of his Sermon which is so â—â—oudy and so vnchristian that I caÌ„not thinke charity â—â—so dead in any among You that they do not euen abâ—orre the same as proceeding from the canckered maâ—â—e of a venemous spyder These men know well and â—â—ele the weaknes of their cause which they mantayne â—ecause they haue no other way to liue but by keeping â—enefices first appoynted vnto Catholike Priests for â—â—emselues their wiues and children should a reasoâ—able mediation or toleration betwixt them and vs be â—â—ought of such as Hugonots enjoy in France vnder a â—atholike Prince that we might haue any tolerable liâ—erty to speake for our selues discouer their fraudes â—nd slaunders their guilty conscience doth make them â—elieue and excesse of feare somtymes that in such a â—â—se they would be forced to shut vp their Church â—oores and be soone forsaken of all Nay they feare â—â—e discouery of their grosse lying might perchance stir â—â—o the people that were before deluded by them to take some violent reueng vpon them This is their feare which to preuent they buzze slaunders into peoples heades that they may not thinke of any peace mediation or reconcilement but still pursue vs with sword and fire to incite them Whereunto the Bachelour deuised in his chamber preached at the Crosse published in print finally presented to the Princes Highnes this Sermon of the most odious slaunders that wit of man could possibly inuent seeking by hooke crooke to fasten them vpon the Church of Rome 24. Now to vnderstand how farre he doth endanger your eternall saluation by this dealing I doe wish you would seriously ponder what (r) De vtilitate credendi c. 6. 7. S. Augustine teacheth That it is an offence sinne very damnable not only in preachers to vtter but also in the auditors to belieue against the Church that beareth away the name of Catholicke by the consent of the world and hath the fame and opinion of great learning sanctity with humane kind horrible and heynous blasphemyes wicked and senseles doctrines vpon the credit and clamors of her
this shamefull reproach in print as they may this Sermon being turned into latin they will perchance attribute such speaches without salt or wit to the clownishnes of our Countrey and grossenes of the northern climate and apply vnto M. Crashaw the verse with some allusion to his name (b) Horatius Bootem Crasso iurares äere natum Now if it be the property of a foole as the holy (c) In via stultus ambulans cùm ipse insipiens sit omnes stultos aestimat Eccl. 10. ◠3 Ghost saith it is to iudge rashly that others are fooles you will easely see the stones of reproach cast vp at others fall foole on his owne head 28. But no where doth this Minister shew greater want of iudgment then in his Iesuits Ghospell which in truth is such a peece of worke as I do much meruaile that such an owle to vse his owne phrase was let fly abroad in the dayes of light and in the fayrest day of sommer though that booke was likely to be written as it was indeed vnder the hoatest influence of mid-sommer moone I doe not thinke any are liuing in your Courtes which doe not blow away such light stuffe with contempt yet will I speake a word or two therof that no seely fly or foole may be entangled therin and that you plainly may see the notorious folly of your Preacher which is such as the sweet and diuine muse of the graue learned and venerable Father that wrote that excellent mellifluous poeme may seeme to haue wrought with the Minister as some sound of musick doth with the (†) Tigres tympanorū sonitu aguntur in rabiem Plutarch Tiger wherewith enraged her fury wanting other matter to worke vpon teareth out her bowells as the Bachelour with raging and rayling doth his braynes which I will make playne by three or foure examples of such folly as are long in him lasting from the first beginning to the end of his Ghospell though I shall dispatch them in few wordes 29. The first is to gather a Ghospell out of a Poeme and that not written historically or doctrinally but in patheticall verse full of metaphors Metonomi's Apostroph's Prosopoper's and other aswell Rhetoricall figures as poeticall flowers which to take in a proper and rigorous sense is folly to vrge them as points and articles of faith is such a solemne foolery that it may seeme the next degree vnto madnes it self which was to present the figures and flowers of the Poeme to be condemned in the (d) in the end of his Iesuits Ghospell Parlament as heresyes Catholicks in that respect to be pronounced hereticks Truly I thinke midsommer moone had neuer the like influence in any Minister or mad-man Bachelour or Bedlame before And yet doth he vrge these points of our doctrine as most authenticall and substantiall things much more credible and certaine as he saith then the knowledge they haue of Iesuits and their doctrine and practises from (e) Iesuits Ghospell pag. 18. the report of their merchants or intelligence of their Embassadours or from the writing of their owne men which is the truest point in his whole Iesuits Ghospel though Iesuits need not faith to belieue it they see and feele it For the relations which their Merchants and Embassadors giue the storyes their men write of them are such as no patheticall exaggerations no poeticall figures fables or fictions can be more false as many late books can witnesse specially a late Pamphlet dedicated to the Princes Highnesse called the Diuell (†) The Diuels pilgrimage to the Iesuits Colledges printed anno 1611. his pilgrimage where this lackey or footman of the Diuell telles many false stories naming persons that were neuer heard of speaking of actions that neuer any dreamed of as to omit foule matters that on * Quà m multis intrandi in Ecclesiam aditum obserabāt rumores maledicorum qui nescio quid aliud nos in altare Dei ponere iactitabant Aug. ep 48. ad Vincent the Altar of our Lady at Sichem a sheep was sacrificed and a long poeticall narration of the cause of the Iesuits expulsion from Venice abusing the knowledge of the whole Christian world and that in their Colledge straight vpon their banishment was found such a summe of money as all Merchants hauing taken whatsoeuer they would challenge vpon their owne words which we may imagine was no small quantity the remnant was fiue hundred millions besides plate vestures and yet he saith he telleth not these things vpon heare-say but what he saw with his eyes Now what Poet could haue told a more lusty lye So that this part of his Ghospell is very true and credible that their reports rumors and printed relations about Iesuits are more false incredible and fuller of exaggerations and fictions then any poeme 30. Now if you desire to see how wittily hādsomely the Ghospeller doth gather his Ghospell out of the Poeme I will present you a faire patterne by which you may ghesse the rest In that poeme the Authour in in his meditatiōs doth imagine a familiar dialogue betwixt the Virgin and Christ and saith vnto Christ Say to thy Mother see my brothers thirst Mother your milke would ease him at the first Which speach is imagined to shew the great familiarity betwixt Christ and his blessed Mother that she hath a speciall interest in the ioyes and comforts metaphorically tearmed milke that flow into the soule by deuout contemplation of her blessed Breasts which comforts are not graunted but to whome she doth singularly fauour nor giuen without her consent without which the Sonne of God would not be borne in her wombe Now what doctrine doth this Bachelour gather out of this poeticall imagination thinke you Marry that Popery doth make Christ a mediatour to his Mother which againe he deuideth into diuers branches opposite to the Ghospell of Christ grounded vpō the first mistaking vnto the fifth and sixt generation Ies Gosp pag. 87. in this sort Christ saith of himselfe as man Romish doctrine makes him say He that will may see another like Ghospell that we teach that Christ this present yeare a sucking child at Hall in Brabant opposed in like māner vnto the Ghospell of Christ pag. 64. My Father is greater then I. My Mother in some respects is greater then I. Christ saith of himselfe as God Romish doctrine makes him say I and my Father are one I and my Mother are one Christ saith Romish doctrine makes him say Come to me all that are weary I will ease you Come to me and I will send you to my Mother for ease The Scripture saith They make him say No man commeth to the Father but by me No man commeth to my Mother but by me The Scripture saith They make him say Whatsoeuer you aske my Father in my name he will giue it you Whatsoeuer you aske my Mother in my name she will giue it you All this Ghospel doth he gather
text (s) Gen. 11. v. 9. euery one into his owne Countrey as the buylders of Babel their toÌ„gues being deuided were dispersed vpon the face of the earth some one way some another into different Sects for number more then the CouÌ„treys of Europe more opposite then the foure corners of the world where euery Babylonian may curse the Pope in his owne language euery Heretike damne him in their owne Sect euery cocke crow at him on his owne dunghill euery Minister rayle at him in his owne pulpit euery good fellow drink to his damnation in the tauerne neere vnto the Church if not rather within it but meet togeather all in one general CouÌ„cell make an end of their disorders agree vpon the same salue or forme of faith in all points this they will neuer do so long as the foure coastes of the world shal be opposit one to the other nor euer so long as (t) Protestants Frigida pugnabunt (u) with Puritans calidis (x) Anabaptists humentia (y) with AriaÌ„s siccis (z) Soft Lutherans Mollia cum (a) with Rigid duris (b) SacrameÌ„taries which deny the Real presence sine pondere (c) with Realists that put it habentia pondus Hoat thinges with cold moisture with drought shall fight Soft thinges with hard and heauy thinges with light Let S. Augustine (d) Aug. de vtilit credend c. 14. Vos auteÌ„ tam pauci tam turbulenti tam noui nemini dubium est quà m nihil dignum authoritate praeferatis August ibid. conclude this Chapter and what he sayd to the boasting Manichees let vs say to M. Crashaw and craking Ministers Redite in latebras vestras returne into your holes in which you lurked like dorme-mice so many ages before Luther Seeke not to impayre the credit of that Church that mayntained the name credit of Christianity before you were knowne The Church of him who bringing a soueraigne medicine to heale the most corrupted manners by miracles wonne authority by authority gayned credit by credit gathered a multitude by multitudes got antiquity by antiquity strenghtned the religion which neither the fond vanity of heretikes by their fraudulent deuises nor the ancient errour of the Heathens by violent fury shall euer be able to ouerthrow but You for number so few for age such vpstarts and for spirit so turbulent and deuided one against the other euery man may see that you carry neyther credit nor authority with you THE SECOND CHAPTER LAYING OPEN The vayne and ridiculous braggs of the Bachelour of foure salues very charitably applied by the Protestant Church to heale the woundes of the Roman THE Bachelour hauing layd no better foundation of his Sermon then you haue heard hauing brought no reasons at all to proue himself and his fellowes to be mysticall Israel and such reason to proue the Church of Rome to be Babylon as he might with more credit haue beene sileÌ„t The Bachelours 4. salues or plaisters yet doth he goe forward in his fancy and beginneth to build the first square of his Babel which is in the prayse of his Churches charity and of the excellent balmes and salues by her applyed to the woundes of Rome to wit these foure pag. 45. Instructions Prayers Examples Lawes by which he saith the heauens haue seene and the world will witnes with them they haue sought to heale Babylon nay such excelleÌ„t salues these are haue beene applyed by them with such admirable dexterity and skill that in his conceipt seing we are not cured he must needs pronounce vs incurable This he preacheth very stoutly and proueth so doughtily that I dare say the iudicious Reader will be moued to laugh at if not rather to pitty the misery beggery of his Church whose Preachers for want of better subiect of her praise are forced to fly to triuiall stuffe which euery hereticall Sect in the world doth brag of and may with as good reason as any this her Procter doth or can alledge in her behalf as will appeare by this short examination of them 2. The first meanes then to heale our woundes which he braggeth of is his Churches Instruction of vs pag. 4â— informing them saith he in the truth and discouering their errours both by holy Scripture and the ancient Fathers of the best and purest tymes Iewell A ValiaÌ„t Vaunt Fuâ—ke Whitaker Reynolds Perkins and many others who now sleep in Christ haue lest behind them such testimonyes of this truth as shall liue while the world lasteth and neuer can be confuted as appeares in that they haue not dared to answere most of their bookes to this day Thus he craketh giuing vs for our salue a plaister of big brags without any proofe For that some of their bookes haue not beene answered to this day the iudicious Reader will easely perceaue the cause to be that by authority they haue wronge the presse out of our handes not permitting vs so much as a corner where such weapons may be cast and keep so carefully the portes that no booke can passe except it be almost inuisible which though they know the world seeth Great vanity of English Ministers yet these ioylly Champions for want of greater proofes of their prowesse blush not to brag of euen in pulpit But might it please his Excellent Maiesty to permit this booke-warre about Religion indifferently on both sides so nothing be written that otherwise may offend the State that we might beare weapons as openly as they you should soone see the learned of our side make M. Crashaw and such Crakers that dare them now they haue nothing in their hands pull their hornes into their shells In other Countryes we doe not heare Protestants brag so much of their vnanswerable bookes in which kind of battayle they haue beene so beaten that now they seeme rather to trust as they thinke vnto stronger weapons 3. But indeed M. Crashaw haue we beene such dastards in England as you seeme to make vs Haue we bene so beaten with your bookes that one may iustly thinke we dare not meet you with such weapons in the field Nay such hath bene the strength of our inuincible cause that not withstanding the great aduantage you haue had to write at your wil yet very few of your books that might seem to need answer but haue returned vnto you with a full answere and many in the height of their pride haue receyued such blowes that their pen beaten out of their hand they were glad to run to take a (a) Iewels vain challeng who hauing dared catholikes to answere him the answere was no sooner come out but he got the same to be forbidden by Proclamation Proclamation for their defence vnto which shamfull shift M. Iewell whom you make leader of your learned army is knowne to haue bene dryuen by Doctour Harding And with far greater reason might we brag of our Hardings Sanders Allens Bristowes
off toes or fingers but also with big bookes beat out ech others braynes â—lamning themselues as Heretikes vnto hell mutually not cursing as we may charitably expound but prophesiyng â—ather what wil be their seuerall ends and I feare though in other thinges they be false yet in this they will proue but too true Prophets Which war betwixt them doth appeare both by the Catalogue of their bookes which they haue written one against another set downe by (f) Histo Sacram. part 2 Hospinian a Protestant and (g) Iodocus Coccius in his Thesaurê° c. Tom. 2. Prot. Apo. in the end others as also by the yearely Marts of Franckford in which store of such bookes wherewith they wound ech other mortally neuer want disagreeing in points most essentiall and not in sleight matters only as about Scriptures whether the Epistles of Iames of Iude the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Apocalyps be authenticall or no which not some few but whole Churches and the chiefest (h) Luther Illyricus Chem nitiê° and others See Chem. enchirid p. 63. exam CoÌ„c Trid. part 1 p. 55. pillers of Protestancy deny about Christs Incarnation about the blessed Trinity and such like (i) See Edkandus his enchiridion of Contro betwene Protestant Churches points in which errours and heresies must needes passe to the hart of any Religion 7. As for their practises read the second part of Hospinians SacrameÌ„tary Story which I haue of late perused with great admiration to see how their Churches doe wound teare ech other in peeces for religion who to poore people that know not these things dare auouch their iarres to be tryfles There you may behould how they banish ech other by publike (k) Hospin p. 2. Sacr. Histor fol. 127. p. 2. fol. 227. fol. 389. Proclamation prohibiting the sale reading of ech others (l) 383. books cast ech other into (m) Hospin 393. prison not permitting common hospitality to those of the aduerse part passing by their (n) Hospin fol. 399. CoÌ„rad Schlusselb in his Catal. Haeret. l. 13. pag. 828. Townes rise in armes fight one against another for (o) Hospin fol. 395. OsiaÌ„d epit centur 16. p. 735. Religion finally mangling the very dead (p) Hospin fol 395. corses of the contrary faction not graunting (q) Hosp ibid. sepulture as vnto Christians in their Churches Now M. Crashaw are these woundes in the heele and not in the hart in the finger and not in the head Are these sister-Churches that do thus not onely byte and scratch which might be pardoned vnto their weake sexe and would perchance hurt but face finger but also cruelly cut ech other in pieces for Religion damning ech other to hell in words and sending themselues thither mutually with their swords Are not these deadly wounds euen those wounds wherof all heresies in former times haue euer bled vnto the death If you know not this point of spirituall surgery your Father Luther can teach you it who saith that (*) Neque nâ—vlli vmquam haeretici vi aut astu victi suÌ„t sed mutua dissentioÌ„e c. Tom. 3. VVitteÌ„berg in ps 106 in fine Heretikes neuer at any tyme haue bene ouercome by force or subtilty but by mutuall dissention neyther doth Christ fight with them otherwise then with a spirit of gyddines and disagreement Thus Luther Now M. Crashaw either heale this deadly desperate wouÌ„d in your Church if you be able or else if you be wise neuer brag of your Surgeons and salues hereafter 8. But let vs see whether there be any vertue in the second salue or meanes to hâ—ale vs which M. Crashaw and his Church as he saith hath layd to our woundes This is their deuout Prayers for our conuersion whereof the Minister braggeth in very good earnest pag. 43 45. though most ridiculously as you shall see saying that they haue the testimony of a good conscience that they pray for vs dayly yea continually publikely and priuately euery where ouer the world all of their Church that vse to pray for themselues Which last parenthesis warily put in by him I feare will depriue vs of a great deale of good prayers that exception reaching far and wyde in their Church not only to the swearers swaggerers and swas-bucklers therof but also vnto their purest Preachers and good men of God For to omit others of Iacobus Andreas a man of great credit in their Church as much honoured and famous in Germany as euer was Caluin or Beza in Geneua Chauncellour of the Vniuersitie of (r) Hospin p. 2. Histor SacraÌ„ fol 198. Tubinga of whose zeale against the Pope they giue this testimony that (s) Osiâ—nd in Epitom Histor ceÌ„t 16. p. 1044. concionibus suis grauiter in Antichristum RomanuÌ„ est inuectus multas Ecclesias piè reformauit In his sermons he did bitterly inueigh against the Roman Antichrist and piously reforme many Churches Of this great Preacher of the Ghospell reformer of Churches a (t) Nicolas Seluecer Protestant that liued very much with him doth affirme that he could neuer see nor heare nor by any probable coniecture gather quòd vel cubitum iturus â—el de lecto surrecturus autorationem Dominicam recitauerit aut vllam Dei mentionem secerit (u) Hospinian p. 2. Histor Sacram. fol. 389. that going to bed or rising from thence he did euer so much as say the Lords prayer or had any remembrance at all of God What may we thinke of the reformed Churches whose Reformer was so deuout How piously did he teach them to pray for the Pope that was so slack and slouthfull to pray for himselfe And yet did he preach against the Roman Antichrist as zealously as M. Crashaw spake of godlynes no lesse hypocritically reformed Churches more successiuely then euer he is like to do which example may giue vs iust cause to doubt whether such earnest declaymers against the Pope and busy searchers into wounds euer pray for themselues or no. So that this continuall praying for vs by Protestants euery where ouer the world seemeth a very incredible paradoxe and I do thinke most Protestants that should practise the same were it true doe somwhat wonder to see it in print 9. The Bachelour goeth forward to set out the pompe of his praying Church with more magnificent words This our diligence saith he so shamed them Catholikes for their negligence in the same pag. 41. that foure yeares agoe they published at Rome a forme of Letany and publike prayer for the peruerting of the Realmes of England and Scotland to Popery Thus he But if you aske me what valiant exployts I euer heard the Protestant Church to haue performed by praying that may iustly make the Church of Rome so much ashamed or vpon what shew or colour of truth the Bachelour speaketh such strange thinges in so confident manner I plainly confesse I
Carthage (m) CoÌ„cil Carthag 3. c. 47. did admit into the CanoÌ„ the same books which Councell was kept within the first foure hundred (n) In the yeare of our Lord 397. years or in the beginning of the fifth age consequeÌ„tly that those books were held Canonicall within the lightsome tymes of Christianity when Religion did most flourish Secondly he saith that neuer any Popish Generall Councell was so presumptuous before this of Trent that euer durst adde more bookes to the sacred Canon then we receiued from the Church of the old Testament which is most inconsiderately spoken and apparently false except he meane to reiect as Apocriphall the foure Ghospells all the rest of the Apostolicall Scriptures of the new Testament which were not receiued from the Church of the old Testament as all know Thirdly he saith it is little materiall whether the Generall Councell of Florence did admit these bookes into the Canon or no seeing it was but a small tyme before Trent scarce an (o) Aboue an 100. yeares betwen these 2. Councells FloreÌ„ce in the year 1438. Trent began in the year 1545. 100. yeares by which you see what small accompt this Bachelour makes of Generall CouÌ„cells not fearing to meet in the field all the learned men of the Latin Greek Church who were gathered togeather in that generall Councell of Florence thinking himselfe perchance to be the Sampson of Protestants able to put to silence a thousand of such Doctours with the iaw-bone of an asse 8. Fourthly It is cleare saith he that neuer generall CouÌ„cell made these bookes Canonicall before Trent This S. Hierome doth conuince to be false saying of the booke of Iudith (p) HieroÌ„ praefat in Iudith Hunc librum Nicena Synodus in numero saÌ„ctarum Scripturarum legitur computasse The Hebrews placed this booke among the Apocriphall writings the authoritie of which is not sufficient in their opinion to establish any doctrine of faith but seeing we read that the Councell of Nice hath accounted this booke among the Canonicall I haue yielded c. What say you to this Councell M. Crashaw Was it popish Was it made in darke tymes Was it presumptuous Or may not you rather seeme puppish presumptuous that talke in the darke you know not what Fiftly he saith that we are not able to bring one Father that held these bookes to be Canonical within the first foure hundred yeares after Christ Looke into Bellarmine (q) Tom 1. coÌ„trouers 1. de verbo Dei l. 1. c. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. and Coccius (r) Tom. 1. l. 6. art 4. 9. 12. 13. 17. 18. whom he citeth and you shall clearely find he careth not what he saith For they both bring diuers Fathers that liued within the foure first ages after Christ for all and euery one of those six bookes in so much that of the booke of VVisdome which both Protestants and Iewes reiect Eusebius (s) Lib. 4. Histor c. 22. writeth that Aegysippus and Irenaeus omnis antiquorum chorus all the company of ancient Fathers doe affirme Salomon to be the author thereof of the authority of whose bookes neuer ancient Father did doubt And the same might be proued of the other fiue as you shall heare by that which shal be proued against his next impudent assertion where like that frantick Athenian who vaunted in the streets that all the ships in the hauen were his not being owner of so much as one dareth say that he is able to proue that all the Fathers for foure hundred yeares did reiect them not citing in text or margin so much as one a signe that he is a great prouer against vs in pulpit where without controll he may lye as he lift 9. And seeing he is so skilfull in the ancient Fathers we will set him a taske against the next tyme he print Let him proue that S. Augustine who liued and was conuerted vnto Christ within the first foure hundred (t) in the yeare 385. yeares did not admit these bookes who not only doth number then in the Canon of Scripture in his priuate (u) l. 2. de doctrina Christiana c. 8. writings but also subscribed to the Councell of Carthage where all those books are admitted into the sacred Canon as hath been sayd Let him proue that (x) l. 1. de partibê° diuinae legis Iulius Africanus or S. Ambrose did reiect the booke of Tobie which he termes (y) lib. de Tob. 1. PropheticuÌ„ librum a Propheticall booke of Scripture That S. Cyprian did reiect the same booke who citing it saith (z) Serm. de eleemos initio Loquitur in Scripture Spiritus sanctus the holy Ghost speaketh in the Scriptures That S. Athanasius or the Councell of Nice did reiect the booke of (a) Hieron prafat in Iudith Iudith That the same S. Cyprian did * S. Cyril l. 2. in Iulian vltra medium calles the booke of Wisdome diuine Scripture Melito epist ad Onefimum putteth it in the Canon The General CouÌ„cell of Sardica vseth the testimony thereof as Scripture against the Arians as Theodoret doth mention l. 1. Histor c. 7. let M. Crashaw proue they did reiect them reiect the booke of VVisdome which he calleth (b) De habit virg diuinam Scripturam diuine Scripture maketh Salomon the (c) Serm. de mortalit Author thereof Let him proue that S. Augustine did reiect the booke of Machabees which he saith not (d) Libros Machabaeorum non Iudaei sed Ecclesia pro Canonicis habet lib. 18. de ciuit c. 36. the Iewes but the Church of Christ doth hould for Canonicall 10. And here by occasion of S. Augustine and the booke of the Machabees I must giue M. Crashaw warning that in proofe of his assertion he bring not such testimonyes as are the three Syr Edward Hobby alleadgeth out of S. Augustine to proue he reiected the Machabees ignorantly and impudently corrupted not by Syr Edward himself I cannot thinke so dishonourably of men of his calling but by his trencher-School-maister or some mercinary (e) Syr Edward Hobbyes letter p. 23. Lecturer perchance euen by M. Crashaw himself who is great in the booke of this credulous (f) pag. 55. Knight whom they make fly hoodwinke to catch flyes which hood if I pull from his eyes that he may see how they (g) His owne phrase pag. 92. abuse him I hope he will take it in good part The first is out of the booke De mirabilibus sacrae Scripturae (h) l. 2. c. 34. which he citeth by their direction as S. Augustines which all learned men by vniforme consent discard from that number as a booke of no accoumpt which censure was made of this booke many hundred yeares (i) by S. Thomas 3. p. q. 45. a. 3. ad 2. before Syr Edward was borne or his Church eyther whose antiquity he doth say truly the Ladyes are not able to (k) In
his epistle to the Collapsed Ladyes conceaue though they may easily conceaue her nouelty seing some Ladyes â—ay yet liue that are elder then his Church and many are yet not very old whose parents were some yeares before Luther her first Father But as for that pretended booke of S. Augustine he that hath perused the same and can thinke it to be worthy eyther of the wit or learning or to sauour of the style of that learned Father he hath I dare say more â—kill of trenchers then of Authors specially seeing the Author himselfe in the fourth Chapter of his second booke doth say in expresse termes that he wrote the said booke in the yeare of our Lord 627. (l) In the third yeare of the 12. Cyclus which he makes begin 624. almost 200. yeares after that S. Augustine (m) Ann. Dom. 480. Prosper in Chronico was dead And was not Syr Edward think you heere bobbed by the Bachelour or some Lecturer 11. But more grossely by many ods do they abuse him in the two other authorityes which do not onely bewray grosse ignorance which is pardonable in a Knight Syr Edw. Hobb let pag. 60. when it is not ioyned with arrogancy but also great impudency and want of conscience framing sentences for S. Augustine which he neuet wrote nor so much as dreamed of The first is Machabaeorum Scriptura recepta est ab Ecclesia non inutiliter 〈◊〉 sobriè legatur vel audiatur maximè propter istos martyres sed ob haâ— causam in Canone morum non fidei censeri posset Thus they make S. Augustine speake shewing saith the Knight that theâ— must great sobriety be vsed in the hearing and reading oâ— these bookes and that they are in the Canon of manners and not of faith Now let vs see how intolerably his (n) His phrase of some of his Ministers Pedantes deceaue him S. Augustines words are these Scripturan quae appellatur Machabaeorum non habent Iudaei sicut Legem Prophetas Psalmos c. sed recepta est ab Ecclesia non inutiliter si sobriè legatuâ— vel audiatur maximè propter istos Martyres Machabaeos c. The Iews doe not admit the Booke of Machabees S. Augustines true wordes shewing the Machabees to be Canonicall lib. 2. cap. 23. contra Gaud. Ep. or in the better editions lib. 1. cap. 31. as they doe the Law the Prophets and Psalmes c. Yet it is profitably receaued of the Church if it be read or heard with sobriety specially in regard of those Machabees Martyrs c. This is that which S. Augustine saith of this matter By which it is cleare first that in S. Augustines iudgment the Christian Church doth admit the Books of the Machabees as Canonicall in thaâ— sense that the Iews did refuse them to wit euen as the Law Prophets and Psalms are Canonicall whose authority was euer sacred SecoÌ„dly that this whole sentence sed ob hanc causa in Canone morum non fidei censeri posset that therfore they may be admitted into the Canon of maÌ„ners but not of faith which coÌ„taineth the substance of the matter is wholy added by Syr Edw. Chaplain or School-maister Will Syr Edward suffer himselfe to be thus bobbed and his credit blowne vp Will he not set such a frowne on them as may make them vanish out of his sight for euer Can any staine to his (o) p. 24. Knighthood be greater then to be thought so notorious a falsyfier of so great and learned a Father euen in print Neyther can one gather because S. Augustin saith that the book is good if it â—e read soberly that therfore it is not Canonicall For what Booke of Scripture may not hurt rather then profit if the same be read without humility in a dronken fit of a wanton wit What Story or Miracle in the holy Bible will not some men deride when they bibble or take tobacco or when they â—ead the Scripture as Syr Edward doth seeme to doe Lypsius his Booke of our Ladyes miracles by the fire side when men rost crabs â—o driue a man out of a melancholy (p) pag. 102. fit 12. No lesse shamefully do they make the poore weake â—nueihgled Knight corrupt another place of S. Augustine to the same purpose This it is (q) De ciuitate lib. 1. cap. 20. In sanctis canonicis libris nusquaÌ„â—obis diuinitus praeceptum permissúmue reperiri potest vt vel ipsius adipisâ—endae immortalitatis vel vllius carendi cauendique mali causa * nobis ipsis necem inferamus vt Raâ—is seipsum occidens laudatur This place they gaue the Knight â—ut tould him not where it was to be found in S. Augustine â—eauing vs to seeke it in the wide world of his writings â—either haue the Latin words any sense as any that doth vnderstand that language must needs perceiue though in the â—nargent I haue both noted the place and added the words â—f S. Augustine that were waÌ„ting to make vp the sense which â—yr Edward doth thus turne into English In the holy Canonicall â—â—oks there is no diuine precept or permissioÌ„ to be found that we may eyther â—aine immortality or to escape any perill make away with our selues (r) Al this is added to S. Augustine pag. 61. 〈◊〉 Razis did and is therfore commended in the Machabees Thus Syr Edward Englisheth the wordes and then demaundeth VVhere 〈◊〉 now the collusion Truly Syr in the Minister that suggested vnâ—o you this corrupted peece of S. Augustine adding to the text 〈◊〉 Razis seipsum occidens laudatur as Razis did kill himself and is â—herfore commended in the Machabees which words S. Auâ—ustine hath not and were put in to discredit the Booke of â—he Machabees in which to the lesse wary or sober Reader Razias for that is his name not Razis as your suggester doth â—â—yle him may seeme to be praised for that fact of making away himself But did S. Augustine read that Book with so little sobriety that he fell into this dronken conceipt of your huâ—â—ourizing discourser Far was it from S. Augustines grauity pag. 24 who â—aith the coÌ„trary in expresse terms in that very place against Gaudentius you cyted where the Circumâ—elliam who killed themselues in their defence did obiect that sanctarum Scripturarum authoritate laudatus est Razias Razias is praysed by the authority of diuine Scripture Doth S. Augustine say he is praysed in the Machabees but that booke is not Canonicall No. He denieth that he was praysed for killing himself Quomodo laudatus sayth he quia fuit amator ciuitatis (s) 2. Machab 14. How is he praysed because he was a louer of the Citty or CoÌ„mon wealth and so goeth forward speaking of other causes why Razias was praysed and hauing set downe the bloudy and vndaunted manner of his death concludeth in these words This (*) Hanc eius morteÌ„ mirabiliorem quà m prudentiorem queÌ„admodum facta esset narrauit
10. lib. 2. de CoÌ„cil c. 12. l. 1. de sacr matr c. 5. Authors Definitions and Decrees of Popes and this is one new trick of falshood Secondly he chargeth vpon the Canon-law that doctrine which euen in that place the new reformed booke of Gratian denyeth in expresse termes putting a maine difference betwixt diuine Canonicall Scriptures Popes Decretall Epistles declaring that the saying of S. Augustine cyted out of a corrupt copy of that Fathers workes (p) Bellar. l. 2. de Concil c. 12. by Gratian that might seem to magnify the Canonicall Epistles of Popes was not referred to the Decretalls but to the Canonicall holy (r) Quae quideÌ„ sententia B. Augustini noÌ„ ad decretales Romanorum PontificuÌ„ sed ad Canonicas sacras Scripturas refereÌ„da est Decr. dist 19. c. 6. In canonicis Scripture Which note the Bachelour doth acknowledge and no meruaile saith he though they confesse it For the name of Decretall Epistles of the Popes was to get and to beare many a fayre yeare after his dayes where his ignorance of Histories might be shewed by many Decretal (s) See their Epistles tom 1. Concil Epistles of Popes as of Anacletus Alexand. Victor Anicetus Marcellus others that liued many a fayre yeare before S. Augustine The Decretall Epistles of S. Leo Pope Protestants themselues do not doubt of who liued in S Augustines tyme and was made Pope not long after his (t) S. Augustine died 430. S. Leo chosen Pope 440. death Likewise the Decretall Epistles of Innocentius the first are no lesse certaine and vndoubtedly his who liued in S. Augustines tyme and dyed some yeares before (u) Innocentius anno 417. him as all that haue any acquaintance with antiquity do know So that this cauill is eyther foule ignorance or a faire lye But that which is most to our purpose the Bachelour cannot deny but that a distinction betwixt the authority of diuine Scriptures and Popes Decretalls is expressely taught euen in this place whence he would inforce the contrary doctrine which is not ignorance only but impudency also 2. Thirdly he doth peruert the playn and cleare meaning of Gratian in that place which I will shew out of that very distinction the more largely to stop the mouth of this Minister and his Mates who still come forth with this trish-trash triuiall slaunder For I demaund of him seeing his Conscience speaketh that he hath perused the whole scope of this place whether he doth not know that Canonicall Scriptures or writinges doe not there signify holy and diuine Scriptures but Codicem Canonum the Booke of Canons or Decrees of Generall Councells to which and not vnto diuine Scriptures Gratian intendeth to proue in that distinction that the Popes Decretalls are equall as appeareth both in the beginning ending body thereof The beginning is De (x) See the beginning of the 19. distinctioÌ„ 1. part Decreti Epistolis Decretalibus quaeritur an vim authoritatis obtineant cùm incorpore Canonum non inueniantur The question is whether the Decretall Epistles be of authority seeing they are not found in the body or booke of Canons This is the question which Gratian handleth in that distinction and maketh answere in the wordes cited by the Bachelour that the Decretall Epistles are reckoned among Canonicall writings concluding in the end with these words (y) Titulus cap. 6. Decretales itaque Epistolae Canonibus Conciliorum pari iure exequantur The Decretall Epistles haue right to be equalled to the Canons of Councells (z) in fine distinctioÌ„is 19. It is then playn that a distinction is made by Gratian betwixt Canonicall writings and holy Canonicall Scriptures and that the Popes Decretalls are said to be of equall authority with the first not with the second Which is yet more playnly set downe in the body of the distinction in the words of Nicolaus Pope about this matter bringing many arguments that the Decretall Epistles of Popes that are not in the Booke of the Canons of Councells are to be reckoned Canonicall and of authority to bynd If (a) cap. Si Romanorum saith he the Decretall Epistles of ancient Roman Bishops were not to be admitted because they are not inserted into the Codex Canonum the Code of the Canons then neither the constitutions of holy Gregory nor of any other Pope are to be receiued because they are not written in the booke of Canons Itaque nihil refert saith he vtrum fint omnia necne Decretalia Sedis Apostolicae coÌ„stituta inter Canones Conciliorum immista cùm omnia in vno corpore compaginari non possint That is It imports not though all the Decretall Epistles of the Apostolicall Sea be not ioyned with the Councells seeing that all could not be compacted into one corps or booke Thus writeth the Pope cited by Gratian. By which it is euident and by the whole scope of that distinction that Canonicall writings signify in that place the Code of Canons and not holy and diuine Scripture What shall we think then of the coÌ„science of this Bachelour which speaketh that he hath diligently perused the whole scope of this place and yet so notoriously falsifyeth the meaning thereof The fifth slaunder That the Popes Decretals are of more authority then diuine Scriptures â— THE second Babel about holy Scriptures and his fifth wound is that we not only equall but also prefer the Popes Decretalls before the holy Scripture for this ambitious Bachelour will needs proceed to higher degrees of slaunder not ceasing to clymbe till out of hatred to the Pope he become graduate in Atheisme a plaine Atheist as you shall heare in his next wound This Babel â—he seeketh to rayse vpon the words of S. Boniface our Countreyman famous for sanctity and learning who conuerted a great part of the Germayne Nation vnto the Christian fayth (b) See Baron tom 9. ann 722. 723. 724. seq and was therfore called the Apostle of Germany where he endured a glorious martyrdome for that cause (c) Vide Baron an 755. This blessed Saint and Martyr sayth That (d) Decret d. 40. in appendice ad cap. 6. all men do so much reuerence and respect the Primacy of the Apostolicall Roman Sea that they seeke some part of the disciplyne of holy Canons (e) NoÌ„nullam SaÌ„ctorum Canonum disciplinam which the Bachlour traÌ„slateth much of the discipline of holy Canons putting in to the text much of his owne and of the ancient Institutions of Christian Religion rather from the mouth of the Bishops thereof then eyther from holy Scriptures or the Traditions of Ancestors and that therefore if the Bishop of Rome be zealous of Gods glory carefull in his office irreprehensible in his life he is able by his doctrine and example to draw great multitudes of all sorts of professions vnto to Christ to the great increase of his reward But if on the contrary side he be carelesse of
of the English Church as Protestants haue that they haue laboured fully the curing and conuerting of the Roman Of what can M. Crashaw crake that the Brownists may not brag of the like or better That his men haue written many learned bookes specially these later yeares that if he may giue his iudgment the skirts of the Romish whore were neuer more clearely discouered but haue not Brownists also written many bookes Doe not they plentifully alleadg Scripture And if they might speake freely their iudgment at the Crosse as this Wise man doth The Brownists bookes would they not say they haue clearely discouered the skirts of the English Babylon or Whore Will our Bachelour boast of his Churches deuotion and prayer for the conuersion of Rome But can he accuse Brownists as slack in this ponit as not wishing hartily or not praying earnestly for the conuersion of England The Church of S. Antlings in London praying euery morning at six a clock hys example scarse matchable in the world Their prayers are they not all or most of them Brownists and their friends fauourits that fill the Church pray so loud that they be heard to Rome and shame the Pope Their examples and Cardinals for their negligence in this duty Can M. Crashw except against the Brownists example of professing their owne religion in Englands sight How many of that sort liue openly and are knowne generally in the Realme particulerly in London whereas Protestants if any be in Italy or in Rome they are priuy so close that no eye can see them and so sweet that none haue list to smell them out 8. M. Crashaws fourth salue of making lawes executing in iustice and suspending in mercy Brownists yet haue not vsed towardes him and his fellowes because they haue not the sword of temporall authority in their handes which if they get and to get it they haue done and still vse their best endeauours wherein M. Crashaw cannot iustly accuse them of slacknes they will make Protestants vnderstand that they can plaister them with their owne salues both execute in iustice and suspend in mercy aswell as they making Ministers weare sheetes insteed of Surplisses and their Bishops looke through ropes as they do now through Rochets So that I see not which of M. Crashawes salues and plaisters applyed to vs Brownists haue not with their best skill vsed vnto them that were in their power to vse and therfore haue as good testimony to their conscience for their discharge as Protestants can haue nay far better and more assured the reason therof is apparent and a consideration of great moment 9. For the English Church being yet but new errours and wounds in her as she is distinct from the Roman are new and greene and therfore neyther deep nor needing any extraordinary salues The wounds of the Roman if she be wounded must needs be old (q) M. Fulke sayth Some Protestāts haue written that the Pope hath blinded the world some say 900. some 1000. some 1200. years In his Treatise against Staplet and Martial pag. 25. and therfore dangerous and hard to be cured to vndertake the healing of which with only ordinary and vsuall salues as are writing books praying for them giuing example and the like which euery religion doth vse in their kind is the attempt of ignorant and vnskilfull Surgeons or rather fond endeauours of vayne glorious fooles making boasts of their little loue In truth to men of Iudgment that do seriously consider of the matter the vanity of the new Ghospellers must needs seeme admirable who confessing the wounds of the Roman Church to be so old hauing rankled in her body a thousand yeares togeather at least and so deep that the same errours were vniuersally spread yet they come to cure vs with triuiall toyes and trifles If they write three or foure bookes very learned in their owne iudgment Great vanity of Protestāts if in one Church in the world some few of them meet at six a clocke in the morning to pray if some Ministers walke modestly demurely in the streets which very few of them and very seldome they vse they think their prayers are heard ouer the world that the Pope and Cardinalls doe wonder at them and as though all men must needes be straight conuerted that read their books or do but see their outsides they are amazed that all Christendome hath not yet forsaken the faith of their Ancestours which because they haue not done these good Surgeons must needs pronounce them incurable so full of folly and vanity they are and so fondly conceipted of their great skill and excellent salues 10. But are these toyes sufficient meanes to heale old sores Doth God vse to apply no better plaisters when he will haue men forsake the faith of their Ancestors The practice of all ages past sheweth the contrary nay Luther doth himselfe confesse other stronger extraordinary salues are required Vbicumque Deus ordinariāviam mutare vult ibi semper miracula (r) Luther tom 3. Ien. Germ. fol. 455. apud Sleidā l. 3. ann 1525. in loc commū classe 4. pag. 38. Deus nūquam aliquē misit nisi vel per hominem vocatum vel per signa declaratum facit When God intendeth to change the ordinary course of things in his Church he doth euer worke myracles And in another place he biddeth vs examine Surgeons or Preachers when they come to practice their Phisick Vnde (s) Vbi sigilla quod ab hominibus sis missus vbi miracula quae te à Deo missum esse testantur tom 5. Ien. Germ. fol. 491. venis c. Whence commest thou Who sent thee Shew thy Patents if thou be sent from men shew Myracles if thou be sent from God These are the salues which must heale old wounds without which we must not change the old and ordinary way to heauen Now who doth not know but that Luther did change the ordinary course of things and in the same change doth his Posterity continue Who sent him with authority and commission to make this change to preach this doctrine to giue this strange Phisicke If God doth neuer change the ordinary course without myracles doubtlesse he will worke some myracles for the Protestant change if the same be from him and not from the Diuell But haue Protestants done this Haue they myracles to heale vs Haue they proued by this meanes the goodnes of their doctrine and phisick without which we may not admit it What dead men haue they raysed What lame man haue they cured To what blind man haue they giuen sight If since the vnfortunate triall of their Phisicke made by Caluin vpon wretched Bruley (t) Bolsec in vita Caluini c. 13. they neuer durst proue the same by doing myracles vpon men let them shew the vertue therof by working wonders vpon a dead dog or blind cat or lame horse Let them giue life to the one